#takahashi ran my beloved

[kitasuno]

HI HIIII i’m backkkk😝😝 mayhaps…. a suna and atsumu fic is cooking…. heh…. fake dating…. or friends to lovers to exes to enemies to lovers again… heh…

[thenamesvettel]

looking forward to seeing these three cause havoc in paris

[zaytsev]

yuyuran

[nyan-koii]

I have a new boy that i love right now, his name is ran takahashi and i may only know him for less than a day, but i swear that i will put my life on the line for him

[einsatzzz]

OC Crossover (3/3): A meet-up between fellow mechanics with Yua (@social-muffin 's OC) ft. Hibari and Kanarobo. Yui and Yua have shared fields of interest so it would be natural for them to get along! Unfortunately, the school's terminator recognized the familiar face the robot is inspired from and it triggered his fight mode immediately (lol).

[exrankluck]

URADOL Stage/opening - Drama Track TRANSLATION

The strongest unconventional idol development drama CD series begins!

Their secret is that they are fraudulent idols, covered in lies. A new idol group called "SPYAIM" is set to debut from the entertainment agency "evol."

<Cast>

Keisho Isumi: KENN

Ranma Fujisaki: Tomoaki Maeno

Lui Usami: Wataru Hatano

Yuiji Natsuhara: Shugo Nakamura

Hajime Kirigaya: Shun Horie

Kaede Ijuin: Nobuhiko Okamoto

☆

Character Design: Shiro Yamada (Ikemen Sengoku, Ikemen Vampire)

Director & Scenario: Azuma Ryo

Design: Haruka Takahashi

©URADOL

<Uradol>

kei: There are things in the world that can't be measured by common sense.

One day, those things unexpectedly changed our lives.

This is a story of how those who lived in separate worlds came together as one through idols.

A story of fulfilling a promise made 10 years ago.

ranma: This is bad. This is really bad!

ranma: (My name is Ranma Fujisaki, and I work as the head of the accounting department at the Evol Talent Agency.

Although we call it an agency, the management is in the worst possible state due to a change in leadership two years ago. The former president's beloved son, no... It's all because of that damn son of his!)

ranma: President!

ijuin: Oh, Ran-chan! Yahoo~

ranma: I have something to tell you.

ijuin: What?

ranma: It's an important matter, so please listen seriously. Stop playing games and put your phone away!

ijuin: Geh, I was at a good part too~ It's probably just about money again.

ranma: That's right. Please take a look at this.

ijuin: Yes, yes, this is our sales figures. What about it?

ranma: At the moment, it’s showing a significant loss compared to last year.

ijuin: Waah, really?

ranma: Do you understand how serious this situation is?! We're on the brink of bankruptcy!

ijuin: That's true, yeah. But once it's happened, there's nothing we can do about it, right? Time can’t turn back.

ranma: Who do you think is responsible for this? It's the result of you spending the company's money as you please! At this rate, we'll definitely go under.

ijuin: Don't worry, don’t worry, it'll be fine~

ranma: ("We can still make it," says this idiot, the CEO of evol, Kaede Ijuin. He took over the reins of management from Sendai and as soon as he took charge, the company went belly up due to his reckless spending.)

ranma: How many employees do you think we have? Do you know how much we need every month just for personnel expenses? We have to take action quickly-

ijuin: Hey, we still have our top-sellers.

lui: Excuse me~

ranma: U... Usami-san...

lui: Fujisaki, good job.

ranma: Thank you for your hard work.

ranma: (This person is Usami Lui-san, a manager in the management department. He’s only 33 years old, but he’s a talented manager who is good at his job. He handles two of our company’s popular actors.)

ijuin: Usa-chan, hello. What's up?

lui: Something big happened, I need to report it.

ijuin: Hmm?

lui: Aoyagi Haruto and Hanamori Asuka want to quit the agency.

ijuin: Eh?

ranma: Wait a minute!! Aoyagi-san and Hanamori-san are our top two! It would be a problem if they quit!

ijuin: Hey, Usa-chan, you're their manager, right? Pay closer attention.

ranma: What’s the reason?

lui: They want to start their own agency because they don’t see a future here.

ranma: Gkh- How many does that make now?

lui: Like the eighth person?

ijuin: Geez, everyone is so cold! Who do they think made those amateurs into stars?

lui: It wasn't Kaede-san, it was Sendai who did everything.

ranma: That's right, you haven't done anything.

ijuin: Eh, really?

ranma: This idiot…

lui: Well, even if I stop those two from quitting, it’ll just cause trouble later on. I think we should respect their wishes.

ijuin: Yeah, that's true.

ranma: But if this continues, our agency…!

lui: Mm, honestly, it’ll be hard without Aoyagi and Hanamori. We've been living off their earnings lately.

ranma: What are we going to do, president? If things continue like this, we'll really be finished!

ijuin: Don't worry about that~ Who do you all think I am? I’m Kaede Ijuin-sama, you know. I've succeeded in plenty of businesses so far.

lui: Well, it's true that Kaede-san is a talented manager.

ranma: (As Usami-san said, this ridiculous man not only manages our office, but also many other companies. All of them have good performance, no, they are actually very successful.)

ranma: Then why are we the only ones in a deficit?!

lui: That's true. Why did this happen?

ijuin: Ehh? My dad said he wants me to try running an office too. When I became the president, I was like, “What's up with this company? We have so much money~!!”

ijuin: Entertainment is a game, right? It's like a fantasy, right?! So I thought I would try doing what I wanted!

ranma: As a result, we poured money into new ideas one after another, and this is the current situation.

lui: Kaede~san, this isn’t a game. It's a company.

ijuin: I know, I know. But I have a plan in case of an emergency, so it's okay… Well, I was thinking it's about time too.

ranma: A plan? Do you really have something like that?

ijuin: Nfufu. Want to hear it? Hey, wanna hear it?!

ranma: He's always so annoying.

lui: Come on, calm down, Fujisaki. So, what's the plan?

ijuin: Actually, I've been thinking about it for a while now. A major project to revive Evol.

lui: A major project?

ranma: What do you mean?

ijuin: Hehe, well, you see...this year, we’re going to debut a idol group from our company! Yay, applause!!

ranma: …I-Idol?

lui: From our company...?

ijuin: Yeah. What? No good?

ranma: Haa, wait a minute. If they're going to be idols, they'll definitely need singing and dance lessons. We'll have to hire a trainer, and one manager won't be enough. It will take money, time, and energy.

lui: And we’ll also need to hold auditions to choose the members.

ranma: Do you think our company has that kind of luxury right now?

ijuin: Hmm, then let’s make a idol group that doesn't cost any money.

ranma: Huh?

ijuin: We can just use what we already have.

lui: And what do we have?

ijuin: The members can be our employees. We won't hold auditions. I'll get a cheap singing and dance teacher from some people I know! Then we can start right away~

ranma: Our employees...? Employees!? Huh?! What are you talking about!? Being an idol requires not only good looks but also singing and dancing skills! Where do we have employees who can become idols!?

ijuin: Here! I have two right here~

both: Hm? Huh? Hah?! Us?!

ijuin: That's right!

lui: No, no, no, no.

ranma: That's obviously impossible! Are you insane?

ijuin: Haha, why not? First of all, Usa-chan has a cute idol-like look, so the age difference won't be a problem. And Ran-chan is the most handsome guy in our company, you know? I heard the female employees are forming a fan club behind the scenes.

ijuin: This is definitely going to sell. Yeah, it'll sell! Actually, I’m sorry I didn't realize it until now!

both: Ugh…

lui: Shit. Kaede-san is going too fast, I can't keep up.

ranma: How can someone like him be at the top? Someone... Someone tell me this is a dream.

ijuin: It's not a dream. It's reality. By the way, this is a order from work. So, don't choose to not do it, okay? Let’s work together!

lui: Um... I'll ask just in case, but are you serious?

ijuin: Yeah, I’m serious. Super serious.

ranma: Wait a minute! There's no way the two of us can handle this physically! Absolutely not!

ijuin: That’s true. We could use one more person actually~?

ranma: No, it's not a issue of numbers!

*knock knock*

kei: Excuse me! It's Goda Delivery! Ijuin-san! I brought what you asked for!

ijuin: Ah, thanks for your hard work! Just leave it there as usual.

kei: You got it!

ijuin: Sorry about that as always.

kei: Haha, nah, not at all! I'm happy to have you as a regular customer! *twinkle sfx*

ijuin: Haa… wait a minute. Got it.

both: Eh?

ijuin: Got it, got it, got it! An amazing talent is here!

kei: Eh? Huh? What's up? Me?

ijuin: Yes! It's you, it's you! I never noticed before, but when I look at you closely, you're incredibly cool! And your style is great! Mhm, mmm, with a cute face like that girls will like you! Hey, have you joined a agency?!

kei: Nah, I'm just a part-timer.

ijuin: Great! That's awesome! What's your name?

kei: Keisho Isumi.

ijuin: Keisho-kun! Do you have any interest in becoming an idol?

kei: Huh? Idol?

ranma: Hey, wait a minute, president! What are you thinking?!

lui: No, wait, Fujisaki! That kid really is unbelievably handsome.

ranma: A-Ah, yeah, that's true, but... But!

ijuin: How much do you make with this part-time job? If you become an idol with us, you can earn 10 times, no, 100 times more than that!

kei: 100!? Are you serious!?

ijuin: Yeah, yeah, let's make a promise! You're a once-in-a-millennium, no, once-in-a-ten-thousand-years talent. Those carefully chiseled facial features, that slender figure, perfect!

kei: Perfect... Me? Well, my looks get complimented a lot but, ha…

ijuin: I'm sorry for not noticing this raw talent before! Now, come with me on a new journey together! You're not meant to be just an ordinary person.

kei: I-I don't really get it but… if I can get that much money, I'll try it. It'll motivate me more than my part-time delivery job. Idols are popular with girls, right?!

ijuin: It's not just about being popular. You can get everything you want~

kei: Woah, seriously?! Making money and being popular, that's the best! Isn’t it awesome?! I'll do it!! I'll become an idol!

[declanisms]

takahashi ran my beloved

[voidnatasha]

Have i ever watched or cared for the olympics until now? Aboslutely not. Will i watch it now that ive discovered its a hot people gold mine? Absolutely yes yes yes!

[melsuki]

HE HAS AN IZUKU MIDORIYA FIGURE AND LOVES MHA IM GONNA CRYYY

hi screaming about ran takahashi again

[puroresu-musings]

NJPW DOMINION in Osaka-Jo Hall Review (July 12th 2020)

Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma & Gabriel Kidd vs. Satoshi Kojima, Yuji Nagata & Ryusuke Taguchi  **3/4

Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano & Yota Tsuji vs. SANADA, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI  ***1/4

Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Master Wato & Yuya Uemura vs. El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI  **3/4

Kazuchika Okada & Hirooki Goto vs. Yujiro Takahashi & Taiji Ishimori  **

NEVER Openweight Championship Match - Shingo Takagi (c) vs. SHO  ****1/2

IWGP Tag Team Championship Match - Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kota Ibushi (c) vs. Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr.  ***3/4+

IWGP Heavyweight & Intercontinental Double Championship Match - Tetsuya Naito (c) vs. EVIL  **1/2

Photos.

So in front of a 1/3 capacity Osaka-Jo Hall, New Japan produced their annual Dominion show, and it was an... interesting show to say the least. The undercard was your standard NJPW show; Yuji Nagata submitted Gabriel Kidd with Nagata Lock II at 9:25 of a fun six man opener. Hiromu lead the charge in the next match, looking better than anyone else bar Ishii. His exchanges with Tsuji were really good too, before he submitted the Young Lion with a Boston Crab to end an entertaining 10 minuter. El Desperado pinned Yuya Uemura with Pinche Loco to end another decent six man next. The post match saw Kanemaru put the boots to Master Wato, so that seems to be The Grandmaster’s next feud. They certain don’t have many aspirations for him at this point. Saying that, I suppose every promotion needs their dependable mid-carders. Speaking of which, the inexplicable Yujiro push continued in the next match, as he pinned Goto to end a painfully average match. Okada came out with his neck taped, and I don’t know if he’s selling or what, but he looked really off here. As Goto hit Ushigoroshi on Takahashi, Gedo came out and attacked Okada’s ribs with a wrench outside, taking him out of the match. Goto went for GTR on Yujiro, but Ishimori broke it up with a Lungblower, followed by Bloody Cross, allowing Yujiro to score the pin at 9:42 with Pimp Juice. He then laid Okada out with it in the post match. I understand pickings are slim in this time of pandemic, and they always have decent outings together, but I really do not need to see a Yujiro/Okada programme in 2020. This year has been rough enough.

Things really picked up after intermission as Shingo defended the NEVER Title against long-time rival SHO. This, as expected, was an excellent 20 minute war, with both guys looking great. There were no surprises here; both guys slammed into each other like bulls with hard Lariats, forearms, chops and suplexes. SHO worked over Shingo’s Lariat arm with hard kicks and Jujigatame attempts, but the champion would power out. After a back and forth exchange of Lariats, SHO hits a headkick on Takagi for the double down. A sliding Lariat and Noshigami scores a near fall for Shingo. SHO hits the powerbomb on the knees, and a huge Lariat, but Takagi kicks at one, then SHO scores another great near fall with the deadlift German. A flurry of elbows from the Rampage Dragon leaves SHO open to Made In Japan, which gets a near fall, then the challenger kicks at one from a Pumping Bomber. SHO scores another near fall with a cross arm piledriver, then Takagi turns another Jujigatame into a Death Valley Bomb, hits the draping GTR, then successfully defends the title after hitting Last Of The Dragon at 20:07. This was by far the best thing on the show, and whilst great stuff indeed, the finish was never really in any doubt, as SHO got the win in the NJC, so had to return the favour here because New Japan loves the 50/50 booking. As Shingo celebrated his win, El Desperado attacked and posed with the title. That interesting, at first glance that match doesn’t seem too awe inspiring, but I’m sure they’ll actually have a great match.

The Tag Title match that followed was a really good match, but at 28:43, it was much too long (little did I know). It must also be said, it feels like these teams have been feuding for years, as it started in February, which might as well have been half a decade ago at this point. The champions came out aggressive, attacking the challengers before the bell and hitting duelling pescados, but after the hot start, this tapered off a bit for my liking, as Taichi heeled it up in slo-mo fashion, and began choking Tana with a tag rope or something, as my eyelids grew heavy. This picked up again as Ibushi got a hot tag, flying in with a springboard dropkick, but he was ground to a halt as ZSJ caught him in a knee bar. Ibushi and Taichi exchange hard kicks, culminating in Taichi hitting the Kawada Dangerous High Kick. Ibushi avoids an Axe Bomber, but gets caught in a Stretch Plumb, which Tanahashi breaks up with a Dragon Sleeper. The champions hit their new Golden Blade move to both challengers. As they battled on, Tana tried a Sling Blade on Taichi, but he counters into the Dangerous Backdrop, but Tanahashi reverses it into a Sling Blade. The Ace takes Zack out with Sling Blade, then goes up for the HFF, but Sabre gets the knees up. Taichi takes Ibushi out with the dreaded Iron Fingers From Hell(!!!), but Tana ducks, only to run straight into a Daaaaangerous Backdrop. From there, the challengers destroy Tanahashi’s already destroyed knees, as Taichi holds him and Zack hits numerous Dragon Screws. Tana’s selling here was sublime and the move itself looks tremendous. ZSJ hoists Tanahashi up into the Zack Driver, with Taichi giving a superkick assist, resulting in Zack getting the three count, and new champions are crowned.

Then the main event. There’s an old saying: “Go big or go home”, and Gedo certainly did that here. Look, as much as I don’t really have a problem with the outcome; they need new stars in this time and they aren’t especially spoilt for choice, but this match had some pretty major problems. Not the least that it went on FOREVER and relied entirely on absolute fuckery. At 38 minutes, this was insanely long, and it really didn’t need to be. When Naito won the titles at Wrestle Kingdom, part of me had dreaded his reign, as he just physically isn’t really up to it at this point, and to mask this, I figured his matches would have all kinds of smoke and mirrors. However, both this and the KENTA defence from February had a preposterous amount of interference, to the point it really just takes you out of these matches. Now, EVIL getting the super-push makes sense; he’s a home grown star, and heavyweight to boot, and the LIJ guys are so beloved they really need a believable aggressor for them, but I’m not too sure about how they went about all of this. 

EVIL came out with new music and new gear. He’s dropped the guyliner, but is decked out in a leather grass skirt gimmick that I believe should be cast into a dumpster. EVIL lived up to his name by destroying Milano Collection AT’s old EVIL scythe toy gimmick, which caused the commentary megastar to jump the rail, only to be immediately thrown into it. EVIL attacked Naito’s surgically repaired knee (he’s using Naito’s biggest weakness against him, as he knows all about it having been his friend for years), then brought a table into play, which he ultimately gave Naito a knee breaker through off the apron, which looked absolutely no fun whatsoever to take. Then the nonsense started; Jado strolled out with all the urgency of an underwater deep sea diver, as too did Ishimori, who takes Naito out with a springboard. Hiromu sprints out, getting rid of Jado, then hitting the overhead suplex into the corner on Ishimori, then drags both guys to the back. EVIL smashes a chair over the double champs head, then tries the STO, but Naito escapes and hits a swinging reverse Destino for a near fall. Naito then hits Valentia (which really should be his finish, if you ask me), then tries Destino, but EVIL grabs Red Shoes and hits a mule kick lowblow on Naito. At this point, “BUSHI” comes out, cheering Naito on, but then once his back is turned, starts garrotting him with a gimmick, choking him out. EVIL hits the stomp to the balls, then lifts Naito up and hits Everything Is Evil to win both Championships, unceremoniously ending Naito’s double reign, in a major upset to say the least. The Osaka-Jo Hall crowd were stunned at this outcome and I could almost hear wrestling Twitter break. 

Hey say what you want about Gedo’s booking, but when he straps the rocket to someone, he doesn’t mess around. In the post match, “BUSHI” unmasked to reveal himself to be veteran Dick Togo(!!!). Hiromu ran them off and cut a fiery promo on EVIL, setting himself up as his first challenger, presumably on the 27th in Nagoya, but who knows? I mean, a lot happened here, and not all of it good. The shenanigans in these matches is starting to get old school TNA level, and although New Japan are in a difficult position, they’re setting up quite a few programmes, though I can’t say all of them are looking especially good to me. There remains a lot to be seen with regards to EVIL on top too. Usually, a young champions first reign isn’t especially long, so I don’t imagine this to be either, and he’ll likely just drop both belts back to Naito at some point. Time will tell on all of this.

NDT

[herefortheships]

About Hanyou no Yashahime, episode 5 (and in general, really)

*Spoilers inside* . . .

You have been warned. There are spoilers in here!

Moving on.

I feel like I was Miroku-baited because of the episode 5 preview clip. I thought Miroku would really be present in the episode and that we’d finally get some answers about the og characters and what happened to them. </3 That was so darn disappointing, because I waited the entire week to watch this episode expecting to finally have some connection to the characters from Inuyasha, and get some answers to their whereabouts, but it didn’t happen...

I'm feeling like this anime separated the kids from the parents and og characters/story SO much, yet at the same time uses nostalgia from them in this series, that it gets confusing at times. I'm struggling to relate to the girls. I do love them, they are all really amazing, and Moroha is EVERYTHING I would have expected as Inuyasha's and Kagome’s child, but my heart can't fully connect to these wonderful girls. I feel like I am expected to love them because they are Inuyasha/Kagome and Sesshomaru/Rin(?)’s girls, but at the same time, I am also expected to love them because of what they do and who they are separate from their parents and not even want their parents there, and as I said, it can get confusing, because the show really hasn’t given me much of a strong enough background on the girls to really care without it depending on their connection to their parents, but at the same time, their parents are just passing mentions and that’s it? They have no connection to them, they weren’t raised by them, and they don’t even know them! I have a theory about this, but hear me out first. There are just so many things...

Why aren't Miroku and Sango AT LEAST in the picture? Kohaku is involved, and so is Hisui, so where are their parents?! And where are Kagome and Inuyasha? There are so many questions, and it keeps piling up with no answers, and it gets so weird how the other characters keep acting like normal. Like, we had Myoga in this episode and he seemed so normal talking about Kagome and Inuyasha in front of Moroha, who, apparently, has no idea who the heck her parents are! Which made me have to discard the “Something happened to Kagome and Inuyasha” theory, because surely Myoga would have found out? And also with Kaede; she raised Rin after the events of the original Inuyasha series (*I am always assuming Rin is the mother of Setsuna and Towa, I think it’s pretty obvious by now even though it has not been confirmed solid in the anime), and she was also very close to Kagome. Like, how come Kaede doesn’t mention anything? She mentioned about never seeing Sesshomaru again after she saw him with the twin babies, but she doesn’t mention Rin (we know at least about Rin, but Kaede? Does Kaede know?) or about Kagome, or Sango... And more importantly, she compared Moroha to Kagome in this episode, but it’s pretty clear she doesn’t know Moroha is Kagome’s daughter?! (Based on the Japanese, not sure what the subtitles said, but she said in Japanese that Moroha was a lot like Kagome when she ran off like that. Or maybe she knows, but it felt kinda vague?). Kohaku and Setsuna and Hisui didn’t seem to know about Moroha being Kagome’s daughter either, so, what even happened?! Why didn’t Moroha live with her parents? Surely she did for some time, because she can do Inuyasha’s attacks, and she has a special demon sword of her own, and she has that shell with the blood to become “beni-yasha”. Surely she spent some time with her parents until a certain point... 

Honestly I spend this anime all the time saying "what's going on?!" I know there will be a great explanation inside the series--there HAS to be--because Rumiko Takahashi is a master storyteller and she is involved in the production; there must be a plan. Because she wouldn’t allow a train-wreck to run with the name of her beloved series Inuyasha. (Btw, talking about Rumiko’s involvement, anyone else think that Towa has a resemblance to Nanoka, from the MAO series? <3). There must be a plan that’s going to blow our minds, and I’m just being really impatient... At least that is my hope, because we’re in episode 5 now, and I would have thought that by now we’d have more answers to really get the fans emotionally involved (at least we have some answers about Rin, which in my case, that’s what’s keeping me emotionally invested in the show, Rin’s fate), but we don’t really have much yet... I’m thinking of doing a rewatch of all the episodes out so far, to see if I catch something I missed.

So far, I'm just confused with everything and keep wondering where this anime is even going. I feel like it’s also really toned down (it’s more for kids than Inuyasha was), which was a bummer too. It's been a fun series, though. But kinda confusing and a bit random. 

I think it's the dream butterfly's fault. That's my speculation. Somehow, Moroha’s memories of her parents were also stolen, and everyone else is also affected somehow. Because surely they wouldn’t be acting so normal if Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, Rin (we know where she is now </3), and Sesshomaru are missing. Also I haven’t even heard of Jakken. I hope I’m just acting impatient and something mind-blowing is coming. 

I knew from the get go that Yashahime would never compare to Inuyasha. Inuyasha was a masterpiece, and it would be incredibly hard to top that. It would take a labor of love and passionate dedication to create something as masterful, and I feel like today’s anime industry is suffering a lot, so I didn’t think it was possible they would give it heart and soul and blood to this story to make it a comparable masterpiece to its predecessor--even giving it complete heart and soul it could be hard to make something so special. (And I’m sure they’re giving it their all, don’t get me wrong about that, I’m just commenting on how the industry is suffering and today’s anime is not the same as it was. A lot of it isn’t, and it’s not the animators or actors’ fault). But I expected something more intense as a sequel to Inuyasha. Something more heart-wrenching and soul touching. Perhaps a sequel focusing on Sesshomaru this time around would have been better than what we’re getting, but it is what it is. And as I said: I don’t hate it. I’m enjoying it, but there are just so many things that I wish were different. I feel like they kinda ruined things somehow, by removing the girls SO much from their parents, to the point that they didn’t even get the chance to interact with them. Kagome didn’t get the chance to be a mother to her daughter? And Rin didn’t get the chance to have her own family with her admired and beloved Sesshomaru (trust me I didn’t see this one coming! But now that it’s like this, I coudn’t ever see it any other way! Than Rin pairing up with Sesshomaru. Honestly, the girl deserves him. You can see they were each other’s worlds in the previous series, so it makes sense.) We didn’t get to see Inuyasha as a father, or Sesshomaru as a father, either... I feel robbed about that, and disappointed, as a fan of Inuyasha, but I know that if Rumiko is involved, there has to be an explanation and it has to be REALLY good. I’m just going to be here trusting her judgement and expecting a killer plot-twist. I’m probably being impatient. 

[ghostofviperwrites]

Deer in the Headlights

For Hiromu Appreciation Day! Not a request.  Once again thank you to @littlebluespoon for the idea

Pairing:  Hiromu Takahashi/FC

Category:  Smut

“This is so stupid,” You mumbled quietly as you moved into the dark hotel room. At least you thought it was quietly, not realizing you were speaking at full volume.   You might be just a little drunk.  Maybe had a few drinks.  It was the only way you were going to have the courage to do this, so after leaving the bar with your friends you had snuck a few more adult beverages from the mini bar in your hotel room.  You were cursing both yourself for accepting and your friends for proposing the dare.  

Now you found yourself infiltrating the hotel room of Hiromu Takahashi on a mission to kidnap his beloved stuffed cat Daryl.  A few winks and a little cleavage had gotten the desk clerk to hand over the key easily enough and before you knew it you found yourself standing inside the door of the dark hotel room.   Squinting your eyes you made out the bed in the darkness. Fumbling for your phone you turned on the flashlight and made your way over relieved to see Daryl laying on the pillows next to a soundly sleeping Hiromu.   You may have taken a peak at Hiromu as he slept shirtless, the sheets around his waist and you couldn’t stop a whimper as you followed the trail of dark hair leading down to the sheet.  You knew your desperate crush on the man was the reason you friends had proposed this dare. You weren’t ever going to make a move so they were trying to force it.   Their hope was that you would return Daryl to the fretful Hiromu the next day and the two of you would fall madly in love.  

Making your way to that side of the bed you tried to quickly grab Daryl and get the hell out of there.  However as soon as you grabbed the cat your arm was caught in a steel vise grip and you were yanked onto the bed, landing on top of Hiromu with a loud oomph.  

“Why are you trying to steal my friend?”  Hiromu asked in a cold voice tightening his grip and making you wince in pain.  

“I’m sorry,” you whimpered, trying not to notice the body you were pressed up against.  

“Do you know what LIJ does to people who try to bring harm to us?”  He asked lip curling up in a sneer.  

You quickly shook your head in the negative, fear finally starting to creep in.  He wouldn’t seriously turn you over to LIJ would he?  You suddenly realized that despite your crush, you really didn’t know Hiromu that well.   You wriggled on him, freezing as you felt his cock hardening against your thigh. Hiromu clasped both your writs in one hand and leaned over towards the night stand for his phone.

“What are you doing?” You cried desperately.

“Calling Naito-san to see what we should do we you,” Hiromu said matter-of-factly smirking at you.  “I’m sure he’ll come up with something suitable.”  

“No, please don’t,” You shouted as he went to place the call.  “Please, I’m so sorry.  It was a dare and I was drunk.  Please don’t call him.”    

“Can you give me one good reason not to?”  Hiromu asked not putting down the phone.  

You hesitated for a moment before grinding your hips down on his.  “What if I offered to take care of this?”  You said, hoping you sounded more seductive than drunk.    Hiromu released your wrists and set the phone back on the night stand.

“Ride me.”  He said moving to lay with his arms back behind his head and watching you carefully, making sure you intended to follow through on  your offer as you climbed off the bed.  Under his watchful gaze you stripped out of your clothing, leaving it pooled on the floor as you stood naked before him.   You pulled down the sheets surprised to find him completely nude. Straddling him you slowly slid his cock inside you, easing down as he stretched you the lack of lubrication creating friction until you were finally seated fully on him.  

Beginning to rock your hips and move yourself on top of him you watched Hiromu trying to figure out if he was into this, or just making you do it as punishment.  Sure his cock was hard, but that didn’t necessarily mean a thing.   You rode him silently for several minutes, hoping he wasn’t noticing your juices dripping out of you as you quickened your pace.  

“Play with your tits,” He suddenly spoke up.  “I want you to come all over my cock.”   Your hands raised to your breasts, fingers twisting at your sensitive nipples as your eyes screwed shut.   You bit your lip as the bite of pain went straight to your cunt and you rocked your hips faster on Hiromu, digging your nails into your breasts as your pleasure grew.   His fingers suddenly appearing on your clit, squeezing the bundle of nerves was all it took, and you screamed out crashing forwarded onto his chest as you came, feeling his cum filling your pussy at the same time.   You lay on his chest panting until he spoke.

“You’re forgiven.  Now get the fuck out of my room.”   He said bluntly lifting you off and sending you onto the floor.   Humiliation burning through you, you quickly threw on your clothes, grabbed your phone and ran from the room, hoping to never put eyes on that man again.  

[meggz0rz]

The It Couple - Valentine’s Day Special!

(art by @file13thetrashcan)

IT’S BACK, BITCHES

This one is a gift for my beloved friend @ideasthatbuildcities, to thank her for being so wonderful and for supporting my work from the very beginning. So here it is - a special chapter from my very first Inuyasha story, “The It Couple!” If you haven’t read it and you’d like to, you can find it..

HERE!

So without further ado...

THE IT COUPLE VALENTINE’S DAY SPECIAL!

Or, alternatively: SUPLEXES AND THE POWER OF ‘NOPE’

“Kanna, do we have to?” Kohaku grumbled, thumping his chin onto the table surface and fixing her with his best childish pout. “I never agreed to this.”

His girlfriend took a loud, bubbly sip through her straw and set her now-empty soda down, fixing him with that deathly serious stare over the lenses of her black-rimmed reading spectacles. “Do you hate Inuyasha? Do you hate Kagome?” She leaned forward, her whisper barely audible over the hum of noise in the university food court. “Do you hate your sister?”

What the hell kind of question - “Of course I don’t!”

Her dark eyes narrowed before returning to her enormous textbook. “Alright, then.”

“I just - I mean, it’s Valentine’s Day, Kanna,” Kohaku protested, sliding his hand forward over the table to cover hers, “And it’s our third year together. Shouldn’t we, you know, spend a little time, just the two of us? I was gonna make us a nice dinner, and maybe rent one of your favorite movies and just curl up on the couch…”

“We are perfectly capable of enjoying each other’s company every other day of the year,” Kanna said, not looking up from the text she was perusing but intertwining her fingers with his nonetheless, “Valentine’s Day is a scam invented to sell greeting cards. It’s utterly meaningless. I don’t need a holiday to encourage my affection for you, dearest.” A light squeeze of his hand, though her expression never changed.

Kohaku sighed. Once again, her logic was starting to win out. It always did. It was the thing about her that he admired most, and the thing that most often would drive him to near insanity.

“So we’re stuck babysitting my nieces and those two crazy Takahashi kids, while everyone else gets to go out and have fun?”

Kanna was still reading. Research for a doctoral thesis was always intense, Kohaku knew, but Kanna’s commitment to her academic career was incredible, even by those standards. He waited patiently for her to finish her paragraph, and the silence between them was interrupted only by the irritating squeak of a highlighter dragged across the page, until she finally sat back and looked up at him again, removing her reading glasses.

“You’re welcome to join the others at whatever loud, expensive nightclub they end up at,” she said quietly, and though the statement would have seemed harsh and blunt to any other listening ears, he knew she was just speaking plainly. As she always did. Kanna language. “I made a promise to Kagome. And if everyone broke promises society would crumble and fall. Besides, they have a better home-theatre setup than we do.”

“You literally only said yes for the surround sound and the reclining plush seats.” Kohaku broke into a small smile as the realization dawned on him.

Kanna didn’t return the smile, but if she had it would have honestly terrified him and made him wonder what sort of alternate universe he’d woken up in. “You also seem to be underestimating the benefit of watching small children who go to sleep early in the evening. I still have an entire wing of the house for my own particular use, if you’ll recall.” She looked off in the distance, as if lost in thought. “Kagome bought me custom furniture when I moved in. All black.”

Kohaku felt the heat flush up the back of his neck, and as he reached up to tug at his collar, he realized his hands were trembling.

Kanna noticed the tremor too. “Is that a brain damage tremor or an I-love-Kanna tremor?”

Kohaku snorted with laughter. Only you would say it that way. And I adore you for it. In a world where everyone else shied away from the subject, she would always just ask him about it point-blank.

“Probably both,” he laughed. The tremor slowed and disappeared as quickly as it had come.

“AXEL!”

Kagome paused, frowned, and sat back from her laptop, craning her head over her shoulder. The house had been quiet for a few blessed moments, with Inuyasha in his office answering emails from god-knows-who and the kids playing with their toys very nicely and sweetly. So of course, she’d decided to get some much-needed editing work done before they went out for Valentine’s Day tonight. And of course, quiet in the Takahashi household usually meant something insane was about to happen.

With a heavy sigh and a chuckle to herself, she stood up and followed her husband’s voice down the hallway, around the corner, through the massive living room, and into the kids’ game room.

Mimi was hiding behind the doorway, her twin pigtails hanging sideways as she peeked inside. Kagome smiled to herself and crouched low to whisper in the four-year-old’s ear.

“What happened?”

Mimi turned at the sound of her mother’s voice, her little nose red and sniffly, and just pointed hesitantly, her little cherub face pinched with nervousness. “Daddy’s mad.” 

Kagome ruffled her hair reassuringly and stood to walk past her into the room.

Her precious, beloved son stood there in the center of the room, looking sheepish and a bit glum. And her precious, beloved husband was standing facing the opposite wall, bracing himself upright with a clenched fist, with his eyes screwed shut as he seemed to be trying to calm down.

“Inuyasha?” Kagome said, stepping forward. “What happened?”

At the sight of her, Axel immediately ran forward and threw his arms around her waist, burying his face in her shirt. “We were just playing! I promise, Mom! I didn’t mean to!”

Kagome suppressed a grin, glancing up at Inuyasha meaningfully.

Finally, Inuyasha took a deep breath and spoke. “You didn’t mean to throw your little sister through the air into the wall?” He pointed at the new Mimi-shaped dent just below the window.

Jesus CHRIST. Kagome’s mouth fell open in stunned silence and she glanced back at Mimi, who was still peeking through the doorway. Sure enough, there it was. A huge bruise starting to form on the little girl’s left arm.

Axel, what the hell! She thought it, but she didn’t say it. “Mimi, sweetheart, are you okay?”

Mimi just nodded, her lower lip quivering a little. She wasn’t crying, not really. She’s a tough little firecracker, gotta give her that. Of course, having to try and keep up with the actual tornado that was her older brother had no doubt given her a spine of steel that belied her mere four years of age.

“Axel,” Kagome looked down at her son, who was still plastered around her waist and clearly doing his best to be cute and small and precious, “Why did you throw your sister?” Even saying it out loud sounded ludicrous.

“A question I’d also like the answer to,” growled Inuyasha, folding his arms across his chest and fixing Axel with his patented stern-father face.

“W-We were playing,” Axel said, his voice muffled into Kagome’s stomach. Kagome gently untangled his arms from around her and stepped backward.

“Playing what?” Inuyasha held out his arms, and Mimi rushed forward and scrambled into them. He held out her arm to examine it, turning it over gently. “Does it hurt?” he asked her, his voice low and soft.

Mimi nodded, glancing at Axel with a guilty expression, like she was scared of ratting her beloved big brother out. Inuyasha placed a featherlight kiss over the bruise, then turned back to their older child. “Playing what, Axel?”

“...Pro wrestling.” Axel mumbled the words.

She’d been married to him now for eight years, so Kagome knew by the minute changes in Inuyasha’s expression when he was about to lose that famous temper of his, so she just gave him her best let-me-handle-this smile and spoke up quickly.

“Did Mimi want to play pro wrestling?”

Axel looked as if that question had never occurred to him. Kagome fought back a sigh and ran a hand through her hair.

“You can’t just throw your sister, kid,” Inuyasha said with narrowed golden eyes.

“I didn’t throw her,” Axel said, “I suplexed her.”

There it was. A quirk of Inuyasha’s eyebrow. A snarl curling at the corner of his lips. Down, boy, Kagome thought, crouching down to stare Axel in the eyes.

“I can’t believe I’m having to tell you this, as old as you are,” she said sternly, “but you are not allowed to play pro wrestling in the house. Or anywhere, unless you’re with your Aunt Ayame and she’s taken you to her dad’s gym again. Understand me?”

Axel gave a petulant glance toward the floor. A glance that looked so familiar that it nearly made Kagome crack up and forget that she was trying to do the mom thing right now. “Yes, Mom,” he mumbled.

“Now apologize to Mimi.”

Axel looked over at his sister, who was still hanging on Inuyasha’s hip. He looked truly downtrodden and regretful, and it made Kagome want to just envelop him in her arms and cuddle him, but no, she couldn’t, because that would undermine her whole speech just now -

“I’m sorry, Mimi.”

Inuyasha’s angry expression finally relaxed into general peevedness.

“If you want,” Axel continued, “You can hit me back.”

Dammit, Axel.

“No one is hitting anybody,” Kagome said, gripping Axel’s shoulder tightly enough so he knew she meant it. “Axel, you’re not hitting Mimi, and Mimi, you don’t hit Axel. Are we clear?”

Mimi nodded. Axel just bit his lip.

“Axel!” Inuyasha said sharply.

“I got it, Dad. I’m sorry.” Axel glanced up at Kagome then, those blue eyes of his shining. “I’m sorry, Mom. I’ll never do it again.”

By the look on Inuyasha’s face, he was buying it just as much as Kagome was. She sent her husband a wink as she said, “Better not.”

“Well,” Inuyasha grumbled as he pulled off his tee shirt and tossed it onto their bed before reaching for the dress shirt he had laid next to it, “Guess that rules out taking the kids to the park this weekend. All we need is for some fucking paps to see that huge honking bruise on Mimi’s arm and then there’ll be headlines for weeks about possible abuse in our household.”

Kagome didn’t respond for several seconds.

“Baby?” He turned and glanced over his shoulder.

She was standing there at her vanity in her bra and jeans, bracing herself upright with both arms and shaking with silent laughter.

He couldn’t help it; he broke into a confused grin. “What the hell are you laughing about?”

She just laughed harder and doubled over over the table. “He - he suplexed her! He physically picked her up and just - “ She mimicked the move, throwing her arms backward over her head, cackling to herself. “I know, I know, it’s not funny and I shouldn’t be laughing and we’re so lucky she didn’t break her arm, but that mental image of Axel just - “ She covered her mouth with one hand and her bare stomach with the other.

“You are terrible,” he chuckled, turning back to the dress shirt and moving to throw it over his shoulders.

“Not my fault he’s exactly like his dad,” she said, “An idiot.”

“Hmph,” he huffed, reaching for the buttons.

“Wait, wait, wait!” Suddenly, Kagome’s hand was on his chest, and she stood there with a huge grin on her face and ran it up and down over his abs. Her touch was light, caressing. “Let me appreciate.”

“Oh for fuck’s sake - “

“Shh,” she said with mock severity, “I just need a moment. Let me have this.”

“You perv,” he said, leaning down to touch his forehead to hers with a mischievous smirk, “Don’t worry. You can have all you want later tonight.”

Kagome’s smile was bright and dazzling as always, with the dimple on her cheek that he loved so much on full display. “Promise?”

He kissed her, and her arms snaked upward around his neck, pulling him closer with a small, delighted squeak.

“Hey, hey, cut that shit out,” he scolded, knowing he likely had a huge stupid smile on his face and not particularly caring, “You - we- have to get dressed. Miroku and Sango and the twins are due here in a few minutes. I mean, unless you wanna go out like that.”

Kagome glanced down at her bra and jeans ensemble. “Hmm, maybe not,” she said with a smirk, “Alright, alright, I’m getting dressed. But you owe me!”

Everything, he thought, watching her as she darted into the closet.

It was so hard to concentrate on the road. Miroku knew he deserved several medals.

The twins were chattering in baby talk in the backseat (twin talk, Sango called it), they were on their fiftieth reprise of goddamn “Wheels on the Bus” playing on the car stereo, and his gorgeous wife was next to him in the front seat in a very short mini-dress with her immaculate legs on full display. And of course, with his wife being the absolute badass she was, she was in the middle of a phone call with a studio executive, not even batting an eye at the cacophony of noise around her.

Finally, mercifully, they arrived at the Takahashi palace and buzzed through the gate. Another seven or so minutes of unloading the kids, the diaper bags, the snack packs (the one thing he hadn’t been prepared for when he became a father - all the stuff they required wherever they went), all of it.

“Need a hand?” Kagome poked her head out of the front door.

“Of course not,” Miroku said, grinning through the bag strap caught between his teeth, his speech muffled, “We’re experts. King and Queen of Parenting.”

“Hey, Kagome!” Sango had both twin girls by the hand and was gently walking them up toward the door. “Is Kanna here yet?”

“She’s on her way. She and Kohaku left right as you guys did, so it should be any minute.” Kagome bent to pick up Kimmy, the younger of the twins, who as of lately was obsessed with her Aunt Kagome and had already been reaching out for her.

“Thank god,” Miroku said through his gritted teeth, stumbling under the weight of all the bags. Suddenly the ever-wonderful Nazuna also appeared through the open doorway, and she immediately took a few of them off his hands. “And thank you, Nazuna.”

Nazuna grinned and disappeared back into the house.

“Any paps at the gate?” Kagome said, peering off in the direction of the entrance to the property, which was hidden behind the hill. Her smile was a little tighter.

“No,” Sango said, “Why? Expecting some?”

Kagome visibly sighed. “We always get a few whenever Kikyou’s back in the press. She announced her new movie this morning, but then again, you probably knew that. It’s sort of you guys’ jobs to know everything.” She turned and led them into the house, and Nazuna, ever ready and devoted, shut the door behind all of them.

“She should be sending you two royalty checks,” Miroku grumbled, “You’ve single-handedly kept her an object of interest in the public eye for the last eight years.” He let the bags dropped and cracked his shoulder. Man, I’m getting old. Just kill me now.

Sango discreetly elbowed him in the side. “Kagome, if you’d rather not go out tonight, that’s okay, we can just - “

“Hell no!” Kagome said, “Oh, I mean, heck no.” She wrinkled her nose and nuzzled at Kimmy’s face. “I made a promise to myself long ago. I’m going to live my life and be happy. Best revenge is living well, right?”

Miroku reached out and ruffled Kagome’s hair. “You’re so mature, Kagome. I’m so proud of you.”

“Thanks, Dad.” She rolled her eyes.

There was the sound of lumbering footsteps, like a stampede.

Kagome shook her head and laughed. “Well, here comes the cavalry.”

And then they appeared around the corner. Mini Inuyasha and Mini Kagome, he called them.

“Kimmy and Ally are here!” shouted Axel, barrelling toward the crowd of them, and for a heart-stopping instant Miroku had a vision of the kid just failing to stop and knocking them all down like bowling pins, but the boy skidded to a stop in his white cotton socks. His silver-white hair was sticking out all over the place. Mini Inuyasha to the core.

Mimi, the little angel, was clearly doing her best to keep up with her big brother but was defeated by her shorter legs. She grinned up at the adults with pure delight. “Uncle Moku!”

“Hi, sweetheart,” he said, feeling his stone heart just melt as he bent to pick her up for a hug. “How are you?”

“Axel spooplexed me!” She held out her arm excitedly, showing off an ugly bruise running down her arm.

“...He what, now?”

“Long story,” Inuyasha said, appearing from the bedroom hallway in a smart tailored suit. “Trust me, you don’t wanna know.”

“Uh-huh.” Sango had on her skeptical face.

“Hi, Aunt Sango,” said Axel briefly before turning his attention to Ally, who was still clutching her mother’s hand. “Hi, Ally!”

“Yep, sure,” Miroku grumbled, “Hi, how are you, Axel, my name is Chopped Liver.”

Kagome and Sango giggled, and Miroku turned to glare at them. “Thanks for all the support, ladies, really. Axel, I like your shirt. What does it say?”

Axel gave him a look like he was the biggest idiot in the world and held out the shirtfront to display the writing. “It says ‘AC/DC.’”

Well, excuse the hell out of me, mini Inuyasha.

The phone rang, and Nazuna appeared seemingly from out of nowhere to answer it. “Kanna’s here,” she announced, hanging up.

“So their snacks are in the purple - no, the blue bag,” Sango scrolled through her list, brow furrowed in concentration, “and they’re just starting potty training so we’ve got pull-ups, but I’d put them in real diapers before you put them down for the night. The portable playpen has a roll-out mattress, so you can use that, but no pillows, just a thin blanket.”

Leave it to Sango to make a bulleted list for a few hours’ worth of childcare. Inuyasha sent Kagome a smirk across the room, and she smiled back.

Kanna, meanwhile, was listening intently. Or maybe that was just her face. After eight years of knowing the kid, it was still hard to tell.

Inuyasha glanced just behind her at Kohaku, whose nieces were currently latched onto both of his hands and dragging him around the living room while babbling excitedly. He looked tired already. Welcome to my life, kid.

“You’re spending the night, right?” Kagome asked Kanna when Sango finally seemed satisfied that she’d covered everything. “I don’t know how late we’ll be, or if we’ll have to wait for our table - “

“Kagome,” Miroku was at the bar mixing himself a scotch and seltzer, “You’re married to the most famous movie star in the world. If we have to wait for a table, I’m getting new friends to leech off of.”

“Well, anyway,” Kagome sent Miroku a brief look and continued as if he hadn’t spoken, “Your room is all ready to go. Clean sheets, bath towels if you want to shower, et cetera.”

“And no scary movies with the kids awake,” Inuyasha added. That had been a point of contention last time Kanna had babysat.

Kanna turned and fixed him with that unsettling stare. “I’m sorry you think ‘The Crow’ is scary. I thought it was a beautiful love story.”

“It is literally about coming back from the dead to murder people.”

She gave a minute shrug. “You’re the parents.”

“We did it!” Miroku sank into the backseat as if he had lost all feeling in his limbs. “We’re actually going. Nothing went wrong.”

“Don’t jinx it, you idiot!” There was the sound of a gentle smack from the backseat.

“Oooh, do that again.”

“Houshi?”

“Yes, Mrs. Houshi?”

“Shut the fuck up.”

Kagome glanced over at Inuyasha. He was shaking his head and chuckling under his breath as he put the car in gear and started down the driveway.

As they approached, they saw them.

The flashes. Just a few, maybe three or four, but they were going off like crazy.

“Ugh,” Kagome said, running a hand over her face, “I knew it.”

“It’ll be alright, baby,” Inuyasha said, reaching over to brush his hand over her knee, “One of the perks of living the life we do - exclusive hidden entrances.”

She knew the car windows were heavily tinted, that there would be no clear images in any of the ill-gotten photos, but she still found herself instinctively slouching lower as they passed through the gate.

“Who’s performing tonight, anyway?” Kagome asked, looping her fingers around her frosted glass of beer, looking around the crowded club.

It was decorated much like an old-timey nightclub from Hollywood’s golden age, with an enormous dance floor and a stage with a huge brass band.

“Not any metal bands, that’s for sure,” Miroku smirked as he tossed back the last of his whiskey-on-the-rocks. “Sorry, Kagome. How will you ever survive?”

Kagome tossed her napkin at his face from across the table. “Sango, can I kill him and make you a widow?”

Sango was perusing the food menu and didn’t miss a beat. “I just took out extra life insurance on him,” she said, “Give me one more month so it doesn’t look suspicious.”

“Ha!” Miroku scoffed, leaning in to kiss Sango’s cheek, “You’d never do that. You’d miss me too much. Plus you’d have to raise the twins by yourself.”

“A good life insurance payout would finance an awesome nanny.”

Inuyasha snaked an arm around Kagome’s waist and leaned back against the booth. She leaned into him, laying her head gently against his shoulder.

She was so beautiful. And he loved her so goddamn much. And the night was just beginning.

Could anything ever ruin an evening like this? He voiced the thought in his head.

And then there was a small commotion, raising the general volume of the already noisy room. The four of them craned their heads to follow the noise.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Sango spat, her brown eyes narrowed with unfiltered rage.

What was that thing Sango said earlier about not jinxing it? Way to go, you absolute moron.

It was the first time they’d seen Kikyou in the flesh in nearly eight years, not counting passing glimpses on red carpets and the constant onslaught of her image all over the television all the time. Miroku and Sango, ever loyal to their most famous and money-making client, had always firmly emphasized to every single event organizer and bigshot that under no circumstances should Mr. and Mrs. Takahashi ever be seated near or forced to interact with Kikyou Higurashi. And it had always worked.

But, of course, fate had a way of fucking with the best-laid plans, right?

“Of all the nightclubs in LA,” Sango hissed, “She picked this one? I call bullshit. This is no coincidence.” She turned to Kagome and Inuyasha, clearly in full protective mode. “Did you tell anyone where we were going tonight?”

“Of course not!” Kagome said.

“We’re not stupid,” Inuyasha muttered, pulling Kagome a little closer.

Miroku, long finished with his own drink, reached over and took a generous sip of Sango’s, a troubled frown on his face.

Kikyou, looking angelic as she always had, waited for her date to pull out her chair before taking a seat, the skirt of her ruby red evening gown billowing around her. She was smiling at all the attention, all the whispers. The Queen, holding court. Some things never fucking change, do they?

“Does she see us?” Kagome said softly. Her black-polished fingers were awkwardly fiddling with her necklace, and she was staring down at the white-clothed table.

“I don’t know,” Inuyasha replied truthfully, then leaned closer to whisper, “Do you wanna go?”

The fidgeting stopped, and her nervous stare hardened into a steely glower. “No,” she said softly, “I don’t know what her goal is, what she’s planning, but she is not ruining my Valentine’s Day.” She sat up a little straighter and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “Fuck it.”

Before anyone else could say something, the music flared up, and the entire club broke into applause.

Miroku raised his hand to signal for another round of drinks.

And here I was, about to ask Kagome to dance, Inuyasha thought glumly.

The music was sultry and jazzy. Definitely not Kagome’s usual vibe (not enough leather and studs and screaming high notes), but nice enough for a change. It all felt very fancy, which she realized was an ironic thought for half of one of the wealthiest couples in Hollywood to have. But then again, we’ve always been low-key, I guess. She snuck a glance down at her husband’s brand new Rolex watch. ...Well, relatively so.

She pointedly refused to look over at Kikyou, so she had no idea if Kikyou was looking back.

But then of course, her estranged older sister made it clear that she wanted to dance, and so there was no keeping her out of Kagome’s peripheral.

How did she find out where we were going? Sango’s right; this is no coincidence. Kikyou just announced a new movie this morning, and if there’s one thing she knows, it’s how to get press attention.

Inuyasha seemed to be thinking the same thing as she was, because he watched Kikyou laughingly get spun around by the poor idiot she’d convinced to date her with a very suspicious glare.

“I can’t stand this bullshit,” Sango spat, now well into her third strong drink of the evening.

“You and me both, babe.” Miroku had his mouth full of some overpriced appetizer and was chewing thoughtfully.

Sango set her glass down and placed both palms on the tabletop, as if she could take no more. “Houshi, c’mon,” she muttered, “We’re dancing.”

Miroku swallowed, looking like she’d just told him she was, in fact, an alien from Mars. “Sango, babe, you don’t dance. You’ve insisted that to me about twenty-three thousand, one hundred fifty times since we got married.”

“I dance now,” she hissed, glaring over at the back of Kikyou’s head, “Right now. How else am I gonna trip this bitch and make her wipe out on the dance floor?”

“I love you so much,” Miroku said, throwing down his napkin and following her out of the booth.

Kagome gave a muted smile at Inuyasha, who in return leaned over and kissed her. “You’re still having fun, right?” he murmured, so close she could feel his breath ghosting over her lips, “I know it’s not our normal sort of date night, but I figured once in a blue moon we could be hoity-toity celebrity people, you know?”

“It is fun,” she insisted, brushing his bangs out of his face lovingly. “I promise I’m having a great time.”

He didn’t look certain, and she knew he was worried. It was adorable. He was such a teddy bear underneath it all.

“I was gonna ask you to dance, of course,” he said, flicking his head back toward the dance floor behind them, “but I’m sure you don’t want to open that whole can of worms, right?”

“That can of worms was never fully closed in the first place,” Kagome said, once again letting herself settle against his shoulder, “I don’t know if it ever will be. Things are rarely ever that simple in the real world. Life isn’t a blockbuster movie.”

Inuyasha seemed to have no real reply to that, because he just kissed the top of her head and raised his glass to take another sip.

And for some reason, when Kagome saw the glum expression on his face that he was trying so desperately to hide for her sake, she felt her resolve turn to steel once again.

She nudged him, and he nearly choked on an ice cube.

“Oops, sorry!” She couldn’t help the laugh as she reached up with a napkin to wipe the whiskey off his chin.

“What gives?” he grumbled, “Trying to kill me, I see.”

“No, I don’t have any extra life insurance on you. Well, actually, the one policy we do have is more than enough. I could live for the rest of my days quite comfortably. Hey, let’s go dance!”

“Very funny.”

“I’m serious, let’s fucking do it.”

Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow at her. He wasn’t buying what she was selling, clearly. “You know she’s going to see us and try to make a thing of it,” he said slowly, “Why give her the opportunity?”

“I have a plan. One that doesn’t involve tripping her, as tempting as Sango’s idea was.”

“Babe, I know you’re on a mission from Satan right now,” Miroku said softly into her ear, “but could you at least stop with that terrifying expression on your face? And also maybe look at me instead, so we can enjoy our romantic dance and you won’t keep stomping all over my feet with those spike heels.”

Sango blinked away from where she was glaring daggers at Kikyou over Miroku’s shoulder and looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. “I’m just marking the territory here.”

“That makes it sound like you’re a dog going to the - “

“Houshi?”

“Yes, Mrs. Houshi?”

“Shut up.”

“Okay, but you’re getting twirled in three, two, one…”

“Wait, what?” Sango stumbled as he sent her spinning under his arm. “Houshi, cut it out, I’m trying to be intimidating here!” She caught herself roughly using his arms to brace herself and resumed her death glare over his shoulder. “Oh, good, she saw me. I want her to know we know she knows we’re here.”

“Run that last sentence by me again?” Miroku sighed, leaning in to plant a quick kiss on his wife’s temple.

“I said I want her to know we know she knows - oh, never mind.” Sango’s mind was clearly elsewhere, but she still leaned forward for another kiss even as she kept her eyes on Kikyou across the dance floor. It’s my animal magnetism, Miroku thought with a smirk. She can’t resist me even now. I am a god among men.

Before Miroku had the chance to whisper something filthy into her ear, her grip on his shoulder suddenly tightened painfully. “Hoooooly shit,” she whispered, pressing her cheek to his, “Kagome and Inuyasha are coming to dance.”

“This should be good.”

“How is this possibly good?”

“Maybe Kagome will punch her like she punched you that one time.”

From his vantage point he could see her ears turn a little pink. “You promised you’d never mention that again, asshole.”

“You know I love you, right?” he laughed.

“I know, dammit. You still suck, though.”

Kagome and Inuyasha had taken a place next to them, in full view of Kikyou. Sango glanced across the floor again, and she could swear she saw Kikyou’s eyes light up even as she pretended to be entirely focused on the poor bastard she’d conned into thinking she was a nice person.

“You guys know she sees you, right?” Sango whispered at them.

“Who cares,” said Kagome dreamily, gazing up at her much-taller husband as he pulled her closer.

“Let her see,” Inuyasha said, clearly on the same page.

Sure enough, Kikyou was starting to be more obvious as she kept her eyes on the couple, even craning her neck around to avoid breaking the gaze a few times.

“What’s she doing?” Miroku asked, still facing away from the entire scene.

“She’s sweating,” Sango said, “She can’t stand it.”

“Ten-four. Okay, twirling again, three, two - “

“Houshi, not again - “

“One!”

“Dammit, you are the worst when I’m trying to concentrate!”

The song ended, and all the dancers on the floor paused to applaud the band, who took a brief bow and waved their thanks before breaking into a faster, swing-style number.

It seemed Kikyou was relishing the growing whispers and points from the rest of the clubgoers, and the opportunity was too hard to pass up, so she steered her poor date closer. Close enough to where they were dancing right beside Kagome and Inuyasha.

The targets in question, however, were pointedly ignoring her. They were spinning around quickly, Kagome’s movements a little clumsy and inexperienced, Inuyasha being the stalwart teacher and helping her through it. They were laughing and happy and clearly lost in each other’s eyes. It was a true Hallmark moment. The stuff of greeting cards and terribly-plotted Christmas movies.

“They are so fucking cute, by the way,” she whispered into Miroku’s ear.

“You say that all the time.”

“It’s true, though. Oh, god, here she goes.” Sango couldn’t help it, she stopped still and quit her imitation of dancing altogether.

There was a thumping sound as Miroku stumbled. “Really, Sango?”

“Shhhh!” She held tightly onto him.

“Kagome?”

Kagome fought back the snort of laughter. Here we go. She sent Inuyasha a wink, and he smirked.

They both kept dancing, and Inuyasha twirled her around to face Kikyou for just a moment before spinning her back inward toward him.

Kikyou stood there, exuding an aura of meek kindness and humility, clasping her hands in front of her with an overjoyed smile on her face.

“I didn’t expect to see you here,” she said, blinking innocently, “I’ve missed you.”

Kagome didn’t answer, just kept looking up into her husband’s face with a fond smile.

“I get asked about you two all the time.” Kikyou kept plugging away. “I always tell people that I’m so happy for you both. And for your two kids. I’d love to meet them someday.”

There was an angry flash in Inuyasha’s eyes at the mention of Axel and Mimi, and Kagome quelled it by leaning up to kiss him. Then she craned her neck to glance at Kikyou.

“Nope!” she said brightly.

Kikyou’s smiling facade slipped only briefly before she recovered. “Are we really going to keep this going forever, Kagome? Mom wouldn’t be happy that you’re being so unforgiving. No matter what, we’re still family.”

Kagome grinned even wider. “Nope!”

Inuyasha pressed his lips together to keep from laughing as he pulled her closer again.

Kikyou’s smile faded for real this time. “I just want a relationship with you two, whatever it might be. And with your beautiful children.”

Of course you do. You want to play the doting aunt, the martyr of a failed relationship who was magnanimous enough to bury the hatchet. In full view of the paparazzi cameras, of course.

“Nope!”

“So it’s like that.” Kikyou apparently was going to try for the pity route now. She closed her eyes sadly, heaving a gentle sigh. “Well, I can at least give you my number, and you can call me if you ever change your mind.”

Inuyasha pulled Kagome over the crook of his arm and dipped her low, leaning over her body to come face-to-face with Kikyou. The first time they’d been face-to-face since...well, Kagome couldn’t remember, but it was definitely before she and Inuyasha had gotten married eight years ago.

He gave Kikyou his best, most charming smile, the smile that Kagome had witnessed firsthand sending a crowd of fangirls into shrieks and fainting spells. Kikyou’s sadness faded immediately, as her public moods seemed to do all too often, and she smiled warmly back.

Can’t appeal to me so you’re gonna try my husband instead. Classy.

Inuyasha kept the smile going for another few seconds, and then opened his mouth to speak. Kikyou seemed to visibly hold her breath, sure that her charms were working.

“Nope.” And the smile widened into a perhaps-overly-satisfied grin.

The hopeful, beaming look on Kikyou’s lovely face once again was wiped away. All the friendly facade was gone, and her face pinched in anger.

“Fine. Enjoy your life with my husband, Kagome.”

Inuyasha gave an exaggerated expression of confusion as he looked down at Kagome. “Um,” he called after Kikyou’s quickly retreating back, “I’m her husband.” He touched the tip of his finger to Kagome’s nose, and she burst into laughter. He followed suit, still looking bewildered.

“No, but really,” he said through his laughter, looking down at her from his far greater height, “I did marry you, right? I’m not just dreaming, or high, or drunk, or - “

“You married me,” Kagome said with a loving smile.

“Thank god. She just called me her fucking husband and I thought maybe all of the last eight years had been some sort of weird perfect dream.”

“She wanted the movie star,” Kagome said, leaning up to kiss him, “I wanted the man.”

“Sango, babe, you gotta stand up, I can’t hold you up much longer!”

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA - “

Oh god, Miroku thought, struggling to pull his wife to her feet as she doubled over in loud, obnoxious laughter, they broke her. She broke.

“I’m gonna be so sore in the morning,” Kagome whispered as she gently kicked off her high heels, “How you manage to walk around in these every day will always mystify me, Sango.”

“Pain is weakness leaving the body,” Sango whispered back, though Kagome didn’t miss the happy sigh she gave when her bare feet were planted firmly on the tile floor.

“What time is it, Inuyasha?” Kagome leaned back into her husband’s chest, now once again a full head shorter than him.

He checked his Rolex. “Three am.”

“Everyone’s probably asleep, then. I’m sure Kanna and Kohaku are too. I guess it all went alright here?”

Inuyasha smirked as he glanced around the dimly-lit living room. “I don’t see anything on fire,” he said, “Small victories.”

“I’m beat,” Miroku mumbled, “Where are you putting us up for the night?”

“East wing, anywhere,” Kagome replied. “Find a bedroom. They’re all ready to go.”

“Why you people need this many rooms in a house with five people in it, I’ll never know.”

“So we can host freeloaders like you,” Inuyasha retorted, his hand reaching around Kagome’s shoulder to tuck her hair behind her ear.

“Ah, that’s fair.” Miroku slipped an arm around Sango’s waist and bent to lift her in his arms, bridal-style. She clearly wasn’t ready for it and let out a squeak of surprise, fighting him off. “Ow, Sango, ow, ow, please stop, my back isn’t what it used to be and you’re making this harder - “

“Put me down, Houshi! What the hell are you thinking?” Sango was obviously still trying very hard to whisper.

“It’s Valentine’s Day. Gotta be all romantic and shit. Gotta seduce you. Are you seduced yet?”

“Oh for fuck’s sake - “

“Just let me do this, please. If I put you down now it’ll be like I gave up.”

“...Fine.”

Kagome bit her lip, fighting back even more laughter as Sango gave an embarrassed little half-wave over Miroku’s shoulder, and they disappeared down the hallway.

“He knows how big our house is, right?” Kagome leaned back and whispered out of the corner of her mouth.

“He’ll remember in a few seconds.” Inuyasha flashed that trademark smirk of his once again. “Well, now I feel like I should carry you to our bedroom. Because it’s farther. And I want to win.”

Kagome snorted. “Let’s do it.”

He bent to lift her, but she shrugged out of his grasp and ducked around behind him, jumping onto his back and linking her arms around his shoulders.

“I know I always say this,” he said with a laugh as they started down the hall toward the master bedroom, “but I’m so glad you’re a shrimp of a human being.”

They passed through the threshold and closed the door, and then he paused, facing their bed with her still linked around his back. Kagome was just about to try and lower herself into a standing position when suddenly, Inuyasha bent forward at the waist, using his hands to flip her over his head and onto the bedspread. “SUPLEX!”

Kagome shrieked with laughter as she landed in an unceremonious heap on the soft bed covers. “Now I know where Axel gets it! It wasn’t Ayame corrupting him at all, it was his dad the whole time!”

Inuyasha smirked at her devilishly as he slid onto the bed after her, crouching over her, his lips just brushing hers. “At least I didn’t throw you into a wall.”

“If you did I would destroy you.”

“Oh, I’m scared.”

“I’m serious,” she said, leaning up to give him a kiss even as she was still shaking with laughter, “I’m talking scorched earth. Not even a body to bury.”

He took her face in both hands and pulled her in to deepen the kiss, and she tangled her fingers in his long silvery hair.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Kiddo,” he murmured when they parted to catch their breath.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Jerkface.”

“Dad,” Axel said at breakfast the next morning, “Did the Purry-tans really kill a lot of witches?”

The crowded breakfast table all paused mid-bite, except for Kanna, naturally, and Inuyasha nearly choked into his morning coffee.

“The who, honey?” Kagome asked, gently brushing an affectionate hand over her son’s hair.

“The Purry-tans. Like in the movie.”

Inuyasha gave a pointed gaze down to the other end of the table, where Kanna was on her third bowl of Froot Loops cereal and showed no signs of stopping anytime soon. Miroku and Sango and Kagome all exchanged wide-eyed glances.

“What movie?” Inuyasha asked, still giving Kanna the stare-down of the century.

“‘The Crucible,’” Kanna replied matter-of-factly, “You said nothing scary, so I went with educational instead.”

“Aren’t people shown being executed in that movie?”

“Yes,” Kanna said, as next to her, Kohaku looked about ready to slide under the table in mortification, “Just as they were in the historical record.”

“So it really did happen?” Axel asked insistently. “It seems like an awful way to die.”

“It was indeed,” Kanna answered him. “A great injustice, in my opinion.”

Inuyasha planted both elbows on the table and smushed his hands over his face, mumbling something that sounded like “God dammit, Kanna.”

“What did you say, Dad?”

“N-Nothing. Finish your breakfast, kid.”

THAT’S IT! Hope you like it Lia! <3 Also tagging @dyaz-stories because she also was a very faithful and amazing follower of this story. I don’t know who else to tag because honestly I don’t actually know if any of the rest of y’all have read it lol OH ALSO @cstorm86 I SAW THAT YOU READ IT TOO

[kohakuhime]

The Reluctant Guardian, ch. 12

Hey look! The last update of the year and for this particular act, and then we’re into Act 2! You can expect the next update by January 7th, haha~!

Disclaimer: this takes place post canon, and this refers to events that take place in an alternate verse. Michael, Isabel, Mikomi, and Kazuo belong to @mpuzzlegirl, though they don’t appear in this chapter; Edmund Belmont, Brock Turner, and the secretary belong to me; and YGO and its associated characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi.

He was playing a very dangerous game.

He was confident of the hand he had been dealt and of all the pieces and pawns he had in motion. He was secure, had been secure for months as he had started this project. All loose ends were tied up, gone, or controlled and monitored. He had felt prepared.

And yet, with the presence of a ten thousand year old king behind him, he felt the slightest shiver run up his spine. Most men with healthy senses of self-preservation might call it fear—he called it “anticipation”. All of the preparations he had made were about to start paying off. He was about to start the real game by going toe to toe with Dartz. He would be lying if he said he was not excited by the very idea.

“Are you going to dignify me with a response, or would you like me to bother you some other time?” Dartz’s voice was smooth and calm, carrying no edge. Even so, there was a warning hidden in that voice.

This was not some rich egotistical braggart who was posturing, this was not some hired hand or some mindless grunt. This was someone dangerous, someone with real power and real strength—and this was the opponent he had been waiting for.

It was time to see how he fared in this first round of the game.

He turned in his chair to fully face the other man, a smile spreading across his face. “I appreciate you cutting straight to the heart of the matter, Dartz. I never appreciated a man who made small talk.”

                                    +++++++++++++++++++

Dartz did not immediately reply, studying the man before him. The man in the leather office chair appeared to be somewhere in his thirties, if not forties. His short dark hair and beard were well kept, without a hair out of place, and it was stark contrast against his pale skin. His green eyes glittered in the light from his desk.

The man leaned back in his seat, folding his fingers. “I do not believe I’ve had the pleasure of meeting you. I am—“

“—Edmund Belmont, son of the late Peter Belmont and current CEO of Belmont Industries,” Dartz said coolly. “I know of you.”

Belmont did not seem upset at being found out so easily. On the contrary, his smile grew wider and his eyes shone. “That’s an honor,” he said, something of warmth in his voice. “You were always so reclusive and did not let just anyone meet you, let alone see you. I wouldn’t have even known you existed if it had not been for a dinner party you appeared at just once. The fact you know my name speaks volumes.”

“Hardly. It just means I’m not that far removed from current events,” Dartz said. “Now, you are wasting my time.”

“Ah, yes yes, you want to get on with our discussion. You know, I should reschedule this appointment altogether. You’re not even here in person, just projecting from whatever little hideaway you’re in. Still, my father raised me to have manners.” Belmont reached for the intercom and pushed a button. “Would you be a dear and bring me a cup of coffee?”

“Yes, sir.”

Belmont offered a small shrug when Dartz rose an eyebrow. “It is rather late for our meeting and it’s been a long day. Coffee would not be amiss at this point. You don’t mind, do you?”

He did, actually. Projecting from a distance took a considerable deal of effort and magic, and he was on a time limit. Perhaps that was something Belmont knew as well, and if nothing else this was a tactic designed to rattle him or disarm him—it was one Dartz utilized more often than not.

So he stayed silent.

“While I’m waiting, I do wish to ask: the children. Are they all right? They had a rather trying day.” Belmont’s voice was as insincere as the smile he wore.

“They are fine.” No thanks to you. “Any particular reason you wanted their presence?”

Belmont’s smile spread. “I can’t give everything away now, can I?”

“I am surprised that Seto Kaiba has not caught onto you yet,” he remarked idly. “It is exceedingly difficult to pull one over on him, especially here in Domino.”

Belmont waved a hand dismissively. “I’ve gotten by harder challenges in life. Though, ah, Dartz—I would so greatly appreciate it if he does not find out. I would hate for any more children to be made orphans, and trust me when I tell you I would know if he was told.”

It was not a threat, but a statement of fact. Dartz did not outwardly react, but already he started figuring out how he could keep unnecessary parties out of the way. He could not protect everyone, no matter how hard he tried. He was stretched too thin as it was — but he would figure that out later, when he had a chance to think.

Dartz heard the sound of the door opening, followed by the clicking of heels on the tile—

—and then he felt the surge of magic as it entered the room.

Dartz did not immediately flinch, but there was something sharper in his gaze as he watched the woman silently pass him. Even though he was not there in person, the taint created by the Orichalcos was all too palpable through the connection.

“Coffee, sir,” she murmured as she placed a tray on the table. Dartz’s eyes narrowed.

“Thank you, dear,” Belmont said, his tone light. “Why don’t you stay here a moment, hm? We have a guest.”

The woman turned to face Dartz, standing behind Belmont with her hands folded neatly in front of her. Her hair was pulled back off her face and into a simple bun, and like her employer not even one hair was out of place.  Beneath the makeup she was ghostly pale, and in spite of himself Dartz felt something within him twist as her deadened, nearly black eyes met his. He had seen such eyes very rarely, but one of the few times he had was with his beloved queen in the aftermath of her death.

At her throat gleamed an all too familiar stone.

“My secretary,” Belmont said casually. “I can assure you, she will not be a distraction.”

Dartz returned his attention to Belmont. “You have your cup of coffee now.”

“Ah, yes.” Belmont took a sip, stirring in a small spoonful of sugar. “Now we can discuss business. Dartz, do you need to have a seat? It can’t be comfortable standing, even if you’re a magical variant of a hologram.”

Dartz ignored the jab. “I’ll manage.”

“Very well.” Belmont took another sip and then set his mug down. “It’s funny, I’ve imagined this first meeting and felt ready to speak my piece, but oddly enough I can’t seem to come up with the words to start this conversation.”

Dartz did not say anything.

Belmont shrugged and then rose smoothly to his feet. “You know my name, but what do you know of my company?”

“Your father ran it until ten years ago, when dementia set in. He passed away and you took his place as stated in his will, and you turned it from a company primarily focused on oil into a company focused more on technology. In the aftermath of your father’s gradual decline and death, the change saved the company,” Dartz said. “You yourself have a variety of interests, from trophy hunting to collecting fine art, and your interests were a far cry different from your father’s. I’m guessing your pursuits in the arcane is rather recent.”

Belmont clapped his hands, looking delighted. “Very good!  I expected nothing less from the former king of Atlantis!”

Dartz’s frown deepened. For someone he had hardly heard of, this man knew far more about him than Dartz was comfortable with. He would have to determine just where Belmont had gotten so much of his information.

Belmont paused, tilting his head thoughtfully. “Well, good sir, I can see you have questions. Perhaps you’re wondering how I know so much of you, let alone of your Orichalcos.”

Dartz continued to remain silent, but there was something expectant in his expression.

“It started around the incident involving the so-called malfunction with Kaiba Corporation’s Solid Vision technology. I recognized the potential of magic combined with technology, saw its full potential even if my father dismissed it as mindless ramblings. However, I didn’t have much to go on—I knew you were involved, since Paradius had bought out first Industrial Illusions and then Kaiba Corporation.”

“I had believed those to be covert take-overs. I certainly never publicized them,” Dartz said mildly.

“Nothing is covert if you know what you are looking for, dear man. You’re a king, certainly, but I am a businessman and one of the best,” Belmont replied with an airy voice. “Once I had a lead to go on, it was all too easy to figure out who was pulling the strings. Besides,” he added, “during that week where you became the most active, there was a raid where Kaiba Corporation employees tried to transmit certain information to their employer.”

Dartz sucked in a breath. “It was not my men who stopped them, was it?” he asked, his voice light.

“Oh no, yours did! In fact, mine were simply following yours when Seto Kaiba made his move. In all the chaos of that particular night, you never checked to see how much information was accessed—and you never did check on those men who retrieved it.”

So then. That was how Belmont had so much on Dartz’s business dealings and enough knowledge to infer to Atlantis. Now it came down to just how much he knew of the Orichalcos, and of its history. “I find it surprising that you waited so long to enact your plans,” he said aloud.

Belmont sighed, offering a small shrug. “A large part of it was due to not even having access to your Orichalcum reserves. I did not have an idea of where you stored any of your stones when I first began this particular journey.”

“Clearly something changed in that regard,” said Dartz, and he looked pointedly at the secretary as he spoke.

“Ah, I wish I could tell you that part of my story, but alas—we’re not partners yet, and I don’t want to give away everything. Which leads me to the next topic of our discussion, my dear Dartz.”

Belmont fixed him with an even gaze. “How much would you say you know of my intentions?”

“Some would say you plan to utilize the Orichalcos in your technology, elevating it above Kaiba Corporation’s and beating out the other competition. Others would suggest something grander, though I do not intend to give you any ideas with my own thoughts. Me? Knowing you, even as little as I know of you personally, I think this is because you have conquered everything else and you do this out of boredom.”

Belmont’s smile flickered. He recovered in a moment’s pause, raising an eyebrow. “I wonder if you had the same problem, given how long you’ve lived. Yes, Dartz—I’m bored. More so than I care to admit.”

He began to pace. “I have been trophy hunting for years. I’ve bested hunting on land, air, and sea. My art collection, car collections, and my other hobbies have been completed. Corporate wise, I’ve crushed all those who I can—there’s no beating out Kaiba Corporation’s empire. Not yet, at least,” he remarked, his eyes moving to his right hand. Dartz caught sight of a particularly large stone on the man’s ring finger, a familiar hexagram engraved into its surface. “And, as a bonus, I get to be immortal like you. Even after all the powerhouses die off and their family trees grow short, I and my company get to live on.”

“So ruining lives and playing with an ancient power beyond your understanding is merely another hobby to you?” Dartz could not quite keep the disdain from his voice.

“Think of me what you will, Dartz,” Belmont replied, and there was an undercurrent of something dangerous in his voice. “You certainly have no room to criticize me over using the Orichalcos. But I assure you, I’m not going into this blind. I know what I am doing.”

“Do you, now?” Dartz’s voice held ice.

This time Belmont’s smile completely disappeared. “If you have something to say, Dartz, by all means. The floor is yours.”

“How much power does it have left? How are you using it, and over what platform?” Dartz asked immediately. He did not allow Belmont to continue, pushing his questions relentlessly. “How are you containing the souls it gathers? What do you even intend to do with the souls you’ve gathered, since there is no Great Beast to revive? How are you treating those who the Orichalcos rejects, or those it corrupts?

“And what of those you do take from? What of her soul?” he said, his arm sweeping towards the silent secretary. “I would be willing to bet that you cannot even tell me where it went when the Orichalcos claimed it, nor why she is still standing and still conscious in the loosest sense of the term.”

There was a long silence. Neither man spoke, nor did the woman move from her spot behind the desk.

“You cannot answer any of my questions, because you do not know the answers,” Dartz said softly, his voice menacing. “You are attempting to build on what I started without the experience involved. You are doing this for sport,” he added, his voice rich with disgust.

“So what if I’m doing this for sport, or if some woman loses her soul?” Belmont said coldly. “I don’t know her personally, she has no family in the city, and if anything it’s keeping her complacent. I fail to see the issue about one secretary’s soul, if in the grand scheme of things it brings me closer to keeping my interests piqued. When you’re about to release a product there are always setbacks or failed prototypes. It’s no difference here.”

Dartz’s eyes slitted. “A human soul is not something trivial, replaceable, nor  some product that you can play with and warp before trashing it. There is only one soul each human receives, and there are unimaginable consequences to mishandling soul magic.”

“Oh yes, living ten thousand years with magic at my disposal to settle all troubles is such a terrible consequence. Oh no.” Belmont was amused, his voice rich with sarcasm. “If I wanted a lecture, Dartz, I would revive my father.”

“No magic is without price,” Dartz said icily. “It is a fundamental rule of magic, one that you clearly do not understand. I had to pay that price, Belmont, and you will too.”

Belmont waved a hand dismissively but did not say anything further.

“You say you have control of the situation, but I fail to see it,” Dartz said quietly. “You are meddling with something beyond control. It is weaker than it once was, but by no means is it less dangerous. It is sentient, manipulative, and has its own agenda. To me, you are nothing more than a child waving a gun, and it will only come back to destroy everything you have built.”

“Then teach me, Dartz!” Belmont said, his voice sharp. “If you know so much, then teach me! Help me utilize it to its full potential! Stand with me, so we can use it together! Think of what we could accomplish! A hobby always has the potential to turn into something life-changing!”

Dartz did not bat an eye. “No. It should never have been brought back, especially for such an idiotic reason. The time for Orichalcos has passed and it needs to be destroyed. I will not help you, but I will take it from you so that I can dispose of it.”

Belmont’s eyes narrowed for the first time. “Very well then, Dartz. If that’s how you wish to proceed from here, so be it. I will warn you, however, that any time I see you I shall gauge you a threat. Set foot on any of my properties and my men will, ah, eliminate the threat.”

Dartz turned away. “Duly noted. We are done, unless you have any other outstanding comments left. The next time we meet, I will not be nearly so calm and lenient. I will stop you, no matter what I have to do to achieve that goal.”

He had nearly allowed the connection to break when Belmont spoke. “It was a shame about your Swordsmen, Dartz. I had hoped they would offer more of a fight.”

Dartz stilled.

“You hand-trained them, didn’t you? It was why I was interested in them, since they were so close to you. Yet they were taken so easily, and my endeavors proved mostly to be useless. Which does bring up an interesting point: if you could not prevent the fates of your Swordsmen, what makes you think you can stop me?”

The room darkened and a distinct chill settled in the air. The lights flickered wildly, the corners of the papers beginning to turn. The woman’s Orichalcum pendant began to crackle, as did Belmont’s; her eyes lit for the briefest of moments.

“Choose your next words…very carefully.” Dartz’s eyes were golden flints.

Belmont laughed, eyes glittering with malice. “Oh don’t tell me you grew to care for them? I’ve read their files, Dartz, I know what you—“

“You…KNOW…NOTHING.”

His seething voice was a thunderclap, one that caused even the woman to flinch. Shadows pooled around his body, shrouding him until there was nothing but darkness and green crackling lightning. Dartz’s eyes shone with eerie, green light. The windows and computer monitor cracked, and papers flew wildly through the room.

“THEY SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS AND YOU SHOULD NOT BRAG ABOUT YOUR HAND IN THEIR DEATHS SO READILY TO ME. YOU TOUCHED WHAT WAS UNDER MY PROTECTION AND YOU WILL PAY FOR IT DEARLY.”

There was a blinding flash, an ear-splitting shriek as all the electronics in the room burst and popped and the lightbulbs shattered. The window panes all cracked, coming dangerously to breaking. Then, all was still.

Belmont did not have to wait for his vision to clear to know Dartz had gone in that outburst. In fact, he was already beginning to laugh even as Turner came back into the room with a panic-stricken expression and his gun drawn.

To think that Dartz could have that much power, even channeling magic through a projection and from such a far distance! And that was without using the Orichalcos for almost twenty years! The potential was so great for his own growth in power, he could hardly stand it.

And best of all, Dartz did not seem to know anything of what Belmont was truly up to. Let that old fool think what he would! In his eyes, Belmont had won this round.

“Oh this will be fun,” he murmured, a smile stretching across his features.

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[recentanimenews]

Urusei Yatsura, Omnibus 3

By Rumiko Takahashi. Released in Japan in two separate volumes by Shogakukan, serialized in the magazine Shonen Sunday. Released in North America by Viz Media. Translated by Camellia Nieh.

After the soft reboot of this series with the arrival of Shutaro Mendo, Takahashi is going back and trying to see how she can work the pile of characters she introduced at the start back into the series, while also introducing new and hilarious regulars. Sometimes this works and sometimes it does not. The first half of this volume succeeds in re-integrating Sakura into the cast, now the high school nurse in addition to a shrine priestess, and we also meet Mendo’s rival Tobimaro Mizunokoji, a baseball-obsessed samurai type who is after revenge but is too dim to get it. (He’s also really obsessed with his childhood friend/rival, and has a passel of gorgeous female bodyguards that he barely pays attention to. I don’t think Takahashi intended him to have gay overtones, but…) Sakura will stay a regular, and Tobimaro will pop up now and then throughout the series. But not every new character is destined to become part of our beloved cast.

(The cover art, which has Ryuunosuke and her father; Sugar, Ginger and Pepper; and Kotatsu-neko – none of whom are introduced yet – is a tad spoilery. As are the endnotes, which discuss Ran before Ran is introduced.)

The second part of this volume seems like a series of failed cast introductions. Hanako-sensei is introduced to be a variation on the “well-meaning teacher who wants to inspire youth”, but he’s honestly pretty dang dull, and will quickly be replaced by Onsen Mark (who we’ve seen before) becoming a regular. (I will gloss right over Onsen Mark’s name in this omnibus, thanks much.) Natsuko’s volleyball-obsessed girl filled with rage is a very amusing arc, with great facial expressions, but she’s not someone you can imagine showing up over and over again. The same with Kaede the runaway ninja girl, who honestly seems like she’d be better off far away from Ataru and company. Fortunately, at the very end we meet Lum’s cousin and childhood “friend” Ran, who arrives with a cute act and a thirst for revenge, and is easily the best part of the back half of the book. You can see why she sticks around.

As for our regulars, they do pretty well. Ataru and Lum are fighting less, and frequently team up against common enemies (my favorite part being “Cry, Lum.” “Waaaaaaahh!” “See, you made her cry!”). Now, Lum still gets angry, and can be seen hear biting Ataru on the arm in addition to shocking him, but Ataru doesn’t seem to resent her presence anymore. Which is good, as she transfers into his school in this volume, thus helping to avoid finding reasons for her to show up in the classroom. The addition of the other cast members also helps take the focus of the manga off “will Ataru choose Lum” and focus more on “this obnoxious cast of obnoxious humans and aliens”, which will help it survive for the remaining fourteen omnibuses.

So there are some growing pains in this book, but it’s still highly entertaining, and Takahashi’s art has gotten to the point where you don’t have to apologize for it anymore. Still essential.

By: Sean Gaffney

[makinomariasama]

Translation: Blog Post: January 18th, 2019

I finally finished this entry! Tomorrow, I’ll try to get caught up on the other entries. Enjoy, and please don’t repost without credit!

<3 MILKFED. <3

Today, I did a photoshoot for MILKFED. Thank you very much.

I've seen a lot of MILKFED. on Takahashi Ai-san's Instagram. I see Takahashi Ai-san in MILKFED.'s photos, and wearing MILKFED.'s clothes, and I challenged today's shoot like that *

Here's an offshot from the shoot

It's a new me. I want to see Makino Maria wearing MILKFED.'s clothes soon :) <3 Look forward to it, okay ♪

<3 MILKFED. <3 Truly, thank you very much <3 Morning Musume '19 Makino Maria

NHK BS1 "World Sports MLB" "MLB American Big League" LIVE 2018 Season Maria is summarizing it (With what I saw)

Please check it out * 8 *

I took notes as I watched the broadcast, and I'll post them as it.

[June 11th Midnight Broadcast] Game 2 of the subway series Judge's 18th Judge said in an interview, "we're a good team who helps each other." Maa-kun is on the 10 day DL

It wasn't the usual "please watch," today, it was different, "here it is," <- It was cute

The 4th STORY was the same. 13 and 14 Paxton (eagle pitcher) is on the DL Tigers -> Camo About the legend of Angels number 17 The Yankees game will be airing at 9

[June 11th LIVE] Game 3 of the subway series Coach Boone said he wanted to give Judge a break. In the 8th with 1 out, Judge got a base hit <3 Today, before the game, Maa-kun played a little bit of catch! I wonder what his condition is like? He'll be back in around a month. Athens Olympics gold medalist Jessica-san seems to be the first female commentator. Since this game is aired nationwide, it seems like it started at 8pm local time (it's usually at 7pm), which is 5pm on the west coast. It's called the subway series because the fans of each team can go there by the subway. Maa-kun is on the bench

[June 11th Broadcast] That was a great pitcher. On the Mets. Before the game, Maa-kun With with Hirano At the Twins game, Rodney appeared - I saw Rodney at the WBC The Padres won with Coach Andy Green

[June 12th Broadcast] The NL All Stars mid-voting is being announced. The AL is tomorrow :) <3 Tomorrow, there's a Yankees game, but Maria won't be able to watch it

[June 13th Blog]

MLB All-Star Game Fan Voting

Yesterday, there was the mid-voting announcement for the National League.

The mid-voting announcement for the American League is today. How was it??

Maria voted Then, I properly screenshotted it. I thought about it seriously and voted!!!!! But, when I realized it, there were mainly Yankees players Aaron Judge

[June 13th Broadcast] Sabathia -> 1500th strike out Maria remembered when Gregorius and Judge high fived Maa-kun is on the bench. Stanton is fourth, Braves Stadium -> red fireworks All-Star mid-voting announcement Hirano has has 17 consecutive games without giving up runs Koronkiroku -> 2500th strike out Yuu-kun is in the bullpen. "I think that I can come back before the All-Star game," Dar said. MaeKen is starting tomorrow

[June 14th LIVE] Yankees game Judge <3 Judge's sacrifice <3 <3 They showed Judge again <3 <3 <3

[June 14th Broadcast] MaeKen pitched. Since 15 days ago. To some extent, there is a sensation lag. Since I'm scheduled from 4th to 6th, I'm glad I'm could clear the quota. MaeKen said that. Coach Roberts -> His plans were as scheduled. He might pitch n the Cubs game.

Harper appeared for the Nationals. In the 1st inning, Judge did a sacrifice fly so Gardner could come home. In the 2nd, 33 got a homerun, and Judge got a two base hit. Judge was laughing :) Batting 4th, Stanton Soto on the Nationals is 19 and 231 days. Homerun Torres also got a homerun Soto got anoher homerun -> His fifth. The homerun was big and went over the bullpen. After the game was over, it seems like Soto's cell phone wouldn't stop ringing :D I don't know how many times it was

Red Sox, starter Sale. Maria's beloved Betts got a homerun. JD Martinez got his 22nd!! Amazing. The Red Sox won. Orioles' Mashard's shoe has light blue in the back. Sale's slider has changed by 51cm?

Mariners vs Angels Mariners Stadium In the 9th inning, they were tied, and it was starting to rain, as they were closing the roof, a homerun was hit, and it was a goodbye win. The roof was half closed

It was the first time that Gattis got five runs in two consecutive games with the Astros.

Meadows on the Pirates, he tried to grab the ball, but it became a homerun. I think Meadows has the ball, but the fans were making noise!? I thought, and there was no ball in his glove -_- Sometimes, there's that kind of unlucky thing.

The Yankees lost and the Red Sox won but the Yankees are in first place with their winning percentage.

[June 15th] Until today, it's Yankees HOPE Week Aaron Hicks homerun, Torres three runs, Herman's first victory in the majors

[June 17th Blog]

Yesterday, June 16th Ankensen’s greetings were this

New York Yankees Aaron Judge (An impression of Judge’s homeruns)

The other day, I got a text that said, You can buy Yankees tickets for 50% off.

New York Yankees

I want to go to New York With everyone In The Tomb of Pharaoh!!!!!!!!!!

"Nerura, let’s go”

The end

Nerura Said to me, “I’ll go with Ankensen-sama!” :)

[June 18th Midnight Broadcast] Yankees game Judge's shoes and hat are both light blue

The Rays aren't using a starting pitcher, they're from the bullpen <- Amazing The back of the studio -> light blue Hirano has had 19 consecutive games without a run

[June 18th 11pm Broadcast] Diamondbacks vs Angels Ootani was on the bench even when he joined the team during the game. In the 7th, Hirano came out -> 19 consecutive games without a run 20 consecutive games without a run, Hirano is amazing * Coach Scioscia talked about Ootani

Yankees game - double header with the Nationals A suspended game started from the 6th inning. Harper is different!!!!! No beard After 40 minutes, the second game started

Altuve 3.85 seconds -> to first base Altuve hit and ran, Bregman got a goodbye hit The Astros are strong!!

The All-Star Game NL second mid voting announcement Tomorrow, the Yankees game is at 8

[June 20th LIVE] Mariners vs Yankees Maa-kun is there. DIDI GREGORIUS 700 GAMES Hicks' homerun ball!!!! It fell on the bence of the Mariners bullpen!!!!!

[June 21st LIVE] Yankees game - I saw a bit of it in the morning from the 5th inning I saw Judge <3 I was home when I saw the 5th inning. Then I watched it on my phone. Maa-kun is there I saw Judge again in the 7th 9th inning, tied game -> Chapman is there, 104 miles Stanton got a two run homerun to end it. I heard Stanton's voice for the first time in an interview.

Yuu-kun pitched 51 balls in the game. Altuve got a homerun * There was no Diamondbacks game.

[June 22nd Broadcast] Today, the Yankees had a day game Judge got 2 runs Judge was shown a lot <3 The Yankees have 122HR as a team

Bobby surprised me!!!!! In the ending

[June 23rd Broadcast] Hirano has pitched 21 consecutive games without getting any runs Ootani was doing batting practice Tomorrow, they'll be live at 10pm! The World Sports MLB broadcast ended with Judge's homerun

[June 24th Broadcast] Today too, Ootani participated in batting practice <3

[June 25th Broadcast] I erased my noteeeees - I'm shocked

To be continued

I hope there's lots of fun and happiness tomorrow, too *

* Makino Maria *