#team fukuda

[pokemon-cards-hourly]

[trainerjoshie]

Pokémon TCG XY Double Crisis (2014) Team Magma’s Claydol & Lairon illustrations by Masakazu Fukuda 😍

[slamdunkhcs]

This is something I’ve thought about for a hot minute and i wanted to make an essay on it :))

socioeconomics in slam dunk

Like many things in life, basketball is a money sport. While inherent talent and skill is incredibly important, without the resources and opportunities to succeed, you can only get so far.

Throughout Slam Dunk, the importance of money and how it has a massive role in the world of basketball is not explicitly stated, but through the depictions of different teams in the series, it is prevalent.

We are first introduced to Shohoku High, a public school in Kanagawa. Shohoku is not a “poor” or “ghetto” school, but it is by no means a prestigious school either. Shohoku is initially depicted to be an ordinary school, but we are also shown how it has delinquency and school fights — especially among its protagonist and his “gang”

Shohoku’s normalcy is extended into its clubs, in particular, its basketball club. This club isn’t necessarily “run down” or “at risk of not existing anymore”, but aside from its coach (Coach Anzai, a man who used to coach the Japanese national team) and Akagi, their star center, Shohoku’s basketball team doesn’t have much going for it. Due to being a public school, Shohoku doesn’t have the money incentive to recruit star players (like some other schools I will mention soon), and most stars (besides Rukawa LOLLL) won’t go to an ordinary school “on a whim”

Moreover, the financial disparities become even more personal through the experiences of the characters themselves.

Sakuragi is hinted at to be poor, and the notion that basketball is “pay to play” is first explored through him in volume three, where Hikoichi (a player from Ryonan who “scouts” their competition) points out that it is strange Sakuragi doesn’t have basketball shoes, but he is quick to tell himself that it is likely because Sakuragi can’t afford them. Many basketball shoes, especially the Jordans that Sakuragi obtains throughout the series, are well over the $150-200 USD price range. While it is possible to play without basketball shoes, not having shoes that are designed for basketball automatically puts a player at a slight disadvantage.

This brings into question how resources—or the lack thereof—can subtly but significantly influence the trajectory of a player’s journey and a team’s potential for success. Sakuragi was lucky to have gotten practically free basketball shoes due to the generosity of a store owner, but those costs were his own out-of-pocket expenses. Unfortunately, a public school without special stipends for their programs cannot provide financial assistance to provide some of the resources to nurture potentially talented players.

While schools like Shohoku do not have funds to incentivize players or potential talent to come their way, they also do not have the funds to incentivize star coaches to coach at these schools. While Shohoku was able to have gotten Anzai (who wanted to retire by coaching highschool basketball), many public schools do not have that same luck.

In fact, the reason that two of the starting players, Mitsui and Miyagi, even decided to attend Shohoku was due to its coach, Coach Anzai. I think this goes to show that if a school invests in incentives like star coaches or a star basketball program, then these talented players will want to attend.

In terms of schools who provide ALL the incentives, and has thus led to star teams, I want to focus on Kainan, Shoyo, and (especially) Ryonan.

All are labelled as prestigious, private schools with amazing basketball programs, with Kainan having a stellar track record at nationals. But why is that? How did they get so.. good?

If I had to best answer this, money.

Ryonan is known to have scouted its star players, with Coach Taoka even scouting Sendoh and Fukuda from a junior high in Tokyo. For reference, Kanagawa is about two hours away from Tokyo, so Coach Taoka has to provide incentives for these boys to move to a different prefecture rather than staying in a city that likely has many powerhouse schools. In his case, these incentives would likely be full rides to Ryonan, as well as extra stipends to cover these student’s additional costs (such as food, money to move away, etc). Since Ryonan has the funding to do this, Coach Taoka is able to travel around to different areas, find these hidden talents, and bring them over to Ryonan. Public schools like Shohoku, who do not have allocated funds for sports programs, do not have this opportunity… and thus, are at an automatic disadvantage.

It is not explicitly stated how prestigious of a school Shoyo is, but having a program-related disadvantage affecting their players is prevalent. They do not have an official coach (for an unmentioned reason), and their star player Fujima has to coach his teammates as a result. Unfortunately, this additional responsibility prevented him from focusing on his own skills. I do believe Shoyo IS a school that has funding, but this highlights how a program being neglected directly impacts the strength of a team.

Another team I wanted to point out is Toyotama, a team that faced some of the most immense pressure in the entire series.

While Minami and Kishimoto, the team’s leaders, are characterized as “brute assholes”, it is shown that their irrational behavior stems from their pressure to perform well in order to potentially bring back their former coach, Coach Kitano.

Although Toyotama is 8th in the country, for the investors in their school’s basketball program, this isn’t enough. And thus… Coach Kitano was fired in the hopes of getting a coach who could lead the team to a better performance.

For these prestigious schools, their end goal is making a return on their investments. After all, what is the point of pouring all that money and resources for a team that doesn't even land them in the news?

While this is sad, it is very realistic. And as a result... even though Toyotama has a prestigious program, they felt even more pressure to *make a return." and this pressure poured into the team and their behavior.

However, the school that truly encapsulates the opportunities that money and resources provide for their players is Sannoh Technical High School.

Sannoh is practically a world class basketball team, with "anyone in Japan who gives a damn about basketball knows them", a team that had won nationals for years on end.

But how can one team be so good, let alone having a lasting legacy of greatness?

While their players are undoubtedly talented, Sannoh has invested aplenty into nurturing their players' talents.

Like Coach Taoka of Ryonan, Sannoh’s Coach Damoto scouts the best and brightest for their team. Eji Sawakita, although residing in a different prefecture, was discovered and scouted by Sannoh. While it isn't explicitly said how many players they scouted, or what incentives they provided Sawakita (aside from opportunities and their prestige), it can be inferred that Sannoh likely looks for the best and brighest to be apart of their teams.

In addition to the money and resources spent scouting, Sannoh provides their team with immense opportunities that most schools do not.

It is stated that Sawakita had been sent on a trip abroad to play basketball in America, and that he even learned new techniques during his trip. To say the least, a trip like that is... expensive. To send students to a country across the world just to play basketball is a hefty price to pay, and yet Sannoh was willing to pay it.

To prepare for Shohoku's match, Coach Damoto arranged a practice match with Sannoh alum who have a similar playstyle to Shohoku. While it is possible that these alum were willing to volunteer their time doing this, Damoto going out of his way to bring them all together and schedule that practice match is something that likely cost a significant amount to make happen. And it is certainly an opportunity that many schools would not provide.

Unfortunately, it is difficult to compete with money, and this sentiment is universal for any sector.

But what makes Shohoku’s victory over all these powerhouse schools, especially Sannoh, so shocking is the fact it is an “ordinary, no name school.” Theoretically, Shohoku would never beat a team like Sannoh, especially given the fact that Shohoku didn’t even have half the money, resources, and opportunities that Sannoh does.

Yet… Shohoku did it. And I think this part of why Slam Dunk is such a beautiful story: an ordinary team was, even for a moment, able to be extraordinary.

[pokemonheritageposts]

hey, screw it, why not both? i'll do the second one a few sets from now to mix things up a bit.

torn on which to do first, though. the Aron family has more cards I like, but the #1 mienfam card is my favourite from either.

...fuck it, we'll build to that one. let's go Aron!

10. Aron (illus. Atsuko Nishida, EX Sandstorm 56/100)

9. Aron (illus. Miki Tanaka, EX Legend Maker 48/92)

8. Team Magma's Lairon (illus. Masakazu Fukuda, Double Crisis 13/34)

7. Team Magma's Aggron (illus. TOKIYA, Double Crisis 14/34)

6. Lairon (illus. Hajime Kusajima, EX Crystal Guardians 36/100)

5. Aron (illus. Tomokazu Komiya, EX Power Keepers 42/108)

4. Lairon (illus. takashi shiraishi, Scarlet & Violet - Twilight Masquerade 121/167)

3. Team Magma's Aron (illus. Akira Komayama, Double Crisis 12/34)

2. Aron (illus. Yuka Morii, Diamond & Pearl - Mysterious Treasures 71/123)

1. Lairon (illus. Dsuke, Scarlet & Violet - Twilight Masquerade 184/167)

[pbelfz]

Two to One | 14 |

Pairing: Bakugou x Reader x Midoriya Chapter Title: Angling Chapter 13 | Chapter 15 Story Masterlist Summary: You are a simple college girl working at a cheap, back alley café! The top heroes, Deku and Ground Zero, visit your work in hopes of ordering coffee, but they pick something else up instead. You begin an interesting relationship with the pair, while slowly becoming aware of certain underhanded tactics they are using. Idolization isn't always that bad... Right?

WARNINGS: coercion, corruption kink, virginity loss,

“So, Deku, have you seen what news articles are saying about you recently?”

The TV talk show host, Ema, on her show, Ema, changed the topic to an attention-grabber, and the audience noticeably silenced. Izuku sat across from her, relaxed in a white button-down with the sleeves rolled up half-way and the top two buttons undone. He must have shaved this morning – or his makeup crew did it for him – because the light stubble that was growing in was nowhere to be seen.

The interview played on the small cable television kept in the staff backroom of Satou’s. (Y/n) was on lunch break and glanced periodically at the TV, trying to convince herself she didn’t actually want to watch.

Deku smiled back at the host. (Y/n) knew that he was probably aching to slouch in that chair or at least rest his cheek in his palm. It wouldn’t be a good look for the Symbol of Peace, though. The public didn’t know how tired he always was.

“There’s quite a lot of news articles that say a lot of things about me,” Deku replied, and he wasn’t wrong. (Y/n) had been wise to keep her Deku and Dynamight news consumption limited to Twitter – for what it was worth, anyway.

Ema grinned, glancing at the crowd and back to Izuku.

“Well,” she started, “Some people have noticed how often you cross your legs, Deku.” Her gaze flickered to Izuku’s current posture. His legs were crossed, all right. The camera zoomed in on them. Izuku waited patiently.

(Y/n) never took her eyes off of Izuku. His brow twitched the slightest hint at the urge to furrow, but he didn’t. He continued to offer a kind yet curious closed-mouth smile.

“And we all know what it means when a man is able to cross his legs!” Ema looked to the crowd, checking her own presentation in the monitor.

The crowd was heard giggling, especially when Izuku finally made a face that must have been itching to press through. However, he’s been in the public eye for eleven years now; he’s learned many tricks of de-escalation, redirection, and humor.

Izuku kept his legs crossed and a soft smile. He fought the desire to shift in his seat, knowing how talk show hosts picked apart any sign of weakness for the audience’s pleasure, even if it wasn’t on a predetermined script. “I don’t really think that tracks…,” Izuku’s reply wasn’t as well-thought out as it could have been. He was juggling to maintain composure and his reputation for a comment that was off-script. As the Symbol of Peace and the Number One Hero, Deku became rather strict about how his image was viewed.

“Oh, really?” Ema gave the audience and then Izuku an impressed look. (Y/n) noticed Izuku’s smile was less prominent now.

Izuku then took his Ema-branded and provided mug of coffee that was sitting on the table between them and gave a purposefully overexaggerated sip. The audience laughed. Ema laughed as well, and while everyone was distracted with Izuku’s slight diversion, he sent a glance at his personal assistant, who was standing just out of sight behind the stage. She understood what his look meant. Izuku continued to smile as he set the cup back down on the table.

Sakurai, Izuku’s assistant, quickly made her way over to Izuku’s head of PR team, Fukuda, who had already communicated to Ema’s team that Izuku would no longer be a guest on Ema in the future. Sakurai briefly mentioned that Ema should quickly change the topic or otherwise face a lawsuit for a breach of contract. The head of Ema’s team hurried to signal her from her earpiece.

“So, Uravity was–,” Ema hesitated, and Izuku knew she must have gotten the signal. “You and Uravity teamed up this past week against a class SS villain. What was that like?”

Izuku uncrossed his legs, smoothing his pants, much more comfortable to discuss hero work. (Y/n) lifted an eyebrow at the TV. She wondered what all that was about.

Katsuki’s kisses had a tendency to come with unchecked desperation, almost like he was searching for something within (Y/n). She wondered if he kissed Izuku with the same heat, but as her eyes watched him pulling away from Izuku, still sucking on his tongue, she couldn’t help but want a taste, too.

Izuku’s cock prodded against the inside of (Y/n)’s cheek, heavy and thick. Watching them kiss above her proved to be distracting, as her previously long licks and sucks mellowed into kitten licks. Izuku broke away from Katsuki once more, looking down at (Y/n) in his lap. His hand rested on her cheek with his thumb making its way between her lips, pulling her mouth open even further. She looked gorgeous – the most beautiful he’d seen her – with his hardened penis slipping slightly out from her slacked jaw.

“You okay?” He voiced his concern. He checked in with her more regularly than Katsuki did. (Y/n) was brought back to the task at hand, and she wrapped her lips around Izuku’s tip once again, swirling her tongue around his slit. Izuku watched, captivated, his chest heaving as he groaned with each suck. Katsuki’s cock bobbed next to her face as he kneeled next to her. It was almost teasing, the way it brushed against her jaw. She glanced up at Katsuki, now taking Izuku further into her mouth, allowing him to sink deeper as he tested her limits, but Katsuki was fixated on sucking on Izuku’s nipples. With a cock stuffing her throat, she sputtered, but Izuku stayed where he was.

“It’s okay, you’re doing fine,” came Izuku’s words from above her. She felt his hands on her jaw, massaging her neck to allow him in further. She whimpered around him, opening her mouth even wider as Izuku slipped almost to the hilt. “Oh, fuck… Watch the teeth, baby,” he directed her, feeling her throat swallow around his shaft. “Ohhhh, my god…”

Katsuki marveled at (Y/n). Tears were streaming down her face, the most he’d ever seen. He bent down, kissing Izuku’s navel and then his tuft of pubes before he felt (Y/n) attempt to push him off of her. Izuku pulled out immediately. Spit and precum engulfed Izuku’s cock and spilled out of (Y/n)’s mouth as she gasped for air. Izuku knelt down, capturing her lips in an open-mouth kiss, swallowing everything.

Katsuki yanked Izuku off of her, smashing his lips against Izuku’s. He’d been left out long enough. As soon as she recovered, (Y/n) hungrily took Katsuki’s cock into her mouth, making him moan against Izuku.

However, he hesitantly pulled away from her. He shared a glance with Izuku, and (Y/n) watched as they silently shared a conversation with just one look. Izuku met (Y/n)’s eye with a small, kind smile. He knelt down, embracing her and exchanging a sweet kiss on the lips before pulling away.

“Do you think… tonight is the night?”

(Y/n)’s stomach stirred at Izuku’s suggestion. She saw movement in the corner of her eye, finding Katsuki flicking his wrist around his shaft. He waited a moment before speaking up.

“She’s more than ready,” fervor dripped off his tongue. (Y/n) didn’t have a moment to reply, yelping as Katsuki repositioned her onto Izuku’s lap, lying her back against him and facing Katsuki. She finally got a good look at the Number Two Hero’s face, and he was damn near ravenous. She felt Izuku’s hands on her – or were they Katsuki’s? – stroking her arms, her legs, her hair. The men moved with such fluidity and harmony; someone was spreading her legs, and someone else was stroking her breast. Izuku’s hard cock pressed between her cheeks, mere centimeters away from her cunt.

A honeyed haze clouded Izuku’s foresight. “Lube, Kacchan,” Izuku held his hand out, and Katsuki passed him a tube of their preferred lubrication from the nightstand drawer. (Y/n)’s breathing picked up, but neither of them seemed to notice. Why weren’t they noticing? She heard Izuku pop open the tube, and Katsuki’s fingers were stroking her slit, paying particular attention to her clit. (Y/n) squirmed against Izuku, who shushed her. She was feeling hot, too hot, too warm. Everything was burning. They were too close, there were too many bodies. She was going to suffocate.

Izuku reached forward, and his lube-covered fingers gently prodded (Y/n)’s pussy, easily dipping inside. Izuku pulled out, reaching further to stroke her pucker with his fingers, making (Y/n) gasp and recoil slightly at the intrusion. Or were they Katsuki’s fingers? God, help her. Regardless, Katsuki laughed, low and sensual.

“Who’s takin’ which hole?” Katsuki addressed Izuku, his eyes fixated on (Y/n)’s sopping cunt. Izuku’s fingers swept through (Y/n)’s hair; he appeared to be thinking.

“Stop…”

Both men paused immediately.

“Stop, please.” Her voice was no more than a whisper; it surprised her they heard her at all.

Katsuki shot backwards, unraveling himself from (Y/n), while Izuku’s brow wrinkled into a furrow, looking down at her in his arms. They hadn’t noticed she’d been crying. Izuku swiftly shifted and turned her around in his lap, cradling her. It was almost instinctual how he attended to her.

“Hey…,” he was kind. He put on his hero tone, the one he used with children who cried after being saved. “What do you need from me, hm?” (Y/n) felt stupid and small when he spoke like that, but right now, it made her feel safe. (Y/n)’s silent tears quickly became sobs. Katsuki watched with wide eyes as Izuku rocked her softly. The men exchanged looks, but they said no words. Guilt washed over the two of them, but Katsuki felt it smack him harder than Izuku. “We stopped. We’re done, we stopped,” Izuku’s hushed whispers consoled her.

“I’m sorry,” Katsuki’s tone was muffled and quiet – or as quiet as it could be. The apology slipped out easily, naturally almost. How many times would he have to apologize to her? Katsuki didn’t move from his spot, kneeling at the corner of the bed, putting himself as far away from (Y/n) and Izuku as he could. Izuku pressed his lips to (Y/n)’s temple. He inhaled, smelling the sweet scent of her leave-in conditioner.

“It’s okay, you’re okay,” he uttered to her. Katsuki only watched, unsure what to do. Out of all of his years of quirk-training, his hands have never felt so heavy and out of his control. He wanted to help, to reach out and hold her, too, but he was afraid of making things worse.

“We don’t have to do anything else tonight,” Izuku stated, both to (Y/n) and Katsuki. (Y/n) then seemed to spring upright, and Izuku let her, watching as she wiped her tears away, but her sniffling remained.

“No, no. I can do this. I can,” she was convincing herself than the heroes. Izuku looked her in the eye, frowning. He kept himself from shaking his head. He felt like (Y/n) might be too sensitive for anything disapproving right now.

“Do you want to get some ice cream? Watch a movie, maybe?” Izuku offered alternative things to help calm (Y/n) down. Katsuki’s gaze turned downward. Something filled Katsuki, almost akin to envy but darker. They both had approached (Y/n), so why did he feel like the only bad guy in the room?

Katsuki huffed, unable to gather his words, watching (Y/n) slowly nod. She wasn’t ready for this. Not both of them, anyway. 

Izuku leapt up from the bed. “Well, good!” Katsuki and (Y/n) watched him. Izuku shimmied back into his pajama bottoms. “Let’s go watch a movie, then.” He turned to face his partners, taking in (Y/n)’s red-rimmed eyes.

“I’ve been dying to watch the new Spider-Verse movie!” (Y/n) knew Izuku was trying to lighten the mood, and she appreciated it. He held her pajama shirt, which was previously forgotten about, along with her matching shorts on the bed. “Arms up!”

(Y/n) unenthusiastically put her arms up for Izuku to place her shirt over her head. The cotton slipped on easily, Izuku making sure her hair didn’t get caught anywhere. (Y/n) reached behind her and retrieved her shorts, slipping them on herself. Katsuki watched them both as he pulled his own pajama bottoms back on; Izuku hadn’t looked at him since they called it quits tonight. Neither had (Y/n).

Izuku held his hand out for (Y/n) to hold, and he pulled her to her feet. Her tears had dried, and her sniffling faded. She was shaken up, feeling guilty for leading them on. Katsuki watched Izuku lead (Y/n) out of the bedroom, heading for the living room to start the movie.

Katsuki sat on the bed, removing himself.

He slept in the bed alone that night, while Izuku and (Y/n) slept on the couch.

“We need to talk about last night,” Katsuki stood at the door of Izuku’s home office. It was six in the morning, and everyone was preparing for the day – Izuku and Katsuki more than (Y/n), who waded around in the kitchen with instant coffee in her hand, threatening to spill on the floor with each sleepy sip she took.

Izuku glanced up at Katsuki from his computer before returning his attention back to the monitor. Izuku liked to squeeze in a jog in the early mornings, so he wore blue gym shorts and a compression shirt that clung and stretched around his pectorals. He was trying to send some files to his work email and sidekicks before he started his day.

Izuku’s fingers moved with lightning dexterity on the keyboard. “We will,” he replied without looking at Katsuki. The latter scoffed.

“Will we?” Katsuki sounded more direct than he intended to, making Izuku finally offer a punitive stare in his direction. Katsuki glared back at him. All the All Mights on Izuku’s office merchandise seemed to become even more lifeless than they already were.

“Kacchan, I’ve got it handled,” Izuku attempted to pacify his partner. He was too tired for this. (Y/n) appeared beside Katsuki in the doorframe.

“Is something wrong?” She asked in the middle of a yawn. It was a question she found herself asking too often with these two. Katsuki all but pushed her into Izuku’s office.

“We need to talk about last night,” he blared, pulling out chairs for himself and her to sit in. Izuku rubbed his face, stretching the skin of the corners of his eyes, and ran a hand through his hair. When something nibbled at Katsuki’s nerves, he just couldn’t let it go. It was like an ice pick, picking away at his scalp. He wanted this settled, and he wanted this settled now.

“Katsuki, I’m supposed to be out the door by now,” Izuku tried.

“Too fuckin’ bad, Deku. Family meeting,” Katsuki slouched across from Izuku at his desk, his knees spread wide and his arms crossed, with (Y/n) sitting beside him. She just wanted this over with.

Izuku checked his watch. A gold Rolex that (Y/n) could’ve sworn she’d seen Katsuki wear before. They must’ve had matching ones.

“Alright,” Izuku relented with a sigh of a word, leaning down and rummaging through a drawer on his desk. The sooner they got this over with, the sooner everyone could start their day. Izuku sat back up, placing a few documents on the empty space of his desk. (Y/n) couldn’t see the details of the text from her angle.

“(Y/n), are you okay?” Izuku finally addressed her. They locked eyes, and the first thing (Y/n) noticed was that Izuku wasn’t smiling.

(Y/n) played with the ends of her hair – an anxious trait that both Katsuki and Izuku’s eyes flickered towards. “Yeah, I’m fine… Last night just shook me up a bit.”

“Is there anything we can do differently next time to make you more comfortable?” Izuku asked. (Y/n) glanced between the two of them. She couldn’t help but feel like this was a business transaction, especially being seated at Izuku’s desk like his consumers.

She stumbled over her words. “I don’t know. I mean, maybe? I was just overwhelmed. I didn’t know what to do.”

Katsuki butt in, louder than he should’ve been and shaking his head. “You didn’t have to do anything.” Izuku’s posture didn’t falter as he continued to face (Y/n), but he gave Katsuki a pointed look.

“We can try again whenever you feel ready. There’s no rush,” Izuku commented, picking up the forms and placing them back in a drawer of his desk. (Y/n) watched his scarred hands move about the polished cedar top, wondering if a similar one sat in his agency office.

Katsuki stared at Izuku. He already apologized, but Izuku had not. Katsuki’s finger tapped on his bicep.

“In the meantime,” Izuku’s gaze flickered away. He appeared hesitant. “We can establish a safe word. To use whenever you want us to stop what we’re doing.”

Katsuki looked to (Y/n), who glanced between the two heroes. “Safe word?”

“A word you say to let your partner know to stop everything. We can also use the traffic light system: green, yellow, red. Green means we can keep going, yellow typically means to slow down or check in, and red means to stop,” Izuku was on the cusp of rambling.

“Why can’t I just say ‘stop’?”

Izuku and Katsuki met eyes, and Katsuki scratched the back of his neck. Izuku answered.

“Sometimes, it can be unclear if you actually want to stop. A safe word allows for no discrepancies.”

(Y/n) nodded, but she wasn’t sure she understood quite yet. “Do you and Katsuki already have one?”

“It’s ‘Bronze Age’,” Katsuki grumbled. “Finger snapping if we can’t use our mouth.”

(Y/n)’s chest thumped at the implication. “Can I use the same, then?”

Both men nodded quietly, and Izuku finally smiled, checking his watch. 6:15am. He stood, ready to head to the door and go on a quick morning jog.

“You on birth control?” Katsuki blurted. Izuku jolted at what appeared to be his volume, pausing with his hands on the top of the desk just as he pushed his chair out to stand. It was admittedly a question he was also curious about. (Y/n) jumped, too, eyes bolting.

“I am.”

There was a pause no longer than a beat. “But that doesn’t mean I’m okay with unprotected sex! Um–!”

Izuku silently released a breath, and Katsuki relaxed, too.

The “family meeting” concluded itself, as Izuku would be running late if they continued. (Y/n) didn’t feel like this conversation was over, though. Izuku was the first to leave, skipping his morning jog entirely and throwing his daily routine off. It didn’t bother him as much as it would have Katsuki.

Katsuki waited at the door for (Y/n) to put her shoes on. He was dropping her off on campus today. He hadn’t said a word since Izuku left, but that was normal.

“Thank you for wanting to talk about that, Katsuki,” (Y/n) said as she tied her laces. Katsuki grunted in response.

“Izuku’s such a gentleman,” she was thinking aloud, remembering how Izuku prioritized her comfort over his own sexual pleasure. Safe words were a new concept to her, and she felt warm at being introduced to them. Katsuki snickered from above her, and she tilted her head to look at him.

“You kiddin’? Idiot fucks like a rabbit.”

Date nights felt magical and yet few and far between with Katsuki and Izuku. It was difficult for everyone’s schedules to correspond, and even more difficult for the heroes to put aside their hero mindsets to relax accordingly. Alcohol helped.

The trio sat in the VIP section of a high-end restaurant, much like the one on their first date. The only difference was this restaurant served freshly caught and prepared seafood, hibachi-style. (Y/n)’s anxiety was no secret, glancing around at the other patrons sitting lengths away with their backs turned to them, paying them no mind. No one even questioned who she was and why she was with the top two heroes when they all arrived. There were no paparazzi in sight, almost like they were barred off from this district, and Izuku and Katsuki were at ease.

It didn’t take a genius to realize that neither of them liked having the cameras on them at all times. Apart from their own suburban home, the small, dark corners of expensive restaurants seemed to be their only retreat into some semblance of normalcy. Katsuki had the decency to smile more often, and something that previously stiffened Izuku rolled off of him in waves, leaving behind a much looser, playful man.

“I can drink, too, right?” (Y/n) was being sarcastic, but she still hesitated when she reached for her sake. Izuku laughed and nodded. Katsuki smiled as he bit into his sushi.

“Yes, dear,” Izuku kid. He and Katsuki already had their share of sake, feeling warm. (Y/n) sipped on the hot liquor, feeling it mix nicely with her food in her belly.

“So, (Y/n),” Izuku started. “How’s work going?”

(Y/n) froze, almost dropping her chopsticks as she reached for the fatty tuna sushi.

“We haven’t heard you talk about it much lately,” Izuku added, focusing on his food. Katsuki eyed her. (Y/n) wanted to know where this serious-Izuku came from. Just a moment ago, they were laughing about how the lewdest photoshoot Izuku’s ever agreed to was a closeup of his middle and ring fingers, fingering a grapefruit. Izuku retorted by saying that the scandal of Katsuki’s suit being ripped around his crotch haunted the Explosion hero for years. Their agency still gets rather… colorfully worded letters regarding the incident.

But now, (Y/n) felt all eyes at the table on her again.

“We know you’ve been missing work,” Katsuki was always grumbling. When he wasn’t grumbling or mumbling, he was shouting much too loud for any conversation he was a part of. (Y/n) had half the nerve to ask him to repeat himself.

“How–?”

“We’d stop by to grab a coffee, and you wouldn’t be there during the times you said you were,” Katsuki explained. (Y/n) quieted down.

Izuku spoke almost fluidly, like they’d already planned out this conversation ahead of time. “We were thinking you should quit your job.”

The table went silent. Katsuki stopped chewing, maybe even stopped moving, all to gauge (Y/n)’s response. Izuku watched her. The other guests of the restaurant carried on with their families, dates, and friends, ignorant of the debacle occurring just a few feet away from them.

Izuku felt the need to explain, his palms dry of any sweat that could have produced. “I mean, you’re living with us now. We’ve got you covered on the bills, tuition, anything else you need.” (Y/n) met his eye. He wasn’t smiling. She really, really wished he was smiling. Izuku trailed off, hinting that he wanted to know how (Y/n) felt about the idea. “I know, it’s sudden…”

“Izuku,” she started, “You always say ‘we,’ but how does Katsuki actually feel about me living here with you both, jobless?” (Y/n) felt resentment rise up into her words.

“It was my idea, actually.”

Katsuki.

(Y/n)’s head snapped in his direction. He wasn’t looking at her, but he met her eye with a sincere glint right when she turned to him. He was telling the truth.

(Y/n) slumped back in her seat, wanting to sink into the plush leather cushions of the booth seat. Her eyes skimmed the generous rations of food on the table, only half dug into, for an answer to their question.

“You don’t have to decide now–,” Izuku attempted to be gracious.

“But we already–,” Katsuki interrupted him.

“Kacchan,” Izuku firmed his tone.

“Don’t you fucking ‘Kacchan’ me,” Katsuki snapped, miraculously managing to keep his voice down, even lowering it an octave. He turned to (Y/n), getting heated. She could tell when he was getting upset by the way his upper lip curled into a small snarl. “We’ve already set up a bank account for your own personal use, and we’ve been wiring money to it every paycheck.” He whipped around back to his partner with a viciousness. “If she doesn’t decide now, I want that fucking money back in my wallet tomorrow. It’s been weeks of this shit.”

This was the first (Y/n) heard about this, and it made her dizzy. They have money where? For whom?

“Why haven’t–?” Before (Y/n) could finish her thought, Katsuki gave her an ultimatum.

“There’s 3 million yen – and counting – in a bank account that we’ll give you access to only if you agree to quit your job. Today.”

(Y/n) gaped at him, bewildered and brazened. What the fuck?

“What the fuck?” Her thoughts couldn’t even form into the words she needed. Izuku was quiet, letting Katsuki say his piece.

“Don’t you ‘What the fuck’ me, either. Do we have an agreement?”

(Y/n)’s mind moved at ninety miles per hour comprehending the past two minutes. She quickly weighed the consequences, still feeling much too blurry. What were they asking of her exactly? Quit her job? How would she support herself? Oh, well, she’d have the 3 million yen in the bank… And she’s living with them now… Usually Katsuki is the one preparing her meals… They’re paying her tuition… Still, though, something felt innately anomalous for her. She’d been providing for herself since she was a teenager, and now suddenly, there’s two men in the picture who want to do all the hard work for her? She didn’t really know how to feel about that. However, at the same time, why was she fighting it? This could lead to an easier life for her. She’d been fighting for so long, and now an opportunity to just focus on her studies – something she’d been desiring forever – has just fallen in her lap.

“Can I think about it?” She had to try.

“You can think about it until it’s time for us to leave the restaurant. Then, I want a decision. Just fuckin’ knowin’ how some of my money’s just sitting in there for you makes me goddamn sick to my stomach.”

(Y/n) swallowed, feeling like she’d just been picked up and thrown every which way by the tornado that was Katsuki. He said it was his idea for her to quit, but now he’s upset about the entire thing? Her back felt tight. It’s been hurting lately whenever her anxiety acted up.

Work at Satou’s for 900 yen an hour or rely on Katsuki and Izuku fully? At least now she can say she’s not cheap; her pride cost 3 million yen. Still, she was hesitant. And stubborn.

“Would there be restrictions on how I use that money?”

Izuku shook his head, looking at Katsuki, who turned away, resting his cheek in his palm. “You’re going to get your own card, and we’re going to be putting money regularly in the account. Like, an allowance,” he explained. Katsuki seemed to withdraw from the conversation entirely.

“’Allowance’ as in I need to earn this money?” (Y/n) hammered him.

Once again, he shook his head. “No. ‘Allowance’ as in Kacchan and I will continue putting aside money from our paychecks and wiring it to your account for you to use.”

(Y/n)’s stare seemed to harden just a pinch. “If I quit, can I still work my last two weeks?”

“Yes,” Izuku affirmed matter-of-factly. Katsuki tapped his finger.

(Y/n) had to think about what she was going to tell Hana.

The room felt heated – maybe it even was, (Y/n) couldn’t tell anymore – and the bodies were so, so warm. Especially Katsuki. (Y/n) told him that he ran hot, and he told her to shut the fuck up before spreading her legs to dip his tongue into her cunt. Izuku slipped underneath Katsuki, wrapping his lips around his hardened cock and sticking his tongue out to lick around the base of his shaft while the head prodded the back of throat. Katsuki gasped into (Y/n)’s pussy, her slick covering his chin. He reveled in the sensation of Izuku sucking him off from underneath, feeling him wrap his hands around his hips, pulling his ass down further, encouraging him to fuck his mouth. Instead, Katsuki pulled his hips back, bringing his tip to Izuku’s lips. He knew that if he fucked his throat, he was going to cum early, and he was trying to hold out. Katsuki’s lips encircled around (Y/n)’s clit, sucking and nibbling, and her hands pulled on his hair. He pulled away to watch as he inserted a finger into her, and then a second one, before flicking his tongue against her clit once more.

She came quickly and in waves, splashing on his chin and down his neck to his chest, squealing like a freshly made porn star.

“Oh my fucking god,” Katsuki was mesmerized at the mess she made as he finger-fucked her through it, encouraging her to squirt more. “More, keep coming, c’mon.”

Izuku’s hands had wandered, and while he continued to suck Katsuki off from underneath him, his fingers were tracing a line up his ass. He spread Katsuki’s cheeks, eliciting a groan from his partner from above.

Katsuki pulled off (Y/n)’s breast with a wet pop. “Deepthroat,” Katsuki instructed before returning to his suckling. Or demanded, depending on the outlook. Regardless, Izuku did as he was told, relaxing his throat and feeling Katsuki begin to lightly thrust his hips. (Y/n) watched Katsuki’s hips move, running her hand through his hair as he popped from one tit to the other. He thrusted lightly into Izuku’s mouth, careful of his partner’s gag reflex, even though (Y/n) was sure Izuku didn’t have one. She watched as Izuku used his free hand to stroke himself, taking note of his technique to pleasure himself – when he twists his wrist near the tip of his cock, how tight of a grip he uses, how he plays with his balls. One of Izuku’s fingers on his other hand circled around Katsuki’s asshole, and she bit her lip. Suddenly, Katsuki pulled away from both of them, flushed and panting.

“Fuck, I’m gonna cum if we keep this up,” he was out of breath. “I need a minute.”

Izuku laughed and nodded, still on his back on the bed. (Y/n) was also breathless, but she felt intentional.

“I want to try tonight.”

Both of the men looked at her. “You sure?” Izuku asked. He was looking at her upside down. (Y/n) nodded. Izuku sat up, reaching for her hand and pulling her forward. (Y/n) collided into his chest, but he was smiling. She loved when Izuku smiled.

“We have to figure out how to do this, then.”

Katsuki was back in once he heard this, and he already had an idea in mind.

“Deku on bottom. I’ll be in the back,” he was stroking dick as he spoke. Izuku started to move into position when he felt (Y/n)’s hesitance.

“I-um…,” (Y/n)’s guilt made her tentative, “I don’t think I’m actually ready for… Both of you…”

They all stilled. Katsuki’s hand ceased its motions mid-stroke. “Maybe just one at a time? Or just one today?” She offered, but she had to keep herself from wincing because the suggestion felt like nails on a chalkboard.

(Y/n) couldn’t see, but Izuku and Katsuki looked at each other. They were trying to determine who it was going to be that took her virginity. Katsuki turned to (Y/n).

“Who do you want it to be?”

Izuku watched carefully. (Y/n) held back a groan, feeling the tension. Why couldn’t they just rock-paper-scissors this shit out?

Izuku opts himself out. “I’ll wait my turn,” he smiles, but (Y/n) can tell it doesn’t meet his eyes. “Can I hold you while he fucks you?” (Y/n) nodded quietly.

Izuku shifted on the bed, moving behind (Y/n), cradling her between his legs. He’s still hard; (Y/n) can feel him between her shoulder blades, leaking precum against her neck. His touch was soft, pulling her hair out of her face and placing kisses on her temple and ear. She melded into him. It was his job to make her feel comfortable right now. He liked to watch, anyway.

Katsuki got a good look at her as he spread her legs. He tapped her inner thigh as he stroked himself, the condom wrapper in his mouth.

“S’read your t’ighs mure,” Katsuki said, lowering his tone. (Y/n) did as she was told; she would’ve normally been really embarrassed about doing this if she hadn’t just squirted all over his face a few moments ago. Katsuki ripped the condom open, carefully rolling it onto his hard girth. (Y/n) thought it looked really weird – seeing a penis covered in latex.

Katsuki flicked her clit a couple of times, making her flinch and hiss, but she bit her lip once she saw him grip the base of his cock, lining himself up with her cunt. Izuku praised her as he pushed in. Katsuki let out the most guttural groan she thought she’d ever heard from him.

“Oh my fucking god, how are you this tight?”

“Shhh, you’re doing so good, baby. You remember your safe word, right?”

Katsuki was going as slow as he could, but holy fuck, was he barely making it by. He ground his teeth in order to still his hips from pounding into her. Izuku’s hands busied themselves by either playing with her nipples or stroking her hair, but he couldn’t pull his eyes from Katsuki’s thick, long cock sinking deeper and deeper into (Y/n)’s tight, virgin pussy. He felt the jealousy pull at him, but he pushed it back; he was going to get his turn. Katsuki had to be first at everything, after all. Maybe this was Izuku’s punishment for being the Number One Hero.

He had been so entranced by how well (Y/n) was swallowing up Katsuki, he’d forgotten to check in with her. He glanced down at her face; she was grimacing and breathing like she was giving birth. He kissed her. “You’re okay, you’re doing so, so well. You’re so beautiful, so gorgeous. Look at how well you’re taking him.”

“Ohhhh my god,” (Y/n) moaned.

“Shit, you’re bleeding,” Katsuki’s hips stopped moving. He was halfway in. He’d never been someone’s first before, so he was taken off guard. “Do you want to keep going? We can stop if–?”

(Y/n) thought it was sweet when Katsuki let his worrywart out. She shook her head vehemently, smacking Izuku with her hair.

“No, no, no, it’s just starting to feel goo-mmmm!”

“Fuck her through it, Kacchan,” came Izuku’s order. Katsuki nodded, too captivated by how tightly her cunt was squeezing him to bite back. He repositioned slightly, giving himself a better angle, and rolled his hips slowly. (Y/n) yelped, her eyes rolling back. Katsuki thrusted with precision and practice, and he was going slow for her. Izuku’s eyes flickered from where their sexes met to (Y/n)’s face, both giving him fuel for his own pleasure as he stroked himself.

Katsuki’s breath quickened, and Izuku recognized that it was getting harder and harder for him to control his pace. His hands balled up the sheets beside them; Izuku was surprised his quirk hadn’t activated. Perhaps, he thought too little of Kacchan’s control over himself. That had really only happened about a handful of times. Still, he seemed afraid to touch (Y/n). Izuku has been the one caressing (Y/n)’s body, while Katsuki has been the one doing the fucking.

“If you want him to speed up, you have to tell him, love,” Izuku uttered to (Y/n).

“Faster, Katsuki. Faster, please!”

That was the only permission Katsuki needed.

Katsuki leaned forward, gripping the headboard beside Izuku’s head, rolling his hips with a sudden urgency about them. The sound of skin slapping filled the room, and Izuku was getting close to his own orgasm, too. Katsuki must’ve been close the entire time, but he was drawing it out for (Y/n).

Izuku just brought (Y/n) to her third orgasm by stroking her clit, making her cunt clench even tighter around Katsuki. (Y/n)’s head had been bobbing onto Izuku’s shoulder for some time now, already fucked out even from Katsuki’s previously slow pace.

Izuku reached down, wrapping a hand around (Y/n)’s neck, pulling her head up and holding her by her jaw. He pressed lightly on the sides of her neck, testing the waters.

“Watch him fuck you. Look him in the eye while he fucks you.”

“Izuku–!”

Katsuki looked up from where he was splitting her open and met her eye. His hips slammed into her once, twice, three times.

“I’m cumming, I’m cumming, oh my fucking god,” Katuski groaned, filling the condom with his seed. He leaned over his partners, his softening cock pulling out of (Y/n). Izuku leaned up for a kiss, which Katsuki happily indulged. Katsuki moved from between (Y/n)’s legs.

“Your turn,” Katsuki had quickly recuperated, but (Y/n) was a different story. She whined, and both men turned to her.

“I’m… I think I’m done,” she was tired and sore. She wanted to go to bed. If Izuku was hurt, he didn’t show it. Or he thought he didn’t. Katsuki glanced at his boyfriend. Izuku didn’t look at him. He just knelt down and kissed (Y/n) on the forehead.

“Another time, then.”

[easternmind]

Lessons in Japanese Game Design #3

From Killer7 to Deadly Premonition, Japanese game creators have intrepidly explored the theme of mental illness in a variety of genres, often in highly stylized form. The title I wish to approach today is a lesser known reference that approached this subject matter with unusual tact and clarity - a memory, if you will, which the collective conscious has long repressed.

Maria Kimi Tachi Ga Umareta Wake (The Reason You Were Born) is a late 1997 adventure game firmly rooted in the visual novel template that earned Chunsoft great repute. It was Break studio's debut, produced over a year and half for both the PlayStation and Saturn systems. It was published by Axela, a company born out of the internal management conflicts and accumulated debt at ASCII, leading to some of its executives teaming up in 1996 to establish a new project centred around software and magazine publishing. The story of this company's origins, alone, would merit a separate post.

Foreseeably, its release was followed by moderate controversy, such that worked mostly in its favour. One of the most polemical moments is found in the introduction scene, with its tasteful yet unvarnished depiction of Maria's suicide attempt, followed by her hospital admission. The imagery and that which it depicts remains as painful to watch today as it did decades ago.

While Maria is the central character, her tragedy and arc merge with that of the actual protagonist, Jun Takano, a fledgeling surgeon who, in the quality of certified psychiatrist, is assigned to provide therapy to the French-Japanese patient the morning after her admittance.

Maria's mental illness component comes to light as the story and therapy sessions progress. The key art consists of photos of women using coloured masks to visually represent the dimensions of her multiple personality disorder.

(Note: the text above is machine translated from the original Japanese game manual.)

Break was denounced for its bid to integrate so serious a derangement as a theme in a juvenile entertainment piece. Their reaction was to highlight the research done to ensure a careful treatment of the subject and sensitization of players via a bespoke message in the manual. In retrospect, the relative popularity of this game at the time was greatly owned to this fleeting controversy, and is believed to have been a crucial factor in the obtention of budget for Maria's far less spirited sequel.

As a work of pure fiction, scenario writer Kirie Fukuda was at liberty to carry the already divisive premise into even more exotic territory by establishing a mysterious yet playful correspondence between Maria's distinct personas and Egyptian deities.

The game's structure is modelled after hirudorama, a Japanese word interchangeably used to describe daytime TV fiction or soap operas; each of its nine chapters lasting nearly thirty minutes, equipped with a plot twist, cliff-hanger ending, and followed by rolling credits.

Perhaps the single most outstanding aspect about this production results from a tireless effort to surpass the standard of authenticity in what pertains facial expressions; particularly those of the multifaceted Maria, often with stilted yet all the more fascinating results.

In this and other regards, the influence of D no Shokutaku and its character, Laura, is clear and unmistakable. Maria's director and studio head at Break, Akira Okada, was an ex-Warp employee who worked as sales director precisely at the time when Eno's game was being developed.

Following a modest success, Break released Maria 2: Jutaikokuchi no Nazo in 99, a not-so-direct sequel which did not command the same attention as the original. The studio created other noteworthy visual novels: Ouma ga Toki and its sequel, as well as the most unusual Saishuu Densha, a paranormal-themed romantic story involving two strangers who meet in a train.

Before closing, it would pay to emphasize that this is an entirely different adventure game from the similarly forgotten MA-RI-A Ningōkan no Noroi, a 1996 3D CG horror adventure designed by Osamu Tezuka's son, Makoto; and scored by Kuniaki Haishima, of Kowloon's Gate and Siren 2 fame.

Nor is it related in any way with the so-called "Maria" episode from the Yarudora visual novel game series, Sampaguita, released in 1997 for the PlayStation by Sugar & Rockets and Production I.G.

[slamdunk-headcanons]

Hi there! First off I love your account lol I was wondering if maybe you can do something like what trope you see with a certain character? Like for ex. Sakuragi would be like childhood friend trope or rukawa would be friends to lovers something like that if it makes sense for Fukuda and maybe Ryota? Or anyone else you'd like haha

Hello sweetieeeee! 😍😍😍😍 I'm so happy to know that! And I looved your request! I'll do for Miyagi, Fukuda, Nobunaga and Hanagata (one per team). Hope you enjoy! P.S.: I'm having so much fun seeing how The First Slam Dunk affected SD fandom bc I received SO MANY Miyagi and Sawakita requests, and before the movie I received only two sawakita requests (here and here), and two for Miyagi, but it was for Ayako. I haven't watched the movie yet, but I'll do it tomorrow to refresh my memory about Sawakita character and I'll write all of them!

Miyagi Ryota

He would be perfect for friends to lovers or childhood friends to lovers;

In both, he falls first;

It's not that easy to imagine him being pissed with a girl, but it's possible an enemies to lovers dynamic.

Miyagi has a strong temper, so a girl with strong temper that for some reason, dislikes him at first and let this clear to him would be the perfect pairing for this plot;

Fake dating would be peeeeeeeerfect with him too

Fukuda Kicchou

I think Fukuda would be perfect with childhood friends to lovers

Fukuda has a strong temper and probably girls are kindda afraid of him at school. So it's hard for him to make friends with girls.

As we see, Fukuda likes to be praised, and probably has a lot of insecurities due to the fact that he's criticized a lot by Taoka and easily loses his temper.

So imagine a girl that knows him for a long time, knows every single insecurity he has, knows his traumas, his soul, his wounds. She'd know exactly how to talk to him in a way he really listens to.

Probably she would be the only girl that make him really feel safe and sheltered.

Nobunaga Kiyota

CHILDHOOD ENEMIES TO LOVERS PLEASE

Imagine a girl that knows him since he's a kid and she just can't stand how energic and loud he has always been. So since they were kids she is always telling him to shut up and how annoying he's.

And he thinks she's boring and doesn't know how to have fun. so they're declared enemies since childhood. And they unfortunatly keep studying in the same class, same school;

And then Kiyota becomes taller and super cool and basketball. So suddenly he's not that annoying and starts looking... handsome?

And she, with her books, her intelligence and silence starts becoming an strange and beautiful mystery for him;

But they hate each other forever! How that could be possible...? and what they're gonna do with that feelings?

Hanagata Toru

Friends to lovers, for sure

Well, actually it would be strangers to lovers because Hanagata seems hard to access. He's calm, centered, so hardly gets distracted from his noble goals;

So to call his attention, the girl would have to be an attractive mystery to him. Maybe he's find out she does something that he really appreciates or think it's beautiful (like playing a calm instrument or paint on canvas);

I think that he'd get to know her at school through Kenji. They from a comission for some big event and she helps them and he's so enchanted with her;

I strongly believe that Hanagata is as popular as Kenji among girls, but he's too shy and reserved to be as Kenji is with them. So he faces his shyness to start talking to her;

Fake dating with him would be super fun to develop too, but with a sunshine type girl, really talkative and impulsive;

[charmingfortune-prettycure]

"A disaster in the Kingdom of Chance! The king has been taken hostage, and replaced by a new ruler who wants to spread misfortune and bad luck to the whole universe! It's up to the tiny rabbit fairy Lemon, to find the Warrior of Destiny. Fukuda Mitsuki is a clumsy 14 year old girl, who seems to be the unluckiest girl on the planet. But with the power of Pretty Cure, she transforms into Cure Lucky! An adventure to save the universe's good fortune begins!"

Meet the team members of my new series, Charming Fortune precure!

Fukuda Mitsuki: a 14 year old girl who seems to be the clumsiest and unluckiest girl on the planet. She doesn't let that get to her though, and tries to live her days with the biggest, cheeriest smile possible. She's childhood friends with Haruto, but struggles to make other friends because everyone else thinks she's 'weird' due to her habits of talking to herself. After meeting Lemon, she becomes Cure Lucky, the Pretty Cure of smiles and hopeful surprises. Her theme colour is green.

Hanamoto Akina: a 14 year old girl who was born mute. It caused her to become really shy and introverted, and she spends her days in the garden, growing all sorts of pretty flowers. Her first friend is Mitsuki, who is the first to put in the effort to find a way for her to communicate. She's a natural sweetheart, albeit flustered easily and still really shy even after making friends. After meeting her own fairy partner Orange, she becomes Cure Clover. the Pretty Cure of kindness and sweet surprises. Her theme colour is pink.

Igarashi Haruto: a 14 year old boy who has goals to become a comedian. He's well liked by everyone at school because of his extroverted, goofy attitude and bad jokes, but he still considers his best friend in the world to be Mitsuki. In his spare time he also plays as the drummer in a small band, and spends a lot of time playing games with his baby sister. After meeting Tiara, he becomes Cure Rainbow, the Pretty Cure of laughter and energetic surprises. His theme colour is rainbow.

Tiara: a 14 year old girl who was born into royalty. She lived a very easy life, with access to as many hobbies and talents as she could possibly want. When she got older and everyone around her was discussing her ideas for the future, she realised that she never picked the one talent she was good at. It took meeting Mitsuki and her friends to realise her love for the piano and singing, and she often plays along with Haruto in duets together. After meeting Haruto, she becomes Cure Gold, the Pretty Cure of wealth and rewarding surprises. Her theme colour is gold.

Together they are Charming Fortune Precure!

-----

more info about the mascots and henshin items soon to come!

[pokemon-cards-hourly]

[laxmon]

Pokémon — Kanto teams 9/?

Team Rocket Boss Giovanni's Pokémon team, based on his teams from Pokémon Yellow, Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, and the Pokémon anime.

Artwork by:

Hideki Ishikawa (Special illustration rare) for SV 151 (Giovanni's Charisma) TOKIYA for XY Primal Clash (Rhyperior) Ken Sugimori for Gym Challenge (Giovanni's Persian) kawayoo for HS Undaunted (Honchkrow) Masakazu Fukuda for XY Fates Collide (Kangaskhan) Atsuko Nishida (Giovanni's Nidoking) 2019 Pikachu Project for SM Black Star Promos (Armored Mewtwo)

[slamdunkhcs]

Hello!!! Just wanted to say I love all your posts and dissections on the characters, I'm getting a lottt of sd brain rot and hopefully I can start writing for it soon!! Thank you for keeping the Fandom alive <3

ps. Top 3 characters?

Thank you so much, it makes me really happy hearing this. I haven’t been very active for a while but i will try responding to more requests. I’m not good at ranking characters but i will list out some of my favorites and why i like them

my favorite slam dunk characters

ayako

Okay I haven’t made many posts with her included (which im gonna do 😂) but I LOVE Ayako

She’s very beautiful and i think in a way that’s unconventional compared to many mangas. Curly haired female characters are really uncommon in manga, so seeing a girl like ayako was really surprising. I think her features overall make her look really realistic. Like she looks morrocan or dominican, and the fact that she’s portrayed to be canonically beautiful makes it so that her features are portrayed in a positive light

Also she’s literally the backbone of the team? Part of why Miyagi stayed for hs basketball was because she encouraged the team so well. She’s been there since before the team was good, like how akagi and kogure were. And throughout the series, she gave the boys ALOT of support. Like girl was literally the one who taught Sakuragi the basics??

sawakita

If you don’t alr know, I love this boy sm. Like that’s my man right there

Sawakita is also very different from other sports manga rivals. I mean he gets made fun of by his own team, mf cries SM. He has fangirls and I think he treats them well (shown by how he wore a t shirt one of them gifted).

He’s not a bad person either, he even helped Rukawa up when he fell down. He was very encouraging towards his teammates too when he was benched. DONT EVEN GET ME STARTED ON HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS PARENTS?? He’s so respectful to them, boy was out there thanking them for everything when he was drunk on a plane. Plus from his backstory, i think it shows he really loves his dad. Some yall mfs could never LMAOOO

I think his dynamic with Rukawa and Sakuragi too. He was funny asl with Sakuragi. And I like that Sawakita was part of what pushed Rukawa to improving as a player (as well as Sendoh). ALL THAT AND HES GOOD LOOKING???

kiyota

He grew on me BIG time

Mf is funny asl?? Like his interactions with Sakuragi, especially when they went on that trip together?? I just know that mf is the class clown. I feel like he’s hella popular too because of how goofy he is

I feel like he’d treat a girl mad good too. Like he would be the type to make his gf’s sides hurt from laughing LMAO. And i think hed be really sweet and talk about his girl to everybody and get her gifts. He’d love me lets be fr

I like that he’s chaotic too. LIKE he gives me black airforce menace energy

sendoh

This boy is so cute and sweet i just know it

I like that he was a chill rival too. Like he was just so down to earth, he wasn’t an asshole to NOBODY (except maybe the fish). He aint insulted nobody, not rukawa, not sakuragi. He just minded his business and played basketball

His appearance had a big glow up through the series too. People like rukawa were always drawn as good looking ecen in the beginning but sendoh was drawn to be ugly?? Like he did NOT look good. But towards the end of the series, dude was honestly stunning asl. Like he needs to put me on to whoever threaded his eyebrows

Honestly he seems like such a chill person to be friends with?? He seems so open minded, i fr cant see him as the type to judge anybody or treat anybody badly. I think at his school everyone likes him for how down to earth he is (and his looks LOLLL)

Also, I really like Miyagi, Minami, Mitsui, Maki, Fukuda, Rukawa, and Haruko too, I’m not sure ill do a pt 2 tho

[honeybeap]

Godzilla vs Gigan-(1972)

director- Jun Fukuda

Grade- B

Story: 7

Action: 8

Comedy: 8

Professor: 5

Protagonist:8

Average Score : 7.2

Review hidden incase ya wanna watch yourself 💜

This movie is just the right amount of human/kaiju mix for me it has some wacky human characters that just so happened have a perfect drawing of themselves to fool the villains of the story looney tunes style, gigan is so funny to be called the title kaiju of this because hes just so hilariously pathetic especially when they had KING GHIDORA as the other antagonistic kaiju, we got a great team up of Godzilla and our bestest boy ✨ anguirus ✨ again overall this was a fun film for us to watch and would highly recommend.

[demifiendrsa]

Burn the Witch #0.8 anime - Main PV

Burn the Witch #0.8 will premiere on December 29, 2023. The new anime adapts the original pilot one-shot of Tite Kubo’s Burn the Witch manga.

NiL will perform the opening theme song "PROVE”. 

Key visual

Cast addition

Subaru Kimura as Balgo's pal Shelby

Returning cast

Asami Tano as Ninny Spangcole

Yuina Yamada as Noel Niihashi

Shimba Tsuchiya as Balgo Parks

Hiroaki Hirata as Chief

Rie Hikisaka as Osushi-chan

Staff

Director: Tatsurō Kawano

Original Creator: Tite Kubo

Character Design/Chief Animation Director: Natsuki Yamada

Script: Taku Kishimoto　

Backgrouond Art: Studio Colorido

Art Director：Kunihiko Inaba

Color Design：Miho Tanaka

3DCG Production：Peakys

CGI Director：Tomoya Nakaza

Photography: EOTA Photography Unit

Compositing Director of Photography：Hikari Fukuda　

Music：Hiroaki Tsutsumi　

Sound Director: Keiichiro Miyoshi

Animation Production: Team Yamahitsuji/ Studio Colorido

[ahb-writes]

Manga Review: 'My Dress-Up Darling' #8

My Dress-Up Darling #8 by Shinichi Fukuda, Taylor Engel

comedy

coming of age

cosplay

romance

My Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wakana may be stressing another cosplay extravaganza, but the guy has finally internalized the essential nature of collaborative work: ask for help; rely on others; express thanks; give it your all; and don't be surprised if, in the end, everyone wants to throw a huge party to celebrate. MY DRESS-UP DARLING v8 is an entertaining volume for numerous reasons, but at the manga's heart, Wakana Gojo's growth takes precedent.

Marin's school-approved cosplay as a leading character from a popular shoujo manga for the culture festival will probably cave the ceiling. But before that, Wakana has to apply some modifications to the suit, Marin needs to finalize a few details regarding costume underclothes and her posturing, and the class's food stand for "Russian Roulette Takoyaki" needs to pull its own weight. Class 1-5 is extraordinarily busy.

MY DRESS-UP DARLING v8 excels in that it deliberately expands Wakana's view of what makes good friends fundamental to good partnerships. Does the young man struggle to assemble a clothing addendum all on his lonesome? Or, in contrast, does he ask his classmates for help, using someone else's knowledge and intuition to build a better cosplay experience?

It's not easy. It's never been easy. Especially for a kid who only knows how to do things on his own. But that's part of the manga's thematic charm (and wish-fulfillment): Good people (if you can find them) will do anything to help you succeed. And so, Wakana asks a self-confident male cohort to serve as a model on which Marin can base her character's movements; he thanks a female student who shows him how to assemble a rainbow rose on a budget; and he owns up to the responsibility of fulfilling the duties assigned to him (if at the behest of a doe-eyed Marin).

The author and the creative team also deserve kudos for more earnestly filling in the gaps of the manga's secondary cast. Readers shouldn't have had to wade through eight volumes and 1,600 pages to learn the full names of Wakana and Marin's classmates. Regardless, it's good to put given and family names to many of these personalities.

Perhaps it's only appropriate that these characters' names appear in full in the volume in which Wakana seeks to thank them personally, but the information is nonetheless overdue.

The manga's art has also shifted toward simplicity. Female characters still have shimmery eyes and long and dramatic eyelashes. Marin's cosplay scenes are still given full-page focus. Wakana continues to sweat bullets when he's on the clock. However, in terms of page composition and panel utility, MY DRESS-UP DARLING v8 wields a simple but steadfastly effective approach. The creative team is much better (more efficient) at guiding the eye, for example, during soliloquies. And when multiple characters speak (in the same panel), the character blocking and bubble arrangement never conflict. Very few manga pull this off consistently, and it's a real treat to see this happen, especially in such a compelling and entertaining volume.

❯ ❯ Manga Reviews || ahb writes on Good Reads

[indzae-mayumi]

The Monkeys Of Kanagawa

(A "Slam Dunk" fanfic. "Slam Dunk" is by Inoue Takehiko)

The Kanagawa team, which comprised of 15 members, was able to reach the Top 8 spot during the autumn games. Takato-sensei took the lead as the head coach, with Taoka-sensei as the assistant coach. During the first match against Toyotama (again), it was all of Shohoku who fought against them. Akagi was called in to play despite preparing for university, but because he was no longer captain, he could play freely. Toyotama was less rougher than they were during the Interhigh, but they still relied on their run-and-gun offensive style, hoping that Shohoku would fail this time. There was no one as calm as Yasuda (although Jin was calm, but he could not play point guard), so Miyagi (being the current Shohoku team captain) did his best to calm down and not make a fuss out of the other team's rudeness. Also, it was what Takato-sensei pointed out to him during the team practices. And yet, Shohoku emerged victorious.

During the next series of games, the team was mixed up, and in the third game against Aiwa, it was Kainan pushing them towards the floor, like they did during the Interhigh. During the second to the last game, Ryota played point guard, Jin as shooting guard, Rukawa as small forward, Sendoh as the power forward (though Sakuragi was throwing a fit here because he wanted to play), and Takasago as the center (with Akagi subbing in since Uozumi left days before to really concentrate on taking over the family business). That game was against the Osaka team, and they still won despite the prowess of Tsuchiya Atsushi on court. They faced a team from Hiroshima, with Maki as PG, Mitsui as SG, Fukuda as SF, Hanagata as PF, and Akagi as center. But it was the last game, and they lost to the Hiroshima team.

Takato-sensei was a bit thankful for Fujima sometimes giving in his input during the games when he was not playing, and the two coaches realized that Fujima really had the potential to be a coach. The Shoyo team captain was indeed intelligent beyond his years, so the old coaches were wondering what in the world he was doing in high school when he could have probably built some time machine. But that was not how Fujima saw it. He saw it as an opportunity to learn more about Takato-sensei's style of coaching so he could apply it to Shoyo for the Winter Invitational in order to beat Kainan and be the prefectural representative. He had the face of an angel, but he was a cunning young man.

Takato-sensei did not know that at all, but still, he was satisfied with the performance of the team. Good thing for them though, he said, that during the most difficult battles, Akagi did not need to be subbed in by Sakuragi, who had just recuperated from his back injury. Or if Akagi did need a sub during that time and Sakuragi still wasn't fit for the hardest battles, he could have placed Takasago instead. So after the games, the old coaches, this time, with Anzai-sensei, treated all players for a lavish dinner.

The Kanagawa team also noted that Sannoh lost to another prefecture during their third game.

"It was such a pity we were not able to play against them," Taoka-sensei said to the other coaches. "That would have been fun."

"Our team would still have welcomed playing against them despite Sawakita no longer in their team. Ho-ho-ho," Anzai-sensei replied amiably.

"Why? Where is Sawakita?" Takato-sensei asked.

"He went to America," Taoka-sensei filled in for him.

****

The coaches went to Anzai-sensei's house because Anzai-sensei's wife invited them over days before. Meanwhile, the students decided when they would get together. Mitsui invited everyone to his house since his parents were on a business trip for two weeks.

"But we don't know where you live, Mitsui-san," Muto said.

"We'll meet at the half-court, then," the man on fire replied.

So, that Friday afternoon, the guys met at the half-court as planned. Jin and Fukuda, who usually weren't into these things, came because the naive them were promised they would be playing Jenga blocks. Kogure also came because Mitsui invited him, and Uozumi also came because Sendoh, Maki, and Akagi "forced" him to.

When they reached Mitsui's house, they found out that the Mitsui household had cans of beer in the fridge. Everyone knew no one among them was of legal age to drink, but it was like an unspoken secret that probably everyone of them had already tasted liquor. Mitsui said that is parents were occasional drinkers, but they kept beer so they would not have to go out often to buy. But he was appalled when Sakuragi and Miyagi, who were late, came with a bunch of bananas.

"What's with the bananas?" he asked the redhead.

"There's Boss Saru, and Gori, and Takasago, and then there's Wild Monkey," Sakuragi enumerated.

Kiyota and Takasago where about to flip because of the insinuation, but Maki said he would be eating those bananas too for his daily potassium allowance. When Sakuragi and Miyagi brought the bananas to the kitchen, Mitsui said to Kogure that Sakuragi should eat those bananas since Kiyota dubbed him as the Red Monkey. And turning to Rukawa, he asked if foxes eat bananas too.

But Rukawa shrugged and pointed at Fujima, as if telling Mitsui to ask the intelligent guy if foxes do eat bananas.

****

Indeed, there were groups already formed by the time the guys settled down.

The guys in the living room indulged in beer and snacks. Jin's group consisted of him, Muto, Kogure, Fukuda, and Hanagata, who were all competitive in building a Jenga block tower. Mitsui offered them beer, but it was the soft-spoken Kogure who excitedly took the cans so he can get wasted as much as he liked. Fukuda glared at Mitsui and said he didn't drink because he did not want to lose his discipline.

"Aw, don't be a killjoy, man," Mitsui said to Fukuda.

But Fukuda only glared even more. Mitsui thought that, as a former gang leader, he had seen every scary opponent imaginable, but no one was as scary as Fukuda, who was insistent with his own sense of decency. So, he left Fukuda alone. Meanwhile, the cute Jin was laughing and insulting Hanagata's techniques now that he was drunk, and the others (except for Muto) playing Jenga with him were stunned because Jin had always been nice. Muto sighed, saying he already knew about this because he had played with Jin for a long time. He also shared that when drunk, Jin often praised himself for being handsome.

"I didn't know that Jin-jin could drink," Fukuda said to Muto. "He's only 16 years old."

"You thought the guys here are all good guys like you?" Muto pointed out. "I started drinking secretly when I was fourteen."

While they were building Jenga towers, Fujima was sitting idly on the sofa, legs crossed, and watching the whole state of affairs. Mitsui offered him beer, and the Shoyo captain took it. But Fujima was lightweight, so by the time he finished one can, he started giggling and went straight to Hanagata, who had his turn to put in a block on the highest point of the Jenga building. As Fujima opened his arms to hug his vice captain, his left hand accidentally toppled the blocks, making Fukuda and Jin irritated at him. But most of the people who were in the living room were stunned with what they witnessed next: Fujima hugged Hanagata and planted a kiss on his cheeks, before falling to Hanagata's lap to sleep.

"Whoa, that was unexpected," Muto said to Hanagata.

"Does Fujima-san like you?" Kogure and Mitsui asked simultaneously.

Hanagata, who was also a bit tipsy, just shrugged off their question and insisted on building the Jenga tower again.

****

Rukawa saw the can that Fujima emptied earlier and tried to take a swig, but it was empty. He was on the floor, looking for more cans to drink up. He saw that Miyagi recently abandoned a can and grabbed it, thankful that there was still some contents for him to drink. He had just finished two cans of beer as well when Sendoh told him to get up and dance with him. But the kitsune only crawled away, looking for a room. He found an open door, took a peak to find it dark, and went in. He settled by the door to lie down and sleep.

"He's so odd," Sendoh said to himself when he watched Rukawa close the door.

"Hey, have some more," Mitsui invited him with a can in hand.

"Mitchi! Me too!"

"Me too!" Miyagi and Kiyota told the host.

"You two monkeys," Mitsui addressed Kiyota and Sakuragi. "Should you not both be in the kitchen?"

"Eh? Why would we be in the kitchen?" Kiyota asked the Shohoku shooting guard.

"Because you are monkeys," Mitsui said to him.

But Sakuragi and Kiyota fought over the can of beer that Mitsui was supposed to give to Sendoh, but chibi Miyagi grabbed the beer from them.

"As the draconian captain of Shohoku, I have the privilege to own this can of beer!"

"Yareyare," Sendoh smiled as he shook his head. "Do you have more cans of beer, Mitsui-san?"

"You bet!" Mitsui excited said as he went to the kitchen.

By the time he emerged, he brought in more cans of beer for Sendoh, Kiyota, and Sakuragi.

"Don't you have vitamins to take for your back pain, Red Monkey?"

"My vitamins are only during the morning," Sakuragi shot back. "So I can drink beer as much as I--," and he burped heavily because of the previously ingested beer.

Soon, Mitsui, Miyagi, Sakuragi, Kiyota, and Sendoh danced like crazy on the floor, with Kiyota accidentally kicking Kogure on the back. And once again, the Jenga building was toppled because the former Shohoku vice captain lurched towards it, making Jin and Muto groan in frustration. They had to rebuild the tower.

"Sorry Kogure-san, hyak-hyak-hyak," Kiyota laughed.

Kogure stood up, and with an unsteady gait, walked towards Kiyota, and started to raise a fist against him. Mitsui, sensing that his friend was already too drunk, told Kiyota not to kick everyone unnecessarily and dragged Kogure to his room. The host left the rest of his friends to continue their frenzied dancing.

Meanwhile, Fujima woke up, sat beside Hanagata, and took Kogure's place in playing Jenga block-building with Muto's group.

****

"I didn't know Kogure is this heavy," Mitsui muttered to himself as he helped the former vice captain to his room. "And since when did he learn to pick a fight? I was the one who slapped him before."

As they both entered the room, the two of them tumbled to the floor because Mitsui's foot hit someone else's. As they did, Kogure's glasses fell off, and Mitsui cursed at that someone blocking their way.

"Megane-kun, I'll find your glasses later."

He stood up and helped Kogure to his feet and helped him to his bed. When Kogure was settled in comfortably, Mitsui searched for his friend's glasses and placed it on his study table.

"Now, who's that culprit for making me fall on the floor?"

Mitsui walked towards the other guy sprawled on the floor. As the door was ajar, the light from outside revealed Rukawa's face. So, Rukawa had crawled inside Mitsui's room to sleep.

"Tsh! This kitsune is a headache," he said as he kicked the small forward lightly on the shin.

As Rukawa only snored and did not move, Mitsui went out of his room silently, closed the door, and joined Sendoh, Miyagi, and the two monkeys who were already dancing.

****

Maki, Akagi, Uozumi, and Takasago were busy peeling the bananas and asking one another what recipe went well with bananas. Takasago also asked Uozumi if bananas can be used in sushi, but he earned a glare from the sushi chef.

"While the others are having a drunken spree, let's have a banana-eating competition," Maki announced.

"Why is Sakuragi bringing lots of bananas? He is insulting me," Akagi said, his face distorting into a gorilla.

And from the living room, they could hear Jin shouting that he was worldwide handsome, and laughed with a laughter that sounded like the windshield wiper. They could hear Miyagi disagreeing, saying that Jin had never been handsome.

"Sigh, let's just eat all these bananas," Takasago said.

"Can we pair bananas with beer?" Uozumi asked, his face distorting into an ape.

"I'd love to. Mitsui has lots of beer in the fridge. But we need to eat all these bananas," Maki said wearily. "Matter occupies space and has mass, you know?"

"Let's bring the culprit here and make him join us in eating all these bananas," Akagi suggested.

So Maki got up and found Sakuragi and Kiyota already too drunk and laughing like fools. Sendoh and Miyagi protested when Maki took the two smaller monkeys by the collars of their shirts to bring them to the kitchen.

"Maki-san! Why are you carrying me like this?" protested Kiyota before burping loudly.

"This redhead monkey calls me an old man, but I have to be with the other primates just to eat bananas. And you," emphasizing the two of them, "Are also primates who should eat the bananas with us."

Sakuragi only grinned widely, not minding that Maki was bringing him to the kitchen. Once the Kainan captain reached the kitchen, the other "primates" laughed at the sorry state of the two young monkeys.

"The redhead calls us monkeys, but look at who's the monkey instead," Uozumi sneered.

"What are the others doing?" Akagi asked.

"Making a mess," Maki replied. "Sendoh just took off his shirt and whirled it around in drunken euphoria. And he has no abs."

"What's with the 'no abs' comment?" Takasago asked the captain.

"You know that I have abs," Maki reminded his vice captain.

From the kitchen, the others could already hear Mitsui and Miyagi rapping and singing, and another voice that sounded like Fukuda telling them to shut up.

"Fukuda does not know how to chill," Uozumi said as he helped Maki let the two younger monkeys sit with them.

"Oi, Boss Saru," Sakuragi drawled as he looked at Uozumi. "Why should we eat bananas with you? I bought them all just for the three of you."

Takasago frowned at the insinuation again. Maki knuckled Sakuragi on the head for insulting his vice captain.

"Now!" Akagi bellowed like a gorilla at the two freshmen. "You two should eat bananas with us!"

"Where's Rukawa?" Uozumi suddenly asked.

"Probably asleep somewhere," Akagi said. "That kid can sleep anytime and anywhere."

"Do foxes eat bananas?" Sakuragi drawled.

"The heck would I know?" Akagi shot back at him. "As someone who calls his team mate a 'fox,' you should have an idea if foxes eat bananas too."

"Who is the fox?" Maki asked innocently.

"That Rukawa!" Sakuragi growled.

"He is a fox?" Kiyota asked in his drunken state.

"Yes," Akagi said. "Sakuragi gives names to everyone who interests or annoys him."

Maki took his place beside his vice captain and started distributing the bananas on the plates that Uozumi had placed on the table. And because it seemed like there were more than six bananas per plate, Sakuragi complained why there were lots of bananas for him to eat.

"It's your fault. You bought all of these," Akagi informed him. "So be ready to suffer with us and eat these bananas!"

The six of them started eating the bananas, but Kiyota and Sakuragi treated it like a competition. They also tried to grab the plates from Maki and his vice captain.

And coincidentally, Fukuda entered the kitchen, looking for something to drink.

"Care to eat bananas with us, Fukusuke?" Sakuragi asked.

Fukuda frowned. "No thanks. I am here to drink water, not to be the caretaker of a zoo."

The rest of the guys in the kitchen glared at him for insinuating that they were all primates in the zoo. As the guy who didn't care, Fukuda continued drinking water, then left the used glass on the sink before going back to the living room to continue playing Jenga with the others.

"Damn that Fukusuke did not even wash the glass," Sakuragi murmured.

"I guess we can drink Mitsui's beer since there are only a few bananas for us," Maki said in anticipation.

Soon, Sakuragi and Kiyota stole the plates from the other people with them in the kitchen. They competed as to who could eat the most number of bananas. Each monkey really wanted to outdo the other monkey.

Maki was happy that he was able to eat at least one banana for his potassium allowance for the day. Meanwhile, Takasago, Akagi, and Uozumi were silently happy that they did not get to finish eating the bananas that Sakuragi bought. They were free from being associated with primates for the time being.

The only sad thing that the seniors realized was that there was no more beer in the fridge when Uozumi checked. They just have to rely on the snacks inside the fridge instead.

As the two warring freshmen where eating bananas, Muto came in the kitchen to drink water. He saw the two forwards competing against the most number of bananas.

"If I were to put up a business," he started as he grabbed a new glass. "I will not want to open up a zoo. It must be tiring!"

Akagi growled at him, his face distorted into a gorilla again, "Are you insinuating that I am a gorilla?"

"Well, I'm talking about those two," Muto said about Kiyota and Sakuragi.

After Muto left, Kiyota coughed because he choked on a banana. Maki had to hit him on the back so he could breathe properly.

"Nyahahahah!!!! I won, Wild Monkey!"

"But you still have banana on your plate!"

"It's your plate!" Sakuragi said, though he switched his plate with Kiyota.

"He cheated!" Uozumi told Kiyota.

"Grr!!! Boss Saru!"

Sakuragi was forced to take the plate from Kiyota and finish the banana. It was Kiyota who won the banana-eating competition.

"Let's not do this again," Takasago said after seeing his teammate choking on a banana.

"If we gather again like this and Sakuragi brings in more bananas, we have to let him eat all of it," Akagi suggested.

"Agree," all the seniors remarked.

"Gori!" Sakuragi cried in protest.

****

The first thing that made Mitsui wake up in the morning was Kogure's scream.

He immediately got up and realized that he had crawled on his bed and settled next to the wall so that Kogure would be at the edge of the bed. He thought Kogure fell off, but he didn't expect the thing that made Kogure upset.

"What's wrong? Did you suddenly realized you needed to be home last night?"

Kogure turned around, and Mitsui saw a flush on the other man's cheeks.

"What do you mean? You invited me, remember?" Kogure asked in panic. "What happened is, these are not my glasses! By the way, why am I here? Whose room is this?"

"My room," Mitsui said. When he noticed the blush on Kogure's face again, he rejoined. "I brought you here because you almost picked a fight with Kiyota for kicking you."

"Arghh, darn that wild monkey," Kogure muttered. "No wonder my back seemed sore."

Kogure stumbled off the bed, and stumbled again because Rukawa was still sleeping soundly on the floor. Mitsui watched as the former vice captain went out of the room to look for his glasses. He sat there on bed for a while, clutching his head. He had drunk a lot, and his parents would kill him if they knew their son drank a lot of beer with his friends when they were not of legal age.

"Uh, what can cure a hangover?" he asked himself.

Despite the earlier commotion, Rukawa was still sound asleep.

****

Kogure saw a lot of people lying on the floor of the Mitsui household's living room. The Jenga blocks were all over the table. Jin was snoring loudly while sitting down by the corner. Muto was lying on his side, snoring as well. Hanagata and Fujima were lying side by side, kicking each other's legs. Miyagi, Sakuragi, Kiyota, and Sendoh were on the floor, arms and legs tangled like disorganized cables. He also saw Akagi, Maki, and Takasago lying on the floor like cats who were contented because their owner is nice.

"Ugh, where are my gla--" he asked himself when he saw his glasses on top of some of the Jenga blocks.

He took off the glasses he was wearing and remembered that he and Hanagata switched glasses last night for fun. He put the glasses on top of the blocks and retrieved his. And that was when he realized that there were sounds of utensils from the kitchen, and a savory aroma as well.

He followed the source of the amazing morning surprise to the kitchen and saw Uozumi and Fukuda cooking breakfast.

"Ohayou," Fukuda greeted the former vice captain glumly and casually.

"You awake now, Kogure-san?" Uozumi asked Kogure.

Kogure was astounded by the number of dishes that the two had prepared. There was already rice, side dishes, eggs, sausages, miso soup, and broiled fish.

"Mitsui is loaded," Uozumi remarked happily. "You have no idea how I felt last night when I saw that the fridge has lots of ingredients for cooking."

"And because we both did not drink, we decided to wake up early to cook breakfast for everyone," Fukuda said.

"Ah, arigatou, minnasan," Kogure remarked shyly. "Though I should not be the one saying this because I am not the host."

"You all were rowdy last night," Uozumi said. "And you guys from the living room hoarded all the beer, while we here in the kitchen had to peel all the bananas and wonder how we could finish all of it since Sakuragi bought a lot of bananas for us who he deemed as primates."

"Uh, sorry about that," a voice piped up behind Kogure.

It was Mitsui. He was apologetic that there was not enough beer to satiate even the seniors in the kitchen and had to deal with all the bananas. But when he saw the breakfast that the two Ryonan players made, he gaped.

"Breakfast made by the sushi chef Uozumi?" Mitsui asked as he fell to the floor to give him a bow. "I am so honored!"

"Stop that," Uozumi said. "It's just me."

"You all better clean the house and wash the dishes, hmph!" Fukuda said icily.

Mitsui frowned. How dare this ugly guy boss him around in his own parents' house!

****

Breakfast was merry. The dining table could not accommodate everyone, but they made the most of what was there. The ones who took the VIP seats in the kitchen were Maki, Akagi, Uozumi, Takasago, Fukuda, since he helped cook, and Mitsui, since he was the host.

The others, meanwhile, were in the living room, eating. They temporarily kicked away all the cans on the floor to make way for them. Muto and Hanagata were busy talking about more Jenga block-building strategies. Fujima was poking Rukawa's face to make him wake up and eat before Sendoh shook the sleeping kitsune's shoulders violently. Jin, Miyagi, and Kogure discussed some basketball strategies, while Kiyota and Sakuragi continued their bickering from last night.

After breakfast, Uozumi and Fukuda lounged at the comfortable veranda of the Mitsui household. Maki, Akagi, and Takasago, and Muto took charge of cleaning the kitchen and washing the dishes. Rukawa offered to clean Mitsui's bedroom, while the rest were tasked to clean the entire living room and get rid of all the cans of beer. Mitsui told Kogure he had to bow to his parents when they get home and admit that he and his friends drank all the beer from the fridge.

"Let's not do this anymore," Fujima muttered.

"What do you mean?" Jin, who was back to his nice boy aura, asked.

"Being drunk? Or kissing Hanagata-san on the cheeks?" Miyagi teased.

The revelation felt like cold water splashed on Fujima's cheeks. Hanagata saw that his captain was blushing extremely hard upon hearing it, and he knew that when Fujima got angry, he would usually be sarcastic. And it would be difficult to decipher if he was really angry because he still smiled.

"Being drunk, of course!" the Shoyo captain complained. He was too embarrassed, and he did not smile. But he did not notice the smile on his vice captain's face.

"After this, let's all go home and sleep," Kiyota suggested. "I don't want to do anything today."

For the first time, Sakuragi agreed with him. Miyagi suggested that they can bond again tomorrow at the half-court and play ball, but only Sendoh declined, stating that Koshino invited him for an event. Fujima deemed it was good to have all the guys gathered to have fun after the autumn games because they would be rivals again for those who would take part of the Winter Invitational.

"I suggest that we do this often," Miyagi suggested. "We are bound by the love of one sport."

"I agree!!!!" Sakuragi replied. "Nyahahahaha!!!!"

"But you will be preparing for the university entrance exams, ne, Kogure-san?" Jin asked.

"Yes, but it would not hurt to bond with you guys," Megane-kun said. "It was fun."

****

Maki and Akagi decided to take out the trash bags filled with beer, cringing that those who knew they were high schoolers might recognize them and chide them for breaking the law. But when they went out to take out the trash, a young child asked them to help him also put in the trash bag in the big trash box. However, Akagi and Maki wanted to cry out loud because the child called them as "Oji-san." Another neighbor of the Mitsuis saw them and greeted them merrily, saying how proud their wives must have been to have diligent husbands. Akagi wanted to explode, but Maki only greeted him politely. Both of them wanted to cry because people seemed to think they were too old for their age when they're only both seventeen years old.

When they went back to the house, they told Uozumi what happened by the trash bin, and Uozumi cried. He too, had been called "Oji-san" by a customer because of how he looked. Fukuda's suggestion did not help the three either. The Ryonan power forward suggested that the three of them can go and buy the beer to replace the ones that everyone else drank last night. With that, Uozumi knuckled Fukuda's head for the first time.

"How unfair!" Akagi shouted, his face distorted into a gorilla again. "Why should we buy when we never got to drink a single drop?"

Maki and Uozumi agreed.

****

Once the house was clean, everyone started bidding each other goodbye. As they started leaving the Mitsui house, the guys talked in animated voices because they had a lot of fun. Mitsui stood by the doorpost, arms crossed. He let out a smile on his face. Once he will enter university, if ever he did, he will miss everyone.

The rest of them (except for Uozumi and those who did not drink) slept the whole morning. But while Uozumi went to work for his father, Akagi and Kogure went back to studying for their college entrance exams. As it was a nice Saturday, that afternoon, the others who met each other randomly at the streets hung out together. Rukawa and Sendoh continued playing ball, while Jin and Fukuda went to a local temple. Miyagi joined Sakuragi and his gundan. Maki and Takasago went to a local fair with Kiyota, while Muto went to do groceries for his mother and met Mitsui at the same place. Hanagata hung out by himself by the beach, watching local boys playing basketball. Meanwhile, Fujima was busy jotting down everything he had learned so far from Takato-sensei, formulating a fool-proof plan that would topple Kainan, Ryonan, and Shohoku in the winter games.

The next day, most of the guys who were there at the party met at the half court. Akagi and Kogure still did not arrive because of their preparation for the university exams. Muto and Takasago did not arrive because they were tired. Jin and Fukuda also did not arrive because they met with their middle school friends who were also scouted by different sports teams in Kanagawa. And as usual, Uozumi could not go because he was working. So, Miyagi, Mitsui, Sakuragi, and Rukawa arrived first. Maki, Fujima, and Hanagata arrived later as they met each other at a convenience store. Kiyota came running, thinking he was late for the fun. Sakuragi laughed at the wild monkey, who retaliated with a round of insults for the red monkey. They started playing ball when Maki appeased the two freshmen. In the middle of the game, Sendoh came with Koshino, for they escaped early the event which the two attended.

"Konnichiwa, Koshino-san," Miyagi greeted the other sophomore.

"Konnichiwa," Koshino greeted back. "This is my first time hanging out with you guys."

"The basketball world here in Kanagawa is small," Maki told the sophomore. "You should hang out and be friends even if you will all be rivals on court."

"That's right," Hanagata told the younger friends.

"I'm glad you are able to make it, Sendoh," Mitsui said.

"Yeah. Koshino invited me to their family event because he introduced me to his cousin," Sendoh said before he acknowledged Rukawa with a nod.

Rukawa only nodded back.

"Bahh, family events are mostly boring," Koshino muttered. "The elders always asked us whether we have lovers. I introduced my cousin to Sendoh so that they will stop asking my cousin if she has a boyfriend."

"I learned that she likes me," Sendoh said bashfully as he rubbed his nape. He knew many girls liked him, but he didn't have a close encounter with one who actually liked him.

"Lucky you," Maki replied. "I wish a girl would ask me too."

"Jaa, now that we are all here, shall we continue?" Miyagi asked.

"That we shall! And I shall show everyone the power of the tensai. Nyahahahahah!!!!" Sakuragi bragged again.

"Do-ahou," came Rukawa's remark.

"Shadap, Red Monkey!" came Kiyota.

"Nandato??" Sakuragi screamed.

The other friends did not pull the three freshmen apart as they started quarreling again. The rest played ball as planned. It was rowdy, but they had fun.

Not only were monkeys animals who ate bananas. Monkeys were also the guys who made fools of themselves and didn't give a damn. In fact, there were lots of monkeys in Kanagawa. In basketball teams, the guys could become the silly monkeys both off-court and on-court. The guys made the most out of this day because tomorrow, they'll go back to being rivals.

--end--

[espectres]

CHARACTER INFO SHEET.

NAME: Suzuki Shou. 鈴木将。

NAME MEANING: 鈴 ; bell. 木 ; tree/wood. 将 ; leader/highest commander. 

ALIAS: Leader; given to him by his lackeys, pronounced in english, in katakana. 

ETHNICITY: mixed white/asian (japanese.).

THREE HEADCANONS YOU’VE NEVER TOLD ANYONE:

☆ > Shou took out an entire Claw division not long before the 7th division was destroyed, the details are interesting. 

☆ > Shou, for the most part, has a good head on his shoulders, he can figure out difficult situations, he can't be tricked with ease, he can keep his cool and his mind gearing through stress. But he is also quite the forgetful person, and has troubles concentrating and a tendency of zoning out when his guard is down. It's a mix between his nature and the effects of insomnia. Cue to education problems. 

☆ > This one is a little less personal, but Shou starts school after the first winter break after Claw is disbanded, a couple months before the events of confession arc. It sits things nicely in my brain I hope you can see my vision. 

THREE THINGS YOUR CHARACTER LIKES DOING IN THEIR FREE TIME:

Taking care of his hamsters, sketching whenever he has the chance, and after Claw gets disbanded he gets a severe case of wanderlust. He didn't have a lot of free time, back then. Despite traveling a lot, it was all for organization purposes, so it's no wonder he wants to explore a lot of places on his own, without anyone bossing him around.

SIX PEOPLE YOUR CHARACTER LIKES/LOVES:

♡ > Toichiro: that's his father, yes he might have been a neglectful, abusive and downright terrible father, but between the monster and the self-proclaimed world dominator and terrorist boss- he was family and good, at some point, and even now he's working to change and become better. And Shou loved him, still loves him, despite everything. ( yes, love can exist in an abusive relationship, no, it doesn't make the abuse any less terrible. )

♡ > Natsumi: Shou's mother! Although their relationship got strained by years of estrangement and lies, Shou recognizes how much his mother is trying to mend and do her best for his sake, and she really is trying her best, dealing with the aftermath of Claw and all the legal issues and stress while beginning to truly know who her son is and love him fully, powers and complicated past and difficult traits all together. 

♡ > Fukuda: Shou's "babysitter" ever since he was 10 going 11, he took care of Shou throughout some of the most difficult times of his days in Claw, healing his injuries and keeping him company and looking after his health when Shou's father was away traveling and his mother was nowhere to be found. Even trying to teach him whatever education he missed ( despite eventually giving up ). Shou & Fukuda share a very strong bond, but there are times when their personalities clash and their differences get between establishing something unbreakable.

♡ > Higashio: The last addition to Shou's resistance team. Despite not having been around since long, his collected attitude and absent-minded wisdom made him so much of a teacher to Shou, with the lessons being on life in general and a whole lot of street smarts and high culture. Higashio may not have been the strongest psychic out there, but he has Shou impressed more often than not with the simplest of things.

♡ > Ritsu: RITSU !!! Shou's first friend, Shou's best friend, his ride or die, his person his special guy!!!!!!! What they have is beyond your comprehension.

♡ > Ootsuki: First assigned as a bodyguard slash "attack dog" for Shou by his father, the two didn't get along so well at the beginning, with how Ootsuki's time at Claw was especially difficult and all the resentment he held to the Suzuki name. Eventually, Ootsuki began to see Shou for his own admirable person and not just a spawn of the Claw boss. And being the youngest in Shou's resistance team, they understood each other best, made a pretty strong and well coordinated duo in fights, too. 

TWO THINGS YOUR CHARACTER REGRETS:

> Not having acted sooner before his father's plan started.

> Acting against his father ... to begin with. Shou would never admit that to anyone ( sometimes not even himself ), but there are times when he sees himself and others he cared for struggling to live after Claw is done, and it all comes down to him and his resistance.

TWO PHOBIAS YOUR CHARACTER HAS: 

Agoraphobia ( trapped; helpless; panicked; embarrassed; scared. ) , Pyrophobia ( fire/burns ).