#then the only thing that would change in An's life is not having Mizuki in it. sorry

[shiraishi--kanade]

"Saki glue theory more like Mizuki glue theory-" sorry to be a killjoy but Mizuki glue theory literally has even less to back it up than the first one does. Stop trying to make one character to be more important than the others stopppp appreciate them on their own merit. Dammit

[butterfly-ribbon]

i was thinking about mizuki's gender being listed as unknown again and how everyone else has an explicit mention. people tried to point at that to say she's either not trans OR that she isn't a tgirl (instead a different kind of trans) at some point, but i think that… actively misunderstands the internal intent of the game. like this was done so people wouldn't assume she's a cis girl and i also think there's an active intent in noting that, but not wanting to say "gender = male" bc this would be misgendering (duh) and for a character who's burying so much of her gender struggles bc of how others deny it, i think it makes sense. there's a struggle, i think, in writing and exploring trans narratives that engage with that… question? idk. maybe it would be better if she was just noted as female from the start and i think she's overdue for that especially after ena5, but i also think there's so much nuance in how she's portrayed that i see saying her gender is "?" isn't meant to actually be a declaration of her gender or meant for the reader to question what her gender is.

in many cases, trans girls are already automatically shunted into that expectation of either a fetish or wish fulfillment (which in many ways are the same thing at a certain point) and that's the conceit of her introduction in the main story in terms of how everyone treats her as an exhibition at school - she's fetishistically mythologized and vilified as an Other type of girl, which is something she tries to reclaim by hiding behind the facade of the Mysterious Manic Pixie Dream (Cis) Girl when she's around niigo bc it's the only way she feels like she can be with them without imposing on them or getting close enough to them to the point of having to reveal her secret due to her desire to avoid being hurt. it's wild to me that the consensus in the past about her was that she's anything but a trans girl when the treatment she's subjected to at the school is textbook transmisogyny and this is something we see immediately in the main story.

people are constantly fetishizing her and treating her like an object to be ogled at. she's constantly under the threat of violence. even when she puts so much work into pushing back just through being full of energy and looking "past" it all, they never stop. there's nothing she can do about a society that refuses to recognize her as a person, much like mafuyu can't do anything to change her own mother.

at most she gets told by others that this person is "just not used to her yet". terrible implications all around bc she's made to feel as though people are just putting up with her existence instead of making the effort to understand something that should be simple about who she is, which makes her feel terrible after she's put so much effort into both explaining herself and making herself as palatable as possible?

i think there are some valid criticism to be raised about how marking mizuki as "unknown" and how it might've contributed to people writing her off as "neither a girl nor boy" and the unfortunate parallels with degendering/third sexing therein. if i were to engage in good faith, i'd say the intent is draw attention to mizuki's gender struggles and make the reader interrogate that (and then ideally arriving at the answer being that she's a trans girl), but i still stand by my take that ena5 should've had her refer to herself as a girl explicitly to reclaim the way she was outed previously. it also always felt like the equivalent of mafumom being 'hidden' due to mafuyu's perception of her as a figure of authority rather than a person until kanade saw her for the awful person she is. in this case mizuki's "unknown" is also meant to tie into her own internalized transmisogyny (e.g. referring to herself as an artificial flower in many songs). mizuki herself plays into the degendering she's been subjected to for her entire life in many ways … we know that in the beginning of high school she actually made effort to explain herself to others and they didn't get it? she presumably said that she's a trans girl but she wasn't taken seriously. now she just finds it exhausting to explain anything and she doesn't want to feel like she constantly has to prove that a trans girl is just a type of girl so she's just like "that's me. i do this bc i wanna be me. this is the person i am, why the hell do you think i would do this, why would i dress this way, why would I put up with people like you if it wasn't obvious." i think there's also a lot we can engage with in terms of the presentation of mizuki which is wholly under her own control vs that which is outside of her control... mizuki finds comfort in niigo and connecting with girls over discord bc she can rewrite her life in such a way to as to obscure her own transness like when she narrates her backstory. the fact that the details of her trauma are so carefully hidden carries a strong intent bc it reads as mizuki's renarrativization due to not wanting to get too much into detail about her own trauma? it feels very meta considering mizuki's genre saviness and the fact that most transfeminine narratives tend to indulge in transmisogynistic violence in really voyeuristic ways... we know mizuki had numerous traumatic coming out moments and i think there's so much to read into the ambiguity around this... she's frankly constantly under the treat of SA as well as a trans girl, but i just appreciate that this is something the writing treats respectfully and affords her so much dignity. to be trans in many contexts is to be expected to give over so much of yourself to people who frequently won't care, won't actually understand how much of yourself you're giving over, and will actively rewrite your narrative to define who you are for you based on their own prejudices… and mizuki communicates that well bc she's allowed to be almost wholly in control of her presentation and her narrative.

[mizuki-foreshadowing]

Mafuyu: The Staff of Guidance; Part 2

This is a What Lies Behind / What Lies Ahead side story. Mafuyu signs on to Nightcord early and it's just her and Mizuki. Seeing an opportunity to get something off her chest, Mizuki asks Mafuyu if she can ask her something, just the two of them. Mafuyu's journey forward has been and will continue to be painful, and Mizuki wonders if Mafuyu has any insights to help her on that same journey, because the event story is about Mizuki being too afraid to take it.

Mizuki barely knows how to articulate what she wants to know from Mafuyu, much less articulate it to someone struggling to recognize her own emotions.

But, the way Mizuki rephrases her question deserves some attention. Moving forward means finally learning the answers to some really big questions. To Mizuki, those questions may be, What will change if N25 knows my secret and my pain? Will the same things be fun anymore if they understand I'm every bit a social outcast as they are? Do I want to feel seen, accepted, and understood, or to have a space where I'm simply a girl no questions asked, and which of those is getting to be myself?

There are many questions Mizuki may be asking herself, and she can't know the answers to any of them, and that terrifies her, especially because, here and now, she's comfortable; she's getting by and she's having her fun.

During the event story, Mizuki refusing to leave her comfort zone finally tipped her over the edge, but Ena caught her, and made her a promise that was either exactly right or exactly wrong for Mizuki, because it meant Mizuki can stay in her comfort zone and never learn those big answers, forever.

Mizuki doesn't have to move forward. Instead, she asks Mafuyu why she should still try to.

Mafuyu has an analogous situation; in many ways, Mizuki and Mafuyu parallel each other. While Mizuki's own unsustainable norm is having fun in the moment at the expense of personal growth or considerations for her future, Mafuyu's is perfectly fulfilling everybody in her life's expectations of her at once, at the expense of her sense of self and losing contact with how she, as a person, feels.

Mafuyu asks herself how she has the courage to move forward in her path, which runs parallel to Mizuki's. She cites growth gradually making things better for her in real ways; she never knew she could be in a state where she doesn't want to disappear, or one where she can lessen the pain she feels.

Mafuyu also cites Kanade's promise to her as being a reason she has the courage to move forward: the song Kanade promises to write that will save her.

Ena likewise made Mizuki a similar promise, and these promises have their own parallels. Kanade, who would compose regardless of Mafuyu being saved, will never stop trying to save Mafuyu, until Mafuyu is saved. Ena, who would be Mizuki's friend regardless of Mizuki sharing her secret or not, will never pressure Mizuki to open up to her or show her her true self, until Mizuki is emotionally ready to.

Mizuki admitted to herself in Episode 8 that she's afraid she'll still never tell Ena her secret even after she's ready, because Ena's promise means she could be Mizuki's friend indefinitely. Likewise for Mafuyu finally telling Kanade when a song does save her, although this question can only be explored by Mafuyu, who isn't emotionally equipped to explore it yet.

Things will be different after that final turning point, for both members of each pair. Mizuki is afraid of what that means, but Mafuyu's response here implies that she may be excited for it.

To Mafuyu, that destination is somewhere she wants to be, no matter what it means or each difficult step she'll need to walk to get there. It's a destiny, a sense of purpose; it's something she has to do.

Mizuki understands this now, but we don't get to see whether she is receptive to the idea or not. Interestingly though, we don't even get to see whether Mizuki changes the subject or gets evasive, either; the conversation is simply interrupted by the other members signing on at 1 am.

[rockdrop]

Thinking about how much Ena genuinely likes Kanade and how absolutely delicious that could be in the context of Kanamafu + pining Ena.

Ena has unrequited feelings for Mafuyu, but she can't hate Kanade for getting the girl because that's Kanade. She can't hope that the two of them would break up because they're so happy together, and what kind of friend would she be if she wished that on them? So she bites her tongue and smiles- she's happy for them, she thinks. She wants to be, anyway.

Mizuki sees right through her, they've always been the most perceptive and insightful of the group. They wish Ena could see she's not alone, and that someone else sees her, if she would only notice them...

Mizuki holds fast onto their secrets, you couldn't pay them to confess their feelings to Ena. It's always too soon, they're too afraid of things changing, of losing what they already have. So they continue to support her, teasing her to get her mind off of things, heart aching every time they see her watching the two lovebirds so wistfully.

In other words; Kanade and Mafuyu are living their best romcom life together while Mizuki and Ena go through all the stages of gay grief and yearning - K

this is the kind of angst that destroys my life. INSTAFAVE!! and this is canon in my head 😳

[asarigg]

Character Design: Part 6

Ryuuhou

Let’s get back to Ryuuhou, there are a few details I’d like to mention. The most noticeable elements of his design are the skulls around his neck, wrists and hips, and the huge blue magatama.

I don’t know if this might be another stretch of mine, but it’s a similarity that’s hard to ignore. He wears those skulls as a necklace and it’s the first time I see this, but they remind me of a mundamala, which appears in Hindu and Buddhist iconography. These skulls are also used as a crown.

As far as I understood, the mundamala symbolizes the Sanskrit alphabet, each skull being a seed syllable, which are called that because each one is the seed of a world or an entire universe. It would represent the continuous cycle of creation and destruction of human existence. It is usually worn by wrathful deities in the Buddhist world, who are different versions of the Buddhas, of course Vairochana Buddha too, under the name of Achala. Life and death are part of the cosmic cycle, with destruction comes creation, and it is a reminder of our mortality and impermanence. Skulls can be symbolic of the masks we show to the world that prevents it from discovering our true nature.

Ryuuhou is the typical character you’d associate with the fox archetype in Japanese mythology. Aoba himself describes him as a fox.

By kitsune we mean the divine beings who are messengers of the goddess Inari, but what interests us are the wild foxes that grow a tail every hundred years, which we commonly also know as kitsune, but can also be called yoko or bake gitsune. They are basically two different types of kitsune. They master the art of metamorphosis and can take the appearance of a beautiful young woman that can bewitch men. They generally use their powers to cause mischief and play pranks on humans, but sometimes they will have darker intentions. They are terribly intelligent, they can read and manipulate human minds at will, which reminds me of Ryuuhou’s encounters with Aoba, as well as the power he has over Koujaku.

Many fox tattoos are usually accompanied by other elements, and one of the most common is a skull. On top of their head, in order to transform into other animals and monsters they need to put an object on their head to help them. It’s usually a human skull or some other bone, but other objects are also used, for example a leaf on the head that would transform into a woman’s long, elegant hair. When foxes are older and more powerful, they do not need these objects to be able to transform. It can be a symbol of wisdom.

If the skull is under the fox, or under one paw, the fox assumes a position of dominance. Death and the unknown are not to be feared.

If skulls are placed around the fox, it could be associated with death and the underworld. Skulls represent change in a poetic and figurative way, one part of us dies so that another part can shine, like rebirth. It also alludes to the same idea of the cycle of life and death as the mundamala.

Of course Ryuuhou pretending to be an innocent person with hidden evil intentions reminds us of this fox power of transformation and manipulation. Ryuuhou is also always anticipating what is going to happen and knows things about Aoba that no one in his circle knows. Just by looking at Aoba he could already tell this.

This guy knows perfectly well what kind of relationship he has with Koujaku, he’s likely been observing them for quite some time, he’s known they were in Platinum Jail for a while and he passed by Mizuki’s shop not long ago, leaving a tattoo design for him there (Ryuuhou canon in common route let's go).

I wouldn’t be surprised if he also knew well about Koujaku’s feelings towards Aoba just to use them against him, which is pretty much what he does, so he’s probably aware of them, since he already knows that Aoba’s consciousness is divided in three parts, the only people who know about it are not interested in sharing that information, so he for sure knows by his own means, treating it as something magical, spiritual, which leads to thinking about the third eye I mentioned before, the eye of wisdom.

Dragons are one of the most popular symbols in Japan. They are worshipped as gods of water, they can bring rain and good fortune, prevent floods (or cause them lol), control the change of seasons and commonly live at the bottom of the sea. It is a symbol of wisdom and immortality, a master of metamorphosis. It is used as an amulet of protection and good luck.

It can be seen depicted holding an object in its paws, ball, pearl or jewel. The essence of the universe, with which they control the winds, rains, fire and even the planets, and representative of health and wisdom. It’s one of the serpentine creatures that protect Buddhism. It can also be considered a shape-shifter that can assume the human form and mate with people.

Unlike western dragons, which have wings to fly across the sky, breathe fire, are greedy and destructive, usually related to the devil, these dragons live in the water and are more associated with life and fertility. Ryuuhou is constantly related to the cycle of life and death, creation, wisdom and also immortality.

Japanese dragons usually have three claws, while the five claws are for chinese imperial dragons. The dragon in his kimono has three claws, but the dragon represented in Koujaku's Scrap has five.

The centerpiece of his necklace is a rather large, blue magatama. There are many different hypotheses as to what its shape is supposed to represent: the soul, a drop of water, the moon, a fang, a fetus… (The hole in the magatama supposedly stands for the blessed spiritual power provided by a life’s connection to one of its ancestors) It protects the wearer’s health, and has a strong power to repel evil spirits, as well as bringing good luck. The magatama’s blue color may stand for water and the source of life, of creation, or it’s simply to follow his color scheme as opposed to Koujaku.

The name magatama means curved ball, and it was widely used as an element of protection of a deceased’s soul on graves, and has a ceremonial use in shinto festivals and rituals, usually worn by miko. It’s frequently found on shinto shrines, believed to be able to express and connect with the spirits and gods. According to the legend, one of the gifts that the sun goddess Amaterasu received was a magatama, and together with the sword and the mirror, she gave it to her son, who would come down from the heavens and conquer the islands of Japan.

Supposedly it would be possible to enclose souls in a magatama and transmit it. The strength, power and authority of the soul can be transmitted to the heir. Since the first magatama was a gift to Amaterasu, and the goddess passed it onto her own offspring, who would become the ancestor of Japan’s first emperor, thus providing an excuse for the imperial family’s supposed divinity.

The origins of wearing magatama as jewelry date back to the Jomon period most likely because of the fangs of the animals they hunted, some of the earliest religious uses were in shamanic practices. They were used as an object to draw the spirit of a god to a shaman, who would serve as a medium between the celestial and humans. Today when used by common people its purpose is mostly decorative or symbolic, but more auspicious people use it to repel evil spirits and bring good luck.

This whole concept of the magatama’s ability to lengthen the wearer's life and contain their soul makes me think a lot about the moment of Ryuuhou’s death and the story afterward. He didn’t care much about dying as long as it was Koujaku who killed him, he wanted him to do it to complete the tattoo. Any other death would be boring, a dishonor to his own work. The thing is, Ryuuhou will never truly disappear.

When Aoba enters Koujaku’s mind and touches his back, Ryuuhou’s silhouette forms with all the blood that covered Koujaku and the futon. It’s a permanent memory in his head and will never go away. The traumas of his childhood and adolescence and the torture Ryuuhou inflicted on him will continue to torment him as long as that tattoo and those memories are with him, until the day he dies. Erasing the memories with Aoba’s power is not an option, Koujaku would never be the same person again, he would have to erase his entire life, and most likely Koujaku would only remain in some kind of vegetative state after something like that.

There’s something else that grabs my attention in his design and that is the huge needles he has in his hands in the previous design ideas but not the final version. Aside from the obvious, we know that he uses needles to drug the Benishigure members to control them, he also stung Aoba with one but for some reason it didn’t work with him, I guess he is built different, literally. He had kidnapped Aoba with the intention of tattooing him, for his own sadism, for his desire to continue creating, and of course to hurt Koujaku.

It’s Ryuuhou himself who sends them to the top floor using the Benishigure men, to him it’s as if he’s playing with them, taking the confrontation to his territory, to have them cornered. It’s supposed to feel tense because they’re going straight into the trap. But when they arrive Ryuuhou is practically harmless.

It’s true that his main objective is to complete Koujaku’s tattoo, which turns out to be the main conflict in this stage, but let’s not forget these things he says.

It’s obvious he has a genuine interest in Aoba, so looking at the needles only made me think that they might have been planning to have Ryuuhou putting some resistance, although I don’t know if they’ve ever mentioned this, putting the whole group into sleep with the needles to take Aoba once again. Imagine Koujaku covered in his own blood from the wounds some huge needles would cause him, watching this happen and trying to stay upright due to the effects, then finally letting the beast out, exploding in rage against Ryuuhou and with Aoba’s wellbeing in the back of his mind, only then being able to withstand whatever is thrown at him in his berserk form, finally ending Ryuuhou’s life (or not).

Fun fact the fifth and sixth chakra located in the throat and the third eye respectively, the ability to express, the voice, communication, and on the other one wisdom, consciousness, the ability to think or rationalize, and I think the color association was made relatively recently but it’s light blue for the voice, and dark blue or indigo for wisdom.

[demodraws0606]

Overanalysing Rui's 2 star because I'm Normal TM

Hey you wanna see me sound extremely unhinged for a second ??? Because Rui's new 2 star unit default card is kinda making me go insane because of 2 things.

First of all this is literally just a parallel to Mizuki first default unit 2 star, it's literally the same Exact pose.

Which is really interesting because why suddenly make Rui's 2 star parallel Mizuki now ??? I mean if you think about how Rui3 heavily parallels Mizuki1 and the whole Asahi plotline hasn't been dealt with it would make more sense to parallel him with Mizuki now, especially Mizuki's first 2 star which is has her back completely turned (Mizuki's cards tend to have that symbolism as people pointed out).

This might be an extremely hot take but it would explain why Mizuki's 2 star has changed to be on the front now because despite how horrendously Mizuki5 turned out for her, Mizuki was finally getting ready to face change she was just too late. Unlike Rui who has spent the entire disbandement arc avoiding change and (kinda) succeeding.

The second thing that slightly makes me ill about his 2 star is also the color black in his clothing.

White has become kind of a main unifying color for WxS however there's only one character that stands out because of it.

Rui. (no Tsukasa doesn't count that's a dark blue fuck you)

While on one hand it could've been used to go along with Rui's outfit theme with asymitry, I do think colorpalet could've done that with any other color other than black.

THis is gonna sound like the fucking Tsukasa toast meme but it ends up making Rui feel isolated from the rest of WxS clothes design wise. Especially since, again, white is kinda meant to be the color that unites all of their outfit so for Rui to be the only one to have black in his outfit feels intentional.

Gonna go even crazier and say it's suspicious how the way Rui is faced kinda attempts to "hide" the black in Rui's outfit (it's not actually hidden but you know what I mean).

Anyways unfortunatly this is the way I cope with my life and you all have to be subjected to this.

[istharoth]

Lost in a Dream [Rui? Rui. RUI ANGST]

Inspired by the song: Lost in California - Doyoung.

In which Rui finds himself in a dream, only the dream is a constant repeat of his life before Darkwick.

WC: 600

It's not often Rui can fall asleep. Nights in Obscuary are spent cleaning around the dorm or prepping for tomorrow's business at his bar. He has excess energy, much of which needs to be depleted but a human cannot go by without sleep.

He may have the curse of the Grim Reaper, he is a ghoul, an anomaly but he still feels like a human. Obscuary, the house of non-humans, a vampire exists and the newest addition is a werewolf.

He's a human.

Rui Mizuki is a human.

He stops in his tracks, eyes darting between his room and the room the Inspector had stayed at. He turns the doorknob, dragging his heavy feet towards the bed. He still has to clean up, he needs to get gloves from his room, he needs to prepare for tomorrow, he cannot sleep, he shouldn't sleep.

A ten-minute nap wouldn't hurt.

He closes his eyes, promising himself to wake up before he dreams. The dreams he witnesses are never his, only of the ones he's killed. He doesn't quite know how he'd go about seeing his dream.

He sees the sunset in the sky, and the red beach in the evening sky. He sees his younger self, just himself three years ago, before Darkwick. Before he was a ghoul, before he was cursed.

Back when he was only human.

He hears his cheery laugh, he sees himself hit his friends jokingly. He cannot do so anymore.

The hands of a skeleton wrap around his neck, not enough to choke him yet. More skeletons grab his limbs, others hugging him, unwilling to let go, some turning to dust as they touch him.

All of them he's killed with his curse. But his eyes don't leave his younger self.

The scene changes and he finds himself under the shade of palm trees in the bright sunny morning. He recognizes the place but he wishes he didn't.

Surfing is fun, he loves it. There's not a single thing more he loves than surfing. He hasn't gone in the past three years, since Darkwick. He misses the feeling of cool water under the hot sun, he wants to feel the rush of excitement of overtaking an aggressive wave.

He wants to fall off the surfboard again, fully trusting his friends will be there to catch him. They would rescue him, without putting their life on the line. He doesn't like this dream.

He can only watch his younger self, knowing the future that will come. The future that will crush his dreams and hopes. The future of never having a moment alone, the constant fear of being watched.

His desires will endlessly devour him. Before the demon could consume him. Before his curse would end him.

He thinks an hour would've passed. The dream repeats itself, it's unchanging. His ideal life would be this but he cannot endlessly dream.

He has to wake up. He has to leave. The red beach and evening sun are replaced by the chilly night and the half moon. He'll leave with his memories, the only things he can look back on here.

The skeleton wraps his hands around Rui's neck, choking him, but he doesn't feel anything. Only the dust of the skeleton blows into the wind. Even in a dream, his curse doesn't disappear.

A nap shouldn't have hurt.

Time. He doesn't have any. In the next year, as he leaves Darkwick, he knows he'll be killed. They've done enough research on him when he was locked in Ultio's prison. Enough for him to forget.

He's lost on this anomalous island, a place he's falling behind. A place where he doesn't know where he is.

"I want to be a human," He utters. The ceiling was blurry, the light from the chandelier hurt his eyes, and the silky sheets felt uncomfortable against his ungloved hands.

The light has lost its glow, he's going to soon fade out at the hands of no one but himself.

[astraeasatelier]

Chapter 4 - A Future I Want to Believe In

She found friends that she wants to be with. She finally found a place she belongs.

Location: Kamiyama High School Rooftop

Rui: So Mizuki isn't responding to your messages...is that right?

Ena: Yeah...

Ever since the day of the school festival... We talked only a little since then...

Rui: ...I see...

Ena: But...it seems like she's responded to Shiraishi-san, so I think she really just doesn't want to talk to me.

...I'm sure Mizuki wouldn't want me to run around in circles like this, huh.

Rui: ... ...

Ena: But... I feel like I can't let things stay as they are.

Rui: ...You can't?

Ena: Because if this carries on, Mizuki will... ...

I...feel like she might end up disappearing entirely...

So... I want to talk to her.

Rui: ...I understand.

...This situation is complicated, isn't it?

...I can't really say if I should push you forward or stop you from doing this.

Ena: ... ...

Rui: So...

All I have to share with you...is my own story.

Ena: Huh...?

Rui: ...I had a sort of similar experience.

At some point I thought, "That's enough"--but in the end, a very persistent friend broke through that wall I built.

I did think at the time he was being overbearing, but...in the end, I'm walking the same path as him.

So when I put things into perspective, I think that overbearingness was something I needed at the time.

Ena: Really...?

Rui: Yes. Well, back then I did wonder why he was being so insistent about it.

Though...this was just my experience. Things might turn out differently for you and Mizuki.

Ena: ... ...

Rui: Especially since... The Mizuki from before would have just said, "Don't worry about me," and completely shut everyone out.

Ena: Eh...? She did that...?

Rui: She did.

I don't think it's something I should talk about, but...

Around the time I first met Mizuki...she was always alone.

Ena: Alone...?

Rui: Yeah. Around the time we were in middle school...we met up here on the rooftop like this.

I was always alone, too, you see. I struggled to get along with others...

And then...I met Mizuki, who was similar to me.

Mizuki was quite a different person back then. She seemed to shut out everyone around her...like she had an aura that drove others away.

We met here on the rooftop, and gradually started to talk to each other, but--

that was just the feeling I had.

Ah... I suppose we've been cut from the same cloth, is what I thought.

In the depths of our hearts, we're shouldering a great deal of loneliness...

Ena: Mizuki...was shouldering that...

Flashback

Boy student A: Are you a crossdresser too?

Flashback end

Ena: (Maybe...)

(Mizuki has been looked at that way ever since then...)

(If people look at you like that and say such terrible things to you...)

...How did... Mizuki...

Rui: ... ...

I'm sure that if you approached her too forcefully back then, she would have just shut you out.

As for now...I don't even know how things will turn out.

Ena: Eh...

Rui: She's changed ever since she's met you and your circle.

Instead of smiling half-heartedly, she's started to smile genuinely.

And... She told me...

She found friends that she wants to be with. She finally found a place she belongs.

Ena: ...!

Rui: I'm sure... ...That she...

wants a future where you're always together.

Ena: ... ...

Flashback

Meiko: But... I don't think Mizuki wanted this to happen.

Flashback end

Ena: ... ...

Rui: Whether that wish is just a thing of the past or something she's still hoping for even now, even I can't say for sure.

But, I...

As her friend, I hope Mizuki can live a life she doesn't have to run away from.

So I hope your courage reaches her heart...

And above all, I hope that she hasn't abandoned that wish of hers.

Ena: Ah...

(This...still isn't over.)

(As long as our feelings are still the same, even just a bit...)

(I...can't let this end this way...!)

(Because I want...to be friends with Mizuki!)

[empress-mizuki]

[Midas went by himself to Lost Lake to speak with Empress Mizuki after a bit of push-back from Marigold. She was concerned for his well being so soon after returning from such a disruptive curse, but he didn't want to let things sit the way they'd been left any longer. It wasn't often these curses afflicted him anyway, so he didn't imagine another would be on its heels.]

["These things rarely adhere to rhyme or reason." She'd said before ultimately relenting to his reasoning, and giving the King his car keys once they'd ferried to the island's northern beach.]

[Midas did not want to write a letter. He knew that making amends for disrespecting the Empress so thoroughly would mean nothing if she could not see that it was really coming from him. Valeria had understood, at least. Though also cautious about a follow-up curse, she herself having been insulted by the Prince didn't argue when Midas said he needed to apologize in person. (Though, maybe they were still sore from their own conversation underneath, and wanted the yacht to themselves for a little while. Not an impossibility.)]

[The island's roads brought him to the west side of Lost Lake. The King expected guards to be at it's gateways, and was surprised that his entry went unchecked, though that was also it's own relief. He didn't feel up to explaining himself to another party.]

[Walking up the steps and into the main temple, he took a moment to scan his surroundings. It was a lovely building, ancient with a thrum of power unfamiliar to him, but one non-threatning. Something told him that would change if the Empress decided not to forgive him. But, he also doubted she would be unwilling to hear him out. Hoped, anyway.]

[Farbeit for him to meander around a place he'd not been invited to look for the Empress, but something also told him that the same power he felt would let her know of his arrival. He made his way to the back of the temple, keeping his eyes out for Mizuki along the stone and wooden paths surrounding one of the portals that sat in the middle of the tranquil courtyard.]

@king-midas-fortnite

[It was not the power residing in the building itself that had told the Empress of the King's arrival. Indeed, his arrival had been anticipated since shortly after the spirits watching the Marigold had told her he had departed. The King's progress had been reported every time he had come within eyeshot of a body of water, and his path had been clear; he was headed for Lost Lake, which could only have one meaning.

She wasn't certain if she was fully prepared to face him after the humiliation she had suffered on his yacht, and having barely had time to recover from the repercussions of the brutal severance rituals just conducted on Vengeance, but as an Empress, she rarely had time to prepare herself between her responsibilities and meetings like these. As usual, she would have to play the imperial game with no room to breathe. Such was her life, a slave to the whim of the waters and whatever, or whoever, they brought to her door. Never had her crown felt like such a burden.

It was days like this that she questioned herself the most.

The spirits of Lost Lake itself had whispered of the King's arrival. Some had offered to bar the door, others offered to make him vanish into the depths, as they sensed their Mistress's anger, however controlled it was. But she bade them lie low and allow him to pass. Despite her anger and humiliation, her friendship with the King was one she valued deeply, and she wanted to give him a chance before losing that connection.

The Empress watched from the shadows of her open upper floor as the King slowly made his way into the main structure. His footsteps were soft, but her home was quiet, so she heard exactly where he was below her. Gripping her fan in one hand, she took a deep breath before silently moving to the railing of her balcony, looking down at him as he checked the courtyard.]

What purpose drives the Gilded King to invite himself to my sanctuary unannounced?

[awan-82]

Nightcord AU idea (Kanade-centric)

I’m new to Tumblr so I dunno if I’m doing this right. I had this idea a few days ago and posted it on Pinterest, and I think it would be nice to share it here too.

It’s an AU where everything is the same, except Kanade’s savior complex is so big she thinks she’s God. Think of Light Yagami, how he killed people not out of the goodness of his heart, but to get a kick out of it and feel like “the god of the new world” or whatever the hell he said. It’s similar to that for Kanade; her motivation to “save” Mafuyu does not come from the goodness of her heart (even if she thinks it does), but instead it comes from how she feels like God whenever she manages to make Mafuyu feel better somehow.

Kanade wants to be recognized by her group as God. She wants her actions to be perceived as divine and perfect, just like a god’s. However, since she is still the Kanade we know and love, she keeps all her feelings to herself like always. In this AU her quiet and introverted personality is the still same, the only addition being her narcissistic tendencies and warped perception of godhood. The rest of niigo don’t know about Kanade’s true intentions and feelings, because Kanade keeps them inwards.

Here’s the catch: Mafuyu and the others already view Kanade as a god-like figure. Kanade (unknowingly) doesn’t need to present herself as God or prove herself that she is “divine” in any way because Mafuyu, Ena, and Mizuki already worship her as God in some way. They may be more far gone than Kanade.

Mafuyu views Kanade as a benevolent, innocent, kind-hearted God who truly cares about humans. Since Mafuyu is constantly struggling with who she really is and who is really on her side, to find someone like Kanade was life-changing for her. Mafuyu finds utmost solace in Kanade, and addresses her as “God” in her head sometimes.

Ena feels nearly completely different. Ena is jealous of Kanade, how Kanade is constantly praised and recognized for her music, unlike Ena and her art. Kanade regularly thanking and complimenting Ena for her art doesn’t make her jealously lessen. However, Ena oftentimes finds herself seeing Kanade as admirable too. Should she try imitating Kanade’s methods in an attempt to have her art recognized more frequently? She has very conflicting emotions and thoughts about Kanade. On one hand, Kanade is full of selfish pity for Ena, and on the other hand, Kanade is someone she should look up to and attempt to replicate. Ena fills her brain with thoughts of Kanade and is disconnected from reality, and is often found sitting alone with this unhealthy obsession (devotion?) to Kanade.

On the contrary, Mizuki absolutely idolizes Kanade! Mizuki wants to be like her, because if Kanade can be respected and treated as a normal person despite her deep interest in music, then Mizuki can too, for her interest in cute things!

I was thinking of throwing Ichika and Honami in here too but I think this post is long enough already. Anyways Kanagod has taken over me goodbye

[offbeat-manga-ships]

Do you have more fxm romance to recommend? Even better if the guy is masculine I'm a sucked for gap moe

of course! and i hope i'm being right in assuming based on our talk that you would want both straight up femdom and more subdued dom f/sub m dynamics when you say fxm.

—

the first thing that comes to mind is my favorite manwha who deals with the topic of actual bdsm: moral sense (aka love and leashes) [MAL / AL / MU]:

A seemingly clean cut office worker keeps his BDSM sexual fantasies to himself—until he discovers his co-worker a potential dominatrix? As they spend their time together, slowly understanding one another, the two end up having a rather unique master and servant relationship.

ji-hoo might not be the classic example of male lead masculinity we are used to seeing in manwha or manga, but for realistic korean standards, he's pretty much a dreamboat (definitely not in the pretty boy category). i would still say he's cute because i mean, he is a sub. but considering how tall and competent and charming in a every-day good-at-talking way, i'd say he's a prime example of the gap moe you're looking for.

—

going in a different direction, with a manwha that is way more subtle in the role rev/ersal-type of dynamic: agassiwa ureongchonggak (the lady and her butler) [MAL / AL / MU]

Lim Sooha is an independent woman who has it all: a busy career, a brand-new home, and an ever-growing pile of household chores. And the last thing she needs is a man to mess things up. But that all changes when one walks through her front door–literally! Homeless and desperate for a break, Taesoo begs Sooha to let him stay in exchange for keeping house. Tempted by the idea of coming home to a warm meal, clean sheets, and ironed clothes, Sooha agrees after Taesoo shows just how capable he really is…and claims to be gay. Could this be the perfect arrangement, or will Taesoo’s lie and Sooha’s conflicted feelings make a bigger mess?

Taesoo is a big big softie in the muscled tall body of a guy with a sharp sullen face. he's somewhat of a gentle quiet giant, except his character is deeper than that (it's a good manwha!). sooha may be a bit too closed-off to be called a dominant type, but she's no shrinking violet in the relationship either (in portuguese we might say she's just a bit of a 'locked' person, physically speaking to illustrate a particular disposition). i still tagged it as 'role rev' because, especially with this premise, it's something pretty apparent in how they both conduct themselves in their arrangement and relationship. even though i don't tag this one as 'dom f', i'm pretty sure she's still kind of assertive in the relationship in the moments that count. and honestly, i think i read this one before started this blog and it was a bit hard to tag so many manga i had read throughout my life only going by my memory of them. upon a re-read she might very well be dom haha.

—

going back to manga where the girl straight up doms him, we have souiu koto nara, watashi ga. ("if that's the case, then i'll do it") [MAL / AL / MU].

Kana Nagase (28) is the daughter of the company president, and she works as an ordinary office lady at her father's company. She has been in a secret relationship with her boss, Haruhiko Shindo (40), but she was worried that he has yet to make a move on her. (the rest of this synopsis was pretty badly translated, so i'm not including it to confuse folks.)

i don't have that much to say about this one because it's pretty short, but i'm sure it's like what you're looking for. done by a great mangaka who also wrote a manga i have a lot of love for (mori no takuma-san) and one i've been meaning to read for ages! (usotsuki lily. fr i VOW to start this one before the end of the year!!)

—

not sure if you've seen around my blog already, but onnanoko ga daicha dame desu ka? (ladies on top) [MAL / AL / MU] is also a she straights up doms him manga.

Mizuki seems like an ordinary office lady–tidy, cute, quiet, and looking for Mr. Right–but while she yearns for love, she’s left cold by traditional romances where men take the lead. Then, at the age of 24, Mizuki discovers Shinomiya, a seemingly perfect guy at the office who likes aggressive women, and something awakens within her. Together, Mizuki and Shinomiya learn that reversing traditional gender roles can be both liberating and exciting, especially in bed!

i would say he is 'masc' only or mostly in a japanese man kind of way (not to stereotype, but they do have different standards). it's particularly hard for him at first to give in because he is seen as such a successful man very on top of things (ha).

—

i haven't done any edits yet to showcase it, but you can trust me that uri jibe wae wanni (who invited you?) [MAL / AL / MU] perfectly fits into the idea of a dominant girl and submissive guy without even touching on anything close to femdom: it's ye usual korean romcom manwha. one that i really love 🫶

Jade is told that her childhood friend from China is going to stay at her house. Yet, the grown man who arrives at her door is no longer the sweet boy from her distant memories, rather far from it. As she struggles to re-adjust to their new life together, will she rediscover her childhood crush or simply kick him to the curb?

unfortunately some people seem to have a disliking for the female lead in earlier chapters, but i was definitely not one of them. i love when the female lead is wilful maybe to a bit of a forceful, unwelcome (? more to the readers used to subservient always-nice women than the actual guy in question) degree; call it a flaw, i still love it haha i love the way she teases him in this playful but also borderline flirtatious degree and i love the way she thinks he is so cute. now, is he masc? liu yun is a bit more to the softer side (especially after his makeover. what a cute guy), but that gap moe you're after could easily be found here because he is still a closed-off serious person, but when jae gets under his skin there is nothing he can do hahaha i love it. honestly, they might be the couple i would want to get in a relationship with the most.

—

another short one: waka danna wa, konzen koushou dekimasen. (pixie love) [AL / MU]

Masanari Yukimura is master of the hotel Yukitsubaki, which has been in business for 120 years. Being the only heir to the hotel, he needs a wife to start a family with, but there's a problem… he's so sensitive that the slightest tactile sensation gets him hard and coming. He's so afraid to scare girls away that he never gets very far with them. Meanwhile, the pixie who's been guardian of the hotel all these years decides she's the only one who can help him… by getting him used to touch!! A hot romcom with an uptight hotel master and a gorgeous-but-inexperienced pixie.

in terms of the sex scenes, i'm a huge fan of the way it starts: she really, really doms him and it's so satisfying to see this older proper guy be so undone by her hands. by the end, he's a bit more assertive during sex, but considering it was during particular scenes where he wanted to prove his feelings for her, i didn't really mind it, even though i missed the form of the early action. but he's still pretty vulnerable to his feelings for her and it's cute to see a man like him be in love so i thought i'd mention it.

—

in ojou-sama ga mamorasete kurenai (my lady won't let me protect her) [MAL / AL / MU], a young lady is what people would call very competent and suave and princely and she's so good at being her own dashing superhero her bodyguard is vexed but also in love with her. read this a long while ago and wished the author would have done a bit more romance-wise, but i think it was still a nice read.

Ichika Kiryuin is the only daughter of a large corporation while Hayama Shuzuku was born into the Samurai family, that worked as bodyguards for generations and was taught to live only as a disposable shield. Hayama was ready to guard and protect Ichika, but as it turns out, Ichika, who has a strong physique, will be the one protecting him!

—

i haven't been able to finish seishun no hekireki (a sudden incident in my youth) [MAL / AL / MU] but as far as i read, it's pretty much consistent that she is the dominant one in this relationship whether they are in their original bodies or body-swapped:

"If I'm not attracted to the things that most girls are attracted to… Is there something wrong with me?" Amane Shizuku has been worried about a possible sexual frigidity. She can fall in love with men, she's even dated some of them, but when things were about to go to the next level, her heart didn't throb at all. Due to this matter, she was about to give up on love, but when she meets the popular Kouki, her world changes… literally!!

he's a typical dashing high school cool guy, but she def shows him who's boss lmao

—

if you're in the mood for straight up smut/borderline H (aimed at women), there is also agassiwa maid (lady & maid) [AL / MU]

An enormous fortune, a beautiful sprawling estate, and five adoring male maids… what more could a gal wish for? Yeon-Hwa Lee is living out every girl's fantasy when she suddenly inherits her grandfather's estate, including his five loyal servants. Bom and Yeong-Ho are so cute and adorable, Alexander is buff and sexy, while Won-Hu and Edward are elegant and cool. Their only desire is to service their mistress… and Yeon-Hwa simply can't resist.

yes, she fucks literally all of them as it's a harem manga, but it doesn't have any "final choice" as they're all her lovers. some of them are fem and some of them are masc and as said, this is just an ero manwha.

—

now for another one of my absolute favs, takane to hana (takane & hana) [MAL / AL / MU]

Sixteen-year-old Hana Nonomura is forced to be the substitute for her older sister Yukari at a miai: a meeting between two people considering an arranged marriage. Hana's prospective suitor turns out to be the handsome heir of the wealthy Takaba company, Takane Saibara, who is 10 years her senior. He promptly shows disdain toward Hana and, in response, she tells him that she is equally unimpressed by his status and personality. Hana believes that her actions at the meeting should have put an end to the discussions about marriage with Takane. To her surprise, not only does the man want to proceed with negotiations but he also starts to show interest in her! This is just the beginning of a special relationship between two polar opposites!

this manga NEVER drops the ball. this tall rich and handsome business guy is an absolute sub and this tiny & funny high school girl is an absolute dom. both in a very comedic, but very present way. this man absolutely thrives under and loves hana's upper hand on him, even if he thinks like he wants to win (he is described by the author herself as an M who thinks he is an S). her absolute disdain at his immature quips and she way she puts him in his place was what sparked his interest in her. not in a virgin raise wa tanin ga ii kinda way, but in a chad takane to hana way hahaha it also never touches on actual dominance and submission but it still surprised me how hana at one point has a conundrum of the clash between being in a vulnerable state of being In Love but also maintaining her dominant position (because don't get me wrong, they both get off on it). and macacos me mordam, she actually DOES keep it. her way of accepting it and him into her life is still very Hana and i don't know how to look at what they have without it being through a dominant/submission and sometimes s/m lens.

—

another shoujo i absolutely love (and is way, way shorter): beast master [MAL / AL / MU]

Leo Aoi looks like a crazy animal with wild eyes, and he goes berserk whenever he feels threatened and sees blood. That doesn't stop animal-lover Yuiko Kubozuka from befriending him, however. In fact, Yuiko is the only person Leo will listen to when he has one of his violent fits…

leo is pretty terrifying and violent when he goes berserk, but he is also a soft, nice boy who pretty much adopts yuiko as his 'master' (in an informal, unsaid way). she is a very chill girl and i love the way she shows him affection, even while they are still friends. while it's something not unlike friendships in my country, it's still kind of rare for japanese characters. it makes him absolutely besotted with her and devoted.

—

you've already found this one, but it bears repeating that narita-kun wo semetai! (i want to be aggressive towards narita!) [MAL / AL / MU] has plenty of domf/subm moments between the leads (and narita is very much a cool high school boy in appearance)

Amane Fukatsu, a 2nd year high school girl, is an otaku whose hobby is posting her BL manga creations on social media. One day, she stumbles upon Narita-kun, a popular guy from another class, being attacked by a cat (?). Witnessing this scene of gap-moe, Amane is struck by inspiration…?! A cool otaku girl takes the initiative to relentlessly pursue a popular guy! A new-age romantic comedy filled with laughter and heart-warming moments.

—

in o! naui wangjanim (oh! my prince AKA oh! my pharaoh) [MAL / AL / MU] the domf/subm vibes are not completely visible in the beginning, but by the time the guy is head-over-heels, it's clear as day who's the dominant one in the relationship. (there are no good synopsis for this one so have two of them to piece together what this is about haha)

The prodigy who took the world by storm, resigned just after joining the school! Fluent in eight languages from a tender age and capable at everything, he passed the judicial examination while still attending high school, and was dubbed "the Genius of Geniuses." However, there was only one thing this genius did not possess—proper parenting. One day, he got hurdled into a gang fight with a group of rowdy students, and didn't manage to dodge a direct blow to the back of his head with a baseball bat and thus fainted. When he came to, he realized that he was, unexpectedly, in Egypt?! Ancient Egypt: to be able to reign in a world where women are nothing, she stole the identity of her brother, the prince. With such a lie, to reign or to love, it will be necessary to decide! When his tutor arrives in his life, the meeting is electric. He has a big advantage: he comes from the future and knows the whole history of the kingdom perfectly!

i'm also obsessed with the way she is a bit of a lo/li (not really, she's initially a teen) who looks like a sho/ta who looks like a lo/li. i love when girls look like very beautiful kind of feminine boys (and when boys look like beautiful girls of course haha but for girls it's a bit rarer).

—

i know you probably have come across this one already, but i want to give a shout-out to sunjeongmalgo sunjong (act like you love me!) [ MAL / AL / MU]

25-year-old Ji-Eon is stressed, overworked, and penniless. When a mix-up at a temp job has her spending a day as famous actor Do-Yun Nam’s personal assistant, she takes her anger out on a doll… which turns out to have the magical ability to control him at her every whim. Now it’s her turn to be the boss.

i actually wavered a bit on whether to tag jieon as 'dom f' or not. i think i did in the end because she is still very much in charge of the relationship at all points and even if she mostly sweeps him off his feet without realizing, i think she also has plenty of assertive moments. also, i swear to god.. (SPOILER)i literally said on a comment that it's bloody coward that the author hasn't shown them using the doll (who makes him do whatever she says) for sex yet and then LITERALLY A FEW CHAPTERS LATER they actually do use the doll for sex!! (though we can't see the scene, it's a romcom manga). jieon canonically sexually dominates doyun so like!!!(END SPOILER). but yeah even with this 'is jieon a dom-type?' wobble, rest assured. if there ever was a submissive guy, this one is it lmao. and he's the bratty mad-about-it type!

—

this one i actually haven't read yet: gwiyeoun yasunim! (my cute beast) [MAL / AL / MU]

As the saying goes - never judge a book by its cover. Da-Im is a lovely elementary school teacher, as well as a savage who can rip anyone apart with the fiercest comebacks. On-Gyum is a florist with a heart of gold, who often gets misunderstood because of his intimidating looks. But as incompatible as they seem, their shared love of cats starts pulling the unlikely pair closer together… Here comes an upbeat romantic comedy between a sassy bunny and a sweet beast!

i always see this one around when looking for dom f/sub m/role rev manga and i'm always on the brink of reading this but i always start something else lmaoo. i'll get to this soon!

—

well this is what i have for now! hope i managed to rec something to your liking. thanks again for talking to me so much the other day. i fr don't really have anyone to talk about manga with, i'm kinda relying on you guys loll thank you for delivering once in a while 😌

[pjsk-writin]

Breaks through window. hi may I request Niigo with reader who is very pessimistic?? Ty may I also become 🍥 anon??

DHDJSKKDF yes ofc !! welcome aboard 🍥 anon, i wrote this separately but let me know if you want anything changed ! I hope u like this !! <3

♤ PESSIMIST - Kanade Yoisaki, Mafuyu Asahina, Ena Shinonome and Mizuki Akiyama x Reader

Kanade:

Kanade tries her best to help you believe that not everything is wrong. She might even think it's something she'll "save" you from

She composes a song dedicated to you, hoping it'll help you see the positive instead of the negative

Even if the song doesn't change much, she hopes it helps give you a new perspective

She works towards helping you see the world in a better light, but is also respectful if you can't shift your point of view

She loves you, and she wants to make sure you're living life as best you can <3

Mafuyu:

Mafuyu doesn't feel much, so she might not understand why your perspective is so bleak

If you talk about one of your more pessimistic viewpoints while her facade is down, she'll bluntly ask if it makes you feel better

It doesn't, so she asks you why you see the world the way you do. She's very interested to learn

She'll sit and listen to you as you talk about your pessimism, and can't help but question you about it

She can't really do much besides hear you out, but she always wonders if being happier would help you both

Ena:

Ena is used to being pessimistic towards her creations and herself, but she doesn't know how to feel with your pessimism

She cares about you a lot, and hearing how you see the world makes her feel bad. She doesn't know if she can do much for you

Sometimes she takes inspiration from the way you describe things and paints them. It's always in darker colors

She tries to help cheer you up every now and then, but if you mention noticing her efforts, she'll shrug you off

She just wants you to be happy, and if you can be happy while being pessimistic, she'll leave you alone

Mizuki:

Mizuki tries their best to look for the better (and cuter) things in life, so they don't truly understand your pessimism

They might tease you about it, but only if you're okay with it. They have called you a debbie downer in the past though

They'll definitely be tempted to take you around town and go to a bunch of shops to change your perspective

There's so many cute things in the world, how can you think the world is a bleak place? They want to show you it all!

They definitely buy you bright clothing. They just want to help you be more optimistic about the things around you

taglist ! ; @fayeelikefairie , @starry-sky-melody , @lovecord25 , @memoriesmelody , @averagemizukikinnie

[pumpkinmagekupo]

Flare Star

Someday, the light of love lit within your eyes

Will transcend time

And surely destroy one of the dreams

Of the world that hurries off to destruction

Swallow down the hesitation

What do you wish for?

On the whereabouts of this greedy admiration,

will there be a fleeting tomorrow?

As though it were an ancient magic

That I saw in my dreams when I was young

With the power that crushes the darkness

I want you to put a smile on your face

In my trembling hand

Is courage of a plucked flower

The only thing to count on is my feelings

My wish

Will awaken the lights

Someday, you will desire for

A strong power for other's sake

On a night when love catches my heart

As-yet-unknown words will be born

If I can make it there without being lost

I don't care if my heart gets broken

I've always wished for a spell

To face up to the sadness

Before my eyes

You are a dreaming memory

I am a sleepless tomorrow

I will make my move to obtain

A miracle of our meeting

In my trembling hand

Is a blade of a plucked flower

The only thing to live on is my feelings

My wish

Brandished within my heart

A calmly blooming

ancient magic gently whispers to me

The power to change the world

Lies within that hand of mine

I'll keep on dreaming with no end

In time we both go through

The only thing to live on is my feelings

My wish

Will create a new life

Magia - Kalafina

Let's talk about Flare star! My new favourite spell. It looks so coool!

This is the sort of spell I could Mizuki being known for. She learnt it accidently at a young age and couldn't control the fallout.

As an adult, it's more controlled but scary none-the-less. (The spell she would have used to best her master in battle.)

[mizuki-foreshadowing]

What Lies Behind / What Lies Ahead, Episode 3

This episode takes place entirely inside Mizuki's room. She can't stop thinking about N25 almost learning her secret during the encounter with An, even though Mizuki feels confident that they'd accept her as she is. A part of her is still scared that if things do change, she would lose the one good thing in her life.

We learn here why An knows Mizuki's secret. Mizuki confided her secret to some of her high school classmates, which would certainly have included An, who goes out of her way to make Mizuki feel accepted for her secret. The other classmates were less kind. It'll come up later in this episode as a painful flashback.

While An and Mizuki are classmates, Toya and Akito are in another class, and Mizuki doesn't know whether they know her secret. But, she is sure that neither of them would mistreat her if they did know.

We also catch a glimpse of how well Mizuki passes and believes that she passes. While we already have the evidence of her seamlessly passing to the members of N25, Kanade and Ena don't get out much, and Mafuyu lives her public life in a daze, so they wouldn't be the best judge of how well she actually passes. Mizuki implies here that the only reason anyone in Kamiyama High School knows her secret is because she confided it in those few classmates herself, that that's the reason it's 'out there.'

Mizuki realizes the reason for her fear is specifically N25 learning her secret.

There's a sequence where Mizuki imagines herself telling them. It happens in SEKAI and each of them are understanding; Mizuki is confident that her friends would be accepting of her. However, Mizuki has been confident that people would be accepting before, and while An very much was, she may have been the only one. Mizuki gets hit by a painful flashback here of one of those classmates rejecting her.

I believe this flashback is from when Mizuki had told her high school classmates, rather than from anything in middle school. The episode opens with her drawing attention to having told some of her classmates her secret, so it was something she was already thinking about, and it sneaks up on her.

Mizuki knows in her heart that even if she trusted the wrong people in high school and it led to them spreading cruel rumors about her, even if she's been burned that way, that her trust in her friends in N25 is not misplaced. All the same, she worries about what'll happen if she's wrong, with the implication being that she'll want to disappear again.

Mizuki reflects on what her transness means to herself. It isn't something she feels she has to prove to someone or convince them is a part of her, it simply is. It's just a part of knowing who she is.

They need to know about me.

Because that's just who I am.

And that's a big part of why she feels guilty for hiding it; she's hiding something that's just a part of knowing who she is, from people she cares about. It feels duplicitous to her.

In the end, she isolates herself again in her self-defeating narrative that she has to face the world alone, that she is the sort of person that the world can't allow to be herself. Mizuki doesn't sleep at all that night.

[nogenderbee]

♡˗ˏ✎*ೃ˚ 𝕐𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕄, 𝕆, ℝ, 𝕌 ₊˚ˑ༄

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ anon request: Mizuki Yandere Headcanons Letters: M, N, O, R, U?

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ Here it is! Oh but I already did N so here's the link and I hope you're okey with me just doing the rest of it!

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ TW: unhealthy obsession, mentions of deaths, delusions

Not putting affiliation because I'm aware of how triggering this could be.

✧ Moving on = If you die or escape, will they be able to move on? How easy it'll be for them?

The only difference between Mizuki's reaction is that if you escape, they'll try for months to find you on any media's and try to see where you are. But when you're just dead, they're immidietly gonna give up on trying to bring you back to their life...

It's not the hardest for them but also not easy... they aren't gonna take serious methods like immidietly unaliving themselves or so... but they are gonna refuse to face reality in some way! They're aware you're not here anymore, but who's gonna stop them from acting as if it wasn't the truth?

They'd wear your style or even your clothes, they'd get into hobbies you used to have, they'd buy a mannequin and dress it up to be similiar to you and kiss it goodnight and goodmorning every time they fall asleep or wake up, and they're also gonna spray everything in their room or house with perfumes you used to use.

"Good morning Y/N~ Ah... how I wish I could hear it back... but at least I can kiss you! Mua~! Who knows? Maybe one day it turns out to be just a bad dream..."

✧ Other = Someone else speaks or flirts with you, how will they react?

Mizuki would instantly go into protection mode whenever they see someone even being around you! So when you're having conversation with someone... they know to immidietly join it so they know what they're standing on here...

If it really is just a friendly chat, and they see a smile on your face, they MIGHT let you hangout with that person from time to time... but only if they're around too!!

If it's straight up flirting... they don't even wait for you two to be alone, they just start to make a scene for whole place that you're in, fake-crying that you cheated on them. So if the person won't walk away with shame, they will by you completely ignoring them. Because how can you not comfort your lover~?

"You cheater!!! You cheated on me with THEM?!! I thought I was much better than that!! You- You... Oh? Seems like they walked away and you do care.. heh~ Well I'll only forgive you after a sleepover! What do you say?"

✧ Risk = How risky will they be with getting rid of rivals?

As we know, Mizuki is manipulator, and they don't want to get there r hands dirty either! So they do something they're good at~ nasty rumors~ They're already seen rarely at school, if they spread few rumors here and there, people won't even suspect them! Because how could they, when they weren't on any lesson for 2 weeks and rumors vegan going a week ago? It can't be them! And to have even better alibi~ They pretended all 2 weeks to be sick, so even you can confirm it couldn't be them!

But sometimes, they may choose safer option and just create alt account, and if irl rumors won't break their target, they'll make sure that THEIR threats and photoshopped photos going all around internet would!

And they won't even comfort you much about it... they'll just tell you it's not important right now and you should focus on them instead to take your mind off unpleasant things!

"Have you heard~? That girl from 2-C is using poor street puppys for her photos! No, those are not from shelter.. I heard she even kicks them after that!! Horrible, right?"

✧ Unsure = How much trust they have in you? What happens if you break it?

Mizuki's trust is at a low level... they'll always be scared you're gonna leave them at some point, that's why they're always following you and being so clingy all the time.

Their trust may change a little bit with time... if you play your cards right and find a friend group that they accept and feel sure you'll be safe with them, they might let you hangout alone with them every now and then... but only if you won't spend TOO much time with them! You have a lover after all... and they can't be left alone for longer than 3 hours! Or you might never brush them off ever again...

"Hey where are you leaving so early?! No, you're not going anywhere without me! Let me get dressed really quick and we can go! ... I don't care if it's FAMILY meeting!! I'm part of the family too, don't you think~?"

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

@bleachtheidiot @prsk-krow @modyuki @virtualpoison @miguelito-maruti-blog @written-by-kafka - come get your cuties lover~

[zondel]

Please tell me more about the Wof x pjsk au, specifically nijiiro PLEASE PLEASE PLAESE 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏. Like I have so many questions. When rui and mizuki first met did they know the other was an animus??? Also what was the mizuki unethical magic thing?? I’m also kinda interested in the mafuyu animus thing because is it like an anemone thing or did her mom use her to take the throne??? How does the gang find out that not one but two of their members are animuses??? Why is kanade fr living on an island on her own 🥺??? If ena takes the place of peril in canon then how does she just… leave?? Does she know Akito is her brother? I have so many questions DROP ANOTHER LORE POST AND MY LIFE IS YOURS 🙏🙏🙏🙏

Also Zondel when (if) my camera gets repaired I have not three but four drawings regarding the pjsk x wof au so you better be prepared I am freakishly obsessed with this au and you will have to pry it from my cold dead hands

Hiiiyaaa Gooosee.....so it took a while to respond... almost a month.... woops... sorry :>

But I'm here with a yap! It's not the ideal yap I was stalling for but alas, at least I'm no longer leaving you in the rain. I am sadly not going to spill all my beans (<- cat who wants to try making comics) but here are most of em:

When Charming and Director first met, only Director was to their knowledge an animus. At that time Charming didn't know that those even existed. Director by that didn't know either. To him he was chatting with a rather quiet Rainwing

Mizukis spell? Nah sorry I want to still keep that Zonde exclusive knowledge <:3c If I fsr can't manage working out a way of telling the story, I'll mention it in a dump, but atm? lemme try

For Mafuyu I am more open☝️ So base idea: common Seawing animus boytoy, the common your only use is to serve the kingdom. That's also her first spell:

"May these bracelets make me an obedient subject. May they never leave my talons and let them never be destroyed"

It's a failsafe in the likely case she loses her soul and goes... like the others.

The thing is, the spells are instructed by her mother Kelp. Why, is because it's easier to trust her with the task, than search for a random council member who could do it. Mafumom is already a council member and the wife of the prince yk?

Anyways that would be fine and all, if Kelp didn't have ulterior motives... Her previous plan was to marry into the royal family and let her daughter then challenge the queen. But since said daughter turned out to be a animus, the plan changed into Kelp using Jellyfish to take over the throne herself. She hasn't yet, but is on the way.

How the gang finds out about the second animus in their mids? Well as my last dump said, niigo were in a situation where they had to run asap. Jellyfish can't cast spells that work against the Seakingdom will, therefore only Charming can do something to help. She creates a tunnel akin to Directors rainforest tunnel, bringing niigo to safety, but at the cost of her secret. When they were all safe and the situation dawned on her she quite literally disappeares. And niigos reaction? Very mixed. Jellyfish has still all the Seakingdom shit to process, Siren is immediately trying to think of a way to help Charming or at least reach her and Kite is going through about twenty stages of grief. That's around where I would say second arc niigo would start, where they have to find Charming and rely on Sekais help ( the niigoloids that are apart of it) ...yeah

Siren lives on the island alone since she doesn't have anywhere else to go. Her parents raised her on it, since it was a rather safe and secluded place. Something dragons, who escaped the vulcano and are trying to hide from any potential Nightwings that might force them to return, would want. But with her mother dead and father gone she just stayed really. Siren doesn't know any other place well enough to properly survive and solitude has the benefit of not having multiple visions about other dragons' death. She comes by, but wasn't close to thriving before niigo came.

Compared to Peril, Kite does just have the ability to leave. She previously stayed, because the arena gave her purpose and there didn't seem to be an option to do something else. Life outside of the arena only provided the role of a firedemon loved by none. It fits to Enas character and the conflict between her need for self fulfillment through her art and her need to be seen and appreciated. At that point she'd rather be Inferno, Champion of the Skywings, than a free monster.

Additionally, Chimera- OH FUCK Ok I found a continuity error in me old infodump on Chimera (explodes multiple times) erm...

Welcome to the "Zonde has to de-flunk their blunders" show!

I did tell Chimera took over the Kingdom when the war began, but before Kite and Smoke were born.... No... it didn't woops

The war happened when the Blorbos were kids, so that wouldn't make sense. So either Chimera did take over flailing a firescale dragonet around, or she promised an alliance in exchange for power before the war happened.... Both stretches, but I gravitate towards the latter (sloppily tapes bandaid over the blunder)

erhem...Additionally (it is presumed that) Chimera took over the kingdom, withouth a firescale as a weapon, so there wasn't as much pressure to keep her with the same tactics as Scarlet did Peril. Techincally Kite could challenge Chimera, but since Chimera isn't an actual royal and already stretches the kingdoms tolerance for unconventional rulers, a nonroyal firescale queen wouldn't be recognized. The Skywings in the au operate with a panem et circenses mindset. Control depends on the comfort of the masses.

Kite knows her brother is Smoke. Him ending up in the arena was the motivator for her to leave.

yeah, that's it atm.