#sword. katana probably

[pilmyeol]

wish i could draw so i could show you all b stella and stella stella

[puppetmaster13u]

Meme Prompt 12

[jackdaniel69nice]

When tokoyami said he knew how to use a sword hawks assumed he meant a katana and then the baby bird showed up with European longsword. Now hawks has no idea what to do unless toko picks up a katana and relearns everything from scratch.

[canthejustboremetodeath]

I need a damian and Danny twin fic, where Danny was the superior twin and was supposed to be the heir but 'died' for whatever reason and now he lives with the Fentons and everything but he still has skewed morals from growing up as a prodigy assassin so he is just one bad experience from absolutely losing his shit and going on a murder rampage.

[doberbutts]

Anyway thinking about how I got accused of cultural appropriation a couple years ago because I’m actively learning Japanese and also about how my parents are seriously downsizing their belongings and so they’re giving me all of their Japanese stuff including the kimonos and wall scrolls and swords and kamidana which I’ll have to figure out where to put in my own house which also means the background of all my dog photos inside of my house is about to look real fucking Japanese.

And I’ll probably get like three asks a day accusing me of being a weeb and I’ll have to continuously explain that, no, we were a host family for a rural Japanese school exchange program throughout the 90s and early 2000s and this is just a portion of the stuff given to us both by the school and by the families of the various girls we had living with us over the years. Because there’s enough stuff to fill the entire attic and a large portion of my parents’ living room and they’re tired of storing it but know it’s valuable and that they have a kid that actually wants it so it’s coming to my house. Like they gave us each multiple sets of kimonos over the years and it’s a family of 5 so you can expect that takes up a shitton of space by itself.

[orcelito]

Gencon is very busy...!!!

Ummmmm highlights of the day..!!!

I maybe bought 4 Naruto figurines. Thankfully not individually expensive (though perhaps a little expensive all together...) see I wanted Sasuke but I also wanted Kakashi and I couldn't have Sasuke without Naruto and well it would feel wrong to have the 3 of them without Sakura and so I somehow. Got all 4. Haha. I'll most likely post pics later, whenever I end up opening them. I'm still at the convention center rn lol

(Putting the rest of this under a cut bc it got a little long lol)

I was on the field of the Lucas Oil Stadium, aka the stadium that the Indianapolis Colts play at. I've attended all of One game here (not professional football, it was a high school game lol) so I've felt the size of it, but it's still fucking crazy being on the field. It's so BIG...... and obviously they've got the grass covered rn, but it's still pretty cool!!!

I maaaade dice!!! Pretty precise process it seems, & definitely would require a Lot of work (after the sanding and the painting etc etc). I do still wanna get into it, but if I wanted to spring for stuff like the vacuum chamber or the pressure pot...

Yeah, it'd get expensive. Add in the fact that I don't have a good place to do this away from the cats & it really is not feasible to start rn. But!!! Eventually!!!! I think I'd really enjoy it. I just need a dedicated workshop space where I can spread out without worrying about poisoning my cats lol.

Here's some cool game set stuff I saw in the event hall. This picture is maybe... hm... a fourth of the event hall? And then when you consider that the vender hall (connected to the event hall, though it's closed right now) is maybe 1.5 times as big as the event hall?? Give or take a little...

Aka just imagine booths upon booths upon booths... I'm gonna have to take a pic of it tomorrow. I was there too briefly to think about taking a pic. Honestly I maybe managed to get through like a tenth of the whole vender hall in an hour of wandering. It's fucking huge. And So Many Dice... I bought one set of 14 (I think it was) dice. Aka an extended set. And then I got a random set bag of dice (just a basic 7). And then a d20 with a cat on it. And a dice of LETTERS. Aka I guess a d26 (I totally did not have to double check that there were 26 letters in the alphabet)(I have 702k words written & posted to ao3)(😂😂😂 I'm very tired) but with letters instead of numbers. And it's glow in the dark!!! And I found some hxh buttons, and a mighty nein poster, and uhmmmm. A cute lanyard. And that's all I bought. Which really is such restraint for me. (Omfg I just saw a dragon cosplay)(someone just dressed as a dragon)

OH YEAH I saw a fucking. Persona 5 Ryuji cosplay. Hanging out with the biker lady from Durarara. Featuring the Ryuji holding her scythe hfksbfmd which was such a funny image. I was too shy to ask for a pic but just trust 🙏 i saw this

Anyways yeah the only real big thing I bought is the naruto figurines. I'll show pics later once I got the stuff again (I dropped it all off in the car earlier)

Omfg literally as I've been sitting here (on a bench at the side of a main hallway) someone stopped by and gave me a handmade bracelet !!!

DND's 50th anniversary!!! So cute!!!!

[slymanner]

i opened my freezer today and it sounded like the most badass samurai slice in existence and i didn't know my freezer was chill like dat

[fidget-the-kitty]

Sasuke Uchiha stimboard for anon!

㊙️ 👁️‍🗨️ 🤜 | 🗡️ 🎴 ⚔️ | 🌩️ 🐍 🉐

[furball-cheezit]

(PAUSED !!!!!!)

hi hi hello world i will draw phighting characters ill do it just say the word ill do it ill d no ships though !!

also uh all ofthe freedom goes to me in this you CAN put in like an extra detailed request but i might do like none of it hasuudfhhghas and i decide if its colored where i do it if i post it how i do it etc okay okay thanks bye

[thissliceofnonsense]

I love it when people do analysis's like this. And I love your tags so I'm including them

I kinda love how the moment Leo got his dual wield katana back, he adapted so much more naturally to his teleportation abilities.

Not to say he didn’t come around with the odachi, but it was pretty clear that he struggled hard with the mystic properties of it, and I think that it’s partially because while the odachi itself is a portaling tool that seemingly most anyone can use, Leo’s innate mystic abilities call for something to work with him, not for him.

So it makes perfect sense why his katana, made from himself and more in line with how he naturally fights, finally allow him to seamlessly grasp his space warping abilities to the extent he can.

[blushouyo]

also. I hope the new melee dps job is fun bc I don't really vibe w any of the current ones gameplay wise

[eiilese]

what if the strawhats had different roles on the ship⁉️ i swapped everyone’s roles except for luffy because i can’t imagine him being anything but the captain

these are loose redesigns since their canon designs don’t really read as their roles all that much to begin with. some extra doodles and ideas for this in the cut !!

nami, vice captain: i took a lot of inspiration from her beta design!! canon nami already bosses everyone around so she fits right into the role. she wields an extendable staff (usopp still makes it for her); she lost her arm over the time-skip like how zoro lost his eye. i LOVE drawing cargo pants and boots, so she ended up with a sorta bottom-heavy design. frankly it’s probably not her style but i like how she looks

zoro, the cook: my foolproof logic is zoro uses swords = good with knives. he does not use katanas to cut produce however, just normal knives. i was trying to go for “sweaty ramen guy” with the towel around his neck. the majority of the shit he cooks would probably be drowned in alcohol. he also wears his bandana the majority of the time now!! it completes the ramen guy look

sanji, the sniper: i also took inspiration from his beta design for this!!! he has guns!! and perfect aim of course. i was going for more of a mafioso look so germa 66 would be like, a mafia organization on top of all the other villain shit they already do. he has two guns but i didn’t draw a holster bc that’s annoying🤞 he lights his cigarettes with his guns. how would that even work? don’t ask me

usopp, the navigator: his artistic talent lends itself to creating perfect maps! he also still tinkers, making nami’s staff as well as having a specialty for compasses. he uses a slingshot still (no perfect aim we gotta nerf him) and shoots weather-related projectiles. his goggles serve as binoculars, they can zoom to several different distances. i drew him in his zou outfit purely bc it’s my favorite one

chopper, the helmsman: he would predominately use heavy point while maneuvering the wheel. i changed his hat up to look more like a sailor’s cap, with an anchor symbol instead of an X. to be honest i don’t have much else bc helmsman doesn’t bring much to my mind :(

franky, the musician: ROCK N ROLL BABY YEEAHHH come on his stage presence is unmatched. he’s still a cyborg, he has instruments all over his body like apoo does but they were installed manually. his personality changes depending on what genre he’s playing but rock n roll is his default B) (ex. classical calls for a refined gentleman)

robin, the shipwright: her devil fruit gives her as many helpful hands as she needs! she developed nami’s arm (definitely installed some random shit she did Not ask for). she has a robot mecha that she’s able to pilot all by herself using clones. i changed her orange sunglasses to goggle eyewear

brook, the doctor: the irony of being nursed back to health by a literal skeleton 💀the irony of being the doctor of the rumbar pirates yet being the only survivor, saving no one from the poison 💀 i went for a plague doctor look! IM VERY HAPPY WITH HOW HE TURNED OUT i was really tempted to give him the plague mask too, but i feel that would’ve changed his appearance too much compared to the others

jinbei, the archaeologist: the shape of this man demands a little pair of round glasses on his face. he’s an intellectual i tell you!!! plus still a fishman karate master. the history of joyboy and fishman island being so intertwined is how he developed an interest in history

[strawberrymochin]

𝐁𝐄𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐏𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐑

synopsis- After the wind pillar sanemi shinazugawa bought you out from the brothel, things started to become a hassle for him. His heart seems to jolt sometimes; his breath hitches; tengen uzui, the sound pillar teases him out of no reason. What annoyed him the most was when you started appearing everywhere— in his thoughts, in his dreams but he didn't expected you to appear in the middle of his mission.....

Genre/ warnings- 18+ suggestive content, smut, marriage of convenience, dub-con, profanity, abuse, death, pregnancy, blood (tengen and giyu having their his best life teasing sanemi) minors don't interact.....

w.c- 4.8k (trust me once)

second part of 𝐁𝐄𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐒 🎐...!

Here! Here get in! Get in!” the crow caws making circles above your head. 

He brought you a long distance, it's almost evening and infront of you in this huge mountain, which the passers by referred to as ‘mt. kaikoma’— stood a shrine-like structure. 

‘danna sama lives in a shrine?’ you thought.

The doors to the structure were made of wood with slight spacing, enough to take a peek inside. Curiosity leads you to follow your inner voice, peeking in through the gaps. 

Your eyes widen, seemingly confused, the interior was totally in contrast to the exterior structure. While it looked like a small shrine from the outside, the interior was much more spacious. In the center of it was a lofty mansion, surrounded by corridors which are probably l-shaped. Certain plants joined the greenery among the little shrubs peeking from the circular courtyard with an open roof. 

You spot a hint of pink. Maybe there was a sakura tree in there too. 

“get in already” you stumble at the crows words. “ehh...is it okay to enter?” you say pointing your head upwards to look at the flying crow. 

“do you plan to stay outside all night then?” your face scrunches up a little as the crow flew inside above the roof leaving you alone. 

You opened the doors slipping in the estate. This time taking a proper look inside at each detail you pointed out before and amongst those— you gasped, there was indeed a sakura tree. 

Upon returning, sanemi found the doors of his estate open and the corridors lit with lanterns. It's been two days since that incident. He was about to step inside the door frame, just when a rustling sound of leaves catches his attention. Having a demon near the estate of a slayer, especially of a hashira, was quite unlikely. 

The estates of hashiras were situated carefully and not so far from each other, enough to conceal themselves from any demon attack and maintain a steady flow of training and maintenance of corps.

Stepping back, he grabs the hilt of his sword, turning around in a swift movement. “d-danna sama?!” You said, gulping as you notice him having his hand close enough to his katana to attack. 

Sanemi's muscles unconsciously relax a bit upon seeing you. “why are you roaming around outside late at night?” he asked, removing his hands from the sword as speculative eyes watched you. “oh....I went outside after lunch for a walk and then lost my way...so it took a while.” you say lowering your head, fingers fiddling as you raise your eyes nervously. 

Sanemi contemplated your image for a while, before turning back and entering the estate. “Get in.” 

“ah...yes.”

“i will get the dinner ready for you as soon as possible. Please take a bath till then.” you said, closing the shoji doors. Sanemi eyed you from the corner of his eye before making his way to the bathroom. 

Sanemi let the towel fall at his feet before soaking in the hot water. He had made a rash decision. Acting upon impulse was something sanemi never did. 

And yet. 

And yet he asked you to wait for him till he gets home. 

Ridiculous. Sanemi scoffed at himself, realizing he could have turned away ignoring your cries. Or maybe he shouldn't have stayed the night over there at the brothel lady's request. A burning sensation crept up his ears.

‘Danna sama’ you've addressed, all his way back, he couldn't focus on one thing. He couldn't tell if he was terribly tired, overwhelming himself from all those missions or he was slacking off. “Nonsense,”  he mumbled, “a hashira can never slack off.”

A hashira can never slack off— because they simply can't afford to do so. 

‘Danna sama’ your voice resonated in his ears once again. For a second, he's not sure either you're calling him or he's just hearing things. Irritated, another sigh passes his lips.

But what will he do? 

Sooner or later this news is bound to spread. What will he say to ubuyashiki? 

“evening! Shinazugawa sama,” a deep voice reverberated among the damp air. Sanemi didn't bother to look up from the tub. He knew, sooner or later this was about to happen, “it's past evening.” said sanemi. 

“oh my bad,” the crow of ubuyashiki announced his apologies from the small square sized window right above the bathtub, the sole source of little ventilation. “i suppose you already know the reason for my late visit,” the crow waited patiently for an answer. When none came, he continued “ oyakata sama wants to summon you at the headquarters tomorrow morning,” sanemi's eyes darted upwards, head still facing the water, “i hope you present yourself. Till then have a good time, shinazugawa sama.” 

When the sound of the flapping of the wings trailed down into nothingness, sanemi realized he's gone. 

Drowning himself completely in hot water, he tried to imagine the possible scenarios, which can happen upon confronting ubuyashiki tomorrow. What questions will he ask? Will the other hashiras also be present? Will ubuyashiki's voice still be gentle and calming, similar to his mother's, for him? 

Unable to find an answer, and a shortage of oxygen pulls sanemi out of the water. Silver strands of hair, previously slithering in water, now sticking to his forehead as droplets of water dripped down his face.

He ran a big palm combing his hair back, getting out of the bath. Sitting there for this long is basically pointless. He dresses himself in a loose yukata, mentally preparing himself for the following day. 

After arranging the dishes on the low table, you smoothen out your kimono as you take a seat on the opposite side of the low table. You kept the doors wide open so that you know if he's done bathing and is ready for dinner. This will be your first time  serving dinner to him. All of a sudden you found yourself questioning if the food you made had enough salt, if the miso soup had the perfect texture, if the rice were evenly cooked. Settling your eyes on the corridors you waited for him, ignoring your heart beating like thunder in clouds. 

Sanemi passed the corridor without even sparing you a look. “d-danna sama!” you rise abruptly wanting to stop him, “ won't you eat?” 

“shinazugawa” he said, “and i would like to eat alone” he continued his tracks again leaving you dumbfounded. 

That night went by shortly, you placed the tray in his room and left. For a second you wanted to ask him, if he's mad at you for leaving the house unlocked or wandering around in the forest after dark. However you say nothing but wish him a good night as you take your leave. 

Upon waking up the next morning you found sanemi's room empty. Assuming he went to work early, you decided to skip on breakfast as you didn't felt like eating. 

Two white haired girls played outside as sanemi waited for ubuyashiki to make his appearance. He felt his stomach churn a bit, walking back and forth, which came to halt as the realization hit him like a sword through his heart. 

He was nervous. 

“sanemi” , the voice of ubuyashiki, made him kneel impulsively. “my child, how was the mission? I hope you didn't get hurt.” 

“The mission was fine. The demons were indeed lurking around that village; however, i killed each one of them.” sanemi wondered if this is the reason he was summoned. Or it's better to say he hoped this was the reason he was summoned. 

“i heard you found a wife during the mission...” sanemi fell silent to his words. This was the last thing he wanted to talk about in the whole world. 

“congratulations” said ubuyashiki. “it's not like that oyakata sam—” 

“i know what happened sanemi......and I'm glad to know you saved her.” 

The chatter of the girls turned to a distant laughter. 

A hand caressed sanemi's head. It felt warm and fuzzy. Fond memories gushed in a sudden moment, as if it were his mother, caressing him for protecting his siblings from his dad. 

“Sanemi,” ubuyashiki's voice trailed down like honey, soothing the wounds, which even he wasn't aware of, “do you know what differentiates humans from demons?” ubuyashiki guided sanemi by his shoulders, making him stand from his kneeling position. “it's our emotions. Our humanity. Our love.....no matter how much they try, they aren't capable of selflessness.” ubuyashiki smiles a bit, “its okay to show our emotions, sanemi. Acting upon it doesn't makes us weak.” 

“oyakata sama” 

“i'm glad to see you start a family. Maybe this way you will be able to mend the misunderstandings with your loved ones.” said ubuyashiki. 

Genya. He was talking about genya. 

“Amane and i would love to meet your wife. So will be the other hashiras. Bring her once she gets accustomed to her new environment.” 

Sanemi bows as ubuyashiki takes his leave. 

But she's not my wife. And before sanemi could say that ubuyashiki was already gone. He stood there, one eye twitching. 

One of the white haired girls stumbled onto him. The girls bowed to him, so did he before leaving. 

I'm cooked for sure. 

Half way back home, sorai came cawing to him in a hurry. Extending his arm, he let his crow sit and catch it's breath before, gabbling on the reason for its appearance. 

Sanemi half-expected a new mission on his way but what he didn't expect was, “The girl! The girl.... unconscious. The girl!” 

Sanemi felt as if a Lightning bolt landed on his head, frying his brains. A million thoughts ran through his head. Forgetting sorai, he rushed back to his estate as the poor bird tried to keep himself afloat in the air. 

The force of sanemi sliding the doors open, caused some of the wood to splinter as he strode across the rooms wanting to find you. 

His movements comes to halt, when his eyes finally point out your senseless body, on the kitchen floor. 

Something stopped. Sanemi didn't recognise it but it was familiar. 

He grabs a gourd, bending down as he lifts your body, so that your head is laid against his chest. Sprinkling some water from the gourd, he taps lightly on your cheeks, as you slowly gain your consciousness. 

Sanemi let out an exaggerated breath, relaxing his once knitted eyebrows. 

“you okay?” the feeling of deja vu ran through your veins. You've heard this question before, in the same gravelly voice. Fluttering your eyelids open, you see those same lilac eyes, much closer than last time. 

What happened? You thought. 

A moment later you were stricken with reality— the embarrassingly close position; the heaving of his open chest, where your head laid; the way his face was so close that you had to fight off the urge not to touch and inspect his scars. 

“y-yeah…I am,” you said, swiggling out of his arms maintaining a healthy space between you two. “then mind explaining how you got here?” 

“ahh… I'm sorry to make you worry Danna sama….but you see—” you tried to change the topics. 

“you don't have to explain, if you aren't feeling well. Let's take you to the kocho’s hospital….” he whispered the last part as if he was talking to himself. 

But wait! Kocho? Who's kocho?! Causing your master problems such as taking you to a hospital would be so so wrong. What if he abandons you and then you will have nowhere to go. 

You cursed yourself for skipping breakfast.

“i'm fine really….it's just that..” 

“You don't seem so.”

“I skipped breakfast and got dizzy. Nothing serious. I apologize for making you concerned about nonsensical things.” you bat the breeze to him, not wanting to take this conversation any further. 

For seconds sanemi says nothing. He eyes around the kitchen seeing the meals for lunch cooking. 

“I will have lunch here. Get up and wash your face and bring the meals once it's done.” he says as you get a bit happy to avoid the hospital topic. “And you will have your lunch with me. Don't skip meals from now on.” 

“yes.”

Sanemi left the kitchen to your privacy and sighed. You must've not taken your breakfast since he left early. He wondered if you had dinner last night. 

The day went by fast and blurry. You are with sanemi and then he left for demon hunting. He told you to lock all doors and windows and burn  wisteria incense before sleeping. “don’t wander alone at night. I will not be back before tomorrow evening…also there's something I want to discuss after I return…so you better not skip meals again and lie unconscious.” he said.

“Yes danna sama.” You replied before he disappeared in a blink of an eye. 

As the sun rose high, you got down with your chores of the day. Sanemi was supposed to be returning this evening. However something didn't sit right, no matter what you were feeling anxious. He said he needs to discuss something with you. Will he ask you to go away? Will you be abandoned again? Just like your dad will he disappear too? Shaking your head out of these worries you return back mopping the wooden floors. 

The day soon slipped away and it's almost night. There were no door knocks or any sound of someone approaching. Uncertainty filled your mind with lots of thoughts and unable to stop them you decide to step outside and wait for him, even though he asked you not to step out after sunset. 

You make your way fast to the main door and slowly open it with a creaking sound. The pouch of wisteria was secured tight on your waistband and with a lantern in your hand you waited outside for him to return. 

Few hours slip away again but there's no sign of any humane presence. You felt anxiety gnawing the insides of your stomach. Each second felt like eternity to you. He will be safe right? It's not like something happened to him. Right?

“master…hospitalized. Master! Hospitalized!” sorai came cawing to you. The lantern in your hands fell to the ground. It's light diminishing as tears started welling up your eyes.

You followed sorai for the rest of the path till you reached a huge estate, quite similar yet different from sanemi’s. In Front of what seemed like a main door stood a girl few years younger than you. Her hair had light streaks of blue, similar to the color of her eyes. She waved at you, “y/n san?” 

“Where’s danna sama? He's not much injured is he? How did this even happen?” You threw a bunch of questions at her before she could even answer the first one. 

“He's fine. I'm aoi. Follow me and I will take you to him. Okay? Calm down.” she said while escorting you inside as you follow her till you reach a corridor with several rooms. She opened the door of one of the rooms and signaled you to go inside. 

Your feets felt heavy while walking. You don't know what took over you but even when you were already inside the room you couldn't look up at him. It's as if you know that you won't be able to handle seeing him hurt. “Won't you look at me?” His gravelly voice soothed your ears as you slowly lifted your head up. 

His right hand was bandaged tightly. Some of it was even soaked in blood. Other than that it was fine. He was fine, sitting at the bed, looking at you with those same eyes. Relief washed down your entire body before you let out your breath which even you didn't know how long you were holding it for.  You feel something wet on your face and when you bring your hands up to your eyes, wiping it off, it were your tears. 

Sanemi’s eyes widened at you. “You said you will be fine.” Your voice cracks as you close the distance between you two. “I'm fine.” He replies gulping. 

“Liar.” 

“I'm not lying. I'm fine.”

“It will leave another scar.” sanemi eyes at you quite a while, before shifting his gaze to the moon outside the window.

“Do you not like it?” 

Before you could answer him, a girl with purple haori patterned with butterfly wings, brought some medicines. “OMG! Y/n san are you?” 

You nod your head smiling weakly at her. She's so beautiful. “I never imagined shinazugawa san getting a wife,” sanemi started coughing when the girl mentioned you as his wife. “I'm so happy. You're so beautiful too, I bet he got lucky!” You looked at sanemi who's avoiding your gaze, flustered wondering what to answer her. 

“I'm kocho shinobu— the insect hashira.” ‘Oh’ you thought, so this was the hospital he was talking about last day. 

“You don't need to be worried, the wound isn't that deep but it will surely leave another scar.” She said while fumbling with medicines. 

“it’s nothing.” Sanemi grumbles. 

“You shouldn't be like that. Even if the wound isn't deep it can surely catch infections.” 

Shinobu chuckles at sanemi getting quiet at your scoldings. She redresses the wound and gives him some medicines. “Y/n san, I'm glad to be the first one to see you of all harshiras. I believe we can get along well.” 

“Yeah, I'm grateful to you. Thanks for being so kind to me and danna sama.” Shinobu chuckles again, directing a teasing look at sanemi, who was currently admiring the ceiling, before smiling at you. “I will see you at the headquarters. Take care.” 

You bow at her, in confusion. The headquarters? Sanemi, who might have picked up on your confusion, clears his throat, “our oyakata sama wants you to meet all the other hashiras. So we will be going to the headquarters this coming Sunday.” 

“Oh.” 

Sanemi hummed, still admiring the bland ceilings.

You got ready in a kimono, which sanemi brought you one random night and kept outside your room. You thanked him the next day and he just nodded. The kimono had blue flower printed over pink fabric with delicate handmade embroidery leaves. It was so beautiful that you almost felt undeserving of it. Today was the day he was taking you to visit the headquarters. 

You were nervous. So was sanemi. He didn't met with any other pillars in the span of these days. And he couldn't even imagine how awkward it would be to meet one. 

Sanemi wondered what iguro would say to him once he finds out about you. Just a few months ago he bluffed infront of him that he never intends to have a life outside slaying or even look for a wife. The fact that he wasn't bluffing, it was what he'd planned all the way. He never wanted it for himself. Rather he wanted it for genya. He wanted him to have a family, a family which sanemi could protect, a family which he could see flourishing. 

But genya chose to follow his path. 

Be a demon slayer when he can't even use a breathing technique. Everytime sanemi gets a news of him being sent to a mission, he gets anxious. What if—

“Danna sama…” 

“Huh?” He saw you wearing the kimono he brought for you. And you looked beautiful. Gorgeous even. As if you were made of porcelain, pure white porcelain painted in several colors and polished till it glossed. 

He gulped. Your neck was visible. It was slender and smooth. He couldn't help but wonder how'd it feel if it were kissed by his lips. His breath hitched as he directed his gaze away from you. “Let's go.” He said and without bothering to look at you he kept walking ahead with you following him behind. 

The headquarters was an estate even bigger than the previous estates you'd been to. It's even bigger than the biggest brothel in the entertainment district. Its gates are even more magnificent than those of the wind estate. The gates are of polished woods and the courtyard was twice the area of the winds’. There was even a small fish pond at the right of the courtyard. Several trees adorned the scenery and after what seemed a long walk you came to see a group of people awaiting for sanemi. Their gaze on him pierced high. Among them,  you spot shinobu kocho, the insect hashira and bow at her. She reciprocates your actions while another girl of similar age and pink hair squeals out of excitement. 

Sanemi knew this was a bad idea. Considering he hasn't even cleared the misunderstanding of them thinking you are his betrothed. It's true he did buy you out from the brothel but he indeed had no intentions of getting a wife. 

He didn't turn back once in the way not wanting to look at you. Even he didn't know why but the moment he looks at you it's difficult to look at anything else. 

He felt iguro glaring at him. Worse even he could feel tengen’s grin and worse even giyu looking at him with his dead eyes. 

“Y/n san! I'm glad to see you here!” Shinobu said smiling at you, which you gladly reciprocated. 

“Hii! I'm mitsuri kanroji, the love hashira.” She greeted you with the biggest smiles. 

“Muichiro tokito, mist hashira” 

“I’m Himejima gyomei, the stone hashira. I hope shinazugawa treats you well.” 

The other hashiras introduced themselves too and were busy chatting with you while waiting for ubuyashiki. 

Tengen slapped his big palm on sanemi's back. 

“Never thought I'd see you getting married. I hope you can please her well.” He says laughing. He was thankful you were at a distance far away enough not to hear him speaking nonsense. “shut up.” 

“What? You do know how to please her…do you?” 

“I know how to protect her.” 

“Tch tch tch, protection isn't the thing you can always please a woman with. I knew it, you're a virgin, aren't you?” Sanemi almost choked on his own saliva. He again thanked you for being far away to overhear.

“The fuc—” 

“Boy, I can teach you. I've got three wives and I'm experienced in pleasing them.” tengen cocked an eyebrow at him, whereas sanemi tightened a fist to throw a blow at him. Tengen dodged it away laughing. Iguro was flustered enough to be near them and didn't wanted to be part of it, so he trailed away to mitsuri. Giyu stood watching tengen laughing at sanemi with his dead eyes. 

“What?” Sanemi asked annoyed.

“I think you should listen to uzui, if you're planning to keep a wife.” 

“Shut up fucker.” 

Soon ubuyashiki makes his appearance and introduces himself to you. “I see you've got quite lucky sanemi. Your wife is beautiful.” He felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment, so did yours but none of you could muster anything except thanks. 

Everyone gave some presents to you as if welcoming you into their family. Something you didn't have ever since your father sold you off. 

Tengen bent down his head to sanemi's level.

“You sure you don't wanna learn. You just gotta be skillful with your fingers and hip—”

“Shut up!” 

“This is the fifth time you're visiting the hospital. How many times do I have to say there's nothing wrong with you?” Shinobu says annoyed that sanemi keeps visiting and disturbing the other patients. 

“I keep having hallucinations. Hearing stuff and also there's problems with breathing. And my heart sometimes…it feels odd.” 

“Does it? What exactly do you see, shinazugawa san?” 

“l…I see y/n.” 

“Let me guess, you hear y/n san’s voice. And your breath hitches everytime you see her and sometimes your heart beats rapidly around her and maybe you start to sweat too.” 

“....yeah.” 

“Please leave.” 

“Huh?” 

“Stop wasting my time and please leave shinazugawa san this is the last warning or k might just poison you.” Shinobu said, preventing the very thin line of her masked demeanor from tearing away.

Things have been weird. It's really weird. And it's becoming a hassle for him to keep up with his work. Or is he slacking off? No, a hashira can never slack off. 

But he couldn't focus on training. During breaks he sees you, when you are at the estate. After slaying demons, on the way back home your voice echoes in his head. ‘danna sama’ it says. He's slowly losing his mind. He's having thoughts he shouldn't have. Moreover his hands are becoming sweaty and clammy around you. He doesn't want to be near you yet misses you dearly when you aren't around. 

Something is clearly wrong with him, yet shinobu never takes him seriously. 

Today he's on a mission again. A demon is seen lurking around an abandoned house, at the outskirts of Morikami village. He's supposed to slay that and save the village people. As per the kasugai crows, the demon is supposed to lure and feed on young boys. However the main thing odd about this demon is when one human’s abducted none are aware of one's disappearance until the next morning when the abducted persons clothes are found on random roads. It seems like the person’s existence is erased from people's minds. 

The village people looked unhealthy as if their energy were sucked out. The air had a hint of sweet musks which isn't normal. Sanemi, while exploring the village and taking in the surroundings, felt odd and dizzy. The smell was bothering him too much. 

Time flows by and the moon's out again, so will be the demons. Sanemi found himself a hiding place on an oak tree concealing his presence, keeping his vision tight on the abandoned houses. There were a bunch of them. He waited long for the demon to take action. However nothing happened. Confused and frustrated, sanemi got down from the tree, deciding to infiltrate each one of those houses and kill the demon. 

As soon as his feet touched the ground, there were sounds, several sounds of people running. He turned around checking his surroundings, hand tight on the hilt of his sword. There was no presence of any humans. The surroundings grew more misty. Sanemi was about to turn back when he felt someone rushing at him. With one swift motion he swung the sword at the demon. It stopped midway, falling to the ground. It's head rolling upto sanemi's feet. He's dead. “Pfft shouldn't mess with sanemi shinazugawa…”

But wasn't it too simple? Before he could think any more, someone tapped on his shoulders. He turned swiftly ready to attack at any moment but halted his actions midway. It was you. Here in front of him in the middle of the night. His heart jolted again, you wore the same kimono which he gifted you. But wait, this isn't time to admire you. “didn’t I tell you not to get out at night! What if—” you put a finger to his lips silencing him. “Shh!” You blinked at him, slowly, your other hand lacing your fingers with him before you dragged him into one of those abandoned houses. Sanemi huffed out a ragged breath, his vision going blurry. You looked so beautiful under the moonlight gleaming on your iridescent skin. So ephemeral, so selcouth. He followed you like a lost puppy, without any protests. The only thing that lingered in his mind and in his vision was you. Soon you guided sanemi into the house, the musk smell was even stronger than before. Your hands now fumble with his clothings, stripping him out of his haori first. You proceed, snaking your hands around his shoulders hugging him. Your skin is ice cold against his erubescent skin. “I want you.” Your voice poured in his ears with echoing lucidity. “Yes.” 

“I want you to be mine sanemi.” 

“Yes.” Sanemi replied. You bring your mouth closer to his. Your lips inches apart to kiss. “Yes, have me.” sanemi closes his eyes, ready for you to have him.

To melt in your arms. 

To be yours and only yours. 

‘I want you to be mine sanemi.’ 

His eyes flew open, pushing you off his body, drawing himself back and away from you. Or shall I say what illusioned you. 

You never addressed him as ‘sanemi’, even when he insisted you do so, you just kept calling him ‘danna-sama’. 

A chill runs over his spine as he takes in his surroundings. Several dead corpses are laid here and there. Floor messy with blood. He looked back at you as his mind grew foggy again. He shakes himself out of those. “Come back sanemi. I want you.” 

“In your dreams fucker.” Sanemi retreated back to the open fields as you cried out an ear piercing cry. It surely wasn't you. 

“You sure seem to have good eyes, hashira. I will gouge them out and have them as cherry in dessert. Come back. To the one you love the most.” The demon's eyes were glowing lucent, luring him back into the abandoned houses again. Urging him desperately to give in.

To the one he loves the most?

Wasn't she behind the estates of wind hashira?

time for taisho rumours:-

Tags 🏷️

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a/n- so sorry i forgot posting this. i hope you like this...pweaswwwee lol. i will do the third part with smut i swear. comments and reblogs are appreciated.

© strawberrymochin 24 | plagiarism won't be tolerated |

[kyokutsu-sama]

Headcanons

A/n: So, I'm going o invest more content on my favorite captains of bc because they're hot , badass and deserve all world's attention. Here's some sfw/nsfw headcanons for them✨️

Tw: Nsfw content

_____________________________

Yami :

Sfw

He's super protective of you and that's something he doesn't hide. If any man messes with you (even if you are strong), that guy is officially dead.

You are the only person he allows to pick up his sword and use it on a battle. He trusts you so take good care of his katana because this man is broke and can't afford a new one.

He also likes to go out with you and take you out drinking or playing cards. If you win a bet against him, be prepared because he won't give up until he wins... or until he falls asleep from drinking. He's a terrible gambler but he refuses to accept that.

You usually train together and he likes to see you push your limits. He also likes it when you go on a mission with him so he can see this. He's proud of you and your power.

If he's having another one of his daily battles in the bathroom, you'll be the only one who can come in and give him the toilet paper he's missing because Asta forgot to change it.

(Asta run for your life)

Nsfw

I don't need to tell you that this man is rough and will surpass his limits in the sheets. Good luck to you and goodbye legs.

He loves being between your legs, devouring you and tasting everything you have to give him, probably even getting "drunk" on your juices.

He likes to see you squirm beneath him, the marks he left on you covering your skin (Yes, he really leaves a lot of marks on you), your eyes rolling and your voice calling him so well. Poor bed and poor other members who will listen to you all night

His hands will be all over your body, a lot of physical contact during the act. He loves it when you run your hands over his body too. You can even scratch his skin and bite, he doesn't feel pain. Only pleasure.

There's a lot of dirty talk.

And don't try to tease him, you don't know the risk you're running. Listen, he has no problem with that thing called public places. He puts you against a wall and does whatever he wants.

Regarding the fact that you can't walk properly, don't worry, he carries you everywhere in his strong arms.

He's just my type fr🤭

William :

Sfw

Super cute and kind to you. He is super careful with you, always giving you those sweet smiles that makes your heart melt.

He always likes to check on you to make sure there's nothing wrong or if you're 100% fine.

He's shy and whenever you hold his hand in public or kiss his cheek, his face will heat up from blushing. You just laugh at his cuteness.

He really likes hugs after a long day of work, he feels like you calm his heart and give him good energy.

He's fallen for you since the day you traced his scar with your fingers softly and told him how beautiful he still was. No one had ever done this and he was moved by this affection.

You were proud of him for who he was and not for his appearance and that made him shed little tears.

Nsfw

Do not proceed without your full consent. He wants you to feel good and comfortable.

The touch is soft and delicate, lots of tender kisses on your skin. He doesn't like to leave many marks like Yami, HOWEVER... if you leave some on him, it will cause "things" in him. (It turns him on but he's ashamed to admit it)

I see him being a sub and will let you take over things a lot of the time because he just loves it when you do.

Touch his body, kiss him, take him deep and slow as he likes. This man will have to fight with himself not to come when you ride him and look into his eyes. He goes crazy.

Very gentle with you after the act, always cleaning you and offering you everything you need.

(William, the door to my house is open... you know?🥹👉👈)

Fuegoleon :

Sfw

He is very serious in his role and always wants to have you by his side.

He loves your presence even though he is working hard, and if you help him he will thank you.

He might be a bit like William in the sense that he may be a little shy when you hold his hand or kiss him in public, although he doesn't blush like him.

He always tries to keep you protected and advises you not to talk to Mereoleona too much, he's afraid she'll make fun of him in front of you or drag you to the volcano where she trains.

This woman is dangerous, but having her as a sister-in-law is a gift tbh. She'll beat the shit out of everyone if anyone touches her brother's beautiful girlfriend.

Leo will probably love you because you love and care for his older brother. You two will be great friends.

He likes it when you run your hands gently through his hair when he is resting. This is comfortable and relaxing.

Nsfw

He's the middle ground between going fast when he's feeling excited (after you teased him all day) and going slow and sensual when he comes into the bedroom tired and just wants you to put your arms around him.

He dominates, he likes to be on top, seeing you beneath him arching when his fingers caress you or when he grabs your thighs and thrust you. He lives to see you squirming on the mattress.

He likes to praise you, whispering in your ear how beautiful you are, which gives you goosebumps.

Please run your hands down his back, he loves it and it makes him go deeper.

He hugs and kisses you a lot after he finishes. He is much more relaxed between four walls than in a public place where he hesitates a little with the PDA.

Nozel :

Sfw

Dear, be patient with him. He may be cold to the core but his eyes... they never lie. His look at you is something that many royal ladies who notice him would like to get from him.

He doesn't make long vows of love but look, he's the best with actions and no one will come close to you because he defends you a lot.

Although he and Yami don't get along, they are both overprotective lovers.

Even if you're not from a royal family or something, he won't let anyone discriminate against you for that. That person will disappear without a trace and it's all the work of Nozel fucking Silva.

Serious, but until you give him that little smile that makes him look away in embarrassment. You can see the tips of his ears turning red and you tease him for that.

He ends up smiling for a second and you feel like the luckiest person in the world to witness this event.

Nsfw

Don't underestimate this man, he is a dom and will always show you who is in control. Although I think he has a certain look that he would like you to take control.

Don't fight back, obey. He doesn't accept a no and if you're a brat to him, he'll punish you for it.

If he's having a bad day, he'll probably come to the bedroom to have you in his sheets and relieve himself. Goodbye legs once again...

He will also mark you, he is the only one who can have you and the marks made for him only turns him on.

Not only in the bedroom does he like to see you squirming and calling for him, but also on the office table while he takes a break from work. I don't see him being shy if someone came in but he would probably threaten anyone if they even thought about telling what they saw.

He makes sure you're okay afterwards and will put you in his arms, kissing the top of your head.

[gossippool]

it's actually so funny that logan doesn't even bother trying to pull the katanas out. he's just standing around like he regularly goes about his day with swords in him. probably about as inconvenient as really long fingernails i think

[amjustagirl]

chapter 4

pairing: hoshina soshiro x f! reader

genre: romance, angst

wc: 5k

summary: you've loved soshiro since you were seven. he will always place his duty above you.

chapt 1 / chapt 2 / chapt 3 / chapt 4 / chapt 5

When you blink open your eyes, you find yourself back in the Hoshina family estate. 

The garden is exactly as you remember it. Bonsai trees, neatly manicured. The white gravel ocean raked with ripple lines. Heat shimmers off the ground, harsh summer sun bearing down on the tiled roof. A young man with dark hair and sad, violet eyes sits across you. 

“Soshiro”, you cry, fumbling to your feet. 

He looks right through you even when you’re standing right before him. 

He’s wearing the navy hakama he reserves for formal occasions, the family crest embroidered in gold thread on the back, a ceremonial katana strapped to his hip. Something’s about to happen, you realise, the compound bustling with servants carrying paper lanterns. No one pays you any notice as you float behind him down the familiar corridors of the house, a ghost. 

His father approaches, severe lines running through his forehead. “You know your duty”, he claps his son’s shoulder with a heavy hand. 

Soshiro’s shoulders slump, an invisible weight bearing down on him. 

His duty awaits outside the estate’s gates. 

A young woman, clearly noble born, waits for them to greet her with her chin in the air, dolled up in matrimonial white, surrounded by a retinue of servants. She tilts her chin higher to assess her groom as he offers her his arm before bowing her head demurely, letting him help her up the stairs. 

The sun in your eyes forces you to turn away. Another woman catches your gaze, the profile of her face backlit in the blue-grey dusk. Rough hands, a cheap, cotton yukata, she hides in the shade. Her anguish is apparent in the defeated curve of her mouth. 

She’s you, you realise, with even sadder eyes. 

This is a dream, you tell yourself. A shitty, crappy excuse of a dream that you probably caused by drinking one too many cans of beer. You really should take better to maintain a healthy REM cycle, maybe pick up some meditation or exercise, because heaven knows your psyche will suffer if your subconsciousness decides to torture you in your sleep too.  

You close your eyes. 

You still don’t find yourself back in your bed. Instead, the stench of manure hits you, then the scratch of straw under your feet. That sad girl - you, in another life perhaps, kneels before the same dark haired boy, Soshiro, still as a statue.  

“The horse is saddled. We can ride somewhere, far away where no one knows either of our names, leave all of this behind. You don’t have to get married to a woman you don’t love -” 

He’s carved of marble in the moonlight, doesn’t move to meet her gaze, not even when she tugs at his sleeve. “I am but a second son, but even I know my duty to my clan.” 

“And what about love?” she asks. “What about me?” 

Neither of them notice you when you tumble out of the stable into the night. But there’s nothing but darkness looming before you, the moon nowhere to be seen, and when you turn back, the stable has disappeared. In its place, a familiar, wooden hut, where a fire grows. The heat of the forge stings your face, ash flying, the smell of burning steel in the air. 

This time, Soshiro’s in the lacquered leather of a samurai warrior from centuries past. “Is it ready?” he directs his question at the woman in the forge. 

Wordlessly, she hands him the sword in her hand, red hot from hammer and tongs. He weighs it in his hand, swings it once, twice, flashing quicksilver in the dim light of the blacksmith’s forge. You recognise the blade. You’ve seen it hung up in one of many sitting rooms in the Hoshina estate, captioned as belonging to a Hoshina ancestor who never returned home. 

You understand why her voice quivers when she calls out to him before he leaves. “My lord”, she says. “Will you ever lay down your sword?” 

“Perhaps in another life”, he replies. 

In the shadow of the forge, the violets in his eyes wither and die. 

You cannot bear to watch this play out before you again and again, a twisted loop you’re powerless to stop. There is nothing you can do to shock yourself awake, a ghost in every lifetime you freefall through, so bone weary, you stop running, sink to your knees. Wherever you are, the nightmares stop once you close your eyes. The damp grass is cool against your back, the darkness becomes soothing. It’s easy to lose yourself to a deep, undisturbed sleep. 

(wake up) 

The thrum of your heartbeat starts to still. You think you hear a faint echo. It sounds like Soshiro.

For the first time in your life, you hesitate to answer. 

(please, wake up)

“But it’s comfortable here”, you say to no one at all. “I’m so tired.” 

The neverending grind of work, of long hours spent hunched over glowering flames and complicated weapon blueprints. The dull ache of heartbreak, the painful lesson of learning to be okay alone. 

“Let me sleep”, you whisper. 

The darkness holds you close, blankets you. It’s too easy to let yourself just be, no one to disappoint, no one who disappoints. You let yourself be pulled beneath the tide, the endless ebb and flow lulling you into a dreamless slumber. 

Perhaps you could be content like this. 

Perhaps not. You think of the menagerie of plants you’ve gathered, they depend on you for food and water. There’s a pottery class on Sunday that you’ve been excited to attend, an abstract pot that you want to attempt. You’re supposed to meet your mother for tea, you’re looking forward to feasting on peaches, in season in the dying weeks of summer. 

Your eyelids are still heavy with the weight of sleep, but you force them open. A streak of pain that shoots through your right side, but you slowly sit up anyway. A sea of hydrangeas,  shimmering violet-blue in the early morning light stretches before you.

An achingly familiar voice calls your name. You lift your face to meet the rising sun, feeling its warmth flicker through you. 

Your heart begins to hum. 

You’re not in your own bed when you crack your eyes open. 

The room is too white, too pin-neat. There are clear tubes running from your arms, bandages restricting even your slightest movement, not that you really can do much other than shift about the too-narrow bed you’ve found yourself in, the sudden brightness disorienting you. 

“Oh!”, an unfamiliar voice exclaims. “Call the doctor, she’s awake!” 

Your head threatens to split open. It hurts too much to stay awake. 

You fall back into a dreamless sleep.

You drift in and out of consciousness after that, the pull of sleep still irresistible, but you stay awake for longer periods of time. Doctors poke and prod at you, nurses fuss over you. It’s hard to recall any conversations you have during this time, your memories melding almost into your dreams. 

People ask you questions about your name, your age, where you’re from. It feels as if you’re stuck underwater, it’s a struggle to gasp for enough air at times to answer them, but you think you find enough brain cells to rub together in the cotton wool jumble in your head, mumble the right answers so they go away. 

Your parents show up to visit you. 

‘’Llo”, you mutter. Your father looks strangely old, your mother tired. 

You’re pleased that your mother brings chopped peaches for you, less so when you realise you have no ability to swallow solid food just yet. They disappear for a hushed conversation with the doctors, leaving you with little distraction so you drop back off to sleep. 

The next time you wake, the room is dark. 

Even in the dim glow of machines beeping, you make out the faint outline of a boy you know too well, curled up uncomfortably in a plastic chair. “S‘ro”, you mumble, half asleep. 

A flurry of movement. He appears by your uninjured side, staring at you wide-eyed, as if he doesn’t believe you won’t disappear. You wonder if he’s another figment of your dreams because he stands so still drinking his fill of you, until he remembers to breathe again. 

“Hey”, he says hoarsely.

“Mmph”, you grunt. In your vague, rambling train of thoughts, you register surprise that he’s even here. “S’ work?”

His laugh is wet. “Are you seriously askin’ me ‘how’s work’ right now?” 

You frown. Why - why is Soshiro even here? 

“I’m here for you, silly”, a warm hand settles on your left arm. “Go back to sleep. I’ll seeya later.” 

You start to stay awake for longer stretches at a time. 

Your parents gently fill you in on your situation. You were touch and go for a while, your mother recounts tearfully, your head injury making the doctors doubt you’d ever wake. You had to be cut open to stop internal bleeding in your gut, fix a multitude of shattered bones in your right hip and leg. Burns, on your shoulder and arm which required skin grafts, extensive medication to keep infection at bay. 

Everyone treats you like you’re made out of glass even as your condition steadily improves, aided by the wonders of kaiju regenerative technology. Your parents fuss over you like a child, tucking you in too tight beneath starched hospital sheets. The nurses refuse to let you shower, only allowing you sponge baths which you detest. 

Soshiro’s the worst of the lot. 

At first it's endearing how protective and sweet he is. The doctors give him a wide berth, most of the nurses terrified of him, though he swears that he’s been utterly polite when you question him about it. He doesn’t allow you to do anything yourself, not even hold your own cup of water when you drink. Your bedside is overflowing with colourful greeting cards, half of them signed by him, and he brings you a fresh bouquet of flowers during each visit. 

“That boy is besotted with you”, one of the nurses who isn’t intimidated by Soshiro trills in with her unsolicited opinion. “It’s adorable.” 

He’s not”, you deny, frowning. “We’re just friends.”  

It’s a little too much. The only visitor who doesn’t smother you is Sochiro, who snaps back to his usual self the minute you show a little of your usual snark. “Did you break your head too?” you ask, when he arrives bearing a hamper of fruit. 

“Impertinent brat”, he snaps back. “I’ll have you know my father put me up to this.” 

You grin. “I suppose that’s where your brother got his manners from. Pity you don’t have any.”

He glowers at you, but doesn’t storm out of the room. Instead, he brandishes a small, silver knife and starts peeling fruit. “I never wanted a younger sibling”, he grouses. “Should’ve dropped Soshiro in the drain the minute he was born, then I’d never have to deal with your smart mouth -.” 

“Aww”, you coo. “Hoshina Sochiro, Captain of the Sixth Division, getting soft in your old age.” 

“Shut it”, he snaps, while stuffing perfect wedges of fruit into your palm. 

It reminds you of the easy friendship you had with Soshiro, not the way he’s behaving, almost as if he feels anything more than friendship for you - which he’s confirmed to your face that he mostly does not. It confuses you, the tender way he treats you, the lingering stares when he thinks you’re asleep, and you much prefer him to go back to the way he was before. 

“Stop it!” you finally burst, when his smothering becomes too overwhelming. “Treat me like your friend - not like I’m some glass figurine you’re trying to keep safe.”

A plastic chair screeches back. He stares at you. “Do you even realise how close you were to dyin’?” 

“Sorta”, you reply, though some gaps remain empty in your memories, “but I’m okay now, and ‘sides, what happened was just bad luck -”

“No it wasn’t just luck”, he replies. “It wasn’t. It wasn’t.” 

“What do you mean?” 

Something shutters behind his eyes. “It’s my fault you’re hurt.” He angles himself away from you. “I crashed into your building.” 

“The kaiju threw you into the building”, you correct. “It wasn’t your fault.”

He lunges forward to grip your bed rail, his sudden intensity scaring you. “I could’ve been the cause of you dyin’-”

“My head’s pretty hard”, you try to diffuse the building tension with a joke. “Would take more than a fallin’ building to kill me.”

He makes a strangled sound of outrage in his throat. “Don’t. Just - don’t.” 

His tone is devoid of its usual lightness. He’s - he’s angry, scared, face twisting into a scowl, body coiling, as if preparing for an attack. “You’re upset”, you murmur. “Don’t be.” 

“You could’ve died.”

“Hey”, you beckon him forward, lifting your uninjured hand off the bed to place it on top of his. He grasps at it, a drowning man clutching at a lifeline. 

“It’s okay”, you say gently. “I’m okay.” 

“Promise me you’ll stay safe.”

“I’ll try my best”, you offer. 

An angry sound escapes through his clenched jaw, his face strained. You brush the skin of his wrist with your thumb until the too-quick staccato of his pulse steadies. 

“Go to sleep”, he finally says. “Just stay safe.” 

After that, something shifts. Soshiro resumes the mantle of his chaotic, goofy self. 

“I’m gonna yell at you when you’re better”, Soshiro huffs the next time he visits. “A daikaiju -it was a nine on the fortitude scale, y’know - decides to attack near you, and you not only choose to stay put, you run back into a collapsing building for whatever reason -” 

“I was trying to save some of the blades -” 

“How about you focus on savin’ your own damn skin -” 

You sniff, deliberately closing your eyes. “I’m going back to sleep.” 

“Oi”, he grounds out. “Stop pretendin’.” 

The reappearance of the playful banter you’re used to sharing with him puts you back at ease. “Don’t you need to sleep too?” you ask, staring pointedly at the purple smudges beneath his eyes. “In a bed, not a hospital chair that’s going to give you a crooked neck.” 

“S’fine”, he always replies. “Still way more comfortable than sleepin’ out in a forest durin’ kaiju hunts.” 

“Still”, you insist. “You don’t have to visit me so often. I know how busy you are with work.” 

He squints at you. “Do you not want me to be here?” 

“That’s not what I’m saying and you know it -”

“Sometimes work can take a backseat.” 

You beckon him forward, place a hand against his forehead. “No fever”, you pronounce. “That’s odd -  the Hoshina Soshiro I know would never say that unless his mind is addled by illness-” 

He pulls away with a splutter, cheeks a furious pink. 

But awkward moments like this remain, no matter how much you try to keep your conversations light, breezy. There’s a tension Soshiro carries, especially apparent in the broad lines of his shoulders. He’s nervy, jumpy almost, the unguarded hitch in his breath when he draws in just a little too close. There’s something he’s keeping in, deep inside his chest that keeps trying to explode out of him whenever he’s not careful. 

There’s a glimpse of that when you tell him of your plan to move back to Osaka to continue recuperating under your parents’ roof. You’ll miss your apartment where you navigated much of your young adult life, the routines you’ve built for yourself. But you’re tired of living in the hospital, sleeping on a too-hard bed, without much privacy from nurses who pop in and out of your room at odd hours at all times. Your parents agree to ferry you to check-ups and appointments, and they even got your brother to transport your plants to make you feel more at home. 

“You’re not leavin’ for good, surely”, he frowns. 

“I’m not sure”, you shrug. “Izumo Tech does have offices in Osaka, and there isn’t much tying me to Tokyo anymore. 

There’s a sudden lull in the conversation as Soshiro falls silent, face stricken. He opens his mouth as if to speak, once, twice, before shutting it deliberately,  Then his face slackens into a childish pout. 

“Don’t go”, he whines. “Who would I hang out with when I’m off-duty?” 

Caught off guard from this sudden change in mood, you refrain from pointing out that you’d each taken turns to studiously ignore the other before. “You’ll survive”, you pat his hand. “And, on the rare occasions you actually find the time away from work, you’re always welcome to visit me in Osaka.” 

“I will”, he replies, so seriously that your traitorous heart skips a beat. 

“I doubt you’ll get enough time off work”, you brush him off lightly before changing the subject. 

You don’t expect him to visit, not when Osaka is two and a half hours away from Tokyo on the shinkansen, but he turns up at the doorstep of your parents’ apartment with roses, dusty pink like the flush up his neck. 

“Hoshina-kun”, your mother exclaims. “Come on in!”

Something is up. Your mother bustles around, ushers him into your room, lays out before him an offering of cut fruit. Surprised at the tableau before you, you blink, looking up from your book. 

“Don’t you have to work?” 

“I do have days off, y’know.” He says, easing you into your wheelchair. 

“Thought you said killing kaijus isn’t a nine to five job”, you remind him pertly. 

He tweaks your nose. “Don’t be smart”, his eyes crinkle as he laughs, rolling you out of the confines of your parent’s house to a nearby park to enjoy the crisp cool autumn breeze, settling you down in the shade beneath a sprawling gingko tree. 

“Well, how’s work?” 

He considers you with a sideways glance. “I refuse to answer”, he says primly. “If I do, you’ll make use of it to accuse me of being obsessed with my job.”

“Aren’t you?” 

“This is exactly what I mean”, he throws his hands out dramatically. “Shouldn’t you just be happy I’m here -” 

“Actually”, you tease. “Isn’t the train fare really expensive? Can you afford that on your pay?” 

“The Defense Force’s generous enough to give me food, clothing and a roof over my head”, he replies drolly. “So I think my bank account can take the occasional hit.” Then, he shoots another mock glare your way. “Anyway, I don’t wanna talk about work or anything related to work.” 

“Then I guess there’s nothing else to talk about”, you tap your chin thoughtfully. 

“Idiot”, he wrinkles his nose. “We haven’t even talked about how you’re doing.” 

“Me?” 

Exaggeratedly, he takes a look around. “I don’t see anyone else I could be askin’ about -” 

“You wanna hear about my boring doctor appointments?” 

His eyes are wide, earnest. “I wanna hear about everything.” 

The sudden seriousness of his demeanour catches you off-kilter. Haltingly you tell him about the long check-ups that take hours, the doctors being optimistic about your progress, the physiotherapy sessions you’ve started. You’re slowly starting to walk again, a few steps at a time, giving you hope that you’ll be on your own two feet by the time of your brother’s wedding at the end of fall, even if you have to rely a little on crutches. 

“I’m talking too much”, you say, looking down at your lap. 

“Don’t stop”, he urges. “Keep talkin’.” 

A snort. “You’re gonna get sick of the sound of my voice”, 

“What a silly thing to say”, his gaze holds yours, steady, sure. 

There’s something impossibly soft in his eyes, a tenderness in the curve of his mouth. You don’t dare to put a name to it yet, don’t even dare to look too closely at it lest you lose yourself to daydreams that can’t possibly be true. Yet, in the purpling dusk, even though the seasons dictate that there be no summer flowers this late in the fall, there’s a bud of hope in your heart that starts to unfurl, petal by petal, twining itself between the ribs of your chest. 

(i like you)

(i’m sorry)

You remind yourself that your heart is not quite healed. Stitches remain, fleshy scars pink and raised. Ventricles working overtime to compensate for the damage he’s wrought just months prior. Mercilessly, you prune those hopes like unwanted weeds, chopping away at errant stems and leaves. 

“I’m tired”, you break away from his gaze. “Shall we call it a day?” 

He makes it difficult for you to safeguard your heart. 

Once a week, he makes the trek from Tokyo to Osaka without fail, appearing at your parents’ door with a bouquet of flowers and a bag bursting with fruit, whatever is in season - peaches and peonies, apples and chrysanthemums. Picnics when it’s sunny, cafes or supermarkets when it rains. Your mother has a sudden change of heart regarding him, always asking you when he’s coming to take you out next.  

“Seriously, don’t you have work?” you demand. “You can’t keep coming down here, it’s ridiculous.” 

“Is it?” he asks quietly. 

“It is”, you reply. “It’s a waste of your time and money.” 

With careful, calloused fingers, he tilts your chin up to meet his gaze. “What must I do to make you believe it’s really, really not.” 

You flinch, cramming your thrumming heart back into the confines of your chest. “You’re ridiculous”, you say as calmly as you can. If your leg weren’t still broken, you’d flee in the other direction, put as much distance as you can between you and Hoshina Soshiro, for fear of losing your heart again to him. 

He’s relentless, a quality that makes him an excellent swordsman and soldier, though it does not bode well for your heart. You spend the next few weeks keeping your conversations light, unsentimental, refusing to allow that unnamed emotion budding  in his eyes flourish any further, he remains undeterred. You catch him watching you sometimes, with something you don’t dare to name that bleeds into you, spreading the seeds of hope deep in your gut.  

“I’ll be back next week to see you”, he always says. “Stay safe.”

You should tell him to leave you alone, let you replant your heart in another pot, give it a chance to learn to stop looking towards him for his light. But the words choke in your throat, and it’s all you can do to look the other way. 

You don’t get any respite even at your own brother’s wedding. 

It’s too large, too crowded an occasion, your parents booking out a banquet hall in an upscale hotel to cram in their swarms of guests. As the younger sister of the groom, you’re expected to greet each and every guest, thank them for their attendance even if you’d much rather be at home, warm and snug in bed. Instead, your head threatens to split open, your hip’s on the verge of falling apart. You curse your stubbornness in insisting against bringing your wheelchair, the crutches you lean on cutting into the tender flesh of your underarms.  

“Did anyone tell you that you look beautiful tonight?” 

As it was in your dreams, he’s in a haori, deep blue with golden thread, but this time he looks right at you. Your mouth goes dry and you can’t seem to swallow your heart back down your throat. 

“Save your flirting for my cousins”, you retort, turning away. “They’re all aflutter at meeting you tonight.” 

He doesn’t let you flee. An arm loops around your waist, sears through the silk layers of your kimono and smoulders. “You’re cranky cos you’re tired, so let me help you.” 

You blame your capitulation on the absence of your wheelchair, not because you’re light headed from the sudden surge of helpless affection in your gut, as much as you refuse to allow yourself to believe his words. You let him steer you into your seat, palm flat against your back, heat suffusing into your skin. 

“I’ll be here if you need me”, he says simply. 

You don’t need him, you want to say, you can’t, but your mouth can’t seem to form the words when he leans in, tucks a stray strand of hair behind the shell of your ear, his touch feather light. 

“Vice Captain Hoshina!?” As you foresaw, a gaggle of younger cousins goggle at him, drag him away for selfies and autographs. You don’t get a chance to speak with him again once the wedding starts, the seating plan placing him with his parents and other business associates of your parents, a few tables away.  

The sheer scale and grandeur of your brother’s wedding isn’t what you’d have chosen for yourself, the cavernous ballroom feeling too large and impersonal, speeches dragging on for too long, but your brother and your new sister seem to radiate contentment, though you suspect the champagne toasts might have helped. 

As the sister of the groom, you’re the target of your older aunts’ inquiry as to ‘when it’s your turn next’, never mind that you burrow into your seat, trying to disappear from sight, and when that fails miserably, try to divert their attention to anything, anyone but yourself. If you had full use of your legs, you’d make a hasty retreat by now, but you’re so painfully slow on your crutches that you’re sure even the oldest grandma questioning you on your dating status (or lack thereof) would be able to catch up with you. 

“Ladies”, a smooth voice cuts in. “How are you all doin’ tonight?” 

A boyish smile with a cheeky snaggletooth works wonders on elderly ladies, you learn. It gives you the chance to slip away to the bathroom, splash water on your face, shackle your heart back in place. 

This brief reprieve doesn’t last long. Soshiro emerges from the shadows, pushing off the wall to pad quietly behind you. 

“What are you doing here?” you demand. “You should be back inside -” 

“I’m here to make sure you’re safe”, he replies. “Unless you don’t want me to make sure you don’t fall and crack your pretty head open?”  

“Stop it”, you say crossly, your crutches clacking loudly on the floor as you speed up, trying to put some distance between you two. “You’re giving everyone the wrong impression.” 

He follows right on your heels. “Perhaps I’m givin’ the right impression -” 

“Just  - just stop, Soshiro.” 

You burst through glass doors to push your way onto the open rooftop in the hope that the nighttime air will cool the heat rising in your cheeks, but you miss your step, crutches sliding on marble tiles and oof - 

Warm arms wrap tightly around you. You tell yourself it’s the shock of your almost-fall that makes you sag against a broad, lean chest, compliantly allowing Soshiro to tuck your face into his shoulders, settle an arm beneath your thighs, carrying you over onto a seat. A thick, rich fabric rests on your shoulders - his haori, you realise, the warmth from his body seeping into your skin. 

“Are you hurt?” he drops to one knee in front of you. 

The intensity of his gaze flays your chest open, exposing your beating heart, its stitches frayed. The spectre of the girl with sad eyes haunts you, leaving you terrified that you’ll suffer the same fate as her in this lifetime too. 

“I need you to stop”, you shove him back, a trapped animal brandishing its claws. “I want you to leave me alone. I don’t want your pity -” 

“Pity?!” he falls back on his haunches, gaping at you, incredulous. “Is that what you think it is?” 

“What else could it be?” you demand wetly, eyes stinging. “Nevermind, I changed my mind, I don’t want to know -” 

“Haven’t I made it obvious these past few months?” he asks, and you shake your head stubbornly, no. “What I feel for you - I’ve been goin’ crazy from the moment they told me a buildin’ fell on your head, so fuckin’ terrified I was goin’ to lose you just as I realised how stupid I’ve been -” 

Your head swims. “I don’t -” 

“I’ve loved you since I was eight. I just didn’t realise it til I nearly lost you.” 

You push aside the clouds of anger and fear blurring your vision. You see Hoshina Soshiro kneeling before you, slicing his chest open with your blade to reveal his heart, pressing it bloodied and beating into your waiting hands. 

In this lifetime, in this moment, he is yours and you are his.  

There is no guarantee that this will remain. Duty will always call upon him, and he will answer without fail. That is his destiny, as much as he is yours. Realisation crashes into you, relentless waves pulling you underwater. You will have to share him with the rest of Japan, possibly the world. This too shall end, be it tomorrow or years down the road if fate smiles down on you both. 

But even if his heart belongs to you for no more than a day, it’s enough. It’s all you’ve ever wanted. 

“You love me.” 

“Yeah”, he murmurs, moving so impossibly close that you see the violets in the depths of his eyes in full bloom. “And I kinda think you love me too.” 

Instead of answering, you tug him towards you, tangle your fingers in dark hair, let your lips press against the seam of his lips. He doesn’t give you the chance to breathe, arm curling around your waist, his hand cupping your face so he can tilt your chin up to pour himself into you. You drink him in, greedy to take what you can get, mouth open against his, lost to the raging current of want, of love that pulls you beneath the waves. 

“I think I do”, you say softly.  

Hoshina Soshiro smiles at you, wider and brighter than the moon. 

a/n: i hope this chapter soothes the anxiety from last week heh :>

squeal at me pls! muacks always <3