#ritsann

[nimue-hidden-lake]

Picrew Link

[lake-archive]

Birthday Wish

Happy Birthday Ritsu Sakuma (2024)

AO3 Link

Fandom: Ensemble Stars

Characters (main): Ritsu Sakuma, Anja-Sophia 'Ann' Wolff (OC)

Pairing: Ritsann (Ritsu/Ann)

Words: 1,433

Last year had been a surprise yet it was not something they could pull off yet again. They knew that, it would probably be a little too obvious. And besides, the new schedule had complicated things. Ann had to admit to that much on their own. Ritsu was busy with work, even after graduating. No, even more so than ever actually. Meanwhile they were stuck in courses and lectures as well as various film sets, Setting up something at midnight was not something they could do so easily now, especially not if both needed the rest. Or at least one of them…

In any case, they still wanted to try themself on something special. Something only they could do! But… Uh… It has not been easy. And honestly, with all the work piling up they had not the time to think about something. They considered maybe baking a cake yet they could only imagine how that would go. Either in the kitchen exploding into pieces or creating a cake which would kill someone on sight. Not by the smell or taste, no… On sight. It may as well grow legs while at it.

Even when their mother suggested that she could make one they shook their head. “I… Want to do something special for him. On his special day.” They had explained yet could not think of what. And so the time went by and by… And more by…

Until the day hit. 22nd September. The date of his birthday. Ritsu’s birthday. The time where they had been planting their head on their desk in defeat. This was seriously not happening, was it? Them having no idea what to do, what to give. And there was only so much time left. Sure he would be busy with his birthday event as an idol and all but after that? Hah… They were at their wit’s end here. If this could just be easy. Even Nyeli had thought of something. In fact they have heard of it in the morning, pretty much right away. And they had known of it days in advance. Even with school now he was more than eager to draw a picture for his ‘Papa’. And his skills had significantly improved, partially also thanks to Kagehira–San. A portrait of Ritsu, a surprisingly accurate one. And the progress had shown itself within a year.

What had first been a kitty who could only draw simple shapes has now evolved to be able to draw bodies, faces and environments. Sure, still very simplistic, yet there was a significant jump. All because he had the guidance. It was a simple and a little cartoonish looking yet still accurate portrait of Ritsu they had seen Nyeli work on.

What could they do in comparison? A poem? Poetry was not their forte. In fact, they had tried that yet nothing sounded quite right and… A little embarrassing. They refused to show that to anyone. Maybe if they practiced a little more they could try to do something like that next year. But for now… Ah, pondering won’t work. Maybe they had to resort to something simple and—

“Poke. Poke poke poke.” They heard someone suddenly whisper into their ear, making them lift up their head from one moment to the other, though slowly. At first they were just staring into nothingness before finally turning to the side… Only to have their eyes wide for a short moment, caught off guard. This was… A little earlier than expected. They stared and stared as the person continued to use a finger to poke the side of the cheek. “Poke poke poke. Poke~” All in a tired yet playful tone, even the grin matched up.

“Ah– R… Ritsu! You’re… Early…” Ann said, having not expected to meet him so soon inside the main hall at ES. His outfit had been a little different, a bit… Fancier than they were used to. Instead of it being the training suit it was a formal suit, including the tie, all black and white. That only made the flower on the right side stick out even more, a dark blue one, his signature color so to speak. A literal contrast to how he was looking at them right now. That childish yet teasing grin on his face which was not fading anytime soon, even when they were looking at him like this, just in shock.

“Not really.” He responded, not hesitating, though then yawning softly. “I just snuck off for a moment. This was getting too exhausting.”

“Too exhausting?” They asked, unable to imagine. It was his special day after all so why— Yet before they would get their answer or could ask more questions inside their head they found him seating himself right next to them on the bench they had been sitting at, only to lay down shortly after and landing his head on their lap, not even caring if he was going to get the clothes he was wearing dirty in any way. Not just that but he got cozy pretty much right away, nuzzling into it like a cat would. “H… Hold on, this—”

“Just for a moment, before everything becomes hectic again.” He interrupted, his soft tone echoing in their ears. It was difficult to keep their composure at this rate. No, it had always been since Ritsu had shown himself and had been very close to their face. “Birthdays can be exhausting.”

“C… Can they now?”

“Yeah. I don’t hate it of course but I wish everyone would take it a little easy.” It then went silent shortly after, them seeing him nuzzle onto their legs with his eyes closed and almost purring. It was a sight but— Ah, they had almost forgotten. Though how would it come off if they asked now? … Actually, not like he couldn’t see through them at this point, he could. More than anyone else in fact.

“S… Say… Ritsu…”

“Hm? What is it?” He shifted his head a little up, one eye open as he looked at them, though a little drowsy looking. Yet he was still curious it seemed.

“Ah— J… Just… Well… Since today is your birthday and all…” They began, stuttering however, at least slightly. “Is there something you want? Something in particular I mean!” Very early to ask… And by that they meant not really! Too late actually! They just… They were out of ideas and the chance presented itself!

Though silence kicked in for a short moment. He was thinking about something here, having both of his eyes open now. He even shifted his head upwards and was probably looking at the ceiling if not them by now, letting out some type of thinking hum as he did. Thinking and thinking, not saying anything. It made them a little more nervous as a result. Was he going to ask for much? Too much maybe!? Or… Or… Ah, why were they the one nervous!? It was just a question! But… Old habits die hard or something like that.

That was until he suddenly chuckled, them being able to spot a smile on his face. “Something I want? Well…” He began, a long pause between what he had just said and what he added moments later. And he didn’t hide his smile in the slightest. “I want to spend the day with you, Ann–Chan.”

This… Was a little surprising to them. They were in somewhat of a shock, blinking as they looked down at him, their gazes meeting. They could only imagine the face they were making, let alone the color their cheeks had by then. “Spend the day with… Me?”

He nodded. “Yeah. Is that a problem?”

“Uhm… N… No, but… Nothing else in particular? Something more special I mean? Uhm…”

“Hmm… A taste of your blood maybe?”

Hearing that made them flinch. The way he spoke made it hard to determine if he was being serious or not. “Wha— H… Hey! You can’t just—”

“But I never tasted it before. So please~”

“R… Ritsu! That’s a little—”

“Haha, no. I’m joking of course.” They were sighing in relief, at least for that brief moment. Because he added right after: “I’ll wait until you’re ready. Or the day we are finally bound to another.”

“Wha— O… Oi! Ritsu! You’re unbelievable sometimes.”

“Fufu, not sorry~”

“Of course not…”

Even on his birthday he made sure to drive them a little wild. But… They didn’t mind, even if it was embarrassing. And if his birthday wish was to spend time with them… Who were they to refuse?

[thelakeofnimue]

Welcome To My Lake!

Due to current technical issues on my main blog (aka this blog) I will use @nimue-hidden-lake to post and interact via reblogs! If you want to dm with me as well, please send dms over there for the time being! Also, mention said blog instead of this one since I won't be notified about any mentions (for some reason)! Asks work just fine, you may send them here (though I'd prefer if you went to the other blog for that at the moment). I apologize for the inconvenience.

Please, call me Nimue. I’m 22 years old. I am German and English is only my second language. I identify as a lesbian and I am on the aromantic spectrum. I go by They/Them and would prefer to not be gendered. You may use other pronouns and use gendered terms if we are close however!

I write a lot and sometimes draw. I will also make random posts though. I will talk about whatever I am interested in so this is a mish–mash of posts and reblogs. I might take my time to warm up but I love meeting new people and interacting with others! 

Nice to meet you! I hope I am able to get to know you better in the near future!

For more info, read below the cut!

BYF

I am a selfshipper / yumejoshi and I am very open about this! I do not mind interacting with people who are not so feel free to interact with me either way (may it be posts, tags, dms or the askbox)! But if you do not feel comfortable with this fact, I suggest that you avoid this blog altogether since I share and post about this stuff a lot!

I love to write and talk about writing! Writing is my passion!

I experiment with my writing. While most of it is sfw and rather light hearted, I can and will write about darker themes sometimes! These posts receive a content warning however and I have a tag available in my tag list so you can filter that stuff. 

I am primarily an OC/Canon shipper and I will gush and write about these ships a lot! I also multiship in that regard!

I am not a single fandom blog! Though I have a primary interest which can change. My current primary interest is Ensemble Stars.

Yes, I am a KnightsP

General Tag List

#Nimue’s Whispers – Personal thoughts or headcanons

#Nimue's Lake – My written works

#Deep Waters – Written works dealing with heavier topics. I recommend blocking this tag if you wish to not see any of it!

#Nimue's Sketchbook - My art

#Waves – Answered Asks

My creative works

Nimue's Library (#Nimue's Lake)

Nimue's Dark Corner (#Deep Waters)

Nimue's Gallery (#Nimue's Sketchbook)

Fandom List

These are only a select few of many which mean a lot to me. Those marked bold are my current fixations.

Ensemble Stars

The World Ends With You

Fire Emblem

Obey Me!

Project Sekai: Colorful Stage 

Touken Ranbu

Honkai Star Rail

Fate/Grand Order

Kid Icarus

Osomatsu series (Kun & San)

Genshin Impact

These are just my primary interests! I am enjoying many more fandoms! If you want to know if I am part of a specific one, ask! 

Selfship Stuff

Here is a link to my full f/o list. I do not mind sharing f/os! Let's gush about them together!

You can always hop in and gush about your f/os to me!

In general I will focus a lot about these f/os in particular:

Ritsu Sakuma, Izumi Sena, Palutena

Ritsu is my most important f/o and I do like to call him my boyfriend.

My S/I for Ensemble Stars  

My Kid Icarus s/i

My Obey Me! s/i is currently a work in progress!

My Honkai Star Rail s/i is getting their profile overworked!

My Mega Man XDiVE s/i is getting their profile overworked!

OC Section

Etsuko Koge (Ensemble Stars ver)

Oriko Himejima (Ensemble Stars)

More coming soon

Selfship Tags

#Nimue's Beloved – Romantic F/O Stuff

#Nimue's Family – Familial F/O Stuff

#Nimue's Besties – Platonic F/O Stuff

#Ritsann – Ship collection for Ritsu/Ann

#Izuann – Ship collection for Izumi/Ann

DNI if…

you are here to start drama or talk about drama. I will be honest, hearing about any type of drama can stress me out and I prefer avoiding it here if possible. I myself will never talk about drama either, no matter what it is! Also please do not involve me in any drama! 

you have a problem with content involving OCs and self inserts, leave! This includes OC x Canon + S/I x Canon content as well!

you are…

A racist

A bigot

A transphobe

Anti LGBTQIA+

A p*dophile / MAP

Pr0ship

Other Blogs

I do have a few sideblogs if you are curious. The list might update over time!

@astral-express-conductors - Run with @watersofcamelot. Honkai Star Rail Focus. 18+ due to some content shared, but mostly sfw.

@nimue-at-night - 18+ blog. Please do not interact with it if you are a minor!

@lake-archive - Written works & Drawings, reblogs from there for my works

[lake-archive]

Day 26

AO3 Link

Fandom: Ensemble Stars

Characters: Anja-Sophia 'Ann' Wolff (OC)

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Ann had been laying down in their futon, eyeing the ceiling. The past few days it was just one preparation after the other, getting ready for the big day. And… Well, the time will be soon. Tomorrow. Yeah, tomorrow is the day where they would be thrown into the hot water and meet them all… The Sakuma family.

Honestly, they had not expected this in the slightest. They thought that they would be left in the dark for a little while longer but here they were, meeting them. This… Big family… The large crowd… The— 

The more they thought about the family being a crowd the more nervous they became and felt at the brink of collapsing again. No, don’t think about it like that! Or something… Just take a deep breath and look forward to it, yeah. Just look forward to it. 

Speaking of looking forward to it though, they were curious about so many things… What were the Sakumas actually like? In what environment did Ritsu grow up in? And Rei too of course… Maybe their worlds are complete opposites? Or more similar than thought… All they could do was theorize. Because there was not much they knew directly about the Sakuma family. In general no one seemed to be able to pinpoint something exactly down. So they had to wait and see. Though that meant that there were several possibilities this meeting could go. More than one way and the more they thought about it… Well, actually…

They felt more and more nervous, to the point they couldn’t close their eyes anymore. Instead they soon started rolling around the bed. What time was it anyway? They had to get up earlier than they were used to or liked to but if they wanted to be on time and prepare for the day then they pretty much had to… On a weekend too… Hah, no choice in the end, was there?

They were really trying to distract themself with some other thoughts. Literally anything yet each thought came back to the Sakumas as a whole, let alone how Ritsu would react to everything. And it made them think more about why he had been trying to hide it until recently. Were they the embarrassing part? Or was it something about the family? Uh… Great, now these thoughts just had to be planted in the middle of the night. Thoughts they literally didn’t ask for but loved to show up anyways. They weren’t going to hold a presentation! Where was this suddenly coming from!? 

Then again, they could kind of answer it themself if they thought about it for a few seconds – The fear of embarrassing Ritsu or not being approved. Sure, they were told to not stress about it, not think about it too much. And they were trying not to think about it at all. Yet the closer the date came, the more hours passed, the bigger the fear was growing. Because just imagine a what if scenario. Or several.

What if they unintentionally say something wrong!? Something out of place or rude which they would be looked at for and judged. What if that just happened!? Sure they spoke more fluently due to literally having pressed the language into their brain for the university entrance exam but that didn’t mean they were not messing up or taking too long to answer. But it was not just their words, no.

Their behavior would count as well. What if they unintentionally acted in a rude way? There was no rude meaning behind it but just picturing that they would act in such a way… It made them grow stiff, freeze up, close to throwing up. Everyone would look at them and whisper.

‘What is wrong with her?’

‘This is not how a young woman is supposed to behave.’

‘Where are her manners? Seriously…’

Just all the talk behind their back as well as the gazes right on them… The gazes of no approval, perhaps even resentment of some kind. They didn’t know any of these people after all so who knows how quick they were to judge. And first impressions are everything, aren’t they? 

If they thought about it like that, they really didn’t want to go. This sounded like hell, worse than any presentation they had been given in any class or lecture. At least there they would cut ties with the people as soon as the year is over. These people however? They were part of the family, weren’t they? So Ann was going to meet them again eventually. And when they remember them as someone unpleasant then—

No no no! They suddenly sat up after those thoughts had crossed their mind, lifting their hands up and slapping both of their cheeks a few times! ‘ Stop thinking like that! ’ They thought to themself. ‘ If you think like that, then this is bound to fail! ’

It was something they might not be able to help themself yet it was also not a thought to have most likely. They had to stop this and keep an open mind! Maybe things will not go as badly as they envisioned! Maybe they were just trying to tell themself that, thus listing the worst outcomes possible! Maybe things will take a different turn! And besides, it would always prove pointless to worry about things that much. Usually it wasn’t so bad in the end. Yeah, usually…

A few more slaps across both cheeks before Ann took a deep breath, then lying back down. There was no use dwelling on it. They didn’t plan on backing out of this. It was too late to call it off anyways. They had no choice but to go. Then again, part of it was also morbid curiosity of course. They wanted to know and this was perhaps one of the few chances they could satisfy that curiosity.

It was all just complicated… And they were thinking about it way too much. They should just shut their mind and try falling asleep. All there is to do is wait and see until tomorrow. 

Yeah, wait and see…. Just wait and see.

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[lake-archive]

Chapter 10 - A Mirror

AO3 Link

Fandom: Ensemble Stars

Series: Ein schlafender Ritter und die Liebe

Characters: Ritsu Sakuma, Eli (OC by @watersofcamelot), Anja-Sophia 'Ann' Wolff (OC) (mentioned), Nyeli (OC by @watersofcamelot)

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“Yes, you and Ritsu! At first I thought it was just your looks! But the more I think about it, the more I can see it!”

That had been Ann's words a few days ago and they kept rubbing Eli the wrong way. She talked about how similar they are… And he hated it. It was like being compared and she wanted to see who had been the better one of the two. Now, he was sure that his sis meant nothing by it. She wasn't that type of person. But that didn't change the sour aftertaste in his mouth. She's got something in her eyes and ears! He was convinced of that! He and Ritsu, similar? No… There's no way in hell this was true! As if!

But Eli hated the mere thought. The only thing he could not deny was their appearance. One good luck and he knew this much was true… That dude looked almost like him, the only differences being their heights, obviously, and their eye colors. Other than that, pair them side by side and you'd believe Eli is that Sakuma guy's older brother despite being younger than him. Aren't they similar enough? What does it even mean that they act similar!? Ugh… It was a little frustrating, to say the least…

Still, some odd feeling in his stomach that there might be something to it… Might, a very slim chance. What if Ann was right? It was always lingering somewhere deep inside… After all, according to her she and Ritsu hit it off pretty much right away and outside of Eli these two seem to talk a lot. It was… Weird to think about.

Ann wasn't someone who got along with just anyone, he learnt that fairly quickly. Even when just texting back in the day she always kept quiet in group chats and even now she had barely any friends to hang out with. Work and assignments may as well be the only friends she has, given how much time she spends on each. Or the keyboards she tends to type on. So if some rando got her attention and was close to her, it meant something at least.

However, the reason being a sense of familiarity because of Eli? He didn't buy it, or at the very least he refused to believe it. 'No way' he told himself and tried to ignore it for the past few days. It succeeded, kind of, yet it creeped up every so often. During class, in the hallway, while pulling someone by their pants for fun or at home playing games. It always came back up one way or another and he hated it!

So he saw no other choice but to dig deeper into Ann's claims. And how would he do that? Oh, that was easy. By stalking the upperclassman in question. How else? By talking to him and getting to know him? Pff, that's boring and honestly, Eli didn't have the energy or patience for that. Stalking someone on school grounds is way easier. Besides, the teachers are always relieved whenever he skips class. So it's a win–win. He didn't have to go through boring ass lectures and he couldn't be a pain in the neck during their classes. Surely no one will mind this.

And thus the tall boy had been hanging around the school gates rather early, just so that he could spot his target. And he did not too long after arriving, spotting a yawning Ritsu making his way through the school gates. It made Eli stare from the hiding spot he was at, or as much of hiding as he could manage due to his sheer size alone, and observe the guy.

Nothing out of the ordinary, not even that sleepy face yet he came to a sudden halt when hearing some noises coming from his back as well as a… 'Nye'? What's 'nye'?

Ritsu seemed to be all too familiar with it at the very least when sighing. "Not again…" He mumbled out loud before opening the school bag where the face of a tiny chibi–like cat creature peeked out. It looked close to Eli himself, with the exception of the cat ears and his blue eye color. Even the clothes are close to what Eli himself would wear in his free time: A blue hoodie with some black trousers, a little dirty as well. 

Though the presence explained a lot, Eli knew this cat. Much to his own embarrassment and surprise Ann had named the cat 'Nyeli'. As a kid she just thought the name sounded cute since he says 'nye' a lot… What are the chances of her meeting Eli years later after taking the abandoned cat home? It was… Something, to say the least…

And now Nyeli was located in Ritsu's school bag, the two seeming to be close. Then again, Eli remembered that much. From what he heard even Nyeli took a very quick liking to the guy ever since first seeing him and has refused to leave ever since.

"Hey, weren't you supposed to stay with your sisnya today?" Ritsu asked while facing Nyeli. Said cat was looking up at the guy with wide eyes, ears wagging, as if confused.

"I'll have to call her I think… She's going to be worried sick…"

This was met with a sudden pout from the cat as well as constant head shaking. "Nye nye Papa nye!" The kitty even protested while tugging onto the sleeve of the male's jacket with his tiny nubs. "Nye nye nye!"

"I know you want to stay but—" Ritsu was about to reason yet the cat climbed out of the bag, right onto the arm and nuzzled against it while pouting, shaking his head profusely.

"Nye!"

"Oi, listen for one—"

"Nye!" The cat refused, of course he did. Taking no as an answer? Not going to happen. The kitty is stubborn beyond belief and was having none of it. He refused by every sense of the word, not allowing anything of that sort. So as much as that Sakuma guy tried to reason he had to give in, visibly sighing.

"Alright alright. You can stay." He said, his hand having moved to the top of the cat's head the pet it, makimg the kitty nuzzle and purr right away. "But you have to promise to keep on the low, alright?"

The cat nodded eagerly, enjoying the pets some more before sliding back into the bag, then the guy procceded to walk into the buioding. It was… Unusual yet not necessarily something Eli hated to see. It was rare to see Nyeli to grow attached to someone by this much, to the poimt he was called a 'Papa'. Maybe he wasn't so bad…

That was about the only moment though as the rest of the day Eli spent observing Ritsu… Sleeping. Either in class or during break time. One time he also got up when spotting the student council president, just hogging onto him while being like a clingy child, resembling Nyeli in that regard. He even called that guy by a nickname. 'Maa–Kun', was it? And then begging to take care of him or at least carry Ritsu back to class… Talk about handful! It was… Something else. Eli had no words whatsoever, seeing more of the cat than him. And yet Ann insisted that the two were similar, very similar. He didn't see it though, far from it… And when spotting all of that lazy, clingy behavior Eli only had one question in mind while observing Ritsu Sakuma…

"Is that how Sis sees me?"

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[lake-archive]

Day 20

AO3 Link

Fandom: Ensemble Stars

Series: Walking The Road Together

Characters (main): Ritsu Sakuma, Rei Sakuma

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When having first seen who had entered the room Rei wanted to jump up, out of joy. He couldn’t help but have a wide smile at that moment the door had opened and he saw who it was. In fact he was so close to diving in for a hug yet that had been dodged in one go, resulting in Rei landing face on the ground and groaning in pain. “Don’t get the wrong idea Anija… I am not here because I wanted to. I just don’t have a choice right now.” Of course Ritsu was as cold as ever. Though he also sounded embarrassed if not… Guilty? After all, he even had added the following: “Uhm… Sorry for the sudden intrusion and… Taking up your time I guess…” 

But Rei would have not been Rei if he had not been fully in his element a moment later. It was always a joy to have Ritsu around! And if he needed advice it would be even better! This means Rei’s little brother still saw him as an older brother figure to look up to! Right? Right!? Oh the tears of joy he would love to let drop down his face. Such a rare moment indeed! 

But… No, now was not the time. Even after having offered Ritsu to sit down, right on his lap. Well, that part had gotten Rei an unbearable death glare, literal daggers having stabbed right through his very own chest. Even now the younger brother knew where to hit where it hurt the most. Truly, not knowing mercy in any way.  In fact he even had gotten the scolding. The roles were completely reversed!

“Could you take this more seriously? I’m not here to play around.” Ritsu grumbled, as if his patience had been tested.

Rei by then had sat up again. He had pretended that he had been literally just stabbed after all, a little over dramatic maybe. However. he couldn’t help but chuckle a little regardless, even if it was a little nervous sounding. “Sorry. I was just so overjoyed that it had just overcome me.”

“Seriously… You sound like a creep sometimes.”

“I can’t help it. You barely show yourself here Ritsu. You know big brother gets a little lonely sometimes too. Why not spend some time—”

“Pass.”

“It figures.” And yet Rei was not holding any grudges. After all, if Ritsu did truly resent him then he wouldn’t even show up nor acknowledge him, would he? “Either way, you came here for a reason, didn’t he?”

A brief nod. “Yeah.” 

“Then sit down. Tell big brother everything.”

Though Rei had been essentially hearing the same thing from yesterday, except it was from Ritsu’s perspective now. To cut a long story short here as well – Ritsu was starting to feel guilty that he was always running from Ann’s question, her asking about his family. He didn’t even answer.

“I hope to hide them for as long as possible but at this rate—” He even added, yet was cut short by the older one in the room.

“You have to tell her one day Ritsu.” A straightforward sentence, plain and simple. No sugarcoating it, no hiding it. Not even having a change in the pitch of his voice. It was to show that Rei had been serious about this and Ritsu knew, given the surprise written all over his soft yet stoic face. It was not much yet one could see that it had shifted a little bit at least.

“But—” He was about to say yet was stopped before the sentence could go any further than that.

“You met her family, right?” Rei began. He was going to argue this from a different perspective and let the two figure it out. “This is only fair, isn’t it?”

Ritsu looked to the side, his gaze hitting the ground. He wasn’t sure how to respond, let alone what to exactly say. Was he thinking about it? An inner debate perhaps? Rei was no mind reader so he couldn’t exactly say. Though a part of it may have been true once his younger brother turned back to the older one. “I guess but… They’re different…” He then managed to squeeze out of his mouth, nearly stuttering.

Yes, as much was suspected. No, Rei could have taken a guess. Though the explanation was obvious as to why, wasn’t it? “Haha, yes. All families are.” He said a little softly before continuing and shaking off this softness quickly. “But you cannot keep her in the dark either.”

“So what?” A quick scoff from the younger brother’s mouth, almost a pout forming. Yet he was talking without thinking suddenly. “Am I supposed to invite her to our place next week?”

Huh, how curious Ritsu has brought it up. The family gathering next week… It would be perfect, wouldn’t it? That was if he was going to consider it. “Why not?” Was the response in return. 

“You can’t be serious…” Another sigh with a scoff, the younger brother crossing his arms before raising his voice at least a little. The volume had become a little louder at least. “We both know how it will go!”

“Yes, we are both more than aware. But in the end we cannot know for certain, can we?” Rei tried to reassure Ritsu in the end. It was met with rolling eyes, as if saying ‘As if’. The answer was about to be expected.

“Do you really expect me to do that Anija?”

“Now, now. I didn’t say that I expect you to do it. But it is a thought.” Rei responded calmly. He just wanted his younger brother to give it some thought in the end. As he said… Ritsu cannot hide the rest of his family forever. The elders especially would grow curious sooner or later the moment they would hear of Ann. But, just to assure the younger one for a moment he decided to add the following: “If they should complain, I will personally step in. Big brother’s word~”

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[lake-archive]

Day 13

AO3 Link

Fandom: Ensemble Stars

Series: Walking The Road Together

Characters (main): Nyeli (OC by @watersofcamelot), Tsukasa Suou

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No one would have thought that it was possible. Not even Ritsu–Senpai had seen it coming but here they all were, having a grown version of Nyeli around. Not just that but said grown version had decided to enroll at Yumenosaki with one goal on mind… 

“I want to be an idol just like Papa!”

One simple phrase which made him work hard. Though Tsukasa had not been surprised by that. He had taken note ever since Nyeli was little that he had been fascinated with some of the idol work. In particular the singing and the dancing yet it was much more than that. Honestly, it had Tsukasa a little worried for the young one, so much so that he felt the need to have a serious discussion with him before Nyeli would decide to enroll. It had been shortly before the entrance exam…

“Nyeli, you know that IDOL work is hard, don’t you?” The leader of Knights had said with a more serious tone that one time. He had to go all serious mode for this one after all. No sugarcoating it whatsoever. “It’s more than just DANCE and SING.”

“Haha, Papa told me the same thing!” The cat–boy had noted yet seemed to smile regardless. “But he also said that being an idol can be lots of fun too! And I always see Papa and you all having lots of fun together! I want to have fun too and be a cool knight like Papa! I’m ready!”

Needless to say, very early into the conversation Tsukasa knew that there was no talking Nyeli out of this. In fact he was more than determined to go along with this, his aim more than clear. One could only pray that he understood the severity of the situation. He could turn back at any point, yeah, but at the same time his path would be set, wouldn’t it?

But that also meant that it was now Tsukasa’s turn to be a senior. Just like how his other seniors guided him, all the trouble they put the unit through aside, he has to follow in their footsteps now and guide one of his own juniors as well! Especially since he is in his third and final year now! 

So at the entrance ceremony he had told Nyeli that he would be around for any questions or concerns but… Maybe this had been taken all too literally.

“Nyancle! There you are!” It would always echo through the halls, this day being no exception. And before knowing it the boy only slightly smaller than Tsukasa came up running, stopping right in front of the third year student. “I’ve been looking all over for you! Say say, what are you going to do today? Can I come too?”

He was certainly eager and yet, at the same time, he was always seeking out the older one. It wasn’t that Tsukasa didn’t want Nyeli to be around but… 

“Shouldn’t you be with your classmates today?” He tried to argue, though keeping his voice calmly. “After all, it’s important to bond so you can form a UNIT later.”

“A unit? But I want to be part of Knights.” Nyeli countered, his face so innocent yet also somewhat confused. It made anyone feel bad yet at the same time he had to hear the bad news… Or ‘bad’ rather. It wasn’t exactly bad, maybe just disappointing at most.

“We’d all love to have you around but…” The leader began, first trying to think of a way to soften the blow…Yet there wasn’t a way of doing so. “Knights is an established unit. And I’m about to graduate myself.”

“Huh? B… But…”

“It’s not that we won’t help you out. We take care of our JUNIORS we took under our wing. But even they formed their own units.” Tsukasa continued explaining. Though it became a little harder with the pout increasing bit by bit. But it had to be said. Maybe Sena–Senpai had a point sometimes with being a little more strict… Just strict, being harsh and blunt was a different story entirely! “Besides, look at it that way… Maybe starting out fresh could help you improve faster.”

“But knights…”

Nyeli really wanted to stay close to Ritsu–Senpai, didn’t he? Tsukasa had to try though. “It’s also important for a unit to have a bond to succeed.” 

“A bond?” The first year asked while tilting his head slightly. “Like a fyamily?”

“Uhm… Sort of.”

“Then—”

“But it’s also a way to make more friends!” A quick interruption before it could escalate. Being a senior is hard… Is that how the others at Knights feel sometimes? Or have felt like when everyone had still been attending the idol course together?

“More friends…” It seemed to have gotten the cat–boy’s attention at least, one could notice his tail swaying back and forth. Then he repeated one word over and over… ‘Friends…’ One simple word yet it had him fascinated in some sense, enough to soon look up with wide eyes, then smiling. “Oh! Making friends! I get it now! So you form a unit with your friends!”

“That—” No, it was close enough. It is important to get along when working together after all and it was the best way to put it. “Y… Yeah. Maybe start from there.”

“I see! Nyancle Tsukasa is smart too!  Thanks!” And before knowing it however Nyeli suddenly turned around, wanting to head somewhere else. “I’ll go make friends to ask them right now! Thank you!”  He even waved for a moment when having turned around to come to a halt. Though after a few seconds he moved his legs again and ran off as quickly as possible. Even if one were to stop him it was impossible now. 

Hopefully this is not going to cause any problems in the future… One could only hope. Thus Tsukasa let out a small sigh. “Will he be fine?” He mumbled, though truly wondering. Nyeli was eager yet could also be a little naive… One could only hope.

Well, at least he is working towards a goal now and one could commend him for that.

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Chapter 7 - Side By Side

AO3 Link

Fandom: Ensemble Stars

Series: Ein schlafender Ritter und die Liebe

Characters: Ritsu Sakuma, Anja-Sophia 'Ann' Wolff (OC), Eli (OC by @watersofcamelot)

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Honestly, being called up was no longer a rarity for Ann. Especially since they were the one in charge, having to ensure that he is going to make it through the year. He? Oh, right, he could be just about anyone in this case. So long story short, there is someone attending Yumenosaki Academy under Ann’s request. Or rather, she had shoved him to the location for one simple reason: Get out there and let your talent be known to the world! Train for the big stage and don’t just sit in the corner out of fear. At least that was Ann’s plan when they had forcefully applied Eli to Yumenosaki without him noticing. And he passed the entrance exam, as expected from their younger brother! Though he wasn’t too pleased at first.

“Seriously Sis? You should’ve told me before pulling such a stunt! I can’t believe you!” He had complained shortly after this was over on the phone yet their only response was the following:

“If I would’ve told you, you would’ve ran off and backed off instantly. I couldn’t risk that. So if asking you won’t work, then giving you no other choice will~”

"Seriously? You’re unbelievable sometimes… Who knew you’d go so far to forge my signature. Aren’t I the criminal when it comes to the two of us? Don’t steal my thunder now.”

“What? Can’t big sis learn from their younger brother sometimes~?” They had laughed it off more than anything.

“Listen, we have clear roles here. I’m the insane war criminal, you’re the one just barely avoiding my jail time. Who’ll bail me out if you end up in a cell?”

“Oh, you’ll  figure it out. You’re a smart boy~”

“Haha…Not funny…”

“Just stating facts Eli.”

"Facts… Right…”

“Hey, I’m being serious here. You’ll manage just fine. At least try it.”

“Uh.. Fine fine. Since you won’t take no for an answer… But it’s just to shut you up, ok?”

Fact of the matter was that Ann just wanted the best for their ‘younger brother’. They wanted him to succeed no matter what and hope that the time spent at Yumenosaki is helpful for Eli. The boy always had some doubts here and there, he needed a little push. So this academy was most likely perfect to give him that push. Learn from professionals and expand, perhaps. Just gain the desire to make something of his dream as a performer, anything really. Some type of realization at the very least. They didn’t want him to sulk constantly and do nothing about it.

Today was luckily not the worst type of encounter. In fact, compared to some others it was rather harmless, to say the least… But that is not saying much when it comes to the first year student.

Well, that of course came with a downside. Because since Ann was kind of the one in charge here they were assigned to Eli in some indirect way. That meant they had to sort out any kind of trouble he would cook up at school. It was not rare that the boy skipped classes or got into fights. Not just with students, but also with teachers. And not just verbally either, fists are fair game too. He doesn’t hesitate. Violence is the answer to everything for him. Sometimes literally. Oh what they had heard: An outburst during Math class because the teacher kept pestering him. Or a chair breaking from one moment to the next because he was annoyed by one of the students, it just barely managed to not escalate. Who knows what might have happened if Ann didn’t arrive on time. Things could have taken a dark turn. So much for a first year student, to say the least. His reputation was already anything but pleasant.

Most he did was of course throw a table from one moment to the next, then run off, right out of the classroom. These cases have become more and more frequent recently, they themselves cannot exactly explain why. Maybe school is stressing him out? He may not have said a thing but it could be a possibility. He was someone who needed the answer literally shoved out of him sometimes, pushed beyond his limits.And if necessary they would do so… If they wouldn’t get distracted that is. The boy loved to be stubborn sometimes.

Either way, they had spent their time walking around school grounds as they had been told that he would be around there somewhere. As long as it was outside of the classroom. Ah,  a great mess. What were they? His guardian? Actually… That may as well be true.

Luckily they knew their way around the school at this point, either having to come over to pick up Eli or being forced to talk to one of the teachers. After all, they were ‘the adult’, they had to keep him in check, despite not being that much older. So the work to handle the first year student was solely up to them as not even the teachers knew how to keep him in check. Not like they were blaming the staff though, Eli can be a handful. Actually, now that they thought about it… Who does it remind them of? Someone, some—

“Huuuh~  You again… And I was just about to sleep…” A familiar soft voice somewhat complained, sounding as if it was at the brink of sleeping. Though it had been denied the slumber altogether at the end of the day.

“I  don’t exactly have x–ray vision, do I?” Another familiar voice asked, not as soft though somewhat. Actually, hearing them side by side made it difficult to make out who is who. Maybe that person was even talking to themselves. “Though it’d be useful… I’d know where to aim where it hurts.”

“Really~? Sounds like fun~”

“Fun? You ain’t scared or something?”

“No, not really. Honestly, if you were to listen to Secchan sometimes, things like these don’t faze you as much.”

“Sewho?”

“Oh, you’re one of those. Alright alright, I won’t pry. Anyway… Can I go back to sleep?” The voice sounded unfazed by any of the annoyed tones and responded in a familiar calm manner. A moment of silence kicked in right then and there, a silence Ann could only guess the meaning of as they stepped closer to the source of the voices.

“Don’t worry about it.” A light chuckle escaped shortly after this sentence. “Oh, I don’t think I've ever seen you around here before, have I? A freshman?”

“So what if I am?” One could practically hear the sharp glare thrown in right then and there.

“You’re not going to ask what I’m doing here?” The other male voice suddenly asked, sounding rather suspecting, to say the least.

“Hmm… I don’t have the energy for that~” The other yawned from one moment to the next. “I’m just here to take a nap in the shades~”

“During class time?”

“Hey, you’re here too, aren’t you?”

“Hah, ok. Fine. You’ve got a point there I guess.”

“Sis?”

They had stepped to the closest point by then, peeking over to see who was talking to begin with… Yet the moment they did their eyes went wide, just when spotting the two at the same place at the same time. It was as if things suddenly… Clicked. Actually, first things first, it was like they were staring at Ritsu… Just waaay taller. Truth to be told, Eli also had foreign blood, hence why he was probably way taller than most students at Yumenosaki, even the male ones. He sticks out like a sore thumb, no one would even have a chance of missing him. In fact, it would take some real skill to miss a guy that massive!

However, if it were not for their massive height difference, one may as well mistake the two for twins. At most Eli’s hair was a little messier than Ritsu’s and their eye colors did not match either, with Eli’s being on the brown end and not on the red end, though they may as well be pretty close in terms of eye color. Honestly, when looking at them it is more of a miracle that those two were not related whatsoever. Because looking at them side by side… They may as well be brothers!

However, the shock couldn’t last forever. Ann had to interrupt their conversation in one way or another and thus they decided to just approach the two who had been conversing beneath a pair of trees the entire time. The rustling alone made the two boys turn their heads into the direction, both looking a little surprised, to say the least.

“Ann–Chan?”

They both spoke out loud at the same time before noticing that each of them had addressed the young person in a rather trustworthy manner, the two looking at one another for a moment and asking: “You know her?” in perfect sync. Seriously, are they secretly twins or something!?  Well, twins with a massive height difference but twins nonetheless… Ann couldn’t help but wonder…

“Hmm… How about no?” He shrugged, perhaps just resisting his urge to smirk right at his sister, making them sigh.

“Is that what you two—” They were about to bring up but then shook their head from one moment to the next. “Nevermind. I came for Eli.”

“Me? Sis, that’s the third time this week.” He suddenly complained, almost seeming to pout yet they only responded accordingly: “You think it’s fun to run here from work each time? You could maybe behave.”

“Of course not.”

“Eli? Oh, Maa–Kun mentioned him, the problem student~” Ritsu threw in out of literal nowhere, somewhat light hearted even, as if it was no big deal to begin with. Wait, Isara knows about Eli too? Of course… Looks like Eli made a name for himself already.

“Oh? So you’re saying I’m famous?”

“Something like that~”

“What an honor~”

“Ok ok, please stop joking around…” Ann interrupted the two from one moment to the next. “Either way… Please Eli? There’s a conversation waiting.”

“Ugh, fine… But only because you gotta bail me outta jail again.” The tall male responded, his hands now behind his head, not seeming to care all too much.

“Bail out? Oh, so that’s why you need Ann–Chan. Clever~” Ritsu commented, nodding his head, seeming to be rather amused if anything.

“Oh, Sis is pretty good at that type of stuff. If I ever need someone to cover up for my crimes, I know she’s got my back.” Eli responded, almost proud of each word he was saying.

“I’m not—” Though they just gave up at this point in all honesty. “Can we… Hurry? Work…”

“Alright alright. Have it your way.”

“Oh, Ann–Chan, can you pass my class too?” Ritsu suddenly brought up before the two could leave. They tilted their head, wondering as to why but got their answer soon enough: “Nyeli sneaked into my bag again and the school doesn’t allow cats on campus. Can you take him with you? Thank you~”

They didn’t even respond, it was as if both of them were expecting Ann to do those things. They would in the end but still… Both of them are more alike than one might think. And it would explain… A lot, to say the least.

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Day 3

AO3 Link

Fandom: Ensemble Stars

Series: Walking The Road Together

Characters (main): Ritsu Sakuma, Nyeli (OC by @watersofcamelot), Anja-Sophia 'Ann' Wolff (OC), Karl Wolff, Hilda Wolff, Ole

Other Characters: Tsukasa Suou, Izumi Sena, Leo Tsukinaga, Arashi Narukami

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The day had arrived quicker than thought. The night had passed and before knowing it Ritsu had been woken up a little earlier than expected. He didn’t have any idol activities until the afternoon so he wanted to take the time and sleep in… Oh the benefits of no longer being a student. No more doing work, no more studying. There was none of that to worry about next to idol work, even on a weekend. Yet he would not have such a luxury.

Much to his own dismay he had been awoken early in the morning by having been shoved from side to side by two pairs of arms. Not just that but he had also heard the word ‘Papa’ over and over, somewhat loudly. Ritsu had been a little grumpy at first as he usually doesn’t like being waken up like that. He would rather sleep and not worry about a thing. Yet the one talking to him had been insisting. 

“Papa! Get up! Get up, get up, get up!” The voice would beg. It was the equivalent of a young boy’s, just barely having reached his teenage years. Yet it was as begging and pouty as ever, especially so early on. “Teacher already left! And I want to spend the day with Papa!”

It had been a few more minutes of this before Ritsu had finally decided to sit up, blinking half asleep with his hair a little messy yet also looking slightly peeved. He then made his gaze wander to the bed next to him. A boy had been standing right then and there, staring ever so eagerly with his bright, brown eyes. His short, black hair had been a little messy yet brushed through properly all the same. It may as well resemble a cat’s fur. Speaking of cats, there had been cat ears placed right on top of his head, matching the black hair altogether. His clothes were simple, though clean – A blue hoodie as well as light blue jeans… Though said jeans may have been a little ripped. 

This boy? This was Nyeli. Yes, the Nyeli. The tiny kitty. He had grown up, enough to enroll at Yumenosaki. Not just that but he has also become a fully fledged roommate of Ritsu’s and Mikarin’s, having gotten his own part of the room. At first he had been like a stubborn kid. “ But I want to sleep with Papa! ” He had protested, the tail behind him having stood up at the time. Honestly, it had taken a good while to calm him down that day yet they had managed to get him to sleep in his own bed. Besides, it wasn’t as if Ritsu hadn’t been in the same room. So outside of sleeping in separate beds, nothing would really change. 

Honestly, it was hard to believe that this boy had been so little last year. But look at him now, having had a sudden growth spurt and being as tall as Nazunyan… Well, maybe a tiny bit taller yet it would not be visible by much. 

But not just that, it seems that New Dimension had picked up the boy without second thought. For now he had not joined a unit as of yet but Knights was more than happy to take him under their wing, just like many other idols. Though maybe it had been everyone’s personal bias. After all, Nyeli had gotten to know everyone last year. 

Even Secchan was more than happy to cooperate, yet having dropped his usual line.

“ Listen Patch, just because you’re everyone’s ‘darling’ doesn’t mean that I will show you any mercy. Got it? Big brother will get you into shape! So I will be as strict as I have to be! ”

“ Yeesh, Izumi–Chan… Nyeli–Chan is just a beginner. No need to make it sound like that. ” Nacchan had been brought up, trying to defend the boy.

But it did not seem to have fazed Secchan in any way. “ Naru–Chan, we can’t coddle him. If he’s serious about this, he’s going to learn the hard way! So if I see any of you pampering him as well during work— ”

“ Yeesh Sena, calm down. I’m sure Nyeli will be juuust fine, right~? ” Tsukip threw in, though having let out a laugh at the time. This was met with an eager nod. “ See? And Suou will help him out during his first year at school too! Right right!? ”

“ Of course. As KING it is my duty to guide our SQUIRE. ” Suu–Chan had said, a little too seriously. It made anyone grin a little yet he was being very honest here. 

Needless to say, everyone within Knights was more than excited to teach Nyeli the ways and help him in any way possible. 

But enough about all of that, back to the present…

“Uh… Momnya, Dadnya and Gramps are arriving today! I want you to meet them too!” The boy had explained, almost whining. It took Ritsu a moment to register the words properly, blinking for a short moment before it had hit him… Oh, right. Ann–Chan had mentioned it, didn’t she?

Ritsu had still been sitting in his bed, rubbing one of his eyes while letting out a yawn… “Huh… What is it?” He asked, half asleep, thus only barely registering Nyeli’s pout.

“Yeah… My parents. Nothing happened to them or anything like that! It’s nothing bad! Just… Uhm…  Well… They’re coming over to Japan for some time.”

Right, that was it… Honestly, he didn’t know if he wanted to get involved. After all, it should be a personal family reunion. And he was sleepy to be honest.

“You can go without me…” He yawned, about to lay back down yet it seemed to not sit right with Nyeli… Because the cheeks puffed up further and he suddenly ripped the blanket off Ritsu, holding it tightly.

“No! I want to go with Papa!” He protested. “Papa is family too!”

It had hit Ritsu then how cold it was, shivering right on the spot. “Hey, don’t just do that Nyeli… Can you give it back?”

“Not until you agree to come along!”

“I—”

“Then say goodbye to your blanket Papa!”

“Unfair…”

It was hard to reason with Nyeli in this state. He sure could be stubborn, couldn’t he? What a pain honestly, where did he get this fro— Oh, right. Heh, looks like he has learnt after all, hasn’t he?

“Uhm… You know, Mom might—”

In the end Ritsu had not much of a choice but to agree yet for the time being he had decided to take the backseat. After all, to the rest of the family he had been nothing but a stranger. And he wasn’t sure how Ann–Chan would feel about this. In fact, she had been a little surprised when Nyeli had walked to the airport, dragging his half asleep ‘Papa’ along. To the boy it was simple, introduce his ‘Papa’. But Ann–Chan… Well, she had different thoughts.

“Hehe, it’s fine Sisnya~ Momnya won’t notice a thing! Besides, you told them about Papa too, right?”

“W… Well… A little. Only that he is taking care of you so…”

“Then they should meet him! Papa is fyamily too after all~”

Clearly the one out of the three who had been eager was Nyeli himself. He had even wagged his ears and tail with said excitement, making it even impossible for Ann–Chan to deny him. So it had been more than obvious.

Yet Ritsu wasn’t sure what to think once he had spotted the two– No, three in question. Maybe he had just spaced out a little as he wasn’t fully awake at the time… Not to mention how bright the sun was, forcing him into the shadows despite being indoors. It was the windowed roof on top of them is all. 

Regardless, he had been a little surprised when seeing them standing there. There were two adults, a man and a woman. The man had been tall, the tallest of them all. Short, wavy black hair and pale skin. His hair had been a little similar to Ann’s, meaning that he had also covered one of his eyes with it. Not just that but he also had green eyes, though a little darker. And he was a little pale. His clothing had been more on the formal side however, being a black suit with a tie. Actually, only his shirt had been white, nothing else. Is that… The father? He looked… Nothing like an old man. At least not as old as Ann and Nyeli had claimed him to be. He had to be in his 40s at most… Right?

In his arms the man had carried a cat. It’s fur was shaped like a tuxedo, funnily enough. Give him a bow tie and no one would know the difference. Most of his fur had been black outside of the belly and parts of the paws. Those were all white. Oh, and a white spot on the nose. And very long whiskers. And not just that, his eyes were wide and green. The cat had the equivalent to a baby face as well as pointy ears. Was this really the rumored ‘Gramps’ Nyeli had been talking about?

As for the woman around Ann–Chan’s own height, though a little taller… She had a face similar to the brunette’s yet that was where the similarities ended. Her hair was long and blonde, eyes blue and figure slim. Her clothes simply hugged said figure and she was not afraid to hide it in any way whatsoever. Not just that but she was also the most expressive out of them, changing her gazes on a whim. Though she was smiling more than not, hugging her daughter without a second thought and only letting go moments later. That… Was her mother? She also looked incredibly young… If Ritsu had not been told anything he would have assumed that this was Ann–Chan’s older sister if he was completely honest.

Shortly after he spotted Nyeli joining the quartet, being greeted right away by the mother. She had taken him in her arms right away and was squishing him without mercy. Yet the boy didn’t mind, even having his purring expression on. “ Sieh dich an! Du bist nicht mehr unser Kleiner Nyeli, sondern unser Großer~ ” A sentence Ritsu didn’t even try to understand. 

In fact the entire family had been conversing in a language foreign to him. All he could do was sit there and observe them for the time being, having his impression of them by looks alone. So that were the three of them… The remaining Wolffs… 

Honestly, judging from how much they all seemed to smile and laugh they were… Close, weren’t they? Or was this just an act? No… It felt too natural for that… And yet—

“Momnya Dadnya! This is Papa!” Yet before he could continue the thought he had heard Nyeli’s voice right then and there, making Ritsu come back to reality. He had then spotted the family right in front of him, all of them looking at him… Or at least three of them. Ann–Chan seemed to turn away, a little embarrassed, while Nyeli looked at the three with excitement. But Ritsu had not minded being eyed like this. It was only natural for them to be curious… Right?

“Hmm? So that’s the boy who started taking care of Little Nyeli~” The blonde woman said, having caught the young man off guard.

“You speak Japanese?” He asked.

“Well, one of us has to. My husband certainly can’t~”

“ Anja, Worüba redn de beidn? ” The man had asked, in a… Different language? Ritsu understood that even less… Huh.

“ Das du kein Japanisch kannst. ”

“ Haha! Dei Muada warnt den Burschn oiso? ”

“ So… Ungefähr… ”

Yeah, he didn’t understand it at all. Yet he was turning back to the woman as a result. All while feeling the cat in the man’s arms having gotten a little closer, sniffing Ritsu as much as he could. It was certainly something.

“Don’t mind them dearie. They’re just talking a little as well. Afterall, Ann usually has to translate everything for her father~”

He only nodded, though having been a little overwhelmed by this. He had not expected this at all… Maybe it was not the best idea to meet the parents just yet. He would need a little more time. But there was no backing out of it now, was there? Especially with Nyeli having been so eager… 

“So that’s what my future in–laws are like.”

Before knowing it however it had slipped out. He had just said it and only noticed when he felt the stares right on him, silencing everyone. The blonde woman had been eyeing him with wide eyes, the cat stopped sniffing and the tall man only stared in confusion. As for Nyeli, he had remained the only one smiling yet Ann–Chan… Oh Ann–Chan, her reaction was the worst.

“R… Ritsu! Don’t say that in front of—”

“Anja! We need to talk right now!” The blonde woman interrupted, turning to Ann–Chan in one swift motion and dragging her away for a moment.

Ah… He’s done something, hasn’t he? … Well, it can't be changed now, can it?

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Chapter 14 - Relaxing Moment

AO3 Link

Fandom: Ensemble Stars

Series: Ein schlafender Ritter und die Liebe

Characters: Ritsu Sakuma, Nyeli (OC by @watersofcamelot)

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Never ever in his short time spent with his newfound Papa did Nyeli expect to see this one in so much stress, it was almost surreal. To the cat his Papa never seemed to be the type to fall into a panic, let alone a fit of rage. But here he was, often found screaming and shouting into a pillow instead of sleeping, clearly upset about something. It has been like this for days and Papa slept less than usual, something not common at all. It had Nyeli worried and at first he was forced to watch. He didn’t want to but at first glance had not been left with any choice but to watch. Even when Sisnya was around, there was little on what she could do as well outside of helping him go to sleep where her lap would usually be used as the pillow. All in all, the sight was… Worrying. Something the cat just couldn’t stand witnessing for too long if at all. This was his Papa after all!

It took a bit of thinking and using his kitty brains was in order. It took a bit but he had several ideas he used across the span of the next few days!

First was to bring Papa his favorite blanket to snuggle with and wrap it around him. However, eventually Ritsu would just make it fall right off him and groan non stop, making little effort to hide it as well. This was unusual, out of character even, Nyeli should know best when it comes to his own Papa. If you know, Papa should fall asleep quickly with his own blanky to cuddle. But he didn’t do that. 

Another try of Nyeli’s was to showcase a family drawing he did of the entire family– Uncles Leo and Tsukasa, Auntie Naru, Sisnya and of course Papa with Nyeli himself. He was proud of it and even his art teacher complimented him for the work, saying that it shows significant improvement. However, not even that would get Ritsu in better spirits. He took one good look before turning away from it, almost crushing Nyeli. However, he was quick to shift gears, knowing that Papa was not intentionally doing that. So the kitty stayed strong and took it with no tears this time! After all, Papa was just in a sour mood. Maybe he needed something else to make it work!

However, Nyeli was running out of options. He tried some other things: Like the favorite snack of fluffing up a pillow and offering it. Or offering a snack, but that got denied too. This was difficult. So there was only one last resort in the end! One more thing he could think of doing! And he would do it! If this doesn’t work, nothing will and he would be forced to give up!

So, Nyeli got ready to tap over with almost what felt like light speed, having gone to his Papa who was still a little distraught, sitting there with his arms wrapped around his lifted up legs, looking onto the ground. The cat could spot a small pout on his face as he was moving which made his ears wag eagerly. And once close enough to his Papa’s legs he suddenly nuzzled himself against one of them, purring like crazy as he was busy nuzzling. Maybe this would help, he had seen it before. Nuzzling and purring, hoping that this would do something, anything really. And yet the end result would not be what he had expected.

Because the next thing Nyeli knew was his Papa grumbling and growling, making the kitty flinch and stop from one moment to the next. He was startled, not having expected this whatsoever and once it had really kicked in, he started to slowly tear up and sniffle. 

He couldn’t help but wonder in the end… Did he do something wrong? Was it something he did? Papa suddenly made a scary noise and the mood did not get better, no. He could see that it only got worse and worse as time went on, making him shiver on the spot while sniffling. He was just trying to help! Uh… He wants to say sorry. Papa doesn’t hate him, does he? Uh… It would be bad if he did. 

The kitty had it in his mind over and over, so close to tearing up. He wanted to be strong and not cry but this time it hit hard, harder than ever. If Papa is sad, he wants to be sad too! No, he is sad when Papa is sad! Plus, it was him as well, wasn’t it? 

“P… Papa…” He sniffled quietly, the only word he said before he felt himself so close to bursting to tears. However, things went silent from one moment to the next and before Nyeli knew it he found a hand on his head, softly patting him. It paused his tears and made his ears twitch over and over before looking up slowly, then spotting… Papa?

Before the kitty had known it he was pat softly and the face was something still visibly in pain and yet it was oddly gentle all the same. It confused Nyeli at first glance and did not hold his tears back… Or was close to until he suddenly heard Ritsu speak up, the first words he had spoken after a very long time: “It’s fine, you did nothing wrong.”

“N… Nye?” The kitty asked, though it was one of the few sounds he could make. Yet Papa understood, of course he would, since it was met with a nod right after.

“Yeah, I appreciate what you’re trying to do. Really.”

Papa… Appreciates it? But then why—

“It’s just… I might need some more time to think.” Papa explained, trying to sound as soft as he possibly could at this moment, only slightly trembling in his voice. “Sorry but… Thanks anyway.”

Hearing this alone made Nyeli’s tail wag, the tears fading slowly. He was happy to hear that at least, he made nothing worse luckily. And that was all he wanted to hear at the moment. But it has to be very serious if none of this worked on Papa… Which didn’t make it any less concerning. But the famous ‘Papa pyats’ kept the cat calm.

“It’s just… Why does this girl have to stick around Maa–Kun so often? I don’t get it…”

Before Nyeli could ask however it was clear that this was the last thing he would hear from his Papa. Silence kicked in and he seemed to think despite patting Nyeli for a good while. And… That was fine for the time being. Maybe letting Papa think would be the best course of action. Besides, it’s fine to stay close and look after him just in case, isn't it? 

Although Nyeli would prefer to help… There was nothing he could do at the moment.

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Chapter 13 - Blind

AO3 Link

Fandom: Ensemble Stars

Series: Ein schlafender Ritter und die Liebe

Characters: Anja-Sophia 'Ann' Wolff (OC), Eli (OC by @watersofcamelot), Ritsu Sakuma (mentioned)

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It is in a way rare occurrence that Eli had been storming into his sister’s office and slamming the door right open. It made her flinch, he could tell by the way she moved in her chair and yet he tried to not be bothered by any of it. Actually, he didn’t have to try, he was not bothered by any of it. He had a bone to pick with Ann, one way or another, and he would surely pick that bone. First she had the audacity to compare him to someone, then she was completely off! That or she saw him as some weird lazy bag who sleeps all day long! He would but he doesn’t, obviously! He was not sleeping all day everyday! He was too busy causing trouble at school above everything else! That or skipping classes and being busy not being caught by teachers or else it would get very annoying. There was no time to sleep at school! It’d be an utter waste of time! And she had to understand that! If not, he would be ready to make her understand!

So, just before she could ask Eli what he needed he shouted all of a sudden: “Ok, what do you think of me!? Say it!”

This had Ann a little overwhelmed, almost falling off her own chair when hearing him raise his voice like that. She held onto the desk for a moment however, as if needing to make sure she doesn’t lose her balance. She then looked at him with wide eyes once being able to keep herself steady, staring in disbelief, or at least almost. He knew he had been yelling without thinking at that time yet he had to let it out, somewhat. It was frustrating, to say the least and at least, though at the time he treated it as a natural reaction. No one likes being compared to someone like this. It just sounded… Weird, to say the least. And she had to understand.

“Think… Of you? Eli, what are you talking about?” Ann asked, as if oblivious which made him scoff for a short moment.

“Yeah, think of me. Whatever it is, just say it to my face! I can take it!” He continued to say in a rather loud voice, at the brink of yelling and essentially pulling at the strings of his vocal chords. 

This left Ann speechless for a few more seconds, only staring while looking at his face. And needless to say, she must have been shocked at the sight, something she had never seen from him before. Nor had she heard at him lash out like that, not that he remembered at the very least. It could have been the case yet judging from her expression and from his own memory, this was very unlikely. Despite the silence being unbearable he decided to stay silent and wait for her answer. If she had something to say, she would say it now. No, she will say it now! She had to! If he needed to force her to speak, then he—

“What I think of you… I can’t exactly put it into words you know.” Was her response, an attempt to stay calm in the end. 

“Unable to put it into words? You’re the last person I want to hear that from!”

“Eh!? But it’s true! How can I put that into proper words!?”

“You’re smart. You can figure it out.” The boy countered while looking down at her, still not buying it. “Besides, who of us plays around with words all day?”

“Ah— But that’s different!” She tried to reason yet was it really that? “Uhm.. The most I can say is that… Well, I like you Eli.”

The one in question only raised an eyebrow for a moment, seeming to somewhat doubt those words at the moment. “That’s it?” He added to his expression, not impressed. Not really at least. “That’s all you gotta tell me?”

“Gotta tell you? What are you talking about here?” The girl asked, either not catching on or pretending to not catch on. 

“Oh, so everyone you like is going to get compared to some guy now? Is that what I’m hearing Sis?”

“Compa—” It then clicked with her it seemed, her eyes going wide for a quick second before shaking her head several times. “Wha— No! That’s not what’s going on at all!”

“Then why bother analyzing as if—”

“All I did was observe!” She interrupted fairly quickly. “Really, I didn’t mean anything by it! Besides… You asked why I was observing you closely that day and—”

“I know, I know.” He sighed, shaking his head. Right, he almost forgot… He did ask and that was how it came out in the end. That didn’t make it much better however. “But seriously, you make it sound like you think I’m a lazyhead or something.”

“Lazyhead? You mean the constant sleeping? That… Wasn’t what I meant, at all.”

“Then what did you mean? You’re not really helping your case here…”

“What I meant? Well… Uh… Not much by it. But thinking back… Maybe I just hoped for something.”

Eli’s own eyes went wide for a moment there when hearing that. “Hoping for something?”

“Yeah. I mean, you two have so much in common… I hoped you would start getting along maybe.”

The words… Baffled Eli yet again. Even though Sis said something similar that day, kind of. “Getting along? Seriously? With a guy who does nothing but sleep and acts like a kid all the time?” He was starting to wonder what she meant and if she wasn’t lying but this was met with a nervous laughter as response at first.

“Is that what you think of Ritsu–San? Well, I suppose I cannot blame you.” She began though added: “He can be a troublemaker in his own right. However, he’s got his heart in the right place. Same as you.”

“You won’t let this go, will you?” He sighed, almost shaking his head. 

“Ah— H… hey, I tried not to bring it up!”

“I know.” Well, now at least… He hoped. “That’s all though? Nothing else you got to tell me?”

“No, not at all.”

“Nothing else?”

“Nothing else.”

Finally, a truly defeated sigh from Eli’s lips. “Alright, fine. You win this round.” 

There was nothing else noteworthy of adding, only his Sis laughing and telling him not to worry, then lifting her hand up to pat him on the head, as if he was a little kid. And while he may have protested it was… Nice. Meaning nothing by it… Sounds about right. At least at the moment, but the feeling lingering could be freely ignored at the time. 

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Day 31

AO3 Link

Fandom: Ensemble Stars

Series: Walking The Road Together

Characters (main): Ritsu Sakuma, Anja-Sophia 'Ann' Wolff (OC)

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To be young and careless… Ann had said to never become this way. No, they had not just said so, they had promised. 

“ No matter what and who, do not be careless. Alright? ” That was what their father had asked of them once. Appeal to their common sense and ask them to not do anything careless. They might regret it afterwards. And they wanted to be careful. They had to be careful actually. So that was self explanatory. He didn’t even need to ask them that. And yet… There was still this lingering feeling, this temptation…

Was such a temptation normal? They didn’t know, this was the very first time they had even been asked such a question. The very first time that someone had asked for their hand, run off and get married in secret. Yet it was still too out of nowhere…

Here is the thing. Perhaps the first thing which was way too obvious – They were in love with Ritsu. They really were. And when having heard that question their heart was racing for a split second. It had not when they had imagined that this question would be thrown around. They did not expect it in a classic fashion, not even close. In fact, it was not out of character for him to just suggest it. Though they had imagined that he would be a little more laid back about it. Maybe ask it like “Hey Ann–Chan… How about we get married~?” and be teasing on top of that, have that wide smirk on his very own face while watching them stutter and fumble around. 

And it had crossed their mind before, the thought of spending more time together, made things official. They did like the thought of it and each time imagining actually living together… Waking up next to another each day, greet another sleepily. The first one they see and the last one they see. Not just that but also them spending each morning and night together – Getting ready together to head out and go to bed. And so much more. There would be so many gaps to fill yet the point would still stand. The two would live together, being bound to one another and– So many thoughts at once actually.  But it would all result in the same thing, wouldn’t it? Or rather, it was all the same thought essentially. Just in different variants.

There was a ‘but’ however. There always was. Because even with that in mind reality would get back to Ann a few moments later. After all, they were still young, not even having reached their mid twenties. And they were busy otherwise – One was an idol, the other starting out in the film industry one way or another. They were both working hard and there was no reason to throw their careers away. Besides, couldn’t it cause problems for an idol if something like this came out? One could only think of the chaos ensuing from all of this. It was the only but, and yet a massive but at the end of the day. The only thing in the way one might say but nothing to not consider. The time didn’t matter at that point! This was an even bigger issue here! The two had their things to focus on!

And thus, Ann was torn on it. To accept or to reject? Especially since this gave them an odd feeling. Hah… What to do? This was all a little complicated. Very much complicated. It was giving them a headache… Literally. A goddamn headache. And yet… At the same time… 

Wait… If there isn’t a clear answer however… Then there might be another option. Another way they can answer!

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Day 30

AO3 Link

Fandom: Ensemble Stars

Characters: Hilda Wolff (OC), Anja-Sophia 'Ann' Wolff (OC)

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“Ann–Chan… Let’s run off and get married.”

These words… The way he had thrown it in, right at Ann, had them speechless. They didn’t even know what to say and it had them up at night. Ritsu’s words were sudden, something they did not expect. Even if it was coming from Ritsu.

Running off and getting married… An idea which sounded insane. And in a way it was. No, not in a way actually… It was just flatout insane. Of course it was. These words were easily said yet when processing it for even a moment sounded more than insane. And if it had been any earlier they would have refused, rejecting the idea for the time being. And it still felt early. So saying ‘no’ was the best option, despite Ritsu having looked at them very seriously. He was not joking around at the very least and he was not going to back out so easily. 

Yet one may ask where this had suddenly come from. That was the confusing part. No sign had indicated that anything of that sort would happen, that he had such a thought very soon. And yet here he had been, standing in the door and having waited for the answer. At least that was until they had to ask him to wait as they needed to think this over. He only accepted that response reluctantly yet also asked them to make it quick. But at the very least they could squeeze out a bit more time which wasn’t a bad thing.

And yet they weren’t sure how to answer, regardless of how long they thought about it. It had crossed their mind before… If asked if they wanted to spend the rest of their days with him… They would not be against it. The thought had crossed their mind already, given how much time they spent together. Honestly the two may as well be living together, or at least have been living together. Regardless, it was not something they would be against. But it hasn’t been that long… So why was he suddenly coming up with that question!? How were they supposed to answer this!? Their head was spinning… It wasn’t exactly ‘no’ but at the same time… Wouldn't accepting it rush it? They weren’t sure… And so they asked someone they knew who would be… Overjoyed yet also had the best advice in that regard.

“My~ He’s been asking you for your hand already~?” Their mother chuckled, the smile delighted by those news. Or so it seemed like it at the very least. “What an eager boy!”

“Mom, could you please take this more seriously?” Ann sighed, shaking their head. They knew that this reaction would be caused and yet there was no one else they could turn to. Dad would have made even worse jokes and Ole… Ole is a cat! How was he supposed to help here!? He didn’t even care about this, probably! So Mom was the only one who they could talk to about this. And even then this reaction was not too out of nowhere.

“But I am, really. I’m just… Hmm… Delighted?” She chuckled, ever so shamelessly. 

“Delighted? S… Seriously?”

“Don’t take this the wrong way dearie. Of course I understand how overwhelming this must be. I was the same when your father asked me that question.”

“Were you really?”

“I mean it was out of nowhere. I didn’t think that he had any such plans after three years of dating~”

Three years huh? That wasn’t something to compare this situation to, was it? “I wish this was three years in…”

“Oh, right. You did mention that it hasn’t been as long.” Mom said, as if just remembering. She had listened to everything which had happened, Ann had to tell their mother after all. And yet, even then, she really maintained her happy go lucky face, smile not coming crushing down. In fact, she managed to keep it up no matter what. It was almost impressive. No wait, this was impressive actually. You can throw anything at her and— “What’s holding you back Sweetie? Aren’t you overjoyed?”

Aha… “W… Well, it’s not that I’m not happy…” Ann responded, though a little reluctantly. “But…”

“But what? Something on your mind?”

“Isn’t it obvious!? We’re still young! Isn’t it too early?”

“There’s never too early as I like to say~”

“Mom, I’m serious here! This doesn’t fit into our jobs! We’re both busy with work after all… So…” And even then, this being convincing. And yet this was still one of their own concerns. Yeah, if the two got married in the middle of all of this then this could end badly! And yet, why was he insisting!? Ah yeesh! This was just confusing!

“Hmm… You do make a fair point.” Mom nodded shortly after, sitting a little backwards in her chair and at least pretending to think. “Someone like you would be worried about her career… And I do understand…”

“Is… That a bad thing?”

“Oh not at all. It is lovely that you aim to be independent~” She reassured them with a nod. “After all, it’s great to have a leg to stand on.”

“Th… Then why—”

“Hmm… How do I put it?” She continued while thinking for a moment, or so it seemed. Though the final statement was nothing Ann had expected to hear, at all. “I don’t think I can help you there.”

“N… No help? But what am I supposed to do at a time like this?”

“That’s something only you know. You have to make the decision.”

“Huh?” Well, they have to make the decision but– 

“It’s all up to you. … You really love the boy, don’t you?”

They nodded slowly. “Yeah, of course…”

Hearing that made their mother smiled a little. “Good…” She said first, then adding: “We will accept whatever decision you make. Just don’t rush into things, alright?”

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Chapter 9 - The Two Of You (II)

AO3 Link

Fandom: Ensemble Stars

Series: Ein schlafender Ritter und die Liebe

Characters: Ritsu Sakuma, Rei Sakuma, Anja-Sophia 'Ann' Wolff (OC) (mentioned)

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Rumors, so many rumors hitting Rei’s very own ears. Rumors he had heard from word of mouth, from all possible sides. He had heard it from many sources, information being unlimited. And given that it had become at least a little bit of a deal, Rei had grown curious. After all, the rumors surrounded his own little brother Ritsu— The little brother who doesn’t keep his older brother not up to date, much to this one’s own dismay. And it was disheartening, to say the least.

And it wasn’t as if Rei had not tried to hear it directly from Ritsu either. Sadly, whenever he tried to strike up a conversation he was met with a response close to ‘Get lost big brother’. It was not an affectionate nor embarrassed tone, now. It was cruel, and the ‘big brother’ had been said in a rather mocking way. Not to mention that the usually adorable, soft yet sleepy  looking Ritsu had a gaze as sharp as a knife whenever spotting Rei. Little Ritsu could cut Rei up with this gaze alone, it hurt so much just looking at it. Sometimes he swore that life had been soaked out of his very own body and he was ready to fall on his knees when seeing his younger brother just looking at him like this. It was too much to handle and who knows what might happen if Rei had not gotten used to this state of things. And today… Oh today. It had not started any differently.

Of course the meeting had been by chance, Rei having been on the way to his dorm room and it just so happened that Ritsu had been on his merry way as well. A rare sight yet one the older brother always welcomed. So of course he wanted to take the chance and give the younger one of the two a big hug… Which had been avoided in an instant by the younger brother just stepping aside, making Rei crash right into the wall and plop onto the ground, or rather slither down onto the ground with his back. 

“What a pain…” He heard Ritsu mutter. just barely spotting that he was about to leave without yet another word. However, Rei had recovered quickly this time, managing to lift himself up on his feet with a quick jump, stopping the little brother dead in his own tracks.

“Haha, hold it right there Ritsu~” He decided to go with a cheerful tone. Then again, why shouldn’t he? Rei was in an awful good mood just seeing Ritsu after all. “Big brother has a lot of questions~” 

The only response said ‘older brother’ would get however was a simple eye roll which had said it all. ‘ Not this again. ’ “I don’t have time for this…”

“Oh come on, it will be a chat between brothers. I’m sure you have a few minutes to spare~”

“No, not really…” Then again, was this the truth? Or did little Ritsu just not want to have that time to spare? Honestly, Rei knew all too well. But that didn’t mean that the little brother was off the hook. Far from it!

“Aww, just a few minutes. Pretty please~?”

“I don’t have time for whatever you want to discuss.” A quick scoff escaped the younger male’s lips, about to take his leave. Alright, if words don’t work, then surely this will! The last resort, the very last weapon! Something which should hold Ritsu in place right then and there! No escape in sight! None!

This ‘last resort’? Simple– Get down on the ground and grab onto your little brother’s legs, that should work anytime, shouldn’t it? And while doing that speak up with something like this maybe: “Pretty please!? It won’t be long, promise!”

While it had the desired effect of the younger brother staying, not daring to move he also turned away, sighing, as if disappointed by the potential sight below him. ‘ How pathetic. ’ No one would speak the thought out loud however. It was not just obvious yet would also be meaningless to point out. 

“Make it quick.” Finally, after minutes of reluctance and attempts to escape, Ritsu finally gave in! It had only been a few days of attempts yet he seemed to have reached his limit, his cracking point! It was progress in a way, the result Rei had been working on. He got up, his hands letting go of the mere legs, solely to be eye to eye with his brother once more. Or rather back to eye… 

“Nothing major, just something my ears had caught here and there.” He began as Ritsu turned while folding his arms, his own gaze rather blank. Literally, they may as well be devoid from their life at this very moment. But as if that made the older brother back out anytime soon! “You and a young Miss?”

From one moment to the next the younger brother seemed to freeze on the spot, his eyes even growing wide, one might think he may be wide awake as he did. It was very short lived as he regained his bearings shortly after, then letting out a: “So what?”

Rei chuckled at that, not fazed in the slightest. “Aww, don’t be like that. Tell your big brother~”

“No thanks.”

“Come on now. We rarely get a chance like this. So… Tell me a little. Who is this young Miss?”

“No.” Another short response, leaving no room for interpretation. “You’re noisy…”

“Noisy? Come on now…” Rei said, a little nervous now.

“I won’t take it back. You’re being too noisy.”

“But I just wanted to know if you made a new friend.”

The light tension Ritsu had throughout all of this, though hiding it quite well, disappeared from one moment to the next the moment he heard the word ‘friend’. It was a little odd yet maybe he got the wrong idea why Rei had been asking.. Which was fair yet he truly was just wondering if Ritsu made a friend. And since he rarely spoke to his older brother this one was just naturally curious. Nothing terrible with that, was there? 

“None of your business…” The younger one of the two scoffed, turning his head away. “So what if I did? You don’t have to be so noisy about it.”

“Haha, but I just—”

“I’m tired… I’ll go take a nap.”

And with a short lived yawn Ritsu fled the scene, dashing to his dorm room to open the door, then smashing it close from one moment to the next. He had given Rei no time to react, only leaving him in his spot dumbfounded. Was it that big of a deal? or was it Ritsu being Ritsu? Hard to say but for today he could leave it be. After all, it was some progress. Ritsu made a new friend, a rare yet joyous occasion. It was enough to satisfy the older brother for now at least. However, that didn’t mean he wasn’t any less curious, far from it.

“Heh, maybe I will do some digging on my own~”

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Day 29

AO3 Link

Fandom: Ensemble Stars

Series: Walking The Road Together

Characters (main): Ritsu Sakuma, Anja-Sophia 'Ann' Wolff (OC)

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Grandfather’s words were not the most surprising. Ritsu has refused for a reason. The entire family had not made it easy on her, on Ann. Yet that the head of the family would have such a big disaster. No, not a disaster per se but more of a mess. That they would go this far. That he would have to hear this of all things. 

“I won’t repeat myself boy. Get rid of her this instant. Letting in such a brat… Then again, what did I expect from you?”

“She’s not one of our kind. Not just that but are you really expecting anything out of a nervous wreck like that?”

“Listen boy… This is not a suggestion. This is an order. If I see her around you ever again I will make sure that you face the consequences. Is that clear?”

Thinking back on it made Ritsu’s blood boil. He shouldn’t think like this and yet he wanted to just drive insane. They didn’t understand but of course they didn’t. Ann never met his standards. That was no surprise. But going this far and having the nerve to order Ritsu to cut ties with her… What was he thinking!? This bastard! He never cares but when it is something he doesn’t like then he suddenly will care! He will aim to break them apart, won’t he? But of course he would. This was his own grandfather. Any method to keep the family in the clear. Not just that but also a pure image. Either they are ‘one of them’ or they are fitting right into the family. And she was neither of those things. So demanding something like that… 

It still did not make this any better. In fact, this only made it worse. Oh how he would love to just run away, have this old man not interfere. Who does he think he is anyways!? He only sees the things which bother him anyways… No compromises, ever. And it was starting to boil over. No, Ritsu has it now. After all, being forced to separate from someone… He didn’t want to see it happen. He was so close before, several times. And some old fart was about to get in between it and demand it!? Over his dead body!

The situation as a whole made it almost impossible for Ritsu to keep thinking straight. He could no longer hold himself back. Fine, if he wanted this situation to go one way he was going to do anything in his power to prevent the old man from even having a chance to interfere! And there was only one answer to that… One which would solve this once and for all.

Before she could get out any word however he said it. He just said it without much thinking. Because, again. The answer to him was more than clear. If the elders were not going to approve of her, then he had to act behind their back. And he had to make it quick!

The next day Ritsu had decided to just ask, no preparations whatsoever. All he did was knock at the door of Ann’s apartment. She probably didn’t expect anything or anyone. Then again, maybe it was also a little bit early. But he had to disregard that and he was going to. There was no time to waste in his opinion at the very least. It was now or never!

“Ann–Chan… Let’s run off and get married.”

He said it, not hesitating nor resisting. Of course she would look at him in silence for a few moments, the words not coming out of her mouth. All she did was stare. Though he was serious so he suddenly grabbed both of her hands and got closer, eyes sharp yet remaining in contact with her own.

“Please?”

“Wha– Hah!?”

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Chapter 4 - Misunderstandings

AO3 Link

Fandom: Ensemble Stars

Series: Ein schlafender Ritter und die Liebe

Characters: Ritsu Sakuma, Anja-Sophia 'Ann' Wolff (OC), Mao Isara

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Honestly, the sight Mao had witnessed just now was something he had not expected, even with Ritsu involved. Now, his childhood friend was never too shy to get very close to people, especially if he really, really liked them. After all, it was not a rarity for Ritsu to demand special treatment from time to time, even towards Mao himself.

“Maa–Kun, I’m tired… Carry me~”

“Maa–Kun, can you buy me some juices? My throat is all dry.”

“I’m cold… Warm me up Maa–Kun, please~”

“I did good just now, didn’t I? You should praise me Maa–Kun.”

Things like these were all too common. And despite Ritsu trying to slow down these days as Mao himself had become more busy with the student council it never truly stopped. That was just who Ritsu was and he was all too used to it. Though secretly he would wish that his friend would try to become a little more independent. It’s not like Ritsu had not improved over time but it was still a little too often maybe. Then again, change comes slow all the same so maybe he couldn’t really help it.

Anyway, the point was that being clingy towards someone he really likes was nothing too out of the ordinary. And it seems that the young man had found another person of interest recently, given how often he brought said person up. Maybe it was also a result of seeing her often due to both taking care of the same cat–like being. At least that was Mao’s guess. But if Ritsu really didn’t care about this woman, he wouldn’t bring her up at all. There was always something about this ‘Ann–Chan’ he wanted to mention. May it be talking about what happened the other day or him complaining about her work antics and not paying enough attention to him… Ritsu would certainly find something at any given time. So they had to be close, very in fact. And honestly, Mao had gotten curious at the end of the day, not knowing much about this woman to begin with.

A new employee at Ensemble Square as well as her last name, that was as many facts as he knew about her. Asking anyone else about her would result in no responses. In fact, some didn’t even know who he was talking about to begin with. At first Mao assumed it may be due to her position but others were sometimes looking as if he was talking nonsense, about a ghost in fact. For a short moment he debated if Ritsu made it all up but knew all too well that this was not the case. Why would he lie like that? ‘It’d be a waste of energy’, or so he would say. And besides, maybe he was a little worried about his childhood friend next to being curious. It was not very common to hear this but who knows who Ritsu is getting involved with. Then again, Mao had no doubts all the same that it would be someone decent.

It didn’t help that she seemed all flustered, not too sure how to even react to his constant whining and begging. Mao could somewhat relate in that regard but… Wasn’t this still a little too close!? He wasn’t sure what to say, what to think. This was Ritsu on one hand but on the other…

So on his next best time off he had decided to just pay a visit, disguising it as ‘getting to know a fellow coworker’. Well, it wasn’t exactly wrong either but still. Mao had not thought much of it, even as his knocks were not answered. Maybe she had been too caught up in some work so he helped himself, opening the door yet would stare in shock the moment after.

He had spotted two, a male and a female: Ritsu with presumably ‘Ann–Chan’. No, it had to be her, this office was occupied by her. But that was not the shocker, The shocking part was the position they were in: Ritsu had his hands wrapped around the young woman, leaning as closely as possible against her, his facial cheek rubbing right against hers, He had even leaned in so much that the chair started to move slightly, about to make them both fall over in fact. They were close. Very close. Awfully close. Anyone would get the wrong idea at that very moment and if Mao was completely honest, he was getting all sorts of wrong ideas in his head at that time. They weren’t that close… Right? No, that can’t be it. That wouldn’t be possible! After all, Ritsu and he were active as idols! He wasn’t that careless, was he?

Mao had been staring for a little while longer, just watching the two interact: Ritsu teasing while Ann is trying to reason with him to some degree.. Yet he couldn’t hold it in eventually, just shouting from one moment to the next:”What are you two doing over there!?” after having been greeted by Ritsu all carefreely. He didn’t even seem to think anything about that scene could give anyone the wrong idea. Especially if they didn’t know any better. It might be why the male was ready to continue talking all the same, tone never changing.

“What are we doing? Oh, right. Perfect timing~  Help me out here, Ann–Chan is refusing to keep me warm.”

“Because work!” She protested quickly, “Finishing!”

“I… I agreed kinda now!” The brunette protested, her face being redder than red. At least someone else in this room seems to be embarrassed.

“You took too long.” He pouted however, not getting off of her.

“You say that everyday… I’m getting lonely~”

“Nyeli? Him?”

“I meant when he is taking his drawing lessons from Mikarin.”

“Your own work?”

“I’ll be fine~ Anyway Maa–Kun, set an example and teach Ann–Chan some things~”

Mao started to no longer be certain how to react to this scene altogether. On one hand he pitied the young woman, on the other… What type of quarrel was this. They may as well be a— No, nevermind.

He sighed in the end, shaking his head and forcing himself to calm down. This was just Ritsu being Ritsu, right. Nothing more. “I think that’s enough Ritsu. How about you let go of her for now?” He suggested, trying to remain calm. He expected this to be met with protest and… He wasn’t wrong about that.

“Why? We’re friends, it’s fine. Right?” Ritsu tried to reason. Emphasis on try.

“Eh!? Uhm… Yeah but—”

“Look, if someone else might see you two like this it could cause quite the commotion. I know you mean nothing by it but others might not think the same.” The youngest one in the room tried to reason, praying that Ritsu would understand. Though that may as well have been a useless prayer in the end.

“It’s fine~ It’s Maa–Kun who saw us after all.”

“That doesn’t make it any better…”

“Yes it does. Maa–Kun wouldn’t spread any weird rumors after all.”

“That— Hah, don’t mind that. Just get off please. You’re almost squeezing her.”

It seems that had gotten Ritsu’s attention all of a sudden, him shifting his gaze towards the woman who was only nodding slightly. He then turned his gaze a little down, noticing that they were at the brink of falling over perhaps. And thus he sighed, getting off her and letting go. It made the chair fall back into place and her sigh in relief. “Thank you.” She even added under her breath. Though the only end result this had was a pouty Ritsu crossing his arms.

“You’re no fun…”

“Yes yes, sorry. We’ll make it up to you later.” Mao sighed. He honestly should have seen this one coming. Either way, he shifted his focus for a moment to her and she towards him, her finally registering and blinking in confusion.

“Wait, an idol?” She even let out questioning before her face turned into utter shock, about to run into a panic. “I…Isara—San from Trickstar!? I— Erm… Do you… Help… Anything.. Uhm…”

“Don’t be so tense, it’s just Maa–Kun.” Ritsu would throw in very casually which made her slightly turn, repeating the ‘It’s just Maa–Kun’ part, though more shocking of course. Perhaps Mao knew where this was going, thus smiling a little nervously.

“Haha, are we that well known?” He tried to put her at ease, somewhat, though not too sure how to approach this. He had rarely dealt with such a situation before after all.

“I mean… The posters and… Stuff. I heard in Japan… So…” She responded slowly, her voie still trembling.

“Ah, really? Don’t worry though, we’re pretty much equals here, aren’t we?”

“E… Equals? But idols and—”

“We’re coworkers, aren’t we? How about you look at it that way.” He suggested, making her think from the looks of it.

“Coworkers?” It seems to work somewhat, her expression lightening up a little. “Yeah but—”

“Then there’s no need to be so tense!” He responded with a grin, trying not to lose her during all of this. Not while she was calming down. “My name is Isara Mao. And who are you?” He kind of knew but it was only polite to ask her as well.

“Ah—Ri… Right. Uhm… Anja–Sophia Wolff. B…But just Ann’s ok!” It nearly shot out of her mouth from one moment to the next as she got up, bowing politely even. “Nice to meet you Isara–San!”

Ann lifted her body back up, standing somewhat straight to face him. “I… It’s fine! There was not even… Welcome needed!”

“It’s nice to meet you too.” He responded right away, grin still remaining. “And welcome. Sorry I couldn’t make it earlier, I was a little busy the past few weeks.”

Somewhat of an excuse but not an entire lie. School work, student council and idol work all piled up by itself.

“As expected of Maa–Kun. As responsible as ever.” Ritsu dared to point out with his signature smirk, though none of the other two dared to comment on it, not really at least. Instead they stayed silent for a moment before Mao decided to finally speak up again.

“A… Anyway… I’ll look forward to working with you1”

“Y… Yes! Likewise.”

“Oi, don’t just leave me out like that. Mean~” And another pout, making the two sigh in sync.

“Uhm… Isara–San… About Ritsu–San…”

“I deeply apologize if he caused you any problems.” He interrupted for a moment yet the response following shortly after was not necessarily something he expected, not really at least.

“Ah– N… Not that! He can be a bit much but… I wonder if—”

“Yeees, we know each other. Maa–Kun takes care of me too~“ The one in question of course pointed out in no shame, smiling as shamelessly as ever, making Mao his head drop in an instant.

“Oi Ritsu… I’m not your caretaker…”

“I wasn’t saying that. But if you want to be—”

“And I wasn’t saying that!”

“Yeah. pretty much…”

Oh the chaos, of course it would be like this. But that is just Ritsu for you. If it weren’t for the three of them who knew what others might think.

“I guess Ritsu–San is… always that way?”

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