#they only desire one another (especially on Byakuya’s part)

[byakuyasdarling]

I love to think about what Byakuya and S/I love about one another, vocalised or not. S/I loves his resilience, his willpower, his honesty, his determination, and his loyalty. Byakuya loves her grounded compassion, her strong morality, her intelligence, her warmth, and her gentleness (with him).

🌸♥️🍓 — <3

[w1cked-w1tch]

So..... re: fic writers writing Mayuri like some sexless, detached weirdo..... this is gonna be very long and rambling and the Mayuri part will be at the end. I took my Adderall today and my brain is moving a mile a minute thinking about this, buckle up. The entirety of this post is a spoiler.

I'm powerwatching the entirety of the original Bleach series. I'm currently watching the fights between the Captains and Espada. I've been watching 8-10 episodes a day for the last 23 days so everything that's happened thus far is fresh in my mind. This is also one of my absolute favorite parts in the entire series. These opinions are subject to change, especially since I haven't finished watching the series yet. Please feel free to offer a different point of view.

ANYWAY! The Espada that the captains fight are mirrors of themselves in their personalities, their powers, and even somewhat in their aesthetics. The only difference is, said Espada have not learned a very important lesson that said captains HAVE learned.

Kenpachi and Nnoitra are both huge, (literally huge, kenpachi is 6'7" and Nnoitra is 7') cocky brutes who live to fight. They've both got that muscled but incredibly lean body type. (Yes Kenpachi too. He's less than 200lbs despite being almost 7 feet tall.) And of course the long hair, eyepatch, exposed chest, and huge toothy smile. Kenpachi has learned that it doesn't matter what package his opponents skills come in. Man, woman, soul reaper, arrancar, it doesn't matter. He's learned to respect his opponents, and he doesn't let his desire to be the strongest cloud his judgment during battle. He knows that there are people out there who are stronger than him, that there probably always WILL be, and he's accepted it. He knows that he will probably die at the hands of somebody stronger than him someday. He even verbally acknowledges that he may die in this battle. Nnoitra, on the other hand, refuses to accept a woman being stronger than he is. He refuses to really believe ANYBODY could be stronger. He seems to have somewhat of an inferiority complex despite this. Not only does he desire to be the strongest, he's desperate to be the strongest. He's so desperate that he lets his anger cloud his judgment in his fight with Kenpachi. He's not looking for Kenpachis weaknesses, he's just relying on his brute strength and his hierro to get him through the battle. He arrogantly believes that every hit he gets on Kenpachi is one hit away from the finishing blow, even going so far as to turn his back on him when he goes down briefly. Kenpachi, on the other hand, pays careful attention to Nnoitra's skills and continues to adapt during their battle, even using a technique he says he hates. In his arrogance and desperation he ignores Kenpachi's mercy, instead choosing to fight to the death. Arrogance and disregard/underestimation of the enemy will be a theme here.

Byakuya and Zommari are the most different aesthetically. Their personalities are very similar though. They're both very stoic in an arrogant way. Zommari calls Byakuya arrogant several times, and says it disgusts him. He hasn't realized that he's the one who is truly arrogant. Byakuya comes off that way, but its because he knows how strong he is. Byakuya also knows full well that he comes off as arrogant. Zommari doesn't seem to. Zommari's arrogance is what ultimately does him in. During their entire fight Byakuya is analyzing Zommari's power and skill. Zommari fails to do this, his confidence in his own powers clouds his judgement. This brings in another similarity between them. Zommari says at the beginning of the fight that his powers may seem like magic to an outsider. Byakuya, towards the end of the fight, says that he guessed correctly that Zommari's powers are similar to Kido. Kido would probably seem like magic to an outsider and Byakuya is incredibly skilled in kido. Their special flash step skills are similar as well, being so fast that they leave an after image. At the end of the fight Zommari asks Byakuya if he's ever stopped to consider what he's doing, if he's ever thought about the meaning of killing hollows as if it's a natural thing to do, why he thinks he can kill hollows, if soul reapers think they're God's, who gave them the authority to kill hollows, who gave them the authority to protect humans, tells him that nobody has given him those rights and calls him arrogant once again. This further proves that the only person he thinks about is himself. He can only think about himself and his own beliefs to the point that he doesn't even bother to think about his opponents skills in battle. Not to mention that the Gotei 13 was formed to help keep the balance of the world, and killing hollows is part of that. Byakuya tells Zommari that he's not killing him because he's a hollow, he's killing him because he aimed his blade at his only pride and our view switches from him to Rukia. Byakuya has learned how to think about other people and step outside of his beliefs when it's necessary.

Now to the part that sparked this whole essay. Mayuri's and Szayelaporro's aesthetics both incorporate Aposematism, though Szayelaporro really only exhibits that aesthetic in his released form. They've both got the mad scientist thing going on. They're both very cocky. They're both very brilliant. They both largely view other people as subjects to be experimented on. They're both very theatrical. Now, Szayelaporro is definitely more outwardly sexual. He's got that sensual, hedonistic vibe going on. His Zanpakuto shows this as well. The name in the Japanese version being Fornicarás (You Will Fornicate) and in the English version being La Lujuriosa (The Lustful, or One Who Shows Lustfulness). Mayuri isn't anywhere near as outwardly lewd as Szayelaporro. He's much more subtle. Have you noticed the placement of his sword? He wears it between his legs so that it appears phallic. Like a codpiece. This placement doesn't contribute to the intimidation factor of the rest of his get-up, so why do it? Because he's a fucking pervert, that's why. He thinks it's funny. Plus the..... whatever the fuck it is that he does to Nemu to revive her after the fight. Theres also the image we get of him in the 10th opening where he's sitting, legs splayed and holding the hilt of his sword as though it was his dick, and we're looking up at him as though we're about to give him a blow job. And Nemu's outfit? Her body type? Nobody seems to take these things into account. Mayuri created and dressed her that way on purpose. As far as Szayelaporro being a reflection of Mayuri, I suppose the argument could be made that his outward sexuality is part of the reflection that is the bad part of Mayuri. Something Mayuri has overcome that Szayelaporro has not. But I don't think that's the case. It's not touched on at all during the fight. Plus, like I said, whatever weird thing he did AFTER the fight to revive Nemu sounded like he was molesting her. It wouldn't have happened that way if he didn't WANT it to happen that way. He denies it being NSFW, but it's obvious hes being sarcastic for the sake of things being tv friendly. No, Mayuri makes it quite clear what hurdle he has overcome that Szayelaporro has not. The pursuit of perfection.

It's also clear that his downfall was believing he was already perfect, when no such thing exists. His belief in that also making him believe he couldn't be defeated. Unlike Zommari, Szayelaporro does take his opponents skills into consideration. He's got contingencies like Mayuri does. His failing was not having a backup plan for his backup plan because he thinks his Gabriel is enough to save him. Mayuri comes essentially armed to the teeth with contingencies. We've seen his regenerative abilities, his plan z slime get away, Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo's self destruct mechanism, and the way he talks about drugging Nemu's body tells us he's taken into consideration every possible way she could have been attacked or used against him. Szayelaporro had become so self obsessed that he didn't think he needed such things. In thinking he'd reached perfection he didn't think he'd be affected by such things. That was his downfall.

Anyway. All this to say, please for the love of God stop writing Mayuri like he'd be some purely clinical, sterile scientist in bed. Stop writing him like he'd be uninterested in physically participating in his partners pleasure. Stop writing him like he'd be the kind of person who sees no point in sexual urges or sexual pleasure, or like he'd get rid of his own ability to feel those things. He's very obviously a huge pervert and if you think he doesn't have a room full of things he invented for bedroom activities you're so incredibly wrong. We are shown how much of a pervert he is through his own actions, as well as through his reflection in Szayelaporro. Do the man justice, god damn it.

[monkifuraibo]

Ever since their conversation where Renji expressed how important it was for him that Byakuya was happy, Byakuya had done exactly what he'd promised to do. He'd worked hard to be happy. He hadn't fully realized what a tough task this was. Now, he was constantly analyzing his emotions. At every given moment trying to register what he was feeling, instead of keeping everything suppressed like he was used to. It was surprisingly tiring. What was worse was that he didn't find that many positive emotions within himself. The feelings he thought he could sense the most were frustration and sadness. They went away when he and Renji were together, and he settled into feeling more content. But that wasn't happiness, so it wasn't good enough. He didn't wish to bring the subject up again, because it would only upset Renji. He kept remembering Renji's words - that the two of them loving each other was not enough. It made him - HIM, who was never nervous about anything - stressed. But not when he was actually around Renji. Then he felt at ease. Was it so strange then, that he should seek him out even more than before. They had spent plenty of time together before, but now? Now they were hardly spending any time apart.

--- It amazed him, actually. How much time they could spend together. He had thought they were already scraping the barrel on the amount of time they had left where they were apart, but evidently, there were more hours in the day than that. The switch does not go unnoticed, especially because, before, Byakuya had so clearly asserted that he needed alone time. And Renji, despite having told Byakuya before that all he wanted was to be around him all the time { because he loved him }, had wanted to respect that need, and given him space when asked.

Renji had not quite connected the dots between their conversation about happiness, and Byakuya's sudden increased desire for his company. He, himself, was delighted, though, to be spending so much time with his lover. Even if they were simply doing their own thing in one another's proximity.

Such as now. They were in Byakuya's study, as requested by Byakuya, and Renji was reading up on these mystical things in the World of the Living called 'computers'. Byakuya, for his part, was doing something entirely different; calligraphy. Renji had never had the patience for it, and his handwriting { on account of him learning to write late in life } was pretty terrible.

He just finished his chapter about 'data-storage' which really just meant that there were all kinds of paperwork that the computer could have inside without having to write it down on paper, and put his book down. He got up, stretching his arms over his head, popping his back in a few places. He hadn't had the best posture. He made his way over to his captain and leaned over his shoulder to see his work, breath ghosting across Byakuya's nape. "Wow.." He exhaled, quietly. Byakuya really had a beautiful hand. "That's real pretty.." He smiled. "'s gettin' late though. Y'wanna get to bed?" He pressed his lips and nose to Byakuya's crown. "I might go home. I gotta do laundry." He's been staying at the estate for days by now..

[weird-dere-writes]

college au!byakujas, we decide that for one night, as it's our final year, we should go out to the club and just let loose and have a fun and dance - forget that we have obligations for a few hours!

We have a few drinks, I'm giggly and we're both close to each other, a little handsy even... this song comes on and I have just the most amazing idea to put on a little show for my man the drink has got me feeling a bit more bold then usual 🤭

Oh my love~

Yes, yes, yes!!

You both have been working so so hard! Between working on coursework for your degrees, research hours, your theses, surveying career options after, still trying to make time for each other, also making time for ichidere <3, and of course trying to find where you can rest between it all.

It's a day where you're both free, with minimal amounts of work on the backburner waiting for you. And you kinda feel like you're both a little tired of it all. Tired of the hold chronic stress has on the both of you.

You crave to break the mold of this monotony that keeps your heads down in near ritualistic bouts of study. In a way you wanna do what feels like throwing caution to the wind? Not necessarily doing anything dangerous, of course. But you just want to throw all your responsibilities away. You want to forget about the goals that loom over you for just a few hours. You need it so bad you almost feel like you're gonna explode.

Clubs weren't really either of your scene, but for one night it would be the perfect paradise, where the energy in the air would encourage you both to let loose in just the ways you need.

You're both even going as far to experiment with dressing in new ways. Ways that make you both feel like you're different people, but that all the while still feel to welcoming and natural to you. It's like putting on a mask to become someone without the burden of higher education on their shoulders. And somehow such a small thing just does wonders! The moment you both step into the club everything feels lighter, and you take a second to breath it all in. For a moment, you both would be free.

You take pleasure in the atmosphere, in the drinks, in the music, in others around you, in each other. A part of you wonders why you and Byakkun hadn't decided to visit one of these places sooner. The amount of relief and release you feel here is something you never expected.

Your body feels airy and fluid as you move to the sounds of the club around you, not a care in the world; Byakuya not far from you doing his own thing. Then this song comes on.

And something in you just begins to start moving different; a newfound confidence whispering into your ear as you feel a syrupy warmth fill your stomach. You swear you feel your eyes dilate as you turn to look at him. His eyes are on you, and that undivided attention has you burning up; your own desire searing into him as you look back.

You begin to move closer to him as the rhythm of the song flows through you. You feel absolutely enchanting as you work your magic in a way you never have before. Without fail Byakkun falls into moving with you. He knows he already has you, but he feels like he needs you closer than ever.

His head is filled with only love and want for you. It almost makes him dizzy. His whole body tingles as he feels his nerves set alight.

He knows you very intimately by now, so one would think he'd have experienced you in just about every version of yourself. And yet, tonight he finds he's enamored with another facet of you he's never gotten to experience before. After all the time you've spent together, he is so so happy there is still more to learn about you. His love for every part of you is ever evolving and he especially feels it now as you show yourself off just for him.

Other eyes may be on you right now, yes. And normally that would bother him. But right now, he hears in his heart how you call out to him. How regardless of the other gazes in the room, you respond to his ask from the very day y'all danced together and he admitted to himself his feelings for you.

Look at me only.

Anyone in the room can see how for each other you are. No one is trying to interrupt that. In fact, many are envious of the clear connection you two have. Especially in a place as synonymous with spontaneous interactions you either forget or regret the next day. Everyone can tell tomorrow you both will be happily together. If you don't surely have each other tonight, that is 😉💘.

.

.

.

Kisses for you, lovely~ 💋💋💋

[notsosensational]

This is my classpect master post for Danganronpa 1! I just replayed the game so it’s fresh in my mind, and I tried to keep these fairly short so I cut out some of the smaller details. Feel free to tell me what you like or what you don’t. I will be reblogging with thoughts about Touko and Genocider Sho. Also check out @jinjojess post about the DR1 classpects! I compared a lot of my thoughts with theirs!

Naegi Makoto - Witch of Heart

-actively manipulates feelings and sense of self. He is not very confident in himself, we know this from the beginning, and I think that manifests as acting as a Seer of Mind pretty often. It gets him pretty far in the trials, but his true talent lies in getting people on his side. Sayaka was into him before she even talked to him, and throughout the game people come to him for help concerning things to do with emotions and sense of self (Touko & Byakuya, Kiyotaka & Mondo twice). Not to mention, he’s labelled “ultimate hope”, which is due to him being able to boost everyone’s spirits (change their mood).

Asahina Aoi - Sylph of Hope

-passively heals positivity, possibilities, and beliefs. I really wanted to go with life for her, but while she’s full of energy, she’s not all that concerned about growth or overcoming obstacles, she just wants things to turn out well and that’s more in the realm of positivity and possibility. When Sakura’s secret was out, Aoi was most concerned with how to get the rest of them to believe her and to believe in Sakura; she needed to heal the group’s faith. She consistently believes in everyone, even though she is frequently disappointed, and the only exception to this is Byakuya and Touko after they insult Sakura. 

Togami Byakuya - Prince of Life

-actively destroys growth and energy. His manner is very, very prince-like, “I’m the best and I can’t understand why no one else sees that”, not to mention he’s basically a literal prince of his family. He’s very quick to shoot people down and destroy their spirit, their energy, and during investigations he’s either no help at all, or antagonistic. All of the life players we’ve seen in HS have been on top of the food chain, the Peixes blood color and Jane’s Crocker corporation, which are both comparable to the Togami family. Before the killing game, he was most concerned with growing stocks, owning businesses, and obtaining knowledge he will use when he is the monarch of his family, which all seem life-like.

Celestia Ludenburg - Heir of Void

-passively changes misfortune and secrets. Originally I had her as light, but she doesn’t really care about information, only keeping secrets. She doesn’t use fortune to her favor, instead she just *is* luckier than the others, i.e. changing everyone else’s misfortune. She’s not actually that active though- she doesn’t do it on purpose and she doesn’t do a lot in general as she prefers to get others to do stuff for her. But she does play into the heiress persona, changing her name to seem like nobility and wanting dozens of servants.

Fujisaki Chihiro - Page of Doom

-actively exploits and is served restrictions and suffering. She is very clearly doom, as she is very empathetic due to her suffering in life, in addition to being a programmer when doom is linked to coding. I really can’t see anything else. Her being a page is also pretty clear- a slow growing class that tends to put up a facade, and is linked to a servant archetype when Alter Ego was basically the team’s servant. Her main desire is to help the rest of them even after her death through the restrictions that Alter Ego has.

Yamada Hifumi - Rogue of Light

-passively steals information and substance. I considered a number of possibilities for him, settling on light first. He has the rambley, self-important dialogue of a light player, he collects information about his interests in anime and fanfiction, and he creates fanfic. While creation isn’t light specific, taking the info and substance from an anime and rehashing it into his own stories sounds like a rogue of light. He is later a servant to Celeste, who feeds him lies and misfortune; he could be called a Page of Void at that point, which is fitting with Celestia’s void aspect.

Ishimaru Kiyotaka - Knight of Time

-passively exploits and serves through time. He’s very strict about time, being on time and using time wisely. Not just for himself though, he wants everyone to hold the same policies he has. He wants to have an environment where everyone is able to give it their all- he wants to exploit the time he has in order to serve everyone. His inversion is Thief of Space, and I think we see this in “Kiyondo Ishida”, as he seems to steal Alter Ego’s creation to add another dimension to himself. And- this is just my opinion- I also think he ghosts his inversion pretty often even before that, due to the impact of the disreputation of his grandfather and his vehement dislike of “geniuses”.

Kirigiri Kyouko - Maid of Mind

-actively creates and heals logic and decisions. She eluded me for a while tbh. I thought light first, but while she focuses on finding the truth, other information isn’t as important, and she doesn’t seem to match any other markers of light. Instead she seems more like Terezi, a mind player who likes law and detective work. Kyouko creates a path of decisions that surround a crime, and she uses logic to help Makoto make the right choices. She is outwardly cold and focuses on controlling her emotions, which makes me suspect she ghosts her inversion as a Bard of Heart due to her lost sense of self.

Kuwata Leon - Rogue of Breath

-passively steals and relocates freedom and direction. I understand him to have only come into himself recently. I think for most of his life he was ghosting as a Page of Blood, getting served bonds and obligations that he didn’t really want but exploiting them so he was free to do things other than study. When he was accepted at Hope’s Peak, he finally took his freedom and decided that he was going to do what he was driven to do, which is pursuing music. Rogue also fits into the outcast archetype of his alternative/punk style of clothes and personality.

Oowada Mondo - Bard of Blood

-passively destroys bonds and obligations. Blood is everything to him, his brother and his gang are most important, and his word and his promises are solid. But his brother died for his recklessness, he lied about it, he killed Chihiro which exposed her secret even though he tried to cover it up, and he broke Taka’s spirit when he died. He destroys the bonds around him passively, without meaning to, and his secret and his act of killing were both fairly out of the blue. No one really expected that of him- certainly not Kiyotaka, and that fits a bard’s MO.

Oogami Sakura - Maid of Blood

-actively creates relationships and bonds. She is defined by her bond to her family and her bond to her destiny. She is devoted to growing stronger, which made me think life, but she’s growing stronger to fulfill her duty and keep the respect of her family, not to overcome obstacles. That aspect though, the desire to help everyone else become stronger too, that’s very maid/sylph. She’s fairly passive, but definitely not passive enough for sylph, and she tends to focus more on creating new bonds especially regarding ones with herself, rather than healing preexisting ones.

Maizono Sayaka - Mage of Void

-actively knows misfortune and secrets. She tells Makoto that she’s known from a young age that she will have to do anything to reach her dreams, and she acts on her understanding of that misfortune which leads to her death. She focuses more on the misfortune and nothingness part of void, acutely understanding that if she falls out of relevancy, she’s done for. She also jokes with Makoto about being a psychic, knowing his unheard thoughts, which plays into the prophet archetype of a Mage, and knowing the unknown.

**Fukawa Touko & Genocider Sho - Page of Heart & Bard of Heart

-actively exploits and is served emotions and self-identity. Touko… has some issues. She is very concerned about herself, who she is, and how she’s perceived, which is the trademark of a heart player. She is actually good at using emotions to get what she wants. She gets people to stay away from her but also be concerned about her at the same time, not to mention she managed to get Byakuya to let her tail him around which I still don’t understand how. She keeps a strong facade up due to her insecurities and necessary caution due to Genocider Sho.

-passively destroys sense of self and emotions. Sho destroys emotions in a literal sense, by killing anyone she “crushes” on, and she destroys Toko’s sense of self through emotions by leaving her to come to at murder scenes, therefore forcing her to stay paranoid and keep a huge secret. Doesn’t really do it intentionally, as Sho tells Makoto that it’s the same thing as a soccer player kicking a ball, it’s just nature.

Hagakure Yasuhiro - Seer of Hope

-passively understands possibilities and beliefs. Even when he’s pessimistic, he’s optimistic by everyone else’s standards. He is always able to see some better possibility… whether it’s true or whether others believe him remains to be seen. He definitely fits the somewhat far-fetched but unshakable beliefs profile that Hope players have. And he’s definitely knowledgeable about his, uh, profession in a way that seers usually are.

Ikusaba Mukuro - Knight of Space

-passively exploits and serves through space. This was a hard one, partly because we don’t see a lot of her, so it’s long; I used a lot of process of elimination and, well, vibes. Space is about physical matter, size and location, creation, and beginnings. At an early age, she ditched her family in Europe in order to join an elite mercenary group in the Middle East. She is extremely proficient in hand-to-hand, melee, and ranged combat, though she admits that she was never good at planning ahead and strategizing. She was also able to accurately portray Junko, the Ultimate Fashionista. Those three things point me towards space, as her past is about location and beginnings, ranged weapons are about distance, planning ahead is about time which is her opposite, and acting as her sister is an act of creation and physicality, not to mention that clothes have a link to the space aspect as well. Most of the classes don’t really fit her, but the little personality she has is devoted to serving her sister, serving her organization before that, and in DR IF, serving Makoto. Knights are also fighters, obviously.

Enoshima Junko - Thief (Lord?) of Rage

-actively steals rage and limitations. Junko is a lot. Just, a lot. I’m actually leaning towards giving her the “Lord” title because honestly, the level of embodiment that she has over the rage aspect is unparalleled. But I just don’t know enough about the master classes for me to feel comfortable enough with that. So I’m going with thief instead. She definitely gets off on everyone else’s despair and sets them up so they have limited possibilities in the killing game. She takes from them and takes from them and leaves them with some hope just to finally steal that too.

[princesskokichi]

ns / fw alphabet for byakuya

heyy !!

i just / knew / the moment something like this byakuya would be mentioned

and luckily i was not let down !!

so whew,, i’m glad i wrote this !! :D

also look !!! look at kokichi’s lil cap & hat !! look at him go omg there he is looking cute as hell - mod kokichi

( icon found here )

A = Aftercare (what they're like after sex)

he's stiff ?? he genuinely doesn't know what to do after sex. does he clean you up ? does he clean himself first ? does he kiss you ?

he usually opts to shower together, because he wants time with you, he just,, doesn't know how to spend that time

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner's)

their chest. he loves his s / o's chest. specifically nipples. i think he just likes how they look. i don't think he actually cares about size or anything like that, but he does like nipples very much so.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

he needs to cum inside of you. needs it. it's a requirement. sometimes he'll cum down your throat, but if he doesn't cum inside of you, sex feels incomplete.

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

he,, sometimes wants to punish you. really, really hard. but he refrains himself from doing so. he simply doesn't want to have the conversation about it. he's not very open about talking about his sexual desires.

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they're doing?)

he's halfway ??

i think he doesn't know what he's doing but i also think he's quick to learn and probably won't mess up too much.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

missionary. he likes looking at his partner in the face when he's slamming against them. he has this kind of sick desire to see your face twisted as you're moaning his name over and over again

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

uh, when is he ever humorous ? he's as serious as he ever is, honestly. but he will laugh if you fart or something ( but that will also be the end of sex, too. )

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

i think he shaves decently well. there's still hair, but it's not unkempt. besides, he has light hair, so the only time you really notice it is when giving him a blowjob

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

at first i think he literally thought sex was about having a child and relieving tension. it took a lot of learning for him to actually understand that it's about love. after he figured that out, he actually uses this time to be as intimate as possible, but sometimes it's also incredibly nerve-wracking for him because he doesn't want to make a fool out of himself, so he does hold back a little bit.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

when he's alone, he's LOUD. i think he's louder with masturbation than he is with actual intercourse. there's no one around him to hear him and he doesn't have to fear looking like a fool

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

hickeys on you. he likes marking you as his and only his. he's smart enough to know where to hide them, but sometimes he won't hide them just for himself.

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

the bedroom, in the bed. sex stays in the bedroom. only once did you do it in his office and he never did that again.

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

he likes to hear you come undone and likes to know that he has a clear goal of getting you and him off. he's a pretty goal orientated guy, so once he has his sights set on something, he's not done until it's completely done.

N = No (something they wouldn't do, turn offs)

public sex. that's a no-no. i also don't see him being submissive at all, and there's nothing going up his ass. i just don't see him as the guy to be into pegging.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

he likes when you go down on him. he enjoys how you look so focused while deepthroating him and that sound of satisfaction even though he hasn't touched you when he cums down your throat.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

he's usually in the middle with his pace ? sometimes it's slow, and then it picks up. it gets faster as he nears his orgasm, which is a pretty common thing to do.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

quickies do not happen. i'm sorry, but he wants to be fully in the moment and can only enjoy sex when that's the only thing on his mind. he can't do any quickies before a meeting or anything. you have to beg him for one, and then he'd probably just touch you until you cum and that would be it.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

he's,,, not really that experimental ? but also doesn't shy away from a new challenge ? so he'll try nearly everything unless it includes him being the sub, then its a not happening.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

two or three max. he usually does one round of foreplay for each of you, and then another round of intercourse. sometimes if you're lucky he'll go another round of intercourse, but that's when he's really in the mood or a special occasion.

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

one, for you. it's a vibrator that he likes to strap to you when he's feeling a little lazy with the foreplay. sometimes, though, he kind of daydreams about using it to punish you and leave you there for hours,,,,,

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

he kinda doesn't ?? he just gets straight to the point. it's kind of sad. also, he's " not a fan of brats ". if you try to tease him he will put you in your place, forcefully even. please, PLEASE tease him. make him want you.

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

he's almost silent except for a few grunts here and there. he gets a little louder when he's reaching orgasm, but that's really it. he does like to hear when you're noisy, though, but be sure not to be too noisy or you might turn him off. he's not a fan of you sounding like a pornstar.

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

he's such a dom on the inside but doesn't want to show it. especially with the love of his life, he just wants to make you feel all kinds of ways. he wants to use you to get him off. but he won't say it out loud. you have to be sure to communicate with him or he won't say anything.

X = X-ray (let's see what's going on under those clothes)

he's probably huge af. this is not just some character we're talking about, this is byakuya togami. the byakuya togami. he's huge.

not to the point ripping you open, but big enough to hit all of those spots perfectly.

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

internally he probably craves it a lot, but externally he has a pretty low sex drive.

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

he doesn't fall asleep often ?? he waits until you're sleeping and then goes to work. unless it's like four am, and then he'll go to sleep.

[shirokodomo]

real name: hakudoshi /  白童子 /  はくどうし 

single or taken: verse dependent | taken in post-rebirth and white assassin (yakuza) verses

abilities or powers: as a demon born from naraku’s flesh, hakudoshi has several abilities and some of them are quite similar to those of his creator’s. he is capable of creating a powerful barrier which cannot be destroyed by inuyasha’s red tessaiga, using said barrier he is also capable of absorbing his opponent’s yoki based attacks and then redirect it back to them. like naraku, hakudoshi is capable of creating his own shoki (miasma) and of quickly regenerating his body right after it was destroyed, this is due to hakudoshi’s heart not being inside of his body therefore he could not die no matter how many times it was destroyed.

another of hakudoshi’s abilities is the telepathy, meaning that he is capable of reading other people’s minds like an open book; this can be prevented if someone with high spiritual power places a mental barrier around their mind. aside from this, he is also capable of telekinesis, with which he is able to move objects with his mind but he is not capable of doing that with really heavy things (demon heads, boulders, etc); hakudoshi can teleport himself and others to several places through the use of portals.

hakudoshi possesses a naginata as a weapon but it does not have any special abilities; despite it being taller than himself, hakudoshi mastered the use of this weapon with ease and often uses it to behead his targets.

after being reborn into a new body, hakudoshi retained most of these abilities aside from the shoki and the instant regeneration, as a demon he is still able to heal himself but it takes hours or even days depending on the size of the wound like other demons. the color of his barrier also changes, instead of being purple in color it is now blue and is not as powerful as the ones he used to be able to create, meaning that this barrier can be destroyed by inuyasha’s red tessaiga.

eye colour: violet

hair colour: rose white

family members: verse dependent

canon verse | naraku (creator/progenitor); kanna (“eldest sister”); kagura (“older sister”); goshinki (“eldest brother”); juromaru (“older brother”); kageromaru (“older brother”); muso (“older brother”); the infant (counterpart/brother); byakuya (“younger brother”). ps.: this hakudoshi does not view the incarnations as his true siblings, aside from the infant, nor views naraku as his father.

modern verse | naraku (father); kikyo (mother)

son of the phoenix verse | hua mulan (adoptive mother); hua zhou (adoptive grandfather); hua li (adoptive grandmother); hua xiu (adoptive aunt)

post-rebirth verse | kohaku (lover); rin (lover); uri (“son”); nadeshiko (“daughter”); shinju (“son”); sumire (biological daughter); mizuki (adopted son)

white assassin verse | kaori makai (mother); shintaro makai (father); akago makai (younger brother); umeko fukuhara (maternal aunt)

pets: not really a pet but entei, a horse demon, is his companion for quite sometime

 something they don’t like: being compared to kagura (canon verse)

hobbies/activities: none

ever hurt anyone before: yes, both physically and mentally. physically he has hurt and even killed many, it was part of his job and never felt regret about it; mentally he has hurt people like kagome and kagura with his mind games and playing with the darkness in their hearts.  

animal that represents them: fox, because of his cunning and trickster nature. when he is brought back to life, fox demon flesh is used to construct his main body.

worst habits: mocking those he believes are inferior to him but in reality are not. hakudoshi has got a really big ego and believes himself to be invincible because he cannot die (through physical attacks), this ended up being his literal death making him careless about any other possibilities that could actually kill him. When he is brought back to life and after recovering his memories, he becomes more conscious of this habit and tries to change it, he doesn’t become humble but he no longer believes himself to be far superior to others.

role models: verse dependent

canon verse | hakudoshi has no role models, he believes himself to be his own master and therefore he is his “own” role model.

son of the phoenix verse | his role model is without a single doubt his adoptive mother, he respects, loves and wishes to be just like her.

demon mage verse | though he won’t admit it out loud, his role model is erza scarlet, the way she led the rebellion inside the tower of heaven and the way she now leads fairy tail are forever imprinted in his mind.

white assassin verse | koga is his role model in this verse, he taught him everything he knows. koga treats hakudoshi like his protegee and even as his son to some degree, hakudoshi sees koga as his mentor and despite everything they through, he doesn’t mind looking after him and kagura; they are the closest he has to a real family.

sexual orientation: demiromantic 

thoughts on marriage/kids: verse dependent.

canon verse | said things are trivial to him, he doesn’t care or spares his thoughts on it.

son of the phoenix verse | it’s not something he thinks very often but as he grows, he finds himself thinking if there is anyone out there that might come to love him the same way his adoptive grandparents and adoptive parents love each other.

post-rebirth verse | despite having been given a second chance in life, one that he promptly grabbed with all his strength to the point of changing most of the way he used to be, hakudoshi never thought he would actually find what humans like to call ‘love’, let alone thinking of children of his own (the only organ he has inside his body is a heart, therefore he cannot reproduce the ‘normal way’). that changed when his interactions with both kohaku and rin slowly intensified; initially he didn’t think a relationship between a demon and humans could actually work until they proved him wrong. through demon ways (mating) he is married to both but when referring them to others he will only refer the term ‘husband’, ‘wife’ or even ‘lover’ to those who know about their relationship; otherwise it is just ‘kohaku’ or ‘rin’, this is mostly to protect them. regarding children, he is extremely awkward with them especially when they are babies (he internally panics if a crying baby is placed in his arms, he is not capable of reading a baby’s thoughts). He cares about kohaku’s and rin’s children but doesn’t have them calling him ‘father’ or any other fatherly terms, though he also doesn’t correct them if they do so. when sumire was born (she was conceived via linking his demonic energy with rin’s human energy), he actually cried for the first time in his entire life though at first he wasn’t even aware of that.

modern days verse | hakudoshi has quite negative thoughts of both marriage and children born inside said marriage. because of what he saw happen with his parents, it made him view marriage as something unhappy and therefore any children born from it is automatically unhappy as well. he doesn’t think happiness can be achieved through marriage or any relationship in general.

white assassin verse | as a small child, hakudoshi witnessed the love and respect his parents held for one another and the way they acted with him and his little brother but even so it never really made him think of wanting something similar. after the death of his parents and the abuses he went through at the hands of his maternal aunt, hakudoshi very much stopped thinking of love in general, it stopped existing for him. That changed when his relationship with rin began growing into something different, at first he couldn’t explain why but he knew he viewed her differently from the other women he had been with (though he had only been with them in a physical way); he found comfort in her the same way she did in him. he wants to give her everything she desires. marrying her is a wish for the future that he is unsure they will have. children is a maybe but he doesn’t want them in this kind of life.  

style preferences:  in several verses, hakudoshi’s favorite color is without a doubt white and he very much prefers rich fabrics, he won’t wear just anything; he likes to wear practical clothing that doesn’t hold him back in his missions. funny enough, in his modern verses, hakudoshi wears dark clothing.

approach to friendships: he is never the one to approach nor is he easy to approach in that regard, he doesn’t really give the friendly vibe not even after being reborn. he slowly comes to care about those who are closer to him though chances are he won’t say it out loud; in his modern verse he doesn’t easily trust others so friendships with hakudoshi are even harder to happen.

thoughts on pie: he never tried pie before.  

favourite drink: mostly tea.

favourite place to spend time at:  mountains, forest or the training camps.

swim in the lake or in the ocean: lake.

their type: he doesn’t really put much thought in what his type is especially when his mind isn’t focused in that kind of stuff; he is more for the strong bond or connection first before those kind of feelings even start to develop, he doesn’t actively seeks for that bond.

camping or indoors: no preference.

tagged by: @senpujin (ty emma! <3)

tagging: @withagentleheart | @dokusedai | @windbxtch | @daikusedai​ | @adversitybloomed​ | @halfpintsavage​ | @greathunderhowl​ & you reading this!

[bayern-moni]

Pair Questions part 1/2 featuring Gin and Aizen

This time no ship intended, but it will be rectified in another post. Enjoy ~

Who steals the covers at night?

Gin. He's a cold blooded creature, literally and metaphorically. His skin always feels too cold not to bury himself in the covers for all the span of that goddamned season. He doesn't care if his claim on the covers leaves his unfortunate bedmate damned to a frosty fate all night, nor does he have problems to brutally kick out of bed whoever tried to make fun of him by putting a cold foot in the vicinity of his own. He is selfish like that and doesn't know remorse. Or maybe, he could feel sorry if that other person were the cute Izuru-chan (but then his most sadistic part would revel in the wait until his too respectful Lieutenant'd overcome his qualms and actually start to fight for the covers) or he could decide to suffer himself the cold and leave the blanket to Rangiku like he did when they lived in that shack as kids, but if that other person happened to be Aizen, then he'd have absolutely no qualms about it. The dark-haired shinigami could and would die of frostbite before Gin actually accepted to give up that pleasurable warmth. After all, the wannabe god is too superior to actually lower himself to start a pillow fight to get it or start listing actual reasons why he had a greater right than his second (stressing that word too much for his taste) to be covered by the blanket, wasn't he?

But ... was he?

Who cooks normally?

Aizen. There'd be a cold day in hell before he let this change. It took him too many years to get his little Lieutenant to understand the difference between 'survival food' and 'actual food' to afford now to have him fall back into his old habits. And the Rei-o knows what he'd do If he decided to purposely mess with the first kind of food to get a good laugh at Aizen's horrified face. Again. How could he forget that time when, during the first days of his training under Aizen's tutelage, Gin decided to thank him for his supposed generosity with a 'sumptuous lunch' (his words)? Go trust that little hellchild. Aizen's stomach wanted to vomit only at the memory of it. When the pest put the plate full of mice and insects, "killed just for the occasion" said proudly the child, in front of him he was torn between the the strong impulse to throw up and the need to examine closely Gin's body language to discern if he sincerely believed that was a satysfing meal or if he just exploited his Rukongai upbringing to make him suffer. Probably the latter.

... And those awful dried persimmons...

When he looked at the genuinely expecting and just a tad mischievous look the kid was giving him, he understood it was a balanced mix of the two. Right then, he decided two things:

Gin would never be allowed to get close to his kitchen again without a real, convincing and absolutely necessary life-or-death reason;

He had to take the problem in his own hands because: first, no way that the future king of the three worlds will ever eat something like that, ever, and, secondly, it was his duty to bring that too scrawny and bony hellion to health.

He could not have his future second in command be weak or die because of the consequences of starvation before he could make himself useful to him. It was a pragmatic matter. Regardless of all the times that moron of Hirako made fun of his attempts because "aren't you too old to play family, Sousuke-kun?" or "did you really adopt the kid, don't you? How 'cute'!". It was just that. But then he continued to encourage Gin's insatiable appetite until he was satisfied with his now not dangerous weight and even found that he really liked cooking for both of them, it was a relaxing hobby for his abused patience. Kaname's recipes and passion for cooking helped, too.

Nickname for each other?

Hellion. Wanna-be-God. Reptilian calamity. Overdramatic narcissist. And so on. Not very difficult saying who's what.

What would they get each other for gift?

Kamishini no Yari's poison A guide on "how to survive your obsessed fangirls and still look cool". A set of dried sweet potatoes to thank him for the time Gin raided his fridge of all its contents and filled it with 12 kilos of hard-boiled eggs. How he managed to put them there without making the fridge explode was beyond him, but still. He'd be sure to make Gin pay for it.

What would they do if the other one was hurt?

It depends. On what, you'd ask. It's quite simple. It depends on who is responsible for the other's wound/hurt. If it were each other, then they'd be perfectly cool with it and not bother too much for it, just plot a gruesome revenge (the other isn't so weak and unproud to make a big deal out of something so trivial like hurt, isn't he? And if they were, it'd mean that they're not worth of the other's attention like they believed). If the culprit were not one of them, though, that person would probably be eviscerated or severally maimed before they could even complete the thought "I did it!". Because only they had the right (and the power) to wound or kill the other. None of them would ever let someone else in the way of this challenge between them.

Who remember things?

Both. They have entire metaphorical archives full of blackmailing material in organized folders against each other, carefully collected for more than 109 years. Aizen-taicho hates boiled eggs, Gin felt betrayed by sweet potatoes, Aizen would never go out without having checked the exact angle of his hair lock at least twice at minute, Gin becomes skittish every time Matsumoto or that bratty Lieutenant of his come in the picture, Aizen secretly fears Hinamori's obsession with him, etc...

They both made a mental note to remember that each of these things could be useful, sooner or later.

Their thoughts on the whole Fangirl and ships topic?

Disturbing. Fascinating and distur - Hinamori! For the umpteenth time, I'm fine and no, I don't need anything. You did a great job and you can go now! - bing.

Who cusses more?

Surprisingly enough, Aizen. Actually, Gin is the one that cusses frequently, steadily and on daily basis, but only for the fun of annoying Izuru's, Aizen's and Kuchiki-taicho's noble sensibility. But when he's in that mood that makes other people cuss, he'll communicate it with icy glares, a sharper edged grin or a overall crueler behavior. On the other hand, Aizen is the one that pledges himself as above things like annoyance, rage and (especially) a "crude language so beneath my godlike status caused by irrelevant emotions like irritation", as Gin decided to put it to make fun of him. But when he's really pissed like when Urahara doesn't take action, ruins his plans or Gin writes obscene kanjis on the board during his calligraphy lessons, he'll lose all control on his legendary composure and start cussing like a sailor. Hopefully, Kyoka Suigetsu prevents people from noticing it.

How often do they fight?

As a serious fight? Once every hundred and nine years, but it's "until death do us part". As just a way to kill time? Very very often, but it's never beyond a good deal of verbal jabs. You could almost consider it as their own fond way of saying hi to each other.

Are there any foods that make their stomach upset?

For Gin, no, there aren't. At least, Aizen has been conducting a research on the topic since the infamous lunch with still no result worth of notice. Ichimaru hates some foods, doesn't like others, but, by now, his stomach's completely anesthetized even to Rangiku's cooking after being subjected to it for so many years. And that's saying something, as far as Aizen is concerned. Not that he meant to imply anything about Matsumoto's cooking abilities, of course. Overall, he'd gulp down anything if needed.

Aizen instead is very picky about his food. He's a perfectionist here, like in every other aspect of his life. There's nothing able to upset his stomach, though. And even if there was, he'd never tell a soul. Ever. Gin had not to be encouraged to do anything stupid against him, no matter what.

Who's the most irritable during an hungover?

Gin. Aizen doesn't drink anything but his beloved tea and the occasional sip of fine wine. But Gin during an hungover is something Aizen wouldn't wish on anyone, not even Yamamoto or the Rei-o. A hissy, horribly-moody, vengeful cat you just woke by stepping on its tail is a cutie puppy in comparison to him. Really, it happened once and Aizen swore Gin should never end up with nothing more alcoholic than a glass of water, never again, for his own sanity's sake. Fortunately, Gin found that if he ate a dried persimmon after the drink he shared with his dear Rangiku, he couldn't get hungover. Still to this day, Aizen wasn't entirely convinced of the scientific accuracy of this theory, but given that it didn't happen anymore, he was willing to give him credit for it.

Have they ever tried to ruin the other's dates?

Life in Soul Society is particularly monotonous. This is a fact everyone agreed with and what's at the core of the matter. So, yes, they did, but only when paperwork became so painstakingly boring that it could be seen as something funny to do. Particularly, Aizen loved calling secret meetings between himself, Kaname and Gin as soon as he knew, because he did know, that Gin was in the middle of an especially good moment during a date with Rangiku (or even during a friendly walk with that Kira) just because Aizen could. On the other hand, Gin loved making fun of Aizen's utterly missing and more-dead-than-Omaeda's love life, despite the fact that half of shinigami and the recruits desired him and the other half either belonged to Byakuya fanclub or were just lying to themselves. So, he did not so much ruin Aizen's dates as he did try to set him up with absurd dates with psychotic and obsessed fangirls and fanboys that always left Aizen baffled at how much he had underestimated people' crazyness. An "I care about your love life, taicho, I try to find a good date for you because we can't have you become an old grumpy overlord with a dog as your only company at night, can we?" my ass. Bratty moron.

[gunnerpalace]

Hyperchlorate: How I’d Rewrite Bleach (Part I)

Okay, this is it, kids. This is gonna be—as best as I’m able to manage—the ultimate synthesis of all my scattered discourse on Bleach, combined with a condensation of what I’d do about it all. Buckle up, because these posts are going to be long, and I’m not putting it behind a spoiler. I’d apologize for destroying your dashboard, but I put in the work.

WHAT’S UP WITH THE NAME?

What's referred to as (liquid) bleach is usually a solution of sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) in water. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is usually added to slow the decomposition of bleach into sodium chlorate (NaClO3), and sodium chloride (NaCl)—that is to say, common salt. (How appropriate!)

Sodium perchlorate (NaClO4) is a perchlorate salt which is very closely related to the above and, when treated hydrochloric acid (HCl), makes perchloric acid (HClO4) and common salt. The former is very nasty in and of itself and is mostly used to make other, worse things.

In the context of chemistry, the prefix hypo- means one less oxygen atom than something suffixed -ite, while the prefix per- means one more oxygen than something suffixed -ate. (See here for a chart if you want.) The prefix hyper- isn't used in chemistry, but I think it sounds better.

tl;dr: It's a weird chemistry not-joke used as a code name for this project.

WHAT’S THE PITCH?

The short version of the pitch is: Most people who liked Bleach as a thing liked the initial Karakura and Soul Society arcs, and interest gradually dropped off after that.

Therefore, if you wanted to rewrite Bleach, you’d want to focus on that time period and expand on it and develop it further. You would also want to rework whatever came after, and more thoroughly integrate it with that time period in tone, focus, and perspective.

To do that, you first need to understand how it was structured and what made it work in the first place.

OKAY, WHAT’S THE LONGER VERSION?

The longer version of the pitch is: Bleach was supposedly a shōnen. One of the Big Three shōnen, in fact (in Western thinking). But understanding Bleach and why it worked (and why it fell apart) requires debunking that idea.

You see, the thing is that Bleach was never particularly good at being a shōnen, at least as most people think of such a thing. When people think of shōnen, they tend to think of four (4) things: 1. A Certain Kind of Protagonist, 2. Worldbuilding, 3. Plot, and 4. Fights. Bleach doesn’t really fit the pattern when it comes to these elements. I’ve been over these before, to a certain extent (many times), but I’ll reiterate them here:

A Certain Kind of Protagonist: Goku. Luffy. Naruto. Natsu. Kenshin. Yusuke. I don’t have to name their anime or manga; you already know who they are and what they’re from. Ichigo is certainly a kind of protagonist, but as Sera (@hashtagartistlife​) once pointed out, he’s very different from what one normally thinks of when they consider the genre. Ichigo is a punk with a heart of gold (a la Yusuke) but he lacks the inner drive and confidence of all those other protagonists. He is, in fact depressive at the start of the series; he’s at best listless and nihilistic, and at worst suicidal. He’s something of an outcast loner with a tsundere personality he developed as a kind of mental armor. He’s deliberately mediocre at and unengaged with things. That changes (and the story starts) when Rukia enters his life and gives him the ability to act on his desires to do good and protect people. In other words: his confidence comes from outside of himself. Indeed, it’s a recurring plot-point that the longer he’s separated from Rukia, the more his confidence wavers. In addition to all the other things that were noted as marking him out, this one is crucial, because the average shōnen protagonist is possessed of unwavering confidence. Having Ichigo’s confidence (and his animating ethos) externalized to Rukia essentially splits the traditional protagonist role in two. (Indeed, you could readily say Ichigo and Rukia are deuteragonists, despite the story focusing on Ichigo—he eclipses her visually, but her gravity is unmistakably present and dominant.) This by itself tells you that you are dealing with a different kind of story than usual. This fits in with one of the reasons people tend to like Bleach, specifically the first. 

Worldbuilding: Few shōnen rival Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings in sophistication and detail, but they usually have well-developed worlds where whatever is going on substantiates—and ideally enhances—the plot and the journey of the protagonist. Think of the world of One Piece, which is excellent at this, or those of Naruto or Fairy Tale, which still sufficiently sell that there is a living, breathing setting in which the story is taking place. Bleach is something more like Plato’s Allegory of the Cave: it holds up on its own if you accept its premises at face value, but if you start to investigate more carefully, things stop really making all that much sense. My own personal go-to example is the identity of the two unrevealed Great Noble Houses which presumably wielded power in Central 46. (I don’t consider Can’t Fear Your Own World a satisfactory answer for this, or other questions, and notably it has only revealed one of them.) Another example is the history of the Great Noble Houses, or Soul Society in general, or the Soul King. All of these (and much more) were things that were shoved into data books or follow-on novels, if they were ever addressed at all. The more one inspects the worldbuilding of Bleach, the more it feels like it’s flat or significant sections of it were missing—like it’s a movie set instead of an actual place. Most fiction strives to present, as much as possible, a kind of simulated world that you could imagine existing. Bleach, perversely, rather brazenly gives us a set of stages with clearly defined borders instead. This ties into the third and fifth reason people tend to like Bleach.

Plot: In academic circles, you will be told that what distinguishes literary fiction from genre fiction is the former is about characters (i.e., how events impact them), and the latter is about plot (i.e., what happens). For example, White Noise by Don DeLillo is not about “The Airborne Toxic Event,” it is about what that catalyzes in the protagonist’s life. Something like One Piece is very much a genre story about adventure. Things happen to the characters, sure, but they don’t really change all that much over time. They’re all following their dreams, and those dreams are (for the protagonists) often immutable. Bleach doesn’t really follow that structure. Ichigo and Rukia have an ethical viewpoint, but they’re not really on a journey to implement it. Things largely just kind of happen to them. In this regard, Bleach is much more like a literary work than a genre one. It also features, as Sera pointed out in an earlier post, a depiction of Joseph Campbell’s monomyth within the Karakura and Soul Society arcs: we see Ichigo and Rukia go through the process of “becoming a hero.” Protagonists like Luffy or Goku already are the heroes, it’s just that nobody else knows it yet. The plots that unfold are thus very different. Furthermore, Bleach is also often a symbolic work. For example, the Karakura II, Hueco Mundo and Fake Karakura arcs are a sort of inverse deconstruction of the earlier Karakura and Soul Society arcs; they function as an anti-monomyth and refutation of it (think of it as being like “how a hero can fail”), a la how Bloodborne subverts the monomyth to incorporate Lovecraftian mythos: they are designed to cast down the achievements of the protagonists and demoralize the reader, rather than being triumphant and uplifting. Bleach also frequently prioritizes thematic elements over verisimilitude. One example is the association of romance with death (Isshin and Masaki, Ryuuken and Kanae, Kaien and Miyako, Rangiku and Gin, and so on). Another is loneliness (no one ever seems to really hang out or have many friendships), especially when it comes to parents (Isshin and Ryūken have strained relationships with Ichigo and Uryū, Ikumi is a single mother, Chad parents are dead, Orihime’s were reverse-abandoned, Keigo and Mizuiro’s are absent, Tatsuki’s are never seen, and so on). Bleach absolutely prioritizes characters and themes over traditional plot or plausibility—that is to say, how things feel is often much more important than how exciting or realistic they are, which ties into the second and third reasons people like Bleach.

Fights: Bleach’s fights tend to suck. There are some exceptions, sure, but the power of those exceptions usually stems from the emotional content and personal nature of them. Something like Ichigo vs. Byakuya, Uryū vs. Mayuri, or Rukia vs. Aaroniero (to name a later example) are very emotionally charged fights. That said, even fights that aren’t particularly interesting, like Ikkaku vs. Edrad, tend to be more about showing us aspects of the characters’ personalities more so than about the fight itself. In fiction, one is encouraged to show rather than tell, and more extreme situations (which violent confrontations are one example of) allow one to show deeper and more extreme aspects of a character than slice-of-life situations usually do. This is what Bleach’s fights are often in service of. This is evident from how uninteresting the average Bleach fight is. There’s a lot of sword-pressing, a lot of ineffectual diagonal slashes, a lot of appearing behind someone to their surprise, a lot of losing an arm as a serious injury, a lot of no-selling attacks, and whoever reveals how their powers work first usually loses. The fighting quickly boils down to shikai and bankai, or their equivalents, with the other aspects of fighting, like kidō (and the rest of zankensoki) being discarded except when they reflect some matter of character (for example, Byakuya or Uryū’s more analytical and technical approach to things). Combat in Bleach isn’t about a robust combat system or consistency, nor is it about what looks cool—it is about what shows off the character in question. This is unusual for a shōnen and ties directly into the second reason people like Bleach.

I’ve talked a lot about why Bleach is liked, and it’s now prudent to get into that. In my opinion, the reasons that early Bleach was well-liked and well-received can be boiled down to five (5) things: 1. Deuteragonists, 2. Character Designs, 3. Mystery, 4. Contrast, and 5. Urban Fantasy Setting. I’ve been over most of these before, but they also bear repeating.

Deuteragonists: I have explored this concept in quite some detail (see: 1, 2, 3) before, so I’m not going to go too deeply into its mechanics here. The most obvious selling point here is that splitting the role of the protagonist into two mutually supporting halves that are fallible in their own ways is A. relatively unique, and B. humanizing. Ichigo and Rukia are by no means either the first example of this (consider Sherlock Holmes and John Watson) or the last (I've not seen Psycho-Pass, but Shinya Kogami and Akane Tsunemori seem to have much the same relationship), but I am unaware of any (supposed) shōnen prior to Bleach that attempted it. (That’s not to say that it doesn’t exist, but rather, that its obscurity if it does simply reinforces the point.) That made it unique for its time. That Rukia is a (competent and independent, but still vulnerable and feminine) woman only makes it even more unique, especially given the medium and how women tend to be treated within it. It also allowed for both Ichigo and Rukia to have problems as characters, and to largely grow beyond those problems over the course of the series, rather than there being yet another immutable and unchanging rock of a protagonist like so many other shōnen feature. When coupled with their interpersonal banter and dynamics, they formed a major draw together simply because their sharing of the role was so unusual and well-executed.

Character Designs: Bleach suffers from a dizzying overabundance of characters. Many of them are only present for a few chapters, at most, and yet even characters who appeared very briefly have any number of adherents out there among the readership or viewership. Consider characters like Starrk, Bambietta, or Bazz B., who have little to no establishment, and little panel time relative to the series, but who nonetheless gained resolute fans. Sometimes they have backstories shoehorned in to help sell them (as in the case of Starrk and Bazz B.; the most hilarious example is probably Giriko being given a flashback several chapters after he was already dead), but often they succeeded without them. They also often succeed despite their personalities largely being remixes of existing characters. How? Because of their character design and attitudes. Bleach was enormously successful in delivering characters that appealed to somebody, even at almost only a glance. The characters almost radiate a sense of mie purely through their designs. This sort of visual imminence routinely overcame all other character shortfalls. 

Mystery: The anime of Bleach began airing on October 5, 2004. Coincidentally, Lost started airing on September 22, 2004. They began at almost exactly the same time. What does one have to do with the other? Nothing, except for the fact that they both relied heavily on mystery and both capitalized on it (in different markets) at almost exactly the same time. The bulk of Bleach is predicated on inculcating a sense of mystery. This is why basic facts that would often be mentioned in passing are kept tightly wrapped secrets until the end of the series and beyond. (Token examples, great and small: Who are the other two Great Noble Houses? Where’s Yoruichi’s zanpakutō and why can she turn into a cat? What’s the deal with the Soul King? Why is there a fox-man like Sajin around, and is he a yōkai or what? What was the Final Getsuga Tenshō?) Even things that were resolved, like Ichigo’s parentage, what was going on with his “inner Hollow” and zanpakutō, and so on, were kicked down the road as long as possible to create an air of mystery. The most obvious manifestation of this was all the guessing about the bankai of various characters that the series egged on. This sense of mystery and a desire for closure kept quite a lot of people invested when their patience for the rest of the series ran out.

Contrast: While lots of anime and manga frequently leaven their drama with comedy, or vice-versa, Bleach was unique for the means in which it did so. It’s worthwhile to draw a contrast with something very close to its opposite: Gintama. Gintama is particularly notable because of its odd mix of different elements; it has a fantastical alternate history setting and can go from irreverent comedy (running the gamut from pop-culture puns to crude toilet humor) to deadly serious drama in just a few pages. However, Gintama’s default mode is comedy. Bleach is a relatively grounded secret history with a default mode that is dramatic. In this regard, they are equal but opposite. Early Bleach was a very dark and grim, almost Lovecraftian setting, and often had elements of horror or was just plain gross, but was lightened up through the way in which it approached that and its frequent inclusion of humor. This contrast is also heightened by the relative lack of fighting in the early manga; when fighting does occur, it’s all the more notable because the focus is largely upon slice-of-life elements. As the series progressed, this element of contrast was lost as it became relentlessly serious (in the process, becoming desensitized to its own sense of horror, great or small) and tried to become a battle manga.

Urban Fantasy Setting: Although Bleach ultimately goes on to visit rather fantastical places, it started out in a very grounded and realistic fashion. The sleepy (fictional) suburb of Karakura in Western Tokyo is just the right mix of urban and rural to be relatable to almost anyone. Simply by virtue of being based on a real area (the region around Tama), Karakura feels lived-in and well-developed, despite the fact that we see very little of it. (This is especially true compared to Soul Society [be it the Seireitei or Rukongai] or Hueco Mundo, both of which are very sterile and fantastical in a bad way [especially since the former is really just a stylized representation of the Heian period in Japan]. There is a very old parody of DBZ featuring the line "We need to go to some place that's completely desolate and... that would never be in real life at all, and it's huge, and it's a bajillion miles wide and it's nowhere to be found on earth—but it's right over there!" and that accurately describes both Soul Society and Hueco Mundo. I’ll get into this more in the next post.) The initial focus on day-to-day high school life also gave it a solid grounding for the age bracket of its intended audience. In this capacity, it exactly nailed the setting of teen-focused urban fantasy. The interesting thing is it did so before a lot of the most prominent novels in that genre were written. In other words, Bleach was a market-leader in urban fantasy for teens, and beat many of its peers to the punch. Just as deuteragonists were a major selling point out of their sheer novelty, so was the setting.

As an aside at this junction, I’d like to direct your attention to something from the Wikipedia page on urban fantasy, regarding the distinction between urban fantasy and supernatural romance:

The two share 90% of their genre DNA. However, the main differences are this: Urban fantasy focuses on an issue outside of a romantic relationship between two characters. Paranormal romance focuses on a romantic relationship between two characters and how outside forces affect that relationship. The best litmus test to determine if a story is urban fantasy or paranormal romance is to ask the following question: 'If the romance between Character A and Character B were removed, would the plot still stand as a viable storyline?' If the answer is 'yes,' chances are good it's urban fantasy. If the answer is 'no,' it's most likely paranormal romance.

Now, whether you think the relationship between Ichigo and Rukia is romantic or not, I would note two things. The first is that if their relationship was removed, the plot would not “still stand as a viable storyline.” The second is that the events of the Karakura and Soul Society arcs are very much about “how outside forces affect [their] relationship.” (As were all subsequent events involving them, really.) In short, I would argue that it’s impossible to suggest that early Bleach doesn’t sit somewhere that very closely approximates paranormal romance, if not being one outright. In this regard, Sera’s assertion that Bleach is a shōjo is a lot closer to the mark than you might think, as is my own that it was on the path to becoming either a battle shōjo or a couple shōnen.

HOLY SHIT, GIVE ME AN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY SO FAR?

To summarize, Bleach started off as a pseudo-paranormal romance (if not an actual one) that succeeded on the basis of being—on the one hand—grounded, characterful, and novel, while—on the other—also being mysterious, emotive, and meaningful. Bleach was, at the start, not necessarily trying to sell itself as an unbiased account of “things that happened in this fictional world,” or create an expansive universe. It was instead a rather intimate story set in a particular place, focusing very much on its characters and on conjuring up emotions.

Even when it went to Soul Society, you might still just as easily think it as something like an off-beat Kabuki play rather than a traditional shōnen. (Perhaps making it not so surprising that it was so easily adapted into a musical play.)

I feel that Bleach is also notable for embracing the aesthetic principles of Japanese art and culture that other traditional shōnen usually do not heavily emphasize; it features elements of not just Kawaii (of course), but Jo-ha-kyū, Geidō, Miyabi, Iki, Ensō, Shibui, Yūgen, and Wabi-sabi. (Indeed, I would say that an over-attachment to those last four is a major component of why it ultimately failed.) This also gave it a unique flair.

I think it was ultimately so successful to begin with because it was a unique melange of elements.

BUT I LIKED BLEACH BECAUSE OF SOME PARTICULAR THING YOU DISMISSED AS ANCILLARY!

There’s no accounting for taste. I’m just telling you what Bleach’s focus was and why it was initially exciting and good at what it did.

OKAY, FINE, WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH REWRITING IT?

Like I said, I think it’s important to first understand what worked and why. Then, it’s important to understand why things went wrong. (And boy, did things go wrong...) Only then can you reasonably propose solutions to fix things.

Next time, we’ll go into what went wrong, which involves a mixture of poor planning, shifting priorities, inflexibility, overindulgence, and hubris. But for that story, you’ll have to stay tuned for Part II!

[thesecondcircleofkel]

NSFW Alphabet, Byakuya A-Z

Reposting all of these together for convenience and to save space. Alphabet requests are still open, but remember, I don't accept requests to do the entire alphabet for someone all at once. You have to stick to the guidelines of 1 character per ask, and 5 letters per ask, and once I finish the alphabet for a character with requests like that, I will repost it all together.

A: Aftercare (What they’re like after sex)

The sweetest aftercare that is filled with loving eye contact and so many small kisses. He likes to take a warm bath with you afterwards, and he’s prone to giving you massages to ease your aching muscles, as well. When the two of you finally settle back down for the night, he likes for you to cuddle up to his side, and he’ll lightly hum as you fall asleep in that position.

B: Body Part (Their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

On himself, definitely his hair. Just look at how much effort he puts into it. Plus, that’s also where his kenseikan are (the hair pieces that symbolize his nobility as the head of his clan), and he obviously puts a lot of value on those.

On his partner, he loves their hands. He loves holding your hands and getting a real good feel of them. Your hands tell him a story, and the pages of that story are written by the texture and smoothness of the skin there, as well as any scars and callouses that you might have. He also really likes the image of your hand wrapped around his cock, but he’d never admit that out loud.

C: Cum (Anything to do with cum basically)

A little on the thin side, but not too watery so there won’t be a huge mess when he cums. His diet is also pristine, so it won’t have a bad taste at all. He prefers to cum inside of you since he feels like the two of you are more connected that way, but if you don’t want him to cum inside of you, then he’ll usually cum on your thighs. On a side note, he doesn’t like to finish when you give him head. He treats it like foreplay, so he’ll stop you well before he has an orgasm. He thinks it’s a bit degrading to have you swallow his cum, but he won’t fight you on the matter if you really want to swallow.

D: Dirty Secret

It’s not really a dirty secret of his, but he’d rather it was completely wiped from his memory. He once walked in on Renji masturbating in the Sixth Division office. It was so damn awkward, and he was taken off guard so he ended up standing there for a minute and just staring at his lieutenant. Neither of them knew what to do, and Byakuya eventually just left without another word. He knew he should have reprimanded his lieutenant, but he was just so disturbed that he never wanted to bring the situation up again. Even without the reprimand, though, Renji learned his lesson.

E: Experience (How experienced are they? Do they know what they’re doing?)

He’s got some experience and he knows what he’s doing. He obviously had experience from his first marriage, but Hisana was the only person that he slept with before you. Because of that, he knows what he’s doing, but he’s also aware that everyone likes different things when it comes to sex, so he’s very observant when it comes to figuring out your preferences. Due to that observation, you’re guaranteed to have a good time with him.

F: Favorite Position

Missionary will forever be his go-to, but he also really loves Lotus because of how close the two of you get. Honestly, he’s down for any position that allows for a lot of intimacy. Eagle and Watering Can are two more of his favorites, Watering Can because of how closely he gets to hold you as you lay on top of him, and Eagle because he can stare into your eyes as he gets really deep inside of you.

G: Goofy (Are they more serious in the moment, or are they humorous, etc.)

He’s definitely more serious than he is goofy in the moment. Like, don’t try to pop out any jokes on him, because he’ll just give you a funny look that makes you ashamed of yourself. If something humorous does happen to occur while the two of you are having sex, the most you’ll get is a gentle smile.

H: Hair (How well-groomed are they, does the carpet match the drapes, etc.)

Groomed to the T. The carpet matches the drapes, and he refuses to let anything get too unkempt down there. He’s thought about completely shaving all of his pubic hair off, but he hasn’t gone through with it yet.

I: Intimacy (How are they during the moment, romantic aspect…)

Sex is all about intimacy with Byakuya. He’ll be looking into your eyes and telling you sweet nothings the entire time. He uses sex to express his undying love for you, and after having Byakuya make such sensual love to you, you most certainly won’t be able to question his feelings for you.  

J: Jack Off (Masturbation headcanon)

It’s a beautiful thing to try to picture, isn’t it? Unfortunately, it doesn’t happen often, and once he’s in a relationship, it doesn’t happen at all. He’s a master at suppressing his urges, and he’d much rather save his energy until he can have you again. Even when he’s not in a relationship, he’s just so focused on his duties that he doesn’t put much though into his sexual desires.

K: Kink (One or more of their kinks)

He’s not exactly into bondage, but he does like the image of you being wrapped up in a silky ribbon. It just looks so classy, and he’ll ask you to do it for him from time to time, but go ahead and surprise him with it on occasion. It gets him every time.

Clothed Sex-he likes the idea that you’re both so desperate for each other that you can’t even be bothered to fully undress before he takes you.

Overstimulation on you. He thinks it’s a good way to test his self-control, and he will keep giving you orgasm after orgasm while he denies his own urges.

L: Location (Favorite places to do the do)

In the bedroom. He doesn’t want to tarnish his reputation, so he won’t take a risk on getting caught having sex somewhere inappropriate. Plus, he finds that the bedroom is the most intimate place to have sex with you, since it’s a room that you share with each other regularly. If you’re a really good convincer, though, you might be able to get him to have sex in his office, but it will have to be after hours once everyone else has gone to bed, and he will have to be very pent up to be willing to do it.

M: Motivation (What turns them on, gets them going)

Set up a romantic scene in the bedroom. Light some candles, turn off all the other lights, make a trail of rose petals (or cherry blossom petals for extra points) for him, and just lounge out on the bed and wait for him. Not only will it surprise him, but he’ll also be very generous in showing you how much he appreciates your efforts.

Sophisticated lingerie will always catch his eye, but another way to catch his attention will be to just walk up to him in the buff. He’ll be shocked, but there’s something about seeing you act so brazen that gets him all riled up.

Delicate touches throughout the day. Just gently run your hand up his arm and make your desires known to him early on. It will stay at the forefront of his mind all day, and each subsequent touch will make his desires climb higher and higher until he finally gets home and gives you a night that you’ll be remembering for a long time.

N: NO (Something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

He won’t do anything that involves a bodily fluid other than cum, including tears, blood, urine, vomit, etc. He’s not going to hurt you at all, especially not to the point that you cry or bleed, and bodily wastes are way out of his comfort zone.

O: Oral (Preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc)

Prefers to give over receive. He likes to take his time with you, too, slowing bringing you to an orgasm so he can enjoy your sweet moans for just a little bit longer. His technique is pretty damn good, too, although it could be a bit too gentle and slow for some.

P: Pace (Are they fats and rough? Slow and sensual? etc.)

He likes for sex to be intimate and loving, so slow and sensual is his usual go-to. He’ll never go fast and rough on his own accord, so you’ll have to tell him that you want him to take you like that for it to happen.

Q: Quickie (Their opinions on quickies rather than proper sex, how often, etc.)

He’s not a fan of quickies, and he generally doesn’t indulge in them. He likes to take his time with you and ensure that you’ve been properly pleasured. He’s also a master at suppressing his own urges, so there’s usually no need for him to indulge in a quickie.

R: Risk (Are they game to experiment, do they take risks, etc.)

Not risky at all, really. Sex will always be in your bedroom; he has a reputation to uphold as a captain and as the head of his clan, so he won’t take a chance on tarnishing that by getting caught having sex somewhere he shouldn’t have. As far as experimentation goes, he’s wary of it, but so long as you explain everything to him and it’s not something completely outside of his comfort zone, he’ll give it a try.

S: Stamina (How many rounds can they go for, how long do they last…)

He’s got pretty good stamina. He can last at least 15 minutes a round, but he can go for as many rounds as you want. In the rare instance that he has a day off, he will make love to you all night long the night before his off day, and then he’ll lounge around in bed with you all day afterwards

T: Toy (Do they own toys? Do they use them? On a partner or themselves?)

He doesn’t own any toys, simply for the fact that he doesn’t see any elegance in them (sans blindfolds, silk ribbons, etc.). He can be convinced otherwise, however, so long as you present your case well enough to him. Start off with the things you know he likes, like blindfolds, and work your way up from there. Gradually get more risqué as you introduce more toys to him, and it’ll eventually get to the point that he’ll use any toy that you want on you (not on himself, though- it will take quite a while before he’s comfortable enough for that).

U: Unfair (how much they like to tease)

He’s usually not much of a tease, but he does love to overstimulate you. He will bring you to orgasm after orgasm, all while denying his own needs as a test of his self-restraint.

V: Volume (How loud they are, what sounds they make)

He’s pretty quiet overall, but when you do something that he really likes or he’s getting close to orgasm, you’ll start to get some choked groans out of him.

W: Wild Card

We’ve already established in the R section that public sex is not his thing, on account of him being mindful of his reputation. With that being said, he would actually love to take you at an onsen at least once. He’s quite fond of the image of it, the water sloshing around you, the steam curling around your body as you ride him. He’d probably rent out the whole place, so the chances of you actually getting caught would be slim to none, but it’s still pretty risky and risqué in his books.

X: X-Ray (Let’s see what’s going on in those pants, picture or words)

We’ve got another really pretty dick here. It’s pale like the rest of his skin, and the head turns a dusky light pink when he’s hard. His dick has an upward curve to it, and he’s got a few light veins along his shaft that aren’t too prominent (but still prominent enough to stimulate you with their added texture).

Y: Yearning (How high is their sex drive?)

He’s got a pretty decent sex drive, but he is all about keeping his urges suppressed. His self-control is amazing, and he doesn’t even have to get off to control his urges. On that note, he’ll let you choose how often the two of you have sex. Once a month? Cool. Once week? He’s game. Every day of the week? It might be hard with his schedule, but he’ll make it work.  

Z: ZZZ (… how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

He won’t fall asleep until after you do. He likes to run his fingers over your shoulders as you curl up at his side, and he’ll lightly hum as you fall asleep. After that, he’ll take a minute to really memorize your peaceful expression, and then he’ll fall asleep with that image as the last thing on his mind.

[buriedinbleach]

A Gift [Byakuya x Reader]

So, humor me for a minute, here’s the backstory of this one-shot: This was one of the first fics I started when I decided to start writing these back in July (what can I say, I’m a machine), but I had a bit of writer’s block and it sat neglected with some of my other half-finished fics (I can feel them beckoning me as I type). It was partially inspired by an idea I had, but the character choice was more for a certain other writer that I admire greatly (I’m looking at you @shadowsnlace ) I hope you enjoy it!

But then... it went neglected again in favor of other stuff I’ve since published. It wasn’t until I got an ask for a Byakuya fic by @doctorkei23 that I decided to pick it back up again, getting the suitable kick-in-the-ass I needed to buckle down and finish it. More proof that I love my readers and I listen when you ask me to get shit done (hint hint: my ask box remains open)! One final note about my writing / the ask before I get down and dirty with all that delicious Captain Kuchiki smut is that I tend to both follow, and ignore cannon as it suits me. And honestly, it suits to me to write Byakuya as ‘Hisana who?’ Love me or hate me for it, just my two cents.

The Ask:

When you returned home from your mission that night, there was a plain, nondescript large white gift box lying in the middle of the bed. It was tied with a thick black satin ribbon, and a note was casually tucked underneath it. Lying in wait for the recipient, you. Setting you things down, securing your zanpakuto in its place on the shelf, an empty spot immediately next to yours signifies where your husband’s belongs. Your eyes home in on the box with morbid curiosity, before you walk up to the bed and snatching up the small card tucked under the ribbon bearing your name.

‘Welcome home, my love. Once you’ve had the chance to relax, please put these on and wait for me. I have some work to finish, but I’ll join you as soon as I can.’

You tug at the end of the ribbon, letting the bow slowly unfurl, melt away, before pushing the remaining pieces of ribbon off the box impatiently. Lifting the lid, you peel back the layers of white tissue paper to find a jet black silk robe, and a crimson red set of lacy underwear tucked inside, striking colors, made even more so by the contrast. Trailing your fingers along the fabric of the robe, you’re amazed at how soft it is. Simply touching it feels like the flowing fabric will disintegrate under your fingers, it’s so exquisitely delicate. Eyes flashing down to your hands, you quickly realize you’re in desperate need of a shower.

You take your time, knowing too well that with your husband, “some work to finish” meant that he would likely be gone for hours. The warm spray from the shower does wonders to relax your tired body. The heat penetrates your fatigued muscles, and the tension dissipates, rolling off your body like the water cascading over your skin, and down the drain, never to be seen again.

Pulling the lingerie out first, you slip on the bra and panties, adjusting the straps, the band, and the lines of the underwear, until it lies perfectly on your body. It fits like a glove, just like your favorite set of underwear, in fact. He had clearly put a good deal of thought into his gift, getting the sizing just right to mimic the pair that you – and he – couldn’t live without.

Finally, you carefully lift the robe out of its box. Slipping one arm into the cool black silk, followed by the other, but strategically leave it untied, smiling to yourself. Byakuya wasn’t the only one who could make plans...

It perfectly frames the way the lingerie accentuates your curves, leaving just enough skin visible. After all your careful preparations, the silk feels more like an extension of your body now, rather than an adornment. Standing in front of the tall full-length mirror, admiring your figure, you have to admit, Byakuya really did have exquisite taste, but what more could you expect? He married you after all.

He slips into the bedroom without a sound to mark his arrival, content to watch you posing before the mirror for a moment, turning this way and that, a slight smile touching his lips. You feel his presence long before you heard his cool, even voice.

Slowly, he released the tight control he always held over his reiatsu. The pin-prickling sensation tingled all over your body, touching you everywhere. Closing your eyes, you let it wash over your skin before hearing him speak, snapping you out of your fantasy, but the reality is so much better.

“I have to admit, as beautiful as that robe is,” he makes a show of looking your body up and down as he speaks “and as stunning as the lingerie looks, you truly do put it to shame.” Byakuya says softly, stepping further into the bedroom, closer to you. The sound of his voice always sent a warm tingle down your spine, and desire pooling in your core…

Especially in moments like this, the two of you in your bedroom with an entire night stretched out in front of you. You turn, smiling, to face him, running your hands over your curves to draw his eyes to your body, wanting to feel his hands explore your body the way his eyes did.

“It’s beautiful. But what’s the occasion?” Positively grinning, your pulse quickens watching him approach. One more step closer, then another, and another until he’s close enough to touch.

Byakuya quirks his brow, but the rest of his features remain even. “Since when do I need a reason to give you a gift?” Its true, he constantly give you small tokens, a note, a bracelet, maybe your favorite perfume if it were a special occasion, but this gift was far more extravagant. He easily manages to hide his true intent behind those calm grey surveying eyes, as he steps behind you, circling you. Reaching out, he trails a long finger over the silk of the robe down your stomach.

Your breath catches in your throat. Biting your lip, wishing he would do more than touch you, wanting him to rip the robe and lingerie off, but his fingers remain only where the robe covers. Byakuya presses the delicate silk into your body, pulling the fabric and releasing it to wash over you like a wave. You hardly notice that each motion has been slowly walking you closer and closer to the bed until the backs of your thighs bump up against the pillowy futon.

Byakuya leans in close, his lips ghosting over your neck and up to your ear. Close enough for you to feel the heat of his breath, but still not close enough to contact your skin, making your body ache in desperate need of his touch. “Lay back on the bed, my love.” His words were whisper quiet, but commanding all the same, making your core throb.

“mmm hmm.” You nod, closing your eyes and smiling, as he reaches out to your waist. Another slow touch of his calculating hands over the silk has Byakuya cupping your breast briefly. His thumb slides over your nipple, rewarding your eager compliance to his directions with a quick pinch before moving down quickly to catch the tie of the robe. He only needs to pinch it, letting the tie free itself from the loose loops of the robe as you drop down to the bed, shuffling back towards the headboard. Your eyes, hooded with desire watch him closely.

The silk splays out beneath you beautifully, just like your hair across the pillows as Byakuya slowly drags the soft string of the robe over your thighs, up your stomach, and between your breasts, while he moves with it along the side of the bed towards your head. He eyes you carefully, temporarily transfixed watching you shift your hips from side to side, arching into the cool black silk dragging across your heated skin, eyes tightly shut. Gods, how he wants to pounce on you right then and there, but he isn’t ready to give in, not yet anyway.

“Put your arms above your head, my darling.”

You oblige, smiling, feeling one strong hand drag up your side against the silk, pushing your arm up along with it. Placing your wrists above your head, reaching for the headboard, your arch your back, highlighting the swell of your breasts. Your eyes remain closed but you can feel his devouring your body for a brief second before securing your wrists in his preferred shibari double-column tie to the headboard. He moves with lightning speed, like he’d done this before.

Well, you both had. It was an old favorite…

He quickly sheds his haori and shihakusho, casting all his clothing aside, uncharacteristically not caring where they land. He was far too absorbed in watching the scene unfolding below him. Your eyes were still cinched shut, as you licked your lips in anticipation, rubbing your thighs together lightly as you waited for him to return.

Byakuya descends upon you in an instant, making you gasp. Unwilling, and unable, to wait a second longer before feeling your body beneath his. You pull at the ties binding your wrists, wanting so badly to touch him, but he simply smiles, his teeth parting next to your ear.

“Nice try, my love. But you know by now...” He holds your chin, angling your face to his with two simple fingers, his lips part yours as his tongue draws a slow circle around your lips that leaves your head spinning and your lungs gasping for breath. “I get to touch you first.”

His fingers caress you softly, but purposefully, as he traced a line down your body, stopping between your breasts to unsnap the clasp. One breath, the heavy rise and fall of your chest, was all it took for the lace to roll off your skin, leaving you exposed for a split second before Byakuya’s hand covered one breast while his lips devoured the other.

Panting and pulling at the tie binding your wrists, you arch into the warmth of his body. It was all you could do. “mmm… Bya-kuya.” Gasping out the words, your fingers dance above your head, rubbing against the tie. The soft silk providing the perfect aid for your imagination as you picture his hair running through your fingers.

Byakuya gives each nipple a last teasing flick, smirking proudly at your writhing, panting figure. The bed shifts around your body as you feel his resettle at your side, his erection already pressing against your thigh as he pulls your leg in closer to his, spreading you to create just enough space. His fingers press into your lace covered core, trailing up and down teasingly until he slips a finger underneath the fabric and into your waiting channel.

“So tight.” He muses, working his finger in and out of your body against the confines of the lace.

“Then… take them… off!” The last word leaves your lips as a moan as he plunges another finger into your heat and stretches his thumb up to your clit, pushing on the little bundle of nerves with the exact amount of pressure he knows would have you clawing at his back in seconds. Byakuya brings his face down next to yours. His careful, even, breath in your ear makes your walls tighten around his fingers, as he smiles.

“I wasn’t referring to the lace, my love.” His tongue trails around the shell of your ear briefly before its gone again, always leaving you wanting more. “But I suppose you’re right. These have served their purpose.” He pulls his fingers away briefly, ripping the delicate lace from your body, enjoying every second as he watches your eyes widen in shock. He chuckles briefly watching you.

The sound of his laughter was always music to your ears. It was a noise that he shared with almost no one but you. Outside the bedroom, he was Byakuya Kuchiki, taicho of the sixth division, and head of the Kuchiki clan. But around you, he could be different. He could be the wild, impetuous Byakuya of his youth. And tonight, he wanted to be wild.

He eased his long body back down next to yours, pressing his hard shaft into the soft skin of your thigh. You twist your body to angle towards him, but before you can lift one hip off the futon, you feel his fingers pressing into your most sensitive skin again. They trace over your slit as Byakuya watches you arch and gasp next to him, biting and pursing your lips.

“Bya-kuya… plea-“ His lips pressing against yours cut off the rest of your request. His tongue slides against yours in tandem with his fingers, as he pushes them back into your slick, waiting channel. His thumb presses against your clit again as he picks up the pace now. Twisting, scissoring, and curving his fingers in you. His mouth drinks in every pant and moan that leaves your lips until he feels your body tense and shudder as your arms pull on your binds and his name echoes through the room, propelled by your voice.

Your muscles are liquid, pooling into a puddle on the futon. You raise your arm languidly to stroke his face, smiling when you realize the bindings are free and you can finally run your fingers through his silky black hair.

Byakuya places a tender kiss to your wrist as he climbs between your legs, stroking your thighs open, though you need no encouragement. No words need to be exchanged as you smile at each other like conspiring thieves. One knee snakes around his hip, spurring him forward, as you wrap one soft hand around his painfully hard dick, stroking him as he slides forward, plunging into your heat.

Your body arches up sharply in a desperate effort to get closer. Byakuya smiles, wrapping his strong arms around you, lifting you to settle in his lap as he sits back. Your body slides down his remaining length, impaling you, stretching your walls as one small shift of your hips allows him to reach deeper. Byakuya groans in satisfaction feeling your walls envelop him. He brings his lips back up to yours, sucking and licking while you gasp as you roll your hips over his.

His fingers span your back while his thumbs press into your hips, measuring and guiding each roll of your body over his. He feels your walls fluttering around him, uneven still, as the rhythm of your hips begins to falter.

“Byakuya…” you gasp, lips pressed to his. “I-I’m-“

“Me too, my love.” He sighs, thrusting up as much as the position allows, while he pulls your hips down against his. Your walls clamp down around his shaft in long, even strokes, drawing out his own release as he fills you, holding your body steady to his.

As your eyes drift closed that night, you feel Byakuya’s warm body curl around your back. He wraps an arm around your waist and draws you against him, tucking your body to his as you both relax into sleep.

Byakuya kisses your cheek, then lays his head next to your on the pillow.

“I may say that Rukia is my pride,” his arm tightens around your waist again, pulling you so close your bodies are practically one. “But you, my love, are my joy.”

[kokichi-and-co-imagine-blog]

Mod kirigiri, if its okay could you do naegiri in a pokemon mystery dungeon AU?

I think I put a bit too much effort into doing this. This is what happens when you combine two of my favorite things though (Seriously, I may love Mystery Dungeon more than I like the main series games) 

EDIT: Part 2 now available!

Farewell Does Not Mean Goodbye

They’d done it.

They’d finally done it.

Junko’s plan, her desire to spread despair by using the Ultra Beasts, to blanket their world in everlasting and unending despair, they’d stopped it.

They won.

….Except that wasn’t all true, now was it? Because it wasn’t their world they’d saved. It was just hers. He wasn’t a part of it, not really. He was just a visitor.

And his passport had already expired.

Makoto swallowed thickly as he walked next to Kyouko. The action wasn’t anything new, they’d walked in synch like this many times in the past. So many cases they’d solved together, so many outlaws they caught together, they all ended like this, quietly walking side-by-side back home. But something about it felt… different, this time. A heavy silence had hung between the two of them ever since they began their trek back. He gave a quick glance towards the Espeon in question.

Her face was impassive and stoic as ever. Her gaze was pointed forward, and if she noticed him looking at her, she was pointedly ignoring it. He sighed and looked away again.

They both knew what was coming next..

Had it been anyone else in the Detective’s Society, even one of the more perceptive ones like Byakuya (ignoring the fact that he probably wouldn’t care, of course), he probably could’ve hidden his coming fate. But this was Kyouko he was dealing with. She’d seen through his lies about his nightmares, knowing all the right questions to ask, and the one time he’d actually held his ground and withheld information kept from her, well… it’d been an awkward few days on missions to say the least.

She could read him like an open book since the day they met. There was no way he could’ve hidden a secret like that. Almost immediately after he’d discovered what was going to happen after they stopped Junko (it was never a matter of ‘if’ in his mind), she’d seemed to have caught on. How she did so, he’d probably never know—just another skill courtesy of her upbringing, he supposed—but he was oddly ok with it. It was better than having to tell her himself.

Now it was just a matter time.

However, they’d never outright discussed the fact of his approaching disappearance. Any time the topic could’ve been brought up, she’d found some excuse or reason to brush the conversation off. She’d find a way to push it off, citing the mission ahead of them being a more important fact to deal with. Even now, with the hour approaching, she hadn’t spoken a word about it. She hadn’t spoke at all, really.

Makoto found the behavior rather… peculiar.

Kyouko always liked having a plan. She charged forward in everything she did, whether it was difficult cases from the Detective’s Society or just general unpleasant conversations that were necessary to have in her line of work. Her pursuit to solve mysteries and find the truth of a matter was unparalleled and unrivaled. She wasn’t one to hesitate. Never did the two of them head into a situation that she hadn’t thought ahead for.At least, until now, that is

So, for her to be putting off such an important conversation…

“Could it be… that she doesn’t want to face this particular truth?” He frowned at the thought. He spared another glance towards her.

He really wished he could see her face more clearly. He was far from amazing at reading her emotions, she hid them so well after all, but the key to the basic understanding he’d managed to get over their time together was looking in her eyes. She dropped her guard just the tiniest amount when it was just the two of them, and that was how it showed. But it didn’t help him at all if she was so far ahead of him.

Wait…

“When did I slow down? Weren’t we just even…?” He felt it then. He had been so caught up in his worries about Kyouko, he hadn’t noticed just how numb and heavy his limbs were beginning to feel. Each step was becoming more and more difficult to take. His limbs felt like they were tied down by sand bags that were progressively getting heavier.

“Hrngh-!” He let out a whine as a rush of dizziness came over him. He couldn’t see straight, the world was spinning around him too much. He forced himself to sit down before he could fall over, but even then the world wouldn’t stop moving. He let out another grunt as he lifted a paw to his head, squeezing his eyes shut.

“Makoto,” he jumped at the sudden voice. “If you need a break, you can just ask. We’ve been walking for awhile.” He cracked open an eye to see the Kyouko had also stopped moving, although she was a good distance ahead of him. She was looking back at him, her expression as even as before, but a noticeable amount of concern in her eyes. That had been the first she’d spoken since they started their trek back.

Makoto nodded, although immediately regretted trying so given the headache he was getting. He lowered his paw with a sigh. “That’s probably a good-”

Makoto…

“Huh?” His ears perked up at the faint sound. He looked around the clearing they were stopped in, put no one else was there. It was just him and Kyouko. After a moment, it continued on, slightly clearer this time.

Makoto… You’ve done very well. Your contributions toward saving this world have not gone unnoticed, and you are thanked for it. However…. You’ve completed your purpose for being in this world.

He began to feel a sort of tugging sensation after that. He wasn’t being physically moved or touched by anything, Kyouko was the only other being around that could possibly do that, but he still felt the pulling feeling. It was  as if his very being, his existence itself was being pulled and tugged at, just trying so hard to get it to begin moving, It was only faint, but growing steadily as the seconds passed. It was starting to make him feel a bit lightheaded.

“Are you alright, Makoto?” Kyouko asked, her brow furrowed slightly furrowed as she looked at him.

Makoto blinked at her, then gulped, his mouth suddenly feeling a lot dryer than it had before. The realization had hit like a ton of bricks. He bit his lower lip, not sure of what to say next.

His time was running out.

“I… I…” he let out a shuddering breath. He shook his head, ignoring how his head protested. “No, I don’t think I am.” He admitted. He felt her eyes pouring into his.

“…It’s time, isn’t it?”

“…Yeah, I think it is.”

“…I see,” Kyouko replied, her tone just as collected as always. She moved from her spot, seeing how difficult it was for him to move. She sat herself beside him, looking out at the trees in front of them from by his side.

Another moment of silence passed between them, with just the two of them viewing the trees. Neither of them wanted to speak up first it seemed. Makoto heaved a sigh. There was so much to talk about, not enough time to say it all. How was he supposed to properly thank her for just all that she’d done for him? There was no way to fully express just how grateful he was to her.

But he had to try, she deserved at least that much (and so much more)

“…There’s so much to say that I honestly don’t know where to start,” Makoto finally said, breaking the silence weighing over them. He shifted on his paws awkwardly. It wasn’t the most comfortable thing to do, given how heavy his body was feeling, but it helped distract him from the tension of the situation. He took a deep breath before continuing. “I guess, first and foremost… I need to say thank you.”

“Thank you…?” Kyouko echoed, looking down at him with a rare look of surprise.

He smiled towards the ground. “Yeah. Thank you for believing me when we first met about me being a human. Thank you letting me stay with you, for letting me work alongside you, even though I’m not a very good detective.” His voice started shaky, but gradually steadied as he continued.

“Thank you for helping investigate who I am, and for sticking with me even when things got rough. Thank you for staying with me, even when we found out what I was brought here for, to stop Junko’s plan from passing, for never giving into despair or letting me sink down into it.” He finally allowed himself to look up into her eyes, trying to ignore the tears starting to brim in his own.

“Most importantly though, thank you… for being my friend through all of this. Thank you for… well, for everything really! If you hadn’t been there when I first got here I… I don’t think I ever would’ve made it this far.” He let out a small chuckle at the memory of their first encounter. He’d been a mess, to say the least.

“W-why do I have paws?!”

“O-oh… I’m a Rockruff… That explains it…”

“…WAIT, I’M A WHAT!?”

He’d been alarmed by that discovery, no doubt, but looking back on it all, it was rather funny. Kyouko’s expression and exasperation toward him were especially great, although entirely warranted.

He reached up to wipe the tears forming in his eyes away. As he did so though, he couldn’t help but notice all the trees around them. They towered over the two of them, seeming to stretch on for miles and miles into the air. There was something familiar about them.

“Hey, isn’t this where we first met!” Makoto forgot in his excitent, the reason he was sitting down in the first place, and jumped to his feet. The lightheadedness he felt earlier suddenly doubled, making him fumble on his footing. Kyouko reached out to stop him from falling flat on his face. He promptly sat himself back down, trying his best to shake off the feeling, even as the pulling sensation continued to grow stronger.

Kyouko was silent for a moment after that as she looked at the area around them. She nodded. “Yes, I believe we’re close to where I found you,”

Makoto’s smile faltered when another thought struck him. “I… guess this means I’m not going to get to see everyone else before I go, huh?” Kyouko didn’t answer him, but he didn’t expect her to. “I was kinda hoping I’d get to make it there before I had to go but… I guess not. Just my luck, huh?” He let out a laugh and reached to wipe his eyes again. Nothing about this was funny, but he couldn’t stop the humorless chuckles from coming out. “Apologize to Hina for me, would you, Kyouko?” She was going to be furious at him for not returning like he’d promised he would.

He only wished he would get to see it for himself.

She gave a silent nod at his request.

He smiled tiredly at her as another wave of dizziness and washed over him Keeping his balance even while sitting was becoming difficult. He felt himself sway a little before he found himself leaning against Kyouko for support. Did she catch him? He wasn’t sure anymore. Things were starting to blur together. Her scent enveloped his senses. He breathed it in deeply. He never wanted to forget it.

He was getting sleepy; it was becoming harder to think clearly, to filter out his fear. “Is it… is it bad that I don’t wanna go?” He didn’t bother trying to wipe the tears forming this time, choosing instead to just close his eyes. “Here we spent all this time trying to find out why I became a Pokemon so I could go home… and now that the time’s come, I don’t wanna go,” he let out another humorless laugh. “I guess I’m just being selfish, aren’t I?”

“No, I don’t think it’s selfish at all,” Kyouko’s sudden answer made him jump. “You volunteered to help save our world, one you weren’t even a part of, simply because you felt it was the right thing to do, and all you want in return is to stay in it? I don’t think that’s selfish at all. Especially not in comparison to myself…” She looked away.

“H-huh?!” He pried his heavy eyelids open to look up at her.

“You’ve thanked me for so much, but I think it should be the other way around; I should be thanking you for all that you’ve done for me.” She sucked in a deep breath before continuing. “My motives weren’t very kind to you from the start. I always intended to look into your own mystery after you followed me, but I never planned on working with you for very long. Or staying in the Detective’s Society for as long as we have.. I’ve never properly apologized for my behavior during that time. I truly am sorry for my treatment of you then,”

“K-Kyouko…” he breathed out. It was true she wasn’t always the nicest, and her bluntness  had thrown him off on more than one occasion, but he just figured that was just Kyouko being Kyouko.

“But.. I never thought I would grow to be so close to you, get so attached to you. I don’t trust easily, Makoto. Trust a powerful thing to give to someone, and I’ve learned firsthand just how dangerous is can be to give it out carelessly.” He didn’t miss her tensing her paws for a moment at that statement.

“But somehow, through your kindness and stubbornness and refusal to just let me be, you earned mine. You became my invaluable partner, my trusted friend, someone I could rely on, and competent investigator in your own right. I can see why they gave you the title of ‘Ultimate Hope’. You certainly became my hope,”

“Y-yours…?” It was becoming exhausting to keep his eyes open. He blinked a few times. Black was starting to spot his vision.

She let out a quiet, humorless laugh of her own. “I’m not as infallible as you seem to think I am, Makoto. You praise me for never falling into despair, but the only reason I never did was because of you. Your optimism, your words, they became my own hope when I was close to falling myself. And… if anyone here is being selfish, it’s me, because I want you to continue being my hope. I want to continue investigating cases with you, continue to be a part of the Detective’s Society with you, I just… want to continue being with you.”

Makoto could only look at her in awe as she opened up to him. Never had he seen her looking so vulnerable, so emotional about anything throughout their time together. Even in his hazy state he could tell how much this meant to her .He felt her tremble as he laid against her.

He didn’t want this to be it either. He’d made such wonderful connections in this world. Hina, Sakura, Hiro, Sayaka, even Byakuya and Touko he’d grown close to in a way. And that wasn’t even touching the bond that he and Kyouko had formed. They’d been through so much together, went to the ends of the earth and back, and now he just had to say goodbye?

He couldn’t accept that. He wouldn’t accept that.

So he didn’t.

“That decides it then,” he stated. He pulled himself up from leaning against Kyouko. His head throbbed with protest.

“Makoto…?”

“I’m not going back,” he decided firmly.

She looked at him in shock. “What?”

“I’m not going back.” He repeated, tone just as firm. “I refuse to let this be the end of my time with you!”

“Makoto… I’m not sure you’re being given a choice in this matter,” Kyouko said. She reached out to steady him as he swayed again.

“I… I-I don’t care! I don’t care how hopeless this seems, I refuse to let this be our goodbye!” Light was starting to swirl around him as the pulling feeling became almost tangibly real. He grunted at the sensation. “I don’t know what’s going to happen next… but I refuse to let this be the last time I get to see you!”

He shook his head. “This isn’t our goodbye. This is just… this is just a temporary farewell. Because we will see each other again, I won’t let it be any other way!”

Kyouko said nothing, only stared at him.

“…Maybe this was why Junko wasn’t upset when we stopped her, because she knew I had to go back, and that it would fill us with despair. But… I won’t let this stop me!” It was getting harder to see her as light continued to pull at him and cloud his vision. “My optimism is my one truly redeeming quality, after all, isn’t it?” He grinned at her through his tears.

“Kyouko, regardless of what happens next, I will never forget you. I will never stop hoping for a way to return to you because… because I-” His sound was drowned out as the light around him engulfed him entirely. Slowly, it began to rise into the air and up towards the sky.

Kyouko didn’t take her eyes off of it for even a second. “…Only a temporary farewell, huh? Ok then, Makoto. Farewell for now. Don’t keep me waiting too long…”

“…”Because the feeling is mutual,”

((I probably made this way too long but this was me cutting this short but I love PMD so much and I love the idea of these two being on a team together and just… aaaaaaaa))

((…I begging someone to please request more of this cause as much as I stressed myself out on this I loved every minute of this))

((…I can have a part two of this scene even, if someone wants it, I’m not kidding))

[dreadhaus-literature]

{Headcanon} New Year’s Eve #2

Sleep is for the weak! Or...is it?

I promise, you’ll still get your kiss.

“But i’m not sleepy!”

It’s not an unusual phrase to hear around the Haus, from one little girl in particular, but it has different effects on different people--for Byakuya Kuchiki, it’s something he hears, but pays no heed to

He’s a man of discipline, of principle and doing the right thing, even if that right thing isn’t always easy, and...getting Monica to sleep is not an easy task

Even right now, his beautiful girlfriend is sitting up in bed, arms folded, trying her best to glare at him in-between sniffles

“I know,” Byakuya soothes even better than the tea he’s stirring, “but sleep is the best medicine and you still don’t feel well.”

“It’s New Year’s! I’m going to miss everything!” Monica’s wail was accented by a stuffy nose and a throat made scratchy from coughing, but Byakuya would have argued with anyone she never sounded more beautiful

Of course, he begins every single day with that same thought

 “You aren’t going to miss anything if you go to sleep right now,” Byakuya offers in that same even tone, before holding the tea cup to her lips. “Sip.”

Monica listens, because truth be told she always did. She was a good girl

His good girl

The tea was hot and soothing, a combination Monica thought could also totally apply to Byakuya, but that thought she keeps to herself

“I still don’t want to sleep.”

Byakuya affixes his dark brown gaze on Monica’s own stubborn green and to her surprise, relents

Somewhat

“How about a compromise?”

Monica eyes him warily; something that sounds too good to be true usually is, especially in a voice to match

“What sort of compromise?”

“If I promise to wake you up before the most important part of the night, will you take a nap for me?”

...Unfair.

“Fine...”

It’s not uncommon for Monica to phrase things in a way that makes it seem as though she’s doing the other person a favor by relenting, but that leaves her wide open for the other person’s gratitude, which she’s never prepared to receive

“Good girl, thank you.” Byakuya sets her unfinished tea on her bedside table as she shimmies down under the covers. He meets her halfway, pulling them up to her chin. “Would you like me to brush your hair?”

Monica can’t help but nod, cheeks flushed from sickness...and a little something extra

Byakuya uses a combination of items when brushing Monica’s hair; sometimes it’s a wide-toothed comb made of bone (filed nicely to prevent snags) other times it’s a soft-bristled brush, but his favorite method is with his fingers

That’s the method he uses today, and a little shifting allows Monica to lay on his chest, between the safety of his legs, while his pale fingers comb her aches away from a day of coughing and sniffling, his other hand rubbing her back

“Sleep now.”

It’s only when her body has gone completely still, not even miming breathing, does Byakuya take advantage of the situation

Of course that’s not what he thinks he’s doing; no no, he had her sleep because she’s ill and needs the rest

Of course it has nothing to do with the selfish desire to hold his beloved while she’s at her most vulnerable, showing the ultimate trust in him

Monica falling asleep doesn’t still Byakuya’s hands

It makes them more active

Byakuya isn’t one for shyness, but he does favor propriety and politeness, and even though Monica is his girlfriend he doesn’t take the same enjoyment embarrassing her as others do

But when she’s asleep, he doesn’t need to fear her shying away from the exploration of sakura-soft fingertips

One of Byakuya’s favorite places to explore are Monica’s sides, especially the curve where her waist swells to meet her hip

He is a slave for that rise of flesh

It always, always catches his breath in his chest, just the slightest hitch but it never fails

How could she possibly be so beautiful?

Byakuya also appreciates the compliment of her skin to his; the beautiful, warm tan of her flesh is the perfect kiss to his deathly pale complexion

Their children will have the most beautiful skin

Hours pass like this; Byakuya’s careful exploration of a body he’s long committed to memory but can’t seem to get enough of. Every time Monica shifts it seems to open another valley of curves for him to trace reverently

And trace, he does

The Haus around them was in full swing as the sky darkened and the countdown to midnight began, but still Byakuya kept Monica still and asleep in his arms

There were many, so many, who would desperately want her company and somewhere in Byakuya’s mind and heart he knew the right thing would be to wake Monica so she could mingle with the others

But...she was so beautiful here in his arms, on his chest, sleeping peacefully.

Byakuya was a man who did the right thing, always, even when it was difficult to do, but for the first time in his life he was having a hard time committing to this particular idea

Who could have predicted falling in love would make a man of iron will waver out of sheer possessiveness?

The others haven’t disturbed them, though it isn’t for lack of trying...it’s just lucky there are ways to make rooms private, even in the Haus, if one knows who to talk to

As the hour grows later and later, Byakuya rests his head back against the headboard and allows his mind to wander, fingers tangled in Monica’s soft hair

New Year’s Resolutions had begun floating around the Haus since Monica suggested the idea, and it was something adrift in Byakuya’s mind as well. What could he resolve to do better? To try for the new year?

The only thought in his mind was Monica, and the only thing he wanted to promise was to continue to try and be the best version of himself that he could for her

Byakuya wasn’t certain that was the exact spirit of resolutions, but it was what he felt...in his heart, where she resides, and that couldn’t be wrong

With that promise, comes the reality that it’s nearly midnight and Byakuya has allowed Monica to sleep the night away selfishly locked in his embrace

His promise had been to wake her before she missed the most important part of New Year’s...

11:58PM was a kiss to the temple, a good-bye to the past year as she begins to stir.

11:59PM was a quiet utterance, an “I love you,” against her hair so that she knows he’s loved her for years

12:00AM on January 1st, 2019, and Byakuya woke Monica with a searing kiss that ushered in the New Year in a way she would never forget, his hands possessive and tight against her, so that she would know he will continue to love her for the rest of their years together

A promise made by Byakuya Kuchiki is a promise kept, every single time

[inuyashaographer]

Answerbox #82

Q: Love really seems to be a big part of the series and there are a lot of different ways each can be taken would you be willing to do something on them?

A: Of course, it's a big element of the series, and it's covered in many ways throughout, and it's pretty accurately presented what the end result of each can be.

Obsession: Obsession tends to be one of the more dangerous forms of love, it's love taken to it's most extreme form, which more often than not causes more harm than actual good. That is definitely showcased in Onigumo, with Onigumo, his obsession with Kikyo, isn't so much love. While he cares about Kikyo, the only reason he cares about her is because he wants her, to him she's a literal object of desire, he only wants to own and break Kikyo.

It's this obsession that leads to him taking the extreme approach of giving himself up to demons in order to get a body to get his desires, however the result is Naraku, who seems to amplify those obsessive desires, eventually to the point where he goes from breaking her, to outright wanting to kill her. In both cases, there obsessions do actually lead to there downfalls, Onigumo takes a chance with the demons, and becomes overcome by them, creating Naraku. Where Naraku's obsession drives his motives early in the series, but it makes him far too easy to become manipulated. In both cases, both lose touch with 'themselves', Onigumo loses himself in Naraku, and in the end, both Naraku and Onigumo 'lose' themselves when they realize they have been manipulated against the jewel.

Companionship/Puppy-Love: Okay, I'm cheating by putting these two together, but they technically do go together, and some could argue that companionship doesn't really count as love, but more as 'care'. That said, puppy-love does, so I put them together, since they do go together in this case.

That being said, Kikyo and Inuyasha fit into both categories, because throughout their situation together, they are basically companions, they get close together because of somewhat similar situations and that becomes the driving force for being around one another, they eventually end up staying around one another. Eventually the idea of love does come into focus, but the love is undeveloped, it never goes past their similar situations, with two people that have never actually experienced love. It's because that love is undeveloped, mostly due to lack of communication between them that, doesn't go past their circumstances and the jewel itself, and the unwillingness to actually trust one another. The eventual fall-out due to their lack of trust, and not really knowing one another, fit what puppy-love is perfectly. In the end, it's love, but it's an underdeveloped form of love, and in their case, it never really goes past friendship and companionship.

Friendship: If true love is the most powerful, friendship is the runner-up in terms of power. Especially in this series, friendship is the strongest reason for the group as a wholes, success throughout the series. The ability to trust those around you. It's a stronger version of companionship, because you actually know about the people around you, and it's with this that Naraku often finds himself on the losing end of things.

While it isn't a form of friendship, an example of this could be made (to a lesser extent) to Naraku and his minions, Naraku creates a group of followers, not only to ensure he doesn't have to do any of the dirty work himself, and of course to protect him, but because numbers increase the chance of success, unfortunately in Naraku's case, most are more interested in turning on him (much like he's planning on doing to them). This does follow more into companionship, but it shows what happens when a group isn't fully invested into the same exact goal. However Byakuya borders on being Naraku's most loyal of "friends" and the success they achieve together is a lot more noticeable.

Nonetheless, having someone to back you up and that knows how you work, creates much more success, being a loner, or not having the ability to work with others, especially in this series, often leads to downfall. This plays a heavy role in why Kikyo's plan stumbled a lot and eventually led to her death, while the group effort by Inuyasha, Sesshomaru and Kagome led to not only the destruction of Naraku, but the eventual destruction of the jewel itself.

Paternal: The love of a parent will always be strong, but an adopted parents love, can certainly be just as strong. There is no disputing the love of Inu-Papa and Inuyasha's mother (and yes, even Sesshomaru's mothers love) for their children. A somewhat unlikely candidate for this is of course Sesshomaru, who takes of the parental role of Rin, and the very likely candidate of Kagome who plays the parental role to Shippo. While this isn't as explored, it's certain there, and it plays a role in the maturation of both Kagome and Sesshomaru as characters, and is a key role in a lot of Sesshomaru's development.

Love: The emotion that doesn't need a lot of introduction, love is quiet easily one of the most powerful emotions around (in a constant struggle with it's opposite hate), and in this series, that is no different. The power and chemistry that couples like Kagome and Inuyasha, and Sango and Miroku showcase through the series is a great example of this. These two couples are naturally stronger around one another and often more dangerous.

This form of love is explored in many ways, but it focuses on the elements and the progress it takes to get there. We get to watch it work it's way up to love, while also seeing all those elements, from learning about one another, trusting one another and supporting one another etc. to create these respective couples, build this chemistry and watch as these couples form and how the love is created.

Kagome and Inuyasha are definitely the more focused on when it comes to this, considering they're at the forefront of everything, from most of the battles to most of the events of the story, and most of what we watch/read, is about there growth in trust, chemistry and love, and it allows them to overcome much throughout the series, from the common struggles of people in love, to Naraku and his minions.

Now sometimes, these clash with one another, true love, and puppy-love especially are sometimes hard to separate from one another, but this series shows both, and shows the difference between what you believe and think is love, and when you not only, really know and understand what love is, but that you are in love. In the end, it's all forms, but love comes in many different forms, some more powerful than others, but all under basically the same definition (with the proper deviations that separates them, and makes them different).

[itbeajen]

Retribution [2] | Takumi

Chapter 2 - Consequences "Kiran,” Robin gently called your name, and you looked up from the tome that was laid out before you. Sheets of paper were scattered and littering the desk in your small study, but you had made progress. Much more progress than Robin had expected when you had informed him that you were going to work on figuring out the ancient Askrian tome. But he frowned upon seeing the creased lines on your forehead and he softly mumbled, “Have you slept? Eaten?" "No, and yes,” you stifled a yawn and you lazily waved a hand over at another corner of your desk. There sat two empty bowls and utensils on a small tray, an obvious indication that you've eaten. “Sharena brought me some tea and cookies a few hours back." Robin sighed. The more time he spent with you, the more you reminded him of himself, and he sat down on the spare chair beside your desk. It was one that was kept for the visitors, although that was rare and few as you more often than not spent your time looking after others instead of them looking after you. He leaned over, his gaze fleeting as he tried to figure out which one of the scattered papers was the beginning of your notes and where the end was. After much deliberation and confusing himself, he looks away from the mess of a desk. "Well?” he warily probed, and you sighed, “Takumi’s orb isn’t as… brilliant as yours. And there was a slight scratch too." "A scratch?” Robin’s voice was a bit too loud for your preference, and your finger flies to your lips, indicating the silence you desired. The tactician sheepishly rubs his neck and then asked, “Are you certain?" "Yes, I felt it,” you bit your lower lip, nibbling it slightly in thought. I shouldn’t mention anything about Takumi’s sudden change in personality either. Robin watches you intently and you sighed, “I need to figure out what all the possible consequences are. And if there’s a way to reverse the damage." "Did you see the part that was broken off inside the box?” he asked. There was a lilt of hope laced in his question, but the negative shake of your head caused his hope to falter slightly. He shakes his head and he gently reassures you, “I’m sure everything will be fine." I hope so too.

"Brother,” Sakura’s voice is filled with concern, but there’s some strength behind it, as though being in Askr has brought her more courage and strength. Takumi turns to her, giving her his full attention and she asked, “How are you faring?" Takumi’s brows furrowed and he grumbled, “Why is everyone asking me if I’m okay?" But the older male immediately regrets his choice of words and the sting of his tone. The flicker of regret that crossed the visage of his youngest sister made him lower his bow as he takes a step towards her. She glances away momentarily before admitting, "W-Well, you seemed more tired than usual yesterday after combat. I was just worried." The last four words was admitted in a much smaller and softer voice, as though scared for another backlash from Takumi. But instead his features soften, and the tenseness of his muscles fade as he gently places a hand on her shoulder. He was fond of all his siblings, but he always felt more connected to Sakura. She was the youngest after all. Sakura was always so timid and meek, he gives her an apologetic smile, I'd do everything in my power to keep prevent her from walking my path. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come off so harshly," he repented and then gently ruffled her hair, "I'm fine though. After all, why wouldn't I be?" There was a playful smirk on his lips when she looks up, and she can't find an answer to his question. But the bright smile on her lips makes his worries and concerns fly away. She was always a welcoming presence to have. Her lips open, as though about to ask a question, but instead she hears her name being called. With a sad smile, she breaks away from her brother, and Takumi can almost feel the clouds shifting over from him now that his one ray of sunlight has gone away. But it is nice to see her smiling, and happy. It’s such a vast difference from… my younger sister. His eyes closed. Despite having the same name and appearance, she's not my sister. Just as how I'm not her brother.

"Kiran?” Sakura’s voice echoed in your study, only to met with a soft, “Come here." But the voice wasn’t yours, and she frowned until she made her way to the corner of your study. Your sleeping figure was bathed in sunlight. The rays of light danced with each breeze that caused the curtains to flutter. The spots of sun danced across your hooded figure, casting a shimmer of white or a brilliance of gold to reflect upon the wooden structures within the room. Sakura looks at you with slight concern, but her eyes fall upon the Ylissean tactician who was just leaning against the wall by the window. He flashes her a small smile and she whispered, “I was called in by Kiran, but it seems as though this may have been bad timing." A chuckle escapes Robin's lips as he adjusted the hood on your figure, and he teased, "I'm surprised. I was only gone for a few minutes or so to direct a messenger to get you." Robin paused and his warm gaze lands on the princess. His presence emitted warmth and was just pleasant in general, but she can tell that even he had gone through a rather dark period of time too from the way he held himself. "Kiran was planning on talking to you regarding your brother," Robin softly admitted as his gaze trailed out the window. Sakura follows it, and there she sees the archery grounds where her brother was readying yet another arrow. She turns back to him, a part of her slightly startled to find that he was already looking at her and she softly mumbled, "Is.. Is everything okay?" Robin sighed, about to speak, but you shift in your sleep. Your head gently bumps the table and you sit up straight, eyes still closed with your mouth pulled into a thin frown. As though time was moving in slow motion, your hands slowly, very slowly travel up to rub at your eyes. Your two visitors watch with amusement as it wasn't a common sight to see their usual enigmatic and charismatic tactician being as lazy as a cat. A yawn escapes your lips and you stretched your arms up and above you, only to drop them back ungraciously onto the desk before you. Your fingers wiggled slightly as you tried to bring feeling back in and a lazy smile grows on your face as you glance up to see soft pink hair and warm chocolate orbs meet your gaze. Another small yawn escapes your lips and you greeted, "Hello Princess Sakura, thank you for coming on such a short notice. Sorry I fell asleep though, I'm quite tired." "N-No, not at all! I-I mean," she paused, albeit startled by your formality, and she never does finish her sentence as you gestured for her to sit down. You then turned to Robin and smiled, "Thanks for getting someone to bring her in for me." He nods, and his visage mirrors yours. He slowly peels himself away from the wall and pats your hooded head, "Work hard, but don't kill yourself over it, okay?" "I know,” you chuckled as you watched him leave. Sakura followed your gaze momentarily and she commented softly, “Robin is a good person, isn’t he?" "Yes,” you responded in a beat, and then turned to the patient princess. Sakura met your gaze, no longer did she hesitate as much, and you smiled, “Are you curious as to why I called you here?" She nodded, a flicker of her previous demure and meek personality peeking through for a moment, and your gaze drops to the ancient tome that was now shut close, with nothing more than a small bookmark peeking through. Your fingers trace intricate designs on the book, idly noting that it resembled the same design as the summoning ruins. Sakura waited, but she could tell that your thoughts were still trying to form as you struggled to start the conversation. The princess fidgets with the hem of her sleeves, not quite wearing her usual priestess outfit, but instead donning a simple kyudogi1. Sakura glances up at you, and you were staring idly out the window and upon noticing her stare, your gaze slowly shifts to her and you sheepishly smile, “Sorry. I’m struggling to find a way to talk to you about this, but I suppose it’s best if I’m just honest with you, isn’t it?" She nodded and you sighed, “Sakura, you and Takumi are siblings, but have you ever considered that you aren’t from the same... realm?" Yikes, I could have said that better. The shock that marred the young princess mirrored your internal cringe at the bluntness of your words. But you also noticed the resignation in her eyes and she, ever so slowly, nodded in agreement. If you weren’t paying close attention, you may have missed her next words. "Takumi… He is from a life in which our family was torn apart.. Our country destroyed and devastated from war,” her voice was like a whisper in the wind. But her admittance to your possible theory makes your heart drop and your throat grows dry. Sakura’s petite figure trembled and her arms instinctively wrapped around herself and she whispered, “Our.. sibling, Kamui, he- I mean, for Takumi, she, not he.." Sakura’s voice dropped, as though still in disbelief about the events that happened in a parallel universe to her realm. There was a short moment of silence, the tension hung in the air oppressing both of you. Sakura’s head had lowered, and her eyes fluttered close, “Takumi calls her Corrin. Corrin had chosen Anya over Byakuya, I mean..” Sakura paused again, and she gives you a small sheepish smile, “S-Sorry, I-I keep mixing up my timeline with Takumi’s. I’m sorry." You slowly shook your head, and you softly reassured her, “It’s okay, take all the time you need to tell me,” you paused, and then quickly corrected yourself, “If you want to tell me of course!" Sakura looks at you with slight confusion and you responded, "I may not know all the details regarding your world, or Takumi's, but I can see that it's quite painful for you two... especially since the paths that were taken on your two separate realms weren't the same." Sakura lowers her head and she mumbled, "In... In my realm, we have two kingdoms, Byakuya and Anya. For brother, they were known as Nohr and Hoshido. And our sibling.. ah, they," Sakura fumbled and you asked, "Would you like to draw it out if it makes things easier?" Your hand was positioned over a sheet of blank paper and an ink pen. Sakura gently grabs it and slowly begins to diagram it, all the while murmuring to herself, or to you. The paper was split in half, one side labeled as Takumi's and the other labeled as hers. You noticed as she went through the names of her siblings and the names of the opposing army of Nohr, and even of her sibling that caused the split between the two kingdoms; they weren't all the same in both timelines. The names are different. But I suppose, with different timelines, even the names can be different. You sighed, and leaned back, "Okay, so.. Kamui, for you, chose Hoshido, and thus helped win the war for your family. But in Takumi's," you paused, glancing down at the sheet, "Corrin, chose Anya, or Nohr, and won the war for that family, but in return devastated your nation." Sakura hesitantly nodded, but mumbled, "I'm not sure if they actually won the war though." Your gaze flickered away from the sheet of paper depicting the history of the two clashing kingdoms to the once warm brown. Concern. Worry. Sorrow. You frowned, and you could feel your more protective nature come out. Something scares her? "Sakura," your voice brought the princess back to reality and you softly asked, "Is there something wrong? You look sc-" "Th-There's nothing wrong!" Her immediate reply shocked you, and she lowers her voice, and repeated, "There's nothing wrong. Not with me, but Takumi.. I believe something might have happened to him like it did to my older brother."

Takumi sighed as he made his way into the castle's bathing area. He was forever grateful for the separation of genders for the bathing areas. He grew so paranoid of the unisex bathing areas back in his realm sometimes, and was almost never able to bathe in complete peace. The peaceful sound of the water trickling into the bathe and the calming sound of dripping water slowly stripped away the burdens of his mind and the oppressiveness of his thoughts. His fatigue that often lingered after each skirmish with the Emblian army and from each round of practice. He leaned against the tiles, enjoying the cooling sensation from the parts that weren't submerged in the water, and the calming warmth of the water that blanketed him. His lashes fluttered as he slowly and gently succumbed to the relaxing ambiance. This feels really nice.. So relaxing and freed from all responsibilities as a leader. Takumi's long ashen white hair flowed in the water around him, framing his figure as he slumped further against the tiles. But still.. does my time here affect my life back home? But... He mulls over the thought and his lips tugged downwards as his thoughts continued down a darker path. The war was already ending.. Corrin had already taken over Hoshido.. Hinoka nee-san and Sakura were both taken captive. Ryoma nii-san had.. ended his own life, and even Azura left to join Corrin. His hands unknowingly tightened into a fist and his brows were tightly knitted towards the center, causing wrinkles on his forehead. Corrin.. I wonder if she even knew how much damaged and devastation she had wrought unto Hoshido. Her mother died before her own eyes, and yet she still chooses Nohr? Nohr, the same scums who sent her to Hoshido and was the cause of our mother's death. Does she feel no shame? To the view of any passerby, Takumi may have just been soaking in extremely hot water. But to anyone with a keen eye, the purple wisps that slithered in and out of Takumi as though he were excreting some sort of poisonous aura spelled danger. That.. bastard of a sister. She ruined everything, if she never came to Hoshido, if she had never came, Ryoma and mother would still be alive. Sakura and Hinoka would be happy, and our nation would be untouched from the consequences of war. If only.. If only.. If only Corrin had died. If I had managed to finish her off then, she would have never- Takumi's eyes widened as he immediately stands up. The water runs off of him, as though his aura forced it away. He shuddered from the cold air that seeked his warmth. It cooled his skin, reducing the flush of redness and he immediately wraps a dry and clean towel around himself, all the while escaping the bath and its illusory haven. I shouldn't listen to those thoughts. I need to- I have to- Takumi froze in place. Where can I go? If I still slip into that even when I'm in a completely separate world, then what can I do?

You sat alone in your personal bedroom, but Takumi's small box sat on the night table by your bed. No matter how hard you tried to focus on the ancient tome before you, your gaze wandered back to the box. You were tempted to check on his orb once again. It was hard enough to gain permission from the sniper to hold onto it for "safe keeping reasons," but the real difficulty was to prevent yourself from constantly checking on the orb. With more and more info being transcribed from the ancient tome into the modern Askrian language, the more your anxiety and fear grew from the possible predictions. If the orb really is their soul, or at least, the medium that allows their being to reside in this realm, that would mean that if the orb does shatter there are two possibilities. The first one is hinting that they permanently die, and will no longer reside in either realms. The second one implies that they'll be sent back to their home. You sighed as you dropped the tome back onto the bed and lie flat against the comforting mattress. Either options don't sound good. If it's the second option, then he'll be sent back to finish the war between Hoshido and Nohr. And if Takumi's situation back home is as threatening as Sakura believes it to be, then he may end up forfeiting his life once he gets back home. You roll over and face the white box again. It was tempting to just open it and check on the state of the orb to make sure it didn't worsen. But instead, you closed your eyes and rolled to the other side. But even then... both options basically spell out his end. You sat up and reached out for the box. I don't want that. Takumi deserves so much more than those options. I have to check, I need to see if there's a way to prevent it.