#so she knew Neko and loved her. everybody loves Neko.

[thelastspeecher]

welp I managed to get my therapist to cry during my session today, something she said she's never done before

does that count as winning therapy or getting a good grade in it or...

[wisteriasymphony]

imagine what tweos looked like for the average person.

It's late September or so, 2008, and during their timeline's events of Kuro Neko... Chat Noir is just gone. It'll take months until the Ladyblog informs the public of his passing, and nobody liked him anyway, but it almost seems like for a week or two that the world isn't sure whether to acknowledge his disappearance. Maybe he fell ill, got hurt (And what does that say about the Miracle Team, that after all of Ladybug's assurances to the public that they are unstoppable, that they can get sick and hurt just like anybody else?).... but no news. He just vanishes into thin air.

Around the same time, Adrien suddenly seems to not be doing so well. The first time he falls asleep in class is treated like a quirk—something to tease him about in a few weeks about his perfect image slipping, a harmless crack in the system. Everybody knows he's overworked, but saying it out loud would be like debating how to make water less wet; That's just how things are. Nevermind that that's how it all began in the first place, letting his abusers off the hook by just dismissing it as a natural part of life.

And then he lashes out at Chloé. But still, nobody says anything. Nobody cares to ask.

He starts coming to class later, reeking of alcohol, never talking to anybody, leaving early.

Marinette says she caught him smoking in the hallway, but the next day she forgets she even told you. She dismisses the idea entirely—Adrien would never smoke, never drink.

He cusses out his teacher one day and storms out of the classroom for reasons nobody is willing to explain. His nose is covered in bandages and his face is tinted with dried blood and bruises—Chloé says that Adrien blames his father for breaking his nose, and you know she's telling the truth. But still, nobody ever says anything.

....Adrien is presumed dead before he's able to graduate.

There's a silence when Headmaster Damocles finds his diploma still in the stack for his class. He sighs, and the whole room sighs with him. What happened? everybody asks themselves. How was he taken so soon? "Suicide" is a word on every mind yet not on any tongue, and all eyes turn to Adrien's closest friends, sitting in a row next to an empty seat.

"He was one of the brightest stars to ever grace our presence here at Lycée François Dupont," Damocles says, through bitten-back tears. "We knew it. Paris knew it. The world knew it. And it is nothing short of a tragedy that not every star can hang in the sky, but that some, by whatever force of nature... eventually fall and extinguish."

Alya squeezes Marinette's hand, but it isn't enough. She isn't able to finish the ceremony before Sabine brings her home, tucking her daughter under her arm and holding her close as the girl is led out the door.

"Despite his untimely passing," Damocles had continued, "Adrien Agresté shall be awarded the highest honors for the Baccalauréat général Littéraire, in memory of his excellence... and what he meant to all of us."

Nobody wanted to admit that Adrien would've never passed any of the exams with the way he had been, but that wasn't the Adrien the diploma was meant for. It was the sweet, studious Adrien, before all of the outbursts and the truancy. The diploma was for the Adrien that had been taken from them, not whatever demon had dragged him down. Nobody wanted to believe the real him was anything short of perfect.

Nathalie would accept the diploma on Adrien's behalf, as the only surviving member of the household.

...

The sun rises on a day in late June, golden fingers stretching out across Madrid.

Adrien takes a deep breath and feels a breeze kiss his cheek. He's going to propose today and he knows it; It doesn't matter that he's done so for the fifth time this week. He'll do it over and over and over again, giving his fiancée more cheap rings than she could ever wear, just because he loves the way she says "yes".

[bafflement]

Deaged Oz AU - Needed Conversations, Part I

"... Ozymandias?" Oz thought, tentatively. "Why are you here? You left when the merge happened..."

"Ah, about that, child. You were never meant to be caught up in this, I'm so very sorry. But there was always a failsafe, the wizard was just as paranoid as the rest of us. Salem is a very good reason for that, after all."

"Failsafe? Wait, so... this was always going to happen?" Oz though for a second... "The fact Cinder is a maiden?"

"She attacked the current incarnation of the wizard, child. That has consequences. Were you a different version, you would perhaps have remained adult, the plan was always to send the current version of us back to the point of the merge, sometimes that would produce a younger adult, fully capable of fighting back and angry."

"Except that I'm ten years old, Ozzy... how can I fight, like this?"

"The same way you always have. Your soul burns so brightly, Tip... surely you realise that? You believe in everybody... even if that belief may be misplaced. But you learned from Cinder, didn't you? When not to trust someone?"

"... Pyrrha Nekos." Oz sounded dejected. "Jaune said she went back, she fought... she should never have had to die, Cinder promised she wouldn't hurt my students if I just submitted."

"She lied, Tip. But you know that now. Listen to your friends, because you do have them. Listen to team RWBY, to team JNR. Listen to Oscar and Qrow. To those you'll find later. You need to trust them. I know that isn't easy, it's never easy for any of us. But I will be here, I promise, child. I'm not going to leave you again, no matter what the merge tries. I would hope that I at least get that much choice. Besides, you'll be in Atlas soon enough. Things will change there."

Ozymandias sounded strangely certain and Oz looked suspicious. "What's in Atlas? Except James, that is? You're keeping things from me again, aren't you? Things I should know? When Jinn showed us what she did, I... I knew it, didn't I? Or I used to?"

"Some of it. Not all. I felt shielding you from the worst would help you to actually be a child for awhile."

"But that's just it, Ozzy, I am not actually a child, I'm not a ten year old, no matter what my body may resemble. Why would you think keeping things from me that I need to know would help in any way? Half the others hate me now. You say listen to Qrow, but he hates me as much if not more than the others do... so listen to him? Run away?"

"NO, CHILD. Listen to him once he stops trying to hate you. He'll come around, you know that. Never give up, Tip. If you give up now, we've lost."

"Salem... Ozzy, what happens when she catches up? I know the things she'll want to know from me. What then? I... she always knows, when we lie to her."

"I can take them for you, but there's a cost. You'd be Tip Pine for awhile. Just Tip, you wouldn't really remember being Ozpin... and it might quicken the merge. I'd be there, but... we'd be seperate. Sort of. I think? The theory is there, but none of us have actually tried it before."

"She's going to torture me." Oz sounded matter of fact. "That's okay, I probably deserve it, honestly. But I can't tell her what she'll want to know. I won't tell her where the relic of creation is!"

"No, you won't. But if that day comes, you're going to have to trust me, Tip. I love you like a son, I can't lose you. Not now, not when things are so close..."

"Close?" Oz sounded tired now, the conversation had taken a lot out of him.

"Don't you feel it? We're close to the end, now. One way or another. And Tip? I can't think of a better version of us to see this through."

"Would it? Have been Oscar, I mean, had I actually died back at Beacon?"

"There's no real way of knowing but... possibly. His soul feels similar."

Oz closed his eyes, looking like his world had ended. Around him, the others looked concerned. Well, most of them did. Yang rolled her eyes and looked away, pointedly.

"Umm, pocket sized?" Jaune ventured. "Are you okay?"

"Not really, no. Ozzy gave me some information that... I'm not sure I wanted to know. I just... promise me something, Mister Arc?"

"It depends on the promise, but sure, pocket sized. What's wrong?"

"If I die... make sure Oscar's okay? And try to make sure he stays Oscar?"

"... Is there a reason he wouldn't? And, pocket sized? You're not going to die!"

"You cannot promise that. Besides, I am uncertain as to what might occur if I do. But it is something to keep an eye on, nonetheless."

Later, as he lay in bed, he send another mental query to Ozymandias.

"Ozzy? You said something would change in Atlas... what did you mean?" Oz sounded exhausted, clutching his teddy bear. He needed the comfort right now.

"Merely that things will change. There is a connection, there, to who you used to be. But I admit to being unsure just what that connection entails, you'll find out I'm sure!"

Great, Oz thought to himself, yet more things to worry about...

[andydona-chan]

Claiming back the power

Read it on AO3!

A bit self-indulgent, I know most of us were expecting to watch Kuron Neko and were really disappointed when it didn't happen, this is what came out of that frustration, hopefully, it is of your liking, I took some liberties and didn't really focus on canon or any specific time (but it's surely post season 3), you can take this with a grain of salt, I was tired so my analogies may not be well funded...

Also, no beta, only the mistakes in this work are mine.

Summary:  In which Adrien's introspection leads him to reclaim what he had given up, to properly return as part of the team.

Adrien ran towards the school gate trying to skip his unconscious classmates on the floor, this new akuma was stronger than he had expected, not for the first time, he cursed his decision to give up the ring. While it had allowed him to have a new perspective and think about Ladybug as a normal person, someone who had a life and had flaws whose universe didn’t revolve around him as Cat Noir, he managed to feel better about the situation.

While being Cat Noir had allowed him the freedom he had never thought possible and to be near one of the most amazing girls he knew, it had also given him a tunnel vision, not allowing him to actually broaden his new started life, he could have had enjoyed school more and had more time with his friends, even spend time with a different girl and get to know her and fall in love with her without all the pressure that being a hero had placed on him.

Being a superhero had been something he had dreamed about, just as much as dreaming about normal life and education, so he had never stopped to think that this wasn’t everybody’s dream, that Ladybug was an ordinary girl with an ordinary life that she was so used to live and loved so much that she didn’t really want to exchange it; for her being a hero was a responsibility more than a dream come true, it was a duty, not a game.

He had been angry and he knew he had reasons to be, but he hadn’t stopped to consider everything, ever since he had become a superhero he had been able to get everything he wanted, though he was supposed to have bad luck cause of Plagg that never seemed to happen, he had freedom, he was going to school, he had new friends, he managed to have fun making puns and distracting the akuma, he had been once or twice being unable to attend certain place due to his father and maybe his background life wasn’t as easy, but everything in the front row just promised more, even the girl of his dreams.

He hadn’t been fair, had he? Ladybug was probably a girl that already had all of that, and yet she had to start lying, leave her friends out to go deal with an akuma, having to think about the plan and probably being unable to talk to the boy she liked because of this, and ever since being the guardian she became a bigger target, she was supposed to be the one with good luck and it seemed like the opposite was happening.

It was no surprise she had needed backup and support, he had always had to deal with many things on his own, he was even trained to not let it show, and he had just gone and got angry at Ladybug for keeping some secrets and trying to keep up with her life, just because he wasn’t getting what he expected from her? But, he was still part of the team and he was just as important as her, she kept telling him that so, why wasn’t she letting him in? What was she afraid of?

He had never stopped to think that maybe there was something she really feared that could happen, some sort of barrier that prevented her from approaching him and fully trusting him. It was probably something that happened one of those times she had to deal with an akuma alone, cause she had to find the best way to do it, maybe it had been when he had been under the influence of any other akuma, he wished those moments hadn’t been erased from his mind.

As he neared the entrance he noticed a figure being thrown against the door, the new Black Cat slid to the ground with the same horrified expression that the others had, the akuma was making everyone live their biggest fear in their mind. He heard Ladybug call for her lucky charm in the distance, the other superhero wasn’t going to recover anytime soon to go help her. He couldn’t just take the ring and expose whoever was under the suit now. However, when another ball of green smoke was thrown and Ladybug barely missed it by jumping behind a car, he felt his anger about the whole situation take over.

Cause yes, he was angry at Ladybug, for all the time he had been kept at arm’s length as if he was going to cause the end of the world, without knowing anything. He was angry at his father, for all the years he was kept out of what a real-life could teach him. He was angry at the incompetence of the new Black Cat, he wasn’t as funny or as fast to help Ladybug when it was necessary, and he was angry at himself, for many things, but especially for giving up his miraculous.

He had always been her support, and he could remember the times when Ladybug had required reassurance and he had provided it, he wasn't sure if she still had that, he had proven to be able to deal or give Ladybug time to work things through, she was his priority and he had, just as much as she had, a duty with Paris, he was grateful he got to have fun while doing this, and he had already come to terms that this wasn't a game either.

If he really loved whoever was under that mask, it wouldn't need to be by expecting something from her, it would be to do it by her side. He was supposed to keep the bad luck from reaching her, he was already lucky to be there. Right now she needed support that wasn't there, but he was here, suit or not he was going to make sure she had help, he wasn't just going to stay there drowning on everything that had gone wrong since he gave up the ring, since he gave up Plagg, he had to do something, he was the Black Cat miraculous holder, the one and only Cat Noir!

Ladybug ran past the entrance and further over the street, she was looking at the lucky charm but he could tell she was on the verge of tears, probably feeling that she had been beaten already. Suddenly he felt as if he was surrounded by static, from his ankles running up his legs and then over his fisted hands and arms, his hair standing up as he shuddered, and when the akuma approached, he was no longer thinking straight.

He should have thought about it, he wasn’t even wearing the ring, and yet…

“Plagg, claws out!” he shouted and familiar energy traveled over his body and he ran after Ladybug, not even looking back to the boy that had had the ring until now, using the baton to deflect one of the green smoke balls the akuma kept throwing, he heard himself laugh and ran faster, leaping over the ground on all fours fast like a cheetah until he was next to Ladybug.

“C-Cat Noir!,” she sobbed and he made his best effort to look at her and smirk.

“Figure it out M’lady” he said and he was almost surprised to hear a growl in his voice, “I’ll give you time.”

He said and then leaped towards a building and started his usual pun routine, trying to keep the akuma in the same place and seeing Ladybug regain her bearings. It didn’t take long after that, to defeat the akuma. Once it was over, however, he turned to look at Ladybug and then left.

It took a moment for him to think it through and understand that suddenly he was back inside the school in the boy’s locker room, the swarm of miraculous ladybugs surrounding him, that he was wearing his regular Cat Noir suit, he even looked at his hand and found the ring that he had never really taken, the familiar beeping of the jewel signaling the end of his transformation. Plagg would explain later that he had claimed the miraculous back, in a battle against will and right, even if the other boy who had the Black Cat miraculous would have been conscious, he would have proven to deserve the miraculous and the right to do so even if the ring was with a different holder, magic often did that.

It was certainly something he hadn’t expected, but it was the first step to go back with a new attitude and purpose, Ladybug’s team wasn’t complete without him, his perspective of life had changed in a couple of weeks without Plagg, and he was going to make it worth it!

[miyochan]

Hi Miyo, I would like to request a Dazai x tsundere female neko reader. Please and thank you.

Hello honey, thank you for your request! Since I was really busy at the moment my best friend did write them! I have to say she did a amazing job! They turned out so good and they are so much fun to read! She is a awesome writer and a awesome person! I hope you like them❤

💙Dazai💙

🖤 so Dazai got himself a tsundere neko girl? Interesting :3

🖤 he thinks she's so endlessly adorable with her soft cat ears and puffy tail and doesn't mind telling it to her (and everybody else)

🖤 Neko gets upset very easily whenever he mentions how cute she is in his eyes

🖤 Dazai always teases her with saying it extra, since she is even more adorable whenever she's mad

🖤 (hissing is so much sweeter when it comes from a one-head-smaller-than-tiny-girl)

🖤 when Neko is super furious at Dazai, it happens that she will scratch or bite him (not seriously 'cause she is crushing as hell on Suicide-Boy, but she would never say that out loud)

🖤 after the argument is over, she feels bad and treats his wounds (but tsundere-likely, yk)

🖤 "One bandage more or less doesn't even matter for you, mummy baka."

🖤 Dazai would let her break his bones for getting the lovely poud she is making unconsciously during her caring

🖤 since we all know how touchy he is, Neko will have a hard time preventing him from petting her head all the time

🖤 Dazai is absolutely whipped for Nekos fluffy tail, even though she would never let him touch it

🖤 (he still gets to stroke it carefully when she's sleeping and not noticing)

🖤 Dazai is allowed to caress the cat ears ONLY when Neko is feeling down

🖤 then she will come to him voluntarily, snuggle in his lap and let him fondle her

🖤 after some time, she will purr in satisfaction ... and two things will happen:

🖤 1. Dazai will burst into uwu and cuddle her

🖤 2. Neko will instantly have a wish to die out of embarrassment

🖤 Dazai doesn't often sees Neko blushing, but he will enjoy every second of it and save it in his memories forever

🖤 whenever Neko shows affection like this, Dazais heart is beating like a drum

🖤 because normally Neko is like "affection? What's that?"

🖤 he doesn't get much love from her

🖤 she never dass something cheesy or nice to him

🖤 calls him nicknames like "Idiot", "Bandage-Bastard" or "Suicide Fetishist"

🖤 she even refuses to go on dates (as long as they aren't alone and someone could recognize or see them)

🖤 when Dazai has to work long, he thinks that Neko isn't even bothered by that

(...if he only knew that she is suffering home alone, needy for his sunny character and sniffling on his clopthes secretly...)

🖤 so Tsundere Neko never shows affection in public

🖤 BUT whenever Dazai pets a street cat or something, Neko gets jealous af

🖤 she will ignore Dazai for at least 24 hours and suddenly spend a lot time laughing with Atsushi or talking with Chuuya

🖤 "What do you mean, flirting with others!? I just had a fucking conversation, you are talking to other persons too, aren't you? Not that K care. Calm the heck down and get your own shit together, dumbhead!"

(swears a lot when angry)

🖤 Dazai will only appease her when buying her favorite food

🖤 she will get all flustered and happy (yk, food is the magic word for cats and hybrids)

🖤 "D-don't you think you'll g-get away with this s-so easily! I'm still mad!! ....I'll take it anyways... But that d-doesn't mean you're out of it!

Ahhh! I love them so much! She did amazing! I dont think you will find some but if you found any errors in her grammar you are welcome to correct her (and me)❤

[happythexceed]

Summary of K SEVEN STORIES  “The Idol K”

I had compiled all 6 episodes of roughly 4 minutes of content (2 minutes for the ED song). 4 minutes x 6 episodes = 24 minutes = 1 anime episode. 

Spoilers ahead. Sorry for any discrepancy (sequence and details etc). I tried to put in whatever I remembered I watched once and I’m not so good in remembering details.  Some of the sub feels a bit vague.

1

The setting was the same as K Project except that the characters are idols under Kokujouji Daikaku’s jurisdiction. The Silver Record was having a meeting about rice. Shiro decided to organise a charity event. Kuroh reminded him that they knew nothing about rice and agriculture and THEY ARE IDOLS. They are not suppose to deal with that. Shiro responded with “can’t they do that?” much to Kuroh’s dismay. Worse still, it was not kept among the Silver Record. Shiro wanted to involve the other entertainment companies much to Kuroh’s horror. Shiro would approach HOMRA Entertainment first and Kuroh warned him it would be very difficult to get them to agree to collaborate with them considering their passion. Neko claimed to be close with Anna (she would be easier to talk to). Kuroh highlighted that Anna and Totsuka Tatara were exception but it would be difficult to get the other HOMRA idols such as the one who just returned from America and that he is a walking furnace (hottest looking with his hair down) and an idol who was calculative (can’t remember the actual word used to describe Kusanagi).

But still since Shiro had decided, Kuroh would lend him a land and the scene ended with the three of them leaving for HOMRA.

2

The Silver Trio headed to Bar HOMRA to talk them into joining them in their charity effort. Neko was as usual excited to see Anna. Mikoto is sleeping as usual (he is the hottest looking man in the room. Girls in cinema swoon over him when the scene was zoomed into his sleeping face). Totsuka was practicing his guitar. (This was the first time Shiro met Totsuka in person).

Kusanagi has received an email from Shiro about the collaboration. In terms of profit is a NO especially with Tatara and Anna commanding a fees of 100 million yens! Shiro showed his sincerity by paying them with… hmm… onigiri!! Well, Kusanagi was probably going to reject them BUT… in the nick of time someone commented that it tasted good. The sleeping boss had accepted the payment. He ate the onigiri. Totsuka and Anna followed suit as they were hungry after practicing so hard. Kusanagi sighed in defeat knowing that Shiro had used their weaknesses to his advantage. He would have rejected outright if he came with an air as the Boss of Silver Record. Since things come to this, they might as well do them this favour.

With that the silver trio would be heading to Promotion Scepter 4 next. They knew they would be a harder nut to crack but still they are going anyway.

3

Awashima, Doumyouji and Hidaka were rehearsing a play. This is where the chibi characters were presented as a flat piece of paper as they turned their bodies. In the script, Awashima was torn between choosing Doumyouji or Hidaka as her “love” partner when the Silver Trio paid their visit.

Neko was able to parrot Awashima’s dialogue. It was said that their Captain was out and asked them to rehearse till he comes back. It was their culture to call their boss as “Captain”. Awashima had read their email and noted that Shiro wanted them to collaborate for a “rice” charity event. She was sorry that she had to reject as Shiro presented the origiri as the payment to them when Munakata stepped in. He accepted the offer immediately much to everybody’s dismay. Munakata explained that Isana-shi (he addressed him that way) had the benefits stated clearly in his email to them and why they should help. Kuroh then realised Shiro used different ways to deal with different company: Homra Entertainment with “feeling” and Promotion Scepter 4 with logic. Next, Shiro is going to Jungle Pro which doesn’t work with “feeling” and “logic”. Even so, Shiro was not going to leave them out (acknowledging their ability).

4

Hisui, Sukuna, Iwa and Yukari were debating whether Isana Yashiro will drop by to visit them. Only Hisui feels that he would come. Hisui feels troubled. Because he feels that Isana Yashiro and himself are birds of a feather. Indeed, The Silver Trio came to their underground hideout.

Shiro came to talk them into joining them for the rice charity event. They discussed why JUNGLE chose to operate underground. They disagreed that only certain chosen people can become idols and Hisui had a dream to give all people a chance to become idols. Yukari claimed that he could shine better with JUNGLE and mentioned about Ichigen which pissed Kuroh off as he had no right to talk about Ichigen-sama. Kuroh decided he would follow Shiro’s teaching. Iwa noted that Shiro was retrospective person. They talked some things in the past with Kokujouji Daikaku and it’s a high level conversation. Hisui would like to shoot a music video with Ameno Miyabi as he finds her similar and Neko would only follow Shiro and no one else.

Shiro presented his onigiri and Hisui stared at them for some time. He would agree to help if JUNGLE is able to get undivided attention and Shiro agreed to it. Hence JUNGLE joined them in for the event.

The Silver Trio is done with the the three entertainment companies and Shiro decided to pay a visit to the most popular duo in the industry next, Fushimi Saruhiko and Yata Misaki.

PS: Out of the 4, Iwa as the Grey King, had a different uniform.

5

The Silver Record Trio headed to the school island to pay the duo a visit. Kuroh wondered why they need to pay them a visit when their entertainment companies had agreed to help them. Shiro mentioned they were just going to tell them to “Please support them”. The school island had the sceneries suitable for filming.

The duo were filming special effect for a kid show where one is an ally of justice and the other is a devil who kills all people. Yeah, Yata is a hero and he gets a cape on screen on The Idol K finally. The two of them had a healthy rivalry relationship Shiro hoped Kuroh can have with Yukari.

Yata and Fushimi should have been over (the betrayal) as Yata is talking to Fushimi and getting along very well with him. During their break, Fushimi was grumbling about how lousy the script is written and Yata said he enjoyed it. Shiro greeted them and hope to get their support. They had both heard from their company about the charity event. Yata had no complaint if Kusanagi had agreed. Fushimi will just do his job.

Shiro presented them with the onigiri as the reward. Fushimi stared at it and Shiro replied that there’s only salt as filling. Yata teased that Shiro have even make the effort to research on Fushimi’s preference. They are going to have a wonderful performance.

6

It is finally the day of the rice charity event and everybody gather at Hirasaka Building. Shiro is looking up to the sky. Kuroh and Neko came to the rooftop to search for him. They can’t start without him.

Kuroh talked to Shiro as initially he thought Shiro came up with this in a whim but he realized that he had carefully planned for this. His intention is more than just having the charity event. Despite being similar to Hisui Nagare, they are very different altogether. While Hisui will like to let everyone become an idol, Shiro only asked each of them for just one little something which is to put a smile on others’ faces. The idols are only restricted to the work by their individual company. By gathering all entertainment companies together, not just pleases all the fans, it makes the idols happy too.

Yata is seen fired up. Mikoto have not felt excitement for a very long time glancing at Munakata’s direction. Munakata is getting his members ready. Awashima declared that they will not lose, Fushimi will do what he do as usual. Sukuna decided he would not lose out.

Back to the Silver Trio, Kuroh noted Shiro had been carrying the origiri all the time and wondered if he had not finished distributing them. Nope he had carefully counted and there are onlt three left. As the event is going to take a long time, they are to eat up so they will have the energy till the end of the event.

[empty-altars]

@homosociallyyours tagged me to do a top ten women artists playlist. This was so hard, I have so many more that I love but I picked ones that were personal in some way mostly.

1. Bif Naked - Sophia

So, I was introduced to Bif Naked via Buffy and I'm sure my baby bi ass who hadn't quite figured shit out yet was like, ooh hot girl tattoos she's so cool and ran to check it out. Then I realized she was openly bi and there are songs of hers I love more but this one. Ohgod. This was the first time I had heard a song for a girl like this. I held you close, you were mine - everybody knew. (Side note, the other openly bi artist that I discovered around the same time was Brian Molko who I discovered due to the Cruel Intentions soundtrack. So, uh, thanks Sarah Michelle Gellar skshajaj)

2. Jenny Lewis - Rise Up With Fists!!

Jenny Lewis is very important to me. She is really frank about mental illness which has always made me feel better about my own. Discovering Rilo Kiley felt like being known. Also, I've been to a show and she is freaking adorable in person. But I still believe/and I will rise up with fists/and I will take what's mine

3. Neko Case - Deep Red Bells

Neko has this amazing voice that gives me chills. She's also amazing live. This one is so sad and haunting. The meaning behind it is kinda morbid but I like that. Does your soul cast about like an old paper bag/past empty lots and early graves

4. Dessa - 5 out of 6

Look, this whole list could be Dessa. I will be pimping her music to ppl until I die. She's so fucking good. Brilliant and poignant and the way she plays with words and phrases is so fantastic. Also I've met her and she is delightful. I don't drown, won't stay down/heat finds a way to rise somehow

5. Janelle Monáe - Tightrope

I had a hard time choosing just one song of Janelle's. It was a STRUGGLE. So I went with the first song of hers I was introduced to. Do yourself a favor and watch the linked video, it is fantastic. You dance up on them haters/keep getting funky on the scene

6. Eve - Love Is Blind

This one requires an abuse trigger warning tbh. I discovered this one several years after it came out while I was escaping an abusive marriage and it hit HARD. I have a lot of Eve in my library but this one probably is the most impactful. What you think is love is truly not/you need to elevate and find

7. Dessa - Dutch

Oh look, more Dessa! This was the first song of hers I ever heard and I was OBSESSED. Her wordplay makes my brain so happy. Seriously guys, if you do one thing please go check her out. I run on whiskey and risk and ennui and impatience

8. The Be Good Tanyas - The Littlest Birds

This is mostly on here because it reminds me of my brother and makes me happy. One of the cornerstones of our relationship is music and we constantly share what we've found with each other. Bluegrass warning, if you're not into that lol. But these women are really good. Their harmonies are lovely. You pass through places and places pass through you/but you carry them with you on the soles of your traveler's shoes

9. Ani DiFranco - In Or Out

So at some point my brother got into Ani DiFranco and I don't remember why or how, I just remember the robotic calls from the library informing us that Up Up Up Up Up Up was overdue dkshj Again. Anyway, I checked some of her stuff out for myself and this song. God. It made me feel so valid, yk? Like, oh, other bisexuals exist and get the same bullshit abt it. Guess there's something wrong with me guess I don't fit in/no one wants to touch it no one knows where to begin/I've got more than one membership to more than one club/and I owe my life to the people that I love

10. Indigo Girls - Ghost

Would a list like this really be complete without the Indigo Girls skshj This song has this intense sense memory associated with it of sitting on a sidewalk at 3am smoking cloves and crying over a girl. So. Idk. It's good and bad lol. I wanna quote this whole damn song these lyrics hurt so good. Dark and dangerous like a secret/that gets whispered in a hush/when I wake the things I dreamed about you/last night make me blush

In conclusion, I am very very bi and my musical tastes are strange and varied skhsja Also, there are SO MANY I could have added and this was very hard.

If you want, @zaynsthatkindofbeautiful @derekhaleace @josjournal and @thereyouares I would love to see your lists :)

[laceymorganwrites]

Journey

Word Count: 2,079 Pairing: None yet

Warnings: blame, curse words

A/N: Had this in my drafts for a while, let´s see where this will take us…

Seven years. Zeref took seven years of our lives away just like that, as if it were nothing. I had realized that when I saw how much Romeo grew and the fact that Bisca and Alzack were now married and had a child made me feel numb. I thought about how my life would´ve been if I was there, I bet I would´ve been married too or at least I would´ve had a mate, but then again, who would voluntarily mate me? It was so frustrating, all these years were gone and I suddenly felt old. It just wasn´t fair! We were on our holy ground and rudely interrupted by a dragon, we didn´t want this! We never asked seven years to pass and our family to suffer, we just wanted to live, but the only thing we were good for this day was barely surviving. It was pitiful, we had seven dragon slayers, yet were unable to do anything. I always thought we were invincible, yet we failed. I failed. I swore myself to protect my sisters, I swore it to Ma, that´s why my magic is defensive and not attacking. Sometimes I wished I had the same destructive power as Natsu, but then again it would overwhelm me. When our guild came to get us, it felt like a dream, like a bad joke. At first I didn´t believe anyone who told me seven years had passed. I just remembered that I had a date with (Y/D/N) after the S-class trials and obviously I went to the promised place after we arrived in Magnolia, but he wasn´t there, so I went to the park, where (Y/E/N) and I promised to meet. I was glum, I really hoped to mate (Y/D/N), maybe it just wasn´t meant to be or he was sick of me. I walked with my head down and finally got to the guild. It was shut down, that´s when the first suspicions crept up on me, but I decided to ignore them and went into the city instead, maybe I would meet someone who could explain what was going on. In the city I heard many things about a certain guild, who apparently was the strongest in Magnolia, I also saw the surprised looks on people´s faces when they saw me, it felt weird, we were just gone for a week or so. “(Y/N)-nee! You´re back!” I heard someone shout my name excitedly and turned around confused as someone dashed into me and hugged me. I was taken aback for a second, before I could reply. “Do I know you?” I asked in my direct manner and could finally take a look on the boy who hugged me. He was dressed like Natsu and even had the Fairy Tail guild mark in the same space as him, something about him felt familiar. I looked into his eyes and it clicked. No, it couldn´t be. “Romeo?” I asked. “I missed you!” he exclaimed and hugged me again. “You´ve grown quite a bit...” I stated, I have never felt so empty in my life, I thought about everything that could´ve been. Time stopped and everyone moved on. “I thought you were dead...” Romeo whispered. I pressed him nearer to me and cradled his head. I let my head sink into his neck and held on even tighter, before I lost it and cried into his shoulder in agony, in the middle of the city. “I´m not dead…I´m right here. I´m sorry, so sorry. I couldn´t….I just….I couldn´t protect anyone!” I cried out. “Nee-san...” Romeo looked at me pitifully, now everything made sense, it wasn´t a joke, seven years really did pass. “Where is everyone?” I asked after I calmed down a bit. Romeo explained the way to our new guild building and told me where (Y/E/N) was, I said goodbye and told him I would catch up with everyone later. Then I made my way to the park. I saw (Y/E/N) sitting under a huge tree with two other exceeds, having fun. A wide smile crept into my face and I ran towards them. We shouted each other names and hugged, I started to cry again, I was so happy to see them again. I sighed, took my heels off and sat down on the grass next to (Y/E/N).  “Man, I never would´ve thought those damn trials would take seven years, but I mean they wouldn´t have if we weren´t so rudely interrupted by Acnologia. Jackass.” I rambled. “What happened? I was worried” (Y/E/N) asked. I laughed out loud and placed my hand over my face, before falling against the tree with my legs crossed. It didn´t look elegant. “I had a date” I exclaimed, giggling. “Seven years ago” I laughed louder and couldn´t stop, it was hilarious. And frustrating. It was the worst joke ever told. (Y/E/N) frowned and placed their hand on my leg. Then I took a closer look at the companions of (Y/E/N), one was green and wore a pink hoodie, the other one was brown and wore a blue vest. “At least you weren´t alone while I was gone...” I addressed. “So, who are you?” I asked the cute nekos. “I´m Lector, this is Frosch” the brown exceed explained. “Hey, I´m (Y/N)” I waved at them and forced  a smile. “I know, you´re Sting-kun´s girlfriend” Lector stated. What? Since when did I have a boyfriend? Was that a joke? Was this cat mocking me? “Excuse me?” I chuckled. “Sting-kun always talks about you. We all thought you were dead, but he knew you weren´t. It´s actually annoying how much he talks about you. You and Natsu-kun are his heroes.” he seemed unimpressed. I still couldn´t grasp it. “Well, I´m flattered, but I´m far from being in a relationship. Like, really far. I don´t really care about love anymore” I said, I was tired of being alone, but everybody always thought I wasn´t capable of love, nobody ever wanted to be with me. I guess I didn´t deserve it, after all I didn´t achieve anything in my life. “But he told me he would marry you when he´s older” Lector was confused. So was I. “What the hell? I mean, I also always thought I was gonna marry Laxus when I´m older, but did I do that? I don´t think so...so I was a childhood crush of somebody, that´s weird. But actually pretty nice.” I reminisced. “Fro thinks so too” Frosch said and my heart fluttered, I just wanted to hug him, he was too cute for his own good. “Tell me about him, about my husband” I laughed, I was getting curious. “He´s the strongest dragon slayer in the whole world! And in the strongest guild. Sting-kun is the coolest guy I know” Lector´s eyes glistened in admiration, it was adorable. “The strongest guild?” I wondered which one it was after seven years. “Sabertooth!” Lector said proudly. “Never heard of it...what else did I miss?” I asked furthermore. “Well, those two usually hang out with Sting and Rogue, the twin dragons of Sabertooth, the strongest guild in Magnolia. Everyone forgot about Fairy Tail and we´re the lowest guild, everyone thinks you´re dead. Many things changed, and not especially for the better...But I´m glad you´re back, I missed you. Are (Y/F/S/N) and (Y/S/S/N) there too?” (Y/E/N) asked, they looked sad. “So Sabertooth is the new thing, eh? About my sisters, I think (Y/F/S/N) finally figured things out with Natsu and (Y/S/S/N) is on a date with Gajeel” I thought. “I bet Rogue wants to meet Gajeel, ne Frosch?” Lector laughed. “Fro thinks so too!” the precious exceed exclaimed merrily. “My sister will kill anyone who gets between their date, they planned this for months, but every time something got in between. But if they want to meet them so badly, I guess I could arrange that, I bet Natsu will like meeting fans. It´s still weird that people admired us...” I suggested. Frosch´s and Lector´s face lit up. “You would do that? Could you sign Sting-kun´s Weekly Sorcerer? He collected every copy in which you were!” Lector pleaded. I nodded and raised an eyebrow. “S-sure, I´m gonna arrange it somehow” I promised. We stayed in the sun a little longer and I made flower crowns for everyone, it was silly, but it calmed me down, it´s a habit I picked up for my sisters. I was finally back home. After a while (Y/E/N) asked me if I wanted to go back to the guild, but I declined. I wanted to go to our shared apartment. They agreed and we all went back home together. On the way through the cobblestone streets we ran into Natsu, Gajeel and my sisters accompanied by two other boys. I smiled and waved at them. “Hey, guys!” I greeted them. “Nee-chan!” my sisters grinned, then they saw the flower crowns and frowned. “You made flower crowns without us?” they pouted. “Don´t worry, I got you!” I had prepared more flower crowns for my sisters and for everyone who wanted one. I gave them to them and then glanced over to the other boys, one of them was staring at me dumbfounded, which made me really uncomfortable and the other one had an expression I couldn´t read. Natsu held the hand of my sister and whispered “Cute” in her ear, as she put on the flower crown and blushed. Gajeel looked annoyed by the boys and had an arm around my other sister, who placed hers around his waist. I smiled and felt a warm feeling around my heart, my sisters were happy and so was I. “So you finally confessed, eh? Took you long enough” I pointed at my stubborn sister, who admitted to confessing to Natsu. Their story was so complicated. But the love life of my sisters was magical and very cute. They both found their mates and I felt proud yet alone. “Sting-kun! Look who we met! (Y/N) said she would sign your Sorcerer copies!” Lector shouted and suddenly everyone around me looked at me, the one who looked at me weirdly before, was now turning bright red in the face. The other one just chuckled. Natsu began laughing and my sisters shook their heads in disapproval, Gajeel still looked annoyed. I bet the two boys caught them up again. “Y-you told her?!” Sting whispered towards Lector. “Didn´t you say she was your girlfriend?” he loudly asked him, who just wanted to die. I raised an eyebrow, opened my mouth to say something but then closed it again and shook my head. Silly. What were we? Ten in high school with no knowledge of love? “I´m going home” I announced and saw the faces of my sisters turn into worried expressions. “We´re coming with you!” they exclaimed and I immediately declined. “No! Don´t you dare come with me. You waited one year to go on a date, well actually you waited eight years, anyways, you´re gonna go without any interruptions and have fun. And you guys should really talk and figure things out! I want stories that make me believe in love again tomorrow.” I ordered and then grabbed Gajeel and Natsu by their collars and brought them up to my face. “You hurt my sisters, you die, understood?” I growled at them. They nodded in unison and I smiled. “Good” I let them go, I knew they all loved each other, but still, I couldn´t forgive myself if anything would happen. I sighed deeply and hugged my friends goodbye before walking home, followed by the two boys whose childhood heroes we were. It was still weird thinking about being someone´s hero. (Y/E/N) already found new friends and was staying with them, so I was alone. And lonely. “(Y/N)-nee!” Romeo dashed up to me and almost ran over the boys. “Sheesh, Romeo, calm down a bit. Natsu´s not a good influence on you...but then again, we all aren´t.” I thought. “Sorry, I just wanted to give you back your keys. When you were gone I took care of your flat. I always knew you would come back some day! I knew you wouldn´t die so easily!” he grinned and handed me over my keys. I smiled and choked back some tears, so I was still someone´s hero. People still believed in us. “It would be better if we were dead” I whispered, chuckling. Poor Romeo suffered uncertainty, if we had died, they could´ve moved on.

[maculategiraffe]

someone singing my life back to me

Hey, here’s some brief ficlets set in the How Life Goes On universe.  How Nora left things with some of the companions who’ve featured less prominently, or not at all, in the main story.

Title from Neko Case’s “Guided By Wire”

“Thanks for everything, Codsworth,” I said, and burst into tears.

Codsworth whirred with distress.  “Oh, Miss Nora, I implore you, don’t cry!  I’ll be more than happy to continue accompanying you on your travels, for as long as you find me at all useful!”

I shook my head, sniffing, trying to pull myself together.  Wiped my face on my sleeve.

“Please, mum,” said Codsworth, and produced a red bandanna from one of his storage pouches, proffering it with a delicate pincer-hand.  He��d always been unbelievably dexterous.  I remembered the first time I’d watched him change Shaun’s diaper, goggling in disbelief.

I mopped my face obediently with the bandanna, and gave him a watery smile.

“I can’t ever thank you enough,” I told him hoarsely.  “For everything.  For staying here all this time, and being here for me when I got home, and everything you’ve done for me– but now that Sanctuary’s thriving again, this is where you belong.  At home.  Not out on the road with a– vagabond.”

“But I belong to you, Miss Nora,” said Codsworth, his tinny voice sounding bewildered and hurt.  “Master Nathanael registered me in both your names at time of purchase, and now–”

“But he bought you for our home,” I said.  “To take care of our home.  And you’ve done such an amazing job, while we were gone.  And now– it’s not just our house I need you to take care of, it’s– all of Sanctuary.  All these people, they’ve never had anything as– as amazing as you, to help look after them.  Not just housework, either– I had no idea you were such a badass fighter, and it’s so great, and–”

I wiped my eyes again, on the damp bandanna, and cleared my throat, and said, “Codsworth, it’s not like it was before, you know?  It’s not as easy as it was, when Nate first bought you.  We can’t just– each look after our own house, any more.  We all have to share with each other, and fight for each other, and take care of each other.  And part of that is– you being– not just for me, any more.  You belong to Sanctuary, now.”  I smiled at him.  “And to yourself.”

He was silent for a little, and then he said, “Very well, mum.  I shall do my utmost to– maintain– home.  To the appropriate standards.  By all the means at my disposal.“  

"I know you will, buddy,” I said.  "I’m gonna do my best, too.“

…………………………

“So you’re ditching me.”

There wasn’t any real hurt in her voice, I didn’t think– I’d heard what her voice sounded like when something flicked on the raw– but there was an ask there.  She needed me to help her be OK with this, or be OK with being OK with this.

“Cait.”  I reached out, making sure I telegraphed my intention to touch her, gave her that little moment to adjust, and to shy away if she needed to.  She didn’t, so I cupped her lean, bare shoulder gently with my hand, and squeezed it lightly.  “You’ve been on your own for– forever.  And traveling with me, on the road all the time, and getting in all these fights– don’t get me wrong, it’s great for me, that you’ve got my back, but– it’s not right, not for you, not anymore.  You deserve a home.  A place to settle down.  A family that loves you.”

She glared at me.  “So I deserve all that, and you don’t?”

I swallowed.  “I– you know– I’m still figuring all that out.  But you’ve fought through so much, and now you’re clean, and– you deserve some peace.”

“I wouldn’t know what to do with peace,” said Cait.

I smiled at her.  “Well, I mean, it’s still the post-apocalypse.  It’s not like there’s going to be a shortage of raiders and ferals and super mutants thinking it’s smart to fuck with the Abernathy family.  That’s the other reason I like the idea of you staying here.  I can’t always be here, and– the Abernathys, they’re so brave, and they’ve already lost one daughter, and– Lucy misses her sister, you know?  And you know she looks up to you.”

“Looks up to me?”  Cait scoffed.  “She’s got a better head on her shoulders than that.”

“Cait, if a person’s gotta be dumb to admire you, then I’m dumb, too.”

“You’ll get no arguments from me,” said Cait, but she was smiling, a little bit.  “So I’m to be the new Abernathy girl.”

“I think you like that idea,” I said.  “And– you know they love you.  How brave you are, and how strong, and how far you’ve come.”

“What about you?” she asked.

“I’ll be all right,” I said.  “You’ve taught me a lot, you know?”

She scoffed, and then she lunged into my arms, awkwardly and violently– she still approached hugs like they were fistfights minus fists– and wrapped her sinewy arms around me.  I put my arms around her and hugged her back, tight.

“I love you, Cait,” I said.  “You know that, right?”

“I love you too, you daft old cow,” she said.  “And I hope you find your baby.”

…………………………

“I hate this fu– freaking overpass, though,” said Macready, looking up and squinting irritably.  

“Really?” I asked.  “I fucking love it.  I like thinking about how parts of it are littered with the corpses of people who thought they were gonna fuck with my friend.”

He grinned at me.  “Language, boss.  You need to get in better habits.  Or what’s gonna happen when you find your kid?”

“If swear words are all I’ve got to worry about my kid learning, I’m gonna count myself lucky,” I said.  “You, on the other hand– you know where your kid is.  You just gotta bring him home.  And this is home.  Abraham and Abigail love you, and Jake and Daniel think you’re a fucking badass.  Which you are.  And you can protect them, if any more raiders– or Gunners– come sniffing around.  And Duncan gets to grow up safe, with his dad, and a real home.”

“I still owe you, though,” he said seriously.  “Big time.”

I smiled.  “Then pay me back by being happy, and blowing the head off anybody who messes with this farm.  Save the general a trip to rescue all your dumb asses.”

“OK,” said Macready.  "I can take a hint.”

“Good.”  I smiled at him.  “Hug?”

“Yeah, whatever,” he said, and hugged me.  

……………………………

“Have I offended you in some way, madame?”

“No, sweetheart,” I said, taking her hand in mine.  She squeezed mine back immediately, but she still looked unhappy.  “God, no.  You’re amazing.  It’s completely my own problem.  Problems.”

“What are the problems?” Curie asked plaintively.  “If you will tell me, madame, we can work together to solve them.”

“But that’s the thing,” I said.  “They’re not your problems.  They’re great things about you.  Like your badass new body.  I’m so happy you’ve got it, but it’s–”  I held onto her little hand.  “It’s my daughter’s body.  And you’re– not my daughter.”

She considered that gravely.  

“Am I to you an obscenity?” she asked finally, in a small voice.  “Like a– a reanimated corpse?”

“No!”  I held her hand harder.  “No, Curie, no, it’s not like that.  It just makes me sad.  Thinking about G5-19, and what happened to her.  That I never got to know her.  That she– she trusted the Railroad, and they– we– killed her–”

My throat tightened.  Curie looked distressed.  

“I’m so happy you’re in her body, now, though, honey,” I said, and lifted her hand impulsively to my lips.  “I’m so glad it’s alive again, and not just– being tended, like a grave.  And I’m so happy you get a chance to experience life in a body, like this.  And– but the other thing is, you’re so brave, and that’s great, but it’s stressing me the hell out, taking you into all these dangerous situations.  I’m terrified every time we get in a fight, that I’m going to have to watch you– die– or even get hurt–  And, see, that’s not your problem, either.  You get to be brave.  You get to risk your life.  It’s your life.  It’s just my problem, it’s just– too much for me, right now, what with– everything.  I’m sorry, Curie, I love you, I really do, I just– I just can’t right now.”

She nodded.  She looked more pensive than sad, now.

“To whom will you go, madame?” she asked, after a moment.  

I hadn’t really thought about that.  Everybody I knew well enough to travel with was sort of– settled.  Except Deacon, and I needed some time away from the Railroad, right now.

“Maybe I’ll just be a lone wanderer for awhile,” I said.  “Take some time.  Process some stuff.”

She shook her head.  

“Pardon me, madame,” she said, “but I think that would not be wise.”

“How come?” I asked, and, joking, “You don’t think I can take care of myself?”

She shook her head gravely.  "Physically, yes, madame– you are a skilled fighter and a– tough customer?“

I grinned at her.   She smiled back, then sobered.

"I was alone for a very long time, before you found me,” she said.  "It was not a pleasure to me, but it was not a– deprivation?  As it would be, now.  I had no need to eat and to drink, and no need, also, to be with.  To be together.  Not to be alone.“

I nodded.  "Is it different, now?”

“I think it is different for… bodied… people,” she said.  "Embodied?“

"Yeah, maybe,” I said.  "Well, I’ll figure something out.“

She said, "When you so kindly took me to Goodneighbor, to help me to this body, monsieur le maire Hancock seemed– very– solicitous?  Worried, of your well-being.”

“Yeah, he’s–”  I could feel myself blushing.  "I– but we agreed to take some time apart, to figure some stuff out.“

"You have taken time apart,” said Curie.  "All the time I have been with you, yes?  Have you not, now, figured stuff out?“

"Not everything,” I said.

She nodded.  "Then perhaps the remaining stuff is not best figured out by being apart.“

"Yeah,” I said.  "Maybe.  OK, Curie.  I’ll take it under advisement.  Thanks.“

"You are most welcome, madame.”

…………………………………..

“Yeah, good luck with that whole… milk… thing.”

[accidently-happens]

A New Story

A Short Story

It is original. There is no aspects of other’s work in here as far as I know.

This is part of a short story series I started while traveling. It isn’t anything too special but it’s helped me feel more confident in my writing ability. If there’s any mistakes or confusion, let me know! The asks for this blog have been turned on.

I’ll occasionally share the drawings I’ve done of the characters 😋

It might get a little… uneasy… later based off of what I’ve already got written but enjoy!

Word Count: 3,303

Warnings in tags

All my characters

Death’s Death

What would you say if I told you that the Greeks and Romans were the most accurate about deities? Not as the creator of the universe but rather a group that had control over an oddly specific thing? For example, I, Nekes, had control over death. What does this mean? I kill people by touching them. I can tell when and how someone will die. I have the deathly knowhow. This is especially funny since my younger brother, Vitus, is major life. He said I give off a depressing aura. I told him he smelled of life and he went to take a shower. So, ha.

He tries to get us to hide ourselves. Easy for him. He just has to shower often and keep his hair long. I can’t be near people without them feeling like something’s wrong with me. Except for the others of course. Especially the lifes. They both counteract my aura. Our cousin Letcha is minor life. This might get confusing. Let me explain. I’m death. My younger brother is major life. My younger sisters are Timi and Shimi, sound and good endings respectively. Our cousin Dekins was weaponry. His sister Kilns was  flora and fauna. Their younger sister was Letcha, minor life.

Out cousins Merccie, Sotpa, and Neurs were siblings - in that order, first two being girls and the last being a boy - that were, in the same order, thanks & good tidings, love, and knowledge. A girl who might be my cousin from the other side was beginnings, Genesis. Then a family friend Travis was the gatekeeper.

Did that make sense? I’ll leave a list or something just in case. Moving on.

Today was the first day of school. Bad? Oh yeah. Very bad. I had a note from my parents, who were both aware and unaware of the reality of us children, that said I was to be in a seat away from the other students and closer to the door. My mom was a doctor but nobody knew that so it was a two in one. Score. The teachers were confused but never argued since I stood the right distance that they could tell something was up with me and not to be pressed but they didn’t feel any effects. Besides, a doctor’s note was hard to argue, even if it said I had “a contagious disease that could cause almost instantaneous death.” Emphasis on almost. I’ve been working hard to keep myself in check. If I really focus, I can touch someone for a couple minutes or not make everyone within a two-foot radius feel depressed and hopeless but not at the same time. Considering how it’s taken me the six years I’ve dealt with this, that’s pretty good since I’ve also had to not let anything bother me. Kids at school started calling me apathetic and dull. If only they knew…

Vitus snapped his fingers in front of my face. I snapped out of my day dream. It was our monthly gathering and I had dozed off. Again. Except for Genesis and Kilns, everybody else looked indifferent. This happened often enough. I’d probably doze off again as soon as Timi started talking. I hate her. Correction, I despise her.

“Nekes, if you’re going to sleep, do it at night,” I saw Dekins point at me aggressively with his pointer, “you need to be 100% here.”

“Give her a break, Dekins! Neko hasn’t been sleeping good for the last few weeks!” Genesis stood to my rescue and used the nickname she gave me, though, she didn’t have to bring my insomnia up. Whatever. I tried to not show the blush that wanted to burn my face. I felt Kilns shift, her way of telling me my aura was going through the life shield. I mumbled a sorry and focused on my emotions, bringing them back down into locked boxes.

“It’s fine, Gen, he’s right…” I mumbled to her through my jacket.

She glanced at me worriedly.

“Alright but,” she sat down and leaned towards me and whispered softly, “but I’m here for you so just let me know okay Neko?”

I nodded, “What did I miss out on?” Vitus sighed and pressed the bridge of his nose.

“We were discussing what to do about school. We need a good way of hiding our auras and other side effects.”

“I don’t. I just have to wear my-”

“Shut up Travis. You’re fine. It must be easy when all you have to do is hide a key-”

“Wow, I didn’t know you were so aggressive, Kilns,” interrupted Timi, filing her nails with a rather large file.

“Oh hush you.” Timi stuck her tongue out in an effort to be sarcastic without words, squeezing her eyes shut (here have an emoji that accurately describes this face: 😝 hehehe). Kilns went silent, leaning closer to me and forcing me to pull my aura tighter around me. This is when two-year-old Neurs spoke up.

“Nekes, your aura is the strongest and most problematic to hide because of the side effects of your presence.”

“Yeah I know… ’m working on it…”

Everyone looked at me with a look saying “really?”

“I need to leave… I might come back… just keep chatting without me… no Gen, you need to stay.” I added as Genesis got up to follow me as I headed out of the void room. I needed to let myself go for a while without others. She nodded and sat back down in my chair, leaning on Kilns who put an arm around her.

I quickly left and headed to an area of the void outside the void house that I visited often. While there wasn’t anything ever alive there, death was in the air and it felt like things had died. I didn’t notice a thing. It simply felt like home. Well, more than where I was raised in.

“Back so soon?”

I shrugged and sat in the middle of the death bubble. Nobody could hear me or come see me. They’d die no matter who they were.

“… suppose so…”

“What’s getting you so down, Death?”

I hesitated in telling the voice that always accompanied me while I was near highly concentrated areas of ‘magic’ even if it wasn’t mine.

“…nothing that concerns you…” I felt the voice smile.

“Are you sure, Death?”

I nodded.

“Oh Death. Stop lying to yourself,” it felt like hands came and rested on my shoulders, “Just let me-”

“No. Stop asking me.” I shrugged the feeling off me and dropped my emotional facade, my eyes changing from a dark blue to a near neon blue that glowed in the midst of the darkness that surrounded me. My face showed all emotion that I’ve been hiding for too long a time. I cried from sadness and anger. I gripped my arms so tightly that they started bleeding from my nails puncturing my skin as though feeling eyes on me. I felt anxious and terrified. I screamed out my confusion and horror at what I became. I sat and vented until I passed out, dreaming of what it’d be like if I wasn’t Death.

I woke up hours later. I knew the meeting was over. I couldn’t sense their life essence. I felt one. I didn’t want to talk to her, but I knew I’d have to. I trotted out, my clothes becoming a hooded sweatshirt, a pair of tights, and a short skirt. I pulled my hood up and pulled a navy blue scarf from nothing and hide the lower half of my face.

“What do you want Merccie?”

“To know if you’re okay.”

“…’m fine.”

She seemed unpersuaded. I chose not to care. I kept walking. She sighed and followed, jogging by my side.

“Look, Shimi says she can’t see your end. You know what that means?”

I stayed silent, tilting my head down to hide my face more.

“You… You do know?!? What?!? Do you-?!?”

“I can’t care not should I.  I’m death and caring hurts others. My emotions hurt others. Now, leave me alone.”

I opened a doorway to reality as it was known six years ago, stepping into my room. I had finally gotten my own room almost six years ago. It was technically an entire house. It had everything I might need to live in a zombie apocalypse which I know now will never happen. More likely, I’d get all of mankind killed. Or worse. Expelled. I smiled. That’s a good joke. I might have to tell the others that one.

I opened a cupboard, out of cereal… okay looks like I’m not having dinner tonight. I stumbled to the living room area. I fell face first onto the couch and sighed. I turned my head towards the TV.

“What’s up Gen?”

Genesis jumped from her position by the door and hit the door.

“How’d you know I was here?”

I got up and went to her. “You’re both loud in breathing and have an aura that is similar to the lifes.”

“…umm… in English please?”

“Magic,” I stood up and walked back to the couch, sitting with an ‘oomphf.’ She followed and sat close by me. My aura wasn’t being held too tightly and she was definitely in it’s range.

“You’re going to-”

“Nekes.” She was being deathly seriously. She never used my real name, especially when it was just us, and she never interrupted. I stared wide-eyed at her, afraid to say anything.

“Why are you hurting yourself?” she made eye contact and held it, “Why did you let this start?”

I looked down and pulled a knee up, not wanting to respond. I knew she’d find out. It was a beginning and that’s her thing.

“Neko… please tell me… I know good starts and bad beginnings but I don’t ever know why. I need you to tell me why.”

“….sorry…”

“That’s it? That’s all you have to say? 'Sorry’ is it? That’s the only explanation I get?” She sounded exasperated and… worried? She moved closer and I backed away, my touch might kill her right now. She persisted. She ended up laying on top of me, her warmth sinking into my cold form as she held my face. Hers being right above mine. She could see. She saw the tears silently and emotionlessly falling from my very dark eyes. She understood what it meant.

“I can see it… your pain… why do you hide it, Nekokonooo?”

My eyes lightened a little at the nickname she used when we were only alone. She smiled.

“Please tell me Nekokonooo? Please please pleeeeaaasssse?”

Funk she’s cute. My eyes grew lighter and dropped back to the dark color. I sat up, pushing her into my lap, and sighed.

“Since I can’t say no when you make that face-” at this, she blushed and smiled more “-I’ll tell you.”

She nodded and tried to maintain a serious face. She failed and laughed. It sounded like fairies flying through a sun beam. I smiled for a second.

“Even though you don’t seem to be affected by my aura too much, it affects the others but it affects the mortals worse, “ We called those not a owner of an oddly specific thing mortals cause we can, “I sense their deaths moving forward in time. Their life shortens for every second they’re in my aura. If I touch them, they’ll die. If I touch another of us, they get deathly ill. Even you are affected by my touch. I can feel it.”

She lost her hopeful & glad expression and found a more thoughtful & mournful one. I kept talking, finally having a way to let this out.

“I don’t go to funerals because I’m afraid that all I do is make people feel worse. That makes sense though because I’m Death. Why is that though? Why am I Death? Why couldn’t I be something- anything else? Who picked death as my realm? If I were to-” I was cut off as Genesis put a finger over my lips. She looked up and whispered a small thing. A seemingly insignificant thing. Except, it was all I ever needed to hear.

I woke up and found myself wrapped around Genesis on the couch. I carefully got up from around her. If her parents found out… Shed. I’d be so dead. I spliced a portal to her room, across the country, and listened for signs of their knowing. It didn’t seem like it. Fortunately. I went back and picked her up. In all the fanfics I read, it’s called 'bridal style’ but I’m not sure why. I’ve never been to a wedding. If you ask me why… what are you, an idiot?

I lifted Gen through the portal and placed her onto her bed, hoping her parents weren’t able to sense that I was in here. I caressed her cheek and jawline, moving hair away from her peaceful face. I sighed. I moved back through the hole in space, looking at her while I closed the portal. I turned back to the house. The one I live in. The sorta room. The “you make us feel depressed and sick so please stay here and don’t visit us okay thanks” room. I turned to the room I was supposed to sleep in but turned it into a pocket in space-time. It was much bigger than it should’ve been allowed to be, according to physics anyway. I waltzed to the section that had little of me and lots of everybody else. In other words, if people wanted to talk with me, this is where we would chat. Someone was there. I opened it. It was Vitus. Did he know?

“Why was she here?” Uh oh.

“Sorry who?”

He sighed. “You know who I’m talking about. Genesis…?” He said it like a question.

“She doesn’t come in. She wasn’t here. She hasn’t visited me in-”

“Nekes, why are you lying to me? I can sense her life force in there.”

Well, sprinkles.

“Nekes…”

“She wasn’t here. Go away.”

“Nekes. Don’t you funki-”

“Fudge. Off.” Then I slammed the door in his face. He yelled at me through the door as I walked away, moving away and to the the furthest room from the meet-and-greet door so I wouldn’t hear him. I landed on the couch and waited for his presence to go away. I wasn’t ready to deal with him. Or anyone. Unfortunately, it was a school day. Or rather, fortunately. It means he left. A lot sooner then he would’ve otherwise. I shouldn’t be going to school. Even though it was the second day of school. I can’t control my aura enough. I grabbed a phone and texted Mom that I needed her to call me out an excused absence. She asked why within the minute but she got no response. I assumed she called the school. I curled up on the couch with my knees to my face, my emotions trying to be free. I refused. I got up and spliced a one-way portal to Genesis’s room. She was awake now. She wasn’t aware I was watching. She never suspected that I watched her when she wasn’t around me physically. At least… I don’t think so?

She had changed into a simple outfit, one that I had given her. It was a shirt that read “Start Starting” and everyone laughed and found it odd that I let her take a selfie with me, even more so when they saw a genuine smile on my face. That never happened, certainly not anymore around them. Anywho, she was… sewing? I wasn’t sure what since it looked recently started. It was a lot of dark blue. My brain decided to shut off and the portal shut with a pop. My last sight was Genesis turning around and looking directly at me as I passed out.

I squeezed my eyes before opening them slightly, left more than the right. People were talking… about me?

“Go home Genesis, you’re parents-”

“I don’t care about what they think, Vitus. I’m too worried about KoKo!”

“She’s not dying, especially if the ending I saw is gonna happen-”

“What ending…?”

“I really don’t want to talk about it. I never should have brought it up. It’s overshadowed by less happy ends for Nek-”

“Tell me, Shimi.”

“Trust me. Not yet. Not all endings should be shared with those affected by it.”

There wasn’t a response. A different voice.

“Hey, Genesis, Nekes is awake.”

I heard someone’s - probably Gen’s - head whip around.

“If that’s another prank Travis-”

“It’s not. Look.”

A few steps. A face blocked the light in my face. I heard Shimi grab Travis and leave the room. My voice was like nails on a chalkboard.

“Gen… don’t cry…”

She sniffled and hugged me, bringing certain things to my attention. I groaned in pain. She backed away. I moved a hand to my chest. She made a sharp intake in breath as my eyes opened wide.

My entire chest was bandaged.

When I pulled my hand away to look at it, it was red and slightly blue.

“Wh-what happened?” My voice was full of horror and fear.

She must’ve shrugged.

“Not sure but when you were spying on me - something we need to talk about - you seemed to have gotten… well shot. By a gun. We can’t get the bullet out and it’s making you bleed more and more.”

My hand started shaking. I felt the cords that were attached directly to my heart and soul (it’s how we knew we were “owners” of something). My other hand went to my head. More lines connecting to machines to keep me alive. Death was on the verge of death.

“H-how l-long?”

“Only three hours but…” she mumbled, “it felt like years…”

For three hours, the world had no death. For three hours, Travis had to deny me entrance to my own realm. For three hours, I was going to die. I cried.

Only days later after I was able to wander again and I was in my deathful area in the void did I realize that someone had undressed me. I panicked.

Who had seen my chest? My arms? My neck? Whoever it was, knew. They knew. They knew the one secret I’ve been hiding. I hid it from everyone, including Gen.

“Uh ooohhh~ Someone knows~” The voice was back. It sounded different.

“What did you do? Did you shoot me? Why? What did I ever do to you? Who are you? Are you even real? Am I talking aloud to myself? What is even going on? I’m so confused. Someone help. I need help.” I rambled nonsense. I said nothings. There was no point in what I was saying. I was making it worse. How could I make it worse? Easily. I went from flailing around to punching things to laying on the floor crying. Adding to my collection. My collection of scars. Scars that ran from my fingertips to my neck to my hips. They were all accidents. They show up after every fit. Everytime I let emotions go, I got new scars. I was waiting for them to show up on my legs and face. They might this time.

I heard the voice. Laughing. It was laughing at me. I decided I was going to kill it. My eyes were glowing blue, tinted red and turning a stronger red by the minute. A scythe appeared in my hands, three, four, five times my size. I swiped it all around me. It hit nothing. I dropped it, realizing I had consciously summoned it. I fell to my knees and cried into my hands, feeling my nose bleed. I looked up at the sky. I sobbed. I wept. Death couldn’t take the stress.

Here’s the list Nekes promised without permission squints

From Nekes point of view:

~ Nekes - Death

~ Vitus - Brother - Major Life

~ Timi - Sister - Sound

~ Shimi - Younger Sister

> Dekins - Cousin - Weaponry

> Kilns - Cousin - Flora and Fauna

> Letcha - Cousin - Minor Life

+ Merccie - Cousin - Thanks and Good Tidings

+ Sotpa - Cousin - Love

+ Neurs - Cousin - Knowledge

* Travis - Family Friend - Gatekeeper

= Genesis - Cousin? - Beginnings

Each point mark represents a different family. They’re in oldest to youngest order within the families and Nekes isn’t the oldest on this list.

[lunatails-blog]

Masamune-Kun no Revenge | Review

Disclaimer: Any and all comments said about this anime are all my own opinion. I understand that many of you may disagree with what I have said and so, if you feel I was wrong please tell me why you think I was wrong. Debate it with me.

Thanks, Luna.

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THIS IS A REIVEW AND COMES WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF SPOILERS.

 Art Style: 6

Plot: 5

Entertainment: 7

Characters: 7

Overall rating: 6.5

 Before I begin I want to make it clear that I have yet to read the manga for this series. Once I have read it I will be going ahead and reviewing the manga before doing a side by side comparison and giving my final opinion on this show.

With that said I present to you my personal opinion of the anime Masamune-Kun no Revenge.

 Masamune-Kun no Revenge is an anime that follows a very light hearted plot with the intended purpose of making its audience not just laugh, but to feel what the characters are feeling throughout the course of the show. The story itself follows Masamune Makabe as he tries to set into action his revenge plan after having his heart broken by Aki Adagaki. Throughout this series we follow along and watch as the two gradually get closer with the passing of time as they fight against things in normal daily life such as both of their classes wanting to put on the same play, and the ever increasing threat of car accidents and ill health.

 Throughout the first season there are two major rivals who are shown to hinder Masamune’s plan of revenge. These are Neko Fujinomiya and Kanetsugu Gasou who both come from very different backgrounds to the rest of the characters.

 However, for the purpose of this review I will start by speaking about Neko Fujinomiya. Neko is the main female rival to Aki and made it very clear from the first episode of her appearance that she was interested in dating Masamune even though to his eyes, they had never met before. With her happy go lucky attitude and ability to hide many important factors about herself she was able to mislead all her friends into believing she was very vigilant over the vitamins everybody needs to live a long healthy life. However, this is a rouse that very quickly becomes apparent as her ill health is shown more and more until finally, she collapses and is rushed into hospital. It is here we learn just how serious her health is and that she is in fact on the road to death. In truth, I found this twist on Neko quite touching and it was clear that the creator of the manga was attempting to make you finally begin to like Neko if you hadn’t already. And if you still didn’t like her it was clear that the purpose was to at least have sympathy for someone in this type of condition.

However, the factor is while it was a smart idea on the creators end and I did have sympathy for Neko I couldn’t help but believe the way that this was pulled off was poorly done. From the very start I had found myself disliking her character for falling into such a clitche role when it was evident they could have done so much more with her. It was revealed in the anime that the pair had known each other when they were younger and while they may not have remembered this they could have gone down the road of them discovering their childhood connection and of them trying for-fill a childhood promise. Not only that but often Neko fell into the background and it was very easy to forget she existed in the series. That’s how little a threat she was. Not only that but when we finally hear her reasoning for being in love with Masamune I felt it was lacking and laughable.

He was a random guy picked out so she could feel what love felt like before she went for the operation. Honestly, it felt like the creator hadn’t been able to think of a decent reason and went for the most flimsy excuse they could have thought of. Personally, I feel like that reasoning would have been fine if they had decided to elaborate on it more. Maybe she did randomly pick him out and decide she wanted it to be him she fell in love with before she went for the operation but later on she discovered that her family had become bankrupt trying to pay for her operation and so decides to try and get Masume to fall in love with her so she can marry into his family and convince him to reclaim the wealth he once had.

In my opinion this would not have only added depth to her character but would have also given the story a fresher twist that didn’t follow the traditional happy go lucky- too nice to be real girl routine.

In truth, I could rant on more about the factors that I didn’t like Neko as a character but for now I will switch over to her character design.

Throughout all of this series I found myself beginning to like the art style more and more. It lacks uniqueness I do confess but it did match  what would be expected of an anime in this genre which I honestly felt was slice of life despite it not being placed under this genre.

Neko’s appearance definitly suited her character though with it showing the fact that she was meant to not just be cute but be wealthy too. She was never seen to look scruffy and the colours matched each other rather well for her so honestly, I cannot complain about her design at all…

Apart from the fact that she didn’t have anything to make her look unique that is… But what can you expect?

 Anyway, enough about Neko. This time I want to talk about the rest of the cast not including Kanetsugu Gasou purely because he was a last second added character who hasn’t had enough episodes based around him for me to be able to accurately comment on.

 As any watcher of the show knows, Masamune Makabe is the leading character of the show and in truth I think he is one of my favourite lead characters ever. Unlike a stereotypical character he does not try to be oblivious to everyone's feelings for him and outright tells them the truth when they ask him out. He also wasn’t seen to do the stereotypical modest thing when anyone complimented his appearance and often went out of his way to say that he knew he looked good and to purposefully show off how he looked. And while yes, this is an arrogant move, the way it was pulled off with the cast around him did make me laugh from time to time. Not only that but he was seen on multiple occasions to not try and fore-fill the hero role and was seen to make mistakes too. Sadly, a character acting like this is usually rare as most creators think that they need to have a perfect lead role so to see that he wasn’t following such a stereotype truly was a refreshing change for me.

 As for his design I would say the same as I did for Neko and this comment applies to all the characters. The artstyle fitted them, the colours matched and generally speaking they were nice to the eye. My only fault I have with any of the character designs is the lack of uniqueness they have at times with the exception of hairystyles that is. For example, some scars, freckles etc would have gone a long way to make them look even more unique. Or even giving them a outlandish outfit for the episoodes out of the school would have made them appear more unique. But with that said, I’m not going to complain about the art style as I wish to speak about the last two characters that often reoccur.

 The next character I wish to speak about is Aki Adagaki also known as the ice princess. Honestly, I am neither a lover or a hater of her character and there was the odd time where I did find myself laughing during the scenes which she was in. Aki follows many stereotypes though and yet, this is what I think made her character so enjoyable at times. She was the prettiest and most popular girl in the whole school with all the guys chasing after her. Yet, she rejected them with a familiar ice cold heart. Sound familliar? Yeah, sadly it is a common clitche within a school based world. However, the creator of Aki tried to make her follow a real life girl stereotype with their choice of making her conscious about her appearance and overly large appetite for no apparent reason.

And in truth, I honestly don’t have much more to say about her. She was just a stereotype through and through yet, for the theme of this anime at this present date I can’t think that there would have been a better way for them to pull her off. If she had been too nice the revenge plan would have made Masamune look like the bad guy and if she was any crueller she would have been dismissed as someone he shouldn’t have wasted his time with. Meaning that the way they begin to show her sensitive side the more he got to know her was most likely the best road to go.

 Gosh, I hate how I have to admit that though.

 The last character I wish to speak about is Yoshino Koiwai. Yoshino is the maid to Aki and is seen to throughout the series try to help Masamune with his revenge plan in hope that it will help Aki become more understanding of those around her. However, this girls personality is seen to be bland throughout the whole series and honestly, she’s made to seem like she truly doesn’t care. While this isn’t a bad thing it has meant that I honestly don’t have much of an opinion for her character. Like Neko she is seen to frequently fade into the background and doesn’t hold much stage presence. So, for now, I’m going to hold back on my opinion of her.

 There are many characters that reoccur in Masamune-Kun no Revenge and each time I was happy to see them despite their obvious purpose being comedy relief. I found that I would smile at the jokes that they made and more than once I found that I wanted to see more of them.

It was as simple as that. The characters were minor, yet they did their role well. So generally speaking I can’t complain too much.

 So with all that said about the characters lets look back at the story plot. Masamune is trying to get revenge on Aki. It’s a basic plot that leaves itself open for many outside factors to get involved as they do. While the anime is showing the development of their relationship and we get closer to the main cast it is clear to see that there is meant to be more than meets the eye. Why would Aki wait all day for a guy she dismissed and called pigsfoot. That is the one question which I found myself wondering throughout the entire season. It made no sense.

Now please know, I do know the reason behind this now after looking it up but I brought it up since that is the one thing the anime constantly brings up.

 Anyway guys, here are my final thoughts for this anime.

In truth, I found this anime rather enjoyable and I think its very enjoyable to others too as long as they aren’t hoping for a deep plot twist filled plot. If you’re looking for something light hearted and fun then this will be the show for you. It will make you laugh and make you feel at times.

So I’d say that this is a just above average anime. For me, I say its a 6.5/10.

 -Luna

[skia-oura]

Hey, in this economy, you want to hold onto every 50 yen you have, so don’t be wasteful!

A/N: Got a lovely review in like April or May and went ‘huh, I wanted to write something with Shinpachi but never had anything come to mind’ and started this fic, thinking it’d be the same length as the other two. 2k, maybe 3. Hahahahahahahahaha. No. 6k. Gintama. Rated T for some innuendo and language. Purely platonic. FYI, 50 yen is about $0.45.

Ao3 ff.net

           One would think that with all the screeching and yelling Shinpachi does during the day—at Kagura-chan and Gin-san for beating that old megane joke into the ground, at getting caught between Kondou-san and Kyuubei-san’s ongoing fight over Ane-ue’s honor, at literally nearly dying because of some stupid, overdramatic reason—one would really think that Shinpachi, resident weak link and straight man, would scream himself awake from a nightmare. He’d never been the most emotionally reserved or removed from even vaguely upsetting situations, so Shinpachi doesn’t really blame them. And honestly? They wouldn’t be half wrong. As a kid dreaming about little-kid fears, Shinpachi would screech and wake up and bang an elbow against the closest piece of furniture and well, after that, he’d bawl about the nightmare and the elbow because what if the nightmare happened and what if he’d broken something he’d never move his arm again Ane-ue, Ane-ue! Then Ane-ue would come in, hair cropped short because she hated it getting in the way and thought it was cute so there, Otou-san! and Otou-san allowed it because Ane-ue was frighteningly good with her naginata even then. Anyway, she would come in, and hug him, and then smack him on the head because samurai don’t cry over hit elbows or giant spiders or talking char, idiot! Then they’d fall asleep together and everything would be right in the world.

           That night, though, with Shinpachi older but not old enough, he dreamed of harder truths. He woke quietly, his face wet with tears but oddly relaxed, and stared at the ceiling. The realization of where he was came in split-second observations: it wasn’t home, and oh the boards are newer there from when Kagura punched Gin-san into the ceiling over the last serving of rice last month, he’s with them for the night. Because that job went late. Right.

           Shinpachi blinked, and saw the imprint of Obi-nii-san’s eyes, lit up red by the glow of his Beam Saber, on the back of his eyelids. Squeezing his eyes shut only made it worse; Ane-ue between them, her hand raised and her eyes lowered—the dry smell of concrete dust and the strain of his tight jaw—Obi-nii-san’s suddenly brown—no. Shinpachi opened his eyes, lifted one hand to wipe the tears off his cheeks, and stared at the ceiling in an attempt to keep his mind off that fight, five months ago.

           There’s moonlight filtering in through the window, Shinpachi noticed. He latched onto how it made everything kind of silver—silver striped with shadow from the bars, the grain catching the light and glistening, if he looked close enough. Which was hard without his glasses on, so he reached over to the table next to the couch and searched with one hand for them. Of course, he only succeeded in hitting them off the edge—he’d set them too close to the side again, damn it all—and listened to the glasses hit the floor with a dull clatter. It was harsh, in the silence. Shinpachi stared at the ceiling, arm still hovering over the table, listening for any sound from Kagura-chan or Gin-san.

           Nothing. No snoring, which was surprising considering Kagura-chan’s occasional ability to wake up even Otose-san. There wasn’t even Gin-san’s quiet rumble. Shinpachi would be suspicious if he hadn’t seen them both near stumbling into bed; Kagura-chan had nearly fallen out of her closet, even. He would have made a joke if it weren’t for how exhausted he was too. As it was, he’d barely taken off his glasses before falling onto the couch.

           Right. Glasses. Shinpachi wondered if it would even be worth it to search them out. It was late, he was tired, and he was sure something exhausting would happen tomorrow too. Look at who he worked with! Sleep was better to get than glasses. Experimentally, he shut his eyes. He willed himself to think of Tsuu-chan’s latest concert: how cute she looked in her latest mini-kimono, crossed and uncrossed lips wrapping across the fabric. A smile stretched across his face at the thought of her dyed purple hair, the adorable kanzashii holding it up, metal glinting in the concert lights and then metal spinning out into the air, broken by a single strike, Obi-nii-san falling backwards with the smallest, softest sigh that Shinpachi had ever heard.

           Shinpachi opened his eyes, rolled off the couch as carefully as he could, and searched the floor with his fingers for his glasses. He wasn’t getting any more sleep tonight, Shinpachi knew. Not when Ane-ue wasn’t there to hold him and be held in return, the way they had the first few nights of their vacation after Obi-nii-san’s sacrifice.

           It really had done them good, Shinpachi thought as his fingers brushed one cool metal arm of his glasses, to get away for a while. Warm weather. Sun. Women in bikinis. Chocolate-covered macademia nuts. No worrying about jobs or money or anything. Much. Blinking at the fuzzy shadow of Gin-san’s desk, Shinpachi dragged his glasses from under the couch and put them on after wiping residual tears from his eyes.

           When he next looked at the ceiling, he could see the woodgrain in more detail, could see the patchwork repair job done on the door leading to the entryway in subtly different shades of paper. He could see how one floorboard jutted up, and wondered if Gengai-san would have a hammer or something that they could pound it down with. ‘They’ didn’t include Kagura-chan, though. She would just hit a hole through the floor. And not only did Shinpachi not want to deal with a broken floor, but he especially did not want to deal with Otose-san’s righteous fury at having her ceiling broken through. It just would end badly for everybody. Especially Shinpachi, because Kagura-chan and Gin-san were like five times faster than he was and wouldn’t blink at throwing him to the wolves if it heightened their chances of survival.

           Well, not wolves. It was actually a robot maid, a neko-girl, and a baba that really was probably a Baba Yaga or something. Shinpachi would take wolves over that unholy trio. He would give himself to the wolves.

           Shinpachi looked over at the Justaway clock in the corner. Quarter past four: it was a shame, Shinpachi thought, that he’d only gotten maybe three hours of sleep. His eyes were sore, so sore, but he didn’t close them. Instead, he tamped down on the frustration rising up to press against the back of his nose, press against his eyes and make them water. Shinpachi blinked the welling tears away, then reached under his glasses to wipe them away when that didn’t feel like enough. Taking a deep breath, he tried to center himself, exhale shaky. Calm. He needed calm. He watched the second hand click, click, click from the seven to the eight, and wondered how he was supposed to occupy himself quietly without waking Kagura-chan and Gin-san.

           Then he wondered if he actually needed to be that conscientious of their sleeping needs. Shinpachi frowned, remembering the time he’d been napping on the couch because nothing was going on only to be woken up ten minutes later by an insistent Kagura-chan who demanded lunch—fine, Shinpachi, it’s really second lunch but that’s only because the lunch you made was so pathetic and weak and I’m a growing girl, not a megane like you!—and took over the couch as soon as he’d gone to the kitchen. Or the time they’d slept at the Shimura home and Gin-san shook him awake every half hour, stuttering about ghosts and how no he wasn’t scared of ghosts but maybe Shinpachi was and he just needed to stay awake, okay Pattsan, okay?? Or the time Sadaharu literally sat on him because Shinpachi had laid down on the floor without giving him water, or the time they’d insisted on making dinner right when he was starting to have a good dream, or—

           No, Shinpachi decided. He did not need to be considerate, not with the shit he had to put up with from those two. Three, he thought, narrowing his eyes at the closet door, where Sadaharu was probably taking a break from trying to tear the metal sheet at the back of the closet down. Three.

           Rice sounded good. Rice and miso soup and maybe it was a little early for breakfast, but if he took a page out of Kagura-chan’s book that would be fine. It was just this once. So Shinpachi stood from the couch, fiddled with his glasses, and began to shuffle across the floor. With one hand, he braced the right side of his neck and stretched it, then switched sides and repeated. As he slipped into the kitchen—he wasn’t doing great at this whole purposefully loud thing—he stretched back until a ripple of cracks and pops echoed up his spine. Ane-ue hated it when he did that. She always threatened to give his spine, or his knuckles, or whatever joint it was a good reason to need cracking. Gin-san just mocked him—you’re so old already, Shinpachi!—until he moved and something cracked and his face went all screwy-funny. He never appreciated Kagura-chan’s cackling then, about curtains matching drapes and poles and when Gin-san yelled about her dirty dirty mind and his pole was working just fine, thank you very much, Kagura-chan would make some snide comment about children and how fast Gin-san seemed to be done at any brothel he ever went to, and it would just devolve from there.    

           Shinpachi flipped the light switch and crouched to pull their commercial-grade rice cooker from under the sink. He plugged it in, then stepped over it to open the tall cupboard for all their rice and pulled the sieve off the crooked hook inside. He crouched. The light buzzed overhead, aggressive, the way it did when it was about to burn out. Shinpachi hoped it wouldn’t do it anytime soon; he’d like to see. With a big yawn, he tugged the closest bag of rice open and felt around inside for the scoop. The cooker could hold up to 60 cups of raw rice. Kagura usually ate half the cooker for breakfast on light days, so they needed it.  Shinpachi scooped ten cups of rice into the sieve—any more, and it would be difficult to wash—and rose from his crouch.

           He flipped on the faucet, pushed dirty dishes out of the way, and then balanced the sieve in the indent of the drain. Out of habit, his hand hovered at the side of the sieve for a moment, just to make sure it didn’t tip—and there it was, it was falling over into his hand. He righted it, hovered a moment more, and then reached for the tasuki hanging on a hook near the mirror over the sink. The water ran, a white rush of sound, as he tied his sleeves back with the tasuki. His motions reflected in the mirror caught his eye, and he stopped mid-step on the second sleeve to look at himself.

           The skin under his eyes looked a little bruised. The rims were red, the eyes suspiciously shiny. His eyebrows were starting to grow into a unibrow. That escapade sometimes gave him nightmares, but they were ones he could laugh at. There was also a zit on the right side of the bridge of his nose, he noticed, and a couple were starting to emerge on his chin. Unlike his facial hair. Shinpachi snorted at the thought, and finished tying the tasuki. The subtle scent of wet rice rose, then fell, to the back of his throat. He reached out to the sieve full of rice, and then began scrubbing them, fingers curled loosely and palm pressed against the grains. The water ran milky under the sieve when he lifted it to check a few minutes later, and he continued to wash.

           This was only the first batch of rice to be washed. Once the water ran clear, Shinpachi would dump this load in the cooker’s pot and start the process all over again, four more times. Fifty cups of dry rice. About a hundred cooked. He really didn’t need to make much, but they didn’t have a smaller cooker and it would be such a waste only to make a little and then have to clean the pot. Shinpachi could just feed the rest to Kagura-chan and Gin-san after his early breakfast, or pre-breakfast snack. Or, if he was feeling vindictive enough, he’d leave the dirty pot in the sink and bring the rice down to Otose-san. Not only would that throw Kagura-chan into hysterics, it would endear him to Otose-san, which might be nice the next time she came around to badger Gin-san for rent money.

           The water ran clear. Shinpachi lifted his hand closer to the faucet and let the water wash away the grains of rice clinging to his hand. Once they were gone, he lifted the sieve with both hands, shook it a couple times to settle the rice and get some of the water out, and swung it over to the pot. Water dripped onto the floor between the sink and the cooker, fanned out from inertia and glinting in the buzzing, flickering light.

           Shinpachi crouched, tipped the sieve, and watched the rice crash down into the pot in a clumping spill of dully-gleaming grain. He tapped the edge of the sieve against the side of the pot, and then reached in to scrape the rest out of the sieve—especially out of that one crimped corner, where they all liked to go and none of them liked to come out.

           That task done, he stood up, eyes flicking to his reflection, then back. He turned and stepped back to the rice cupboard, reached for the cup, and began to scoop. One, two, three, four…

           The repetitive tasks were nice, he thought right around scoop eight. They dulled his mind, smoothed the sharp edges and let him immerse himself in the moment. He was never the greatest at seated meditation, at closing his eyes and focusing on nothing, but intense focus on one thing, on one task? That brought him the most peace. It was part of why he’d picked up cooking in the first place—well, that he’d kept with it.

           Twenty minutes later—it felt like twenty minutes, at least—he was on sieve number four when he heard a voice. “Shinpachi?”

           He looked up, saw Kagura-chan in the doorway. She looked exhausted. He felt a little bad for banging about so early, all of a sudden. She was just a kid, even if she was a menace that denied him sleep more times than he could count. “Kagura-chan, it’s okay. Go back to bed.”

           She hummed, and stopped rubbing her eye. The light in the hallway behind her was still pale, not that Shinpachi expected otherwise. The sun began to rise around six, these days, and it wasn’t anywhere close to that time.

           “Can’t,” she mumbled. She took a couple tottering steps forward, feet bare. “You’re so noisy.”

           “I’ll try to be quieter,” he said. The rice under his palm ground against itself, pressed into his skin and nestled into the creases of his digits. He clenched, it pushed out in the gaps between his fingers, and he relaxed and it stayed molded in the shape of his grasp. “Go back to sleep, Kagura-chan.”

           Instead of turning back around, she shuffled forward and bent down by the rice cooker. “Rice?”

           Shinpachi sighed and turned back to the rice. Of course she wasn’t going to listen to him. Why would she? “I woke up and was hungry, so I decided to make something.”

           Kagura-chan hummed again. Her presence behind him was—distracting. He couldn’t lose himself in the rush of water, the underlying whine of the pipes having to work, in the rub of grain on grain or the slight squeak of metal on metal. If he focused on her behind him, he could just make out her breathing. It was slow, almost deliberate. It kind of made him want to turn around.

           He lifted the sieve and watched the water filtering through the rice. It was almost clear enough—just one more go. Shinpachi lowered it into the sink, held it with one cold hand and began to rub it cleaner with the other.

           “How many?”

           “How many what?” He asked. The glare of the metal sink was getting to him. It would be worse if the light weren’t yellow, he thought.

           “Cups. Of rice.”

           “This is forty,” he said.

           A pause. “Can we cook it after that?”

           He paused mid-scrunch, and shifted to look over his shoulder. Kagura-chan was playing with the rice already in the cooker, one index finger pushing at individual grains. He let the water run and watched her for a bit. “Are…are you hungry?”

           Kagura-chan didn’t nod. She didn’t demand he go faster. She smiled in a way that didn’t push the corners of her eyes up and shrugged. Kagura-chan wasn’t looking at him.

           Shinpachi looked at her, really, really looked at her. Her hair was less of a mess than usual. She had one arm curled around her knees, which were together instead of splayed out without a care for basic decency. Her back was curved over the cramped lines of her legs, her front pressed against the tops of her thighs. The skin under her eyes, though in shadow, looked darker than it should.

At his silence, Kagura-chan raised her head. She scowled. “Whatchu starin at, four-eyes?”

He wondered if he should just let it go. That was kind of status quo here, the way it wasn’t with him and Ane-ue. “You look tired,” he ventured.

           “Better than you,” she shot back. She jabbed one finger into the rice.

           He turned back to the rice, and continued to wash it. He could hear her now, playing with the rice. It was faint under the noise he himself was making, but he could still hear it.

           Time passed like that, him washing rice, Kagura-chan getting her dirty hands all over the rice he’d already cleaned. She was tired, though; he could excuse it. Wasn’t like anybody else was going to eat it. Now that Kagura-chan knew it was there, Shinpachi sure wasn’t going to be able to get into Otose-san’s good graces by giving her cheap food. Maybe there was another way to avoid being collateral damage next time rent was due. Overdue.

           He lifted the sieve again. The water ran clear. With a satisfied hum, he set the rice in the sink again and turned off the faucet. The handle squealed shut, even though it never made a noise turning on. Maybe Gengai-san had something for that too.

           “Is it ready?”

           Shaking the rice to level it out and to get the water out, Shinpachi shook his head. “It still needs to be filled with water.”

           “Fine.” She shifted, and he heard the pot being pulled out of the cooker. He stepped to the side just in time for Kagura-chan to set the cooker the space between dishes. “Here. How much?”

           Shinpachi tipped the rice into the pot and listened to the sound of it. He shook the sieve, then held it with one hand as he pointed out the right line after a moment’s calculation. “To here.”

           “Okay.” Kagura-chan reached over and turned the faucet on. Barely a squeak. Shinpachi narrowed his eyes at it. What kind of faucet didn’t squeak one way but squeaked the other, anyways?

           He scraped the rice out of the sieve with cold fingers, and then flushed the remaining grains out under the faucet before setting the sieve to the side. They stood there, Kagura-chan’s shoulder a fist’s-breadth from his arm, and watched the water flow. The force of it made the water in the pot ripple in the light overhead, made little frothy bubbles bloom into temporary existence on its turbulent surface. Shinpachi took in a deep breath, and let it out. He closed his eyes. Red. He opened them and tried to quash the sudden welling of frustration, because he was supposed to be over it already.

           “Why’d you wake up anyways?”

           He glanced at Kagura-chan. She was watching the water carefully. “I,” he started, then stopped.

           The water reached the right line. Kagura-chan reached forward, turned the faucet off with a sharp squeal, and then settled back onto her heels. She grasped both sides of the pot, and looked at him. “You?”

           Obi-nii-san, he thought. Overcome with the urge to start crying again, he pinched the bridge of his nose under his glasses and took another deep breath. Keep it together, keep it together. The cold of his fingers helped. He focused on it. “Bad dream,” he said, finally.

           There was a moment of silence. Shinpachi saw nothing other than starbursts of phantom light and pressure on the backs of his eyelids.

           “Oh,” she said. He heard her lift the pot out of the sink, heard her set it into the pot. The catch of the lid, the shift of its feet against the floor, and then the click of the dial and the switch to turn the cooker on: he clung to the sounds and tried to distract himself with them.

           “I should make the soup,” he said.

           “Instant?” she asked.

           “Do we have any dashi? Miso, tofu, scallions?”

           “Umm.” He opened his eyes, watched her peer into the refrigerator. She pulled a couple things out—a tub of white miso paste, bargain tofu, and a pair of sad, limp scallions. “Where’s dashi?”

           He bent over and pulled the ingredients off the floor. Thankfully, she’d put the scallions on top of the miso paste tub. “If it’s not in the fridge, there might be a container on the shelf above it. Maybe we have kombu and bonito flakes?”

           Kagura-chan hummed and pushed the door shut with her foot. She rummaged around the shelf and pulled out the necessary ingredients, then passed them to Shinpachi. He plugged in the hotplate and set it to medium heat before digging around for a pan.

           He didn’t mean to be loud, but must have succeeded, because by the time he’d pulled a battered saucepan out and filled it with tapwater, Gin-san spoke up from the doorway. “What the fuck are you guys doing up already? It’s still darker than Madao’s future.”

           “What time is it?” Shinpachi asked. He added a couple slices of kombu to the simmering water and began to watch it for the boil.

           “Uh,” Gin-san said. Shinpachi heard him step out of the room, and there were a few moments before he came back. “Like, five fifty? My eyes are crusty, it might be a little before or after.”

           “You’re just crusty,” Kagura-chan said. She had a knife out. And a cutting board. And was actually cutting the scallions, unprompted, while Shinpachi is in the kitchen. If he weren’t so tired, and if that morning weren’t already weird with people actually being up, Shinpachi would be amazed. Part of that though might be the fact she’s cutting them on the floor, in typical Kagura-chan fashion.

           “Like I said though,” Gin-san drawled, but there’s something in the undertones of his voice that Shinpachi doesn’t know how to read. “What are you two doing up? Growing kids need their sleep, need to stay a good distance away from the TV when they watch their favorite programs or their favorite weather girls, all that stuff.”

           “Couldn’t sleep,” Kagura-chan and Shinpachi said at the same time. It’s almost the same tone, too.

           Gin-san shuffled closer and peered over Shinpachi’s shoulder. He smelled really, really strongly of sweat, and Shinpachi shifted a little away. “That’s why you go back to sleep until you fall asleep,” he said. “You kids are too young to be insomniacs. That’s Gin-san’s job.”

           “Shinpachi’s making breakfast,” Kagura-chan said. “I found him washing rice and decided to make sure he didn’t eat it all.”

           Shinpachi rolled his eyes. “Yes, because my human stomach can handle that much rice,” he said. He tried not to think about how easily ‘food for him’ turned into ‘food for everybody.’ At least he’ll make somebody a good husband one day. Or be around to save his sister’s spouse from the decision of death by char vs death by starvation.

           “And why was Shinpachi up, eh?” Gin-san elbowed him in the ribs. Absentmindedly, Shinpachi swatted at him with his cooking chopsticks. “Kid dreams? Big kid dreams? You finally ascending the ladder into adulthood, Megane? Dreaming about getting those lenses rubbed?”

           Shinpachi snorted. The water began to show signs of boiling, so he pulled the kombu out and set it over the edge of the sink. Steam rose in billowing gusts, barely visible in the cheap lighting. He popped the container of bonito flakes open, added by feel, and then popped the container shut and tossed it to Kagura without looking. She yelped, there was a clattering noise, but no retaliation was forthcoming so he counted himself lucky.

           Gin-san stepped away. The air was a little less stale, and Shinpachi tried to take in as surreptitious a breath as he could. He brought the broth to a simmer and stirred, and felt suddenly very, very tired.

           “Shinpachi?”

           His chopsticks were loose in his fingers. He tightened his grip and looked over his shoulder at Gin-san. “Hmm?”

           Gin-san stared at him a few moments longer, and then looked down at Kagura-chan. She’d moved on to the tofu, and was cutting it in careful, slow slices. While he was distracted, Shinpachi pulled the pan from the heat and set it on the counter to let the bonito flakes steep.

           “Kagura-chan,” Gin-san said, uncharacteristically slowly. “Kagura-chan, do you want me to take over the cutting.”

           “No,” Kagura-chan said. Shinpachi bent and scraped the cut scallions into the bowl of his hands. He stood, and realized he didn’t’ know quite where to put them. How was miso soup made again? He didn’t need the scallions yet.

           “Do…do you want a bowl for that, Pattsuan?”

           “I. Probably.” Shinpachi blinked and tried to remember the steps. “And another small one, for the miso?”

           “Tell you what,” Gin-san said. “I know how to make miso. You and Kagura go—go sit on the couch. Or something. I’ll finish it up.”

           “No,” Shinpachi said. “I started it, I can finish it.” Kagura-chan made a noise of affirmation somewhere below him. The scallions were suddenly out of his hands and in a bowl. He didn’t remember that happening. It was like seeing Ane-ue’s charred tamagoyaki and rice attempts and trying to run but suddenly finding it in his mouth. Except less deadly.

           Gin-san pulled the rice sieve over and tipped the broth over. There was already a bowl underneath to catch the broth as the bonito flakes were strained out. “You kids are making me scared. I haven’t been this scared since Sakamoto tried to make us all food on less than five hours of sleep over a seventy hour period. I’m more awake. Let’s keep the bloodshed in the kitchen to a minimum.”

           “You’re the one who attacks me when I get into the strawberry milk,” Kagura-chan grumbled. Her tofu cubes were getting bigger and bigger. Shinpachi crouched down to fix the problem and had to hold his head. Well, he realized, at least he wasn’t remembering Obi-nii-san—shit. So much for that.

           “Hey,” Gin-san said. “My precious strawberry milk is precious and off-limits and there is no maximum blood-spilling when it’s involved.”

           Shinpachi watched the slow glint of the knife as Kagura-chan moved it. He shouldn’t have been watching it, because that was just inviting bad memories in, but he did anyways. It slid through the tofu, the latter soft, yielding to the pressure, the former not even sharpened but sharp enough that it mattered. Shinpachi wondered, again, if Obi-nii-san had let him win. If he’d made himself hold back so that Shinpachi and his family wouldn’t die. He’d sacrificed himself so they wouldn’t, after all. And Shinpachi was—he was weak, weaker than anybody he knew. Except for Baka Ouji and his attendant. And probably Madao. But really, that wasn’t saying much.

           Obi-nii-san definitely let him win. He reached out for the knife and started cutting Kagura-chan’s blocks into things more resembling cubes. The handle was slick in his palm, and he couldn’t focus well, but he pressed on. Slice by slice, cut by cut, he focused on how the feel of the hilt of the knife was so different from the hilt of the sword, how there was no red glinting or reflecting.

           Kagura-chan’s forehead pressed against his shoulder. The knife slipped out of his hand and into the pile of lopsided tofu. He blinked down at her. “Kagura-chan?”

           “Mmmmm,” Kagura-chan said. “Just a couple seconds, Shin-chan.”

           Chopsticks clattered in the sink. Shinpachi listened to the short echo of wood against metal before it was drowned out by Gin-san’s voice. “Okay, no no no, I did not pay 50 yen for you to just sleep all over our food. Get up you two, get up.” Gin-san got up close and pulled them up to standing positions. Shinpachi breathed in his rank, sweaty stench, and covered his nose.

           “You reek, Gin-san,” he said.

           “Don’t you know that’s what grown men do?” Gin-san said. He spoke quietly, though, and it confused Shinpachi. “Eat, drink, sweat, and play pachinko. Kids like you just go back to sleep instead of being awake at ass-o’clock in the morning.”

           “Don’t wanna,” Kagura-chan whined. Shinpachi nodded, even as he and Kagura were escorted out of the kitchen.

           “You guys aren’t even going to stay upright, are you?” Gin-san muttered. “Okay. New plan. Get in here.” He opened his door and kicked the covers away before setting them on his futon.

           “It stinks,” Shinpachi said. He also didn’t move.

           Gin-san groaned, muttered something, and then stomped off. Kagura-chan found his shoulder again. Her breaths started to even out, but they’d hitch every once in a while, and she’d tense, and then it would happen all over again. He wrapped an arm around her to keep her steady, and it seemed to help a little.

           Gin-san returned and dumped the layers of a clean futon on the ground a layer at a time. “Climb on in,” he said. “Get some sleep.”

           Shinpachi looked up. Gin-san’s bedhead looked to have twice the volume it usually did, by nature of the light catching the filaments of flyaway hairs. “You?”

           “What about me? I’m going to finish breakfast.” Gin reached over and pressed against Shinpachi’s back. “Go over to the other one if this stinks too much.”

           “You’re tired too,” Shinpachi said. He shook Kagura-chan from her light doze, and they crawled over in an uncoordinated tangle of limbs.

           Gin-san scoffed. The light blinked off. “Real Adults are energized even after only a few hours! More energized than the creep in the bunny costume in those battery ads, even.”

           “No wonder you’re brain dead, then,” Shinpachi said. “Lack of sleep has killed off your…your things.” He reached up, right handed, to pull his glasses off. Kagura-chan was gripping his right arm, her forehead again at his shoulder. He could feel the warm, soft huff of her breath through the fabric of his sleeve.

           “My things, huh. Sure, four-eyes,” Gin-san said. The next thing Shinpachi heard was the sound of the door sliding shut, and Gin-san’s footsteps into the kitchen area.

           Shinpachi reached down, pulled one of the blankets up and over himself and Kagura-chan by feel alone. It was soft with age, and smelled both old and like the flowery laundry soap that Otose-san bought that Gin-san liked to nick whenever Yorozuya ran out. He breathed it in; clean, like spring mornings with Ane-ue during their childhood, when they’d make flower crowns that fell apart seconds after being coronated with them.

           Obi-nii-san had gone with them sometimes. Shinpachi wrapped his arm around Kagura-chan, turned on his side so that he could set his chin on the crown of her head. Her hair tickled his nose, so he shifted until it didn’t anymore. She mumbled something, and then she was gripping the back of his shirt, the cloth shifting and pulling in response. He inhaled, and then exhaled slow. Exhaustion made it easy to ignore the way his left arm was curled uncomfortably between them.

The side of his hand rested against the space between her shoulder and her collarbone; he had the sudden thought that this was somehow inappropriate. Kagura-chan was a girl, just beginning puberty. He was a teenage boy. It would be frowned upon—Shinpachi made to shift back, but Kagura-chan grumbled and pulled him back.

“Don’t think,” she said. “Mami said that if you let them, they’ll stop you from sleeping.”

If he were more awake, Shinpachi would have argued. Instead, he went pliant. Focused: on the smell of clean memories, the softness of Kagura-chan’s pajamas, her warmth like Ane-ue’s when they were children, the muffled sounds of Gin-san finishing the miso in the kitchen. On his breaths: in, out, in, out, in…

Later—it had to have been later, because he was on his back, Kagura-chan’s leg kicked over his and  her hand fisted in the shoulder of his sleeve, still tied back—he half-woke. Something had him tilting his head to the right, and there Gin-san was in the dim, dim morning light. His back was to the wall, and he was watching them with an expression Shinpachi didn’t know. Not having his glasses on didn’t help.

“Go back to sleep,” Gin-san said. He shifted his legs so that the left was bent up. “It’s only been thirty minutes.”

Shinpachi watched his blurry form. Even without his glasses, though, he could read the slack in Gin’s shoulders. “You too,” he mumbled. “Your stinky bed is right there.”

“I told you,” Gin-san said, “adults only need—”

“Fuck that,” Shinpachi said. “Stop. Stop doing.” Shinpachi bent his elbow and waved his right hand around. “That. Just—just sleep.”

Gin-san didn’t move. Shinpachi remembered days and nights of doing that, of watching his sister do that at their dying father’s bedside. That’s when he’d learned to make miso, and porridge, because Ane-ue was terrifying in the kitchen and they didn’t actually want to hasten their father’s death.

“We’re not gonna disappear,” Shinpachi said, and closed his eyes. “Just sleep. Don’t think.”

He waited for Gin-san to respond, and when he didn’t, Shinpachi dragged his eyes open and glared. “Gin-san. Seriously.”

Gin-san was quiet moments longer, before he sighed. Shinpachi watched him stand up. “Fine, fine, fine,” Gin-san groused with no real ire. “Have it your way.”

He turned his head and followed Gin-san’s motions over Kagura-chan’s head: kneeling on the futon, shimmying down its length, and pulling the covers up. Gin-san huffed, but didn’t speak.

Shinpachi closed his eyes. A few minutes later, right on the cusp of sleep, he heard Gin-san mutter to himself, “Huh. This does stink.”

Far enough into sleep to not laugh, Shinpachi managed a smile, and curled into Kagura. His arm draped over her side, his fingers arched in the air, fingernails brushing fabric. Later, when they woke up and the sun was high and Catherine-san was knocking at the front door wondering if their lazy asses were asleep or if they’d finally kicked the bucket yet, they rolled apart and didn’t talk about it. They heated up the miso soup, plugged the rice cooker back in to warm. Gintoki argued with Kagura-chan about who should clean up the shit on the floor and who should go retrieve Sadaharu. Shinpachi ended up having to pick up said shit. They got another request, and ambled out to go rescue Moriyama-san’s favorite cat from a mechanical tree.

But Shinpachi didn’t dream, and Kagura-chan looked less tired, and Gin-san didn’t stare at them for moments on end like he was trying to make himself believe they were really there.

[norah-highson-blog]

“...20 questions?” Norah pushed her reading glasses onto the top of her shaved head just beginning to grow out and tossed her paperback into her lap. She was starting to feel that preliminary chill that heralded sleep, or aching tiredness. She crumpled her brow and pouted slightly but seeing her friend wasn’t going to give in easily she slumped back onto the couch “Okay nosey,  but if you tell a fucking soul I’ll find you in the dead of night with a pair of pliers”

What are three things on Netflix that you’ve rated five stars? - Idk I don’t really watch Netflix..erm... paranormal 3? Oh, yeah, American Horror Story. And I liked the hunt. Y’know, the documentary

What’s your diet like? Are you vegetarian or vegan? Do you have any food allergies that make you have a special diet? - Full on meat eater, and no, I don't think so. 

Do you like to play games? What kind of games: video, card, board? What are some of your favorites? - Yeah... I’m pretty good at checkers I guess, and I can deal with chess but I don't like it. Super Mario Bro. for life and cards, if I’m broke 

What holiday is your favorite? Your least favorite? - Oh man, I love Easter. Chocolate to choke on and everybody's chilled out. Seriously, nobody ever gets angry in my family at easter. Least favorite... Christmas. Same reasons, just the other way around... and Ashleigh always tries too hard for it and dad... look, can we go to the next question. You know that part asshole.

What sort of toys did you play with as a child? - I was into taking a lot of photographs as a kid, there are draws full of crappy shots back home. and, like I said, Super Mario Bro. for life.

Who do you text most? Who do you call most? Do you have any favorites saved in your phone? - My baby Ashleigh, of course. ....Hayley. Your saggy ass. In that order btw.

What would you do with your prize money if you hit the jackpot in the lottery? - send Ashleigh to college and my step-brother. Set up trust funds, I guess... buy an original Harley Davidson, spit on the Queen, get a happy meal. Charities can have the rest 

How often do you go grocery shopping? Do you tend to do it all in one trip or small trips throughout the week? - One big trip, once a week, just for me

When do you pay their bills? As soon as the bill comes in? At the last moment? Or are most of your bills automatically taken out of your account? - Most bills are set up to just go straight out of my account. I pay them myself for the bakery and savings. Anything else I guess I just see what I can do...? I like to get stuff paid off as soon as I can

What kind of car do you drive? If you don’t drive, how do you get around? - A 1952 Pontiac Chieftan. C’mmon man you know this, its fucking funny a’right, I get it. The jokes dead.

How long does it take you to get ready in the morning? What does a typical morning look like for you? - I get out of bed, eventually, and I do my yoga. Shower, then clothes, then I eat something, probably leftover lunch from the day before and I play something screamo, just to wake up. I have an espresso, tie up my boots and get to work or wherever I’m goin’. That's on a weekday, I don't do mornings at the weekend unless I got a shift

What time do you normally go to bed? How many hours of sleep do you usually need to function in the morning? What time do you normally wake up? - erm... 10? probably 3. Insomnia’s a bitch. I get up at 8 like a normal

Have you ever had an imaginary friend? If so, describe them. - nope. I used to think I could talk to Huckleberry Finn but that was when I was 8. Same thing with Kurt Cobain when I was 12.

Do you have a favorite restaurant? How often do you go to it, and what’s your usual order? - I understand pizza hut doesn't count as a restaurant to you tasteless insectoids but I’m saying pizza hut anyway. I go... maybe once or twice a month? I get a New Orleans with extra chili peppers and salad every. time. and a beer

What’s the drunkest you’ve ever been in your life? What happened? - I don't remember at lot of time I’ve been drunk, man. Um... oh wait hang on, so, if Stella is to be believed, which I don’t advise btw... you remember that house party? Or maybe you weren’t there, idk. I decided to go cause aj said there’d be good music, but there wasn’t. So, I got really pissed. Apparently a guy started talking to me and he said some shit about how ‘he was angel come to save me’ and I said ‘you’re an angel?’ and he said ‘yeah’ and I said ‘with wings?’ and he said ‘thats right’ and then *snort* ...and then I threw him out the window. cause he could fly, obviously. ..............Don’t look so freaked out man we were on the first floor. 

What sort of apps do you have on your smartphone? Which ones do you use the most? - probably facetime for calls home, and notes for thoughts and things I have to remember. Amazon, garage band, live nation... Neko atsume

What do you do when you can’t sleep? - seeing as that’s 99% of the time, nearly everything. Midnight yoga, work on the car... doing donuts in the empty lot is fun. Sometimes I write something. Or I eat fruit loops and watch Heathers. again.

Did you have pets as a child? Do you have pets as an adult? Do you like animals? - Most ‘pets’ we had belonged to the neighboring farms and you didn’t get close to those see, cause they’re not yours. Sheep got sent to the butcher, too. We didn’t keep pets of our own. I’d always wanted a bird... like a hawk. or a kite... but hell, if that ever happens I’ll eat my foot

What do you carry in your purse and backpack everyday? What do you consider essentials? - A Phone, dollars, a diary, a dark lipstick, painkillers, pads, plasters, keys, penknife and a handy middle finger, sport

What were you like in high school? What clubs were you in? What sports teams were you part of? What kind of clique were you in? - urgh. The same, probably. I wasn’t in any clubs. I just... it wasn’t that I didn’t like people, everyone thinks that. I just didn’t... care. I wasn’t touchable. I was just tired. It sucked. But, who didn’t hate school right. I did judo for a while, but that was out of school. I knew a lot of kids that felt sorry about my whole thing, with mom. But I wasn’t fucking sorry. Never was.

Norah leaned back into her seat, watching carefully, like something reproachful found in a corner, judging its escape options. “Remember what I said... about the pliers” she says, but it falls flat. She rolls her shoulders back, sighing through her nose, and casually returns her reading glasses, rescuing her book. “part one of the exciting memoir ‘Fuck off now’ to be released in June. I’ll sign you a copy.”

[gwensparlour]

All that there's in a name

Title: All that there’s in a name

Rating: Teen and Up audiences

Characters: Victor Nikiforov, Yuri Katsuki

Pairing: Victuuri

Summary: "Above all Yuri discovers how important names are for Victor. Maybe it’s something cultural; maybe it’s just him. Victor catalogues moods and situations on a strict name-basis."A story about how names can affect a relationship.

(As a writer I need to spam my works wherever I can)

AO3 link

“Tell me, Yuri,” Victor begins, one anonymous morning, while pouring milk in his morning coffee.

“Yes?”

“We’ve been together for a while, right? Then why you never call me Vicchan?”

Because calling you with the name of my dead dog would be inappropriate.

Hiroko is the only one to call Victor “Vicchan”. It’s her prerogative. It’s something she and only she does. When the nickname exits her mouth it feels natural. From others’ lips, even Yuri’s, not so much.

Vicchan is Hasetsu. It’s spending a week of summer holiday in the onsen. It's helping around with the business of the Yu-topia Katsuki. It’s Victor aiding in the kitchen, fringe held by a pin, or at the front desk with the possible foreign guests. It’s Hiroko thanking him, a happy look on her face. She dries her puffy hands on the oil-stained apron before serving him the third bowl of katsudon.

Vicchan is Hiroko speaking on Skype to his soon-to-be son-in-law. They chat in a broken mixture of English and Japanese, always pausing to search this word or that on the dictionary.

“What about Vitya, then?”

Yuri sighs, shaking his head. He has tried to call Victor "Vitya", but the word on his tongue feels always wrong.

Vitya is Victor’s life in Russia, before and without Yuri. It's stopping while buying groceries to chat with the old and gentle baker round the corner. She has always flour in her blonde crown-braid. She and Victor speak in a Russian so quick Yuri can grasp only few words here and there.

Vitya is St Petersburg’s rink with Yakov shouting from the early morning. The poor man deserves a monument. The old coach calls his oldest pupil Vitya even when he's mad and on the verge to send him to Siberia

Vitya is Mila skating toward Victor. She giggles with the phone in her hands, shouting about some funny meme or instagram picture.

“Vityusha? Vitenka?”

“I thought you hated when they call you Vityusha!”

They are Victor’s maternal grandparents. It doesn't matter that he's Victor Nikiforov, twenty-eight years old legend of figure skating, fifth time Grand Prix champion and as much World champion. For them he'll always be Vityusha. Little Vityusha. Especially since his grandma suffers from dementia and is sure beyond any doubt that her only nephew is six. Vityusha is Victor bending forward to let his granny kiss his cheeks, leaving a faint mark of cheap reddish lipstick. It's wrinkled hands on his shoulders and comments on how much he has grown. Vityusha is double portion of hot borscht "for special occasion".

Vitenka, yet, is sex. There's no other way to say it. It's one of the things that should never exit the bedroom. It's private, like their sex life; like, you know, lube and condoms and kinks and all the thing strangers are not supposed to know about. Supposed is the key word, as some suck marks are always a little too visible.

Vitenka is flushed skin against skin, nails biting into flesh, intoxicating warmth. It's Victor on his knees, hands tied behind his strong back, and eyes full of adoration.

Vitenka is pure submission, something a stranger would never imagine from Victor the champion or Victor the coach.

The name rolls rarely out of Yuri's mouth, but when it happens it's solid power, dark and velvety. A power is careful not to abuse.

"Why can't I call you Viktoru?" Yuri asks, indulging in that final extra vowel out of habit. Despite having spent five years in America, he had never truly learnt to pronounce names the Western way. Even when he's speaking English, although in the latest months they have set for a strange mix of Russian and Japanese, with a prevalence of the former, Victor is always Viktoru.

Always the Japanese way.

Here in St Petersburg it becomes part of Yuri's identity. Despite all the stereotypes of Japanese people being overly formal with new acquaintances, he has been on first name basis with Victor since the very beginning. Looking back he notices he has never called him Nikiforov coach, not even once. It has never been necessary.

Even before the sentiment in his chest bloomed in full love, it was already Viktoru.

And still, as weeks pass, even that Viktoru starts to be unsatisfactory. It remembers Yuri too much of the times when there was still a wall of unspoken words and unshared memories between them. Miscommunication.

The wall hasn't completely disappeared yet, but now it's thinner, like a rice paper panel, a see-through when the light hits it with the right angle.

With the right word, the right gesture.

***

It isn't something Yuri has planned when the nickname rolls out of his tongue one Sunday morning. He's been studying Russian for months now and of all the people is Georgi that explains him the subtitles of affectionate diminutives. When the man isn't whining about his ex girlfriend, he's a surprisingly exquisite person.

"Looks like I won again, Vitechka," Yuri says. He and Victor are playing rock, scissor, paper to decide who has to clean the bathroom. Yuri has a special talent for this kind of hazard. He hasn't planned the nickname and when realization hits him in the form of Victor's head tilting on the side with curiosity, he frantically waves his hands.

"Oh, sorry! Don't tell me it's something your mother calls you with. Or, worse, a relative you hate."

But Victor shakes his head. "Actually, no," he assures. "Believe it or not, nobody has ever called me Vitechka. I like it," he adds.

Yuri feels like something is locking in his chest. Not in bad way, though.

So be it.

It repeats the word once, twice, feeling the way it makes his lips curl and stretch, the way his tongue moves around vowels and consonants.

It's his. It's the everyday non-sexual intimacy of laundries and chores. It's Victor pouting.

"Do we have to do this every time?" He protests, as his rock is promptly wrapped by Yuri's paper.

"Yes, Vitechka. It's fair."

And then he giggles. He knows that soon Victor will pretend to change the game to divide the chores.

"I'm looking forward for the next season. Two weeks of housework if I win gold!" He beats one afternoon, in sweatpants and baggy T-shirt. Yuri smirks. "I wouldn't brag. I don't think Yurio will be so wiling to leave you the highest place on the podium."

I am not willing to leave you the gold.

"Fine. If I place highest than you –“

“If.”

***

When Yuri was nineteen Phichith told him that he could have won first, second, and even third place in a quiz about Victor and Yuri used to believe so. At nineteen, he had already searched all that was available about his idol, putting together official interviews with badly translated Russian sentences of dubious accuracy.

He used to believe he knew everything about Victor Nikiforov.

From the very first weeks of Victor staying in Hasetsu, however, Yuri discovered how wrong he was.

Like, once in an interview a journalist had asked a fifteen-years-old Victor if there were any downsides in figure skating. Victor had chuckled, before proceeding in saying that it was all-nice, besides bruises, but he couldn't stand the broccoli Yakov insisted to put in his diet.

And there was Yuri, eleven at the time, with a big, glass heart, Ice Castle Hasetsu stickers plastered all over his notebooks, and sudden concerns with broccoli.

"I thought you hated broccoli," Yuri says, seeing his fiancé putting a package in the shopping cart. Victor freezes, his brain probably dealing with plus information at the same time. Namely Yuri's being the fanboy he is and why on earth should he has to have a problem with any vegetables.

Besides the carrots of aunt Katja, but everybody hates the carrots of aunt Katja.

It takes a while for the right memory to set in.

"Oh, right!" Victor exclaims, both amused and a little disconcerted that Yuri remembers something from so long ago. "It's not that I don't like them. Well, I don't dislike them anymore. But there was this woman who used to babysit me when I was little and she was a nice person but her broccoli soup was disgusting," he concludes, a whining note in his voice. Yuri can't help but laugh.

He knew Victor is a dog person, but then he discovers that his very first pet was a golden fish that died soon after having been bought because a child Victor gave him too much food.

He knew about the piano lessons his fiancé undertook to improve his already good sense of rhythm, but not that they ended up being a completely disaster. Apparently Voctor has never been able to play more than some Russian equivalent of Neko Funjatta.

Yuri knew already so many details of Victor’s life, but they were empty. Now there’s a strong and stable ground behind them. Day by day he ends up discovering also Victor’s flaws, the little bad habits it’ll take years to correct. He finds himself not caring a little bit.

Above all Yuri discovers how important names are for Victor. Maybe it’s something cultural; maybe it’s just him. Victor catalogues moods and situations on a strict name-basis. He acts differently based on how people call him; he anticipates what people expect from him.

That’s why, when the question pops out, Yuri knows he should’ve expected it.

“What do you want me to call you?”

Yuri shrugs. “Vitechka, you already call me cutes names.”

Victor waves his hand, dismissingly. “They don’t matter. I’m talking something about your name. I –“ he stops, letting his hands fall down in his lap. His fringe moves a little to the side. There’s a sparkle of sad nostalgia in his blue eyes. “It’s just that now it’s so strange to call you by full name. Nobody here in Russia would ever call the person they love by its full name. It feels so off," he continues explaining. As Yuri seems ready to say something, Victor makes a gesture meaning he's not finished.

"I can't call you Yura. That's for Yurio."

"Yurochka?" Yuri proposes.

"That's for little kids. It would be inappropriate after having seen what you can do in bed," Victor shoots back, a mischievous note in his voice and eyes. He buries fingers in his silver locks, combing hair from his forehead. Yuri has already seen Victor like this, struck by an inspiration he can't quite grasp. He mutters under his breath, tossing away options with a tilt of the head.

Yuri goes behind him, wrapping carefully his arms around Victor's shoulders. He let his head rest on Victor's.

"Why does it have to be so important?" He hums, hands draping lazily on his fiancé's chest.

"I told you."

"There's more, I can tell."

Victor sighs, the way he does when he accepts to have been exposed. He reaches back a hand to caress Yuri's cheek. "You know me too well.”

"I do. So, what's the problem?"

"You see, when you're famous you start to cherish all the little private moments other can't see."

Yuri emits a little chuckle. He tells Victor he has no right to talk so seriously.

"Just let me finish! So you have Vitechka. It's not common. Or, nobody I know uses it. I probably wouldn't allow anybody besides you to use it! I need a nickname for you with the same meaning!"

Something that talks about home and family; the place where you can forget your troubles.

“Well, in Japan we have the chan suffix for people you’re intimate with,” Yuri begins, voice slow as he puts together the sentence words by words. “But Yu-chan is something I already use for Yuko, so you won’t get the exclusive.”

“So it’s not use,” Victor finishes for him. They stay in silence for a while, biting lips in concentration, with fingers almost rubbing temples in the hope to be struck by the idea of the century.

And then everyday life reclaims their attention and the problem is postponed to another day.

Yuri lies awake. His eyes are wide open in the dark, fixed on the ceiling. For how cliché and silly it may be, he remembers that overused quote from the" Little Prince", the one about the rose. It’s been years since he’s read the book – he isn’t even sure if he has read it in Japanese or English – but somehow he recalls something about names and identity.

If you give me a name, I'll be your rose.

A rose by any other name.

He grunts, but let his mind wander nonetheless through fictional scenarios.

In the end the issue drops almost completely in the span of a couple weeks. It's not that Victor has stopped caring - Yuri has seen him browsing websites about Russian and Japanese name conventions - but there's more pressing subjects that need to be handled.

Worlds are almost there and Victor is so desperate to save time that he ends up practicing his step sequence while cooking. Yuri hears him counting time under his breath, the familiar "un, deux, trois" from the ballet days.

It doesn't take long before Yuri starts to imitate him.

They must appear crazy, totally crazy, to an outside eye.

Sometimes, despite his words, Victor calls Yuri Yura; never with Plisetsky present, though. Then he starts calling him Yuriusha. Or Yurechka. Yurenka. And at least other five ridiculous diminutives Yuri's pretty sure Victor's making up on the moment.

Yuri lets him do it. Victor's voice is soft and tender and Yuri hears it more than any nickname.

He stops thinking about it without even noticing. He stops waiting for Victor to pick out just one nickname out of the dozens he has discovered lately. He gets used to be called a different diminutive each day.

At the rink the Russian skaters start to call him Yura. Even Yurio.

***

A year passes like nothing.

It's soon before the beginning of the GP that Yuri brings up the issue once again. He approaches it sideways. They are in the locker room of St Petersburg rink, carefully polishing their blades.

“Do you remember when you asked me if I wanted a photo with you?” Yuri asks, almost nonchalantly. Victor nods, a twinge of regret in the form of a little wrinkle just above his eyebrows.

“Too bad, yes.”

“Well, do you know why I was staring at you?”

“Because I’m handsome?” Victor jokes. Yuri gives him a little, soft punch in the forearm. “I’ve thought you were calling me.”

Yuri remembers it far too well. It remembers it because he’s still afraid that one day he’ll be drained back to that starting point, all that has happened next obliterated. He remembers hearing that “Yuri!” and his heart skipping a bit and his body starting to turn, before discovering that it wasn’t meant for him.

He remembers the little “oh” escaping his lips, full of disappoint and regret. How silly he has felt just thinking that Victor Nikiforov was calling him. How pretentious.

It’s strange to tell Victor about it after so long time. “I miss hearing you calling my name, my real name. Don’t get me wrong, I think the diminutives are cute, but I preferred the way things were before,” Yuri finally says.

“Yes. Sure. Whatever you want.”

There’s a sad look on Victor’s face, the one that follow the discovery to having hurt a loved person without wanting to.

Yuri can’t pretend that Victor drops the habit immediately. He doesn’t even correct his fiancé when he continues distorting his name in all those silly ways. It takes time.

Meanwhile the assignments come. Yuri will compete in the Skate America and Cup of China; Victor will be at the Skate Canada and NHK Trophy.

It’ll be a mess.

***

Yuri knows when he’ll land a quad without falling or messing it up even before having touched the ice. It feels it in the way his body turns in mid-air, the tension of the muscles, and the pull in his stomach. At this speed, without glasses, it’s all blurry and he doesn’t even dare to breath, too afraid that a sigh will be enough to ruin everything.

It’s only when the blade collide with the ice, strong and clean, that Yuri allows himself to breath again. He knows too well how his body and brain need oxygen to finish the FS.

There’s a dull ache in his limbs, what has been left of months of training. It’s the awareness that the choreography’s now embedded in every fibre of his being. He doesn’t quite let his mind wander – Yakov has been very strict about “being focused” and “having always a back-up plan” – but he’s pretty sure that if he ever does it, his body will know the steps nonetheless. As strange as it may be, Yuri feels sure.

So when he stops twirling, coming out from the last combination spin, and hears the crowd roaring with enthusiasm, he knows he’s done well. He knows he’ll have a good score.

He skates to the exit of the rink, wiping sweat from is forehead before it falls in his eyes. With his surprise it’s Mila and Yurio the first one to welcome him.

“It wasn’t a complete disaster, Katsudon,” Yurio says and it’s his way to compliment him.

“Well done, Yura!” Mila adds and it’s there, with the Russian team that seems to have all the intention to keep him from Victor, that Yuri understands.

He notices how, while his fiancé was slowly abandoning any nickname, the other Yakov’s pupils were going in the exact opposite direction.

It’s like they have adopted him.

Now nobody of the people he knows in St Petersburg calls him by full name anymore. Nobody, except for Victor.

So when he hears a voice sing-songing “Yuuri” he knows exactly who’ll be there waiting for him when he’ll turn.

[ruiningvoldemortday]

CoS Chapter 12- The Polyjuice Potion

FURRIES

- We have wasted about half of this book on this pointless red herring - Even the hat knows Slytherin is not necessarily a bad thing - Harry why didn’t you read Fantastic Beasts like at all?  You should know what a friggin phoenix is.  Even most Muggles know what a phoenix is - Why is Malfoy staying for Christmas? - I love how Dumbledore’s response to Harry absolutely flipping his shit is “oh yeah it’s fine that’s a thing that happens” quickly followed by “LOOK AT THIS FORESHADOWING.  LOOK AT IT.  LOOK AT IT DAMN YOU.” - Hagrid is best dad always sticking up for Harry - Harry’s refusal to open up to Dumbledore is so sad.  It’s such an abused child thing.  He’s never had an adult he can trust in his life, so his reaction to being asked if there’s anything he wants to get off his chest is to continue to bottle it up and deal with it all alone.  He’s that convinced he’s a burden :C - Why is Malfoy staying for Christmas tho - Fred and George making light of the idea that Harry’s the Heir of Slytherin warms my dead shriveled heart - Percy you are a prefect not the leader of the free world - Dumbledore leading the other teachers in Christmas carols pleases me greatly - Cat hair is a totally different texture than human hair and someone should probably have noticed it in the vial.  Especially Hermione, since she’s such a genius. - Who sees cupcakes just chilling on the banister and just scarfs them down, no questions asked? - This potion sounds horrendous - Also Harry should probably have changed clothes before drinking the potion, since he knew Goyle wouldn’t fit into his own robes - Doesn’t DH say Harry doesn’t know what Crabbe’s voice sounds like?  And then describes it as surprisingly soft, not a deep grunt.  What is consistency? - Penelope Clearwater is the reason everyone thinks Ravenclaws are stuck up :/ - Why was finding the common room not a priority before they drank the potion? - Percy you are fifteen years old shut your pompous self entitled face - Yo Slytherin could you like help yourselves and think up a less racist password - Lucius Malfoy has no business as a governor - Molly Weasley is the best - “Father’s always said old Dumbledore’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to this place.”  Luckily next year, I’ll be transferred to PIGFARTS! - Is this all Draco does all day, talk shit?  Good lord boy get a hobby - First mention of Azkaban! - Hermione’s a Neko!  Don’t worry there’s loads of people who are into that - But really how do you not notice it’s cat hair?  For the brightest witch of her age she really can be a dumbass - That’s an AVPM reference Tumblr everybody calm down - Myrtle stahp

[happythexceed]

Summary of K Seven Stories 「Episode 3 “Side: Green - Overwrite World -” 」

I was out of town last week, luckily they have an additional screening today. 

Spoilers ahead. Sorry for any discrepancy. I tried to put in whatever I remembered and I’m not so good in remembering details. 

The Idol K

Awashima, Doumyouji and Hidaka were rehearsing a play. This is where the chibi characters were presented as a flat piece of paper as they turned their bodies. In the script, Awashima was torn between choosing Doumyouji or Hidaka as her “love” partner when the Silver Trio paid their visit. 

Neko was able to parrot Awashima’s dialogue. It was said that their Captain was out and asked them to rehearse till he comes back. It was their culture to call their boss as “Captain”. Awashima had read their email and noted that Shiro wanted them to collaborate for a “rice” charity event. She was sorry that she had to reject as Shiro presented the origiri as the payment to them when Munakata stepped in. He accepted the offer immediately much to everybody’s dismay. Munakata explained that Isana-shi (he addressed him that way) had the benefits stated clearly in his email to them and why they should help. Kuroh then realised Shiro used different ways to deal with different company: Homra Entertainment with “feeling” and Promotion Scepter 4 with logic. Next, Shiro is going to Jungle Pro which doesn’t work with “feeling” and “logic”. Even so, Shiro was not going to leave them out (acknowledging their ability). 

“Side: Green - Overwrite World -”

A simple plot with complicated feelings to say presented with abstract art style in some part of the movie. 

It started with Hisui Nagare, Iwa-san, Kotosaka and Gojo Sukuna looking out to the sea. The world of Jungle is wide. 

Hisui challenged the Gold King, Kokujouji Daikaku in order to take over the possession of the Dresden Slate so he could let the people evolve further. Miwa Ichigen and Mishakuji Yukari were watching. The beast have to be tamed with fist. Hisui released his bind and Kokujouji strip his sleeve to take him on. Yukari was mesmerised by Hisui and couldn’t help but to comment that he was “beautiful” but refrained to say further realising Ichigen was watching him. He was not going to stop Yukari but Yukari had to find out the real meaning of “beautiful”. The Slate Kid was watching the battle. “When the old order and the new ideal clash, who would emerge as a winner?”

(Abstract art) Sukuna was the only son of a government official. He had been living in a fully controlled environment living a life his mother wanted and she had given everything she thinks Sukuna wants. He used to have a friend whose dream was to become a J ranker and meet the King one day. Sukuna didn’t think much of it. One day, he realised his “friend” was actually hired by his parents to be his friend and he was paid for it much to his horror. 

Sukuna ran away from home (he rather die than to go back home) and had been using the power of JUNGLE app to throw off his pursuers for some time. He plotted and demanded a pair to JUNGLE players to give him their missions and points after helping them to knock some members of Scepter 4 out. Sukuna, handke name, “Five” met up with “Kuroko” (business ninja) to hand him the chip. “Kuroko” had another mission which was to capture him as requested by his mother. Hisui Nagare had been watching through Kotosaka’s eyes and Kotosaka was proudly presented as a J ranker much to Sukuna’s disbelief. Hisui commented that as a U ranker, Sukuna was not Kuroko’s match. As he aroused his interest, “Kuroko” was given another mission and abandon the mission to capture Sukuna. Sukuna was angry but Hisui got more piqued that he decided to follow Sukuna to observe him even to his hide-out.  Hisui had investigated his background. Sukuna was annoyed.    He wondered why Sukuna would still fight a losing battle. Hisui would like to share with him his “dream” and hope to see him soon when he becomes a J ranker. 

Business ninja, “Kuroko” contacted Sukuna. There was a mission to challenge the highest ranking J ranker, handle name, “Beauty Angel” and there would be a huge JP to be reap if they succeeded. Sukuna spelled out that “Kuroko” needed him to be the bait since he can’t defeat him alone. They agreed with the 70:30 share of JP should they succeed but they would not help one another should either one of them fail.

(Abstract art) Yukari was getting bored on a boat as there was no U ranker was challenging enough for him to draw his sword. Hisui would like him to meet someone before closing up the mission. Sukuna appeared and he challenged Yukari for the very first time. He lost when “Kuroko” was unable to defeat him from the back. Sukuna was knocked out and “Kuroko” took him and they retreated. 

Sukuna was having a fever, he woke up from his nightmare when he thought he saw his mother putting her hand on his forehead and realised it was “Kuroko”.  The business ninja, “Kuroko” was actually a female dressing up in yukata (It’s Douhan but she was not officially introduced here). They were in one of her hide-out and she had been taking care of him. Sukuna wondered why she would help him. Douhan explained that it would be beneficial if he owed her a favour (In actual fact, Sukuna reminded her as her younger brother so she helped helped him). Douhan would withdraw from this mission as she was not one who would fight a losing battle. Sukuna decided to continue. If he ran away from home and if he still run away from this, he would have to run for the rest of his life. 

Sukuna spent most of his points to purchase items to challenge Yukari again. Hisui (through Kotosaka) noted that he would be in deficit if his plan didn’t work out and he might lose his life. Yukari came for the challenge and decided to go all out by drawing his sword right at the beginning. Sukuna was playing tags with him activating all the traps he had prepared but none could even scratch Yukari. Yukari was impressed by how he used the “object” (can’t remember the actual name but it is some ability from JUNGLE app) to deal with him making him think that he had got him. All the more he couldn’t let him off. Sukuna hurt his arm after running away from him. Sukuna led him to a container where they would settle once and for all.  Sukuna can’t run away. He wanted to move forward.

Hisui was touched by Sukuna’s determination but he can’t stop the battle nor he can’t intervene but he wanted Sukuna as his clansman but he didn’t know how.  Yukari would kill him. Iwa sent something out in secret. Sukuna activated the same lightning bolt attack from “Missing Kings” against Yukari and he thought he would try to finish him when he was distracted defending himself but he can’t make it on time. A kunai appeared and Yukari in order to defend himself was unable to deal with Sukuna’s attack and Sukuna had a scythe pointed at his throat. Sukuna cried foul at “Kuroko” mistaken that she came to help him but nope, she received a mission to do that. 100,000 JP was credited and Sukuna officially become a J ranker. Hisui invited him to come and see him. Sukuna accepted so he could decide whether he wanted to beat him up if he didn’t like what he see. 

And so Sukuna was brought back to the underground base and finally met Hisui face-to-face and was surprised a king like him was staying in such a small place. Hisui replied that they had everything despite the size. Iwa asked Sukuna what he wanted to eat for his welcoming party and he would make for him. Sukuna could feel the family warmth coming from them. Hisui asked Sukuna what his dream was? Sukuna thought of what his “friend” said, to become a J ranker but shook his head. Nope, he don’t have a dream. In that case, he wanted him to play with Hisui and he would show him his dream to evolve the world. 

Hisui and Iwa talked when they were alone. Hisui knew Iwa helped him so he could meet Sukuna and he was grateful. Sukuna sees him as his King now but one day Sukuna would find out and realise that his King was actually he himself and he controls his own world.