#ryoken is smooth

[merryfortune]

staregaze

Written for Respectfulshipping Week 2024

Prompt: Flowers | Stars

Title: staregaze

Ship: Respectfulshipping | Ryoken/Spectre

Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh! Vrains 

Word Count: 1,301

Rating: T

Tags: Nightmares, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort

   Ryoken knew what night terrors looked like.

   Trust him, stars above, he knew that well and deep and intimately. 

   So, he could tell, this was just a run of a mill nightmare but even so, to see his companion in the throes of one, it didn’t sit right with him. Even so, it seized Ryoken’s heart to see Spectre doing so poorly when usually he slept like the dead, along a straight posture like a log. Instead, he tossed and turned and twitched.

   Ryoken couldn’t help himself. He had to interfere, especially when it was all too easy to. In his room, in the Kogami Mansion, Spectre would undoubtedly suffer in silence on his own yet be up in a heartbeat to bring Ryoken comfort and a cup of chamomile tea if he had a nightmare.

   “Hey, are you alright?” Ryoken asked.

   His voice whisper quiet as he reached out. He touched Spectre’s shoulder and his flesh was as tight as a rabbit’s. Ryoken gripped him firmly, but so firmly it would hurt Spectre, just enough and jostled him. A small wriggle of his taut body so that Spectre would rouse from his sleep.

   His eyes battled open and was confused - abrasive - to see Ryoken but Ryoken was relieved to see Spectre’s blue eyes. As blurry as they were.

   “Are you okay?” Ryoken asked again.

  “What are you… Ugh, my head…” Spectre’s hostility petered out into a complaint.

   Ryoken gave him some room, and a sympathetic smile. Spectre hefted himself upright and looked quite bedraggled, crumpled in his pyjamas and quite miserable in the moonlight. 

   “You were having a nightmare.” Ryoken pointed out.

   “I’m aware.” Spectre mumbled.

   “Sorry, should I have left you…?” Ryoken asked.

   Spectre sighed and though it was nasally, his expression softened on that exhale, “No, I don’t mind. I would have done the same for you.”

   Ryoken felt somewhat relieved to hear that. He wanted to be a good friend. Not a smother.

   “So, um, do you want to have a breather? I can make you some tea.” Ryoken suggested, his voice soft and then with a harrumph, he added, “For once.”

   “For once.” Spectre echoed with a snicker. He took a big breath and looked through the window. “I’d like that. It looks like a nice night out, some alfresco tea drinking could be just… what the doctor ordered.”

   Spectre cringed. He immediately regretted his choice of words but Ryoken nodded quietly.

   “Sounds nice.” Ryoken agreed.

   He withdrew, slightly. Enough to let Spectre get out of bed on his own terms and own two feet. Spectre stretched and groaned, Ryoken could swear he heard his bones creak. Maybe he should have just let sleeping dogs lie but the air in their room was surprisingly lighter now. 

   Spectre slunk out, following behind Ryoken until Ryoken kept going so he could go to the kitchen and Spectre stepped out onto the deck. He headed up the three steps and sat down with his back to their room. The cabin was cool and smooth on his back. He curled up, slightly, brought his legs in and tucked his knees under his chin. He waited for Ryoken.

   Ryoken, meanwhile, hurried through the steps of making tea. Which is not something to rush and he did know that but he didn’t want to leave Spectre waiting too long. The chamomile tea steeped and Ryoken thought it smelt good - heady and floral - but he knew from a supervising sip of it, it wasn’t as good as the one Spectre would make. But it was the thought that counts.

   He was careful as he took out two mugs of it onto the deck. He couldn’t before but now Ryoken could feel every rock and bounce and jolt of the boat. He was steady as he sat down beside Spectre. The deck felt slick with dew and stray sea spray underneath him, wetting his pyjama pants but he didn’t care about it. Even though he could feel the moistness seep through to his skin.

   “Here you go.” Ryoken said as he handed a mug - the one with a yellow insignia on it - to Spectre. He kept the mug with the red, Hanoi insignia for himself.

   “Thank you, I appreciate it.” Spectre replied.

   He graciously accepted the mug and had a drink from it. It was not a tentative sip, not like the one Ryoken was taking as he watched Spectre have his. No, he savoured it. Eyes closed and the whole of his expression dripped with appreciation.

  “It's delicious.” Spectre said.

   Ryoken was sure that was a white lie. His feelings were being spared and Spectre was a notorious liar. However, in this instance, what was a little fib? 

   “Thanks.” Ryoken said. “Not as good as yours.” He added quickly, unable to resist the urge to self deprecate.

   “It's good in your way.” Spectre assured him. A truth. He moved his left hand to by his side and continued to nurse his mug with only his right hand.

   Ryoken half-smiled. He was vaguely too sleepy to fully smile.

   Spectre opened his eyes and he gazed out towards the water. Ryoken did the same, following the direction of Spectre’s eyes but it was apparent to Ryoken, they were far, far away. Likely, behind them, in the mountains, in the forest, in the foothills of them both. He, meanwhile, saw what was in front of them: the glittering ocean as it sparkled beneath the sliver of the moon, wide as a fingernail in the sky, overseeing countless stars.

   It was beautiful.

   Until Ryoken glanced back to Spectre. His expression was… grim, to say the least.

   “Do you want to talk about it?” Ryoken asked, his voice dull. He didn’t want to incite Spectre to bear his guts if he didn’t want.

   “Sure.” Spectre replied. He took a tight sip of his drink. “I dreamt I was in the orphanage again.”

   “Ah.” Ryoken murmured. Just like he thought.

   “It's the same dream every time. Or, nightmare, clearly. I always thought it was an unpleasant dream.” Spectre murmured. “But I dreamt that I had never left. That I had been abandoned and that I could never leave. That I couldn’t do so much as step foot into the backyard again. Endless kindergarten lessons, no matter how old I was. I dreamt I was an old man and still being treated like that. That my life here had never happened.” He revealed.

   It was only Spectre’s word. It could be true with some lies sprinkled in or all lies with truth sprinkled in. It could be as factual or fictitious as either way, exaggerated or inconspicuous but it still tugged on Ryoken’s heartstrings. A place of boredom, of abandonment and being stifled which made the Incident seem like a glowing paradise by comparison, it made Ryoken shudder.

   “I’m sorry.” Ryoken murmured.

   “Don’t be.” Spectre replied, smiling suddenly, with all the force of the sun, he turned to look at Ryoken, striking him down. “After all, it was just a dream. None of it was real.”

   “But this is.” Ryoken said and he reached out.

   Spectre let him.

   He covered Spectre’s hand, which was by his side, palm to the flat of the deck, and curled his fingers over the slats of Spectre’s. He gave a squeeze from his angle. He felt Spectre twitch underneath him, his pose turned tight: white knuckled.

  “Though it is a small, secretive existence… Thank you for it, Ryoken-sama.” Spectre said.

   A tear glistened on his cheek. Spectre ignored it. Ryoken wondered when Spectre had shed it. It reflected the starlight as they turned away from each other, to stargaze. That was enough ruminating on the pain, for now. Ryoken continued to hold Spectre’s hand as they both drank their chamomile tea under the night sky. 

[ace-angel-judas]

Did mark ask hyejin's dad to marry her or her mom?

Mark had been coming to Japan for Hyejin's birthday for the past three years now, since her mother had moved to the country to join her father. It was strange how it had worked out, what had once been complex family structure seemed to smooth out in the years Hyejin had been distant with him.

Her father's house was more of a Ryoken, it had an Ancient Japanese feel to it, build in the countryside. There was an entire onsen at the house, overlooking the view of the garden.

Overall, it was peaceful.

"I have to ask you something,"

Mark didn't mind Itsuki, he was a fellow musician and he shared a lot of similarities with his daughter. From having an insane sweet tooth to having a love for music, it was obvious they were family.

"Of course," Itsuki leaned against the counter, sipping a mug of tea, "Food?"

"Uh, I'm good," Mark tapped his hands on the chair in front of him, "It's about Hyejin,"

Itsuki raised an eyebrow, "Uh huh..,"

The young man swallowed thickly. Mark didn't think he'd be this nervous, this was the only time he could ask while Hyejin visited Ren for the day.

"I want to marry Hyejin," Mark blurted out, "I wanted.. to, ask? If I can,"

Itsuki laughed, one that made his canine teeth show. Mark always found Hyejin's sharp teeth cute but they looked scary on Itsuki yet down right terrifying on Ren.

"I'm not the person you need to ask," Itsuki stated.

Mark furrowed his brows before his eyes went wide and he shook his head.

"I'm not talking about Ren, don't worry, I wouldn't subject to that torture, he'd probably rip your throat out," Itsuki sipped his tea, "I mean Hyejeong,"

Mark rubbed his neck, "Are you sure? Traditionally-"

"Fuck tradition," Itsuki rolled his eyes, "I love my daughter but unfortunately I didn't raise her, Hyejeong did, she put in every sleepless night, every sick day and every first moment, you need to ask her,"

"What if she says no?" Mark asked, "She said no to you,"

Itsuki just smiled, "You haven't made the mistakes I have,"

"But I have made mistakes," Mark pointed out.

"Like getting two women pregnant at the same time?"

"No,"

"Then you'll be fine," Itsuki clapped his head, "And anyway, Hyejeong only said no because she doesn't want to be tied down, I think you and Hyejin will always be together,"

"How do you know?" The Canadian asked.

"Because you're still together now, don't take it for granted,"

[the-kings-of-games]

In which Kusanagi has a birthday surprise and sends Ryōken (and Specter) to distract Yūsaku:

(Or: a extended, datastormshipping version of this)

Post-series, Yūsaku is now in his last year of high school. He's still the loner, quiet type, but he's not as friendless as he once was.

He and Takeru do video chats every other week. Akira and Emma send messages to check up on him occasionally, and Aoi comes by his class often to have lunch together (sometimes with Shima too). Yūsaku sees the Kusanagi brothers almost every other day, helping out at Café Nagi where he sees other people he'd met, including the Knights of Hanoi and Go.

Life has been pretty quiet but good.

One day, after school, Yūsaku is on his way to Café Nagi (as usual), walking with Aoi when she points out to the street with a small laugh.

Yūsaku sees a flashy red sport car. It's expensive. It's gorgeous. Everybody is staring.

Everyone is also staring at the guy leaning against the car, arms crossed like he owns it.

He does. Because it's Ryōken. He looks good, as usual. (U////U)

"Surprised?"

Yūsaku jumps, finding Specter standing behind him and Aoi. Spectre and Aoi smiling at Yūsaku's blush.

"Good afternoon, Specter," Aoi greets, and Specter offers her his arm like a gentleman. She takes it.

Yūsaku frowns. "What's going on?" he asks, confused. "What are you two doing here?"

"Oh, Kusanagi asked us to do him a favor," Specter answers, "so Revolver-sama agreed to take you on a date. I'm here to escort Zaizen-kun so she doesn't walk alone."

Yūsaku's blush deepens. "A date?" he repeats. "What did Kusanagi needed help with??"

"You'll find out later," Aoi assures, and she pushes Yūsaku gently towards Ryōken.

Unsure, Yūsaku goes but hesitantly, and in his confusion, he trips on his last step and falls on Ryōken against the car. His face is red now, an arm catching him by the waist.

"You're a bit clumsier in real life," says Ryōken in his smooth voice, a bit of amusement in his tone. "Are you ready to go?"

"Y— Yes?"

"Good."

Yūsaku is now in the car, Ryōken getting into the driver's side. Specter and Aoi are waving to him, and Yūsaku feels like a princess being sent off for an arranged marriage.

(That was oddly specific, but that's how it is.)

The drive is silent, and Yūsaku is still confused.

Ryōken takes them to the movies. "I thought it'd be fun to watch other people in high stakes situations for once," he explains, paying for everything. Yūsaku literally has no words.

Settling into the seats, Ryōken slips his hand over Yūsaku's with a smile. There is more blushing, the teen's heart racing as he tries to pay attention to the movie.

Why am I feeling this way?

The movie ends, but apparently, dates don't end just like that.

No, next, Ryōken takes them to a nearby park for a walk. They're holding hands again. They get ice cream. They talk. It's nice.

"Revolver," Yūsaku finally says, "you didn't have to do all this. If Kusanagi wanted me to stay away, he could've just told me."

Ryōken smiles. "I wouldn't have done this if I didn't want to," he replies.

"If you didn't want to what?"

"Go on a date with you."

Yūsaku malfunctions, and they're back in Ryōken's car again, this time driving back to his place. The car is parked, but they're not going inside. They're heading down to Stardust Road, holding hands, of course.

It's their last stop, the sun's setting.

"So, Yūsaku," Ryōken says, "how did you enjoy our date?"

Yūsaku stutters. "It was . . . nice."

"Nice enough to join me on another?"

". . . Yes."

They don't speak the rest of the way down, and that's when Yūsaku discovers Kusanagi's plans.

It's a party. There's decorations, a few ballons, food. Kasunagi had invited everybody.

"Yūsaku!"

"Takeru?"

It turns out Yūsaku forgot about his own birthday, which Kusanagi expected so he planned a surprise party. Everyone he invited showed up, and they came bearing gifts.

Yūsaku was surprised, pleasantly surprised.

"Happy birthday, Yūsaku!"

"Thank you, everyone. I really mean it."

[incorrect-vrains-quotes]

Spectre: I will protect you with every fibre of my being. I will do my utmost to smooth the path you walk. You are the light in the darkness, the end of the road, I died for you once and vow to live for you now instead.

Ryoken, blushing: Cool can we go to Cafe Nagi’s?

[jczala]

Pssst... I think you're Datastormshipping headcanons were amazing!!! I think Ryoken being protective of Yusaku was my favorite. What are your HCs of them being jealous?

Hey there! Thanks for asking! 😁 And I’m sorry if this took so long. *bows* 

Yusaku “Playmaker” Fujiki

Yusaku trusts Ryoken wholeheartedly, but it doesn’t stop him from feeling insecure from time to time. He’s only human. 

Honestly, this boy gets jealous easily. Whenever he sees Ryoken with a girl or another guy he tries to reassure himself. 

His finely honed instincts and good self-control allow him to stay level-headed in many different situations, but it gets hard for him to remain rational when someone tries to flirt with Ryoken. 

or look at Ryoken with hungry eyes, as if he’s some kind of trophy or prize to be won.

He’s not above being moody about it. 

It pisses him off to see how natural Ryoken is and how much of a smooth-talker he is when it comes to girls, especially when Yusaku can’t intervene. 

And it’s killing him to see girls touch Ryoken. It doesn’t help that Ryoken is incredibly attractive and charming. 

Would have a permanent concentrated frown on his face. 

He’s gonna pretend he doesn’t care, but the face muscles making that look says otherwise. 

He won’t directly say what’s bothering him, because damn denial runs deep in this one.

Passive Aggressive. Will subtly threaten the other party with death glares. 

He can be possessive because he doesn’t want to lose Ryoken ever again. 

Ryoken would tease him about him jealous, but there’s always concern lying underneath

Yusaku would blush and look away, because it’s hard for him to admit it. 

And Ryoken would speak to him in a gentle voice and assure Yusaku that he has eyes only for him. 

Ryoken “Revolver” Kogami

I think we could all agree that Ryoken would never admit to being jealous. He’d be quiet about and won’t let it show. Ryoken would definitely internalize a lot of jealousy.

You wouldn’t notice he was jealous unless you’re Spectre who notices every little bit of detail about Ryoken’s moods and expressions (even the slightest twitch won’t go unnoticed) 

Ryoken isn’t the jealous type, but the thought of losing Yusaku sets him on edge. He doesn’t want to think of a world without Yusaku in his life.

When he does get jealous, he can be quite possessive.

Honestly as passive-aggressive as Yusaku. He can tolerate girls/guys interacting with Yusaku, but whenever they get flirty, Ryoken has a look that can literally kill.

He’s incredibly protective of Yusaku’s happiness, even if that happiness is not him. He doesn’t bother to hide his displeasure or worries if he sees Yusaku upset.

However, he knows when to give him space and the time needed. He hovers because he knows Yusaku is strong and can take care of himself, but at the same time the idea of anyone hurting Yusaku makes him seethe in anger.

His insecurites sometimes get the best of him. He can get frustrated, thinking he will never be as good as everyone around Yusaku.

Ryoken can be somewhat of an insomiac whenever he feels insecured and jealous, doubting himself in his relationship with Yusaku.

When Ryoken does talk to Yusaku about his feelings, Yusaku does a lot of reassuring to put his mind and heart to ease.

[yellowcanna]

Two Parts of a Circuit

Summary: Yuusaku didn't know why Takeru is making it such a big deal. Takeru begs to differ. After all, how could anyone be dating for months now and hadn't even gone on a single date! Only these two workaholic couples can pull that off and still somehow manages a stabilized relationships.

Pairings: Datastormshipping (Yuusaku x Ryoken)

Genre: Shounen-ai, some fluff

Rating: T

Status: Complete

Author: Yellow_Canna / Canna

“What?!” Takeru spat out a mouth full of juice he has been sipping on. “You two gotten together for months now and you’re telling me you haven’t gone on a single date?!”

“…Yeah.” Yuusaku mumbled as his brows furrowed lightly, not seeing why the other was making such a huge deal about it.

“Then what do you two do?”

“Do what?”

“Things! Couple things!” Takeru elaborated. When he was met back with silence, he decided to change a method of asking. “What do you two do whenever you’re together?”

"Work," Yuusaku replied as if it’s the most obvious answer.

After all, there is a lot to be done.

Despite AI and human has come to a mutual understanding, that doesn’t mean everything is over. For months, everyone is taking part in fixing the damages left from battle. Ryoken has established his company, Hanoi, to replace the fallen SOL technologies, gaining the rights to Link Vrain. Kusanagi is now working at Ryoken’s company as a programmer. While the humans worked on reconstructing Link Vrain, the Ignises worked on reconstructing Cyberse World.

Once completed, they will create a bridge connecting these two vastly different worlds together. It was the first step to their seemingly endless journey towards a world where human and AI can co-exist.

“I can’t believe you two!” Takeru let out a long, deep sigh that seemed to have taken every last bit of air out of his lungs. “After all this time, you two—do you even know the meaning of dating?”

Yuusaku was about to open his mouth but Takeru swiftly held up a hand to stop him. “I don’t mean the dictionary meaning, I meant actual dating. You know what I’m talking about, right Jin?”

Takeru turned to Jin who had been quietly listening the entire time and sipping on his juice box. When hearing his name called, he looked up and blinked in confusion. Takeru rubbed the bridge of his nose as he turned away. That’s right, there’s another one as clueless as Yuusaku right here.

“Look, you two need to go on at least one date. Why don’t you go around and ask where people go for those things?”

Yuusaku’s brows furrowed even more. He took another bite into his food. Despite being together, nothing seemed to have changed between him and Ryoken. Yuusaku never really thought about it before, since they’re always so busy every single day—especially Ryoken. None of them have the time to think about anything else. Now that Takeru has pointed it out, he couldn’t help but get a sinking feeling that perhaps he messed up something in this relationship…

“Date?” Aoi Zaizen blinked. “…Maybe an amusement park?”

“Definitely amusement park!” Miyu said cheerfully.

“Of course you go to an amusement park!” Naoki Shima exclaimed. “It’s summer after all and they have—hey wait! At least wait until I finish before leaving!”

“Amusement park is a pretty good dating place for young couples these days. Never thought you’d come to me for advice.” Emma Bessho winked.

“EEEEH?! DATE?!” Ai screeched, attracting the attention of the other Ignises who were discussing on where to build a Ferris wheel. “Playmaker-sama—I mean, Yuusaku-sama! You’re going on a DATE?!”

“It was a mistake to ask you.” Yuusaku closed the screen without even giving a second glance to Ai whose face is plastered to the other side of the screen. Just when Yuusaku thought he’d get some peace and quiet, something suddenly came into his view.

He looked down at two pieces of paper waving in front of him. His eyes followed the owner of the hand until he saw Kusanagi.

"Two tickets to the amusement park," Kusanagi said with a wide smile on his face. “I heard from my brother and Takeru. You two should go out and relax sometimes, overworking isn’t good.”

Yuusaku slowly took the tickets and stared at it for a long, long time.

It was late in the evening by the time he got home. Even before their relationship changed, Ryoken had offered Yuusaku to live with him and Yuusaku had agreed. He didn’t have anything in his small apartment or any attachment there after all, and Ryoken had a home too big for one person. It was also more convenient for work.

That was what he had told himself at the time, but the truth was, neither of them could stand the loneliness. In his darkest times and even until now, Ryoken was his light. He wasn’t a blinding light, just a small speck drifting in the darkness. The light was too small to give off any warmth, but the soft glow coming from it was all that Yuusaku ever needed.

To him, Ryoken is that small speck of hope in the endless darkness. While Yuusaku knew what Ryoken is to him, he doesn’t know what he is to Ryoken. Their relationships had come together so naturally that Yuusaku didn’t think much of it until now.

"You're back," Ryoken stated when Yuusaku walked through the front door.

Yuusaku looked up to see Ryoken walking to the large dining table and placed down two dishes of food steaming with heat.

“Yeah…” Yuusaku mumbled, closing the door behind him as he pulled off his shoes and went to help set up the table.

They ate in silence.

Usually, they would talk about work. Their topics would fly all over the place, from coding to how things are going in Ryoken’s newly established company to the reconstruction of Cyberse World.

But tonight, the two of them were oddly quiet. Both of them were never much of a speaker, but even Yuusaku was beginning to feel awkward under this weird atmosphere. He wanted to tell Ryoken about the tickets in his pockets, but he wasn’t sure how to do that.

What was he supposed to say?

Would Ryoken even want to go to a place like that?

He wasn’t even sure if he wanted to go, let alone Ryoken.

Yuusaku took a deep breath, his hands on his bowl and chopsticks tightening as he finally looked up to his boyfriend.

“Ryoken—”

“Yuusaku—”

Both their eyes met at the same time as their words left their mouths. Both of them were taken back by each other’s action. Ryoken was the first to recover as he set down his bowl and looked at Yuusaku with those light blue eyes.

“I realized that perhaps we didn’t spend as much time together outside of work.” Ryoken began slowly. Although his voice was uncertain, his eyes were firm and never leaving Yuusaku’s. “I want to ask if you want to go out with me this Saturday.”

Yuusaku watched as Ryoken slowly pulled out two tickets from his pockets. The tickets are crumbled around the center as if being gripped tightly in a hand for a long time. When Yuusaku saw the familiar tickets, he couldn’t help but smile.

He reached into his pocket, pulling out the tickets Kusanagi had given him and showed them to Ryoken. When Ryoken saw the identical tickets in Yuusaku’s hand and bearing similar wrinkles, he smiled as well.

Saturday came surprisingly fast, yet agonizing slow at the same time. Yuusaku couldn't decide if he prefers the former of latter. He stood in front of the mirror and stared back at his own reflection. When he finally admits to Takeru that he and Ryoken are going on a date, the other boy practically dragged him into the mall, stating how he needed something other than the two sets of clothes he had aside from his school uniform. Since girls got more tastes in clothing, Miyu and Aoi came at Takeru’s request. As for Jin…he was just dragged along.

Yuusaku stared at the black leather vest, white shirt, skin-tight jeans, and black boots. He wasn’t really sure about any of this. He looked down at the black stringed pendant handing over his neck, then to the black wrist band on his left wrist and the silver bracelets on his right. Just when he thought about removing some of the accessories, a light knock on the door stopped him.

“Yuusaku.” Ryoken’s voice came from the other side.

Yuusaku looked up at the clock and realized he probably took so long that the other was beginning to worry. He usually only needed a minute to change after all.

"I'm coming," Yuusaku said, jogging over to the door, the accessories on his wrist making small jingling noises. He walked over to the door, opening it to see Ryoken standing there in his usual light gray blazer and V-neck purple shirt.

Seeing Ryoken dressed so normally made Yuusaku feel really out of place. He shouldn't have listened to others and just wear his normal clothes. When he saw the small surprise on Ryoken’s face, he wanted to slam the door and hurriedly change out of this getup.

“Does it look weird?” Yuusaku questioned, not expecting any answers as he was already turning back to his room. “I’ll change—”

“Wait.” Ryoken grabbed his forearm and stopped him in his track. The chains around his wrists jingled again at the abrupt action as Yuusaku looked back to Ryoken.

“You look…good.” Ryoken said after a while. “I didn’t think about—…it was insensitive of me to wear my usual clothes, I will go change into something more appropriate.”

“Wait.” This time, it was Yuusaku who grabbed onto Ryoken before he can leave. “I think you look good already.” He said, and Yuusaku truly felt that way. Ryoken had always looked fashionable and got better taste in clothing than him.

“…Then, shall we go?” Ryoken asked, his head turned away so Yuusaku couldn’t see what expression he has right now. Though that also means Ryoken can’t see the small arch that lifted Yuusaku’s lips.

They rode to the amusement park on Ryoken’s white bike. The drive was smooth. Since it was early, there isn’t much traffic either. When they arrived at the amusement park, they were able to find a pretty good spot to park.

Yuusaku looked around at all the attractions. He had never in his life been to an amusement park before. Nor did he ever think he would. He was abducted before his family could take him there. After he was saved, the amusement park wasn't something that was on his mind anymore, as he got other issues to deal with.

“I got the map, let’s go.” Ryoken’s voice snapped him out of thought as Yuusaku glanced over to his boyfriend. With a nod, the two of them began wandering around the place.

While their expressions betrayed nothing, their eyes were looking at everything like the gazes of lost children. They walked by food stalls and rides, but neither expressed any desire to get on one and try. They acted more like they came for sightseeing than playing.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Yuusaku steeled up his nerve and finally broke the silence.

“Do you want to try going to that one?”

Ryoken stopped and glanced to the roller-coaster they were passing by.

“Sure.” He replied, and that was how the couple got in line for their first roller coaster experience.

Since there aren’t too many people at the moment, the line for the ride was short. They soon got their turn and even gotten the front seats. The beginning when the roller coaster was climbing up the track was slow, and the sudden drop was almost ninety degrees from the sky. They went through three loops and many twists, but neither Yuusaku or Ryoken were the slightest bit fazed.

They had it much worst in Link Vrain, so this was nothing to them.

By the time they got off, neither of them knew what to feel. Should they be happy? Excited? The people around them certainly seemed that way, but Yuusaku can’t make himself purposely act like that.

“Perhaps there’s a better roller coaster around," Ryoken said, knowing that Yuusaku also didn’t feel anything particular from that ride. Yuusaku nodded as the pair walked away, not knowing the weird looks the staff gave them or the warning sign that says, “Steepest and Fastest in the Park”.

Just as they exit, they were called over by a lady at a photo booth. It was then that Yuusaku realized they had their pictures taken on the ride. Ryoken already knew though. Apparently, his lover saw the cameras when they whizzed by, which explains why Ryoken in the picture was looking straight at them.

Yuusaku stared at their stoic faces, then to the people wearing horrified looks behind them. When Yuusaku’s eyes drifted from himself to Ryoken, he noticed something he never thought about.

They had never taken photos together before.

Ryoken seemed to have realized the same thing as he ran his finger over their images on the screen. Then without any more words, he turned to the staff and paid for their photos—both digital and physical copies.

Yuusaku stared at their photos as they left the photo booth. A small smile unknowingly crept over his lips. He closed the photo book and carefully tucked in his bag.

It was at that moment that he heard someone crying. Yuusaku stopped and turned to a game stall where he saw a boy that can't be older than ten crying with some kids around his age trying to comfort him. From the bits and pieces of the conversation he could hear, it seems that the boy spent all of his coins on the game stall trying to get a toy.

Although Yuusaku has never been to these game stalls before, just one look and he could already tell these games are rigged. He wanted to ignore it, but when he looked at that child, he found himself slowly thinking back to when he was around that age. It was shortly after his rescue…he remembered seeing many things he wanted, but could never vocally voice it out like that child and instead kept it bottled up inside his heart.

Crying so openly like that…it was a luxury he didn’t have. The purpose of crying was merely to seek comfort from others, but there was no one around Yuusaku that can provide him such comfort, so he knew that crying wouldn’t get him anything.

Yuusaku was about to leave when a hand fell onto his shoulder. He jumped slightly turned to see Ryoken standing behind him.  

Ryoken didn’t say anything. He just took him by the wrist and pulled him along until they stood right in front of the kids. Perhaps it was due to their height differences or perhaps it was how Ryoken had almost no expression on his face, the kids looked a bit nervous. Even the boy that had been crying his heart out stopped the second he saw Ryoken coming over to them.

Without a word, Ryoken dropped a few coins onto the counter. At first, the worker just stared, but when met with Ryoken’s gaze, she quickly realized that Ryoken is paying money for the game.

She blushed and hurriedly placed a basket of red rings in front of the young man.

The game was simple really. All they have to do was to toss the red rings onto the glass bottles. While the instruction is simple, the process is very difficult. Or at least, to normal people, it's seemingly an impossible task.

Ryoken just picked up one a red ring and hurled it out seemingly casually.  

The ring landed perfectly onto the bottle’s nozzle, spinning a couple of times around before it went still.

The staff gaped, staring at the bottle with wide eyes. She looked back and forth wondering if it was just luck or something else…

“Which one do you want?” Ryoken asked the boy.

The tear-stained kid looked a bit scared of Ryoken, but still, he pointed to the red Linkuriboh hanging over their heads.

“Give him that one.” Ryoken nodded to the staff.

Yuusaku watched Ryoken the entire time from the sideline. Ryoken's face was indifferent, but Yuusaku saw warmth in his eyes—along with small a hint of guilt. At that moment, Yuusaku knew Ryoken wasn’t looking at the boy anymore, but at them—the children that were kidnapped eleven years ago.

The kid that got the Linkuriboh immediately became attached to Ryoken—his fear all but forgotten. The other kids, seeing this, immediately swarmed around them they looked at the two older boys with glittery eyes.

“Big brother, can you get one for me too?”

“I want one too, big brother!”

“Can I have one too? Please!”

They chirped one after another.

Yuusaku reached over to the basket, picking up a red ring as well. He glanced around the bottles before throwing it out, successfully hooking the ring over a green bottle.

Another red ring immediately followed after, hooking onto the very same bottle Yuusaku just got. Yuusaku glanced over to his lover, letting out a small chuckle as he grabbed another ring and tossed it onto the bottle Ryoken that first got.

They soon made it into a game, tossing rings one after another while onlookers stared, stunned by the display. Some passer-by even pulled out their phones and started to record the scene. The staff wore a conflicted look on her face after getting over the initial shock while the kids screamed and cheered each time the tiny red rings hooked onto a bottle.

By the time the pair left, a group of happy children waved at them, each holding an armful of colourful plushies.

Yuusaku didn’t say anything about the children—neither did Ryoken. They both knew what’s going through each other’s mind, but neither of them stepped over that invisible boundary. They just continued their sightseeing as if nothing had happened.

After a while, they stopped to rest on a bench in a large garden filled with flowerbeds. This garden was meant to be used for picnics with fast food restaurants on the other side. Yuusaku watched as Ryoken came over to him with two hot dogs in his hand. He thanked the older boy as he took the hotdog and in return handed over a bottle of water.

Yuusaku unwrapped the foil and took a bite into his food. He looked up just as a couple walked by—hand in hand.

“…What’s wrong?” Yuusaku distantly heard Ryoken’s voice. He immediately shook himself out when he realized he had fallen into a daze. He hastily swallowed the food in his mouth and shook his head. Ryoken didn’t question his strange behaviour and continued to eat.

Yuusaku couldn’t help but snuck a quick glance at Ryoken—or to be precise, onto his hand. Now that Yuusaku thought about it, they had never held hands either. Yuusaku looked back at the couple and found that the girl was pretty much leaning all of her weight onto the boy’s side. The pair were laughing happily at something before the boy leaned down and kissed his girlfriend on the cheek, earning himself a playful slap.

Takeru is right.

The two of them don’t do a lot of things normal people in a relationship would do. With that thought stuck in his mind, Yuusaku lost his appetite. Nevertheless, he still forced himself to finish his food before tossing the trash into the nearby garbage can.

Yuusaku was about to continue their walk when a hand suddenly grasped his. He flinched in surprise as he looked down at the larger, tanner hand wrapped around his. He slowly looked up to meet with Ryoken’s light blue eyes mirroring the colour of the sky. Ryoken didn’t say anything as he started pulling Yuusaku along. Yuusaku stared at his lover’s board back.

Yuusaku suddenly remembered back to when he had first heard Ryokn’s voice calling out to him during his most vulnerable and desperate times. The voice that had given him strength and hope…this hand had the same feeling as back then.  

He slowly gripped that warm hand back.

Despite neither of them speaking, the silence had become calming rather than awkward. Yuusaku could feel Ryoken’s pulse through their connected hand—like a circuit connecting the two of them. Everything just felt right, as if this was how it was supposed to be.

As the sky slowly darkens, Yuusaku and Ryoken sat in the ferries wheel gondola. The space was wide for two people, especially when they sat opposite of one another. Yuusaku gazed out to the city as did Ryoken.

It was a long time until Ryoken spoke.

“Have you been on one before?”

“…Yes.” Yuusaku replied, recalling when he had met Takeru for the first time and Flame had insisted on coming to one. He briefly explained it to Ryoken before asking, “have you been on one before?”

“Yes," Ryoken replied as he turned back out to the window. “It was shortly after my father was arrested. Kyoko and Aso brought me to an amusement park to cheer me up. This was the only thing I ended up going onto.”

At the mention of his deceased father, Ryoken’s gaze darkened, but his eyes didn’t hold as much pain as before. Perhaps it’s because everything is over now. He no longer needed to keep on fighting.

“I see," Yuusaku said quietly. There was nothing else he could say.

After another short moment of silence, Ryoken finally heaved out a light sigh.

“Let’s go home.”

Home.

Under normal circumstances, Yuusaku would feel something inside him warmed at that word because it meant he wasn’t alone now—he has a place and person he can return to. However, now hearing it, he couldn’t help but think that this date may have ended a bit disastrous. They hadn’t done anything and Ryoken had suggested in going back. Does that mean he didn’t enjoy the date?

Yuusaku thought back to what they had done the entire day. Truthfully, most of the time had just been…awkward. Neither of them is the talkative type outside of programming and duels. He couldn’t blame Ryoken for wanting to go home.

When they had gotten back, Ryoken told Yuusaku to go take a shower first, so Yuusaku did. He stood under the water raining down his head as he thought back to everything that happened today. He sighed, squeezing out some shampoo and began rubbing it over his hair. He took his time showering, uncertain of how to face Ryoken at the moment.

Today’s awkwardness was a little too much.

He stepped out of the bathroom wearing a black shirt and gray shorts. He was rubbing a towel over his wet hair, looking around to find that there weren’t any lights on.

“Ryoken?” He called out but got only silence in return.

Yuusaku felt his heart sank, but he didn’t show it on his face. He walked into the living room where bright moonlight was shining through the wide balcony, lighting the place up in a silvery blue light.

When Yuusaku looked out the balcony window, he found Ryoken.

The older boy was standing outside the balcony, elbows resting on the elegant railing as he stared at the glowing lights glittering over the surface of the ocean.

Hearing his approach, Ryoken turned and straightened himself. But Yuusaku’s attention wasn’t on him anymore. He was staring at the thick futon laid out on the balcony with two pillows and one blanket.

Yuusaku’s heart skipped a beat as a thought came to him, but he had to make sure…

“Ryoken, this is…?”

“The last part of our date," Ryoken smirked. He held out a hand, palm facing him for him to take. Yuusaku felt another skip in his heart as he slowly took it. He kicked off his slippers as the older boy guided him onto the soft futon.

He sat down, his right shoulder just lightly brushing with Ryoken’s with a larger hand overlapping his on the futon. Together, they gazed out at the beautiful sight before them.

The Stardust Road.

“When I thought about how to spend time with you, this was the first thing that came to mind," Ryoken explained, bright blue eyes glued to the ocean. “No matter how many times I see it, I never get tired of this sight.”

Yuusaku grinned in silent agreement as he stared at the ocean.

The sound of waves filled his ears as the salty wind caressed his skin.

“…I know you still have nightmares of the past.”

Ryoken’s sudden statement caught him off guard.

Yuusaku looked at his boyfriend, unsure of what to say to that. Yes, even after everything has been settled, the nightmares aren’t that easy to get over. It was something that haunted him nearly all his life. It’s not going to go away that easily. He hadn’t expected Ryoken to know.

How did he find out?

"I was always on the other side of the door whenever you woke up in the middle of the night," Ryoken said, easily reading his lover’s thought without even sparing a glance at him.

“What?” Yuusaku’s eyes rounded at the information.

“I’ve told you many times that I regretted saving you," Ryoken said softly. Yuusaku nodded simply in response. “But I had never told you that I have envisioned many times of what could happen had I not save you. My father wouldn’t go to jail. He wouldn’t have died the way he did. I would still have a father who would continue to do his experiments with innocent children. Had I not stopped him, will they die instead?”

Yuusaku stared at the stars above.

Despite how many years had passed, the memories of pain and desperation to live…along with a sense of loss and will that was slowly burning out from inside of him little by little. Yuusaku knew the answer to Ryoken’s question, but he didn’t say anything because he’s sure that Ryoken knew as well.

“I became conflicted. I knew what was right, but I chose to believe that what I had done was wrong. In the end, my father was more important to me than the lives of children I don’t even know.”

Ryoken raised their overlapping hands into the air and pulled. Yuusaku fell into his embrace without any resistance. Those long legs stretched out from either side of him as Yuusaku lay against Ryoken with his back pressed into that firm chest. Through the thin layers of fabrics separating their bodies, he could feel the strong heartbeat pulsing against his back.  

He couldn’t help the sigh that slipped from his mouth as he leaned into Ryoken’s touch. Ryoken wrapped his arms his younger his lover, noticing for the first time how perfectly the other fits in his arms. He slowly rested his chin on top of Yuusaku’s head and closed his eyes.

“I’m sorry.” Ryoken apologized, his voice deep and sincere. “I’ve said many cruel things to you. I don’t regret saving you, Yuusaku. I’ve never did.”

Yuusaku smiled.

It hadn’t ever bothered him whenever Ryoken told him he regretted saving him, because he knew the other was blinded by hatred so he said those words. But hearing Ryoken say it out loud was different than knowing.

Yuusaku slowly reached up and placed his hands over the man’s forearms folded over his torso.

“How did you know about my nightmares?” Yuusaku asked quietly.

“…I was always on the other side of your door.” Ryoken replied and was immediately met with a pair of bewildered emerald eyes. Ryoken slowly unwrapped an arm and placed his hand onto the soft cheek of his lover. He stroked his thumb lazily across the tender skin under the eye. The darker colour of his skin made Yuusaku’s look pale in comparison.

“When I close my eyes, I would dream of the day when my father was taken away from me. But occasionally, I would dream of the cries of those children lock away.” ��Ryoken said as he slowly drew his hand back and stared out to the sea. “One night when I woke up from these dreams, I felt the need to see you—to know you’re still there. Yet when I arrive at your doorway, I heard your pained cries on the other side of the door.”

“So you’ve been out there ever since?” Yuusaku raised a fine brow. Ryoken didn’t reply, but his silence was the answer Yuusaku needed.

“You could have told me.”

“I’m telling you now, aren’t I?”

"You know that's not what I mean," Yuusaku said, twisting his body around in Ryoken’s arms so that they are face to face. Ryoken’s arms loosened because of Yuusaku’s movement. As if not knowing where to put them, Ryoken just settled them onto his lover’s slender waist.

"I still have nightmares, yes, but in all of my nightmares, the only reason that I can keep moving forward was that you're in them.”

Ryoken didn’t say anything. He just watched Yuusaku tentatively, waiting for him to continue.

“You were always there, reminding me to find three reasons to keep on going. It’s because you’re there that I know I have nothing to be afraid of anymore. You’re always the light in my darkest time, Ryoken.”

"Light…huh," Ryoken muttered lightly as he tightened his arm around Yuusaku, drawing the other body back against his. “But to me, you are my darkness.”

Yuusaku’s breathing stopped momentarily, but the way Ryoken held him tighter calmed him back down. He leaned his head against Ryoken’s shoulder, waiting for him to continue.

“Your existence is a crossroad to two different futures. To choose one path, I have to forsake the other.” Ryoken said solemnly. “Whenever I see you, I would think back to that little boy crying in desperation. I can still remember the way those green eyes dulled with barely any will to live. Whenever I thought of what if I had chosen to save my father and turned blind eye to your sufferings, I became afraid. I’m afraid to lose you, Yuusaku.”

Yuusaku turned a bit in Ryoken’s arms, just enough so that he can also wrap his arms around Ryoken.

“I’m here, aren’t I?” Yuusaku asked.

“…Yes.” Ryoken answered after a while. “Do you remember when I asked you to be with me, Yuusaku?”

“You said to be with you," Yuusaku replied, smiling at the memory. That was literally the three words that Ryoken had said to him that changed their relationships.

“And you said alright.” Ryoken smiled as well at the memory.

The way they came together was so outrageous that it made anyone that heard choked on either water or food. They were having lunch at a fast food restaurant at that time, with the rest of their friends and companions.

Ryoken was eating a burger when he said it offhandedly as if he was talking about the weather. Yuusaku was eating a burger as well. He hadn’t even looked up, and just muttered out a response and continued to eat. The two of them didn’t say anything after that. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said to the rest of the table. Even the AIs that were present stared at them as if they had lost their minds.

“I don’t understand the concept of dating. I don’t understand the concept of love either.” Ryoken said softly, remembering back to when Kyoko criticized him on his way of confessing. Ryoken never took it to heart. After all, what’s important isn’t the process, but the result. But after today, he realized that the process is just as necessary—perhaps even more important. “In terms of a lover, I have failed at many things. Even so, will you continue to stay by my side, Yuusaku?”

“I don’t understand love either," Yuusaku admitted. “A year ago, I even reject the warmth of other humans, because I had no need for such things, but meeting you—meeting AI and everyone else changed me. I have three reasons as to why I want to be with you, Ryoken.”

"What a coincident," Ryoken smirked. “So do I.”

“One.” They both said in union with Yuusaku holding up one finger in Ryoken’s face. “With you by my side, I can continue to fight.”

“Two.” Yuusaku held out another finger, but Ryoken gently took his wrist and move his hand away. Yuusaku didn’t mind as he continued, “As long as you’re with me, I won’t stray from my path.”

“Three—?!” Yuusaku’s eyes flew wide when Ryoken suddenly gave his arm a hard tug. Yuusaku only had time to register a hand wrapping around his nape before Ryoken’s lips collided against his.

“Hm!” Yuusaku couldn’t help but let out a moan when the hand on his nape applied pressure. His jaw fell loose, opening up in order to relieve some of the pressure, but Ryoken took that opportunity to push his tongue in.

Ryoken’s kiss was dominating and forceful, just like Ryoken himself. However, there was also tenderness in his movement. While the kiss was hard, it wasn’t hard enough to hurt. While his movement may seem forceful, he was, in fact, being very careful so that he wouldn't hurt him.  

Yuusaku pushed forward, not willing to lose to Ryoken as their tongues started a battle neither of them is willing to stop.

“Three.” Ryoken grasped both of Yusau’s hands; their fingers intertwined. “You and I are two parts of a circuit.”

Yuusaku’s eyes dilated only for a split second before a wide smile stretched across his lips.

Icy blue and forest green eyes met.

Under the moonlight, both eyes seemed to glow with sparkles dancing within, reflecting the stars in both the sky and the sea. Yuusaku leaned forward, resting his forehead against Ryoken’s as he whispered out the last word as if completing some sort of sacred ritual.

“Only together can we be complete…the circuit that draws the future.”

[melontoyo]

🔃!

(Doing this yugioh ask meme!!)🔃 a character who started off being your favorite but over the seasons/you got older, your fave character changed This is definitely Revolver/Ryoken from Vrains. I immediately fell in love with him and drew fanart right after the first episode aired, but after the Tower of Hanoi arc they just turned him into this “cool guy” character which I found annoying and such a waste of his character. He had such great dynamics and that inner turmoil and conflict that made him interesting, but they got rid of all that. Afterwards he was just so stale, always the same unwavering “perfect” cool smooth guy and anything I’ve ever felt for this character dissipated into thin air : /

[chuyenbanmayphacafe-blog]

Những điều tuyệt đối không làm khi tới Nhật

d" title="d" target="_self" rel="nofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="nofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="nofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="nofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">desc" style='border-left-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 18px; font-family: "Noto Serif", serif; border-right-width: 0px; width: 600px; vertical-align: baseline; background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; white-space: normal; border-bottom-width: 0px; word-spacing: 0px; position: relative; text-transform: none; float: left; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(34,34,34); outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; font-style: normal; text-align: center; padding-top: 0px; outline-style: none; padding-left: 0px; clear: both; left: 550px; orphans: 2; widows: 2; margin: 0px 0px 14px -300px; letter-spacing: normal; outline-color: invert; line-height: 28px; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; text-indent: 0px; text-rendering: geometricPrecision; text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial'>Người Nhật nổi tiếng lịch sự và chu đáo. Bạn cần ghi nhớ những điều không được phép làm để tránh bị mất mặt khi tới xứ anh đào.

Dùng máy pha cafe tại quy nhơn đũa sai cách: Ở Nhật Bản, đũa luôn được đặt trên đồ gác đũa (hashioki). Bên cạnh đó, việc dùng đũa để kéo thức ăn đến gần mình hay lấy thức ăn từ đũa người khác là những điều cần tránh. Ảnh: Oyster.

Đi giày ở bên ngoài vào nhà: Trước khi bước vào nhà của người Nhật, mọi người sẽ cởi giày, đặt ngay ngắn trên giá hoặc cửa ra vào và sử dụng dép đi trong nhà. Quy tắc này cũng được áp dụng tại các đền chùa, khách sạn ryoken truyền thống và một số không gian công cộng. Một nguyên tắc quan trọng khác là khi sử dụng nhà vệ sinh mọi người sẽ sử dụng dép riêng, thường được đặt ở cửa. Ảnh: Oyster.

Chen may xay cafe tai qui nhon ngang hàng: Người Nhật xếp hàng ở mọi nơi, bến xe buýt, nhà ga hay thang máy. Ở ga tàu, mọi người xếp hàng tại vị trí được đánh dấu trên sàn. Khi tàu đến, khách đợi tàu sẽ chờ người xuống hết trước khi bước lên. Việc chen ngang hàng sẽ khiến bạn trở thành một "sinh vật lạ". Ảnh: Oyster.

Ăn may pha cafe tai qui nhon uống khi đang di chuyển: Ở Nhật, việc ăn hoặc uống khi đi trên đường là hành động thiếu lịch sự. Tương tự, ăn uống trên phương tiện giao thông công cộng cũng là việc làm khiếm nhã, ngoại trừ trên các chuyến tàu đường dài. Ảnh: Japanbase.

Sử dụng nhà tắm sai cách: Bồn tắm truyền thống của Nhật Bản được gọi là "furo" thường có dạng hình chữ nhật, nhỏ và sâu hơn so với bồn tắm của phương Tây, được sử dụng để ngâm mình, thư giãn. Vì vậy, mọi người thường tắm sạch bên ngoài trước khi ngâm bồn. Ngoài ra, ở Nhật Bản, hình xăm thường liên quan đến các băng nhóm xã hội đen nên nếu bạn có hình xăm, bạn không được phép sử dụng bồn tắm công cộng. Ảnh: The Japanese Room (Umekoyomi) at the Shiraume/Oyster.

Để lại tiền tip: Không giống như ở Mỹ, nơi tiền tip trở nên quen thuộc, Nhật Bản không có văn hóa này và thậm chí việc đưa tiền tip có thể được coi là một hành động thiếu tôn trọng. Tất cả phí dịch vụ đã được tính trong hóa đơn tại các nhà hàng, và ngay cả tài xế taxi cũng sẽ từ chối nhận tiền tip. Nếu bạn ra khỏi nhà hàng và để lại một chút tiền lẻ, chắc chắn nhân viên nhà hàng sẽ chạy theo bạn và trả lại. Ảnh: Anastasiya Aleksandrenko/Shutterstock.

Làm máy xay cafe tại qui nhơn ồn nơi công cộng: Người Nhật sử dụng điện thoại di động của họ một cách kín đáo, không nói chuyện điện thoại hoặc nói thật nhỏ khi ở nơi công cộng. Nếu bạn phải sử dụng điện thoại ở các khu vực này, bạn hãy di chuyển đến một nơi yên tĩnh và ít người. Ảnh: Kim may xay cafe tai quy nhon Kyung-Hoon/Reuters. 

Chỉ tay vào người khác: Chỉ tay vào người hoặc vật được xem là hành động thô lỗ ở Nhật Bản. Thay vào đó, người Nhật sẽ đưa cả bàn tay hướng về những gì họ muốn nói đến. Khi đề cập về bản thân, mọi người sẽ sử dụng ngón tay trỏ để chạm vào mũi thay vì chỉ vào chính mình. Ảnh: Beer5020/Shutterstock.

Đưa máy pha cafe tại qui nhơn đồ bằng một tay: Ở Nhật, mọi người luôn sử dụng cả hai tay để trao hoặc nhận đồ vật, gồm cả những vật nhỏ như danh thiếp. Khi thanh toán tại cửa hàng hoặc quán cà phê, khách hàng thường đặt tiền vào khay nhỏ bên cạnh quầy tính tiền thay vì đưa trực tiếp cho nhân viên thu ngân. Ảnh: Oyster.

Rót rượu cho bản thân: Trong các bữa tiệc, bạn hãy rót đầy ly của người ngồi cạnh khi đã cạn thay vì chỉ rót cho mình. Sau đó, người khác sẽ làm điều tương tự với bạn. Việc tự rót rượu cho mình bị coi là hành động không đẹp. Đồng thời, bạn cần giữ chai rượu bằng cả hai tay khi rót. Ảnh: Oyster.

[merryfortune]

A Small Stretch of the Imagination

Written for @respectfulshipweek2023

Day 2: A Small Moment | Grand Gesture

Title: A Small Stretch of the Imagination

Ship: Respectfulshipping | Ryoken/Spectre

Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh! Vrains

Rating: T

Word Count: 1,351

Tags: Domestic Fluff, Food as a Love Language, Tickling

   “Hehh.” Ryoken murmured to himself as he watched Spectre try to get something off the highest shelf of the kitchen’s upper cupboards.

   His eyes slitted as he watched Spectre’s tucked in shirt strain as he tried to lift himself upwards. He was unsuccessful the first two times, bouncing on his heel and Ryoken watched closely, particularly to what was happening just above the buckle of Spectre’s belt. He licked his lips as Spectre’s white shirt finally escaped from being tucked in and he glimpsed a small stretch of Spectre’s stomach.

   It was just as this happened that Spectre finally got the good and rarely used sifter off the shelf. He huffed as he went back down on his heel and caught Ryoken staring out the corner of his eye. He half took a step back, half-twisted at his hips so that he could frown at Ryoken.

   “What on Earth are you looking at?” Spectre asked, grumpy.

   “You.” Ryoken replied cutely. His tongue poked out all coquettish as he flirted. He propped his chin up on his hand and tilted his head either side. His eyes never quite leaving Spectre’s midsection.

   “I promise you I am not that interesting.” Spectre said, irked but his mild annoyance of being stared at made him even more adorable.

   “I promise that you are.” Ryoken said, coy, as he got up.

   He sauntered over to where Spectre stood by the cupboards and embraced him. Rocked him. His arms criss-crossing over Spectre’s front, Ryoken ghosted his hands along the flat of Spectre’s stomach. His skin was not necessarily smooth and his clothes, like his shirt, crinkled as Ryoken hugged him.

   “Stop playing with me.” Spectre complained. “I’m trying to bake a cake here.”

   “I know. But you're fun to annoy.” Ryoken said. 

   Ryoken continued to caress Spectre’s stomach, that little patch exposed from under his shirt and Spectre swatted his hands off his stomach, making Ryoken’s embrace around him loosen. Spectre squirmed out of his arms. Ryoken let him but he couldn’t help but feel his own spirits were dampened. Even if he was very much aware of how he was getting under Spectre’s skin.

   Spectre set the sifter down on the island and then made a point of re-tucking in his shirt.

   “Boo.” Ryoken playfully taunted him.

   “Get out of the kitchen if you are going to be like that then.” Spectre huffed.

   “Okay but call me back when the bowl or beaters are ready to lick then.” Ryoken teased.

   “You’ll get salmonella doing that.” Spectre pointed out.

   “Please.” Ryoken pouted. “You loved licking the beaters after making a cake as a kid and you never got sick. Nor did I. I like my odds still.”

   “Fine. But let me make this cake first.” Spectre said.

   “Of course.” Ryoken said. “And does the cook want a kiss first? For good luck?”

   Spectre’s lips quirked. He looked like he wanted to be so mad at Ryoken for being a bother and a nuisance and yet. There was a happy little twist to his mouth as he smiled and sighed, “Yes, please.”

   Ryoken drew in closer to Spectre again, he placed his hands on either of Spectre’s shoulders and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

   “Make a delicious cake, ‘kay? So we can have a good afternoon tea but I’m not worried. You are my favourite baker, I swear.”

   “You flatter me.” Spectre said.

   “I’m serious, I’m looking forward to it but until then, I’ll just be in the living room if you need me.” Ryoken replied.

   “Sounds good.” Spectre said and he continued to get the kitchen in order to bake a cake.

   Spectre then pre-heated the oven and got to sifting to his flour. Yet for all the powder, the kitchen remained pristine as Spectre handled his ingredients. He had fresh vanilla beans bought from a boutique grocer, paired with strawberries freshly picked from his garden. He folded in the wet and dry ingredients with grace, wielding his wooden spoon with the utmost elegance as he mixed the batter.

   The fragrance of the sponge cake began to waft out of the kitchen as Spectre spooned out the batter into a cake tray. From the living room, he heard Ryoken coo about how good it smelt and once the cake tray was inside of the oven, that aroma of the baking cake grew stronger, more mouth watering.

   But that now left Spectre with an almost empty of batter bowl, just the last few scrapings he couldn’t get. May or may not have been on purpose, of course. As well as the wooden spoon. 

   He sighed and collected them up. Yet despite that sigh, Spectre did have a rather fond smile on his face as he placed the spoon in the bowl and took them both to the living room. Where he found Ryoken sprawled out all too relaxed in front of the television and Spectre’s eyes pricked on something.

   Ryoken’s shirt had ridden up and he hadn’t cared to correct it in his slovenly posture. He had one leg hooked over the arm of the lounge, the other dangled by the side of it. He was laid out, kicked back. He looked like the absolute height of laziness and yet, Spectre found it oddly charming.

   Again that little stretch of skin exposed on his stomach particularly eye catching to Spectre - and Ryoken noticed.

   “And just what are you looking at, hmm?” Ryoken teased him.

   “Nothing in particular.” Spectre replied, suppressing a chuckle in his voice as he came closer. “Well, I didn’t end up using the beaters, I really prefer to do it by hand but I hope this is good enough to share.”

   “You don’t have any complaints of possibly catching salmonella? Or some other germaphobic worry?” Ryoken asked as he began to straighten up, excited by the idea of licking the batter.

   “Only a little but it's not like it’ll kill us.” Spectre replied.

   “That’s the spirit.” Ryoken said and he finally made room for Spectre. He patted the cushion on the lounge next to him.

   Spectre came around and sat on it with him. They shared the bowl between their laps and their legs entangled. They were just a little bit giddy about it, excited like children as they took turns sharing the spoon between their mouths. Dozens of indirect kisses kissed as they really scraped the absolute last of the batter off the walls of the bowl, sucking hard on the wooden spoon to taste all the vanilla imbued in it.

   “You were staring at me earlier.” Ryoken teased Spectre as he poked Spectre’s face with the wooden spoon, leaning in over the bowl. 

   “I didn’t mean to but…” Spectre said and in a tiny voice. “Its oddly cute, isn’t it? Seeing a glimpse of skin not usually shown off.”

   Ryoken laughed, “Yup.” he agreed and he kissed Spectre on the lips.

   After all that gabbing and all those indirect kisses, it felt good to finally kiss Spectre on the lips. He kissed back, chaste but choppy.

   “It's enticing, I think.” Spectre murmured. “I would even say… oddly sexy. Just a small stretch and suddenly, the imagination…”

   “Mm.” Ryoken replied, his voice blurred in a follow up kiss.

   Spectre could feel the smirk in Ryoken’s kiss as his lips widened in the corners. His hand reached around and unsurprisingly, dodged the bowl and he skittered his fingertips on Spectre’s stomach. Spectre laughed wobbly, uncertain laughs that he tried to keep quiet on.

   “Stop teasing me, you know I’m ticklish.” Spectre complained as he was kissed and tickled.

   “I can’t help it,” Ryoken replied, his hand getting swatted away again, “I like seeing this side of you, its oddly cute.” He relished how Spectre blushed.

   “I need to go check on the cake.” Spectre said, harried, not used to unconventional praise. Even after all this time with Ryoken and all his moods.

   “I’m looking forward to it.” Ryoken said as he let Spectre get off the lounge, taking the spoon and the bowl with him.

   “Me too.” Spectre confessed with an amused smile.

[cacloaimayphacafe-blog]

Những điều tuyệt đối không làm khi tới Nhật

d" title="d" target="_self" rel="nofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="nofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="nofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="nofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="nofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="nofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="nofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="nofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">desc" style='border-left-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 18px; font-family: "Noto Serif", serif; border-right-width: 0px; width: 600px; vertical-align: baseline; background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; white-space: normal; border-bottom-width: 0px; word-spacing: 0px; position: relative; text-transform: none; float: left; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(34,34,34); outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; font-style: normal; text-align: center; padding-top: 0px; outline-style: none; padding-left: 0px; clear: both; left: 550px; orphans: 2; widows: 2; margin: 0px 0px 14px -300px; letter-spacing: normal; outline-color: invert; line-height: 28px; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; text-indent: 0px; text-rendering: geometricPrecision; text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial'>Người Nhật nổi tiếng lịch sự và chu đáo. Bạn cần ghi nhớ những điều không được phép làm để tránh bị mất mặt khi tới xứ anh đào.

Dùng máy pha cafe tại quy nhơn đũa sai cách: Ở Nhật Bản, đũa luôn được đặt trên đồ gác đũa (hashioki). Bên cạnh đó, việc dùng đũa để kéo thức ăn đến gần mình hay lấy thức ăn từ đũa người khác là những điều cần tránh. Ảnh: Oyster.

Đi giày ở bên ngoài vào nhà: Trước khi bước vào nhà của người Nhật, mọi người sẽ cởi giày, đặt ngay ngắn trên giá hoặc cửa ra vào và sử dụng dép đi trong nhà. Quy tắc này cũng được áp dụng tại các đền chùa, khách sạn ryoken truyền thống và một số không gian công cộng. Một nguyên tắc quan trọng khác là khi sử dụng nhà vệ sinh mọi người sẽ sử dụng dép riêng, thường được đặt ở cửa. Ảnh: Oyster.

Chen may xay cafe tai qui nhon ngang hàng: Người Nhật xếp hàng ở mọi nơi, bến xe buýt, nhà ga hay thang máy. Ở ga tàu, mọi người xếp hàng tại vị trí được đánh dấu trên sàn. Khi tàu đến, khách đợi tàu sẽ chờ người xuống hết trước khi bước lên. Việc chen ngang hàng sẽ khiến bạn trở thành một "sinh vật lạ". Ảnh: Oyster.

Ăn may pha cafe tai qui nhon uống khi đang di chuyển: Ở Nhật, việc ăn hoặc uống khi đi trên đường là hành động thiếu lịch sự. Tương tự, ăn uống trên phương tiện giao thông công cộng cũng là việc làm khiếm nhã, ngoại trừ trên các chuyến tàu đường dài. Ảnh: Japanbase.

Sử dụng nhà tắm sai cách: Bồn tắm truyền thống của Nhật Bản được gọi là "furo" thường có dạng hình chữ nhật, nhỏ và sâu hơn so với bồn tắm của phương Tây, được sử dụng để ngâm mình, thư giãn. Vì vậy, mọi người thường tắm sạch bên ngoài trước khi ngâm bồn. Ngoài ra, ở Nhật Bản, hình xăm thường liên quan đến các băng nhóm xã hội đen nên nếu bạn có hình xăm, bạn không được phép sử dụng bồn tắm công cộng. Ảnh: The Japanese Room (Umekoyomi) at the Shiraume/Oyster.

Để lại tiền tip: Không giống như ở Mỹ, nơi tiền tip trở nên quen thuộc, Nhật Bản không có văn hóa này và thậm chí việc đưa tiền tip có thể được coi là một hành động thiếu tôn trọng. Tất cả phí dịch vụ đã được tính trong hóa đơn tại các nhà hàng, và ngay cả tài xế taxi cũng sẽ từ chối nhận tiền tip. Nếu bạn ra khỏi nhà hàng và để lại một chút tiền lẻ, chắc chắn nhân viên nhà hàng sẽ chạy theo bạn và trả lại. Ảnh: Anastasiya Aleksandrenko/Shutterstock.

Làm máy xay cafe tại qui nhơn ồn nơi công cộng: Người Nhật sử dụng điện thoại di động của họ một cách kín đáo, không nói chuyện điện thoại hoặc nói thật nhỏ khi ở nơi công cộng. Nếu bạn phải sử dụng điện thoại ở các khu vực này, bạn hãy di chuyển đến một nơi yên tĩnh và ít người. Ảnh: Kim may xay cafe tai quy nhon Kyung-Hoon/Reuters. 

Chỉ tay vào người khác: Chỉ tay vào người hoặc vật được xem là hành động thô lỗ ở Nhật Bản. Thay vào đó, người Nhật sẽ đưa cả bàn tay hướng về những gì họ muốn nói đến. Khi đề cập về bản thân, mọi người sẽ sử dụng ngón tay trỏ để chạm vào mũi thay vì chỉ vào chính mình. Ảnh: Beer5020/Shutterstock.

Đưa máy pha cafe tại qui nhơn đồ bằng một tay: Ở Nhật, mọi người luôn sử dụng cả hai tay để trao hoặc nhận đồ vật, gồm cả những vật nhỏ như danh thiếp. Khi thanh toán tại cửa hàng hoặc quán cà phê, khách hàng thường đặt tiền vào khay nhỏ bên cạnh quầy tính tiền thay vì đưa trực tiếp cho nhân viên thu ngân. Ảnh: Oyster.

Rót rượu cho bản thân: Trong các bữa tiệc, bạn hãy rót đầy ly của người ngồi cạnh khi đã cạn thay vì chỉ rót cho mình. Sau đó, người khác sẽ làm điều tương tự với bạn. Việc tự rót rượu cho mình bị coi là hành động không đẹp. Đồng thời, bạn cần giữ chai rượu bằng cả hai tay khi rót. Ảnh: Oyster.

[chuyenbanmayxaycafegiare-blog]

Những điều tuyệt đối không làm khi tới Nhật

d" title="d" target="_self" rel="nofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="nofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="nofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="nofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="nofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="nofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">d" title="d" target="_self" rel="dofollow">desc" style='border-left-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 18px; font-family: "Noto Serif", serif; border-right-width: 0px; width: 600px; vertical-align: baseline; background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; white-space: normal; border-bottom-width: 0px; word-spacing: 0px; position: relative; text-transform: none; float: left; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(34,34,34); outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; font-style: normal; text-align: center; padding-top: 0px; outline-style: none; padding-left: 0px; clear: both; left: 550px; orphans: 2; widows: 2; margin: 0px 0px 14px -300px; letter-spacing: normal; outline-color: invert; line-height: 28px; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; text-indent: 0px; text-rendering: geometricPrecision; text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial'>Người Nhật nổi tiếng lịch sự và chu đáo. Bạn cần ghi nhớ những điều không được phép làm để tránh bị mất mặt khi tới xứ anh đào.

Dùng máy pha cafe tại quy nhơn đũa sai cách: Ở Nhật Bản, đũa luôn được đặt trên đồ gác đũa (hashioki). Bên cạnh đó, việc dùng đũa để kéo thức ăn đến gần mình hay lấy thức ăn từ đũa người khác là những điều cần tránh. Ảnh: Oyster.

Đi giày ở bên ngoài vào nhà: Trước khi bước vào nhà của người Nhật, mọi người sẽ cởi giày, đặt ngay ngắn trên giá hoặc cửa ra vào và sử dụng dép đi trong nhà. Quy tắc này cũng được áp dụng tại các đền chùa, khách sạn ryoken truyền thống và một số không gian công cộng. Một nguyên tắc quan trọng khác là khi sử dụng nhà vệ sinh mọi người sẽ sử dụng dép riêng, thường được đặt ở cửa. Ảnh: Oyster.

Chen may xay cafe tai qui nhon ngang hàng: Người Nhật xếp hàng ở mọi nơi, bến xe buýt, nhà ga hay thang máy. Ở ga tàu, mọi người xếp hàng tại vị trí được đánh dấu trên sàn. Khi tàu đến, khách đợi tàu sẽ chờ người xuống hết trước khi bước lên. Việc chen ngang hàng sẽ khiến bạn trở thành một "sinh vật lạ". Ảnh: Oyster.

Ăn may pha cafe tai qui nhon uống khi đang di chuyển: Ở Nhật, việc ăn hoặc uống khi đi trên đường là hành động thiếu lịch sự. Tương tự, ăn uống trên phương tiện giao thông công cộng cũng là việc làm khiếm nhã, ngoại trừ trên các chuyến tàu đường dài. Ảnh: Japanbase.

Sử dụng nhà tắm sai cách: Bồn tắm truyền thống của Nhật Bản được gọi là "furo" thường có dạng hình chữ nhật, nhỏ và sâu hơn so với bồn tắm của phương Tây, được sử dụng để ngâm mình, thư giãn. Vì vậy, mọi người thường tắm sạch bên ngoài trước khi ngâm bồn. Ngoài ra, ở Nhật Bản, hình xăm thường liên quan đến các băng nhóm xã hội đen nên nếu bạn có hình xăm, bạn không được phép sử dụng bồn tắm công cộng. Ảnh: The Japanese Room (Umekoyomi) at the Shiraume/Oyster.

Để lại tiền tip: Không giống như ở Mỹ, nơi tiền tip trở nên quen thuộc, Nhật Bản không có văn hóa này và thậm chí việc đưa tiền tip có thể được coi là một hành động thiếu tôn trọng. Tất cả phí dịch vụ đã được tính trong hóa đơn tại các nhà hàng, và ngay cả tài xế taxi cũng sẽ từ chối nhận tiền tip. Nếu bạn ra khỏi nhà hàng và để lại một chút tiền lẻ, chắc chắn nhân viên nhà hàng sẽ chạy theo bạn và trả lại. Ảnh: Anastasiya Aleksandrenko/Shutterstock.

Làm máy xay cafe tại qui nhơn ồn nơi công cộng: Người Nhật sử dụng điện thoại di động của họ một cách kín đáo, không nói chuyện điện thoại hoặc nói thật nhỏ khi ở nơi công cộng. Nếu bạn phải sử dụng điện thoại ở các khu vực này, bạn hãy di chuyển đến một nơi yên tĩnh và ít người. Ảnh: Kim may xay cafe tai quy nhon Kyung-Hoon/Reuters. 

Chỉ tay vào người khác: Chỉ tay vào người hoặc vật được xem là hành động thô lỗ ở Nhật Bản. Thay vào đó, người Nhật sẽ đưa cả bàn tay hướng về những gì họ muốn nói đến. Khi đề cập về bản thân, mọi người sẽ sử dụng ngón tay trỏ để chạm vào mũi thay vì chỉ vào chính mình. Ảnh: Beer5020/Shutterstock.

Đưa máy pha cafe tại qui nhơn đồ bằng một tay: Ở Nhật, mọi người luôn sử dụng cả hai tay để trao hoặc nhận đồ vật, gồm cả những vật nhỏ như danh thiếp. Khi thanh toán tại cửa hàng hoặc quán cà phê, khách hàng thường đặt tiền vào khay nhỏ bên cạnh quầy tính tiền thay vì đưa trực tiếp cho nhân viên thu ngân. Ảnh: Oyster.

Rót rượu cho bản thân: Trong các bữa tiệc, bạn hãy rót đầy ly của người ngồi cạnh khi đã cạn thay vì chỉ rót cho mình. Sau đó, người khác sẽ làm điều tương tự với bạn. Việc tự rót rượu cho mình bị coi là hành động không đẹp. Đồng thời, bạn cần giữ chai rượu bằng cả hai tay khi rót. Ảnh: Oyster.

[incorrect-vrains-quotes]

Ryoken/Specter + Stormy Night

requests: still open

   It was a dark and stormy night, with trembling hands and wide eyes. Spectre held his breath as he let himself be pinned to the bed. Above him, above them both, raindrops quickly lashed the windows and the roof, creating a white noise which encapsulated them so snugly with the lights off and the heater blaring.

   Ryoken’s lips on Spectre’s were desperate. His heart beat so eclectic and out of time, their movements mismatched but of adoration as their hands clambered across bodies, so hot and heavy. Deeply unfamiliar and yet known. Intimate, but in new and unexplored ways.

   Spectre bucked his hips to Ryoken, spreading his legs and allowing him closer still. With unexpected friction of fabric between them, buttons begging to be undone and zips begging to slide downwards. But not yet, they told themselves, not yet, as they let themselves be at each other’s passionate moment. Moaning into each other in such an absurdly warm room. 

   The darkness of it so smooth and formless, only come to distinct shape whenever lightning struck. Tonight was a ruthless night just beyond their reaches, too enamoured with each other to care, really. Yet, it seemed like a perfect night for them come to know each other in the carnal sense. After all, it had been a night like this one - so wet and wild and dark - which had allowed them to reunite after the Lost Incident.

   Spectre kissed back hard. Ryoken, enticed, hooked his fingers around Spectre’s belt loops and tugged slightly. He broke off the kiss, with mere millimetres, and breathily asked if Spectre wanted more; something that Spectre more than happily replied to.

[jczala]

Datastorm December: Day 06

Discussion Prompt: 

↳ Random Datastorm Headcanon.  

I’ve been itching to do a discussion prompt for a while now, so I figured it’s the best time to do it. I’ve had a lot of headcanons stored up in my brain, so here goes…

Ai being HIGHKEY Datastormshipper

Ai being a peeping tom when they’re together, though there are times he’d make excuses so he can leave them alone.

Ai trying to pair them up at every opportunity and being subtle about it.

Ai, Spectre, and almost everyone in their circle have a separate group chat where they update each other regarding Ryoken and Yusaku’s relationship. Mostly filled with lots of sighing emojis due to the couple’s somewhat no-nonsense nature. They can be so dense XD

Ai has a backup storage of all the photos and videos he took of Yusaku, especially in his normal day-to-day setting, and Ryoken has access to all of it.

Likewise, Ai also has photos and videos of their romantic rendezvous (both IRL and VR mode). He once posted a picture of Revolver kissing Playmaker, and the LIKES skyrocketed off the charts. His program was at risk of being dismantled by two very excellent hackers after that.

Everyone had bets on them. Ai and Spectre won every single one.

Ai crying at Ryoken and Yusaku’s wedding. XD

 Ryoken’s Side

Ryoken is incredibly perceptive. He notices a lot of things. Like when Yusaku hasn’t slept enough because of nightmares and when he’s feeling sick. He notices when he’s in a good mood and when he’s pissed off. Ryoken is always paying attention to him that Yusaku doesn’t have to say anything.

Ryoken is extremely organized. He’s the type of person who gets the job done, leaves his desk clean, go home and enjoy peace and quiet. He gets mildly alarmed by the clutter that is Yusaku’s workspace or his bedroom for that matter. Good thing he has Roboppi to help him out.

Being raised by scientists, Ryoken received an extensive education in many fields of study and language. He often helps Yusaku with his homework.

Since he pays so much attention to details, Ryoken is quite a gift-giver. He notices what Yusaku likes and buy things for him no matter the price.

Ryoken likes touching Yusaku and uses every chance he gets to do so. In bed, he likes to cuddle with Yusaku. It makes him feel good that Yusaku is comfortable with him.

Ryoken is very protective of Yusaku. He can be a bit possessive too. Never ever make him jealous.

Ryoken has a flair for magic tricks, and often uses it as an excuse to touch Yusaku.

Since he’s naturally good-looking, Ryoken gets scouted a lot by modeling agencies and the girls would just swoon whenever he shows up at Yusaku’s school. There was that time when Kusanagi had him help out at Café Nagi, and Yusaku swore the increase of female customers that day was crazy. In spite of the attention he gets from girls, Ryoken assures Yusaku that he only has eyes for him.

Ryoken only drops the alpha leader attitude when he’s alone with Yusaku.

It doesn’t matter how busy he is at work, Ryoken will always make time on weekends for Yusaku.

 Yusaku’s Side

Yusaku loves sleeping on Ryoken’s chest because he likes to hear the sound of his heart. Something he’ll never admit out loud.

Yusaku would often tell Kusanagi that he’s practicing cooking so he doesn’t have to depend on him. He’s just actually cooking for Ryoken.

Yusaku enjoys it when Ryoken touches his hair. So, whenever Ryoken plays with strands of his hair and massages his scalp, it immediately calms him down.

Yusaku actually gets shy whenever Ryoken does romantic things with him. It doesn’t help that Ryoken is such a smooth talker.

Because of the incident, he doesn’t like any form of physical contact with anyone. It took him a while to get comfortable with Ryoken and he realized that he’s actually sensitive when he’s being touched. His ears are also his weakness, so every time Ryoken talks so close to his ear, he’ll just melt.

On that note, Yusaku is so, so weak to Ryoken’s voice, especially when Ryoken talks to him huskily. It just makes his heart skip.

Yusaku’s not so deadpan anymore. He smiles more nowadays because of Ryoken. He also blushes a lot too around him. XD

As much as he trusts Ryoken, Yusaku feels insecure when girls fawn over him.

Seeing Ryoken in their school’s uniform literally made Yusaku freeze like freakin’ Black Panther when he saw the love of his life. It’s just the same uniform, but damn hell, did Ryoken look good in it. How is that fair?!

Yusaku has a feminine face, much to his chagrin, and he can dress up like a girl naturally. When he lost a bet with Spectre, he was forced to wear a kimono and hair extensions. But that was actually Spectre just setting him up for a Festival Date with Ryoken. And Ryoken was very pleased with what he saw.

 As a Couple

They never told anyone when they got together. Everyone only found out when Ryoken wiped a ketchup stain from the corner of Yusaku’s lips and licked it clean off his finger. Kusanagi choked on his coffee.

It took them a while to get used to calling each other by names. It was Yusaku who initiated it.

Their first date was on a cold day, and knowing how meticulous Ryoken is, Yusaku arrived at the meet-up place an hour early just in case. When Ryoken got there at the appointed time, he quickly noticed Yusaku’s flushed cheeks and ears—an indication that he’s been waiting outside for quite a while now. He can’t help but look at Yusaku tenderly and wrapped his own scarf around Yusaku.

Upon Yusaku’s graduation, Ryoken proposes the idea of living together.

Yusaku always had trouble sleeping, and ever since he and Ryoken got together, he’s able to sleep soundly.

Yusaku gets spoiled by Ryoken a lot even though he doesn’t mean to. Being rich affords Ryoken to do so anyway.

On days Yusaku sleeps in, Ryoken secretly takes pictures of his sleeping face. He thinks it’s cute.

Ryoken likes to give Yusaku small kisses from time to time, often privately.

Yusaku pretends he hates cuddling, but he actually loves it. Ryoken enjoys it when Yusaku falls asleep in his arms.

Whenever Ryoken gets engrossed with work, he often forgets to eat, and because of that Yusaku makes it his job to check up on him. He’ll bring him food or coffee, and sometimes he’ll just drag him to bed and make him rest.

Free time? Duel, of course! Speed Duel, Master Duel, you name it. However, on some days, they’d just duel in the comforts of their living room. No Duel Disks, no VR, just regular old-fashioned dueling.  Both of them are really competitive, though.

For @datastorm-december​ 💖

[chuyenbanmayxaycafe-blog]

Những điều tuyệt đối không làm khi tới Nhật

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Dùng máy pha cafe tại quy nhơn đũa sai cách: Ở Nhật Bản, đũa luôn được đặt trên đồ gác đũa (hashioki). Bên cạnh đó, việc dùng đũa để kéo thức ăn đến gần mình hay lấy thức ăn từ đũa người khác là những điều cần tránh. Ảnh: Oyster.

Đi giày ở bên ngoài vào nhà: Trước khi bước vào nhà của người Nhật, mọi người sẽ cởi giày, đặt ngay ngắn trên giá hoặc cửa ra vào và sử dụng dép đi trong nhà. Quy tắc này cũng được áp dụng tại các đền chùa, khách sạn ryoken truyền thống và một số không gian công cộng. Một nguyên tắc quan trọng khác là khi sử dụng nhà vệ sinh mọi người sẽ sử dụng dép riêng, thường được đặt ở cửa. Ảnh: Oyster.

Chen may xay cafe tai qui nhon ngang hàng: Người Nhật xếp hàng ở mọi nơi, bến xe buýt, nhà ga hay thang máy. Ở ga tàu, mọi người xếp hàng tại vị trí được đánh dấu trên sàn. Khi tàu đến, khách đợi tàu sẽ chờ người xuống hết trước khi bước lên. Việc chen ngang hàng sẽ khiến bạn trở thành một "sinh vật lạ". Ảnh: Oyster.

Ăn may pha cafe tai qui nhon uống khi đang di chuyển: Ở Nhật, việc ăn hoặc uống khi đi trên đường là hành động thiếu lịch sự. Tương tự, ăn uống trên phương tiện giao thông công cộng cũng là việc làm khiếm nhã, ngoại trừ trên các chuyến tàu đường dài. Ảnh: Japanbase.

Sử dụng nhà tắm sai cách: Bồn tắm truyền thống của Nhật Bản được gọi là "furo" thường có dạng hình chữ nhật, nhỏ và sâu hơn so với bồn tắm của phương Tây, được sử dụng để ngâm mình, thư giãn. Vì vậy, mọi người thường tắm sạch bên ngoài trước khi ngâm bồn. Ngoài ra, ở Nhật Bản, hình xăm thường liên quan đến các băng nhóm xã hội đen nên nếu bạn có hình xăm, bạn không được phép sử dụng bồn tắm công cộng. Ảnh: The Japanese Room (Umekoyomi) at the Shiraume/Oyster.

Để lại tiền tip: Không giống như ở Mỹ, nơi tiền tip trở nên quen thuộc, Nhật Bản không có văn hóa này và thậm chí việc đưa tiền tip có thể được coi là một hành động thiếu tôn trọng. Tất cả phí dịch vụ đã được tính trong hóa đơn tại các nhà hàng, và ngay cả tài xế taxi cũng sẽ từ chối nhận tiền tip. Nếu bạn ra khỏi nhà hàng và để lại một chút tiền lẻ, chắc chắn nhân viên nhà hàng sẽ chạy theo bạn và trả lại. Ảnh: Anastasiya Aleksandrenko/Shutterstock.

Làm máy xay cafe tại qui nhơn ồn nơi công cộng: Người Nhật sử dụng điện thoại di động của họ một cách kín đáo, không nói chuyện điện thoại hoặc nói thật nhỏ khi ở nơi công cộng. Nếu bạn phải sử dụng điện thoại ở các khu vực này, bạn hãy di chuyển đến một nơi yên tĩnh và ít người. Ảnh: Kim may xay cafe tai quy nhon Kyung-Hoon/Reuters. 

Chỉ tay vào người khác: Chỉ tay vào người hoặc vật được xem là hành động thô lỗ ở Nhật Bản. Thay vào đó, người Nhật sẽ đưa cả bàn tay hướng về những gì họ muốn nói đến. Khi đề cập về bản thân, mọi người sẽ sử dụng ngón tay trỏ để chạm vào mũi thay vì chỉ vào chính mình. Ảnh: Beer5020/Shutterstock.

Đưa máy pha cafe tại qui nhơn đồ bằng một tay: Ở Nhật, mọi người luôn sử dụng cả hai tay để trao hoặc nhận đồ vật, gồm cả những vật nhỏ như danh thiếp. Khi thanh toán tại cửa hàng hoặc quán cà phê, khách hàng thường đặt tiền vào khay nhỏ bên cạnh quầy tính tiền thay vì đưa trực tiếp cho nhân viên thu ngân. Ảnh: Oyster.

Rót rượu cho bản thân: Trong các bữa tiệc, bạn hãy rót đầy ly của người ngồi cạnh khi đã cạn thay vì chỉ rót cho mình. Sau đó, người khác sẽ làm điều tương tự với bạn. Việc tự rót rượu cho mình bị coi là hành động không đẹp. Đồng thời, bạn cần giữ chai rượu bằng cả hai tay khi rót. Ảnh: Oyster.

[merryfortune]

little potplants

Written for 100ships on Dreamwidth

Prompt #61 Green

Ship: Saviorshipping | Ryoken/Spectre/Yusaku

Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS

Word Count: 2,458

Rating: T

Warnings: No Warnings Apply

Tags:  Fluff, Established Relationship, Polyamory

AN: this is a very silly and dramatic fic about chia pets

   Yusaku had finally gotten what he had wanted. What he wanted was Ryoken’s love and companionship. It just so happened that what Yusaku wanted came with one stipulation. One very Spectre shaped stipulation.

   Once more, Yusaku gave all his heart, as shackled by chains and scarred as it was, to Ryoken and rather than spurn him, Ryoken accepted it. And once more, Yusaku conveyed the hope that Ryoken had given him all those years ago and it made Ryoken sigh heavily. Though it was a lonely place, there was one more who sided with Ryoken on the side of that chasm than just Yusaku: that person was Spectre, who had pledged all his soul to Ryoken. Ryoken refused to let Spectre slip to the wayside so he gave Yusaku an ultimatum: both of them or neither of them.

   Yusaku didn’t have to hesitate. He thought of what Ai had taught him: to love people, not just one person and though Spectre was… quirky, to be polite about it, Yusaku would try not to mind. He recalled his duel with Lightning and the fervour in which spectre had duelled, his clever plays and the peculiar beauty of his aesthetics. Though they had treated each other poorly, at best, in each other’s duel, Spectre had been inspired most gallantly because of Yusaku so, he would try to get along with Spectre, if only for Ryoken.

   Thus, if Yusaku and Ryoken were prisoners of fate, then it would not be allowed by Ryoken’s decree that Spectre would be the warden of such a miserable, if romantic, declaration. Yusaku accepted that. He and Spectre, on the surface, did not appear to have much in common but they did have one thing at least: they had both loved Ryoken for ten years.

   However, the practice was much different to the theory and to the dramatic highs of this relationship. In practice, it was much, much more awkward.

   The mode of the relationship - or relationships, more accurately - was rather distant. Yusaku was not yet ready to move out of his apartment and with both Ryoken and Spectre. It would be inconvenient to him as he had returned to going school and their mansion was hardly close to campus and their cruiser liner was even further away. So, mostly their kisses and conversations were through text messages and video calls. It was probably for the best as they all needed to go slowly in the beginnings of this three-way relationships.

   But once in a while, the stars aligned for them to meet up either in the meat space or in the Link VRAINS. It wasn’t as rare as an eclipse but it was easy to miss. Sometimes Ryoken came round to Cafe Nagi for his usual hot dog, sometimes with Spectre in tow, sometimes not. 

   Other times, they crossed each others’ paths in the digital world. With Ai back, Yusaku wanted to bring back the other Ignis. The Knights of Hanoi were not hindering this mission of Yusaku but out of professionalism and their commitment to atonement, they weren’t helping him either. Ryoken refused to spoil Yusaku like that but Spectre was quietly pleased with the sentiment that one day, possibly one day soon if he was lucky, he might get to meet Earth properly.

   But whilst Ryoken consistently made Yusaku feel welcome and warm, with every greeting to every message or happenstance, it made the contrary all the more apparent to Yusaku. Spectre was not quite so open. Ryoken was reserved but in what moments of privacy he and Yusaku had together, they usually began or ended with Ryoken kissing Yusaku on the cheek. Spectre was not nearly as affectionate. Or verbal. And it was increasingly making Yusaku worry about whether or not having what he wanted was worth it.

   Perhaps Spectre was not quite as gungho about sharing Ryoken than Ryoken had been willing to bet. Of course, Spectre didn’t utter a single complaint; he followed this order like he did any other order but there was a detached coldness whenever he rubbed shoulders with Yusaku which, whilst infrequent, was still quite noticeable. 

   So, shyly, Yusaku did ask about it eventually, “Are you sure Spectre likes me?” he asked in a tiny voice.

   He rang Ryoken and made sure Ryoken was alone. Ryoken had high - even salacious - hopes for this but Yusaku’s question did catch him off guard. He had somewhat expected it. He had noticed the standoffishness that Spectre emanated whenever it was all three of them or some combination thereof.

   “Yes, I’m sure.” Ryoken replied. He sounded very understanding about it but Yusaku still chewed his lip.

   “Are you certain?” Yusaku insisted.

   “Yes, I’m sure.” Ryoken replied again and Yusaku could hear the patient smile in his voice. “I can prove it.”

   “How?” Yusaku asked flatly.

   “Spectre and I’ll drop around tomorrow. We can bring groceries around and have dinner together for once, doesn’t that sound nice?” Ryoken mused.

   “Yeah, it does…” Yusaku murmured, entirely unconvinced that one evening together would be enough to prove or sway the pendulum that he was worried about.

   “We’ll come around about an hour after you would get out of school, does that work for you?” asked Ryoken.

   “It does.” Yusaku told him.

   “Good, see you then, so… until then, bye, I love you.” Ryoken said.

   Yusaku blushed as he replied, “Bye, I love you, too.”

   The line went silent and Yusaku was still entirely convinced that Spectre did not like him and would never like him. It was an unusual feeling for him but acknowledging that did little to alleviate the horrible feeling in his guts. It was like the exact opposite of having butterflies in his stomach, it was more like having elephants. It was awful. Spectre was awful, too, but he seemed an entirely different person outside of the Link VRAINS despite very much wearing the same face.

   The following day went as smooth as high school could go for anyone. There were assessments and social blunders but nothing particularly gruesome. Yusaku even managed to have some spotty and bland conversations with both Shima and Aoi at different points of the day but he very much wanted to take them over Ryoken and Spectre. He was still very concerned as to how his date this evening would go as he could only imagine it as going disastrously.

   He returned home and got ready for his date. Ai was very happy about it. Yusaku hadn’t even wanted to tell Ai about this date or any of the worries that he had over in the knightdom of Hanoi but unfortunately for him, this triadic relationship had become Ai’s favourite to invest in. There wasn’t a single secret Yusaku could keep around Ai anymore and Ai relished in that. He cheered Yusaku on as he put himself through the shower and got into his best clothes. Not that Yusaku needed the encouragement but given how wracked his nerves were, he couldn’t say it wasn’t appreciated.

   His hair was still damp when Yusaku heard his doorbell ring. Ai gave him a big thumbs up from his perch on Yusaku’s desk where his duel disc was his throne and Yusaku weakly smiled back. With Yusaku’s laptop nearby, Ai was content to surf the ‘net and binge sketchy cartoons all night and therefore, wouldn’t disrupt or otherwise cause warfare downstairs on his date.

   Yusaku smiled shakily as he opened his front door and he immediately noticed that he was out-dressed by both Ryoken and Spectre, “Hey,” he said, “I’m glad the two of you could make it.”

   “It's our pleasure.” Ryoken assured him.

  He reached out to Yusaku and cupped his hands whilst kissing his cheek. Yusaku smiled but he glanced towards Spectre who was trying his best to blend in with the cityscape behind him. He was holding onto a small box and had a cloth tote bag slung over his shoulders.

   Ryoken pulled back and Yusaku stepped aside. He let both his partners inside and he felt a flush of embarrassment regarding his apartment given how basic it was. To say nothing of the great big cracks in the walls and other flaws but neither Ryoken nor Spectre ever said a bad word about it. They merely came inside and made themselves at home.

   Spectre placed the tote bag on the counter and Yusaku curiously approached. He couldn’t help but wonder if there was a magic item inside of it to make him and Spectre get along better was inside of it but from just a sneak peak, all Yusaku could really see was the ingredients to make curry. However, they were very premium ingredients.

   “How mild or spicy do you like your curry?” Spectre asked since Yusaku had taken interest; he was still holding onto that little box.

   “I don’t really care.” Yusaku said, shrugging. “Surprise me.”

   “Okay then.” Spectre said and his hand clenched slightly.

   Ryoken, who had sat down at the table as Yusaku had meagrely put out a pitcher of cold water and cups, cleared his throat. Spectre made an annoyed noise.

   “I have something for you as well.” Spectre said and his expression was difficult to read. “Here.”

   He shoved the box into Yusaku’s possession and he blinked.

   “For you.” Spectre clarified.

   “Okay then.” Yusaku replied and he decided he wanted to sit down to open the box which, now that it was in his hands, looked bigger than before and the contents was emptier than he imagined.

   They were all sitting at the table now; Spectre sat with Ryoken, who had an arm around Spectre, cuddly, and Yusaku sat across from both. He had set the box down and began to undo the bow atop of it. It wasn’t gift wrapped, it just so happened to have a fancy, mint green facade to it and was donned with a translucent yellowy-coloured ribbon. He pulled it apart and took the lid off the box.

   Spectre watched very intently as Yusaku did this. His stare was stern and in total contrast to how playfully Ryoken watched him. Ryoken, meanwhile, had a smirk like a cat on his face and both made Yusaku feel a grand pressure to like whatever was in the box. He reached in and he wasn’t entirely sure what he pulled out. 

   There were three of them, though. All made from terracotta but were in the shape of little animals: a cat, a goat, and a hedgehog. They were cute but useless, Yusaku thought as he inspected the goat. He noticed it had a hole in its back and the hole was filled with something dark that he didn’t recognise inside of a crinkly, whitish sachet.

   “What are they?” he asked.

   “Chia pets.” Ryoken stated simply. “It means he likes you.”

   “I don’t really get it…” Yusaku murmured as he set down the goat with a clink in favour of looking at the cat. Though, knowing it was likely seeds inside of those sachets inside of the little terracotta animals did make slightly more sense.

   “They represent us.” Spectre murmured. “You’re the cat, I’m the goat, and Ryoken-sama is the hedgehog. When Ryoken-sama and I were little, he gave me some chia pets and I still have them. They are very beloved to me and my collection of plants. Ryoken-sama thought it would be a good idea if I shared that with you and I agreed. Good things come in threes with you two, don’t they?”

   “Oh.” Yusaku mumbled and he surprised himself by getting misty eyed at hearing that. The way he was holding onto the cat shaped chia pet changed, it now had a very treasured purpose to it. He couldn’t be flippant with such a precious gift now, could he?

   Ryoken smiled, pleased with himself.

   “I’m still getting my bearings with all of this. I apologise if we haven’t been on the best of terms but that’s not my intention. But you are important to Ryoken-sama and therefore, important to me. I had a prior infatuation with you but I don’t want that, I want something more stable than that for you since you are very serious about Ryoken-sama and his feelings, otherwise I doubt you would have bothered with making peace with me.” Spectre stiltedly explained.

   “Thank you, Spectre, I appreciate your perspective,” Yusaku said, he knew the feeling well himself, he hadn’t wanted to let a similar idealisation of Ryoken get in the way either, he squeezed the little terracotta pot, “I’ll treasure them, I promise to take good care of them.”

   “You better,” Spectre pouted, “I’ll be very cross with you if you don’t.”

   Yusaku laughed and even Ryoken was amused but he did benevolently offer, “Stop teasing him, Spectre.” he said. “Why don’t we make dinner? I feel like lunch was ages ago now with all the shopping we did to prepare.”

   “Fine by me.” Spectre relented.

   Yusaku smiled and he petted the head of his cat-shaped chia pet. He was serious about taking good care of it and especially its friends, the goat and the hedgehog. He was looking forward to seeing them grow green and fuzzy with strands upon strands of sprouted chia. He would absolutely put his three, little pot plants in a place of honour, he wasn’t quite sure yet where that place of honour would be but he was going to find it. For now, he was quite drawn to allowing them to live at the end of his dining table as it did get a little bit of sunlight and was close to a source of water but he also wouldn’t mind putting them in his room, close to him always. Decisions, decisions but for now, he would simply get up and offer his assistance in the kitchen.

    Yusaku piped up with a rather dreamy expression, “I want to help, too.”

   “Good, it would be rude to make your guests do all your cooking after all.” Spectre sniped him.

   “Very true.” Ryoken agreed.

   Yusaku made an embarrassed noise but got up with both of his partners. It was strange but he could feel that something had shifted. He felt closer to Spectre and ergo, closer to Ryoken as well, given their bond. He hoped that meant for an end of the night with a kiss from them both as well as a delicious dinner that they all helped with. It made him oddly excited and both Ryoken and Spectre noticed and relished that slight adjustment, too. So, with a little bit of luck and care, maybe not too long into the future, they could try a chia pudding for dessert after another dinner at Yusaku’s place given that tonight had gone off without a seeming hitch.

[merryfortune]

Day 6: Bad Timing & Disastrous Consequences

Ship: Earth/Spectre

Rating: T

Word Count: 1,231

Tags: Canon Divergent

  Spectre’s eyes widened. The blue of his irises glittered as he grasped at all their words, clinging to them. He gasped. Jaw slackened and he felt breathless as he processed them, over and over. From the moment everything was explained, he held all that information with a crystalline clarity in his heart. It meant the world to him. Not only did he have value, he possessed qualities which were life-changing; world-changing. Even when it turned bitter, the fact remained. He was something special and that specialness had been used to create something better than he ever could have imagined during those six months of captivity.

  True, it was a shame that that specialness couldn’t have worked out the way the assistants and Dr Kogami had wanted, but it didn’t change the fact that Spectre had contributed as one of the six to be experimented upon. His duelling had created an Ignis.

  But his bonds to young Kogami Ryoken outweighed that so, even younger Spectre took no issue with the new goal of the Hanoi: to exterminate the Ignis, the very creatures that they had created. Thus, Spectre swore fealty to that cause on behalf of his master. Wherever Ryoken went, Spectre would follow with all the trust in the world and more. Unquestioning loyalty which Spectre had been certain was genuinely endless.

  And yet…

  And yet, here he was. He had the damn thing in his hands, he could strangle the living daylights out of it; surely that wouldn’t be too hard and yet, Spectre stared it down, clutched in the slats of his thin fingers, and he couldn’t find the strength. Then again, he had always been weak. Incomplete.

  Spectre swallowed. It looked up back unto him. It seemed to think that he was weak too – or, at the very least, presently, it did not think that he had the strength to go through with the deed.

  It was orange with brown stripes and these startlingly blue, prismatic eyes which Spectre really shouldn’t be staring directly at and, yet, it was all he could do... It was bulky, too. Difficult to hold. Odd-looking and very square.

  Ryoken had never told him how the elements had been assigned or otherwise allotted. He didn’t know if they were preordained by chance or by the schematics of the scientists who had worked on the Hanoi Project or some combination thereof. Ryoken had never told him what element that he had produced regardless of such circumstances just beyond him but, Spectre was confident that he could guess.

  The Earth Ignis.

  It was the Earth Ignis which had come for him and him alone. His heart pounded and scowled as best he could, yet all villainy was slowly slipping away. Spectre was envious. He was envious by nature. Always wanting what he could never have and therefore coveting those who could have it. Right now, all such emotional energy that Spectre possessed was being channelled towards that heinous Soulburner. Those two had become quite the hot topic online since they were cosying up to Playmaker and then, for those privy to the information which regarded the Fire Ignis, that made them a threat. Not to mention, they got along like a house on fire.

  So, in Spectre’s malicious opinion, up until right this instant, rather unfair that his Ignis had never sought him out since two, possibly three, of the six had made contact with their Origins and now, it was here. On this godforsaken yacht with him and Spectre, unwittingly, found himself at a crosshair which he had never expected.

  The Earth Ignis was… adorable.

  All Spectre needed was one look and apparently, he was gone. He didn’t know what it was about the creature, but it was truly adorable. Its eyes were so expressive and glamourous. Its skin was smooth like a worn-down rock and warm too. It was both huge and tiny at once. Everything about it just appealed to Spectre in a way which was so deep and visceral that it had completely blown away all his defences which he had been so diligently working on for the past decade lest this very situation unfold.

  He always thought that if his Ignis even dared to seek him out, he would have no hesitation eliminating it. He would easily kill the little bastard. But no matter how hard Spectre willed himself to think such thoughts, they were disarmed so easily with just an expressive – and honestly, rather confused – look from its eyes. All he wanted to do was coo over it. It was disgusting.

  Spectre hesitated. He gave the Earth Ignis a squeeze. It squirmed in his grip, but he let it go. Spectre’s fingers dropped away slowly. The Earth Ignis sighed in relief. It looked up at him, again: confused but innocently so. Spectre then cast his glare downwards, more onto himself, really. It was mostly to avoid such a look that the Earth Ignis was giving him. It was too cute for him to bear and that just made his grimace worsen. He felt something like disappointment in himself. He was weak. Always had been; always will be. His feelings were funny and got in the way of things. Especially important things. It was important to Master Ryoken that the Ignis were exterminated.

  And yet, Spectre felt differently. It was only a slight deviation, he swears. Really, it’s coming from a place of devotion but that was soon twisting. This was purer, more childlike than that. After all, Spectre’s greatest pride and happiness came from being needed, from being wanted, and nothing had sated such cravings like the experimentation of the Lost Incident.

  He took a breath. “I’m sorry.” He was ginger in his reply; he didn’t know if it was aimed at the Earth Ignis before him or the iteration of Master Ryoken that he had in his mind.

  The Earth Ignis blinked. “Don’t be…?” he said.

  “Why are you here?” Spectre asked.

  “Something big is about to happen. My friend has gone missing. I want you to help find her. She asked me to choose: humans or Ignis. I have chosen both.”

  Spectre snickered. What a strange creature. Not that he could speak. He smiled. “Very well, then we ought to partner up then, yes?” He wondered if the slate between them was refreshed or not; he was beginning to doubt whether or not his Ignis even knew his history and for some reason, that potential obliviousness was very endearing.

  The Earth Ignis smiled. “That sounds perfect. Thank you so much.”

  The Earth Ignis raised his hand to Spectre. Spectre regarded it, this time, in confusion but he accepted it. He let the paradoxically big little creature hold onto his index finger which he offered it. Its grip was familiar, comforting it. A tear rolled down Spectre’s cheek. It flustered him: it felt hot and embarrassing in its slick wake down his face. He swallowed. He was fortunate that it was just one, little tear.

  Spectre took another breath. It was hasty and selfish. In his chest, his heart pounded, mending itself in ways that he didn’t know needed mending. Master Ryoken be damned. This Ignis was different. His Ignis was different. He was keeping it. And they were going to be partners and they were going to live happily ever after; Spectre would ensure it.