#so there's clearly a difference between two tsukasas right?

[tsukikoayanosuke]

From the Cloud, I Meet You - 12 Days of Ruikasa (2023)

Day 1-2: Past

Stories and legends have always been part of Tsukasa's life. As the prince of the Kingdom of Horos, he has access to the largest library in his kingdom just a few feet away from his room. Days and days he would sit in the corner reserved for him and read all the storybooks they had there. When he grew older, he got attached to theater. To see your favorite tale come to life has been Tsukasa's dream for the longest time. Perhaps one day he could act and dance on the stage like the actors.

One tale that he held close to his heart was the story of the Sky Prince and the Sea Spirit; a tale about a meeting of fate, a forbidden romance, and a tragic ending.

The Sky Prince, coincidentally named Tsukasa, was the son of the Night Sky God, born from the first twin stars along with his twin sister, Saki. Their domain was the starry sky, each tasked with a different duty. Saki was in charge of wish granting through shooting stars, while Tsukasa was in charge of guidance through constellations. They were essentially messengers between the gods and humans; always flying and never touching the earth nor having the ability to have power to create life.

But Tsukasa the Sky Prince had always been a curious godling. Watching the heroes and listening to their tales through the muses made him even more curious about the realm below the sky. Would Earth's ground feel the same as the clouds? Would it always be sunny like here? How does the food taste below there?

However, he didn't see the ground for the first time.

Instead, his feet landed on a mass body of water.

Is this...what they call the sea?

It felt ticklish and bouncy underneath his feet, unlike the soft blanket-like feel of the clouds above. Didn't humans need to use something to walk across this area? A boat? Or was it a ship? This realm was kind of empty. There was nothing that caught Tsukasa's eyes except the vibrant blue color. Seemed like a boring realm. Why do humans want to go through here?

It was then he heard something rumbling. Looking down at his feet, he could see the water was vibrating even more. A loud splash caused Tsukasa to turn around and what he saw shook him.

A sea monster. Something that doesn't exist in the sky realm.

Tsukasa quickly drew his staff before jumping away as the sea monster's tentacles nearly hit him. Summoning his power, he waved his staff to summon his starlight before launching them toward the monster. Tsukasa knew his power was nothing compared to the gods, but he could do something in self-defense. The sea monster didn't back down though and kept trying to catch him. Tsukasa could only glide around and used his light as a reflector.

But Tsukasa didn't see more tentacles sprouting from the sea. One just right behind him as he flew backward, not even noticing until it was too late. It swatted him, throwing him into the sea.

For Tsukasa who had never seen the sea before thus not knowing how to swim, it was a death sentence to him. He could do nothing but sink into the sea monster's open jaws...

Something grabbed him by the waist, dragging him away before the sea monster could close its jaws.

Whoever just rescued him raised their hand as if they were commanding the creature to stay away.

And surprisingly, the sea monster listened to them and swam away.

But Tsukasa was losing his breath. His lungs hadn't gotten used to breathing in a different realm. The last thing he saw was a purple individual's face hovering before everything turned dark.

-----

The first thing he heard when his consciousness awakened was the sound of the water, rolling waves on the beach. It was a peaceful sound, like a lullaby, luring him back to the realm of sleep. But he couldn't. He had to wake up.

So, he opened his eyes. Someone's face greeted him as seawater dripped onto his already wet face. Who is that?

"Oh, thank the sea, you're awake," the figure said who seemed to be a male. "Are you lucid yet?"

Tsukasa frowned. "I think..." he muttered but then a cough erupted from him. The figure quickly turned Tsukasa's body to the side so he could cough out all of the seawater. "Thank you..."

"Not a problem."

When Tsukasa finally could sit up without getting dizzy, he looked at his rescuer.

Purple hair with two cyan streaks and dressed in a white top with frills. He doesn't have a leg, instead, he has a dark purple tail with violet fins, the same color as the fins that are supposed to be his ears. His golden eyes gazed at Tsukasa's sunset ones, filled with curiosity.

"You're not a human, are you?" the purplenette asked.

"Oh, I'm not. I'm a godling." Tsukasa said before smiling. "And you saved me."

He smiled back. "What is a godling doing in the vast ocean? This is not your realm."

Tsukasa let out a nervous chuckle. "Well...I kind of just went exploring before the monster attacked me."

"You know how dangerous the sea realm is? Have you never been here?"

"I've never been anywhere this close. I usually just fly around the constellation."

"The constellations..." Suddenly, the golden eyes widened with youngling excitement. "You're from the sky realm? What is it like up there?"

"O-Oh, well, we have lots of clouds. But the night sky is very beautiful! My job to to guide heroes to their journey."

"Such an important job..."

"Nah, it is nothing."

The purplenette shook his head. "No. It is very important. Without the stars, sailors would get lost in the sea and we sea spirits can't do anything. With the sea being dangerous as you've seen, the stars are their sign to sail through a safer water."

Huh. Tsukasa has never thought about it that way. "Oh..." he blushed, "I guess I did a great job then?"

"Of course," he smiled. "Godling always has the best job."

"So, you're not a godling?"

The purplenette shook his head again. "I'm just a humble sea spirit. I haven't done anything great unlike you."

"But you saved me." Tsukasa grinned. "That's a great job."

"I guess I did," he said with a chuckle.

"Again, thank you for that. I don't know what would happen if I got eaten." Tsukasa offered his hand. "I'm Tsukasa, son of the Night Sky Father and the Guiding Constellation. I should know the name of my savior."

The purplenette blushed slightly but took Tsukasa's hand. "I'm Rui."

-----

Prince Tsukasa of the Kingdom of Horos has always loved the beginning of the story. A being of the sky meets a being of the sea. Two opposites, yet they're attracted to each other. Tsukasa always wished that one day he would find someone special like Rui the Sea Spirit to Tsukasa the Sky Prince. He wishes that his story could be as sweet as their first meeting.

[kerizaret]

Hello everyone and welcome once again to my brain! Today I want to ramble a bit about

✨️ Tsukasa and Rakunosuke (Emu's grandpa) parallels ✨️

Because I feel like we don't talk about them much. Or at all actually

Now, I'm not pulling this out of nowhere. It's quite literally stated at least once, outright, in the game, that Tsukasa is really similar to Emu's grandpa (or even twice – but the other time I'm unsure 100% whether its about Tsukasa specifically, which I'll get to later). That's not to mention the other little things throughout the stories that I think similar between the two

So here's just some thoughts I've had on the topic after rewatching some events, more or less cohesive

1) Tsukasa's PXL auditon & WMS speech

Starting at the very beginning, we've known ever since the wxs main story that there's something in Tsukasa that has drawn Emu in to him already the first time she's ever saw him, at his audition for PXL, which made her hire him herself. She says "found you" at that moment, as if she's been searching for someone exactly like him. Out of all the possible candidates who applied who she might've seen, why Tsukasa specifically?

It could be just about him boasting about making fantastic shows, which of course is a part of it. But I feel like this isn't all, that there was something else that she noticed, that maybe she didn't fully realise at that moment

Then later, in Wonder Magical Showtime, after Tsukasa's motivational speech, Emu specifically thinks back to that audition and how she felt something special there. And, most importantly, she thinks it as if she's talking to her grandpa – like he's somehow tied to it, to her realisation that Tsukasa is the one

Putting aside the fact they were fighting for Rakunosuke's park, which obviously makes Emu think back to him, there's something more. Emu doesn't think anything of the sort about Rui, even though he was the one who came up with the night show, or about Nene. Nor did she mention any kind of this strong feeling/conviction about having them on the Wonder Stage in the main story

She's focused on Tsukasa, because he's the one that brought all these people together and gave them the last push they needed to fight for PXL. He's the one they listen to, he who understands what this park was all about and why they need to save it. He's standing on the stage her grandpa built, looking at all those people working here, and he's leading them, telling them this dream CAN be made a reality and it's more important than anything else

And I feel like she could have looked at that and been reminded of her grandpa a bit, with how much he loved the park he built and brought people together with the same ideals and love and made dreams come true

2) Miles

Speaking of WMS, I'm sure we all remember Miles, the sorcerer Tsukasa played in the night show in WMS, and how he was a character very clearly based on Rakunosuke. It's not very surprising it's Tsks who got this role, but it's still interesting to me. It feels like no-one else would've been able to get this character right and neither would Emu as Shao with someone else playing Miles

I won't get into what "Miles" Tsukasa says in the play, because that's just the script and not a representation of Tsukasa himself, but I do want to draw attention to the specific scene where Emu's father is watching the night show and looks at Tsukasa, then says this:

This is the first time that – i suspect – Tsukasa is outright "stated" to be like Rakunosuke. Here I say "suspected" since I'm not 100% sure of it for two reasons. One of them being that as we know, the ensekai translation is sometimes often bad. For that I looked up the original text as well as an old translation of the event on YT to check for differences

The line ends up being similar in meaning, more or less, but a bit more vague. That also ties to my second doubt though, which is that Emu's father might be referring not to Tsukasa himself, per se, but rather to the character of Miles he's playing

I feel like both can make sense, in their own way (and the event is a Tsukasa focus for a reason, too), but for here I'm throwing it more as a hint than any kind of outright proof. Food for thought

3) Tsukasa and Rakunosuke's deams

Then, as we reach Popping in my Heart! and learn more of Rakunosuke from Riley's pov, there's another interesting thing that pops up. That is, the fact that Tsukasa and Rakunosuke share the same dream

And then, that's when Emu confirms what I've talked about before – that this whole time, she's felt something about Tsukasa being so reminding of her Grandpa

So Tsukasa has all this time "carried the same spirit" as Rakunosuke – which is possibly the reason why Emu has been feeling strangely drawn to him from the beginning

4) The Wonderland SEKAI

Hey. Hey. Remember this line?

(tl by tsukasa's #3 fan on YT)

Yeah, this one. The same reason why wxs even has "Wonderlands" in their troupe name

You know what else has Wonderland in its name?

That's right! Tsukasa's SEKAI!

Tsukasa's SEKAI. A different world that's created from his feelings, that's a place born from his desire to make everyone smile with his shows. A world that just recently expanded to include plushies representing all those different shows – different worlds – wxs created as a troupe. It's a world that Tsukasa, in a way, made by himself (albeit unconsciously)

Oh did I mention the Wonderland SEKAI is also, primarily, pre-wl, a theme park? With a big ass ferris wheel and several stages and a castle and a train and a merry-go-round, a rollercoaster and more? You know, kind of just like Phoenix Wonderland? Which was built by Emu's grandpa?

Do you ever think about that? That both Tsukasa and Rakunosuke "made" their own "Wonderlands"? That the SEKAI is so similar to PXL? Because I do

Anyway. Those were the main similarities or references I noticed, but I still have some few other miscellaneous thoughts i had aside from that that I'll sum up a bit quicker

Tsukasa and Emu's grandpa both care more about the shows (& pxl) themselves and the effect they have on people to make them smile than any kind of fame or recognition

A reminder, too, that despite the movie's popularity, nobody really knew that Rakunosuke worked on "Smiley" (or that it was even a Riley Entertainment movie at all)

There's also the fact that both tsks and rknsk get stuck more on the excitement they want their audiences to feel rather than on the technical sides or worries about how it would be possible – as seen with Rakunosuke convincing Riley to include all his dreams and ideas in "Smiley" without focusing as much on the budget and all to install that wonder in the viewers, and Tsukasa doing anything to perfect his acting, and also agreeing to most of Rui's stunts and experiments and production ideas as long as it gets the audience to become more immersed

I noticed as well that they're both people who wear their hearts on their sleeves, who easily get emotional and enthusiastic, who empathise a lot with the others' emotions and struggles, becoming happy when something good happens to them

^ he cried here. And later at the fan festa seeing nene sing confidently and happily he teared up again

And also just *gestures vaguely at pandemonium event and Rui's "tsukasa's friends' happiness is his own happiness" line*. Yeah

Most importantly, Tsks and Rknsk both care so, so much about shows ending with smiles and not tears

And overall about everyone smiling and being happy. Like Tsukasa telling Emu in the main story, on the ferris wheel, that when her grandpa meant making EVERYONE smile, it included Emu, too, and he wanted to make sure she's happy as well

There's also everything with Emu, too. The way she's very clingy with Tsukasa, always throwing herself at him (not that she isn't with everyone, but she does seem to jump at him the most often)

She's also implied to open up a bit more around him – in Smile of a Dreamer, when wxs expressed their worries about emu hiding her problems, KAITO implies that its unusual she "hasn't told EVEN Tsukasa"

And it's Tsukasa who first understood that, despite how it may seem that "she always is so optimistic and says whatever's on her mind", in the end "the bigger the problem, the less likely she is to talk" (paraphrased quotes from smile of a dreamer). And also underdstood what's the most important to her and how to give her a push to voice her worries to them

It's Tsukasa who Emu first got so scared of leaving their troupe and her behind

I simply feel like Emu is aware of the similarities her grandpa and Tsukasa share and, subconsciously, trusts him a lot and gets attached to him easily

Anyway. This is just a bunch of thoughts that came to mind that I wanted to share and hear your thoughts on maybe too. I love emukasa so much they have such a great dynamic, and I feel the implied similarities between Rakunosuke and Tsukasa add a lot to that too. I'm really curious if it'll be something they'll explore more in future events. Because I feel these parallels are there for some reason

[tsutsumi-kurose]

wants and wishes vs thoughts and feelings—what tsukasa can and can’t decipher

something i find really interesting is tuskasa's fixation on wanting to understand how people are feeling. it seems as though he can see exactly what someone wants or would wish for, both in life after coming back from the red house and as a supernatural...

it almost seems as though he has no choice but to be constantly aware of all the wants and wishes around him!!

and yet!! he has such a blind spot for what people are feeling

he clearly doesn’t have the strongest grasp on how amane feels about him here:

and he’s constantly asking how people (specifically people he’s spent the most time around! people whose wishes he works to grant!) are feeling about things

this interaction with sakura really emphasizes the difference between wanting something and feeling happy about getting it, because he clearly knows that granting her wish won't necessarily make her happy

of course, he's already known for a while that wanting something doesn't mean you'll be happy if you get it, growing up with amane, who seems to have wanted perhaps two conflicting things at the same time

I wonder if this complication relates to his early fixation with love as well? as a supernatural, he asks about happiness. but as a four-year-old, he’s constantly asking about the love others may or may not feel

when did he transition from asking about love to asking about happiness? where does the difference lie? did it have to do with tsukasa at one point feeling love without feeling happy? is happiness broader? easier to get people to talk about?

so many questions with him…

also, how tragic that a boy who can tell what everyone else wants never thinks about what he himself wants, until he's actually prompted...

…by the person who just delivered him the most devastating news of his life no less!! kou is trying to make him happy here by prompting him to think about what he wants; think happy thoughts, right?

but does it make tsukasa happy to think about what he wants? where is the difference here for him? between what he wants and what would make him happy? are they the same thing? can it be that simple when he knows that he can't have it without consequences?

how is he supposed to cope with wanting something he thinks is bad? can he ever be truly happy with getting what he wants when he knows there's a cost, and knows that amane will eventually kill him, no matter how many happy and loving moments they share together?

what you want, what makes you happy, and what you love are not always the same things, and tbhk explores that issue so beautifully through tsukasa…if only he didn’t have to go through so much to learn it, or learn it so young ):

[aspec-manga-snom]

Aspec Manga Rec: Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

This post will contain mild spoilers for the plot and character dynamics of the Manga. Sorry about the long post, but its a lot.

Contains a romantic subplot not involving the main character. Some evidence for an Aspec Protagonist. Reference to Sexual themes but no explicit imagery or sexualization of characters.

Remember, panels are right to left.

Written by Kanehito Yamada and illustrated by Tsukasa Abe, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End follows the journey of Frieren, the elf mage of the hero's party after their victory over the demon king. She travels to speak to the now dead hero Himmel in Aureole, where all souls rest. Currently being released as an anime by Studio Madhouse, now seemed like an apt time to talk about it.

The manga explores themes of loss, grief, found family, coming to terms with your emotions and the importance of non-romantic relationships. Especially with our protagonist, Frieren, bound to live a life of near immortality from a human perspective.

Immortality and Relationships:

As we follow Frieren on her journey north we are told directly that she herself doesn't understand the nature of relationships. Her perception of the world is stuck in how she will long outlast the people that she cares for. Below this appearance is someone who truly care for others.

She learns to cherish the time she spends with others and we can see that with how she treats Fern, her apprentice. The adopted daughter of one of her former companions, who she begins her journey solely with.

We are shown in a flashback to the end of her previous journey that she would never consider an apprentice because their life would never amount to much of her own existence:

Frieren often conflicts with the ideas of relationships and it is the main conflict of her returning journey north. Fern very quickly becomes incredibly important to her, taking care of her needs and very swiftly looking after her apprentice's condition instead of continuing her own journey northward. Frieren defies her own beliefs and worldview because she has learned that the people that she does care about will eventually disappear; as it is the nature of her lifespan for them to be nothing but fleeting moments. She chooses to spend time with her companions because she wants to carry their story and memory for the rest of her life, something that she never felt with the hero's party.

How is this Aspec Representation?

Clearly more depictions of unfeeling characters as aspec isn't progressive in making aspec people seem more "human" but I think how Frieren subverts this trope demonstrates a great aspec character.

At this point, this representation is, and will probably continue to be a headcannon more than it will be actually confirmed, but it has some pretty good foundation.

Early on, Frieren directly tells us this about elves:

This is a pretty overt statement of her romantic and sexual orientation as early as Chapter 13 of the manga as the journey was just beginning. There are some questionable parts of this claim that "all elves" lack romantic and sexual attraction, but the author directly displays elves later on that hold or are implied to have romantic feelings for other characters. It reminds me of how some aspec people believe that everyone is like them, having an understanding without knowing fully that they have different experiences.

*Note, they kept the panel above in the anime.

So where does this leave Frieren as she is perceived by others?

No one questions this about her. It never comes into question if she had found the right person or if she was interested in the relationships herself, it is just accepted. In a later chapter exploring the romantic subplot between her two companions, she is asked for dating advice to which she responds:

The interaction is treated very naturally which mirrors realistic assumptions of these feelings and experience with them that might come with age.

The only claim to her holding romantic feelings towards another person was towards the hero Himmel. Which is suspect to say the least. Most of these assumptions are based on their close emotional bond, how much Frieren grieves his death and how Himmel treated her.

Throughout flashbacks, we can see that Himmel almost constantly was flirting with and then subsequently denied by Frieren along their journey. It isn't played as hurtful or annoying, just as a form of endearment that wasn't reciprocated; something that neither character seems to grieve in any fashion. They had a close emotional bond, but the manga doesn't display it as anything but platonic and I believe that to be true.

TLDR:

Frieren exhibits multiple aspec traits in how she perceives others and her relationships to the people in her life. While her traits may be seen as "inhuman" on the surface, she deeply cares for others without needing to be in a romantic or sexual relationship. The manga puts very little focus on romance and merely on the nature of relationships of all kinds and meanings.

This is my first large-scale post like this, so I would appreciate any feedback people are willing to give me. It is a very long post so I hope I didn't ramble too much

[nanabansama]

What do you expect to happen in chapter 110? Honestly, I doubt that Aoi will actually die, but I liked seeing your opinion on what you think Aida Iro will do in the next chapter and theories if you have any 😁P. S: I love your posts and this is my first question ☺️

Hi! Welcome! 👋

I feel 110 is harder to guess than 109 was. It seemed pretty obvious before 109 came out that it would focus on the trial. So it's likely these predictions will be embarrassing to look back on, but I'll do my best.

Anyway, I agree! I find it incredibly unlikely that Aoi will die, especially so soon after being saved. So her being a yorishiro is unlikely for me. That said, it's possible a yorishiro is different from the actual person itself. The rules of yorishiro have never been clearly defined. Perhaps instead of the yorishiro being the real Aoi, it's some kind of copy... (there's really no way to know.)

That, or maybe there's a way to change what a yorishiro is and avoid the need to destroy it? I find that kind of unlikely, though. So for now, I will tentatively claim that Aoi is not the yorishiro...but some sort of Aoi-related memento. A boring guess, I know! Sorry!!!

Anyway, since Tsukasa just broke out of his cuffs and craves violence, I'm predicting a showdown between him and Akane. Kako is down for the count and Mirai is tangled up in his Kokujoudai, so I doubt they'll be any help less someone frees Mirai.

Actually, since Akane can stop time, I could easily see him freeing both Mirai and Teru to even the playing field. It's just a matter of buying himself enough time to stop time outright... remember, he needs his pocket watch to reach 6:30 before he can bring time to a standstill.

Knowing Tsukasa, he might just be fast enough to stop him. Akane will be too busy dodging his attacks to have time to perform his special ability...

So that's two conflicting ideas I have! I guess I'll tentatively go with the one where Akane and Tsukasa will be too busy with their fight to do much else. But if that comes to pass...perhaps Nene, the only other person capable of doing something right now since she has no shackles, can come to the rescue!

...I mean, I predicted this last time, so I have to be right eventually, right!? Right!? (I just think baby Nene saving the day would be fantastic, don't you?)

Anyway... I do really like the idea of Natsuhiko or Sakura showing up, too. Them having a dramatic reveal at the end of the chapter just seems like such an AidaIro thing to do, you know? I'm sure they're doing something behind the scenes right now to help Tsukasa. But maybe that just involves preventing any meddling from people outside the boundary, like Kou or whatever... (idk.)

And just to be clear, I truly cannot imagine Akane winning any sort of fight with Tsukasa, even in his own boundary. But I also think it's boring as Hell to just immediately have Tsukasa find the yorishiro and then force Nene to destroy it... but then again, I'm also having trouble even beginning to guess what else could happen!? And like it or not, that yorishiro is getting destroyed. Tsukasa will get what he wants, one way or another. Mark my words!!!

Hopefully this is satisfactory enough. I'm really happy to be proven wrong in any of my guesses here. But it's important to face the facts, people: this little arc is reaching its climax. It's only a matter of time before that yorishiro is gone and we get to put this all behind us. Let's just hope it comes with as little casualties as possible!

[alonelyhollowgram]

The Wonderful Ramblings of an Everyday Thinker

I have been reading Wonderful Everyday recently and I just need somewhere to lay down my thoughts and theories of what is going on so far.

Spoilers up until the Kimika ending of chapter 4. I just wanna live in a world where things ended like that for a bit longer before I continue and since I am a bit over halfway it feels like a good point to gather my thoughts.

My current biggest idea or theory of what is going on is that Yuki and Yuuki are fake in some way. (Kagami and Tsukasa too probably, this is long enough already though lol)

Mamiya and those two has always been kinda weird. They seemingly only exist to Mamiya as they didn’t appear in chapter 4, even if Yuuki was hinted to. In fact. Mamiya takes on some of their traits and personalities. There are three sides to Mamiya show in chapter 4. I am not entirely sure where to place him when he gets all culty, but that might be an extension to his “normal self”. The more wide-eyed otaku you see in chapter 1 and the start of chapter 4 when Zakuro first met him. This is also the one I think you (the reader) follow in chapter 3 as the otaku in him seems to still be there. I mostly say this because of Riruru, the magical girl, takes a major role.

Mamiya is… pretty delusional. That is fairly clear early on, especially in the scene with Zakuro in chapter 3 where you get the choice to distance yourself from the delusion or to embrace it. Even if you distance yourself from it, he is still delusion, but not nearly as much as he could be. When you play as Zakuro you can kinda see how this actually played out… Probably. I use her as time as the narrator to be more reliable than Mamiya was. The desk scene is the biggest example of this (that desk is a victim) from the top route in chapter 3 where the reader knows Zakuro is dead, but Mamiya still… goes to town with the desk he imagines as Zakuro. Not to mention Riruru, the anime magical girl that talks to him. He draw her on the wall and she came alive to him. Something that can’t happen in real life! Magical girls don’t exist, sorry to break the news to you.

This separation of route a and b in chapter 3 is important this. Yuuki makes his introduction in chapter 3 early on to Mamiya. A scrawny yet strong and dangerous boy that bullies Mamiya. After Mamiya beats him with his godpowers or whatever he disappears for the rest of the chapter in route a, but he has a rematch in route b with him. Yuki also appears at the end of route b as she did in chapter 2, but is weirdly absent in route a. Other than the time she meets with him next to the pool and Mamiya reads her mind.

Now, why does the Yukis appear in route b and not a? Narratively it would make sense after all. I think it is because Mamiya leans more into delusion in route b than he does a. This makes sense if we see the Yukis as fake and them showing up again when he is more delusional. You can see the extra delusion from route b from the added h-scenes with Zakuro, Riruru and Ayana. The one with Kimika I am willing to believe happened with the info I have now (though I’d prefer if it didn’t lol). Kimika did say she fell in love with him in route a after all. The Riruru one is fake cause, again, magical girls aren’t real and she appeared from a drawing on the wall. The war between the black and white Riruru’s aren’t real either. Ayana’s was clearly fake, she mentions it and contradicts what happens in it afterwards.

I can’t give every weird thing happening to Mamiya’s delusions. Everyone in the cult was drugged out of their minds too. Which definitely doesn’t help.

Mamiya’s weird behaviour in chapter 4 could be explained with the Yukis being different personalities he has. The charming, intellectual one who smokes is Yuki and the violent more anti-social one is Yuuki. The otaku is him. Mamiya has three different sets of sprites to illustrate this point. One turned to the right, one to the middle and one to the left.

Some things that support this theory is the similar traits as I mentioned, but also things such as Zakuro going on the same date with Mamiya as she did Yuki in chapter 1, skipping class to then read literature books on the roof and such. Weird to not see Yuki who was basically established with these traits there.

For Yuuki there is the encounter with the bullies at the park in chapter 4a where the bullies are scared of him even though we knew they bullied him from chapter 3. Mamiya then beats them up. This sounds similar to how Yuuki was introduced. As someone these bullies are scared of because they beat them up.

We can even see the time Yuuki beat them up. After Mamiya got sexually assaulted. We know that event happened because Mamiya mentions stealing Zakuro’s clothes when Zakuro and Kimika run into him. And the clothing theft was something that basically “started” the assault so Mamiya has good reason to really remember it. What we see in chapter 3 is Yuuki beating them up, but with this theory Mamiya did. Well his body at least. His mind might not have been all there. Yuuki slinging slurs might just have been Mamiya’s rebel side’s thoughts about it. When Hasaki comes up to Kimika and Zakuro on the roof she mentions something about “Tomo-niisan”. Zakuro does not recognize this, but we know that Yuuki’s last name is Tomosane. What a coincidence, huh? It’s not!

The number 3 comes up multiple times. Christian imagery and talks appear and what is an important thing in Christianity with the number 3? The trinity! The Son, the Father and the Holy Spirit. Mamiya also talks about Norse mythology for whatever reason in chapter 3. He brings up Angerboda’s children. Fenrir, Hel and Jörmungand. Three children. The story of Cyrano de Bergerac is also mentioned and quoted a lot. While not as obviously connected to the number three as the rest, you can still find it easily. Cyrano and Christan are in love with the woman Roxanne. Cyrano is smart, but ugly and Christan stupid, but handsome. Together they combine their forces and send Christian with the words Cyrano has written to her, whom she falls in love with. Cyrano and Christan make a new person basically, fit for Roxanne. And this person is the number 3 in this.  

For Subahibi, Yuki, Yuuki and Mamiya are these three. Ayana mentions there being three versions of Mamiya in the end of 4a. It might be a DID thing or something. I am no mental health expert. It would also explain why Mamiya can read Yuki’s mind. It’s his mind. Yuki getting a headache around him might be because they were never meant to meet or something. The sound you hear when Yuki met Mamiya is like the “delusion jingle” lol.

[yumenosakiimagines]

hiiiiiii~ can i get some hcs for rei (BEST BOY BEST BOY), arashi (BEST GIRL BEST GIRL), and mama (😍🤠) hugging a TINY (im talking like,,, roughly tori's height) producer, at her own (very quiet lol) request after a fair bit of staring, fidgeting and blushing? (tall people hugs are the best!!!! shzkssishbshshb thank u so much for this blog,,, im loving it so much💜💜💜)

You sure can! I wanna hug all of them too ;-; This was my first time writing for both the demon king and the queen of knights so I’m sorry if my characterization isn’t really the best. I hope this is what you wanted though!

For anyone wondering, Rei is 179 cm (5’10) tall, Madara is 180 cm (5’11) tall and Arashi-nee is 176 cm (5’9) tall, while Tori is 153 cm (5’) tall!

Rei

It’s honestly hard not to stare at Rei; he’s beautiful, graceful and his mysterious aura just draws you in. He’s knows this, and he’s used to having all eyes on him. But something was different about the way you looked at him today.

You were chilling in the Light Music clubroom with the members, as per usual. Rei sat on top of his coffin, pretending to pay attention to Koga’s practice. You were on the other side of the room with Hinata and Yuta, and even though you were supposedly having a conversation with them, your eyes were glued to Rei. He winked at you playfully when your gazes met, your already blushed face suddenly matching the twins’ ties.

A playful smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth as he stood up and walked towards you, ignoring Wanko’s howls of protest. You couldn’t even look at him in the eye as he stood in front of you in all of his glory.

Rei wrapped his arm over your shoulders and your first reaction was to press yourself against his side before stopping in your tracks, clearly embarrassed. He was quick to notice what you wanted, but he always had the time of his life teasing his dear producer, so he couldn’t miss the chance. His hand rubbed your back softly, delighting himself on the way you seemed to melt under his touch.

You gave up after around ten minutes of his teasing, knowing he was fully aware of what you wanted. “A-are you really going to make me ask you for a hug… senpai?”

He exhaled sharply as the word left your mouth, he was so weak against it; he hid it with a laugh though, throwing his arms around your smaller form.

“You’re such a temptress, producer.” He teased you, burying his face on your hair.

Arashi

She definitely noticed the way you seemed to be staring at her all throughout practice. Sure, your job was to look at all of them to pick up flaws in their choreography and technique in order for them to improve, but there was no way she was messing up so badly you only seemed to have eyes for her, right?

Even when the practice was over and everyone was gathering their stuff to leave, she could feel your eyes glued to the her. She checked her face on her flowery pocket mirror but nothing seemed different, and she looked up to you again, noting how red your cheeks looked. Were you feeling sick, perhaps?

“Is everything alright, producer?” Arashi asked, a little worried. She placed a hand on your forehead and the other one on her own to check your temperature, just in case. You didn’t seem to have a fever.

“Eek! Y-yes! Everything’s fine, Oneechan!” You rushed to say, stumbling upon your words, suddenly unable to look at her in the eye.

Arashi cocked her head to the side, and she was about to ask you again when Tsukasa approached you two to say his goodbyes. She sent the younger boy off with a quick hug, much to his embarrassment. When she looked back at you, your lips were puckered up in a little pout, and it suddenly clicked in her head. You just wanted some affection! Arashi was always pretty touchy feely with his unit mates, but tried to hold back with the producer in the name of professionalism.

“Oh, (y/n)-chan! You just wanted some affection, didn’t you?” she asked. You nodded, still looking away, and she felt like she could’ve died from cuteness right there and then. Her arms were wrapped around you in a second, and her hand softly played with your hair as she cradled your head in the crook of her neck.

“Next time, just ask Oneechan and she’ll give you as many hugs as you’d like.” Arashi smiled.

Mama

Lovecore cowboy loooooves hugs. On a normal day, he’ll be hugging you weather you ask him or not lol.

You’re probably so used to his hugs that you definitely feel their absence when they don’t happen. Like on days when he’s too busy or distracted and it just slips his mind, you’ll definitely notice.

On that particular day, Madara had finally decided to attend one of the Track & Field Club practices, and as his producer, you could only trail behind him. You stood close to him as he talked to the members, pouting as he rested his hand on Arashi’s shoulder, gently patted Adonis’ back and ruffled Mitsuru’s hair. All in the span of 5 minutes.

After he had sent them off for another lap around the school grounds, you shyly tugged at his sleeve and he turned around, towering over you. You didn’t let go of the fabric, but he didn’t seem to mind.

“Is there anything I can help you with, (y/n)-san?”

You just nodded, too embarrassed to tell him what you wanted. Mama chuckled at your cuteness, gently petting your head. You leaned against his touch and he melted.

“Ah, you’re almost like a cat sometimes, you know?” He laughed as he took you between his arms, your head resting against his broad chest. Honestly, Mama’s hugs are the absolute best. His body was warm and his hold around your smaller form was firm yet incredibly gentle.

“I’m sorry, have I been neglecting you lately?”

You quickly shook your head no, wrapping your arms around his waist to bring him even closer, breathing him in and sighing happily. He laughed again, resting his head on top of yours.

[chuuyagum]

Hiii I wanted to say thank you for writing such great fics😍 I have a question, if you're ok with answering of course, I was wondering when writing your fics do you have all the plots already planned out for them and you already know how they are going to end or are you thinking it up as you go along? In the beginning I thought it was the second one, but after some time I've noticed especially in WGYTR that the progress of their feelings towards each other is so natural and it really comes across like its well planned out and not that you are just thinking up a new random plot for every chapter😂 I hope it makes sense. So basically I'm interested what your process for writing the fics is like👀

hi anon! i love this question a lot actually bc my writing process is?? i guess somewhat structured but not really? i should probably preface this by saying that i did major in English literature so i know how to break down story elements, and use this often when writing my fics

before i start writing i have an overall plot in mind. i know how i want to start, and how i want to end, but everything in the middle is less planned out. i'll have some basic plot points i want to hit (ie this conversation needs to happen/they do this specific action/they're at X or Y location). but, using the chapters i've already posted of WGYTR as an example, the rest goes as follows;

for this fic i only had 3 major elements to hit. we've crossed the first two, and are now on the way towards the end goal of the story so >

A 》 B 》 C

A - the beginning of the story - Senku and Gen hardly know each other so the beginning is messier as often is when you're just meeting someone new. Senku is still somewhat mistrustful of Gen, while Gen is still in scheming mode. for this reason, Gen's thoughts are on the pessimistic side and Senku's more snappy and weary

a lot of the chapters in this part of the story revolve around doing random menial tasks that spark conversation and build trust. checkers, making paper, etc. not much of a direction besides the overall goal of making the phone, and Gen's plan to make Senku relax through laughter. it clearly backfires on him, making them grow closer, which is how we arrive at the midpoint

B - they accept each other as friends - Gen learns to recognize that he's changed as a person and accept the friends he's made - Senku, Ruri, and Kohaku. it's a personal milestone for him to recognize he's grown close to others over time. Senku never needed to cross such an obstacle as he's always been open to new friendships, like Chrome and Kohaku, albeit held at a bit of a distance. his milestone was accepting that he does trust Gen, that he won't be betrayed the way Tsukasa betrayed him

often the smaller plot points like the paper feel disconnected until i reach my midpoint of the story. in this case, that was Gen realizing he was using his infatuation with Kohaku to cover up his genuine feelings for Senku. since Gen is more in touch with his emotions, it's a turning point within the story itself and where the tone really starts to change. Senku's realization is slower and more subtle, it's there but it's not a massive "Oh" moment like Gen's.

C - getting together - obviously we're not there yet, but actions going forward are all building towards that. all those random elements introduced in the first half of the story will get wrapped up in this chunk

as for the chapters in between points A B C, it's less structured. i look at what needs to happen to touch on certain conversations or actions, and build a path from there so >

Gen remembers paper is a thing that exists 》 there's a chapter about collecting the materials as a "getting to know you" stage of the relationship 》 Gen makes Senku the log book, but also makes pinwheels for the children as a way of showing who he's grown close to and cares about. he makes a notebook for himself, but it's specifically to help Ruri even though he claims it's for selfish reasons 》 Senku mentions being surprised Gen hasn't made cards for himself, something he thought about all the way back when they were first playing checkers together 》 the paper was a device for Gen to demonstrate his growing close to others, but in a way that's set up for Senku to recognize the change in his behavior. so logicaly this tangent will wrap up with Senku's actions rather than Gen's.

in reality i just have this loose outline for my fic, and just go filling in the gaps as needed. generally i always have 1 buffer chapter ready before i post the next chapter. so ch 2 was ready before posting ch 1, and so on. this is so i have wiggle room incase i need to go back and add or remove something to make the next chapter make sense. most recently i had posted ch 25, but i realized i needed a whole ass chapter between ch 25 and 26 for 26 to make sense. so ch 26 became ch 27 (not yet posted) and i wrote a whole new ch 26 to bridge the gap

occasionally i'll think up a random scene or conversation that i don't have use for right away, so i'll just write it down to save for later. the conversation about education in ch 26 is one i wrote all the way back during ch 3 but didn't find a place for it to fit with the flow until i needed to write a bridge chapter. there's also snipets that may never make it into this fic that i'll just use for a different one down the road

i also do a lot of reaserch on the actual process for things that happen within the fic. like making paper, uses for sap, flowers and their uses - these are all topics i wasn't familiar with at all so i took the time to figure out how i could incorporate them realistically.

but there's also stuff i just draw on personal experience to write about - i'm on the aromantic spectrum like Senku, and i speak several languages like Gen. these aren't things i need to be precise about, but add to the story nonetheless

that's all i can think of as far as the actual process goes! but if you have any other questions i'm happy to answer them!

[evergreen-dryad]

jshk scribble #3

8 - superheroes/powers AU - kind-of, this one’s a magical girl AU. AkaAoi

— from this list of prompts here for August.

"Hurry!" She whispers as she takes a huge flying leap over the ridge of the roof, the ends of her sash fluttering behind her. Ahh, she'll never get over this, the sensation of almost-flying, of jumping into the air, and instead of falling, she—

—floats, as gently as if gravity was a dream.

She lands with an elegant click on her heel, right onto the next roof.

"Ao-chan!" Scandalised and red-faced, Akane catches up to her, looking quite dashing in his new get-up. His magical girl outfit, she supposed she could say. He lands with a neat step, his mask glinting gold underneath the light of the moon, and scattered streetlights. "Don't go ahead without me!"

"I was careful not to be seen." She pouts at him, tucking her arms by her hips. She'd even ensured there was a shadow of a cloud passing before taking the leap. Anyway, who even looked up on rooftops? At most, stargazers or security cams.

"No, the problem is-!" He waves a hand, flustered. "Your skirt, Ao-chan! What if someone saw?"

"Ah." Aoi stares at him, then huffs a laugh. "It's okay, it was too high up~"

“That doesn’t make it okay what if-”

Akane continued to fret out loud for several minutes, so Aoi smiled sweetly and let him. The night air was cool and whisked away most of the words from Aoi’s hearing, while they continued on their nightly patrol.

For every night, you see, there were ayakashi.

*

How did this begin, you ask? Well—

It all began, as with all magical girl animes do, with a magical companion. Except these mini fairies were not cute or endearing at all. Aoi did not think they were even trying.

Hers appeared as a bone-masked goatman that apparently brought death wherever he stepped. (It was just as well he never landed anywhere, and always flew with tiny wings.) Ergo, a shinigami in chibi form, asking her to be a sacrifice ahem tribute, to offer her body and soul up to wield the Powers of Life and Death aka magical girl, to help close up the portals between the boundaries of the Near and Far Shores.

Aoi of course, was suitably thrilled after the shock. Something interesting! More to life than just what was visible in this harsh reality!

And then of course, it turned out there was another magical girl — well boy in town, and within a few seconds of talking to him Aoi already knew who it was, no need to even waste several seasons of episodes dancing on the 'will they won't they find out'. It was clearly her childhood friend who also had a massive crush cough obsession with her, who she knew better than anyone, Akane.

Turned out he'd been contracted too. Except he kind of got tricked? Yikes, his companion was a jerk.

Apparently his was a hooded old man, and so that meant Akane got the option of a hood yes but he also got a spizzy new suit and an owl mask and long hair in a tail, which was all very good and did do wonders to her awkward childhood friend. Because for once he actually looked like he could give other models a run for their money.

(Aoi carefully did not think more on this train of thought.)

Another interesting note: transforming made them supernatural, and much more mature-looking. Or at least, that was what Aoi thought was what was happening, because she didn't feel that much different in her get-up. Seeing her transformed reflection, she didn't think she'd grown any taller either.

Perhaps it was just as well. She didn’t need it.

Akane of course, reassured her that she was even more beautiful, if that was possible, in her shrine maiden dress, because she was already Perfect the way she was.

Aoi smiled and took it as the compliment it was. There was no other way to take it otherwise, not with Akane.

Most annoyingly, Akane would not tell her what his wish was in exchange for becoming a magical boy. Especially since he even said he had been manipulated. Aoi had suspicions, but decided to leave it at that. Contracts were highly personal for magi, after all.

She knew she would never tell anyone what hers was.

*

And then Akane’s worry came true: they were seen. Not just seen, but by a boy with a telescope. In summary, Akane’s worst nightmare when it came to preserving her ‘purity’.

Staring down at wide yellow eyes gaping at them, she internally sighed. There actually was a stargazer in their area.

Two of them, in fact. There was another set of eyes peering over from the first boy’s shoulder. Twins, how cute. Akane was fidgeting in that certain way he thought was subtle, gloved fingers inching towards his pocket where his pocket watch was. Aoi could see he was itching to just use his power and flee the scene, but—

Aoi didn’t want to do that. She shot him a look.

The second boy ran over to them, goggling at their outfits. “What’s a shrine maiden and a suit guy doing here?” He grinned toothily, holding out his hand.

The first boy continued to stare at them apprehensively. “Tsukasa…” He walked forward, tugging on his brother’s sleeve.

Besides, she didn’t think anyone was going to believe them if they told.

“They’re magi too, aren’t they?” Tsukasa said confidently.

They all froze. “Too?” Aoi echoed, Akane blinking rapidly beside her.

The other boy in front of them looked very uncomfortable for a moment, but he sighed and relented at Tsukasa’s gleeful look, after glaring at him. He reluctantly said, “I was the first one in the area.” He shot them a suspicious look. “I don’t understand — how can there be more? Who contracted with you?”

.

// Originally written in May for an AkaAoi prompt! Wanted to make them partners-in-crime phantom thieves like in Kaitou Saint Tail, but had no idea where to take it.

I think I wrote this after having watched a magical girl anime compilation, and I was just like lol I’m not writing the dual identity situation of ‘am I in love with 2 different people’. ooH hananeneama Just included the Yugi twins today, because why not make them all exploits of the magical child system lol

-Amane would have made a wish to protect, hence power is barriers. I like to think he made that wish to protect Nene (why? am unsure. she’s an easy target because she’s gullible?) -imagining Aoi’s power is smth like Chat Noir’s Cataclysm. Can only revive dead things so luckily there’s the undo button -if Nene is a magical girl, her power would be illusions. -Kou!!! Next town over! Or, he’s the policeman’s kid XD

braincells left? none. I’m not used to not writing either Amane or Nene’s POV XD

[cherry-valentine]

Winter 2021 Anime Season:

What I’m watching:

Log Horizon season 3 is all about the politics. Of all the “trapped in a video game” anime I’ve seen, Log Horizon has always been unique in the way it focuses not on the drama and action (although there is some of that), but on the world building of the “game” the characters find themselves stuck in. It’s less a game and more an entirely new world, one that the players, called “Adventurers,” are keenly aware of their influence on. The show focuses much more on the politics, economics, history, etc. of this world than it does on battles or romance. This sets it apart from things like Sword Art Online and the .hack franchise. Season 3 so far seems to be focusing on how the hub town of Akiba will be governed, with an actual election taking place. The Adventurers have to form good business relationships with the “People of the Land” (NPC’s, who in this world have their own personalities and lives and are just as developed as the players). The series goes into things like power systems, food supply, the politics of arranged marriages, and so many other things that make this world so interesting. Because of this, I’ve seen people calling the show boring or slow. I can understand how it could be seen that way, but I honestly find it fascinating. When the show does focus on action, it really nails it. So far season 3 has had pretty much zero action, but I’m guessing we’ll get some in the later part of the season. The animation is nice, with tons of characters sporting various designs. The music is great too. While I do miss the “Database” opening theme from season 1 and 2, this new one is pretty good. Watch Log Horizon if you’re into fantasy world-building. Avoid if you think a few episodes without a fight makes a series boring.

Beastars season 2 is a delight. I didn’t watch the first season as it aired, so I quickly caught up on Netflix before season 2 started, and I’m so glad I did. The show is definitely something I didn’t think I would enjoy, but everyone seemed to agree it was fantastic, so I gave it a shot. I intended to watch the first episode one evening to see what it was like and ended up watching the first eight in practically one sitting. For those unaware, Beastars is about a society of vaguely human-like animals (almost all of them walk upright on two legs and wear clothes, for example) and the conflicts between the carnivores and the herbivores (many of whom live in constant fear of being eaten, even though eating meat is illegal). The core of the story is about a wolf, Legoshi, falling in love with a rabbit, Haru, and all the complications that arise from that. Apparently, inter-species relationships are allowed, but frowned upon (I guess? It’s never explicitly stated either way). What makes this relationship interesting is the fact that the wolf is shy and awkward (and just generally a sweet guy) while the rabbit is more experienced and worldly. Something that struck me as interesting is that the rabbit Haru is sexually active, and has been with several different male characters. While the other characters, naturally, have things to say about this (calling her a “slut” or a “bitch” - the main setting is a high school after all), the story itself doesn’t condemn her for it. In fact, the story presents her in a positive light, sexual history included. The fact that she sleeps around is never portrayed as a negative aspect of her character, and Legoshi is very much aware of her activities. It’s a surprisingly sex positive take. Of course, this positivity doesn’t extend to the audience. Avoid comments sections on episodes of this show unless you want to see some rampant slut shaming.

I ended up talking mostly about season 1, but I didn’t get to do a write-up about it so there’s that. Season 2 is so far very good, dealing with a plot thread that had been left dangling in season one: an herbivore student was murdered and eaten in the first episode, and the mystery of who the killer is was pretty much dropped in favor of character development and world building. But season 2 is addressing that mystery in earnest, and it’s been exciting to watch Legoshi pursue the case. Overall, it’s an engaging show that I regret sleeping on until now. The opening and ending themes are real bangers and the animation looks great.

Dr. Stone Season 2 was easily my most anticipated series this season. It was my favorite show during it’s first season and is my favorite overall this season as well. The show is just so fun. The very quick and basic plot setup is that humanity was turned to stone in the modern age and, thousands of years later, the earth has been retaken by nature. A teenaged scientific genius named Senku breaks free of his stone shell and decides to save everyone and bring science and technology back to the world. In conflict with him is Tsukasa, a physical powerhouse who wants to destroy all the stone adults and create a utopia for the youth. Season 2 leaps right into the war with Tsukasa’s army, with Senku and his allies actually building a primitive cell phone to communicate over wide distances. The charm of this series has always been in its mixture of science facts and methods (all based on real-world science and theoretically possible) and dramatic action between well developed characters, both presented in equally exciting lights. It’s just as much fun watching Senku and his friends gather materials to make a vehicle as it is watching the various skillful warriors battling it out. The art style is something often commented on, as the character designs take a little getting used to, but the animation itself is very nice. As per usual, it has amazing opening and ending themes, with my favorite opening of the season.

The Promised Neverland Season 2 is a bit of a mess. I don’t follow the manga, but I enjoyed the first season of the anime very much and, just by virtue of being on Tumblr and being aware of the series, I ended up hearing about some major plot points from the manga that had me excited. So season two started and the first few episodes were great. But then things started seeming rushed, or just not quite right. A glance at the comments on the episodes revealed that entire story arcs had been skipped, and it really shows even to someone like me who hasn’t read the manga. And one major event I had seen so many images of from the manga is clearly being done in a completely different way in the anime (one that lessens the scene’s impact quite a lot). So... I’m not sure how to feel about this series. It was one of my most anticipated shows this season, but now it’s dropped down toward the bottom, and that’s disappointing. I guess I’ll finish this out and then consider picking up the manga, since apparently this is so different it won’t be spoiling much.

World Trigger Season 2 was a bit of a surprise. I only found out about it a few days before it began airing, and I honestly hesitated when deciding whether or not to watch it. When the first season aired, I loved it. I was sure it would be a new favorite. But then the filler arcs started, and they were almost unbearably boring. I dropped the series and always wondered if the show went back to its former greatness. So when season 2 started, I wondered if this was more filler, or if the filler arcs had ended in season 1 and I’d missed out on some content that I’d need to watch to understand season 2. Plus, my memory of season 1 wasn’t so great. With these thoughts in mind, I decided to watch the first few episodes of season 2 and see if I could make sense of it. Luckily, all of my concerns flew out the window pretty quickly. By the end of the first episode, I was enjoy it so much that I didn’t care about any of the things I’d been worried about. Sure, I might not have remembered all the names or all the details, but the important stuff was coming back to me.

The thing World Trigger does best is juggling tons and tons of characters. I know a lot of anime have large casts, but few of them have so many characters active in a single story arc, and even fewer of them handle those characters so well. Even though it’s been a few years since I watched season 1, and there were dozens of characters popping up in the first few episodes alone, I remembered most of them as I saw them. This is because all of them are memorable, well-designed, and interesting. I think it says a lot about the cast that, in the first several episodes, the three main protagonists are completely left out of the action, and we only get a brief glimpse of them. And this did absolutely nothing to hinder my enjoyment of the show. The supporting characters are so strong (both in-series and in terms of the writing) that the protagonists were not even missed. And I’m not dunking on the protagonists here. They’re great, fun characters. Aside from all this, the show has simple yet attractive art with a ton of variety in the design work. The music is nice, with one of the better opening themes of the season. The action is well choreographed and it’s just a fun series overall.

Sk8 is one of only two totally new series I’m following this season, and it’s a blast. Following a handful of eccentric skate boarders who engage in one-on-one races, the show is equal parts funny and exciting. The main focus is on two skaters, the energetic Reki and the Canadian snow boarder Langa, whom Reki is introducing to the world of skate boarding. The first thing you’re likely to notice about this series is just how colorful it is. It’s like the show itself is in love with color. It makes the art very striking and pleasing to look at. Honestly, it’s worth watching for the eye candy alone. Luckily, the series has other things going for it as well. The budding friendship between Reki and Langa is humorous and sweet, with very little of the usual “rivals who act like they hate each other but are actually friends” shenanigans we see so often in anime. They’re just two nice boys who are nice to each other, and that’s refreshing. Another high point is the gloriously flamboyant villain, Adam. He’s a real treat whenever he’s on screen. The show has an overall light-hearted feel, with enough emotional moments to keep it from becoming too silly. I don’t know much about skate boarding, but this anime makes it look awesome.

Kemono Jihen is the only other new series I’m watching this season. It primarily focuses on a small group of mythical creatures (or half-human/half-mythical) living in Tokyo, operating a detective agency for cases involving creatures like them. The protagonist is Kabane, a young boy who is half human, half ghoul. He’s apparently immortal, to the point that severing his head doesn’t even seem to cause pain. Due to being neglected and mistreated by his adoptive human family, he lacks social skills, but his earnest attempts to make friends and help his companions make him an endearing character. While this type of “urban fantasy” story isn’t new, it’s executed rather well. The characters and their abilities are varied and interesting, the art is competent, and the music fits. There’s a bit of a gross-out factor, with at least two cases involving insects, so be aware. It’s not my favorite show this season, mainly because it doesn’t seem to bring any new ideas to the table, but it’s entertaining enough to keep a spot on my watch list despite me being absolutely brutal when trimming that list down this season. Worth watching, for sure.

Carry Over Shows From Previous Seasons:

Black Clover

Jujutsu Kaisen

Best of Season:

Best New Show: Sk8

Best Opening Theme: Dr. Stone Season 2

Best Ending Theme: Sk8

Best New Male Character: Langa (Sk8)

Best New Female Character: Kon (Kemono Jihen)

[magioftheseas]

Late Night Broadcast

Summary:  In which the broadcasting club admires the night sky among other things.

Rating: T

Warnings: Some implicit references to death. Tsukasa’s a bit of a weirdo.

Notes: I got commissioned to write more of the broadcasting club! How fun! I like stargazing a lot as a concept so I went with it as a premise. Tsukasa has his own appreciation towards the sky and moon. It’s a bit strange, but I tried to make it work. The broadcasting club is very good. There’s a little less Natsuhiko because he was the focus of the last fic, but I hope you enjoy it all the same.

***Alternate Ao3 Link***

Commission? Donate?

“Natsuhiko. Natsuhiko.”

It’s not the first time he’s prodded awake and it’s at a pretty unholy hour. His lady is jabbing her book into his ribcage, brows furrowed, and he can’t help but grin. Before he can lean in to kiss that serious frown off her face, however, she smacks him with said book.

“You should go home. You can’t stay here every single night without it having an impact on your health.”

“But if I go, who will keep you company besides that runt?” he purred and before he could take her hand oh so gingerly, she brought that book down harshly on his wrist, earning a yelp. He doesn’t let that deter him for long, chuckling as he rubs the newly formed injury. “Seriously, milady, it’s absolutely fiiiine. It’s not like my folks expect any different by now.”

Sakura’s eyes narrowed considerably.

“That is not the point,” she stated. “You are human. And you clearly need the proper rest. It will be a hassle on us if you do not take care of yourself.”

“The concern of an angel!” he gushed. “You’re truly wondrous!”

“It’s pragmatism, nothing more.” Either bored or irritated by his antics, she stood and put an overly respectable amount of distance between them. “As I said, it will be a hindrance to our efforts if you are not of good health.”

“I’m truly blessed to know such consideration,” he hummed, although he did ache all over from the awkward position he slept in. He discreetly rubbed his neck, trying not to wince as joins popped. When the lady glanced back at him, she was terribly unimpressed. Natsuhiko did avoid her gaze then, but upon doing so he noticed something—odd. More specifically, a lack of something.

No matter the hour, it wasn’t always this quiet in the old broadcasting club. Now, it was so eerily silent that Natsuhiko was keenly reminded of the fact that this room had been long since abandoned by the living. Hell, it was probably long-forgotten, too. But, it still wasn’t always this quiet.

“Mitsuba-chan is...?”

“Convening with the other wonders,” Sakura said. “And you know that he is not a fixed presence here.”

“The other wonders, huh,” Natsuhiko mused before asking about the one he really wanted to know about. “And the brat?”

“On the roof, stargazing. It is a full moon tonight.”

Natsuhiko perked.

“Is that what he said he’d do?”

“Yes.” She nodded simply, unconcerned. “As I said, it is a full moon. I have been keeping check since he does this regularly.”

“Regularly...” Natsuhiko shifts to make himself more comfortable, resting his chin on his palm. “Hey, asking out of curiosity. What’s it like to not have to sleep?”

Sakura is quiet for a moment. With a long intake of breath and a deep sigh, she answered.

“Exhausting.”

Natsuhiko’s smile twitches. He stretches, and his body still hurts. Sakura won’t look at him as he forces himself to stand, even as he lets out pained little grunts.

“We should probably go check on the kid, huh?”

“We should,” she agreed softly. She retains an averted, wistful state. “To make sure he is not terrorizing our mokke, if nothing else.”

--

Natsuhiko honestly didn’t expect the kid to be where he said he’d be, but he knew sometimes that the kid could be pretty unpredictable. The kid even had a stolen blanket laid out for him to sit on, like it was some kind of picnic. Unfortunately, a poor mokke had found itself in the role of snack, and Tsukasa chewed on its ear as he stared up at the sky.

“Hey, kid,” Natsuhiko calls out, cupping his mouth. “Just how long do you plan on sitting there?!”

Engrossed as he was, Tsukasa didn’t pay him any mind. Ever the minder, Sakura answered.

“He usually stays out all night. Until the sun rises. Since it is not too strenuous an activity, I usually let him be.” She brushes her hair back, contemplative. “It is mostly harmless, too. Simply admiring the night sky.”

“Mostly,” Natsuhiko echoed but noted that she was indicating the mokke with a quick glance. With a sigh and a shrug he made his way across the roof. Without missing a beat, he pulled the poor creature out of Tsukasa’s mouth with a pop. Tsukasa allowed it, didn’t even acknowledge him really, and the mokke wasted zero time scurrying away in terror once freed.

Natsuhiko made a face, and he would’ve waved his hand in front of Tsukasa’s face if he wasn’t afraid of the brat biting him. Not even as punishment but because the kid just had that kind of habit.

“Uh? Kid? You there?” He whistles and still doesn’t get a response. “Kid? Kiiiiid?”

“Natsuhiko,” Sakura said, voice sharp. “Do you wish for him to throw you off the roof?”

“E-Eh?” Natsuhiko blinks up at her. “Am I close to making him angry?”

“Sakura.”

Both of them jumped at Tsukasa suddenly speaking up, but Tsukasa was still looking at the moon. He just happened to now also be patting the spot beside him incessantly. Getting the message, Sakura only sighs as she plops down. Scowling, Natsuhiko sits down as well.

“It’s a lovely night, isn’t it,” Sakura muses, eyes flickering towards the stars as well. “It has been a while since we’ve been able to properly appreciate the stars like this.”

“What flavor do you think the moon is?” Tsukasa asks, head tilting. “I heard once it was made of cheese, but our moon rock didn’t taste like that at all.”

“Moon rock?” Natsuhiko echoed.

“It fell from the sky in front of us!” Tsukasa exclaimed, flapping his arms excitedly. “A whole 384400 kilometers! Did you know? That’s almost as long as twenty oceans!”

“I guess depending on the ocean,” Natsuhiko mutters, to which Sakura spoke up.

“He means the pacific ocean, specifically.”

“Whoa, for real?!” he exclaimed. “That’s really far!”

“Yeah, yeah!” Tsukasa agreed, beaming. “But, that moon rock tasted like any other rock! I think it was fake anyway, which is why Amane got rid of it.”

Natsuhiko stilled, his moment of surprise and even excitement wilting on the spot.

“Ah.”

“The moon must taste way better than ordinary rocks,” Tsukasa went on, not even noticing the change in mood. Likely not caring one way or the other. “Squishier, at least.”

“Squishy, huh,” Natsuhiko drones, not even sure what to say to that.

“Sakura!” Tsukasa practically shouts, and he would’ve gotten onto her lap if not for Natsuhiko hurriedly pulling him back. “What do you think?”

“Don’t just yell when someone’s right next to you! Seriously, learn your manners!”

Sakura, unruffled and maintaining poise, gave a thoughtful hum.

“It was once believed that the moon houses the spirits of the living once they’ve ascended. I do sometimes wonder if that is true.”

“Huh?” Tsukasa gaped, blinking several times. “That can’t be true. Humans have walked on the moon before and they got there through rockets.”

“I suppose so,” she murmured. “Do you know the tale of the bamboo cutter?”

“Oh, I know that one!” Natsuhiko beamed at the chance to show off. “About Princess Kaguya, right?”

“What’s she got to do with anything?” Tsukasa asks, clearly uninterested.

“You know it?” Sakura asked patiently. Tsukasa blinks back, mulling it over before shrugging his shoulders. That was about as good an answer as any. “Toward the end, when Princess Kaguya is expected to return to the moon, she is given a feather robe that takes away all her grief and memories of those she had met and loved on earth. In some variations of that story, her experiences were meant to be a punishment. In others, they were her escape from the sublime paradise that was the moon.”

“Still pretty sad either way, huh,” Natsuhiko hums. “And after that, the emperor had his men burn the potion of immortality that Princess Kaguya gave him atop Mt. Fuji. And that the smoke that came from it lasted...until Mt. Fuji was considerably less volcanically active than it used to be, haha.” There was a gleam in his gaze. “Romantic, though, isn’t it? Immortality was worth nothing to a man who couldn’t be with the woman he loved.”

Sakura bristled, exasperation marring her usual stoicism.

“It is quite late,” she said. “You really should go home, Natsuhiko.”

“By your side is where I belong, my lady!”

“Go home,” she snapped with so much bite that it had Natsuhiko’s heart pounding and his blood rushing.

“A-Ah, well, it’s a pretty chilly night, actually!” he exclaimed, suddenly standing and facing away from them. “How about some blankets so that we don’t all freeze? I know just the place to grab them. And I’m pretty good about sneaking around, too.”

“If you are caught by the staff, it will be troublesome for all of us,” Sakura said darkly.

“Do not worry, my lady,” he said with a sweeping bow, a rather poor facsimile of a charming prince. “I would never dream of holding you back.”

He scampers off remarkably quick if nothing else, and Sakura watched him leave. Even with him gone, she rubbed her temples with an aggrieved exhale.

“Sakura.”

Tsukasa wasted no time before flopping onto her lap, cheek pressed to her thigh as he blinked those wide, golden eyes up at her. They were glowing and expectant, and Sakura’s expression gave away nothing in return.

“You really are nothing more than a cat,” she murmured.

Tsukasa yawned, showing off those two pointed canines. It was clearly a bit of a show, given how he playfully stuck out his tongue afterwards. He even lightly mewed.

“I’m not going to pet you,” was Sakura’s only response. “I am not rewarding you for disrespecting my personal space.”

He giggles at that.

“Alright, Sakura.” But those golden eyes still bore into her, brighter and harsher than the pale light of the moon above. “You know.” Almost idly, he traces patterns into her thigh. “Amane loves the moon. He thinks it must be a wonderful place. He always wanted to go, even when we were kids. Even that far back, Amane was gathering tickets so that he could make his wish of becoming an astronaut.”

“I see,” she replies, if only to be polite.

“Amane was never going to go to the moon. Not even in a world where he never killed me.” Several stars were reflected in that gaze. For a mere moment, Tsukasa seemed to see past her. This did not phase her, and Tsukasa was not particularly invested in her reactions at the time. “He didn’t even get to go in that perfect world. Do you think that would have made him happy if he had?”

“It may have,” she whispered.

“Happier than when he saw me?” Tsukasa asked, eyes now as captivating as they were wide.

“I would not know,” she answered honestly. “I had not been there. I had hardly been involved at all.”

Tsukasa laughs.

“That’s right. Sakura didn’t have anything to do with any of it. You didn’t even have any interest in playing along. Was it no good for you, then?”

“It was not for me.” She swallowed. “That is all.”

“I still would’ve liked for you to have a good time, you know. Sa-ku-ra.”

Despite the motionlessness of the night, of the unwavering light in the ghost’s gaze, Tsukasa does shift and fidget. A child that can’t keep still, or perhaps more akin to a curious cat whose tail flicks and flicks. One that can’t decide to strike. Something like that.

Because Tsukasa’s hat had gone askew, Sakura straightened it, tugging it down so that it wasn’t in danger to tumbling off. It’s a disorderliness she can temper, and so she does.

“My lady! I’ve brought the blankets!” Natsuhiko’s voice cuts through the heavy silence, as does his gasp of abject horror. “Kid, what the hell are you doing?”

“Mmrr?” With another cat-like sound, Tsukasa pushed himself up. “Resting my head on her legs, obviously. Sakura smells nice. Like...” Pausing, he thinks it over. “Tea leaves. She smells like tea leaves.”

“T-Tea leaves?!”

Sakura took the blanket without another word, leaving a shocked Natsuhiko still standing in the cold. She settles back down and Tsukasa’s quick to worm his way onto her lap. He twists around so that he can still face the moon and adjusts himself so that he’s sitting on her comfortably before pulling the blanket around them both, making a cocoon.

“It hurts,” she mutters, irritated but resigned.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing now, kid?!” Natsuhiko shrieked.

“Getting comfy,” is his easy answer. “It’s a good thing Sakura’s taller than me.”

“Get OFF!”

“I don’t want to, so I’m not going to.” And with that declaration, Tsukasa bit Natsuhiko’s hand when he attempted to remove him from Sakura’s lap.

“Natsuhiko,” she chastised sharply when he let out a sharp shriek. “Do not draw attention. And—you should not bite.”

Tsukasa hummed and shifted but said nothing. Natsuhiko grumbled under his breath, rubbing his injured hand against his uniform. He wasn’t bleeding, thankfully, although there were two red pinpricks from Tsukasa’s fang-like canines. Sakura’s gaze narrowed sharply, and she lightly jabbed Tsukasa in the ribs. He giggles, ticklish, but quiets when she repeats herself.

“You should not bite.”

“Kay,” Tsukasa replied cheerfully. He grins up at Natsuhiko who glares back. He doesn’t apologize. This is the best she can do. Tsukasa’s already moved on from it anyway. “Sakura, Sakura, do you think the moon tastes sweet?”

“I would not know,” she murmurs. “I could probably look it up if you want.”

“What’s up with you and eating rocks?” Natsuhiko griped. “Those are bad for your teeth, y’know. Although maybe I shouldn’t be dissuading ya, considering...”

“Does the moon taste different when it changes color?” Tsukasa asks instead. In one ear, out the other. Getting through to him was about as impossible as catching the wind with an embrace.

“It changes color due to light, so it’ll taste the same,” Natsuhiko said. He paused, blinking a few times. “That’s right, right?”

“Yes,” she confirmed. “It is correct.”

“Eh~? The light doesn’t affect it at all?” Tsukasa purses his lips. “But the moon doesn’t have an atmosphere, right~? So, wouldn’t it be affected by radiation? Radiation affects taste, right?”

“It...” Natsuhiko quieted, twitching as he thought. “I-I don’t...think I’d know that. Kid, how the hell did you...?”

“They teach it in science class,” Tsukasa chirped. “This is why it’s bad to skip class.”

“A-Argh, I won’t skip so much, then! There’s no way I can have a runt like you showing me up in front of the lady!!”

Sakura does inhale softly, but rather than let out a sigh, she finds herself at ease. This kind of harmless bickering under the gentle moonlight and shimmering expanse of stars was something she could appreciate. Something sweet and precious in how fleeting a moment like this was.

“It’s nice, isn’t it,” she spoke up. “Calm nights are nice.”

“Ooh!” Natsuhiko’s eyes were sparkling now at the opportunity. “If you want, my lady, you can rest your head on my shoulder and...”

“Out of the question.”

Tsukasa nuzzles her, to Natsuhiko’s utter despair. She takes it in stride, and doesn’t take back her remark. She’s assured when Tsukasa relaxes against her, settled and content.

“The moon is really pretty,” he says. “It’s a shame Amane can’t see it. I’ll describe it to him next time, then. Whenever that will be. Oh, to Mitsuba too, I guess, when he gets back.”

“Hopefully, Mitsuba-chan doesn’t end up feeling like he missed out,” Natsuhiko muttered. “I’d hate to make him upset.”

“We’ll be sure to involve him next time if we can,” Sakura said. “If he wishes it.”

“You’re only supposed to wish on shooting stars,” Tsukasa corrected sagely. “Which is worthless!” He’s exclaiming it now, voice clear as a bell. “Because they’re just meteors that end up burning up most of the time! Instead, you should wish to me!”

“Wishing to you never goes well for anyone,” Natsuhiko retorted. “You twist their words.”

“Do not work him up,” Sakura said, exasperated. “That is the business of dealing with the supernatural, you know. He’s hardly a special case in that regard.”

Tsukasa stuck out his tongue. It was quite infuriating for Natsuhiko, especially with the brat still pressed up against Sakura, even going so far as to rub his grubby face into her shoulder.

“He’s still the worst!”

“Yes,” Sakura sighs, and she brings her hand up, patting Tsukasa’s head. “But, what are we to do? It’s best to just enjoy the starlit sky. The moon is quite beautiful, isn’t it?”

Tsukasa does twist so that he can peer up at that moon, its reflection in gold.

“It’s beautiful,” he agrees. “But it’s super cold up there. What do you think, Sakura? Do you want to go? Do you think it’s a paradise up there?”

“I do not think I will ever know the truth,” Sakura replied. “It is impossible to get there without a rocket, even if you swam from the near shore to the far shore.”

“So nothing’s there, that’s what you’re implying.”

“There’s probably nothing,” Natsuhiko said. “Except the rabbits, obviously. You at least know of the rabbits, right kid?”

Tsukasa blinks, lips pulling into a straight line.

“The mokke, you mean? They’re up there making mochi?”

“Maybe?” Natsuhiko laughs. “If you went up there, you’d probably eat all of it. And all of them. So, maybe it’s for the best that you stay on earth with us. Right, kid?”

Tsukasa doesn’t answer.

“We have more that we can do here,” Sakura added. “So, it would be best to stay for now.”

Tsukasa blinks up at her childishly. His grip on her waist loosens, and it takes a few heartbeats for him to smile as he usually does. Bright and innocent. Without a care.

“Yeah, that’s true!”

“Yeah,” Natsuhiko said before snatching Tsukasa up by the arms and yanking him off the lady. “Now respect her space, you little brat. You’re way too clingy with the lady.”

Sakura tugs the blanket around herself, even if it’s an unnecessary action. Tsukasa just lets himself be held still like a cat getting scruffed. Since he wasn’t fussing, it was fine to let those two be, with Natsuhiko continuing to scold him and Tsukasa just staring back wide-eyed.

In the end, Natsuhiko had a keep an arm wrapped around Tsukasa to prevent him from scrambling back to Sakura’s lap, and all was about as peaceful that night as it could be between the three of them.

“I know a few stories about the rabbits on the moon if you would like to hear them,” she offers calmly. “Including the one about the cheeky bunny that started it all.”

“Ah, we’d love to hear it, milady!” Natsuhiko chirped cheerfully as Tsukasa nodded furiously.

“Alright, then.”

In the end, Natsuhiko fell asleep part of the way through her story, squeezing Tsukasa like a favored teddy bear as a result. He doesn’t stir no matter how many times Tsukasa lightly smacks his cheeks.

“Stop that,” Sakura snapped quietly. “He’s a human. He needs sleep.”

“Mitsuba sleeps a lot, too, it’s so weird and annoying,” Tsukasa said. “Amane never fell asleep before I did. He’d stare at the moon all, all night.”

“I assume that was because he loved it,” was her obvious explanation. Tsukasa does nod in affirmation.

“They’re both so different from Amane,” Tsukasa murmurs, rubbing his palm against Natsuhiko’s jaw. Natsuhiko murmurs. Tsukasa’s stare is hooded. “Super different.”

He pushes Natsuhiko down so that the human is flat on his back. Natsuhiko is obvious, he’s snoring. The only issue is that his grip on Tsukasa’s wrist is one that needs to be pried off.

Tsukasa just flops onto him, and though Natsuhiko makes a sound of protest, it’s not long before he drifts back into a steady slumber.

“Thump, thump, thump,” Tsukasa says, cheek against Natsuhiko’s chest. “Yep. Super different.”

Sakura drapes the blanket over them both, and Tsukasa takes to that with a happy purr. His eyes are twinkling as Sakura carefully removes his hat and sets it aside.

“Let him rest,” she repeated, pressing her finger to her lips. “It is the least you can do for him.”

“Okay,” Tsukasa lightly sing-songs, all the more cheerful when Sakura tucks them both in the best she can. He’s beaming at her again, and if she had wanted, she could have pretended this was a precious moment. One of pure camaraderie and affection, shared between three individuals the world had chewed up and spat out. Something good that had come from falling between the cracks. It would have been nice. To pretend. To appreciate this moment and to pretend.

Natsuhiko murmurs something else. Something that Sakura regards blankly. Vacantly. Tsukasa rests his head on folded arms, still staring up at her. That sparkle, too, had gone out, leaving behind a void. Sakura would’ve flinched had she not realized he was actually looking past her. That his gaze was caught on the moon and stayed there. Ever loyal.

With that, Sakura could only mutely lay there beside them.

“Are you gonna sleep, Sakura?” Tsukasa asks in such a low drone that didn’t even sound like himself.

“Mm.” She shifts. “You know the answer already.”

They laid there until sunrise. In the end, Natsuhiko woke up alone.

[winterune]

Pet - Thoughts and Musings

I am back with my seasonal anime musings/analysis/reviews/whatever. Because of various reasons, I have not written any of these posts since...I don’t know...last spring anime season? LOL I still have soooo many on my list from last year to watch gahhh. But I did caught up with Beastars and Araburu Kisetsu no Otome-domo yo - both of which were awesome, by the way. I wanted to write some things for them (especially Araburu, because I felt like there’s a lot of things I wanted to say), but...I don’t know. Life caught up?

Anyway, here’s Pet, with an average score of 6.57/10 on MAL. Quite a low one for my taste, as I rarely watch anything with a score below 7. However, this is one of those anime I decided to see not because of the MAL score or anyone else’s influence, but because I wanted to. Heck, when it was first announced, I was immediately excited, because 1) it’s directed by Omori Takahiro, who directed some of my all-time favorite anime, such as Natsume Yuujinchou, Durarara, Baccano, and Hotarubi no Mori e; 2) the screenplay is done by Sadayuki Murai, another favorite who has also worked alongside Omori-kantoku-san and was also the one behind Sidonia no Kishi’s series composition; and 3) the entire synopsis just sounds...soo good?? Not to mention that short PV-like thing they released way back when

OK, yes, I’m not fluent in Japanese, but the music and Hiroki’s voice acting really caught me.

However, time passed, and there was no word on the anime at all until it was announced that the anime was pushed back until the winter season of 2020. Now, I still had my initial hype, but I also had my doubts. It probably had production issues and so on. Things like that often don’t bring their best to the table and ends up becoming a disappointment. It showed on the first episode.

That episode was weird. I read what people thought about it on some forums and none gave me a positive image of the anime. But I thought, what the heck? There’s no harm on checking it. Though it wasn’t entirely bad, it was weird, and I had no idea what was happening. There was so much going on and the art felt a bit weird and the story seemed all over the place and I thought, ah, it shows.

My impression of it was: this show seems like it will have a good story, but not until some time later, so maybe I should wait for several more weeks and binge-watch it then. However, I came to learn that episode 2 was much better than its predecessor. It cleared up any kind of confusion and erased some doubts. It piqued my interest again. And now that I have finally caught up with the show, I am glad that I did not drop it. 

Because so far, Pet is amazing.

Since it’s been two weeks since I saw the first episode, it took a while to grasp the meaning of the terms and so on, but once I’ve got it, it was quite easy to get absorbed inside the show. There were a few time jumps and technical terms were thrown all over the place, and I needed to remind myself that is the director who made Baccano and Durarara. Durarara had a relatively continuous timeline, but the way it jumped POVs in those first few episodes were quite baffling and you only understood what was what much later on. Baccano was crazier imo, as I read that, unlike the light novels, Omori-san took the liberty to rearrange the story in the anime to make it so that there are several stories set in different timelines in one episode, and there are those terms and whatnot and though it makes a good mystery, it doesn’t make much sense, until that one episode where everything finally clicks into place.

I have a similar problem with Pet. I can see that the story so far is intriguing. We have these “crushers” and then “pets” and then loci in the minds containing memories, divided into “peaks” and “valleys”. And then there are “images”, which I think is some kind of protection armor? A form they take to get inside other people without letting themselves be consumed by the other’s memories and feelings. Aside from that, we have a “Company” with people who have the ability to get inside other people’s minds and alter memories. What’s worse is that we’re immediately dumped in the middle of the action with not much introduction, so all we can do is just sit tight and hang on, hoping for the best that everything will make sense in the end.

And then of course, we have our enigmatic characters.

First up, Hiroki, your shounen character in a serious drama. The longer I listen to him, the more annoyed I am haha. I don’t know. His voice kind of irritates me. Maybe because he’s this naive kid with a strong ability that doesn’t really understand what’s happening around him. And then there is that dependence toward Tsukasa, whom I will get to after this. Episode 3 makes me like him though. His heart is clearly in the right place, just that he’s in a bad environment, so he doesn’t know what to do. He is the character who will question the righteousness of their actions. I believe he hates his abilities, but using it has been ingrained into his body that sometimes, he’s unconsciously using it. Like when he almost got inside Katsuragi’s head, or when he showed the girl in episode 3 what her boyfriend was like (though it was partly his imagery of him, and he knew that and that’s why he was so conflicted when she came back). I can imagine what his childhood must have been like. Probably shunned. Probably lonely. Much like how Satoru had been before Hayashi “saved” him. And then Tsukasa came, who showed him how to protect himself and to utilize his powers. Tsukasa was his savior. That’s why in episode 2, though he was reluctant to kill, he also wanted to show Tsukasa that he could do it. They didn’t have to kill. He could save this man using his powers. he wanted to prove himself to Tsukasa. I am amazed that his heart has not been tainted, and I have high hopes for his character.

Next, we have Tsukasa. Even from the posters, this guy already looked fishy. In the first episode, there’s something off about him. He’s just too good. Too accommodating toward Hiroki. Hiroki wants something, then he’s going to give it. Hiroki says not to go with Satoru. All right, I won’t go with Satoru. Hiroki wants a shop. Here, this is for you, but I used the Company’s money, so I’m going to have to pay them back by doing jobs for them. Yeah I know you told me you don’t want to do any more of them, but I’ll be the one doing them, not you. You just need to sit tight and work on your little shop. You know that’s not what Hiroki meant. Still, I like him. So far, he’s a cool character, and I like him even more on his solo job in episode 3. But what I love the most is:

That smirk! Because yes, all this time, all we’ve seen are his facades. His facade when he is with Hiroki. His facade with Katsuragi. His facade when he does a job. And then we have this moment, this small moment, and much like how that small moment with the girl who buys guppies and her boyfriend builds up Hiroki’s character, this small moment between Katsuragi and Tsukasa, when Katsuragi tells him that his next job will be Hayashi and Tsukasa pauses for a moment before asking if Hayashi has been found, it speaks volume. Because then finally Tsukasa shows us his true self (or, at least, part of his true self). His tone changes. He scolds Katsuragi for being happy or pleased.

You seem strangely happy for someone who was outwitted for two whole years.

Tsukasa is clearly talking down to him. Katsuragi, who we thought was the boss. Katsuragi, who was the jerk who would kill people to get the job done quickly. He is surprised at the sudden change and becomes visibly nervous. He stiffens and keeps his eyes on the road. Tsukasa goes on to give orders to Katsuragi. Then Katsuragi nervously puts out his cigarette and says, somewhat formally, “Understood.” (though he’s just saying “hai” in Japanese, but it’s vastly different from the Katsuragi we know in the last two episodes). He obeys Tsukasa. 

I did wonder if Katsuragi was under Tsukasa’s control, but it didn’t seem like it. Heck, Tsukasa might actually be one of the Company’s higher-ups (or he might even be the Head of the Company, if I want to stretch it). And then we have that split-second smirk, that shows he is in complete control of the situation. It makes sense with how he refers to Hiroki as his “pet” in such an off-handed manner. It also makes sense with how he makes cold, calculating judgment. Of course he’s using the Company’s money to buy the shop. Of course he’s still doing odd jobs for the Company. He’s not the good guy he shows Hiroki he is.

Right now, I can actually see Tsukasa being the “big bad boss” of the series, if this series has any kind of villain. Or, well, I think he’d make a pretty good anti-hero. Just imagine a showdown between Tsukasa and Hiroki... So far, I am most intrigued with Tsukasa and I hope he will have a great arc.

[masterthetackle]

A Magical (or not) Academia

A Various Magia Record x Male!Reader Fanfiction

Two: The First Day (II)

Word Count: 4,781

Welcome to Kamihama City University, he said as his opening statement. 

We hope that you’re glad to be here. There are over two thousand of you new freshmen; whether you are a fresh high school graduate or an adult that came back to pursue a degree, we are all very excited for you to be here. A few years ago we implemented this system in order for everyone to not get overwhelmed, especially if you are living on campus in the dormitories. There are many activities lined out for you to participate in, including multiple craft opportunities, a outside performance by our concert band, and much more! We encourage you to attend each of these activities, as-

“It’s not like I don’t know this already, so why am I even here?” The unfamiliar woman beside you spoke in a hushed whisper, arms crossed. As much as you wanted to tell her to shush, there was something that told you getting on her bad side would cause nothing but an uproar, so you tried your best to tune her out. 

-two-thirty, there will be a-

“I have more important things I could be doing than sitting here listening to a boring speech.” Damn, does she know how to shut up? Your fist clenched involuntarily at her words. Sure, you didn’t necessarily want to be sitting here either (because of the obvious), but you were still here. There wasn’t any use complaining about the situation since you’re clearly not allowed to leave the auditorium.

-forget about the floor meetings at seven o’ clock sharp in the lobby of your dorm. That’s all I have to say for the time being until the official ceremony on Friday. Make sure to wear the shirt that you’ll get as a part of your activities!

Rather pleased by getting to leave, the woman quickly got out of her seat, but had to wait for the rest of her group to get up, which, well… didn’t look like it would be any time soon. Her face scrunched up, eye twitching slightly as her foot tapped on the floor impatiently. Now that the lights had turned back on, you were able to see her long, russet hair that was blocking her face from your view. A bow was adorned in the left side, hair braided a bit above it with a loose strand sticking below that looked like it could probably fall out at a moment's notice. 

Felicia, Iroha, and Sana were already making their way out to the aisle on the opposite side, Iroha glancing back every few steps to make sure you were still in her view. Wasting no time, you too flew out of your chair and started making your way down the row, but thinking about it, maybe saving that girl’s friends the trouble of her impatience would at least do them some good. Poking her on the shoulder, she turned her head to look at you with a frown adorning her lips.

“Yes?” 

“If you’re in a hurry, the other side of me is free. You could go ahead and leave.” Looking down at her, you waited for a response. Right as she opened her mouth to speak, one of her friends stood up and spoke first.

“That won’t be necessary. She’s just giving us a hard time, that’s all.” Smiling at you, she then turned away. “Isn’t that right, Touka? Wasting your breath when we were going to be leaving anyways. I’m sure everyone in the auditorium heard you complaining.” 

“The tone of my voice was so mute that you were probably the only one who heard me. There’s only a minuscule possibility that anyone other than you and this guy behind me caught anything.” 

“There’s a difference between a murmur and a loud whisper, but I don’t think you can tell one between the other.” 

“That’s what you think, Nemu!”

“Am I wrong?”

The two girls seated down the row from them got up and started walking out, shrugging but looking just as animated as the pair you were standing behind right now. I’m sure they’ll notice they were ditched sooner or later. 

“Y/N!” Shouting slightly, Iroha called out for you, prompting you to turn around. “They said that there would be a music performance outside, so we were going to go. We just wanted to know if you were coming along with us?”

“Yeah. Sorry, I was just a bit caught up…” Flicking your head backwards to gesture at the two girls behind you, you started making your way towards the trio waiting for you at the end of the row. Touka and Nemu were still talking back and forth, and you honestly couldn’t tell if they were serious or just bantering with each other. Given that the chairs were packed close together, you had to place your arms in front of yourself in order to get through without bumping into one of them. 

“Oh… yeah, I could hear what she was saying during the ceremony. It made it really hard to concentrate, but I still got the gist of it.” 

Sana and Felicia nodded in agreement, though neither of them said anything.

“So anyways... the music performance is right now?”

“Well, not exactly... they’re warming up.” The four of you started to walk back up to the entrance, Felicia tagging slightly ahead and leading the way. “One of our friends should be outside waiting. She’s not a freshman, but she wanted to come out and support her friends since the performance is open to the public.” 

“Oh, I see. You guys seem to have a lot of friends in higher classes, huh?”

“It’s really not as many as you’d think. The only reason we know them is because we live together, that’s all!” Iroha rubbed the back of her head, nervously meeting your curious gaze. “But… I guess it could be considered a good thing that we have friends in higher classes.”

The door opened at a slight push from Felicia, and all at once the light poured into the auditorium and into your eyes. It was hard to adjust from the artificial lighting of the closed-off space with close to no windows. Closing your eyes, you hoped that maybe they would suddenly get used to it.

They didn’t. 

Your eyes felt like they were on fire the moment you opened them back up. The sunlight didn’t let up on its harshness at all, which was a bit of a disappointment. Even Sana was trying her best to shield her eyes since Iroha wasn’t much help in that regard. Once adjusted, there were a few noticeable differences in the main area. There were many chairs set up right below the biggest cherry blossom tree on campus with a group of students dressed in semi-formal clothing occupying them. Some of them were talking amongst their friends in the seats beside them while others were standing up completely, as the show wasn’t supposed to start for another half-hour. Meanwhile, others loitered around waiting for the performance to start.

The trio of companions you had were already moving towards the majority, picking out a specific woman out of the rest that wasn’t dressed for the occasion; she must be the friend that they were talking about. Her silver hair made her blend in with some of the crowd, but her hairstyle would otherwise give it away if you knew her personally. Chatting up two of the members, she didn’t notice the lot of you approaching until Felicia placed a hand on her shoulder. 

“Hey!” 

This caused her to jump slightly, and she turned around. Her eyes darted back and forth, but finally settled on the lot of you. 

“Oh, it’s just you guys. Honestly, I was getting a bit worried since you were running a bit over.” Teal orbs with a hint of curiosity met your gaze after a few moments, and her smile made the situation less awkward. “I don’t think we’ve met before.”

“No, we haven’t. My name is Y/N.” Just as you’ve done countless times before, you outstretched your hand towards her for a handshake. This seemed to be your first instinct in situations like this, but nobody seemed to mind. 

“Mifuyu Azusa. I’m a junior at the university.” With a quick motion, she took hold of your hand and shook it gently as she spoke. A junior, huh? Your mind seemed to wander back to Yachiyo, the elusive woman you had met earlier by sheer accident. Mifuyu looked to be around the same age, so maybe... “Is everything alright, Y/N?”

“Huh? Oh yeah, everything’s fine.” 

“You look like something is troubling you.” One of the girls from behind Mifuyu snuck a look at you. Judging by her gaze, she seemed to be forming her own opinion without really knowing who you are. Either your eyes were deceiving you, or there was another one of her standing close by. Upon closer inspection, there was a small difference only noticeable by the hairstyle, as the one who spoke had her hair tied back into one singular ponytail. 

“Your eyes give it away, y’know.” In contrast to the calmer twin, the other one had an exciting aura surrounding her as she spoke, her hair splitting off into two separate, large pieces. Her irises were brighter, filled with more curiosity and arguably more freedom. If it wasn’t for that, there was almost no way to tell them apart. 

"Really, it’s not anything important. I was just reminded of someone I met earlier whenever Mifuyu brought up being a junior.” 

“Ah… well in all honesty I’m only good friends with one other junior. She went earlier with everyone else just to walk them here but was called in unexpectedly for a photoshoot, so she was unable to stay.” Mifuyu sighed, shaking her head. “It wasn’t her initial plan to leave, but she said she might be here later in the evening.”

“I… actually ran into someone earlier today who said the exact same thing about a photoshoot. Her name was… Yachiyo, I believe.”

“Oh, you ran into Yacchan? That’s quite the coincidence.” 

Your mind had to register what she had just said before realizing that Yachiyo must be the very friend of most of the girls surrounding you. What she said was true; it really was a coincidence, meeting all of her friends by chance. Nobody seemed to notice the twins talking until one of them cleared their throat in order to get everyone’s attention. 

“Pardon the interruption, but the concert is going to start soon. Tsukasa and I wanted to warm up before our performance.” 

“Oh, that’s right! We’re sorry for holding you up Tsukuyo, Tsukasa.” Mifuyu bowed politely before backing away. “I’m sure your performance will be spectacular.”

“I would hope so, especially since we had to come back a few times over the break just to memorize it!” Tsukasa abruptly sat down in her chair and folded her arms, groaning in annoyance. “I mean yeah, we have to do it… I remember when I was a freshman last year and I watched them perform the same exact thing!” 

“Playing it by ear in the dorm room and memorizing then practicing the sheet music are two different things, sister.” 

“Ah… well, we’ll be watching you in the audience. Would you like me for me to see you afterwards?” Mifuyu’s head tilted slightly to the right as she spoke. Felicia, Iroha, and Sana had already started to make their way towards an open area in the grass while the three of them talked, leaving you as the odd one out. It was odd… they didn’t seem to pressure going with them, so perhaps they were trying to help you get acquainted with others in their own way. 

“That won’t be necessary. We have another rehearsal to attend afterwards, although if you would like to come by the music hall later in the evening we should be done.” Tsukuyo nodded her head, closing her eyes and then opening them back up when she realized you were still present. “I’ll extend the invitation to you as well, Y/N. You do look lost in thought, even now. I’m sure a change of pace as well as scenery should do you good.”

“You say that as if we’re going somewhere, sis! We aren’t, are we?”

“Oh… I forgot to tell you Tsukasa, but I have decided to accompany the rest of Mifuyu’s friends to dinner tonight at around nine. You don’t have to attend, though.” 

“Wha- why at the last minute?! I guess I’m lucky that I don’t have any plans tonight…but still!”

You felt something tugging at the sleeve of your shirt only to find Mifuyu’s thumb and index finger looped on the ends of the fabric. There was no need for her to speak when you already knew what she was trying to do by pulling you away from the twins. The moment they started to have their own conversation and got distracted, she let go of your sleeve and the two of you started walking over to the others.

“It’s best to leave them alone when they bicker, but I’m glad Tsukuyo invited you to tag along with our little group for dinner if you’d like.” 

“I’ll think about it. I still have a few things to unpack, after all.”

“Oh that’s right, you must live in the dorms. Well, just know that the offer still stands, even if it’s a last minute decision. I’m sure everyone would enjoy your company.” Smiling, Mifuyu sat down in the grass and leaned against one of the numerous cherry blossom trees. Your eyes watched as one of the petals fell and landed straight on her head, but she didn’t seem to mind as she was too engrossed in watching the band warm up. Mustering enough courage, you sat down beside her with your legs crossed, just as mesmerized as she was. 

“Well look who finally showed up! We were starting to wonder if you were going to talk the entire time, Mifuyu!” Felicia sported a toothy grin, leaning forward with her hands out in front of her. 

“Well, we were in the middle of a conversation about tonight, and then Tsukuyo invited Y/N to come along with us.”

“Aw, really? Banbanzai's gonna be real crowded with-”

“Felicia, I think you should stop talking for your own sake.” There was malice lacing Mifuyu’s words, and Felicia took notice and backed off quickly. Why was Felicia so reluctant, though? “Please don’t pay her any mind. She didn’t really mean what she said, so don’t take it to heart. The only reason she’s complaining is because she works part-time at the restaurant in question and agreed to help out tonight.”

“Ugh…” 

“Oh, I see.” You cracked a smile of your own, looking at Felicia. “I completely understand. If you wanted me to come so badly, you could have just said so yourself.” 

“I didn’t- I didn’t say that!” 

“Shh, the performance is about to start.” Iroha put her hand on the blonde’s shoulder, making her settle down and sit up straight. “You can continue this conversation afterwards.”

Turning your head back, you focused all of your attention on the band, Tsukuyo and Tsukasa in particular. Their selection started off with recognizable tunes from the university’s repertoire such as the Alma mater, each section harmonizing to create an alluring and soothing sound. The woodwinds played the melody, brass and percussion backing them up. The twins effortlessly switched their fingering, clearly rehearsed so many times that it was just second nature to them. Eyes closed, there wasn’t a need for them to look at their music as diligent as they were about playing their instruments. Even the original pieces they performed were of little difficulty for them, the tips of their fingers gliding beautifully as the sound resonated quietly, though as a collective section they sounded pure.

The performance lasted around a half hour with an afterword from the director of bands, though your mind was focused on other things. Even though it was completely unrelated, it made you realize that maybe it would be a good idea to join a club or two, maybe even a casual sports team to get out of your room and make more friends. It wouldn’t hurt to be in an organization like a concert band… though I’m not very good at a particular instrument. It would have to be something else… 

“Y/N?” Your head turned sharply to the source of the noise, which turned out to just be Iroha. “We’re all getting ready to leave campus for a bit. We just have a few things to do. I just wanted to let you know so that you won’t think that we ditched you without saying anything. Um… I think Mifuyu is going to come back to campus when she’s done in order to meet up with her friends though, so if you’re planning on having dinner with us I can tell her to meet you outside of the dormitory…”

“Yeah, that would be great! But… are you sure that you want me to go with you guys? I mean, we just met and everything-”

“We’re friends, right? After all, we’ve all been hanging out the past few hours, and it’s not like you don’t know everyone that’s going to be there already!” 

Friends. The exact thing that you thought you didn’t have. It felt odd hearing it from somebody you’d just met a few hours ago, but… it made you feel like Iroha and the others wanted you there with them because they thought you were a nice person and not just because you were a loner. There was no hesitation in her voice, and her eyes bore into your very soul. Her intentions were clear through the smile on her face. Sana, who was still clinging onto her for dear life, had the same bright smile, although it was much less pronounced. 

Were they really your friends? Of course they were; after all, they wanted to make sure you knew they were leaving to do some important things and not just to ditch you. They knew you weren’t a local in Kamihama, and wanted to make sure that you weren’t completely lost in the city. 

“Of course we’re friends. I just… didn’t expect for you to say it so outright like that.” The corners of your lips turned upwards into a smile, affirming your subconscious decision. 

“I-I’m glad… that you think of us as friends, too.” Sana let her arm fall to her side, stepping away from Iroha and bowing. “G-Goodbye!” 

“You don’t have to bow, Sana…” Iroha let out a stifled giggle, shaking her head. “But we really should be going. We’ll see you tonight, okay?” 

“Yeah, see you later!”

How many times does this make today? Instead of watching the group walk away while standing awkwardly, you made your way back towards the dormitory and inside, fishing for the key to your room out of your pocket. There wasn’t much to unpack from your bag, but you didn’t want to take things out of it on one of the busier days of the week. That reminds me… I saw Kaede and Rena in the auditorium, but I wonder where they could be now? The hallway was completely void of other people, save for one straggler at the end of the hallway who was rushing to get into their room. There were no voices traveling, no footsteps tapping along the wooden floors… it felt like a barren wasteland, and you were right in the middle of it. You could only assume the two girls across the hallway were still out and about, as there wasn’t a peep of arguing coming from their room. 

Your door unlocked without a problem, the knob turning easily and making for a smooth opening. The bag you had haphazardly thrown on the bed was left untampered, although you noticed the latch came undone, more than likely from the force of the landing. There wasn’t much in your bag in the first place, but it contained all of the things you’d brought from home such as your laptop, some personal care items, and a few other things that weren’t significant enough to mention. Sliding the laptop and its charging cord out of your bag, you went over to the desk and plugged it into the receptacle beside it. You took a few steps away to observe your main place to study, and you couldn’t help but crack a grin. If anything, the laptop made the room a more habitable place than before. 

It felt like home.

The rest of the things were put away without much effort, though you made extra sure that everything was put up in their proper places. You’d be using your bag to carry around your textbooks, so having it cleaned out for when you went to the bookstore later this week to buy them was thinking a step ahead in your book. There was a slim part of you that wished you weren’t in solitude at the current moment, but even if you wanted to go outside, you’d just be back to square one. Staring off into space was the only way you knew how to cope with your problem, though it wasn’t the most efficient way to deal with it. Others just thought you were weird, and you’d even been called a pervert on a few occasions because a girl just happened to be in front of you. 

If Kaede and Rena were in their room, you’d probably have the balls to go over and ask if they wanted to do something.

If Iroha and the others lived on campus, you’d probably be with them instead of your room. 

Instead, you just stared out the window as you sat on the bed. It was still cracked open from earlier, the all too familiar breeze gracing you with its presence. The silence was comforting in its own way, letting one reflect on past events, and that’s exactly what you were doing as your eyes were fixed on a singular cherry blossom tree that was planted right in front of the window. You hadn’t noticed it before now, but it really was a beautiful sight. It reminded you of earlier, when Mifuyu was leaning against one and was so lost in thought that one of the petals landed on her head and she didn’t notice. She was oblivious to how graceful she truly looked in that moment, although you were the only one that seemed to catch sight of it. 

Maybe being aloof every once in a while wasn’t such a bad thing, especially since it let you catch something you would have otherwise never turned your head at.

An hour had passed, then two. You’d snapped out of your trance around a half hour in, occupying yourself with the television provided to you, as well as your smartphone. Soon it was nearing the seven o’ clock floor meetings.

“I think… I think I should dress up a little. If I’m going to be surrounded by a bunch of women, I should at least look like I care about my appearance.” Nodding, you walked over to the dresser and pulled the top drawer open. Button-up shirts and some of your nicer pants were folded neatly inside, and you took one of each out to change into. There was a faint knock at your door, but amidst your humming and shuffling around you didn’t hear until a much louder knock resounded. 

“Hey! If you don’t want to be late, I suggest you hurry up!” Rena. Clasping the button on your pants and zipping them up, you opened the door and looked down on the two girls before you. 

“You didn’t have to come get me, you know… also, I’m sure that everyone heard you pounding on the door.” 

“I told her not to be so loud, but she didn’t listen to me!” Kaede stuck her head inside the room for a few seconds, looking around out of curiosity before backing up in order to let you through. Having put the key to your room in your pocket beforehand along with your wallet, you swiftly closed the door and locked it. 

“You were knocking like a baby, and then you wondered why he didn’t come to answer the door after a few seconds.” Rena rolled her eyes, shoving her hands in her pockets and walking down the hallway towards the lounge area in the middle. The two of you followed suit, sitting down on a sofa that was against the wall when you arrived, though being sandwiched in between Kaede and Rena was quite an awkward situation. 

It took all of your brainpower just to focus on the lecture being given by the Resident Advisor, who was the same guy who handed you the key to your room earlier in the day. His voice was unappealing, and it seemed everyone else agreed. The only time you paid attention to him was when he explained the form you had to fill out, which was yet another inconvenience, but it was required. It asked a few simple questions, like what kind of activities you’d like to see on the floor, about the state of your room when you arrived, and trivial questions about yourself personally.

By the time you finished, everyone minus Kaede and Rena had left the room and turned in their forms, the girls waiting patiently (well, Kaede was) for you. 

“Thanks for filling it out! The turnout this year was surprisingly good compared to last year.” Taking the forms, the RA tapped the stack against the table and made them into a neat pile. “Many of the residents didn’t turn up to the floor meeting and had to be personally reprimanded. The university takes all of the activities they do during the introductory week very seriously, so they ended up getting a mark on their permanent record.”

“A-Ah, well, I’m glad I showed up. I’m a rule follower, not a rule breaker.” You rubbed the back of your neck and stood up, chuckling nervously. “What other things can get a mark on your record?”

“Bringing alcohol in the dorms, coming back intoxicated, drug paraphernalia… there’s a whole list on the university website. Oh, and getting caught with someone who isn’t from the dormitory in your room without signing them in at the front desk first. We’re more lenient on that one since it’s not like you’re doing anything illegal, but as your RA, I recommend you do.”

“So someone from a different room in the same dormitory can just… go to someone else’s room with no problem?” Rena stood up from her seat followed by Kaede, though the latter stayed silent.

“Yep!” 

What an odd rule, especially since this is a co-ed dormitory.

“Well, I do have to get going. Just make sure to follow the rules and regulations and you should have a fantastic two semesters in the dormitories! Good night to you three!” Bowing quickly, the man swiped the forms and went storming towards his room on the other side of the building. There was a foreboding silence shared between the three of you, and you took the moment to check your wristwatch. Fifteen to nine. 

“I have something that I agreed to do tonight. I’ll… see you two tomorrow?”

“Yeah, tomorrow! It might be later in the day since Rena and I are going to go visit some friends in the afternoon, but um… we can definitely get dinner or something together!”

“D-Don’t go putting words in my mouth, Kaede!” There was a faint blush on Rena’s face as she sharply turned her head away from view. “Fine, if you want to go to dinner with us or something, you should be grateful that I’m agreeing…”

“That’s just Rena’s way of saying she’s excited.” Kaede moved closer to whisper in your ear, giggling at the end and pulling away. “We’ll see you tomorrow, Y/N.” 

Waving to the two girls, you plopped back onto the sofa behind you, slumping back and crossing your arms. Today was probably one of the most eventful days you’ve ever had in your life. Even high school couldn’t compare to everything that happened. More people than ever before wanted to talk to you, wanted to get to know you… and you even spoke up to someone else instead of freezing up. That in itself was considered an accomplishment in your book.

Even though the day is over… the night was only beginning.

[woolishlygrim]

Winter Weebwatch #5

After last week’s surprisingly bad bunch of episodes, this week’s episodes are surprisingly good! There was also no Darwin’s Game this week, probably because it got pre-empted by a sporting event, but to be honest, I don’t think anybody was especially crying out for another three paragraphs of me struggling to remember what happened in it.

Also, there is a huge trigger warning for discussions of suicide, both in fiction and in real life on this post, specifically in the ID: Invaded review.

In/Spectre

★★★★☆

So, this episode was cruising along for an easy three stars for most of its runtime. Continuing on the Steel Girder Nanase storyline, the episode sees Kotoko and Saki simultaneously deciding to hate each other and deciding that they need to work together to decipher the truth behind Steel Girder Nanase, who they believe to be the ghost of an idol, Haruka Nanase, who was accused of murder and subsequently was found crushed by a steel girder, her face unrecognisable and even her teeth unidentifiable, the body only identified by virtue of carrying Nanase’s identification.

… Just so we’re all absolutely on the same page here, next episode is definitely going to reveal that Nanase murdered someone else to fake her own death, and that Steel Girder Nanase is actually some poor woman who was her victim, right? Right.

But anyway, this episode settles into a nice, consistent tone, sets up a fun and legitimately intriguing supernatural mystery, and seems all set to make its way to a satisfactory conclusion in one or two episodes, probably.

What elevates it to four stars, though? The fairly throwaway joke in which a fully animated opening sequence for a completely fictional magical girl show, complete with an original and fully vocalised song, plays, and ruthlessly satirises the far-right, taking shots at capitalism, militarism, and the police and justice system.

It’s a joke that doesn’t fit the tone of the rest of the series at all, but it’s so unapologetically vicious while also making me laugh out loud that I had to add an extra star for it. I just had to.

ID: Invaded.

★★★★★

Honestly, I wavered on whether this should be a four star or a five star. If I could do half stars, it’d be four and a half, but I think it edges out five.

This episode switches gears a little. With the Gravedigger killed, and the woman who was manipulating him into his murders arrested, Sakaido dives into the woman’s mental world, hoping to figure out exactly what caused her to turn to murder, and why murder in such a specific, gruesome, and sadistic way.

And he fails completely.

The story tempts us with just enough information that we can start forming the half-baked foundations of a hypothesis, but not enough that we can actually form any kind of cohesive theory. We see in the woman’s mental world that she is stuck as a child, endlessly riding a train that’s going in circles, each loop having it cross the train crossing where her mother committed suicide. We see that her victims are gathered at said crossing, waiting patiently to cross. And we see that her accomplice, the man she had killing for her, is present on the train as well, as a young boy very far removed from the blank, not-all-there man we’ve seen up to that point. We see Kaeru, usually representing the murder victims, in this mental world is presented as a suicide victim, having removed her shoes and asked the woman to wipe off her wounds before expiring in a seat at the end of the train.

But we never get enough to build any kind of meaning out of it. The show deliberately withholds closure from us, mirroring the woman’s lack of closure over her mother’s suicide (why did she decide to do it, and why do it by throwing herself in front of a train she knew her daughter was riding?), telling us that we will only ever have a handful of puzzle pieces and no way to piece them together.

I admit, that affected me pretty deeply. As someone who obsesses over puzzles and especially over the whys and wherefores of why people do things, whose lowered empathy response means that figuring people out is often a maddening struggle, the show presenting a puzzle that can’t be solved is infuriating. But more than that, as someone who has had a friend commit suicide, leaving no note and providing almost no indication beforehand that he was going to, I’m familiar with the bewilderment that can follow something like that, the attempts to piece together a cause-and-effect that makes sense.

This episode kind of got to me. I’m not sure I liked that it did.

‘Not having enough information’ is the running theme of this episode, anyhow, as the rest of the investigation team takes some time to discuss the recurring appearance of John Walker, a mysterious man in a red frockcoat who has appeared in five separate killers’ mental worlds (and who appears also in the woman’s, as a reflection in the train window). As they talk, they realise all they know is a baffling mess of contradictions about him: Nobody has ever seen him in real life, and yet the fact that five different people dreamed him up wearing the same bright red coat means he must be going around wearing what is basically American War of Independence cosplay; there seems to be no single link between the killers who have him in their mental worlds, and yet there are strange coincidental links; none of the killers remember who he is, but all of them have extremely strong recollections of him.

The end of the episode pulls another gutpunch on us, as Hondomachi, having killed the Gravedigger in seeming self defence earlier in the episode, finally gets her wish to be trained to dive into people’s mental worlds -- only for Hayaseura, her boss and the man who recommended her, to tell her that it’s not enough to have just killed, you have to be a serial killer, something he knows that she is. While we obviously saw her murder someone (by provoking them into attacking her and then framing it as self-defense) earlier in this episode, Hayaseura also points out something that I’d dismissed at the time and completely forgotten about: That in the very first episode, before Hondomachi was kidnapped by the Perforator, she was alone with one of his victims in the basement, and when we next saw him he was dead, even though the Perforator couldn’t have killed him.

That’s … actually some really solid writing. I hadn’t even realised on my first watch that the guy couldn’t have been killed by the Perforator.

Pet.

★★★★☆

I feel like I haven’t given this series enough credit for how surprisingly vicious it is. The first episode sets us up to think that Tsukasa and Hiroki’s friendship is pretty cute, and the second episode clues us in to the fact that they’re (quasi-?)romantically involved and sets up a clearly unhealthy but quite sweet all the same romance where you think that, hey, they’re screwed up people but they clearly love each other. It isn’t until the third episode that the rug gets pulled out from under you, with the reveal that Tsukasa is actually quite abusive, and this episode pulls the rug straight out from under us again.

It follows two plot threads. The first one is a milder one, with Satoru meeting the niece of the mysterious Company’s CEO, who exposits at him a little about how the Company was founded and some of the strifes that have led it to its current state of disarray -- namely that the qigong masters who created the psychic techniques the Company uses (just … roll with it) all simultaneously betrayed the CEO and were killed for it, leaving the Company with only one person who can pass on those teachings: Hayashi.

The second plot thread sees Tsukasa and Hayashi playing mind games with each other, with Tsukasa first trying to persuade Hayashi to return to the Company, before Hayashi tries to psychically rewrite Tsukasa’s memories, only for Tsukasa to rebuff him and for the two to end up in a psychic battle where they both try to repel the other one’s attempts to alter their memories.

It’s in this second plot thread that we learn all about Tsukasa’s many issues: Like Satoru, he is most definitely in love with Hayashi, and like Satoru, those feelings clearly aren’t reciprocated. Unlike Satoru, however, Hayashi doesn’t even seem to have filial feelings for Tsukasa, and we learn that when he started teaching Satoru, the Company told him that he couldn’t act as mentor for two people and had to choose one. He picked Satoru with what seems like startling ease, effectively abandoning Tsukasa.

There are allusions, as well, to the idea that Hayashi kept using Tsukasa even after that abandonment, entreating him to infiltrate the Company on his behalf and keep Satoru safe. Tsukasa’s … not happy about this at all, and also, as becomes swiftly apparent throughout the episode, more than a little unhinged.

As the episode ends, Tsukasa and Hayashi are ramping up their psychic battle, with Tsukasa informing Hayashi that he’s learned some tricks off Hiroki, so we’ll see where that one goes.

Infinite Dendrogram.

★★☆☆☆

More and more, it feels like this show is falling into a rut, and that’s honestly a huge shame.

There’s just no forward momentum to it. Things happen, but there’s no sense of motion, no sense of things winding towards a conclusion, either on an arc level or a series level, and yet at the same time it’s not fast and snappy enough to be a truly episodic series like, say, Kekkai Sensen.

So, this week’s episode sees Ray, now cursed with dog ears (for reasons which are not plot relevant, but I mean, it’s fine), teaming up with a new character, Hugo, a Dryfe Master whose job is essentially that he’s a giant mecha pilot, as the two attempt to tackle a base of bandits who have been kidnapping children.

The show tries very hard to set the bandits up as absolute monsters, and to sell us on Ray’s rage, but it kind of lacks the elements necessary to make an impact. The huge emotional moment where Ray sees that some of the children have been turned into undead is weakened by the fact that the cinematography is bog-standard, the animation direction for the scene is uninteresting, and the music is unremarkable. Even Ray’s reaction is strangely muted, with some anger but no real horror or anything like that, and not even a quiet fury so much as just moderate amounts of rage.

There are hints of a broader plot involving Dryfe, though (which we know from an earlier episode is prepping to invade), with Hugo making remarks that he can’t use his Embryo yet, because keeping it secret is part of some plan.

He does, eventually, use it anyway, and relatively without fanfare at that.

[theheartsofheroes]

A Family Conversation [Drabble]

Setsuna was exhausted. Between the late night at the Observatory, the fight, and the conversations with Gou and Tsukasa, The Soldier of Revolution just wanted a shower, and her bed. What she was not expecting the moment she stepped into the mansion was Haruka and Michiru barring her from going upstairs.

"Please, I have had a very long night, I just want a shower and a nap before I have to go back to the Observatory," Setsuna told them.

"Nope," Michiru crossed her arms. "We had a very interesting visitor today."

"Yeah. A very pretty-ow!" The blonde was elbowed by her lover. "Ahem, a very charming young woman by the name of Sakura."

"You see, we had our suspicions about her for a while, and we knew you knew, but that's not the point," Michiru continued. 

"The point is, your love life!" Haruka pointed at Setsuna dramatically. 

Setsuna blinked then shook her head. "Nope. Not awake enough for this conversation." She tried to push past them but the duo held firm.

"Do we need to get Hotaru-chan?" Haruka asked firmly.

Nope. Hotaru was the last person she wanted to involve. Thankfully she was on duty at the hospital at the moment so even if they did call her, she likely wouldn't answer. Setsuna sighed, "What did Saku-chan tell you?"

Haruka and Michiru linked arms with Setsuna and pulled her toward the couch. "All she told us was that you were afraid of your own future because of what happened with Zi-O," Michiru explained.

"We have noticed you'd been pretty distant since it happened but we figured you'd tell us when you were ready," Haruka added. 

"But there's this look on your face when you look at Hotaru-chan, like you know something bad is going to happen," Michiru frowned, pulling out her mirror. "I've tried to divine what you could have possibly seen but my Mirror remains blank."

Setsuna frowned, how could she explain to them that her own son would cause such devastation in the future. That her own failure as a parent would cause the deaths of countless people, including Hotaru's own daughter. As her thoughts continued to spiral downward, it took her too long to realize that her companions were trying to get her attention.

"SETSUNA!" Haruka shouted in her ear, causing Setsuna to shriek and jump nearly a foot off the couch.

"GAH! Haruka!" Setsuna rubbed her ear.

Michiru tried to contain her giggles. Haruka however, was full on laughing at Setsuna's reaction.

Setsuna stood sharply and tried to leave, clearly angry.

Haruka and Michiru stood as well. "Wait!" Haruka called, her expression softening, "I'm sorry, but we're trying to help. Don't forget, we are no longer solitary Guardians."

Setsuna sighed heavily, defeated. "Please...Hotaru-chan can't know."

The wind and sky soldiers gave each other a worried look and came to stand on either side of the time soldier. Haruka put a hand on Setsuna's shoulder and asked quietly, "What's going to happen to Hotaru-chan?"

Setsuna's normally calm and collected voice shook as she spoke, "I... Swartz..."

Haruka was immediately on edge, "What did that bastard do!?"

There was venom in Michiru's voice, "If he hurt Hotaru, I'll drown him. Painfully. Slowly."

"He..." Setsuna broke, venting everything. She told them Swartz was her son, what he would do to his sister and Zi-O, and what he would do to Hotaru's daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter. How he murdered Hotaru's daughter and manipulated Hotaru's granddaughter into being his lover after leaving her to be raised by Ohma.

When she was finished, Haruka and Michiru had identical looks of disgust on their face.

Setsuna's face was red from crying, "I don't understand what happens to make him like this...how can I go so terribly wrong as a mother that--"

She was cut off by Haruka and Michiru hugging her tightly. "We're not gonna let it happen," Haruka said firmly.

"You know the future, you can change it, and we'll be right there with you," Michiru added, running her fingers calmingly through Setsuna's hair.

"You shouldn't be afraid to love because of what you think the future might hold," Haruka told her. "Look at Odango and the prince, how many times have they been torn apart and brought back together only to be stronger than they were?"

Setsuna sniffed, rubbing her nose on a handkerchief Michiru had conveniently given her, "This is different. This is my own flesh and blood hurting the people I love and so many other innocent lives. I can't risk the lives of many for a man I've known for two weeks."

"Setsuna." Haruka grabbed her shoulders and locked eyes with her. "How many times have Michiru and I said 'fuck the mission' if it meant being happy with each other?"

Setsuna sheepishly answered, "Way too many."

"Exactly," Michiru added, resting her chin on Setsuna's shoulder from behind, smiling. "You know what could potentially happen. You have the power to change it, and that doesn't mean being celibate for the rest of your life. If this Gou person is the father of your children, we'll be there to help you make sure they're treated with all the love and kindness we can offer them."

“Yeah, you can bet your ass their aunts are gonna spoil the shit out of them,” Haruka said with a devious grin. “And I’m sure that’ll go for the rest of the girls too. You know Odango would love to spoil any children of her friends, especially once she’s queen.”

Setsuna finally smiled, chuckling lightly. “You’re right,” She wiped her eyes, “Of course you’re right, I’m worrying too much.”

“Damn right you are,” Haruka crossed her arms. “And now that you know we’re right, you’re gonna go find that guy, and you’re gonna take him on a real date.”

Setsuna groaned, curling into a ball on the floor, “I don’t wanna...”

“Take your time,” Michiru chuckled. “You’ve got plenty of it,” She winked.

Setsuna groaned, “Fiiiine, but first, I need sleep,” She got up, yawning as she ambled up the stairs.

Haruka and Michiru looked at each other with a smile. “Potential apocalypse aside, I think that went well,” Haruka put an arm around Michiru.

“So when do we tell her we knew Sakura-san was one of us all along?” Michiru asked, looking up at her lover.

“We’ll give her a few days,” Haruka chuckled and kissed her cheek.

[soaringlanddormitory]

Eizan and Kuga (cause you write them SO INCREDIBLY ENTERTAINING), Julio and Isshiki, Nene and Mea, and maybe Tetsuji and Hanako if that’s okay ;w;

Yes of course!!! this will be all based on the canon verse because… That’s what I’m supposed to practice kjgbdfg But thank you for sending this in, I love you !!

Eizan/Kuga

[Note: This is when they’re part of the Elite Ten already because I thought it’d fit my idea most!!]

Summer vacation was up ahead and they both had different goals for the whole vacation. Eizan planned to gain some money by doing his “job”. By being able to persuade people with his lies and bringing down their business afterwards, he was able to get additional money- much more than what he actually needed. Kuga had other plans- it was too improve his forte so that he could actually move up in the seats and beat the people above him. He also planned to train with his men during the vacation so they wouldn’t be rusty.

… But well the gods weren’t in their favor. More of- Rindou Koboyashi wasn’t in their favor.

She planned a whole trip with them- with the whole Elite Ten to be specific and let’s just say that it wasn’t the best thing… Since there were two people who would probably stab each other on the guts if they had the chance. If only laws didn’t exist, huh?

Eizan was currently inside the airplane, and he thought that the trip was going surprisingly well. He didn’t talk to the blonde that annoyed him a single time and it was because he sat beside Erina Nakiri… So there was nothing but silence between the two.

All of a sudden, this peaceful moment was ruined by his seat getting kicked from behind… Of course he was going to ruin his day. Eizan sighed loudly before shouting from his seat, which even caused the sleeping first year to jump up and accidentally hit her face on the window of the airplane. “What the fuck do you want, midget?!”

“What the fuck did you just call me?!”

“First off, why the fuck are you kicking my damn chair?!” Eizan turned around to face Kuga and spotted the missing seat beside him. “Did you annoy Kinokuni enough to make jump off with a damn parachute?!”

“She was annoyed and she excused herself in the bathroom. I wouldn’t annoy her that much that she’d want to jump out the airplane!”He protested before grinning.”  “Why do you care about little Miss Pigtails again?” Kuga casually crossed his legs. “Huh, you shit?” He has that stupid cocky grin on his face and Eizan wanted to pull his hair out. 

“I don’t fucking are about her.” He replied before rolling his eyes. “But damn you make me want to jump off because your voice sounds like a fucking rat. Squeaky and annoying. Matches your height.” He insulted and Kuga stood up from his seat and he didn’t even hide his irritation.

“We’re playing dirty now, huh?” Kuga glared and he raised a finger. “At least I’m not a fucking business man who will never have nothing inside his pants but cash.” He countered and Eizan slammed the chair and went closer to the man who said that. “Do you got some shit to say to me, bitch?!”

Erina was currently face palming and she stood up from her seat. “Tsukasa-senpai, Koboyashi-senpai. I am transferring seats.” She couldn’t take it anymore and she knew from the start this will end up happening in the end. “I will sit beside Kinokuni-senpai and leave these two alone.

“THERE’S NO WAY I’LL SIT WITH THIS FUCKER!”

“FUCK NO, NAKIRI-CHIN! JUST SIT BESIDE ME! I’LL RATHER HAVE YOU THEN THIS BASTARD!”

The trip only started 2 hours ago… and this trip was supposed to last for a week… Some members of the Elite Ten now were placing their bets on who will sacrifice who first.

Julio/Isshiki

[Note: This is before Isshiki became part of the Elite Ten!! We will see more of him in like.. Training Camp Arc in my fanfic and also on Autumn Elections!]

There was something that Julio didn’t understand about Isshiki Satoshi. He was well-liked by people, particularly by his juniors and he even had the friendliest attitude. He never seemed to focus on improving his skills during class hours and he never saw him stay after classes- he only went back to the dormitory which he called his “home”.

But what he didn’t understand was that no matter how much he didn’t show his true skills- he was still somehow on the top. Julio wanted to curse that damned man who never needed to perspire while he cooked, he cooked with no effort and yet he had grades greater than his. Isshiki was able to get something that he wasn’t and that was honor.

It was somewhat unfair to him and he couldn’t see how he was always better than him.

He gritted his teeth for a short moment but he ended up only looking away. Maybe if he weren’t so preoccupied with his dorm mates, he could have shown much more talent. Maybe he could actually prove to him that he deserved that spot. Because there was one thing he noticed about the male- he usually held back… It was getting annoying.

Before he could actually be trapped in his thoughts, he spotted the same male who he was thinking about with the corner of his eyes passing by him- not even pausing for a second to look at him. This was what made it worse. Isshiki was able to treat him as if he was just an “ordinary” student. He was more than that, and he deserved more attention.

“Isshiki.” Julio tried to catch his attention, and for the first time- he did. The male he called stopped on his tracks and turned around to look at the male who wanted to get his eyes on him. “I have to tell you something.” Once he said this, he only gave a sweet smile at Julio. He was in confusion since the smile seemed like it was hiding something underneath. 

“What is it, Shiratsu-kun?” He asked politely, wondering on why the male suddenly wanted to talk to him. “I was planning to go back to my dorm earlier today because some of my underclassmen need help!” He brought up the same people as always and this annoyed the hell out of Julio.

“If we go against each other, don’t hold back.” Those words slipped out his mouth and Isshiki’s smile only got wider before he ended up laughing. He began facing the direction of the exit again, as if he was ignoring what he just said.

“Maybe we can talk about this another time!”

Once again… He was ignored. But who knew that his small request would be happening very soon?

Nene/Mea

[Note: Middle school Nene and Mea? YES! I think once she’s in First Year, she becoms more studious so yep!!]

Who knew that Nene could somehow be convinced to go out to go shopping after school hours? ... Oh wait, she wasn’t convinced. She was forced. She was currently in her school uniform and she was holding unto her bag as she was getting pulled by one of the most well known students from her year... Mea Yanai.

She didn’t really mind going out for shopping, but she wasn’t the type to ever crave to actually go out and shop. She’d prefer drinking tea than soda inside a big restaurant. She’d prefer simple clothes than stunning ones that stole attention. She’d prefer doing simple things such as calligraphy or maybe even poem writing than actually shopping for bags and new clothes... She’d rather be studying than go out.

But well, her hand was grabbed by the girl and she somehow couldn’t get out of her grip. She later on gave up and went to the flow. Even if she gave the coldest stare to Mea, the other woman didn’t bat an eye as she continued to bring her along. So in this fight, she already knew she couldn’t win.

Right now, they were in a clothing shop as Nene only looked around, not even giving too much notice to the clothes around her. She found some pretty, yes- but she’d prefer to not say it out loud or react because if she did, it will only fuel Mea’s enthusiasm for the trip. She froze when she heard Mea speak. “Kinokuni-chan! Look at this!” She gets the hanger of the clothes and shows her a blouse.

It was a shade of light pink and it had some floral patterns on it. It somehow resembled one of her kimonos and she actually thought it was pretty. She didn’t want to take too long in the shop so she only talked in a blunt manner to try her best to show that she had no interest. “What about it?” 

 “Don’t you think it’d fit you?” Mea tilts her head and she gasps once she spotted something that would perfectly go along with it. She got another piece of clothing and showed it to her. “This will look stunning if you wear these two at the same time!” She exclaimed and Nene only held her bag tighter. She had to admit, it was tempting.

She never really go the time to have fun and shop with friends, and she was usually never given this opportunity because inviting her to places always ended up getting to nowhere. However, the pink haired girl was clearly a different one. She wouldn’t stop trying to persuade her until she said yes. “Fine. I’ll wear it.” She gives in. “But once I do... I’m leaving.”

The purple eyes of the person who was able to actually be with Nene outside of school sparked in happiness. “Of course!” She places her hands together. “I’ll be waiting for you to come out of the changing room and see how well it fits you!”

It took some minutes, but once she looked at the mirror- she actually was surprised with how much it matched her. It was simple yet elegant and it wasn’t something that grabbed too much attention... It was perfect for her. She went out to show the person how she looked. 

Mea was absolutely astonished by what she wore and she clasped her hands together. “Perfect! Absolutely perfect! Gosh, I’m the best in picking clothes!” She began praising herself and Nene fixed her glasses while blushing. “How about I buy it for you?”

“Y-You don’t need to...” She stuttered a bit because of the compliments and the offer. “I told you, once I wear this and get out of it... I will be leaving.”

“You’re not leaving without any new clothes, honey! That’s the Yanai Number One Rule!”

Tetsuji/Hanako

[Note: I don’t know when this exactly takes place but it’s probably somewhere around middle school since I think written exams are more common during that time for Totsuki students uwu]

Tick-Tock. Tick-Tock. Tick-Tock. That was the only sound that was repeating in the classroom as Hanako continued to study something for the upcoming exams. Even if their school focused on cooking- there were some tests that were written- and this was of course, not related to cooking at all. They still had other subjects after all.

Hanako only focused on the paper and ignored the rays of the sun that peeped at the window. She decided to come early so she could settle on her seat already and study there. If she came a bit later, there could have been a chance that she wouldn’t have been able to refresh her memory about the lessons in school because of the noise some of her classmates made.

She sighed as she pulled the paper closer to her so she could take note of every single detail from definitions to theories. For a couple of nights, she’s been sleeping later than usual just to study and it was known to some people that she was a hard worker, and even goal-oriented. She would do anything to reach what she wanted. Even if it meant making some sacrifices that could affect her health.

Once she was done with the reviewer, she brought out her book to turn it to a page with additional information- and there she suddenly heard something else besides the clock inside the room or herself flipping notes. It was the door. She looked over to the the person who came, hoping it wasn’t someone rowdy or loud. “Oh, it’s you.”

It was no other than her close friend. She was really relieved to see him come closer to her and he only sat beside her. He smiled at her like usual before he looked over at the things she was holding. “As expected from you, Hanako. But I think it’s best if you don’t overwork yourself.” He was a little worried about her, but he knew that even if he did say this- she’d do it anyway.

“I can’t do that. I have to make sure I pass.” She closed her book for a moment and she the male who just entered the classroom sighed. He already knew what was going to be her answer, but he still had to be mindful over her. He was one of the more caring ones, and he even acted like an older figure to some other students.

“I should have expected that answer.” He replied to her before he brought out his own studying materials. “But I hope you don’t mind that we study together. So at least you’d not end up mumbling to yourself the whole time.” He did notice that she was more stressed when she was with no one else and she had no choice but to blame herself if she didn’t understand something. “It would help the both of us.”

Hanako nodded her head, not minding his offer. Even agreeing with his little comment. “I’m okay with that.” She looked back at the page number that was written on the handouts that was given to them. “Page 125.”

It was always less stressing if you could study with a friend, and she knew this so well by now.