#testing mirai

[multi-musemenagerie]

Mirai arrived at the restaurant precisely on time and glanced at his watch briefly before looking around for his dinner companion. Some of his closer acquaintances at his agency had made remarks he had been working too hard and too long of hours, that he needed a night off to relax.

There was no reason to deny their concerns, so he complied. He couldn't think of a better way to unwind than catching up with his closest friend. It had been... awhile, unfortunately, since they had last really been able to spend some time together, and he was honestly looking forward to it.

Shifting focus, he checked in at the front desk and waited patiently as the head of house got their table ready.

@yagismiles

[truly-quirkless]

[@frogsonalotusleaf | From here!]

Yagi nearly flinched at that mention- an awkward half-smile crossing his face. Yeah,- he'd never been one for paperwork, not when it came to Hero business. Even at his agency, there were others under him who filed most of his reports.- But he had slowly been forced to take on more and more files and sortings, until it had become an every-day task, these past few months...

Being a teacher really was something else.

His smile fell, however, at the utterance of him 'trying harder'. That was what he'd done for so many years- but now, when all he could do was follow a doctor's instructions and hope it kept him alive...his old friend wanted him to do more. He exhaled softly. I'm not that strong, anymore.-- It was something he was slowly coming to grips with.

"...I can't." It sounded like an excuse- but it didn't ring any less true. What he had- what was left- was a delicate balance. He was trying to gain back some form of strength...what little remained...but he couldn't gain back some things. I can't be All Might anymore. The strain was too much. Even just looking like the old Hero for more than a second was enough to cause bloody coughing fits...

I can't be the Hero you want me to be, Nighteye.

"A soup doesn't need to have solids, but...if you're sure." He wouldn't push the issue. As much as Yagi wanted to help...he knew that (at least, personally) he would resist the aid of others if it was offered...and he had no doubt Nighteye would resist his.-- He sighed under his breath. The blond didn't have much he could do, and it seemed both of them were dancing the old subject. Maybe...it would just heal, on its own. Over time...those years apart might fade, but he worried.

Even his attempt at bringing it up had failed. It seemed Nighteye was rather intent on his personal life. Been there, he thought. When he'd been hospitalized- and for a long time after- he'd done everything he could to avoid anything down-putting. But the two would have to circle back to the original topic eventually.

"Well...they definitely joke a lot- though I don't think you'd care for their...style..." Toshinori rested his hand on his chin, thumb pressed slightly against his cheek, his fingers splayed out slightly along the other. "...they're scrappy, and can handle themself in a fight. The first night we met, they actually attacked some would-be robbers with a cookie tin..." He chuckled slightly at the memory.

"...they always seem to know how to make their coworkers smile, and I've seen them chatting with some of the ki--- students.-- Young Midoriya actually took a bit of a shining to them." He grinned. It was nice that his successor and his soulmate could get along. "Though they're really anxious when it comes to the general public..."

He wondered if it was okay to be saying that when Fin was on the same floor- but he doubted they wouldn't give him and Nighteye some privacy.

"I actually asked them to come with,...if you want to meet them." More to keep him company, though thinking about it...he probably shouldn't have invited them while he was speaking to Mirai. But, what was done was done.

[yamada-ryo]

Captain Bright was 19 in 0079?? And he calls Amuro a kid????

[yuricharisma]

[seasnailfish]

mirai wanting to go on a stroll with her close friend and her cat while berry tries so hard to be normal™ and calm herself to not let the gay in her win

[grislyintentions]

Glory to the Shogun and her Everlasting Rump

BLASPHEMER

@princepsstellas

[banzaitaka]

Hello! I was wondering if you could write some fluff for Dr stone please?

Could you write about Ryusui and Tsukasa ( separately) making reader ( gn please?) Cry of worry for them?

They are both a bit crazy, tsukasa fighting anything and Ryusui just diving in any adventure would make me worried sick, specially if they became stone again or something.

I hope I made sense! Thank you!!

[I forgot you said “fluff“, oops. I dunno how to make that fluffy, I‘m sorry edfgieoigj These are just the moments (Y/N) is worrying. So hurt, no comfortish (there is some comfort from other characters). I wanted to focus on the turmoil itself, so for the comfort you can imagine anything fitting with the storyline]

Characters: Tsukasa Shishio, Ryusui Nanami

No pronouns, gendered terms or description of body used for reader.

Spoilers for season 2 & Special 2 - Ryusui

Dr. Stone_Masterlist

Worrisome

Tsukasa Shishio

You didn’t move from your seat near the cave. You couldn’t. The sheer amount of stress made your body shut down as a defense mechanism. You felt dizzy. Your mind was numb. The situation was just so utterly unbelievable. There was just no way. Just when everything started to light up.

Mirai was sitting besides you, letting you hold her to your side as she cried, her voice being muffled by your clothes.

After years, Mirai finally woke up. After months, the Empire and Kingdom of Science were at peace. There was no reason to fear the other party anymore. And how long did that last? Hours? Minutes?

Tsukasa’s wound was fatal, so Senku decided to essentially kill him himself by freezing him up like leftovers. To save him, sure. But he is dead. Tsukasa, your boyfriend, is dead. For however long, he wouldn’t be there. Wouldn’t be there to hold you, to assure you, make new memories with his sister he has missed so much for forever.

You were scared. So scared. What if Senku’s plan didn’t work? What if everything went downhill from here on out? What if Homura and Hyoga escaped and went on a killing spree?

It was all so scary to think about, you nearly went crazy. Mirai was the only thing keeping you sane, she didn’t know you, but she knew how important you were to her brother. And thus you were important to her too. And the same the other way around.

You pulled her a little closer and rubbed her shoulder, as you were at a loss for words to comfort her. That was when Senku emerged from the cave where it happened. His expression wasn’t much different from yours, but there was a certain determination twinkling in his eyes. As he stepped closer, you noticed him carry something. It was the lion’s fur Tsukasa had draped over his shoulders before making peace with the Kingdom of Science.

Wordlessly, he paused infront of you two and wrapped both of you up in it.

“It’s cold.”, he said after a beat of silence, “I’ll bring him back. And that’s a fact.”

Ryusui Nanami

Your eyebrows were already furrowed when Ryusui ended up being one of the three to test the hot air balloon. Sure, you trusted in Senku’s abilities - you’ve seen what that mind of his can accomplish - but there was still room for unexpected errors. Errors that could lead to very horrible things you did not want to think about. Regardless, that adventure addicted man never missed out on a chance to make you age an additional ten years with his antics.

And as much as you would love to smile lovingly into the distance and say you wouldn’t have it any other way- Well, you couldn’t. You didn’t dare take away such a significant chunk of who he was, but you’d still appreciated it if he would slow down every now and then.

That poor heart of yours was on the brink of explosion almost every single day.

If only that stupid, stupid man wasn’t the love of your life.

For the nth time you looked up into the sky, in the direction the hot air balloon took off in. The stress was messing so hard with your brain you would constantly stop in the middle of your tasks, “Must be a real ain p-ay to deal with, huh?”, Gen appeared on your side, a half-amused, half-sympathetic look on his face. You shared eye-contact for a moment, before humming and looking back into the distance. He followed your gaze, “They’re all going to make it there safely. Senku wouldn’t have it any other way. And that man of yours doesn’t seem like the type to die easily.”, he tried to comfort you.

In return, you offer a sad smile, “Yeah, you’re right. He always comes back to me.”, you pause with a shaky breath, trying to surpress the tears that only seem to dwell up when you talk about your fear, “But…There can always be something.”

“Gen! We need your help over here!”

Nodding in understanding, you urged him to go see what’s up, assuring him you’ll be fine in time. As soon as he left, you let yourself sink to the ground, pulling your knees to your chest. The bustling noise in the distance started to feel like static, leaving you alone in an unbearable silence. Or were you too deep in your own head to hear anything? Either way, it started eating at you. Gnawing on your heart and mind.

You didn’t notice the tears at first. Only when the hiccups began did you realise you were crying.

That dumb, dumb, idiot.

[dellalyra]

Hi! Do you remember in the "Family formations" part "Kind" Megumi said that he hopes his future partner will be kind. Imagine when Megumi and Yuji finally start dating, reader will tell Megumi that he found the perfect partner, because he is very kind, like Megumi wanted. I think about it and this is soo cute! (actually I requested it like a week ago by anonymous, but I'm pretty sure something is wrong with my anonymous function. But if you already got it, I'm so sorry, I just wanted to make sure)

“I’ll do this dishes!” Yuuji clambers off his chair at the dining table, gathering all plates and silverware at once before you could even protest.

“Ya know, if sorcery doesn’t work out then you’d make one hell of a waiter.” Satoru laughs from beside you.

Megumi moves to stand and help his boyfriend, but is quickly shoved back down with a warning to stay with his parents.

Three and a half year old Akio is sitting on his boosted chair, more pasta on his face than in his tummy and your 5 month old baby girl, Mirai is cuddled on her father’s lap as she suckles on a bottle before bedtime.

You can hear the dishwasher being loaded, with a soft humming and the occasional muttered word from Yuuji to your cat who is presumably receiving clandestine leftovers.

Megumi is looking at him through the kitchen door, and the soft lamplight shines on his sharp features - making his beautiful eyes look like the greenest emeralds and casting shadows from his long lashes. The look on his face - you’ve seen that look.

That contentment, the adoration, respect and gratitude mixed with amusement and amazement.

You’ve seen that look before.

In your husband’s face, when he looks at you.

That’s the look of real love, the true kind.

It’s the look you give your Satoru, too.

Many years ago, one night when you were barely 21 and the kids only small children - you remember them witnessing the aftermath of a gripping nightmare that had you reliving the loss (albeit, temporary) of the love of your life. You remember them both crawling into bed beside you - and speaking of the love they hoped to find. A blueprint set for them, tried and tested, in the couple who raised them. The plan and image of a love for the ages, a ride-or-die devotion and marriage of soulmates.

You remember your little Tsumiki - hoping for a prince, or a king. A fairytale to sweep her off her feet.

Megumi - his was so simple it shook you to your core. When asked what he wanted in the one he loved, the then 6 year old only listed one thing.

He wanted his love to be kind.

In the moment you sat there, both sons and baby daughter, your lover of 14 years and future son-in-law in the kitchen you know the wish came true.

The innocent wish of a 6 year old boy for his future love to be a kind one.

The stars listened that night.

“He’s kind.” You say, soft and almost reverent.

“Huh?” The black haired young man tilts his head in confusion.

“Yuuji.” You nod your head toward the kitchen.

“You’re only realising this after 4 years of knowing him…?” Megumi raises an eyebrow.

The cogs seem to click into place in Satoru’s head as he looks at you - then toward the boy. He remembers too, he looks at you smiling before tossing his head back in a melodic laugh that’s soothed your aching body since you were 16.

“When you were 6, you came with ‘Miki into our room in the middle of the night after hearing me crying out from a nightmare. The nightmare was about the day your dad was - was stabbed.” You begin, watching as Megumi takes Mirai from Satoru’s arms and you’re immediately pulled into your husbands lap as Akio runs off to play in the playroom.

“Okay…?” Megumi asks, his little sister absentmindedly chewing on his fingers.

“I explained why losing someone I loved as much as I love your dad left deep scars on me, and Tsumiki began talking about what she wanted in a future lover. She said she wanted a king or a prince, someone who treated her how ‘Toru treats me.” The boy nods, remembering the night.

“Do you remember what you said, kid?” Satoru asks, absentmindedly tracing patterns into the flesh of your hips through your jeans.

Megumi furrows his brow in thought, deep consideration required for memories from so long ago.

Then it hits.

A small smile, barely noticeable graces his proud features as he looks at the table.

“Kind.” He whispers.

“Hey - sensei! Can cats have broccoli?” A pink head pokes out around the kitchen archway.

“You feeding that cat extra? No wonder he’s so damn fat.” Satoru exclaims. He had tried to get Yuuji to stop calling him Sensei many times - to no avail.

“Yeah, Yuuji - Grumpy George can have some broccoli.” You laugh out.

“Sensei! Don’t say that! He might hear you and broccoli is a vegetable, it’s one of his five a day!” Yuuji shouts back before you hear muttering of ‘here you go, sir - some broccoli - oh, very yummy, nom nom nom.’

The look is back on his face.

Megumi’s face.

That look.

You briefly wonder if his birth parents had something to do with sending their blessing an angel, and you’re so grateful if they did.

“Kind.” Megumi mutters, stronger this time - sure in his voice and proud of his boy.

pixie says: I loved this so much because when I wrote ‘Kind’ originally I wrote it specifically with Yuuji in mind when Megumi says he wants someone kind and when I said for Tsumiki she wanted a king - it was a nod to Yoruzu loving Sukuna. I cannot BELIEVE someone picked up on this and it’s made me beyond happy.

[scarecrowofthefields]

Kakashi Appearances in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations

I couldn’t find a list of all the episodes where Kakashi made an appearance in Boruto: NNG so I decided to make my own. Not sure how many people still care about Boruto: NNG, hopefully it’ll save people the headache that I had scouring through 293 episodes just for this retired man

updated: October 24th 2024

Key:

episode number - episode title

no asterisks = one scene

** = two scenes or more

*** = kakashi-centric

13 - A Demon Beast Appears***

Kakashi's debut in Boruto! Not only that, he showcases a new Lightning Style: Purple Lightning in place of Chidori after he lost the Mangekyo Sharingan at the end of the Fourth Great Ninja War

18 - A Day in the Life of the Uzumaki Family**

It's Inauguration Day of the Seventh Hokage, Kakashi leads the ceremony and presents Naruto as the new Hokage Kakashi does a silly distressed laugh in "The Day Naruto Became Hokage" OVA

20 - The Boy with the Sharingan

He receives a phone call from Naruto while he's on holiday at a hot spring

35 - The Parent Teacher Conference! ***

Kakashi disguises himself as "Sukea" and interviews the students before they take their academy graduation exams

36 - The Graduation Exam Begins! ***

The students are faced with the practical exam and discover Kakashi as the test proctor

37 - A Shinobi's Resolve ***

Kakashi tests the student's motivation as future shinobi

55 - The Scientific Ninja Tool

He attends a private meeting with Naruto and Shikamaru about the purpose of the White Zetsu and Sasuke's reports about the Otsutsuki

62 - The Otsutsuki Invasion**

Kakshi's spotted watching the Chunnin Exam finals with Guy, Konohamaru, Moegi, Udon, and Iruka. The stadium is attacked by the Otsutsuki clan, he helps to evacuate the arena

63 - Sasuke's Secret Weapon

He assures Sasuke he'll take care of everything (watching over Sarada) and wishes him the best in returning Naruto back alive

71 - The Hardest Rock in the World**

He has a delicate nature when it comes to things, like peeling an orange

72 - Mitsuki's Will**

Kakashi and other advisors discuss Mitsuki's disappearance

73 - The Other Side of the Moon

As the Council criticizes Naruto's reckless decision, Kakashi believes in him and reminds the Council they are there to guide the Hokage

87 - The Sensation of Living

Kakashi and Tsunade are sent to meet with the other Great Villages to gather support to engage in Iwagakure affairs

95 - Tactics for Getting Along with Your Daughter **

He tries to help Sasuke understand his daughter's feelings using Icha-Icha Tactics as a reference

106 - The Steam Ninja Scrolls: The S-Rank Mission ***

It's time for a well-earned vacation, Kakashi and Guy set off for the Land of Steam with Mirai as a bodyguard

107 - The Steam Ninja Scrolls: The Dog and Cat War! ***

In the Land of Steam, the group discovers there's an annual festival in town

108 - The Steam Ninja Scrolls: The Haunted Inn! ***

The group takes a stop at a haunted inn and runs into Tenten

109 - The Steam Ninja Scrolls: Potato Chips and the Giant Boulder! **

A giant boulder has crushed a popular local hot springs, putting a holt on their trip

111 - The Steam Ninja Scrolls: Mirai's King ***

Kakashi and Guy finds Mirai and the missing girls, they provide backup as Mirai goes after the follower of Jashin Episode 110 doesn't feature Kakashi but it's important to the story arc, ngl thought he was in it lol

115 - Team 25 ***

He disguises himself as "Sukea" once more to investigate the complaints Team 25 has been getting. We get to learn more about Houki who idolizes Kakashi

167 - Their Decision

He does a sneeze at the end of the episode. Please watch it

168 - Training Begins! ***

Reluctant at first, but he later oversees Boruto's training

169 - A Joint Mission with the Sand

Kakashi tells Boruto that he has reached the limit with his Wind Style: Rasengan

170 - A New Rasengan **

Seeing Boruto's training is coming along well, he calls in a favor

171 - The Results of Training **

He's impressed with the outcome of Boruto's training and tests it out using the most effective method

172 - A Signature of Fear

Kakashi greets Boruto in the hospital and orders him to not use Compressed Rasengan recklessly

176 - Blockade the A-Un Gate! **

He caught a fish!!

211 - The Chase ***

He teams up with new gen Team 10 in tracking down an intruder who broke into the archives

260 - Fireworks of Love ***

Kakashi goes on a "mission" with Boruto to solve a Tragedy of Love in order to obtain a first edition copy of Icha Icha

282 - Sasuke's Story: Infiltration **

He becomes a tutor to Nanara, a prince of the Land of Redaku who was sent to Nagare Village since he was too young to rule. Kakashi takes this opportunity to teach him how to read and write. In a later scene, he sneaks into the King's study in search of a book of the Sage of Six Paths

286 - Sasuke's Story: The Ring

Kakashi makes fun of Naruto for being "thankless" about the work he did in the Land of Redaku

In the background / No lines

78 - Everyone's Motives

178 - Our Fathers' Example

215 - Prepared

not even gonna bother writing a description for these. there's probably a few episodes that show Kakashi in the bg but I happened to stumble upon these ones by accident

[a-frostitty-ninja]

Hi. After following you for so long, I decided to give Senran Kagura a shot. The Video Game, I mean. So, I started with Burst Re:Newal

So I have to ask. How is this story so good? I get it's just Magical Ninja Girls, but how is this story so good?

Katsuragi, the lesbian pervert, has so much depth. She's an orphan who lost her parents. But not to a car accident like she thought. Her parents ran away because they were Ninja who failed a mission and had to commit sepaku. Now she seeks strength to become a leader of the light shinobi, all so she can pardon them herself.

Yomi, the destitute revolutionary, lost her parents in elementary school. They lived in the slums of Japan, unable to feed their daughter. So they sold themselves to slavery, so they could give her a better life. Instead of living lavishly, she takes her money and feeds the slums, working as a villain in the dark shinobi to do so.

I could go on and on with each character, but they're all awesome. (Except for Mirai. Wanting to slaughter your family and friends because you're a late bloomer is kinda stupid.)

And the overall morality comparison between the light shinobi vs. dark shinobi.

Light shinobi, secret warriors who work for the government of Japan and its public, accept only perfection. The only light shinobi are Elite shinobi, warriors that can take on hundreds of regular enemies. They have rigorous training, difficult testing, and high moral standards.

But this is also their downfall. For most people aren't perfect. For minor infractions, one can be excluded and banished from the ranks of the light. Which kinda makes them bad guys.

Dark shinobi, warriors who work for corporations and private entities, accept all who wish to join. For that's their saying.

"Where the light shines on the few, the darkness accepts all."

Which makes a scary amount of sense. All of these shinobi who didn't make the cut for the light, the dark accepts them wholeheartedly, flaws and all. And somehow, this makes them good guys too.

Which brings me to my ask. How does this game about Sexy Ninja Women come up with a comprehensive moral controversy that rivals mainstream media. And makes corruption arcs make sense.

Note: the scene with Hikari, the girl who lacks emotional responses, crying over the (fake) death of Mirai. It's just. Oh my. I was crying too. Like, she loves her friend enough that she just cries involuntary.

What is this game?

im glad you gave senran kagura a shot, its an incredible series that is often overlooked as just some generic ecchi! it was great reading your thoughts and it makes me want to go replay the games as its been a while although i resent you comment about mirai!. senran kagura is a whole package - the lore, the characters and their designs and animations, the style and the music is marvelous pun intended. i love the opening songs for all the games they live in my head and the anime has one of my favorite op/eds in general

i hope you play all the other games too, even the cooking rhythm game (bon appetit) is brilliant! its pretty cool that you can play the more recent games on PC these days and even peach beach splash supports VR! playing the original burst on 3ds with the slider turned to max though is an experience lol - the shinobi arts 🥵. i recommend the anime series too if you didn't check it out yet - the second season is top tier!!!

as for why the fuck this series bangs so hard its because of this genius who loves boobs and action games. this guy didnt want to just make a generic pervy game he fucked around and created a master piece. read his interviews too he is cool as shit. shinobi are cool as shit and senran kagura is just cool as shit.

[nanabansama]

Be Worried for Mitsuba

I've seen a frankly concerning number of people say they expect Mitsuba to be fine after what happened in Chapter 110, and as someone who isn't fully confident he will survive yet, it bothers me a bit! As such, I wanted to bring up a list of reasons why I think Mitsuba could be in danger, and why people might be in for a rude awakening depending on how things shape out.

First, I wanted to bring up something that I don't think a lot of people know about. It's the official tag line for Volume 20.

This is from the Square-Enix website. It says: 「最初でさ��ごの夜遊び。」

This translates as "Their first and last Night Out."

I don't know about you guys, but this gets my warning bells ringing. It's obviously talking about Kou and Mitsuba's date at the aquarium. So if that was their first and also last one, then...that doesn't sound very reassuring, does it?

Now, a popular theory I've seen going around is that Mitsuba will turn Kou into his yorishiro. And while I think this is a delightful idea, I don't think it will happen.

While yorishiro can take human form, the two cases we've seen (Sumire and Tsukasa) were dead by the time it happened. We don't know if it's possible for it to happen to someone who is still alive!

I also want to direct your attention to the first Clock Keepers arc, when Kou got aged up to around Teru's age.

If you remember, Nene, unlike Kou, was unable to be aged up by Mirai because she had no lifespan left. This basically confirms that Kou will survive until he's in high school, less his fate is changed.

Note that he has no visible yorishiro seal, too.

Now...it's not like he still can't become one! But how likely is it, really? Do we even know if a yorishiro can age? And do we know if someone can stop being a yorishiro? We haven't found a way to get rid of a yorishiro outside of destroying it yet. Tell me, how cheap would it be for Kou to become Mitsuba's yorishiro while facing zero of the consequences?

Honestly, I feel the whole concept of a yorishiro cop-out is a bit cheap, anyway...not that I want Mitsuba to die, but it feels cheesy for him to overcome this by just realizing how important Kou is to him, doesn't it? Couldn't we have done that in the Aquarium arc instead of having this pointless, drawn-out segue?

It seems that for all Mitsuba has done, it just hasn't been enough, tragic as it is. I do believe Mitsuba has found something important to him, or is at least starting to...but it's all too little, too late.

Anyway, has anyone thought about a way for Mitsuba to get out of this situation besides getting a yorishiro? It's worth mentioning that Natsuhiko implied only a school mystery with a yorishiro could survive contact with his cursed blood, but I can't help wondering if there's another option.

Mitsuba's body has a unique constitution, after all. He's a Frankenstein amalgamation of several different weak supernaturals given an identity by the sense of reason taken from the previous Mitsuba.

He falls apart if he doesn't eat. When this happens, he can restore himself by eating supernaturals. He also craves human flesh, which also might be able to heal him, but that obviously hasn't been tested yet.

So here's my question: Could Mitsuba eat enough supernaturals or humans to cure his body of the cursed blood? Would he...try to? It's not like there aren't plenty around him right now...

And then what happens? Even if he only ate the plantlike supernaturals, those were humans. They could've been saved, as proven by when Teru defeated one and restored her back to her human form in Chapter 104. If he hurt any of them, then what would that mean for Mitsuba? And how would Kou react? Just something to think about...

Changing subjects, I think the fact that the original Mitsuba Sousuke's mother is present is interesting, too. I feel like she's incredibly important to the events happening to Mitsuba right now--she's here for a reason, that's for sure. Whether that's anything that'll change his fate or not is another thing.

And just to be clear, while his concern for the previous Mitsuba Sousuke's mother is pretty cute, I don't think it's enough to create a yorishiro out of. Heck, even if he was the first Mitsuba, I don't think his bond with his mother was strong enough to manifest as a yorishiro. (No shade, of course.)

I did point out in my Chapter 110 Spoilers post that she could just be here to watch her son die again, which is an idea I still kind of like. It's a bit poetic, no? Or maybe she will somehow be able to meet him one last time and get closure. I can't say for sure, but I feel like ignoring Mitsuba's mom in this discussion at all is a dangerous pitfall...

In any case, I hope this convinced some of you to start worrying for Mitsuba's life.

Huh? Which Mitsuba, you ask?

Who knows...

[truly-quirkless]

@frogsonalotusleaf asked:

Family Bonanza - let’s do Sir this time!

[Send Ship Buffet or Family Bonanza + a character or muse name for a song, some hcs, a ship name (or family name if fam), and a mood/aesthetic board! || Accepting!]

Family Name: The Prophecy Smashers

Family Song: Legends Never Die

You cannot tell me Yagi and Fin wouldn't do their damndest to make sure Nighteye survived that raid. He's coming back alive, they'll make sure of it.

Fin and Nighteye who bond over their love of All Might (despite the awkwardness).

These three spar. Good luck telling me they don't.

The three can never go into a cat cafe together. They'll adopt every kitten in the damn place if they do.

Yagi just sliding Nighteye more limited edition merch that he's sure the Hero doesn't have every time there's a special occasion.

[mariacallous]

A California court has advanced a civil fraud case against a Norwegian company at the center of the state’s failure to build workable hydrogen fueling infrastructure, which has already left thousands of car owners in the lurch.

A case involving allegations of fraud against Oslo-based Nel ASA is moving toward a trial in October 2026, after a California judge left intact the core claims brought by a major player in the rollout of hydrogen infrastructure in the state, Iwatani Corporation of America, a subsidiary of one of Japan’s largest industrial gas companies.

The allegations center on a lesser-known aspect of the blundered roll-out: Iwatani is claiming that Nel duped it into buying faulty hydrogen fueling stations. And the case has provided a window into the extent to which these same stations were provided to and promoted by major players including Toyota and Shell—stations that have since been abandoned or shut down.

The judge’s ruling last month leaves Nel and its top executives—including current and former CEOs Robert Borin and Håkon Volldal—in the crosshairs. Iwatani’s central claim is that Nel, under pressure to sell a money-losing product, knowingly induced Iwatani into purchasing untested hydrogen fueling stations with false assurances of the technology’s real-world readiness.

Nel denies the allegations, and has put forward procedural arguments to get the case thrown out, saying that California does not have jurisdiction over the company or its executives.

In separate rulings, Judge James Selna of the Central District of California sided with Iwatani on the core claims while dismissing several others, finding that California does in fact have jurisdiction and that the allegations go beyond a simple breach of contract and into the realm of fraud in selling the equipment, known as H2Stations.

The judge ruled that there was “active concealment,” citing examples, including that Nel did not disclose the fact it had never built a working model of the H2Station nor sufficiently tested it in real-world conditions, and had no actual data to support their H2Stations’ performance claims.

After the lawsuit was filed in January, Nel abandoned the seven Iwatani hydrogen fueling stations and executed a corporate spinout of its fueling division—which Iwatani claims is a means of shielding those assets from a potential court judgment.

“The deliveries you are referring to were from a company now called Cavendish Hydrogen,” says Lars Nermoen, Nel’s spokesperson, in response to an email seeking comment, referring to the spun-off entity. “Nel no longer has any business in hydrogen fueling.”

The failure of novel technology in real-world settings is not unheard of. But for the hydrogen car industry, it came at one of the worst times: In 2019, California was investing heavily in hydrogen refueling infrastructure, attracting global automakers and oil and gas majors to the state.

At the time, Toyota was pushing for more fueling infrastructure to support the uptake of the Toyota Mirai, one of the earliest light-duty consumer hydrogen fuel-cell cars to hit the market.

So Toyota partnered with both Iwatani and oil major Shell to build more fueling stations. Shell brought on Nel as the station provider, and both Iwatani and Chevron partnered with Nel soon after. Representatives from Shell and Iwatani did not respond to requests for comment.

Lewis Fulton, director of the Energy Futures Program at the University of California, Davis, says the equipment failures in the passenger segment have led to a “near collapse of the system” in California. In addition to the abandoned Iwatani stations, Shell in February completely shut down its seven California hydrogen refueling stations and canceled plans to build 48 stations in the state.

Chevron had contracted Nel to create 16 stations, but did not provide a response on the status of those stations. The extent to which Nel provided the technology for these major players has not been previously reported on.

Meanwhile, Toyota, which has since deprioritized the California market for the Mirai, is facing a class action lawsuit from many drivers who already bought the hydrogen-powered vehicle. The lawsuit claims that, contrary to Toyota’s promises, hydrogen fuel for their cars is becoming more difficult to obtain, making the Mirai “unsafe, unreliable, and inoperable.” Toyota did not respond to a request for comment.

According to the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Partnership, there are 55 hydrogen fueling stations in California, but many of them experience frequent downtime. None of the hydrogen fueling stations provided by Nel are currently operating. Iwatani’s only functioning refueling stations were built by Linde, a large industrial gas company.

In the meantime, Fulton says California has pivoted to building infrastructure for heavy-duty vehicles like trucks and buses, with the hope that the passenger market can reboot with the help of a growing freight market.

By focusing on the heavy-duty market, California can, in theory, create a stronger supply of clean hydrogen that brings costs down and increases availability, says Fulton, who is also an adviser to Arches, the California hydrogen hub that has won $1.2 billion of conditional funding from the US Department of Energy.

“Arches is targeting 50 to 60 truck-oriented stations around the state by 2030, and with different fueling islands and pressure systems, those could also service light-duty vehicles,” he says.

California’s difficulties with hydrogen vehicle infrastructure have driven home some stark lessons about the wider use of the technology.

“The problem is, they’re expensive, and they require enormous amounts of maintenance,” says Jim Bowe, a Washington, DC–based partner at King & Spalding, an international law firm. “Fleets that have been looking at the possibility of hydrogen buses often balk when they realize how much more maintenance—not only for the refueling facilities, but also for the vehicles themselves—is required relative to internal combustion engines or batteries.”

California-based FirstElement Fuel, another hydrogen fueling station provider, is positioned as a potential winner amid the crisis for the sector. Operating under the name True Zero, it currently has the most operating hydrogen fueling stations in California, but is still working to become profitable, according to sources familiar with the company. (FirstElement executives did not respond to requests for an interview.)

According to Iwatani’s lawsuit, Nel was able to hide the fact that the stations it installed were not operational until early 2023, when continual failures led Iwatani to launch its own investigation.

Nel achieved this subterfuge by requiring Iwatani to enter into an exclusive maintenance contract with Nel, essentially shifting the cost of testing the stations to Iwatani, the lawsuit claims.

Nel’s current CEO, Håkon Volldal, an individual defendant in the case, acknowledged the failings around the same time. In an earnings call last year, he said of the hydrogen fueling stations: “I think it’s fair to say that the technology that was installed was immature, and that the quality was not good enough, and we struggle with all the work we have to do in order to keep these stations running, to fix issues, to send personnel out on site.”

In its investigation, Iwatani workers claimed they found shrapnel inside the fueling stations, and concluded that parts of the fueling apparatus were routinely exploding, spraying debris inside the station box. (Nel blames outside companies for installation failures.) Iwatani also claimed it found valves from third-party manufacturers that were never intended for use in a hydrogen fueling station.

The lawsuit details a months-long back and forth between Iwatani and Nel, in which Iwatani attempts to get Nel to fix the broken stations. Nel won’t—or can’t—fix the stations, triggering the lawsuit.

These Iwatani allegations were echoed by Kasey Hawk, who worked as a technician for Nel in California starting in 2021. An Army veteran who drove an Abrams tank in combat, Hawk was one of several veterans hired by Nel to service the California fueling stations. Though he alleges he had a strong mechanical background stemming from his military experience, Hawk claims he received only minimal training on the particularities of hydrogen fueling stations. (Hawk is not involved in the ongoing lawsuit and Nel has not commented on his allegations.)

“It was a little strange because it’s actually dangerous work—working with high-pressure gases and the potential for explosions,” he says in an interview with WIRED.

Hawk claims when he showed up to conduct the first repairs at Shell-owned stations in the Sacramento area, it appeared they hadn’t been maintained since commissioning, and there was already a backlog of work to be done. “I saw that the stations weren’t set up right from the beginning,” he says. He noticed, for example, that the pipes weren’t properly insulated, which would cause ice buildup within the fueling nozzle, since liquid hydrogen is stored and pumped at cryogenic temperatures.

A team of Nel technicians arrived from South Korea to help. But those technicians didn’t speak English, limiting what Hawk could learn from them, he says. And since Nel’s hydrogen fueling subsidiary was based in Denmark, the schematics for the stations were available only in Danish. In addition, ordering new parts often took weeks, meaning similar amounts of station downtime, he explains. “We were in situations every day where we did not know what to do next.”

[yuricharisma]

[themaladaptivewriter12]

Title: (They'll be calling me) Royalty

Part 4 of my “The Lion's Den” series! Part 1, 2, and 3 here!

Parings: Implied Leona x Mirai but not really. They're getting there tho

Summary:

“Because what?!” Mirai yelled. “Because I was tired,” Leona yelled. “Be-Because I'm tired of always being second! No matter what I do, I’ll always be second best! I was born second, my dorm is second, even in the sport I’ve been playing for as long as I can remember I’m second! I’m always second!”

cw: Overblot Leona, canon injuries, Mirai get's injured, nothing severe, hurt comfort,

a/n: I also might have listened to Jonathan Young's cover of "Be Prepared" on loop while writing this lololol. Also, title inspired by Royalty by Egzod, Meastro Chives, Neoni!

a/n: This is not a "Bullies to lovers". Just putting that out there. I wanna show Mirai's and Leona's process of trust and eventual love.

Reblogs are appreciated, just use my custom tag, #TheMaladaptiveWriter12, if you do!  (─‿‿─)♡

Cross posted from my Ao3: TheMaladaptiveWriter12

It's kinda long, sorry. I might break this one up, but who knows ┐(´∀｀)┌

Classes for the day were uneventful. Ace, Deuce, and Grim bickered like they normally did, Coach Vargas was loud as always, and lunch was as it always was. But the school seemed to have a certain buzz about it, and Mirai couldn’t figure out what it was, so he thought to ask Ace and Deuce about it.

“The annual fall Spelldrive Tournament is coming up,” Ace said excitedly, “How did you not know?!” 

“Gee,” Mirai said sarcastically, “I wonder why I wouldn't know about such a huge NRC event?”

Sometimes it irked Mirai with how much everyone here forgot that one, he didn’t know magic, and two, that he wasn’t from their world. I mean, how could they forget when they were around him every single day?!

“Sevens! What crawled up your butt today?!”

“Did you forget that I’m not from here? How am I supposed to know what’s the norm around here?”

“That’s all you had to say,” Ace sneered, “Why you gotta take it out on me?!”

“Maybe because I expect my best friend to remember something so important about me,” Mirai growled out.

“Alright,” Jack soothed, “calm down. It’s alright.”

Mirai and Ace both grumbled to themselves, their arms crossed petulantly. 

“The Spelldrive Tournament is between the dorms or the school,” Epel supplied.

“Each dorm fights for the bragging rights of having the best Spelldrive team, and Diasomnia has held the spot for the past three years! No thanks to Lord Malleus, of course,” Sebek boasted.

Ace groaned and rolled his eyes.

“Every dorm will appoint their best players and train until the end of the month,” Jack said. “Housewarden Leona has already made his team.”

“So it’s an enchanted version of football, got it,” Mirai muttered. 

Maybe that was why Leona had been so distant lately? If this was as important to the school, then maybe Leona just had his head in the game is all?

“What’s football?” Jack asked.

“Okay, so, you have two teams,” Mirai began.

The next day was as eventful as any school day goes. In Professor Trein’s class, they were doing a unit test. Mirai was pretty sure as always, he was gonna score just over passing, keeping his grades at a constant C. The test wasn’t hard, but that was what Mirai was afraid of. He was pretty sure he butchered that last half on magic in the Briar Valley, and at lunch, Ace, Deuce and Grim had their complaints about it.

“If I don’t pass this test, Ima be benched again,” Ace sighed, head in his hands. 

“I told you guys to study,” Jack chided. “Epel and I had a study session last weekend.”

“Who wants to spend their weekend studying?” Grim grumbled.

“If you wanna pass, you do,” Sebek shouted.

“I think I did pretty good,” Deuce said.

“Oh?” Ace taunted, “What makes Juice so sure?”

“It’s Deuce! Not Juice,” Deuce grumbled angrily. “And I got some help from Trey yesterday. I’m not saying the whole thing was easy, but I feel I did a good job for the majority of it.”

“That’s good,” Epel nodded with a smile, “I hope it all goes well for you.”

“Thanks,” Deuce smiled. 

Ace scoffed, annoyed. 

“What about you, Mirai?” Jack asked. “Mirai?”

Mirai was sitting with his chin resting in his hand, eyes staring off and out the window.

“Mirai?” Grim asked, paw tapping Mirai on the shoulder.

“Ah,” Mirai jumped, “Yeah? What is it?”

“You okay, Human?” Sebek asked.

“He’s probably bummed out because he failed that test,” Ace teased.

“I did not,” Mirai shot back. “The only part I had trouble with was the Briar Valley.”

“How was that even hard?!” Sebek shouted.

“Dude,” Deuce sighed, “You live in the Briar Valley.” 

“And cut Mirai some slack,” Epel pouted, “he’s not from here, remember?”

Sebek grumbled, turning his head away from Epel. 

“Then how do you think you did?” Ace asked, smirking slyly.

“I bet I just passed,” Mirai said, as if just passing was something to be proud of.

Ace, Deuce, and Grim busted out laughing.

“Oh yeah,” Ace laughed, “because “just passing” is anything to be proud of.”

“At least I won’t be benched.” 

The rest of the group had to stop Ace from lunging over the table at Mirai. 

Mirai didn’t see Leona or Ruggie that day either.

Wednesday was another bummer day. In gym class they were playing dodgeball in the indoor gym and it was pure torture. A couple of students on the opposing team decided to make it their goal to get Mirai and Grim out first. That promptly resulted in a trip to the infirmary for Mirai after he got a ball to the face, a scolding from Coach Vargas after Ace and Deuce both chucked a ball at the perpetrator's face, and yet another scolding, but this one was for Grim because he tried to set the guy on fire. Well, at least Sam had gotten a new shipment of cheesecake, and was saving a slice just for Mirai.

And when Thursday afternoon came around, Mirai wanted to do nothing but go buy some junk food from Sam and go binge watch a show that Cater had recommended. Grim, Ace, Deuce and the dodgeball guy were all punished for the rest of the week, the four of them stuck cleaning the gym, and as for Mirai, his face still hurt. His nose wasn’t broken, just a tad bruised, and to top it all off, his head also hurt, but it was nothing a couple of painkillers couldn't fix. 

As the days went by, things surrounding the Spelldrive Tournament started to go sour, but, then again, when did things go smoothly in a place like Night Raven College? Soon after the teams were picked, and the students from all dorms were getting pumped for the competition, multiple students from multiple dorms started to get injured. First it was a couple of students from Heartslabyul, even Trey, and then it spread like wildfire across the campus. 

Students were falling down the stairs, burning themselves, cutting themselves, and even the Vice of Scarabia had been affected. At that point, it started to look like sabotage more than an accident. But the weird thing is, all of the students affected had the same story, it felt as if they had no control of their bodies. Well they were just gonna have to get to the bottom of it, even Mirai really didn’t want to.

Mirai walked the empty halls of the main building. It was always so peaceful, when there were no classes in session, no students walking the halls, no one to bother him. The golden afternoon always looked best on campus, covering everything in its warm glow. With all that’s been going on, the Spelldrive Tournament, and playing detective by order of the Headmage, Mirai was tired.

They went to almost every dorm to try and find the culprit, which didn’t go well at all. The twins from Octavinelle chased them, and then when they entered Savanaclaw, the dorm tried to fight them, and Leona, who was more territorial than usual, challenged them to an unfair spelldrive match. All of this was honestly getting out of hand. Mirai could care less about Spelldrive, Mirai didn't get the big whoop about it, and he honestly didn’t get why Grim wanted to play so much. But then again, maybe that was Grim’s way of trying to fit in. Mirai could understand, he wanted to fit in as well, he was tired of being the outcast.

Mirai made his way to an empty classroom, and looked out the window. From here, he could see the street where the vendor's stalls were being set up for game day. Game day. The day of the tournament, the day they would take action. Mirai sighed once more. What should have been a day of fun and togetherness, not that Mirai would think these guys would come together for anything, is now a day of uncertainty that was leaving a knot in his stomach. And it was all because of Savanaclaw.

It didn’t take long to finally trace it all back to Savanaclaw, to trace it back to Leona, and honestly, Mirai didn’t know what he was feeling. Why? Why would Savanaclaw, Ruggie, Leona, hurt all those people? They hurt Trey, they hurt Jamil, and everyone else. They lied to them, sent them on this wild goose chase, they stole from them, and what about their plan?

Why would they plan to put all those people in danger? What about the innocent students, the innocent supporters? The children who might be there? And for what? Because Savanaclaw didn’t have the guts to play fairly? Because Leona didn’t have the guts to play fairly? And for what?!

Mirai’s phone buzzed in his pocket, shaking him from his thoughts. “What’s up?” Mirai answered.

“Where are you, man?” Ace asked from the other end. “Where meeting up to go over the plan one last time.”

“Where are you?” Mirai asked, leaving the classroom.

“Courtyard.”

“I’m coming,” Mirai said, hanging up.

Yelp, Mirai guessed he’d get his answer tomorrow.

It was the day of the tournament and their plan had worked. The remaining teams were saved, the lay people were safe, and they had backed Ruggie and Leona into a corner. Mirai didn’t know what to feel. He knew who was behind all of this, he knew, and yet, seeing it up close, hearing it with his own ears, it was like a slap in the face. He thought his friends were better than that, but to put innocent people in harm's way, Mirai couldn’t ease the betrayal he felt.

Mirai didn’t know what to make of the cold, sadistic smile Leona held as he turned Ruggie into sand. He didn’t know what to make of bitterness that seeped off of the Beastman in waves as his plans were foiled right before his eyes. 

Leona laughed bitterly, “Yeah, you're probably right. No, you're exactly right! I will never become king. No matter how hard I try!”

He should be angry like Jack was, he should feel betrayed like Ruggie did, he should rub this in Leona’s face like Lilia just did, he should be smug like Ace and Deuce were about being one step ahead of the Beastman, but he couldn’t. 

“I've been loathed since the day I was born. I've never had a place, never had a future,” Leona grit out, a dark dreadful atmosphere seeping around the group. “None of my hard work is ever rewarded! How could any of you possibly understand? My disappointment?! My pain?!”

Leona roared, the sound was so loud, Mirai felt as if the entire stadium was falling apart with it. Leona screamed in agony as he held his head in his hands, the ground cracked and fissured beneath him, a dark black mist emitting off of his body. The group watched in horror as Leona’s screams turned into morbid laughter, and when he looked up at them, his hands were covered in the jet black ink, just like the ink-like tears that were dripping from his eyes. 

Mirai wanted to reach out to him, tell him that it was okay, that he was there for him, but he couldn’t, because that would be a lie. He was never there for him, and things were far from okay. Those words, compared to Leona's feelings, were null. He couldn't move his feet from that spot, he couldn’t get any words out, they were stuck in his throat. Just like Riddle, he was Overblotting.

The winds began to pick up, carrying sand around with them. They began to vortex around the Savanaclaw Housewarden, and suddenly, the atmosphere changed. It washed over them as quick as an exhale. It felt like a thunderstorm, it felt charged, yet so calm, like the moment right before a lightning strike. Not a second later, the winds caved, then exploded, with dark magic, sand, and debris, the gust sent everyone flying, as the group tried to shield themselves from the blow. 

“You guys okay?” Riddled coughed, brushing himself off.

“A-okay here,” Cater muttered, picking himself up.

“I thought I was a goner,” Grim whined, rubbing his furry face into Mirai’s shirt.

“Guys?” Deuce called wearily, “look.”

Standing in the middle of the clearing as the smoke and dust cleared was no longer Leona, certainly not the one Mirai had come to know. Dark magic and blot oozed off of him in waves. It swirled and spiraled with sand, dying everything around him black. He was different, even his clothes were different.

“I dunno what's going on, but if we hit Leona hard enough, maybe we can snap him outta it?” Jack more like stated, readying himself. 

Ruggie staggered forward, coughing as he tried to steady himself, “I-I'll help too. N-No way I'm t-taking what he said lying down!”

“Take it easy, yeah?” Mirai asked.

Ruggie waved the Prefect off, pulling out his magic pen.

“So even the lowly hyena turns against me?” Leona laughed snarkily with a scoff, “What an absolute joke!”

“Ya think Ima just, just bow my head after that s-stunt you just pulled?!” Ruggie rasped. “Notta chance!”

Leona growled as lunged at them, his first attack coming in fast.

“Guys,” Mirai yelled, “He’s coming for us!”

Leona pounced on the group, and they all scattered. Mirai tried to dodge the attack the best he could, but he wasn’t quick enough, the shockwave sending Mirai flying as he rolled to a stop a few feet away.

“You okay, Human?!” Grim called, running to Mirai’s side.

“Yeah,” Mirai smiled, petting the little monster’s head, “I’m fine.”

“Hate to break up the precious moment guys, but we got trouble,” Ace shouted as Leona came at them again.

The group sent a flurry of attacks at Leona, and yeah he was taking quite the beating, but that didn’t stop Leona from standing his ground and dishing out some attacks of his own, every single one of them more powerful than the last.

“H-He, he just won’t go down,” Ruggie heaved.

“Take it easy, Ruggie,” Jack said, placing a hand on Ruggies shoulder. 

“I’ll take it easy when things are back to the way they should be.”

“You okay, Ruggie?” Mirai called from where he was hiding behind one of the bleachers.

“A-Okay,” Ruggie said, flashing Mirai a smile.

As the fight waned on, the group was beginning to falter. Between spells being casted wrong, missing their target, and more than a few close calls, they all needed a plan, and fast.

“You idiots think you can beat me?!” Leona roared, sending a powerful wind attack into Ruggie, sending the poor Hyena tumbling. 

“Ruggie,” Jack called, running to his side.

Leona leapt to Ruggie and Jack, but suddenly he was blocked by a wall of fire. He turned his green eyes to Riddle, who was standing a few ways away to his right.

Leona sneered down at Riddle, voice sarcastic, “Oh, I quiver with fear!”

The Beastman turned his attention to Riddle, sending his Blot Incarnate to attack, the mangled lion beast slashing at Riddle. The Heartslabyul Housewarden dodged the attacks, fending them off with his own.

“You don’t deserve the throne, and to be quite frank, I hope you never get to sit down on it,” Ace sneered, moving to guard his Housewarden.

“I will be king,” Leona yelled, stomping his foot down, and suddenly a barrage of green lightning struck the ground from the dark skies, the sandy Earth shaking with every hit.

“Look out,” Riddle yelled.

The group jumped in every direction, dodging the powerful strikes, the ground singed and burnt in its wake. They were split up, Cater with Riddle to the far left, Ace, Deuce, and Grim to the far right, Jack still was guarding Ruggie’s injured form ways behind the Group, and Mirai was left alone, smack dab in the middle. 

“Guys,” Mirai called from his hiding spot, “Take it easy! We can’t fall here!”

Leona locked eyes with Mirai and began to advance on him. 

“Mirai,” Deuce yelled. “Get away from him!”

Mirai scrambled to his feet as he tried to dodge all the attacks sent his way. A ball of wind magic exploded on his left, then a ball of lightning on his right, both sending the Ramshackle Prefect across the sandy field. 

“Mirai,” Cater yelled. 

“I-I’m, I’m alright,” Mirai coughed, stumbling away from the Overblotting Housewarden.

“Where are you going, Herbivore?” Leona sneered, stalking after him.

Mirai didn’t know what was scarier, the Housewarden himself, or the fact that he was walking instead of running behind him. Pulling himself up the bleachers, Mirai sprinted up the stairs, tripping over his own feet as the ground shook from Leona’s Blot Incarnate’s attacks.

“Over here you oversized house cat,” Ace yelled, shooting a ball of fire at Leona.

Leona growled, getting down on all fours, dodging the attack. He jumped up onto the poll to his left, and using the balls of his feet, Leona pushed himself off it, landing on the bleachers next to the Ramshackle Prefect. Mirai’s head snapped beside him with a gasp, not waiting a second more to scurry up the stairs and inside. 

“Mirai,” Cater shouted.

The guys tried to go up and stop them but Leona sent his Blot Incarnate after them, the beast blocking the path.

“Mirai,” Deuce yelled, trying to round the monster, but got pushed back.

“We have no choice,” Riddle huffed, readying himself.

“Bu-”

“There’s no time,” Cater gruffed, eyes steely and narrowed. “If we split up now, we’ll fail.”

“The Prefect will be fine,” Ruggie huffed, voice hoarse.

“He better be,” Grim grumbled.

 Mirai ran down the hall, the only light being the open archway behind him. It was unsettling with how quiet it was in there, even with all the chaos outside, the only sound Mirai could hear was his own breathing and footsteps. The sandstorm outside made its way in here as well, sandy grains coating the floors, the dust filling the air, making it hard to breath and the floors slippery.

The ground shook and a dark shadow loomed over the hall, Mirai didn’t even have to turn around to know who it was. “Why do you run from me, Herbivore?” Leona called, “Scared?”

Mirai didn’t answer, picking up his pace as he veered right and down another hall. The lights flickered eerily, casting deep shadows along the walls. Leona walked along behind him, the lights began to flicker out, not coming back on at all, the hallways behind them a pitch black. 

“Come on, Herbivore, join me,” Leona chuckled, “I know it sounds sordid, but just think of how you’ll be rewarded, when at last I am given my dues.”

Mirai twisted every knob, pushing every door he passed to get away from the lion. He was getting tired and the blows he had indirectly taken earlier were taking a toll on his back. Mirai’s breathing was haggard and the dusty air was burning his eyes and his chest. 

“You can have anything you want,” Leona persuaded, “gold, respect, it’s all yours. You’ll never go hungry again!”

Mirai pulled open a door, and ran inside, it was a locker room. Mirai sprinted through the rows of benches and lockers, hiding around the corner. Mirai tried to quiet his breathing but the burning in his chest was unbearable. He could hear the door open, swinging shut, and Leona’s maniacal laughter echoed through the room.  

“I can see it now, I’ll be all time adored,” Leona rambled, the distortion in his voice sending chills down Mirai’s spine. “And you will be right beside me since that little scavenger lost his chance. What do you say?”

Mirai scooted down the aisle, moving away from the direction his voice was coming from. Mirai was scared, and he was pretty sure Leona knew that as well, and for the first time, Mirai was wondering if he was gonna make it out alive.

“Answer me,” Leona roared, a loud banging sound rattling the lockers. 

The room suddenly lit up with green and by the time he figured out what it was, Mirai’s entire being was electrified. Mirai cried out, falling forward, his hand clutching his chest. He couldn’t describe the feeling, but Mirai knew for sure that he never wanted to feel it again. It was worse in his prosthetic, and Mirai wanted it off. As best as he could, Mirai ripped the metal limb off, his body collapsing onto the floor. 

Mirai could still feel the magic coursing through his veins, his body spasming with every beat of his heart. He couldn’t catch his breath, as he heaved through the pain. He couldn’t see through the tears in his eyes, and his blood burned, the magic feeling like liquid fire in his veins. 

Loud footsteps echoed off the walls, and Mirai didn’t have the strength to look up at their owner. “Why do you struggle?” Leona growled, his clawed hand clamping around the back of Mirai’s neck.

The grip was strong, it was cold, void of the normal warmth it had, and wet with ink. It ran down Leona’s arms and coated his hands, black droplets dripping from the points of his nails. Mirai didn’t struggle as Leona lifted him, forcing him to look up at him. Mirai could feel the dark power emitting off of him, he could feel the wet of the ink, running down his neck, staining his shirt in little rivulets.

“Submit to me,” Leona muttered, pulling Mirai close, “Stop fighting me.”

“N-No,” Mirai git out.

“Why not? Why do you resist me? I can give you the world! Just you and me above all.”

“I don’t want that.”

Leona dropped to his knees, holding Mirai by his arms, “Then what do you want? Tell me.”

“I want Leona back,” Mirai pleaded. “Please stop this.”

“You have me,” Leona growled, his grip getting tighter, “I’m ten times the man he ever was!”

Mirai flinched at Leona’s tone of voice, his eyes closing in fear. Ink dripped down Mirai’s arms, it was hot, it was nearly burning his skin. Mirai didn’t like the look in Leona’s eyes, he didn’t like the way he was treating him, he was scared.

“Y-You’re hurting me,” Mirai gasped, Leona’s claws suddenly prickling his skin.

“Then behave, and I won’t have to hurt you,” Leona smirked, running the back of his finger along Mirai’s cheeks, leaving black streaks in its wake.

“I thought I understood you,” Mirai grit out, “I even saw you a-as a friend! B-But this?! All of this is not what I expected from the guy I respected.”

Leona seemed taken aback, and Mirai used that lapse in his attention to reach behind him and grab a handful of sand. The chances of this working were slim to none, but he had to try, he had to get out of the room. As quick as he could, Mirai threw the sand into Leona’s face, and much to Mirai’s luck, Leona immediately let him go with a shout, his hands flying to his eyes. Mirai felt bad as he shot up, grabbing his arm, rushing out the room and down the hall, but Leona deserved it. He wasn’t gonna talk to him like that, he wasn’t gonna treat him like that.

Mirai didn’t get far when the locker room before the door flew from the hinges, slamming against the opposite wall. Leona was fuming, a vortex of sand and lightning swirling around him.

“I was gonna let you go, Herbivore,” Leona sneered, “but now, you’re first.”

Mirai yelped, jumping down to the ground as the door was kicked into his direction, flying over his head, and into the far wall at the end of the hall. Stumbling to his feet, Mirai turned the corner, the archway he had entered coming into view. The lights flickered on and off, and when Leona turned the corner, Mirai’s stomach dropped.

“Get over here,” Leona yelled, sending a gust of wind down the narrow hallway. 

Mirai braced for impact as the magic slammed into him, sending him flying out the door and into the air, over the bleachers. 

“There,” Ruggie yelled. 

“Ace, Cater,” Riddle commanded, “Catch him!”

“Yes, Housewarden Riddle,” the two card soldiers nodded.

With a gust of wind, Ace and Cater sent themselves flying, Cater catching the Prefect and Ace lessening their fall. 

“You okay?!” Deuce asked.

“Y-Yeah,” Mirai stuttered, clearly shaken.

“After decades of denial, this is simply why I'll be king,” Leona laughed, the sandstorm getting stronger, “undisputed, respected, saluted, and seen for the wonder I am! Long live the king!” 

The group dodged more and more strong attacks, it didn’t seem like Leona was getting any weaker, in fact, it seemed as if he was stronger, which was concerning. If they couldn’t stop him, it meant that all the innocent people would be in trouble, it meant the entire school would be in trouble, and far worse, it meant Leona would die.  

They needed a plan, and fast, and Mirai thought of one. Leona’s attention was on the rest of the group, and that meant Leona didn’t care where Mirai was. One of the bleachers gave way and sitting next to him was a very large metal pipe. That would do. Mirai crept his way up and around the bleachers, making his way behind Leona and his Blot Incarnate. Mirai would have to make sure it didn’t see him before he got to Leona. 

Riddle, Deuce, Cater, and he had been shouting at each other, trying to figure out their next move, when Ace had seen him. Ace didn’t know whether Mirai was plain stupid or had a death wish. Why was Mirai, Magicless Prefect of Ramshackle Dorm, making his way to Leona with a pipe?!

Ace nudged Deuce and and subtly pointed, and when Deuce caught wind of the situation, his face went pale. The others noticed the change in mood and Riddle went red in seconds.

“Fynya?!” Grim screeched, “Stupid human! What are you doing?!”

The others began to shout at Grim, and Leona snapped his head around, his and Mirai’s eyes meeting. Mirai’s heart stopped, his breath catching in his chest. Mirai couldn’t even catch his breath before he was snatched up and lifted off his feet, the pipe clattering to the ground.

The guys shouted and screamed out for Mirai as they threw a barrage of attacks at Leona, only for his Blot Incarnate to block them all and send the group flying with its charged attack. 

Leona chuckled darkly, a sadistic smirk on his face. “I don’t know what's more insulting, you nobodies thinking you can defeat me, or you, Prefect, thinking you could stop me.”

Mirai struggled in Leona’s grasp, his battle for air more important than the harsh words Leona was spitting at him. 

“It’s pathetic, really. Did you forget your place? You can’t beat me. If I can’t have the world, then I’ll just have to turn everything to sand. And I’ll start with you.”

Mirai skin started to burn, it felt as if it was being rubbed with sand paper. Mirai gasped, his hands clawing at Leona’s. 

“L-Le-Leona,” Mirai gasped. “L-Let g-go, le-let me go.”

“Why should I?” Leona growled out. “You're just like them. Look down on me like I'll never be enough, you pity me.”

“N-No, I don’t. I don’t, I don’t p-pity you.”

“Lies,” Leona roared.

Mirai winced at the noise, coughing as the grip got tighter. “Y-You’re better than th-this. The Leona I-I know wouldn’t stoop this low to get what h-he wants. You’re smarter than th-this.”

“You know nothing about me.”

“But I want t-to, I want to, so bad. I-I want to know yo-your favorite foods, your favorite c-color. Your p-past times, your goals, your, your wants, your needs. I-I want the Leona I fell f-for in, in the Bo-Botanical Gardens.”

“You think your honeyed words are gonna sway me? I hate people like you the most. Always sticking their nose where it doesn’t belong, always saying the right things to get what they want,” Leona growled out, his voice wavering. “You think I haven’t heard that before, that I haven’t dealt with people like you before? You’re no different. I will never have what I want, I’ll always be second best.”

“You will never b-be second best to m-me,” Mirai smiled, voice faint and breathy, “Y-you will always be my number one.”

Leona faltered, his eyes going wide at the words.

“Don’t hate me after t-this, y-yeah?”

Before Leona could comprehend what happened, Mirai was swinging his leg back and kicking the Beastman in the face. Leona growled out with a shout, dropping Mirai as he held his face. Mirai dropped to the floor, coughing as he caught his breath. Leona stumbled back pulling his hand away from his face, the black blot ink mixing with red.

Leona roared, “Why you-”

Mirai picked up the pipe and swung at Leona, the metal making contact with his midsection, knocking the wind out of him. Leona stumbled backwards, doubled over as he held his abused stomach. Mirai pulled back and whacked the downed lion upside the head, and Leona was down for the count.

And like that, the sandstorm stopped, the skies slowly becoming blue once more. The blot monster screeched as it eroded away, the blot that bubbled and boiled fizzled into nothingness, and so did Leona’s blot, and in its wake was Leona, their Leona, lying on the ground.

“Leona,” Mirai rasped, rushing over to Leona’s unconscious form. 

“Mirai,” Deuce yelled, rushing over to his friend, “Stay away from him!”

The group rushed over to the two, where Mirai was frantically looking over the Savanaclaw Housewarden.

“Mirai,” Ruggie called, “You okay?”

“Me?” Mirai rasped out, coughing when it hurt. “I’m not the one who just Overblotted.”

“You’re hurt,” Jack said lightly.

“I’m fine,” Mirai warbled. 

“Leona,” Mirai called out, shaking Leona slightly, “Wake up. Please wake up.”

Leona would move, he didn’t stir, and his breathing was shallow.

“Leona, please wake up.”

“Oh, Mirai,” Cater called, realizing that his magicless freshie was crying.

“I killed him,” Mirai sobbed. “I killed him!”

“You didn’t ki-”

Leona stirred, and slowly opened his eyes, squinting at the blazing midday sun. “Whatsit, what is it?” Leona muttered.

“He’s awake,” Jack gasped.

Leona looked up at the group looking down at him, and his eyes immediately found Mirai’s tear filled ones. “Herbivore?” Leona called, ears flattening atop his head as he reached up to thumb away the tears on Mirai’s cheek. “Why are you crying?”

“Y-You Overblotted,” Mirai rasped out, “and you wouldn’t w-wake up. I though, I though-”

Leona sat up, vision going blurry with the dizzying headache that hit him so suddenly. “I-I-I Overblotted?” Leona muttered to himself, “Me? Ain’t no way I-”

“Mr. Kingscholar, your negative energies accelerated your blot accumulation, inducing an overblot episode.” Headmage Crowley said, seeming to appear out of nowhere, cutting to the chase. “Were you responsible for the series of injuries sustained by competing players?”

Leona stood up slowly, wobbling as his knees threatened to give out. “Yeah, that was me,” Leona admitted quietly. “All of it.”

“Very well. Then to begin with, Savanaclaw House will be disqualified from this year's tournament. The rest of your punishment will be decided after I discuss it with the victims. Are we clear?” Headmage Crowley asked.

“Understood.”

“Headmage,” Riddle called, “W-Wait. A word, if I may?”

In the end, Riddle ended up persuading the Headmage to let Leona and the rest of his team play, and as punishment, he was to play as he was. Of course that didn’t end well due to his overworked state. But in the end, Grim got to play like he wanted, but sadly, Mirai couldn’t witness the rest of the games. One second Grim was hollering about a special move and the next, Mirai was waking up in the infirmary. 

“Wh-Where, where am I?” Mirai croaked.

“Hey,” Grim called, “Mirai’s up!”

Ace and Deuce rushed to Mirai’s side, Deuce expressing their relief.

“I’m so glad you’re awake,” Deuce sighed. “You were out for so long, we were beginning to think there was some long lasting damage.”

“What happened?” Mirai asked, confused.

“You don’t remember?” Ace asked.

Mirai shook his head.

“Grim threw the disk straight at your head and knocked you out at the beginning of the second half.”

“I was tryna steal our victory,” Grim said nonchalantly. 

“More like steal his life.”

“Hey!”

“You amateurs gotta work on your disk control,” Jack gruffed.

Ace rolled his eyes, “Yeah, you missed the whole thing. They are cleaning up now.”

“How did Savanaclaw do?” Mirai asked. “No, wait, where’s Leona?!”

“Calm down, Herbivore,” Leona gruffed from the other side of the room. “‘M fine.”

Mirai looked over to the other side of the room and spotted Leona in one bed and Ruggie in the one next to him. The Hyena looked far worse than Leona, but that was expected after the days earlier events, but all in all, Mirai was glad everyone was okay.

“But as for the game, everyone we went up against didn’t care for the game, they just threw magic at us,” Leona scoffed.

“We were dead on our feet by the time we went up against Diasomnia,” Ruggie chimed in, “They ended up taking first place.”

“That sucks,” Mirai muttered. But it was kinda deserved for what the two of them had done.

Leona scoffed, rolling his eyes.

“How are you doing, Ruggie?” Mirai asked the Hyena.

“I’m fine, quit ya worrying,” Ruggie dismissed.

Jack began fussing over his Housewarden and Ruggie, while Ace, Deuce and Grim, started talking out the game. Apparently Diasonmia’s team was a force to be reckoned with, their dorm head being the strongest one there. 

“Unca! Unca,” a shrill child-like voice yelled, “There you are! I finally found you!”

Mirai turned to the door where his eyes caught sight of an orange and yellow blob as it launched itself across the room and into Leona’s lap.

Leona groaned, “The little screech box found me.”

“Who’s the kid?” Grim asked.

“Unca Leona?” Jack muttered.

“That little furball is my Brother’s son, Cheka, my nephew,” Leona gruffed.

Mirai was surprised. He didn’t know Leona was an Uncle.

“I saw you play, Unca! You were so cool! Next time I visit, teach me how to play,” Check yelled. 

“Okay, okay,” Leona sighed, “I get it, and how didja get in here?! Where are your attendants? They gotta be pulling their hair out looking for ya.”

Cheka giggled, “I left them behind so I could find you.”

“Of course you did.”

Mirai chuckled, “He’s cute.”

“So when are you coming home to see us, Unca? Today? Tomorrow? Next week? And when's the next time after that? Did you read all the letters I sent you? What about the toys? Do you play with those?” Cheka rambled, bouncing on top of Leona.

“Look, I toldja, I'll be back for the holidays—Ow! Get offa my stomach, that hurts,” Leona shouted, eyebrows knitted together.

The room erupted in laughter at Leona’s demise.

“Ooh! Ooh! Unca! Who are they?! Are you guys Unca’s friends?!” Cheka squealed.

Ace laughed, “Yeah, sure we are! We're your Unca's besties! Ain't that right, Unca Leona?”

“That’s cool,” Cheka chirped, “Unca has so many friends!”

The group’s laughter got even louder.

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up,” Leona gruffed. “Just y’all wait, Ima be on ya like a buzzard to a carcass.”

“Yeah, whatever you say, Unca,” Ruggie teased, face red with laughter.

Mirai and the others fell into another fit of laughter, and Ruggie ended up doubled over in pain as it hurt to laugh.

Well, even if the day started out like a nightmare, its ending was so bad. Even if Mirai did have a headache. 

It was late when Mirai woke up again. It was still dark outside, and the room was dark. Mirai blindly reached for his phone and powered it on. It was three in the morning. Mirai sighed as he lied back down. He wondered when he’d be able to go back home. 

Mirai had been in and out of sleep since visiting hours ended, and at some point, the Nurse let Ruggie go, and the last thing Mirai remembers was Ruggie saying his farewells. But he and Leona were a different story. Mirai still needed to be monitored for his head injury and Leona needed to be monitored for his blot accumulation. 

Mirai peered over at the other side of the room, trying to make out Leona’s form. He couldn’t. Mirai sighed, his throat still raw and scratchy. Mirai coughed, his throat burning. He tried to clear the prickly feeling, but it kept coming back, then he fell back into a coughing fit once more.

“You okay?”

Mirai jumped, eyes darting to the other side of the room, where a pair of glowing green eyes were looking back at him. 

“Y-Yeah,” Mirai croaked, his voice sounding raw and abused.

“You’re not,” Leona muttered. 

“And you aren’t either.”

Leona sighed and didn’t say anything else.

Mirai sat back in his bed and stared off into the darkness. He really didn’t know what to do now. He was awake, his throat was killing him, and now it was awkward knowing that Leona was right there in front of him. 

“Drink.”

Mirai jumped with a gasp at the sound of Leona’s voice being so close to him. 

“Le-Leona,” Mirai stuttered, “Y-You, you shouldn’t be up. Go lie down.”

“I’m fine. Drink,” Leona said.

Mirai twitched when he felt a cold glass of water being pressed into his hand.

“Careful,” Leona murmured, “Don’t drop it.”

“Thank you,” Mirai muttered, taking a sip, and boy did it feel glorious. 

Mirai tried to gulp down as much as he could handle, but it wasn’t much since his stomach filled in seconds. Mirai reached out for the table beside him once he couldn’t drink anymore, but was met with Leona’s stiff form.

“You done?” Leona asked, taking the glass.

“Yeah,” Mirai nodded.

There was silence again and Mirai wondered if Leona was still there. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Mirai hoped that he was.

“Those bandages,” Leona started, his voice coming from the other side of the room. “on your neck. It was me, wasn’t it? And the same with Ruggie’s arm?”

Mirai wanted to lie, and tell Leona, no, they weren’t, but they weren't there the day before, and lying about it wouldn’t make the situation any better. 

“Yeah,” Mirai admitted quietly.

There was silence yet again, and Mirai felt as if his heart was in his stomach. Bandaged fingers came up to fiddle with the bandages that were wrapped around his neck. Mirai didn’t know when those were put there, most likely when he was out cold, and Mirai was wondering how he didn’t notice until now. He ran a finger down the length of his throat, and Mirai wondered how it looked, wondering if it looked as bad as it felt. Mirai just hoped it didn’t scar, he didn’t need any more of those, and he definitely didn’t want a sore reminder for Leona to see every time he looked at the Prefect.

“I never thought I’d hurt you, I never intended to,” Leona started, “You, you were supposed to stay in the stands, you were supposed to just let all this happen. You-”

“Whoa, whoa, y-your not gonna pin this mess on me,” Mirai rasped, voice rough. “It wasn't me who cheated.” 

“If you, if you just minded your fricking business-”

It became my business when my friends started getting hurt! It became m-my business when t-the Headmage held this whole fiasco over my head like he always does when things go sour in this stupid school!”

Leona went silent from his side of the room. Mirai sighed, coughing once more, his throat burning.

“Why?” Mirai muttered.

Leona stayed silent.

“I know you can hear me, you bastard. Why?”

“Why what?” Leona gruffed.

“Why'd ya do it?”

Leona growled lowly in warning.

“I ain't scared of you,” Mirai rasped angrily, “and growling still doesn’t answer my question. Why?”

“Because,” Leona said petulantly.

“Because what?!” Mirai yelled.

“Because I was tired,” Leona yelled. “Be-Because I'm tired of always being second! No matter what I do, I’ll always be second best! I was born second, my dorm is second, even in the sport I’ve been playing for as long as I can remember I’m second! I’m always second!”

“All you had to do was try!”

“And you think I haven’t?! You think I haven’t busted my butt for the things I want?! I’ve tried, and tried and tried, over and over, and over again! And for what?! I’ll never beat the bastard Malleus at anything, I’ll never sit on that throne, I'll always be second best! So I stopped trying!”

“I’m sorry,” Mirai muttered.

Leona sucked his teeth in annoyance, “Quit apologizing. Ain't nothing you can do to change anything, and feelin’ sorry for me ain’t gonna make me feel any better,” Leona gruffed, sighing.

“You know, you’re right,” Mirai said snarkily, “It’s you who should be apologizing, and I know a whole bunch of people who you can start with.”

“Bastard.”

“Thanks I try.”

Leona growled lowly, “You’re lucky, you’re lucky I’m already on thin ice.” Leona sighed, laying back against the pillows on his bed. “Look, ‘M sorry, alright. This whole thing was stupid. I was stupid. I’m sorry.”

Mirai sighed, “You know, I shouldn’t forgive you-”

“You shouldn’t.”

“But I do, forgive you, Leona.”

“And that’s the stupidest thing you’ve done yet.”

“That ain’t-”

“You could’ve died, Mirai,” Leona shouted. “You understand that right?! I could’ve killed you! They all told me what happened when you were out, that I choked you, that I tried to turn you into sand!” 

“I know that,” Mirai scoffed, clearing his throat, “but who hasn’t tried to hurt or kill me since I was dropped in this nightmare of a world?”

“You’re a blithering idiot!” Leona’s voice broke, as he looked down at his hands. “I-I did what everyone said I’d do. I’ve become what they said I was, a-a monster.”

“You're not a monster,” Mirai rasped.

“You don’t get it, you never have! I’ve always hated my Signature Spell, it’s a curse. I am the very thing that the Sunset Savanna fears, that the Sunset Savanna hates, a drought. They’ve always told me I was a monster, they feared me. They always said it would be a matter of time before I’d hurt those around me!” Leona grit his teeth, his fangs bared, “If I were born first, I’d be praised. If I were born first, I’d be called a prodigy. I would be loved, not feared.”

Mirai huffed angrily as he slowly slid off his bed and onto the floor.

“D-Don’t-What are you doing? Sit down,” Leona scolded. 

Mirai ignored him as he teetered his way over to Leona’s side of the room, stopping after a dizzy spell hit him. Once he made his way to Leona’s bed, he crawled on top.

“Herbivore,” Leona growled, “Get away from me! I don’t want to hurt you anymore than I already have!”

For once, Leona looked small. He never looked small in Mirai’s eyes, he was always so big. He was always so sure of himself, so prideful, so confident, but now, he looked like a mouse, like a kid who was being scolded by his parents. Unsure and scared, Mirai didn’t like it, it didn’t suit him, Leona Kingscolar, Hoausewarden of Savanaclaw, Second Prince of the Sunset Savanna.

“And I haven’t?” Mirai scoffed.

“What are you-”

“Look, you were right when you said that I didn’t get it, what it was like to be you,” Mirai said hoarsely, “but it doesn’t mean that I need to be you to know what it’s like to feel worthless. I will never know what it’s like to walk in your shoes, to be a Prince, to be second in line, those are your experiences alone. But I know how you feel.”

Leona scoffed, “Enough the flowery words. Don’t need ‘em.”

“I know what it's like to have everything, and nothing at all. I know what it’s like to want to be wanted.” Mirai out the window behind Leona. “That, that thing, that wasn’t you back there. The things you said, the things you did, the you I know, would never do those things, would never say those things.”

“But it was me,” Leona corrected. 

“Then say it.”

Leona looked taken aback.

“Say it, look me in the eyes and say it,” Mirai badgered, “Say you hate me, say you want me dead, say that you never once cared for any of this. Say it. Say you hate Ruggie and the others, say you’d rather turn everything to sand, prove me wrong.”

Leona looked down in defeat, his ears falling.

“It’s hard to say such hurtful things to the people you care about that you actually don’t mean, isn’t it?”

“But I did all of that,” Leona muttered, “I’m the one who tried to cheat my way to the top, I’m the one who hurt everyone around me.”

“And it was stupid. I don’t like what you did to your schoolmates, but there, in that stadium, was beyond your control.”

Leona balked at Mirai frank words. 

“When I told you that you were better than that, I meant it. That’s why I forgive you.”

“You shouldn’t, I don’t deserve it.”

“I don’t think that’s for you to decide, is it?”

Leona growled at Mirai. “Well if everything’s fine now, you can leave me be.”

“What about here?” Mirai asked, poking the Beastman in the chest. “Is everything fine?”

Leona went silent.

Mirai was familiar with signs of depression. The withdrawal, the lack of motivation, the masking, they were symptoms Mirai knew all too well. And Mirai couldn’t act like he didn’t notice, that he didn’t care, because he did, and he wasn’t going to allow Leona to continue to suffer alone.

Mirai reached forward and slowly pulled Leona into a hug. 

“Wh-What are you doing?” Leona stuttered, going rigid in Mirai’s hold.

“Push me away if you hate it,” Mirai muttered, holding the Beastman tighter.

Leona didn’t say anything, but he didn’t return the hug either.

“And even after all of that, it still hurts, doesn’t it?” Mirai whispered.

“I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about,” Leona gruffed.

“I know one hug doesn’t fix the thousands you’ve needed, and I know I may not be worth anything, that I may not be what you want,” Mirai sighed. “I know I can’t give you what you truly want, but I’m here for you, Leona. I care.”

Leona choked back a sob.

“It’s okay to cry, it always feels better when you do. You’ve been strong, holding on for so long, but that’s okay. It means you’ve overcome something, that means you can pick yourself up and keep going.”

Leona sobbed into Mirai’s chest, and Mirai held him through it. Leona clawed at the back of Mirai’s shirt as his tears soaked through the fabric, and Mirai stayed there, holding Leona even tighter.

“You may not have been born first, and you may never be king, and I will never have the answers to your questions, but I believe you’re so much more than you think,” Mirai whispered, “You are smart, you are strong, you are resilient, you are beautiful. You are Leona Kingscholar, and don’t let anyone take that from you.”

“I-I hurt you,” Leona sobbed.

“I know,” Mirai muttered into Leona’s hair.

“I’m sorry,” Leona whimpered, pressing his nose up into Mirai's neck.

“And I forgive you,” Mirai croaked.

[orphiclovers]

putting mirai nikki on the dash is diabolical I know but what is even more terrifying is the possibility that all the trashy regressor manhwa I've read has rotted my brain so bad that if i rewatched it it wouldn't even seem badly written to me bc my standards are THAT low these days. maybe we'll test this theory