#mizuki my beloved come back

[spicyicymeloncat]

I don’t think i ever posted this?

Very belated mizu5 content lol

[brawlqueen]

it was inevitable i think, not me musing her, but just....the fc and my p.sd for mizu.ki just fits really well and i'm using the same icon p.sd for f.go jeanne that lynnie thinks fits me so i'll use her too . i just. i love...man, everyone's designs in o.shi no ko. it's wild. but if you know me well, are one of my friends, you know how much i love purple. i'll try to work on the meme today i reblogged and at some point i want to get into the ma.nga tho hoo it's way ahead and i'm behind whoop.

also just a side-note, since i feel i've been kinda tame about this? miz.uki has 0 tolerance for disrespect and this isn't like about anything just....if your muse doesn't respect her, she will eviscerate you verbally be at 12 or 18. she has the godlike battle (frankly is she a d.bz chara now damn ) ability / physical strength to back it up, and also the high IQ / wit far above her classmates reading thesis works at 12. to me, i really haven't seen a muse more traumatized, or in so much pain, and in the same breath so strong. we all have that one character we go, 'well damn'.

i have no intentions of woobifying that but being respectful because the queen deserves it and it's just...not appropriate like....they're still people. people who are traumatized are still people with agency and dreams and personalities and choices. so no woobifying the queen. just a head's up i won't hold her back if your muse gets mouthy. this is a girl who with a slight tighter grip, could make a cup smash into ceramic powder or accidentally shatter bone. after things no one can ever understand / go through, she has zero patience. if you know ait.sf, than you know this very well, but not all my mutuals do so just a head's up that there are consequences so i don't want anyone like...surprised rip. she isn't gonna break your character's bones but she will turn into a wildfire.

[lurkingshan]

Japanese QL Corner

ICYMI: There are so many Japanese qls airing weekly, so I’m going to start posting this little round up at the end of each week. All of these are on Gaga and I highly recommend watching!

Love is Better the Second Time Around

This is officially my favorite bl currently airing. I loved this second episode a lot. I appreciate that while the first episode gave us a really solid grounding in who Iwanaga is, the second let us get to know Miyata in all his contradictory glory. That entire sequence from his failed proposal to him demanding Iwanaga take responsibility was glorious. He is still nursing a wound from their high school days and hearing Iwanaga sincerely apologize for his immaturity in making the bet back then seems to have given him some of his power back. I love that he's making Iwanaga work for it, and judging by that smile at the end of the episode, Iwanaga loves it, too.

My Strawberry Film

Yet another week focused on the het love rhombus, this time with a double date. I was spiritually with Ryo sitting on a rock by himself, headphones on and gazing at the sea in mild despair. The plot continues to move at a glacial pace, and I am not nearly as interested in Minami or her secrets as the show wants me to be. She is just not a compelling character. I did appreciate the show making it clear that Hikaru's crush on her is based more on a fantasy of who she is than the reality. And I felt for Chika a lot in this episode and was glad she aired things out with Ryo; she needed his rejection to move on. I wonder if, as @bengiyo suggested, this show will play better as a binge, because it's kind of torturous as a weekly viewing experience.

Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yara ka

A nice ending for a show that didn't quite come together for me. I liked both of these characters a lot, but the writing for their romance was kind of all over the place and we spent a lot of time on frustrating plot diversions instead of building a stronger relationship foundation that would leave us feeling confident about their future (apparently a lot of that extra plot stuff was added to stretch the simple manga story to 10 episodes, and it sure felt like it). I didn't at all buy Mizuki suddenly reappearing and trying to help them get back together. The way the show used his character was perhaps the most frustrating part of all; he felt more like a plot device than a person. But I'm glad Soga and Sakae decided to try again at the end, even if I wish we would have spent the back half of the show seeing them actually work through these complications instead of just talking about them constantly only to end right where they started. Not one that I will be rewatching or that will stick with me, I think.

Bonus: Call Boy (2018)

I have been meaning to watch this film for ages, and finally got around to it this week. Before I am accused of false advertising, let me clarify that this is not a bl or a romance at all; rather it is a story about a disaffected youth who gets offered a job as a sex worker in a high end club and finds purpose and satisfaction in bringing others pleasure. Our lead Ryo is (mostly) het, but he does have one extremely memorable sexual encounter with a male colleague (played by my beloved Izuka Kenta!), and this is in general a film exploring sexual kink and stigma, so it earned its spot on ql corner.

This movie is surprisingly great, and its themes are very sex and sex work positive in a way some other recent shows have claimed (and failed) to be. The narrative is all about Ryo coming to understand the purpose of sex work, finding his own pleasure in fulfilling his client's needs, and working through his childhood trauma in the process. It's very well done and I highly recommend it for anyone who can handle exceedingly NC-17 content. It's on Viki for rent (and also in the grey).

[yyxandere]

BITTERSWEET SCENARIO!

Let’s say that after the events of Yakuza 3 you were traumatized by the sight of your spouse in intensive care after he was literally filled with lead from a turret by his enemies, and as you guessed, it’s your one from favourite characters – Osamu. Since this period, you have developed one habit - you always check his heartbeat by placing your ear against his chest. Most often you do this, let’s say tradition, after nightmares and the rhythm of his heart always calms you down, assuring you that your loved one is still nearby, which makes you involuntarily mutter quietly under your breath so as not to wake him up: "Oh, thanks god that's you’re still alive... The sound of your the beating heart is the sweetest sound of my life".

-ˋˏSINCERELY YOURS. . . ->

MY BELOVED HUSBAND AAAA I'M GLAD THAT PEOPLE KNOW THAT HE'S MY FAVEE

I erm kinda made a small fic, SORRY I GOT CARRIED AWAY! (there's brief mention of Kashiwagi and [Readers] child, hope you don't mind that😭😭)

-

The beeping monitor could never calm you, nor did it help to lessen the anxiety of the day. In fact, the steady beat made the anxiety even worse than if it were a regular alarm because every time it made you feel like everything in your life was slowly unraveling apart and then being swallowed whole into the abyss of sadness.

Your husband Osamu is in the hospital bed as your tear-stained face kisses his pale knuckles, holding on to them tightly without letting go ever since you came to the hospital. He is still sleeping, and he looks absolutely peaceful, just like how he looks after every surgery or treatment he undergoes. You are sitting at his bedside, trying to avoid looking at his face because it is all you can see when you close your eyes. But sometimes it gets harder and you end up staring at him like there is nothing in the world more important than staring at him.

Your heart aches whenever you visit, and to add that, you weren't even sleeping well because of the recurring nightmares, the only time you are at ease is when you are near him, to be exact, your ears near his heart, listening for the comforting thump as his pulse slowly eases your soul and calms you down.

The hospital door opened and you immediately went back to your seat, not wanting anyone to see such a vulnerable action you were doing, you then wiped your tears to see who it was, and it was none other than your nineteen-year-old daughter, Mizuki. She didn't even need to analyze what you were doing, she simply walked up next to you and hugged her dear mother, and you immediately reciprocated the gesture and pulled her tight, burying her head in your neck as you tried to catch your breath, overwhelmed with emotions as she squeezed her arms around her mother.

"Don't worry mama. Papa is much stronger than you think. . . "

-

It had been over two years since the tragedy happened and now, almost three years later, your husband has been doing fine, heck excellent even, but what happened the reassuring memories always mess with your sleep and Osamu wasn't blind to your worries, he would give you calming tea, he would even make comforting meals or make bouquets to help your nerves relax, but the most important thing was that you could get a good night's sleep because it wasn't healthy for you to stay awake during sleepless nights. Osamu knew that you had nightmares about the terrible events, and he felt sorry that you had to lose sleep because of him, but inside of him swells whenever you hug him for comfort, the memories could come back in the middle of the day and you can't help it but hug him in front of many people, it's rather flustering but he can't push you away. (onlookers nearby think it's cute to see an old couple hugging, little did they know that this was the same dude that isolated you from your loved one so you could depend on him)

Yet nothing squeezed his heart more than that one fateful night.

-

A loud gasp and a sudden movement woke up Kashiwagi and to no surprise, it was your nightly terror, even with the lights out the only kind of brightness was brought by the blue moon, illuminating the room slightly so that he could see you laying at his side, his arms around you while you were clutching his hand. Your face was twisted in agony, eyes clenched shut while you were gasping for air through the tears flowing freely like streams down your cheek. A single drop fell onto the sheets beside him as his wife began to sob, shaking violently and trembling in fear.

That tear managed to make Kashiwagi wake up, not wanting you to experience any more of the nightmare you were having. He gently put his hand on your shoulder, "Shh, it’s alright, (Y/n) … it’s just a bad dream", he said in a low voice. Yet even with his comforting words, your eyes couldn't help themselves from having tears waiting to flood out their sockets and pour down on his skin. That simple gesture made Osamu feel as if someone just kicked his stomach hard. As he tightened his grip around your shoulders, making sure not to hurt you, you suddenly stopped crying and turned to look at your husband with teary eyes and a pained expression as you whispered.

"Oh, thank god that you’re still alive… The sound of your beating heart is the sweetest sound of my life".

How can Kashiwagi say no when you look like that? It was impossible, but that didn't stop him from sighing in defeat. He looked at his hands for a few seconds before lifting them up and wiping away some stray hairs behind your ears. After that, he kissed your forehead lovingly before whispering.

"I love you too. The tears in your eyes hurt much more than what happened to me. . ."

[pumpkinmagekupo]

What if-

Mizuki walked Aymeric through the well decorated halls. Aymeric stopped at the corner where a stone archway stood, with a red backdrop. "It's a picture opportunity." Mizuki explained "The Great Gourd really knows how to decorate,"

Aymeric squeezed her hand as she tried to walk on "So we could..also get a picture?" he asked shyly.

Mizuki smiled bright "of course! I just..I didn't think you would want to-" Aymeric followed Mizuki into the little booth and a small ghost floated past. "So now we pose. The ghost will - well I'm not overly sure how this all works but our picture will be ready when we leave."

"So fast!"

They posed and the ghost twirled and nodding at them before vanishing.

"that was fast-"

"Very efficient." Mizuki chuckled and taking Aymeric's hand again, guided him to the room she was desperate to show him.

The room had the biggest pumpkins in the manor. "Aren't they grand?" she asked,

"they are."

Mizuki stopped in front of them and turned to Aymeric with a nervous smile "could you crouch a moment.." she asked, Aymeric complied. Mizuki cupped his face gently and kissed him softly.

Both of them flushed red, they were married now but public displays of affection caught them off guard. "You are so beautiful." she sighed as they parted.

"You stole the words from my lips and the air from my lungs." Aymeric retorted with a smile across his face. They kissed again, savouring the bliss and uninterrupted moment.

"Thank you for coming with me." Mizuki smiled "I know you're busy-"

"Never too busy to spent time with my beloved wife." he replied, kissing her horn fondly. They enjoyed the festivities the manor had to offer before heading back down to the lobby.

They were gifted not one but two pictures. The second made Mizuki want to perish. The little ghost in charge of pictures had spotted an opportune moment in front of the big pumpkins: Mizuki and Aymeric looking longingly into each other's eyes.

Aymeric albeit flustered was overjoyed "I shall have this framed..I have just the spot on my desk-"

"Your desk?!" Mizuki shrieked in panic.

Aymeric frowned "yes, you are quite right.. but I shall need a larger version of it to frame on our wall." he nodded and went to go seek one of the helpers. Mizuki was hot on his heels "Aymeric, no!"

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

[empress-mizuki]

🛠️ @officialjohnjones

Battle Theme: Classical Dragon (feat. Tim Henson) - Marcin

Battle Intro: "Well met, Captain. A fine day for an honorable spar. Do not hold back."

Victory: "Your prowess is formidable, Captain, This victory feels like an accomplishment."

Defeat: "I concede, my friend. You have the better of me."

Assist: "You be my shield, I shall be your blade."

Dual Strike: "Together now, Captain."

Defending: "You are not worthy to face the Captain. Perish."

Taunt: "Come, Captain, you promised a test of my skill!"

Reacting to Taunt: "Be sure not to lose your footing while slinging words, my friend."

Flee: "I concede while my dignity yet remains intact, Captain."

Reacting to Flee: "And we were only just getting started..."

Tie: "Fair draw, Captain Jones. It shall not be repeated."

Perfect Victory: "Is your mind elsewhere, Captain? Come back when your heart is in the match instead of with your beloved."

Finishing Move: Empress Mizuki charges a Bladed Fan attack, flying forward in a blinding dance, a thousand slashes blossoming across her opponent's body.

[kakushino]

Greetings! I'm the anon from this ask! I swear I wanted to see if it was answered like two days after I send it, then I fucking forgot HSHSHSH.

anyway! thank you for the reply and the verrry useful information! With it, I could finalize and demonize my kny bbys. I could only do two out of four today, but I wanna hear cha thoughts on em.

heres Daisuke! Two versions, I can't decide between grey or tanish skin

As seen in the little doodles next to him, he's a water demon! not directly related to Giyuu and his bloodline, but kinda like cousins.

The Nakamura line of demons are coastal/ sea demons! They earliest documented ancestors of their escaped the facility that held them and vanished into the sea. There, they lived in small groups. Sometimes, the females would leave to have offspring with other demons (mostly demons that lived in the town near the sea) and come back. The bloodline was mostly, perfectly pure.

Living in the ocean by Izu Peninsula, they would occasionally devoure the unfortunate tourist that wandered to close to one of them and didn't consider their warning. Or the occasionally disrespectful teenagers that took daddy's boat out to the sea and threw their trash overboard. So far, from the entire bloodline, they all together killed only around 15 humans. And that over several years.

They prefer fish, crustaceans, and jellyfish especially.

There's NO case of a domesticated Nakamura. All that have been captured and kept in captivity died soon after.

Thanks to poachers hunting them and selling them to eager scientists who want to be first to domesticate them, there's only 3 left. Siblings all too, the oldest sister Mizuki and the twins, Osuke and Daisuke.

I have sooo much more lore about them, but I think this ask is getting a biiiit too long. HSHSHHS I wanna know your opinion, thoughts, and criticism on em! If u want I could even give you the story idea I had for them in dms :00

OG ask

Oh I LOVE LOVE LOVE how you draw by the way!!! The details of the markings are spectacular and the sea doodles? 🥺🙏❤️ I'm in love!

I'd go with grey skin for Daisuke to be honest, just because it adds to the aberrant feel of a demon (and also because it looks freaking cool okay)

Cousins! Damn the lore drop fed me well! Nakamura demons my beloved! Have they developed more fish-like features? Like webbed skin between their fingers for easier swimming? Or elongated feet with fin-like structure? I adore the chomps doodle, it made me giggle ❤️

Where do they hide during the day? Underwater? In caves? Oooh DO THEIR MARKS GLOW IN THE DARK?

I honestly don't mind big lore drops! It gives more opportunity to ask questions and talk about it 😌 I can't wait to hear more of your OC's! Can I link this ask + future posts in the collab masterlist? 🙏

[detectiveichijouji]

Final Case - The Young Prince Detective’s Gambit

[AO3 version]

The enemy who once was a beloved friend of Ichijouji Ken and Akiyama Ryo was Nokita Yuu’s true identity, Hikawa Yuuichi. After hearing Yuuichi’s side of the story and be forced to face Daisuke, who was turned into an unstable Wolfmon, Noel, as Arsenemon, appeared and prevented Wolfmon from hurting Ken. The elusive gallant phantom thief then revealed that Yuuichi’s facts were twisted, and then gave his own witness of the events. Then… something made Wolfmon attack Yuuichi’s body, out of the blue and confusing Ken’s head -- Since Daisuke himself wouldn’t be able to kill a human. Turns out that It wasn’t exactly Daisuke who did that move, and yes the good part inside Yuuichi, which possessed Daisuke’s body. With the damage of Wolfmon’s holy light blade, Yuuchi’s body was damaged, but the corrupted vessel plotted something against them all. Once Miyako and Iori were rescued and healed, thanks to their jogress partners and Soleil & Lune’s help, the group reunited at the rooftop. And witnessed the vessel summon a dormant YukiAgumon in front of them, only to fuse the last two fake shards with the digimon and evolve it into Chaosdramon.

What should we do now…??

“Ken, please… destroy my body quickly, before it uses the portion of that digimon’s power on Chaosdramon.”

“Wait, what do you mean, Daisuke-kun?” Hikari asked, frowning.

“He’s not mon ami Motomiya for a while,” Arsenemon said.

“The good part of Hikawa-kun is within Daisuke right now,” Ken told the others.

“With the remaining three shards it might be a little bit more powerful than the usual, but… I beg you, Ken, everyone… End me now, I’m not even human anymore… And I do not belong here either…”

“...”

“That’s creepy to hear coming from Daisuke’s mouth,” Miyako commented.

“... Are ya sure of that, Yuuichi?” Daisuke was pitying him, “There could be… another way--”

“There’s no other solution,” Hikawa sighed, “I’m not human anymore, I’m just… ‘something’ who once was a human.”

“Man…”

“Just… Promise you all will… Take care of Ken for me.”

“Hey, Ken’s tough. He had witnessed a ton of bad things and he knows we will always be on his side. No need to promise you that, dude. He got our backs, and we got his.”

“Oh might be sooooo easy peasy to beat that critter with a hole in the body” Crescemon smugged, “After all, We’re like, six digimon against one.”

“Didn’t you forget someone…?” the vessel said. And thus, Matadrmon appeared in front of it.

“Ah nice, the annoying vampire…” Daisuke complained with a displeased expression on his face, but outside his body was only glaring at the new opponent.

“Hehe, oopsie…?” Crescemon chuckled nervously…

Youta cracked his fist, “I have a score to settle with that digimon, guys. So stay away from them, they’re mine .”

“Let’s leave Matadrmon to Youta and me ,” Mizuki said, stepping forward, “You guys take care of my nonexistent brother and Chaosdramon.

“M-Mizuki…?” the boy blinked.

“That digimon caused us trouble before and is going to cause even more right now.”

“Alright,” Miyako said, looking at the others, “Everyone ready?”

They all nodded in agreement.

“Do the honors, Miyako” Daisuke chuckled, “I know you’re itching to say that line again.”

Despite not being able to hear Daisuke, Miyako grabbed her digivice and pointed it to the sky:

“Chosen Children… Let’s roll!!”

Ken was still not sure about what to do about Hikawa. Everything said to him right now was too much for his heart and mind. But Daisuke was right about him though.

“Hey, maybe there’s a reason for that! Like, maybe he’s brainwashed or somethin’?? Evil clone? Maybe he’s not gone mad!”

[...]

“Can you really kill a human being, Ken??”

As always… Daisuke’s heart was in the right place. He might not be a talented genius strategist who could come up with a very logical resolve for a battle or a dilemma…

… But Daisuke understands people and their hearts pretty well. His emotional intelligence is over the charts of this group.

“... There might be another way to solve this,” Ken muttered. The digimon (except for Arsenemon) had started their respective fights while the kids watched them. But Ken was just looking at the vessel still struggling with the critical hit caused by Wolfmon’s holy light attribute.

“What do you mean?” Daisuke (Hikawa, actually) asked him, “No, you have to listen to me, Ken! There’s no other option, you have to--”

“Daisuke is right about it, I can’t do that. If I were the Digimon Kaiser, if I still were a cruel cold hearted arrogant brat… But…”

“You never had the guts to do it, right?” Arsenemon completed it.

“... Daisuke knows me well enough. Even if back in time… When we were enemies… If I knew that humans can die for real in the Digital World… I wouldn’t have tried to hurt them at all.”

“You were shocked when you hit me in the face with your whip,” Takeru commented, “So, guess this tracks.”

“... Sigh, yes.”

“Yeah, there might be another way to save you too,” Daisuke said, “I mean… Maybe something… Like, Uhh… Purifying you? Like in some TV shows--”

“I don’t think it’s possible,” Hikawa shook his head, “Having false hopes might make it worse for Ken. I… I already hurt him enough, so I don’t--”

"Ken doesn't want to save you just because you're an old friend, he wants you to have a chance to fix your mistakes and start over, just like he did".

“A… second chance?”

"Yes, you screwed up badly, and I would understand if none of us forgave you. But everyone who shows they're willing to do better and do the right thing deserves a chance to start over.”

“Why… Are you saying that to me?”

“Because… You might be the reason I got to meet Ken in the first place? It’s not Ken who created this new reality. It was you who did it, Yuuichi. And I can’t think about a world where I’m not friends with Ken, or with Miyako, Iori, Takeru, Hikari-chan, Noel, the others… Everyone.”

“...!!”

“And because you’re using my body right now, so please don’t do anything reckless I can’t get another scar for some… Stupid decision.”

Hikawa laughed lightly, and it made Daisuke protest, “Hey, I’m not kidding! This ain’t a joke, dude!”

“I guess I know why Ken liked you, and I’m glad you’re his friend.”

“So, what’s the plan?” Paildramon asked them.

“...” Ken started to analyze the environment, the enemies and their allies. It would be better if they just kept Imperialdramon’s power as backup, but they now have Valkyrimon and Dominimon in their deck.

Valkyrimon has the power of resurrecting fallen allies. Meanwhile Dominimon has the power of healing them. If they have to kill Hikawa Yuuichi’s body -- which is now just operating the vessel for a part of MIlliummon power…

But doing so, would make Hikawa’s good part to cease existing and leave Daisuke’s body…

He's not sure if this could work... But how long can his connection to Daisuke last?

“You got a plan, right Ken-kun?” Miyako asked.

“It’s risky. But we have to try it.”

“Whatever you're thinking of doing, I believe you,” Daisuke said with a smile, but now it didn’t seem to be clear if it was either Daisuke or Hikawa.

“... Arsenemon, can you do a favor for me?” Ken turned to the magician phantom thief.

“Hmm?”

The fighting style Flaremon and Crescemon had was nothing like the 02 group at all: They would just unleash their most powerful attacks and leave no room for counterattacks.

Though they tended to ram, intending to destroy the target, they were also perfectly synchronized. The graceful dance moves of Crescemon covered up the more brutal and insane rampage of Flaremon.  

It becomes hard to target one or another when they’re constantly moving. Matadrmon had to keep defending themself from the mad flurry of punches thrown by Flaremon but had no time to dodge all the ice arrows shot by Crescemon.

It was a tragic disadvantage. Maybe if they could make the sun-moon duo hit each other…?

But while they looked like hostile beasts just attacking nonstop, they didn’t seem to be careless. Which was odd for this fighting style.

Matarmon could target Flaremon for being the one in a melee combat with them right now, but Crescemon’s shield was protecting him. There might be an exact moment Matadrmon could exploit and hit one of them.

“It doesn’t matter.” Matadrmon whispered, and then tried their best attempt at taking both down at once -- “Thousand Arrow.”

Then, the enemy fired countless rapiers under their sleeves. Soleil smirked, watching that desperate move, until Lune had a deja-vu.

“They’re NOT aiming at our digimon, they’re…!!”

Yes. Matadrmon knew the only time a digimon partner would let their guard down is the moment their human partner is in danger.

Crescemon and Flaremon backed up to protect the human duo, and with this they got hit by that such reckless move. They would use their own bodies (and Crescemon’s shield) to protect their partners.

The difference between Soleil and Lune and the 02 kids (plus their seniors) is that they don’t seem to care about protecting themselves in a battle. This is why Daisuke and co. snapped at their antics and approach regarding Kayono’s partner. Or even, the possible reason why Ryouma’s Psychemon partner got brutally hurt to the point it returned to DigiEgg state since then.

Tactless.

“Crescemon!!” / “Flaremon!!” They called their partners the moment the digimon shouted in pain.

“You’re still reckless brats. Just like your siblings.”

It was implied that Matadrmon was their enemy. The enemy that had been haunting them since their first digimon adventure with their own group. An unknown enemy who knew about them. But neither Soleil nor Lune knew about them.

Because he came from that old forgotten timeline.

“G-get up, please!” Soleil said to their partners, “We can’t let that monster beat us!!”

“An omen…” Lune whispered, “Is it… because of siblings that we… We’re like this?”

“Get yourself together, Mizuki!!” Soleil snapped, “They’re messing with us like they messed with everyone else before!!”

“... I just realized I had a brother once, and he… committed a mistake. And he was connected to your sister, and Ichijouji-kun. And to whoever this Akiyama Ryo is. We’re fated to fail.”

“It doesn’t matter if this is fate or not! We should go against the odds! We can… We can win, right?!”

“Youta, Matadrmon will keep using this dirty trick because we lack strategy! All of our victories were because we had Noel on our side!”

“...”

“We’re not like the heroes everyone loves and cherishes. We’re the bratty rogue kids everyone wants to disappear.”

“DON’T GIVE UP!!” they heard someone’s voice coming from behind them.

Soleil and Lune looked back, and saw Daisuke-or-Hikawa just screaming at them. But judging from the speech pattern, it wasn’t Hikawa at all.

“Motomiya(-kun)?” the duo said together.

“You have to work together with your digimon, and trust each other!” Daisuke just stood behind them, “It doesn’t matter if you’re a hero or not! Just do what is right, not what you think is right!!”

He put himself at risk just to say that to them, while the entire group was facing Chaosdramon and the evil vessel. He, who was angry at their behavior before… Was just encouraging them now.

“Fight together with our digimon…?” Lune repeated, and looked at Crescemon.

“And trust each other…?” Soleil did the same as well, but glancing at Flaremon.

They then looked at each other and nodded.

“We’re not heroes, but we’re still on the good side” Youta grabbed his digivice, “Can you stand up, Flaremon?”

“Aye, sir.”

“We’re the ones who will make our own destiny now. Go against the odds, Right?” Mizuki took her digivice as well, “We can beat this creep, Crescemon!”

“YEAH!”

Then… a Miracle happened: The digivices just showed the two symbols on their respective screens. A Scale on Youta’s, and a Moon’s reflection on a water surface.

Two lights covered Flaremon and Crescemon.

Flaremon ultimate evolve to… Iustimon ! Crescemon ultimate evolve to… Dianamon !

“... What is this,” Matadrmon wasn’t impressed but didn’t feel they should  underestimate those two anymore.

Iustimon was in the form of a two-legged Firamon, wearing armor and wielding a sword in one hand. In the other, he held a mysterious symbol of a scale.

Meanwhile Dianamon was wearing a moonstone colored like armor, wielding a twin scythe-like weapon in her hands.

“This won’t be enough to beat me.”

“Don’t judge your enemies like that, you weirdo!” Dianamon shouted, and dashed against them trying to hit Matadrmon with her blades.

“You still lack intelligence.”

“... No, you do.”

Iustimon seemed to be only on standby, but he was using the scale to measure both sides’ power and abilities.

“Hm?”

“Fair Judgement.” Iustimon said, and then when the scales synced…

“...??” Matadrmon was unable to use their special technique, Thousand Arrows , anymore.

“Whoa, you balanced the game!!” Daisuke exclaimed in awe. That digimon was so cool…!?

“Heheheh…” Soleil chuckled.

“... I’m still able to fight.” the enemy warned the duo.

“We won’t let you beat us this time!” Lune shouted.

The only payoff for turning Matadrmon unable to use that technique is that Dianamon was unable to use her strongest special ability, Crescent Harken , which could finish that fight immediately.

But that didn't change the serious look on Dianamon and Lune's faces.

“You’re done for,” Dianamon said with a terrifying tone.

“Face your judgement,” Iustimon added.

“Never…” Matadrmon replied, and then kept defending themself from Dianamon’s twin blades. The enemy knew if they wanted to beat those two at once they needed to take down Iustimon first. So Matadrmon tried to move faster than Dianamon and exploit any opening in her attack patterns, and then directly attack Iustimon.

And when they finally thought they had found a way to get out from under Dianamon's attacking pattern…

“Divine Slash.”

Iustimon would simply slash them in half very quickly.

“?!?! H-how…?!”

Matadrmon fell on their knees.

“Because you underestimated us,”  Iustimon said calmly. His noble composure was so cool in Daisuke’s opinion. Dang it, Youta your digimon is so cool?!

“This was for what you did to Kayono and Ryouma too,” Daisuke noticed Soleil fists clenching as the boy said that.

“...” Matadrmon reverted into a DigiEgg form, in front of their eyes.

“You killed him…?” Daisuke asked, out of curiosity.

“No, he has been purified,” Iustimon explained.

“Aren’t you busy with that thing??” Lune then gestured to Chaosdramon fighting the other three digimon, with an angry face;

“Oh…”

“Don’t ‘Oh’ at us!!” Dianamon snapped, stomping her foot on the floor and clenching her hands.

“You can beat me…!”  

“I beat you before, remember?” Ken smirked, “I can do it again.”

“I’d love to watch you try and fail this time.”

“We won’t fail and we won’t let you take Hikawa-kun away this time…!”

Imperialdramon was wrestling with Chaosdramon as they talked, Dominimon was protecting the kids, and Valkyrimon… 

… Was on standby?

“How do you plan to beat me without the Digimental of Desire now?” the vessel scoffed, “I’m an anomaly with part of Millenniummon’s powers. You should’ve heard your ex-friend and killed me.”

“We will save Hikawa Yuuichi-kun this time, and I’m sure about it!”

“I asked you a question,”

“I’m not fond of explaining my plans. Sorry, you will have to figure it out.”

The vessel kept being cocky, watching the good guys not doing well… They didn’t attack at any instance…Then, they watched Chaosdramon easily beat Imperialdramon. Dominimon came immediately to heal the Imperialdramon but…

“I think it ends here…”

… Chaosdramon threw missiles against Dominimon, who used their shields to protect themself and the human kids.

“Do you think we can win??” Takeru asked Ken, concerned. At this point everyone was…

“Don’t lose your hopes!” Daisuke came back, and stood in front of Imperialdramon, “You can do it, Imperialdramon!! Everyone!!”

“Valkyrimon, do something!!” Miyako ordered. But the digimon was still on standby.

“Pathetic.”

The vessel was sure he was winning. He laughed loudly , creeping Hikari out.

“Is this your plan? Chaosdramon, end them all already!!”

Chaosdramon was ready to do something when… It stopped moving?!

“..?! What??”

Ken smirk did not leave his face. What did he do?!

“I think you forgot you weren’t only fighting only us ”

Ah yes... they had taken full use of Arsenemon's abilities. What actually happened was that Imperialdramon, Dominimon and Valkyrimon were holding back, in order to distract the vessel and Chaosdramon so Arsenemon could execute his special furtive ability -- Malchanceux -- to steal the shards and then weaken Chaosdramon.

Once the phantom thief was back to the side of the kids, he gave the signal to Valkyrimon, who moved at the speed of the light and attacked Chaosdramon, making it actually step back from Imperialdramon for a moment.

“How…??”

It was when Imperialdramon used their positron cannon on their arm to hit Chaosdramon, who was his guard down.

“Some people here are good at acting,” Ken said with a smug smile while the others chuckled or smiled just like him, “Besides, I’ve lost countless times to my friends that… I’m good at ‘losing’ too.”

“It was… a façade?”

“It’s called ‘gambling’, monsieur imposteur ~ ” Arsenemon answered, with a sensible chuckle, “But I guess this was more likely a gambit, non? ”

“Y-you…!!” ire consumed the vessel, pretty much he LOATHED that stupid phantom thief and that cocky Ichijouji so much.

 “We’re NOT over yet!!” Takeru screamed.

“Transcendent Positron Laser!!”

Imperialdramon firmly planted their feet on the ground and charged a very powerful version of their Positron Laser.

“Zero Heavens!!”

Seconded by Dominimon firing their ultra-high-temperature lasers from their shields on their shoulders in Chaosdramon’s direction.

“Laser Javelin!!”

And then finished by Valkyrimon summoning their javelin and shooting a laser from its tip.

The three attacks combined managed to beat Chaosdramon immediately. The opponent digimon reverted back into a DigiEgg in the end of the explosion caused by the chain combo-attack.

“No…!!” The vessel shouted but before it could do something, it felt something piercing its body even further…!!

When it looked back, Iustimon and Dianamon had used their sword and an arrow of ice on the same place Daisuke-and-Yuuichi had stabbed it previously.

“...!!!”

 At the same time, Arsenemon destroyed the remaining three shards (yes, Daisuke still had one) which cut the connection between Hikawa Yuuichi and Daisuke. Takeru quickly held Daisuke in his arms, who fainted immediately due to exhaustion.

“W-what…”

“You messed things up for everyone” Soleil and Lune said together, “We won’t allow you to hurt anyone else, not even Noel or Ichijouji(-kun)!!”

The vessel fell on its knees. And then… Valkyrimon came and used their special ability.

“Fenrir Sword.”

They pierced the vessel with their cursed, absolute zero sword to the vital points of the enemy, and then… Killing Hikawa’s body.

Combined with Iustimon’s Divine Slash , which extinguished the evil power of Millenniummon’s shard from Hikawa Yuuichi’s body… There was nothing left there. Except…

Valkyrimon used their special ability to resurrect the fallen, and it brought it back little by little.

Except… 

“... Huh… What happened…? Who are you people…? What are those monsters…?”

… Hikawa Yuuichi ceased to exist. The human in front of them had lost memories, he didn’t even know the digimon.

“... I will never be able to know… What does it feel like to have a sibling…”

Arsenemon could notice Lune and Ken were a little anguished by that closure, “... I’m sorry, he couldn’t exist as his original self. This is what would happen in the end…”

“He might not be the same person we briefly met,” Takeru said with a serious tone, “But if Daisuke-kun were awake he would’ve said something like… ‘It gives him a chance to restart anew’, right?”

“Yeah, he would say that,” Ken turned to Takeru and smiled.

“I knew mon ami Motomiya would be important for the closure of this case,” Arsenemon said, “I think… He’s the kind of person able to change people’s hearts for good.”

“Yeah, I’m aware of that,” Ken laughed lightly and gave a soft gaze at Daisuke, still in Takeru’s arms.

And then… The fake shards’ case was finally solved.

.

.

Noel Leblanc and the other two, Hino Youta and Hikawa Mizuki, offered to help the boy who once was known as Hikawa Yuuichi to readapt to daily life. Since Hikawa Yuuichi didn’t exist in this reality in the first place, he had to keep the identity of Nokita Yuu instead.

I didn’t hear about them for a while… But I hope they all are okay.

As for us…

“Ya know, being a detective was fun and all BUT! I have a life goal to achieve!!”

… Daisuke went back to his ‘ramen business’ plan.

“Huh, but you clearly were having fun with it,” Patamon blinked.

“I don’t think I can do it for life… I did not catch Arsenemon! Arsenemon who caught me!”

“You mean…” Hikari wasn’t sure if she got what Daisuke had said.

“Like, we became friends. Have you ever seen a detective being friends with the phantom thief?!”

“Hmm…”

Better not tell him that there have been cases in the Phantom Thief genre, according to Takeru-kun and Iori-kun.

“So… We won’t be using that website BBS anymore?” Wormmon asked the others.

“There might be something we can do with it…” Miyako mused, “A-after all Izumi-senpai allowed me to use his own server to host it…”

“Koushiro is always involved with our activities, dagya” Armadimon shrugged.

“Would’ve we survived without him though?” Iori said, looking at his digimon partner, “Most of the apps and devices we used through these activities came from him after all.”

“...” I was still silent, thoughtful. Thinking of all that I had been through in the span of a whole year, almost two years to be exact.

“Hey, are you still thinking about what happened?” Tailmon asked Ken, out of the blue. Everyone turned to him.

“He said Ryo-san… Went after Millenniummon to avenge me… Do you think he’s fine…?”

The group didn’t know what to say, alas.

“He disappeared… And we never had heard about him ever again…”

“Do you want to, like… Search for him?”

The group looked at Daisuke, who had just said he wanted to stop playing the detective role.

“But didn’t you say--” The digimon were asking the same question at the same time.

“I didn’t say I don’t want to keep doin’ this. I said I want to go back to work on my life’s goal!”

“When you said ‘I can’t do it for life’ you were stating you didn’t want to keep doing it”  Iori pointed it out, calmly.

“Bingo,” Miyako agreed.

“No, I mean like… If anyone needs me I will not hesitate to come and help! It’s just… I want to do my own thing. And I’m not good at thinking about complicated stuff!”

“So our next case is the whereabouts of that Akiyama Ryo guy?” V-mon asked.

“Only if our mr. Detective Ichijouji Ken wants to!”

I never doubted that Daisuke would deeply care about me, or about the others. He likes to help everyone who’s in need. He saved not only me, but other people before. He’s the glue that keeps this group together.

I wasn’t sure if investigating the mystery of Akiyama Ryo’s disappearance was right. It felt whatever is the closure of that case could end up bittersweet or a tragedy.

Do I want to know what happened to Ryo-san? Or am I afraid of what’s the answer to that question?

“...”

“Maybe you’re not ready for that yet” Daisuke added immediately, “Sorry I thought you--”

“No, you’re right. I admit I’m afraid of what we could discover about that one. If he’s dead it would just… Make what Hikawa-kun said about him going after Millenniummon…”

“I think one day you will be ready to open that case then” Miyako looked at him, “And when that time comes, we all will be with you.”

“Exactly!” Hawkmon added with a nod. The others nodded and smiled at Ken as well, as some sort of agreement and to reassure that they would always be on Ken’s side.

“Thank you, everyone” Ken smiled back, his cheeks turned a bit reddish.

Maybe, someday… I will uncover this mystery. For my own sake, to know what happened to Ryo-san…

For now, I won't take responsibility for what is beyond my control.

This case is officially closed.

.

.

.

.

.

…

A tall man, tan skin and hair similar to a Young Gennai just arrived in Tokyo… After spending the rest of his life in a country town since early 2003. It had been a while though, he had just a few vague memories of living in Tamachi since he was born. But…

He couldn’t remember that much. A blurred memory of being in another place with a kid… Them being both children, to be exact… Doing something that felt like a dream adventure.

“Ah, I took a nice nap…!” he exclaimed, stretching his arms.

A digimon was on his side, dragging the luggage. The digimon, a purple-like dragon creature with bat wings attached to the hands (which also had drills as claws-or-fingers), growled, “You can’t be that careless, Ryo! Don’t leave me carrying your stuff all alone!!”

“Ah right, sorry Monodramon.”

Although he looked like a cool, responsible adult, this guy was kind of a carefree type. But his potential was off the charts, and his skills in certain categories were extraordinary.

Not wanting the tiny Digimon to carry the luggage for him, Ryo took it carefully. It was unfair to let his partner (?) carrying that, he agreed with Monodramon with a nod and a smile.

“Now where should we go?” Monodramon asked, curious with Ryo’s plans and intentions to move all back to Tokyo.

“That’s a good question, but first we have to go to our new home and then readapt to the environment. And Then… We will go look for him .”

“That person…? The one that mysterious woman mentioned to you before…?”

Ryo nodded with a grin.

“I wonder who this person is though…” Monodramon shrugged as they walked to the exit of the train station, “You said you don’t know who is either.”

“I will know when I find him for sure!” Ryo chuckled, playfully, “I have a feeling we might meet soon or later.”

Monodramon sighed, it was pointless to argue with his partner (?), sadly.

.

.

More and more mysteries have been uncovered and unsolved so far. Not all of those have a closure and will remain unsolved.

But maybe, one day… Some of those will be resolved and closed.

A new gate to the adventure might open again.

[dreamybees]

a copy/pasted ramble about my baby minori hanasato (this was from the heart) enjoy

//

so ok minori my baby my beloved i am. in love with how she was handled?? shocking that i’m praising the mmj writing these ppl fucking hate them but oh hhhhhh my god

fan turns idol?? but like with actual feasible issues that come with zero experience and also THE OTHER 3 QUIT FOR VERY PERSONAL REASONS and it’s like,,, oh my god they’re so cool

and then you read thru the stories and it’s just her pushing and pushing and then it boils over in hopeful smile and just her whole angel motif? and the three leaf clover as their logo?? AND SHES THE REASON THEYRE MORE MORE JUMP CUS SHE ALWAYS SAYS MORE MORE AND THE GROUP WAS INSPIRED?? she’s just. i wish i was her she’s so genuinely inspiring top 10 fictional characters i look up to

cus like there’s the relatable ones. shiho and ena and mizuki and MAFUYU but minori is just,, so wonderfully Her with no shame she’s never worried about being too much or anything she’s just concerned about impressing her friends and (literal) idols and she’s just,, i wish so bad that she were real so i could be at her show and cheer her on like i WOULD be mmj number one international fan dude

and like other groups just don’t do it like minori,, mizuki i admire for their attitude but that’s more in a “damn that’s for the guide on how to handle this trans experience” and ena is just,, Ena (my blorbo) and emu is cool but she’s not relatable to Me specifically and just ,,,, i love everybody in this game so much but fuckin Minori Hanasato bro they did her so well

absolutely most deserving of her group leader role like this is her story

cus in harukas angel card! minori is the ONLY one looking ahead

and everyone else is looking back like they’re helping her do her dream and then they’re probably gonna let her fly free at the end

which is so bittersweet but it’s like,, minori was so inspired by haruka and now she’s inspiring haruka to help her and it’s just AHHHH

she’s their super fan but now they’re HER super fan and it’s crazy

[ultimatecutenesspeaks]

Bunny no I’m will never let go of that for sure I love you so much Zuki very very much I’m am so happy I got to take care of you as my beloved daughter come on let go down I’m pretty sure the others will be happy to see you back to normal too as soon both goes downstairs together bunny morning everyone guess who got back to normal :D

*Bunny holds Mizuki's hand the whole way and she lets him, and soon gives everyone a brief wave with a blank expression.*

Mizuki: 'Ey. 😐

*Everyone turns to look at her in surprise, and some of the others are trying not to laugh as Hiro gives her a smile and Taro goes to hug her happily as she pats his back.*

Hiro: Oh! Morning, Mizuki. Glad to see you're back to normal. How'd you like being a kid again?

Mizuki: I barely remember the details, but I imagine that it was perfectly alright. Also, what the hell are those faces for?

Taro: *snicker* Um... Look down.

*Mizuki just raises an eyebrow at him in confusion before looking down, her eyes widening in shock as she finds herself still wearing the wolf onesie from the night before.*

Mizuki: ...Jesus fucking Christ, are you for real right now?

[sakkiichi]

thank you so, so much for remembering me, yume, lovely ! 🥺🫶🏻

okay, okay, so the year is ending and i’m aware i haven’t been v active on here as of late but let me dedicate a few words to you all 🩷

to my bestie @bunny-rambles you’ll always be the xiao to my venti 🩵 even if sometimes you don’t believe it, your writing is an inspiration to me and to many others, so i hope you keep cultivating this hobby of yours because dear, you’re amazing at it, ilysm <3 (i’ll say it back every single time).

to my dearest @yumemirumikazuki tamaki to my sogo 🩵💜 i always tell you, that ilysm and i adore your singing and everything you do for me. there’s so much joy in my darkest days when i wake up to your good morning messages and your terms of endearment. i’ll read mahoyaku soon, i promise, and we’ll brainrot about it together <3 to our ocs, and many more to come !

to the ever lovely @ssilversiren 🩷 what can i say, you’ve followed me since my first blog and i don’t believe we’ve ever stopped talking and simping for our anemo boys/idol boyfriends ever since, right? you are the kazuha to my scara and the ayaka to my hu tao 🫶🏻 ilysm and i always love our chats and your humor !

to ryu-san’s wife @houjichaya 🩵 we have to go on a double date w TRG some time ! thank you for always dming me the cutest tenn’s and for the joy talking to you always brings me. i hope you know i always think of you when i see ryu <3

to the amazing @lilikags what can i say if not words of gratefulness for getting me into i7 and lovebrush chronicles? i love how we have such similar tastes in boys and i know you are going to succeed in your endeavors. your loved ones, tenn and nazuna are rooting for you, and so am i 💕

to the sweetest @yaminohimeyume thank you for always brightening my days w your sweet words and pics of tenn 🫶🏻 you deserve the world, love and i wish you can always stay happy on what remains of the year and on many more to come. thank you for always supporting my words, love !

to my fellow mizuki and cat lover @papiliotao i’m so glad we met this year ! your tastes are immaculate, and your writing is top tier 🩷 i sometimes think of you as a cooler little sister hehe

to my fellow kazuha lover @soleillunne our coops in genshin last year will always be remembered haha i know i don’t play genshin much if at all these days but i remember those days we played w a smile <3 also, love our simping for both jude and cardan hehe

to the kaveh to my alhaitham @kurapikapii i hope we can interact much more in the near future ! i know we’ve met so recently, but i adore seeing you on my twt tl <3 and yes, we should definitely do domains together in genshin (i think that would motivate me to get back into it >///<). fellow kazuha main, and xiaoven lover, know that i appreciate you a lot !

to sogo’s beloved @highcollargirl again, we’ve met recently, but you are so cool !! literally ! i love seeing your so-chan posts on tl and your love for him is adorable 💜 i love seeing you on my twt notifs always too !

to @gakutsumudailys 🌸 i saw someone mention on twt you are irl tsumugi and i couldn’t agree more. you’re as sweet and gentle as her, and i hope you know it’s a joy seeing every single one of your posts on twt (you are one of my first moots there too !). i always think ‘hannah’ every time i see gakutsumu now hehe (gaku loves you /r and so do i /p)

to scara and wrio’s love @kunikuma you’re the first one i ever wrote a matchup for and i’m so, so honored you liked it ! i know i haven’t been v active these days on my main blog or genshinblr, but know you’ve written one of my favorite fics for the fandom (the one in which scara makes a doll of y/n)

to the dear @yourangel137 thank you for being the kindest soul ever. you’ve stuck w me through my worst times and have always gone out of your way to comfort me 🥺 that means the world to me. pls keep following your own path, your dreams are at the end of it and i know you’ll reach them <3

to the bright @sunnyshiloh you’re as gentle as your username 💛 interacting w you is always a joy, it brings a smile to my face ! i love seeing you on my notifs and tl and your love for your favorites is precious <3 keep shining, sunflower 🥰🌻

to the wrio to my neuvi @https-furina it’s been a while, hasn’t it? sorry i haven’t been here much, but you’ll always be THE furina moot 🩵💙🫶🏻 i remember our chats fondly and i love your writing. keep smiling always, pls, you are so loved <3

to @dearemilia thank you, thank you so, so much for always sending sweet asks 🤍 your interactions are always so wholesome and sweet ! you’re a dear, bbie 🥺

to the lovely @ayaboba i remember your cute asks v dearly, you’ve always been so kind to me 🥺 i was honored when you followed me, and still am honored to call you my mutual 🩷 know that i love every single one of your themes too <3

that’s all for the sappy words… pls don’t be offended if i didn’t mention you, these are the moots i interact w the most !

but i’m grateful for every follower and every friend i’ve made on this site. i remember saying 6 months ago, when i started this blog “i hope to look back at something i can be proud of, if not my writing, at least the fact i didn’t give up”. well i can say now i’m glad i’m here, i’m glad so many of you stuck around and decided to give me and my self indulgent writing a chance. so, thank you, everyone 🩷

2023 is coming to an end so this is my annual I love my online friends so fucking much you wouldn't believe me if I told you post.

[brighteyesredfire]

🌟 AI: NIRVANA INITIATIVE | FUCK MY LIFE

beloved sequel to aitsf it sure kicked me in the balls

I just remembered a google doc i compiled of my post game flurry of thoughts after playing this one and decided perhaps they deserved a little cleaning up and placing here. So Here they are.

TL:DR i liked parts of this game but some really big glaring aspects kind of spat on them and destroyed any persistent good will i still had for it in me...especially reflecting back on it months later.

/ spoilers from here /

To start this is largely a visnov so i wont be saying much about the gameplay, the qte's are what they are i have no strong preference for them either way. I'll mostly be commenting on the narrative here.

God Uchikoshi you really grind my balls sometimes.

To start off, the main twist. We all know it, the beautiful stupid DNA timeline twist that warps at the end and gives everyone a headache when they go oh god wtf is the continuity doing here actually.

After all has been said and done i don't know what the purpose of hiding the fact the story was split the way it was... WAS in the first place. It didn't really resonate emotionally with anything, it was mostly just a confusing 20 minutes of me staring at the screen once it happened. It basically lives in service of being a fun twist... but for what!?! the entire story forces itself to bend around this twist so the player doesn't see it coming (to its own detriment) and it doesn't even do anything with it. It's just there to Be A Twist.

You could rewrite this entire game with Ryuki doing all the past segments and Mizuki all the present somehow, and then just shuffle it if you wanted the presentation to be confusing to the audience lmao. But Bibi secretly being past Mizuki, i really don't know what we get from it in the audience other than LMAO didn't see that one coming!

The most this game gets from splitting the story like this ill grant it is that it does help make the audience almost feel Ryuki's dissociation more because some shit just doesn't make any fucking sense between scenes. The off kilter way characters will just say or mention something that completely confuses you as a player is fun but i don't know if its worth all the bullshit required to trick the audience 😭

The swapping also helps hint at timeline nonsense for SIMULATION THEORY stuff but you could also have just done that without the two Mizuki trick, hell just have mizuki and ryuki be literally communicating between the past and the future instead (zero escape fan jumping out sorry).

Ryuki can shoot someone else to save tama in the past to make the plot go, it doesn't need to be Bibi! Offscreen Abis psyncer #4 get over here like, lmao Bibi's existence just continues to horribly grate for me.

Speaking of, my next gripe, Bibi and Mizuki! AHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Starting off on a positive note, I liked the interactions her and Mizuki had actually, that is to say i liked them so i didnt really realise why i was so bored recalling them at first.

But it is simply because i don't really care…. about the designer baby twist or secret sister twist like did we need to shove another secret backstory onto mizuki for some reason? it felt. EXCESSIVE. to the point of it being nothing (getting apollo justice ptsd rn dude).

Mizuki could still have been experimented on as a baby unknowingly somehow (renju and shoko wake up) and i don't mind them wanting to explain her hulk strength but like i didn't need the secret clone twin and i was raised at an orphanage stuff.

Also Bibi being so similar to Mizuki personality wise, that they're nigh indistinguishable while playing is just kind of boring. I dont want mizuki 2… id rather a different new character…!?! It also just steals screen time away from... MIZUKI!? WHO'S KIND OF MEANT TO BE THE TITULAR CHARACTER OF THIS SEQUEL. AND ALSO IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY FUCKING SENSE WHY THEY WOULD ACT EXACTLY THE SAME (EXPLODES).

Everyone and their mother has also complained that it just shoots her arc in the first game in the head, i dont need to repeat myself but oh my god bro. I guess it makes Shoko's abuse and Renju's distance almost paradoxically worse if she was adopted too because they would have adopted her into. A FAILING MARRIAGE, its almost cartoonishly bad now.

In retrospect i realise i liked Bibi and Mizuki's conversations just because it felt like caring dialogue between Mizuki and another character, and her getting a chance to be wistful or vulnerable for a few scenes in this game (that she gets alarmingly few of). The thing is, i would vastly have preferred she got these scenes with any other existing characters in the cast… that she actually has a developed relationship with, so it's like a sea of wasted potential. I don't care about Bibi!? Frankly i don't know why Mizuki kind of does!? She doesn't really know her either!? AHHH!!!!

Her one scene where she actually reunites with Date in this game is comically short and undercut bc the plot is fucking zooming by and cant take the time to actually do anything too emotional with it. BUT BIBI AND MIZUKI GET ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD TO CHAT ON A PARK BENCH. im so angry sorry. Bibi is just so pointless and i hate her twist i hate her purpose in the story, nothing would be lost if she was written out out of this thing to give mizuki a better spotlight.

Regarding Mizuki's writing in general in this game, it is kind of terrible. She can barely do anything with the time she has and she also... barely develops or changes throughout this game despite the list of shitzillion alarming things that supposedly occur to her during its timeline!? (because no one can change bc of the goddamn dna twist).

I wish she was slightly less chipper most of the time considering her 6 years suddenly being abandoned again, suddenly parent-less again without Date and somehow coping. Ryuki becomes a depressed alchoholic in that same time near her, WHYS HE HOGGING ALL THE DATE ANGST….? ITS ALMOST FUNNY.

I almost wanted her to be more similar to how she is as a kid, a bit guarded and combative (acting out or being hardheaded), especially to Boss. It would have been an interesting dynamic seeing as she's her new guardian (and literal work boss). It would make the moments she is happy or upbeat again stand out more. So many of these relationships between games just feel underutilized.

You could make her get along better with Pewter over Boss, bonding via shared trauma or talking about Aiba. Those early few moments they wrote in Ryuki's somnium with her hyping him up and thinking hes cool because of the tech hes made were so good lmfao, but there's barely anything else like them.

I think her hanging out at ABIS more than home after Date dissapears even if its awkward (ryuki, boss, pewter all in the same place) because it's preferable to being alone is so interesting as a thought… but none of this or how it effects her is barely touched on. IT SUCKS!

Let's move onto Ryuki, shall we...

Going into this game no one thinks they're going to like Ryuki over Mizuki, no ones thinking hell yes this new random twink is going to outsell Mizuki in her segments and writing, im going to be madly attached to him over any other reoccurring character in this game. Well Guess What HE DID IN FACT DO THAT. Thats how bad they handle the existing cast in this thing. Uchikoshi we have to stop letting you write sequels.

Ryuki's great, his brain is broken, his got an evil video game virus, hes bisexual, hes fail, he's gods special-est little psyncer, i could go on. The fact this is his introductory game means he actually gets to have a semblance of an arc, which compared to every other character in the game is a big win honestly.

On that note however, there are still downsides. His background is brought up then not incorporated at all which was funny, and i dont have a real problem with it. Though if they never called the masked woman, a woman, i would have instantly thought it was actually his brother, because as a stupid anime twist it'd make more sense than MIZUKI having one. and would have been. like. more interesting lmao.

Im resorting to writing au fanfic now in this review don't hold it against me but that is how much i dislike the bibi twist. You don't need to make his secret dead brother an ABIS agent either to take her role, he can just be fucking, vigilante man. Invent a good reason he didn't say anything to Ryuki here, its not that hard, maybe after his accident Chikara grabbed him and did x amount of horrible things to him and only after he died did he find freedom. Then over the next 6 years remember who he is, YOU DID IT TO DATE LIKE. LOL CMON.

His brother resents a choice he made blindly pursuing justice and it ruined his life. Just like a certain Mr Ryuki does in this game? Who is trying to cope with forgiving himself, now reflected back? Hmmmmmmmmm ? Cmon. Cmon. im giving this away for free.

I used to have an idea brewing in my head too over marco somehow being based on his brother, or having part of his brother in him but that would require some heavy rewrites like just make shit up territory now roflmao but ..! Yknow ! My point is we could have given any of this more relevance and it would have been probably better off.

Speaking of TheBestCharacterInThisGameRyuki, hes offscreen for some significant endgame time to the point that he felt almost like an afterthought, which was also amusing. Also, and perhaps this is due to the nature of the timeline lying to you, it just seems like at the end of the game hes just like dont worry. I got better 👍 and we then just moved on from his problems lol.

One of what'd be his most pivotal scenes is offscreen? We get the peptalk from Date after but its still kind of ridiculous. We don't get to see the depressed bisexual man see the guy he loves on screen again for the first time after thinking he killed him for six years!? Mizuki's Date reunion gets shafted, why is Date even in this damn game.

And, I mean Ryuki is probably still mentally ill and coping better after date has re-alived but as for how the timeline was resolved its just a little flippant regarding his emotional arc, it kind of peeters out... the fucking secret routes almost more of an ending to his character development lmao. Yet, the meta stuff is also underbaked, i wish it had more relevance in this actual plotline.

Moving onto the rest of the cast...!

CAN YOU FIX DATES FUCKING FACE UCHIKOSHI.

Regarding the others - Lien and Kizuna dragged Mizuki segments down considerably on account of they suck; they were both snore and nothing characters. Remove or redo them completely or even just tie their character development to OTHER CHARACTERS and not each others godawful ROMANCE.

Have Lien be more tied to his Gen, Date bestie trio (even his past with moma!? wow something for him to do in this game) or have Kizuna relying on Iris in her rough time after getting caught up in an explosion instead (and wow here's something for Iris to actually do in this game now too). Just stop gods worst straight pair ever written in these games PLEASE. U CAN KEEP THE DUMB PROPOSAL JOKE SCENE IF U REALLY NEED TO. BUT JUST HAVE LIEN GO FML…okay w/e and move on. stop this.

Mame as a character to focus on was great, Gen can be written less tropey and melodramatic so i dont fucking laugh at all his cutscenes but otherwise, he was fine. Outside him also being in love with Amame (stop doing this). I liked Shoma and Square Dad just fix his head its so hard to take him seriously, in my perfect world Shoma gets an older model and doesn't get hit with super non aging but i can let slow growth go…..for now…..

Tama and Aiba were great, i do think there needs to be some sort of resolution over Date and Mizuki sharing aiba now that hes back…maybe this is where marco can come in and be Mizuki's new permanent in the epilogue scenes lmao, (blue!) though she still switches Aiba in sometimes bc thats her ai mom… :)

At this point im dreaming up things to make myself feel better because i hate thinking about this games execution. All of this crap essentially boils down to, we had to sacrifice a bunch of shit to make our big twist work, and it wasn't even a good twist and i dont know why the fuck we did it.

Good aspects and characters saved it at times, but ultimately, this games feels like a waste and a wash and a sea of lost potential.

[smalltownfae]

Book Recs Ask Game: 7, 10, 15, 19, 20, 29, 35, 45, 51, 52, 62, 92, 131, 132, 133, and 134?

7. a book you did not finish

Only one? I am great at not finishing books. Here’s a list of the most famous ones that I didn’t like enough to continue:

The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter

Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler

Circe by Madeline Miller

The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson (maybe I will go back to it someday. I was just tired of the topic)

Heart’s Blood by Juliet Marillier

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor (I am still so disappointed after loving the first chapters so much)

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

Shaman’s Crossing by Robin Hobb (maybe one day I will manage to get through this trilogy)

The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

10. a book that got you through something

The entire Realm of the Elderlings series by Robin Hobb helped so much to keep me alive. I am forever thankful. I was so depressed and somehow depressing books helped.

15. a book rec you really enjoyed

Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones <3 I was a bit scared because I didn’t love the movie, but I trusted the person that recommended it given that we had so many books/shows/movies in common. Turns out that reading the book made me appreciate the movie more too, even if I still prefer the book and forever will.

19. a book that put you in a reading slump

Most recently it was “Heir to Sevenwaters” by Juliet Marillier. I am still reading it, but it’s so boring at times that it makes me wonder if I like reading. Another one that put me in a reading slump, but in a good way, was “Assassin’s Fate” by Robin Hobb because it was the end of my favorite series that I have been binging for 3 months and every other book I picked up after couldn’t compare. It was just not the same.

20. a book that got you out of a reading slump

No idea. I should have tracked the books I read after finishing “Assassin’s Fate”. The ones strong enough to get me out of the slump were “Howl’s Moving Castle”, “The Blade Itself” and “The Goblin Emperor”, but I don’t remember in which order I read them...

29. your favourite YA novel

Hard to say because some of Patricia A. McKillip’s books are categorized as YA in some places and Howl’s Moving Castle is too. However, I consider HMC middle grade and most McKillip’s books adult.

The ones that are definitely YA and I love are: The Seventh Bride by T. Kingfisher, Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura and The Changeling Sea by Patricia A. McKillip.

35. a book featuring the found family trope

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune. I say I love found family, but I actually haven’t read and loved many books with that trope...

45. a book featuring the friends to lovers trope

“Child of the Prophecy” by Juliet Marillier. Like the found family, I really like this trope and yet I can’t think of many books that I read that have it and I have loved... I don’t usually read romance so I guess that is also a reason why I am having a hard time thinking of books with the friends to lovers trope.

51. a book that you found underwhelming

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien and The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson. Both beloved, both very average books.

52. a popular book/series that you love

Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb is popular, right? And the First Law series by Joe Abercrombie? I also love Discworld by Terry Pratchett and the Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien. For big popular classics, I love Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.

62. a book with a forgettable plot but amazing characters

Honestly, I have no answer to this. I usually remember the characters more than the plot but if I loved the characters then I loved the book and remember the plot too (at least mot of it). This to say that nothing comes to mind.

92. a book about a redeemable villain

I don’t think I ever read those... it’s already hard to think about a book with black and white good and evil let alone one that has a redeemable villain. The books that I am thinking about that have that kind of good and evil plot don’t have redeemable villains so I got nothing.

131. tag somebody with whom you would want to buddy read a book

@monpetitrenard and we already buddy read at times. Also @whatevsbla

133. a book that you came across randomly and fell in love with

The Seventh Bride by T. Kingfisher just happened to be on the audiobook service I used at the time, but I had already read The Raven and the Reindeer by the author before. I don’t tend to stumble upon books randomly anymore. I usually do at least a little bit of research before buying a book.

134. unreccomend any book you like!

A book I like or unrecommend any book I don’t like?

For books I like, I would only recommend the Xenogenesis/Lilith’s Brood trilogy by Octavia E. Butler and Lonely Castle in the Mirror to specific people because they are not crowd pleasers at all. I can see most people disliking those. The same thing applies to Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro.

For books I think no one should read:

The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter. Stop calling it feminist omg. Every time a woman says this book is feminist I know what kind of feminist they are and it’s not the one I agree with.

The Sorrows of Young Werther by Goete. The main character wasn’t suffering as much as I was while reading this.

On Writing by Stephen King. Unless you want to write like him or know anything about his life, don’t read it. Waste of time.

Thank you for the asks :)

[that-otome-potato]

Happy Holidays, Mizuki!

Day 9 of my Happy Holidays series.

Next up, one of our beloved wild-children, Team B's leader, Mizuki!

Mizuki x Platonic!MC

Gift idea provided by Sanata101 over at AO3. I think they might be here as well, but I can't be sure haha.

~*~

'Oi! __________! Come to the skate park. I wanna show you my new trick!'

I chuckled at the excitement I could hear in the way he wrote his text to me. This was perfect because I still had had to find an opportunity to give him his Christmas gift.

'Sure Ikki! I'll be there soon.'

''Come on, __________. You know I hate nicknames.'

I chuckled as I stood next to my dining room table, placing the final touches on gifts for Kongou, Heath, and Kasumi.

Five minutes later, I was out the door and at the subway station nearby to go to the skate park I knew he often haunted under a stretch of highway on tall, wide, concrete posts.

My arrival a secret, I watched the preoccupied Mizuki as he flew across the various skatepark obstacles like an eagle flying through the air. I'd seen him smile many times at the shop, but there was something sweet and carefree in the smile plastered to his lips when he was on a skateboard. It made me clutch the long box in my hands close to my chest with the feeling I'd chosen the younger man's gift correctly.

There were other people here, also moving about the park on their skateboards and some seemed to know Mizuki; Cheering, hooping and hollering could be heard in the echo under the highway bridge, and it felt like he was showing off for them, loving the attention. It always felt different than how he sought attention at Starless. More real. This was a side of Mizuki very few saw.

"Yo, Mizuki! Your girlfriend is here!"

The person that called out to him purposefully chose a time to alert him of my presence at a terrible time. Right as he was about to go up a hill to spin his skateboard and go back down, they called out to him and his head jerked up to look around, causing him to miss his board on his landing and slide to the bottom on his knees. Thankfully, he had knee pads on and didn't get seriously injured.

"Idiot! I told you before, she 'aint my girlfriend."

"He's right, he only wishes she was." Another of his friends chimed in, causing everyone within ear shot to laugh out loud.

Mizuki growled and punched the guy that made the girlfriend comment in the shoulder with some force, making the guy flinch. From the short distance between us, I could see a faint flush high on the tanned flesh of his cheeks as he walked over towards me while pouting a little.

I couldn't help the smirk on my face as he approached. "You ok, Mizuki?"

Team B's leader grasped my upper arm to steer me a short distance away from prying eyes. I had to shift my grip on his gift a bit to keep from dropping it with the sudden movement. Once there, Mizuki dropped his hand from my arm and reached up to scratch at the back of his neck, looking to the side with the blush still running hot on his cheeks.

"So, those friends of yours..."

"Yeah, um, sorry 'bout them. They're dumb as f**k and got the wrong idea when you've come to watch me skate before."

"They seem like good friends."

"Yeah, well..." Mizuki trailed off and looked at the box in my hands as if he'd only just realized I'd been carrying it. He lifted his chin towards it in question. "Wuzzat?"

I brought it up and handed it to him. "Merry Christmas, Mizuki!"

His citrine eyes grew wide for a moment before a bright grin formed and he began ripping at the packaging. When he finally broke into the box, he paused.

"Yoooooo, __________! This is awesome!" He pulled out the new skateboard out, tossed the rest of the wrapping and box on the ground, so he could look at the deck closer. I'd collected stickers of his teammates from the souvenir stall at Starless, as well as stickers representing Team B and other things of interest to him before spraying a protective coating over the top. This way, the skateboard was purely his and one of a kind.

While he looked it over, I stooped down to pick up the packaging. When I stood once more, he was still staring at the decor as if it was the most amazing thing in the world. I called his name to get his attention, but he didn't hear me. So, with a smirk, I leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek, feeling the heat coming off his skin.

That got his attention and he shot back quickly. looking at me in shock.

"Wadja do that for?"

"To get your attention. And I thought it would be funny." I shrugged and tossed the leftovers in a nearby garbage can. I reached into my bag and pulled out a package of steamed buns with red-bean paste and offered to share them with him.

Mizuki took one and chewed on it while he continued looking at the board. I pulled one out for myself and noticed his chewing had slowed before stopping all together as he looked at me.

"Thank you, __________. I haven't gotten anything but hard times from a lot of people through my life. I'll remember this."

[pumpkinmagekupo]

Mortal Realm

The fae court had noticed the brief absence of their king and when the court found out it was the king's own knight that had lead him into the mortal realm, she was brought before them.

"Putting our king in peril!"

"Out in the mortal realm!"

The king was not blamed for the transgression, they saw it as the knight's fault for luring their king out beyond the safety of the fae realm.

Mizuki knew it was her fault, she couldn't very well deny her beloved king his request to see the world.

But what hurt most was the punishment: Banishment.

And it had to come from Aymeric's own mouth.

Mizuki had her wings clipped and in the blink of an eye found herself in the grassy meadow of the human realm. The gate to the faerie loomed taunting before her.

The sunny skies faded and rain began to fall from the clouds. Jumping to her feet, she tried to find the portal, to open the passage but her hands met a wall of air that repelled her.

"Please...forgive me.. my king." she cried loudly "What is my purpose but to serve you?!" her back throbbed from the wings that used to adorn her back but her heart hurt much more than that.

"Do not forsake me!" she screamed "I obeyed your every whim.. please.. do not banish me.." There was nothing she could do. The court was absolute. With every second she stood in the mortal realm, the less she could see the castle that stood in the middle of the lake.

Soon she wouldn't be able to see it at all. The fae realm could not be viewed with mortal eyes, everything she knew would be gone forever. She would never see her beloved king again.

"My king...my dear king Aymeric..forgive me.." she finally turned away from the lake and moved to find shelter from the rain.

She huddled under a hollowed tree trunk.

What was she going to do now? Cold, alone, mortal and lost without a purpose.

Part 1

Another gpose of the same set - kind of a part 2

[panharmonium]

do you ever just sit and think about this

mizuki telling iruka that naruto is going to take revenge on the village for lying about the fox, and iruka replying “no...naruto isn’t like that” orochimaru telling kakashi that sasuke is an avenger whose heart desires only one thing, and kakashi replying “you think you can take advantage of that?  not sasuke.”

iruka thinking “naruto...he’s just like i was back then”

gai thinking “he reminds me of you, kakashi...when you were young”

mizuki manipulating naruto for his own benefit (“he used you to get the scroll for himself, for his own power!”) and using a big reveal (“they’ve been lying to you your whole life, naruto”) to damage naruto’s trust in the person who’s actually trying to help him

madara doing the exact same thing with sasuke

kakashi telling iruka “actually, you are the only one who can reach naruto’s heart/i believe if you can just hang in there a little longer, you will find the way”

kakashi later being put in a position where he’s the only adult who has a chance of getting through to sasuke...the only adult who even bothers to try

kakashi telling iruka that reaching naruto is “your personal ordeal,” the task he’s meant to complete, the task that he isn’t allowed to quit, even when he goes to the hokage to try and resign 

sakumo telling kakashi “it seems you have unfinished business waiting for you back home/there must be something you’re still meant to do” as kakashi gets yanked out of the afterlife, because kakashi is living out his own personal ordeal now and he isn’t allowed to quit either

i know you have your reasons, but as your teacher i can’t just walk away

i know that’s how you feel, naruto (i *do* know how you feel)

i’m in charge of this child’s safety (i’ll protect you with my life) 

he’s going home with me.

i think about this a Lot.  in particular, i think about the ways in which the ability to make (or not make, as the case may be) a connection to a single trusted adult has such a dramatic effect on the trajectories that naruto and sasuke’s lives take later.

naruto finds “his” grown-up - someone who’s lived the same life he has and who can understand him in a way that others can’t - and that in turn leads him to more connections, more adults to look after him, an entire surrogate family to believe in him/support him/make him feel like he belongs.  sasuke, for his part, also finds “his” grown-up - but in his case, the situation is much more complicated, and he’s never able to reap the attendant benefits.  events conspire to send him running before he can become truly connected to a loving community, and so he never has a chance to build the larger support system that naruto does.  he never finds a jiraiya or a tsunade or a yamato or a bunch of animal sages to give him guidance or a class of peers to fight for him or a village to admire him and protect him.  he has no support network.  every adult he’s met since leaving the Leaf has been someone who’s trying to exploit him, and the instant he realizes that he might be starting to feel the faintest connection to taka, he ditches them.  to this day, the only friends he’s ever made (and i use that term loosely, because even when sasuke was still in the Leaf his relationships weren’t a first priority for him) are sakura and naruto.  and the ONLY adult he’s ever had a true connection with, post-massacre, is kakashi.

sasuke’s going to need all three of these people if he’s going to survive, but i’m focusing on kakashi in this particular piece, because if ever there were a kid who desperately needed a trusted adult to help them navigate their life, sasuke is it.  sasuke has been left to his own devices for years and years (everybody remember that time when a seven year old who witnessed the mass murder of his entire extended family was allowed to wake up ALONE in a hospital room and walk out of the building and revisit the crime scene without anyone noticing he was gone?  i do!).  he has never had an adult to take care of him or help him process the things that happened to him in a semi-healthy way, and nowadays he’s a disaster driving itself off a cliff.  he has zero coping skills that aren’t completely self-destructive.  he won’t accept advice or assistance from anybody who doesn’t understand what he’s going through (and understandably so - why should he listen to anybody who isn’t feeling what he’s feeling, who hasn’t lost the way he’s lost?  what can they possibly have to offer him?).  he needs somebody who can come to him from a place of credibility, someone who can say “i *do* know how you feel” and not be talking out their ass.  that’s what naruto gets from iruka when they finally make their connection - a relationship with an adult who accepts him and believes in him and (most importantly of all) understands him.  that’s naruto’s first step on the way to him reaching the place he inhabits now, where the lonely and shunned orphan he used to be is beloved by everyone, blessed with multiple parental figures, and supported by innumerable friends both at home and abroad.  meeting an adult who could say “we’re the same” and have it genuinely be true instead of just empty talk is what allows naruto to finally feel like he isn’t alone.  it’s what enables him to eventually become part of a community.  

naruto has these opportunities because he finds His Person - a mentor and caretaker who can say with complete honesty “we’re the same.”  sasuke found someone like that, too, and in truth he still has that person chasing after him, but circumstances being what they are, he hasn’t been able to benefit from that relationship the same way naruto has.  he was removed from kakashi’s supervision at the exact moment when he needed it most (and at the exact moment where they had just broken new ground in their relationship), and because of that, he’s remained incredibly isolated.  naruto has steadily accumulated friends and comrades (and five different people to be his dad), but sasuke has connected with no one.  he’s completely alone.  he is - as neji aptly put it - in the darkness right now, and he’s in there all by himself, without friends to support him, and without the only adult who can point him in the right direction.  

honestly, the only thing that makes me feel better about this is knowing that sasuke still has these people waiting for him whenever he comes home.  it’s high time he was able to have his own iruka and benefit from the same network of loving connections that naruto was able to build.