#nomura when i catch you nomura

[pkrockinon]

[empyreasheart]

the fact that they changed riku and naminé's smiles in the end of kh3 will always annoy me. but even worse is that they have such blank lifeless stares now... no emotion behind their reunion whatsoever. Fuck

[milaisreading]

Maybe Ness rambling about his interests, but gets quite thing y/n would think he's weird or annoying.

Y/n notices it and tell him that she loves seeing this side of him. Just overall someone loving ness as ness. My baby needs it 🤧🤧

🌱🩷: Hope u are fine with this!! Thanks for the request 🩷

Warning: Reader is crossdressing so I am using a mix of she/her and he/him. Requests are open

⚽️Blue lock belongs to Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura⚽️

'Kaiser... He isn't paying any attention to me... Ever since Isagi spoke back to him he has been more distant with me. He just tells me what to do. But, it's not like I can say anything back. I have nobody but him. He is my only friend-'

"Ness. Ness. Ness!"

The magenta-eyed boy shook himself out of his thoughts as he heard (Y/n)'s voice and felt her shake his shoulders.

"What?" Ness looked back at her, blinking in confusion as the girl raised an eyebrow.

"Are you ok? You look lost." He flinched at her words and glanced at Kaiser, who was annoying Isagi and Kurona.

"I am fine. Did you need anything?" Ness asked while looking back at her.

"Can I sit here and eat? Gesner and Grim want to sit here as well."

(Y/n) said as she pointed at the two boys behind her.

"Uhm... Sure." The boy nodded his head slowly as the three sat down and started eating.

"Are we practicing today?" Gesner wondered as he looked at (Y/n), who slowly nodded her head.

"Sure. You guys wanted to practice passes, anyway."

"Wait... You two are working with him? Are you betraying Kaiser?" Ness asked the two Germans with an irritated tone, earning a sigh from Grim.

"No, we are not. On the field we are on Kaiser's side, but off the field we hang out."

"Calm down, Ness. Nobody is going against the king, or whatever." Gesner laughed and continued eating. Ness growled a little in irritation, but stopped as (Y/n) put a plate on his tray.

"What is that?" Ness raised an eyebrow, recognizing that it was one of the chocolate puddings he liked at the facility.

"You told me you liked that pudding, you can have it. I am not much of a fan of it." (Y/n) shrugged, taking a bite from her rice and chicken. Ness' eyes widened for a moment and gulped as he looked down at the food.

"You... How did you know?"

"What do you mean how do I know?" (Y/n) raised an eyebrow and gulped down her food.

"You told me that. You said you liked it so much since that was what you mom made you when you were sick."

"You... You listened?" Ness asked in shock as (Y/n) slowly nodded her head.

"I might not look like it, but I do pay attention." She said, a little offended and started eating again.

The magenta-eyed boy could feel his heartbeat pick up for a moment as he stared at (Y/n), who was busy talking with Grim about something he couldn't catch.

'He cared enough to remember this... He cared enough to give me his dessert... Something Kaiser never did.' Ness glanced at the blonde and shook his head. No! He can't betray Kaiser like that! He shouldn't have someone else in mind! He slowly ate a spoon full of the pudding as a blush appeared on his face. For some reason, today's pudding tasted a lot sweeter.

'They probably changed the ingredients.'

Later...

"Haaa... Hair washing is so nice~" (Y/n) hummed to herself as she walked to her bed while drying he rhair with a towel. Ness looked away from one of his books he was reading and glanced at her instead.

"Why do you wash your hair always first and then shower?"

"Hm? I don't know. I always washed my hair first and then showered." She shrugged he shoulders and glanced at the book Ness was reading before she walked inside.

"What's that?" The girl stopped with the hair drying and looked in curiosity at the book. It was dark purple with a few golden stars on it. Ness at first thought she was joking, but the genuineness in her voice and eyes quickly told him something else. Taking in a deep breath, the boy contemplated for a moment.

'Should I tell him? Whatever, he will laugh at me either way...'

"It's a book I had ever since I was little. It's a story about witches and wizards."

(Y/n)'s eyes widened a little, surprised he was into those things.

"You like magic?"

Unconsciously, Ness smiled and nodded his head as he started going off on his explanation.

"Yeah! Ever since I was little I liked magic, magical creatures! The fantasy world is so interesting and the best way to escape everything! I have had this book since I was 7, actually! It talks about a boy who embarks on a journey to find- Oh..."

(Y/n) blinked as she saw Ness quickly shut up and look back at his book, face red in embarrassment.

"Embarks on a journey to find what exactly?"

"You were listening? Do you really want to know?"

Ness' head shot up to look at (Y/n) in surprise. This... this was the first time someone cared?

"Yeah? What is it about?"

'Weird. He has been acting off ever since this morning.' (Y/n) thought as Ness gave her a huge smile and started rambling about the story. The girl tried to keep up with what he was saying, nodding every once in a while and asking questions as signs that she was listening.

'Well, if it makes him happy.' She smiled a little, enjoying the rare moments of peace she had with the German.

This continued on for the next few days, Ness would talk about random interests he had with (Y/n) sharing some of her own. The boy would try to keep up with what she was telling him as he didn't want to come off as rude for not remembering anything. Noa, just like the rest of the team were surprised how much the usually bickering duo talked. It looked more like two friends talking than two guys who didn't like each other. And, while (Y/n) for the most part stayed oblivious, or enjoyed the peace, Ness did notice the shift. He noticed it when he would miss her presence during his practices with Kaiser, when she would leave him to eat with one of her Blue lock friends. He just felt alone. He didn't like it. But, Ness knew that things were meant to be like this. She served Isagi as his midfielder, and Ness was Kaiser's. There was nothing the German could do. Or, was there?

Ness felt weird ever since the match against PXG started. He didn't like the feeling of being stuck at Kaiser's side. He didn't like the closeness Charles and Shidou showed towards (Y/n). And most importantly, he didn't like her loyalty towards Isagi!

'I hate this! Why can't he score for himself?!' Ness gritted his teeth as he stole the ball from Shidou and looked ahead to where Kaiser was. This was the blonde's chance to make up for the failed goal from earlier!

'But...' Ness stopped and so did (Y/n) who as she looked at Ness in confusion.

'Why did he stop? Kaiser is right there.' She looked at the confused blonde, then back at Ness.

"Here! Do with it what you want! I don't care!'

The girl's eyes widened as Ness kicked the ball towards her. Hiori and Isagi were stunned as well as they looked at Ness, the boy hiding a blush and ignoring Kaiser's yells as (Y/n) kicked the ball towards Hiori who would assist this time.

"Ness?" The girl questioned as the boy ignored her as well.

'This isn't good for my heart at all!!' Ness yelled on the inside as he put his hand over his racing heart.

'I hate it so much that I love you!'

[lavellenchanted]

okay I have a bit of a theory that was inspired by your Yuna Aerith parallel gifset, while I immediately thought of Yuna during that scene as well, I didn't really think about it beyond it being a reference until seeing your gifset again just now. A lot of people think there are parallels between ff7/ffx already and that maybe the games are connected in some loose way. And thinking about Yuna's story... how the game revolves around her intending to make this big sacrifice in order to save everyone until we find another way and are able to put an end to things for good without her needing to die (a better ending than her sacrificing herself and restarting the cycle). Not to mention other parallels between her and Aerith in general. And a lot of people are unsure if the ending of og FF7 is actually a "good" ending. And I am now wondering if Aerith's lifestream dance scene was more than just a fun reference and it was actually more of an intentional nod to her and Yuna's similar stories and maybe a hint to the fact that she doesn't need to die for us to win in the end (ofc Aerith already meeting her fate in rebirth has happened, but with the other worlds etc we know things can potentially be altered somehow in game 3 and that we may have saved a version of Aerith already). Perhaps this time we can get an even better outcome. Defying fate/destiny is very relevant to Yuna's story and is a heavy theme in this re-trilogy which I would like to see have a purpose beyond faking us out. I feel the direct comparison between her and Aerith does potentially feel more intentional along that line of thinking

apologies that got quite lengthy and disjointed but hopefully made some sense hah

That's a really good catch! I think as well it's interesting to note that as well as Yuna not having to sacrifice herself, they also brought back Tidus at the end FFX-2 - albeit only in the hidden ending that you have to 100% complete the game to get. So clearly SE aren't against bringing back characters that appear to be gone for good.

I definitely think that Aerith is going to live at the end of Part 3 - the lifestream dance is obviously a nod to Yuna, but in terms of FF7's narrative I think it was also deliberately meant to show is that Aerith can and is learning to control the lifestream while she's alive, so she doesn't need to die to be able to manipulate the lifestream to help defeat Meteor.

I'm absolutely convinced we'll get a payoff to the idea of defying fate, just because otherwise it would be really bad writing. They very carefully set it up in Remake with Aerith and Nanaki having full knowledge of the future, and Cloud having fractured visions of it and have then built on it further in Remake; both through Marlene having gained that knowledge from Aerith, and using the interludes with Zack to establish a) that characters we expected to die could survive and b) the rainbow motif to show when fate's been changed, a motif that then appears when Cloud blocks Sephiroth's sword and in both scenes when he's holding Aerith and she wakes up. To suddenly undo that in Part 3 and return to the status quo of the OG would be a complete narrative letdown and anti-climax after everything they've teased, and I think the devs are better than that.

The OG ending is a complicated one and was always intended to be bittersweet, but it's telling that in an interview in the Rebirth Ultimania, Kitase said that he hopes all the characters find happiness at the end of Retrilogy, implying that he doesn't consider that they did at the end of the OG. And if you want everyone to have a happy ending . . . well, the characters that had the most obviously unhappy ending of all of them were Aerith, who died, and Cloud, who was broken by her death.

Not to mention that Nomura said in the same interview that Kitase asked for "a very major something" that wasn't in the OG for Part 3, and I really don't see what else that would be except a ending in which Aerith, and possibly Zack, both get to live and Cloud and Aerith are reunited.

[elegantjellyfishwerewolf]

My top villains (from dumb to smart)

Warning: This post is not intended to offend anyone, the author is just sharing his observations

In this post, I decided to make up the top villains of trollhunters from the dumbest to the smartest (as for me, such tops are much more interesting than the placement of characters by strength, because in most cases you already know who will be in first place). The actions of villains from trollhunters only will be evaluated here.

10) Morgana:

Her main problem is that she does using her arsenal of spells on maximum and instead of attacking with shots of magical energy from a safe distance, she creates small energy daggers and goes into close combat, although this makes no sense (it is as if gunmar, fighting with his sword, tried not to hit the opponent with a sharp blade, but tried to hit him with the hilt of the sword). Her second fatal mistake is that she gave Angor freedom and was genuinely surprised when he betrayed her and decided to take revenge for everything she did to him (What prevented her from taking Angor's soul again so that he would not betray her at the most crucial moment?). And can someone explain to me why she didn't kill Merlin at the end of the third season? That is, she just tossed him from side to side, throughout the series she said how she wanted to kill him, and then just left him alive and went to deal with the hunter?

9) Otto:

For some reason, he sincerely believed that Gunmar cared about changelings and that Gunmar would lead them to a bright future. But what a surprise! It turns out Gunmar didn't care about changelings from the beginning, well, yes, he never hid his disdain for them. Someone will call it loyalty, but for me it's dibilism when you betray the current head of the Order of Janus and instead of taking the vacant throne yourself, you kindly waited for the tyrant who eventually used you.

8) Bular:

As for me, Bular is one of the most impulsive characters in the whole series. The most striking example is when in the second series, literally in the middle of the day, in a place where there could be unwanted witnesses, he decided to attack a new hunter and, as expected, was defeated. He also continues to underestimate his opponent, even when Jim killed stalking, it is not surprising that with such disregard for the enemy, he died before all the antagonists.

7) Goblin from the episode about creepslayerz:

He appeared relatively little on the screen compared to other villains, but during this time he, firstly, set Steve and Eli on Jim, and secondly, led the Creepslayerz on a false trail, thereby preventing them from finding out about their plans ahead of time.

6) Gunmar:

My main problem with Gunmar is that without asking for any proof, he believed all the nonsense that the Dictatus told him. I also think that Gunmar should be aware of the technical superiority of people (at least from Strickler's presentation) and that is why, instead of sending changelings to intercept at least a couple of warheads, he arranges their genocide. It's really funny that in the end Morgana needed a changeling to free him, and I'm just wondering what he would have done if Nomura and Strickler hadn't been in town? (I think he would catch a random person on the street and give him free troll language lessons)

5) Nomura:

She doesn't rank higher in the rankings just because she underestimated Jim in the first season. To be honest, I can't remember if she has had similar mistakes before, and compared to previous places, she is much less impulsive.

4) Angor:

As for me, Angor from the first season is a reference villain, almost all of whose actions are thoughtful and balanced decisions, for example, he reasonably did not trust Strickler and his promise that he would let him go as soon as trollhunter will die, so he did not immediately kill Jim, but only intimidated him so that our troll hunter had more reasons to make a deal with Angor and steal infernacopula. Well, the most striking example is that Angor will first study his enemy, and only then go into battle. if they hadn't made a cartoon villain out of him at the end of the first season, who, instead of immediately stabbing his defeated opponent, rolls up a long monologue about how weak our new hunter is without his friends, then in this top you Angor would have stood much higher (but despite this, he is still one of my favorite characters).

3) Usurna:

You might reasonably ask why she stands so high in the top if she supported Gunmar on an equal footing with Otto? To which I will answer that unlike Otto, who was looking forward to the return of the cruel lord, Usurna tried her best not to let Gunmar escape from the dark lands and joined him only when she knew for sure that he had returned, in fact, she simply chose the strongest, and therefore the winning side. And I think it's worth admitting that no matter how mean a bitch she is, she can reasonably reason that by sacrificing a pair of cubs of Kruber, she will thereby delay Gunmar's desire to attack her people for a sufficiently long time, and if the dark lord still falls, she can say that her children were simply kidnapped (which was common at that time (if we recall the background of the creation of changelings) so no matter how you look at it, in any case, it remains a winner.

2) Strickler:

(who could doubt that he would be so high in the ranking) I am still sure that he helped in the liberation of Gunmar only out of fear of Bular, because as soon as Bular fell, Strickler immediately took the vacant throne, leaving Gunmar in the dark lands. Strickler, as well as Angor, will not be the first to rush into battle, he will most likely just shift all the dangerous and dirty work to someone else, since the status allows. Also, he always plans an escape plan if something goes wrong, if he hadn't created a magical connection with Barbara then he wouldn't have had any leverage on Jim and therefore the hunter wouldn't have had any reason to protect Strickler from Angor. He is not in the first place only because instead of hiring a hired sniper who would quickly kill a young hunter and left, no! instead, he awakens an ancient killer who, if he can take the ring, will kill his unfortunate master first thing. Although if he also awakened Angor in order to strengthen his status as the head of the Order, then there are no complaints, but due to the fact that in the series itself Strickler said that he brought Angor only to kill Jim, then alas it was too unjustified a risk

1) Dictatious:

To begin with, he was able to survive in the dark lands for several centuries, so he was also able to become the right hand of Gunmar himself, who clearly respects only the strong, and the Dictatus, to put it mildly, is a so-so warrior. Further, after the Dictatus lost his sight and became virtually useless to Gunmar, he was still able to remain his most trusted subordinate (yes, this whole topic with Morgan's visions looks ridiculous to me, given that the Dictatus had no evidence of the truthfulness of his words, but most importantly, it worked). Also, the Dictatus has never had an insane devotion to Gunmar, he joined him only because otherwise he would not have survived, which is why he so easily switches to the side of the hunter and at the end of the series remains to chill in Toby's house.

[albentelisa]

Hi i Love really you asks especially the ones about Jim Claire and Blinky

What if Claire was a changeling was the Older Sister of NotErinque

How she falls in Love with Jim and how she hiding being a changeling is up to

Somehow, I have two changeling!Claire asks in my inbox and as they aren't contradicting, let's combine them!

So, as changelings, Claire and NotEnrique aren't related, but they created a sibling-like bond while going through the Janus Order training. Actually, they are extremely close in age by troll terms and no one has an idea which one is older, and they fight back and forth for the 'elder sibling' status (ironically, there's more evidence that it's NotEnrique, but Claire would rather die than admit it).

Claire gets a familiar, when Strickler decides to get more manpower. Claire wasn't his choice as a recruit (as she's too ambitious, independent, and smart for his liking), but Nomura, who went with him (as the new recruit was supposed to be her helper), insisted on Claire. That's why Claire and Strickler's relationship in this AU is extremely strained - as Strickler senses a potentially dangerous rival. On the other hand, Claire is close to Nomura - who is both her fighting master and family-like figure. Claire likes human culture and feels that Nomura is the only one who can understand. Nomura, on the other hand, sees her younger self in Claire.

In this AU Claire gets a crush on Jim first, but she tries her best to hide it because it's forbidden for a changeling to have feelings and because she isn't sure if Jim can ever accept her true nature (and Nomura's pessimistic views that changelings simply cannot be successful in love don't help). Claire likes that Jim is nice and honest, but decides to watch him from the sidelines instead of approaching. Because of that, she is unaware that Jim has a crush on her too.

The amulet's appearance is where everything goes down. Claire notices it before Strickler and realizes what it can possibly imply. That is why she abandons her previous tactic and approaches Jim in an attempt to befriend him. Claire's plan is to steal the amulet from Jim and save him from a highly likely death from Bular's hand (and well, from her point of view, it should be the best outcome for everyone involved). Alas, Strickler learns about Jim's new status too, deciding to approach Jim via Barbara (like in the canon). So, from now on it's a race between Claire and Strickler to get the amulet. Both think it should be easy - and both don't expect Jim to actually take up the mantle.

Mary and Darci (who are still Claire's friends) find her recent attitude odd and decide to investigate. Initially, they think that it's all because of her crush, but somehow they stumble upon too much, discovering the existence of goblins. Claire in her true form saves them but leaves without any explanation. So Mary and Darci know about magical creatures now, but not about Claire's true form (as they have no idea who their savior was).

Strickler decides to recruit another changeling to spy on Claire (as he doesn't trust her now). NotEnrique is picked, but Strickler is unaware of his bond with Claire. So, Claire ends up with an additional ally instead. It's a bright moment for her as she both has no idea what to do with Mary and Darci (she should kill them according to the rules, but she doesn't want that) or with her quickly developing relationship with Jim (as she realizes he actually loves her too). She starts to think about telling Jim everything and switching sides for good.

Much like in the canon, NotEnrique is the one who gets exposed first (though the one who catches him is Toby as Claire and Jim are at the concert then). NotEnrique pretends that Claire is just an unaware human girl, but gives some hints that Strickler may be inhuman (as he is from a separate faction). Jim is upset as he doesn't want to suspect his favorite teacher, but Toby goes to check the lead and ends up exposing Strickler. Enraged, Strickler comes to the dinner at Jim's house and tells Jim about Claire's true nature when Barbara is in the kitchen.

The timing couldn't be worse as Claire actually decided to confess to Jim the next day, but when they meet Jim asks her to take a gaggletack. Jim does it because he refuses to believe Strickler's words and wants to clear Claire's name, but for Claire, it sounds like an accusation. They are interrupted though - as NotEnrique arrives, announcing that goblins attacked Mary and Darci (those two were babysitting him).

Both Jim and Claire rush to help girls, and Jim discovers that his amulet is a fake one (as Strickler switches the real one with a copy like in the canon). Claire realizes she is the only one who can fight and has no other choice but to transform in front of both Jim and her two BFFs. She defeats goblins with ease, but Nomura arrives and attacks Claire. Jim can't help but watch (as he's still shocked from both the reveal and the amulet loss), and Claire is defeated and taken away.

In despair, Jim calls for the amulet one more time and it actually responds this time, but it's too late. Toby, Blinky, Aaarrrgghh, and Draal arrive and learn about everything that happened. NotEnrique, Mary, and Darci all plea Jim to save Claire, but Jim's allies are skeptical if they should help the supposed enemy. Jim himself wavers as he learns from NotEnrique that Claire is willing to betray Bular and that she saved Mary and Darci at some point.

Like in the canon, Strickler contacts Jim and proposes to him a deal - Claire's life in exchange for the amulet. Jim arrives, seemingly alone (but actually with a backup), and the battle begins. Claire is surprised to see that Jim has come, and it only strengthens her resolve to start a new life separately from the Janus Order. Alas, the Bridge is open and Gunmar is close to coming out, so Claire attempts a self-sacrificial attack to kick him back. When the Bridge is closed, she is trapped in the Darklands (Nomura gets sucked too as she tried to drag her student out at the last second).

There is a victory of course, but Jim is devastated. At first, he even thinks about reopening Killahead, but Toby and Blinky stop him (and NotEnrique also adds that his sis didn't risk her life so that Jim wasted her sacrifice).

Jim decides that he needs to become stronger to venture into the Darklands. He talks to previous Trollhunters (who are not happy that he wants to risk so much for an impure) and later learns about the Triumbric stones.

No one in Arcadia is suspicious as Claire is seemingly ok and attends school (it's Otto, posing as her). It drives Jim nuts as he cannot stand the fake (the same goes for Mary and Darci), but people just assume that Jim and Claire have broken up and Mary and Darci have taken Jim's side in that conflict. Steve starts to date fake Claire in an attempt to spite Jim (which has a totally opposite effect).

Strickler awakes Angor (as he fears for his own safety) and comes back to Arcadia. In this AU, Darci is the one who gets the Shadowstaff, while Mary gets one of Angor's daggers. As for Toby, he gets Warhammer before that as he decides to be a better sidekick to Jim.

Aja and Krel come to school around the same time as Strickler returns and the Trollhunters immediately suspect them of being changelings and Strickler's allies. A quick gaggletack check, however, dispels those suspicions (Aja and Krel have no idea what is going on, thinking it's just one of the local traditions).

Mary thinks that Jim should relax a bit (as he still feels guilty because of Claire and recently, there's an added stress from learning that Strickler bonded his life to Barbara's). She suggests going to the swing fling with someone, proposing herself, Darci, and even Aja (as she is friendly to Jim). Jim refuses politely, but this whole conversation makes him realize that he still has feelings for Claire (before he tried to convince himself he wants to save her only because she changed sides).

In the Darklands, Gunmar imprisons both Claire and Nomura and makes them battle each other every day to break them. After the fights, they talk a lot and Nomura shares her story about her relationship with Draal. She believes that no one can truly love a changeling, but Claire thinks that she could possibly be happy with Jim (the memories of their time together are the thing that helps her keep going).

Meanwhile, during one of the encounters with Angor, Aja and Krel get involved and the Team Trollhunters learn their true identities. Aja and Krel decide to join the local defenders.

While things look bright for the team at first, everything goes worse as Draal loses his arm in a fight with Angor. Usurna also invents a different story to make Aaarrrgghh go back (as no one is poisoned in this AU) - she arrives, pretending that someone attacked the Krubera tribe, and asks for a backup. Aaarrrgghh is seemingly the only one who can go, so he departs.

The team thinks that Strickler might have a different ally (the one who attacked Krubera) and realizes they need to deal with that too before venturing to the Darklands. There is also a deal with Angor in this AU, and Angor's soul gets destroyed, leading to Strickler coming to Jim for help. The outcome is still the same, with Barbara learning the truth, the binding spell broken and the Trollmarket under the attack. It's too much for Jim, as he goes to the Darklands alone in secret.

As for Claire, Nomura actually helps her escape one day, so Claire is currently roaming the Darklands. She is lost and has no idea what to do now. At some point, Claire stumbles upon the Nursery, and it helps her to formulate some vision of her future, She vows to return all the familiars back to their families, but first, she realizes she needs to save Nomura who is kind of her family.

Jim, on the other hand, finds Gunmar's prison - and ends up surrounded and captured. Gunmar realizes that the Bridge is open and sends some of his most loyal goons to investigate. And as Usurna pulls some strings to use her own loyal troops to guard the exit, she soon makes a deal with Gunmar. Usurna sneaks Gumm-Gumms inside the Trollmarket each time no one is close, and uses Gyre to transport them into a secret location in the forest.

The Team Trollhunters try to go to the Darklands to save Jim, but Usurna's position is too strong - she keeps feeding the locals' paranoia and even insists that it may be better to destroy the bridge (she plans to do it at some point, to limit Gunmar's troops and make him easier to control). After some time, Blinky and Toby make a plan to fool guards and go past them into the Darklands (Mary, Darci, and Draal go as well). In the Darklands, they meet Claire (who isn't happy to learn that Jim came to save her alone and most likely got in trouble). With her lead, they travel to the prison area and free Jim and Nomura.

While imprisoned Jim noticed that there wasn't much activity with Gumm-Gumms and that Gunmar stopped appearing altogether at some point. He shares it with everyone else, and Claire agrees that there are seemingly fewer guards than there used to be during her own imprisonment. The team investigates a bit, following a group of Gumm-Gumms and discovering that Usurna is a traitor, working with Gunmar.

At the same time, Aja and Krel, who stayed on the surface, stumble upon the Gumm-Gumm base in the forest and realize the possible extent of the catastrophe. They are not the only ones who discover the base that night as Steve (who finds Jim's disappearance suspicious and follows Aja and Krel) and Eli (who thinks that Aja and Krel are suspicious and follows them) both end in the wrong place. Aja and Krel have no choice but to tell them everything.

Two parts of the team reunite - only to witness Gunmar taking over the Trollmarket. Aaarrrgghh returns (he has been captured all this time and helps some local trolls escape). Still, there are too many trolls under the Decimaar's control now and the future looks rather bleak.

The team decides to go looking for more allies. Nomura contacts Strickler and proposes to recruit some of the wavering Janus Order's members. Steve and Eli argue about telling the citizens of Arcadia about the magic creatures, but Jim is reluctant.

As Darci never abused the Shadow Staff (unlike Claire in the canon), she has no link with Morgana. As for Gunmar, he discovers that Morgana is sealed inside the Heartstone but after considering the pros and cons, decides not to risk unsealing her (he decides to either look for a different, more controllable wizard to start Eternal Night or simply find some alternative to that one).

Morgana, however, doesn't plan to just wait. She orders the still loyal members of the Arcane Order to find her some temporary vessel and summon her soul inside it. The changelings pick up Barbara for it and kidnap her.

Strickler and Jim think that the Janus Order does it as revenge. They save Barbara, not realizing that she's already possessed. Strickler talks to Barbara, deciding to come clean about everything, but her reaction is surprisingly nonchalant (actually, he talks to Morgana that time). At first, he thinks Barbara is still mad at him, but as time passes, he grows more suspicious, discovering that she is meeting with Angor Rot (who she has revived).

Meanwhile, Claire is secretly researching the way to get familiars out like she promised and meets Douxie during her research. She learns that Douxie is Merlin's student and brings him to meet with the team. Douxie tells everyone that Merlin is still alive and just sleeping, so Jim decides to awaken him in the hope that he can help deal with Gunmar.

Strickler doesn't manage to inform anyone about his discovery as Morgana captures him. She contacts Gunmar and proposes an alliance while sending Angor Rot to recover Merlin's staff.

With Douxie's help, the team goes through the tomb's challenges without much trouble. They are unaware that Angor is pursuing them though. Angor ambushes everyone when they drop their guard, stealing both Merlin's staff and the Shadow Staff. When Merlin wakes up, he isn't happy.

The situation is dire. Morgana gets out as she forces Strickler to read the spell (threatening to harm Barbara otherwise). Strickler escapes with unconscious Barbara afterward (as Morgana goes back to her own body). All of that only gives Merlin more arguments when he convinces Jim to take his elixir.

When Jim disappears from his bathroom, Claire goes searching for him, and finds him in the forest, transformed and disoriented. She brings him back and encounters Merlin about it. Merlin, however, tells her she should be the last person complaining as he just erased the obstacle that prevented Jim and Claire from being together. Claire loses her temper and punches him, even though some cynical part of her mind feels that troll Jim isn't bad (she feels extremely guilty for that kind of thought though as she loves Jim no matter what). Claire is the one who helps Jim to deal with his new experiences as she can relate to his situation a bit. Yet, she realizes how stressful everything is for him, so she swallows her pride and goes to Merlin again, asking if there is actually no way to turn Jim back (or at least give him the ability to change forms). Merlin harshly tells her there's no way and to stop pestering him with dumb questions.

Before the final battle, Claire talks to Ophelia and Javier, telling them the truth. She expects them to be enraged, but after the initial shock, they accept her as their second daughter.

During the final battle, Jim defeats Gunmar and Claire goes against Angor Rot, who she convinces to change the sides. Morgana, however, is captured rather than sealed (as Douxie and Krel make a magic-cancellation device).

The familiars are out of the Darklands, meaning that the changelings lose their ability to shift. Morgana, who is powerless and imprisoned, mocks Merlin for his inability to deal with that problem. Claire, who overhears it, comes to her and learns that Morgana knows a solution. She promises to free her in exchange for helping her, Jim, and other changelings who switched to the good side, to which she agrees.

Morgana, while still bitter about Merlin, decides to give humanity a second chance and just live a quiet life. Angor doesn't trust her though and decides to watch her from the shadows. Merlin is against the idea - but, well, he has already lost any credibility, so his opinion is ignored.

[toodrasticallydumb]

PONYO AU COME HERE MY BABIES

*ahEM* So. What occurred is—as you can maybe see—i was studying Studio Ghibli’s art style to draw lil baby adorable kiddos and may or may not have gotten carried away a bit.

I can explain.

I just love baby Walt and wanted to draw him more and then i was watching Ponyo and Ponyo has red/orange hair like Barbara’s and then one thing led to another and yeah it’s a whole au thing now.

Basically, Ponyo = Baby Barb, Sosuke = Weeny Walt, Fujimoto (Ponyo’s dad) = grown up Jim, Granmamare (Ponyo’s mom) = grown up Claire

Ponyo’s story (i’m gonna refer to as Barb in min) goes pretty much the same as in the movie: she’s a curious lil magical fish who wanders away from her overprotective father one day, excited to catch a glimpse at the infamous humans her father has warned her so much about on their motor boats, unfortunately she gets stuck in a tiny jar and gets swept up onto shore, being found and rescued by…a green human?

Baby Walt is a small youngling, abandoned when he was so small he had barely opened his eyes, or so his father, Vendel, tells the story. Without a proper mother and just a tiny whelp, Trollmarket’s leader (with his badly hidden soft heart) can’t help but end up adopting the small whelp. So baby Walt (as he is nicknamed because Waltolomew was FAR too long, Vendel.) is raised alongside his two much older big brothers, Blinky and Aaarrrgghh who watch over him when Vendel’s busy.

They take him on short, highly-supervised outings around Trollmarket and the beach shore during the night; the one rule? No head-butting anyone’s gronk-nuks. Okay, but also NO GOING IN THE SUN.

Vendel is incredibly acute about the rule and it was a long time of whinnying and complaining and pushing and puppy-dog eyes until he FINALLY let Walt go outside to the beach shore with Blinky and Aaarrrgghh. But Walt always knew his dad was so strict about the rule because if he ever touched the sun he’d burn himself and turn to stone.

Right?

One night, Walt is feeling a little down and Aaarrrgghh suggests bringing a teeny bucket to collect seashells in, except they get kinda get caught up in all the serious work and sunrise comes before they know it. The sun is peeking out past the horizon when Walt gets distracted by a strange glittering in the shallow water. Aaarrrgghh is busy convincing Blinky to let them bring all the shells for Vendel so Walt goes after the shiny item himself. He pads over and finds a jar…with a goldfish inside?

Trying to pull the little fishy out of the jar as gently as he can, he tugs and bites at the glass with his short tusks, before feeling a strange stinging across his body and giving a big shiver—

“HEY! KIDDO GET OUT OF THE WATER!” someone shouts from above and his head whirls around to see a human waving his arms at him and heading down the rocks to get to him.

“Blinky!” he yelps, frozen on the spot, but the troll hushes him with a finger and after an anxious beat of his heart he sees them scramble to run away from the human as it reaches the bank and goes after him. “BLINKY?!” Walt cries out, tears coming to his eyes but he’s quickly scooped up into the arms of the chubby human.

“Be careful, kid, the tides comin’ up, let’s get you out of here.”

“But my papa-” he croaks.

“We’ll find him, don’t worry little dude.”

The rest of the story unfolds similarly to the movie, except Walt is nonverbal for a long part of the time Barb is a fish in the bowl of water. Later though, Barb licks a wound from Walt’s human skin and becomes a human girl (mostly), the two wander around getting into small hijinks at the senior center and around town while being (horribly) babysat by Toby and Wine Aunt Nomura, all the while Barb and Walt get closer and fall in love ❤️

But then Baby Barb is snatched away by Jim and Weeny Walt is left trying to find his big brothers and get back to Trollmarket but keeps questioning if they’ll take him back now.

Soon enough Baby Barb girlbosses her way out of Jim’s hold and makes it back to her green friend, in the process LITERALLY BRINGING THE MOON CLOSER TO THE EARTH AND RAISING THE TIDE UP MOUNTAINS. But it’s all chill, they figure it out in the end lol

As if this post isn’t long enough: some hcs!!!

Barb thinks all humans turn green at night and is very Confused™️ when Toby and Nomura Don’t???

She also thinks all human children are as quiet as Weeny Walt and when they get stuck in school she is very shocked when kids start talking to Weeny Walt like nothing

Walt is VERY attached to Aaarrrgghh and very obvious about it, his favorite brother fr while his relationship w Blinky is more of a play fight of who can be the smartest little buttsnack to each other and impress papa

If it’s kinda confusing: basically changelings in this au change between troll and human when sunlight hits them or darkness/shadow does and since baby Walt didn’t go out in the sun he didn’t know (Vendel knew but was convinced it wouldn’t matter if his little baby knew either way)

Walt wears a moss gauntlet-type thing around his forearm as a sign that he was adopted and spoken for by someone other than his mother

Barb is kinda scared of the dark so Walt shows her cool stuff like fireflies and Walt is scared of the water (because rocks SINK) and Barb shows him cool stuff like big fish and swimming

Barb is the ONLY person Walt talks to during a majority of their time with Nomura and Toby, he is very nonverbal and Barb is VERY verbal so she has enough words to speak for them both

She drags him everywhere and he just lets it happen because of course he does

(when i post, I POST OKAY)

[altocat]

EC is killing me because Nomura really said he was excited for everyone to explore Sephiroth’s younger days and then the first thing that happens when he shows up is be his usual stern, formal self and then immediately start getting bullied by some jealous older guy lmao. I’m not sure why it’s so funny to me but I get the feeling Seph can’t ever catch a break anywhere he goes xD

Glenn's gonna shove Sephiroth in a locker.

Let me tell you, of all the storylines they could have covered, I did NOT expect putting "Sephiroth gets bullied by grown adult" on my bingo card. It's weirdly great?? I kinda love it????

[best-underrated-anime]

Best Underrated Anime Group I Round 1: #I2 vs #I7

#I2: Three girls start a fun club and get into shit

During recess, Olivia, a foreign transfer student who doesn’t know English, plays a game of “look-the-other-way” with Hanako Honda, a loudmouthed airhead. Their rowdy behavior spurs the ire of Kasumi Nomura, a deadpan loner constantly teased by her older sister for her tendency to lose games.

Not willing to compete, Kasumi declines Olivia’s offer to join the fun, but eventually gets involved anyway and dispenses her own brand of mischief. Soon, a strange friendship blossoms between the peculiar trio, and they decide to form the “Pastime Club,” where they are free to resume their daily hijinks.

#I7: Older brother plays catch-up with his younger sibling

On a fateful summer night in 2006, Mutta Nanba and his younger brother Hibito witness what they believe to be a UFO flying toward the Moon. This impressing and unusual phenomenon leads both siblings vowing to become astronauts, with Hibito aiming for the Moon and Mutta, convinced that the eldest brother has to be one step ahead, for Mars.

Now an adult, life hasn't turned out how Mutta had pictured it: he is diligently working in an automotive company, whereas Hibito is on his way to be the very first Japanese man to step on the Moon. However, after losing his job, Mutta is presented with an unexpected opportunity to catch up to his younger brother when the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, commonly known as JAXA, accepts his application to participate in the next astronaut selection. Despite self-doubts about his prospects, Mutta is unwilling to waste this chance of a lifetime, and thus embarks on an ambitious journey to fulfill the promise made 19 years ago.

Titles, propagandas, trailers, and poll under the cut!

#I2: Asobi Asobase - workshop of fun -

Propaganda:

It’s really funny and hilarious and kind of hard to pin down the demographic and who they were trying to get to watch the show because the girls uniforms are ugly, they make ugly faces and funny noises, and one of the main characters has a strong fear/disgust of men. I live and then I had a really fun time watching it because it’s so out of pocket with the stuff they do.

Trigger Warnings: Gender Identity/Sexuality Discrimination.

One character is implied to be a trans girl and is called out for it by the main characters in a way that suggests they are uncomfortable with it. Her boyfriend is okay with it, though.

#I7: Space Brothers (Uchuu Kyoudai)

Propaganda:

Have you ever wanted to see adults pursue their dreams in anime, even those they abandoned along the way? Do you enjoy space or the arduous process to become an astronaut? Do you like characters being so well-rounded while still being positive even if they fail? Well, this series is exactly that, but with a touch more wholesomeness. Ranging from comedic moments to heartfelt revelations, this series feels so grounded in reality while still having that air of positivity around it, it just motivates you to follow any dream you might currently have. It is a long journey, almost 100 episodes, but it uses it well to flesh out not only the main pair, but many of the side characters, each coming from different backgrounds. A very character driven story that sometimes doesn’t shy in mentioning the risks of space exploration, but also presents us with the marvel and importance of it.

Trigger Warnings: Discussion of possible death. It’s not in depth, but there were moments where they did discuss the possibility of death since it has a high risk of happening in space.

If you’re reblogging and adding your own propaganda, please tag me @best-underrated-anime so that I’ll be sure to see it.

[kumoriyami-xiuzhen]

Hakuoki Shinkai Tenun no Shou Stellaworth Booklet “Her Long Day” Part 2

sorry this is late... but I've come down with chills, which is unfortunately unsurprising given how that happens when I go from a hot environment to a cool one... and I've just been tired and doing a lot of sleeping early... or passing out? 😂 Honestly, I almost never sleep before 10pm so it's been nice to indulge in being lazy... even if it's due to feeling a bit off.

Anyway, I haven't decided if I want to bother with cramming in two more of these "moments" before next thursday since I need to get to the artist's notes for Deemo... but w/e! Enjoy!

Also, the tl I've referenced isn't entirely consistent with the honorifics so I've put in what I think they are.

Hakuoki Shinkai Tenun no Shou Stellaworth Booklet “Her Long Day” Part 2

Translation by KumoriYami

Sìshí·Yamazaki Moment 《9~11 o'clock》

Everyone ate breakfast, and once all the dishes were washed.

Members went to patrol and train as part of their daily routine——.

And I set up medical tools, including a mill and mortar, in Yamazaki-san's room.

"Then, before Yamazaki-san returns, I'll get started first…"

I pounded the sun-dried flower petals, and opened up the notebook that contained medication prescriptions/recipes.

During my time as a page, I have frequently been assigned miscellaneous tasks...

The duty I was requested by Hijikata-san today was to help Yamazaki-san boil medicine for the team members.

While I was crushing petals, one of the raw materials…

"——I'm sorry, Yukimura-kun. I've kept you waiting."

The owner of the room opened the door and poked his inside as he spoke quietly.

"Yamazaki-san, I started first, is that alright?"

"Aahh, that's fine. I'll also help now too."

Yamazaki-san sat down in front of me, and narrowed his eyes as he looked at the notebook and spoke.

"Well, today… our main focus is to replenish the drugs that have an insufficient supply that are to be used soon."

"Yes. And Ito-san said that he had a sore throat and asked for cough medicine. After, Hijikata-san asked me to make some medicine for stomach pain."

"Ito-san aside, what happened to the Vice-Commander…? Why is he suddenly having stomach pain?"

"Uh, it appears that his stomach has severely been hurting since yesterday…"

"…..It was Okita-kun again. Really, what does that person think the Vice-Commander…"

Yamazaki-san breathed out a sigh, and began to pound the petals.

"Always playing pranks and causing trouble for him, and the Vice-Commander cannot ignore him… He's obviously a division captain, so he should have some respect for the Vice-Commander!"

"No, that's not it, Yamazaki-san. It seems that it wasn't Okita-san's fault this time, but Nomura-kun's."

"…Nomura-kun? What on earth did he do?"

Astonishment was on Yamazaki-san's face, and I trembled with fear as I spoke.

"Um… it seems like he was delivering a late night snack to HIjikata-san, and he accidently fell down in his room and caused half of the letters to get destroyed by fire..."

"....I see, I understand."

Yamazaki-san abruptly stood up, and I hurried added:

"No-Nomura-un didn't have any ill intentions! He just was a bit out of luck…"

"I understand. I merely want to teach him a very, very small lesson, and tell him that he needs to be careful about everything."

Yamzaki-san had a smile on his face, but there there was no smiling in his eyes, he then turned his back to me and spoke.

"……Anyway, at least, for approximately three periods of time*, it's only natural to have him seiza and listen."

"Three moments of time* will be from day until night...!"

T/N: I think this is based on the wadokei, the old Japanese way of telling time... which divided the day into 12 hours... or alternatively, it's based on rokuji, which divided a day into 6 periods of time... and I have no idea how best to word these "periods".

While quickly catching up to Yamazaki-san who was leaving, I prayed in my for Nomura-kun's fate.

Wǔshí · Iba moment 《11~13 o'clock》

Shinsengumi Headquarters · Nishi Hongan-ji Temple

In addition to how the room was used for assemblies, it was also used by members to eat, and because it was lunch time, the large hall was crowded with many members.

"Don't push! If you want get more rice, please line up!"

"Yukimura-senpai, the rice tub is almost empty again!"

"The next pot of rice should be cooked soon, so I'll quickly go and bring it!"

Normally, Souma-kun and I were usually on in charge of the meals for the executives that were close to Kondou-san and Hijikata-san, so we rarely helped meals for the ordinary team members...

But the person in charge today caught a cold, so Souma-kun and I were entrusted by Inoue-san to begin helping him wherever.

"This… this is complete chaos…."

In a moment someone won't have a dish or chopsticks/there won't be enough dishes and chopsticks, someone will want more rice in a moment, someone will spill soup and ask me for a rag…… and so on and so forth.

In the face of one rude voice after another, I felt like I was going to have my hands far too full.

Despite that, since I had agreed to Inoue-san's request, I still had to put in the effort to handle things well, even while feeling overwhelmed.

"——Chizuru, if possible, can I help?"

Iba-san grabbed hold of my hand, and took the rice paddle from my hands.

"Ib-Iba-san? Why are you here....?"

"I happened to have something I had to come here for… but, that can be talked about later. For now, we should handle the matter at first."

After those firm words were spoken, Iba-san clearly greeted the team members.

"Those who want more rice, you don't have to stand up. Please sit where you are and lift your rice bowl, and pass it down in turn."

"How about another serving of taro? Unfortunately, all of the taro has already been eaten so how about another serving of konbu? Konbu (こんぶ) and cheerful (こぶ) are homophones, but they are very" auspicious.

the word "cheerful" is a correct translation, but I think that's wrong... since what I found on what こぶ i means doesn't really make anything seem auspicious?

Iba-san was like a teahouse clerk, taking care of the team members in a clear and orderly manner.

Seeing him like that, I quickly continued to help——

Half an hour later, almost all of team members finished eating.

"It's almost over. Good work/You've worked hard, Chizuru."

In the almost empty hall, I hurriedly bowed my head to express my thanks to Iba-san.

"I'm sorry, I didn't expect to trouble Iba-san with chores…"

"Don't worry about it. I myself wished to help."

Hearing him say that, I relaxed a bit, though still felt apologetic.

Seeing how anxious I looked, Iba-san nodded as if he had suddenly thought of something.

"Since you're so worried about this…. how bout I receive a bit of remuneration/a reward?"

"Remuneration? I don't have a lot of money..."

"Not like that…. Just repay me with food personally cooked by Chizuru."

"……"

For a moment, I wasn't able to react to what he meant, so I blankly stared at him.

"Food that I cook… is that okay?"

"Nnn. To be honest, I came to headquarters today because I wanted to eat food that you cooked."

"…….I understand. In that case, I'm very honoured!"

Seeing Iba-san smile, I started thinking about what to cook for him.

---to be continued---

references used for the stuff about time:

wadokei: https://grapeejapan.com/181323

rokuji: https://wadokei.org/wadokei-developments/edo-divisions-of-day/

[indzae-mayumi]

Forgetting Michael Kaiser

(Kaiser x Ness fanfic. "Blue Lock" is by Kaneshiro Muneyuki, and illustrated by Nomura Yusuke)

(I am making this mature rating again because of Kaiser's violence.)

"I love you, Michael."

Ness declared with all his damn, obsessed heart. Yet, there was so much sincerity in his eyes and in his words, and all he ever wanted was to be with Kaiser and wish for some bit of affection from the German blonde.

"I don't," Kaiser nonchalantly replied.

"I know," Ness said, bowing his head. "I always knew you never will."

Kaiser snickered mockingly at him. "If you know, why do you take so much effort to confess? You're wasting your time and my time."

Ness did not reply. He could not tell the love of his life that he was dying to confess just to let the other know. Kaiser pulled Ness by his hair and brought his face closer enough to the midfielder's, and Ness with his twisted mind wished that even though Kaiser was angry at him, he would give him a soft kiss. Kaiser looked at Ness with a menacing squint before licking his lips. He enjoyed the anxious and terrified look on Ness' eyes.

"You think you could move me? Huh? Do you think your love could change me?" he mocked him. "What even is romantic love but some bull**** in the movies?"

There was an obvious hint of fear on Ness' eyes, and Kaiser was living for it.

"I'm sorry for feeling this way for you, Michael."

"Sorry? Huh! You're always doing things I hate. So sick of having you around. So sick of you doing all the wrong things and apologizing all over again. Makes me want to crush you."

Then, he pushed Ness' head violently as he released the hair of the latter. Then, he finished it off with a slap on Ness' cheek before dismissing him.

Ness went out of the room, holding his cheek. He loved it that Kaiser gave him some attention even though he was being humiliated. He still loved the way that Kaiser held him despite breaking his heart. His thoughts were filled with it as he entered the bedroom he shared with some of the Bastard Munchen regular members.

****

"What the?" Raichi exclaimed in worried surprise during one of their practices.

Ness coughed gently, but after cupping his mouth, he found light blue rose petals on his palm. That was why Raichi was startled.

"Hoy, are you... we know you are a lovesick fool, but do you have hanahaki disease?"

Only Raichi and Kurona noticed this, with the silent shark boy not saying anything. From the sidelines, Noa was barking at the three of them to get back to the position. And when Ness looked at Kaiser, the ace was looking at him with an impatient stare.

"Get back to your position, you stupid midfielder," Kaiser screamed at Ness.

"Who you calling stupid, huh???" Raichi shouted back as if insulted, for he was a midfielder too. And until now, he still shouted and growled.

"Not you, defensive midfielder," Kaiser shot back. "Who do you think I am working most closely with? It's definitely not you! Come here, Ness!"

Ness ran back to Kaiser, but when he stopped in front of the ace, he dropped his hands on his knees as he bent forward. He was catching his breath, like he had ran a marathon.

"Hey, we haven't even played for the full half of a game," Kaiser said impatiently. "What's wrong with you?"

But Ness held on hand on his chest. "I can't breathe."

Despite the haggard look on Ness' face, Kaiser did not get what he actually meant. He thought Ness was just playing around and taking him for a fool.

"You what?" Kaiser said in a deadpan expression before rolling his eyeballs. "Are you f*cking kidding me?"

But Ness started to cough again. This time, the cough was so violent that Noa had to stand up to run in the middle of the field.

"Alexis, are you okay?" it was seldom that Noa displayed some bit of emotion on his face.

But Kaiser turned pale the moment Ness pulled out his hand from his mouth. From the midfielder's hand dropped lots of blue rose petals, with one rose petal still hanging from his mouth. He immediately stepped forward and pull out the petal from Ness' mouth. So shook was he that he dropped the petal and put his hand on the midfielder's shoulder. He was so taken aback, but Ness did not get it since he was not feeling well, his mind preoccupied with his own pain.

"Alexis... let's go to the hospital now," Kaiser said, his voice shaking. He did not realize his own hands were shaking on Ness' shoulders too.

"No... I'd just get some rest," he said in a half-whisper.

"No, let's get you to the hospital," Noel Noa ordered. "Michael and I will be with you there."

Ness did not answer back. He'd just take orders from the master striker.

"The rest of you, continue our practice," Noa said. Then, he called another Bastard regular to oversee the practice.

****

In the doctor's clinic, the doctor was busy examining Ness. Noa brought along a spare AI-translating earpiece from Mikage Corp so that Ness and the doctor could talk, and so that he could ask questions should his member be unable to speak at all. The master striker side eyed Kaiser, who looked anxious as he sat beside him.

The Bastard Munchen ace was massaging his fingers and knuckles, not realizing he was doing it out of fear and anxiety. Kaiser probably looked like that when he was young, but he was showing some signs of weakness just because his midfielder was sick. Noa knitted his eyebrows, knowing that the ace rarely displayed signs of weakness, worry, or anything related to it. The ace was the real bastard in Bastard Munchen, bullying everyone and enjoying the negative reaction of the people to his malice.

The one who willingly received that malice the most was now being interrogated by the doctor, looking pale and sometimes incoherently answering the questions. And sometimes, catching his breath. And it looked like Kaiser's malicious curse was making his own wishes against the midfielder come true. He would have to confront the ace later.

"Michael, get out of the office and just stay by the door," Noa ordered him in a low voice that only the two of them could hear.

Much as Kaiser hated Noa, he obeyed. He went out of the doctor's office, closed the door, and paced uneasily.

Ness' obsession and possessiveness irritated Kaiser much as he enjoyed it because the former would give in to his whims and humiliations without question. But the thought of Ness dying because of him made him feel things he thought he never could.

Guilt?

It was the truth that he did not love Ness. But he did not know Ness would suffer hanahaki disease because of him. He could not reciprocate Ness' sick love the way Ness responded blindly and meekly to his insults and assault. And yet, he did not want Ness to die.

"Please Ness.... Please live for me," he begged in his thoughts as he let some tears fall down his eyes.

****

Ness went back with Kaiser and Noa to the Blue Lock facility, this time, with medication worth seven days. The rest of the BM members waited with anxiety as to how the dynamics between Ness and Kaiser would turn out after Ness was officially diagnosed with hanahaki disease.

The medicine given was the usual one given to someone just to curb the symptoms. In fact, Isagi knew that because months before he entered Blue Lock, he was given such medicine. He had been diagnosed with it too when he had a hopeless crush on a classmate. The girl he liked did not like him back, but after taking the medicine for a specific duration (his was 14 days), he later felt that he slowly lost interest at his crush because the girl was very selfish and would not share her notes to her classmates. Especially, the girl never gave him Math tips, and Isagi was bad with Math. And at that time, his team was preparing for the prefectural games. His mind got busy too, filled with the desire to win the prefectural games to compete at the Interhigh.

He tried to reason out to Ness why the medicine was necessary, but the German midfielder, who still hated Isagi's guts, told him to shut up with a sarcastic smile. Many of the German players asked him what he would do should the feelings linger, but he would only smile at them cryptically without saying anything.

****

During a practice the next day, Kaiser went to Ness, asking him if he was all right. Ness could see something he had not seen in Kaiser's eyes before.

"Don't worry about me, Michael," Ness lied to him to appease him. "Your servant will be fine and will still do your bidding."

"No... that's not what I meant," Kaiser said. "Did you take your medication already? Did you take it at the right time the doctor told you? Have you taken it before breakfast?"

The concern melted Ness' heart. Will Kaiser finally reciprocate his feelings? Or, he knew the emperor would still never, yet he found satisfaction in having Kaiser give him attention.

"It's new that you're this worried for me, Michael," Ness should. "I should bask on it while I still can."

The comment irritated Kaiser.

"So clingy," he thought. "How creepy could you get, Alexis?"

He wanted to slap Ness again, but the thought of his midfielder dying because of him had him close his fist and getting it back to his side. He heaved a sigh and told Ness to just pass to him, like he always had. Ness could see his condition was bothering Kaiser, and he lived for it.

That, and Noa's convo with him the night before had Kaiser very worried. He should not be, he thought. He was a selfish guy.

"The interaction between you two never fail to catch my attention, and yet, I keep silent about it because both of you produce the results that I want," Noa said to Kaiser with his usual stoic expression. "But I cannot help but think if Alexis' diagnosis will affect your rhythm with him in the field."

Kaiser looked at his mentor with disdain.

The master striker continued, "The other members of the team, excluding the Japanese ones as they're new, had been telling me things I know should have make me make a move sooner. I know the bullying you do to the other members, and Alexis' fight with them whenever you are involved."

"And so?" Kaiser shot back, left eyebrow arching high in defiance.

"Have you thought Alexis should have been better off dead than obsessively cling to you?" Noa finally asked.

The question stunned Kaiser. He had thought of death too many times, and though Ness was a menace to him, he never thought of wishing his teammate die.

"N...no! Not in my wildest dreams. Heck no!" Kaiser shot back, anger and fear rising up from his chest. "But I wish he should just stop being so obsessed with me."

"You are a deranged pair," Noa said dryly. "Alexis loves your bullying because he likes you, and you like to bully him because he doesn't retaliate. Maybe I should have everyone of you, including myself, scheduled for psychiatric exams."

With that, Kaiser got irate, "Are you insinuating we are sick in the head?"

"With the pressures the world is giving you all, maybe we all are sick in the head one way or another. I might need one, the Japanese students might need one. But you and Ness definitely need one. Don't argue with me."

****

Yet, the medicine could only get him that far. After seven days, the cough never left, and Ness started to cough out more petals again. The practice that afternoon was utterly exhausting, and Kaiser was doing his best not to snap at his midfielder. He asked in exasperation if the medicine was really working, but Ness lied again, telling him that it did, only that, he needed the chemicals time to work in his body.

Kunigami, who had been silent the whole time since Ness started coughing up petals, coldly gave a piece of advice that had Ness change into someone he usually wasn't--at least at him.

"I could barely stand your sick displays of affection. Get that damn surgery and stop pulling Bastard Munchen down."

The Japanese members gaped. Hot-headed Raichi was not able to say a thing. Yeah, sure, during their Team Z days, he and Kunigami butted heads often, and though he was Mr. Nice Guy, Kunigami blurted out swear words too. But he was never this rude, and Raichi still could not get used to edge lord Kunigami. Over-confident Yukimiya thought that Kunigami had stepped on the line he should not have. Isagi thought that Kunigami's rudeness was just something that he and his friends (especially Chigiri) could forgive, but oh damn, he had said something to one of the pillars of the team. Kiyora, Hiori, Igaguri, Neru, and Kurona were left speechless when they heard Kunigami say it. The German members also were stunned. The field suddenly got so silent you could hear the sound of a needle dropped on the floor.

Except that that said needle was Gagamaru's "Oh."

Ness turned slowly yet angrily at the ginger-haired muscle freak.

"Say that again, Noel Noa Clone," he ordered, ready to brawl.

"Do I need to drill it into your empty brain?" Kunigami came back with a deadpan expression.

And Ness flipped. He knew what that surgery mean. He'd rather die and see Kaiser suffer and have his attention for once, than forget all his feelings and memories for the ace. He rushed towards the more muscular guy and started a fight. He punched Kunigami, but the more muscular member just slapped his fist away. Soon, the BM members, both the Japanese members and the German members crowded to pull them apart.

Noa, who had a whistle with him the whole time, whistled indignantly at them before running towards the middle of the field. He berated Ness and Kunigami, and punished them in front of the team.

Bodies angled like the ladder, heads and toes on the field, hands at the back. Noa punished Kunigami and Ness in that position for fifteen minutes. The other members murmured among themselves, but Noa barked at them and had the two substituted for the practice.

"Jin Kiyora," the master striker called out the Blue Lock member. "Pass to Michael for now."

Kiyora nodded obediently and indifferently before running towards the position that Ness usually occupied in the field. From where he was situated, Ness looked at Kiyora jealously. He vowed that the Japanese guy should have a taste of his fist later. In his jealousy, he could not keep up with the punishment and ended up falling to the ground, coughing more petals again. And again, Noa ran back towards his team members and assisted Ness, still with his stoic face. He sighed in resignation and told Kunigami to stand up too. The punishment did not even take five minutes, but he had both of them benched.

And from the bench, Ness kept on coughing more petals. As he looked at Kaiser, the ace seemed to have a very worried look on his face, yet he did not attempt to go to his midfielder. Instead, he stood in place and was hit on the face by the ball that Kiyora passed to him.

****

After the practice, Kaiser thought he should punch Kiyora on the face, but he could deal with the Blue Locker some other time. Ness was more important to him right now. While Kunigami got back in the practice a little later, Ness was still benched. But before he was able to approach Ness, he saw Grim telling him something before moving away with the squad. The rest of the BM members left the field, Noa included. The master striker thought that Ness and Kaiser should have a little moment to themselves.

"That Shakespeare telling you verses again?" Kaiser nonchalantly asked Ness.

Ness looked up to him, his eyes shaking, his lips shuddering. Grim must have told Ness some things for him to be reacting this way.

"Rensuke was right," Ness finally said. "I should get that surgery."

A part of Kaiser was relieved. Getting that surgery would mean that Ness' obsession with him would be gone. But a part of him was worried because he secretly lived for Ness drooling over him, with that sick devotion that only that midfielder was willing to give.

"Benedict told me the same thing that Noa Clone told me earlier, and all the other German Bastards thought the same way for days already," Ness said.

Kaiser sat beside Ness. It was probably the first time he feared that Ness would leave him. He was used to dismissing Ness, only to beckon him whenever he wanted. He was used to getting his ways. But Ness leaving him on his own volition? Kaiser realized he feared someone dear to him would leave him. He hated being alone.

"Shall I go to the hospital with you?" Kaiser offered. "I'll take care of you throughout the whole hospital stay."

Ness sobbed. It would probably be the first and the last time that Kaiser would reciprocate, at least, like this.

****

Indeed, Ness underwent the surgery. Ego allowed Kaiser and Noa to exit the Blue Lock premises to accompany Ness to the hospital of Ego's choice. (After all, despite them being soccer rivals, Ego wanted the best hospital for his recruits, and most especially because the world's greatest striker is in Japan).

As Kaiser paced outside the operating room complex, his thoughts went back to that incident last night when Noa left them together inside Ness' VIP hospital room (which Ego gladly asked for from the hospital mainly because of Noel Noa, and because the staff of the hospital themselves were addicted to the soccer games livestreamed over BLTV).

Sure, he and Ness needed and wanted each other for their own gains. Ness was an emotional being who did things emotionally for him, while he was a selfish guy who did away with using Ness without feelings at all. And their toxic relationship went on even outside the soccer field, and many times, into the bedroom. Kaiser enjoyed Ness' deep feral kisses even though his feelings were just casual. He loved the way Ness fvcked him even if it was all just pure bodily pleasures and lust for him. He also loved the way Ness sounded with his disgusting yet delicious needy moans whenever it was he who took the lead.

But last night, when Ness kissed him, he could feel the desperation to have him feel the love of the other despite him not falling in love with Ness. But he could feel the tears running down Ness' cheeks as they kissed. Ness kissed him like this for the last time. It felt like the midfielder was kissing him goodbye. And he knew that Ness will no longer kiss him like this after the surgery. Ness might not kiss him anymore. If he did, it will feel like the kisses he had with his flings. It will no longer hold the irritating emotions that Kaiser so wanted to get away with.

Noa and Kaiser were alarmed when a staff went out of the operating room door. They thought something must have happened to Ness, though Noa had to console Kaiser and tell him that it was not only Ness who was operated on that morning, for they saw two more patients being wheeled in earlier that day.

But said staff came back later with a blood cooler. Kaiser looked at the master striker with a look of horror on his face, but the master striker kept a stoic face.

A few minutes after the staff entered the operating room complex with the blood cooler, a doctor came out of the door. Noa and Kaiser were anxious, thinking that the operation was not successful.

"Congratulations," the surgeon greeted them. "The operation went very well."

The surgeon explained that they had extracted the shrub that had started to grow inside the lungs, and had to take out the roots and some of the flowers already lodging inside the heart. He explained that there was not much blood loss during the surgery. The patient would be wheeled to the room once stabilized, he told them.

Noa and Kaiser heaved a sigh. Once the doctor left, Noa remarked to no one in particular that the blood that the staff took inside the complex was, thankfully, not for Ness.

A part of Kaiser was at ease, knowing that along with the branches, roots, thorns, leaves, and flowers, Ness' destructive passion towards him had been taken out. But he wondered if Ness would still talk to him like the old Ness that he knew.

****

Ness slept the whole night once he was wheeled inside his hospital room. When he woke up, he blinked until his vision got accustomed to the sunlight outside the window. As he turned his head towards his right, he found Kaiser coming towards him. The ace looked like he was sleeping lightly to wake up in case he had woken up. Kaiser sat on the chair near the bedside and held Ness by the hand. Ness saw some kind of hope flashing in the ace's eyes, though he clearly remembered he never showed this side of him.

"Are you okay now Ness? Is something painful?"

Ness blinked. He realized that Kaiser's voice did not sound so appealing to him anymore. He remembered adoring Kaiser's handsome features, but to him now, he just looked like the kind of handsome that he would pass by on the streets. The surgery... must have worked.

"My chest feels tight," Ness croaked, speaking for the first time since the operation. "I guess it must have been the wound from the operation."

Kaiser realized that the midfielder's operation must have been successful because instead of the latter lovingly asking the ace if he had eaten or slept well, Ness simple asked when he would be allowed to eat. On top of that, Kaiser realized that Ness did not make any effort to move his hand (which Kaiser still held) to intertwine with the ace's. The ace suddenly felt the coldness of the midfielder, and he longed for the annoying touch of the latter.

A part of him was glad that Ness was no longer clingy. A part of him missed the attention the midfielder gave him before. And it was evident that Ness did not care anymore because the midfielder asked for his phone, and when he had it, started scrolling over his social media feeds instead of talking with Kaiser.

"Do you need anything else?" Kaiser asked.

"I'm good."

"Uhm, Noa said he'll come by this morning," Kaiser said, trying to make a conversation with him. "He'll probably let any of the guys lead practices today."

"Hmm," Ness said without looking at him, his eyes still pinned to his phone.

Short-tempered Kaiser slapped the phone from Ness' hand and held him harshly on his chin, making the midfielder look at him. The phone, fortunately, just landed beside Ness. He was angry because Ness did not give him his full attention. Kaiser looked at Ness in the eye, and for the first time, all he saw was not the humiliated or the fearful look on Ness whenever the former was angry. It was defiance. For the first time, Ness defied his emperor. Kaiser's look changed from anger into that of confusion, so he gently removed his hand from Ness' chin. And for the first time, he said something he would have never said to Ness.

"I'm... I'm sorry," he stuttered before retreating to the sofa by the window.

Ness only knitted his eyebrows before getting his phone. And also, for the first time, Ness spoke to him very indifferently.

"How bold of you to hold me harshly on my chin like that, Michael," Ness said as he continued scrolling from where he thought he had left off. "I just woke up from surgery."

Kaiser bit his tongue in anger and frustration. He wanted to lash out at Ness, but maybe he also got what he wished for. The Ness who once was all over him was gone. The Ness in front of him acted like how the other Bastard Munchen players acted around him.

"For someone who just woke up from surgery, you have the energy to look at your phone," Kaiser told Ness sarcastically... in his mind. "How vigorous."

And suddenly, he felt that Ness was so far away even though they both were so near.

****

Because Ness was young and healthy, he recuperated fast, to the delight of the surgeon. His surgical wound was clean, and he showed no signs of infection either. The nurses also liked him because he was cooperative.

As for Noa, he was very well pleased that Kaiser was taking good care of Ness the way Ness used to take good care of Kaiser. He noted that the surgery went well because Ness was no longer clingy, though he noted the wistfulness in Kaiser's eyes.

He knew very well that Kaiser hated showing signs of weakness, but even though the ace did not say anything, it was evident that now, it was Kaiser pining for Ness.

"What a plot twist," Noa thought to himself.

****

On the night before Ness was to be discharged, Kaiser was massaging Ness' hands. Ness looked at their hands together and let out a cryptic smile.

"What's with that smile?" Kaiser asked.

Ness took a moment to think before he replied, "You touching my hand feels so familiar and yet so foreign."

"And why is that?"

"I know you hold my hand many times before, even if you were holding it tenderly or if you hold my hand to hurt me. I know you had always been bullying me," Ness told him. "I know it, but I also know that I once had feelings for you. It's just now that I can't remember how it felt those times. I know the surgery took out my feelings along with the flowers. If letting go is supposed to be gradual, then mine feels like it isn't. The feeling of pining over you is removed so suddenly, my heart forgot how it even feels. You know? It's like, my mind remembers everything, but my heart doesn't."

"Do you mean that it feels like a piece of you is suddenly taken away?"

"Yes."

Kaiser stopped massaging Ness' hands. He suddenly felt nostalgic, and much as he hated to admit it because he saw it as a sign of weakness, but he could not help feeling that way. He never knew what tenderness was, and yet he longed for the needy (yet creepy) affection and attention that Ness once gave him. He might not have wanted all those affection, but all those years of Ness giving himself to him must have filled his empty heart to the brim. He looked at his midfielder in the eyes, and with the sincerity that he tried so hard to put on, he asked.

"Do you still love me, Alexis?"

And Ness answered swiftly, nonchalantly. "I don't love you anymore, Michael."

Ness could see the look of pain and longing in Kaiser's eyes, and he knew right there that the tables had turned. He knew that this was the kind of affection his old self would have wanted from the ace, but because of the surgery, he did not understand why he was so in love with a manipulative guy in the first place.

Kaiser smiled wistfully and only replied in a half-whisper, "Okay."

Ness did not interrupt Kaiser who continued massaging his hands. And he did not take out his hand from the ace to wipe away the tears rolling from Kaiser's cheeks.

Ness sighed. He saw Kaiser throwing his frustration and anger at him. He saw Kaiser smile at him with disdain, or whatever malicious intent the ace could dish out for his own satisfaction. But it was the first time he saw the ace crying over him.

Yes. Michael Kaiser was crying over Alexis Ness.

And yet, Ness felt nothing. He could not understand why Kaiser would shed tears for him. Maybe out of guilt? Or maybe more.

"The old me would have loved the tears you shed tonight, Michael," Ness said to himself. "The new me cannot comprehend that."

****

Finally, Ness was able to return to Blue Lock, but he was not allowed to play for a time. And so, it meant that Kiyora would have to take his place.

During a practice session with the team, Ness watched how Kaiser treated Kiyora. He realized that before, he would put up with any abuses that Kaiser did to him. But Kiyora was different. He did not fight back, but every time Kaiser would flare up, the Japanese guy would just shrug his shoulders and cross his arms in a bored manner, as if defying the ace. Kiyora was seriously so cool and chill, yet he knew when to put Kaiser in his place. If it had been Raichi, Kaiser would already have a dislocated jaw, but it would earn Raichi a "red card" even in practice. But Kiyora chose to ignore Kaiser and waited for the ace to end his temper tantrums. He also saw that other wavy-haired guy with glasses, whatsisnameagain(?), giving Kiyora a high-five.

It began to hit Ness that before Blue Lock, the Germans were playing as a team, but playing around Kaiser. With the Blue Lock system in place where the Japanese were trying to outbid each other for the national team, Bastard Munchen had become a chaotic team where factions had emerged. His old self did not like it because he was extremely loyal towards Kaiser, but his new self saw it was probably a good way to challenge the status quo. And it all started with the guy he used to hate the most--Isagi Yoichi.

Many nights later, Kaiser went to the soccer field inside the German stratum to practice by himself. His was not really here to upgrade his skill but to get Ness out of his mind. Just this day, Ness was allowed to play, and he took his usual place, while Kiyora moved back to left back in the opposing team during practice. But when Ness made a mistake, Kaiser strutted towards his midfielder and scolded him to bits. But Ness only looked at him nonchalantly like the way Kiyora did and apologized in the same manner. In Kaiser's anger, he was about to pull Ness by the hair. But the midfielder slapped his hand away to the shock of everyone in the field. The old Ness was one who took such abuse, but the new Ness fought back and put the emperor in his place. Kaiser saw a different look in Ness' eyes and went back to his post, defeated.

"Ugh, dammit!" Kaiser cursed as he kicked the ball mercilessly.

The ball hit the goal post and bounced back, but it was kicked lightly by someone who just came in.

"Benedict?" Kaiser asked. He did not expect the resident poet to come join him tonight.

"It is of my impression that the demeanor that Alexis displayed earlier was not to your liking," Grim remarked in his usual theatric manner.

"Quit talking like that, will you? It's disgusting," Kaiser said in exasperation.

"But the despaired look in your eyes tonight is like that of a hopeless sinner looking for salvation," the poetic midfielder replied, brushing off the remark Kaiser gave earlier. "What better way than to lay bare your heart and what pain is gnawing away your soul, oh, so disgustingly slow?"

Kaiser huffed in anger, "Isn't it obvious? Alexis does not obey me anymore! You can see how he disregarded my authority earlier in the field."

Grim only looked at him nonchalantly, and Kaiser hated it. Why is everybody looking at him that way, the pathetic a**holes that they are? Is Kunigami Rensuke's poker face infecting them as well? Kaiser hated showing his weakness, but his voice gave away when he talked about Ness again.

"Alexis did not come to my room to wake me up anymore. He does not eat with me anymore. Can you see how he prefers to eat alone instead of eating with me? Or with you guys? He does not respond to my texts anymore. What's up with that? And now, he... he does not worship me like he used to."

"Oh, but to be in such a difficult situation is difficult indeed!" Grim remarked. "You should have been careful with your wish, and now, your dutiful servant flees from your sadistic grasps. But without that surgery, and especially without you offering back the love Alexis so desired from you, he would leave this world and you with feelings unresolved such that you might not get over it even after forever."

Kaiser understood what Grim meant, but the latter should really stop talking like he came out of a literature book.

"Does that mean he does not want me anymore?"

"If I shall say it this way, with the incision closed, the chapter of Alexis and his harbored feelings of love for you have closed as well. Though there were also rumors that my inquisitive ear had caught that sometimes, those feelings still linger, unbeknownst to the one who used to pine and love, and might return if the feelings of love is strong."

A ray of hope lit up Kaiser's face, "Does... does that mean that if it happens, Alexis will love me again?"

Grim looked at him in astonishment. "If rumors are true, then, yes. Those feelings of love might return. But I may ask, what's with this.... sudden flash of anticipation on your fair face? Might you want to deal with him unfairly again, subjecting your dear midfielder to your painful ways?"

Kaiser shook his head. He'd rather die than admit it, but he had to admit it anyway. After all, Grim told him to tell his concerns.

"I think.... I have fallen in love with Alexis," Kaiser confessed.

A knowing smile lit up Grim's face before he replied, "With sincere words, be convincing such that his steps will lead him back to you."

And Grim kicked the ball back to Kaiser and left. The talk with Grim gave Kaiser an inspiration. He had to talk to Ness.

(fanfic writer's note: It's easier for me to write in Aryu's speech than it is to write in Grim's.)

****

Kaiser succeeded in having Ness' roommates agree to have him and the midfielder have a moment the next night. Ness wondered why Ali, Gesner, and Sachs left the room altogether. And a few minutes later, Kaiser entered the room without knocking. Ness immediately sat up, eyebrows knitting, wondering what Kaiser wanted from him after giving him the cold shoulder.

"It's funny how you're now chasing me when I used to chase you," came Ness' mocking remark when Kaiser sat on Ali's bed in front of Ness.

"I know," Kaiser said. "It's why I am here to talk... with...to you."

Kaiser really did not know what a faithful love feels like, having not experienced it in childhood. All he knew in his teens was flirting with people and using his charms and his looks to feed his lust. That was it. But being all butterflies and feeling clammy like this? He thought it was probably the first time he felt something like this. And with Ness being difficult, hard-to-get, and running away from him, he felt like Ness was worth chasing.

Kaiser looked at Ness, who looked back at him. Their gaze for each other never left as the ace stood to sit beside Ness on his bed. Ness could see the blush on Kaiser's cheeks, and it was probably the first time that he saw the ace with such blushes, shuddering lips, and uncertainty on his face. Kaiser raised his hand and gently cupped Ness' cheek. To his surprise, Ness instinctively closed his eyes, whimpered, and leaned tenderly on Kaiser's palm. Kaiser's insides warmed up to see this happening.

Grim was right. There were instances indeed wherein feelings come back after surgery because the love was too strong.

Kaiser blushed even more when Ness' eyelids fluttered slowly, and his round doe eyes looking at him with that kind of adoration and affection the midfielder once had for him.

"Can I kiss you?" Kaiser asked in a voice that is more audible than a whisper.

"Yes, please," Ness whispered.

Kaiser leaned forward and planted a kiss on Ness' lips. The midfielder wrapped his arms around the ace, bringing the two of them closer. And Kaiser once again felt those tears on Ness' cheeks, like the night when they kissed before Ness' surgery.

And yet, unlike the lecherous kisses they mostly shared, this one was the most chaste and the most sincere that Kaiser offered to his dear midfielder. After the kiss, the two of them leaned back to look at each other in the eyes.

"I... I don't care if you don't love me anymore... But I love you," Kaiser confessed.

Ness' eyes hinted of confusion, "W... what?"

Kaiser looked at him sincerely, the hint of malice not in his eyes, "It's true. When you started avoiding me, it's me who's starting to hold this hopeless feeling towards you."

"What did you do to me, Michael? I... I thought I had forgotten about it."

This time, it was Ness who leaned forward and kissed Kaiser like how he kissed him before. With all the love and affection that he could give. After the kiss, Kaiser leaned on to Ness' forehead and held him tenderly.

"Is it all right with you to stay with me... in my room tonight?" he asked.

Ness knew. His mind knew. And his heart learned once again. Kaiser had never asked him for permission before. The surgery indeed had changed him and his dear Michael Kaiser. The feelings Ness knew his heart had forgotten had once again crept back. But instead of the intense feelings of craving and possessiveness that haunted him before, the feelings he had were a tad milder.

"Yes," he whispered back.

The two of them left the BM regulars' room to go to Kaiser's bedroom. And instead of engaging in their usual sensual affairs, the two of them just lay on bed, cuddling. Kaiser took the dominant role and wrapped his arms around Ness, who "obediently" yet cautiously snuggled close. Their after-sex pre-surgery consisted of endings like this, with Kaiser cuddling his midfielder but without those warm feelings. Ness knew that his past self had always yearned for cuddles like this with the feelings associated with it, but Kaiser only gave it to him like this after the midfielder lost all feelings for the ace.

"It's him chasing me now," Ness thought. "I always knew Kaiser loves the chase and would love going through difficulty for something that he wants. I guess I was just too easy back then. Makes him want to bully me because I just swallow everything. And now that I lost my feelings for him after the surgery, it's him going after me with the intent of having me look back at him."

The thought of a love-recipient reciprocating his love (and in turn, felt like sweet revenge if Ness' old heart could feel it) made Ness warm inside. He did not know what Kaiser did to him. He knew the surgery removed everything about his beloved, but somehow, he was still led back to his emperor, who looked at him in a new light.

****

"Hoy, hoy!" Yukimiya told Hiori and Kurona when he and Isagi entered their shared four-man bedroom excitedly in haste. "Isagi and I saw Kaiser and Ness going out of Ness' bedroom, and they're holding hands!"

"Huh, I wonder if Kaiser will bully him again," Hiori replied. "Makes me worried."

"Uh... they look sweet," Isagi replied. "Something must have happened."

"Oh, that's cute cute!" Kurona remarked.

"I still can't help but worry," wise Hiori said. "There are instances of feelings coming back after surgery, but I just hope Kaiser-san won't fall back to his old habits. Much as I am not fond of Ness-san, I still worry he would allow his master to bully him once again."

"Mm, we hope not," Isagi said knowingly. "It's just weird that Kaiser looked at Ness with fondness."

"I agree," Yukimiya said, nodding his head. "Isagi and I definitely saw that."

"We'll see about that tomorrow. Hai, hai," Kurona told them with a cautious smile to hide his sharp teeth.

Isagi just smiled. Maybe nothing will change regarding the dynamics within Bastard Munchen. Maybe Kaiser will still hate him like he was about to take his life. But as for Ness and Kaiser, the Japanese forward sure was hoping that things will not be rocky between the two Germans. He hoped that by this time, Kaiser had learned his lesson and would treat Ness right.

--end--

[otobabe]

Omg girlie (gender neutral) I was not expecting you to include Kondou!!! If you have others you’re thinking ab def tell us!

ugh kondou is just so good!!!! and that's not just my daddy issues talking!!!

More praise thoughts/headcanons~

(from) Harada: He's infatuated with his partners, that much is certain. Especially in the beginning of a relationship (or fwb situation) he's full of compliments that make you feel like you're in the center of a nsfw fairytale, examples like "oh my god you're adorable" and "you really know how to get me going". Later on, if you express interest in exploring~ and more praise, he'd get really into praises that emphasize size differences or age differences. "I love to see your little hole taking my big cock so well", "My older man/woman/partner is so good at teaching me new things", "What a cute little princess/prince/majesty you are, riding daddy's big dick so well " (yes i am assigning sano both milf fucker and daddy kink, this is my barbie dream house)

(to) Souji: in the right moments you'll send shivers down Souji's spine with a "Souji-kun~ you look so cute like this~", praises with a teasing edge, almost on the brink of sounding degrading, can get him blushing and embarrassed from how hard he gets hearing it come from your mouth. He likes to banter and has more attitude and walls up than most can bear, just make sure if your praising him it's playful and not too serious or accidentally hurtful ;)

from) Amagiri the type to kiss you mid-moan then send you reeling with his low voice telling you "Quiet now, I want to hear how wet you are for me/I want to hear you take in my thrusts". Erotic, deep, sensual, that's the game Amagiri plays, but it comes out naturally. Nothing he says will sound like he read it from some '50 ways to get in their pants' how-to book. He's kinky, but classy, urging you on both with his words and his fingers, and it's a pleasant surprise when you catch him teasing you with a hint of a smile like, "don't give in now, I'm just getting started".

to) Motoyama: To be friends with Iba and to have taught Iba many many things over their lives, Motoyama has got to have some special characteristics, one of those is that he loves to be praised. Iba might praise his partner often, but as far as his bestie goes it doesn't happen often but is very genuine when it does, and that's something Motoyama craves in romantic experiences too! I know I said this about Nomura as well, but it's true for both of them: Motoyama looooves to be called a "pretty boy", he doesn't have that haircut for nothing. He's also a reader and though he's not normally reading romance, he does love praises with a little more substance to them, "You're intoxicating", "i love how obedient you are", "you look so silly squirming like that, but don't worry, I know you can endure this<3", all examples of words that will keep him straining in his pants 💖

more praise headcanons below the cut!

from) Ootori: Ahhhh Ootori Keisuke, my sassy "30-something" plot device lol. He's such a tease, you'd be surprised how much filth can come out of his outwardly-polite mouth. This tea drinking, romance novel reading, aristoCAT is all about shmoozy words in bed. Honestly, he's quoting from stuff he's read before and hoping you won't notice. "You look as beautiful as the morning glory's flower, my love~ Your legs are opening up for me quite nicely~", whenever he opens his mouth it makes you question whether or not you should expect better from him, or whether it's exactly the kind of charming corniness you need in your life (it is). He wants to come home to you trying on some new lingerie and praise "what a thoughtful little slut you are<3", he wants to bring you almost to orgasm over and over again and then tease that he "loves how needy you are".

from) Kimigiku: Ugh the most perfect femdom is here!!! She can give you gentle or kinky, it's all about giving YOU what YOU want. While not exclusively a service top, she does love to give a lot of coaxing like "doing so good, princess/prince/majesty" and "i'll take care of you cutie, i promise, just give me one more, I know you can". Now let's say you've touched her nerves a little this week: stayed out a little late with your coworkers, or gave her attitude a couple times... She's more than willing to tie you up and taunt you, telling you "Oh, I'm sure you can get out of those restraints yourself, right? Such a big strong man/woman/lover that I have". She'll degrade you and make it sound like the most enchanting curse you've ever heard; "I love using you", "No one else could ever match up to you, my biggest whore<3", "You don't need to cum, right? It's enough just to please me, right?"

from) Yamazaki: Hakuouki's own sweet little romantic nerd + killer spy <3 Idk if anyone else was surprised that he's canonically supposed to be 30 but I was when I first saw it lol! He's experienced: with sneaking around, one night stands, keeping things quiet, but when he finds someone special he turns into a blushing mess. His duality also pertains to praise, he likes hearing it and giving it, and he also likes giving and receiving degradation, just not normally at the same time ;). If you want him to he'll definitely put on his spy persona in bed for you! That said, he loves to assure you "Don't worry, you're safe with me, you can let it all out, you sound so beautiful", and loves to make little promises in bed when you're pleasing him like "That's my baby, I'll reward you so well for this. I love to see you full of me".

to) Yamazaki: Like I said, I think he's a duality-pleasing man. Praise him in bed and he's working double time to please you. Very enthusiastic when hearing what you like, if you tell him "I love it when you give me head", he'll make sure to spend extra time pleasing you down there~

to) Miki: Beat up his ego a little bit. Unlike Souji, Miki is a brat who can take what he gives. He's down with being called a slut/whore/etc or being referred to as your sex toy. If you top him it's a secret turn on of his to get embarrassed so saying "I know it hurts but you're taking it so well!" is an insta-nut. He's also into hearing you egg him on when he's being a brat and rub it in when he gives in, "You're such a good listener when I give you what you need, huh?" and "Can't you beg sweeter than that? Or is it beneath you even when you're already on your knees for me?"

from) Miki: Aaaaand he gives as good as he gets~ His mouth is filthy, and he's shameless when it comes to fucking you. Brash and abrasive, he'll tell you that "you look so beautiful with my cock in your mouth" with a haughty smirk on his face and he knows his confidence is a turn on in this case. He's not pussyfooting around what he means, with "you can beg better than that, little slut" often proceeding a later groan of "your screams sound so good baby". If you've been flirting or sexting before meeting up, he loves to throw in a "I've been waiting all day to put my cock in you" as soon as he walks through the door.

[quietpagan]

in the first episode of trollhunters we learn eli sees the fight in the canal to some extent. do you think he saw it in What Falls And What Grows? did he catch a glimpse of Alex too? iirc it says she's hidden from onlookers but what about when kanjigar is following her??

I don't have a super-deep answer to that pertaining to the plot of my story in particular right now. BUT I don't think that the people of Arcadia are as oblivious as the supernatural denizens seem to think or would like to believe. The city, for one, has features and buildings that don't really match up with the population size, such as the enormous high school and ridiculously huge museum. That thing belongs in New York, not a smallish-city like Arcadia. (And I'm aware that populating a city properly within the graphic confines and budget of a Netflix show would be unattainable but we're talking lore here, not pragmatics.)

We have to remember that in the book, there was an actual 'Milk Carton Epidemic' because of all of the kids who got eaten went missing. There's a huge community of trolls living under the city. I surmise that Arcadia used to be much more densely populated, but after so many children disappeared and weird things were happening, a lot of people moved away, and the ones who stayed take into account that things don't away add up.

Was Jim really the only one who noticed the Stalking flying around? Does nobody look out their window at night, or go to dinner late in the evening? Did nobody notice Bular walking into a residential neighborhood to peek into the Lake house's kitchen window? Goblins ate an entire truck without anybody seeing? And does NOBODY notice all of the weird shit that Nomura stuffs into that museum? There's an underground Changeling cult-house and a wizard base, too.

I posit that the Arcadians are used to things being a little strange in their lovely little city, and firmly choose to ignore it. Eli goes against the grain and actively tries to find out what it is, but he is the exception. Some homeless guy or early-morning jogger definitely noticed a big lumbering rock in glowy armor stumbling around and decided I Do Not See. At least one group of dudes coming back from the bar noticed Alex dragging along a sheet-covered Kanjigar toward the canal, and swiftly turned to walk down another street.

Arcadia draws weird folk for a reason, and the residents are very dedicated to Not Having A Clue. If you pretend you don't see it, it may pretend that it didn't see you, too.

[milaisreading]

CD!YN does that accidental rizz all the time to the boys. They trip and she catches them. Stray football flying towards them? She blocks it. They twist their ankle? She carries them princess style to the infirmary.

🌱🩷: Here it goes! Hope you like the fic and thanks for the request!

Warning: Reader uses she/her, but since she is crossdressing the boys use he/him. Requests are open

⚽️Blue lock belongs to Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura⚽️

"Isagi. Rin. Stop arguing, you two. We are not going anywhere with this and we still have to practice." (Y/n) called out as her, Aryu, and Tokimitsu watched the two bicker about God knows what now.

"He started it! If he stopped being in my way I wouldn't be arguing!" Rin said as Isagi pouted.

"In your way?! We are practicing together here!"

'They act like kids.' (Y/n) looked at them in disbelief as they continued arguing like nothing happened.

'Ok. That's it. This is worse than when I had to teach Reo and Nagi.' She thought as she walked to one of the abandoned balls and kicked them in their direction.

"Watch out!" Tokimitsu yelled as Aryu looked at (Y/n) in surprise. Luckily, Isagi and Rin noticed the football and moved away, so the ball just flew between them and into the wall.

"Huh..." Isagi gulped as he looked back at (Y/n) while Rin silently backed away as she gave them a tight smile.

"You two... What did I say about arguing for no reason?" She asked cheerfully, walking closer to them.

"To... to not do it." Isagi said back.

"And what did you two do?"

"Argue for no reason." Now it was Rin's turn.

"Exactly. 20 laps around the training grounds. Now."

"What?! Since when do you have a say in this?" Rin asked as he shook a little in fear.

"So 30, then?"

"I-"

"40?" She interrupted Isagi, causing the two to quickly shake their heads.

"We will run! We will run!" They said as (Y/n) nodded her head, unaware of Tokimitsu's awestruck look and Aryu's swooning.

'Amazing! He is so brave for that!!' Tokimitsu thought while blushing.

'What grace and dashing confidence! I like that!' Aryu thought in return as (Y/n) looked back at the two.

'Do they have a fever?' She wondered in worry when she noticed their red faces.

⚽️

Now, (Y/n) wasn't familiar with friendships and their bonds. Her whole life she mostly spent her time playing football, studying, or going to some random gatherings with her family. The most she got of the experience of friendships was from Reo and Nagi back in Hakuho, and even that wasn't much. But, if there was one thing she knew, it is that you shouldn't ignore someone in distress. Especially when it was someone she could consider her friend. That's how she found herself walking up to Niko when she noticed him walking back and forth one night after it was already past everyone's bedtime.

"Are you ok, Niko? Why are you up so late?" She asked in worry as the youngest contestant looked at her in surprise.

"Oh... I am fine. I just couldn't sleep." The boy admitted, causing (Y/n) to rise an eyebrow.

"And why is that? Today's exercises would have made anyone fall asleep." (Y/n) argued back as the boy quietly looked down.

"You know, you can tell me if something bothers you. I don't mind listening." She offered, her tone softening a little as she leaned her back against the wall, something Niko copied soon after.

"Well... I just don't know if I want to be here anymore." Niko admitted, surprising the girl.

"And why is that? You are holding up very well, and your skills are great, too."

"It's just, I remembered something. It's all." The boy said, not ready to confess that the words of his high school bullies were haunting him. (Y/n) kept on looking at the boy, wondering what to do or say.

'I always felt at peace when my nanny or mom would pet my head. Maybe that works here as well?' She thought, slowly moving her hand on top of Niko's hair.

'It's so soft!' She thought, mot noticing the boy tense up or his face turn red.

"Whatever is bothering you is normal. We all have our doubts here, but don't let them control your life." She said softly.

"A-alright." Niko stuttered out. Noticing his nervousness, (Y/n) panicked a little and tried to move her hand a way.

"Sorry about that! It's something my mom used to do-"

"It's ok! I like it!" Niko quickly said and grabbed her hand, moving it back on his hair.

⚽️

"Chigiri? Are you doing alright? You seem quite out of breath." (Y/n) asked in worry as the redhead looked back at her, quickly nodding his head.

"I am fine! Don't worry! I can still stand! My leg is alright!"

"I never asked about your leg." (Y/n)'s words caused Chigiri to flinch and he looked down on the ground as (Y/n) walked closer to him.

"Your ankle hurts, I am guessing." She said, not getting an answer in return, which pretty much confirmed her suspicions.

"Look, I am fine. I can handle this, let's just continue on with our practice." Chigiri argued, a little bit embarrassed by the whole thing. (Y/n), being more stubborn here than he was just sighed and walked up to Chigiri, quickly picking him up.

"Huh?!" The redhead let out surprised, looking back at (Y/n) with a red face.

"What... What are you doing?!"

"Taking you to the infirmary, and then you will rest. You already did enough for the day." (Y/n) answered simply as the boy started protesting.

"But we need to practice-"

"Your well being comes first, Chigiri. Please don't argue with me over this." (Y/n) warned as she continued to carry Chigiri down the hallway. The boy could feel his heartbeat quickening as he looked back at (Y/n), not saying anything for a minute or two.

"Why do you care so much?" (Y/n) looked back at Chigiri in confusion.

"I just do. I don't like seeing you hurt... or anyone else on that matter." (Y/n) stated.

'He cares for me that much?!' Chigiri thought happily as his face got redder.

'Another fever?!' (Y/n() thought in worry as she noticed that.

⚽️

"Food! Finally! Its been so long since I ate!" (Y/n) exclaimed as Karasu, Otoya, and Yukimiya looked at her in amusement.

"You say that like you are getting starved here or something." Karasu teased, poking (Y/n)'s cheek. Yukimiya chuckled and put and arm around the excited girl's shoulder.

"Leave him alone. It's kinda cute when you get like this, you know." Yukimiya said while winking earning an eyeroll from Otoya and Karasu.

"Huh? Like what? Also, what do you all think we will get for desserts today? It is a Saturday, after all." She wondered, oblivious to Yukimiya's words, which caused Otoya to laugh a little.

"Your flirting skills are so mid, Yukki."

"Whatever." Yukimiya sent Otoya a side-glare, but still kept his arm around (Y/n)'s shoulders.

"Let's just get him some food." Karasu argued, pinching (Y/n)'s cheek as she protested at that behavior.

Once they were in the dining hall, the group walked to an empty table with their meals in hand.

'Delicious!' (Y/n) thought while munching on her food, too lost in her thoughts to notice the trio looking at her while blushing.

'So cute!' Yukimiya sighed.

'I bet it would be even better to pinch his cheeks now...' Karasu blushed while fighting back the urge to grab the other player's cheeks.

'So adorable! I can die happily knowing I witnessed this!' Otoya thought as he put some of his food in front of (Y/n).

"Take some of my food as well." Otoya said, surprising the girl.

"But, it's yours-"

"No! Take mine! The grilled chicken us way better!" Yukimiya argued, pushing Otoya's food away.

"No! Here! These veggies are way better." Karasu argued as the trio glared at each other.

"Ahh... I am fine with the food I have." But her words were ignored.

⚽️

It was one of the rare few days when the Blue Lock team could go home and relax for a bit. And on this day in particular (Y/n) had agreed to meet up with Isagi to watch a movie that recently came out.

"Isagi!! There you are! Sorry, I had to get ready and I didn't notice how late I was." The blue-eyed boy looked away from his phone and towards (Y/n), freezing up for a moment before slowly shaking his head.

"I-it's alright. I arrived here a few minutes ago as well..." The boy said back as his face slowly turned red the more he looked at (Y/n).

"Oh, thank God. Sorry, I had to figure out how this eyeliner worked, it's my first time putting it on."  The girl explained taking in a few breathes and looked back at Isagi. The girl and boy kept looking at each other in silence for a few minutes, which caused her to grow self-conscious.

"I... It looks ridiculous, doesn't it?" She gulped nervously as she looked down at her dress. Isagi quickly shook his head quickly and started speaking with a red face.

"You look great! You look great! The dress suits you. And the make-up as well!" (Y/n)'s face turned dark red for a moment and she slowly nodded her head.

"O-oh... You think?"

"Yep! Beautiful." Isagi said quickly.

"Th-thanks. I am glad. You look nice as well." She said back as they stared at each other in silence for a moment.

"S-so... should we go?"

"Yeah! Absolutely, we should go and get our snacks as well."

'So pretty!' Isagi thought as they walked towards the cinema, glancing at the girl a few times.

⚽️

"Bachira, no."

"Bachira, yes."

'What am I even looking at?' (Y/n) thought as she looked between Reo and Bachira, who were arguing over something stupid, probably.

"What are they arguing about now?" She asked Nagi, who shrugged his shoulders and leaned against her shoulder.

"Bachira had an idea for a new trick him and Reo could perform during the U-20 match and, well, Reo isn't all too happy with the idea." Nagi explained, resting his head on her shoulders.

'He smells really nice.' Nagi thought with a small blush, which the girl ignored.

"Arguing won't get us anywhere now." She rolled her eyes and walked over to the duo, to which Nagi pouted and followed right after.

"You two, we need to practice. You can argue after we are done with the match." (Y/n) said, catching the attention of the two.

"But, my plan is fool-proof! Tell Reo to listen to me!" Bachira pouted as Reo chimed in.

"It's stupid as hell! I am not taking part in it!"

"Coward."

"What did you just call me?!"

(Y/n) looked between the two while Nagi silently leaned against her again.

'What to do... what to do... Maybe bribing will work?!' (Y/n) thought as she cleared her throat, catching the arguing duo's attention.

"Ah! I will give you two my lunch if you stop arguing!" This statement caused Reo and Bachira to stop arguing and blinked at her for a while.

"You will give us..."

"...your food?" Bachira and Reo said at the same time, seemingly in a daze at first, but quickly got out of it as (Y/n) nodded her head.

"Ok!"

"Sounds like a plan!"

The two cheered as Nagi tugged on the hem of her shirt.

"I want food from you as well."

"Uh? Ok." (Y/n) said in confusion, unaware of the satisfied smiles on Bachira and Reo.

⚽️

"I know this isn't much fun, but I hope you like it here." Gagamaru said quietly as (Y/n) looked away from her grilled fish and at him.

"What do you mean?" She asked as she took a bite from her food.

"Well, you probably didn't want to spend your weekend camping when you agreed for a hang out."

"Huh? I don't care about that. Besides, it's nice to get out of the city once in a while."

"Hmmm...." Gagamaru nodded his head slowly, unsure if he should believe her or not. The noticed it and silently ate her fish, trying to think of a way to cheer him up. The quietness stayed like that for a few minutes until she patted his back and spoke up.

"You are fun to hang out with, Gagamaru. And I am enjoying my time in the forest with you. Don't think too much about that." The boy tensed up and looked back at her.

"Really?"

"Really. Don't cut yourself short." She smiled over at Gagamaru, who slowly nodded his head as his face heated up.

"Th-thanks!" Gagamaru nodded his head as he quickly ate his food again.

'Is he sick now as well?!' She thought in worry.

⚽️

"Can I have some of that?" Kunigami wondered, pointing at (Y/n)'s stake. The girl stopped eating and looked at the orange-haired boy, who was giving her puppy eyes.

"Oh, sure-"

"Get your own food, hero. That's (Y/n)'s." Barou interrupted before she could finish, which caused Kunigami to roll his eyes at him.

"I just wanted one bite-"

"I don't care it's kot your food." Barou said again as (Y/n) tried to interrupt their arguing.

"It's ok. I don't mind-"

"You should really learn to mind your business, Barou."

"Right back at you. Why are you even sitting with us here?"

The girl felt a headache come up and she cut up two smaller slices of her stake. One she fed to Barou and the other to Kunigami.

"There. You can leave the argument behind now." She said, going back to eating as the two stared at her with red faces.

'He really fed me his food! Take that, Chigiri!' Kunigami thought as Barou stared at her in a daze.

⚽️

"Kaiser, I swear to God, if you don't shut up I will kick a football in your face."

"What was that, princess? Was that you saying you are finally devoting your skills to me?" Kaiser smirked at the agitated girl. The duo continued arguing as Kurona and Hiori stared at them with confused and amused looks.

"I am happy (Y/n) is feeling better today. That fever yesterday scared me a lot." Hiori said as Kurona nodded along.

"I am, too. If only Kaiser would stop provoking him now." The rehead said as Hiori silently agreed. They were both pretty much agitated by Kaiser stealing her attention from them.

'Arrogant asshole.'

'Loud mouth.' Hiori and Kurona thought, completely forgetting that some players were practicing behind them. Sadly, they only remembered after they heard Gesner yell at them to.move away. Hiori and Kurona turned around, only to notice a football flying fast their way. Closing their eyes, the boys stayed still, waiting for the football to hit them, only for it to never come.

"Huh?" Hiori muttered, slowly opening his eyes.

"What happened?" Kurona wondered as he opened his eyes as well, only for the both of them to see (Y/n) panting and holding the football in her hands.

"Are you both alright?" She asked, looking at the duo in worry, the two slowly realizing what had happened.

"I am fine." Hiori swooned and nodded his head.

'He really ran all the way so I won't get hurt~'

"I am fine as well. Thank you." Kurona said as his cheeks turned a soft shade of pink.

'He is the best! I love him.'

"Nothing to thank me for." (Y/n) quickly answered and put away the football.

⚽️

"Here." (Y/n) said as she pushed a piece of cake in Rin's direction. The sulking boy stopped whatever he was thinking and looked at the piece of cake and then at (Y/n), who was sending him a smile.

"What is this for?" Rin asked with raised eyebrow as the girl shrugged her shoulders.

"It's for you. You looked a little troubled and a little bit of cake always helps people out. Don't you think so?" She said playfully. Rin was dumbfounded as he stared at her and slowly nodded his head, still trying to understand what she just did for him.

"Great! Enjoy the cake and don't go too late to bed." (Y/n) said as she waved at Rin while leaving the dining hall.

"Of...of course." Rin said as he waved back numbly, his own face turning redder and redder.

'He gave me some cake... (Y/n) gave ME some cake...' He kept on thinking while slowly eating the piece.

[thequietmanno1]

TheLreads, Vigilantes ch 108, Replies Part 1

1) “Shit’s about to get real and I’m over here praying that Furuhashi doesn’t let me down, on Chapter 108: The Variant.”-Well, Nomura’s certinaly getting more hits in than he was before….but only as long as Koichis conscious self is in the driver’s swat. Once control slips over to “the other guy”, it don’t matter how fast you are, Koichi’s untouchable. In a way, this is a battle between a guy who has tons of attack options trying to improvise the one that’d slip through the defences of a guy with a single, but very versatile defensive option.

2) “And we open up with koichi looking dumbstruck, as usual.

He’s like “bro I don’t think that’s normal, what about we stop fighting and you go see a doctor?””- His body already knows what it takes to survive Nomura’s strikes, so it’s getting ready to turn off that pesky interfering grey matter at a moment’s notice.

3) “Oh McBee, you definitely jinxed it, now he’s gonna be faster even after that massive upgrade. What a shame this one-winged angel form already failed.”- Well, not specifically faster – Nomura does get a few good hits in- but when it comes to unleashing the lethal attacks, the sense of danger overwhelms Koichi’s mind to a region wherein thoughts don’t matter, and his body just does what needs to happen to dodge it. The longer he stays in that region, the more aware of it and controllable it becomes, which is why Nomura needs to end the fight rather than dragging it out…but Koichi’s very good at time-wasting.

4) “OH AND THERE WE GO

ALRIGHT FURUHASHI, I’LL GIVE YOU ONE MORE CHANCE, SHOW US SOME GOOD STUFF, ALL THE INGREDIENTS ARE HERE, JUST COOK SOME GOOD MEAL OKAY?”- I like how the speech-bubble was left behind where he was to indicate how fast he’s moving – and indeed, for all the thinking quickly that allows both of them to mentally monologue for a bit in this chapter, neither one actually converses with the other for the whole of it until the end, moving too fast for words to keep up. 5) “But not so fast you didn’t notice him bolting right beside you”- Seeing as Koichi doesn’t really move his eyes or anything to look at Nomura, I see this as his inbuilt instincts making him aware of where Nomura’s gone even if his eyes can’t keep up- sorta like a “zoom-out” effect. 6) “I mean guy, c'mon, if you’re that fast there was no reason to go past him and try to attack him from behind

what’s your problem McBee? Why do you refuse to kill him unless you’re behind him?”- Nomura figures Koichi will possibly react a crucial half-second slower if he’s attacked in a manner that he can’t see coming, which he can use to land a devastating wound. He’s trying to maximise as much of his speed as possible by limiting the chances for Koichi to perceive him…which doesn’t work because Koichi’s “danger sense” allows him to understand where Nomura is even if he doesn’t really “see” him clearly. 7) “okay so that was less than one page before Koichi managed to catch up to his speed. Good job dude.

Sure, I can’t tell if he’s using Overclock there, it at least doesn’t look like it, but I don’t see a reason for him to not use everything he got since we are this desperate to win”- He needs a little time to start kicking the engine up to higher gears, starting fast, then getting faster and faster.

8) “C'mon McBee, you can do better than this. Spit fire at him since you look like a demon now, do something, it doesn’t look like you’re that faster.”- Still in “low Gear” mode, needs some time (ironically) for the higher revolutions to kick in.

9) “Oh now we’re talking! He managed to get a hit in before Koichi could even dodge or defend himself, now we’re starting to see some good shit”- Nomura decides he’d rather throws heads than hands this time.

10) “I was only half-joking there, but I am glad he’s throwing it down like a beast, this is what I was waiting for”-Nomura unleashed his inner animal…but all it does is bring out Koichi’s inner animal instinct in response, allowing him to counter without thought slowing him down. For all that Nomura’s faster-thinking than anybody else, he’s finally found an opponent who just acts faster than his body can move.

11) “now we’re gonna get some real mileage out of overclock, although now he’s acting like an animal, so the quirk is not as effective when it comes to planning his next move”- Given how his “plans” have gone so far, that actually works in his favour. To beat Koichi, Nomura needed to discard thinking as well, and just attack however his inner animal wanted to. 12) “Yeah Koichi, you had it good for too long, especially those two years when nothing important happened. Now it’s time to get your shit kicked in so you can rise as a better hero. Time to learn through pain, and by god is this gonna be a hell of a lecture.”- The more Nomura hurts him, the more Koichi comes to grips with in true potential, and starts mastering it to hold off his foe’s increased tenacity. By now, Koichi’s already reached the level of being an effective pro-hero, capable of fighting on the level of somebody like Aizawa, and at the rate he’s going, his Quirk mastery by the fight’s end would put him above any other threat he’s faced over the course of this whole story.

13) “DAMMIT DUDE YOU JUST SHOW UP TO RUIN THE FUN DON’T YOU?

WHY DON’T YOU MAKE LIKE THE REAL KNUCKLES AND FUCK OFF TO THE CONVENIENCE STORE? LET McBEE DO SOMETHING WORTHWHILE”- Indeed, going with the whole “thinking slows you down” aspect to this fight, the minute O’clock Tulpa speaks up, the battle starts going against Nomura as his thoughts are distracted mid-attack, whereas Koichi’s own movements become faster as “the other guy” steps in. @thelreads

[airawisteria]

See, Kairi might not be my favourite character from KH (though, she's really fun to draw), but, like, the way she is so insecure about her friendship with Sora (I would say Riku as well, but let's be real here, those two could barely be considered friends, maybe acquaintances by this point, honestly) is something that would be so interesting to explore. I'm assuming it's probably from the trauma of losing her home world and everyone she cared about, like her Grandma, when her world was consumed by darkness—but, wow.

Even in KH1 where she and Sora are, in my opinion, the closest they've ever been shown to be, she's going on about leaving alone with Sora, the way that she immediately gives Sora a good luck charm the second she knows he's about to leave again, the way that she reaches out to Sora so desperately as if to say, "Please don't leave".

Then, in KH2, she straight up just forgets (not that it was her fault) about him and goes on with her life perfectly content. Once she realises, however, she immediately tries to remember him with such desperation that you have to wonder—why does she care so much for Sora but was perfectly fine staying on Destiny Islands instead of looking for her world or desperately trying to hold onto her memories of her Grandma? I think, at this point, some people would brush this off as 'her romantic feelings for Sora', but, like, is it really just that? I think it's more so about how she doesn't want to lose Sora completely as she did with her home world. She almost lost Sora completely, memories and all, and I think that after you've experienced losing your loved ones and the world that you've grown to love/have always loved almost completely at the ripe old age of a nursery kid. That leaves scars (obviously). So, when she realises she might lose someone she knew she was close with—she does whatever she can to get him back. Kairi wasn't able to do that with her home world, but maybe she could with Sora?

So! She immediately writes Sora a letter, puts it in a bottle and lets it float away. It's also probably why she takes such an active role in KH2, especially compared to KH1 where she was passed out for most of it and when she was awake she wasn't really doing much (like, Nomura, mate, couldn't you have had Kairi at least try to fend off some of the heartless??), but here she might still be getting kidnapped and stuff, but!! She's actually actively searching Sora out, trying to find him, fighting Axel, fighting the heartless with her keyblade, she's even the entire reason Sora even fucking found Riku, in the end. Now, let's fast forward to the end of KH2, Riku and Sora are stranded in the Realm of Darkness while Kairi is in Destiny Islands. She's alone, again. Imagine, finding two of your closest friends in the past, and then, bam! They're gone, again. And, again, you're helpless to do anything about it. That has to do something to your self-esteem, right? You've almost lost your friends twice, lost your world twice (kinda) and you couldn't do anything about it both times. It's like you're destined to be the only one left behind, the only one who can't take part in the Mark of Mastery exam, the only one who isn't in the Realm of Darkness or fighting Xemnas, the only one in the Realm of Light, and, the only one who will never be able to catch up with your friends.

So, the Mark of Mastery happens and Kairi's busy learning how to wield a keyblade with Lea/Axel. Just like how Sora's failures are getting to him, Kairi's incompetence is getting to her—I mean, have you heard her voice lines? She even fucking cuts her hair not because she thinks it's getting too long or something, but because she thinks Sora might like her more with short hair. It isn't about her, it's about how she needs to keep up, how she needs to be someone the others can turn to, how she needs to be on the same level as everyone else—because if she isn't, how will she ever be able to be there for her friends? How will she ever be able to stop being the 'damsel in distress'? She doesn't send her letters to Sora anymore, probably because she thinks she and Sora are no longer the same friends who could connect easily and talk to easily—she thinks Sora and her have gained some distance. Distance that could probably be shortened over time, maybe, but distance that is stopping her from being able to open up to him. Then, there's the whole paopu fruit thing where she gives Sora another good luck charm because, like in KH1, she's scared to lose him, again. So, she intertwines their fates, because what other reassurance does she have?

And, then, the whole thing with the Keyblade Graveyard happens where Sora has a mental breakdown, and Kairi isn't strong enough to be there for Sora—but, Riku is. I don't think she remembers that bit, but during the first timeline, she reaches out to Sora specifically. Maybe it's romance, or maybe it's her trying to be with him so she won't lose him again.

But, anyways, onto the second timeline. Sora loses Kairi again cause Xehanort's being an asshole as he does. This time, Sora has to sacrifice himself for Kairi to return—and so, she loses him, again. Only this time, it's all her fault (not that it really is, just what I think she thinks about the matter). And within seconds, her self-esteem probably crumbles—she's lost someone again, someone precious again, someone she couldn't save, someone who had to save her, just like how it was with her Grandma.

Okay!! Rambling about Kairi over, but, like, I could go on and on about how much losing her home world was like for her and all that jazz.