#sashimi near me

[bitegore]

hissho sushi has absolutely no right being so fucking expensive for how ass it is

[we-do-be-writing]

Swimming with the Jellies

Sebastian (Stardew Valley) x Reader

It was your first year in Pelican Town, and Lewis had invited you to the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies festival. When you asked the other villagers about the event, many expressed their love for the tranquil night of celebrating the jellyfish migration. However, Sam's eyes twinkled with mischief, and he told you this would be one to remember.

You had pushed this from the front of your mind and had almost forgotten as you walked onto the beach. You greet villagers as you pass by, heading down to the far end of the pier to find Sam, Abigail, and Sebastian. Waving hello to the trio of friends, you move next to Sebastian and give him a little smile.

Ever since you moved to the Valley, you have been absolutely smitten with the frog and fantasy-loving programmer. Unfortunately, you could not gain his trust enough to have him as a dance partner at the Flower Dance, but you understood his hesitation. Nonetheless, you continued to crush on him, giving him gifts at least once a week.

"Hey Sebastian, here's an earth crystal I found in the mines."

"Hey! I accidentally brewed an extra cup of coffee this morning, here you go."

"Sebastian! I heard you were working on something important, so I brought you a sashimi. Make sure you take a break to eat!"

You only hoped he didn't think your gifts were overbearing, but he didn't reject them and seemed genuinely grateful, making you hopeful. Still, you weren't going to push him, taking it slow as Abigail informed you that Sebastian didn't exactly have a lot of experience.

Before you can speak to the man, Sam waves you over to the other side of the pier. Walking over, you see the same twinkle as earlier and become a little wary of what the skateboarder is scheming.

"What if I push Sebastian into the water?" Sam whispers.

"Considering jellyfish are about to come near the pier, and who knows if they're deadly, that might not be a good idea." You respond, crinkling your eyebrows at the thought of Sebastian being stung.

He reassures you, but you can't help feeling unsure. You raise an eyebrow at him, and Sam holds up his hands in a surrender gesture.

Returning to Sebastian, you sit on the edge of the pier, ensuring your feet don't touch the water. He follows suit, making himself comfortable, resting his hands by his sides. You glance to your left and see his fingers almost touching yours. With your heartbeat thundering in your ears, you take a deep breath and turn to him.

Your attempt at starting a conversation gets cut short abruptly as you watch Sebastian go flying into the water, Sam's hands pushing him right off the edge.

Chaos follows as people start shouting, and the mixed voices of Abigail, Robin, and Jodi chastising Sam.

Clearly, they have Sam covered, so you focus on Sebastian, who just popped up from beneath the water. Based on his numerous rejections to swimming this Summer, you can only imagine that he gained his swimming skills when catching frogs.

You shake your head to clear your mind of these curiosities and immediately grab the pier's edge with one hand, extending your other to the man. He tightly grasps around your wrist, and you can see the surprise on his face as you haul him back to the safety of the wood. Now soaking wet, he ruffles his hair to remove the clinging water, and you can tell he's forcing down the shivers.

He insists that he's fine, pushing aside everyone's worried comments. Abigail takes a quick glance at you, and it's clear that she has something on her mind. You only hope it's not as dangerous as Sam's plan.

"How about Y/n takes him home, so he can warm up." She suggests.

Before anyone can respond, you chime in with an "I'd be happy to, Haley can show me pictures tomorrow."

Although she doesn't exactly understand your liking of the isolated man, Haley gives you a little wink and ushers you two from the pier. You don't see it, but she and Abigail share a little low-five as they settle next to each other. Perhaps this is the start of a beautiful friendship...

Nonetheless, you and Sebastian make your way to his home in the Mountains. Still, he's suppressing the shivers, but the way he rubs his hands against his arms tells you all you need to know.

Getting to his home, you both descend the stairs to his room, a new place for you. See, you've been working on building his trust for you, but you've never been invited into his room. Of course, you wish it was in different circumstances, but you'll take the win.

"Um, I'll grab a warm drink while you change." You say, turning on your heel to go back up the stairs. Sebastian hums his agreement, and you continue on your quest, finding some apple cider that you quickly heat up.

Bringing two mugs carefully downstairs, you push open the door to find Sebastian's shirtless back turned your way. He looks over, hearing the door creak, and notices your slightly wide-eyed look.

He clears his throat as a blush coats his pale skin before he speaks, "Whatcha got there?"

"I found some apple cider that I warmed up, I hope that's alright." You say, handing him a mug as you avert your gaze, "sorry for walking in unannounced."

"Meh, it's alright," He replies, taking a sip of the drink, "thanks for the cider."

"Of course, I guess I'll leave you to it." You begin to walk backwards towards the door.

"Hey," He says, walking up to you and bending down a little to catch your eyes, "you can stay if you want. Everyone else is going to be at the festival, and I could use your company after my brush with death."

You laugh at his dramatics, making eye contact with him again, trying not to draw out how your eyes travel up his chest first.

"Plus, you made a cup for yourself... unless they're both for me." He hands you the other mug and you mentally smack your forehead for forgetting that.

"Yeah, that's a good point."

You two sit on the couch in his room, warming up as you sip from the apple cider. The silence is comfortable, something that's a little hard to find in the busy Valley. Looking over, Sebastian starts to doze off, sinking further into the cushions.

Quietly, you take the cup from his hands and set it on his desk. As you go to get up, Sebastian's fingers gently grasp wrist again.

"Sorry, didn't mean to fall asleep." He mumbles, rubbing his eyes with his other hand.

"It's no problem, you've had a chaotic night. I was just going to grab a blanket." You respond, to which he nods his head.

Grabbing the blanket from his bed, you wrap it around him as he curls up further on the couch.

"You can stay," he says with a raspy voice, "I'm awake."

He very clearly was not staying awake much longer, but you don't mind. Taking your seat beside him again, you feel his arm sling over you as he covers you with the blanket as well.

You expect him to move his arm, but Sebastian seems content with where it is as you feel more of his body weight lean against you. Being very aware that the sleepy man is likely not thinking straight and his chest is still quite bare, you can't help the blush on your cheeks.

Not wanting to disturb him, you shift slightly to get more comfortable and hug your arms lightly around his body on top of the blanket. Listening to Sebastian's content breathing and feeling the warmth from his renewed body heat slowly lulls you into sleep.

Neither of you hears the front door swing open or Robin descending the stairs and opening the door to check on her son, meaning you miss the soft smile that graces her lips.

[mechaknight-98]

Black Lungs (NSFW)

FT Eunha

Author's note: Light on smut/a bit of angst. Wanted to try something a little different for this piece

Crash woke up from his first pleasant dream in years. Eunha was nestled in tightly. Her physical warmth was pleasant but also sweltering and suffocating. Crash loved it. As he began to stir he was surprised when Eunha moaned, and that's when he remembered his cock was buried inside at her insistence

“I want you to leave it inside so I can get used to your size,” Crash recollected. He smiled at her completely enraptured by everything about her.

However, he did have a previous engagement with Haseul and her friend today so he pulled out of Eunha causing her to moan again, and tightly latch onto him. Crash miraculously fought his way out of her grip and began getting his go-to armor ready.

“Where are you going?” Eunha inquired as her lurid gaze loomed over her prize.

“I agreed to help Haseul and Hyeju get through Aphelion's Rest today since they have been trying to update their gear because they don’t know when the next big threat is coming,” Crash explained. Eunha pouted she wanted more time with Crash as she only felt like she barely broke the surface about him, and he promised her breakfast in bed that day.

“What about our plans for Today?”

“I am a man of my word and don’t you worry. I will deliver on everything I promised you yesterday,” Crash responded

Eunha pouted further as she said, “Can't you cancel or postpone?”

Crash smirked as he replied, “I could have last night but I was busy buried between someone’s thighs last night being told “Don't you dare stop” and then when I remembered I was told, “Focus on me,” as I was being suffocated in someone’s tight pussy,”

Eunha blushed as Crash spoke, “I’m sorry about that I just don’t know what came over me last night. When you surrendered to me I just had to have you,” she responded. Crash smiled as he kissed her forehead

“No worries. I like feeling wanted hopefully I can give the same feeling tonight albeit less lewd and more chaste.” Crash responded as Eunha smiled before saying to him,

“Okay then but hurry back because if you don’t I can’t guarantee what you’ll come back to. I might just pounce on you again.”

Crash smiled as he finished putting on his armor before leaving. As he flew to the dream city his ghost Sashimi said to him,

“I told you Eunha liked you,” Crash rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, you told me that when I first met her. when we were neck deep in the Doomsday scenario,” he said as he monitored his ship’s gauges and levels.

“Yeah but you’re guardians there is always a doomsday scenario, and what is that phrase you are saying?” Sashimi asked

“You better get busy living or get busy dying,” Crash said focused as they neared the dreaming city’s orbit

“Exactly! now preparing Transmat,” Sashimi exclaimed. Crash landed and used his Sparrow to reach the rendezvous location. Despite Crash’s best attempts to be there on time, he was still several minutes early so to compensate he rushed through the Legendary lost sector a few times so he could remember how to teach it. After that Haseul and Her friend a fellow awoken with raven black hair arrived. Her piercing gray eyes bored into Crash making him wildly uncomfortable but he hid his misgivings and discomfort well.

“So what did you need help with?” Crash asked

“Builds. We want help on armor and mods because you are our lost sector specialist and have been reliable in your build advice.” Haseul explained courteously. Crash nodded and then asked to see their build stats through their ghosts. When he saw stat distributions and mod allocations he almost pooped a blood vessel.

He chose his next words with extreme caution,

“Can I ask why neither of you have 100 resilience? Especially you Hyeju a fellow titan.” Hyeju and Haseul looked at him concerned. Hyeju having felt the most attacked by his question asked why?”

“Hoping not to offend them he explained the benefits of 100 resilience and the opportunities it helped create. The girls nodded and presented him with all of their gear and that's when he noticed the spikey armor they had stat-wise to where even without exotics they could easily have triple 100 stat builds. With that in mind, he took out his tools and inserted a base suit of mods who tutored their styles for Haseul he gave her a basic support warlock build (having studied warlock extensively before mastering his titan abilities) and helped Hyeju with a powerful grenade build. After that, he made sure that they had the proper weapons for the champions in the lost sector before letting the two guardians take turns running through the lost sector.

Roughly two hours later, both women had garnered over seven exotic engrams. As they waited for the engrams to decrypt back at the Tower, Haseul turned to Crash with a curious look. “So, Crash, how did you meet Eunha?”

“Oh, Eunha never mentioned it?” Crash responded, a slight smile playing on his lips.

“Well, we’ve been busy since then,” Haseul replied with a shrug. Crash nodded thoughtfully before beginning his tale.

---

On a random Sunday, while Crasilior was preparing to run legendary lost sectors, a young Hunter approached him.

“Excuse me, I’m looking for one more person to help my fire team do a raid. Please,” the female Hunter said, her eyes pleading as she stared at the intimidating Awoken Titan. Despite his dislike of the Root of Nightmares raid, Crasilior saw the desperation in her eyes.

“Okay, I’ll help,” he replied.

“Great! My name is Eunha. What’s yours, stranger?” Eunha asked with a hopeful smile.

“I don’t have one, but my closest ally calls me Crasilior,” he responded.

Eunha raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. “Really? That’s not gonna work. I’m calling you Crash.”

“Eh, I’m more of a Fist of Havoc guy,” Crash said, trying to keep a straight face.

“Hahaha. Okay, Crash, you’re pretty cool,” Eunha said, smiling broadly.

As Crash finished his story Hyeju looked intrigued. “That’s it?”

“Well, yeah. I know all about not having enough people for a raid, so I decided to help. Especially since that’s where my mentor Riddick died. I don’t want anyone else dying there, even if it’s just a paracausal temporal anomaly revisit,” Crash explained. Haseul and Hyeju were taken aback by how casually he mentioned something so personal, but Haseul remembered how Crash often shared melancholy thoughts in a deadpan tone.

“Well, it’s been fun, ladies, but I have a date with a very hot Hunter,” Crash said, standing up.

Haseul was shocked. “Wait, wait, Crash, who’s waiting for you at your place?”

“Oh, Eunha,” Crash answered nonchalantly as he headed back.

When Crash got home, he opened the door to find Eunha eating one of his cinnamon rolls. He quickly closed the door to keep her hidden and apologized for being late. Eunha smiled, charmed by his sweetness. As he changed and showered, she watched him begin to cook a full breakfast—omelets and pancakes. Once he was done, he walked over to her with a plate and a warm smile.

“I promised you breakfast in bed. Come on,” he said, leading her back to the bed. Eunha groaned playfully as they settled in.

“So, how are SinB and Umji?” Eunha asked between bites.

“Uh, they’re good, I guess. I should probably reach out today and tell them I’m coming home tonight. I would ask about your fire team, but you’re kind of a loner,” Eunha teased.

Crash shrugged, a faint smile on his lips. As they lay there, comfortable and content, Eunha realized that despite all the comfort and care Crash brought her, she would always yearn for something more exciting. She thrived on the edge between life and death and staying with this lovable, dorky Titan would only break his heart. But that didn’t change her feelings for him.

“You’re so cute when you’re content,” Eunha said, smiling. Crash recognized her expression and grew suspicious.

“You’re about to say something backhanded, aren’t you?” he asked warily.

Eunha shook her head, her smile fading. “No, I like seeing you at peace. But I don’t think I can be with you like this,” she stammered.

Crash’s heart sank. “Okay then, can you explain what you mean by that?” he asked simply.

Eunha took a deep breath. “Crash, I love you, but I need the thrill of the fight, the edge of danger. I’m afraid that staying with you, I’ll lose that part of myself. And I don’t want to hurt you. You fight for veneration, honor, and valor. You fight to gain insight, to refine yourself. I have and always will respect that but that isn't me.”

Crash looked puzzled. “You do remember how I was courted by Xivu Arath and that whole fiasco, right?” he questioned.

Eunha laughed, recalling the time when Crash got The Wicked Implement and started seeing visions of Xivu Arath. As much as that was a fun stretch with the Frozen Emperor of Doom, she knew that wasn't who Crash truly was. Crash was kind and gentle. To use an old Golden Age analogy, he was a soldier who had found peace in a garden.

“Fair, but she courted you because despite every setback, despite every monster, you came back stronger, but most of that came with wisdom.”

Crash began to understand Eunha’s meaning but wasn't fully convinced. “I mean, I can go full Shotgun ape if that's what you prefer?”

Eunha shook her head. “You are the regal warlord who studies art and battle. I can't be your queen. If that makes sense.”

While her words were confusing, Crash understood her meaning through tone and body language.

“So, what do we do now?” Crash asked. Eunha was relieved at how well he was taking this.

“Wow! You are taking this better than I thought you would, but to answer you, we stay friends, of course,” Eunha said as she got up from the bed. She paused, a thoughtful look crossing her face.

“There’s something else, Crash. I want to give you a real name. One that isn’t just a nickname or a slur,” Eunha said softly.

Crash looked at her, surprised. “A real name?”

Eunha nodded. “Yes. You deserve more than just ‘Crash.’ or that slur Delindrin calls you I’ve been thinking about it for a while. How about…

[dogcoding]

i think its because when i eat sushi i panic about getting it all in my mouth in one go and inadvertently get too much air in there and swallow too much air and give myself a tummyache. but that’s my prerogative

i have this thing where i always want to be eating sushi but then when i eat sushi i’m kind of like… i don’t want to be eating sushi

[quietblueriver]

They’re in my head again (always) so here’s some more Southern Gothic fluff. Once again very minor spoilers for last night’s ep but mostly just them being perfectly, disgustingly in love.

-

The bones on Laudna’s garland knock together overhead as Imogen ducks under her arm, laughing and stepping close again, squeezing Laudna’s fingers (gently, always gently) before standing on her toes to reciprocate the spin.

Laudna has to bend a little awkwardly to compensate for the height difference, a familiar crack of joints just audible over the music as she turns. She’s laughing when she comes back, smile haunting and bright, and Imogen pulls her close enough to press a kiss to her cheek before twirling her out again.

It’s not long before the deck fills, the rattle of bones a charming if entirely off-beat accompaniment to the music, and a few minutes later, Imogen feels the tap of a skeletal finger on her shoulder. She turns, keeping one hand on Laudna’s waist, to find one of the crewmen shifting from one bony foot to the other.

“Beggin’ your pardon, ma’am.” And Imogen knows that bones can’t blush, but she can almost see it anyway, nerves working themselves out through shifting hip bones and twitching phalanges, a clenching mandible. “Would you mind if I cut in?”

Flaming blue eyes dart to Laudna and Imogen smiles, feeling fond and strangely kin to the skeleton, grateful to be surrounded by souls who see Laudna a little more like she does, who can appreciate the particular beauty of a wilting flower that refuses to give up its spot in the sun.

She raises a brow at her girlfriend, who nods, rubbing a thumb over Imogen’s wrist at her waist.

“Not at all.” She presses another kiss to Laudna’s cheek, a little too close to her mouth to be friendly, and Laudna shakes her head fondly even as she blushes.

No need to worry, darling. I only have eyes for you.

Imogen winks, only the smallest bit embarrassed to have been called out. Can’t blame a girl for tryin’ to make things clear. She tucks a strand of Laudna’s hair behind her ear before stepping back and gesturing to the skeleton waiting patiently beside them.

“Y’all have fun.”

The skeleton dips his skull and moves closer to Laudna. Rather beautifully tattooed waves circle down his radii and ulna, which move hesitantly toward her hand and waist, and Imogen thinks that maybe Kyle isn’t the only sensitive soul on the Crimson Abyss. She hears an enthusiastic, “Hello, there! I’m Laudna,” and smiles as she steps out of the crowd for some quiet.

-

Laudna finds her leaned against the railing, staring into the fog. She braces her forearms next to Imogen’s, pressing their hips together as she says, “Platinum for your thoughts?”

At Imogen’s raised brow she grins and waves a hand, “They’re clearly worth more than a copper, darling, although we might have to come up with some sort of payment plan if you intend to collect. We could resurrect some of the old shows with Pâté and Sashimi, maybe? Or, I have a few craft project ideas…”

Imogen gives a cursory glance to the crowd near them and then puts a hand on Laudna’s jaw and turns her, leaning up for a kiss.

“You can have ‘em for free, darlin’.” Laudna leans down and kisses her again, lips cool and, thrillingly, a little bit familiar now. “You can have whatever you want from me.”

She means it as a tease, even if she’s absolutely serious, but Laudna’s face changes, brow furrowing as she traces her nails up Imogen’s cheek, brings her fingers down to rest against her nape.

“Yes,” she says, quieter. “About that.”

And Imogen knows, braces, waits. Laudna’s eyes, dark and appraising, meet hers. “Your soul is too precious to risk.” It’s definitive, the usual joyful rhythm of her words traded for a series of hard stops.

“So is yours.”

Laudna blinks. And Imogen understands that even now, even after…after, Laudna can’t quite believe what she means to them, what she means to Imogen, but if this is what helps her to understand, then Imogen is more than willing to give it.

“I…”

She waits patiently, but when Laudna seems unable to find her words, looking down at the railing of the ship and biting her lip, Imogen says, “I know she’s in there with you, and you know I support you doin’…whatever it is you want to do about that. It’s your mind and your body and your soul, Laud. I would never, ever try to take any choice away from you.”

She risks tilting Laudna’s chin up with her pointer finger, a gentle pressure that leads Laudna’s eyes back to hers.

“But I need you to understand how important you are to me. To us. I had to live without you once, and…” She clears her throat as a cry comes from the crowd behind them, the music changing and Chetney yelling something she can’t quite make out. Laudna presses closer to her.

“Imogen.”

She shakes her head and takes a deep breath. “I don’t intend on doin’ that again, unless you ask me to.” Laudna shakes her head vehemently, nearly dislodging her rock chisel, and Imogen smiles at her. “But even more than that, it’s…you bring so much good to the world, Laudna. You. As you.” She gestures at the garland and tilts her head back to the crowd. “You bring so much joy.”

“That’s kind of you, darling,” she murmurs, ducking her head again, “but joy isn’t power. I don’t have much of that, without her, but you…you do, Imogen. You’re important. Too important to risk.”

She doesn’t sigh, not out loud, but inside she wants to scream. She wants to give Laudna her soul, to dive into her and destroy the bitch who has spent so long torturing the best person Imogen has ever known.

“There is nothing too important to me to risk for you.” A disgruntled noise, but Imogen pushes on, determined. “Think of what you’d give me for me, Laud.” There’s a tiny drop of ichor at the corner of her eye when she looks up, and Imogen catches it with her thumb as it falls. “You have to know I’d give the same for you. You don’t have to understand why, but…you believe me, right?”

Laudna bites her lip again, and ichor wells there too, the skin split with the force of her incisor. It’ll heal, Imogen knows, but she has to stop herself from tutting, settles for freeing the lip with the same thumb already stained black. Laudna watches as Imogen sucks reflexively on her thumb before bringing it back to Laudna’s cheek.

“Laudna?”

Finally, she nods. “I believe you. Of course, I believe you.”

Imogen nods back at her, says softly, “Good. Then you know, when I said you could suck out some of my soul, I wasn’t offerin’ anythin’ that ain’t already yours.”

Laudna sucks in a breath and Imogen kisses her and kisses her until another cry rises from the crowd and they break apart, breathing slightly heavier.

It’s a lot, all of it. Too much, always too much, to have to carry, even if it is easier between them. But as the music strikes up again, another new tune, Imogen wants to take advantage of the chance to do something a little bit normal and dance with her girlfriend. And if it’s in the most abnormal of circumstances—on a ghost pirate ship with music blasting from their sentient robit friend while bone garland swings from above—then that’s okay. That’s perfectly them.

“And anyway, didn’t you say it was kinda hot? The thought of suckin’ out my soul?”

Laudna barks out a laugh and purples, hand moving to her own cheek.

“Imogen.”

She gives her best roguish grin and winks, grabbing Laudna’s hand.

“Dance with me?”

“Always.”

Their friends are in a circle when they return, Chetney throwing his body against the ground in a strange approximation of a worm as the others clap, and Laudna leans into Imogen as they settle between Orym and Ashton to watch, cheering him on.

[garmmy]

2024 jp trip report (food edition)

i had originally planned to visit tokyo in 2020, but covid happened and...finally this year i managed to go on the trip! ;w; i rarely go overseas but it was really fun just walking around and stumbling upon things. i want to save up for the next japan trip already...

i'm making the post mostly to remember where i've been! i'm splitting up the food and the sights because of tumblr's image limit per post 🙄 will be posting the food here!

(sights edition here)

Day 1 (13/5/2024)

we arrived at night so pretty much everything was closed, but before i went to bed i had some cold haikara udon...i love cold udon so much and wish there was a way to get it cheap back home 😭 i also added some chilli oil with garlic, but it wasn't spicy..only the first day in and i miss singapore's spicy food 😂

Nakau なか卯 (chain store, multiple outlets)

Day 2 (14/5/2024)

we spent day 2 at ikebukuro and nakano...mostly browsing weeb shit 😭

started the day with some breakfast at komeda's coffee, they have a morning set and auugfhjhghh the bread used in japan cafes' toast is always so soft and fluffy..obsessed

Komeda's Coffee コメダ珈琲店 (chain store, multiple outlets)

at nakano broadway, the basement had some supermarkets/grocery stores and one of them sold sashimi. i didn't end up buying from here, but...LOOK at this sashimi, for 580jpy?? omg 😭😭😭 i want

we had lunch at a hayashi rice place near nakano broadway! i had curry omurice myself while my friend got the hayashi omurice. the omelette was sooo good...society if i could cook an egg like this on my own

Hayashi-ya Nakano-so ハヤシ屋中野荘 164-0001 Tokyo, Nakano City, Nakano, 5 Chome-55-15

and for dinner we had monjayaki at ikebukuro..we've never tried like, actually cooking the monjayaki before? so it was a fun experience!

Monjaya Mon もんじゃや紋 170-0013 Tokyo, Toshima City, Higashiikebukuro, 1 Chome−12−10 ヤンズビル 3F

Day 3 (15/5/2024)

on my morning walk i decided to try a canned drink from a vending machine. satsuma-imo milk! so in singapore, there was recently a 'nutri-grade' rating introduced mandatory for all drinks to indicate the sugar level in the drink. i didn't think i would miss it in japan LOL i'm sorry but drinking this drink was like drinking sugar syrup T_TT i think as i got older my sugar tolerance has drastically dropped..

we started at akihabara, and had brunch at niku no mansei (yes the well-known building with like 10 floors of meat before it closed, i think it split into a couple of places?) we went to the akiba place branch for their hemborger hamburg steak...how am i supposed to go back to eating it in singapore after this?? 🫠 IT'S SO GOOD (i'm also laughing at the token broccoli though)

Niku no Mansei Akiba Place 肉の万世 アキバプレイス店 101-0021 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Sotokanda, 3 Chome−15−1, Akiba Place, 3F

after akiba we went to asakusa, and since it's asakusa we had to have some tendon..we just went into one of the tendon places we spotted but i didn't realise it was akimitsu!? we have akimitsu in singapore too 😂 but loved the tempura eel!

Akimitsu 秋光 111-0032 Tokyo, Taito City, Asakusa, 1 Chome-29-11

Day 4 (16/5/2024)

i got some plum onigiri from famima for breakfast on my morning walk. oughgkhghjh i already miss conbini onigiri so much...affordable yet tasty! i really love onigiri, but our convenience store onigiri in singapore is a bit overpriced, which wouldn't be so bad if the onigiri itself wasn't also terrible with cold hard rice :')

we started the day at tsukiji outer market. SEAFOOD..... we finally got some sashimi today, my beloved,,, we had engawa truffle salt sushi and also a sashimi bowl of the day. and also it was my first time trying shiokara! apparently it's squid in a kind of sauce made from fermented fish/sea animal innards. i'm not sure if it might be an acquired taste, but for a seafood lover like me it was so good 🥺 the lady serving us food was also really nice and we had a little chat even with our terrible spoken japanese lol.

Taneichi たねいち 104-0045 Tokyo, Chuo City, Tsukiji, 4 Chome-9-5

i also found shirako in the market! it was my first time eating it (i think it can be found in singapore? but not particularly common). other than the shiso leaf it was served plain though, while i like the taste i kinda wish i had rice or something to go with it.

also we got some matcha latte from the market before leaving! i got the 'less sweet' which was perfect, when a lot of times the least sweet (without being zero sugar) option from drink stores are too sweet for me..

Matcha Stand Maruni マッチャスタンドマルニ 104-0045 Tokyo, Chuo City, Tsukiji, 4 Chome−14−18

some ramen for dinner at ryogoku! admittedly i'm not a super into ramen person 😅 but butter in noodles is always such a nice combo!

Tadokoro Shoten 田所商店 (chain store, multiple outlets)

and some parfait for supper. look at their logo!! so cute 🥹🥹🥹

Mayonaka Farm (Ryogoku Yokozuna Yokocho outlet) 真夜中牧場 両国横綱横丁店 130-0026 Tokyo, Sumida City, Ryogoku, 3 Chome-22-8

Day 5 (17/5/2024)

started the day with some zaru soba. it was nice but cold soba was kind of a mistake because it was raining that morning and so COLD lol

Yudetaro ゆで太郎 (chain store, multiple outlets)

we started at shinjuku today and walked our way down to shibuya. with my friend's recommendation we tried blue bottle coffee? the latte was nice and even had this natural sweetness(?) to it despite not adding sugar.

Blue Bottle Coffee ブルーボトルコーヒー (chain store, multiple outlets)

and then we went to takeshita street. i think marion crepes is the most well-known one, but the queue..??? so we ended up going to another crepe store. it's still a treat and has a variety of flavours! i got the regular strawberry whipped cream.

Santa Monica Crepes サンタモニカクレープ 150-0001 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Jingumae, 1 Chome-16-16-8

late lunch at yomenya goemon! i had the tarako butter one and i really liked it...i think i could try buying some mentaiko from donki back home and trying it out myself..

Yomenya Goemon 洋麵屋 五右衛門 (chain store, multiple outlets)

Day 6 (18/5/2024)

conbini haul for the morning. i would like to shoutout to famima's pudding in particular; i feel a lot of store-bought pudding tend to be closer to the jelly-like consistency, but i prefer my pudding to be closer to the creamy? eggy? like consistency and famima's pudding is perfect for the price ;w;

we went to miura peninsula in kanagawa for the day using the misaki maguro ticket (it's so worth!! highly recommend if you want a day trip from tokyo). for breakfast we had some coffee and toast at coffee house poem. their signature blend (kaigan blend) in particular was really unique and nice..kinda regret not ordering that for myself 😂 love the rustic interior too!

Coffee House Poem (Miurakaigan outlet) ぽえむ三浦海岸駅前店 238-0101 Kanagawa, Miura, Minamishitauramachi, Kamimiyada-3130

nearby there's a souvenir shop selling mainly jams, and pickles (including daikon, one of miura's specialties). did you know that i hated eating radish until japanese daikon changed my life 🤣 i also got some persimmon jam to try since i'd never really heard of it! and also some honey+daikon candy.

Temiyage Iroiro Miura Store 手土産いろいろ 三浦ストア 238-0101 Kanagawa, Miura, Minamishitauramachi, Kamimiyada-3255

and finally we got SUSHI...i could cry the maguro here is so good 😭😭😭😭😭 the place is called 'kaitenzushi kaisen', but the sushi does not actually 'kaiten'/revolve, the chefs just serve it 😂 we used the maguro ticket on this so we got some maguro and some local catch!

Kaitenzushi Kaisen 廻転寿司 海鮮 238-0101 Kanagawa, Miura, Minamishitauramachi, Kamimiyada-3372-18

we then took the train to misakiguchi station, and the bus to misaki port. there's a market there called urari marche, which sells seafood and veggies mainly. we got some skewer hotate (scallop) and maguro karaage there! i was not a big fan of the maguro karaage though..i still think maguro is best as sashimi lol

Urari Marché うらりマルシェ 238-0243 Kanagawa, Miura, Misaki, 5 Chome-3-1

right next to the port was a cafe i used my ticket on, for some danish loaf with pistachio ice cream and a coffee drink. the ice cream goes so well with the fruity loaf!

3204 bread&gelato 238-0243 Kanagawa, Miura, Misaki, 3 Chome-12-10

Day 7 (19/5/2024)

went for a short walk at ueno park in the morning. there were some food stalls there! we tried some of the freshly roasted hojicha, and also some mitarashi dango. there's some skewered fish that looked good but i didn't try because i was scared of the bones 😅 and other kinda matsuri-like foods such as kakigori and yakisoba, a bit higher priced i guess because of the tourists there but i'm not a fan of yakisoba so 😆

also there was an asian food festival going on near shinobazu pond! i didn't try the food (it seemed largely SEAsian food, we can get cheaper thai, viet food etc in singapore anyway), but also for some reason there is a food truck for US food? and the representative food is 'american long potato' 😂 is that a thing in US? (ok but i know US is huge)

i met up with a friend for lunch at akiba and they recommended ootoya! a restaurant chain for teishoku. i got the recommended fried fish and veg in sweet vinegar sauce and 🥺 the taste mix is so good! i also wanted to randomly bring up something i'll miss about japan: pretty much every eatery, whether cafe or restaurant, serves free water, or even green tea! you rarely get free water in singapore eateries even though we have friggin drinkable tap water here 🙄 (except in japanese chains like saizeriya or sukiya..lol) you'll have to buy overpriced bottled mineral water or something even if you just want water to go with your meal.

Ootoya 大戸屋 (chain store, multiple outlets)

after some walking around akiba (i.e. combing weeb stores), we stopped for some thick fluffy toast and drink (mine was cinnamon toast and almond cafe latte) at vault coffee. true it was a sunday, but we were surprised that it was some random cafe hidden in third floor of what looked otherwise like a normal commercial building on the outside, and it was still soo crowded, we had to wait a little while to be seated!

VAULT COFFEE 101-0021 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Sotokanda, 4 Chome−5−1 3F

and this marks the end of our week-long food journey in japan 😆 i had to save a lot of funds for my splurging on weeb and stationery stuff LOL, but i hope the next time i come i can focus more on sightseeing and food maybe! but for now it's back to capitalism to save up first 🏃

[asordinaryppl]

A3! Backstage Story Translation - Tsumugi Tsukioka SSR: School Route Reminiscence - Part 1

proofread by myuntachis!

Tsumugi: Oh? Are you going out, Tasuku?

Tasuku: Yeah. An acquaintance asked me to act with him.

Tasuku: You’ve got your part-time job, don’t you?

Tsumugi: In the afternoon, yeah. I’m a little nervous since this is my first time teaching these students.

Tsumugi: The meeting place is close to my parents’ house, so going there shouldn’t be too bad. I just hope it’ll all go alright…

Tasuku: Huh… That reminds me, the theater I’ll be going to is also near my parents’ place.

Tsumugi: Is that so? Around what time will you finish?

Tasuku: It’s a matinée, so probably sometime around evening.

Tsumugi: Oh, so around the same time I will. Do you want to meet up on our way back, then?

Tasuku: …

Tasuku: Just so you know, I’m not taking the car. If you’re looking for someone to drive you around, you’re out of luck.

Tsumugi: Ahaha, that’s not it. If anything, I’d rather we don’t drive this time.

Tasuku: ?

Tsumugi: I just thought it’s a good chance for us to go out for a drink.

Tasuku: … Right, We haven’t gone out of our way to drink near our family homes in a while. Sounds good.

Tsumugi: Nice. Okay, I’ll let you know when I’m done.

Tasuku: What store are we going to?

Tsumugi: Hmm… Oh, how about the izakaya we went to before with the delicious sashimi?

Tasuku: That place, huh… I’ll call them later and see if I can make a reservation.

Tsumugi: Oh, right, today’s Friday, isn’t it?

Tasuku: Something wrong?

Tsumugi: I think we should try inviting Itaru-kun, too. He’s got the day off tomorrow.

Tsumugi: But I guess it might be tiresome for him to go all the way there.

Tasuku: I think that’s up to him. But it should be fine to extend an invitation.

Tsumugi: … You’re right. I’ll try contacting him, then.

-

Tsumugi: …

Tsumugi Tsukioka: Tasuku and I were thinking of going out for drinks. Would you like to come too, Itaru-kun?

Tsumugi: And… send.

Izumi: Huh, Tsumugi-san? Are you going out?

Tsumugi: Yes, I’m going to my tutoring part-time job.

Izumi: I see!

Izumi: It seems like today’s gonna be pretty hot, so please be careful.

Tsumugi: Thank you very much. I’ll be going now, Director.

-

Tsumugi: (It’s so hot… The Director was right.)

[Phone notification blip]

Itaru Chigasaki: okk Itaru Chigasaki: the plan today is meeting with business partner → go straight home, so i should be there p quickly

Tsumugi: Fufu. Itaru-kun is coming. I’m glad.

Tsumugi Tsukioka: *Saluting Kamekichi sticker* Tsumugi Tsukioka: I’ll let you know where we’re meeting up later.

Tsumugi: … I’m sure a beer would taste good on a hot day like this.

part 1 | part 2 | part 3

[sylvia-forest]

[CN] Shaw's Target Locked Date

⚡Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for a Date which hasn't been released in EN yet!⚡

[Released Date: 1 May 2024]

[Section 1]

MC: Slow down! I'm so full.

Shaw: Tsk, who was the one claiming they were 'starving to death' and bragging they could eat a whole cow and a whole pig before we left?

Shaw's exam week finally ended. After eating and drinking our fill on the commercial street, we walked home together.

Although he said this, his steps still slowed down.

MC: I just didn't perform well today and ate a bit too quickly, otherwise I would have... Shaw: Otherwise what?

Shaw took my hand and put it in his pocket.

Shaw: The thing about rabbits is that they have big eyes and small mouths. They want to eat everything, but they can't get enough. Shaw: Fortunately, I ate more than half of it, saving them from a life of wandering in the trash can.

As he spoke, he raised his eyebrows and a proud smile appeared on his face.

MC: Since when do you like doing 'good deeds'? If you want to eat with me, just say so directly instead of beating around the bush.

The winter afternoon sun was just right. When we passed by the small park near our home, we saw that it had been beautifully decorated with a vibrant array of festive flowers, freshly planted.

MC: That place looks so beautiful. Since there's nothing to do at home, let's walk a bit more.

Shaw: Sure, I found that being overly full has some benefits. MC: Hm? Shaw: Doesn't this increase your motivation to exercise?

After that, he pinched my cheek and pulled me towards the park.

There weren't many people in the park. Although the trees and plants were not as lush as in spring and summer, the cypress and holly landscaping complemented each other, preventing the scene from appearing monotonous.

Colorful decorations were hanging from the street lamps on both sides. Shaw and I followed the fitness trail all the way to the flower bed in the center of the park.

The festive flowers were in full bloom. Just as I was about to take out my phone to take pictures, a rustling sound accompanied by a meowing noise caught my attention.

A long-haired tabby cat was pawing at the flower bed, with some snack crumbs beside it.

Seeing me approach, it raised its tail high, bared its teeth, and growled, as if in a defensive stance.

Shaw: This cat is quite fierce, a bit like some people when they're angry. MC: ……. MC: Some people really accuse others before they even do anything wrong.

Seeing that we weren't getting any closer, the tabby cat started eating the remaining food again, occasionally looking up to keep an eye on us.

MC: We just packed some tuna sashimi earlier. Shall we give it some? Shaw: Sure, let it celebrate the new year too.

As he spoke, he opened the bag he had just brought back from the restaurant, took out two pieces of fish and placed them not far from the flower bed.

Shaw: Go ahead and eat. But remember, if you take food, you shouldn't be mean. Shaw: Don't be aggressive with that silly rabbit after eating.

Shaw stepped back a few steps after placing the food, but the tabby cat still seemed wary of us and was unmoved by the tempting food.

I had to step forward, pick up a piece of fish, and place it closer to the cat, using a common trick for attracting cats—

MC: Kitty~

This time, the tabby cat seemed to smell the fish. After cautiously approaching to confirm it was food, it swiftly moved closer.

Shaw: Heh, this cat is quite…

Before Shaw finished speaking, the next second, the tabby cat grabbed the fish in its mouth and ran off into the bushes.

Shaw: So rude.

—

[Section 2]

Shaw: Are you feeling better? MC: I'm fine. I feel much better after taking the medicine.

I took the warm water that Shaw handed me and collapsed onto the sofa.

After we got back yesterday, my stomach felt uncomfortable. Although Shaw seemed fine, I still suspect it might have something to do with the big meal we had.

MC: Do you think it could be that the sashimi from yesterday wasn't fresh?

Shaw: Isn't it more likely that the ice cream we had after the meal is to blame? Shaw: Besides, you were looking at flowers and feeding cats along the way, so maybe you got a cold in the park.

MC: That possibility can't be ruled out. But if it wasn't the ice cream...

Something suddenly occurred to me.

MC: The cat in the park also ate the sashimi. Do you think it also got a stomach ache?

Shaw: You just got better and now you're worried about the cat?

MC: If it really was the sashimi, I'd feel quite sorry for it. Being a stray and having a stomachache... that's even more pitiful.

Shaw: …Alright, let's go check on it. And we can also settle the score for it running off yesterday.

Shaw and I brought some cat food and went to the park to look for the cat.

We searched around the flower bed and the nearby bushes, but there was no sign of the cat.

MC: Could it be that we just happened to meet him yesterday?

Shaw: Why are you in such a hurry?

He motioned for me to be quiet. Once there was silence, the faint sound of a cat's meow reignited my hope.

The sound seemed to be coming from near the rock garden not far away. Shaw and I exchanged a glance and with a mutual understanding, we lightened our steps and slowly approached it.

When we made our way around to the back of the rock garden, we saw a tortoiseshell cat crouched by the edge of the weeds.

Shaw: Tsk, it's not that one. MC: …But since we've come across it, let's give it some cat food anyway.

I just took out a small bowl to pour some cat food when a fierce meow came from the side.

Immediately, a familiar small figure leapt over and stood in front of the tortoiseshell cat.

The tabby cat growled at us, looking quite protective and formidable.

MC: .......This scene seems a bit familiar.

Shaw: Are these two a pair? Is there no such thing as a single cat in the cat world?

Shaw's words brought a smile to my face , and I couldn't help but think that the cats we met together were indeed a pair.

The fierce mountain king couple, plus Big Fat and Little Mimi from the neighborhood.

[T/N]: The first one is from his Great Conductor Date and as for the other one unfortunately I forgot to post this pet date (⁠●⁠_⁠_⁠●⁠)

Although this tabby cat doesn't look as strong as the mountain king, its temperament is indeed somewhat similar.

Seeing that we weren't scared off, the tabby cat's growls became even fiercer.

Shaw: It's quite energetic. I think it's in very good condition. MC: It's a relief that it's feeling fine. We can finally relax.

Seeing that the tabby cat seemed perfectly fine, I gently pulled Shaw back a few steps.

Maybe because it saw us retreating, the tabby cat hissed a couple more times, but the next second, it got a few swats from the tortoiseshell cat, immediately losing its earlier bravado.

Shaw: Oh, there's always something that can keep something else in check. Shaw: This female cat looks weak, but is actually much more ferocious than the male cat. Shaw: But it’s quite perceptive, knowing we're good people. MC: It probably saw that we brought cat food. They must be hungry.

The tortoiseshell cat meowed at me twice. When I looked closely, I noticed its belly was somewhat swollen, possibly because it's expecting kittens.

Meanwhile, the tabby cat had also quieted down and nuzzled against the tortoiseshell cat.

Shaw snorted, looking like he couldn't bear to watch, and stepped aside to give me space.

I poured some cat food into a small bowl, and together with Shaw, we placed the bowl a bit farther away.

After seeing us walking away a little, the two cats started to eat food.

While the tabby cat had just been swatted, it showed no sign of anger at all, and even let the tortoiseshell cat eat first.

Seeing the two cats in such a harmonious scene, I couldn't help but glance at Shaw.

His usually careless face also had a smile on the corner of his mouth.

MC: Although this tabby cat is a bit fierce, he still loves his girlfriend very much. He won’t hit or scold her back. MC: Isn’t that right, Shaw?

I intentionally raised my voice, infusing a subtle emphasis into the way I pronounced his name, conveying a hidden meaning.

Shaw: This is called 'the big cat has a big heart'.

Seeing him looking so pleased with himself, I angrily waved my fists at him. But the moment my fist was about to land, Shaw swiftly grabbed it in his palm.

Shaw: Is it necessary to use violence if you can't say it? MC: Now I believe its greatest strength lies in its brevity.

Seeing Shaw about to say something, I pretended to use my other hand to cover his mouth, but he agilely dodged it.

Shaw: Save your energy. I'm still skilled enough to handle your clumsy kung Fu moves.

—

[Section 3]

On our way back, it started to snow lightly.

I didn't expect the snow to get heavier after we got home from lunch. I was just scrolling through my phone when a notification popped up from the municipal department, informing us of something.

MC: The city will experience cold weather tonight, with a risk of icy roads. All units and individuals are advised to take necessary precautions to stay warm and safe.

Looking at the snowflakes falling more and more outside the window, I couldn't help but worry about the two cats in the park.

The mother cat was expecting kittens. I wonder if she can make it through.

MC: Why don't we bring some warm items for the cat? That rock garden is exposed to the wind from all sides...

Before I could even finished speaking, Shaw emerged from the bedroom fully dressed and walked swiftly to the entryway in a few strides.

I was stunned for a moment, but he had already put on his shoes and was leaning against the wall, smiling at me.

MC: Huh? Where are you going?

Shaw: The park. Aren't you worried? Let's go check them out. MC: Are you clairvoyant? How did you show up right when I was mumbling? Shaw: I'm clairvoyant. If you keep staring into the distance, you'll turn into an ice sculpture. Do you think I can't guess what you're thinking? Shaw: Put on your gloves and let's go.

When we arrived at the park with the blanket, we found that the tortoiseshell mother cat wasn't in good condition. Though it took some effort, we successfully brought both cats to the hospital.

Since the mother cat was a bit weak, the doctor recommended keeping her under observation. The tabby cat was fine, so after getting vaccinated, we temporarily took it to our home.

But I didn’t expect——————

Shaw: Don't run!

The sofa cushions were scattered messily on the floor, the tissue box on the coffee table was scratched up, and next to the overturned teacup was a trail of cat paw prints damp with water.

We followed the wet paw prints to the kitchen, where a paw sticking out from behind the curtain revealed the culprit's hiding spot.

Shaw put on an apron, tossed me a pair of kitchen gloves, and then moved forward to pull back the curtain. Together, we cornered the tabby cat against the wall.

Realizing it had nowhere to escape, the tabby cat let out a low growl, making a final stand.

MC: Little kitty, you can't keep wrecking the house...

I tried to soothe it as I bent down and reached out to pick it up, but that gave it the perfect opportunity.

The tabby cat suddenly made a dash, trying to escape between Shaw's and my legs.

Shaw: Where to run!

Shaw reacted quickly, grabbing the tabby cat by the scruff of its neck and putting it back into the carrier.

Although the place was a mess, half an hour of battling wits and nerves had left us both exhausted.

I leaned closer to Shaw, and he raised his arms and hugged me directly.

MC: Fortunately, you are here, otherwise the whole house would be turned upside down.

Shaw: It’s quite clever. We tried to change its cushion to make it more comfortable, and it took the opportunity to escape.

At this moment, though confined in the carrier, the tabby cat still hadn’t given up its resistance.

It kept pawing at the carrier, trying to push open the door with its paws. After several unsuccessful attempts, it switched to vocalizing its dissatisfaction at us.

First he growled a few words, and then there was an angry "meow, meow, meow, meow".

Cat: Meow! Meow! Meow%meow&! Meow meow meow! Meow meow meow meow!

Shaw: Although I don’t understand it, this guy must have scolded me quite unpleasantly.

MC: ......I feel so too.

Seeing that it wasn’t stopping, I decided to use food to try to calm it down.

MC: Maybe eating something will help.

I got up to fetch some cat food and carefully placed it inside the carrier using a bottle cap.

The tabby cat sniffed it but wasn’t moved, and even growled at me twice.

Shaw sprang up from the sofa, took a few strides to the carrier, and leaned down to stare at the tabby cat.

Shaw: Hey, don't blame me for responding to violence with violence.

Sensing Shaw's "aura of intimidation," the tabby cat turned its head away and let out two low meows.

But then, there was a series of familiar "meow meow meow meow".

MC: What should we do? We can't let it continue to scream like this.

I was a little helpless, but Shaw raised his eyebrows slightly and turned his head, looking confident.

Shaw: Don’t you have an online meeting later? Shaw: You go first and I'll take care of it.

—

[Section 4]

By the time I got to the living room after the meeting, the mess had been sorted out.

The tabby cat was released and was now lying in a corner of the living room. From the next room, I could hear Shaw’s intermittent voice where he was making a phone call.

Although I don't know how Shaw "solved" it, seeing that it didn't look as fierce as before, I felt a little relieved and walked slowly to the flight box.

MC: Don’t you like this cat food?

Seeing that the cat food I put in just now showed no sign of being touched, I planned to open a can for it first and wait for Shaw to finish the call before asking for details.

I took the opened can and put it in front of the tabby cat, but it was still unmoved after smelling it just like before.

I persistently shook the can of food in front of it, but the tabby cat just twitched its ears.

Shaw: Why do I get the bad attitude from you, while you’re so gentle with these little guys? Playing favorites?

Shaw poked his head out of the room and curled his lips.

MC: You finished your call? Why did you let it out? Aren't you afraid it’ll wreck the house again? Shaw: Of course it's because it's solved.

Shaw walked over to me and picked up the tabby cat from the floor.

Shaw: I've trained it well, if you don't believe it, look at it.

Shaw held the cat's hind legs with one hand, supported its chest with the other, and handed it over to me.

MC: Be careful, don't let it scratch you. Shaw: Its arrogance has long disappeared. Isn't it submissive now? Shaw: Now it's on my side of the battle. MC: Phew, then I’m even more “scared”!

Seeing Shaw mischievously lift the cat again, I instinctively closed my eyes and laughed, pretending to surrender with raised hands.

Although the cat moved a bit instinctively, as Shaw said, there was no sign of violence or retaliation. It even yawned.

Its previously fierce appearance now seemed somewhat cute and endearing.

The afternoon sun shines through the window and onto Shaw's body, creating a warm glow.

Compared to the scene of battling wits just now, the current moment of harmony between the person and a cat seems particularly peaceful and idyllic.

MC: He's so well-behaved and quite cute. Shaw: The biggest hero without exaggeration, should we praise it? MC: Don't you know your prowess extends beyond this? It's too early for praises. Shaw: You've got quite the foresight, well noted.

He put the cat down, turned around and placed the can in front of it.

The tabby cat sniffed around, glanced at Shaw, then leisurely started eating.

Shaw: Mission accomplished. MC: Wow, you are quite capable! Just now, it refused to eat no matter how much I fed it. MC: Looks like you've gained quite a bit of experience from Mountain King and Little Flower. Shaw: It's okay, mainly because of good understanding.

As he spoke, Shaw raised his hand and touched the tabby cat head. Looking at the cat's obedient appearance, I couldn't help but be curious.

MC: How to train it well? Can you teach me too~

Shaw: Teach you? What is the reward? Shaw: This is top secret. I'll have to see if it's a good deal and then tell you. MC: What do you want in return? Shaw: Look at you. Shaw: But you should know that I like to be paid sincerely.

Shaw casually shrugged his shoulders, then slightly leaned forward, a mischievous gleam in his narrow eyes.

With the sudden closeness, I already had a good idea of what was coming, but seeing his determined look, I didn't want to be led by him.

MC: …….. Shaw: While I'm in a good mood now, if you ask later, the reward will be doubled.

Knowing he always follows through on his word, despite feeling a bit annoyed, curiosity got the best of me. After some hesitation, I pecked at his cheek.

MC: .......Is this reward enough? Shaw: Not bad, I guess there's some sincerity in it.

The corners of Shaw's lips raised, not hiding the bright smile in his eyes.

He immediately took out his mobile phone and clicked on the video file inside.

The purring sound came through, and in the video, the tortoiseshell cat was being well taken care of, sleeping on a soft cushion, even comfortably changing its position.

It turned out that he asked someone from the hospital to take a video of the female cat.

Perhaps hearing a familiar voice, the tabby cat also came over.

Shaw handed me the phone, and the tabby cat ran over to my arms, even rubbing against me in a friendly manner.

Shaw: This guy, whoever has his girlfriend in their hands, he'll cozy up to them.

Watching the peacefully sleeping cat in the video, I replayed it again.

Shaw: Scroll down, there are several more. Shaw: Just now I asked the doctor for some new ones, but I haven't had time to see them yet.

In the next video, the tortoiseshell cat had already woken up from its nap. It watched as the doctor approached with a cat treat, mewling softly.

Shaw mischievously reached out to block it, but to everyone's surprise, the tabby cat actually followed his hand, as if inviting Shaw to pet its head.

Seeing the helplessness and a little disgust on his face, I couldn't help but laugh.

MC: Actually, its temper is quite good. It's probably only aggressive towards us because of its girlfriend. Shaw: How long has it been since they last saw each other? And it's already like this. Shaw: I thought it had some kind of fierce temperament, but it turns out it's just a lovesick fellow. MC: Lovesick? MC: ......Okay, I get it now. MC: So, some people haven't seen each other for a few days during exam week. I found out that their phone screens have my photo on them, and they call me every day— MC: Could it be they're trying to cure lovesickness?

Thinking about how eager he looked when talking about rewards earlier, I deliberately elongated my tone.

Seemingly caught off guard by my remark, Shaw paused for a moment, then slowly uttered a response.

Shaw: That's different. MC: What's the difference? Shaw: I'm much more handsome than him.

—

🐈 Call

[z-13-ss]

He isn't sushi, anon. I think the word they're looking for is sashimi. (@pressure-thechasm)

don't even come NEAR ME after saying that.

[chickenparm]

Tiny Little Teeth (cat!Scara/f!Reader) Pt 2

AO3 LINK Prev Part Next Part

cat(boy)!Scaramouche/f!Reader - Reader is Traveler 2,628 Words - SFW (future NSFW) (no warnings this chapter - smut tags are on AO3)

---

Scarameow likes human food, you realize.

You try a few things, some of them he tastes, some he quite obviously doesn’t care for with how he bats at it. Eventually he settles on a sashimi platter, using some of the most expensive ingredients you have. As he sits on top of the table and eats, you prop your chin on your palm and watch with minor annoyance. 

“I can’t afford to feed you and Paimon. She eats extra portions, and you want the most expensive. You’re going to leave me destitute.”

Scarameow doesn’t even acknowledge you. But he does eat the entire portion you gave him, and you stash the rest in the ice box to feed him later. You can see his stomach is full, and as he sprawls lazily on the table you feel the urge to just squish him and kiss him a thousand times. But you don’t because as funny as it was at the beginning, his obvious annoyance started to make you feel kinda bad. 

But you do scoop him into your arms, holding him like a baby as he yowls and wiggles half-heartedly. Too full to really want to fight back, he finally settles as you shush him and say, “C’mon, let me get a few snuggles in. It’s not really so bad, is it?”

Those big wide eyes look up at you, still angry but less than before. At least he doesn’t bristle, and you feel pride at your little victory as it blooms in your chest with each step from the kitchen. The sun has long since set, and you make your way to the upper level of the home to your bedroom. 

Pushing the door open, you say, “Time for bed, I think. Or at least time to lay down and get comfortable. Down you go,” you say, setting him on your bed before turning to the wardrobe to get something more comfortable to sleep in. Slinging a few things over your elbow, you don’t think twice as you start to unlace your clothing and strip down. 

A startled sound comes from behind you, and you look over your shoulder to see him face-first in the pile of pillows, only his rear and tail sticking out. His puffed-up stail stands straight and on-end, like he’s terrified, and you hurry to finish dressing before heading over to him and scooping him once more to hold in your arms. 

“What’s got you worked up?” You ask with concern, and he seems to relax almost immediately upon looking at you. Confused, you look around to see what it might have been. A sudden appearance from Tubby or Paimon, maybe? But neither are nearby, and you don’t sense any other presence in your teapot, so you just sigh. 

Probably spooked himself. 

Sitting on the bed, you pull the blankets over yourself and look at him sitting near your feet, like he’s not sure what to do. Reaching a beckoning hand out, you say, “If you wanna cuddle, I won’t make fun of you. You’re still so small, you must not be used to being alone, huh?”

If cats could frown, he’d have one set deeply on his little face. You laugh lightly, wiggling your fingers as if to entice, “I won’t get your tummy, I promise.”

His ears flick back for a second at the mention of something so demeaning, but your promise makes him loosen up in the smallest increment. With careful steps he walks along the bed, each paw pressing tentatively before putting his weight down, like he’s nervous to step on you completely. Even if he did, you don’t mind, and as he gets closer you lay down to let him choose where he goes. 

You expect against your side, or your hip, or even in the crook of your arm if you were being wishful. But he instead walks along your stomach before settling right on your chest, tucking his legs and tail in as he looks down at your face with something almost challenging. Like he’s ready for you to make a joke or say something about how cute he is.

But you promised you wouldn’t make fun, so you just settle against the pillows and bring one arm up to make sure he doesn’t fall off. “Jeeze, you’re a warm little thing.”

A huff, as if to say, of course. He’s covered in fur, after all. You sneak a quick pet in with your fingers along his back, and he doesn’t fight you off, so you continue. “This is nice. I’ve never had a pet before, y’know?”

One paw reaches out, bopping you on the nose as if to admonish you, but you’re not sure about which part. Calling him a pet, you supposed, and once more you remark, “If I wasn’t sure the real Wanderer would have skinned me alive at this point, I’d almost say you must be him.”

The paw retracts, Scarameow’s head tilts. He doesn’t seem to mind it when you talk so much, and he’s a good enough listener that you find yourself dumping more of your nebulous feelings about the former Balladeer on him. At least he can’t call you stupid for feeling attached after such a short time, or say you’re crazy for even entertaining redemption for what he’s done in the past. 

“Can I say something silly?” You break the silence, and the kitten’s eyes open to look at you expectantly. Like he knows you’re going to say it no matter what answer he tries to give. You like this little guy quite a bit, actually. Turning your gaze to the far window, you murmur, “I bet Wanderer would be a good cuddler.”

The kitten does nothing, says nothing, doesn’t even seem to breathe as if waiting for you to elaborate. Or maybe you’re projecting and are just looking for an outlet, but you take the chance anyway, “I just bet it’s been a long time. Or maybe not at all. I think he’d be a clinger.”

And then your cheeks warm a little at the mere thought of his limbs wrapping around you, tangling with your own and pulling you close enough that you’d nearly sink into his ribcage. Swallowing dryly, you murmur, “Bet he smells nice, too. Can’t imagine he’d ever stand for anything less than perfect hygiene. His hair always looks so soft.”

The kitten shifts, drawing your attention as you realize he’s pressed his face directly into your sternum, as if to hide. His tail is completely still, tucked tight against him. Even as your palm runs down his spine, he doesn’t unfurl, and you wonder if he’s just settling in to sleep. Placated in your worries, you sigh, “And he has a nice voice. A bit higher in tone but it has this scratchiness to it? It’s hard to explain. Jeeze, it was so hard to explain away my goosebumps to Paimon after the last time I saw him.”

The kitten shifts, one eye peeking at you, and you carefully run your thumb between his eyes, then over top of his head, marveling at the softness of his fur. You could pet him forever and not get tired of it, you think. A smile curls on your mouth, a thought coming to you, “I wonder if he’d be flattered or outraged that I’m saying all this. Probably call me a stupid human and something about how he’d never stoop so low.”

You’re not sure why you feel so at ease just saying all this out loud. But it all tumbles free, one confession after another, “It’s been a long time since I’ve been interested in anyone like this. It’s kind of embarrassing how much he’s in my head. Like… What kind of weirdo thinks about kissing a guy after just helping him with a really harrowing experience?”

Though his eye had been closing again, it opens once more and looks at you with such an odd expression that it gives you pause. Slowly he uncurls, shifting so he instead could turn his head to press against your chest, his ear over your heart. Then, his eyes close again, a huff leaving him and the prickle of claws against your skin. Don’t move, say nothing. It’s as if you can hear him meowing those words at you. 

What a cutie. 

---

The morning comes no earlier or later than when you wake up. Tubby has a way of knowing exactly when you’re on your way to rousing, and the sun starts to turn the sky grey with its arrival. A pleased sigh leaves you; it’s been a while since you were able to sleep in a real bed. 

Tugging the pillow closer you press your face in, just as another sigh harmonizes with your own. The kitten, you remember, and you’re on your side so he must have moved, right? Still too tired to really hunt him down, you start to relax again, just as something tickles at your mind. 

Your pillow is solid, shifting in your arms up and down in a gentle rhythm. It’s breathing. Your eyes snap open, and all you see is a mess of indigo hair in your face. All you feel is arms wrapped around your body, legs tangled with your own, steady open-mouthed breaths along your neck. 

Slowly, your hand reaches the nape of their neck. Soft hair meets your touch, and as soon as you thread through it, the person clinging to you shivers. Then a little groan in a painfully familiar voice, the sound pressed right against your pulse point and it travels through your veins.

There’s no mistaking it, and you try your best not to panic as he starts to shift, his face turning more for his nose to drag along your neck, arms pulling even tighter. Then, so quietly you almost think he’s just murmuring in his sleep, Wanderer says, “...Guess I am clingy.”

[nethhiri]

Siren Charms: Chapter 15

Zoro x Siren!Reader

Warnings: blood

Murky Waters

The entire ship was awoken by a bloodcurdling scream the next morning. Usopp stood in front of the aquarium, shaking, as the rest of the Straw Hats ran in. A few gasped and covered their mouths. The water in it was murky red and there was not a single fish to be seen. There was, however, a dark shape in the center, slowly moving towards the glass. Your front half came into view, face up. Your mouth was open and your eyes were closed. It looked like you were a floating half of a body. 

"Oh my god. She's dead!" 

"Is there a shark?!"

You floated closer to the glass until there was a soft bonk as your forehead connected with it. Your eyes flew open, causing more screams, including from yourself. Everyone looked upside-down to you, and not just because you were hungover. You spun yourself around to be facing them and your tail came into view. It seemed neither Robin, Franky, nor Zoro had told anyone about yesterday's discovery, because everyone who was not them was pointing and yelling. You pressed your hands on the glass and waved. It was difficult to hear, but you heard someone distinctly say the 'm' word.

"Not. A. Mermaid." You poked the glass with every word. The water distorted your voice, but you made sure they understood. You looked around. "How do I get out?"

"How did you get in!?" Nami yelled. 

Sanji gleefully skipped off to the hatch that led from the deck to the aquarium. "I'm coming, darling!" 

There was a rectangle of light that revealed itself several minutes later and you swam to it. You poked your head through and then pulled the rest of your body out. You slapped the hatch closed with your tail and rolled on your back, groaning. Your stomach was killing you, from the drinking or from the one or two fish you ate, you didn't know. You must have sniffed out the fish when you were near-drunk.

"Holy shit," Nami's mouth hung open. 

The rest of the gang was similarly surprised by the sight. You were a lot bigger than a mermaid would be proportionally, your tail was longer and your fins were bigger. The black scales glittered in the sunlight in a way that made them look like thousands of small rainbows, something that was not visible in the murky water.

"I think somebody ate all your fish." You said nonchalantly. "Probably that mermaid girl."

"Yeah, somebody." Usopp eyed you. "You have something there." He pointed at the side of his mouth. 

You reached up and wiped your mouth with the back of your hand, brushing away a scale that was not your own. "I might have had one."

"My darling Ether should be able to eat whatever she desires." Sanji dramatically put the back of his hand on his forehead. "Though it pains me deeply to think she was so hungry, she ate unseasoned, raw fish." 

"I'm pretty sure it wasn't me." It definitely was, but you couldn't actually remember. 

"Do you know how long it took to get that many fish?" Usopp whined. "It's going to take forever to get more. What if we run out of food and have to resort to eating each other!?"

"I call Zoro," you said way too quickly. "I mean I'll help get more fish. Even though it for sure wasn't me." Everybody was staring. "What?! He has the most meat." 

Luffy had his fingers in an L-shape, resting on his chin. "You have a point."

"Hah?! Look at her she's way bigger than me." Zoro pointed at you. 

"Only sometimes!" 

"We could be the first people to try siren sashimi," Robin mused.

"When you put it that way, I bet we could sell it for a fortune," Nami was lost in a daydream. 

"Nobody has to eat anybody. It'll be a cinch to catch more." Franky piped up. "Check it out. While you guys were arguing over who to eat first, I made this crazy awesome winch with a giant net. We plop it in the water, Ether can chase fish into it, we pull it up, and whammo-blammo we got a buffet, baby! Wa-OW!" 

"Wonderful idea, Franky," Robin patted him on the arm. 

"That sure was fast," Usopp commented.

Hachi and Camie, who were asleep in their own ship, still tethered to Sunny, heard the commotion and came on deck. They were both wide-eyed when they saw you, and Camie moved behind Hachi, along with her starfish. 

"Ah... You guys didn't mention you had a siren on the crew." Hachi might have been more wary had he known. He couldn't tell just from looking at you now. You sort of resembled one of those exotic, deep-sea mermaid types. He had seen you yesterday with wings though, and could put it all together. 

"I thought they were made-up!" Camie hid further behind the fish-man. "They used to tell us as kids that if we misbehaved, they would leave us in the middle of nowhere for the sirens to eat."

You snickered at that. 

"You don't have to worry about that now. She's probably pretty full from eating our entire aquarium's worth of fish," Usopp grumbled.

"I told you already. That probably wasn't me!" You slapped the deck with your tail, causing Camie to flinch. 

The plan was explained to everyone, and Camie and Hachi were enlisted to help as well. You decided to wait until dusk, when the fish were more active. In the meantime, you were guilted into helping clean the aquarium of bones and other debris, while the water was changed. You hugged your tail when you were done, floating around aimlessly, stomach still killing you. It was around mid-afternoon when you heard clinking, rousing you from a half-asleep state. You turned to see Zoro taking a bottle from the bar outside the aquarium. He saw you watching and walked over, opening whatever his drink of choice was on the way. 

"Hey."

You swam closer to him, bringing yourself eye to eye. 

He stared at his drink a minute before looking, not directly at you, but sort of past you, so he didn't have to meet your eye. "I, uh, didn't mean to hurt your feelings yesterday." He ran a hand through his hair and scratched the back of his head. "I'm, uh, glad you took it out on the fish instead of eating me. Since apparently, um, I'm your first choice." 

You looked him up and down. "I didn't take you for the apologizing type." 

"I'm a nice guy!" Zoro paused. "I guess you haven't really gotten to see that though since I've been keeping my distance."

"And if you had gotten to know me, you would see there's no- barely any reason to keep your distance." 

Zoro grunted and took a drink. 

"Guess we have to get to know each other, huh?" You winked at him. 

Zoro choked the sip down and mumbled a goodbye, leaving abruptly. 

Sheesh. Normally your flirting made people stick around. Actually your feelings may have been more hurt by him running away just now, than by his words yesterday. You went to the hatch and pulled yourself out on deck. It wasn't comfortable to move across wood in this form. You positioned yourself to roll towards the railing. Then from there, it was easy to pull yourself up and over, diving into the water. Your goggles and mask were snuggly on your head, acting as a headband. You only used them in combat for the most part. You didn't need the mask to breathe or the goggles to see, they just aided those things when you were moving very high, very deeply, or very quickly. 

You passed time swimming around at a leisurely pace. When the fish started to become more active, you started rounding them up, chasing them towards the ship. The sun was sinking below the horizon and the sky was gradually darkening. Hachi and Camie did the same as you from flanking sides. Only when the winch started to whine with the weight of their catch, did they stop. Franky was able to craft it in a way where the fish were deposited directly into the aquarium through the hatch. 

"We only lost a day to stocking up, thanks to this one," Nami tilted her head in your direction, "but we're still making good time."

"I don't know what you're talking about," you retorted, not-so-subtly pointing at Camie. You were on deck with your tail curled under you, observing the fish be dumped into the tank. 

"I'm startin to think maybe I ate the fish," Luffy mused.

"No, Luffy. You didn't." Nami rolled her eyes. 

The nap from earlier prevented you from finding rest that night. You had shed your tail before dinner and were walking on deck without purpose, every so often looking up at the stars. Sometimes when you were on your own, you would float on your back and watch the sky. Your eyes caught the lights of the crow's nest. Maybe you could lay on the roof of it and you would eventually fall asleep. You figured Zoro was up there since the lights were on, so you grabbed a bottle of booze to bring up to him as a token of good will. You knocked on the hatch and invited yourself in. You could have flown up but you didn't want to waste your energy on wings just to get to the roof. 

"Hi. Brought ya something." You set the bottle by Zoro, who was cleaning his swords. Then you headed towards the top hatch. 

"Thanks." He didn't look up from what he was doing. 

You went to the roof and laid out, thinking about your time with the Straw Hats so far. It hadn't been that long, and you had been apprehensive at first, but you did like being with them. It was weird to have people that did things for you and it was weirder for you to do things for them, but it felt nice. You weren't sure how much time had passed when you heard the hatch open. 

"Uh, hey, Ether." Zoro pointed to the sword around your waist. "Do you want me to do yours?"

"Hm? Do what?"

"Clean your sword."

"Why does it need to be cleaned? It's in the ocean all the time."

A vein popped out on Zoro's forehead. "Are you saying you don't clean it AND it's in salt water all the time?" You didn't answer him. "Come on." He disappeared down the hatch.

You followed him and handed over your sword. You sat next to him on the bench.

"It's actually not that bad."

"Yeah cuz the ocean water cleans it." 

Zoro shot you a look. 

"I'm only teasing. Jeez you take swords seriously."

"I have to if I'm gonna be the world's greatest swordsman." 

You watched him as he worked with your blade, making sure to clean between each of its joints. "You're the only swordsman I've ever met, so you're already the greatest to me." He cursed under his breath and stuck his finger in his mouth. That wasn't even meant to be flirtatious and he turned pink. You were only stating facts. Then the grin on your face faltered when you smelled the sweet iron of blood.

Next

Tag list: @bbnbhm

[carelessflower]

sunday recap 🥓😽

so many things today but more importantly SO MANY CATS LET GET THIS THROUGH SO WE GET TO CATS

fit check, i changed like 5-6 times wanna lean into a coquette style but sadly this the shirt with the closest match I could find

seafood buffet because we didnt have any breakfast so this kinda our brunch. this just opened in the mall near where I lived lmaoo, basically they served seafood in any kind, and also there bbq and hotpot too but we didn't take the hotpot. all seafoods are very fresh (look at that tank!!!) again ranking

grilled shrimp and oyster with cheese: 8/10, the cheese is like too sweet and fatty

grilled snail with scallion: 8/10, good but nothing special

sashimi: 9.2/10, very solid!!! and u can get as many as u want

sushi: 7.8/10, idk I dont grab those much there not much variation also it can make u full quick

grilled abalone (not pictured): 9/10, for the price we can get as much as we want and I think its neat! also it got run out so quick lmaoo

seafood soup: 9/10, phenomenal, like I had two bowl of these

grilled everything (had pork chest, pork, beef, octopus, grouper fish, okra, eggplant and cheese fish ball): 9.5/10, I love the way they marinated the meat!!

durian ice cream: 7.5/10, nothing special also it all durian which I dont like and they run out of chocolate ice cream :((

flan with coffee sauce: 9.2/10, smooth, creamy with that bitter sauce like it just top notch flan, literally one of the best I've ever eat

also on the way down i saw they're having this cat contest thing like there so many booths it looked so fun (pictures later cuz I took like A LOT)

first tried a bunch of stuff at uniqlo, obsessed with these snoopy shirts and these cutest zip up, like the zip up are clothes for children but there big size and I can fit in there too

trying on, the shirts is from the male section and the zip up and hoddies are from children section biggest size they look so cute tho icant think of the way I would wear the white zip up a lot and the green shirt is xs so I def need a size bigger

next is cotton-on, they're having this collab with polly pocket which is sawr cute if only they're not like fucking expensive, like why is that shirt 30$ and that tiny MICRO purse 28$ like I dont get it, it not even real leather! also oversea website having XL size but vietnamese store doesn't is criminal

tried on a bunch of stuff the sale associate was looking at me like crazy also the price there has only gotten more ridiculous with time. the black shirt was giving sabrina carpenter and there another one with blue background and red font just like short n sweet aesthetic lmeow. the cardigan looked so close like that coloring the cutest but it looked wear on my body. the mentioned polly pocket shirt, I mean idk it fit but it expensive and also I dont like too much figure hugging in my clothes. same with the other shirt who I think the color pretty nice

can you guess which one i got hehe

[lantur]

trip updates part one: Tokyo

It was a mercifully smooth 12-hour flight from Minneapolis to Tokyo! The seat next to me was unoccupied, so I could stretch my legs out, sleep a bit, read, and watch my shows. I finished Black Friend by Ziwe, which I loved, and Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors by Piers Paul Read. I also watched the first five episodes of Succession, season one! I'm so into this show.

It was so easy to navigate Tokyo via the subway. I took the train from the airport to my hotel, dropped my stuff off, and had time to visit Senso-ji Temple that evening. Visiting a religious site is something I like to do as soon after landing as possible. Senso-ji in the evening, lit up, was beautiful. I wandered through the temple grounds to look at the pagodas and the stone Buddha statues, while listening to the clinking of people dropping their coin offerings into the metal collection area. I found a little ramen spot nearby, and the ramen was incredible and very comforting after 12+ hours of travel, going through customs, navigating around a new city, etc.

The next day, I found a cute little cafe right next to my hotel where I could start my day with my caffeine fix. I headed to Tsukiji Market, and I LOVE a market. Normally I hate crowds, but when there's food involved, that hatred goes away. :) I explored the food stalls and ate all the seafood my little heart desired - crab legs, eel, scallops, a sashimi bowl.

I went to Meiji-Jingu shrine, in the middle of Yoyogi Park, which is very forested. One of the coolest things about this location was seeing a wedding ceremony that was taking place, with the couple and family dressed in traditional Japanese clothing. It was a lovely area to explore, and after I inevitably got lost in the park and found my way again, I had sakura flavored soft serve ice cream as a treat.

The Hamarikyu Gardens were an unexpected stop for me, while I waited for my evening kabuki show to start, and I'm so glad I went. The flower field there was yellow as far as my eyes could see, and there were tons of hummingbirds around.

The kabuki show was a cool experience - I loved the music, and the body language of the actors!

Other highlights of the rest of my time in Tokyo:

Matcha lattes and pancakes at the cafe near my hotel

Seeing cherry blossoms at Ueno Park!!

The collection of art and artifacts at Tokyo National Museum

The food - ramen, katsu curry, pho!

Soaking in the large, hot public bath at my hotel, which I had to myself that night.

One thing I didn't expect:

The weather! Coming from one of the coldest places in the United States, where it gets to be -30 F, I didn't think that Japan in spring would challenge me. And yet, it did. I brought my mid-weight spring coat, which has been working fine for me at home. For some reason, I found Tokyo very windy, and the wind cut right through me. I was very uncomfortable walking around, and finally, I had to buy another coat at Uniqlo here, as well as a scarf. I got both for ~$40 USD so it didn't break the bank, at least. :)

I got to Kyoto yesterday morning and I have more to journal about that, but I will do so in a separate post. :)

It has been amazing to be on vacation. To not have to worry about work, or grocery shopping, or cooking, or getting my workout done before work starts, or anything. I love my job and it still feels AMAZING to not work.

Oh, also, I almost forgot to add - I got an email as soon as I landed in Tokyo, confirming that I have been accepted at the university I applied for, and will be starting my MSW in fall. It's been a lovely celebratory trip!

[champagnemoon]

There’s a sushi spot near me that nobody goes to so when I go in for sashimi they’ll literally give me like 5 fishes worth of meat lmao I want them to prosper but I’m also enjoying my profit

[takekawa]

do you. do you have any ideas/theories on how rin could survive/make it to the gay cuck ending -totally anonymous tumblr user

postponed answering this bc it took me a bit to roll the idea around in my head. obligatory 'my character interpretations are firmly rooted in canon but still, like, extrapolating reasonably and prone to my horny tragedy-fetish bastard inclinations'

VERY difficult to come up with feasible theories given 'rin survives' is an inherently story-altering event in the context of shikis route and 'rin and shiki stop fighting (or rin gets somehow dragged into a situation like akira)' would require a lot of character development by proxy of rin and shiki fundamentally misunderstanding eachother.

i would have to play rin's route again (and shikis. and nanos) to get an exact gauge but from what i recall shiki is, in a bizarre way, 'caring' towards rin but i always assumed it was coming from a place of 'hardening' him. tough love. granted fucking 'I assault and kill all my problems' shiki isn't gonna be anywhere near emotionally intelligent enough to realize his nagging obsession over rin is an obsession (and more importantly a possessive one. i might be a lunatic misremembering but it did ABSOLUTELY come off [TO ME] like shiki was jealous of akira alongside being disappointed in rin).

rins pretty easy and doesn't really necessitate a paragraph like he has blonde twink BPD its fucking joever for him. over emotional little cuck was not built for sigma edit shiki. ill add that i personally prefer to headcanon that rin 'maturing' in his good end is him emulating shiki's 'cool' stoicism and complete refusal of cognitive empathy rather than rin really growing and moving on from shiki. outwardly seems fine but in my heart hes still having white girl meltdowns in private.

ANYWAYS. LOTS OF PREAMBLE! in my ideal world rin's emulation of shiki would start much earlier and lead to a gradual, self-destructive spiral into 'fearlessness'. what appeals akira to shiki in the first place is akiras lack of fear & will to fight in the face of it and i do NOT think rin is capable of being anywhere near as comparatively normal as tsundere 'just some guy trying his best' akira.

what makes most sense to me is their confrontation ending in a similar way to what leads to the shikiaki route (fighting and refusing to back down & showing no fear etc etc) with my personal preference being that he DOESNT lose like little bitch [affectionate] akira and instead reaches a standstill against shiki. neither side really wins

my deranged brain is speaking rn (maybe) but from how oddly morose shiki is after cutting rin into sashimi i like to think thats the ideal end shiki would've wanted. rin lets go of his fear, attachment and by extension anyone else but shiki, and becomes as emotionally detached as shiki is.

again i doubt shiki is aware he wants that and doubly doubt he would (or could) even ENTERTAIN the idea that rin dying is something that would make him sad. emotion is a weakness etc etc.

anyways. neither side really wins -> they end up teaming-up-but-not-really, in the sense that they're both freak bloodthirsty bastards who are TOTALLY not obsessed with eachother its COINCIDENCE that they keep engaging in swordfight foreplay. akira still being included in this is deeply funny i know hes getting fucking tossed around like a ragdoll between rin & shiki.

putting aside all my actual character analysis aside i think demure rin in the too-big shirt like akira has making out with akira sloppy style while waiting for their wife to come back from whatever the fuck his cunty dictator job implies would be hottest. but. my storytellers soul struggles to see a story where a mindbroken rin wouldn't just piss shiki off.

akira gets the advantage of being someone shiki has no real prior entanglement with, or at least nothing NEAR the psychosexual insanity going on with whatever the fuck shiki & rin have.

[monody-monody]

My friend and I were nearing the end of a side-by-side playthrough of Ōkami HD on PC when I noticed that my mirrored storage drives had desynced AGAIN and had to be completely resynced from scratch, which would take hours.

With my PC occupied, I decided to bust out my old Wii, and my friend suggested I play Ōkami on it to be funny. I can't just do a normal playthrough though; that's too boring after we just did most of one. So I had the idea to try a no-main-weapon run, where I can use the brush, sub-weapons, Golden Fury, whatever to damage enemies… but not any main weapon.

And let me tell you: I think I've found the secret intended way to play the game. It's gone SO SMOOTHLY so far, compared to what I expected! Komuso 1? Six seconds. Dead Fish? Easy sashimi. Waka 1? No damage for the first time ever. Bud Ogres? S-Ranked. And I very nearly 1-cycled the Spider Queen but got screwed over by Wii IR pointer jank.

The funniest moment by far through was the sheer horror when I realized I was ONE PRAISE short of being able to go into Spider Queen with seven ink pots, and the only source of praise I knew of that I had access to… was Sleepy the Bear.