#next time. hotaru is coming come >:3

[prismagia]

gacha catch! they are a set. do not separate.

[lucarionite9364]

Khaotic Turn of Events

Havik x reader (Part 3)

WC: 4392

CW: mentions of violence

AN: holy hell it’s been like a month I’m sorry 😭

“Home late, again?” Your mother tutted. You hang your coat on the rack as you walk in the door. “Oh, mom, I’m sorry, I lost track of time again.” You chuckle to hopefully lighten her already sour mood.

“It’s always ‘sorry’ and yet you never do better.” Her words were like a bucket of ice over your head. “There is a curfew you know, or do you live in a make believe world and not the glory of Seidou.” “So what if I live in my own world sometimes,�� you fall into a whisper, “It's better than all these rules anyways.”

A muscle in your father’s eye twitches. “What did you say? How ungrateful must you be. Born into the higher society of order, yet you still run around with low-lives.”

Your heart is pounding heavily with anger. How dare they speak about your friend like that? How dare they talk to you like that? You see your parents share a stern look of implicit agreement.

“Pack your bags. You’re out of our house.” It was like they dropped a bombshell on your life.

“WHAT?! Mom? Dad? What do you mean I have to leave?” You were in tears as the news felt like a slap across the face. They might as well have slapped you with how their insistence that you leave stung.

“It’s for your own good, my dear.” Your mother spoke in a calm tone but her body language was that of disdain. Your father spoke next. “You have been corrupted by that peasant boy. You are unruly!” He spoke about Dairou with utter hatred. No concern for life outside the rich.

You don’t know what broke your heart more: the fact your parents were disowning and throwing you out of not only your home, but Orderrealm itself, or that they scorned the one and perhaps only person who ever cared about you.

“Why do you hate him so much? What has he ever done to deserve anything he’s received?” You start the yelling match. Your parents looked upon you with disgust and repulse. Your tears freely flowed down your face, but you had to fight back against injustice.

“Why? WHY?! That boy has utterly ruined you with his filth. You were such a good child until he spread his filth to you. The lower class is naught but the dirt we walk on, and he will always be that. FILTH!” With the pure spite pouring from her lips you knew nothing she could say would ever repair the damage done. Not that she would apologize.

Your father stepped in after the onslaught. “No child of ours will be anything less than perfection. Why couldn’t you have been friends with the other boy in your class? Hotaru exemplifies the greatness of Orderrealm! Yet you had to ruin it. With that slave in the lowest caste.”

“You will NOT speak of him that way. I won’t let you.” You put on false bravado. You were scared. Terrified.

“That is it, we didn’t wish to have to resort to this, but you have tied our hands.” Your father turns the corner and comes back with a small sack of your belongings in tow. “Leave Seidou, and never return. You are unworthy of even calling yourself a Seidan.”

Your heart sank to your stomach. Leave Seidou forever. You can’t. Your whole life was here. You would never see it again. The sunset, the surrounding hills, Dairou. You would never see Dairou again, you couldn’t even tell him you were leaving. Your mind began to spiral as panic flooded your brain.

You stepped backward, unknowingly into the arms of a Seidan guard. When did they get here? Were they planning this? How long have they wished me gone? The guard roughly grabs your arm, holding his polearm in his other hand. Another guard grabs your other hand.

“WAIT! You can’t do this to me!” You wailed as the guards moved you back out of the house and away from the building. “Why are you doing this to me? Don’t you love me?” You begged and pleaded for an answer to their cruelty. What angered you more was that they looked at each other with love, and you with disdain. They acted like newlyweds, waiting to start a family for the first time. Ignoring your existence.

“You will regret this. I swear by the elder gods, you will regret this.” If they heard the venom in your tone, they ignored it. As the guards drug you toward the portal going who knows where, your tears were the only thing you felt as the rage numbed you.

The guards tossed you through the portal. Your old life was no more. With this, you passed out.

You don’t know how long you were out for. All you knew was that you were in a courtyard surrounded by strange men in orange clothing. Many of them had wraps around their bodies. You were approached by a man with long, dark hair and glowing eyes. If you weren't already afraid, you were now.

The man’s gaze softened as he walked. He held his hands up in peace, meaning you no harm. “I am Lord Liu Kang.” He begins, you’re still shaken up, so he continues. “I mean you no ill will. I only wish to help. What is your name?”

You were hesitant to answer. “My name. . . is Y/N.”

“So we find him in Outworld and bring him here for questioning?” Kenshi asked, holding up a charcoal sketched image of the enemy at hand. You stand beside Liu Kang as he briefs you on your mission. “Yes, if what I fear has happened, he is a grave threat to the realms.”

Kenshi rolls up the scroll in his hands. “Anything else?” Liu Kang looks to all of you, “Shang Tsung is a master of deceit. Do not trust a word he utters.”

Johnny chimes in with a quip. “Sounds a lot like my first agent.” You give him a sharp glare, “Be serious Cage.” Kenshi gives him a side-eye too. “It’s a tricky mission. I’d rather Raiden go along than this one.” “HEY!” Johnny snaps, “This one is up for the mission.”

You save Liu Kang his breath. “Raiden would be too recognizable in Outworld. We need the utmost discretion on this mission.” He seems unpleased but accepting of your answer. “And maybe Johnny can get some method acting as a spy.”

“You just said to be serious.” “I told you to be serious.”

Liu Kang speaks once more. “She is right. I am also breaking my word to Empress Sindel by sending you to Outworld.”

You feel the weight of how important this mission is settling into your chest. You know you can do this, Liu Kang believes in you.

You watch Liu Kang reach behind him and pull out a compass of sorts.

“This talisman is attuned to Shang Tsung’s chi. Follow it to him,” He gives the glowing item to Kenshi. “And be careful. May the Elder Gods protect you.” He gives you each a look to bid farewell. However, his gaze lingers on you. You’re not sure what his gaze means, but you hope it means well.

. . . . . . . .

“Ugh, Are we there yet?” You hear Johnny complain for the hundredth time in the past hour. You roll your eyes to Kung Lao who gives you the same look back.

Kenshi groans in annoyance. “Again? How old are you, five?” You chuckle at the mockery. “What can I say? These boots weren’t made for walking.” “But that’s just what they’ll do.” You say, answering his reference.

His eyes light up. “See? She gets the song reference.” Oh, he seems so happy. . . You have to mess with him a little.

“Song? What song?” You act curious. His face falls into confusion. “What? The song by Nancy Sinatra? You completed the line.” He sounds desperate for validation. “Come on Lao, no way she said that if she didn’t get the reference.” Lao just glances over to his direction.

“Don’t bring me into this, but if walking is the most pain you feel today, consider yourself lucky.” Johnny plasters a smirk on his face. “Oh, I’m already lucky. I’ve got Sento strapped to my back.” He seems happy when Kenshi’s agitation grows hearing him brag about the sword.

He just huffs. “I will reclaim it, Cage.” “Got three million? It’s yours.” “You know I don’t have it.” “I bet your Yakuza pals could come up with it. Oh that’s right, you blew them off.” You look to Cage as if to tell him stop before he regrets it. “If there’s one lesson Hollywood’s taught me, it’s never burn bridges. You never know who can help.” Ohhhhhhh. Line crossed big time.

Kenshi turns around and blares his flashlight at Johnny’s face. “The Yakuza are leeches, bleeding out those too weak to resist,” he walks closer to the actor. “I grew up in that life and I never understood it. Why my gain required others’ pain?” Johnny never even blinked at his words.

“I got out. I need my clan out, too,” The rage in his eyes grew. “We can’t be part of their crimes any longer.”

Kenshi never talked about his past with you, now you understand why. It was then that you heard a whirring noise come from the talisman in the swordsman’s hand. Kenshi turns to continue walking. Kung Lao follows, flashing his light into Johnny’s face. As you walk past you speak lowly.

“Not everything is about money or fame, Johnny. May the Elder Gods drill that lesson into your brain some day.” You hear him groan as you walk to follow your other companions.

As you follow the compass, you come across a colony of humanoid creatures. Creatures that are apparently in the midst of battle. Johnny already has his phone out, recording the fight; most likely using the footage as a reference for his next project.

“What’s your precious say?” Kenshi holds the talisman outward. “That Shang Tsung is among those. . . things.” “Oh, my fans are gonna go nuts cosplaying them at Cage Con.” You’re somehow shocked. “You have a whole convention dedicated to you?” He simplys smiles and shrugs his shoulders like it’s no big deal. “You are the walking definition of narcissism.” He frowns, much to your amusement.

You can see one creature in particular being held by both arms and dragged out to the center of the colony. You then see a man with long dark hair with a syringe approach him from behind. Wait. He looks like–

“That’s Shang Tsung.” Lao beats you to the realization. “Let’s jump him after he’s done,” Johnny suggests. “Oh! In “Fists of Iron” we did this thing where like–” He swings his fist as Kenshi interjects. “We are not basing strategy on your movies Cage.”

The thought is interrupted as you view the scene below. The creature held captive is struggling against the guards, but he was knocked down to his knees. Shang Tsung held up the syringe to his neck, and plunged the needle in. You cringe as the captive writhes in pain.

Suddenly, the man held down broke free from his restraints. Downing the first guard, quickly felling the second, he takes the offensive against Shang Tsung. Everyone in the colony delves into battle. The creature strikes at your target. Regardless of his defensive stance, the blows he takes are harsh.

“On second thought,” Johnny begins. “This scene’s playing fine without us. I say we let them finish it.” Yawning that last part, Kenshi chimes in. “We have to save Shang Tsung. Liu Kang needs him alive.” You sigh. “As much as I hate it, he’s right.” The four of you charge down the small cliff you were on and join the fray.

As the monster was just about to finish Shang Tsung, Kenshi jumped on his back, swinging him around. He managed to kick all three of you as you came in to help, knocking you to the ground momentarily. Winded, you stumble to your feet. As you were all distracted, the sorcerer shifts into the form of one of the creatures, quickly assimilating into the crowd. You lost him.

“What the–” Johnny cuts you off. “How did he do that?” You were dumbfounded still that you had lost your target. You snapped back to attention as Kenshi began his battle with the main man; leaving you, Johnny, and Lao to fight the rest of them off.

One of the creatures charges after you. You step to the left, ducking under Lao as he punches it in the face. You sweep the next two, knocking them to the ground. You move to the group on the left while taking out Reaper, leaving Johnny and Kung Lao to take care of the group on the right.

You swing your weapon to hit the first, bringing it back to hit the second. You reel it back and hold the rope at mid range to rapidly strike your next foe. One managed to slip past your guard to strike you in your already bruised stomach. You fall back to clutch your abdomen, but not before three more come your way. You clench your teeth through the pain to defend yourself. Uppercutting the first, forward kicking the second, and whipping your yo-yo into the chin of the third.

At this time, the three of you back your way to Kenshi. The swarm of monsters circle you, closing in slowly.

“You got us into this. How about getting us out?” Kenshi steels himself at Johnny’s words. “I know what this looks like, but we don’t work for Shang Tsung.” The man in front did not seem to believe him.

“If not, why save him?” His voice is gravelly, almost painful sounding. “Because Liu Kang, Earthrealm’s Protector, wants to question him,” Kenshi explains desperately. “He thinks Shang Tsung may be a threat to both our realms.”

He seems to accept this answer reluctantly. Kenshi holds out his hand in greeting, but he does not return the gesture.

“Our kind do not shake hands.” He growls. Kenshi quickly retracts his hand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend.” “Don’t you know what we are?” He questions. It’s times like these you wish you paid more attention in those classes. “No, we don’t.”

The man gestures to the rest of the colony. “We are victims of Tarkat,” He begins to explain. “The disease is not easily gotten, but you can’t risk more close exposure.” At this, Johnny swiftly wipes his hands on his chest plate earning a glare from you.

The tarkatan continues, “It disfigures, then debilitates. In time, it will turn us all into blood-thirsty monsters.” What a cruel fate, you think to yourself.

“So you weren’t always like this?” Lao asks. It's hard to tell if the man is perpetually angry with your presence or that’s just a resting face. “I was once a rich merchant. But when I became ill, I was banished. Now I run this colony.” You couldn’t imagine living with this disease. You hold respect for the man who now introduces himself. “I am Baraka.”

Respect or no, you need answers. “What does Shang Tsung want with your bone marrow, Baraka?” The tarkatan looks downcast. “I don’t know. But he comes here each month to harvest it.”

Kenshi continues, “Release us and we’ll capture Shang Tsung. And we’ll find out why he’s been coming here, I promise.”

Baraka looks to his fellow members of the disease, “Let them go.” Kenshi looks relieved, “Thank you. We won't let you down.”

The red clad man pulls the talisman out from his pocket, only to find it was broken. “Damn. This was guiding us to Shang Tsung. Now we can’t find him.” “His laboratory is near,” he states. “I’ll take you.”

Knowing what little you do about this horrid spellcaster, you have a sinking feeling settling in your stomach.

….

After wandering past the Tarkatan colony and through the woods, you come to a medium-sized building. Shang Tsung’s laboratory. You pictured something more menacing, although keeping a low profile would help his case. Either way, you dread what’s to come.

“Any idea what to expect?” Johnny muses. “No,” Baraka states. “I’ve never been inside.” “I couldn’t imagine you’d want to.” You chime.

“Stay here. We’ll check it out.” Kenshi says. At this, you and the others head toward the entrance of the building, leaving Baraka to hope you come back alive.

….

You and the others enter the building, your caution at an all time high. Kenshi, leading the group, opens the door at the top of the stairs leading to the top floor of the laboratory. You hear Shang Tsung speaking about something with Kytinn larvae, whatever the hell that is.

You, Kenshi, Johnny, and Kung Lao reach the top of the staircase but remain hidden by the stone wall lining the stairs. You crouch down to remain unseen as you listen into his conversation.

“How can you be sure?” You see the High Mage, Rain, and the Leader of the Umgadi, Tanya stand beside an unconscious Princess Mileena. What on Earth Realm is going on? It was then, you heard where Baraka’s bone marrow went, sending a chill down your spine. “Because it was brewed from freshly extracted Tarkatan marrow,” He states matter-of-factly. ‘It couldn’t be more potent.”

Kung lao says what you’re thinking, “He’s infecting her with Tarkat.” “And he’s got two of Sindel’s top dogs in on it,” Johnny adds. “No wonder Liu Kang was worried about this guy.”

The four of you crouch down to devise your game plan. “We need to stop them.” Kenshi starts. “Save a distressed damsel? Sure thing.” Let’s do this.

You run out from where you were hiding and announce your presence. “Get away from her!” Kenshi states sternly. “You bitch!” You know you did not just hear that come from Johnny’s mouth. The actor looks so smug for his reference no one gets.

Kung Lao pushes his arm. “Excuse me?” You all look at Johnny with annoyed confusion. “You know, the movie? Tiny girl, ginormous alien,” he mimes the scene. “Ripley!” You just shake your head in disbelief he would pull a joke at a time like this. Dimwit.

“No? Seriously?” Back to the mission at hand.

“Earthrealmers?” Rain begins. “How did they find us?” “They’ve already seen too much.” Tanya interjects.

She charges at Johnny and Kung Lao first, swinging her sanjiegun. Before Rain or Shang Tsung could react, you and Kenshi were already charging at them. Shooting out your yo-yo to knock the syringe out of the sorcerer's hand. He looks at you with some sort of death wish making you smirk as you pull Reaper back to your hand.

His eyes whip to Rain, “I need time. Buy it for me.” He scurries off to another part of his lab. You attempt to rush after him but the Hydromancer blocks your way with his staff.

“Liu Kang sent you, didn’t he?” Rain sneers. “Sent you to learn our secrets!” “He sent us here for Shang Tsung. But it looks like he’s just part of the problem.” Kenshi says, and you follow. “Just hand him over Rain. He only means to deceive all of us.”

Rain simply tuts before summoning his hydro powers. He creates a blast of water, hurdling it straight at you both. Either of you go separate ways to dodge, then make your own attacks from either side of him. You shoot Reaper out to wrap around his staff as Kenshi draws his sword. With your yo-yo trying to tear the staff away from him, he struggles to break free with Kenshi about to strike.

Suddenly, Rain yanks on his staff causing you to lose balance and fall to the floor. However, not before Kenshi slashes through the taught yo-yo string disarming you. Fuck.

Rain regains control of his staff and dodges Kenshi’s slash. You stumble from your feet, pocketing your broken weapon. Fists it is, then.

You gain your fighting stance and throw practiced punches at the mage. You manage to land the first few hits, but then he sweeps your feet with his staff and blasts you away with a powerful gust of water. Your back smacked the stone wall with a painful crack, knocking the wind out of you.

Kenshi makes trained slashes at the mage next. Successfully evading the blasts, he managed to beat the hydromancer and knock him to the ground.

Having beat Rain, you look over to see how Kung Lao and Johnny were doing. Not great considering Kung Lao got slammed in the face and Johnny practically did a backflip with how hard he got hit.

She was about to go for another blow, but Kenshi ran up behind her and flipped her around and away from Johnny.

“I thought Umgadi were loyal to the royal house,” Kenshi disdains. “Yet here you are, scheming against the princess.” Tanya has the nerve to act offended. “You trespass in Outworld, interfere in imperial matters.It is you, not I, who is the schemer here.” Thus, their battle begins.

You try to get up, but a sharp jolt shoots through your back. It’s only a pulled muscle, but you know it will bruise quickly if one hasn’t already formed. Since you can’t help Kenshi, you slowly try to scoot over to where Kung Lao and Johnny lay to make sure they’re alright.

You make it to Lao who has managed to sit up from where he lay. “Are you all good Lao?” He heaves a sigh. “Yeah, I’m good. BUt you seem a little worse for wear.” His comment makes you scoff. “Yes, I suppose getting flung into a stone wall will do that to you.”

You were about to check on Johnny, but he chimes in before you could ask. “Damn that hurt.” “Glad you’re not dead then.” You chuckle as Lao helps you to your feet. Just as Kenshi beats Tanya does Johnny get up from the ground with Lao's help.

Kenshi huffs, out of breath having won. “Step away from the table.” He holds his sword out to the sorcerer making a new serum.

“This is twice you’ve been a thorn in my side,” He slowly glances back, clearly annoyed. “You Earthrealmers do have unhealthy habits.” Johnny interjects. “You heard him. You’re not infecting her with Tarkat.”

He has the nerve to look offended. “I am trying to protect her, not infect her.” “Like we’d believe that.” You shout. “We’ve heard about how you lie. Excuse us if we’re skeptical,” Kenshi looks toward him, then to your group. “Cover him.” The swordsman leaves to go check on Mileena from around the corner.

You step forward, “Just put the syringe down, Shang Tsung.” However stern your voice was, it was not enough to make him yield. “You do not understand what you’re getting yourselves into.” He sneers.

It was then you heard the sounds of Mileena’s pained struggles. Kenshi shouting, “Princess? What’s wrong?!”

Kung Lao grabs onto Shang Tsung’s arm. “What did you do to her?” The spellcaster attempts to yank his arm away. “It’s what you’ve done, fool! Let me help her before it’s too late.”

The screams continue, sounding more painful than the last. The click of the one buckle holding her in place didn’t sound for much longer before a rip came from it. The worst sound you heard was that of her flesh molding and tearing away to reveal sharp teeth much like Baraka’s

“Now do you believe, Earthrealmers?” Shang Tsung states with alarming calm. Kenshi backs into your view, with the monster that is Princess Mileena shortly after. As trained as his face is, you can still see the glimmer of terror in his eyes.

“What do we do?” Kenshi asks quickly. “Keep her occupied. I need time to finish more serum.” Picking up two vials, he begins his work once more. “Johnny, a hand here?” You hear the rising panic in his voice at the request.

Johnny rushes to his side. You try to go, but you fear you may collapse as you feel a sharp pain in your back once more. You stick with Kung Lao who is scrutinizing the sorcerer's work. You glance over your shoulder to see the battle between the infected princess and Kenshi begin. After a few minutes, that felt like hours, you see Shang Tsung finish up the serum. “Johnny, Kung Lao, hold her down.” The two rush over to hold her by the arms.

“It’s now or never Shang Tsung!” Kenshi shouts as they’ve got Mileena on the ground. Shang Tsung loads the syringe with the serum and heads over. Not before she broke out of their hold, knocking them out of the way.

Time seemed to stop as you witnessed the horrid sight of Kenshi’s sight being robbed from him. Blood sprayed everywhere. Your heart stopped as you heard the deafening cries of agony from your friend. “Kenshi!” Johnny cries. You fall to your knees in a state of shock, unable to will your body into motion.

Tears welled into your eyes as Mileena raised her sais up once more to strike a final blow. Shank. You thought she did it until you saw the vial plunged into her neck.

“By the gods, Mileena!” A new female voice exclaimed. Oh no. It was Princess Kitana. In the midst of more guards and known faces come in, you crawl your way over to Kenshi. Oh my gods. What should I do? He’s out cold. You hold his head in your lap to make him more comfortable.

“What’s happened here, sorcerer?” Kitana demands. The man in question saves face, only for himself. “These people were sent to disrupt your sister’s treatment and scandalize Outworld by revealing her illness.” His words were like an ice bucket over your head. No way.

“What? That’s totally fake news!” Johnny tried to plead, but was promptly knocked out by the Shokan guard. Going for Lao next, your friend manages to block the first hit. Promptly followed by a punch to the gut, then to his head. You shoot your attention to Kitana. You begged, but it was too late. “Princess, please you have to believe u-”

[seyaryminamoto]

Fic-to-Art #44: Zuko and Katara meet Hotaru

This time around, my Patrons chose these two scenes from the prompt I offered them... and that prompt was "Hotaru", our tiny firefly herself <3 drawing her continues to be a challenge pertaining how to ever make babies look cute, but I hope she looks alright this time!

These two moments take place not too far from the other, but it's worth noting that Katara and Zuko don't get to see Hotaru at the exact same time. Thus, I figured I'd take advantage of the opportunity... and draw Sokka and Azula introducing their little one to their respective siblings. This will be an emotional chapter (lots of those coming up), but I do hope that these moments of happiness will be a good way to soothe the pains caused by our very intense angst from the current chapters... to be specific, this is chapter 378, so we're not that far away!! Just gotta wait a bit longer!

A part of me took joy in this specific prompt... the fandom has an abundance of "uncle Sokka" and "aunt Azula" content, be it with them together or not, while Zuko and Katara (also while together or not) happen to be the ones who become parents first. This often relegates their siblings to a secondary role, and too often there's either implications or outright accusations that these two just aren't fit for parenting. I don't really remember seeing much, if any, content where Zuko and Katara are the uncle and aunt instead... thus, I figured this would be a fun switch-up that, ultimately, doesn't mean any of these four aren't fit for parenting (Zuko's already a dad, Katara will be a mother someday in the future!)! It just means that Zuko and Katara get to bond with little Hotaru and be supportive siblings! And everyone's happy and wholesome in the process!

At any rate! I hope you guys like it, and as ever, if you'd like to be part of the creative process behind these pieces, a $1 pledge makes you eligible for suggesting art prompts and voting for the winner, as well as reading Gladiator snippets 6 days before the next chapter releases!

[sukunasdirtylaugh]

tags: ghost!gojo x f!reader, post manga, alternative au where the worst but not the worst happens, reader has a slight fear of cats, reader is an art therapist for satoru's nephew, loosley inspired by "would that I" by hozier &lt;3 a/n: this is untitled, but if people like it, I'd love to write another piece. I've had this idea for several weeks now, so I'm glad to have written something out of it. this piece is just self-indulgent and it feels like a prologue to something if that makes sense. part 2

You don't think you've ever known peace like this, the cool fall breeze causing your hair to gently brush over your shoulders while the leaves rustle, from a distance, the wind chimes ring with no rush, no sense of time seemingly passes in the air.

"you should probably head inside Hotaru, it's cold," you sweetly tell the five-year-old in front of you, adjusting his hat so that his ears are covered from the breeze. it was nearly 6, dinnertime, and your tutoring hours with the gojo clan member were now over.

his nanny watches you from the distance as she holds the door, opening it slightly so that the boy knows his time with you is over, but you can't help but to feel thankful she has given you an extra moment with the boy.

"why don't wanna eat with us?" he asks, and the pout on his lips is nearly enough to break your heart.

"I'm sorry, sweetie," you cup his cheek, "but only your family gets to eat dinner. I have my own home to get to too, but I promise when I come back we can have that picnic I promised you, yes?"

"only if you promise to bring your teddy with mine," he sniffles, and you want to smile at his negotiation skills, but the sniffles he makes reminds you once again how sensitive the boy was to the cold.

"alright, fine," you give him a warm smile, ushering him to walk towards the door that stands several feet away. "go, your nanny is waiting for you." and he nods, a small smile planted on his lips before his lips touch your cheek, his rosy, red nose coldly touches your cheek, prompting you to smile.

"bye bye, miss honey," he says, a name he's grown fond of calling you.

"bye bye, sunshine." a name you've warmed to call the child.

the boy then hurries off to his nanny, he excitedly pulls a leaf from the inside of his sweater, and you smile, remembering how you told him it was possible to trace a leaf (just like his hand in the shape of a turkey), and with excitement, the boy disappears into the house, following his nanny.

no more than 3 minutes pass before the woman, whom you guess is in her early 50's, approaches you. her grey hairs begin to reach the tips of her ears, and the wrinkles around her eyes adjust as she smiles, carrying a mug. you wonder if you'll be lucky to have wrinkles like that one day.

"he seemed excited," she muses, sitting next to you, handing you the mug.

"thank you,''

"he says you taught him how to draw a turkey using his hand. I've never seen a boy that excited since-"

"...since?" you politley whisper, catching her pause.

"nevermind," she smiles at you. "he just reminds me of a boy I used to babysit years ago, his uncle."

"oh,"

she nods, "you're welcome to stay here for the night if you'd like. I hear it might rain,"

"it's only a 50% chance, so I think I'll be fine." you chuckle nervously, "but thank you. can I... can I stay here? just for a few more minutes?"

hotaru's nanny looks beyond the garden, a nearby tree that you would always read under with hotaru tucked to your side makes her smile weakly. "of course, she says, take your time. let me know if you'll be staying with us for the night, it's never too late if you do." and in a moment, she gracefully bids you goodbye before heading in, leaving you alone in the garden.

you sigh, taking in a sip of the warm chamomile tea she brought you. the gojo clan was always a mystery to you, but working here for nearly 5 months definitely confirmed that the gojo's were always hiding something. it was just that you weren't a curse user, just a girl with above average matrilineal intuition.

there was always something special about hotaru, you realized instantly after meeting him that he carried a certain 'aura' to him. you tried to justify if with the fact that his family concealed his exposure to the world, but when hotaru would murmur soft words as he colored, or drew a picture of a man with white hair holding his hand (both smiling), you asked him who is that?

's my uncle, the boy told you, he comes visit me when no one's around.

there. that seemed to be the missing piece all along. not the fact that hotaru's mother was too sick to see her son, or the fact that his dad was always out for meetings, it was that the boy was connected to a family member that long passed.

so you let it go, not making a big deal out of it even though your brain itched to know more. does he see him? what does he tell him? is he safe? you wondered to yourself that day, but you would later find out that yes, he does see him and yes, he is safe. the boy does as much to tell you nearly everything he knows, and for that you are grateful to have his trust.

"my uncle says I should play with other kids, instead," he tells you one day, "papa says no, but I tell (uncle) that I have you,"

"oh, and what does he say?"

"nothing," the boy answers simply.

"does he... what does he think of me?"

"he just says to do a good job around you. says coloring is fun,''

you hum, nodding in thought. for the last month, hotaru was slightly more distracted. although he was doing a tremendous job in your art sessions, as his art therapist you couldn't help but wonder if his occasional absent mindedness had anything to do with the presence of his uncle.

but tonight, everything felt different.

"I can feel you're around," you say, loud enough for the trees to hear, but quiet enough to not cause any commotion. "you've been watching us for some time, and I know it." setting your cup of tea down, you focus your gaze on the tree, as if something were there. but that didn't feel quite right. something in the energy was not quite right.

to your left, you suddenly jump from your seat as a white cat passes by your feet, and you nearly shriek, startled. you weren't exactly fond of cats, but you didn't despise them. if you could always avoid them, you would, but being around them slightly made you self-conscious as you were scratched by one when you were younger, forming a mistrust around them.

with a slight huff and nod to yourself, you call it a night, standing up and leaving behind the mug of tea. from a distance, satoru watches as you make your way past the gates of the garden and he half snickers, half watches you in interest before the white cat slowly circles him. "aw, you scared her, didn't you mochi?"

the cat meows lazily, moments before yawning and taking a seat next to satoru who watches you from the same tree he also sat in when you read to hotaru.

[mono-blogs-art]

Revue Starlight Sports Festival Draft!

As you know, the big Stage Girl Sports Festival Revival will take place in February - literally just a full day event of the various cast members of Revue Starlight (from anime, game, and stage plays) will participate in a funky pretend-highschool sports festival. Today the full teams were decided via draft stream!

The team leaders had previously been announced:

Koyama Momoyo (Aijo Karen, Seisho) - Yellow Team "ZERO" Tomita Maho (Tendo Maya, Seisho) - Blue Team "This is..." Nomoto Hotaru (Yukishiro Akira, Siegfeld) - Red Team "HOT" Nanaki Kanon (Yanagi Koharu, Seiran) - Green Team "shuThuarunomi" (集中あるのみ; "sTay focused")

Also quite funny to me that 3 of the team leaders (all but Maho) are former Sera Myu performers... the Sailor Moon squad has taken over

As is tradition at this point, ensemble member Jinko Moe is the MC for this stream and explains the rules. In the first two rounds, all leaders are free to pick 1 stage girl of their chosing per round from the roster as their top picks. If any chose the same person, they will have to decide by draft - the loser can then choose freely again. After round 2, all other rounds are chosen by draft completely by luck. We already knew not all cast members are going to be there so not every stage girl is available for chosing. Suzuko Mimori (Hikari), Emiri Kato (Tsukasa) and Shiina Hekiru (Souda-sensei) are going to be the MCs at the event, so they won't be participating as athletes either. Also, Tsukui Minami (Suzu) and Kobayashi Yuka (Yakumo-sensei) are a "2 for 1" deal, as they won't be able to make the whole event (iirc).

Team Zero's name is the most easily explained. Moyo gets a lot of praise from her colleagues and chat for her genius team logo design. The E is a crown with tomato jewels... I'm in awe

Maho explains the pronunciation of her team: The "..." is performed dramatically with the eyes, like the above. Lol

Nossan's design of course features Hot-kun, Akira's favourite food & beloved plushie. The Hot-kun icon is actually the inside of a chili, not a sun. Apparently.

Kanon struggled quite a bit with finding a team name, and after consulting with the other leaders in their Line chat group, she wanted a good Koharu line as the team name. Koharu's "うるさい." ("Shut up.") came to mind, but she thought that was too rude for a team name, so shuchuarunomi it became. She placed a big T (position zero!) for the "ch" sound. Complicated, but clever.

Time for drawing the teams! In round 1, everyone is asked to present their top picks for their team.

Moyo's is: MATSUZAWA! Aka Matsuzawa Kanon, who plays Shiro from Siegfeld Middle School!

Maho's is the one and only Sato Hinata - student council president of Seisho herself, Hoshimi Junna.

Nossan's top pick is: Ikuta Teru of Futaba fame!! And funnily enough...

Kanon's pick is also Teru!!! She even drew a tiny Ponzu (Teru's dog) to sway the public. The crowd goes wild. They have to let fate decide who wins over Teru for their team, and Nossan comes out on top. So Kanon gets to choose again, and her next free pick is Haruchan! Aka her fellow Photon Maiden bestie, Iwata Haruki of Mahiru fame.

Time for round 2, and last round of free picks! Again, Moyo goes first.

Moyo's second pick is Saeki Iori, who plays Rinmeikan's Yuyuko!

Maho's second pick is Sasaki Mikoi aka Mikoron, Shizuha of Frontier!

Nossan's next pick is Koizumi Moeka aka Moepii, who plays the one and only Banana! Complaints from the other leaders are heard for her making her team too strong. Lol. We'll see about that.

Kanon's pick is Kuge Kokoro of the Siegfeld Middle Schoolers, who plays Minku! No overlaps this time, so everyone gets their first pick!

The next picks are all made by random draft, so it's really just up to luck. Kanon is praying to get at least one other Seiran member for her heart. Everyone is praying not to get Aiai (lmao). Kanon manages to draw Tsumutsumu, another Photon Maiden member, making it a 3/4 for her team (with the fourth PM member, Hinata, sitting in Maho's team). For Nossan, she manages to draw two people very close to her - Ozaki Yuka (Michiru) and Kadoyama Yoko (Hisame), two of Akira's girlfriends. Moyo gets both of the Yumeoji siblings. Maho gets to draw her bestie's wife, KDHR. Kanon's wish is fulfilled by drawing the 2for1 duo of Minami&Kobayashi, her fellow Seirans. The crowd goes wild when Nossan draws Aiai, her team being declared the noisiest for sure (they're not wrong, this will be utter chaos).

Final distribution:

Yellow Team "Zero": Koyama Momoyo (leader; Karen), Matsuzawa Kanon (Shiro), Saeki Iori (Yuyuko), Tono Hikaru (Shiori), Fukagawa Ruka (Ryoko), Kurachi Reo (Fumi)

Blue Team "This is...": Tomita Maho (leader; Maya), Sato Hinata (Junna), Sasaki Mikoi (Shizuha), Ito Ayasa (Kaoruko), Kudo Haruka (Yachiyo), Takeuchi Yume (Mei Fan)

Red Team "HOT": Nomoto Hotaru (leader; Akira), Ikuta Teru (Futaba), Koizumi Moeka (Nana), Ozaki Yuka (Michiru), Kadoyama Yoko (Hisame), Aiba Aina (Claudine)

Green Team "shuThuarunomi": Nanaki Kanon (leader; Koharu), Iwata Haruki (Mahiru), Kuge Kokoro (Minku), Tsumugi Risa (Rui), Sato Yuria (Kuina), Tsukui Minami (Suzu) & Kobayashi Yuka (Yakumo-sensei)

Info & Graphics can be found on the official Revstar twt , the stream was archived so you can watch the shenanigans yourself here!

[tokoyamisstuff]

Sugar Shock Ch. 3

Hotaru Haganezuka x GN! Reader

Based on this comic by @yuki2sksksk.

Summary: No one - including Haganezuka himself - believed that he would ever get married, let alone be interested in it at all...

...that was until he met you, at least.

[Last Chapter] - [Next Chapter]

Warnings: Mentions of Hotaru's past, but nothing severe.

Words: 1538

"Hey, have you fallen in love with me yet?"

That was the question Haganezuka had asked you for three months now, ever since you had explained to him that you needed to like him first before thinking about something like marriage.

"Um...no." Wow. He really has no shame in asking you this so bluntly, huh?

"Well then hurry up."

You rose a scolding eyebrow at the man sitting an appropriate distance away from you, deciding to not further comment on his stubborn demand.

After all, what may seem like immature or selfish behavior on first glance was most of the time just the result of a simple mind.

With the many times that you have spent around him in order to get to know him better, you figured that Haganezuka was a rather impatient man in general - but willing to wait for you.

To be perfectly honest, since you have started 'dating', if one could call it that way, you came to adore many things about him. Of course he may be a blockhead, emotionally stunted and rather difficult to deal with at times - but that also made him the most honest person you had ever encountered.

Actually, if one would look behind this facade, they would quickly find out that there's much more behind the misanthropic swordsmith Haganezuka than most would think.

The two of you were currently sitting on a bench in front of his workshop, catching the last rays of sunlight after closing your shop early to enjoy the weather today.

Haganezuka however wasn't even remotely done for the day, so you needed to lure him out of his workshop with his favourite candy. Often he would work until way past sunset, if not even through the whole night if he was particulary concentrated.

His workshop was also his home at the same time, if one could call it that way. Well, it had a bed and all, but only the most basic necessities. So you had decided to bring some decoration from time to time, a candle here, some flowers there, maybe a picture at your next visit.

And, fitting for someone like him, the hut was also located way outside of the main city in the middle of the forrest. At least that would spare you annoying questions of prying townsfolk. Gossip was the only thing keeping a small, secluded community like that alive, after all.

But as far as you knew, only Kanamori - the one person you would consider actually liking instead of just enduring Haganezuka - had a clue about what was going on between the two of you. Luckily he knew better than to provoke his friend, so he kept quiet until now and narrowed his teasing down to giving you a thumbs up here and there.

You just knew that he couldn't wait to force you into a double date with him and his wife...

Not that anyone else would believe Haganezuka to actually be that involved with anyone, let alone romantically. Even through all the months he had been pining on you, people assumed he was just staring because you were the one supplying him with his beloved sweets.

Come to think of it...

"Hey, how come that you always only eat mitarashi dango? It's my favourite too, but-"

"It reminds me of my parents."

Sometimes it was hard to decipher his true emotions, not only because of the mask but also due to his voice. There was always a subtle anger boiling in it's tone, together with a sadness you couldn't quite decipher.

"But they're alive, aren't they?" You knew better than to say that out aloud, but as if he could hear your thoughts he explained himself. "They abandoned me because of my bad temper, but sometimes they'd visit me at the old man's house."

Oh.

You were only in town for a few years, but you knew that Haganezuka was mainly raised by chief Tecchikawahara ever since he was two years old.

What you didn't know however was the cruel reason behind it...

"Every time they came, they'd gift me some dango to ease their guilt I guess. I'd ask them when I can come home to live with them again, promised to be good from now on...but they always went without me as quickly as they came."

Haganezuka sat crouched and facing the ground, as if buried in deep thought - or rather as if the weight of his past was still pushing him down. "My tantrums got worse with each of their visits, until they stopped coming completely. I know they're actually close by, I could reach out to them, but...we're still on no speaking terms."

You remained silent until he looked up to search your face, nodding softly in response to signal him you were there, and you were listening.

Haganezuka eyed your reaction closely, not being fond of letting someone so close to his core.

"Well, I know I ain't easy to deal with, but I was their child." His hands were folded in his lap, trembling slightly as he spoke.

But then he remembered what happened to your family - they're not here anymore. You probably held them very dearly, and there he was talking only about himself.

"Ah, who cares. I'm sorry, I shouldn't be talking about something like that in front of you, it's disrespectful-"

"No, it's alright" you reassured him, shuffling closer until you were in range to put a hand on his back. "That might sound wrong, but I hope you understand that I'm glad you told me all of this, Haganezuka."

A shiver went down his spine at the sensation of your touch. He was close to push you away, say he doesn't need any sympathy.

But deep down he knew: It was honest affection.

Overwhelmed by this unfamiliar tenderness, he tried his best not to flinch, yet couldn't make himself look at you either. All he managed to wring out at that moment was "...at least call me by my name."

And like that, all the former tension had disappeared into thin air.

His name? Hotaru? Like the firefly, how cute...

"Hah, he probably gets all sulky if I say it sounds cute" you thought, almost unable to contain your excitement.

You put a hand in front of your mouth, only barely able to hide the happy smirk on your face - yet the way your eyes brightened gave it away. "H-Hotaru..."

"..." Only rarely Haganezuka thought about social norms, but right now he was once again damn grateful for having to wear this mask in public, so you wouldn't see how much this bewildered him.

Indeed, he hated his name - but hearing it in your voice made it sound pretty somehow.

"I changed my mind, don't call me that...yet." He could get used to hearing it more often, though, as soon as he manages to not lose his cool through such little things.

You harrumphed at his statement. This guy...well, nevermind. You had heared that he doesn't like how cute it sounds, so you shouldn't take it personally.

"Ah, I'm too full already..." Rubbing your aching belly, you thought that maybe you should cut back on snacking your own sweets so often. "Hey, Haganezuka, do you want the rest? You can also finish mine as well if you like."

As soon as you had spoken those words, the man would leap to your side, shoving his mask to the side before eating the dango right from your hand.

Now it has been his turn to make you flabbergasted, huh?

"Thanks" he said plainly in between content munches, still having a grip around your wrist in whose hand you were holding the dango stick as if it was nothing.

Most likely, like so often, he doesn't even understand the consequences of his actions at all...

Your eyes were still widened as you scanned his face, realizing just how your heart had skipped a beat or two that exact moment.

Was that was attraction feels like?

Overall, Haganezuka is a complicated yet very interesting person. There's a lot to find endearing about his behavior if you just search at the right places, and be willing to accept his oddities.

Sometimes you were torn between wanting to slap him or just go right for a kiss - not that you'd already admit that to him.

At least you had to admit that for you, it seemed he was on his best behavior. He was also reliable, hardworking, and somewhere deep down really gentle and kind.

And you couldn't deny you were surely enjoying being around him.

It just seemed his upbringing had made him become wary of others, as no one ever taught him to actually deal with certain situations. So he was toning down his own intense emotions, deeming them wrong and unloveable, suppressing them until they'd break through as a full blown tantrum.

Ultimatively, it was right then that you decided he was worth to proceed marrying him eventually - you just needed to be absolutely sure to have fallen in love with him, though.

After all, you were also completely new at that topic.

Better make it quick then.

[cl-babydew]

I completely forgot to tell y’all I started a new anime!!! I thought I did all this time! X,D Anyways, I just finished it today!! I watched A Condition Called Love!! It was a pretty cute anime!!! X3 It was kinda odd at times, tho Ik that was the whole point, two people figuring out what love is with each other!!

In all honesty tho, I related to both the characters in a sense, one being how I was similar to the main girl, Hotaru, in the sense of trying to understand what love felt like, while I have felt feelings before, I never understood the relationship stuff, let alone love itself, tho I had a desire to understand and want to experience for myself! My first relationship was kinda like a test of those waters, but I didn’t realize til after that it wasn’t true for my end, the whole time I thought something was just wrong with me? X,3 It took me til my current relationship to realize a lot! X,3 My current relationship, everything just got so much more colorful and a whole new field of feelings and emotions I never felt before were unlocked! It’s crazy what just one person can do! X3

Anyways, as for Hananoi, the main boy, I also understood loving too much, tho more so in a friendship way when it comes to my past, unlike him with relationships! X,D I understood having others leave you cuz they think you’re too weird, or just don’t care the same way! X,3 So I had a moment of secluding myself and not attempting at friendships like him, thankfully tho, my internet friends flipped that over in the best way! X3

So yeah, that was nice to watch a story on, it was quite interesting!!! And sweet too! While I found there were some red flags of Hananoi that left me like “Uhhh…idk if that’s a good thing, but okayyyy whatever you say, story” tho to be fair, he was reacting that way thx to the neglect he got from his parents! X,3 So can’t completely judge him there I guess!

Anyways, overall, cute anime, tho I’m not invested enough to read the manga! X3 So I’ll just wait for s2 if it ever gets one!!

OH ALSO! The dang op and ed are sooooo goodddd!! I keep jamming to em every time!! XD I love em!!!

Anyways, no fav character, but I will have my icon being the main 2!! X3 So here’s that of an official manga cover:

This cover is so soft!🥺

Anyways, break week! This’ll be a longer break week since I’ll be going on a trip to visit my best friend in a week or so, so yeah! See y’all next time! Love y’all! X3❤️

[soccerpunching]

2, 4, AND 11 OF THE SAPPHIC ENGOUKIDOU MAGICAL GIRLS AU PLEASEE EVER SINCE I FIRST SAW U MENTION IT I WAS HOOKED IMMEDIATELY LORE PLSSS 🙏🙏🙏

[Image Description: darkmode screenshot of white text that says: Reblog if you are a fanfiction author and would like your readers to put one of your fic titles in your ask + questions about it. End of description.]

Thank you so much for asking about that story!! It's only been for a month and a few weeks in my head but it's already taking over my life. I'm glad you liked it aaaaaaaa I'll make sure to keep writing it afasdsafshdfgsd

To everybody else who has not heard of it before, you can read a brief introduction to it here!!

Sapphic EnGouKidou Magical Girls AU

2: What scene did you first put down?

I didn't mention this but this fic is originally a canon divergent AU where Kidou won consecutively in the FF and Gouenji and Endou didn't meet in middle school; it's engoukidou back then too. So the original dialogues and scenes have that context first before it was ever a Magical Girls AU. It goes roughly like this (this is still Haruna and Kidou's situation here btw):

Haruna: And since when did I say that?! Kidou: !! Haruna: You think this is what I want?! To live in this... stupidly fancy mansion with a full course buffet everyday?!! Is that what you thought when you... when you chose this stupid trophy!! *shoves it on his chest* when you chose winning over contacting me?!! Kidou: *voice breaking* I didn't-- I thought--!! Haruna: Yeah, exactly!! You thought!! Because you didn't think it was worth listening to me!!

I recreated it here and I still think about this... It turned into a Magical Girls AU because I wanted there to be a way for these three to act where they're away from expectations of the people in their lives and prying eyes. This also includes from each other's (because Gouenji and Kidou have a bad history and Endou initially wants to be liked by and befriend Gouenji and vice versa) and it turns out they like being silly and fighting crimes while wearing skirts (only 2 out of 3 of them likes the skirt actually)!!

4: What's your favorite line of dialogue?

I have two sets, but it's not written to be posted yet and this story is at the early parts of creation overall so the scenes and dialogues are probably going to change, but it's so funny to me. They're all transformed as magical girls in these scenes. I use the pronouns they currently use for themselves on the narration and since this is right at the start of the story, they mostly use he/him. Kidou also has an army of penguins as his weapon, I will elaborate next time.

Kidou: *takes the small penguin with a similar cape to him, thinking for a while* Call me Hotaru. *extends his hand* Endou: *shakes the beautiful lady's hands vigorously* MAMO--MAM-- MOMOKO!! Kidou: *sweatdrops with a small smile* Did you just come up with that? Endou: N--NO!! Kidou: *scoffs in amusement* of course...

-- Different scene and chapter --

Kidou: I'm Hotaru and that one shouting over there is my partner Momoko Gouenji: *nods* Nice to meet you... *ties the villains even tighter with his fire laso, not really trying to ignore him* Kidou: Kidou: So what's your name? Gouenji: --Huh? Kidou: Your name? Gouenji: *blinks then looks at Kidou then at the villains* Gouenji: I don't want to tell... Kidou: I didn't tell anyone my real name either-- Endou: YOUR NAME'S NOT HOTARU?! Kidou: *hand on hip* You lied to me about yours too. Endou: N-No--How did you find out?!?

It's my favorite lines of dialogues so far since I haven't written much about it unlike my other WIPs. It's my newest one so far as the others already have months in the making. This will change in the future...

11: What do you like best about this fic?

It's so interesting to write or imagine how the break trio (and the other characters) would be if they were given the chance to wear a mask and not care about the people's expectations of them. We all know how both Kidou and Gouenji only bares themselves to very few people and that Endou most often than not wants to be the support that someone needs (in a bit of a people pleasing degree at rare times too).

Even if Kidou is canonically a trauma-dumper, he still put a face (to everyone who isn't Endou) whenever he's interacting bcs he's always aware that all of his actions have consequences for the Kidou Conglomerate. As for Gouenji, he canonically has only told his problems to Endou and have dangerous levels of following people's expectations of him ((his father + his friends expecting a powerful shoot (only what he thinks bcs they just want him to play soccer actually)).

So anyway, I think escapism would bring an interesting layer to their characters and them being an egg in the story is just probably me projecting or that I'm adding another layer to their characters.

Thank you so much for caring about this story and asking about it so much omg 🥺

Sana masarap ulam mo everyday 🥹🥹

Ask about my WIPs here

[mycoolwritingcorner]

Stay With Me

Written for Sailor Moon LGTBQ+ Week.

Day 3: Vacation.

Chibiusa’s ‘vacations’ to the past are becoming shorter and more infrequent, and her girlfriend isn’t taking it well.

@smlgbtqweek

----

“Do you have to go?” Hotaru asked, holding Chibiusa’s hand late at night as they stood by the pond that had been designated the time travel spot for the group.

“You know I have to.” Chibiusa said, squeezing her hand. Although she wasn’t very ‘chibi’ anymore, as both girls were now fourteen, the same age Chibiusa’s mother had been when she first started fighting as a Sailor Guardian.

“It’s not fair. You used to be able to stay in the past for months. Why can you only stay for a week at a time now?” Hotaru said, gripping her girlfriend’s hand tight with both of her own as if the pink-haired girl would disappear if she let go.

“Sweetheart, that was different. I can’t live in the past anymore. These are just-”

“Vacations, I know.” The black-haired girl said bitterly, “Which, by the way, you still haven’t told me why that is.”

“I told you… it’s… complicated, there's more risk of messing up the timeline the closer we get to…” Chibiusa petered off, realizing she had already said too much.

“To WHAT?! Why are you always so cryptic? You become more and more like Setsuna-Mama every time I see you!”

“It’s for your own safety, I can’t-”

“And how come these ‘vacations’ only work one way? Why can’t I just come to the future with you?”

“Then we would almost certainly mess something up.” Chibiusa said matter-of-factly, “Trust me, this is the only way we can do this. The future depends on-”

“WHO CARES ABOUT THE FUTURE?!” Hotaru shouted, finally at her limit with this, “I don’t care anymore��� what happens to any of it… I just want to be with you…” She said, tears beginning to roll down her cheeks, as Chibiusa pulled her into a hug.

“I know, darling. I know.”

“... do you love me?”

The question stunned Chibiusa, “Of… of course I do. How could you even-?”

“Then stay… stay with me… please…” The black-haired girl begged, squeezing her tight.

“You know I can’t do that.”

“Says who? I’d like to see anyone try to come and take you from me. And whatever becomes of the future, we can face it together. I know we can. So please… please… please…” Hotaru begged, burying her face in Chibiusa’s shoulder as more and more tears began to fall.

“My firefly… you know I would love nothing more than to stay with you… you do know that, right?” Chibiusa asked, gently stroking Hotaru’s hair.

“... yes… I know…” The black-haired girl finally squeaked out.

“But I can’t… and you know I can’t…”

“... I know… I just don’t understand why…” Hotaru said, tightening her grip even further.

“I know you don’t… and I’m sorry… I promise, one day, when time catches up to us, and we can be together… you will. But until then… I just want to cherish these moments… these ‘vacations’ with you. Can you do that?” Chibiusa asked, pulling away slightly so she could look at Hotaru’s face.

“... I guess… you have to promise me something though.”

“And what would that be?”

“The next time you’re here on ‘vacation’... you have to take me to an aquarium.” Hotaru said, still holding on to Chibiusa, but loosening her grip slightly.

“For you, my firefly?” Chibiusa said, planting a kiss on her cheek, “Anything.”

They simply stood there, holding each other for a bit longer, before finally, Hotaru spoke up.

“You have to go now, don’t you?”

“I do… but I promise you, I’ll be back before you know it, I bet you won’t even miss me.” Chibiusa said, looking her girlfriend in the eyes, before pulling her into a kiss. When they finally broke the kiss, Hotaru stepped back and allowed Chibiusa to do the ritual to travel back to the future. Once she was gone, she simply stared at the spot in the sky she disappeared into with a small smile.

“I miss you already…”

----

So... does it say something about me that this is what I thought of when presented with the prompt “Vacation”?

Probably.

Anyway, please come back tomorrow for Day 4: Metal. We’re FINALLY getting to my favorite ship (which anyone who has followed me for any length of time should know what that is), so I hope you all enjoy that.

But until then, please let me know what you thought! Comments, reblogs, likes, etc. are much appreciated!

And until next time, take care everyone!

[everythingsinred]

Let's Talk About NatsuMikan: Mikan (pt. 2)

Hi again, friends. Yesterday we were introduced to our main character, specifically what makes her tick and then the first two chapters of the story. Today, we'll complete Mikan's first day at Alice Academy and reach the peak of the "enemies" part of NatsuMikan's enemies-to-lovers relationship.

<- Prev Next ->

Chapter Three

Mikan formally meets the other representative, Yuu, who is sweet and willing to answer any questi

ons she has. 

She thanks him, but suddenly Narumi’s test doesn’t seem so easy anymore because everyone around is kinda weird. How is she supposed to get along with kids who fly or have super-hearing? Hotaru and the others aren’t alarmed by the alices, like they’re no big deal, but Mikan only found out about them today! She’s overwhelmed and awe-struck and somehow she’s the one who looks weird as a result. Mikan being the odd one out is something I’ll explore in deeper detail later, but it’s important that she feels like a stranger in a strange world. Our Alice in Wonderland is stunned by what she sees, new to everything that Class B has grown up with.

Go easy on her, Hotaru. It's her first day!

Mikan is struck out of her reverie by Hotaru, who crushes her spirits instantly by telling her that she doesn’t want to be associated with her. She’s trying to get an award, after all, and Mikan is a magnet for trouble. 

Instant whiplash, going from being shown rare affection by the person she came here for to being immediately abandoned and dismissed. Mikan came here to start their friendship from the beginning, and here’s Hotaru telling her they’re as good as strangers. Mikan might sum this up as “weird” behavior, but what she means is that it’s hurtful and inconsistent. She came here for Hotaru, after all! She tries to focus on Narumi’s test instead, hoping that this moment will pass, but it’s a bizarre conundrum to be in.

Mikan is introduced to the class by the substitute, but the kids refuse to hear him out, instead bullying him and throwing things at him. Mikan is gradually less and less confident in her ability to fit in with everyone. First, this school is full of unpleasant people, like Natsume. Second, it’s also full of freaks, and third, she’s the only one who seems freaked out by the freaks, which makes her look like the freak. Fourth, Hotaru has just shunned her. Fifth, the class is apparently more powerful than the teacher, which means that things are bound to get rough. It seems like the world is stacked against her.

She’s assigned a seat in the back and she makes her trek there. She passes Nonoko, who kindly greets her and gives Mikan a much-needed spark of energy. Not everyone here seems to be a violent, rude weirdo.

Meetcute number 3! Oh... nevermind...

By the time she takes her seat, she is back in fine spirits, determined to pass Narumi’s test. She cheerfully greets her new deskmate, but just her luck: it’s Natsume. 

Mikan’s spirits are crushed once again. The absolute worst part of her day has come back to mock her. She’s already on shaky ground and he just has her falling all over again, which might be why she reacts so strongly despite her test to get along with classmates. Obviously, what he did would inspire rage in anybody, but her mood wasn’t that positive to begin with.

She jumps back and starts yelling at him. Their energy doesn’t match for most of the conversation: he speaks in flat monotone and she’s screaming (that’s pretty much the case for all their arguments). His apathy only pisses her off more. There’s nothing worse than trying to call out somebody who honestly doesn’t care. She forgets all about Narumi’s test and argues with him until she’s forced into the air by a new classmate, Mochu. 

She’s getting farther and farther away from passing Narumi’s test. 

The kids in class call Natsume “Natsume-san,” and he’s the ultimate boss. Nobody insults Natsume, nobody talks back to him, nobody disrespects him, without being bullied by his lackeys. He and his best friend even have a devoted fan club, headed by the biggest bully around, Sumire. Mikan was thrown unawares into an unfair hierarchy. She upset the balance but she didn’t even know there was a balance to begin with. Just one more reason that the world is out to get her. 

Alice didn’t have a blast in Wonderland either.

The only person standing up for Mikan is Yuu, who is shy and whose word doesn’t seem to carry very much weight. He’s definitely not influential like Natsume or loud like Sumire. He just gets ignored.

So much for befriending her classmates.

Mikan just can’t win. She’s eventually let down, but then she’s accosted with the question of her alice. When she doesn’t answer, Koko reads her mind and reveals that she can’t answer. She doesn’t know what her alice is and that only irritates her classmates more. Sumire ends up going on a tirade about the superiority of alices to non-alices, and Mikan is hurt, because nobody challenges her. Hotaru is still ignoring her, and Mikan can’t help but feel like that’s maybe how she’s been viewed this whole time, even by her best friend. She’s an outcast again, because she’s not special like the rest of the class. This isn’t a topic that reappears the way it does in the anime. Mikan doesn’t fixate on this once she discovers her alice. But the basic premise of it, that she’s not as special and that she can’t do anything useful like these new, strange people around her can--that’s what gets to her. Even after Mikan finds out her alice, she feels too useless. Feeling like Hotaru always viewed her as inferior, as someone beneath her, only makes her feel worse.

But Mikan doesn’t linger on that. Narumi told her she was an alice, so she must be! She continues to fight until she is suddenly faced with the real danger of physical violence. Hotaru has no choice but to finally intervene, saving Mikan from getting socked in the face. 

It’s finally revealed that Hotaru was trying to behave in order to win the best student award, which comes with prizes like meal vouchers and a weeklong trip home. Mikan is overjoyed that Hotaru rescued her and that she was doing her best to visit her too. For a few chapters, we have only seen Mikan’s side of things. Their friendship has seemed tragically one-sided, so finding out that Hotaru missed her too, so much so that she put in this effort to win the award and see her again, helps us understand that glimmer that Mikan likes so much about her. 

Mikan tolerates the coldness because moments like this make it worth it.

Mikan is not a masochist. She doesn’t like being hit. She didn’t like that passing moment of hurt, of being a stranger in Hotaru’s world. She doesn’t like the insults or feeling not good enough. She loves Hotaru because of moments like this, because sometimes her best friend will let a little bit of fondness slip through the cracks to reassure her that their friendship is not one-sided. Mikan isn’t a masochist, she just understands Hotaru better than other people. 

(This is important because Hotaru was only wishy-washy for, like, fifteen minutes. From now on, Mikan knows that Hotaru is her friend and is on her side. Natsume will be wishy-washy for about a hundred chapters.)

This joy of finally restarting their friendship just like Mikan wanted is cut short by Natsume, who has just found out about her tentative enrollment. He wants to make a deal: if she can make it through the Northern Woods safely, he’ll accept her as an Alice. She accepts eagerly, ready to prove herself. Mikan doesn’t back down easily. She sticks to her guns. If Narumi told her she’d be able to properly enroll after fitting in with her classmates, then she’ll agree to anything in order to achieve that.

Having forced Hotaru to accompany her and with Yuu gladly at her side, Mikan is ready to enter the Northern Woods. Yuu wants her to be careful. Natsume gave her a difficult task and the Northern Woods is full of “weird things,” like, say, a teddy bear that chops wood.

What matters here is that Mikan has no idea what she's signed herself up for (she continues to go through life like this for a long time).

Chapter Four

Mikan is fascinated by the moving teddy bear and doesn’t pay much attention to Yuu’s warnings. As a result she gets slugged and Mr. Bear beats the shit out of her. Hotaru saves them and it’s only when they’re making their escape in a little giraffe car that Mikan finally learns what Hotaru’s alice is: the alice of invention. Mikan is very impressed, so Hotaru points out that Yuu has a cool alice too: Illusion. 

Mikan is a child who wants to be an adult without realizing the consequences; Natsume is a child who is already an adult in every way except for agency. There's the root of a solid thought there but...

Hotaru coldly scolds Mikan for involving her and Yuu in a game like this, when she herself has no idea what her alice is and can’t protect herself. Mikan approached Bear, after all, ignoring Yuu’s warnings and the fact that Natsume wouldn’t have sent her to a safe place for her test. She’s careless and it could get all three of them hurt. Though Hotaru says it in a mean way, there is some truth to her words: Mikan agreed to the game hastily and then involved her only two friends even though she had no idea what she was setting them up for. 

Mikan stole her grandpa’s money but felt like she was making a sacrifice. She accepted a dangerous challenge from Natsume without considering the consequences and put her two only friends in danger as a result. She’s rash and careless, but these qualities have the potential to hurt the people around her, like right now. She doesn’t even know what her alice is, so how is she supposed to be of any use on this trip?

She'll carry this throughout the manga, even after she finds out her alice.

Mikan feels guilty about this, and she also begins to have another complex: insecurity about her alice, or currently lack thereof.

Mikan is impressed by every alice she sees, and she will continue to be impressed by others’ alices. She lacks a spark because she’s ordinary. Sumire’s earlier unchallenged tirade is still in Mikan’s head, combined with the knowledge that she put two people in danger just so they could protect her, so she is haunted by her ordinariness, but also her uselessness.

Of course, Hotaru and Yuu assure her that they want her to win too. But that insecurity will follow her for a while throughout the manga. Mikan’s biggest desire in the manga is to be strong enough to sacrifice something, to be able to protect people. She wants to be like Hotaru, to be able to make grand gestures for the people she cares about, even if it hurts her, but so far she’s only forced others to make sacrifices for her, even if she didn’t do it knowingly.

But she immediately changes the subject to ask about Natsume (she never stops being intrigued by him, even when she hates him), and it’s time for one more session of scaring Mikan. Though Yuu is hesitant to gossip, Hotaru jumps right in: Natsume is incredibly powerful, hates the academy, only has one friend, and is frequently gossiped about. He’s even rumored to be a murderer, which is not a rumor that is shared lightly. Mikan has started beef with somebody who has maybe killed before. 

Mikan can’t help but feel like she’s messed up in a huge way. Troublemaker and repeated escapist is one thing. But pissing off a potential murderer is not something she can brush off. She’s been warned all day about him, that she should stay away from black cats, that he could hurt her in a serious way. She comments on his eyes--that although her first impression was that his eyes were fiery, his stare is in fact cold. He seems emotionless, calculated, cruel. Not a great impression that he’s leaving, that’s for sure. 

"Oh no I pissed off a guy who could kill me!"

This relates to my earlier point of Misaki being the only person to explain things to her: people either withhold information, keeping her in the dark about important subjects, or they don’t know much to begin with. That’s why Mikan’s knowledge about Natsume is only a little bit about fact and a lot bit about speculation and rumor.

Mikan is only pulled from her concerns by more pressing matters: Giant Piyo has just woken up in the woods and he’s scared and hungry. 

They run for their lives but the truth is that Hotaru’s alice can’t save them now. There’s only one option, and that’s to ask for help from Ruka, who has the animal pheromone alice. Unfortunately, Ruka is Natsume’s best friend and would never willingly help them. So the only thing they can do is trick him into coming to the Northern Woods.

Chapter Five

Now that they have Ruka trapped, they just have to ask him to get rid of Piyo for them. Mikan is friendly about it, but Ruka is tied up and was just tricked, so he’s not keen on cooperating until Hotaru threatens to use a tranquilizer on Piyo instead. 

So Ruka finally complies, but only if they promise not to watch. Of course, they all do anyway. Yuu comments that Ruka is mysterious too, like Natsume, because nobody has seen him use his alice. They only talk to each other, so nobody else knows much about him. Mikan wonders about what Ruka’s “true self” must look like, and her questions are answered when Ruka embraces Piyo. When someone shows you who they really are, believe them. Ruka acts cold and standoffish, but the truth is that he’s a soft boy who loves animals.

Piyo is eventually taken away by his keepers and Ruka is devastated that the three of them watched even though they promised not to. Hotaru blackmails him into sticking around so he accompanies them, albeit in a sour mood.

Her ability to deduce is fantastic. That's why she's so stubborn. That's the only thing that can keep her from becoming too powerful.

Mikan teases him, but the truth is that she much prefers his “true self” to the facade he puts up. She asks him why he puts it up in the first place and wonders out loud if it’s because he’s trying to be like Natsume. She hit the nail on the head, but that just annoys her.

Mikan shows off her intuition and empathy here, but only for a moment. She’s able to connect the dots and see that Ruka is pretending to be someone he’s not, and even assumes correctly that it’s because he’s trying to emulate Natsume. She understands a lot about him from what little she’s been shown, and that understanding comes with compassion. She thinks he’s a great guy with a kind heart, even if he’s been hiding it. But her empathy doesn’t extend to Natsume. Once she learns that Ruka is doing it for Natsume, she speaks dismissively, calling Natsume lame and manipulative. It makes sense that she doesn’t have the same compassion for him, after everything he’s done to her and all she’s heard about him, but it’s interesting that her empathy has its limits.

Ruka won’t take that, so he shuts her down, yelling at her that she could never understand how Natsume feels, having an alice he doesn’t even want. 

Mikan apologizes for her comments but wonders what Ruka means by that. 

I can't say I'm the world's biggest Natsume apologist because that's Ruka's title.

Mikan seeks connection and wants to understand people. She wanted to understand Ruka, to see his “true self,” and now that she has, she understands him better (and has just learned that he’s fiercely protective of his jerk friend as well). She wanted to understand how Hotaru could leave her like she had, and now that she knows, she has a better grasp at what makes Hotaru tick. She needed reassurance that Narumi was the kind teacher she had assumed at first and after Misaki talked with her, she is certain that she was right from the start. 

But any desire to connect with Natsume was squashed when he attacked her and then followed that up with letting the whole class bully her. It’s hard to want to connect with somebody so unpleasant, who has been nothing but mean to you. But Ruka is the first person to insist that there is a hidden depth to Natsume. He is the first person to defend him instead of spreading rumors and calling him dangerous (or being superficially worshipful of him like Mochu or Sumire). This gives Mikan an extra insight to Natsume’s character, but that just serves to make him more confusing. A sweet guy like Ruka thinks he’s great, that there’s something more to him, for one. Additionally, Natsume seems to be going through something, struggling with his alice.

On top of that, she still doesn’t know what her own alice is.

(Parallels from the beginning. Aren’t we blessed?)

Then Natsume shows up, furious and unreasonable (see my Natsume essay for a breakdown of his berserk button). He tells Mikan that she’s lost the game. She’s confused and startled, because this all seems to have come out of nowhere. Then he slams her against a tree, and this is the scariest he’s been all day, and he’s been scary from the start. His eyes are still cold, despite his rage, and Mikan is scared. He won’t listen no matter what even Ruka says. He only escalates when Hotaru tries to distract him with a smoke bomb. He traps her friends in rings of fire and demands that she tell him her alice if she doesn’t want them to die. 

What would we call this "uselessness complex"? Imposter syndrome? Inferiority complex? IDK I studied fictional people in college, not psychology.

The rumors she’s heard today all take shape. Avoid black cats. He’s a murderer. It all feels real now. It’s more than just general bad vibes; this guy is really dangerous.

Mikan, helpless, pleads with him to put out the fire. She doesn’t know what her alice is--she probably doesn’t even have one--and even if she’d had one she would’ve used it by now. She feels guilty, because her friends are only in this situation because of her. Not only did she rope them into accompanying her to the Northern Woods, but she’s powerless now, unable to help them, even though they’ve been helping her all day. This is her chance to prove herself. She’s the only one who can save them, but she has no powers, no abilities. 

Mikan is useless, unable to do anything meaningful. All she can do is yell at Natsume to cut it out. She pleads with herself, with her own alice, that if she ever had one, now is the time to come out. Natsume is distracted for a moment so Mikan makes her move. She tackles him to the ground, and just as he’s about to retaliate with his alice, something else knocks them both back.

I'll later have a lot of pretty thoughts about how it's always Natsume but not right this second.

A huge wave of an alice, and it wasn’t Natsume’s. 

Narumi knocks him out, having arrived on the scene just in time to witness the end of the fight. Yuu and Hotaru are finally free and Mikan embraces them, happy to see them both safe. The test is over, Narumi announces, and Mikan is concerned, because she’s caused all this. She’s sure she’ll be kicked out, until Narumi congratulates her on passing. She has a wonderful alice: the nullification alice.

She can stay at school, with Hotaru. She can be a fully fledged Alice Academy student. 

She thinks she’s useless and feels guilty for involving her friends, only to come out and prove that she is capable of something amazing. She was ultimately able to protect herself, and against Natsume’s powerful alice, even if she wasn’t even aware of it. Mikan’s alice suits her very well. Not everyone has an alice they want or like, as we have already seen, but even though Mikan has a complicated relationship with her alice, it complements her kind and sociable personality. She values other people and her alice has the power to protect the people closest to her.

She’s overjoyed, until Hotaru teases her for having an alice as selfish as its owner, something that can only be used on herself. But Narumi assures her that that’s up to her: an alice can be a poison or a medicine, depending on its user. 

I remember being shocked and disappointed the first time I watched Gakuen Alice, to find out that her alice was nullification and not something more fun or tangible like water or something (I was a stupid child then). But imagine if I’d gotten what I’d wanted back then, what a boring story that would make! Mikan’s arc is about becoming the person she wants to be, about recognizing her talents and worth, about realizing that she can be of use, can be helpful, that she can save somebody with her alice. A girl like Mikan suits the nullification alice: plain and unimpressive on the outside but with so much potential on the inside.

Mikan’s nullification alice isn’t flashy or immediately impressive like her classmates’. She can’t create or attack with it. All she can do is protect, and because it’s untrained, she has a long way to go to refine it. But her alice isn’t all about protecting herself. Narumi muses that maybe there’s somebody in need of her alice, who could benefit from it, and it’s pretty clear foreshadowing that Natsume is in the same panel when he says this. 

SUBTLE NUDGE. (It's always Natsume.)

Mikan’s alice is important, especially in regards to her relationship with Natsume. Her alice stops offensive attacks. He has an alice he doesn’t even want. The potential here is clear from the start. Furthermore, her alice is revealed to the audience through her nullifying his attack. Mikan’s relationship with her alice is narratively intertwined with Natsume and his relationship with his own alice. Her alice is set up to have the potential to help somebody--particularly Natsume--in a huge way, and it will. 

But Natsume is the last thing on her mind right now. Mikan can finally stay with Hotaru. She’s a real Alice now.

Conclusion

Mikan has just been through an ordeal, but came out the end of it with an alice of her very own! Just like this arc solidified some of Natsume's most important traits, Mikan's are also cemented (the worst ones, anyway). Yesterday we met a girl crippled by toxic positivity. Now we see she thinks she's useless too. Very fun for her!

Anyway, I do think this is the peak of her hatred for him because he hurt her and all her friends. I get that. But it will only cool from now on. Surprisingly, it only gets better from here.

Tomorrow, we'll watch Mikan adjust to Academy life and her struggle with the rules, as well as with fitting in. I'm not sure what my schedule will look like in the long run, but for now expect me to post on weekdays with weekend breaks, similar to my Natsume essay schedule. I will probably need the breaks lmao.

Thank you for reading, friends! I hope it was enjoyable!

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[bby-gay-space-princess]

another giant post nobody asked for

on the Mother 3 OST,the song I keep thinking about most is Phantasmagoric, both in what's happening when it plays and the meaning in the name. spoiler-heavy, this is literally about the ending

if you know me don't read this unless you wanna think "huh, he's gay AND stupid AND weird" I promise there is nothing of substance here

So, first up I tried looking up the definition again and it looks like the definition I loved earlier wasn't in the first 3 places I looked lololol. The definition that I think fit best was "having the surreal, incredulous, or horror-like feel of a dream."

I think that fits best with the song bc that's the epitome of what you're seeing on-screen. Lucas has been told by so many characters that he's doing what he has to, and that this is going to save everyone rather than leaving the last needle and hoping nobody else with the power of PK LOVE does the same. Throughout everything he's shown that he does have the right heart to do this and stop the world from being completely destroyed, but this is all coming from people who heard the legends told from long before anyone saying them were alive.

He pulls the needle, the song plays, and you're sitting with uncertainty that this was the right thing to do. You're seeing the last living part of the world fall apart before your eyes, hoping that everything turns out right because what else could have been done? Let Claus pull the needle? Walk away and hope it the needle remains untouched forever? Stop playing the game and leave everyone and everything unresolved and abandoned? Playing Mother 3 after obsessing over Undertale 9 years ago really made me consider the meta context of what playing the game means, which adds to the slurry of emotions that play out as you're watching the consequences of actions: yours, Lucas', Claus', Porky's, Flint's, Hinawa's, everyone you've met in this game and fought with, against, and for.

So you're sitting there, wracked with indecision, hope, horror, and the bittersweet knowledge that this is the end. Even if not for the characters in the game, still the end of your ability to make a difference and your ability to see what happens. Whatever is going on in this moment is going to happen and you're unable to stop it, just watch as their world is torn into pieces as the dragon underneath the island awakes. Watching as all the places you've visited are falling apart at the seams to make way for this dragon that you're just hoping has the same kind heart as Lucas despite the uncertainty of legends that were made for a story long before anyone can remember on an island that was otherwise abandoned by the world forever until some time 15-20 years ago.

Every time I listen to it I tear up, if not full-on bawl my eyes out, from remembering what all happens when this plays as well as how incredibly well the song itself pulls the emotions it's meant to. It pulls the phantasmagoria, the dream-like wonder and horror, like it's a lullaby trying to ease you into a dream where your brain is stuck making the chemicals that cause wonder and fear. Stuck with raw emotion and your own imagination to fill in the gaps. Cutting occasionally to different melodies as if you're being shaken from one dream to the next. Not a smooth unseen transition, just suddenly in another place and time with the same feelings as before. A new setting for the same story you're still playing out.

The phantasmagoria of it all also plays well into the bittersweet feelings of the end of the game. What happens with Lucas and Claus, what's happening to the world, what's happened with Porky, none of it is a clean-cut "this is a happy and good end for this story." It's all tinged with bittersweet, it's all imperfect and at least a little sad while knowing that this was still the best way it could've turned out.

I think it's a nice mirror for the bittersweet ~everything~ about Hotaru in Sailor Moon. She's struggling to stay alive in a body that was forcefully brought back from the brink of death, fights against Mistress 9 to try and stop her from destroying the world and killing the few friends she's finally managed to make, struggled since the accident to keep back Sailor Saturn and the looming threat that she entails for the world, and in the end she manages to help stop Mistress 9 and keep her from taking over her body, but dies in the process leaving Sailor Saturn in control to finish the prophecy that comes with her reawakening. To finish the prophecy that "when Sailor Saturn awakes, the world will fall silent with the fall of her scythe." Just like all those millennia ago when the Moon Kingdom fell, she used her scythe and the kingdom went silent as the Dark Kingdom destroyed it.

And then Saturn rises, Hotaru has died, but Saturn still remembers Hotaru's life and all the misery, the joy, and the love she had for her father and Chibiusa. She doesn't use her scythe to end the Earth, but the invading planet instead, and lets Usagi and the others know that she's not just the guardian of death to bring destruction to everyone and end the world: she is the guardian of destruction as it comes to the circle of life. The same way that living things die and nourish the earth and living things in nature, she plays her part in that cycle to bring about rebirth. That's why her attack isn't just "big ultimate final death boom" it's ribbons, a play on the word "reborn" to bring an end to what's currently alive so that what comes next can come and thrive.

All that off-topic rambling to say: it's similar in that bittersweet "the world we're in must end to make way for what is to come" kinda way. It doesn't mean everyone and everything has to die, but it doesn't mean that it will all survive either. There's uncertainty and fear and hope. And in an ironic way, relief too. Relief in the sense of the fights and struggles that we've been facing are over. Relief in the sense of "whatever happens can't be worse."

And that bittersweet feeling is something that I've come to really enjoy in a weird way lately. Mother 3, Robot Dreams, Yinu's story in No Straight Roads, Giegue's story in Mother and Earthbound, they're all tinged with that feeling and the complicated way our hearts handle it. There's something comforting about it, about knowing there is no one perfect way to live happily ever after forever. About knowing that all the ups and downs on the rollercoaster of emotions we're all going through is okay, and that you're not alone on that ride.

Phantasmagoric does a great job at portraying that. It gives the perfect feeling of a dream you're being shaken around in from moment to moment, watching in wonder and horror as the pieces fall in/apart around you. It gives that sense of comfort that while you're watching this all play out that there's still hope at the end, that maybe despite what you're seeing that there is still a chance for everything to play out for the better.

Idk man ramble ramble blah blah blah buh buh Mother 3 blah blah stupid little thoughts blah blah happy Earth, Wind, & Fire day go watch Robot Dreams

[despair-to-future-arcs]

Next session…

Okay now time for the next session...

*CLICK*

[09/13/17]

CHIAKI: Hello Sonia, good to see you again - how are feeling?

I've been well, thank you - Peko is going to be waking up tomorrow...

But Fuyuhiko not being here, I'm worry how Peko is going to react, do you think it'll be okay?

CHIAKI: hmm...I think it will be, after all; Fuyuhiko did want Peko to have a life away from the Kuzuruyu Clan so I think this would help Peko.

I hope so too, but I'm worry about Mahiru; given Mahiru was killed by these 2, it... has me worried...

CHIAKI: You seem to be quite empathetic towards others, Sonia.

Right, I know this session is suppose to be for me but I tend to worry about my class and just wanting everyone to wake up; I assure you I will speak about myself, apologies.

CHIAKI: It's fine Sonia, I know you were just worried but as say - Nagi is going to help provide for you along with Masuyo and Hotaru, now let's focus on you - I think we can start with how you became interested in Japan, correct?

Well... I suppose my interest of Japan and it's culture started far before I got into Hope's Peak Academy, I remember my interested started years before then is when I was starting to get into anime.

CHIAKI: Oh right, you mention that anime is quite popular in Novoselic.

Indeed, they started broadcasting them around the 1990's, the first was about 5 sailor scouts that fight crime and are name based on planets which I watch with Gordana when I was 3 years old.

It was so interesting that I started to get interested, honestly I had no idea where it came from and kept watching, it was quite exciting compare to other programs on TV!

CHIAKI: Oh so you always had interest in anime but did you know where it came from?

Not really... in fact, I had no idea where anime came from and figure it was a cartoon produce from Novoselic.

Then suddenly when I was 13 years old, I was given a computer and that's when I discover where anime came from!

...

...

...

Date: Jaunary 24th, 2004

*Sonia was on her laptop as she started to look online*

Wow... so that's where Paranoia Agent came from? Japan?

I remember studying Japanese when I was 9 years old, maybe I can watch some of this in sub or look more into this.

Alrighty then, time to search up about Japan and become an expert!

*Sonia began searching online and studying Japanese culture*

Goodness, there's a lot about Japan I didn't know about; I really want to travel there at some point! Especially doing that toast in my mouth while running to school, catch that yellow rodent or even control a mech like Shinji!

Hm? Wait, what's this...?

*Sonia gets online and finds a site which looks like poetry*

'Spring time - when cherry blossoms bloom they'll soon fall to accept another

Spring passes - then summer will soon arrive see you next time spring season

-Uta Himi'

Is that... poetry? Seems quite an odd way of writing, is this how Japanese write poems? I'll ask about it.

*types down* 'Hello, yes - I read your piece and honestly I do quite enjoy it; sorry to ask but what is that writing, I'm from a different country so I'm curious, thank you for responding.'

And send, I hope the person can get my message...

MAID: Sonia? Dinner is ready.

Oh right, coming! *gets up and heads for dinner*

Well, it must be really late in Japan, I better wait until then...*

'At first the person didn't respond but I assume it was timezones then the next morning I woke up...'

Date: January 25th, 2004

Time: 3:45 PM

Now let's see if the person respond...

Goodness, they did and left quite a comment!

'Hello, thank you very much for the comment, if curious what I wrote it's called Japanese Haiku; it's a traditional poetry and is a three-line poem with seventeen syllables, written in a 5/7/5 syllable count. Often focusing on images from nature, haiku emphasizes simplicity, intensity, and directness of expression.

I was mostly writing about spring and fleeting it can be but I'm happy you found interest in my poem, I'll be sure to write more when I do.

-Uta Himi'

Ah that's wonderful, seems they responded; I really hope we get to talk more; they seem quite pleasent.

*types* 'Certainly, thank you - I'll be sure to follow you; thanks again for responding, Japan has started to interest me - I'm from Europe in a country called Novoselic which has shown anime, I really want to travel to Japan and I was hoping you can tell me more about it.'

*moments later, a comment appear*

Oh they responded more quickly!

'Novoselic? I remember my grandfather giving me some from there, your country's chocolate is really good, I bet it's quite beautiful but I'll tell you all I know; by the way I'm Uta Himi; it's nice to meet you.'

'Likewise, I'm Sonia Nevermind; I'm happy to meet you as well, let's keep talking.'

'After that, I began talking with Uta for years, she mention that she wrote poetry and writing, even speaking about Japanese culture and answering any questions I had - she even became someone I could speak with when having a hard day at school...'

[seventeenlovesthree]

Time Saver - a Taishirou Fanfic, Chapter 2: The Strange Girl

Summary: Takeru and Angemon are headed to where the latter could sense the lightning strike going down. Once they reach the spot, they encounter an unconscious girl, what seems to be her Digimon partner - and another surprise...

Word Count: 783

Chapter POV: Takeru Takaishi

Chapter List: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]

‘I’ll be with you in a bit for back-up!’

Takeru couldn’t help but smile when he read that message. Hikari was usually one of the most responsible sleepers and more of a morning person than he was himself – but once she was on vacation, she frequently took the liberty to stay up longer. Thus, a part of him really cheered smugly over the fact that he had been right about that.

Riding on Angemon’s back as they soared through the nightly Odaiba gracefully – and as quietly as possible –, he looked around as cautiously as he could. The impact really didn’t seem that far away, but as his partner had reassured him, they were following a significant presence that hadn’t been there before. He could simply sense it.

‘Please stay on guard and inform us if anything unusual occurs.’

Koushirou had been the next to respond in the group chat – which was also not very surprising to Takeru. Even after all these years, even considering how busy he had been with his own company, promotional work for the Digital World and so on, he was still their main connector after all.

“It must have been around here somewhere…”, Angemon proclaimed, slowing down while Takeru’s eyes darted around feverishly. The fog had vanished, he couldn’t make out anything ‘unusual’ around them, until-

“Hotaru, please, wake up…”

They heard a faint voice coming from below, seeming somewhat stressed and tense.

“Let’s check it out”, Takeru whispered, having Angemon nod in response before they gently slid to the ground.

“W-who’s there?!”, the voice hissed, immediately sounding more aggressive and desperate, even if Takeru couldn’t immediately see where it was coming from. It took the appearance of a sudden light source for him to actually see that there was a Digimon crouching on the floor – a feline-like creature with delicate bug wings that had started to flow, signifying a threat. And it took another moment for Takeru to notice that the Digimon was hovering over a human body…

“Whoever you are, stay back!!!”, the Digimon growled and Takeru just nodded towards Angemon, causing him to evolve back into Patamon. They had both silently agreed that no fighting would be necessary here.

“Please don’t be afraid, we are not your enemies,” Takeru said softly, slowly walking towards them with raised hands. The Digimon still hissed at him until Patamon flew towards them as well. For some reason, their eyes widened in sheer surprise.

“T-that is… Impossible…!”

Takeru frowned at that statement, but decided to toss it away for now. Now that they were so close, they could recognize the body of a young girl, probably a teenager. However, Takeru could not tell what state she was in…

“Were you scared by the lightning? Is she your partner?”, Patamon asked and Takeru added: “May I check her pulse? I promise I will not harm her.”

Still visibly confused, the Digimon hesitated a bit longer – then they nodded slightly, taking a step back to let Takeru take a closer look. The girl looked awfully pale, but he could – thankfully – still sense a pulse. Strains of red, ruffled hair fell softly over her shoulders when he carefully lifted her slender body to cradle her in his arms.

“Will she be alright, Takeru-kun?”

They suddenly heard another voice and the three of them looked up – the strange Digimon in particular made a squeaking sound that was more endearing than Takeru would have expected. Hikari and Tailmon were standing beside them now, as they must have rushed to the spot as promised, watching them with worried eyes.

“We should probably inform Jyou-san and bring her to the hospital to be sure.”

“Is that okay with you?”, Hikari asked towards the startled Digimon, smiling gently. “Please don’t worry, we have a very capable friend who will look after your partner, okay?”

“Okay. Please take care of her…” The Digimon’s voice was laced with tears – and once they had finished their pleading, they started glowing again. Simultaneously, a device fell out of the bag of the girl’s jacket, which had begun to glow as well, and the Digimon reverted back to a previous level, taking the shape of a small, orange bug.

“We should get going then, do you think Angewomon can carry her?”, Takeru asked before kneeling down to grab the device as well, still holding the girl’s body to the best of his ability.

“Of course I can”, Tailmon made a snappy sound, but Takeru didn’t listen. He just stared at the phone in his hands with absolute shock. It was a design he hadn’t seen before, but something about it… Looked more than just familiar.

“… We need to tell Koushirou-san too.”

[noirandchocolate]

Reblogging my "Kohga says Pussy" clickbait lie post to say yet another headcanon related to one I said in my tags yesterday because I was thinking about it again (I am always thinking about banana boys).

I said in a tag that I was being silly with this video (ie that I'm not actually distressed by the idea of Kohga saying a word), but I also said that my version of Kohga (the one @purpledemonart draws, you know 'im!) really wouldn't say 'pussy.' Because I headcanon that they've got different words for that in Hyrule/the Clan.

Anyway related headcanon time: my Kohga doesn't swear very often at all. Watsonian explanation--He just never really got in the habit of it anyway, beyond a rebellious teen period. Sometimes a swear word will slip out if he absently repeats back something someone else says or is quoting someone. But then he'll be like 'drat!' and be annoyed about it. This is because! ...his Mama didn't like swearing. Didn't want him to get in the habit 'cause he was going to be head of the Clan someday and would need to set a good example! (And my dear Koh loves his mama Hotaru even now she's gone of course. <3) It's kinda funny, the rest of the adults in the Clan are mostly just like 'don't talk that way in front of kids but otherwise who cares' except! They won't swear in front of Kohga because HE doesn't, and has SAID he doesn't and won't, and so they're all like 'yeah can't say fuck in front of the boss, he hates that shit.' Meanwhile my Sooga, devoted in every way, is one of few who truly never swear either. (He never got the habit either, his mentor Chisao is another like Koh's mama who doesn't think it's dignified.)

Doylist explanation--It's entertaining to me personally if Kohga still stays PG-rated even when he's mad, instead of dropping f-bombs on the regular. I remember seeing some really funny fanart depicting this...I'll find it and reblog it again next. I just think it's funny if he comes out with name-calling and hokey expressions instead of swears when pissed off/annoyed/scared/etc. And also I think it's fun (for myself) to come up with different ways of describing "oh fuck" thought processes and emotions (of all varieties) without ever actually saying fuck (for example).

All that said, my best guy has no problem with sexy sex words (except in front of kiddos, obviously) and double-entendres (he can certainly find an innuendo in 'innuendo,' as Terry Pratchett once said of Gytha Ogg). So. To bring it back around, my Master Kohga would NOT say 'pussy.' He would not say ‘fuck.’ But he WOULD say, 'I'm good with bananas and figs, if you get my meaning~'

This is self-explanatory.

[steve-explores]

Birthday Celebrations at Restaurant Zén

This year marks an important milestone for me as it is the first time that I am celebrating my birthday with my little girl who arrived during Christmas last year. For my celebrations this year, my wife surprised me with a visit to the only Three Michelin Star restaurant in Singapore that we have not tried: Restaurant Zen. 

The unconventional restaurant is renowned for pushing culinary boundaries with high quality seafood produce from Japan, delivering precision and warmth in its signature dishes such as  the Råraka, French toast and Onion Soup. The restaurant is celebrated for its consistency and professionalism, maintaining its Three Star Michelin award and receiving a rank of 27th in Asia’s Top 50 Restaurant List in 2023.

Our dining experience at Restaurant Zen began with a visit to The Kitchen at Level 1 where we were served canapes and introduced to the fresh ingredients that will be going into our dinner for the evening.

Canapes served at The Kitchen included:

Raraka Kalix Lojrom.

Blini chutoro, bafun uni, coffee.

Croustade manga 'mala', sea buckthorn.

Vol-au-vent sweetbread, long pepper.

Gunkan suckling pig, Zen reserve caviar.

Every bite is exquisite, providing a glimpse of the grand meal that we will be enjoying for the evening, with a sense of balance and sophistication earned through years of experimentation and fine tuning to perfection.

Next, we were guided to The Dining Room at Level 2 to enjoy our mains for the evening. And this is where the fun truly begins.

Tataki sakura masu, konatsu dashi, wild trout roe: A fantastic starter to the repertoire of mains with fresh salmon and wild trout roe blending seamlessly with the dashi.

Mollusks scallop, hamaguri, hotaru ika, Jaspnese barigoule, uni: A seafood extravaganza that could only be described as divine. It is a dish that I regret trying as I will keep dreaming of it for years to come.

Chawanmushi smoked oyster, fermented white asparagus, Zen reserve caviar: A milky custard concoction that breaks the conventional view of a chawanmushi, with smoked oysters and white asparagus accentuating the milky notes in the dish.

Onion almond & liquorice: The signature onion soup with a complex deep flavor profile that resonates with you on a whole different level, providing a familiar sense of warmth and comfort, similar to the famous scene in Ratatouille involving Anton Ego with his childhood flashback.

Kinki teardrop peas, kinome, kohlrabi, Kujo negi, garum: The only dish of the evening which I thought might require a bit more fine tuning as the teardrop peas overtook the Kinki fish as the main star of the dish.

Lamb glangal & vin jaunce sabayon, ramson, morel: The way this dish is prepared and served is simply breathtaking, resembling an afternoon grill in the garden during spring time. The way the dish plays with all of your senses to deliver happiness in every bite is the reason why Restaurant Zen will continue to dominate top culinary awards for years to come.

French Toast 'Grande Tradition 2008': This black beauty is the perfect marriage between truffle and aged vinegar to deliver a decadent bite with a flavor so complex and unique that it is forever imprinted into your palate.

Sorbet cucumber & shiso, spruce: A refreshing palate cleanser to gently cushion our taste buds for the eventual end to the evening.

Tarte tatin nashi pepper, celeriac, woodruff, lingoberry: An excellent dessert which plays with sweet and savory profiles to create a memorable finish to our stay in The Dining Room.

And with that, we are guided to The Living Room at Level 3 to for some sweet delights to send us off on a pleasant note:

Muskmelon & Manzanilla. Kinkan, honey vingear & clove. Miyazaki mango & yuzu.

Waffle Party served with Tea, milk, honey.

As a final surprise, a small donut cake was served with macarons to celebrate my birthday.

And we come to the question of the day yet again: Is Restaurant Zen deserving of its place as one of the top restaurants in the world? Is it worthy of your precious calories?

It comes as no surprise that the answer is a thousand times yes. Every single detail was impeccable, from the service and the music to the decor and the menu. I had to nitpick really hard to find flaws and it is truly a wonder what the team at Restaurant Zen is able to build: a modern, edgy culinary experience that is able to blend fresh ingredients into unconventional dishes that still speaks to our heart, providing a sense of warmth and comfort which made me feel like I have returned home for a cozy meal with the family.

Special thanks to my dear wife for making my birthday this year extra special.

[limitlessgojo]

The More You Know

Warnings: NSFW Content

NSFW Tags: SMUT, Mutual masturbation, Squirting, over-sensitivity, Sex Education, unprotected sex, Bareback, dry humping, First time with Noritoshi, explicit content

Tags: Kamo Noritoshi x Reader, Soulmates AU, Smut, Fluff, Fem!Reader

NSFW Taglist: @fkngkumiko @gojoussunglasses @s-t-f-u-b-i-t-c-h @sunaswife

Word Count: 3.5k

Notes: I tagged this to the best of my ability. As I've already said, minors please DNI with my NSFW works.

Previous Chapter: Home Sweet Home

Next Chapter: Big White Lies

Blood Bound: Red Strings of Fate.

Chapter 13.5

Utahime Sensei called both you and Noritoshi into her office one afternoon to give you "the talk." She’s aware that both of you are dating.

You and Noritoshi worriedly looked at each other before sitting down, across from her desk.

“There’s no need to be worried. You both haven’t done anything wrong. I just wanted to check up on the two of you.” She clarified. You both relaxed.

“Y/N, how are you adjusting to life on campus so far?”

“Ah, yes I’ve been adjusting well, thanks to everyone who has been helping me here and there. I’ve also grown used to the campus.”

“That’s great to hear. Looks like all of you first years are now settled in. Which brings me to my next question,” She started getting serious. "So, of course I know that both of you are dating. Teachers hear things from other students, it’s natural. Did you both get your parents’ permission to date each other?”

“Ah, yes, my mom and dad both know and said it’s okay for me to date senpai. They’ve been wanting to meet him as well. Next time when we are on break.” You said meekly.

Noritoshi quickly turned to you, eyes widening. Ah, you haven’t told him yet that they wanted to meet him. “They said it’s no big rush. We can do it over Christmas break.” Your voice quieted down.

“My parents have also approved of our relationship, as you know.” He put a hand to your back and spoke comfortingly. As always, your body relaxes under his warm touch. Hearing that made the knot in your chest slightly loosen up.

Utahime looked pleased at that. “That’s excellent to hear. Everything seems to be in order. And, have you both… you know… done "it" yet?"

Your eyes widened, then you flushed red before shaking your head. Noritoshi replied with a soft "No, we haven't." Face just as red as yours, before he forced it down.

The room suddenly felt stuffy and hot. Was this conversation really necessary?

“Ahem,” Utahime cleared her throat. “This is a very important conversation, and I want to make sure that both of you are engaging in consensual and safe sexual practices if you ever decide to do it. I’m aware that both of you are already of legal consenting ages here. That and it’s not uncommon for teenagers in Japan to do such.”

Gosh, just let this pass already, you thought to yourself, utterly mortified.

“So now I’ll talk you through the use of contraceptives and birth control then.” It was a mini sex education class with just the 3 of you.

And the rest of the afternoon was filled with a lot of do’s and don’ts and the explanation of how to use condoms. Noritoshi’s soul was practically leaving his body at the very thought.

“Don’t be shy to ask me for help in buying condoms or birth control pills. I’d rather both of you have safe sexual practices than not.” She ordered sternly.

You both quickly nodded, “Yes sensei.”

“Okay, that should be all. Then off you go.” She ushered you both out of her office, ready to prepare for another faculty meeting later.

After you both left the room, you slowly walked back to your dorm with Noritoshi close behind you. An unspoken agreement hung in the air as you filed into your dorm room.

He doesn’t come over to yours as often as you go over to his room, but he likes it. You’re happy that he doesn’t mind the numerous stuffed toys or fluffy blankets on your bed.

You served him some tea and mochi, not having spoken a word still. He stayed silent as well.

“....” your face was still red. Noritoshi found it almost funny and incredible, how it stayed red for such a long time. He reached out to cup your face.

You leaned into his touch. His hands were slightly cold, taking away some of the heat off your face.

“I won’t do anything you don’t want to. For us I mean. Like what we just talked about now. I’m okay if you’re okay with it. Completely.” He stumbled over his words.

You nodded and reached out for a hug, which he gladly gave. Sitting on his lap, cradled in his arms. “I… I’m okay with it. The sex talk was just really embarrassing, but inevitable.”

You shyly looked up at him. He gave a weak smile in return, trying to slow down the blood rising to his face. His ears were still pink though.

"When we are both ready then." He hastily uttered before changing the topic. You giggled. He was more reserved than you expected.

◇◇◇

A week later...

You’ve both taken to reading Kamo no Hotaru’s diary entries together when you were both alone and undisturbed. One evening, during a rare moment of peace when both of you had no schedules, you stayed in Noritoshi’s room, laying on his bed. “Toshi! That entry! It matches our first shared vision together!”

“Right. I noticed that when I browsed over it too. He really…” Noritoshi trails off. You perk up and cuddle into his side, facing back to the diary, “What is it?”

He abruptly closes the book shut, face really red. It was a good thing this was a copy of the original, because of the way he roughly handled it.

Why. “Toshi!!! Lemme see~” you whined, grabbing the book. He couldn’t look you in the eye as he handed you the book. You eagerly flipped through to where you stopped.

Hotaru was describing his fight with his beloved Misaki. “She must have been the woman in my visions then huh.”

Noritoshi buried his face into the junction of your shoulder and neck. You stared at him. His face and ears were on fire. “Toshi, are you not feeling well? Fever?” You pressed a palm onto his forehead. He shook his head and snuggled into your hand. The blush settled down rather quickly.

This guy never fails to cheat with his body temperature huh.

Anyways, going back to the passage.

“Misaki was lovely tonight. She astounds me every single time she fights with those demons and curses. Just the most beautiful sight to behold.”

“Awww, what a dreamy man” you sighed. Noritoshi’s grip on you tightened.

“Tonight was the first night in my life that I was able to hold her so close to me. We went back to the inn and had our baths before going to bed. We only had one futon, since the inn was in some far off and secluded area. It was also full, so we had no choice. We ought to be getting back to the urbanised districts soon. Her hair smelled nice. I can’t forget how her cheeks turned dark red when I undressed her. Her soft mounds under my hands. -

You shut the book, closed your eyes and stuck your tongue out hard against the inside of your cheek. Total silence filled the room for like 5 minutes before you opened it and continued reading,

“I’ve never felt anything softer than Misaki. Every curve of hers was to my liking. Every sound she made was comparable to the voice of an angel’s. She tasted so sweet down below. I never thought I’d be one to have premarital sexual relations, but to hell with it all.”

Noritoshi peeked over your shoulder, arms still wound tightly around you with one eye open, reading the passage together with you.

“I will try to remember in vivid detail how exactly I’ve taken her. It was a rush of the moment sort of thing. She was such a shy thing, covering her eyes as I undressed in front of her.

Only to cry for me to fill her up moments later. I took my time with her, tasting and feeling every bit of her body. Not long after, I made love to her. Her insides were warm and molded perfectly to me.

We both felt like we were melting into each other. Our Crimson bindings out and about, floating around our bodies as we indulged each other in pleasure.

It was worth leaving everything behind, in order to experience this life with her. We had to take great care so as for Misaki to not bear a child as we are still in the midst of fighting battles with demons here and there."

“Damn that guy was desperate for some action.” You said out loud. Noritoshi choked hard on his spit at this. You didn’t even take your eyes off the ancient erotica you were reading as you reached out with one hand to pat Nori on the back.

“Not like they had condoms or contraceptives back then huh. How difficult.” You wondered. “Y/N I-” Noritoshi sputtered. You turned to him. He looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

“You what…” your eyes trailed down at the movement. All of the sudden there was a pillow on his lap. He turned away, forcing his hard-on to disappear.

Noritoshi was just a very sweet little thing. He was really taken aback with your lack of fluster at the moment.

Whenever he whispers into your ears and holds your hand you blush. He secretly loved nipping at you and playing with your fingers to make your face glow red.

Even when Utahime sensei gave both of you the talk, you looked mortified. But since that day, you seemed to have gained a layer of quiet confidence.

And here you were reading an old smutty diary entry with a straight face.

An unpleasant thought came to his mind as he blurted out, "Have you had any experience at all? With this…. These things?"

Your eyes widened, before you shook your head. "Mmm to be honest none at all. You're pretty much my first everything Toshi. First boyfriend. First kiss. First love. You know."

Noritoshi relaxed. "Me too, you're my first for everything." You smiled at him, moving to hug him before he grabbed your hand to stop you from going further. His other one tightened on the pillow on top of his crotch.

Ah.

You wanted to help him but… Is it too early for the both of you? You wanted to wait for Noritoshi to bring it up. Unfortunately, he doesn't make any moves.

He is still very much a gentleman, politely turning away and closing his eyes whenever you get dressed or undressed in the ensuite bathroom. And really, it did touch your heart at the fact that he was really so sweet with you.

“Toshi, do you want any help with that?” You set the diary down on the side table. He flinched before slowly turning to you.

“Do you not find it disgusting?” He asked weakly.

“Mmmm, not really." You crawled into his lap, your face now slightly pink. You wanted this. You wanted to see more of him, know more about his body underneath the wide and loose fitting clothes.

“If you don’t want me to, that's also okay. Like you said, we have time. This isn’t something to be rushed Toshi."

He looked up at you. Deep down he really wanted this. But he wasn't prepared for it to go this fast. He didn't buy any condoms, lube, or contraceptives for you at all. He still had yet to research on more safe sex practices.

He shook his head. "I'm not worried about me, I'm worried about you. We only talked about this the other day, I hope it's not too fast for you."

"I'm okay as well, no it's not too fast."

"As long as we are both fine with it, then it's okay."

"So… what do you want me to do?"

He turned bright red, not bothering to use his jujutsu to force it away. He wanted his body to be honest with you. "We don't have to go all the way now. Please touch me down... there. I'm clean. Just took a shower before you came in."

You nodded, tossing away the pillow on his lap as you undressed him. There were so many layers of clothing. Your mouth watered in anticipation upon seeing the outline of his erection clearly straining against his clothes.

And the one thing you've been looking forward to seeing. He parted his inner white yukata, revealing his abs and pecs. Holy shit. He is built and defined. With a solid 8 pack of abs, arms with biceps and triceps.

You gulped. Noritoshi stared at your reaction. "You like my body."

"Ah I do. Noritoshi, you're really pretty." You admitted.

Noritoshi shut his eyes and felt the last of his sanity fizzling out. Why aren't you close to him then?

"You took the words out of my mouth, pretty one." He pulled you to his chest, nipping at your ears and neck. He knew all your sensitive spots, easily making your body react to him.

"Toshiii, haa no it tickles" Shaking in his arms, you pressed against him, running your hands down his front.

"Looks like I really don't need to hold back with you." He growled, gripping you tighter.

You hooked your fingers on the waistband of his pants and pulled it down, revealing his length. It sprung up, pretty and already hard.

It was big, long, thick, with veins protruding, and the mushroom-like head was a blushing pink. You stared numbly, wondering how it would ever fit inside of you.

You cautiously fisted him. It was so hot and heavy, twitching in your hands. You pooled spit in your mouth before letting it drip onto the tip of his length, making him glide easier in your hands.

Noritoshi threw his head back at the action, breathing heavily. Small jolts of electricity ran through his body, upon feeling your lips on his chest and neck.

"Angel, it feels much better when you do it. I wanna make you feel good too, please." His voice is deeper than normal, sending shivers down your spine.

He didn't hesitate as he pulled off your top as you nodded. You felt self conscious, covering up your breasts. "No need to hide from me. You're a gorgeous sight for sore eyes." Noritoshi pushed away your arms and sucked on your tits, making you gasp out.

"Toshi."

"Mmmm." He swirled his tongue around your nipples, playfully tugging and sucking on them like they were candy. Your pants and underwear were quickly discarded, leaving you bare.

Cold air hit your entrance, making you tense up. Noritoshi's hands stroked your legs until they settled on your ankles.

"Spread your legs for me," he murmured. You couldn't say no to that. You slowly widened them, inch by inch, the bed creaking underneath you.

He stared at your wet opening, parting your lower lips. It was glistening with slick. He dragged two fingers over them. Sinking in his fingers and groaning at the sensation of your walls. It was hotter and wetter than he expected it to be.

"Here I was, trying to stop myself from losing control over you, only to find out you've wanted me too." He scoffed. You grew more and more aroused at hearing his voice become deeper, just slowly nodding in agreement, unable to speak. The only sounds coming from your mouth were moans and whimpers of his name.

Squelching noises filled the quiet room as he began to experiment with your body. Nothing escaped Noritoshi. He stared at you, watching and analysing your reactions with every curve, push, pull, and movement from his fingers.

Not long after, he found your sweet spot, pressing his fingers eagerly into it. You shivered.

He leaned over to kiss you while slowly fucking you with his fingers. The pressure on your insides made you feel floaty. You reached out to continue stroking him as well, making him tense against you until you slumped against him, head feeling way too hot and dizzy.

He huffed a laugh, “Too much for you angel? It feels good doesn’t it?” You whined at him with a pout, guiding yourself up and down on his fingers. Your voice grew louder when he pulled them out.

"Shh, give me a second." Noritoshi repositioned both of you, so that you were sitting on his lap. Putting some pillows behind him as he leaned against the headboard of the bed.

It was a slightly risky position, he could easily enter you from this angle so you had to push your back against his chest, comforted by his warmth.

"Let me play with you." Who was this man and where was your stoic Toshi? Noritoshi kissed everywhere he could reach, the side of your face, your shoulder, cheeks and neck.

"Come on, rub yourself against me." You felt him smile against your skin.

You took his length and grinded your pussy down on him, slathering your juices onto him. Tears streamed down your face. "Why does it feel so good? Ssss too much."

His hands were cupping and squeezing your breasts, holding you firm against his chest. You could feel the sweat gathering on your back.

Both of your Phoenix marks were glowing a bright red, illuminating both of your features. You reached to clasp his wrist, feeling the warmth seep out from his mark.

Heat. That was the main shared sensation between the two of you. Simply and drunkenly chasing after pleasure. The soulmate bond showed you his inner desires of breeding you, filling you up, pleasing you, and making you content. You felt touched and giddy.

Noritoshi's head is hooked over your shoulder. Mouth watering at the sight of him thrusting against your thighs. The tip of his cock poked up and down between your legs. Your ass was pressing hard against his hips, driving him insane.

You both grinded against each other at a moderate pace. Hiccups and mewls escaped your lips as you drooled.

You tightened your thighs when he sped up his thrusts. Your pussy feels hotter with each passing moment. He was humping you so hard, you started to lightly bounce on his lap.

All you could feel and smell was Noritoshi. The scent of sex was heavy in the air. You've never felt this type of greed over a person before. It scared you a bit.

"Darling, come on me." Noritoshi breathed out huskily against your ear. You shivered, squeezing and crossing your thighs. He softly grunted as he came all over your legs, the cum still hot.

Amazed, Noritoshi watched as you also squirted, spraying all over both of your legs and the mattress. He leaned over to rub your clit more, feeling it spew against his fingers as he put a heavy pressure on it. “Haaah! Toshi, no stop!! It feels so good!” You threw your head back wildly, feeling your legs spasm beyond your control at the touch of oversensitivity.

"Is that a no or a yes?" He nipped your earlobe as he continued rubbing your clit.

"More. Gimme more." You moaned.

He smirked, immediately plunging two fingers into you, pistoning it in and out as fast as he could, while his thumb continuously stroked at your clit. He held you tight as you sobbed his name unabashedly.

A second orgasm violently washed over you, making you shake. He helped you ride it out, by slowing down his movements until you collapsed against him.

It was hard not to fall asleep as you both stopped to catch a breath, but you had to clean up. “Sorry for making a mess.” You turned to face him and frowned upon feeling the stickiness on both of your legs.

His eyes glinted darkly, “No, don’t apologize. We both made a mess. I quite like it.” You hid your smile in his neck at that.

"We can take a quick shower then go to bed if you'd like?" Noritoshi offered.

"Mmm… sounds good."

The shower was quick and pleasant. It was nice to smell like Noritoshi. You happily hummed to yourself as you lathered your arms with his body soap. It smells nice and deep with touches of bergamot and clove.

On the other hand, Noritoshi was having an internal crisis. He just wanted to stuff you full of his cum right there as he helped you bathe, but was determined to wait until you got married to do so.

You went to bed in one of his kimonos after changing his sheets. Noritoshi loves how you look in his clothes and how you smell like him now.

"Thank you…" You whispered.

Noritoshi's body was so warm as he pulled you to him, his lips pressed against your temple. "Mmm, thank you also for trusting me with your body. I feel so relaxed, should we do this more often?"

You squawked in surprise, pushing his chest and laughing with him. "Nori's not so pure minded after all. Here I thought you were super conservative."

"Never said I was, angel."

◇◇◇

The next day, you were both mortified when Todo came up to tell you to keep it down next time. His room is next to Noritoshi's.

The both of you didn't realize he was home when that went down. “I'm soundproofing my room after this.” Noritoshi exasperatedly sighed at you.

"Ahh, maybe I should do the same with mine," You fiddled with your shirt. He smiled, leaning down to see you eye to eye, "You're looking forward to doing it with me again, I presume?"

If he wasn't so handsome right there, with his eyes bright and filled with so much joy, you're sure you would have smacked him in the chest.

".... No comment."

Blood Bound: Table of Contents

Author's notes: Had to check the legal age in Japan for consent to sexual activities and the laws are SO MESSY. Long story short, the official age of consent is 13. Based on prefecture, for 16-18 years old, it is legal if they have consent to date from their parents. Basically, they’re trying to prevent relationships with huge age gaps for teens (with over 20 year olds) who might be taken advantage of. Toshi and Y/n’s bdays have passed already, so they’re 17 and 16 here.

Of course note that this is all fiction anyways.