#this is the moment seiko falls in love

[s30620]

Volume 7 Bonus

Cute. Sweet. Lovely. Heartfelt. iejgieksishwgdisifkvo.

Just some words for this bonus. I think the kitten shows up in another bonus, but I don't remember if they officially adopt it or anything.

[pinesfamilyguidetotheweird]

Gravity Falls Headcanons

[maybe acceptable to change]

Dipper Pines

Has autism

Has chewelry for when he’s in deep thought, which is better than chewing his pens

Is an ally

Gets glasses

Has gained two more friends around his age, Twig Westwood and Lorelei ‘Lorie’ Flussmann

Has scarring from the summer of 2012

Has participated in marching band

Plans to pursue journalism

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mabel Pines

Is pan

Has ADHD

Doesn’t have a single fashion ‘style’, opting to change it frequently (ex. She’s goth one day and bohemian the next day and retro the next day)

Has started using hair chalk to go with her outfits

Will have her braces removed, but start wearing a retainer

Has a knack for alchemy and magic and is currently under the tutelage of a witch

Continues with her Guide to Life videos and becomes a popular WebTuber

She does commissions for her handmade bracelets and necklaces and anything knitting/crocheting related

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stan Pines

Probably the most ‘normal’ of the Pines twins

Is bisexual

Has claustrophobia

Is dyslexic

Suffers from depression and PTSD

Is the better cook compared to Ford

Would reclaim his mullet while out at sea

Needs a moment to let his mind settle after waking up, a side effect of the memory gun

Is fluent in Spanish, and passively understand French and Portuguese (but can’t speak fluently)

He used be part of a biker gang, the same one with Jimmy Snakes

With Ford’s permission, he gave Soos the entire Shack, house and all

With money from selling treasure, Stan has Dan build a new cabin house for the family

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ford Pines

AuDHD

Major Insomniac

An AroAce Nonbinary Man!

Suffers from c-PTSD, depression, and great guilt

Does have a feral side to him

Has a fear of snakes, but loves cats (imagine him meeting a tatzelwurm)

Eerily quiet while asleep

Grows out his hair to his shoulder blades. Initially has plans to cut it, but Mabel likes this long.

Has a cybernetic spine; its what caused his eyes to turn from brown to blue; there are other changes.

He probably has other implants, though one is a translator

He doesn’t like being touched, especially around his wrists and neck

Used to be fairly chubby until his fallout with Bill, which caused him to lose weight because of stress. Becomes malnourished while dimension hopping. Still currently recovering.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Soos Ramirez

Becomes a let’s player on his days off, his WebTube channel is called ‘Let’sDoodIt!’. Melody would occasionally appear in it.

Soos, along with Melody and his Abuelita, has moved into the Shack

For the Stans’ 59th birthday, Soos had gifted Stan his adoption papers and Stan, without missing a beat, signs it

Has a lot of weird dreams, one of them of him and Stan being frogs and the latter owning a wax museum

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wendy Corduroy

Her trapper hat used to belong to her mother

Got super depressed over her mom disappearing

Has a new friend named Seiko Habutai, who would eventually become her girlfriend

Bisexual

Joins Ford as his assistant when able

Owns a bat-ax, built by McGucket

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fiddleford McGucket

Has recovered a lot: Wears a brace to fix his posture, takes it off for showers and sleep, received dental implants (still has his golden tooth), his hair has grown back and regained some color (gray but still), but unfortunately had to get his beard and mustache shaved off (it was a mess! You know the man did not wash that thing!)

Uses a cane with a fritz handle

Is reconnecting with his ex-wife, Emma May

Still has his former raccoon wife, but as a pet, June

Has started his own electronics company, McGucket & Son’s Lab

Would occasionally have minor relapses before returning to his senses on his own

Have started watching anime, courtesy of Soos, and alot of them inspired some of his creations

Has future apprentices in Candy Chiu and a Molly Westwood

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pacifica Northwest

Is in her ‘rebellious’ phase, according to her parents

Starts hanging out with Candy and Grenda

Still keeps in touch with Archibald’s spirit, who has followed the Northwests to their new house

Plans to golf professionally, but likes to play casually, especially with Mabel

Also has an affinity for magic and has the same witch teacher as Mabel

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Robbie Valentino

Continues to pursue his band career

Has a new best friend in an anthropomorphic wolf named Yue, who joins his band

Is more annoyed with his parents’ during funerals (thanks, Jacky ^^)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gideon Gleeful

Was always an intelligent kid

Would skip a couple of grades upon finishing elementary school

He knows the full extent of Ford’s torture, who promised him not to say a word

Hates dancing and will decline when offered

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bill Cipher (post-Theraprism; if he manages to get released)

Would gain a cat-like appearance once he could reincarnate

Would somehow be put under the custody of the Pines family

Has lost most of his powers, can now only levitate himself and enter dreams

More subdue and standoffish, but still has his sick sense of humor and trickster attitude

Became somewhat of a tsundere

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Miscellaneous

People did move out Gravity Falls because of the trauma caused by Weirdmageddon

The ‘Never Mind All That’ Act was abolished three months after creation

There is a ‘Midnight Market’, where the Abnormal creatures have a flea market in town square in the middle of the night

During spooky events, such as Halloween and Summerween, and ‘nerd’ conventions, abnormal species are able to freely show themselves to ‘normies’

Manotaurs has started to work for the Corduroys

[hexpea]

Ch. 24 - Fate ⚠️NSFW BELOW⚠️

The Tokyo streets were eerily quiet as you made your way through the dimly lit neighborhood once again. A soft autumn breeze blew through the streets as you made your way toward Satoru's condo. You got past the secure entrance by following a friendly stranger to the elevators; they had ignorantly held the door for you. You were relieved you didn't have to go through the whole buzzer process again, now wasn't the time for such stresses. When you finally reached Satoru's door, the journey felt like it had taken both an eternity and no time at all. The thought of seeing him again, after the tumultuous night at the club and the heartbreaking revelation to Seiko, filled you with a sense of both anticipation and dread.

You raised your hand to knock on his door, hesitating for a moment as you replayed everything that had brought you to this point. It was a decision born out of the wreckage of your emotions. And so, you knocked, your knuckles rapping gently against the heavy door.

Moments passed, each one feeling longer than the last, until the door swung open and Satoru stood there, bathed in the soft, warm light of his condo. He wore a simple black t-shirt but was still in his slacks from the club. He wore no blindfold or sunglasses, his white bangs slightly getting into his eyes. He held an ice pack to his face, his nose still a little red from Nanami's punch. You were surprised he answered the door this late. His expression was a mix of concern and surprise, his eyes falling on you, their gaze intense and questioning.

"Y/N," he said, his voice soft but filled with a longing you recognized all too well. "What are you doing here?"

You couldn't find the words immediately, and your gaze dropped off for a moment before returning to meet his. The emotions you'd been wrestling with all night seemed to pour into your voice as you spoke. 

"I needed to see you," you admitted, your voice a whisper. 

Satoru's eyes softened as he stepped aside to allow you into his flat. As you entered, you couldn't help but feel the tension bubbling inside again. He closed the door behind you as you turned around to face him. 

"Tonight..." you confessed, taking a step closer to him as he threw his hands in his pockets. "Things got even more complicated, 'Toru."

He tilted his head slightly, his teasing smirk flickering across his lips as he studied you with those piercing eyes. "More complicated than our little rendezvous at the club, I take it?" His tone was playful, but there was a glint of curiosity in his eyes as he pointed to the ice on his face. 

With a sigh, you nodded, your voice weighed down with the seriousness of the situation. "Yes...I told Seiko everything about us and...Sukuna."

Satoru's brows furrowed in genuine surprise. "Sukuna? You mentioned Sukuna to Seiko?" His voice was laced with astonishment. He wasn't sure how much Seiko knew about your world.

You nodded, your eyes focused on him. "Yes, Satoru. It all came out tonight, and Itadori isn't the only vessel. They are, too."

Satoru's expression shifted, his cocky demeanor momentarily replaced by a hint of concern. "I see," he said slowly, "that is complicated. I can't believe Sukuna's got himself a backup plan."

You noticed his genuine concern. "It is. But it's not just about Sukuna. There's something else I need to tell you." You paused, taking a deep breath, your gaze locked.

The playful twinkle returned to his eyes as he leaned in closer, his expression flirtatious. "I'm all ears, Y/N."

You couldn't help but offer a wry smile, despite the gravity of your confession. "What happened tonight...it made me finally come to terms with something." You met his gaze with unwavering determination. "I love you, Satoru."

The flirtatious smirk that had been playing on his lips vanished in an instant, replaced by genuine astonishment as he let the ice pack on his face fall. His piercing blue eyes widened, and he took a step back as if your confession had physically pushed him.

"What?" He exclaimed softly, his voice edged with disbelief to finally be hearing it. "Y/N, are you serious?"

Your words hung in the air, and there was no denying it. "Yes, Satoru. I am. I've been in love with you...for a long time," you recalled your deep past, "and tonight, I couldn't bear the thought of giving that up...to Seiko...or to anyone else."

Satoru seemed to be at a loss for words, a rare occurrence for the usually confident and eloquent sorcerer. His eyes darted from your face to the floor and back to you. It was as if he were trying to process this turn of events. 

You continued, "and I have to tell you that...Seiko and I...we've canceled the wedding. It's off, Satoru."

He blinked, still grappling with the whirlwind of emotions your confession had unleashed. "Canceled? The wedding? Y/N, you're serious...right?"

Your heart ached as you nodded, realizing that the magnitude of the decision you'd made. "Yes, Satoru, I am." 

As you confessed your love for Satoru, his initial surprise gave way to an undeniable spark of excitement. His eyes lit up, and his lips curled into a broad, genuine smile. For a moment, it was as though the room had been injected with a surge of energy and the tension from earlier dissipated into an electrifying atmosphere. He took a step closer to you, his eyes locked onto yours as if trying to capture the depth of your emotions. Your own heart was racing as you met his excitement with a smile of your own. 

Just as you thought things were about to go deeper, his trademark cockiness returned, his flirtatious demeanor rekindled. "Well, it's about time you confessed," he teased, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I've been waiting for this moment."

You couldn't help but laugh, the newfound lightness in the room a welcome change. "I'm not sure why this didn't happen sooner, but I'm glad it finally did."

Satoru reached out and gently brushed a strand of hair from your face, his touch soft and affectionate. "I'm glad, too," he said, his voice tender. "Y/N, you have no idea how much I care about you."

The two of you stood there, caught in the moment of shared emotions and genuine excitement. The weight of your confessions lifted as you embraced your feelings for one another. As that energy hung in the air Satoru couldn't contain the emotions any longer. He stepped even closer to you, his face mere inches from yours. The electricity from earlier came crackling back. Without a word, Satoru gently cupped your face with his hands and brought his lips to yours. The kiss was tender and filled with a deep longing, a testament to the emotions that had simmered beneath the surface for so long. Memories of unspoken, unrecognized love filled your mind as you felt the warm caress of his lips against yours. Your heart soared as you kissed him back, your hands finding their way to his chest, fingers grazing the fabric of his shirt. It was a moment you'd been waiting for, a moment to fully surrender to your emotions without any limits or hesitations.

Satoru's kiss deepened, his lips moving with a hunger that mirrored your own. His hands slid from your face to your waist, pulling you even closer. Your bodies pressed together as if they were drawn by an irresistible force. The room seemed to melt away, leaving only the two of you locked in an intimate embrace. As your kiss continued, Satoru's fervor was undeniable, yet he also exhibited a gentle restraint. His hands, which had been on your lower back, started to wander, carefully and tantalizingly tracing a path upward to get your shirt to come up and off, your torso now fully exposed. He caressed your skin with an electrifying touch. He couldn't resist the magnetic pull between you, but he was mindful of your delicate condition.

The intensity of your desire surged, an undeniable heat between you both, and it only grew as Satoru's lips moved from your mouth, down your neck, and toward your collarbone. His tall frame struggled to bend down to reach you, hands keeping you close to his body as soft sighs escaped your lips. Each kiss sent shivers of pleasure down your spine, the room growing warmer with the shared passion.

"Y/N," he whispered huskily, "I want you...so much, but..." he paused, letting a hand hover over your abdomen. The warmth of his touch sent waves of sensation through you and it confirmed what you wondered earlier. You had begun to show even if it was subtle. 

As Satoru's fingers lingered over your abdomen, his eyes locked onto your face, searching for your reaction. The moment of truth had arrived, and his playfulness had given way to an intensity that mirrored your own. He was drawn to you in a way that transcended simple desire, his emotions laid bare in his eyes. You swallowed hard, overwhelmed by the situation. "Satoru," you whispered, your voice filled with longing and love, "I want you, too."

Without a word, he gently lifted you in his arms, your legs wrapping around his waist as he carried you to the bedroom. Your wrists rested on the crook of his neck as your fingers continued to get lost in his undercut, tangling into his white strands. The moonlight filtered through the curtains, casting a soft, ethereal glow over the room. With tender care, he placed you on the bed, his lips finding yours once more in a searing connection that expressed the depths of your desire. His body hovered above yours, the pressure of your kiss pushing you deeper into the mattress. As your mouths continued to dance with unquenchable thirst, your hands worked to rid him of his shirt, exposing the smooth expanse of his skin. Your fingertips traced every contour, igniting his passion further. 

His kisses blazed a trail from your mouth down to your neck, his lips teasing every inch of your skin. Your heart raced, the heat between you intensifying as he ventured lower, his touch careful, a testament to his love and concern for you and the precious life you both shared. His fingers looped around the elastic waistband of the shorts you wore; having previously meandered the streets of Tokyo in what was basically pajamas to get where you were now. His eyes had a look of lax concentration as he pulled them down and tossed them aside.

His hands gently caressed the side of your legs as he came back down to your waist, peppering kisses along your inner thigh. Your heart leapt in your chest as you felt the heat of his breath so close to you. He looked up at you, a hungrily innocent gaze that asked for permission to continue, his bangs falling just in front of his eyes.

"Please," you whispered in approval, your body relaxing completely with your legs slowly opening further to welcome him forward.

Satoru proceeded without any further hesitation, bringing his attention back down to your naked body. The flat of his tongue brought immediate warmth to your center. You felt the deep push of his muscle against your clitoris as his lips wrapped around your vulva. Your hands softly found his shoulders as you sighed breathlessly up into the air, your head pressing deeper into the pillow behind you as overwhelming sensations of pleasure overcame each nerve ending within your body. You could already tell...it was going to be a long night.

The room had quickly become a sanctuary for you both, a place to forget for the time being. Your sighs and moans blended into a symphony of pleasure as the two of you indulged in the irresistible and heated connection, mindful of your unique circumstances but unable to deny the primal love that bound you. Satoru whispered sweet words of longing and adoration, his breath continuously hot against your skin, as your bodies entwined in a sensual dance that left no room for doubt. As the night deepened, the intensity between you only grew stronger. Every touch, every kiss, every whispered endearment was a testament to your feelings.

His hands explored your body with a reverence that spoke of his love and desire. Every caress was both tender and passionate, and the warmth of his touch left you breathless. He couldn't get enough of you, and you couldn't get enough of him. The connection between you felt like a raging fire, consuming everything in its path. Satoru's lips found yours once more, sealing your love in a searing kiss. His hands continued to trace every curve of your body, igniting your desire to new heights. Your own hands doing their own exploring, feeling the smoothness of his skin, the strength in his muscles, and the love that flowed through him.

The room seemed to fade away as the two of you became lost in one another, a world of shared pleasure and profound love. The bond between you had never felt stronger and it was a testament to the trials and tribulations you had faced together. With each moment that passed, you couldn't help but feel that this was where you truly belonged, in Satoru's arms, bound by a love that could overcome anything. The night was a celebration, and a promise -- that no matter the challenges you had a future together.

[danggirlronpa]

Rarepair moment... Can I get some headcanons for Seiko/Sato? Love the idea of Sato defending her spineless girlfriend and being so protective- plus imagine Sato/Seiko power couple against Ruruka/Sonosuke if Sato survived to be part of the Future Foundation.

Ohh this is a REALLY funny ship concept.

Because to make this work. First off. They can't have met in high school. Because if Sato had known Seiko in high school, Ruruka and Sonosuke would already be dead. Killing Natsumi may have been because Mahiru's life was threatened, but once you kill one bully, you might as well just become Batman. Even if she'd known Seiko before, the moment Natsumi went down, she'd go Well. While I'm Here.

And secondly, either Sato got away with killing Natsumi (VERY FUN CONCEPT. Peko/Sato arch nemeses arc!!) OR she called Natsumi's bluff about killing Mahiru to get into the main course. So Mahiru's either dead or grievously injured, because Natsumi Kuzuryu Canonically Does Not Fuck Around. And now Sato has all this deep-seated guilt about not protecting Mahiru from that danger.

Which means either now Ruruka is SUPER DOUBLE DEAD. Because Sato is Not seeing another friend get bullied To Death. OR Sato falls into despair because she failed to protect Mahiru and. Well. Without Mahiru. Junko's got this nice convenient opening in her evil followers.

And either of those are fascinating dynamics with Seiko!! They're FASCINATING. Firstly the theme that either Sato saves Mahiru (and dies herself, so she can't save Seiko) or Sato saves Seiko (because she didn't die, so she couldn't save Mahiru). We always love an inherently tragic girl.

But also the enemies to lovers potential on the despair side!! Seiko seeing a girl who fell into despair for being the good person that Seiko always wished someone would be to her! Seiko trying desperately to rehabilitate Sato in hopes of by proxy seeing her own teen self saved! And then seeing the rehabilitation fail, because truly in No World, after that sort of trauma, is Sato letting Ruruka live!! Oh the tangled webs we weave.

And Sato is also the "she asked for no pickles" girlfriend, for the record. Always gotta slap a meme on a relationship whenever possible.

[memory-echo]

It’s Too Late, and It’s Too Bad

Maybe this spells the beginning of the end...

Maybe the story was always doomed to be morose, I mean, after chapter 108, I certainly thought that this manga was doomed to fail to deliver a satisfactory ending... I got my hopes up there for a while, but after seeing Seiichi picking up the phone, I realized there was no turning back. And that's too bad. I've heard some people who think this was an immensely cathartic chapter, and I honestly don't understand why. Maybe I'm just a dummie, but I really don't understand what people are so thrilled about.

Seiichi is goading his mother into remembering killing both him and Shigeru… Where have I seen this scene before…? Oh yeah, now I remember! 

Why do people think Seiko means the apology this time? I understand why the kid thinks it's genuine but I don't know why the audience falls for that...  But this is an utterly pointless exercise. What is Seiichi hoping to get out of this? 

At best, his mother suffers from some kind of dementia and her memories are unreliable. At worst, she's conning him into feeling sorry for her, and then topping it off with an insincere apology that doesn't mean anything nor does it undo the damage she has inflicted on him. She has already made him pay her rent. What else does she want from him? The worst of all? He seems to be taking the apology, because Seiichi's all too willing to grab a few crumbs from the floor and call it a banquet, which is truly depressing, but understandable for a traumatized, love-starved little boy. I don't think their dynamic has changed at all; Seiko is still the manipulative bitch, and Seiichi is still trying to get love from his mother, which is why he volunteered to pay her rent.

I believe her speech in chapter 67 reveals her true intentions, and her true motive for trying to kill both her son and her nephew, because I just don't believe this "I don't remember" crap. It would match her story about child neglect, and it would match her vision of 'everybody's dead to me'. It explains everything.   

When he says "I'm sure you were killed too" that is a genuine exercise in empathy. We know that he's a pretty empathetic kid; the question is how did he learn it? Empathy is one of two things that Seiko can't possibly teach him... The other is love.

That is the problem, isn't it? Seiko is incapable of love, and incapable of putting herself in her son's shoes and seeing how much suffering he had to endure because of her.

I was so thrilled whith these moments; I thought that  the tides were finally about to turn in the direction of some kind of healing process... What's the point of this now? 😕

I, like most readers, want Seiichi to be happy after being tormented by the existence of a toxic mother for decades. What's the point of this now?! Are we going to have 100 more chapters of Seiichi playing a Sisyphus-type character? That's not very compelling... 🥱

[plaindangan]

Kinktober - Day 4

Disclaimer: R18 material! If not to your liking then please do not read!

Kinktober - Day 4

Teratophilia

“You…you sure about this, Ryota? Wh-what if I can’t control myself and hurt you? I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.” Seiko and Ryota were both in the pharmacist’s bedroom, sitting at the foot of her bed. In Seiko’s hands was a refined version of her ‘monster’ pill. What took nearly overdosing on a boatload has been reduced to one…a very strong one. 

“It won’t. I know you, Seiko! Everything is going to turn out fine!” Ryota had caught her transforming once before and had become more than just fascinated with it. It had dominated his thoughts thoroughly the more he’s been in love with Seiko…and today was the day he really wanted to meet that side of her again.

Hearing the trust in his voice, Seiko smiled, stared at the pill…and took it in one go. “Here we go…” After a moment, Seiko began to shake and convulse. Standing up she backed away form Ryota before falling onto her knees. Instinctively, Ryota ran up closer to reach out to Seiko…only to heard a voice that sent a primal fear into his heart.

“Back…up…” The growl Seiko let out, had him instantly follow her instruction, backing up until he reached the wall. Not realizing he had been thoroughly cornered as Seiko’s body began to grow and warp.

Until what was standing before him was no longer Seiko, the shy pharmacist that he had been dating for a while.

But rather, it was Seiko the living ghoul. She was now towering over Ryota at least borderline eight feet tall, looking mighty prideful over looking down at some cute little prey with her striking violet eyes and razor sharp teeth. Ryota’s eyes began to wander. It wasn’t just a change in height and facial structures, but the rest of her body was noticeably…different~ She was positively more built, with arms, legs and even an eight-pack (visible by how much Seiko’s new body was straining against her old clothes)  that would have made even the athletes among their peers think twice before messing with her. She also saw an increase in the curves department, with her aforementioned legs and hips becoming thick as logs and more than fit to crush any head (un)lucky enough to find themselves between them (and Ryota was positively considering it~). Breast wise, she had surpassed even the busty Chisa Yukizome, with her grey jugs only barely holding out at her stretched shirt and bouncing almost temptingly for Ryota with every deep breath Seiko was committing. 

“Isn’t this what you wanted, baby?~” Seiko said, almost tauntingly. One of her hands, no claws, reached out towards Ryota’s chest. The sharp edges tracing a circle on the animator’s shirt before, in a swift moment-!!

SLASH

Ripping it to shreds, to show off his bare chest. Licking her lips with her slimy, black tongue, Seiko looked down at Ryota with a very hungry look in her eyes. “God, everything about you is so damn cute~ Forget working on a new batch of meds, I’m gonna make that pelvis of yours into powder~” A demented cackle erupted from Seiko's throat as she grabbed Ryota and practically tossed him onto her bed.

As she pounced on him soon after, those claws making quick work of both their clothes, Ryota was forced to be under the whims of a very horny ghoul Seiko - a beast that wanted nothing more than to fuck the the animator until his balls couldn’t even dream about making more semen to pump into her womb and had to go on leave for weeks to recover from hours of a feral woman bouncing on aching cock~

…So you know that as soon as he recovered he was already planning when next to arrange another meeting between Seiko’s other side and himself~ Bonus: His next animated short, ‘The Man and his Beast Girl’, became critically acclaimed for how ‘realistic’ his ecchi scenes were~

[quickdeaths]

"It's miserable, isn't it?" She was standing close, with her hand beneath the reel, as though it was only her effort that kept it upright, from slipping out of Shinobu's hands. "You can try all you like. You can find a place that'll have you. You can fall in love again. You can look at the way the world was a year ago, and how it is now, and know that everything you did made a difference. In world history, recorded and otherwise, you're one of the greatest heroes in history, Shinobu-chan." She looked over to Sonia, a complex expression hateful and pained and adoring all at once. "Sonia-chan's right. You're not the bad guy here. You're a hero."

It was hard to block out Anzu's voice delivered in such a soft, empathetic tone. The cruelty, the rage, the gleeful hate, those were all so unlike the dead girl named Anzu Tachibana. This, though? Weirdly poetic, with a flair for the dramatic, all wrapped in empathy and warmth? That reminded far more of her. "But it doesn't matter, right? Seiko-chan's gone, and I'm gone, and our classmates, and your family. I get it, Shinobu-chan. It took everything you had to keep moving when the world was ending, and what use is being a hero if you're all alone? We both know you can't do what you did a second time. You're too broken to rebuild, and the world is never going to let you forget. You keep wearing Seiko-chan's earring, and my necklace, but it's over. It's over, Shinobu-chan."

Hand shaking, she clumsily took the offered handerchief, fingers brushing against Sonia's. "You're never going to get back to that, Shinobu-chan, any of it. You're not going to be rewarded for what you've done, and nothing can make up for what you lost. Just let it be over." Cloth on skin, she wiped at her eyes, not caring if her eyeliner was smudged. A beautiful, dry handkerchief from the hands of Sonia Nevermind, used to wipe the face of Shinobu Yaguchi, wet through her own foolishness. How cruel to remind her of that.

As she collected herself and stilled her breathing, Shinobu felt the faintest urge to say everything. They had been friends, once, close ones, and they had loved her to the point of pain. They'd spent so much time together, gone on dates in everything but name. She had looked at Sonia and seen a light so beautiful and bright that to glimpse it for even a moment was agonizing. Shinobu no longer awoke tormented by dreams of pressing her lips to Sonia's, no longer thought, alone, of the sight of her body in a swimsuit and then felt disgusted with herself, no longer ached to say 'I love you so desperately, please assure me that that's alright.' No longer did they think of her that way, but still, they cared for her. If only that was something she could say, Shinobu thought, as the urge passed and the handkerchief was politely folded and stowed in her jacket pocket.

"I appreciate it, Miss Nevermind." One final breathe steadied her, with only a bit of ruddiness on her cheeks, and smeared makeup, to show that anything had been the matter. No, it was impossible to say everything, to dredge up ancient history that Sonia did not remember. If there was truth to be shared, it could just be this. "You know, I've never claimed to be especially healthy, so perhaps it does make me insane to prefer here to other places." Even when things here were like this, Shinobu could only imagine what life would be like back in Japan, in that empty apartment too big for one person. "Given that I can't easily explain it, I don't expect it to be easily understood."

Just give me a little time, Anzu. I know I don't have much of it left, so just leave me to make sure my affairs are in order, and my absence won't cause any trouble. I'll more seriously consider it then. "There's... truly, genuinely, nothing for me, away from here. There's nowhere that I want to go, and little that I want to do. I prefer my freedom to the lack of it, but it's a hollow sentiment, overall." Shinobu removed her glasses, wiping them with her tie and pushing her hair out of her face. Her nails were still matte black, unmistakable. "I don't know everything about your situation, Miss Nevermind, but I'm sure that sounds ridiculous to you, when you lack that luxury." She only hoped Sonia wouldn't resent her for it.

"At least here, I can do something good for someone," she explained. "Or try to, anyway. I'd like to be seen as a reliable person when it comes to you and your friends, though I'm afraid my failures might outweigh my successes." Especially with so little direction. The goal of aiding the remnants was one she'd come up with alone, and the lack of support from Future Foundation proved that. Certainly, they weren't inclined to make her job any easier. It was because of Future Foundation in the first place that Shinobu felt so strongly about what she'd set out to do.

"I resent the way my colleagues speak of you all. I resent the way my superiors consider you pawns to be moved around on a game board, rather than people. I'm not blind to what you've done, but neither can I condone how you're treated here" A former husk knew how wretched it was for one's humanity to be denied. So loathsome. "That's why I prefer to stay. It sounds childish to say aloud, but at least if I'm here, there's one person at Future Foundation not so blinded by hate as to forget basic humanity." Even if they never accepted her, even if they never trusted her. Shinobu didn't need acceptance, or trust, or warmth so much as she needed to find something to be useful for. Habits as they were were hard to change. "I'm not someone to be celebrated. I simply want to offer a hand, in whichever way I can, to you and your friends." Just as long for it took for them to recover, to begin to heal. Then she could leave everything. She just needed all of them, especially Sonia, to be okay.

Agent Yaguchi may have believed in the past that she had no freedom or choice over her own life, but that was Sonia's reality. It had always been her reality, whether it was the choices of her family and Royal Council, or as part of Junko Enoshima's Remnants of Despair. Even when some of her peers had chosen and developed their own talents, hers had been decided upon her birth. She would be queen one day, even despite her genocide-filled interlude that had resulted in murdering both of her parents, amongst countless others.

How fortunate for her, Sonia thought bitterly with a moderately pleasant expression that hardly matched, that it only took mass murder and near-global destruction for her to realize she had choices and freedom ahead of her. Sonia had burned down entire towns and was still to be sent, eventually, back home to take the throne. To lead people whom, as of the last formal poll results sent to Jabberwock Island, were nearly evenly split on accepting that the Queen of Novoselic had indeed been brainwashed and that she should be given another chance, and that the Queen of Novoselic deserved a very public execution the moment she touched Novosonian soil.

"Well, it is good that you have found something positive in all of this," Sonia commented, following her towards the projection room. It was a far cry from the sentiments of support and leadership she used to be able to give at a moment's notice. Of course, she had speech writers and various assistants years ago who had coached her on appropriate things to say and the identities and important facts of those she was addressing, but it used to come to her naturally. Like it had her father, something royal admirers had been keen to point out up until The Tragedy.

Now, even her most sincere attempts sounded silly. Another reason, she thought, to bring up to Togami about why evicting her from Jabberwock Island back to Europe alone was likely a poor idea. Even if she had no intentions of going alone, though there were several steps to overcome: the first being, Gundham finally waking up.

"But surely you could do anything and go anywhere now," She pressed on, opening the door to the projection room for Agent Yaguchi to pass through. Still a strange movement for her: both before and during the Tragedy at home, no one dared to let Sonia even think of touching a doorknob. Doors were opened for her, always. "After your duration here is complete. The world is rebuilding and you are not a former Remnant of Despair. You are part of the Future Foundation and therefore welcomed with open arms. Personally, I think you are insane to want to stay here under those circumstances, and that does not even take the difficult climate and various animals and insects who call Jabberwock Island home."

She offered her opinion far more freely than she once did, but it was something she didn't feel compelled to worry about anymore. Right up there with being chastised for crossing her legs at the knee (royal ladies crossed their ankles and pressed their knees together in an appropriate lean) and fretting over her lack of heterosexuality. Something that she vaguely remembered bothering her at Hope's Peak though Sonia couldn't recall as to why.

At least Yaguchi was open to watching another film, though Sonia's eyebrows raised at her comment. "Japan has...had...cat islands?" She asked. She'd needed to correct herself: it was presumptuous to believe that anything that had existed pre-Tragedy was still intact. "Where cats simply live not looked after by humans? How extraordinary! I wonder if they wish for human affection, or if they merely tolerate visitors. I suppose bringing food would help and-"

Naturally, she was imagining the cats living in fashionable townhomes like the Baron, wearing fashionable clothing. Or in cottages or huts, as seen in the film they were about to watch. What she couldn't have imagined was such an idea bringing Agent Yaguchi to tears. Did she simply love cats very much? Perhaps she'd had one as a child and it had passed on or disappeared.

What Sonia hadn't imagined was Agent Yaguchi starting to cry at the thought of the cat islands. She had half a mind to mention that if the film would be too much for her, if even animated cats reminded her of a beloved pet, they did not need to watch it. Instead, Sonia sighed and reached into her satchel, taking out a folded white handkerchief with embroidered red roses and her initials in metallic gold thread, handing it over to Yaguchi as the taller woman wiped her tears away with her hands. She might have been trying to hide them, but it was too late now.

"Here, please take it," Sonia told her, nodding to the offered handkerchief. "I have plenty back at my cabin. Novoselic Castle keeps sending them by the dozens at a time, and they do not fare well for the humidity here. Tears or some other emotional comfort are about all they are good for."

[s30620]

Volume 8 Bonus

Their relationship is just kwcjdjoaisbejdicdllsks

Seiko feels bad about what she said to Turbo Granny in the first page (even though she would never admit it), and her hair is messy on the last page because she was looking for TG because she doesn't want her to leave forever. TG on the other hand understands that the way Seiko shows affection is not with words but actions, just like her, and I think that brought them a lot closer together.

[slumberpartysongs]

アルティメット♡らぶ全部

Oomori Seiko - アルティメット♡らぶ全部 (Ultimate♡Love All of It)

You won’t come meet me DownTown So you’re not eligible to be my Incel Angel [1] Women are just a lump of flesh I want to be the one to make you realize that

I can’t become the type of girl who won't say yes to sex Sweat combines with my perfume, I hate when I smell like this. Lick me under the Summer Triangle [2]

Tell me that you don’t mind Tell me that you don’t mind It’s lonely but don’t get involved with me Isn't it obvious that I’m a special case?

Ultimate love, give me all of it Ultimate love, give me all of it Ultimate love

You’ve been so bad at dating on purpose,  so you and I could meet, right? Moments I stole from an undateable loser  My memories of those times are warped, a symptom of something [3] I just want to hold you close, all of you

Sex with that woman must suck Well, that’s what you get! Love - sexual tension= an infinity that’s no different than 0

Stop it with the “that’s fine”  Stop it with the “that’s fine” I hate it when you do that.  I wish I had one more boyfriend!

Ultimate love, give me all of it Ultimate love, give me all of it Ultimate love

Well then why are you in such a bad mood? Sometimes you get like that too, sometimes I get like this too Well don’t we just work so well together? Nothing can make me feel better about myself other than falling in love, nothing else

Ultimate love, give me all of it Ultimate love

TRANSLATION NOTES

This song was used as the opening theme for the second season of the drama 来世ではちゃんとします (officially translated as "I will do it in the next life"). From what I've read, it's about a girl who has a lot of sex. The video I linked is the OP of the drama, which is a shortened version of the song, and features the cast lip-synching and playing air guitar to the song lol.

DT is internet slang for "virgin" (similar to incel, I guess). It comes from the word for male virgin, doutei, which, as you can see, has a D and a T lol. However this part was really confusing for me as I'm pretty sure the first DT is meant to be "downtown", based on how she sings it. I may be wrong. Also I'm not entirely sure what a DT Angel would be.

The summer triangle is that constellation or whatever that they always talk about in romantic scenes in anime. I'm assuming this is also meant to be an innuendo for some other triangle that you may lick under.

Guys this line was so hard to translate. This whole song was. I'm tired.

[hexpea]

Ch. 15 - Missing ⚠️TW: Emetophobia⚠️

You were woken up the next day with a splitting headache, as expected. Remembering what you had done the night before, you quickly grabbed your phone from your nightstand only to be greeted with no notifications from 'you know who.' You double checked the call log to confirm that you did, in fact, call Gojo. You immediately cringed at yourself, falling back down on your pillow and facepalming. The sudden movement had caused Seiko to wake up.

"Good morning, beautiful," they turned over in bed to smile at you. You gave a weak smile in return. "How are you feeling?"

"Wonderful," you gave a single laugh. "I'm going to need something for my head for sure."

"I thought so," Seiko playfully rolled their eyes. "What are you and your m-"

Before Seiko could finish their sentence, the two of you could hear your mother's voice from the living area. She sounded as though she were on the phone and by her tone it sounded incredibly serious, serious enough for you to check it out.

"What's going on, Mom?" You asked, walking into the room as you found her with a worried look on her face and phone to her ear.

You stood patiently waiting for her answer as you could hear your dad's voice from the other end. He was speaking quickly with his own tone of panic. You slowly furrowed your brow the longer it took your mother to answer your question.

"Sukuna," your mother's urgent glance flickered toward you as she hung up the phone. "One of the fingers is missing." You swallowed hard, suddenly frozen stiff. Sukuna was incredibly powerful, if not the most powerful, curse user in history -- and a hell of a guy to separate and imbue into a cursed object. "You're going to need to help," your mother looked at you sternly, your technique inherited from your father's side of the family. You stood frozen for a moment and your lack of response had irritated her. "Do you understand what I'm saying, Y/N?"

You took a seat in the chair across from her, still stunned at the news. Could this mean that Seiko...? "Y-yeah," you finally answered your mother. "I need to go back to Tokyo."

"You can't go back there," Seiko suddenly appeared in the room with curiosity. Their tone was stern and commanding.

"Seiko," your mother muttered, "she needs to-"

"NO!" They suddenly shouted, letting their anger get the best of them. "She can't go back there..." Their voice trailed off as the steam wore down.

"Seiko, I have to," you said sadly, looking up at them from your chair. "I'm really sorry, but with my dad being as old as he is... I'm...the last of my name," you chuckled at the irony. "The last of the imbuers."

Seiko breathed heavily, trying to contain their anger as best as they could. "Fine," they finally muttered, avoiding your eye contact. "But you need to stay away from him," they suddenly commanded.

You chuckled lightly. "Don't worry, Gojo won't cause any trouble."

"Stay away from him," they repeated with a hint of hostility. Your mother remained silent but was taken aback by the sudden attitude Seiko was having with you. They clearly weren't the same person they met at dinner those weeks ago.

"I can't exactly avoid him," you rolled your eyes with a light smile. "It's Sukuna we're talking about. You remember what I told you about him. He's not to be underestimated," you shrugged, "and if someone ingests or even possesses a finger, he'll be a threat to everyone, not just me. Gojo is the most powerful sorcerer, I'd need him to be there during the ritual when we find it."

Seiko's shoulders tensed as they reluctantly nodded in agreement. "Just...be cautious. I don't trust him..." 

Their voice trailed off and you knew that they wanted to say your name, too. And rightfully so. That night spent with Gojo was a huge mistake, one you wished you could take back. The thoughts that lingered behind, though, were so tempting that they made you sweat. You had to get over him and that night, Seiko was your future and your love for them shone brightly. You considered them your best friend and this weird behavior they were exhibiting was just a hiccup you needed to figure out. One step at a time, you tried to reassure yourself.

The next day, you had prepared for your travels and your mother had scheduled your flight to Tokyo for that evening -- all paid for by the school, of course. As you contemplated your upcoming trip back, you couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding. The missing Sukuna finger was a grave concern. You knew that it held immense power and its loss could potentially lead to chaos that hadn't been seen in nearly a thousand years.

Seiko's sudden change in demeanor also troubled you deeply. Their outbursts and uncharacteristic behavior hinted at a darker force at play. Deep down, you wondered if he was the cause for the missing finger. To you, there really was no other explanation. However, Seiko's warning about Gojo lingered in your mind. The night you spent with him had left an impact, and you couldn't deny the temptation that still simmered beneath the surface. But now, the situation was different. Your responsibility was not only to your family and friends but also to Seiko, the one you had promised to share your life with. You needed to ensure that your connection with Gojo remained strictly professional for the sake of your future.

With a determined resolve, you turned to Seiko. The three of you stood near the front door, your packed bag at your feet. You had a sense of sincerity in your eyes as you looked toward your partner.

"I promise, Seiko, I'll be cautious," you reminded them for the thousandth time that afternoon. "My priority is to recover that finger and ensure our safety. I won't let any non-existent personal feelings get in the way," you emphasized.

Seiko's eyes softened as they looked at you, and for a brief moment it felt like the person you had fallen in love with was still there. "I trust you, Y/N. Just come back to me safely."

You reached out and took Seiko's hand, offering a reassuring squeeze. "I will, I promise. We'll get through this together."

"Goodbye, dear," your mother offered a warm hug as you began your departure. She had promised to stay behind and keep an eye on Seiko; it reassured you of your trip back to Tokyo.

"I'll get home as soon as I can," you smiled, releasing her and opening the door to your apartment.

"Of course," she smiled, "and not long after we'll all have to go back for somebody's wedding!" She teased as she closed the door behind you and you rolled your eyes to yourself.

As you stepped into the bustling arrivals area of the Tokyo airport, you couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions; you swore you were almost nauseous. You were back in the city, yet again, but the reason for your return was far from exciting, yet again. The missing Sukuna finger hung heavily in your mind, and the journey to find it was daunting. The turmoil in your stomach seemed to be a mix of dread, and the unfamiliar sensation had been plaguing you for days.

As you navigated the sea of people, searching for Ijichi, you spotted a familiar figure holding a large sign with your name sloppily written on it.

Gojo's grin was as obnoxious as ever, and it didn't take long for you to notice him in his ostentatious fashion. His stark white hair, tall frame, and that ridiculous grin made it impossible to miss him. He was dressed in casual attire, but you couldn't help but notice how effortlessly attractive he looked. He held the sign above his already six-foot head while others stared and whispered while passing. He leaned from foot to foot, swaying the sign to draw attention even more. The whispers didn't deter him, he seemed positively adamant on catching your attention in the most flamboyant way he could.

He continued waving the sign in the air as you approached, his blue eyes lighting up with mischief from behind his sunglasses. His happiness wasn't swayed by the blatant scowl on your face. "Y/N!" He greeted, laid the sign against his leg, and held out his arms as if you were about to embrace him. "My favorite imbu-"

You stopped in front of him, holding your scowl with your arms tightly at your side. You couldn't contain your annoyance any longer, cutting him off mid-sentence. "Satoru, do you really have to be this extra? You're embarrassing me." You ended in a whisper and leaned toward him so he could hear you.

He chuckled, completely unapologetic. "Embarrassing you is my specialty, Y/N."

You rolled your eyes and took the sign from against his leg, giving him an exasperated look. "I thought Ijichi would be here to pick me up."

"C'mon, Y/N, it's you," Satoru teased, grabbing your suitcase and rolling it along side himself as you left. "Why would they send Ijichi?! Plus, I thought a warm welcome was in order...and I may or may not have missed you."

You glanced at him, surprised by his words. "You missed me?"

He shrugged casually but didn't let his smile fade. "Maybe just a little. Now, let's get going. We've got a Sukuna finger to find."

The drive from the airport back to Tokyo had been a relatively silent one. You sat in the passenger seat of Gojo's sleek, black car, gazing out of the window at the familiar cityscape. The tension in the air was palpable, largely stemming from the unresolved feelings you had towards the man behind the wheel. But you promised Seiko, and yourself.

Your thoughts were abruptly interrupted by Gojo's voice, pulling you back to the present. "I hope you don't mind, but I made your arrangements."

"You turned to him, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "Arrangements? I thought I'd be staying at the school. Why would you need to make any?"

Gojo glanced at you, his smirk never leaving his face. "Well, I thought it'd be more convenient if you stayed at my place for the time being. I may have mentioned it to the higher ups. You don't mind, do you?"

Your shock and irritation were evident. He'd spoken to the higher-ups about your staying arrangements without even asking for your consent. He was clearly up to no good, playing his usual games. "You what? Gojo, you can't just decide things like that for me!"

His grin widened, almost as if he enjoyed getting under your skin. "Relax, Y/N. It's not a big deal. My place is close and I promise it's way more comfortable than the dorms at the school."

You crossed your arms, clearly not pleased with this turn of events. But he wasn't wrong. "That's not the point, you should've asked me first."

As you drove deeper into the city, your discomfort increased. You thought that your stay would be at the school, where you could maintain some semblance of independence from your ex-husband. Now, you were on your way to his flat, feeling like that ability was slipping away. The steady sound of the car and the city passing by began to make your stomach churn. The feeling from earlier hadn't subsided. It was somewhat familiar, and not in a good way. You tried to ignore it at first, but as the queasiness grew, you knew you were in trouble.

Gojo noticed your discomfort as you fidgeted in your seat and raised an eyebrow. "You okay, Y/N? You don't look so good." From the corner of his eye he could see your face beginning to pale and dampen ever so slightly.

You nodded, trying to hide your nausea as saliva began to pool in your mouth. "I'm fine, just tired from the trip."

But your body had other plans. As Gojo turned onto a side street, you couldn't hold back any longer. You brought a hand to your mouth, and Gojo's eyes widened as you began clawing at the door handle.

"Whoa, hold on!" He quickly pulled over into a vacant spot near the curb, unbuckled his seat belt, and reached over you to open the passenger door. 

Immediately, you began to vomit onto the pavement. Like some sort of professional, he quickly moved your hair out of the way and held it back while you coughed and spit away the remnants of your sickness.

Once you'd finished, he quickly handed you a tissue from the box he kept in the backseat. "I told you that you didn't look so good. Maybe it's more than just being tired. Are you sure you're okay?"

You took a few sips of water from the bottle you had bought at the airport and wiped your mouth with the back of your hand. The nausea you'd been experiencing had become a regular part of your morning routine as of late, but you didn't want to say anything to Satoru. To your knowledge, a stomach bug had been floating around but this had lasted longer than any sort of bug.

"I'm sure I'm okay," you reassured him seriously. "Please, let's just get to your flat. We've got more important things to worry about."

[danganronpasurvivoraskblog]

(iv)

What I'm hearing is you made her your personal favorite toy.

What I'm hearing is...you're a cock...!

And what I'M hearing are the pointless cries of the WEAK! And there's one important rule in the circle of life. The weak...DON'T SURVIVE!

...Koya...su...naga...! Zet...subou...!?

Now...Lady Shirogane has specifically instructed me to murder you all, but...I know the truth...Secretly, she still wants to make Danganronpa Survivor happen, and given the debt I owe her, I make it my sworn duty to fulfil all her wishes.

So why don't we cut a deal? Kyoko Kirigiri and Maki Harukawa...Submit yourself to Organization Zetsubou and Danganronpa Survivor, and I promise that I will spare the lives of the injured soldiers at this camp.

...Heh...

You have to be out of your goddamned mind if you think I'm going to fall for that.

Fine...I tried...

Men? Kill her. No! Mutilate her. Cut her into pieces. Burn everything and everyone she loves. Destroy this camp. Just...Do every possible terrible thing you can think-

...of...H-Huh...!?

Huh?

*Despite his bravado and condescending attitude from having the upper hand, Koyasunaga's face curls into one of underlying terror, and he slowly backs away.

H-Huh!? What the-!?

...!?

*After hearing a quiet exclamation from Sayaka, Kyoko turns around to see just what's so terrifying.

...

What in the world...!?

*Against all expectations, Kuripa's limb and broken body, with a shadow cast on it, rises from his sick bed a la Kumagawa. Both the remaining Future Foundation soldiers and the Zetsubou soldiers start to back away in terror.

K-Kurafto!? How is he-!?

GGRGH!

*Kuripa rolls off the bed and collapses onto the floor, grunting...But then...

*SLAM!*

Kuri...

*SLAM!*

...pa...!?

What...What the fuck...!?

*Despite his limbs being shattered apart prior, Kuripa slams his palms on the ground and pushes himself off. He then crawls to a pair of broken, wobbly legs, and starts to skulk forward like a zombie.

Hrrggh...! Hrrggh...! Hrrggh...!

What the hell are you doing!? H-HOW are you doing this!?

*Seiko wants to stop him, but is too terrified to approach.

What are you all doing!? SILENCE THEM!

Zetsubou Soldier: G...GRRAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGH!!?

!!??

*In the heat of the moment, when the confusion has hit it's zenith, one of the Zetsubou soldiers loses his composure, and runs at Kuripa screaming, wielding an electric baton.

KURIPA, LOOK OUT-!

...!

*CRUNCHSHUNKSPLAT!!*

!!!???

ALIVE!: Part 1.

Ok! Everyone out!

Kyoko!?

*The ambulance truck, after Makoto makes his leave, continues it's journey until it finally arrives at one of the medical evac camps. Seiko immediately heads towards them as they start helping it's passengers out.

I was expecting the two of them to show up here after I got Byakuya's message...But...Where's Makoto?

Let's just say that Makoto recovered faster than we thought...He's fighting Yukari Koime somewhere else in the lab right now.

But...is that really a good idea? He might still be injured and exhausted from earlier.

You try and stop him. I couldn't.

Kyoko...That...

It's alright Sayaka.

I'm not especially happy that Makoto is still running ahead without us, but if he can stand and fight, he should be. We'll rendezvous with him later.

The situation right now is...

Here...!

*Uchui and Kouji wheel Kuripa out on a stretcher.

Oh my word...!

We don't know how long he has left before he goes comatose on us. We got him here as fast as we could.

Quickly, move him over here!

*Seiko takes the stretcher off of them and rolls it along with Kouji. Uchui steps back and is rubbed on the shoulder by Kibin.

How bad does it look?

His condition has been stabilized, thankfully. But I doubt he'll be able to fight any longer...

Thank goodness you got to him when you did, Mr Ito. You probably saved his life.

No, I don't deserve the credit. I'm just an apothecary doing what I can.

But I've had experience with taking care of K before. Does he do this often?

Too often.

By the way Seiko, I was quite sure that you had backup here. What happened to Mahiru and the others?

We were assaulted by a small army of Monokuma's. The 77th Class went to go deal with the source, and they should be back soon. Mikan went with them in case we needed a paramedic. So I'm just waiting for her to get back...

And...I'm glad that you showed up with Kuripa when you did. I really needed this.

Why's that?

Because...at least I get to save one person today...

W-Wait...What do you-?

*sniff*

Huh?

Ngh...

...

Kirumi? M-Maki? What's going...on...?

[darkdevasofdestruction]

(Sorry this is my first time sending a request so if I word it wrong I’m sorry-)

May I ask about seiko comfort headcannons?

Like comforting each other while stuck in heavenly host?

Thank Heavens for people like you who send Corpse Party requests, you guys are my favourite <3

Okay, but remember how absolutely fantastic Seiko was with Naomi during the time they spent together in Heavenly Host?

Well, Naomi is a bitch and she sucks so she has no idea how to appreciate Seiko’s affections for her.

But you love her as much as she loves you, so you’re going to be able to properly comfort each other.

Through thick and thin, Seiko is going to stay by your side and even fake being brave, just to make sure you’re safe and sound, and with your morale up.

Even if she has moments when she worries about your family, she’s going to chirp up immediately and have the brightest grin on her face, telling you everything will be okay and that you’ll be home just in time for dinner.

In fact, she’s going to propose going over to her home and have a sleepover so she could cook for you a nice, warm meal filled with love and comfort.

The truth is, she just wants to be surrounded by all the people that she loves dearly, and to know that they’re all okay.

Be ready to be bombarded with tons of tight hugs and constant hand-holding because she’s so nervous, but has to keep a brave facade.

Of course, you notice it and you try cracking up jokes here and there - Even if they’re completely tragic, she’s going to laugh and have her mood boosted up. 

Through those dark corridors, you keep the phone lantern on so you wouldn’t stumble, fall through some broken floorboard or die from a booby trap... And the light is providing a mild sense of comfort for the two of you.

Until you meet the ghosts and you have to run for your life.

No amount of comfort can make either of you calm down properly, but you keep on encouraging each other that somehow you have to brave through this challenge and get out alive.

She’s genuinely worried about all of your classmates, and when you manage to meet up with Ayumi and Kishinuma, you finally found some hope that you can get out of there.

Together, through different parts of the school, you did small tasks to help each other achieve whatever Shinozaki thought was going to be your way out, but with a string of bad luck and close calls.

Getting chased by the Hammer zombie, seeing Mayu’s splattered remains on the wall, even seeing Morishige’s drive to madness and suicide from his phone once you entered the second building.

But then you met with Satoshi, Naomi and Yuka, and things were turning more hopeful by the minute!

Seiko was definitely the one that was never affected by the darkening, claiming that she had you by her side at all times and it made her stronger.

She almost starts crying when she sees you getting hurt by trying to protect her from a student that went completely mad from the darkening and started chasing her with a knife, but you pulled her into a deep kiss and wiped her tears away, reassuring her that everything will be okay and that you’re not dying or something.

You went to the infirmary and let her bandage you up, knowing it will calm her down a bit.

The bomb shell bunker was awfully creepy and you hated going through that place, but she was holding your hand through it all, and soon you met up with all your other classmates to appease Sachiko.

The sound of water dripping, the humidity, having to hide under the table in a room filled with blood buckets and bones, holding each other to keep from letting out any terrified sound.

Running away from the bomb shell, all the way outside of the school and performing the Sachiko Ever After ritual, this time, the correct one, got you back in your own classroom.

Out of relief, Seiko jumped on you and buried her face in your chest, sighing in relief, and finally allowing herself to tremble, letting the adrenaline die down.

And then she kissed you and told you how much she loves you, insisting you have a sleepover.

[robbyrobinson]

Anime I Am Watching Currently

Police in a Pod: When Mai Kawai questions whether to stop being a police officer, that changes when she meets Seiko Fuji, a police ace detective (and a serious female Chad). I like how the show takes a more grey approach with how it treats the criminals (except for one guy; he can die in a hole). Like you have some examples coming from the aging populace: episode 3 was all about an older woman whose husband died; she is by herself all the time...meaning she took to shoplifting (or threatening to) in order to get some sort of attention. The second segment has an aging mother who had to care for her ailing father-in-law whilst having to juggle raising a juvenile delinquent. The show is a comedy, but it has moments of genuine soul to it.

My Dress-Up Darling: Gojo is a young man who likes designing dresses for hina dolls but a traumatizing experience with a childhood "friend" leads him to become more secluded. That is until he formally meets the popular Marin Kitagawa who becomes interested with him designing a cosplay outfit for her. Marin is already a candidate for best girl of 2022; far from being the generic stuck-up bicch, Marin is unceasingly kind and fully supportive of people and their interests. She found Gojo's fascination with hina dolls endearing rather than creepy and it does show that Gojo is able to step out of his comfort zone even if just slightly.

World's Strongest Sage With the Weakest Crest: A sage decides to reincarnate thousands of years into the future where he learns that magic and swordsmanship were on a great decline. In the series, mages are born with a predetermined "mark" to signify their aptitude for magic. Ultimately, kind of a basic series if anything. Matthias, the main character of the series, is dangerously close to being OP and has the full plot armor at his disposal which causes him to not have any serious struggles.

Life With An Ordinary Guy Who Reincarnated Into a Total Fantasy Knockout: I never understand why isekai anime tend to have that long a title. Here, two office workers are whisked into a parallel world where one is transformed into a girl by the Love Goddess. After insulting her, she enchants them to force them to defeat the Demon Lord of that world. But it is never made clear what the curse is, but the two friends have to work together to avoid falling for each other. Ultimately starts off as awkward, but funny.

Teasing Master Takagi-san: Actually hadn't watched the first season, so I am actually watching that one alongside the third. It wasn't because I thought the anime was bad, it just seemed really formulaic: Nishikata tries to pull one on Takagi only for her to outsmart him. IDK if I care for Takagi. She is not a bad character exactly, but she is also somewhat a horrible tease at times. The side stories with the three girls are pretty funny, though.

Sasaki and Miyano: A series set in an all-boys school where Miyano loans his upper classmate, Sasaki, BL. A pretty wholesome series for what it's worth.

[xpeachesncream]

cloud nine | teaser/intro

SERIES RELEASE DATE: 04/09/2021

⟼ perfectly wrong ⟼  restart

☁ series masterlist ☁ cloud nine playlist ☁ 

summary: 2 years later, your marriage to taehyung brings people back from your past, new hardships with your bestfriends and tiny roommates who get away with everything just by being cute?

pairing: reader x husband!kth

genre: marriage au | fluff, angst, smut

words: 1.8k

warnings: cussing, mature language/implied sexual content, entire teaser/intro is a flashback.

⟲ FLASHBACK 

"Wake up." You say softly, shaking Taehyung next to you in bed. "Waaake up, Tae." You whine. After a couple of more shakes, Taehyung slowly opens his eyes to your pout. He chuckles as he rubs his eyes and stretches a bit.

"What's wrong, love?"

"Why aren't you waking up more excited?! Today's the day!" He laughs and wraps his arms around you, gently laying his head on your tummy. He presses a kiss on your growing belly before rubbing the surface with his soft, warm hands, making you smile.

"Babygirl, you cant expect me to get my life together in the 5 seconds you took to wake me up."

"Well, have you gotten your life together yet?" You ask, slightly impatient as you twirl a strand of his hair around your finger and tug lightly.

"5 more minutes." He says, pretending to snore on top of your belly. He lets out a small snort when he hears you continuing to whine at him. "God, you win everything. I'm up." He plants one more kiss on your stomach before he sits up to plant a kiss on your lips.

"Finally." You scrunch your nose as you look into his deep, chocolate eyes.

“Goodmorning, beautiful.” He says to you before looking down at your stomach. "And good morning, munchkin. Can't wait to find out if you're gonna be a baby boy or girl." 

"It's a girl, I know it." You say as you slowly get yourself out of the bed to get ready for the day. You walk into the closet to grab some clothes before heading into the bathroom to take a quick body shower and pamper yourself for a bit.

"If you say so, sweetheart." Taehyung chuckles, following you into the bathroom to get himself ready as well. He stands over the sink as he lazily brushes his teeth before fixing his bed hair as much as possible. He lets you have your peace in the shower to walk into the closet and pulls out a comfy, but presentable outfit for the day. The weather wasn't too bad for the fall season - sun was out providing warmth, but the air was still cold.

By the time he had slipped into his clothes, he walks back to the bathroom, leaning against the door frame to watch you lather yourself up and get into your outfit of choice. He chuckles a bit, a big smile plastered on his face when you catch him watching you.

"What?" You look at him confusingly.

"I don't know, you're just cute."

"What am I doing?" You ask, adjusting the shirt over your belly before fixing up your hair.

"You don't have to do anything for me to think so." He says, coming over to kiss you on the cheek, lightly brushing the hair out of your face and tucking it behind your ear. "You ready?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty hungry now." You apply a bit of lip balm to your lips before looking back up at him.

"What do you wanna eat?"

"I don't know."

"Mhm. You know what you want baby, don't lie."

"I really don't." You shrug, trying to lay out some options in your head. You arch your eyebrow as your hands rest on your belly, giving it a good rub or two. Literally, everything seemed like a good option. It was about to be lunch time and you could go for either ends of the spectrum - breakfast/brunch, straight up lunch, dinner, dessert.

"Don't think too hard now."

"I kind of want Squat and Gobble." Taehyung nods in approval, lips slightly poking out.

"Whatever you want, babygirl. I'll take you there." He says, making his way out of the bathroom. "Now chop chop, so we can get your cute ass some food." You took one last look at yourself in the mirror, fixing little things here and there before heading out to meet your husband in the living room. He helps you put on your coat before the two of you walk out to the car, Taehyung instantly turning on the heat to make sure you're comfortable. Getting to Squat and Gobble, you find yourself getting excited by the smell that surrounded the restaurant. Ooh lord, you couldn't wait to eat a good meal before heading to the doctor's. This child was begging for it, too! After getting escorted to a table, the both of you get situated to start looking through the menu.

"Damn."

"Hm?" Taehyung hums, keeping his eyes on the menu.

"I want everything." You pout.

"You and this metabolism of yours, love. Seriously."

"Me and this baby, you mean."

"Mm-mm, no. Don’t go blaming our baby. You wanted everything all the time, way before I popped this baby into you."

"Taehyung.” You shake your head. “Not true."

"Actually, 100% true." Taehyung nods. "So, let me guess. You're either gonna get the Eggs Benedict or the Nor Cal Omelette with a side of Belgian Waffles. Am I right or am I right?" You laugh and shake your head.

"You're right, and you're right."

"Which one is it gonna be?"

"I want the omelette." You say excitedly. He simply smiles at you, catching himself feeling butterflies in his stomach. God, you were everything to him. So fucking beautiful, and so irresistible.

"What?" You ask, confused as to why Tae was staring at you again. "Why are you staring at me like that again?" You slightly chuckle as you watch him bite onto his bottom lip before looking back down and shaking his head.

"Nothing."

"Say it."

"I just love you."

"I love you too." You blush.

"So, has my lady thought of any baby names?"

"Not really, have you?"

"A bit." He chuckles. "If it was a boy, I was thinking Masao. Or, Grey. Iseul. They all roll off my tongue pretty nicely." He says, looking out into space.

"Those are cute. What about girl names?"

"Oh, a whole list." He sips his water. "Miyako. Anya. Seiko. Nabi. Yumi. I honestly could go on."

"Have you been doing your research or something? These are better names than what I would've came up with." You laugh.

"What, I can't have any creative juices flowing through my veins too?"

"Mhm, sure. I'm gonna check your history tab later on the laptop."

"Shit." He playfully whispers. "No but really, baby. Don't they all sound nice?"

"Yes, they do." You smile. "I'm impressed, Kim Taehyung."

"I know, I make you proud." He smirks.

"I only thought of like, two names this entire time."

"That's it?" He snickers.

"Well, clearly you got the whole list ready so I no longer have to worry." You playfully shrug.

"You don't. Let Daddy take care of it." He wiggles his eyebrows, making you laugh. He's for sure not gonna let this one go, not for a long, long time. At this point, your plates are placed in front of you two, the table mostly silent as you both dig in and devour your food. Taehyung only chimes in every now and then about Jimin or Namjoon, or his mom and dad. When you both finish your meal, Tae sits back and lets out a hefty breath while he stretches.

"Full?" You ask, sipping on the last of your water.

"Yup. You ready to go soon, love? Your appointment is coming up real quick." He says checking his watch. You simply nod as Taehyung pays for the food before the two of you head out. In the car, you had been feeling the butterflies attacking all at once. You looked down at your belly, smiling to yourself as you rubbed the surface. You were so excited to hear the news from the doctor being that you and Taehyung had been waiting for this moment for a long time.

Everything seemed so surreal.

Your career as a new illustrator was going strong. 2Peace was still going strong. Your husband's career on the executive team was at its highest. Your friends were all thriving. This baby.

Everything just seemed to be falling into place. And you were hoping it could be like this for a long time. You were hoping it could stay like this.

After checking in at the doctor's office, you sit next to Taehyung, who is now reading an art magazine. You take a deep breath, causing Tae to grab your hand and press a gentle kiss on top of it. He continues to rub your hand with his thumb as he returns his attention on the magazine sitting on his lap and flips through it with his free hand. You were on time for your appointment, and you were really hoping you didn't have to wait for long simply because you had become way too excited.

"You okay?" Tae asks, noticing your leg continuously bouncing up and down.

"Yeah, I just wanna go in already." He chuckles.

"Patience, baby. He'll get to you, alright?" Your bottom lip pokes out in a pout, making Taehyung lean forward to give you a kiss. "You do that on purpose, don't you?"

"Do what on purpose?"

"Pout so I could kiss you."

"No, babe. I'm just expressing my feelings."

"Mhhhhm." He smirks.

"Besides, I never had to force you to give me kisses." You smile confidently.

"Alright, okay. I rest my case, your honor." He clicks his teeth. "See, you win that too."

"Mrs. Kim?" The medical assistant came to the door, causing you and Taehyung to stand - the both of you trying your best to contain your excitement. She takes you to the back to check your vitals and run through the usual routine before leaving you and Taehyung to your peace until the doctor comes knocking. As you get yourself situated on the bed, Taehyung decides to take a picture of you, his beloved wife, and your baby bump. He had been really good about capturing these moments, and you were grateful for it. He gives off a small giggle when he checks the picture, letting you know he's about to send it his mom and dad and all your friends.

Caption:

Can't wait to find out if we have ourselves a baby Tete or baby Y/N.

Sooner or later, the doctor comes in, making small talk with you and Taehyung. He gets the monitor ready, warning you about the cold gel that's about to make contact with your belly. Taehyung tries to take a peek at the monitor, but with the doctor being in the way, he couldn't catch a glimpse of anything. Neither can you, being that you're laying back and can barely see over your hump.

"Everything looks absolutely perfect, and that's all I can ask for. Now, tell me - would you like to know what the sex is?" The doctor smiles from ear to ear as he turns towards you and Tae.

"Yes sir, please. Enlighten us." Taehyung says, standing next to you as you lay silently on the bed, gripping your hand tightly . The doctor checks the monitor once more before chuckling and turning back towards you. "Congratulations! You have yourselves some baby girls!" You put your hand over your mouth as you gasp.

"Wait, wait - did you just say baby girls?" Taehyung's eyes light up as the doctor nods happily.

"Sure did." He points to the monitor. "You got yourself some twin girls right there.”

[redsamuraiii]

My Comfort Shows

I’m sure you’ve been asked what is your favorite comfort shows that you love watching repeatedly when you’re emotionally drained and physically exhausted.

To be honest, there’s quite numerous so I’ll narrow down to 3 for each category. 

Travel Vlogs

1) Broad in Japan 

Chris Broad, known as Abroad in Japan, is a British YouTuber, filmmaker, podcast host, and former Assistant Language Teacher. He focuses on the creation of videos about Japanese culture, Japanese food and travel in Japan.

I love his sense of humor, his chemistry with his fellow YouTubers (westerners and Japanese) and their misadventures around Japan, from cycling in the rain, eating ramen in the snow to experiencing night sleeper trains.

Broad in Japan 

2) Japan Guide

Short clips (10 minutes average) about everything modern and traditional in Japan with emphasis on travel and living related information, like travel tips and travel recommendations, showing you clearly labelled maps and destinations.

It’s a vlog which makes you feel peaceful with its beautiful destinations and sceneries, and not to mention, appetizing food. It’s useful to plan your travel itinerary and understand the places you might be going to, a lot better.

Japan Guide

3) Japan Explorer

An underrated YouTube channel which follows the cameraman in meeting and communicating with different Japanese people living and working in Japan from all walks of life, hearing their stories, from rickshaw puller to busker singers. 

I love his videos as it feels “unfiltered” as he approaches them out of the blue and strike a pleasant conversations to know about their current line of work, where they’re from and why they’re doing what they’re doing.

Japan Explorer

J Dramas

1) Hakozume: Tatakau! Koban Joshi (Police in a Pod)

A story about two female officers, Kawai Mai and her senior veteran partner, Fuji Seiko. The overall story is light-hearted and comedic in nature so you’ll get some good laughs from this but there are some serious moments as well.

Kawai (Mei Nagano) feels unmotivated by the challenges in her line of work and felt like quitting until she met Fuji (Toda Erika) whom changes her perspectives and outlook on life, into admiring her as her mentor, idol and best friend.

2) Damena Watashi ni Koishite Kudasai (Please Love the Useless Me)

A romance comedy about a 30 year old woman who has bad luck in love and career, who questions her life decisions until she re-united with her fierce former boss who had left his corporate job to start his own café.

Shibata (Kyoko Fukada) is having a mid life crisis as she struggles to be normal like everyone else, having her own career and family that she can be proud of. Her life changes when she began working at her former boss’ cafe.

3)  Kikazaru Koi ni wa Riyuu ga Atte (Why I Dress Up For Love)

A romance comedy about opposite attract between a workaholic public relations officer, who is also a social media addict and a sole proprietor chef who is also a minimalist that yearns for a simple and disconnected life from the internet.

 Mashiba (Haruna Kawaguchi) is popular on the internet, takes pride and glory in hustling while Fujino (Ryusei Yokohama) becomes a minimalist after his heartbreaking experience in the past which makes him afraid to be too attach.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SULsDUpzdSE

Anime

1) The Aquatope on White Sand

It follows the lives of caretakers at an aquarium in Okinawa whom struggles to keep the old aquarium running. But when it finally meet its inevitable end, they end up working in a new one and struggles with a different style of working.

It started off with Fuuka Miyazawa who was devastated when her hopes of being an idol was crushed that she drifted to Okinawa without a plan to find her place in the world and ends up falling in love with the blue ocean world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_dTWCyOk6w

2) Sakura Quest

Koharu Yoshino is a fresh graduate who has difficulty landing a job in Tokyo and refused to admit defeat to return to her home countryside and ends up taking a contract job with a tourism board, to help revive a rural town.

It follows her journey in meeting several individuals, who either came to the rural town to escape their “failures” in the city or those who yearns to move to the city. A classic example of the grass is greener on the other side.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1syci1d1lOo

3) Yuru Camp (Laid Back Camp)

As the name suggest, it follows Rin Shima, a solo camper who “accidentally” influenced Nadeshiko Kagamihara and her friends into falling in love with the world of laid back camping and enjoying camp foods under the stars.

It’s the most relaxed anime I have ever watched that does not have a serious plot like sadistic enemies out to get you, that sort of thing. It’s just them, experiencing life and going around various campsites, learning about camping.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GnPdVAJm5U

Well, these are the shows that I have completely lost count of how many times I have watched it, to destress and ease my mind from the troubles of the world. 

Let me know yours as well if you have any!

[xtruss]

Tokyo Olympics Begin With Muted Ceremony and Empty Stadium

— By Foster Klug | Friday July 23, 2021

TOKYO (AP) — Belated and beleaguered, the virus-delayed Tokyo Summer Olympics finally opened Friday night with cascading fireworks and made-for-TV choreography that unfolded in a near-empty stadium, a colorful but strangely subdued ceremony that set a striking tone to match a unique pandemic Games.

As their opening played out, devoid of the usual crowd energy, the Olympics convened amid simmering anger and disbelief in much of the host country, but with hopes from organizers that the excitement of the sports to follow would offset the widespread opposition.

“Today is a moment of hope. Yes, it is very different from what all of us had imagined,” IOC President Thomas Bach said. “But let us cherish this moment because finally we are all here together.”

“This feeling of togetherness — this is the light at the end of the dark tunnel of the pandemic,” Bach declared. Later, Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka received the Olympic flame from a torch relay through the stadium and lit the Olympic cauldron.

Trepidations throughout Japan have threatened for months to drown out the usual packaged glitz of the opening. Inside the stadium after dusk Friday, however, a precisely calibrated ceremony sought to portray that the Games — and their spirit — are going on.

Early in the ceremony, an ethereal blue light bathed the empty seats as loud music muted the shouts of scattered protesters outside calling for the Games to be canceled. A single stage held an octagon shape meant to resemble the country’s fabled Mount Fuji. Later, an orchestral medley of songs from iconic Japanese video games served as the soundtrack for athletes’ entrances.

Mostly masked athletes waved enthusiastically to thousands of empty seats and to a world hungry to watch them compete but surely wondering what to make of it all. Some athletes marched socially distanced, while others clustered in ways utterly contrary to organizers’ hopes. The Czech Republic entered with other countries even though its delegation has had several positive COVID tests since arriving.

“You had to face great challenges on your Olympic journey,” Bach told the athletes. “Today you are making your Olympic dream come true.”

Organizers held a moment of silence for those who had died in the pandemic; as it ticked off and the music paused, the sounds of the protests echoed in the distance.

Protesters’ shouts gave voice to a fundamental question about these Games as Japan, and large parts of the world, reel from the continuing gut punch of a pandemic that is stretching well into its second year, with cases in Tokyo approaching record highs this week: Will the deep, intrinsic human attachment to the spectacle of sporting competition at the highest possible level be enough to salvage these Olympics?

Time and again, previous opening ceremonies have pulled off something that approaches magic. Scandals — bribery in Salt Lake City, censorship and pollution in Beijing, doping in Sochi — fade into the background when the sports begin.

But with people still falling ill and dying each day from the coronavirus, there’s a particular urgency to the questions about whether the Olympic flame can burn away the fear or provide a measure of catharsis — and even awe — after a year of suffering and uncertainty in Japan and around the world.

“Today, with the world facing great challenges, some are again questioning the power of sport and the value of the Olympic Games,” Seiko Hashimoto, president of the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee, said in a speech. But, she said of the Games’ possibilities, “This is the power of sport. … This is its essence.”

Japanese Emperor Naruhito declared the Games open, with fireworks bursting over the stadium after he spoke.

Outside, hundreds of curious Tokyo residents lined a barricade that separated them from those entering — but just barely: Some of those going in took selfies with the onlookers across the barricades, and there was an excited carnival feeling. Some pedestrians waved enthusiastically to approaching Olympic buses.

The sports have already begun, and some of the focus is turning toward the competition to come.

Can the U.S. women’s soccer team, for instance, even after an early, shocking loss to Sweden, become the first to win an Olympics following a World Cup victory? Can Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama win gold in golf after becoming the first Japanese player to win the Masters? Will Italy’s Simona Quadarella challenge American standout Katie Ledecky in the 800- and 1,500-meter freestyle swimming races?

For now, however, it’s hard to miss how unusual these Games promise to be. The lovely national stadium can seem like an isolated militarized zone, surrounded by huge barricades. Roads around it have been sealed and businesses closed.

Inside, the feeling of sanitized, locked-down quarantine carries over. Fans, who would normally be screaming for their countries and mixing with people from around the world, have been banned, leaving only a carefully screened contingent of journalists, officials, athletes and participants.

Olympics often face opposition, but there’s also usually a pervasive feeling of national pride. Japan’s resentment centers on the belief that it was strong-armed into hosting — forced to pay billions and risk the health of a largely unvaccinated, deeply weary public — so the IOC can collect its billions in media revenue.

“Sometimes people ask why the Olympics exist, and there are at least two answers. One is they are a peerless global showcase of the human spirit as it pertains to sport, and the other is they are a peerless global showcase of the human spirit as it pertains to aristocrats getting luxurious hotel rooms and generous per diems,” Bruce Arthur, a sports columnist for the Toronto Star, wrote recently.

How did we get here? A quick review of the past year and a half seems operatic in its twists and turns.

A once-in-a-century pandemic forces the postponement of the 2020 version of the Games. A fusillade of scandals (sexism and other discrimination and bribery claims, overspending, ineptitude, bullying) unfolds. People in Japan, meanwhile, watch bewildered as an Olympics considered a bad idea by many scientists actually takes shape.

Japanese athletes, freed from onerous travel rules and able to train more normally, may enjoy a nice boost over their rivals in some cases, even without fans. Judo, a sport that Japan is traditionally a powerhouse in, will begin Saturday, giving the host nation a chance for early gold.

The reality, for now, is that the delta variant of the virus is still rising, straining the Japanese medical system in places, and raising fears of an avalanche of cases. Only a little over 20% of the population is fully vaccinated. And there have been near daily reports of positive virus cases within the so-called Olympic bubble that’s meant to separate the Olympic participants from the worried, skeptical Japanese population.

For a night, at least, the glamor and message of hope of the opening ceremonies may distract many global viewers from the surrounding anguish and anger.

“After more than half a century, the Olympic Games have returned to Tokyo,” Hashimoto said. “Now we will do everything in our power to make this Games a source of pride for generations to come.”