#or do you like nishiki cause he looks cool

[astruccrow]

Nagbago nang lahat sa'yo (Everything has changed about you.)

[rnn11203]

Sometimes i think about nishikis portrait on that wall, do you think kazama saw it and thought kiryu, his son, should be there instead? Did nishiki represent all of those hedonistic ways of so many yakuza? While kiryu was an extension of himself, his ideals, his morals? Was nishiki all the things he hated? Or was he that constant reminder of all the ruin he caused. Did he have any feelings towards nishiki at all? Was he still that sniffling boy who dug his hands into his pockets looking for candy? Did he dote on him the way he did kiryu? Did he mourn yuko? Or did he not even know? Something tells me it was only nishiki at her funeral. Im uncertain if there is any RGGO info on this, but id love to know if there’s any more details on Kazama and Nishikis relationship (also I couldn’t find anything about how old nishiki/kiryu were when they went to the orphanage too, I assume nishiki was a bit older though). I like to think Nishiki did not feel much familial relations towards.. well anyone except kiryu, yuko, and yumi. At best kazama and kashiwagi were mentors unlike kiryu who viewed them as a father and an older brother. I think it’s a bit different for them partly because nishiki had a sister, his “need” for family was already filled by both her and kiryu. I like to think Nishiki thought viewing kazama and kashiwagi as family was a bit silly but would entertain it for kiryus sake, it’s clear to me that Nishiki enjoyed the yakuza lifestyle while kiryu for a lack of better word, didn’t. So it makes sense to me that they were superiors to him and nothing more, he didnt owe them anything and they didnt owe him. Kazama and Nishiki have such an interesting dynamic partly because it is so non existent.. like yeah kazama… there was NOTHING you could’ve done huh? You really didnt see this one coming? It’s interesting how nishiki is kinda portrayed by the fandom to be a loser when by all accounts he was a very successful yakuza, hell, his family succeeded him by 3 games! I wish nishiki challenged kiryus perspective on kazama a bit more, we see kazama being questioned a few times in some of the games but kiryu always seems to brush it off… it makes me wonder.. what are these seeds of doubt being planted for? Kiryu? Or just the audience? As a protagonist it is nice to see kiryu being wrong but idk, at this point in the series i cant help but ask; what is it for? It’d be nice to see some growth from him…

Sorry this was mostly headcanons/random thoughts! Also i had this quick thought n dont want to make another post for it but i think its cool how nishiki is mainly defined by characteristics such as greedy, insecurity , jealousy, vanity, and anger. You can sorta tell which nishiki fans favorite characteristic is too, personally mine is his vanity. That slick hair and crisp suit really does it 4 me…… please god…… let me fumble him just once!!!!!!!!!

[asordinaryppl]

A3! Main Story: Part 4 - Act 16: Crossing Paths - Episode 30: Real Name

Guy: “They should still be nearby.”

Citron: “Let’s hurry after them!”

Kureha: …

-

[Applause]

Guy: Thank you very much.

Citron: Thank you~!

Kureha: (That’s Guy-san for you. So many people have gathered even for such a small Street ACT.)

Audience A: It’s almost time for the Winter Troupe’s eleventh performance. I have to preorder tickets as soon as they’re available!

Audience B: Guy-san was really good in the Winer Troupe’s tenth performance, too~

Audience A: Yeah, he was so cool!

Kureha: (The Winter Troupe’s tenth performance… I wonder what kind of role he had?)

Kureha: (Now that I think about it, I never really looked at MANKAI Company’s site.)

Kureha: (I wonder if it’s got introductions for the members? Guy-san is…)

Kureha: ——

Guy: Kureha, you came.

Citron: You should have joined us!

Kureha: …

Guy: Is something wrong?

Kureha: Um… Is your last name also Nishiki, Guy-san?

Guy: What?

Kureha: On one of the flyers… Ah, no, I’m sorry. It’s nothing. Please excuse me.

[Kureha leaves]

Guy: ——

-

Tooru: “I see, so that’s why…”

Guy: Did you tell Kureha about me?

Tooru: “Yes. He asked as soon as he got home. I simply answered him honestly.”

Tooru: “It seems he’s a little confused right now. He’s holed himself up in his room.”

Tooru: “I might have ended up hurting Kureha by dragging this matter out for so long.”

Tooru: “I’m sorry for the trouble I’ve caused you as well, Gai.”

Guy: No, don’t worry yourself about me.

Tooru: “I should have mustered up the courage to talk to him after reuniting with you.”

Guy: I also hadn’t considered the company’s website. I should have been more careful.

Tooru: “You haven’t done anything wrong, Gai. I’ll try to talk to Kureha again once he calms down.”

Tooru: “I’ll call again.”

Guy: Yeah. Alright.

[Call hangs up]

Guy: … Hah.

Citron: << I assume what you were fearing has happened. >>

Guy: << Yes. This timing is rather unfortunate. >>

Guy: << I should have kept my name as “Guy” on all our flyers, after all. >>

Citron: << You’re talking about the flyer for the “Die by the Sword.” performance, yes? Both are your names, you know, and it fit perfectly with the traditional Japanese atmosphere of the play. >>

Guy: << Yes. That is what I thought as well, so I asked the Director if I could have my real name on the flyer at least this one time… >>

Guy: << If he had to find out, I would rather it had happened once KICS had started their activities and everything was settled… Not that there is any point in mulling over it now. >>

Guy: << I must have disenchanted Kureha now. I would not find it strange if he were to blame me for keeping quiet for so long. >>

Guy: << I should not have gotten close to him in the first place… >>

Citron: << I believe you concern yourself with your position far too much. >>

Citron: << Tangerine and I have also had our misunderstandings because I was unable to convey my thoughts properly. >>

Citron: << What’s important now is that you properly talk to Kureha. You can’t be a stranger at this point, after all. >>

Citron: << You can’t change the fact that you two are brothers, no matter how much you avert your eyes from it. Now it’s up to you two to decide how you wish to build your relationship. >>

Guy: << Right… If I want Kureha’s forgiveness, I will have to speak with him myself. >>

-

[Door jingling]

Guy: …

Kureha: Welco–

Guy: Could I talk to you for a little while?

Kureha: … You may sit over there.

Guy: ——

Kureha: Please wait a moment.

Guy: (As I figured, we won’t be able to talk as we used to.)

-

[Kureha places a cup on the table]

Kureha: Thank you for waiting.

Guy: This is…

Kureha: You served me tea in your shop before, didn’t you?

Kureha: I prepared the tea leaves I’d like to serve you, if you ever came here.

Guy: … Thank you… I can smell the jasmine… It’s calming.

Guy: (He’s doing the same thing I did when I reunited with our father.)

Kureha: I’m sorry for the way I behaved. You knew, didn’t you, Guy-san? 

Guy: … Yeah. I’m sorry for keeping quiet.

Kureha: Sometimes, after they put me to bed, I could hear my parents talking about a child I didn’t know.

Kureha: They spoke about him as if he was very far away and they worried about him. I was curious who it was, and it filled me with a childish jealousy.

Kureha: It sounded as though they cared about him very much… Now that I think about it, they were talking about you, weren’t they?

Kureha: I couldn’t believe I had an older brother, but at the same time, I’ve found myself accepting it.

Guy: If you would prefer not to see me anymore, I’ll do my best to stay out of your way

Kureha: I don’t think that way at all. If anything, I’m glad you’re my older brother, Guy-san.

Guy: … Is it alright for me to think that you’ve accepted me, then?

Kureha: There is nothing for me to accept. I was confused at first, and I still am, a little…

Guy: I see… Of course you are.

Guy: If it’s alright with you, I’d like for us to explore this new relationship of ours, little by little.

Kureha: I’ll be in your care. I’m blessed to have a reliable brother such as you.

Guy: Thank you. I’m also happy to have you as my younger brother.

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INSTE POST:

Guy-N

I had a very delicious cup of tea. The taste was unforgettable. I believe I will definitely come back for more.

NOTES:

(1) in the poster for die by the sword, guy is listed as gai nishiki; this is present in both the japanese and the english versions of the game (bonus: and mankai stage!)

[sadkois]

nishiki thonkin tonight

spoilers for kiwami. some rggo stories. but maybe not accurate spoilers cause i feel my brain meltin. also warning for complete nonsense... and blood? anyways.

thinkin about how nishiki was like. so competent at what he did?? mans knew everythin about how the yakuza worked back in the 80s... U COULD TELL HE WAS WELL INFORMED OF EVERYTHING. he knew about the ugly parts. he knew about majima. and he was the one explaining to kiryu everything asgdhj like lets say. the consequences in their line of work.

fUNNY how it was cause of kiryu that he got into the yakuza in the first place. he totally just followed kiryu into it and said "ok well sOMEONE needs to know what we are doing" cause yea kiryu was just followin kazama like a lil puppy (and nishiki followin kiryu, tho he's more like a cat i think. maybe. nishikitty..........)

bUT ANYWAYS what i was getting at is. he's very competent. so. him snapping and getting to be one of the BIG patriarchs (GET TO THE TOP!) isn't really a surprise. OF COURSE that brings me to the other point...

HERES THE THING. in kiwami we don't really see much of this competence do we? (ignorin the writing of the first game for a second ok, wORKIN WITH WHAT WE HAVE OK)

first it's like hes barely there, then you have his subordinates just. making HUGE mistakes, not actually achievin -doin- anything or even just. NOT listening to him at all. like when they killed yumis "sister" or the whole. reina and shinji.

OK SO. everyones got their onions 🧅 on rggo stories. FOR THIS THONK IM ASSUMIN MOST OF THEM DID HAPPEN. so in rggo we have that one story about what happened with reina and nishki when she tried to shoot him. and its like. nishiki didnt actually order for either of their deaths??? basically we had reina pulling a 'y0 nishikigun' on nishiki. and then well....

god i really gotta talk about reina and nishiki sometime cause i been thinkin about em a lot too. like reina liked him a LOT and i think nishki liked her too as a... sort of distant friend? does that make sense? idk what its called exactly. but yea i cant recall if they have ever interacted outside serena. (except from when they first met, another rggo story.. but that was like. a few minutes and then they were in serena lmao) it feels like a. 'i only interact with u when i come to this place' kinda deal. of course, goin there used to be constant until... not. nishiki totally distanced himself even more after the whole ordeal happened. and trust issues. (@ others? @ himself? yea)

crap. what was i talkin about. sEE THIS IS WHY I DONT AHSDJKL. what i was sayin is that, in that rggo story with reina, it just looks like nishiki's subordinates do NOT listen to him. at all. shooting at her when he keeps sayin "DON TSHOOT HER" "DONT KILL HER" "BRING HER BACK ALIVE"

SO BETWEEN THIS AND THE YUMI SISTER THING. WHY DOES NO ONE LISTEN TO HIM??? AND WELL. ok listen if im statinn the obvious im sorry, again. just writin down what im thinkin cause im tired.

but yea i think the most logical thing is that, the way he's been managing things for the last 10 years has been very different to what we see in kiwami. why else would his men resort to shoot first questions later. it's almos like that was the norm before... as if that's how things worked in the nishikiyama family all this time.

so anyways. nishikis been tryina be cool about it. so so cool about it. but the moment kiryu got out of jail messed him up SO BAD man. i always say this but, mans was just 100% avoiding kiryu as soon as he stepped out, and i bet ya he started acting different to what his fam is used to, too.

like imagine u work for this boss at idk. mcdonals. you are familiar with the routine and what they expect of u. ur boss specifically wants you to always make fries a certain way, at a certain time, he himself showed u how. this is routine. one day as you are makin the fries, its suddenly WRONG and boss is upset and kills u and u dont know wtf is going on. (u r dead) because thats what we usually do?? why is it wrong all of a sudden?

tHATS THE KINDA VIBE I GET FROM HE IN KIWAMI

aight imma be honest i cant recall if he already had this whole plan before kiryu got out. like, did he take kiryu into consideration or not. cause he either. 1. did not take into account kiryu would be here 2. did not think kiryu being here would mess up his plans THIS bad (and when i say this i mean mess HIM up so bad he cant go thru his original plan) 3. everything was actually supposedly part of his plan (HA, I DOUBT THIS. MAYBE HED SAY THAT BUT WE KNOW IT AINT TRU NISHIKI OK) im leanin to 2

you know that part when nishki's like "i was shaking when i shot kazama". like, that was only cause he knew kiryu would hate him if he actually killed him, right?? right???? LISTEN I KNOW ITS LIKE A THING OR JOKE THAT HES BAD WITH GUNS OR SOMEHTING BUT i actually like to think he got good with those? i prob read it in a fic but i really like that headcanon asgdhj, i feel like itd make sense too. and him missin the shot cause of shakin hands, is because of KIRYU and kIRYU ALONE. where his hands even shakin actually?? didnt he just say that?? nishikis just got that unreliable narrator vibe. NAH HES THE WHOLE UNRELIABILITY. AND WHATSMORE. HE HAD TO COME CLEAN TO KIRYU THAT IT WAS HIM THAT SHOT KAZAMA. HUH? WAS IT EATING YOU UP BOI??? did you need confirmation that indeed, kiryu would hate you for it??? "hES NOT DEAD YET" yea??????? yeaaaa?????????????

LIKE LOOK. the few rggo stories we have of the era between 1996 n 2005 show that he IS indeed very competent! and he has very good control of his fam! and we have the proof of it in kiwami as well, even if its more tell than show? kind of? BUT THE MOEMNT KIRYU IS OUT THIS ALL GOES OUT THE DRAIN. WE KNOW HOW EMOTIONAL NISHIKI IS. WE KNOW IT LEADS HIM TO TAKE NOT SO RATIONAL DECISIONS. (Y0 FOREST NISHIKIGUN FLASHBACK) and god he tried so hard didnt he.

like ok ill admit u got good at repressin ur emotions boi. or turnin them into anger. or keepin a poker face. closing urself off or really just, started seein everyhing as hopeless in a 'whats the point anymore' kind of way. a combo of everything?

in a way nishiki did end up killin himself along with matsushige, but i dont think he did completely. but that's what he convinced himself of. yea? does that make sense? DAMMIT U ARE SO COMPLEX I LOVE IT

thonks. U KNOW its not like anything went right back when he was more... emotional in a way?. i mean, he always did kinda hide his emotions huh? just in a different way.... i mean, when we are first introduced to him in y0, i dont think anyone expected anything like the forest scene from him. i remember being speechless. like oh my god. and i have to say i am BAD at understandin stuff. like i usually understand plots/etc when im watchin reactors play the game asfdghj. BUT MAN did that scene leave me stunned asgdhjk.

but yea with how gOOD everyone around him was at displayin emotions, it makes sense how he ended up :) ... that was sarcasm, im sayin eveyrone around him freakin sUCKS at emotin asgdh, and in fact he was like, looked down at for it. MAN HE DIDNT EVEN CRY THAT MUCH. I MEAN, HE WAS GOIN THRU THE WORST CRAP EVER ??? WHAT DID THEY WANT HIM TO BE A ROCK ASDJKL TO BE KIRYU i guess the two most role figures he had were always very :/ but man this is why i keep sayin he needed an ichiban in his life. it would have been so good for him... an emotionally mature guy, who isnt afraid to cry and show his love for others.

GOD NISHIKI LOVED SO MUCH. IT HURTS ME SO BAD AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

the way nish is just like. tryina become what he knows yakuza are supposed to be like.... what they are like..... his big man suit.... agh

idk where this thonk went. it started as a yes nishiki is very competent and he only had L after L in kiwami because kiryu being back threw him off so bad. so so bad it ended up the way it did :( if they had just talked, like really talked..................

man idk if anyones readin this, asdhgjasd kinda embarassin. hello hi. u are cool. uhh here have this drawin i did months ago that i havent posted anywhere (IT WAS BEFORE THE NEW YEAR RGGO CARD. not like it isnt just a combo of his two hairstyles but i was still like GASP)

hohooo with my attempt at a post kiwami nish :) did u know i also have a vampire au from months ago. would anyone like to read about that. its incredibly self indulgent. yea sayin this at the end of this nonsense cause im a coward agsfdyhgiog

[smol-tired-binch-blog]

So. Finished Kiwami 2.

I can feel the details fading from my brain already, what the fuck was that. Even without the weird anti-Korean bullshit (seriously EVERYONE is Jingweon except Kazuki and Suyeon bugger this honestly) it was so fucking BORING, I didn't CARE about the fate of the Tojo, let it fall, who cares. The only reason I'm mildly interested in it staying is cause the Omi are worse. I wasn't as invested in the combat but in fairness I got into this series thinking the quick-changing between four unique combat styles was this franchise's gimmick but turns out I'm wrong :) That's fine, it's just one of the main reasons I picked up the game, that's okay.

The game's best bits were Ryuji and Daigo. Also I like seeing Yuya and Kazuki and Sayama, whilst not given the best treatment via the writers imo, is a really cool character.

Oh and Majima Saga was MUCH shorter than I expected which eh, lil disappointing, but I got closure with him and his Sotenbori past so I'll allow it (even though it makes me fucking CRY)

Time for some under the cut ranting:

Why is it that the Jingweon's whole 'death before dishonour, revenge above all else' is simply Bad And Evil And Backwards when I swear like....don't yakuza have similar creeds? Never back down, loyalty to the cause, to the family, debts must be repaid in blood and money alike. Maybe they're go a bit more with it but yakuza aren't above playing the long game for their goals (see Sera and Shimano). Is it bad when they Jingweon do it cause they're Korean? They're the bad guys I guess so.

Also WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON WITH TERADA. FUCK OFF. I TOLD YALL I DIDN'T TRUST HIM IN KIWAMI BUT APPARENTLY HIM AND KAZAMA ARE RIGHT PROPER PALS BUT THEN NO HE WANTS REVENGE BUT ACTUALLY NOT REALLY HE REALLY WAS OUR ALLY ALL ALONG?!?!?!?!? FUCK THIS

Speaking of the bastard, Kazama really likes taking two young brothers/comrades and telling them "go make something of yourselves, you have such great potential" but then proceed to give special attention to one of them for SOME fucking reason but then still plays the cool-headed and aloof mentor, like "no I don't play favourites I can't do everything for you" whilst doing Literally Everything For Them and fighting tooth and nail to get them to the top without letting on to anyone that he does actually care. Every day I grow angrier that Nishiki didn't kill him the first time. Fire again, boyo.

Also FUCK RYUJI'S DAD. SERIOUSLY, what is WRONG with dads in RGG games??? "You're saying my own mama threw me away?" "No! I begged her to leave you with me." I BEG YOUR FUCKING PARDON?! WHAT?! I- I JUST- HUH?!?!?!? WHAT?!?!?!!?? FUCK OFF?!?!?!?!?!!?!?

But now Ryuji. Oh my God Ryuji. What a character, what a lad, what a man. I don't give a fuck, okay, he earned the title of Dragon, bollocks to Kiryu. And I mean that.

'Dragon of Dojima', 'Mad Dog of Shimano', legends, yes, but inherently tied to and defined by men who ruined their lives, men who don't deserve their names attached to those boys legacies. Ryuji though? He's defined by none but himself, tied to no one, his strength and power and name belonging to him and him alone. The Golden Dragon. By God he earned that tattoo.

So then WHY did they KILL HIM OFF?!?!?!? THEY HAD TIME TO LEAVE, YES RYUJI HONEY I AGREE EVERY MAN OUGHTA BE A LILTTLE BIT STUPID, IT MAKES EM CHARMING, BUT THIS IS SO FUCKING DUMB!!! You are NOT falling apart, you are LITERALLY BUILT DIFFERENT. You make KIRYU look like a twink and he's survived about 17 bullets in his life at this point, you should be able to heal from TWO of the bastards in NO TIME JUST GET YOURSELVES TO A HOSPITAL AND FIGHT LATER YOU HAVE A SISTER TO GET TO KNOW YOU CAN TALK ABOUT YOUR MOTHER YOU CAN HAVE A FAMILY PLEASE DON'T-

And the less we say about that dumb ending the better. skrunksthatwunk already made a good post on why it's bullshit cause Jesus fuckin Christ on a unicycle WHY do they keep trying to but Heterosexual Romance in my Shirtless Men Beating Each Other Up Whilst Pouring Their Hearts Out To Each Other game.

But hey, Yakuza 3 should be fun!!!! Genuinely really excited to see what goes down!!!

[captain-astors]

Can you do Kaneki for 003 :)))

Mhm! That beautiful mess, the culmination of all I despise but the vessel through which we all must perceive this world. I’d like to shake him like a maraca. This one definitely contains… opinions. As usual it's messy and ramble-ish but I enjoyed it.

How I feel about this character: Wow you're so interesting I wish I could still care after 320 something chapters. Born to “slay” as the youth say, in all meanings of the word, forced to do math. Sometimes I imagine what sound he would make if smacked against a wall. Constantly, actually. I can effectively emulate it with an almost empty water bottle, a thin piece of fabric, a piece of metal, and a slab of gelatin, but I only have access to two of those and it’s not the ones you think. I cannot stress how much I want post-Haise Kaneki dead for plot reasons, but I do think he’s pretty neat before whatever the result of the Tsukiyama extermination arc is. I do like him, but I try not to ponder him too deeply because if I started getting seriously attached to him as a person, I’d have to be disappointed about his character as well. I’m already not normal about so many of them. So he’s more of a secondhand skrunkle, I watch a decent portion of the rest of the fandom go wild and sit back and tend to my own neglected favorites. Like observing a neighbor’s garden, larger than mine but wilder, containing so many varieties of plants I can no longer distinguish them, and perhaps a bit overgrown. Was he the first piece of Tokyo Ghoul art I ever drew? Yes- well no actually that was probably Nishiki or Shuu but I never posted those because they were just sketches, but he was the first that I posted, and kind of my gateway to deciding to let myself brainrot over TG without shame (mostly). So I owe some amount of gratitude to him. 

But at the same time he fills me with a deep sadness for what might’ve been. Tokyo Ghoul was praised for having some kind of ground-breaking protagonist but he just feels... edgy at the end of it, handed an undeserved win. Sorry.

(So an update from later this very same day, I drew him and now I want to hug him. NO. I MUST PERSEVERE. Alright Kuroneki is kind of cute and his nickname sounds like Kuroneko (As in the trigun cat) and I love Kuroneko.)

Any/all the people I ship romantically with this character: Protagonists are funny things to ship because they can be shipped with almost anyone. Almost the entire main cast? Been there and done that. Every character he’s been friends with? Certainly. Rivals? No rivalry is complete without a little homoeroticism. The villain? Is that even a question. That random character who appeared for half a  chapter? Someone’s probably done it. It’s difficult to pick a favorite but frankly I’m not particularly partial to any of them. Shuuneki is fun but it just feels out of character as soon as it becomes remotely healthy which is what all that pining causes me to intrinsically want which in turn annoys me so… I enjoyed it before I actually learned the story. Now I just can’t fathom truly enjoying a fic about them without leaving frustrated because at any given point, one or the other of them just wouldn’t work. Also I really want Kaneki to die alone. But though I’ll never be extremely passionate about it, I do think that Hidekane is kind of the best one. Like it’s not my ship but from an outsider's perspective I look at it and just go huh. Neat. This one actually seems non-headache inducing. I’m slowly consuming more of it but at the same time Hide deserves much better. I can’t fix you but I can hold your hand as you crumble or something. I will take this time to rant about Tou//ken. God help us all. I will start off with what I like because I am terrified of being burned at the stake by the shippers who actually read through this for some reason. Aesthetically, cool. As individuals, love them. Conceptually, it had great potential. I don’t think it ever could’ve been my otp but I could’ve enjoyed this. Now. DEAR GOD I HONESTLY ADMIRE THOSE WHO SHIP IT FOR EITHER HAVING THE IGNORANCE OR SHEER WILLPOWER TO ENJOY IT DESPITE THAT WRITING. It would be easier to ship two characters who we’ve never seen interact whatsoever (stares at my terrible rarepairs I would know) than to repair this trainwreck, so I suppose that’s a testament to your tenacity or your willingness to ignore the holes. I swear my copy of TG was missing chapters WHERE was their development. They only did things for each other when instructed to or in life or death situations when opposed by a greater threat, only thought fondly of each other when not together, and then got married and kids despite Kaneki being in a mental state nowhere near “intact enough to live a functional existence” must less raise CHILDREN. Like I refuse to believe Kaneki would be a great father. “Something, something breaking the cycle of a loveless life.” Where. Where did he learn to love healthily? Touka? Where? Where is that shown? They interact so briefly in such high-stress scenarios how the HELL am I supposed to know?

 Dear god I knew these two were going to get together. I steeled myself for it. I tried to enjoy it I swear I did but it feels like the marriage arc skipped the love arc and I don’t know how I’m supposed to appreciate the shell of a relationship left behind. But I respect those who manage. Like, if a character (Ayato) can go on a brief trip and come back UNDER A FEW DAYS LATER to find out, with absolutely no warning that his SIBLING is married to a guy now, maybe you’re moving just a little fast! Someone please explain this to me I feel like I'm losing my mind.

The Vegas wedding of Tokyo Ghoul, getting hitched in a cave while a homophobic gay horror creature exterminates 98% of your kind.

Also I find it funny that she managed to date a guy who both looks and acts so much like her dad. Touka you can do so much better you are leagues above this guy.

My favorite non-romantic relationship for this character: If Haise is included, Akira and the Quinxes. Family. If Haise is not included, probably… Hinami. 

My unpopular opinion about this character: Oh boy. He doesn’t really listen to anyone, and his cycle of self sacrifice for others because it’s the easiest route out is ANNOYING AS HELL. Points are made about it, but does he ever change? No he just keeps trying to die for “the sake of others” until the very end and keeps escaping the actual consequences, while others who have something to live for ACTUALLY DIE for his stupid martyr complex and I am SICK OF IT. He only fights for those he cares about because he’s afraid of being alone which is a very human desire but we never see him grow in it, he just keeps ignoring whatever he doesn’t want to hear, keeps letting himself almost die but he’s still “virtuous” and not a murderer to the narrative. Because the restaurant ghouls dared to have fun with the terrible cards they were dealt, so they deserved it! Because those humans in the dragon incident didn’t care, so they deserved it! And besides he wasn’t conscious anyways! Because Furuta dared to try to break the system that Kaneki decided wasn’t real, because he wanted to make sure the world never created a child like him again, so he deserved it! I could deal with him if the narrative actually treated him like what he is, “morally grey” is not an excuse to his actions it’s a byproduct, so just saying “it’s alright because he’s morally grey” doesn’t fix any of the issues with his inconsistencies! With his lack of growth beyond just getting worse, and being handed a happy ending anyways! Also why are all of his stans silent as the grave I hear barely a WHISPER out of you creatures yet you appear like phantoms to salivate over him when art is made and to sweep polls. I know perhaps 3 people who both actively post and I know for a fact would declare Kaneki their favorite. Where are the rest of you? WHERE ARE YOU HIDING? But godspeed to you.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: He feels so overwritten at the end, I really wish he either died, or that :re had gone the csm route and had a different protagonist. For our candidates for a new protagonist I would nominate: Hide. An exploration of a character who was born into a world that was hurting him, but chose to love ghouls anyways. Who chose to keep being a good person no matter how hard it was, (WHAT KANEKI DOES, DOES NOT COUNT AS BEING A “GOOD PERSON.”) He’d be a refreshing air of positivity and hope from Kaneki’s internal monologue. It’s so desolate it makes me want to commit amusing vandalism just to remember that bright colors are real and very lovely. I don’t have the energy to write out full explanations for all of them but I’d also nominate any of the Quinx squad members, Juuzou (I just want more Hanbee), Ayato, Amon, or Furuta. Or making Haise a person with a separate body.

Favorite friendship for this character: If Haise counts Juuzou, if not Banjou or Ayato.

My crossover ship: I’m tempted to say knives as a joke because they have the same english voice actor, (Who does a fantastic job as both but MAN his voice goes deep in tristamp.) Anyways Vash I guess. Go be self-sacrificial together you fools. (affectionate connotation for one, indifferent for the other.)

[meadowmines]

The Bit, Chapter 4: Nishiki Finds Out

[this will probably be the last WIP post for this fic, 'cause from here on out it's all massive spoiler territory :) ]

“So... wait. All this was just--”

“A bit. Yeah.”

“But now you’re really--”

“Yeah.”

Nishikiyama drops his head into his hands and groans over his plate of cod roe spaghetti. “This is too much. What the hell, Kiryu.”

“It was his idea,” Kiryu says.

Yeah, that’s fair. “You went along with it,” Majima says anyway. “Listen, Nishikiyama, I’m real sorry about all of... that.” He’s not actually that sorry and part of him wants to hang a little tiny lampshade on the fact that Nishikiyama was kind of a dick about all this too but he figures this is neither the time nor the place. “I just wanna know one thing.”

Nishikiyama gets this look on his face, this look of creeping dread like he’s bracing for the worst question ever and Majima doesn’t think it’s entirely unjustified. “...what?”

Majima nods in Kiryu’s general direction. “How the fuck did he sell ya on it?” 

“N-nii-san!”

“We both know he can’t lie for shit. How’d he do it?”

“Look, I thought it was fishy too but--” Nishikiyama sputters out a laugh. “You know how sometimes you say something to him and he just kinda latches onto it and he starts talking like he physically can’t shut up about it?”

“Nishiki!” Boy, that’s an interesting color Kiryu is turning. Matches his shirt real nice.

“Ya infodumped at him,” Majima says. “About me.”

Kiryu shrugs helplessly, a silent I guess!? plain on his crimson face.

“You only do that about stuff you’re really into, y’know?” Nishiki gently punches his poor mortified bro in the arm. “Like I said. I thought it was weird but I know you.”

“Kaaaaz.” God. This is the cutest shit and it’s almost making Majima forget why they’ve got Nishikiyama here. He digs his chin into Kiryu’s shoulder and beams up at him and bats his eyelashes like a teenager. “What’d you wax all poetic n’ shit about, huh?”

“It wasn’t poetic, I just--”

“My cool outfit? My gorgeous smile? My sick abs--”

“Your cooking,” Nishikiyama says. 

Majima hears the needle in his head scratch unceremoniously across whatever record is sending stupid shit to his mouth. “Haw?”

“He likes your cooking,” Nishikiyama repeats. “And how you’re always helping him with the housework and stuff.”

Majima clears his throat. “Okay. You don’t have to--”

“And how you always listen to me when I start infodumping at you,” Kiryu supplies. He’s slightly less red now and he’s got that kind of evil kind of sexy little grin. “Even if you don’t care about what I’m talking about, you still pay attention. And you ask me what I think about stuff.”

“Well--”

“And he said he likes your hair. And then you said he likes your hair, so y’know... either you were both in on something together, or you were really into each other--”

“Awright, awright, enough of that!” Majima barks. Kiryu snickers and wraps an arm around him. “We didn’t call ya over here to talk about us makin’ googoo eyes at each other, we got business n’ shit to take care of.” And thank God for that, he thinks, even though he knows he’s going to regret thinking it later.

[monochrome-dreamer]

THERE’S A SAMURAI SUBCLASS ????? I DIDN’T KNOW THAT…. My man bouta MUTLICLASS bro. I think he’s do that. He wouldn’t know what it meant or anything about it BUT he’d still do it.

Making me think now actually like ; Character multiclassing for practicality (Maybe Shindou?) vs Character Multiclassing for Lore related reasons (feels like a Gouenji thing in my heart honestly) vs Multiclassing for fun.

Tenma would multiclass; it’s in his blood. One of them is a Bard tho, I think he’d have a lot of like “charm” spells; more of a “let’s talk this out” guy rather than a “let’s duke this out” guy. The second MIGHT be Warlock with his patron being his visual personification of soccer. For fun. Tsurugi *might* multiclass. To me he feels like Paladin because of his Keshin but idk what his other class would be.

Nishiki would probably multiclass because of the above. He goes paladin for Sakamoto and then mid-session someone pipes up like “Oh hey, this class has a samurai subclass!” And he loses his mind and his dm is like “Look, next time you level up you can multiclass, ok? We’re too far in to change now.” And Nishiki is hopping off the walls.

I wish I could assign each character a class but idk who would go where 😔😔😔

Side rant is that I feel like Gouenji, Kirino and honeslty? Probably Yuichi are really good at flavouring their spells to how their character would. Like, Gouenji is just over dramatic; but it’s funny and it fits. Kirino would just like the flare of it, and Yuichi would be so bored sitting for ages doing nothing (recovery), that he’d read the players handbook for ages and think “What could I do for my next session….” Because Tenma defos runs one for the hospital boys to help keep them entertained because no one likes sitting around all the time. I think that campaign would mainly be Taiyou, Yuichi and Tenma as dm but Tsurugi def joins when he visits Yuichi at the time of their session, which is often because Tsurugi likes spending time with his brother and seeing him interested in something outside of soccer is cool as hell.

Also Tenma def flavours his spells to be soccer related I’m sorry I don’t make the rules that boy has soccer on the brain 24/7. This also goes for Endou.

I like to think the managers+Minori, Sakura and Morimura also have a campaign. Can all the Galaxy guys also have a campaign? I think that’d be neat. Cool bonding exercise! I know I mentioned Tetsukado before but the others are also there.

It starts storming outside during practice one day and everyone’s forced in doors and they’re all wet and soaking and while drying off Endou just randomly says “Ok guys! I need you all to split into groups of four to five!” So they do and suddenly Gouenji and Kidou walk in and Endou announces that they’re starting dnd campaigns for them all as a fun activity for when it rains so bad they don’t feel like playing anymore and everyone’s a little wary at first cause they’re all newbies but their now dms explain it in ways they understand and they’re like “oh cool!” And now there’s just a few campaigns going on sometimes and idk who but one of them def plays on weekends too because they’re really hyped for it.

Sorry for the second IEdnd tangent you’ve got them back in my brain <33

I feel like some of the Raimon players from OG and GO would play DND. Like Kidou. Kidou would be a DM I think. And he'd then persuade his mates to play (Endou, Gouenji, etcetera.), and then that was passed down in the generation when Tenma or something overhears their coaches talking about some crazy adventure they'd had that weekend, and how they killed some dragon.

Then a lot of them got somewhat interested. Tenma definitely would play, I think. Tsurugi also has the energy of a DND nerd. Kirino feels like he'd do it too, and then he'd persuade Shindou to join in.

Nishiki would make a paladin, not sure what race but he'd be a paladin heavily inspired by Sakamoto Ryouma. Shinsuke would play a dragonborne or Lizardfolk because he really likes Dinosaurs.

Hamano or maybe Tetsukado, or both, would play a triton. A funny fish man because they're fishermen. Alternatively, they'd play Water Genasi.

Tenma, Shinsuke, Tsurugi, Kariya and Hikaru would have a DND campaign at Aki's, and I think Aoi would be an amazing DM. She'd definitely ask Kidou for tips.

Also Tenma would have a side campaign with Taiyou and a few others because I love that for them <3

Anyways IE DND Au or something love of my life can you tell I'm a nerd

[skygayzer]

number 4 for every section from the ask meme ?

EEEE THANK YOUUU😍😍😍

A.4 Favorite Antagonist(s)

OH GOD.. this is so hard, I really like Majima as an antagonist in the first game! His energy compared to the rest of the series was honestly scary but so well done. He was unstable and dangerous. Sagawa is pretty creepy too, mainly cause he has such a calm demeanor about everything.

B.4 Who would you like to post more about but you don’t? Why don’t you?

Honestly I suck a posting my own things anyway HDKSHDK but like I really like Majima and Saejima a lot. In my Yakuza AU I basically really want to talk more about their teenage years especially Majima who has a unknown childhood. Saejima obviously has much more backstory but I really would like to talk about their friendship in their teens perhaps! :3 (the answer for why don't I, is cause I have a hard time writing in general so.. 😶) maybe one day.

C.4 Which character would you like to see as a protagonist?

Honestly I think I would like to see Nishiki as a protagonist, I think it would be sooo cool if we got to play as him! He has so much character I would love to see more of his inner dialogue and get to see much more of his character and story (also his sister deserves to at least be in a cut scene or something like people just really forget about her!!!).

D.4 Which character(s) do you believe should have never existed in the first place?

MR. LIBIDO MR. LIBIDO MR.LIBIDO MR.LIBIDO!!! LIKE AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS A PROBLEM WITH HIM!?! HE WAS OUT IN PUBLIC DOING WEIRD SHIT AND SPYING LIKE PLEASE SIR THERE ARE CHILDREN ON THE STREETS GO GET A REAL HOBBY!!!

E.4 Ramen or Takoyaki?

SO I never actually had Takoyaki, it looks so damn good though.. So for now Ramen (which I do in fact enjoy A LOT!)

F.4 What is your Smile Burger order?

Yeah, can I get a uhhhhhhhhh, Teriyaki Smile burger with the smile fries and a uhh smile shake.. Wait what flavor is the smile shake? ... Ok so I get that and like a water. Thank you!

[kenkaodoll]

Kamiya Dojo Monogatari Tales 24 (JUMP SQ)

About Kamiya Dojo Monogatari:

Tales of Kamiya dojo is written by Kaoru Kurosaki and published along with the “Rurouni Kenshin Hokkaido” arc in JUMPSQ. The tale involves the Rurouni Kenshin character in daily life that takes time between Kenshin and Kaoru marriage until the epilogue chapter in the original manga before the Hokkaido Arc. Until this month (April 2022) there are a  total 53 chapters in Tales of Kamiya dojo. This is an unofficial translation.

Previous Story: https://kenkaodoll.tumblr.com/post/682137242359169024/kamiya-dojo-monogatari-tales-23-jump-sq

“Wow, this painting looks so soft.”

Yahiko murmured when he’s looking at a painting.

They were in Fukutaro's storage shed. Tsunan suggested blowing up all Fukutaro's forgeries led to the decision to carry the paintings out to the place where they were able to be blown up.

Once the matter was settled, Tsunan and Fukutaro were quick to act.

It would be easy to blow up Fukutaro's storage shed, but an explosion near a foreign settlement could cause an international problem. However, Tsunan insisted that it would be boring to just burn the paintings and that it was important to make them explode, so he planned to carry them to the riverbank where he usually used to do his explosive experiments.

At the usual riverbank, Tsunan was known as a pyrotechnician apprentice. Whenever he set off a loud explosion, a policeman came along and said warmly to Tsunan, "All you do is explode, you can't make beautiful fireworks at all". It was a carefree talk.

During this period, police officers were often called "mappo". Since many of them were from Satsuma, it was said that the "satsu" in the first half of the word "satsumapo" (which means a Satsuma person) was omitted and the word "mappo" was used. And these mappo also had a reputation for being arrogant. It was something like a miracle that a police officer would speak warmly to a pyrotechnician apprentice. If there was a place in the riverbank where explosive experiments can be conducted without any penalty, they were sure that Fukutaro's belongings could be transported there for burning.

The *Nishiki-e was sold at a stall near the docks because it was a hot selling souvenir. The storage shed was stocked with all kinds of forgeries.

“Are you interested in that painting?”

Fukutaro said to Yahiko with a big smile.

He then looked at the "soft painting" in Yahiko's hand and explained.

“This is a painting by a rising artist who has recently become popular in France. Western style paintings were originally valued for biblical pictures, historical writings, portraits, and its kind. This painting destroys the existing reputation. It is doing the exact opposite of what is highly regarded as the subject matter of highly regarded paintings and the way highly regarded paintings are painted. It is assertive and cool. So is Tsunan's painting.”

“Come on. My paintings are nothing like that.”

Tsunan said in a muffled voice. They were facing Tsunan's back and his expression was not visible. Yahiko thought that Tsunan must be embarrassed.

“I'm not talking about brush strokes. I'm talking about your attitude.”

Fukutaro continued to talk about the painting.

“This painting is mine, but of course it is a forgery. The original was painted by a Frenchman named *Claude Monet.”

“The colors are so soft, but do they have a strong purpose? It's hard to tell just by looking at the painting.”

Yahiko stared at the painting.

An ordinary person had no idea where to look on the thick oil paint to find the "purposes" embedded in it.

“Some things become clearer when you know the background and history of the painting.”

“Is that how it is?”

Yahiko gave up trying to find the purposes from the painting and piled it on top of the pile of things that would be carried out.

“Before this artist, painters were painting pictures of the Bible and history because of the conversion of the authority. But I think that in the future, we will live in a world where paintings based on personal values, like this one, will be accepted.”

Fukutaro, who had said that there was nothing he wanted to paint, smiled sadly.

“Ah... things like...”

Yahiko searched for words.

“I can't say it well, but I think swordsmanship is like that, too. Before the restoration, military arts must be based on recommendation by the shogunate, but now it is becoming something that individuals do because they want to do it. Only those who really want to do it will go into swordsmanship.”

“I guess times are changing, no matter which side of the world you are on.”

“That's what I've started to like about this painting. It looks soft, but it's got a serious spirit!”

“You've learned a new way of looking at paintings, haven't you?”

“However...”

Tsunan interrupted their conversation.

“Have you ever been to the West? You can paint such fine Western paintings.”

“Yes, well. After Restoration, I was fortunate enough to be picked up by a German Company. I have seen and heard a lot of things.”

“Wow! That's amazing.”

“But I do this kind of stuff too, not just Western painting.”

Fukutaro flipped open a gorgeously decorated hanging scroll.

“What's this? I don't think the handwriting is that good, but is there another way to look at this, like the Western style painting I saw earlier?”

“This is a forgery of *Saigo Takamori’s calligraphy.”

“Why did you make a forgery of this?”

“They sell for a lot of money.”

“What?”

Yahiko was surprised.

“Things like this?”

“There is a story that even Saigo Takamori himself said that his handwriting was poor, so I think Yahiko-kun's assessment is correct. But there are still many people who want to buy a copy of Saigo Takamori's handwritten calligraphy, because he is a great person.”

“Oh, really? Is that how it is?”

“The only problem is that mass-production reduces the value of the product, so it has to be done in moderation.”

“Don't do that kind of evil money making anymore, and live honestly in a business where you can show your face to the heavens.”

Fukutaro laughed as the twelve-year-old Yahiko child told him about life.

“By the way, this is a lot of stuff”

Tsunan had been working quietly and spoke.

“If we want to transport it to the riverbank, we have to do it in several trips. It is a long distance between Yokohama and Tokyo. The problem is whether there is a place where we can leave them, but unfortunately, the Dobuita row house where I live is too small to accommodate these things.”

“I live in a small tenement house, but if I ask, they'll let me put it in the Kamiya Dojo, where I trained.”

“There?”

Tsunan knew the approximate size of the place because Sanosuke had once invited him to a party at the Kamiya Dojo.

“That might be sufficient.”

Just as they were convinced, Fukutaro interrupted.

“No, no, no. I don't agree. I've decided to detonate it now. I want to do it before I change my mind.”

“That's impossible.”

“It is impossible to carry such a large amount of goods to the riverbank in Tokyo all at once.”

Yahiko and Tsunan agreed.

“You'd think so, wouldn't you?"”

Fukutaro was smiling.

“I have a secret plan.”

When he was speaking he pushed the closed door of the next room in the storage shed with great force. The door slammed open with a loud, booming sound.

Yahiko held his breath.

“*Daihachiguruma cart?”

“It's hard to load a lot of stuff on this thing and push it all the way to Tokyo," Tsunan said, “We'd better split it up into smaller pieces here, even if we don't want to."

Reasonable advice.

But this is more than just a Daihachiguruma cart.

・

The three of them came to Yokohama Station with a large load on the Daihachiguruma cart.

“We were just moving around a bit, but it's this heavy. There's no way we can carry this stuff all the way to Tokyo.”

Yahiko tried hard to dissuade Fukutaro.

“Ummm. I'd love to be there for the explosion, but I can't keep up with carrying all this weight.”

Tsunan seemed to agree with Yahiko.

“You would think so? I would rather let this thing blow up here than push it all the way to Tokyo, even if it becomes an international problem. But we don't have to push it from here.”

“You want to take the steam train from the station? It's late at night, not the time the train runs.”

Yahiko raised his voice.

“It's good because now is the time when the steam train isn't running. Look at this.”

Fukutaro put the Daihachiguruma cart on the tracks.

“On the road, it's a Daihachiguruma cart, and on the tracks, it's a freight car. It's called a trolley. You see the handle here? You move it up and down to operate it by hand.”

The trolley on the tracks was quite heavy on the road, but on the tracks, it seemed to move with only light paddling once it started moving, though it required a lot of strength just to get it started.

“You can get on. It will be burned anyway, so you can get on top of the painting calligraphy.”

Fukutaro started to move the trolley and Tsunan got on. Yahiko followed him.

“Let's go! Move it!”

The trolley winds its way along the track at night.

The autumn wind was a little chilly, but Yahiko was so excited about the ride that he had never seen before that he did not care about the cold.

“I thought the land steam was big and smoky and awesome, but this little trolley thing is a lot of fun too!”

Yahiko felt like yelling out loud.

“Hi-yah!”

Fukutaro was an old man, but he couldn't contain himself and screamed loudly like a boy who had just returned from overseas. Yahiko also could not hold back and shouted loudly.

Tsunan, perhaps not the type to get excited, kept his mouth shut.

The journey along the rail line appeared to be smooth. However, even though the track looked flat from the outside, there were undulations that could not be seen at a glance. The trolley was going downhill and gradually increasing its speed.

“Hooray! Fast, fast!”

“Stop it, Fukutaro!”

“I can't stop it!

“Whoa! I'm falling! I'm dying!”

The trolley had reached a great speed then occasionally caught a pebble or dart and shook so much that it almost swung off.  Yahiko shouted loudly and Fukutaro laughed hysterically. Tsunan was silent but his face was getting paler.

When the trolley was going uphill, the three of them worked together to operate the handle up and down to move the trolley and when it was going downhill again, they were excited and thrilled. They arrived at Shinbashi Station in a state of confusion as to whether they were scared or having fun. From the station the trolley back on the road as big wooden cart and they arrived at their destination in the riverbank just before dawn after they retrieved the bombs at a Dobuita row house.

“Okay, now we are all set.”

Tsunan handed Fukutaro a box of matches.

“Light this up, and everything will explode.”

Fukutaro's face turned obedient as he received the matches.

“I wonder if this will help me change my life.”

“That is it, you'll just have to live with it.”

Yahiko straight out replied Fukutaro's grumbles which were not directed at anyone. Fukutaro laughed, feeling like his life had been turned upside down by the child Yahiko again.

Across the riverbank, the sky was shining in the light of the dawn.

After taking a breath of fresh air, Fukutaro lit a match.

Notes:

*)Nishiki-e: a painting with woodblock printing technique

*)Claude Monet was a French painter and founder of impressionist painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it.

*)Saigo Takamori was a Japanese samurai and nobleman. He was one of the most influential samurai in Japanese history and one of the three great nobles who led the Meiji Restoration. Living during the late Edo and early Meiji periods, he later led the Satsuma Rebellion against the Meiji government

*)Daihachiguruma: wooden cart with two big wheels 

.…..continue in chapter 25……

https://kenkaodoll.tumblr.com/post/682598746693009408/kamiya-dojo-monogatari-tales-25-jump-sq

TLnote(1): translating Japanese is so hard because the sentence structure is very different compared with the English also the style of writing is different, plus there’s a lot of figurative, poetic language and things that sounds not making sense if it’s directly translated into english. So forgive me if this is very weird to read, and please tell me if you want give corrections. TLnote(2) I will provide the original Japanese text for correction if any of you who read have better knowledge of Japanese language. Just dm and I’ll send the file. TLnote(3) Dtninja had translated some earlier chapters in his website. You can go and check on there.

[bucketofcowboys]

2 Idiots At 2 AM

Thank you to RachelSnow on AO3 for beta reading this fic for me! I really appreciate it!

Relationship: Kazuma Kiryu & Akira Nishikiyama (NOT SHIP)

Warning: Underage Smoking, Smoking, a lil bit of angst, no spoilers for the games tho

Words: 2,044

AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29684367

--------

Everything felt hazy, and the first thing Kiryu realized was that someone was holding his hand. The second thing he realized was that the hand was guiding him forwards, and his legs went with it like it was the natural flow of things. He didn't know who it was, nor did he know where he was going, all he knew was that for some reason he was completely at peace with it. He felt lax, like he was floating atop calm waters. It lapped at his skin in tranquil waves.

When he finally raised his head up to meet the gaze of the person that was holding his hand, he realized that they had no features. Instead they were smudged, like the scribbles of a pencil streaked against paper. Even with the terrifying lack of a face, he proceeded like nothing was out of place. Though he could not properly get a look at her, for some reason naturally in his mind, he identified the person guiding him as his mother. Her hands were soft and warm. Her voice was gentle, though he couldn't process what she was saying.

They approached a building that looked very familiar to him. It almost looked like Sunflower, but the signs were gone and it looked empty. He mindlessly labeled it as 'home'. He felt like he had lived there for years with his mom, though he couldn't pinpoint any specific memories that proved it. In front of the building stood another person with the same smudged looking face as her. He identified him as father. He smiled as they stepped in front of him. He had no face, so there was no way he could actually smile, but Kiryu felt it. He felt him smile at them, all cordial and bright and sunny.

"Kazuma!" Kiryu heard someone shout, and in an instant that warm calm feeling shattered like sheets of ice against the pavement. He turned around and he saw Nishiki on the ground. He was crying, broken. Knees torn open in great gashes. He turned back towards his parents, wanting to ask for help, but they were gone. Dissipated like dust in the wind.

"Kazuma! Wake up!" He opened his eyes and found himself laying on the wooden floor of he and Nishiki's shared room. He pulled his pressure numb arm out from under him, which he had been using as a pillow, and blinked a few times as he regained consciousness. Nishiki was squatting above him, flicking his forehead. They both were in the doorway of their room, and Kiryu had no idea how either of them got there. 

"Stop it!" He swatted the hand away from his face and pushed himself to sit up, "What happened?" He was still phased out of reality after that dream. Dreams about his parents always made him feel a bit disconnected once he woke up. Nishiki rolled his eyes.

"You fell asleep when I told you to be on the lookout for me, you dumbass." Nishiki flicked his head once more, and Kiryu groaned in disapproval. 

"They didn't catch you though, so I did my job." Kiryu pointed out, "Did you get it?" 

Nishiki rolled his eyes as if he was annoyed by his lack of confidence in him. 

"Yeah, of course I did." He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a pack of hi-lights. He popped open the top to show off the fact that it still had a few cigs in it. Kiryu raised his eyebrows, impressed. 

"Well give me one--" Kiryu impatiently grabbed at the package, and Nishiki immediately pulled back and held the cigarettes up and as far away as he could from him. Kiryu was taller, and could easily reach over him and grab them if he wanted to, but he didn't. He just sat there pouting. 

"Are you stupid? We can't smoke in here! What about my sister, dumbass!" He went to knock Kiryu on his head, but he quickly blocked it with his arm and threw Nishiki off of him. "We gotta smoke outside."

Kiryu shivered at the idea. It had been freezing the past few days, and he doubted just because two rebellious teens wanted to smoke that the temperature would magically spike up. But, Nishiki was right. Yuko definitely wouldn't fare well if she inhaled a bunch of smoke in her sleep, and smoking inside the building was banned anyways. If they smoked in there he was sure everyone would recognize the smell and they'd be in big trouble. He sighed, and got up to grab his jacket.

Once he arrived back at the doorway, Nishiki was already tiptoeing his way down the hall. Kiryu quickly made his way to follow, closing the door behind him as quietly as he could manage. If someone woke up and saw their door wide open, they were sure to become suspicious. He cautiously avoided the especially squeaky floor boards as he walked down the corridor, passing by Yumi and Yuko's own room with a flinch. If either of them found out what they were sneaking out to do they'd probably kill him and Nishiki. 

They finally entered the main area, and peered around the corner of the wall before they even attempted to get close to the front door. Scanning the darkened room, they saw no one occupying it. The usually full and bustling orphanage was disturbingly quiet during the night, many of the younger kids in a dead sleep after hours of play, the older ones confined in their rooms doing homework with only a flimsy book light to keep them company. He chased after Nishiki as he dashed towards the door, almost falling as his socks slid on the slick hardwood. Nishiki flipped the lock on the brass knob and it gave a click of approval, then he opened the door, as slowly as he possibly could to prevent any creaking.

Cool air rushed in and brushed past the both of them, causing a conjoined shiver. Kiryu tugged his jacket on tighter and regretted not putting anything over his tank top before deciding to do this. Eventually the door slid open to where the both of them could squeeze their body through, and then they spent a good couple minutes slowly closing it just in case. Outside, little flakes of snow had begun to fall from the dark gray sky. Under the cover of the night and winter, the white specks could be ash from a volcano and neither of them would notice a thing. Cool winds blew past, and the only things that illuminated their faces were the half moon in the sky, and the nearby porch light that lit up the wooden Sunflower sign. 

Nishiki quickly made his way to hide over at the side of the building, thinking they were less likely to be caught if they weren't directly in the front. Once they were under cover, they squatted down against the siding and Nishiki pulled out the pack of cigs again. He opened it and pulled out two of the white sticks and handed one to Kiryu while keeping the other for himself. Kiryu eyed at the object for a second, quickly realizing that the side with the blue lines was the side you were meant to smoke from, judging by the white foam filter he could see. The other side was jammed packed with dried tobacco. He sniffed at the odd end and flinched at the offending smell. 

"Shit, did you grab something to light it with?" Kiryu said when he finally realized that they had no way to actually smoke them. Nishiki waved him off. Kiryu noticed that he had already placed the cigarette between his lips, and he copied him. 

"Yeah of course, I'm not stupid." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a suspiciously familiar lighter. 

"Wait... that's-- Akira! Kazama-san’s already going to be pissed off when he finds that his smokes are missing, but you stole his lighter too?!" Nishiki shrugged, already flicking his thumb against the gear to try and light it. 

"Everyone else lights his cigarettes for him, he won't notice." He finally got the thing to spark hard enough that it lit, and he quickly moved the flame over to the tip of his cigarette. Kiryu watched as the fire slowly caught on the paper, and smoke began to plume at the end. He then reached over and brought the lighter closer to Kiryu. He leaned forwards and aimed the tip at the flame. He went cross eyed trying to get a glimpse of it as it lit up.

Nishiki shoved the lighter back into his pocket and took his first smooth drag from his cig, so Kiryu tried to follow suit. When he huffed the smoke in, he immediately began to choke. The taste was downright offensive, and his throat and lungs burned furiously. After trying to stifle his cough, he looked back up and saw that Nishiki seemed totally unaffected and blew his puff out with no problem. He furrowed his brows. 

"Have you done this before?" Kiryu asked, still gasping. 

"What? No!" Nishiki held the cigarette between his index and middle finger and gestured with it with mock experience, "I'm just cooler than you Kazuma." He added smugly. He took another drag, and this time Kiryu took notice that he had to stifle a cough. He smirked, but didn't point it out. 

They sat there for a while, quietly nursing their cigarettes, stifling coughs and chokes and accidently burning their nostrils as they let the smoke go through the wrong pipes. Their hearts pounded heavy in their chests and adrenaline pumped through their veins, knowing what they were doing was against so many rules and if they were caught they probably wouldn't be allowed outside of the orphanage for a week. But that was the appeal of it, wasn't it? The thrill.

As Kiryu kept smoking, a feeling of nausea fell over him. People always talked about how cigarettes were calming, and he thought that the more and more he inhaled the more relaxed he would get. Instead it was the opposite. He felt sick to his stomach and everything burned. He had no idea why adults smoked so often. All it seemed to do was hurt. He couldn't even finish his cigarette before he stubbed it out on the ground. 

"What's wrong?" Nishiki asked, Kiryu looked up at him pale faced and big eyed. 

"I feel sick, ototo-kun." He said honestly. He felt like he was going to throw up. Nishiki gave him a look of concern. 

"You wanna go inside?" Kiryu quickly nodded. Nishiki stubbed his cigarette on the side of the building and left a petty burn mark against the siding, a reminder of what they did here, then grabbed Kiryu and led him by the arm back into the building. They tip-toed their way back to their room, and Kiryu curled up on his bed with the sickening taste of tobacco and nicotine sinking in his stomach. By the time morning came around, the sickness had passed and he felt much better, but they soon came to regret their decision later in the day when Kazama came to visit. 

It turns out that he had, indeed, noticed the lighter Nishiki stole was missing, and he lined all the kids up and asked for whoever stole them to come clean. When no one stepped forward, he made his rounds and after only a few seconds he figured out it was he and Nishiki just by the smell of tobacco that still clung to their breath. He forced the two of them to fess up and apologize in front of the whole orphanage (Kiryu wouldn't have been so embarrassed about it if Yumi wasn't angrily eyeing him the entire time), then he sent them off to their room and grounded them for a couple of weeks. What Kiryu remembered the most was that he was less pissed off about the smoking, and more pissed off about Nishiki stealing, and getting away with it.

About a year later, when they both had turned fifteen, they tried the same thing all over again.

It went about as well as the first time.

[noodleswithsoba-blog]

Weird Writing Things.

1. I write accents. Y’know, if I’m writing a Scot or a Brit with a thick accent, I reflect that in my writing, but... I have the most fun with the Scot accent. Especially since I started out as a Hellsing Writer. Alexander Anderson is the leading offender of the Accent writing.

2. I like to over-describe things. For example, in my MHA fic Plus Ultra: The Story of Nikko Yagi... Her breath was making me feel a little dizzy. She ended up kissing me fully on the lips, full of need and want, 'I miss you, don't leave.' My muscles being kissed, more focused on my weaker arm, my hand slipped down to her thigh and she straddled me. Kissing me full of desire, full of ravenous need and lust. Sapphire and silver met my starlight eyes, breathy, needy gasps between kisses, muttered sweet nothings. Her hands rubbing every inch of my exposed skin.The heat and the chill mixed into a pleasant lukewarm breeze, Blazer and shirt already open, pale skin inviting me to stroke and knead gently, the mixed peppermint-like hair half red and half white gliding through my fingers.Shoto yielded, she laid on me, kissing and rubbing, letting me feel her. Letting her feel me. 

We didn't need to be our fathers… we just needed to be us. Sapphire ringed by red and silver ringed by perfect, warm flesh pressed up against my near rail-thin physique since I obliterated the darkness that took so much away from others, his blood being used to give those back. That soft, strong, cool and warm body…She was stronger than me. Arms looped around my neck, my eyes focused on that scar, enduring years of mental and emotional torture. Kept away from her more sane parent and stuck in a loop of being a hero or a breeding factory. 

The pressure of being a hero wasn't new to me, but… Shoto seemed so starved for affection that she looked broken when she was without it. Needy, tears coursing down her cheeks, tears of relief and love, honest love. Love for me. Love for her life and how it turned out. Her eyes shining, tears sparkling in the evening light, legs laying on either side of my chest, grinning, arms looped around my neck and rubbing herself against me. Finally deciding that she's Shoto again. And her first decision was to love me. Holding onto me, her hope. That's what brought me out from the brink, not because it was stupid to die like a coward… but what I represented to her, what I represented to others.I was the hope. I was the hope that the sun would rise and touch the world again with its rays. I was the hope that the sons and daughters of our generation can wake up and see that the world's alright. I'd be the hope that everyone could latch onto. I didn't need to be the peace. The peace was Shoto's dad's job now. My job was to carry the hope with me. Shoto looked up at me with those eyes, with those big, pleading eyes that begged me to hold her and keep her close, pull the sheets over ourselves and sleep tangled in each other's arms. I DIDN’T EVEN NEED TO DESCRIBE THAT CUDDLING SCENE IN THAT MUCH DETAIL BUT THERE!

3. Then there’s the dumb, funny stuff that I write for certain scenes... like in my MHA x Yakuza fic with Majima, "Dearly beloved, we're all here to party our lights out for these two crazy-ass lovebirds, 'cause it all started in a UA hallway. Then it went from that to tryin' to hide it, REAL BADLY, endin' up rammin' a truck into a rival Yakuza, savin' Eri-chan and leavin' us all really wonderin' how crazy did I make that boy?" Dad ended it on a rhetorical question, making Nishiki and Naosu snicker and Oguma barely hold back his laughter. Uncle Kiryu looked ready to take over and Pops too.

"Aw, fuck this! I'mma just Robin Hood: Men In Tights this!" he snapped, making 

Uncle Kiryu come up and take it over."Alright, Majima-san, sit down, we promised to share since we were all a big part in Kazuo's life, I get to do my son's wedding and Ichiban got to do his daughter's," he stated.

"Nah, ain't sittin' down! I stayed up all night just to write this shit down! SO I'mma do it!" Dad snapped, taking the book back.

"Alright! Kazuo-chan, will you take this hot, sexy woman to be yer wife, in sickness an' in health, good an' bad, til the gods are fed up with ya?" he asked. I smiled and looked into her eyes behind the veil.

"I do," I stated.

"An' Nemi-chaaan… how about you? Do you take my cute lil' pup to be yer husband, from Pride to Despair, lovin' him 24 Hours, givin' him Machinegun Kisses and Ondo onto the TOP?" he asked, bouncing a little.

"I do," Nemuri said.

"Awright! By the power vested in me by that one New Year's where my Kyodai and I got shitfaced drunk an' become ordained, I pronounce ya… MAN AN' WIFE! Now get to smoochin'!"  My thought process: How funny would it be if Majima officiated a wedding?

My brain: Let’s go.

4. Me and my characters: I love and cherish all of you... *Opens coffin* Me: Okay! Get in!

5. Me: (Writing a seriously messed up protag.): How make words go?! Also me: (Writing a genocidal rainbow maniac who's also a creep.): Oooh! We’re cooking with gas!

6. Me (Looks at the fandom with my fics): NOTICE ME! The Fandom: (In the distance.): NOOO!

7. Me: Have you ever heard the sound of a life being trainwrecked? My OC Kazuma: Uh-uh.

Me(makes his backstory absolutely tragic and messed up.): Would you like to?

[broken-clover]

AU-gust Day 7- Childhood Friends

Taking a bit of a break from Guilty Gear, so today have a Blazblue fic! I know this probably makes no sense in canon for multiple reasons but that’s what an AU is for! So have some tiny Bang and tiny Amane being tiny dorks.

Bang was a very easy person to read. More often than not, one didn’t even have to really try. If he didn’t outright state his opinions or feelings on something, his overexaggerated body language gave him away. The same applied to his interests. Whenever he found something new and exciting, it would be all he talked about.

Tenjo had caught him staring on their way back from training. A traveling caravan was passing through Wadatsumi. She had approved them days ago. As long as they didn’t cause trouble and weren’t too disruptive, she let them come through and take a few days to rest and restock. Her apprentice appeared utterly enraptured at the sight, like he’d never seen anything like it before.

“What are you looking at, Bang?” Was it anything in particular? “Do you like their horses?”

“Sparkly!”

“Sparkly?” A significant number of the travelers did seem to be wearing very eye-catching ensembles, flowy skirts and gem-studded accessories. Tenjo herself did wear some rather extravagant clothing, but she preferred keeping the colors simple. Meanwhile, they dressed in every color of the rainbow and then some. She watched Bang grab at the air towards the procession as it passed them. “Do you like all the colors?”

“Uh-huh! Sparkly!”

She supposed that they could watch for a minute or two. They weren’t in any rush. It was nice to see something happy in her beautiful Wadatsumi, with all the political strife that had been cropping up lately, it was starting to feel like everything was doom and gloom. They could all use something to take their minds off of things, even if it was temporary.

“Ten-jo-sa-ma!” Bang chirped, pointing at something else. “What’s that!”

A man in a beautiful, elaborate outfit was pinning something to the local notice board. A thick stack of papers were taking up his other arm, so it wasn’t much of a surprise to see him rush off immediately to start chatting with a pair of passers-by and offer them another.

“Hmm? I don’t know. Let’s go take a look.” When the road was clear, the two of them crossed the street to get a better look. There were a few notices already put up, but the newest one stuck out like a sore thumb with its bright colors.

‘One Night Only!’ It announced, in elaborate writing. ‘Witness the beauty and grace of the Mikoto Dance Troupe! Be charmed by the stunning visual performance and melodies! Show begins at 8pm in Block 4. Free admission, donations encouraged!’

“A dancing show?” How odd. Those didn’t often come to Wadatsumi. She noticed her charge staring at the paper with bright eyes, bouncing up and down.

Had he ever seen something like this? He was a Wadatsumi native, it was unlikely a troupe had come through, and it didn’t seem probable his parents would take someone so young to another Hierarchical City for something like that. It had to be something new and interesting for him, no wonder he was so excited.

“Would you like to go to the show, Bang?” She asked. “You’ve already finished your training today, so we can go as a special treat, if you’d like.”

“We can??”

Tenjo chuckled. “Is that a yes, then?”

“YEAH!!”

++++++

“Woah…”

It seemed the festivities had attracted quite a lot of Wadatsumi’s inhabitants. She had already seen peasant farmers, politicians, and everything in between lined up to take a peek. A small crowd had already clustered around the entrance, and she could see people inside the performance area frantically carrying out more chairs to set up for their incoming audience.

“Are you alright, Bang?” She gave his hand a light squeeze. Tenjo knew he didn’t do well in crowds. In hindsight, she probably should have expected it, but all she could do now was give him as much patience as possible.

“Mmhm.” He nodded, with his face buried in his scarf to block out all the smells.

“Don’t worry, I promise it will be less crowded once we get inside.”

At least the man at the counter knew how to work fast. It didn’t take long for them to move up to the front. “Hello, ma’am! Two guests?”

“Yes.” Tenjo nodded. “Just a moment, Bang. Let me reach my pocket.” She let go of his hand, took a moment to be sure he wouldn’t immediately be swallowed up by the crowd, and dug into her robes in search of coin. Imperator or not, she could support small artists trying to make a living.

The man looked utterly dumbfounded at the pile of money she offered up. “Wow, th-thank you very much, ma’am! We appreciate your kindness!”

Had people not been donating? She hoped she hadn’t been the only person to do so. “Of course! Happy to help. May we head inside?”

“Absolutely!” He beckoned them to the gate. “Enjoy the show!”

“Thank you for being patient with me. Now we can- huh? Bang?”

When she looked down, he was nowhere to be seen. “Bang?!”

Her eyes tore around, trying to find the smallest hint of trailing red fabric. He may have been a burgeoning combatant and capable of fending for himself, she nonetheless felt anxiety pooling in her stomach.

“Ten-jo-sa-ma Ten-jo-sa-ma Ten-jo-”

Bang tried to peek out of the top of his scarf while still keeping it mushed over his nose. It had been too loud and smelly for him. Tenjo-sama had said that when he got overwhelmed, he should find a quiet place to sit until he felt better. There were a lot of tents over near the big wagons, and those seemed like a good place to hide. If he had a meltdown, then they would have to go home for the night, and he really wanted to see the pretty dancers!

One of the less-big tents across the lawn was already half-open, how lucky! He ducked inside and huddled in the corner.

“Ten-jo-sa-ma Ten-jo-sa-ma-” He mumbled to himself, rocking back and forth on his toes. It was way less crowded in the tent, and most of the bad smells had been replaced by a nice perfume. And thankfully, nobody interrupted his stimming until he started to feel a little bit more in control of himself.

“Hmm hmm, la da da~”

Bang’s ears perked up. Had someone been singing the whole time, and he had only just noticed it?

He stood back up and turned towards the sound. Part of the tent was closed off by another curtain, with light spilling out from behind. Curiously, he approached to peek out from behind.

“La-la-la-la, da-da-dum~”

A boy about his age was twirling around, clutching bright pink ribbons in his tiny fists. His dancing wasn’t as smooth or fancy as the other dancers, but it was probably the same reason he wasn’t as good at fighting as Tenjo-sama or Ka-gu-ra-nii. Kids weren’t usually the best at things, adults had lots more time to practice, so they were really good!

“La-la- oh!” On his next turn, Bang watched him trip and fall on the hem of his skirt. “Owie…”

It must have been a bad fall, because his eyes started pinching and tearing up. Or maybe he was sad he had messed up the dance? He did that sometimes when he messed up a parry or fell off the climbing wall, even when it didn’t hurt.

Well, Tenjo-sama said people got better at things when you encouraged them! Maybe that was just what this one needed to help cheer him up.

So he started to clap. “That was really good! Until the part where you tripped, but I do that all the time too!”

“-eek!” The boy shrieked, jumping back and dropping his ribbons. Why had he done that?

“That was really good!” He said again, in case he hadn’t heard. “You’re really good!”

That seemed to calm him down a little. “I thought you were Tsukiyomi-san.” He said, picking up his ribbons again. “She always yells at me for fooling around before the show.”

“Are you gonna dance up on the big stage?”

“Yeah-huh!” He replied, with a glint of eagerness in his eyes. “I just do small parts now, but when I get big they’re gonna let me do all the important dances!” The boy puffed out his chest, making the pale pink scarf he wore fluff around his head like a halo. “My name is Nishiki Amane. I’m gonna be super famous someday, so you’d better remember it!”

“A-ma-ne Nishi-ki-kun. A-ma-ne-kun.” He liked the way it rolled off his tongue. “A-ma-ne-kun.”

“Amane! That’s me! I’m gonna be so great, people will clap and cheer and throw flowers at me whenever I dance!”

“Mmm.” Bang tilted his head. “My scarf is cooler than yours.”

“What?!” Amane shouted back. “No it isn’t! Mine’s the cooler one! It’s pink! And it looks really pretty when I dance!”

“Nuh-uh!” Replied Bang, with a growing smirk. “Mine is red, and red is the best.”

“Oh yeah?” Just as quickly, Amane was grinning back. “Well if it’s so cool, then give it to me!”

The ninja took off to run around the room. “No way! It’s mine!”

“Not for long!” The other boy started chasing him in circles.

“It’s mine!”

“Gimme!”

“No!”

“Give- oof!”

The dizziness very quickly made them crash into one another and fall in a heap. The two boys sat back up, looked at one another, and burst into giggles.

“That was fun!” Bang crowed.

“I feel dizzy.” Amane began undoing the loops of his scarf. “Wanna try mine? Let’s swap!”

“Okay!”

Amane had to help him tie the knots right so the scarf went around his shoulders, and Bang helped him loop the thick red fabric around so it would fall down his back and flap behind him when he ran.

“Sparkly!” He did a little twirl, watching how the pink material practically hovered over him. “Amane-kun looks like a superhero!”

“You think so?” It looked weird with his fancy dress, but Amane looked perfectly pleased with his new accessory, twirling a little before pulling it back off and handing it over. “It’s a little too heavy to dance in, though.”

Bang hadn’t considered that. “Maybe that’s why I can’t dance good. You’re really good, can you show me how to dance?”

Amane untied the pink scarf off him and put it back on himself. “Tsukiyomi-san says 'dancers can’t be truly great unless they look their best.' So maybe if I do your makeup, you’ll be better at it!”

On the other side of the tent, there was a pretty wooden vanity with a mirror and bottles of all different things lined up on it. Amane climbed onto the chair and began rooting around. “I only get to wear lipstick during big shows, so that’s probably the best!”

He found a tube of something and popped it open. Bang watched in confused intrigue as Amane rubbed it on his own lips. Wherever he put it, they turned a bright shade of pink.

“This color’s my favorite!” Pursing his lips and turning his head back and forth let Amane look at his reflection in different ways.

“Ok ok!” Bang raised his arms toward him. “Do me now!”

“Hold on! Gotta test it and see if it’s dry first!”

“How do you do that?”

Instead of responding, Amane bent down to kiss him on the mouth. Bang felt something sticky rub off on his lips, making him reel back and swat at his face.

“Guess it wasn’t dry…” The dancer sighed unhappily. “What’s wrong?”

“Sticky! Your mouth is sticky! Boys aren’t supposed to kiss!”

“Why not?”

“Hmm…” Bang thought for a moment. He couldn’t think of a good answer. He kissed Amane back on the forehead. Then he didn’t have to worry about being sticky, though he did leave a little smear of pink on his face.

Amane beamed. “See? Boys can kiss other boys! Some of the bigger kids do it all the time.”

How interesting. Amane-kun seemed to know a lot of things. Bang liked learning from him!

“Amane?” Said a strange voice. “The show starts in fifteen minutes, are you-”

A woman bustled into the tent, tying her hair back. She seemed interested in Bang as soon as she saw him. “Ah! Are you little Bang?”

He tilted his head. “No.”

She paused, looking at him with confusion. “Oh. I’m looking for a boy your age, with a red scarf sort of like yours, have you seen him? His name is Bang.”

“Mmhm.” He nodded. “I’m Bang.”

That only confused her further. “But you just told me it wasn’t your name?”

“My name is just ‘Bang.’”

The woman smiled, though it really didn’t look like a smile. “Ah. Alright, smarty-pants, your chaperone is looking for you.”

He wasn’t sure what that meant. Amane was nice enough to explain. “Like, the person you came with. Did you come with your mom?”

“I came with Ten-jo-sa-ma.” He’d nearly forgotten about her! He had been so distracted by playing with Amane-kun. Hopefully she wouldn’t be mad.

At that very moment, Tenjo followed the woman into the tent. “Bang! I was so worried, are you alright?”

“Ten-jo-sa-ma!” He shouted, burying himself in her skirt. “It was too smelly, so I found a quiet place like you told me to!”

“That’s...yes, that’s very good of you, Bang.” She gave him a pat on the back. “But next time, please let me know before you do that, alright? I don’t want to lose track of you in such a crowded place.”

He nodded. “O-k! Look at my friend A-ma-ne-kun!”

“Oh?” Tenjo looked at the other boy. “I’m so happy to see you making friends, Bang! But the show is about to start soon, why don’t we let them get ready and find a place to sit?”

“She’s right!” The other woman started ushering Amane towards another tent. “You still have to change!”

“Bye-bye A-ma-ne-kun!” Bang waved as they departed.

Tenjo gave her apprentice a small smile as they headed towards. “Did you have fun playing?”

“Mmhm! A-ma-ne-kun is a real good dancer! He’s gonna dance up on the stage!”

“We’ll have to keep an eye out for him then, won’t we?” It was wonderful that he was making friends his own age. She noticed he didn’t have much interest in the concept. As much as she wanted him to explore and do as he pleased without being too smothered, it was a tad worrisome that he only seemed interested in talking to her or Kagura.

She felt Bang slipping from her grip. Oh no, this wasn’t going to happen again. “Bang, don’t run away!”

But he didn’t. Instead, she watched him calmly walk over to a bush of lilies and crouch. He carefully plucked a few flowers off their stems and bunched them together in his free hand.

“Bang? What are you doing? The show is about to start soon!”

After plucking a few more, he stood back up and followed. “Mmhm. O-k Ten-jo-sa-ma.”

“What are the flowers for?”

“They’re for A-ma-ne-kun! So I can throw em at him when he dances!”

Throwing them? That was a bit odd. Then again, Bang was a bit of an odd child. But as long as he was enjoying himself and wasn't causing any harm, she supposed it wasn’t a big deal.

[indrustrialdistrict]

concept

since kazama very obviously prefers kiryu between him and nishiki, what if kashiwagi stepped in to kind of fill that fatherly/older guardian role for nishiki?? 

like, nishiki’s been feeling down and kashiwagi takes him to his favorite restaurant or buys him his favorite beer or something and listens to him vent his emotions without ever invalidating him? giving him the support he so desperately needs? being someone he can 100% trust (because as much as i love kiryu, and as close as he and nishiki are, nishiki has a very obvious inferiority complex regarding him) and can look up to in a healthy and positive way?

i’m so starved for kashiwagi being a character, and giving him a deep and meaningful relationship with nishiki could give us insight into who is he as a person, and not just him being an extension of kazama or the cool uncle, which is admittedly a very fun character type, but a very shallow one since he wasn’t really developed beyond that, and nothing else. it could also give way to his backstory too, because there’s a lot you could do with it! 

maybe he was once a very emotionally driven young man, and when he got into some really, really intense trouble because of that (which could be when he got that scar and/or got picked up by kazama!!), and he sees his past self in nishiki and doesn’t want him to go through what he did? maybe he had someone close to him that reminded him of nishiki that he couldn’t help or is in some way out of his life now, and he connected with nishiki at first because of them, but then began to truly care for him as a person?? maybe he has just always been a compassionate and protective older brother sort, and though he has tried to keep that part of himself contained because it’s a vulnerability, he saw how much nishiki needed support and opened up to him? i’m sure there’s a lot more ways to handle it than just these, too!!

idk i just love both of them, and i was so upset by the fact that nishiki got no love or support from anyone close to him (he would’ve gotten it from kiryu, but he was already in jail, and the whole taking his place furthered the divide between them caused by nishiki’s inferiority complex) and that canon treated kashiwagi like absolute dirt (i still am and forever will be pissed at y3 for how they treated kashiwagi. they may have given us one of the best boys in the series--rikiya, love him so much, an absolute angel--but they also did that to kashiwagi (no spoilers), soooo!!), so i will remedy it myself. 

[sadkois]

just read your most recent post and shcjshchd i can relate to the brain melting...i wish i could write this ask with more brain juice to share but all i can tell you is so true, i agree, nishiki really was competent and so full of love...wish the world was nicer to him but i guess that's kinda what being in organized crime does to people :( also your little drawings are amazing once again!!! i love your little designs for him!! he looks so handsome i want to squish him (lovingly)

and lastly, if you're comfortable to, do share the vampire au that you mentioned!! i'd love to see what you've come up with (i also like vampires a lot theyre cool) go wild!! it's your nishiki blog we're all here for the food 👍

+ i hope you feel less stress soon and take care!! sorry for the long ask (not sure if this is considered long i haven't been on tumblr long enough to know hehe)

AAAA thank u sm , i always get nervous sharing my thoughts cause im not the most eloquent asfdgh but im glad it made sense! that u could agree even 🥺 we out here wishin the world had been kinder to nishiki everyday... and"that's kinda what being in organized crime does to people" yEA. YEA. you know what that deserves another post for another time ashdjk,

anyways THANK U FOR UR KIND WORDS ANON, ill be sure to share that au soon. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[smol-tired-binch-blog]

Hello :) Welcome back to another episode of Smol Copy-Pastes A Ramble/Rant From Discord And Calls It A Tumblr Post. This week, we’ll be looking at one of my Crying Over Nishiki sessions which ALSO became a full on rant against Kazama! Whoo! Here we go, gonna be another ‘read more’ cause a) spoilers, and b) reeeeally long unhinged ranting about fictional men :D

“LOOK I COULDVE FIXED HIM, EVEN AFTER HE SLAPPED REINA, I'D HAVE BEEN LIKE 'LISTEN BBY I LOVE U IM HERE FOR U BUT GET YOUR ASS BACK OVER THERE RIGHT NOW AND APOLOGISE TO REINA!!!!!'

BUT NOOOOOO EVERYONE JUST HAD TO DECIDE TO BE A HUGE BITCH TO HIM AND BECAUSE THE DUMBASS LASHED OUT AT ONE OF THE ONLY PEOPLE HE HAD LEFT AND PROBABLY FELT LIKE HE COULDNT GO BACK AND APOLOGISE CAUSE I THINK HIS SELF ESTEEM IS ALREADY LOW ENOUGH BY THEN TO NOT EVEN THINK HE DESERVES HER FORGIVENESS AND THEN YUKO FUCKING DIES BECAUSE KAZAMA IS A FUCKING SHIT DAD AND EVERYONE IS A DICK TO HIM UNPROMPTED AND AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

point is i want to rip Kazama's spine out with my bare hands

hate how the game acts like he's so cool and good when he's really not he failed his kids so so badly ACTUALLY NO THEYRE NOT HIS KIDS HE'S THE ENTIRE REASON THEYRE ORPHANS”

(at this point I moved to the spoilers channel to continue my Unending Kazama Hatred)

OKAY SO TIME TO SCREAM ABOUT THAT MOTHERFUCKER KAZAMA AND HOW THE GAME SUCKS HIS DICK do you have ANY idea how much i hated when they go to Tojo HQ so Tachibana can pay em to leave his sugar baby alone and the old fucker who weve never seen before is like 'u know i'd have paid a billion yen for Kazama when he was ur age. are u worth that much? are u as good as him?' LISTEN HERE CUNT HE IS A BETTER MAN THAN KAZAMA EVER WAS AND EVER WILL BE!!!!!!!

WHICH IS SAYING SOMETHIN SEEING AS HE'S REALLY ANNOYING IN THIS GAME like okay i get it Kazama is a yakuza and ex-hitman i EXPECT him to have done bad shit and it's very nice he set up the orphanage n all but it also isnt cause like bro you murdered these kids parents!!! and idk anythin about their life in the orphanage i'll admit but as an active yakuza i cannot imagine him being the most hands-on, tender, loving parent ever, yknow? ALSO ALSO like i know he tried to stop Kiryu and Nishiki becomin yakuza im just saying YA COULDVE TRIED HARDER MATE!!!! THEY WERE SEVENTEEN YEARS OLD, THEY WERE CHILDREN FOR GOD'S SAKE. KIRYU WAS LIKE 'WHY WONT U LET US BE LIKE U YOURE A YAKUZA U GET A COOL CAR AND PEOPLE RESPECT U LET US TRY AND HAVE THAT' YOURE LETTING HIM SELL HIS SOUL TO A LIFE OF CRIME BECAUSE HE WANTS A FUCKING CAR?????? I DONT CARE HOW STRONG THEY WERE IN THAT FIGHT YA FUCKIN SIT THEM DOWN AND GET RID OF THE ILLUSION OF GLAMOUR!!!!! TELL THEM THEYRE WORTH MORE THAN JUST GRUNTS WHO ARE GOOD WITH THEIR FISTS AND NOT MUCH ELSE, ONE FIGHT IN THE RAIN AND YOURE LETTING THEM JOIN, ABSOLUTELY FUCK RIGHT OFF WITH THAT 

AND THEN HE'S SHOVING THEM OFF TO ANOTHER FAMILY BECAUSE OF SOME POLITICAL BULLSHIT IDK BUT FINE FAIR ENOUGH YA DONT WANNA PLAY FAVOURITES BUT I FUCKING HATE THIS WHOLE 'OH SEEMS DISTANT AND UNCARING BUT ACTUALLY HE THOUGHT OF EVERYTHING AND HAS THEIR WELLBEING IN MIND' I JUST- JUST FUCK OFF!!!!!! 

MAYBE YA SHOULD PLAY FAVOURITES WHEN ONE OF YOUR CHARGES IS DYING VERY QUICKLY AND HER BROTHER HAS NO ONE FOR SUPPORT. INSTEAD OF FUCKIN LETTING THE GUY THEY APPARENTLY SEE AS BIG BROTHER FUCKING REPRIMANDING THE GUY CAUSE HE CANT GET CONTROL OF OR RESPECT FROM THE PEOPLE YOU ASSIGNED HIM AND SEEMINGLY KNEW THEYD BE DIFFICULT!!!!! HOW IS MY BOY MEANT TO ""PROVE HIMSELF"" WHEN HES DEALING WITH THE TRAUMA OF TAKING A LIFE (EVEN IF THE FUCKER HAD IT COMING), THE GUILT OF LETTING HIS BEST FRIEND TAKE THE FALL, AN ACT OF PURE KINDNEES IN CONTRAST TO HIS OWN BRUTAL IRREVERSIBLE ONE, THE STRESS OF TRYING TO SAVE HIS SISTER WHO IS DYING (MAYBE CONTRIBUTE SOME EXTRA CASH KAZAMA??? MAYBE???) AND DEALING THE AFOREMENTIONED DISRESPECTFUL FUCKERS AND LASHING OUT AND HURTING THE ONE PERSON HE HAS LEFT AND BURNING THAT BRIDGE, AND THE GIRL HE KILLED A MAN FOR HAS LOST HER MEMORY AND VANISHED (WHICH YOU HELPED WITH KAZAMA!!! YOU KNEW SHE WAS SAFE!!!!), 

AND THEN THE GRIEF OF LOSING HIS SISTER FOR NO. FUCKING. PURPOSE. HE SOLD OUT HIS REMANING MORALS, HIS PRIDE, ANY RESPECT OTHERS MAY HAVE HAD FOR HIM ALL TO SAVE HER AND IT FAILED. HE WENT THROUGH ALL OF THAT ALONE. YEAH I'D HAVE FUCKIN TURNED EVIL AS WELL!!!!!!!

im not sayin Nishiki is fully free of blame, obviously, he made his choices, and murdering Reina after using her love for him to further his own ends AND killing Shinji and ALL of the shit he pulls in Kiwami, yeah, completely fucked up, horrible, his choices, he did that shit. im just saying that i dont know, maybe if ya wanted to step in at any point in the last ten fucking years Kazama (preferably before that too), ya couldve and fuckin SHOULDVE”

I’ll be honest with ya lads, I stand by every word of this cfvgbhnjkgvbhnj