#need to make up my mind on these things too cuz in my head akiras move's workrelated

[flovverworks]

gah thinking about postmhyk akira feeling lonely for a while about living alone, and being less bothered by busy places cuz its more remniscient of the chaos their daily life was w the wizards (guy who str8up went 'its amazing what u can get used to' about suddenly hearing a crash cuz the northern wizards fighting e/o💀). something about sharing ur life with others through living spaces & love

[kuma829]

Wedding Speech＊Strumming Bride Light Translation Chapter Nine

Cast: Kaoru, Adonis

Author(s): Yuumasu and Akira

Season: Summer

Proofread by: Gelyan

I just feel so guilty about it, how I ended up being the one who had to be saved from my smug state. It’s selfish, isn’t it~ Ahaha

Chapter Nine

Kaoru: ♪~♪~♪

(... This part’s perfect, it’s smooth sailing from here on out ♪)

(I was able to get more practice during work time since they turned the bridal event promotion into a job, at the company’s request..)

(Anzu-chan, I can’t get you out of my head~ I have to do something to thank you.)

(I guess the best way to thank her is to get the job done well)

(I hate working hard though, perseverance this, passion that… It makes me want to throw up. But, this type of effort might not be too bad)

♪~♪~♪

(... Hm? Who entered the room?)

Adonis-kun, did you come to see how I was doing?

Adonis: Aah, practice seems to be going well.

Kaoru: Mhm. I’m surprised I can even concentrate this much. If things are going this well, I’m pretty sure I could make it in time for the performance this weekend~

Adonis: I see

…? Hakaze-senpai, could you show me your hands?

Kaoru: Sure, but I didn't know you did palm readings?

Adonis: It’s not the palm I want to see, rather your fingers… As expected, you have a splinter.

Kaoru: Oh wow, I didn’t notice at all.

Adonis: If you continue to practice…

Kaoru: The show’s coming up soon, if I don’t think about it, it’ll be just fine.

Adonis: …

I’ll be back. Please wait here.

Kaoru: Eh? Adonis-kun? …He’s already gone.

Really, I’m fine just like this.

Oh, you’re back.

Adonis: I got an ice pack. Give me your hand so I can ice your blisters.

Kaoru: Hmm… This situation is giving me deja vu…

…Oh! I remember now. It was around spring last year with Senacchi. I was supposed to play the captain of a tennis team in a school drama, so he taught me how to play tennis.

I didn’t really need to practice, though. I could’ve made it look nice with some help by filming it a bunch of times and just editing down on it, yeah?

Cuz I was playing the captain of a tennis team, I just wanted to get some basics down, that’s all—

But, Senacchi had just come back from Japan, he said he could be my coach, so I let him spoil me away.

Well, he really trained me to my limits, “I’m relentless, you knooow?” That’s what he said.

Adonis: Hmm, that’s something he would say.

Kaoru: Adonis-kun, you know Senacchi?

Adonis: I’m just acquainted.

Kaoru: I see~ Well anyway, during a round a ball hit my arm pretty hard, I was going to just shrug it off but

“You’re an idol, you have to take care of your body,” he told me. I remember him relieving me just like this.

Adonis: I agree with Sena-senpai. You have to take good care of your body. If it starts to flare up before a show, there’s nothing to be done about it.

To want to do your very best for your sister is wonderful, but…

Kaoru: I know~ But think about it this way

It’s just~ I’ve been running all over the place because I’ve gotten this far, there’s no turning back now, y’kno? I can’t let her little old brother ruin the wedding, yeah?

My sister had to live a reserved, simple life instead of me.

Whenever my sister’s wedding was brought up at home, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I thought it was an unwanted, forced, marriage that was done as an arranged marriage.

So, when it was announced she wanted a second wedding just for people close to her, I was happy.

Or, rather… It was a peace of mind. A relief, rather than happiness. My sister is happy, and the pair love each other.

I just feel so guilty about it, how I ended up being the one who had to be saved from my smug state. It’s selfish, isn’t it~ Ahaha

I want her to be surrounded by lots of love at her wedding. I know I’m not a good little brother, but I wish for her to be sent off the best I can.

So, just let me practice a bit more? You can keep an eye on me to make sure I don’t go overboard.

Adonis: Understood. I’ll take responsibility for looking after Hakaze-senpai.

Kaoru: Thank you. And sorry again for all my selfishness, okay?

In exchange I’ll let you… Actually, I don’t think… I’ll just let you listen to my guitar

I can finally play it while singing, aren’t I making great leaps forward?

Alright, let’s play… One, two…

♪~♪~♪

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[dajaregambler]

HeliosR - Magazine interview - ‘‘Rookies’ ‘goodnight information’ GET!‘‘

The entire night is for the rookies to relax ❤

A translation of the interview of the rookies, published in the Ot*media Autumn 2020 December issue. This only covers the questions corner. If possible, please consider supporting the magazine yourself by purchasing a copy!

The questions are the same for all the rookies, but they’ll be included for each answer just in case.

Akira Otori

Tell us about your usual bedtime!

Usually something around 10 or 11 pm. I go running every morning, so I gotta get up early. Though there’s times where I’m too busy gaming and end up staying late…

Tell us about your night routine!

I stretch every night! I gotta unwind properly at the end of the day since I’m moving around ‘cuz of training and all. Besides, stretching makes me wake up feeling fresh in the morning, and motivates me to train some more♪

What do you wear to bed?

Definitely tank tops! Doesn’t matter if it’s summer or winter, it’s the same whole year round. It gets kinda hot while sleeping yeah? ‘Cuz of it I can’t sleep well with short sleeves and stuff…

In each sector everyone lives together. Tell us about something interesting that happened at night!

When I woke up ‘cuz I heard someone was calling my name, it turned out to be Will sleep talking. I got really excited and listened to see what kind of dream he was having, apparently he was just scolding me about how I should clean up my room or pick up my clothes… Haah, I got woken up for nothing... 

Will Sprout

Tell us about your usual bedtime!

I go to bed at around 11 pm. Ever since I became a hero I made sure to get the habit of going to bed early. Could be because I get so tired from training that I tend to fall asleep early though…

Tell us about your night routine!

I make sure to check how the plants in my room and the living are doing before going to bed. If I don’t look at the condition of the leaves or earth it makes me worry… I also try to avoid the fridge at all costs. I’d be tempted to indulge myself with some sweets.

What do you wear to bed?

I use T-shirts as pajamas for going to bed. Akira’s sensitive to the heat, and the room temperature might be lower than the others. Dressing a bit warmly for summer and winter is just right.

In each sector everyone lives together. Tell us about something interesting that happened at night!

One time Oscar’s hedgehog Alexander broke out in the middle of the night, and when I woke up early he was sleeping in my bed which startled me. I don’t really understand how he got into the room to begin with but… he’s really determined isn’t he♪

Ren Kisaragi

Tell us about your usual bedtime!

Around 11 pm. I try to sleep before it becomes the next day at the latest. It is said that if you go to bed early, you’ll wake up early but… is that seriously true?

Tell us about your night routine!

In general I do some reading before bed. Not the E-book but the paper kind. I have books I bought on my own, though I’m mostly lending things that interest me from the library. Afterwards I confirm my alarm clock, and other alarms, and go to bed. Despite that they don’t seem to go off properly in the morning…?

What do you wear to bed?

I wear my loungewear when sleeping. However, I am looking for more suitable clothes to sleep in, although the room is controlled by the air-conditioning, it’s hot and cold for me...

In each sector everyone lives together. Tell us about something interesting that happened at night!

Something interesting? Nothing comes to mind. It’s rare for the North sector to do something together, usually I’m reading in my room during the night. 

Gast Adler

Tell us about your usual bedtime!

Really late, kinda… After the day changed, before 1 am or something... ? Well, it’s still early. Before I was a hero I’d be out with my buddies till morning.

Tell us about your night routine!

Nothing really comes to mind, something like maintenance on my guns maybe? Also am often on the phone with one of the guys at night. It’s not really a routine but, often get ringed up by someone, hahah.

What do you wear to bed?

Normally a tank top. Ren goes on about how it’s hot or cold, so the air conditioning gets adjusted every time, wearing thin clothes and using my blanket when needed is good enough.

In each sector everyone lives together. Tell us about something interesting that happened at night!

The other day Ren suddenly got up in the middle of the night. It scared me and I called out to him but got no answer, looking closely he was still half-asleep… He went to leave the room like that, I hurried to hold him back and put him in bed again. Hahah, Ren doesn’t seem to remember any of it though.

Leonard Wright Jr.

Tell us about your usual bedtime!

I try to be in bed around 10 pm. It’s important for a hero to keep their condition in check, so I’m keeping in mind to go to bed early and rise up early ★

Tell us about your night routine!

I try to touch my guitar buddy ‘Big Ben Jr.’ as much as I can every night. When I’m busy with Hero activities, I usually only end up doing maintenance…. I also call my older bro a lot. I tend to doze off while talking to him. 

What do you wear to bed?

Usually I sleep in my loungewear. In the case something happens I’ll be able to get up right away. I’m a Hero, it’s important to be ready for unexpected situations, don’t you think?

In each sector everyone lives together. Tell us about something interesting that happened at night!

One time that shitty DJ came back in the middle of the night and while he was taking a shower, Keith drunkily fell asleep in front of the door. It was a rare sight to see a locked up shitty DJ get pretty flustered….  It made me unconsciously burst out in laughter since that doesn’t happen everyday.

Faith Beams

Tell us about your usual bedtime!

I don’t have a set bedtime, it changes depending on the day. At least I don’t need to go to bed before midnight. I mean, I’m not even in the room most of the time.

Tell us about your night routine!

Aah, girls at the club constantly bother me about it, but I don’t do anything special for skin care…… Though if it’s something before going to bed, I guess it’s organizing my texts. I get a lot of texts and messages from these girlfriends, if I leave it be the important things will get buried.

What do you wear to bed?

Often sleep in my lounge wear I guess? When I was a kid I wore pajamas but, when I entered the Academy I didn’t anymore. When I’m staying over somewhere… Aha, I’ll leave that up to your imagination♪

In each sector everyone lives together. Tell us about something interesting that happened at night!

Ochibi-chan is often fast asleep when I come back to the room but… Sometimes he talks in his sleep. Some time ago he… fufu, just thinking about it again is making me laugh. What it was? Aha, I won’t say it to spare Ochibi-chan.

Billy Wise

Tell us about your usual bedtime!

Feels like it depends on the day~? There’s also times when I'm out for my work as an information broker. When I’m in the room I try to be in bed before midnight. One’s body is an important asset for an information broker and hero!

Tell us about your night routine!

Before I sleep, I do my best to organize all the information I acquired that day! Like transferring all the data to my PC, categorizing it in folders. It’s all perfectly in my head, however I always need it ready in the case I have to pull it up as a bargaining chip♪

What do you wear to bed?

Me-chin’s principle is to not wear pajamas~! I sleep in my loungewear. Ah, perhaps you might believe that I’m wearing the same clothes everyday, but fret not as I have countless of the same ones prepared for me, so I do change them☆

In each sector everyone lives together. Tell us about something interesting that happened at night!

I was watching a horror movie that DJ Beams told me about with Jay and the others but… that night, I bumped into Asch-paisen in the living room. The second Paisen saw me, he jumped out of his skin.. Mfufu, I snapped the perfect picture at the right time!

Gray Reverse

Tell us about your usual bedtime!

I think around 10 pm…? I’ve always been a night owl but, ever since I became a hero I’ve been paying attention to not go to bed too late, I need to sleep earlier.

Tell us about your night routine!

Most of the time I make sure to log in in all the games I play before sleeping…. The main reason being to collect the continuing log in bonuses but, I’m juggling between lots of games so it takes a while to get to all of them.

What do you wear to bed?

I wear my loungewear when sleeping…. something like that. The material feels good to touch, wearing it makes me feel at peace. I end up wearing it the entire day on my days off because it’s my favourite…

In each sector everyone lives together. Tell us about something interesting that happened at night!

When I was watching an anime called ‘’A Dog of Françoise’’, Jay-san ran out of his room startled when he heard the sound of a dog barking. But, since it was an anime he said it was alright and we ended up watching it together… It made me happy.

[kareofbears]

AHH noooo you are too kind to this Thursday-Ryuji-thoughts-dumping anon T___T Whenever you reply to one of my random asks I get the biggest serotonin boost in my brain, esp. cuz you answer so quickly and thoughtfully…i really hope I’m not distracting you ;_; I’m srry I can only do a partial reply for now, but were you referring to your fic “monochrome”? Cuz if so, I just wanted to say that I absolutely LOVED that character study and had been planning to leave a long-winded review for it since

thursdayanon!! hey!!! ahhh seeing your asks literally make my whole day and it makes me so happy!!! not to be sappy but it means so much to me that you’d take the time to tell me your thoughts on something so dear to my heart, and i appreciate it so so much :)) 

okay FIRST OF ALL my heart almost burst in my chest when i saw you mention my fic because??? oh wow??? you actually remembered that one?? that’s so nice thank you so so much, i can’t believe my actions influence people lmfao. and yes yes and yes to everything you said. it’s a classic form of (*cue me double-checking my psych notes in another browser*) reaction formation--basically it’s ryuji expressing the opposite of what he feels because he refuses to accept what happened. the absolute pain what happened to him is monstrous. it’s heinous. to add fuel to the fire, people are constantly hammering it into his head that he’s stupid. that he’s useless with a book, that he’s nothing but muscle and an idiot. and when you hear that enough, hey, guess what, you start to believe it. So what does Ryuji think? ‘I’m an idiot, but at least I’m half-decent at this running thing. This’ll be what helps me help my ma. It’s not much, but I’ll do my best. Make it easier for her.’ 

And then Kamoshida takes the one thing he has away from him. With everyone so willing to turn against Ryuji to support the abusive teacher, Kamoshida literally takes away Ryuji’s power to stand up for himself.

oooo and you bring up the part about it probably being easier to just accept his injury if he just considered it a natural byproduct of society, and wow you are so smart. your brain is massive, and that is a fantastic analysis on ryuji’s character because it shows that he isn’t willing to accept the bullshit that’s going on in his life. he wants to keep fighting, he wants to grow and change. he doesnt want to stay like this, even if he doesn’t know it yet. and the good news is, he does, even if it’s a tiny way. studying with ryuji as akira is such a pleasure because the language ryuji uses is so so happy and hopeful, even if it’s initially frustrated at himself for not getting it. he’s happy that akira is taking the time to actually teach him and help him, instead of just shrugging him off like everyone else did. i like that. i really really like that, because it gives someone like ryuji hope that he’s more than who everyone says he is. 

hmmmmmm how can i phrase this.... i don’t think that ryuji is an angry person, and i especially don’t think that he’s angry because of his father. i think ryuji is someone who has so much feelings that he has to share because that’s the type of person he is, and i think his father is a factor of how that is expelled from within him. he’s not angry or dangerous because he grew up in an abusive relationship with his father--he is someone who has a strong sense of justice that doesn’t know how to hold back because of the lack of good example from his father, does that make sense? he’s just so passionate and so attuned to justice that getting punished just isn’t in his mind. an example of this is when he jumped in front of the car to help makoto. another is when he yelled at cognitive shido to defend akira. he’s angry on behalf of the lack of justice being served. in other words: ryuji isn’t an angry person--he gets angry for other people. if he was using his father’s past with him as an excuse to be violent and abusive to other people, then i don’t think i can stan ryuji as much as i do. (that’s exactly the reason as to why i can’t stan akechi, but that’s an ask for another day.)

phew. sorry for the short thesis paper i wrote in response but god that was so much fun thank you so much for sending me your thoughts and sharing them with me!!! and thank you, WE SHALL SEE about the interview!! they asked me when i could have an interview and i said “anytime! litearlly anytime!” and they haven’t gotten back to me D: and i just had to point out that last bit of your ask is seriously so dang funny to me like i actually burst out laughing. you really dont need to apologize!!! i hope you stay safe too :)))) have a lovely day thursdayanon! i appreciate you so much

quick edit: i just wanted to show you my set up for making sure i hit all of your points in your asks because i make myself laugh

[bpd-seishi]

Oh worm? Neko au? Tea?

FDSJFJFLJSDFJLK THE WAY THIS QUESTION IS WORDED GOODNESS I’M NOT SURE WHETHER TO LAUGH OR CRY– 

djsfklasdfn anyway, um. i probably should’ve answered this closer to when i posted that thing that mentioned the neko au but afdlkjsadfkl better late than never, right? :’) 

okay so. this’ll probably be disappointing to a lot of u but not everyone in this au is a kitty, some of them are just normal people who have to take care of these neko losers sahflasjdk RIP. i should mention that my versions of nekos have kitty claws (but not paws), cat ears and tails (as is the standard), and a lot of catlike behaviors. so they’re still mostly human, but sometimes i talk about them acting super catlike and i don’t wanna confuse anyone adsfkl ;w; 

so! without further ado! the kitties are: seishi, akira, nico, saiji, narumi, marin, kasumi, and i’m thinking i’m gonna have neko kazuomi too :0 just for fun, i’m gonna throw some stuff about their personalities here: 

seishi white ears and tail. i kinda made fun of him in my tags but he actually is a sweet lil kitty,, he just had bad caretakers before landing in ayumu’s care :’) he used to be terrified of baths because they consisted of just a hose and really cold water, but now he’s more tolerant of them because ayumu actually sets it up nice and puts him in warm water, go figure. he still doesn’t like them cuz he hates getting wet, though. he also doesn’t like getting his claws clipped and cries every time it happens lsdjflk ;w; it’s like this every goddamn time RIP he tends to chew/lick things when he’s nervous (which is often. poor little ptsd kitty :’0). his favorite target is ayumu’s hair. he likes to crawl into his lap, wrapping his skinny, gangly arms around him, and just. really go to town on his hair aljdfjlkasd he has kind of a lisp that he’s embarrassed of and i love him honestly he’s just an oversized lap cat. all he wants to do is be in ayumu’s lap and vibrate purr really loudly, disrupting whatever ayumu was doing :’3 he also likes to bring him dead animals as presents, which disturb the hell out of ayumu asdlkjflaksd RIP ;w; 

akira grey ears and tail. the kinda kitty who rubs against people who are allergic to him, and yes i know that’s just a body language thing but akira does it on purpose alkjdsflskdf. 100% knocks glasses off tables just for fun. really wants mikoto to be his caretaker cuz he thinks she’ll be mean to him because she’s fun to harass, and he constantly jumps on her stuff/lap to get her attention. gets a thrill out of being yelled at/told no really he just wants some attention his old caretakers never played with him and kinda neglected him :’(he also scratches at her door at 4:30 in the morning (because let’s be honest he just didn’t sleep asjlkfdsf) for her to make him breakfast,, even though he’s damn well capable of making it himself. mikoto buys ear plugs to tune him out but she still has the scratches on the door to prove that akira was there, being a little monster the kind of cat who thinks every goddamn can u open is for him. it is not. he also eats plants and then demands mikoto rubs his tummy because now it hurts and it’s definitely not a trap nope he’s never had a bath in his life. he smells terrible and i hate him asjflksadjf ;w; 

nico white ears and tail. a sweet, if somewhat fussy kitty (like seishi tbh. that’s what they both are. sweet but a lil fussy :’3). one of those weird cats that actually likes water. she would stick her head under the faucet if it fit ;w; she even likes swimming, which is weird for cats/nekos in general. she likes maiko a lot (of course) and brings her animals to express her affection. the catch is that unlike most cats, she brings living animals to her jladhflksadjf. she doesn’t like killing them but maiko isn’t,, really sure what to do with them oh geez– she usually just sets them free but don’t tell nico okaytends to be a bit fickle about touch. she doesn’t like strangers petting her but with certain people (mostly maiko lksfdjlkdsf) she’ll silently demand affection via glaring at them across the room alfklsdj ;w; likes those cutesy collars tbh but gets mad when people treat it in a gross way (and rightfully so too!! leave her alone weirdos!! >:T). also definitely appreciates grooming more than the boys above, but she has trouble with nail clipping cuz it makes her nervous. what if the person doing it clips them too much? :’0 A) that would hurt and B) she needs them for territory battles with saiji lkasdjfklasdf okay that last one’s a joke but still

saiji white ears and tail. in speak of the devil! actually saiji’s a pretty calm kitty, not particularly putting up a fuss…..unless kasumi’s around. those two can (and will!) battle it out jlasdflkdsjaf RIP. mostly though he’s pretty chill, even with nico (they’re really just mutually amicable rivals tbh). doesn’t like water but puts up with baths cuz he hates smelling bad unlike certain other kittens i could namealso likes maiko, and also brings her animals as a gesture of Love and Appreciation asjdfhlkasdf. his, however, are in fact dead, and he even goes to the trouble of putting them in nice, neat coffin-like boxes. boy really goes all out dfkjlsadjf. unfortunately, maiko also doesn’t know what to do with these, lmao she usually throws the dead bodies out but she’ll keep the box if it’s really nice looking. once again, don’t tell saiji :’)LOVES being groomed. being brushed, having his nails clipped, all that jazz. like i said before, the one thing he’s not super crazy about are baths but eh, he’ll get over it, he doesn’t like being Stinky (unlike akira alsdflks poor mikoto) doesn’t like it when people give him catnip, because he’s not a fan of embarrassing himself. which inevitably happens when a kitty is on catnip :’3 

narumi brown ears and tail. energetic kitten who loves being played with! seriously. she has way too much energy. help. most likely to jump on the table while ur doing homework and sending ur papers scattering (unless ur names mikoto, in which case akira’s more likely to harass u). neutral on baths, but has a general distaste for getting wet. like akira, is also the kind of cat who assumes every time u open the fridge ur getting them a treat whICH NO IT’S NOT FOR U DAMMIT. smarter than him in that she will not eat leaves, but she does chew on plants for fun sometimes. she loves making mischief (though not as much as kasumi does. but, we’ll get to her later :’3) has no interest in having a caretaker outside of her family but could probably use someone setting rules for her while she’s at school. and trust me, people try to, and usually she’ll listen if she’s told “hey, don’t do that”. more than anything though she needs a goddamn playmate aksdflajsdfkl :’) loves the laser pointer more than anything. all nekos have enough human brain to understand that u can’t actually catch the dot, but still feel compelled to anyway. narumi doesn’t care that she can’t ever get it, she just loves the thrill of the chase >:3c 

marin goldish white ears and tail. sleepy kitty. kinda kitty who finds a sun patch, lays down immediately, and passes the heck out. also very affectionate: will rub up against u and “groom” ur hair (read: lick and preen, like i mentioned seishi doing earlier) even if she doesn’t know u all that well. another weird kitty that doesn’t mind getting wet all that much, she even likes it. she actually does stick her head under the faucet on occasion just cuz it just be like that sometimes, y’know? gets even sleepier on catnip, somehow. no one thought it was possible. most cats get more energetic/stimulated on it, not her. she just gets cuddly and more tired aldsfjlkasd this actually happens to my cat on the nip sometimes slkdfsd trust me i know what i’m talking aboutpretty independent kitty, but not opposed to cuddles or a lap to sleep on. she’s all about that nap life, son her favorite toy is a mouse given to her by a coworker at the station. it has a nice little bell that jingles and she likes to hold it when she sleeps. when she’s feeling playful though she’ll bat it around a bit owo 

kasumi black ears and tail. ratty ol’ alley cat who hisses at everyone who so much looks at her funny. infamous for nyooming through the dorm halls at three in the morning and for staring at empty spaces and telling everyone that she sees a ghost there (to be fair, half the time, she isn’t actually lying). bites people because she likes it. knocks things off tables and gets into spats with saiji just cuz ljasdfjlkasd. pretty much any terrible cat behavior u can think of, she does. she only really cares about misuzu, and often tries to get her attention by scratching up her skirt or door…..which often get her in trouble. absolutely hates baths. she’s no longer allowed to have catnip. no one can control her when she’s on it. they can barely control her when she’s not on it lajdsflkdsa :’) uses her claws more than any of the other kitties, and thus absolutely despises having her nails cut. we’re talking full on tantrum here, folks. the only person she lets do it is misuzu, and she still whines the whole time RIP ;w; also drops off dead animals for the one she loves (misuzu of course). it’s extra significant for cuz she has to deal with the ghosts of the animals she kills :’0 

kazuomi orangey brown ears and tail. most brash of all the kitties, naturally. not particularly energetic, though, at least not as much narumi. however, when he does feel playful, he jump high as hell, which is both impressive and terrifying. he loves toys he can pounce on. however, he hates the red dot, because he knows he can’t get it, yet he’s still compelled to after it anyway. it always wins and it makes him >:( hates baths, but he’ll put up with them because he gets so sweaty sometimes and he doesn’t like feeling gross. that doesn’t mean he doesn’t whine and complain the whole time, though laksfdjklsadf he doesn’t need or want a caretaker. however,, he’s not opposed to someone who’ll scratch behind his ears from time to time when he has that Itch :’) don’t touch his belly. more than any of the other cats he hates it when people poke/tickle/rub there jalksdfjklsd. he doesn’t understand why people feel compelled to, anyway. after all, his belly isn’t the part of him that is Kitty anyway, so stop trying to get access!! while we’re on the subject, though, don’t touch his ears and tail without permission either >:/ (though that goes for all kitties, really) 

[starlightkeybright]

more persona 5 writings cuz this game has ruined me

i call this one “the plan” or alternately, “this is it”

Akechi was coming to the cafe more often, claiming it was the one place where he could relax and not worry about something like his image or the fact the public was disliking him for what he's said about the phantom thieves. Akira was cautious of him from the beginning, in the back of his mind was their encounter at the tv station when Akechi mentioned pancakes. the ace detective was hiding something, something big, that much was obvious. but then...Akira was curious. too curious for his own good. watching Akechi on tv versus him being here in the cafe was different, which made sense, to have a "tv personality" and all. but it was an...interesting kind of different. Akira made sure to help around the cafe pretty often, making coffee under Sojiro's guidance, or simply washing dishes and cleaning around the place. Sojiro commented on how he was getting better with his coffee, so he wondered...

one evening Akira came back to the cafe after spending the day with Yusuke to find Akechi in the cafe, again. or more "as usual" at this point, he was almost always here. Akechi sat close to the door, so he noticed Akira step in immediately, flashing him a smile and saying "welcome home." Akira felt Morgana shift in his bag and meow out some small comment, but he didn't hear it. instead he grinned back at Akechi and replied "honey, i'm home." this time Akira heard Morgana's muffled groan from the bag. instead of any real reaction though, Akechi just commented "you're home awfully late.i've just been here enjoying some coffee. this cafe is really a good place for me to relax." Akira did his best to hide his pout, but he just nodded. wasn't the first time Akechi said that. "well, i should be going then." Akechi went to stand up from his seat when Akira blurted out, "i wouldn't mind if you stayed a little longer." the detective paused halfway into his standing and looked at him, clear confusion on his face. "oh?" Akira nodded. "you're the one that said we should talk more often, you said you liked talking with me. why leave now?" Akechi seemed still there in his half movement for quite some time, and then slowly settled back down in his seat, flashing another one of his smiles. "very well, i guess i'm in no hurry to leave." Akira nodded, stepping further into the cafe and commenting to boss that he was going to change and help him out.

Akira went upstairs to put his bag down and let Morgana out, going straight to his storage box to grab his "work" clothes. Morgana sat in his usual spot on the table watching him. "i thought you wanted to make some more lock picks tonight," he commented, pausing to lick his paw and rub his face. "you're getting good at it too." "i was," Akira simply said, pulling out the apron and other clothes, giving them a shake and inspecting for wrinkles. "but i changed my mind." Morgana huffed, shifting slightly in his spot. "fine, i guess you can make more tomorrow and we already have a few to work with. what's your plan here, by the way? don't think i haven't noticed, i do live here with you, you know." "i don't have a plan, i'm just helping out in the cafe. maybe i can make more curry for us, i need the practice." Akira folded the clothes over his arm and went to the stairs to head to the bathroom to change. the cat huffed again, twisting around to lick a spot on his lower back. "liar," he muttered between licks.

the rest of the evening went smoothly enough, Akira did his usual chores around the shop and spoke from time to time to Akechi, the two making small talk mostly. Akechi did bring up the phantom thieves a couple times, but Akira gave his usual answers to his questions. it seemed like to him a typical high school student would support them, and he knew other students did from his eavesdropping at school. finally, Akechi was the last customer. Akira washed the last of the dishes and he couldn't help but smile at himself, and his heartbeat seemed just a little bit faster, a little bit harder. geez, how old am i? "i'm going out to get cigarettes." Akira paused and glanced back at Sojiro, standing near the counter and rubbing his neck and shoulder. "just finish cleaning up. hell, i might just go straight home after, so if i do, you better close up the shop once this guy leaves." perfect. Akira gave one his simple nods and Sojiro stepped out, leaving the two of them alone. "well, in that case i might as well leave now." Akechi rose from his seat. this is it. "hey," Akira turned off the water and grabbed the nearby towel to dry his hands, turning to face him. "would you mind...staying a little bit longer?" Akechi stood there staring at him, he was sure that the detective was getting suspicious at this point. "it's late, and the last train is going to be leaving soon, i'd rather not walk all the way home." "of course not," Akira chuckled, putting the towel back. "but i wanted to talk with you in private. i know the cafe is empty now, but i'd prefer if we went upstairs." Akira could practically see the gears turning in Akechi's head, weighing out the pros and cons of this offer. "upstairs? as in your room?" "yes." in the silence that followed, Akira felt something rub against his leg, but he didn't look, he knew it was Morgana. the cat was clearly trying to question him about this offer. "very well, as long as it doesn't take too long then." Akira couldn't hide his grin. "follow me." he went upstairs, with Morgana following closely behind and Akechi keeping his distance. he's so defensive. Akira stepped over to his storage box to grab his casual clothes, even though right now he's usually change into his sleepwear. "just wait up here while i go change really quick." Akechi slowly stepped past him, glancing around the room. despite the fact it was an attic, Akira did do his best to keep it clean, and decorate it with fun little things his various friends gave him. his favorite had to honestly be the star stickers he put on the ceiling beams he got from Yusuke. it was so cheesy and cute. "don't take too long," Akechi commented, still gazing around the room. Akira headed back downstairs, and he knew Morgana was following him. this time when he stepped into the bathroom, the cat slipped inside with him. "ok, seriously, what is this?" Morgana quietly hissed. he didn't blame the cat for being confused and concerned. "it's fine, i promise." he pulled off the apron and folded it up, putting it aside. Morgana huffed, turning away to stare at the door, and Akira thought he could see the cat facing the general direction of the stairs and glaring. "can you do me a favor and go check on Futaba for me while i do this?" Morgana made some sort of weird sound similar to a squeak and his tail waved around almost angrily. "you want me to leave you alone with him?" "yes. please, i'm going to be fine, i swear. remember what we talked about before, with him and you? he's suspicious enough as it is." Morgana sighed, hanging his head. "i-but-ok fine, but i'll be circling around the cafe and coming straight back if i'm worried or if it's been a long time." Akira finished changing, grabbing up his work clothes. "thanks, Morgana."

with Morgana gone, Akira found himself suddenly nervous. honestly, he didn't have a solid plan or idea of what he was going to do, but... he just wanted so desperately to be alone with Akechi for once, without his friends around. as much as he loved them, he did honestly want to speak more with Akechi alone. despite the suspicions and everything he's been saying about the phantom thieves, he just...couldn't help himself. Akira went back upstairs and found Akechi standing in between his desk and bed, looking over the desk and the different tools curiously. he took a deep breath before stepping over, stopping just close enough so Akechi was pretty much trapped where he was. he could of course just shove Akira out of the way or go over the bed if needed, but cutting him off from an immediate escape was the idea. "wood carving." Akechi jumped and looked over, clearly was lost in thought and didn't notice Akira come in. "pardon?" Akira nodded over at the desk. "wood carving," he repeated. "i've been trying to take up different hobbies, gotta do something in my spare time, right?" "oh," Akechi looked back over at the desk. "how interesting, i didn't think a high school student would be so interested in such a thing. may i see some of your work?" Akira laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. "they're not that great, i just started so they're still just...lumps of wood." Akechi chuckled. "well, i hope you can show me some finished works in the future. so, what did you want to discuss?" this is it. Akira licked his lips, wondering where he should even start. he decided to go straight into it. "why are you so interested in me?" the detective took a step back, though the wall was close behind him now, and he looked very surprised. "pardon?" "i'm just another boring high school student," Akira shrugged, slowly taking a few steps forward. "i do well enough in school, but i have a dumb record and i live in an attic. why does my opinion matter so much to you? why do you like to talk to me so much?" Akira could clearly see that Akechi noticed by now, how he was trapped, and he could see the gears spinning faster in his head. "n-no real reason, it just has to do with that tv show recording. you had an interesting opinion and we've run into each other a few times since, so..." "you mean when i said 'fuck the police?'" Akira chuckled, stepping in closer, barely now a foot away from him. "you're the one always talking about 'bonds' and 'connections' and 'fate'. it just makes me wonder..." "wonder what?" Akechi muttered, now backed up against the wall. Akira couldn't help but stare at him at this point, they were so close, inches by now. he studied Akechi's face carefully, he could see how uneasy and on guard he was. he couldn't blame the detective for being so defensive. Akira slowly reached over and brushed aside a few strands of Akechi's hair. the detective flinched, raising an arm up and stopping halfway. he probably was about to smack Akira's hand away, and Akira wondered for a second if he had taken any self defense courses. "does the little ace detective have a little crush?" Akira muttered teasingly, taking one final step closer to him and smirking. they couldn't be any closer at this point, not without being flush against each other, though Akira liked the thought of that. Akechi was silent and gulped, his face flushing with a hint of red. his arms were bent against his chest, he could just shove Akira away easily at some point now. "a-a crush? d-don't be ridiculous, i'm too...busy to be dealing with something as simple as crushes." Akira snorted and snickered. "too important and too much of a celebrity to crush on someone else? i'm having a hard time believing that." Akechi glared at him but Akira couldn't take it seriously with how much he could see that the detective was blushing. being this close finally...so many thoughts were running through his head... Akira finally couldn't take it anymore, moving his hands so he was cupping Akechi's face with one and moving the other to the back of his head. the detective flinched again and opened his mouth to say something, but it was too late, Akira didn't care. he leaned in and finally closed the gap between them, closing his eyes and gently kissing Akechi on the lips. immediately sparks flew. in both body and mind, something had triggered in Akira, and out of many thoughts that raced through his head, one stood out. this feels right. it took Akira a second to realize Akechi just froze up, but just as he was about to lean back, he felt Akechi slowly relax. he meant for it to be small, but now that it happened, he wanted more. Akira slowly deepened the kiss, first just testing to see how Akechi reacted. when the detective started to make return movements and slowly placing his hands on Akira's shoulder, Akira grinned. they simply did that for who knows how long, 5 minutes, 30 minutes? probably not nearly that long, but it felt like it. Akira moved his hand through Akechi's hair, moved his other hand down to his side to rest there. while Akechi slowly moves his arms up, wrapping around Akira's neck and running one gloved hand through his hair. finally they stopped and pulled away from each other, catching their breath. Akira gazed over Akechi, taking in his features with his slightly glazed over eyes and flushed cheeks with no-longer-neat hair. more. Akira’s mind screamed at him, but this time he wouldn't listen, as tempting as it was. he moved one hand up to push up his glasses since they went down slightly from their previous actions. Akechi caught his movement and his eyes slowly focused, coming back to reality. "this is why you wanted to speak to me privately?" Akechi muttered, lowering his arms. "yeah," Akira grinned, taking his time to remove his hand from the other's hair. "you're not the only one interested in another boy." Akechi laughed, short and simple but it made Akira's heart flutter. "i can tell that now." they stood there in silence for a little while, wanting to say and do more but both unsure of where even to begin. Akechi suddenly gasped, making Akira jump. "oh no," he muttered, digging through his pockets to pull out his cell phone, the screen lighting up in the small space between them. "it's really late, i should get going." Akira frowned but he knew he couldn't argue for the other to stay. first of all, how would Sojiro react? besides, the both of them had school tomorrow and Morgana would soon bother Akira about going to bed to get enough sleep. he stepped away to finally let the detective free, Akechi heading straight for the stairs. Akira looked over just as Akechi stopped before the first step, looking back at him. "i guess i did find my go to cafe after all," Akechi smiled, descending the staircase. "see you later." Akira now felt his own face flush and his heart fluttered, he smiled back and nodded.

once Akira closed up shop for good, Sojiro would kill me if i didn't lock the door, and changed into his sleepwear, Morgana appeared. "so, what happened? how did it go? get any information?" Morgana jumped onto the bed to sit next to him and peered at him curiously. so that's what he thinks, huh? Akira shook his head. "he didn't say much, outside of his usual sayings." the cat huffed, tail whipping around angrily. "what i figured would happen. he's way too defensive and definitely not an easy one to crack. but we'll get more answers someday. oh, and Futaba was looking into some stuff, but she was so focused she ignored all my questions. i think she has things handled though, she did pass out at one point though. that's when i left and came back here." Akira nodded and yawned. "yeah, it's pretty late, we should get some sleep." Morgana stood up and jumped off the bed. Akira moved back and laid down, grabbing the blanket and covering himself up. Morgana jumped back up to take his spot at the foot of the bed and Akira quickly heard the cat quietly snoring. he looked up at the ceiling, hands behind his head. Morgana had no idea of what actually happened earlier. he slowly licked his lips, swearing he could still faintly taste the coffee that Akechi had been drinking. can't wait for more of that, he grinned to himself and slowly closed his eyes, drifting to sleep.

[attract-mode-collective]

The Super Instagram Entertainment System: Classic Edition

A few days ago, the Attract Mode blog celebrated its 5th birthday (the current iteration to be exact). And today is yet another anniversary.

Five years ago was also when I first began demonstrating how deeply video games have become imbedded in our everyday lives. So it only makes sense to present another round-up of game culture snapshots! Starting with…

Something else that was mentioned just the other day; this what it looks like when a Brooklyn-based indie arcade collective is invited to the nation’s capital, where a museum transforms itself into an arcade...

Those photos above were taken over the weekend. Whereas these pics of masskutt, and friends, are over 30 years old…

Another more recent image, from Jake Kazdal, from when he took his kids to a retro arcade in Osaka…

Not sure where Jake is here, other than it’s somewhere in Kyoto, which is home to Nintendo, so…

Yet another blast from the past, and a reminder of where Jake first made a splash, back when Nintendo and Sega were on less than friendly terms…

Speaking of work, it’s Mike Choi at his job, where he had to disassemble a Switch...

Meanwhile, here’s Cory Schmitz at home, settling into his new NYC digs. He’s apparently fitting in quite nicely, cuz our tiny ass apartments necessitates tiny ass shelves filled with only the barest and coolest of essentials…

arcadestick also recently relocated and this was his the temporary set-up at a hotel room. Nuts, I know…

Like many retro gamers, he partakes in dumpster diving for CRTs, though I have no idea where he was able to come across so many all at once like this…

And here’s a custom kit that lives up to his namesake. Gotta love that wood finish…

cpn_pixel showing off the insides of Super Famicom controllers; as one can tell, there have been various revisions over the years that most of us had no idea about…

The above was taken while the rest of the controllers were being cleaned, which retrokk_jp is also doing…

Madara, the Japanese only RPG for the Famicom is Japanese only no more, thanks to jake74…

Not sure if Jake also translated Sweet Home, but here he is most definitely producing his own custom cart art…

I’ll just let jjsignal do the explaining here: “I got this cart of Hector '87 at a Book Off because it felt powerful. There was obviously a lot of love and pride in it. Strange that they just let it go. It's certainly my favorite sentimental used cart. It's a fun SHMUP, but sadly, I'm awful at it…”

patrickashe showing off the ultra rare #2 of the 1UP MegaZine…

actual_iocat with a “Live Edition” of his Incredibly Strange Games zine; only 20 copies were made! So yeah, it’s pretty rare as well…

stulivingston’s Mario Kart 8 team, representing Cartoon Network, recently went head-to-head with folks at Nickelodeon Animation. So naturally he made a zine about it, entitled “4th-Floor 4th-Furious”…

Say hello to my new fave artist, adihash. Though I am willing to admit that his handiwork is not for everyone…

But hey, I’m a sucker for any Garfield related gag…

My MacBook needs this sticker, ASAP…

Behold the crown jewel of alexsavage_alexsavage’s animation cel collection…

No idea if microom made these Sega retro cookies himself, or if he simply came across them in the wild…

I also have no idea where the following hails from. Sorry! Hey, when you’ve constantly sifting through and organizing legit hundreds of Instagrams, mistakes will happen I’m afraid…

rainbow_blight recently acquired some Dragon Quest glassware…

It should be common knowledge by now, how I’m always eager to showcase the intersection of video games and Japanese wrestling, aka I want johntv’s shirt…

I also wouldn’t mind the one nameoftheyear is wearing, since I dig both Nier and the BORN TO DIE meme (no, it hasn’t gotten old for me yet)…

Is jewelry more your thing? Then please confer with mare_sheppard…

Speaking of game designers, time to find out what SWERY is up to these days, and… here he is dressed up all fancy and with an owl, okay…

I also forget if this room he stayed at had PJ Berri there already or if he brought him along…

Here we see Mathew Kumar receiving $40 from Jordan Mechner, which he had just gotten from John Carmack for whatever reason…

Here’s Akira enjoying a drink with Kazuma at stonyo_’s place…

And here's Akira making a mess, maybe cuz he had one too many…

I’ve actually never watched American Psycho, so I’m going to have to assume this shot from ghostarcade is legit and not some Photoshop...

miki800 notices a bus’s stripes and its passing resemblance to early Famicom branding…

EDIT: You all have no idea how long it took to choose the absolute perfect 50 images for this 5th anniversary round-up, but because the following so perfectly connects with my most recent post about Rez, as well as the photo that comes immediately after; it’s Jim Guthrie getting ready to ship his Cassette Boxset…

rj_star asks: “Deal or no deal?”

andonuts proudly showing off his copy of Dratula for the Game ???, as would I…

mrghostyx is currently in Mexico and sharing his discoveries, with my fave being this intersection of video games (in this case the Pokemon Jigglypuff) and Mexican wrestling (in this case the luchador Psycho Clown)…

All right, time to wrap this special anniversary assortment of game culture snapshots the proper way, with a bunch of cat pics. Starting with neoretro75’s…

misterraroo’s…

krispiotrowski’s…

finalfinalgirl’s…

smurfwreck’s…

And finally, the resident feline at Edit Mode…

Don’t forget: Attract Mode is now on Medium! There you can subscribe to keep up to date, as well as enjoy some “best of” content you might have missed the first time around, plus be spared of the technical issues that’s starting to overtake Tumblr.

[starlightkeybright]

why hasn’t someone stopped me from writing, this one isn’t even good

more p5, and suddenly, goro POV! just cuz

uh, this one is...”the signs of love”

goro sat in the train, in his usual spot and his face in a book to try to avoid anyone recognizing him. he was on his way home and he was honestly considering stopping by Leblanc, but... his grip on the book tightened, he wasn't even reading the words on the pages anymore. he knew what he was feeling but he tried so hard to bury his emotions and convince himself not to care, but over time it has gotten harder to do that. it's...not like that....it's not. "oh my god, you need to read this book i just got!" the sudden shrill sounding voice broke goro out of his thoughts and he winced. he knows exactly the type that voice belonged to; some high school girl in the middle of gossiping and somehow being unaware of how loud she was being. goro tried his best to bring his focus back to his book, but it was hard with how clearly he could hear those girls. "you mean that dumb love book you were looking at? i didn't know you actually got it!" "shut up, it's not dumb! it's actually interesting, i'll show you!" goro scoffed to himself. i doubt it's that interesting. "see here, it talks about a bunch of different ways people can say 'i love you'!" "like in different languages?" the girls laughed and goro felt the sound digging into his head like a needle. he usually could take this sort of thing with a smile, but he currently wasn't in the mood to be a public figure, especially in a place where he had no escape. "silly! i mean different things people say to mean that!" "i was joking! ok, fine, like what?" there was a brief pause as the girl was clearly searching in the book for an example. "like uh....when someone makes you coffee how you like it!" goro froze. "and when you leave the house and someone tells you to be careful! or when someone asks how your day went....when someone says that they care about you!" "ok, that one's a given though. but i never thought of those things like that!" goro could tell by now his hands were starting to shake as his mind began to race. ...n-no....it's just some silly girl book, what does it know... "i know! also when someone says they saw something that reminded them of you, or when someone does something for you, like grabbing something or...something." "oh, here it says when someone is willing to share something, like food or a place to sit! oh, and when someone says that they want you to be happy!" the girls simultaneously "aww"d at that, but goro was barely listening at this point.

goro got off the train early and walked straight to Leblanc. his mind was racing and yet blank at the same time. so many things were going through his head, it was impossible to focus on one. "you already remembered my order? i haven't come here that often, have i?" "i just thought it'd be a nice thing to do." "well, thank you, it is nice." "you're welcome. so, how's your day been?" "you don't need to know everything about me, do you?" "no-yes-no? i was just- i'm just curious! and i care about things like that. oh! and to go with your coffee, have this bag of chocolates!" "...chocolates? what for?" "there's a shop not far from here that was selling these and...i don't know, i thought maybe you'd like them." "oh...well, thank you." goro reached the front of cafe and stood by it for a long time. he wasn't sure what he was doing, part of his mind kept telling him that he's stupid, that he's hoping too much and thinking too far on this. but the slightly louder part of his mind was telling him to just go for it, there's nothing wrong with trying. goro took a deep breath and stepped over to the door and went inside, hearing the bell jingle above him. there was one other customer there, some old man sitting at one of the booths. and behind the counter was akira, with his work apron and in the middle of putting away some dishes. akira looked over at goro and smiled. "welcome, i uh...wasn't expecting you to stop by today." goro stepped over and took his usual seat at the counter. "this...is an unexpected visit for both of us. i just felt like stopping by." akira gazed at him curiously and goro could swear that the boy was seeing right through him. he always could somehow read goro like an open book. "coffee?" "yes, please." akira went to prepare and goro peeked around the cafe, noticing the old man had gotten up. "it's getting late, isn't it? i should be getting home, money's on the table." "thank you for stopping by, have a safe trip home." akira said automatically, not pausing in his work. once the old man had left, goro leaned forward slightly. "is it really just you right now?" "sojiro went to do some shopping, he'll probably stop at home after. he just left about 5 minutes ago." goro nodded and sighed. so it'll be the two of us for a little while... akira stepped over and placed the coffee down in front of goro, and then grabbed something from under the counter goro couldn't see. "your coffee, and here's some more chocolates." akira put down a small bag on the counter next to the coffee. goro couldn't help but smile at the gesture, his mind thinking back to the train. ...right... "thank you," goro muttered as he took a sip of coffee and opened the bag to pop a chocolate in his mouth. he was surprised just how good it was, and it went perfectly with his coffee. he glanced up to see akira looking at him expectantly. "so? how is it?" "it's very good, they compliment each other well." goro ate another chocolate and took another sip. "...hey." "yes?" goro slowly placed his cup down, and kept holding it to try to keep his hand from shaking. "can we talk?" he could tell akira noticed the mood shift and he quickly adjusted. "of course, what is it?" goro honestly didn't plan this far, he was usually so careful with his words and thinking up scripts for himself to say in certain situations, but...he's never been in this situation before. how was he supposed to prepare? "do you like me?" he asked before fully thinking it through, and as soon as the words left him, he regretted them. start out with that right away? what's wrong with me? he wouldn't- "yes." goro snapped out of his thoughts and looked at him. akira's eyes were wide, and yet they looked curious, almost...hopeful. but he was also smiling, warm and gentle. goro began to backpedal immediately. "i-i mean-" "goro," akira took a step closer, reaching over and placing both hands over goro's free hand."i care about you, and i want you to be happy. if something's wrong, you can tell me." goro stared at him for a long time, and then took a deep breath. his mind was still racing and he could still feel his hand trembling slightly, but...he felt calmer. "thank you, akira, truly. everything is fine." "you sure?" akira now looked more confused. "yes," goro smiled at him, but it quickly faded and he felt his face flush a little. he just realized he had turned his hand over at some point so now they were holding hands. akira seemed to notice at the same time so they both moved away from each other. goro lowered his head a little and drank some more coffee and trying his hide his face. he glanced over at akira, who stood there slightly turned away, but he could see the boy was twirling his hair absently in his fingers and he spotted a hint of flush on his face. goro couldn't help but think he looked adorable like that. once they both got over the moment, they talked like they usually do. whenever akira leaned on the counter and had his hands so close, goro kept resisting the urge to grab one of them. even if it was brief, he did like the feeling from before.