#this makes me definitely NOT want to do any geta

[alwaysahiccupandastrid]

Gladiator II - Thoughts (SPOILERS)

I was fortunate enough to watch Gladiator II at the Royal Global premiere at Leicester Square last night (Wednesday 13th November) and I NEED to share some thoughts but there are definitely some spoilers, so…

I cannot stress this enough:

THERE ❗️ ARE ❗️ SPOILERS ❗️ BELOW ❗️ THE ❗️ CUT ❗️

Once again

⚠️ DO NOT CLICK THE READ MORE IF YOU DO NOT WANT SPOILERS FOR GLADIATOR II ⚠️

There’s probably things I’m missing/forgetting right off the top of my head, and I might be paraphrasing/summarising some dialogue. I definitely need to rewatch it when I’m NOT super close to an IMAX cinema screen because I spent the whole movie with my neck craned backwards and my eyes darting everywhere because I was trying to take it all in.

Anyway, without further ado:

The opening credits were very beautiful, it recounted the plot of the original film but kind of like in the style of the opening credits of Pillars of the Earth? I don’t know if that makes sense 😭

If I remember correctly, Joseph is billed third behind Paul and Pedro, and Fred is billed fourth 🥹♥️

The film opens with a huge battle where the Roman army, led by Marcus Acacius, conquering the last free city of Africa (I think?), which is what Lucius and his wife are trying to defend

I cannot for the life of me remember what Lucius’ wife was called but she seemed nice, we only had her for a few minutes though before she got killed 😭

Okay so I’m going to start right off the bat by talking about the Emperors as they were the ones I was most looking forward to seeing, and I want to give them their own section!

We NEED to talk about Fred as Caracalla - this isn’t even me being biased, I’m being as unbiased as I can when I say that he was AMAZING

By the way, for months I’ve seen people talk shit about Fred, complaining about how they wish it was Barry Keoghan, whinging because “we could have had Joe and Barry” - to those people I say, shut the fuck up ☺️ I will NOT tolerate any hate for my boy Fred!

Fred actually had a much meatier part than Joe which was pleasantly surprising. I’m not saying Joe wasn’t unhinged or good, but he was way more sane than Fred’s character and you got the feeling that he was trying to hold their rule together and keep his brother from bringing down the whole empire

Caracalla surprised me because he was so much more softly spoken than I anticipated; in so many scenes he was childlike and almost pitiful to watch. For example, there were times where you could see him pouting or fidgeting like a bored toddler, at one point he essentially threw a tantrum and Geta had to hold him back from killing Acacius and Lucilla (and then in the background you could see him playfully swing the sword about like a child would with a toy) He would grin and get excited like a child whenever there was fighting or bloodshed, bouncing in his seat, he looked surprised and excited in the beginning when Geta handed him wine etc.

In the last coliseum fight scene, this was literally Caracalla getting excited when the fighting started - a literal child 😭

Honestly it was just fascinating to watch Caracalla because you could never tell if he was going to be childlike and almost-innocent or if he was going to start screaming and get violent

So apparently the reason that Caracalla is unhinged is because (to quote Geta) “the disease from his loins has spread to his head” (to paraphrase) which makes me think he’s got syphilis or something.

Also both of the emperors are briefly seen with concubines (as in the trailer), and Caracalla has both male and female ones hanging around him 😭 we love a bisexual Emperor!

Caracalla seems to have memory problems (probably as a result of his STI) because he doesn’t remember seeing Lucius fighting in front of them from just a couple of days ago at their party (the scene with the concubines) and Geta tries to remind him, “it’s the poet” but Caracalla just sits down and says he doesn’t remember

There’s a scene where Marcus and Lucilla are brought to the emperors in the middle of the night after being caught in a conspiracy to overthrow them, and you’ve got Geta in that red robe from the trailer whilst Caracalla is basically just wearing a fucking bedsheet toga style 😭 you know that shot in White Lotus where Fred/Quinn has a duvet around himself? Kind of like that

Contrary to that Letterboxd review calling the twins “BJ brothers”, there is NO incest in this film, and no hint of incest between the twins. I know a screenshot is circulating of Joe in the red robe where you could see what looked like the top/side of Fred’s head as if he’s on his knees, but they were absolutely NOT doing that 💀 the scene shows them both entering the room (Geta in his robe, hastily put on) and Fred in his bedsheet toga thing. I definitely didn’t get the vibe of incest at all, I got the vibe of “it’s the middle of the night and they’ve both been woken up because these two traitors (Marcus and Lucilla) were caught plotting against them”

I love that Caracalla’s weakness is Dondas (or Dundas? Different magazines are using different names so I’m so confused), his pet monkey (WE FUCKING LOVE CHERRY AND SO DOES FRED 😭♥️) Like he’s got Dondas/Dundas wearing a fucking dress and on a little chain lead, eating sweets from a bowl, and I have to applaud Fred for being able to act with a straight face while he had the monkey crawling over his shoulders, touching his hair, and at one point when the monkey moved the chain lead literally went right around/over his face

While there’s riots going on outside the palace, Caracalla is freaking out and has Dondas/Dundas the monkey on his shoulder, and Geta straight up threw wine at both of them before saying that maybe Dondas (or Dundas, whatever the fucking name is) go and calm down in another room 💀

There’s a scene where Macrinus finds Caracalla hiding under a table with the monkey and it made me think they were almost playing hide and seek 😭 truthfully I think he was just under there crying and hiding

It’s the fact that Macrinus was able to manipulate Caracalla into killing Geta by using his love of Dondas/Dundas against him; the people of Rome protest against their emperors, and Macrinus basically tells Caracalla that Geta is going to throw him to the plebs outside to be killed - and Dondas/Dundas. “Think about what they might do to Dondas” (or Dundas) - and that’s what pushes him over the edge.

NOT CARACALLA AND MACRINUS SAWING GETA’S FUCKING HEAD OFF LIKE THAT 😭 IT WAS STRAIGHT UP LIKE A HORROR FILM WITH MACRINUS COMING UP BEHIND CARACALLA AND HELPING?!?

Also Caracalla made the monkey a fucking consul of state (I think) after he killed Geta?!?! 😭 Absolutely fucking UNHINGED I TELL YOU

“ALL HAIL DONDAS! 😃” (or Dundas - again, someone please tell me the fucking monkey’s confirmed name)

They showed Geta’s head for WAY too long 😭 and Macrinus just showing it around like that?!? NASTY

Reeling over the fact they airbrushed out Geta’s head for the trailer because in this shot in the film Geta’s head is clearly visible on the table behind Denzel 💀

Sorry but Fred looked damn fine in that purple outfit near the end 😋

I feel like Caracalla had a little bit of a soft spot for Lucilla but the two sides of his personality were warring with each other: the sadistic bloodthirsty side wanted to murder both her and Marcus right away, but then near the end he whispers to Macrinus “must we kill Lucilla?” and he sounded a little hesitant or unsure which was interesting

Seeing Fred as Caracalla without Geta in that last coliseum battle scene? I can’t help but love him, Fred is seriously too good in this role. The shouting, the childlike excitement when the fighting started (see gif above)

Fred was definitely playing up the childlike side of Caracalla in his last scene when the people started revolting, he was literally curling up in his seat, snivelling and crying like a baby until Macrinus killed him from behind (he put something in his ear, i think he stuck a pin in his ear to impale his brain?) Truly pitiful end for Caracalla.

Once again: Fred Hechinger for Best Supporting Actor at the 97th Academy Awards campaign!! 😊↕️

Okay so now I’ve talked about the Emperors, I can talk about the rest of the film:

Ridley Scott truly said fuck historical accuracy in this film 😭 which is not surprising to be fair if you know him and his movies

This film was, expectedly, VERY bloody and violent from start to finish

NOT LUCIUS TAKING A BITE OUT OF THE BABOON 🤯

At one point where they’re bringing the slaves into Rome, they show statues of a wolf feeding two human children from her teat and Lucius recounts the story - this is obviously a reference to Romulus and Remus, twins raised by a wolf mother. This is actually really fitting because from earth on, Ridley AND Fred and Joe have mentioned the idea of the twins being based on this Romulus/Remus story?

DAMN, Paul Mescal was super beefy in this film like holy fucking shit dude

Honestly I adore Pedro but his role was way smaller than I thought it would be. His role is essentially to be Lucilla’s decent and loyal husband who also happened to lead the invasion that killed Lucius’ wife in the beginning of the film, something he did not want to do, hence why Lucius wants to kill him so badly (family drama, eh? 😭) and who is part of a plot to dethrone the twins

MATT LUCAS AS THE MASTER OF CEREMONIES?!? 😭 I won’t lie, at first it distracted me because I was like “why the fuck is Matt Lucas here” but he got a few laughs out of the cinema screening so his tiny parts added a little bit of humour to the film when it got tense

As I said above, there’s no incest shown - there is a MENTION, however, of a rumour that Lucius’ real father wasn’t Lucius Verus(?) but rather Commodus (obviously Lucilla’s brother/Lucius’ uncle from the first film). However, it’s not true because they make it very clear that Lucius’ father is Maximus. They do however briefly mention that Lucilla was a child bride at the age of 14 which is a bit fucked up

I was probably the only person in my screening who noticed this but at one point I saw graffiti on one of the walls on the outside/entrance to the coliseum that said something like “Irrumbo Imperators” - according to Google, that translates as “I attack the emperors”. However, it could have also been “Irrumabo Imperatores”, and if you ask Google to give you the Latin word for “fuck”? It’s “Irrumabo”. So essentially there was graffiti in the film that either said “attack the emperors” or “fuck the emperors” 💀

I thought that maybe Lucius had somehow forgotten that Lucilla was his mother despite being 12 when she sent him away but nope, he’s fully aware of who he actually is and who his mother is, he’s just angry at her for sending him away and never seeing him again 😭

NOT THAT SERVANT TATTLING ON LUCILLA AND MARCUS?!? 😤

They killed Marcus off WAY earlier than I thought they would by the way. The trailers give the impression that the final battle is Lucius vs Marcus but it’s actually Lucius vs Macrinus which is WILD to me

You know that scene in LOTR where the orcs shoot Boromir full of arrows? That is basically what happened in this film to General Acacius but with about 20 more arrows 💀 I had major Boromir flashbacks watching this scene

I’m glad that Lucilla and Lucius got to reconcile before the ending, given what ended up happening

“Because Emperor Caracalla is generous, he will allow Lucilla to have one Gladiator to fight to defend her” - ONE. ONE AGAINST ABOUT 30 TRAINED GUARDS 💀

I’m still reeling over the fact Derek Jacobi spoiled his own character’s death on the red carpet a mere hour before the film screening in front of THOUSANDS of people 😭 that man did NOT give a fuck quite frankly and I think that’s kind of hilarious of him

THE GASP THAT EVERYONE IN THE SCREENING COLLECTIVELY LET OUT WHEN MACRINUS KILLED LUCILLA BY SHOOTING HER IN THE CHEST?!? HE KILLED CARACALLA AND LUCILLA IN 60 SECONDS FLAT 😭

That said, this shot from the behind the scenes featurette about Ridley Scott is ten times funnier to me after watching the film and realising that not only is Ridley showing Denzel how to shoot the arrow that kills Lucilla, but Fred is also supposed to be dead in the chair at this point since Macrinus takes the bow and fires the arrow straight after killing Caracalla 😭

Poor Lucius has now seen his father, his mother, his uncle and his wife all die right in front of him, the man CANNOT catch a break 😫

That final battle between Lucius and Macrinus was GRUESOME 😳 Lucius cut off his hand and slashed him - I’m not sure if he actually cut him in half or if Macrinus just crumpled in the river in a heap but DAMN

This film used footage from the first Gladiator film so they gave the actor who played Lucius in the first film a credit which was nice!

That said, I know obviously it’s been 24 years since the original film so of course the child actor from the original is no longer 12 and so could not be in the flashback scenes showing young Lucius, but damn the difference was a little jarring to be honest, especially when it went from footage of the original film to new footage with the new child actor

Ridley Scott spoiled the ending of this fucking movie by saying he wanted to have Paul back to play Lucius again as the main character in Gladiator III 💀 so yeah, I already knew Lucius was surviving this film

Some final summary thoughts:

Let’s be honest, it would be impossible to top the first Gladiator and so while I loved Gladiator II and think it was amazing, it was obviously never going to quite reach the same level as the original

I know I just made the comment about nominating Fred for Best Supporting Actor but I have to be honest, I truly think Denzel deserves the nomination - if there’s only one actor from this film who gets that nomination, it has to be Denzel because he was by far the standout of the whole film. If I had to rank it personally I’d say Denzel and then Fred is a close second, then maybe Joseph and Pedro?

^ This isn’t me saying Joe and Pedro were bad at all, they were all really amazing, but this film just had so many characters and quite frankly Fred, Joe and Pedro had WAY less screentime than Denzel so they didn’t have nearly as much to work with as he did.

Again; I’m biased because I went in the most excited to see the Emperors, but I wish we’d had more of Caracalla and Geta. Fred and Joe did their best to work with what they were given, but they didn’t have that much and pretty much all of their scenes were shown in trailers or TV spots etc.

GIVE CHERRY THE MONKEY A FUCKING OSCAR

I obviously wasn’t expecting Paul Mescal to fight real baboons, rhinos and sharks but the CGI was… not great. It was quite obvious that it was CGI for the baboons and sharks, I think the rhino was slightly better though (Fred mentioned in an interview his first day involved “the mechanical rhino” so it was somewhat partly practical as well I suppose)

The pacing of this film was a little all over the place, if I’m being honest. I want to rewatch soon, from further back in the screen because, as I said, I was craning my head back the whole time and it ended up giving me a neck and headache so that probably added to me being uncomfortable (plus I’d had a long day and was thoroughly burned out by the time the screening started), but there were times where I was like “oh… we’re back here then 😐”

^ What I’m trying to say is that some of the storylines happened so fast and had very little build up (eg. The emperors in general) whilst other plots were so slow burn in comparison.

The music was so good! I know people are going to compare it unfavourable to Hans Zimmer’s original score from the first film, but I LOVE Harry Gregson-Williams (he did the soundtrack for the first two Narnia films so I’m biased 😅) and I thought he did a great job with the score here. The fact he had Hans Zimmer’s approval and praise made me confident the score would be great anyway

I feel like people are obviously going to compare Paul Mescal to Russell Crowe which… let’s be honest, has gotta suck for him because how the fuck do you live up to Russell Crowe?!? Some people have already said that they didn’t like Paul in this film, which… okay, fair enough. I honestly don’t think comparing him to Russell Crowe does him any favours. I enjoyed watching him personally, and I think given that this whole film rests on him, he did great. Not quite Russell Crowe but I have no complaints about his performance personally.

People are also going to compare Joe and Fred to Joaquin Phoenix’s Commodus, and I think they both did a great job given that they didn’t actually have nearly as much screen-time as Joaquin did in the original film. It’s almost unfair to compare them because in the first Gladiator, Commodus was the main antagonist - in this film, Macrinus is the main antagonist overall whilst the Emperors are more secondary antagonists that serve as obstacles for Macrinus’ rise to power. But they both did great with what they had.

Overall, my opinion of the film?

This film NEEDS to be seen on a big screen at the cinema! Go and watch it!

[wroteclassicaly]

How y’all getting so many notes on your Eric fics? Mine is in the tags and it only got 19 notes, lmao.

[latenlghtdevil]

so since I can't stop thinking about head chef!Sukuna, let me ramble on about some head cannons I have about him

head chef!sukuna...

mainlines a monster before every single shift, and can be seen paying megumi to run to the corner convenience store to buy another during busy nights

he's on aux, and since the ancient speaker system is ran out of the managers office, his phone is locked in their almost the entire shift and no one else has the chance to change it

beside the two managers, satoru and utahime, but they dont care enough ab it honestly

he literally has no clue how many hours he actually spends doing some sort of work for the restaurant

ex: the many hours he spends up at night working on new menu items, the earlier mornings he spends wandering through local markets and farms, the days off filled with paperwork or recipes or meetings let's not talk ab it he's gonna geta headache again

speaking of headaches- he definitely talked Gojo into letting his little brothers work there as soon as they were able to

but they weren't allowed to work in the kitchen, he didn't wanna have to make them put up with his attitude

his kitchen consists of quite a few chefs, with a lot of lower cooks switching in and out with their intern spots

don't worry, they are paid interns

his main cooks consisted of suguru, toji, aoi, and uraume

he'd worked at quite a lot of fine dining restaurants, having earned a michaeline star for the fifth restaurant he'd worked at by the age of 24

before he took in his younger brothers and settled back into their childhood home, he'd spent about five years working in any fine dining place he could

he'd been cooking since as long as he could remember, quickly figuring that if that was what he was good at and enjoyed, he would dedicate his life to it maybe sukuna lied on a resume or two, but he was gonna get to the top one way or another

somehow his arrogance seemed to work until it didn't; it'd get his foot in the door places, and then it'd turn around and get him fired a few months later

once his grandfather passed, he found himself finding his way back to Tokyo even if he didn't want to

luckily for him, his former classmate Satoru Gojo was managing a failing restaurant with an incapable cook named Mahito

Gojo was more than happy to deal with Sukuna's shit again if it meant keeping his place afloat

they're kinda friends, but it's weird because they're always mad at each other

that's how everyone's relationships with him are, though, and Sukuna's always irritating someone tbh

he has a cat- he found the little dark grey kitten asa stray feeding off scraps she found in the dumpster, so he couldn't help but scoop her up

she seemed sweet enough, but as soon as he fell asleep she nearly clawed the couch to shreds, thus earning herself the name akumu which means nightmare

she was horribly affectionate and vocal, constantly meowing for attention, but only towards sukuna and the brats, she shot dirty looks and would actively hiss at anyone else stepping foot into their house

she's his baby, but that secrets behind closed doors

she sleeps in his bed, she has a plethora of toys and collars, and don't you dare open the treat cabinet— he's not ashamed

his other secret is his back garden it wasnt like a huge secret, but it wasn't something he wanted to share with everyone either

sukuna thought he was going crazy the first time he made a dinner almost entirely from his home grown ingredients because it tasted fucking insane

he liked stroking his own ego but something about his ingredients actually made it better, Choso and Yuji couldn't even argue

it wasn't anything vast, and the variety wasn't huge but it was enough to make each meal just a bit better and it was something he held near to himself, only sharing it with his brats

[maya-no-more]

The Crane: Chapter One - Hiina

⚠️ Content warnings: Swearing, childhood trauma, abandonment, mentions of sex and death, violence, blood and emotional damage.

Definitions of Japanese words used throughout the chapter will be provided at the bottom of the page.

—

I dip the brush into the beni¹ dish, pouting my lips as though going in for a kiss before painting on the red pigment. More. I lather another layer of oshirui² onto my face, masking my reddened cheeks and the dark rings below my eyes under a cast of white. More. With each brush stroke, I cover a bit more of my humanness and transform into that porcelain doll once again. The men like that. They don't want a woman. Smudged mirror in hand, I stare into those eyes I barely recognize. They are my own, yes, the same ones that have always been there. Those same eyes that looked down and saw my little feet take their first steps, propelling me off the ground and into this new world that was mine to discover. Those same eyes that scanned every stroke of every character of every book that I could find. Those same eyes that would glance up at those of my parents as they looked back down at me, filled with nothing but love and pride. Those same eyes that watched that pale, slender hand extend from the darkness, dropping three gold coins into my father's outstretched palm. Those same eyes that looked back into my mother's as I was pushed toward this stranger before the door was swiftly shut. I searched my mother's eyes that night, as I'm doing with mine now. There was no love, no kindness reflected in them, just my own tear-stained face. I apply another layer of oshirui.

The doors to the readying chambers slide open, and the recognizable clip-clopping of geta³ sounds the arrival of Madame Kaji. I catch her gaze in the reflection of my mirror, staring disapprovingly, as always, at my back as though it had just grown a pair of lips and cursed her. Raising her bony hands, she claps them twice together in a manner that could almost be considered delicate. Almost. The shrill sound slices through any lighthearted conversation that had existed among the women in the chambers before Madame Kaji's arrival. All eyes turn to her. "Alright, girls. Finish preening and get out there. There's a line of men with their pants still up and their purses full. Chop, chop!" Madame Kaji's voice is cold and demanding - demanding of labor and demanding of respect.

A quiet chatter returns to the room as the women apply a final touch of beni, pack up their makeup, and shuffle out toward the expectant customers. I am the last to leave. Returning my makeup to my satchel and smoothing my obi ⁴, I begin making my way to the door. "Wait, Hiina." Madame Kaji's arm shoots forward, blocking my path. She doesn't even turn her head in my direction. No, that would be too much effort for somebody like me. Instead, her eyes simply turn to glare at me through the corner of their sockets, the candlelight flickering menacingly in her pupils. The crimson beni is barely visible with the way her lips are pressed. So tight, so straight. That is what is expected of us: an army of perfect little porcelain dolls. Her nostrils flare with unspoken rage, and the image of her growing a pair of horns and spewing flames from her nose emerges in my mind, almost making me laugh. "I expect we won't be having any of yesterday's… behavior again today?" Beneath the folds of my sleeve’s fabric, I run my fingertips over the fresh fan-inflicted welds running like serpents across the flesh of my palms. The humor of Madame Kaji as some hideous beast immediately evaporates as memories of last night repeat behind my eyes. That man. He asked me to do things - told me to do things. I said no. I shouldn't have said no. I try to swallow, but it gets caught at the top of my throat. "Yes," I mumble, unable to raise my gaze to Madame Kaji's level. Her eyes narrow impossibly smaller. "What was that?" Her tongue is like a snake, lashing a spitting venom at anyone who dares breathe incorrectly. "Yes, Madame Kaji." She is satisfied… For now. "Very well."

—

Stinking of kiseru⁵ smoke and adultery, the central area of Madame Kaji's brothel was already filled with the usual rotation of lust-blinded men. Like every other day, I glide into the room, a peaceful smile plastered to my face. My hands are to be held in front of me, lifting the fabric of my kimono⁶ just slightly so that the customers can catch glimpses of my ankles as I walk by. "Passive stimulation," as Madame Kaji calls it. Everything is carefully calculated, from where we place our hands when we walk to how we hand a teacup to a customer after pouring his tea. I smile gently at a twenty-year-old man who is already beginning to bald. His eyes widen, and an excited smile spreads on his face, putting his rainbow of stained teeth on full display. I could tell that this was his first time at a brothel. Suddenly, a pale finger attached to an even paler hand pulls me from my thoughts with a firm tap on my shoulder. Turning, I am met, once again, with Madame Kaji's menacing eyes. Except, this time, there is something else in them. I can't quite decipher what it is… Mischief? Excitement? I'm not sure, but it certainly isn't good. "You've been requested." Her voice takes its usual sour tone, but the playful lilt in her words curls my stomach into a twist. Danger. "Go on, Hiina. You wouldn't want to keep a customer waiting, would you?" Phrased more like an accusation than a question, Madame Kaji's words send me off with an uneasiness so intense that I think I'm going to puke.

My mind feels disconnected from my body as a tray with a kyusu⁷ and two teacups is placed in my hands. I've carried trays like these countless times before, but this time, I almost double over from the weight. It isn't heavier, no. Rather, the weight of sheer, unbridled fear is pressing down on me, forcing the air from my lungs and buckling my knees. I can't get Madame Kaji's eyes out of my head. There was something in them like I'd never seen before. It screamed danger, and she'd enjoyed it. Mentally shaking myself, I desperately collect my thoughts, force another smile, balance the tray on one hand, and slide open the door to the private room with my other.

My stomach drops. My heart leaps into my throat. I think I'm going to faint.

But then I remember the welds on my palms and the look in Madame Kaji's eyes. I step forward. "Good morning, sir." I smile gently at the man sitting at the other end of the room. His grey eyes are shrouded in a mist of lust as they watch me slide the door shut, their corners creasing like the soggy pages of a book left in the rain. From the floor, he commands the room. The man's bulbous nose twitches as his paper-thin lips pull into an unsettling grin. Long, dirt-caked fingernails projecting from sausage-like fingers drum impatiently on his crossed arms. The room reeks of stale smoke and sweat. The man pulls something from between the folds of his coat. I've never seen anything like it before. It's made of brown paper and has a thin ring of gold near the end. He sticks the end in his mouth, bites down, and spits a chunk onto the tatami floorboards, sending a dull splat sound into the otherwise silent air. He lifts the strange thing to a candle beside him, and I watch as the end of it catches the flame. Finally, the man places the brown tube between his lips and fills his lungs, closing his eyes with grim satisfaction. Chapped lips part, allowing a thick gray serpent of smoke to slither out and cloud around the man's long, orange hair and tomato-like face. "So." The man begins, his Scottish accent as thick as the curtain of smoke now shrouding his head. He waves the cloud of putrid air away. "You're one of the pretty ones." He chuckles, sending a breath of smoky air my way. "Would you like some tea, sir?" I ask, setting down the tray between us like a barricade and trying to ignore the bile climbing up my throat. "No, I don't want any of that shite. You know what I came here for, sweetie." That word, "sweetie," alone is almost enough to send me barreling in the other direction, but I hold my ground. "I've got money and a dick. I trust I don't need to explain the rest." He smirks cruelly, pushing the tray of tea aside with his foot, sending the kyusu tumbling to the floor. The fresh tea trickles away from the pot and toward my feet as though it, too, was trying to get away from the disgusting man.

"Stop being a fucking prude and come here, girl." He spits the words out as though they taste like vinegar on his tongue. Suddenly, the man springs to his feet in a fashion much faster than I anticipated, given his build. As though he couldn’t get more terrifying, he more than doubles in height. Unconsciously lurching backward, it takes every fiber of my will to keep my expression sweet. But, plagued by memories of Madame Kaji's fan flying down to meet the soft skin of my palm, sending jolts of seething pain through my hand, I stand my ground. "Shindo, that fucking fairy. Every one of you bitches is the same. Fuck, it's almost like I can hear his voice now." The man disappears into his thoughts for a moment, a terrifying new anger flashing in his eyes as he impersonates the subject of his aggression. “ ‘Mr. Fowler, I've arranged various entertainments for you to enjoy. I assure you.' What a fucking joke. I've had enough of that man and the whole rest of his lot." His eyes glaze over, and a far-away look casts over his features as he continues. "I can't be rid of them quite yet, however. No, I still need them. After that, I'll shit in a pot of gold, wipe my ass with silk and fuck every whore from here to Edo.”

I feel as though I can’t breathe. My heart has swollen into a mallet and is pounding ruthlessly against my rib cage, deafening me. I've heard too much. As though emerging from a trance with the snap of a finger, the man returns to himself. His brow returns to its furrowed position, and his menacing glare settles back on me. As if it couldn't sink any further, my stomach drops to my toes as the man's thin, pink lips curl up into a devilish smirk. "Tut, tut, tut, it appears as though I forgot the bitch was here. Whatever should I do?" Slowly, he picks up his giant feet and places them, one in front of another, each step sending a tremble through the floor. You could hear a blade of grass drop. Before I can take another breath, he is inches from me; my eyes level with the small crimson spot on the collar of his coat. I dare not imagine what it is. "What should I do with you, little birdie?" I force myself not to pinch my nose against the wave of warm, rancid breath blowing in my face. "Should I… tell you to forget what you heard?" He raises a hand as though about to strike me, but instead runs one of his fat fingers across my cheek, tracing a line down my jaw. In any other context, the gesture could be considered sweet, but here, the sensation of the man's touch makes me want to set my skin on fire. I'd rather be struck. As though to himself, the man considers his options. "No. Her pretty little mouth wouldn't be able to keep shut… Maybe I should cut out her tongue? No, that would make a mess, wouldn't it?" His finger continues tracing down my neck, landing at my exposed collarbone. I can't control it anymore. My lips begin to tremble, my whole body does, but no tears fall. Instead, my attention is drawn elsewhere. In my peripheral, I catch the man shifting his coat aside, revealing the engraved gold handle of one of those western weapons I'd overheard the other women describing. The realization dawns on me in an instant. I am going to die. Unfazed by the evident panic on my face, the man continues, his voice assuming an indescribably dark character.

"Should I fuck it out of her?" He pushes me back, pressing my back to the wall behind me and crushing my ribs with his own. His hand drops, landing on my thigh and running up my side. I am going to die. "Bah, scared women make for a bad fuck." He thinks for a moment. "Or… I could put a bullet between those pretty eyes of hers." His hand curls around the handle of the weapon, pulling back the gold piece at the top with a little click.

Time seems to freeze around me. I stare into the man's gray eyes. They harbor furious storm clouds filled with crackling lightning, a sea with dark, razor-like waves crashing furiously onto one another, moonlight flashing off the slices in the water's surface. These are the eyes of an animal. Inhuman and deadly. These can't be the last eyes I see before I die. I am not going to die. I won't. In a split-second decision, I inhale sharply and send my knee flying into the man's crotch with every ounce of strength I have. The man wheezes out, his eyelids shooting open in agony as the hand previously clutching my waist shoots up to grasp the space beside my head instead. He doubles over, almost crushing me, but not before I duck down and jump out from the gap between him and the wall. Without a backward glance, I pull open the sliding door, sending it flying into the frame with a crash. My feet send me darting across the room, or at least as fast as my kimono will allow. What direction I go is unimportant; all that matters is that I get the fuck away from that man. 

"OOMPH!" I collide with one of the other women who still has a feather in hand, and now one very confused customer. "HE- THAT MAN-" My thoughts are racing faster than a hummingbird's wings, but not a single one seems to leave my lips in a coherent manner. "Hiina! Breathe. What happ-" The woman grabs my hand, but before she can offer any comfort, a deafening voice booms out over the room, making every person and object in it shudder. "WHERE THE FUCK DID THAT BITCH GO?!" I turn to see the man standing in front of the room I was trapped in just moments earlier, his massive frame taking up the entire doorway. Murder is in his eyes. A second longer, and they would have been cleaning my blood from the walls.

"Mr. Fowler." A mousy voice suddenly sounds behind me, and a much smaller man with a bald spot and a navy blue kimono appears. "Shindo." The white man growls as his smaller counterpart approaches him, somehow without fear. Though faint, the room is just quiet enough for me to decipher what the man named Shindo whispers. "Mr. Fowler, if I may, it would be unwise to create… a scene here. It could jeopardize your plans. I implore you to leave with me now." He lowers his voice further. "I also come bearing an update on the shipment." His eyes dart around nervously before landing again on the man before him. Seemingly appeased, the monster of a man straightens his jacket, brushes a hair from his face, and strides from the room with not so much as a glance in my direction. I've already been forgotten. The moment the brothel doors close after him, all the air seems to return to the room, and the women and their customers slowly return to their previous activities. It isn't that simple for me. Leaving my friend to her feather, my feet take me back to the readying chambers I had been in a mere fifteen minutes earlier. I sit back down at my table, hands placed in my lap, eyes looking directly ahead. Not a sound leaves my lips. My skin feels nothing. I can't sense the welds on my hands, or the splinter on one of my geta, or my hairpin that had been poking my neck.

Suddenly, tears begin to form in my eyes, and for the first time since that night sixteen years ago, I cry.

—

Definitions:

¹ beni: Traditional Japanese red lipstick. Was applied by mixing water with the red pigment on the inside of a clay beni dish.

² oshirui: Traditional Japanese white face powder. Was either made of ground rice, or in the case of the wealthy, mercury or lead.

³ geta: Wooden Japanese shoes typically worn with a kimono.

⁴ obi: The wide piece of fabric worn as a belt over a kimono.

⁵ kiseru: Traditional Japanese tobacco smoking pipe.

⁶ kimono: Traditional Japanese dress worn by all classes of Japanese society. Comes with many different versions, such as a yukata, which is used for everyday wear and is typically more comfortable.

⁷ kyusu: Traditional Japanese teapot.

[netmomplus]

“Picnics Aren’t Supposed to Go Like This” - Touhou Secret Santa 2022

Hi there @axcicos, I’m your @touhousecretsanta this year. I ended up writing a story, it’s mostly Kogaban/Kogabanki but features Koishi in an important role. I’ve never written Koishi before, but she seems really fun so I wanted to try it out, and hopefully you like it. ~~~ There was a place not too far from the Human Village where one could go to get just as much privacy as they could ever want. It was somewhere between the village itself and the Forest of Magic, and its proximity to the latter made most humans too fearful to venture too close. After all, dangerous monsters were said to lurk in those woods, and one false move could cause one to vanish as if they never existed. For a couple of youkai, however, it wasn’t an issue at all, especially since youkai didn’t typically eat each other. At least, one would think.

Case in point, said “couple of youkai” had decided to use this spot as a private place for picnics and such. It being a comfortably warm summer day especially made this a perfect spot to enjoy a bit of privacy. One was carrying the food in wicker baskets purchased from a store in the Human Village, while the other carried tea for the both of them. Conveniently for the tea carrier, she had a couple extra helping hands – or really heads – to assist in the endeavor.

“Kogasa,” complained the aforementioned youkai, one Sekibanki. “Can you please tell me why you chose literally right outside the village for our date?”

“Banki, I thought I made it really clear,” Kogasa responded, “it’s isolated, but it’s also outdoors. I specifically chose this spot because no one ever comes around here, you told me that was your only real criteria. Aren’t you tired of having all our dates in the back of my smithy?”

“Not really, it’s quiet there. And no humans can see us. That’s why I like it so much.”

“Banki, you sure complain a lot…”

With a sigh, Kogasa stopped at a point. There was enough space for the both of them to sit down with all of their stuff. Reaching into a basket, she pulled out a blanket and spread it out onto the ground below. She would then kneel down onto the blanket and place down the baskets, beckoning Sekibanki to do the same with the tea. Thankfully, Banki didn’t make much of a fuss as she did so.

“Thank you, Banki. Now, if you’ll excuse me…”

Kogasa looked down at the umbrella she was carrying. She scratched her head when she noticed the geta it was wearing… did she always have a geta there? She wondered if that would make sticking the umbrella into the blanket as a makeshift parasol more awkward, but she might as well give it a try anyway. Given that the umbrella was the other half of her being, she didn’t want to break anything, so after a deep breath, she shifted her hands along its shaft, hoping to get a good angle. She then lifted her hands in preparation, before thrusting them downward, and…

Voila! The umbrella was perfectly stuck right in the middle of the blanket. She gave a small clap in triumph, prompting Sekibanki to give a soft smirk in response.

“Bravo,” Sekibanki commented. “You stuck yourself into some dirt. Maybe you’ll grow leaves if we leave you for too long.”

“Hah, very funny. Imagine if we stuck one of your heads in the dirt. They don’t need to breathe, so they’d be fine. Do you think we’d get a tree of Bankis eventually?”

In response, Banki could only shrug.

“Me’s a crowd, Kogasa, what can I say-”

“Haha, yep, more than one of any person at any given time would be pretty weird.”

Both partners were greeted with the sound of a voice that neither recognized. Freezing up, they kept looking around, only to not see whoever the voice was coming from. At first both suspected it was the other trying to play a prank on them, but no, that voice was definitely too young and innocent sounding for either of them to pull off. Kogasa pulled her umbrella out from the blanket, while Sekibanki nabbed one of her spare heads and prepared to chuck it at whoever the voice belonged to.

“...whoever this is,” Sekibanki threatened, “if you don’t show up right now, I’m throwing this severed head at you.”

It did not take long for them to get a response.

“Well that’s just gross. Fine, but only because I don’t want a severed head thrown at me.”

Rather than make some kind of grand entrance, the individual in question simply walked into the girls’ point of view. She was… unmistakably a youkai, given the odd purple strands surrounding her and the orb near where her heart would be. The green hair and dress with a mustard yellow shirt was certainly a choice, fashion-wise, but that was hardly the issue here. The real issue was why this random girl was interrupting their date with quips to begin with.

“I just wanted to say hi, there’s no need for threats of violence.”

“T-this was meant to be private.” Kogasa’s voice broke into a stutter. “You can’t just interrupt people while they’re on dates like this.”

“Oh.” The green-haired woman paused. Despite it seeming like this would be where she would think about what was going on, both the others noticed that her stare seemed awfully vacant. Almost as if she wasn’t thinking at all. “Sorry! I’ve been bored. Nothing interesting’s been going on at that old temple, so I’m just walking around until I find something interesting.”

“...the old temple? Kogasa, do you know who this is?”

This prompted Kogasa to try and remember if, or when, she had met this girl before. She did frequent the Myouren Temple in an effort to surprise visitors, but she didn’t really pay attention to who was there and when. Still, something about this girl seemed familiar, like she saw her once or twice, maybe even had a conversation with her. Even with that though, she couldn’t really place it. She somehow both stood out and didn’t at the same time.

“...to tell the truth, Banki, if I have met her, then I can’t remember where, or when.”

“Oh jeez, you don’t remember? That’s okay, people forget me all the time, and that’s okay with me.” The girl stopped and tipped her hat. “I’m Koishi Komeiji. I’m a satori, but I’m sure you knew that already. Don’t worry, I won’t read your mind, I closed my eye so I can’t do that anymore.”

“O-oh, you’re a satori. Okay, uh, what a relief about the mind thing,” Kogasa chimed, adding an awkward laugh for a bit of levity. She then gave her trademark face, a wink with her tongue sticking out.

“I’m Kogasa Tatara, a karakasa-obake, but you can just call me an umbrella.”

“...Sekibanki. Just Sekibanki.” The redheaded youkai crossed her arms and huffed. “Rokurokubi, dullahan, whatever you want to call me… still a youkai.”

 “Nice to meet you both! I’m sorry for interrupting your date again, but before I get going, can I ask you two a question?”

Oh great, she wanted to ask a question before she left. This at least implied that she was leaving soon, right? That very possibility seemed to make Sekibanki feel some sort of relief. Just please, finally, let them have some proper privacy.

“Ask away then,” Sekibanki promptly said.

“How come you’re so obsessed with making this so private? It’s Gensokyo, I doubt anyone’s going to bat an eye at two ladies going on a date, right?”

That question was enough to give the couple pause. They both knew the answer to that in the back of their mind, but it was largely a slow race - maybe even an anti-race - to see who would answer first. Ultimately it would be Kogasa who finally spoke up.

“I-it’s actually… Banki’s preference. W-would you like me to elaborate on that for you, dear, or…”

“I can explain it.” Sekibanki took a sip of tea, then crossed her arms and sighed. “It’s simple, really. I don’t want humans knowing that I’m going on a date with a youkai.”

“I mean,” Koishi interrupted, tilting her head, “it’s kind of obvious you’re a youkai, though. You still have your other heads floating around you.”

Sekibanki looked to her side and saw that Koishi was right on the money. Not only did she have two heads floating about minding their own business, but she was still holding one like a projectile. She sighed.

“Well, I don’t usually go around the Human Village with my heads around. My entire thing is living incognito, gathering information on the goings on inside that village, maybe using a head to scare people on occasion. If I blow my cover, no one would be willing to associate with me. And how am I supposed to work when no one is willing to give me information?”

“Oh! So you’re insecure about your social status! That’s okay, a lot of people are like that!” Koishi gave her a smile, even as she occasionally glanced at the basket of food. “Isn’t out here pretty hard to notice, though? Are you just that paranoid that someone will catch you?”

Sekibanki did not answer. Even as Kogasa gave her a knowing look, she remained silent for a good few minutes. So what if this random girl was right? She didn’t want to admit it! Despite that, she found that she was nodding her head anyway. It definitely wasn’t Koishi forcing it, just her stupid conscience working on its own.

“F-fine, fine. I am.” Sekibanki’s voice had an unusual level of snappiness to it. “I am worried about it. And I’m tired of complaining about it all the time, it makes me feel so dang entitled. So there, I’m being honest. You happy?“

“Well, I don't feel emotions really, so you’re asking the wrong person.” Koishi then turned to face Kogasa, who had been largely silent for the past several minutes. “Are you happy?”

“W-what? No, no I’m not happy to hear that. Why would I be happy that Banki’s upset?”

“I don’t know. Maybe you two should talk about it.” Koishi shrugged as she reached into the picnic basket and grabbed a sandwich. “Ooh, Western style food. For looking so old fashioned, you sure do have modern taste, miss umbrella!”

“W-wait, that’s not yours-”

“Thanks for the food, bye!”

“Hold on, get back here with that…!”

Despite both of their efforts, neither Kogasa nor Sekibanki could stop Koishi from escaping with the sandwich. After all, it seemed she had simply disappeared from thin air in the moments in between blinks. The only evidence that she had even been there was the fact that there was a missing sandwich to begin with. The group gave each other glances, deeply puzzled.

“Did… did that girl just show up to take our food?” Kogasa asked, tilting her head.

“...I think so,” Sekibanki admitted. Crossing her arms, she knelt back down onto the blanket. “Can we go ahead and eat what we have now? I’m starving.”

“S-sure, but uh…” Kogasa’s voice stammered as she sat down, sticking her umbrella back into the blanket. “Can we talk about what you said? And… perhaps I can offer my apologies?”

“...what is there to apologize for?” Sekibanki huffed, her mouth covered by her long collar. “I’m the one who was freaking out. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“N-no, I… I was the one who pushed this place. I really should have listened to you and looked for somewhere further out. I’m… I’m sorry for pushing you to do this. And for not taking your concerns seriously, especially. I shouldn’t have just called you a complainer like that.”

“...Kogasa, I…”

Both remained silent for a good minute, struggling to figure out how to proceed with the conversation. They both felt like there were things to be said, but none were quite sure what exactly those things were. It took a bit of action by Sekibanki to resume the talk, in the form of a hug. Even as she got uncharacteristically teary-eyed, her body language remained as cool as ever.

“Don’t get mad at yourself. Seriously, you don’t need that for yourself. I absolutely forgive you for the complaining comments, but don’t act like I’m blameless. I was overly concerned and whiny, I just didn’t want to admit it.”

“Banki…” Kogasa eventually broke from the hug and placed her hands on her lap, staring at the basket next to her. “I guess we… kinda screwed up this date both ways, huh…”

“...I mean, have we really started? Neither of us have even gotten to eat yet. Even if there’s… one less sandwich. You did pack an even number, right?”

“W-well, you’re right, I did only put an even number of sandwiches in the basket… but…”

“...but what?”

Kogasa then opened her eyes, before suddenly reaching up into her umbrella. Banki looked on, puzzled, until Kogasa eventually retrieved something that was stuck to the underside. There, she held a small item wrapped in paper, which she refused to hesitate in opening; as it turned out, it was another sandwich, which she held up with grandiosity. The fact that she’d managed to hide it so well and Banki didn’t notice clearly had the latter stunned.

“Behold, an extra one! I hope that surprised you!”

“The heck?” Banki blinked a few times. “Sure that surprised me. You had an extra? What were you planning to do with that extra?”

“Well, I was going to end with it, actually,” Kogasa explained. “We were going to split it in half, it was gonna be cute and everything. Shame what happened with the one that got stolen though.”

“Yeah, oh well. At least we got-”

Banki flinched when something suddenly hit her in the face, nearly knocking her head off of her neck. Kogasa gasped when the other girl came close to falling over.

“B-Banki, are you alright!?”

“Y-yes, I’m fine, but what the heck was that?”

The pair then looked to see where the object had landed. It was… it was another sandwich, landing perfectly on the blanket. There wasn’t a single bite on it, and upon lifting up each part, there was no obvious evidence of tampering. In fact, it looked exactly like the ones she had packed.

“Wait, is this… is this the one that girl stole?” Both girls looked around to see if they could find the original sandwich thief. Alas, they both struggled in the endeavor. No green hair, no yellow clothes, no hat, it was truly as if she had never been there. Deciding that it wasn’t worthwhile to try and continue the search, they settled back down and decided to begin eating proper.

“...I can’t believe I was planning to surprise someone with a sandwich,” Kogasa mused, “and then I wound up being outdone anyway.”

“There’s only so many ways to surprise someone with a sandwich,” Sekibanki said with a sigh as she took a bite, “and sorry to say, but the taste isn’t a surprise either. It’s great as always.”

“Ah well, I’ll take ‘great’. Let’s just enjoy our lunch already.”

And so the pair finally began their date in earnest. The remainder of the day proved far less eventful than that beginning, to both of their relief; sandwiches were eaten, the last one was split, and not a single other person interrupted them. Still, neither could say they weren’t at least glad they met that oddball, Koishi or something. Thief that she was, at least she helped facilitate a serious conversation between the two of them. They could most definitely be thankful for that. https://archiveofourown.org/works/43840969

[eienoah]

Academic Blog - Tabis

Dating back to 15th century Japan(The Sengoku period) , tabi shoes have been worn by noblemen and commoners alike. They’re impact has certainly left a mark on fashion which can be seen even to this day. Even designer brands can be seen utilizing the concepts for tabis in pieces like Maison Margiela’s full tabi line. I recently took a trip to a store called Sou Sou in Kyoto’s downtown city of Kawaramachi with one goal in mind. Find a pair of tabis that I liked, ask plenty of questions about them from the workers at the store, and purchase a pair for myself. Sou Sou is a Japanese clothing store founded in 2002 with the purpose of revitalizing and adapting Japanese clothing styles while still trying to keep traditional elements a relevant part of the pieces. They have 8 stores each focused on a different aspect from tabis to kimonos to textiles to yukatas. The store is built up in a modern rendition of a traditional small Japanese house and as soon as you enter it’s just tabis everywhere. I proceeded by asking the workers a couple of questions like- what specifically makes a tabi a tabi, what benefits do tabi have over regular shoes, how did tabi socks inspire tabi shoes, and who were the primary users of tabi shoes. In regards to what makes a tabi a tabi, tabi by definition means footbag and can be related to any article of footwear that offers a split between the big toe in the rest to offer an assortment of benefits. Those benefits include better flexibility, security, stability, and sometimes even extra warmth. By keeping the toe box separated, tabis also allow for a much wider footstance while still maintaining the classic silhouette of a normal shoe. They offer a more natural way of walking compared to regular shoes which I found fascinating especially in that they greatly prevent bunions. Tabi socks of course originally came first as they were used for shoes like geta, waraji, or zori but they translated over to shoes when they could be worn by just about anyone. The superior dexterity that they offered truly helped just about anyone in any task. My favorite usage though in ancient history was that of samurais using them to improve the flexibility of their feet for a more powerful strike and faster dodging reflexes. The socks have also been seen to be greatly used for warmth in winters when women would wear sandals.  As of lately, the main users are surprisingly enough construction workers as the shoes can be made extremely durable with reinforcing materials while still maintaining that flexibility to do things like climb surfaces and hop around from place to another. They are commonly made with super dense rubber, resin, or even some metal plating to assist the construction workers in case of emergency. After gaining some more information about tabis I decided to finally take a good look at all the ones they offered and decided on a pair that I liked a reasonable amount. I originally wanted a pair of black more high top like ones but they unfortunately did not have my size so I had to fall back on the classic low top whites. I don’t regret my decision at all. I of course then had to purchase a pair of socks to go with them for a total purchase that set me back about 65 dollars. I’ll take that any day of the week. After testing them out for a full day the only gripe I have with them is how low the soles are but I can fix that with a little handy work and some American made soles. They truly do feel like I’m getting a slight edge up on my balance especially when I tested them on some ledges. I feel as if one day they could be adapted more to common standards and we could see them in places like rock climbing shoes or even just generally running shoes. I look forward to what the future holds for Tabis but I sure am glad they have such a rich and dense past to accompany them.

Me in my Tabis

[xoteajays]

That's how I am. I usually only have one true main character, but I will have other original characters like secondary main characters if that's making any sense. But it's at least a minimum of two characters. And, for me, since there are so many stories for fandoms that I would want to write for.. I try to write at least one story per fandom if I can. But I have been way out of practice with writing though so who know what will happen with any stories, if I can actually write these stories.

It's funny. Because the actor isn't that short, he is 5'8. I mean.. Below average for a guy but not really all that short. Cobra's the shortest. Oh! Wait.. Apparently Cobra and Hyuga are about the same height, based the heights of the actual celebrities. So they're both short.

That's what I wanted to ask you. In your opinion, what type of women do you think the High&Low men would like. Starting with the SWORD leaders.. Because I'm having a slight problems trying to figure out the type of women they would be attracted to, physically and personality.

Rocky's an easy one. I see him being attracted to any woman, not in a sleazy way. But because of his appreciation towards women in his life now.. Regardless of looks or personality, he could end up with anyone he wants. But in a way, I could also see him being attracted to women who are shy only because I think that he would really think it is cute if she's a blushing flustered mess any time he compliments her. Or.. I'm not sure. Rocky would be open minded to any woman romantically in my opinion. But that's just my opinion though.

Not sure about Cobra. But, because of Cobra being introverted, I can imagine him being with a woman who's quieter? But he's also used to his louder friends too. So I'm not completely sure about his woman. Possibly a fighter or at least can defend herself, but he may not care if she can fight or not (in the physical sense). But still not sure yet.

I imagine Murayama being the type of guy who could be romantically with a woman who's like his best friend. Someone who is so youthful, someone childish. Possibly a fighter, or at least can defend herself.

Smokey would love a woman who's like family, just like everyone else in Nameless City. Which isn't really much to go with. But still.

Hyuga is another difficult one to figure out. Part of me can imagine him being attracted to women with this modelesque appearance only because of the appearances of the women in the gambling buildings - they seem to have a look about them. Possibly a woman who would be able to fight, or at least defend herself. But not sure about what he could be attracted to besides that. So I'm completely stuck on him.

We could also mention other male characters too. But let's just start with them at the moment.

I know, I know... Writing a story involving original characters, you can write the characters and ships any way you want. I know that. But I'm also curious on what type of women they might romantically prefer.

No comment. I don't know anything about Bubble or Midnight, so I'm not able to say much about that. And I may have disabled characters. Maybe not for High&Low. None of my physically disabled characters would be a part of High&Low, maybe for other fandoms though.

i would definitely say that my murayama oc is my main oc for h&l. if i make any others they’d probably be shorter side-stories or background characters. that’s usually how it turns out for me making multiple ocs. like my draken oc is my main tokrev oc, and the kazutora and mitsuya ocs are side-ocs.

i know he’s not necessarily ‘short’ - hell, jesse and takeshi are both shorter at like 5’6 - but i am also 5’7/5’8 and hyuga is the shortest s.w.o.r.d. i think cobra is slightly slightly taller, which i think is so funny. headcanon that hyuga wears geta not only for the aesthetic but so he can be taller than cobra ahdjdlfl

i agree with you on rocky. i don’t think he’s particularly choosy. i can imagine him with a softer woman, like a little more on the soft-spoken side. i do think he likes to be a protector-type partner. probably likes to spoil his girl a lot. i can’t imagine him showing like a lot of pda, but probably like, hand/arm holding, a little kiss, his arm around her waist to keep her close to his side. i don’t think looks really matter to him, i think it’s more about having a connection with him.

cobra, despite being such a main character, is so hard to pin down, romance-wise. i think she’d have to be a blunt person because i don’t think cobra’s going to pick up on subtleties. she’d have to be clear, confess to him and stand her ground against his ‘i can’t let people around me get hurt because of me’ attitude. i imagine him with someone confident but not in the cocky way, more in the ‘knows their worth and won’t be put down’ way. i think she’d definitely have to get along with his friends or it wouldn’t work out between them. definitely the type of girl who can throw a punch and won’t stand aside if she sees someone who needs help (even if cobra worries about her getting hurt).

with murayama … i’m biased bc of my own oc. i can see him with an energy-matching gf, pumped up and boisterous and just as excitable as him; but i also like the duality of him having a calmer, caring gf. just delinquent boy x calm girl aesthetic. i can see bruised-up post-fight murayama napping in his girl’s lap while she reads and pats his head. actually i think my oc is a mix of both of these ack. murayama needs a girl that supports his antics; someone who doesn’t reply to his ‘let’s f*ckin go!’ energy with a ‘don’t do that!!!’ but with a ‘please just be careful!!’. and is there to help clean him up when he’s done. a ‘was the fight fun? did u win?’ type girl.

i can just imagine smokey with a similar vibe girl. quiet, calm. they’re like the hot couple in the corner, not interacting with anyone else and just chilling together. definitely a nameless city girl who would understand him, and everything he’s been through and cares about. probably a big sister type, caring and supportive who looks after everyone in nameless city like he does - but in a ‘patches people up, looks after them when they’re sick, reads to the lil kids’ way and not a ‘fighting’ way.

hyuga definitely likes a badass type girl. someone who can’t be pushed around, someone confident, someone who can match him in attitude. i do think abrasive guy x shy girl is cute, but i love abrasive guy x abrasive girl vibes for hyuga. him playfully teasing his girl and her biting back just the same and then they kiss. definitely the type to be all over his girl and not give a f*ck what people think.

ocs are for fun, so i really enjoy seeing what people do and how they interpret what certain canon characters would like. play with them characters like dolls! this is just the vibes i’m personally getting.

bubble is an animated movie and midnight is a korean horror movie (with my boy wi ha joon!). bubble just has a lot of parkour vibes, and midnight has a deaf main character who’s really awesome. if i do use yuri tsunematsu, i could use her amputation from aib for my oc, but idk. still plotting! i might name her hinami tho, meaning ‘flying waves’. i think it fits for a parkour girl.

[nightqueen1221]

Hi!! Can you please do Hxh main 4 react to meeting their future kid? Of you don't mind of course! :)

I have other requests but I saw this right before I was about to go to sleep and my brain was like, "No, we're doing this one."

Gon Freeces

-It's... Going to take a while to explain

-Once he geta the point however, he is just gonna be like "Oh, ok!"👍

-Even if the kid points out that you and him are his parents Gon is just...

-"Well, Y/N is really pretty so I think older me wanted to be with someone I knew really well and was really close to."

-If Killua was there he would immediately respond with, "EWWW, GROSS!"

-"What! It's not gross Killua."

-"Yes! It is!" Even if you two had been dating before hand. This is just, how he replies.

-Then they start arguing and you're just chillin' with your kid like, "Do they still do this?" "Yes"

-You can tell this kid takes from their father, by following their dad around everywhere they go.

-Gon is also kinda excited to know what it's like to be in his father's position.

-HE WOULD TEACH THEM HOW TO FISH AND IT WOULD BE SO CUTE.

-(But he probably already taught the kid in the future so it was not really needed but cute none the less.)

Killua Zoldyck

-"Why would I have a kid?"

-Would say this straight to their face because he thinks their lying at first.

-And then their like,"No, I'm literally your future child with Y/N."

-Still really skeptical.

-It would also take a second to register that it was YOU who he was with.

-"I doubt tha- WAIT, Y/N?!"

-Even if you two have been dating he would assume it was someone else since no one really stays there for him.

-(this got sad fast)

-He's still a really young boy and with that he's going to try and impress this kid like, "Look what I can do, bet I taught you some cool things in the future too."

-Is the type of person to be like, "That's your side of the family." At random moments of the day

-I'm not even joking, they could be drinking a cup of water and he'll say it.

-He's pretty loving overall to both you and your kid.

Kurapika

-(He's probably not looking for any romantic relationship at the moment, so this will be more of you two are friends RN)

-As I said, he's not really seeking out for a relationship at the moment so he would be confused about that at first.

-And this man probs has trust issues, and this doesn't help.

-With him wanting to keep up a good reputation he'll ask questions that seem normal gets shocked by the answer.

-"And who is this, other future parent of your's?"

-"Y/N."

-*Chokes on spit*

-And your most likely right next to him making it more awkward for the two of you.

-But this really comforts him in a way.

-This means he got his revenge and is living a happy life with a family, which he had previously lost.

-He is also curious on how he was still alive with using Empire's Time so much.

-He'll actually more careful from now on knowing that his future holds a loving family and friends.

-Even with the kid not being a fully blooded Kurta, he is over joyed to see another one still alive and well.

Leorio Paladiknight

-He is... Shocked?

-I don't know how to put it but, he's shocked and amazed at the same time.

-Both for the same reason being, "Wow, I have a kid!"

-And then he's also be like, "I HAVE A KID!?"

-Having a kid means lots of responsibilities and he all ready is worried about paying things off with becoming a doctor.

-He would ask all sorts of things about the future.

-I have a feeling he would be kinda strict with them, maybe a bit more than he should be.

-But he would most definitely love them and support them when needed.

-(Not really right now, but in the future when the kid was really little and got hurt from falling he would clean it, put a bandage on it, and than leave a little kiss.)

-He would be protective over this kid too.

-Like, he's ready to put some hands up and knock somebody out if they dare try and hurt them.

- 10/10 parent tho, would recommend.

[teenandbeyond]

(SPOILERS FOR THE DBZ SUPER HERO MOVIE) I left some space if you haven't seen the movie, if you have, don't mind this extra space:

Hey! Idk is this is been done (you can combine requests if need be) could you do a Gohan x Baby Reader (just like your other ones) where it's Halloween and Gohan accidentally releases his beast form, but the appearance of the beast form scares his sweet pea (the reader)? Idm I just thought I'd be adorable

Gohan x Baby. Reader [Halloween Special]

I wasn't planning on doing any Halloween one-shots, but oh well xD

Want more from me? Masterlist 2

☆*: .｡. .｡.:*☆☆*: .｡. .｡.:*☆

Cookies and Beasts (DBS)

Warning: Fluff, You making Vegeta soft

Halloween is strange...

✨✨✨✨✨✨

“Hey, you, calm down,” Gohan chuckled, tickling at your side.

At the moment, you were looking at his friends in confusion.

Piccolo and 18 were the only ones who looked normal.

The one your papa addresses as Krillin had painted his face and wore a weird outfit.

Auntie Bulma (she insists to be called) had wild hair and an even wilder outfit, her eyes were different colors, too.

Uncle Vegeta (Bulma insisted simply to annoy him) was forced to wear a beard, hat, and a dress-like thing. Papa said he was a wizard, whatever that was. Vegeta would hit people randomly with a big stick he carried.

Then Trunks and uncle Goten had strange teeth and even stranger clothes.

All the confusion caused your power-level to spike.

“Isn’t this [Name]’s first Halloween?” Auntie Bulma offered a cookie, which you gladly took.

“Yeah, I don’t think they've gotten over the costumes, yet,” he bounced his leg a little to calm you.

“Well, [Name]’s is definitely the cutest!”

You were dressed as a pumpkin, the puffy costume hiding you, the pumpkin top resting on your head.

“Videl picked it out.”

“I guess that’s why you’re dressed as a farmer? Where is Videl, anyway?”

“She wasn’t feeling well, but told us to go ahead.

Your eyes trailed to your sister, who was dressed similar to how Paw Goku dressed, things Papa called fake knives were in her hands as she made weird movements.

“Hey, Gohan. I found this weird device, I can’t seem to figure out what it does, could you take a look at it?”

“Huh? Sure.”

“Great! I’ll bring it out,” she walks off.

You offer your cookie to your father, tilting your head back until he looks down.

“You’re giving me some?”

“Yes,” you give him a small smile.

“Thank you, sweet pea.”

“Oo Welca,” you watch as he takes a bite, a little irked he takes more than you expected.

“You mean, ‘You're Welcome’? Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it.”

You decide to leave, so he doesn’t practically devour your cookie with another bite.

You wobble up to Vegeta, making him turn, “Oh, it’s you. The finger crusher.”

You ignore his glare, not finding it intimidating in the least, even more so with his costume.

“Hi!” you smile.

“What is it you want?”

You grasp the dress-like costume finding you like the simple material.

“Soft. Dwess?”

“What, no. It is not a dress!”

You tilt your head.

“It’s a robe.”

“Bobe?” the ‘r’ was hard to pronounce.

“Yes, not a dress,” he scowled.

You move on to the big stick, “Stick?”

“Staff,” he corrected.

“Taff?”

“Yes.”

You offer your cookie, “Wan?”

“No, thank you.”

You take the last bite, “Cookie good.”

“Is it now, would you like another?” he points back to a tray full of cookies on a decorated table.

You nod, grabbing at the air until he picks you up (after being sure no one was looking to laugh for weeks about it), you quickly grab a cookie (he doesn’t say anything when you sneak another).

“Dank you, Geta!”

“Yeah, yeah. Move along now.”

“Bye!”

You notice Paw Goku arriving with Mam Chi-Chi.

You giggle, dashing over to them as fast as your short legs would allow.

“Our little [Name]! You look so cute!” Chi-Chi titters picking you up.

You give her a kiss, which makes her notice the cookie crumbs and two uneaten cookies.

“How many cookies have you eaten? Have you eaten any food yet?”

You lift the cookies, “Yes.”

“That’s not food! Gohan should let you…” then you tune her out, you always do when she goes into her rambles.

“What cookies you got there?”

“Paw Goku, cookies!”

“I see. Can I try one?”

You get transferred over to him as Mam Chi-Chi looks for Papa.

“Yes,” he offer him one while eating the other.

“Yum! They are pretty good, huh?”

You brush a pinky against his green face, “Why?”

“It’s paint! I’m a Frankenstein!”

“Flank—hm,” you decided it was too hard to say.

“Mwahaha,” he tickles your neck making you giggle with a death grip on your cookie.

“Paw Goku, staph—” you screeched in laughter.

“Let’s go find, Gohan, hm?”

You sit on his shoulders as you look for your father, when you do, he seems to looked annoyed as Mam Chi- Chi chews into him.

“Mom, I know what to do with [Name].”

“But…” she rants some more.

“I’ll come back later,” Bulma looks in between them.

Gohan sighs, “No, you asked for my help. Let me see.”

“Gohan!” Mam Chi-Chi scolds.

He observes the device before turning it on, it didn’t do anything.

She reached for the device, “Don’t ignore your mother!”

Suddenly Papa’s power-level spiked and he transformed.

The power startled you, never having seen or felt anything like that before.

He growled, in irritation, “Stop telling me how to parent my child. If I want help, I’ll ask, mom.”

You cry at the scene, never seeing your Papa so upset.

“I see, it’s an emotion amplifier,” Auntie Bulma observed.

Gohan frowned at your crying, his expression dropping more when you nervously grip Paw Goku’s hair.

“Sweet Pea, it’s me,” he powered down, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you…”

You quieted, sniffing before you climbed down your grandfather, wobbling to your Pa to hug his legs.

“Hm, let’s go play some of the games, okay? Will that cheer you up?”

You nod.

[bakuhoes-dumbass]

ABERRATION BOYS BIRTHDAY SPECIAL!

A/N: Hello my nerds, today is my Birthday! So to celebrate my unfortunate birth, I'm doing a special scenario post for my Ab!Boys!

~~

What do the boys from Aberration get you for your birthday?! (GN!Reader!)

These are NOT cannon to the storline.

Warnings: VERY DARK CONTENT. Yandere Headcannons ahead. Mentions of skinning, non-con cum-eating and video recording, stalking, murder, mutilation, manipulation, etc. If you are uncomfortable with these types of things, DO NOT READ. Proceed with caution, as I do not feel bad if you choose to do so while being warned.

MINORS DNI

~~~

Tokoyami

You're seated on the bed, staring at your simple but beautiful ankle bracelet Tokoyami bought for you. Smiling, you fiddle with the gems, entranced by the sparkle that reflects off them.

"Starlight?"

Your head snaps up to see your boyfriend sticking his head through the door way. A love-sick smile grows on your face. "Fumi, you're back!"

He chuckles before slipping through the door way and sits down on the bed, hands behind his back. "Do you remember what today is?" Your face scrunches up in thought before shaking your head. He sighs warmly at the cute look on your face. "Today's your birthday, my starlight. And I got you something."

Tokoyami moves his hands from behing him and your eyes light up upon seeing the book he hands you. "Fumi, thank you! It's beautiful." Your hand traces over the cover, following the lines of the ornate designs. "It looks so familiar..." you mumble.

Tokoyami swallows the lump in his throat. "It's one of a kind, love. Would you like me to read it to you?" He tries to steer the conversation away from your feeling of familiarity, not wantinf you to realize it's one of your old books from before he took you.

You nod excitedly and climb into his lap. His arms circle around you and hold you tight, as his thumb grazes over your anklet, eyes boring into the gems that track your every movement.

Kirishima-

"Happy Birthday to my Pebble~ Happy Birthday to my Pebble~"

You glare at the redhead smiling and dancing in front of you as you tug at your restraints. A low huff leaves your lips. "Can you stop? I don't want you celebrating my birthday."

Kirishima stops dancing and gives you a puppy-dog stare. "But why? It's the day my beautiful wife was born! It should be a day to rejoice!"

"Kirishima, I'm not your wife! I'm nor your girlfriend! I'm not anything to you!" You sit up in the bed you were restrained to, only able to move so far forward. "You drugged me, kidnapped me and are currently holding me against my will."

Kirishima watches with a mixture of sadness and anger at your defiant attitude. He hates it when you struggle. He doesn't understand why you're so reluctant to be here! With him! Your husband! That's when he remembers your gift.

"Oh! This is a perfect time to give you your birthday present!"

He drops to his knees and crawls under the bed. You hear rummeging underneath you and your terror spikes. You knew what he kept under the bed, so this couldn't be good. As he comes back up, he's holding a pair of black leather cuffs.

"Surprise! I got you new cuffs!" He climbes onto the bed and straddles you. "These are so cool because instead of being just normal cuffs, they have these two little metal rivets that will shock you whenever I want!"

Your eyes widen and your mouth opens to scream. Kirishima is quick, however. He grabs your face with his hand, hardening it so your scream is muffled. His face geta closer to yours, that sickening grin never leaving.

"Baby, you don't like it? Do you want something else? Don't worry! I have another gift in mind. How about a fresh, bloodied heart that was ripped out of the chest of that mean boss of yours?"

Hawks

"You see this right here?" Your cowroker holds her hand out, showing you and your fellow employees her brand new diamond ring. "He finally proposed! It was about time. It took him awhile to get an ACTUAL ring worthy of me, though. But it's so expensive and beautiful, EEP!"

Keigo watches as you roll your eyes for the thousandth time. He could tell you were getting annoyed, and I mean, who wouldn't? Your coworker has always been a complete bitch to everyone, a lot directed at you.

"Oof, it just sucks that Y/N can't seem to find someone. That's probably the only way they'll be able to look a little less," she looks you up and down. "Er, homeless."

Keigo watches from his perch as you flip her off snd walk away. His hands clench tightly into fists, desperately wanting to knock a bitch out. That's when it hit him. It was your birthday today! And now he knew just what he wanted to gift you.

~~~

"Bye guys, and thank you!"

You wave to your friends after they drop you off at home. They had taken you out for dinner for your birthday and you bad fun. Definitely something you needed after the crappy morning you had.

As you walk up to your door, you notice a small package waiting for you outside. You smile, wondering of it was your long distance partner sending you a birthday gift. You carefully open the package, but once you see the contents, a scream is ripped out of your throat and you stumble away from the box.

Inside, what a severed finger with an absolutely beautiful diamond ring still on it. You failed to notice a small blood-covered note flitter to the floor.

'Happy Birthday, babybird. I hope you like it.'

Tamaki

Tamaki stares at you from behind a tree. He's been following you for a few hours now, just basking in all your wonderful glory. He stares at you with nothing but pure love and adoration in his eyes, wishing he could actually get up the nerve to speak to you.

Finally you're off of work and headed home. He really hates seeing you talk to all those really pretty people. What if you were to get a partner?! That wasn't him?! He whimpers at the thought, hands clenching and unclenching.

"Y/N!"

The sound of your name snaps him out of his thoughts. He watches as your friend, whom he deemed not-a-threat yet, skip up to you.

"Are you doing anything for your birthday tomorrow?"

Tamaki's face turns pale. Your birthday! How could he forget the most important day of his life?! The day his precious bunny was born. You would be so disappointed in him. He reluctantly scrambles away from his hiding spot and runs home to get your gift.

~~~

"Oh?"

You stand in your doorway, a package sitting on your front steps. You tilt your head in curiosity and pick it up. Opening it up, you find the most adorable stuffed bunny you've ever seen. And a note.

"Y/N, Happy Birthday! I hope you like this bunny, I thought if you when I saw it. Love, your secret admirer."

You squeal slightly and hug the soft fluff, thinking this was from your flirty coworker. You bring it up to your room and sit it on your bed next to your other stuffies.

Tamaki stares at the screen on his phone, his face bright red at the hug you gave the stuffed bunny. It actually felt like you were hugging him! His happiness was through the roof. He knew you would love it!

But his attention now is back on you as he watches you slowly take your clothes off, one by one, to get ready for bed. His tongue practically falls out of his mouth, watching your bare back closely.

One day, he swears he won't have to watch through the camera.

Overhaul

Chronos watches you closely over the top of his book. You glare at him with tears in your eyes while huddled up in the furthest corner of your human sized cage. Hugging your knees tighter to your chest, you turn your gaze away with a sniffle.

"You know the boss wouldn't want you to cry on your birthday."

You roll your eyes and grip you legs tighter. "I doubt someone who keeps a human in a cage really cares about when they want to cry." You sigh. "Besides, he probably doesn't even give a shit if it's my birthday. I don't even give a shit, at this point."

"Of course I care."

The hair on your body stands up on end as the voice of your captor appears. Fear shoots through you upon seeing his masked face. In one hand he has a gift bag, the other stuffed in his pocket.

"Why wouldn't I care about my pet's birthday?"

He squats to unlock the cage and gestures you over with his finger. You swallow the lump in your throat and crawl out to him, knowing the consequences if you don't follow his rules. He sits down in his chair and pats the side of his thigh for you to kneel next to him.

He opens the gift bag and pulls out a dog collar. A part of you wanted to gag at the thought of being collard to this maniac. But another part of you couldn't help but think how absolutely gorgeous and expensive this collar looked.

"Oh, it's beautiful... Master." You wanted to slap yourself for calling him that, but you had no choice. The last thing you want is to be punished.

Kai hums with approval at your words before buckling the collar around your neck. He finsihes it off with a small padlock to the back, so no one can remove it except for him. A gloves finger grazes over your neck in admiration before looking over to Chronos.

"Prep them for a routone cleaning."

The calmed state you were in was once more replaced by terror. "No, please Master! I've been good, I promise! Please dont do this!" You scramble backwards, away from the two masked men. But Kai was quick and hooked his fingers under your collar, dragging yoi back to him.

"You know this is a must, pet. I need to make sure every inch of you is cleansed before I send any more time with you." He taps the side of your collar with his free hand. "And there is no use attempting to run away. This will forever track any movement you make from here on out."

Kai throws your body over to Chronos, who throws your struggling self over his shoulder.

"Oh, and Happy Birthday, my pet."

Shoto

"Darling~"

You stir in your bed, hearing your boyfriend's voice.

"Darling, wake up~"

Eyes open to see a blurry red and white haired man softly smiling down at you. You stretch your body out and yawn with a cute smile.

"Mmmm Sho, good morning~"

Shoto sighs softly, admiring your beautiful features. "Guess what day it is today. It's a very special day."

You tolt your head, trying to remember the exact date but you are the sure. It's been while since time actually mattered.

"It's your birthday, darling! Happy Birthday! I've got something fun planned for you~"

You sit up, your chains rattling against the bed frame. "You do? I'm so excited! What is it?"

Shoto holds up his black card. "We're going shopping. I'll be getting whatever your heart desires."

Your eyes widen. "Wait, does that mean I actually get to go out? Really?!"

Shoto's smile falters before returning to a softened look. Slight guilt flashes in his eyes. "Darling, you know I can't let you go outside. It's not safe. No, we're doing online shopping~" Shoto grabs his phone and crawls behind you, sitting you in his lap. "Here lets look through some sights and get you some cute stuff."

"I want my darling to have everything they want, so they don't want to leave~"

Dabi

"Mouse."

You stay huddled up in the corner of the room, knees to your chest, not even daring to look at him. Dabi frowns at your defiant behavior. He knows he took you without your permission, but that was so long ago. Shouldn't you have been broken in by now?

"Little Mouse."

You continue to rock back and fourth on the floor, chains clanking together. Dabi sighs, annoyance starting to eat at him. He walks over to you and grabs yoi by the throat, lifting you up.

"You are to respond when I'm speaking to you. Understand?" You let out a little squeak and quickly nod your head with widened eyes. He sits you down on the bed and gives you a lazy smile. "That's better. Now, I have something for you."

He opens the closet door to bring out a box. He places it in front of you. "Happy Birthday, my little mouse."

"Oh, yeah. That's today." You mumble quietly. Kmowing Dabi, this gift was going to have some sort of catch but curiosity got the better of you. But curiosity turned into regret immediately as you throw the lid and scream.

Inside the box were a pair of boots. But they weren't jusf any pair of boots, they were handmade. It was human skin staples together, making them look just like Dabi himself.

"What, does my little mouse not like them?" He smirks before climbing on the bed. He grabs your legs and pulls you down towards him with a manic look on his face.

"That's fine. How about I burn my name into you instead?"

Bakugo

"KATSUKI!"

You jolt up in bed, suddenly awakened by a nightmare. Looking next to you, you see your boyfriend's side of the bed empty. A whimper escapes your lips as yoi trt to calm your racing heart.

"Angel?!" The door to the bedroom slams open, Bakugo's quirk popping in his hands and waiting to attack whomever touched his precious angel. He looks around frantically but notices nothing except your heavy breathing and sweat covered body. "Are you alright? What happened?"

You motion towards him with a sniffle and grabby hands. "I had a dream that you locked me back up in the basement again for days, without you." He comes sits next to you on the bed and pushes the hair out of your sweat covered face. "It was dark and silent and terrifying. Please don't do that again! I would miss you! I've been good, I promise!"

Bakugo sighs and pulls you into a hug. "I know, Angel. You've been doing so well, I'm so proud of you." He plants a kiss on your head as you relax into his arms. "I have a surprise for you actually. Stay right here."

You nod your head, watching him leave the room for a moment, your ankle tugging on the chain that attached you to the bed. I mean, it's not like you would get very far. Bakugo comes back in with a plate of cake and a candle.

"Happy Birthday, my beautiful angel."

Your eyes light up as he sets the piece of cake in front of you. You blow out the candle and take a bite, savoring the taste. "Kats, this is so good! The cake is so fluffy and the frosting is creamy and sweet. Thank you!"

Bakugo watches you with a lovesick grin on his face. He goes to adjust the tightness in his pants as he watches you devour his specially made cake without hesitation.

Denki

"Yeah, it's been super weird. I've been finding these little pieces of jewelry on my bed almost every night the past week."

You continue cleaning the counter as you explain to your cowroker the weird things that have been happening to you. She gives you a strange look.

"Are you sure you haven't misplaced your jewelry on your bed and just forgot?"

You turn your head to give her a dumbfounded look. "Uh, yeah. I think I would remember putting jewelry I've nevee seen before on my bed at the same time every night."

"Well, I don't know! It's just so weird. I don't have any other rational explanation." She suddenly gasps. "What if you have a stalker?!"

"Shh, don't say things like that." You hiss at her but a part of you is wondering if that might be true.

After your shift ends, you wave goodbye and begin your journey home. Unbeknownst to you, an energetic blonde watches as you walk home, excited for you to see your final birthday gift.

Once you step through the door of your house, something feels off. Having a weird feeling, you immediately but slowly make your way to your bedroom and turn on the lights. That's when you see a small but long white box placed on your bed, this time with a note. You carefully open the box to reveal a gorgeous necklace with a small black and yellow lightning bolt charm. Swallowing the lump in your throat, you reluctantly open up the note, hoping to finally uncover some answers.

"Happy Birthday, my dear. You can call me Kaminari. And soon, you will be all mine."

Midoriya

*Click*

You turn around upon hearing the closing of a camera shutter but see nothing. Thinking it's all in your head, you shrug and continue to walk to your parents for your birthday dinner.

"Shit, that was too close." Midoriya mumbles under his breath as he hides in a set of bushes just beyond your vision. He scrolls through his camera roll, looking through every single shot to make sure he's got what he needs.

"These aee perfect! Oh they're going to love it!" He checks to make sure you're long gone before he scrambles out of his hiding spot and runs home to make your gift.

~~~

You unlock the door to your house and step inside with a sigh. As much as you love your birthday and seeing your family, sometimes they can be a little much. Now it's time for you to sit back and relax. You change into your pajamas and turn on your comfort movie with a drink in hand, when suddenly your doorbell rings.

"Who the hell is here at 10 at night?"

You carefully peek through the peep hole in your door, not seeing anyone. Slowly, you open the door and look down to see a neatly wrapped gift. You know you probably shouldn't take a strange gift off of your doorstep, but curiosity gets the better of you.

Taking it back to your livingroom, you open it to reveal a scrapbook. Anxiety raises through your body as you open the first page. Eyes widen in horror the further you flip through, non-consentual pictures taken of you and your family litter the pages. Not only are there ones from being out in public, but private, intimate moments that no one should have seen. But the moment you found a lock of your hair glued to one of the pages was the moment you called the police.

Shinso

Shinso squats infront of you as you stare at him with dead eyes.

"Kitten, I have a surprise for you today."

You shake your head, mumbling. "I don't want it."

Shinso caresses your cheek with his hand before giving it a quick slap. You try ti3 jerk your head away but he grips your cheeks, squishing them together. "Stop being a brat, you don't even know what it is yet. Now, stand up."

You don't even get a chance to stand up yourself as Shinso hauls you up by your face. "I'm taking you out for your birthday."

Your eyea widen in fear and you shake your head. "N-No, please. I'd rather stay here. L-Let's do something together here. Please."

Shinso clicks his tongue. "Come now, kitten. I'm letting you go outside. We don't do this very often, it's a special treat. Is it not?"

You shake your head. "Please, no, everytime you take me out you-"

You go silent, mind fogged over and once again, under his control. There are moments when he mind-controls you to where you don't remember anything the morning after and those moments are awful. But when he feels like being extra cruel? He finally takes you outside, taking you out to eat, to see a movie, to go shopping. You're under his control the entire time but you remember everything. You are right there, fully aware of whats happening around you but can't do anything to ask for help, to save yourself. And it's terrifying

A tear rolls down your cheek as you follow him out the front door, his hand in yours. He smirks, knowing you could never leave him.

"Happy Birthday, Kitten."

[thesupersaiyanprincess]

So yeah, here we go again, a highly slightly revised version of Splits' Chapter 1

It's set in some kinda AU where you're a saiyan and there are other saiyans alive and on earth, as if more than just Gokus parents sent them off to earth as babies to start a better life not just to destroy it. Perhaps part of the resistance against Frieza?

I'm expecting this to top out at like 10 ish chapters, if anything probably less, i don't want it to stray to far from the plot or spend another 6 months on it lmao

Warnings include: violence, emotional abuse, very dark Vegeta, sexual themes, choking but not in a good way

Word count: ~1,600

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                      Chapter 1                      

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You’re sitting in the living room, bored, surfing the channels on the TV when you hear the front door click. Your face lights up at the sound that you know means your boyfriend is home, and you run to the hallway to greet him. 

“Hey 'Geta,” you say with a smile as you plant a kiss on his cheek. You know he hates it when you’re cutesy like that, but you like riling him up. Little did you know, today was not the day for it.

“Get off of me, woman.” Vegeta shoved you away from him harshly and made his way to the bathroom after taking off his shoes at the door, he didn’t even look at you as he barged his way down the hall. There was definitely something wrong, even if he didn’t like kisses he never reacted like that. Something was up, and today you were feeling especially brave so you decided to follow him down the hall and grab his tail. Bad move. He swung around in an instant pinning you by your throat to the wall.

“Don’t. Touch me.” he said with a growl in his voice before throwing you to the ground and continuing down the hall. 

“'Geta that hurt, what’s the deal with you today Mr. grumpy pants?” you said in a huff as you picked yourself up from the ground, patting down your jeans. “I thought we talked about this; no aggressive wall pinning unless I ask for it.” He didn't stop or turn around to look at you. “Oh, so you're just going to ignore me then, that's great, I guess I'll just go back to watching TV since you’re being a big grump.” you waited a second longer to see if you'd get a reaction, but no, he just kept walking and eventually made his way to the bathroom, locking himself inside as you walked back to the living room.

You wondered what could've happened today to make him so irritable. When he left this morning he wasn't mad, so something must've happened while he was out training with Goku. Maybe Goku reached a new form and Vegeta was jealous? No, that's happened before and all he did was rant about how it should be him who gets to unlock new forms, not that stupid, low class, pathetic excuse of a Saiyan, Kakarot. He was the prince of all Saiyans after all, and he should be the one with all the power. No, this was something else entirely, and you were starting to worry what could have made the mighty Vegeta so angry. 

Against your better judgement, you decide to go knock on the bathroom door. “Vegeta! Open up! What's the matter?” you shout through the door, hoping he can hear you over the running water of the shower.

“Go away! Go make yourself useful and cook me something, woman” of course that's all he would say. Damn these Saiyans and their insatiable appetites. 

“No, I’m not going anywhere until you tell me why you’re mad.” you plant your feet outside the door as you hear the water shut off. After a moment he unlocks and opens the door with a towel around his waist. He always looked so good right after a shower, silky hair wet, tangles framing his face, water droplets glistening across his gorgeously broad Saiyan chest. He truly was a sight to behold. 

“Get out of my way” he said to you as he tried to emerge from the bathroom, you were blocking his way and he really didn't like that. “Move now, or I’ll move you myself.”

“And what if I don't, what’re you going to do to me?” you said with a smirk on your lips as you stared seductively into his eyes. Usually when he was mad you could make him forget about it for a while with sex. Today was different however, and instead of pinning you to the wall and devouring your mouth with his, he gave a blow straight to your stomach, instantly knocking the wind out of you and making you crumple to the floor. He stepped over you and headed to the bedroom to get dressed. 

“Food woman. Now. Don’t give me more reason to be mad at you.” he called over his shoulder as he entered the bedroom. As you were curled up on the floor, clutching your stomach and gasping for air to finally reach your lungs, you couldn’t help the thought that maybe he didn’t love you anymore from crossing your mind. A thought that threatened to bring tears to your eyes. But you were stronger than that. You stood up shakily clutching your stomach for a moment before straightening up and walking after him into the bedroom.

“What the fuck 'Geta!? What's wrong with you? Why’d you punch me in the gut like that!?” you yell at him with an anger that made the air crackle with energy. “I thought you loved me 'Geta! How could you hurt me like that? What did I ever do to you?” You hated to admit it, but you're an angry crier, and the hot tears came spilling from your eyes as your hair flickered flecks of blond. Even though you had reached Super Saiyan form yourself, Vegeta was still 100x stronger than you on a good day, let alone when he was angry.

He ignored you completely, dropping his towel and putting on a fresh pair of briefs. He acted like you weren’t even there at all actually as he picked out some clothes to wear. Taking his time to sift through his messy chest of drawers to find his favourite shirt. Black and skin tight with Shenron and the DragonBalls printed on the back, it hugged his muscles in all the right places. It was your favourite on him too and for a split second you forgot your anger and stared at how the fabric clung to his still dewy skin. It all came flooding back when he turned to face you.

“Did you not hear me? I said food. Now.” he snarled through gritted teeth. He hated it when you didn't follow his commands, but right now he wasn't your master, and it was so not sexy of him to treat you like this. 

“If you want food you'll have to make it yourself. I'm not cooking for you until you tell me what's wrong.” you say back to him, with the same amount of force, trying to make your voice sound as demanding as his to no avail. No matter how hard you try, you'll never get his aggressive tone of voice down pat, you just sound like a pissed off chew toy and it makes you even angrier. 

“Whatever.” He grumbles just loud enough for you to hear as he continued to search for some pants. 

“Whatever?! That's all you're going to say?” you yell as you stare at him in disbelief, one more dismissive or demanding word from him and you were going to snap. “What about an apology? For shoving me, then throwing me, then straight up punching me!? Are you even listening to me, Vegeta?” You pause for a long second to see if he’ll say anything, and when he pulls up his pants and heads for the door, that's it. You power up to Super Saiyan and block the doorway, glaring at Vegeta, daring him to step closer. 

“Silly woman. You think that just because you're a Super Saiyan, you can stop me? How pathetic.” he said, his voice hollow and cold as he goes Super Saiyan Blue and picks you up with one hand by the throat and holds you off the ground. “You couldn't stop me with both my hands tied behind my back,” he sneered at you before throwing you into the wall outside the bedroom door, almost knocking you unconscious as your head hit the wall at full force, leaving the plaster cracked. Your energy faded and your hair returned to its regular dark colour as your vision blurred and your ears rang from the impact. 

He walked over to stand above you, laughing menacingly. “You're weak and pathetic. The only reason I kept you around was so that you'd cook and clean for me. Oh, and so that I can fuck that tight little pussy of yours.” The edges of your vision started to go dark as he picked you up against the wall by your throat again. “You are nothing but a toy for me, a sorry excuse for a Saiyan. So low class I wouldn't let you shine my shoes with your spit. But you cook good and don’t complain whenever I want to fuck, so you’re not completely useless.” he squeezed your throat tighter, “I want you to know that I don’t want you anymore. I never loved you, not one bit. I was only using you for my own satisfaction. And now that I don’t want you, there's no reason for you to keep breathing.” as he said this, he was gradually squeezing your throat tighter in his grip. You didn't understand what was going on, Vegeta had never been what you'd call affectionate, but he was never so mean. The Vegeta you love would never say such harsh things to you, or hurt you in any way what so ever unless you were fucking and asked for it. In fact, he put several higher ranking Saiyan's in the med pods because they were antagonizing you for being the weakest Super Saiyan. The sudden change in him had tears pouring from your eyes as you tried harder to keep from passing out. “Now be a good little weakling and go to sleep for me.”

“'Geta… p-please… d-don’t… hurt… m-m…” You managed to spit out between desperate gasps as you faded from consciousness. 

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So whatcha think? Please leave comments and likes, I'll also be posting this over on my AO3 when i can figure that out haha

Always remember, reblogs>likes <3

[saiyanwhore]

Dragon Ball Z: Boyfriend Scenarios

Part Three: How He Confesses His Feelings

A/N: Sorry it took so long everyone!!

Goku

The only person in the group that knew of Goku's crush on you was Bulma. She was always rooting him on and giving him tips.

This morning, she suggested he try to cook for you since you were always cooking for him.

You walked downstairs to the smell of something good...and something burning. It was a weird mix.

Immediately alarmed, you hurried yourself to see what was going on. You were immediately stopped by a panicked looking Goku.

"No, no Y/N you can't come down just yet." He nervously chuckled.

"What did you do Goku? It smells like burnt food in here!"

"Really! There's no reason to worry! I promise! It's all under control." He flashed you his goofy grin as you attempted to push past him.

"Goku! Come on! What is going on!?"

"It's under control Y/N!" You hear Bulma's voice shout.

"Bulma!?" You were shocked. "Goku you must have really fucked up if Bulma's here to fix it!"

"Please, Y/N!"

"Move!"

"No!"

"Move Goku!"

"I can't."

You knew just how to get him. Tickling.

You began to tickle his sides as he doubled over and you quickly sped past him and into the kitchen. You looked at the table to see your favorite breakfast food prepared.

Goku came up behind you and placed a hand on the small of your back. He looked a little red in the face as Bulma laughed.

"He tried to make you breakfast and completely failed." She laughed. "I came to help out. Almost done! Just finishing up the orange juice."

Bulma winked at Goku as you turned around and started giggling.

"Well, you see. I've never been the best at cooking and..."

You interrupted. "Goku, it's alright. I appreciate the effort. Thank you."

You engulfed him in a hug being sure to squeeze him extra tight. His large arms snaked around your waist as he began to whisper in your ear.

"You know, I tried to make breakfast. Well, because..." He sighed softly. "I kind of, sort of like you a lot."

You started laughing even harder, Goku pulling away and giving you a confused look. He scratched the top of his head as you continued your laughter.

"Goku! Come back!" You grabbed his hand and pulled him into another hug. "Surprise! I like you too." You whispered back.

"Told you so!!" Bulma stuck her tongue out at Goku as you happily sat down at the table.

Vegeta

Tonight Bulma was throwing a party and despite not wanting to go at all, Vegeta did because he knew you would be there.

It was nice to take a break from training and just hang out.

Throughout the night, you danced, drank just a little, and chatted with everyone.

It wasn't until the night was almost over that you remembered Vegeta said he would be here tonight.

You were so used to not seeing him at these sorts of things that you just sort of expected him not to show up.

Vegeta had been sitting inside watching TV the entire time you were outside with everyone. He had even gotten so comfy on the couch, he fell asleep.

"Hey, have you seen 'Geta?" You questioned Bulma.

She pointed inside, to which you quickly rushed in.

You found him sprawled out on the couch, snoring away. He must have been tired from training.

You giggled as you crouched down next to the Saiyan. "Vegeta." You whispered his name. He didn't budge.

You stood up, gently picked him up walked outside where you immediately flew away, being careful not to wake him.

You were going to your place.

Once you landed, you walked inside and gently placed him on the couch, grabbing him a pillow and blanket. You covered him up and gave his forehead a soft kiss before making yourself a cup of coffee.

You sat down in one of your chairs, sipping away at the warm drink, waiting for him to wake up.

Eventually, he did.

His onyx eyes fluttered open and an immediate look of confusion plastered on his face. He glanced around the room before spotting you and quickly sitting up.

"Woman! Where am I?"

You laughed. "My house. You fell asleep at the party. I carried you here."

Vegeta's heart fluttered at the thought of you carrying him back to your house. Taking care of him.

"Who knew that the Prince of all Saiyans looked so cute while sleeping." You teased him. "Want some coffee?"

His face went red as he looked down at the floor. "Please..." He grumbled, rolling his eyes.

You made him some and handed it to him, taking a seat next to him on the couch.

"You were really out cold. I tried to wake you, but you just kept snoring."

Vegeta felt a wave of embarrassment fall over him as he shrugged. "You should have left me there, woman."

"Oh yeah. As if. Bulma would have rolled you off the couch and yelled at you to get out. You're not exactly the nicest to anyone other than me." You chuckled. "Why am I so special anyway, Vegeta? Why do you only talk to me?"

"I train with you."

"Ah."

Vegeta took a sip of his drink before leaning forward and setting it on the table.

"Well, you're special to me Vegeta." You looked away, a bit flustered.

He just grunted, crossing his arms and looking toward the ceiling.

"Vegeta. I like you. A lot."

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do."

"You only think you do."

"I like you Vegeta. As hard as it is to like you, I do. I like how you're not easy on me simply because I'm a girl. And how you treat me like a warrior. I admire you. You're strong and proud. I love that about you."

Vegeta's face went as red as a tomato. His voice was low. "How convenient."

"Huh?"

"Oh god, I've become all...soft." He cringed. "For god sakes woman, I like you too!"

Gohan

"Absolutely not Gohan! You two are getting too old to be having sleepovers together!" Chi-Chi said to her son.

"Oh come on mom! Y/N and I are just friends! Just this one time! Last time I swear!"

"That's what you said last time! No!" She crossed her arms and started tapping her foot.

"Mom, please! I promise this time is a definite last time!" He begged. "I'll put in extra time for studying!"

Chi-Chi's ears perked up once he mentioned studying.

"Okay Gohan, but this is the last time!"

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" He laughed as he flew out the front door towards your house.

Gohan landed at your front door, knocking rapidly.

You opened with a happy face. "You convinced her?"

"Yeah! All I had to tell her was extra studying!" Gohan laughed as he entered your house.

"Gohan, sweetie! How are you?" Your mother greeted.

"Oh just lovely, Mrs. L/N. And you?"

"I'm doing good!"

You grabbed Gohan's hand and dragged him up to your room where the two of you sat on your bed.

"Sneaking out tonight, right?" You questioned.

"Uh, yeah!"

Up until the start of the new school year, you and Gohan did this all the time. You'd stay the night at one another's house and sneak out at night. Most of the time it was to stargaze.

When it finally was nighttime, the two of you opened your window and flew out to an old abandoned barn in the middle of nowhere.

You landed on the roof, Gohan laying back and staring up at the sky, hands behind his head.

"This really might be the last time we do this." He mumbled. "Mom's been pretty strict about us seeing one another lately."

You scooted closer to him, laying down. "I don't know why..." You responded.

Gohan nervously chuckled and took a deep breath. "I think she thinks we like each other or something."

Your heart began to thump as you looked over at him, his eyes shimmering under the stars.

"Well, she has every right to be suspicious. Neither one of us date and we're with each other all the time."

"Yeah. Right." He grinned, grabbing your hand.

You tightly gripped his hand, eyes locking with his.

"Maybe mom is right about us."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, hypothetically speaking, what if I liked you and you liked me and we started dating, huh?"

You smiled at him.

"Would it give me permission to do this?" You rolled over and straddled him, his cheeks immediately turned red and eyes wide.

You leaned down and kissed him square on the lips, his hands moving to your waist.

He tasted so sweet and lovely.

He pulled away due to the need for air and looked up at you. "I think I'm going to need you to do that again just to be sure."

Future Trunks

It had been a few months since the last time you had seen him. You were beyond excited.

Trunks had told you the exact date, location, and time of when he'd arrive.

It was only a matter of time before the androids would show up, and not only were you excited, you were also scared to see what was going to happen.

You stood impatiently, tapping your foot. Krillin stood by your side as you nervously chewed at your nails.

"Hey Y/N it will be alright. I'm sure he'll be here any mo-" And before Krillin could answer, the air zapped and the time machine appeared right before your eyes. It landed on the ground and you immediately flew up to the top, busting open the dome to reveal Trunks.

"Trunks!" You grinned, grabbing his hand and pulling him out.

He looked up at you with his bright blue eyes, a grin plastered on his face. He laughed softly before nervously scratching his neck.

"Y/N! Good to see you too."

"Come on you two! We don't have much time." You heard Piccolo from the ground.

You both flew down. Piccolo and Krillin stayed with you to wait for Trunks while the rest of the gang headed to gather in the designated area.

Piccolo and Krillin lifted off and you and Trunks followed.

"I missed you." You mumbled, glancing over at him.

"Me too, Y/N." He looked down.

Silence filled the air as you traveled Trunks looked nervous and on edge. It was understandable considering he was facing the androids, who destroyed his future.

"It'll be okay Trunks. We'll beat them together." You smiled.

His eyebrows knitted as he looked over at you with worry glistening in his eyes. He frowned. "No, Y/N. You don't understand what they're like. They've killed thousands of innocent people in my future. They won't hesitate to do it here either. They're monsters."

You flew a little closer to him and grabbed his hand. "I know. Which is why I'm motivated to kill them once and for all."

Trunks squeezed your hand softly before clearing his throat.

"Y/N, before we arrive. And before we begin our battle, there's something you need to know." His throat bobbed.

"Yes?"

"If the androids kill you or me I need you to know..." He choked. "I love and like you a lot."

Piccolo

Another day at the lookout...

"Hey, Piccolo." You disturbed the Namekian during his meditation session.

He opened one of his eyes and peeked over at you, a small smile playing upon his lips as he crossed his arms.

"What is it, Y/N?"

You laughed at him before walking over and grabbing one of his hands and tugging him along gently.

"I want take out. It's been soooooo long!" You grinned ear to ear.

"Fine." He had been looking for an excuse to be alone with you anyway. Dende and Mr. Popo always seemed to be sneaking in to watch the two of you flirt like a soap opera or something.

"What?" You were shocked he gave in so easily.

His forehead crinkled. "I said fine. Don't make me regret it."

"Yes! Yes! Yes! You're the best, Big Green!"

A purple tint appeared on his cheeks.

*Later*

You and Piccolo were preparing to leave the lookout, saying a quick "goodbye, see ya soon" to Dende and Popo.

You both flew down towards the ground, Piccolo attempting to make small talk whilst you made your way to the Chinese restaurant.

"Why didn't you just go on your own?" He questioned, not looking over in your direction. You had put something nicer than usual on to get his attention, and it had worked by the look on his face.

"I enjoy your company clearly. You are the reason I am even at the lookout, Piccolo. I mean, seriously. I'm just a mere human."

He growled. "No. You're a warrior."

"Well still."

You eventually landed and Piccolo walked closely by your side as you made your way down the street.

The Namekian held a hand to the small of your back, guiding you along. He really was a gentleman no matter how tough he liked to act at times.

"You know, I appreciate you coming with me." You grinned up at him.

"Uh. Yeah. Sure."

You grinned as you leaned into his side. His heart stopped as he looked off into the distance with a blush overcoming his face.

"Why do you always go purple when I touch you?"

"W-What?" He exclaimed, a panicked look on his face.

You giggled softly. "I think someone has a crush on silly, old me."

"What? No!"

"Yes!" You stuck your tongue out at him.

"No!"

"Yes!"

"And so what if I did?" He stopped dead in his tracks and crossed his arms.

"Well, I'd say I like you too."

"You would?"

"Mhm." You nodded, falling into his chest.

It took the Namekian by surprise, but soon you felt his arms snake around you and you stood in his embrace for a while before starting back up on your walk. His hand is yours.

[ramblingkat]

Fic: Stars

This was encouraged by the UraIchi discord server. Basic concept: Everyone is born with a tail. If you live long enough, you get more. If you find your “soul mate” you get a new color on your tail. 

Here, Yoruichi noticed the new color on Kisuke’s tail. He had happily been oblivious. And has no idea who’s reiatsu matches that new color of fur on his tail.

Fandom: Bleach

Characters: Urahara Kisuke, Shihoin Yoruichi, Ishida Ryuken, Kurosaki Masaki, Kurosaki Isshin, and Kurosaki Ichigo

***

“You have gold in your fur.”

Yoruichi’s voice, deep and raspy, was a familiar one, and he knew she’d been sitting behind him for a bit, so Kisuke didn’t jump. Though he did pause, a cup of tea against his lips. Then he lowered it again, turning some to look over his shoulder at his friend. 

She was crouched next to his tail, eyes focused on the tip. Kisuke didn't actually look at his tail all that much, with it being out of his direct line of sight. Oh, he made sure it was brushed and neat enough, but it was just another limb. As long as it worked as he wanted, he never thought about it too much. 

Now he flicked it up, bringing the tip up closer since that was where Yoruichi had been focused. 

This was the only tail on display, as humans rarely lived long enough to gain a second tail, let alone a third as Kisuke had. The other two were hidden, as they had been for almost a century of hiding in the special gigai he had created. The only one on display was the same ashy blond as his hair, a sleek fox tail that had gotten him quite a few appreciative looks. And more than a few people asking for blessings. 

Apparently, pale fox tails were a sign of favor. Not something he had expected when he had first come to the living world. 

Shinji had laughed at him, the man’s golden lion tail lashing lazily behind him. Kisuke had asked how it felt to only have to deal with one rope instead of the multitude that the older captain usually had. That had lead to a spar, and gotten Shinji distracted. 

Now, however, Kisuke saw that there were fine golden hairs growing at the end of his tail. They didn’t stand out a great deal, not yet. But they were definitely golden. A distinct change from the pale fur they grew in. 

Yoruichi’s reiatsu, as muted as it was, radiated delight. Kisuke was feeling a bit stunned himself. 

“But,” he protested, voice distant in his own ears, “I haven’t met anyone new. Not for long enough to have our energies to click enough to bond.” 

There was a flat-out chortle from Yoruichi, and she rose up onto her back legs, resting her paws against the back of his shoulder. That let her get a better look at his tail. “You found someone to soul bond to and didn’t say anything.” She sounded highly amused and no small amount of pleased. “What have you been up to?”

Kisuke snorted. “Plotting and planning. The usual.” He flicked his tail against her face, then let it relax again. “I wonder who this is. I don’t know of anyone I’ve seen recently that has that color of reiatsu.”

He reached over and poked Yoruichi’s nose as she opened her mouth. “And don’t start on SoiFon. Right shade, very much wrong person.” He smiled faintly. “She’d murder me if we ever created some sort of spiritual bond.” Kisuke paused. “Though the way she hates me would definitely qualify. But the timing is wrong.”

“She doesn’t hate you,” Yoruichi protested. Ignoring Kisuke’s amused, yet unimpressed, expression, the cat continued. “She’s just prickly about my honor.”

Kisuke snorted again, hand moving to rub his friend’s ears. “Very prickly,” he said drily. “If she could make me vanish, she would definitely do so.” He shook his head. “In any case, SoiFon’s disdain for me is not the topic here. I honestly have no idea why I would have golden fur coming in now. Everyone I interact with now are the same people I have interacted with for years. I doubt any of them have changed that much.”

“Something to figure out later,” Yoruichi agreed. “It’s not like your crimson isn’t a distinct shade.” She licked a foot, quiet for a moment. “Though now that I am here, how are things with Isshin and Masaki?”

Still absently petting her, Kisuke smiled faintly. “Going well. From everything that Ishida-san and I can tell, the baby is healthy and growing well. They are likely to have a mix of Isshin-san and Masaki-san talents.” Kisuke considered it a moment. “I believe, once the baby is born, they’ll take the hollow with them. That will be vital for their stability. They are so in balance at the moment that the loss of one aspect will likely prove lethal in the long run.” He considered that as fingers moving softly over dark fur. “Something I have impressed upon the parents to be. The hollow is sealed and will continue to be until we break it at some point, but the power it holds is present. So the baby will be…impressive.”

There was a snort from Yoruichi. “Maybe it’s the baby,” she teased, though there had not been any documented cases of soul bonding with an unborn child. “You do the impossible regularly enough. Why not do it again?”

Kisuke tweaked her ear, hand blurring as he dodged the slash of her claws. “I doubt even baby Kurosaki is developed enough to have a proper reiatsu signature yet,” he said easily. “While they have a strong presence already, it’s…malleable. Though I do hope that you’ll be in town when the time for the birth gets close.” He wrinkled his nose. “I am already noticing an uptick of smaller hollows. Masaki-san has been attracting quite a bit of attention from the wrong quarters. I think when it is time for baby Kurosaki to be born, they will lure in hollows for miles around. We’ll need to set up a protective line around them and deal with the swarm that is likely to descend on us at that level of power energy.”

A nod from Yoruichi. “Just contact me when it gets close to time. Though I don’t know if I’ll go too far.” Her tone went light and teasing. “After all, I have to find out who your mysterious suitor to be is. Only you could get a soul bond and not notice.”

That got her a sigh and a shrug. “It wasn’t like it was that big a deal,” he protested, giving his friend an over-exaggerated pout. “And I’ve been busy.”

Yoruichi perked up. “I have to talk to Tessai,” she warbled out, as close to singing as she got. Dodging Kisuke’s grab, the cat ran into the house, yowling out the name of their other friend, and Kisuke sighed.

Collecting his tea, he focused on that. No need to think about Tessai-san’s matchmaking urges now. He’d be dealing with them soon enough.

***

The stars looked amazing, and Kisuke found himself panting as he watched them decorate the night sky.

They weren’t as bright here as they were in soul society, but there was a great deal more progression in the living world, so bright it dimmed even the night sky.

Though all of his senses felt dimmed. The Kurosaki baby had come into the world, and he was grateful that Ishida had a charm that he and Masaki had put on the baby. It would allow more of the child’s reiatsu to release over the next year or so. Slow enough that they shouldn’t have a repeat of tonight. 

He was exhausted, and he was sure that Yoruichi was the same whenever she was at. 

The Visored had taken the outer layer of the patrol. Kisuke and Yoruichi had focused on the blocks around the roof of the hospital that the baby was being born in. And outside of all of it, Hachigen and Tessai had been working on keeping all of this under wraps. While he knew Aizen had an idea where they might be, they did not need the baby’s explosion of power to attract his eye. 

He was pretty sure they had dealt with every hollow from miles around, all attracted to the initial spike of power that the baby would have screamed out with their first breath.

That was something he needed to check on well. 

Pushing himself upright, Kisuke glanced around. It only took a moment to spot Yoruichi, leaning against an air conditioning unit a few roofs over. Waving to catch her attention, he waited until she nodded back, then he let himself drop over the side of the roof.

Ishida had given him a room number, and Kisuke had already scouted out where it was in the hospital. So it only took a moment to wrap a hint of reiatsu under his feet to slow and then stop his fall. He pulled a phone out and texted the man, making sure he was able to come in.

The curtains shoved apart, and Ishida was scowling at him. The man opened the window. “Get in here,” he muttered. “The sooner you make sure the boy is all right, the sooner you can leave.”

Kisuke smiled. “A boy? I am sure that Kurosaki-san is thrilled.”

“Isshin is being an idiot over it, and Masaki is pleased to have a healthy baby.” 

He shifted aside, letting Kisuke step through and land lightly on the floor, geta making only a small clicking as they hit the ground. Then Ishida continued. “They named him Ichigo. I assume you dealt with any outside trouble.”

Kisuke grimaced a bit. “After this, I think we’re all going to go find out beds now that the charm you have put into place has muted his strength. The area should be hollow free for a few months.”

A sigh. “That’s good,” the white haired Quincy said. “Hopefully they’ll be gone for even longer than that.”

Kisuke considered that. “If you like, I can set up patrol when your own child is born.” It was an honest offer, as he knew that the man’s wife had taken poorly to pregnancy. She was happy to be pregnant, but every time Kisuke saw her around, she looked exhausted and drained.

Ishida tensed, then made himself relax. “We’ll discuss that later,” he said, which made Kisuke smile to himself. That wasn’t a no, and it was nice to see how devoted the man was to his wife. He was as bad as Isshin was, if quieter about it. 

But he only nodded in response, quietly following as he was lead to the bed. 

There was Masaki, who was watching them, though Kisuke could see she was ready to go to sleep. Beside the bed was Isshin, whose tail was wagging back and forth like mad. And beside him, placed where both he and Masaki could reach, was a tiny little being. 

There was a tuft of dark hair, though he could already see strands of a paler color in it. Kisuke wondered if baby Kurosaki… Ichigo, his name was Ichigo, would have his mother’s hair? 

He was wrapped firmly in a warm blanket, swaddled quite tightly. Though he managed to get a foot and a puffy little tail out of the confines already. Kisuke smiled faintly, tucking the fluffy grey tail and the foot back into the blanket. “Already a trouble maker,” he murmured to the child, and then rested his hand on Ichigo’s chest. Closing his eyes, he focused, threading his reiatsu gently to make sure everything was still balanced. 

This was something he’d been doing since Isshin had come to tell him that Masaki was pregnant, in a near panic. There had been two pregnancies before this one, and neither had gotten far. The third time was the charm, and the balance of energies settled in ways to keep the boy from coming to harm. 

Everything still felt good, and he opened his eyes with a smile. 

“Congratulations,” he said, smiling at them. He knew they had been heartbroken the previous times, and having Ichigo here, all red-faced and scowling, had to be such a relief. 

“Masaki-san?” he asked, offering her his hand. She rested her fingers against his palm, and he did his own scan of her energies. 

Once he was done, he gave her hand a light squeeze and let go. “It’s as I thought. The hollow passed on to Ichigo, but the seal on it seems to be intact. Though he’s definitely strong enough to see spirits without much help.”

He smiled at the new parents. “You should have an easier time of things if you decide to give him any siblings without the hollow energies causing such distress on your own.” That was to Masaki, who looked relieved. He knew she had taken the failed pregnancies hard, but this should help her feel better about any future attempts. 

Moving away from the bed, Kisuke absently sealed Benihime back into a cane, nodding at each of them. “Now that everything seems to have settled both outside and in here, I’m off. Let me know if you have any other concerns that I might be able to help calm.” 

He went to perch on the sill of the window, then threw a grin back at them. “And, as always, come visit the shop and pick up a few items. I always have a wide range of stock for your purchasing pleasure.”

Ishida shoved him out the window with a snort. 

Kisuke laughed as he caught himself, and took off into the night. Time to find everyone and let them know that they could do whatever. The situation was done, and it was time for a well-deserved rest.

Besides, now that Ichigo was actually born, Kisuke had potential plans to adjust.

[princess-of-inarizaki]

this is so random but can you do a fluff headcanon of seeing his s/o in a kimono for Sakusa, Suna, and Atsumu. And maybe kuroo, komori, and kita too I watch this todomomo CD drama the other day where the two saw each other in festival and they're like so cute frickin' cute todoroki compliment Momo, being kinda open towards her, and Momo just being really soft and cute makes me giggle and smile.

AHHH that is just such a good idea. I'm always so soft when they see each other wearing yukata's or kimono's at festivals. I only wish they had that sorta stuff where I live too 😭🤚💕💕💕✨

And omg yghhhh todomomo is such a cute ship, like I genuinely adore them both so much >:(

The boys seeing their cute s/o in a kimono

Characters: Atsumu, Kita, Suna, Kuroo, Sakusa

Warnings: none

Atsumu

Okay so Atsumu would definitely be extremely smooth. like he's internally freaking out and thinking you look so adorable!! but on the outside he's just trying to play it cool so you don't catch on.

His eyes would literally not leave you and he's just taking in how you look the entire time.

“yer ready ta go babe?” with this hot ass smirk on his face.

You're just blushing and you nod and follow him, your geta making sounds beneath you.

When you reach there, you're buying takoyaki, and you ask him if he wants some.

He ends up eating almost everything, like what the heck, man?

Apologizes and buys you more.

Would definitely try to show off and win you stuff at the festival to prove how manly™ he is, and also hopes he impresses you in the process.

“hey babe, watch me win this for you” and he's having a full-fledged war with the kid he's competing with.

He ends up winning and sticking his tongue out at the kid. Because it's basically canon that his mental age drops to 5 when he's competitive about things.

You just ruffle his hair and congratulate him.

Would definitely do the whole yawning and bringing you closer to him thing, when you've decided to take a break and rest.

He's trying to be slick, please don't call him out.

Your friends text you, telling you about the firecracker show and you ask Tsumu if he'd be okay to stay for that.

He practically jumps!! at the chance!! I mean, more time spent with you is always good :]

Asks if he can have your first kiss under the firecrackers. He's a consensual king

After you say yes, he'd just gently cup your face and lean down (WE LIVE FOR MFING HEIGHT DIFFERENCES!!) and kiss your lips gently at first, as the sky is filled with bursts of colour.

Y'all definitely end up making out but that's a different story

Walks you home after everything is over, and tells you how much he liked spending time with you on the way home.

“ya looked beautiful today, y/n-chan” and he has the shyest look on his face.

You kiss his nose and walk inside, leaving him flustered on your doorstep.

Kita

Plans this weeks in advance, after hearing about the festival, and musters up the courage to ask you to go with him.

You jump at the chance. At first you think the whole team is coming along, until a flustered Kita says “i hope it would just be the two of us.”

Your eyes widen and you're both just blushing messes looking at the ground.

You both arrive early, and laugh, seeing how you had the same idea to come a bit earlier.

He looks at you in the kimono and takes a few deep breaths before genuinely complimenting you in the most poetic way possible?

“your beauty is unrivalled, y/n-san. Even the brightest lamp is nothing when compared to the radiance you emit.”

And you're just so Mcfreaking flustered™?????? Like where did he learn how to make your heart go doki doki like that omg

You guys would probably be very rational about making your way around the festival.

Food first, and maybe we'll play some games later?

He definitely pays for everything ugh, such a gentleman, eventho you told him it was okay.

And old lady at one of the stalls flusters the two of you by saying he has such a pretty girlfriend.

And he just smiles, with flushed cheeks. Neither of you disagree.

It starts drizzling and the two of you find shelter under a tree.

You're a bit sad about how your kimono got a bit ruined after slipping in some mud, and he gently helps your roll the area up and wipes it with a tissue.

He also smiles and tries to crack a joke by saying “the clouds thought you were so beautiful, they started crying” as he gestured to the rain.

Although the fireworks show was cancelled, Kita wrapped his arms around you and kept you warm, as you talked so many things, whilst waiting for the rain to stop.

Maybe it was a blessing in disguise :)

He gently holds your hand at some point too, and plays with your fingers, pressing a small kiss to the back of your hand.

The rain finally stops and he walks you home, thanking you for spending time with him.

You take a deep breath and kiss him before entering your house, and he smiles through the kiss.

“i've always wanted to do that” he says softly, after kissing you gently again and waving goodbye.

Suna

Going out with Suna was definitely an impromtu plan of some sort. Like he just randomly texts you, asking if you want to go and you agree.

Definitely sends you a few memes about how he can't wait and begins to get ready.

You guys meet there and both of you are just so shocked at how the other looks.

Suna thinks you look gorgeous, and he tries to tell you in a teasing way. Much like Atsumu, he's trying to play it down when he's actually so flustered.

“hey dork, you don't look too bad”

You're not good at hiding your thoughts though, and you blurt out a rushed “Suna were you always this hot?” gesturing to his Yukata.

Y/n-chan I think you broke Suna.

He's just a flustered mess and he doesn't reply, instead saying he's hungry and buying something to eat. He buys one for you too, and suggests you guys walk and eat at the same time.

Definitely shows you memes and takes videos of you as the night progresses and the two of you loosen up and start doing dumb stuff.

Takes lots of pictures of you so he can document how pretty you look and keep it with him.

You pose for some, whilst some are just totally candid, with absolutely no pretense, your beauty in its natural glory.

Suna is just so whipped, and he knows he'll regret it if he doesn't tell you honestly, so he wipes some sauce off from the side of your lip and kisses you gently.

It's a quick peck, but it took lots of courage.

“i mean to tell you earlier, y/n, but you look beautiful in this kimono”

You smile, and he's just so super happy he got over his nerves.

“thank you Suna. I think you look amazing in your yukata” you say softly, as you run your fingers along the hem of it, feeling the soft material beneath your fingers.

The fireworks are just streaking bursts of colour across the sky, and you're looking into each others' eyes with so much adoration.

“just now's kiss was too short” you murmur softly as you capture him in a passionate kiss.

It gets really late, and you guys go home. He makes sure you're walking back with your friends before heading home himself.

Calls you after he reaches home and tells you he had an amazing night.

He definitely looks over all the pictures he took of you and makes one of them his lockscreen

Kuroo

I actually mean this if I could date any of the hq boys I would date Kuroo. He's such a sweetheart and I adore him to bits and pieces.

So Kuroo asks you to the festival with a bet. He's like “if Nekoma wins this match, you'll go on a date with me to the festival, kitten.”

And he has the hottest smirk on his face. Like stfu and leave some pretty for other men >:(

You're so flustered but you eventually agree.

No surprise that Nekoma wins both sets and it's mainly because Kuroo didn't let a single ball go past him, he was literally on fire.

So he's smiling and tells you he'll pick you up at 8.00.

I'm pretty sure Kuroo is a total gentlemen, so he meets your parents they totally love him and he's just waiting for you to come down when he sees how lovely you look in a kimono, and he's the literal embodiment of the 😍 emoji.

Like he can't tear his eyes off of you and you're getting so flustered, so you just drag him out of the house and to the festival.

“Such a dom, aren't you kitten?”

When you're at the festival he tries playing a game. He wants to win you something, so he's pretty serious and focused.

He ends up winning and he's all like “so I got reward for you. Do I get a reward from you?” and he's just lowering his face to meet yours.

So you grudgingly kiss his cheek but you definitely loved it, ok?

He definitely buys food and will not eat any of it unless you feed him.

Feeds you too, and takes cute selfies to post on his Instagram.

You guys end up taking a lot of selfies together and trying out all the cute filters. Kuroo's favourite picture is one of you looking at him whilst talking to him, your eyes super bright, and he's just smiling for the camera, but his eyes are on you.

Makes it his phone wallpaper on the spot, to your delight.

Informs you of a fireworks show happening in a little while, and settles down to find an empty place to enjoy it.

Wraps as arm around you because it's apparently "cold" and "your kimono won't keep you warm like his arms will"

You complain but secretly love it.

He then goes full-on nerd more and explains the science behind fireworks, whilst the colours are filling the night sky.

But he soon goes quiet after seeing the colours reflected in your eyes. He's so shy, and he literally can't help himself, he kisses your lips softly.

You guys totally smile into the kiss ugh this is so cute.

Takes you home responsibly and thanks you and your parents before leaving.

Sends you a thank you text before falling asleep, dubbing the night he saw you in a kimono "the best night of his life, to date"

I'm gonna cry Kuroo is so important to me, I love him so much.

Sakusa

Okay in my opinion, you'll have to be the one asking Sakusa out. He'll be super moody about it, but internally, he's dying to go.

You arrive at his doorstep to pick him up and he's just blushing at how cute you look in the kimono.

Like wow aight thank God I'm wearing a mask because this blush is fresh as heck +_+

Silently passes you a tube of hand sanitizer and you're so confused.

“if you put this on, we'll be able to hold hands.”

You're close to dying, no one has ever been able to touch Sakusa's hands, or hand sanitizer before. So you eagerly put it on, and intertwine your soft hands with his.

He's just so touch starved, so he holds your hand tighter as you guys make your way to the festival.

Sakusa hates it there. He waits for you to buy food before finding a secluded area to get away from the crowds.

You're also kinda glad you'll get to spend some time alone with him, so you aren't complaining.

You guys talk about lots of things, you definitely being the more flirty one in the conversation.

You suddenly muster up the guys to tug his mask down softly, seeing his pink cheeks and soft smile.

“can I kiss you?” you ask gently, eyes fixated on his lips.

“yes” he breathlessly replies, as your lips make your way to his, the sky is lit with fireworks, but the two of you hardly notice.

Your hand is tangled in his soft curly hair, and you're both blushing messes.

He walks you back, this time, and thanks you for spending a wonderful night out with him.

Low-key feels bad that you didn't get to enjoy the festival properly, so he tries to make it up to you by buying you lunch the next day. Very wholesome 10/10

[Ari's note: AHHHHH This was such a whirlwind to write it actually took me so long so I hope you enjoy this <3]

Taglist: @k-sakusa-old

[emerald-echeveria-plant]

[[Part 6 of ???]]

Conversation in the cave

//The group came across two paths. One led into a dark, creepy cave with monsterous sounds echoing. While the other led to a sunny, field of flowers. Baozhai walks towards the entrance of the cave.//

Islay: Baozhai, why are you going that way?

Baozhai: This was is a short cut, we'll get there waaaaay faster if we go through here!

Billy: um, you sure about this..?

Baozhai: of course I am! If we took the other path, we'd get there slower duh! Sure it looks more safe but it ain't worth it! *Walks into the cave*

Billy, looks over to Islay: she's not serious is she..?

Islay: She knows where the treasure is so we gotta follow her. *follows Baozhai into the cave*

//Billy and Flint looked at each other, exchanging worried looks. They has a feeling this wasn't going to end well. Regardless, they followed them in. Islay pulled out a match a lit it. She saw a few large sticks on the ground and picked them up. She lit them and handed them out for each person.//

Islay: Be careful where you step. You might end up trigging a trap or fall through something.

//The group walked together through the cave. They made sure to stick close together. No one could risk getting lost in here.

Baozhai stayed close to Flint. A bit giddy she was close to her love interest.//

Baozhai: sooo, Flinty, you got some special in your life?? You know, like a boyfriend or girlfriend??

Flint: No.

Baozhai: Oh, that's great! Wait, I mean- oh nooooooo...

Flint, rolls his eyes: why do you care?

Baozhai: oh no reason, just trying to get to know each other.

Flint: why you you want to get to know me?

Baozhai: Because IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII... Think I'd be good to pass the time!

Flint: Okay..

Baozhai: So tell me, what type of things are you into?

Flint: um-

Baozhai, cutting him off: You like thrilling adventures? Swords? Rum? Treasure? Glory???

Flint: yeah, I like all those things-

Baozhai, cutting him off again: -killing rich people? Blowing up banks they own?? TORTURING THEM IN FRONT OF THEIR SPOUSES???

Flint: ಠ_ಠ

Flint: no...

Baozhai, nervously laughs: haha, I took it too far didn't I..?

Flint: Yeah, you did.

Baozhai: Sorry, it's just, I really don't like the nobility or monarchy. I get a "little" carried away when thinking about them.

Flint: They're not too pleasant.

Baozhai: haha, yeah, definitely! The total WORST! The only good thing about them is their riches and valuables. Makes me so happy seeing them miserable when I steal their things!

Flint, uncomfortable: uh huh..

Baozhai: but enough about my hatred of the one percent, tell me about yourself.

Flint: Well, I'm a bit new to this whole pirating thing.

Baozhai: oh really?? No way, me too! Please tell me more.. 💕

Flint: I and my friend Bones were kidnapped by Haggis. We were forced to join his crew and became his cabin boys. Captain works us till we drop. I think the only thing I enjoyed about being apart of his crew is the access to treasure and rum.

Baozhai: Wow, I'm sorry that happened to you.. I mean at least it's not all bad for you. Treasure and rum is great!

Flint: Well, I only get a small cut of the treasure. Haggis says I haven't proven myself to get more of it.

Baozhai: What an asshole! He shouldn't do that. You should take all the treasure because.. because.. you're a amazing! And do as much work as everyone in your crew! Dang it I should've said that first...

Flint, sighs: He won't listen to me but I have to deal with that. Everyday.

Baozhai: you've never thought about escaping..?

Flint: Nah, I'm pretty sure the captain would just track me down and beat me to a pulp.

Baozhai: Well, if he ever does, I'll teach him a lesson or two with my dagger!

Flint: heh, you can try but you're the size of a mouse in comparison to him.

Baozhai: oh please I still can take him on! You know what they say, size doesn't matter.

Flint: I don't think that applies to that situation.

Baozhai: it can work in any situation. If a mouse can scare an elephant than so can I! He won't even see it coming! I'll be all like "what's up Haggis I'm gonna kick your butt!" And then he'll be all like "please don't hurt me! I'll do anything!" And then I'll say "oh I'll let you walk free IF you stop treating Flint awful!"

//Flint chuckled softly finding her tangent very amusing.//

Flint: You're a brave little thing aren't you? Not even afraid of what'll happen to you?

Baozhai: Nope! He may have messed up my nose but he's gonna regret that! I'm about to unleash a world of pain on him!

Flint: I wouldn't do that if I were you. You'll get really hurt, Haggis is more capable of causing damage to more than just your face.

Baozhai: It's fine, I'll be fine! You don't need to worry for me. Aw you're such a cutie for caring 💕

Flint: I'm just making sure you won't do anything you'll regret..

Baozhai: I swear I won't regret it. Besides someone needs to stand up to that jerk.

Flint: I've already tried that. It ain't as easy as it looks.

Baozhai, sympathetically: Hey, I won't do it if you're that concerned. Besides we can always talk how horrible he is behind his back. If that makes you feel any better.

Flint: I'm not sure if I should.

Baozhai: No, no, no. You sir need to get out all that pent up rage you have with your boss! Here I'll say something awful about bonnet and then you say something awful about Haggis!

Flint: I-

Baozhai, cutting him off: Okay it's agreed! Now where should I start... *Snaps fingers* Oh yeah. Bonnet is a weak man that's too much of an idiot to be captain! Whew, been meaning to get that one outta me... Now you try :)

Flint: Um. Let's see, Haggis is a jerk.

Baozhai, groans: Come on, I know you can do better than that!

Flint: That's all I have.

Baozhai: Seriously? Coming from the man who gets treated awfully by him everyday of his life? I know there's something you want to say, you just won't let it out.

Flint:

Flint: He's an asshole that I want to throw overboard...

Baozhai: What was that? I couldn't hear you.

Flint: I said he's an asshole that I want to throw overboard.

Baozhai: What??? I still can't hear you! Why are you talking so low? Afraid that he'll hear you??

Flint, getting pissed off at this point: FOR FUCK SAKE I SAID THAT HE'S A FUCKING ASSHOLE THAT I WANT TO THROW OVERBOARD! THERE! DID YOU HEAR THAT??

Baozhai: Yes. Now, did that make you feel better? Getting all that anger out..?

Flint:

Flint: it kinda did...

Baozhai: You don't have to feel ashamed. It's a good thing to get it all out! Bubbling up anger isn't healthy.. ain't that right Islay?

Islay: Go fuck yourself.

Baozhai: Seeee?

Flint: ... You're a strange person you know that.

Baozhai: I'm strange in the way I try to help people :)

Flint: heh, I guess so.. hey, I haven't asked you, how did you join pirating?

Baozhai: Huh? Oh, I joined after leaving my home for becoming a wanted fugitive. I thought to myself that joining a pirate crew was the best thing. I mean I was already a criminal so why not embrace it? Haha!

Flint: How did you become a fugitive?

//Baozhai got flashbacks of a burning house, hearing sirens, and the screams of bloody murder. She couldn't make out the images because they were so blurry. Baozhai couldn't help but smile at the flashbacks. She found it almost nostalgic. It was a moment in her life that caused a massive change. In her path and in her mind. Flint noticed this her expression. He felt a bit alarmed seeing her smile so randomly. All he did was ask a question.//

Baozhai: Well, let's just say, I shouldn't have my back turned near high places. 🙂

Flint, creeped out: Okay..

Baozhai: Sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable. I'm a little cuckoo in the head but don't worry, I won't hurt you, promise.

Flint, scoots a little bit away from Baozhai: Sure, I can trust you on that.

Baozhai: You definitely can! I'll have your back if anyone tries to mess with you!

Flint: Nice to know I have a possible crazy woman to protect me.

Baozhai: I know right?? Isn't that such a good deal? No one will try to mess with you then!

Flint: I can't guarantee that but you can try to.

Baozhai: haha, I love you..

Flint: what-

Baozhai: I said I shove you.. In a playful way! See? *Playfully shoves Flint*

//Flint bumps into a wall. A button was trigged causing multiple torches to light up. It revealed a mural before them. Islay took a closer look at the murals. They showed depections of outsiders with armies attacking and killing the villagers.//

Islay: Looks like the paititi people didn't just disappear.

Baozhai: so you're saying they were attacked?

Islay: Pillaged seems more like it. Just like how most civilizations of today were born.

Bones: You think there's any treasure left?

Islay: By the looks of it, looks like they managed to hide most of it to where we're heading. It's a good thing too or our adventure here would've been a waste of time.

Flint: We should keep moving. I think I see the exit up ahead.

Baozhai: Lead the way Flinty!

Flint: don't call me Flinty.

Baozhai: oh okay. Flinty..

//The squad walked together, exiting the cave.//

Flint: Huh, to be honest I kinda expected to get attacked by a monster or something.

Baozhai: I know right? I really wanted to beat up a big scary monster..! *Pouts*

Flint: Maybe next time Baozhai.

Baozhai: I mean dang I choose that one on purpose to fight something but guess I choose wrong.

Flint: Yeah well- wait you CHOOSE THAT ONE ON PURPOSE?? I THOUGHT YOU SAID IT WAS A SHORTCUT?!?

Baozhai: Something you should know about me is that I'm a liar.

Flint, pins her up against a tree: YOU FUCKING IDIOT YOU COULD'VE GOTTEN US KILLED!

Baozhai: HEY HEY! I mean at least we didn't die right???

Bones: she does have a point.

Flint, slowly unpins himself: I've got my eye on you from now on..

Baozhai: okay, okay, you don't have to worry from now on... But having your eye on me won't be so bad..~

Flint, rolls his eyes: whatever..

Bones: if that one was safe then wouldn't the other one be..?

Islay: Dangerous? Possible but I don't wanna find out. *Puts out her torch*

Bones, shrugs: I guess you're right. No point in doing so now. *Puts out his own torch*

Baozhai: Alright then ladies, enough chit chat. Treasure awaits us!

//Baozhai ran forward through some bushes. The others quickly tailed behind her, not wanting to lose the only person who knows where the treasure is. As soon as they ran away, from the different path emerged Sao, Haggis, and Erik. They looked pretty distressed after having witnessing something terrible.//

Sao: Why would you think that was a good way to go??

Erik: I DON'T KNOW! It looked safer???!

Sao, grabs him by his collar: We almost got killed! Those creatures were going to mual us to death!!

Erik: Oh please next time you chose where we go! Let's see how well that works out for you!

//Suddenly a dagger was thrown in between the two. It caused them to separate. Haggis had another dagger in hand, in case one wasn't enough to quick the twos fighting.//

Captain Haggis: Would you two shut up!? We don't have time to argue! We have to keep moving..

Erik & Sao: Yes captain!

Captain Haggis, pulls out the map from an inner pocket of his coat: we move north. Don't make yourselves noticable.. I have feeling one of Bonnet's leeches are around here.. closer than we know it.

Erik: you think that echo that called you an asshole and wanted to throw you overboard was one of them?

Captain Haggis, punches him in the face: DON'T SAY THAT AGAIN!

Erik, falls over: I'm sorry captain! I was just.. retelling what they said..!

Captain Haggis: Doesn't matter, you don't disrespect me regardless.. Let's go. *Walks forward*

Sao: get up off the ground you Sissy.

Erik: I can't.. I'm.. too weak to go on... Carry me?

Sao: no.

Erik: okay fine.. at least kiss it to make it all better??

Sao: I'm gonna kick you where the sun don't shine if you don't get up.

Erik, quickly getting up: ALRIGHT THEN! Let's not leave the captain behind now..

//Sao rolls her eyes at him and shaked her head. The two quickly followed behind their captain.//

Erik: you sure know how to swing a right hook captain..

Captain Haggis: I know. Not even Bonnet, who's twice my size couldn't even beat me. If I see him again, I'll make sure he won't even get out alive.

To be continued..

((Islay and Baozhai belong to me

Haggis, Sao, and Erik belong to @chaossmith2))

[hisan-miren]

Redacted File

The First Date Pt 3

The two ate their meal in relative silence- although Mina did see fit to steal one of his sweet potatoes and quickly snatched it up before he could do anything.  He stared at her for a few seconds, completely flabbergasted (which was a hilarious look on him) before he snatched up her umeboshi (since she’d eaten all of her tempura.)  It quickly devolved into the two trying to steal even more of each other’s food and general tomfoolery and laughter after that.  They made sure to pick up anything they dropped or spilled in the chaos, knowing full well that Raios’ mother would thoroughly chew them out if they didn’t.  When the food (and cleanup) was finished, Raios loaded their tableware back on the tray to be taken away later, and the two moved to sit out on the walkway facing the garden.

“So, what comes after this?” Raios asked, half-grumbling.

“Well, I think it generally goes that you propose, I accept, and then we get married and live happily ever after,” Mina replied.

“I didn’t mean our relationship, you idiot!” Raios snapped, his face turning bright red.  “I meant this date!  I’m not exactly a fountain of knowledge when it comes to this!”

“Well-…”  Mina flopped over on her side, laying across Raios’ lap and causing him to panic very briefly, “we could always go to your roo-”

“Rejected,” Raios spat, a cold and angry demeanor taking back over.  “What is with you and my room anyways?  If you try to recommend it one more time, I’m seriously going to smack you.”

“Got it.  Won’t do it again,” she replied, a bit shocked by how genuinely angry he seemed to be at the mere idea of it.  Shocked, but not perturbed.  She’d try again next time.

“Pick something else.”  He still seemed pretty pissed, but his tone had lost a bit of its edge.

“… Isn’t this fine?”

“Huh?”

“Being like this,” she replied, motioning to their position.  “Or did you want to the one using my lap?” she teased.

“Hu- wh- No!  That’s not what I meant at all!” Raios spluttered, cheeks turning dark again. “And this isn’t what I meant! Aren’t people supposed to do things?!”

“This is doing something though,” Mina replied calmly. “And I am plenty satisfied to just stay like this and chat for a few hours.”

“My legs will fall asleep,” Raios complained.

“Then we can switch!  In an hour you can use my lap.”

“Somehow I get the sense that this isn’t exactly what usually happens on a first date.”

“Well yeah,” Mina replied.  “Usually, the boyfriend isn’t grounded.  We made the most of what we could, and it was fine.  I mean, we’re not breaking any records, but I don’t want to set our relationship to the pace of others’.”  Mina made herself comfortable again on his lap and stared up at him, starting yet another staring contest.  She was content to keep going too until Raios eventually sighed and leaned over.  She was so confused about what was going on that she didn’t realize what had happened until the sensation left her lips. She just stared up at him wide-eyed and quietly covered her mouth.  There was a silence and then she raised a finger.  “One more time.”

“Huh?”

“Do it again.  I wasn’t ready.”

“No,” he replied, seeming pretty adamant this time.

“Oh come on!”  She covered her face as she felt her cheeks start to actually physically burn. She kicked her feet against the wood floor and started to roll around in Raios’ lap, trying to remember not to let herself fall.  “Just one more!  Come on, please?!”

“I know you, it definitely won’t be ‘just one more’,” Raios replied flatly.

“You’re so mean!” Mina whined.

“Yup, I’m mean, horrible, awful- feel free to call me all the names you want, you’re not getting another one.”  Mina gave one last futile, dying groan of disappointment and laid flat on Raios’ lap again.

“I didn’t think you’d do it.”

“You underestimated me.”

“Clearly.”  Raios watched, slightly amused, as her face began to turn red again and she quickly tried to re-cover her face.  “Ughhhhh… Let’s just end it here for today. I don’t think I can function after that.”

“You sure?”

“Not at all, but I think I’m going to be completely useless the rest of the day.  Also my self-control just went in the garbage.”

“Huh?!  Your self-control?!” Raios asked.

“I’m gonna die.  I’m legitimately going to die.”

“You’re not gonna die from a kiss,” Raios ground out.

“I am so gonna die.”

“I didn’t realize you were such a drama queen.”

“And I didn’t realize you were such a tease!”

“Well there’s a lot more where that came from,” he replied, grinning smugly.  She looked up at him only to cover her face again.

“Okay, now I’m gonna die.”

“I’m not playing this game.”

“GREAT!  Because I’m already losing!”  Raios just sighed and leaned back while his girlfriend silently freaked out in his lap. “Ugh…  It should be illegal to be that hot…” Mina grumbled to herself.

“I’d be a lot more legal if you took off your rose-tinted glasses.”

“No thanks, I’m happy where they are.”

“You are just-…”  Raios gave a sigh that was somewhere between ‘annoyed’ and ‘exasperated’.

“I believe the word you’re looking for is ‘incorrigible’,” Mina replied cheekily.

“That’s definitely the word I was looking for.”

“Ready to switch yet?”

“We’re not switching,” Raios replied flatly. “You’ll just use it to kiss me.”

“You saw through it…” Mina grumbled, clicking her tongue and crossing her arms in irritation.  “Then at least give me your hand.  That’s the least you can do.”  She huffed and pouted until Raios eventually felt he had no other recourse but to give into her demands.  He sighed and picked one of his hands off the wooden floor and offered it to her. Mina’s demeanor immediately turned from sullen and dour to gleeful and bright.  Her two smaller hands immediately latched on, and her cheek quickly found its way into her palm.

“What in reverse world is so fun about this?” Raios grumbled. Mina’s thought process was completely beyond him most of the time, but he found this sort of behavior especially weird.  It wasn’t like this was the first time.  She’d done stuff like this to flirt with him even before they started going out, but he didn’t really understand this need for closeness she seemed to have.  He understood wanting to hold hands and be close, but hers seemed to border on outright cuddling.  He didn’t mind, but he didn’t quite get it either.  They sat in silence like that for a while; she spent time feeling out the callouses on his fingers and tracing the wrinkled creases of his palm like she was trying to memorize every inch of it.  A while passed like that without speaking, and eventually Mina sat up and chose to latch herself to Raios’ arm instead.  “I’ve been meaning to ask for a bit, but you’re the type that likes cuddling, aren’t you?”

“If I say ‘yes’, can we cuddle?” she asked hopefully.

“Absolutely not,” Raios replied flatly.  “What if one of my family walked by?  We’re in the garden.  At least pretend to have a bit of shame.”

“But if we weren’t somewhere with other people around?” she asked, eyes glinting with mischief.  

“…I’d think about it…” he replied quietly.

“Alright!” Mina cheered, pumping her fist.

“I didn’t say ‘yes’!” Raios snapped, a bit flustered.

“It’s just as good,” Mina replied.

They sat there and chatted for a while longer, continuing their game of pushing and pulling every now and then until the sun was halfway to the horizon. Raios looked up and judged that it was probably around 5:00pm.  Mina probably had to get home soon.

“Come on, get up,” Raios said, shrugging the arm that she was still very much latched onto.

“Don’t wanna,” Mina pouted.

“Get up,” Raios ground out.  “I gotta take you home.”

“I thought you were grounded,” Mina replied skeptically.

“You honestly think the old hag would allow me to not walk you home?”

“… Fair point.”  Mina reluctantly released him and stood up to stretch.  “We can work out the details of our next date on the way. I wonder where we should go~”

“Ever the opportunist,” Raios sighed, slowly getting up and working the pins and needles out.  The couple made their way over to the entryway, making sure to stop by the kitchen where Raios’ mother would be.  He popped his head in and got his mother’s attention.  She put down the dish she was using to taste the soup, a little surprised that her son had come to find her.

“What seems to be the problem?”

“I’m taking Mina home,” Raios said.

“You know you can’t leave the house, correct?”

“You would really have me not accompany her to ensure she gets home safely?” Raios growled.  Mina was a force of nature.  No one messed with her if they were trying to have a good and decent day.  But it was the principle of the matter.  Mrs. Minori’s placid face slowly morphed into a sly smile, and she turned back to the soup in front of her.

“If you’re not back in 30 minutes, I’m sending your sister after you.”

“I’ll come right back,” he replied quickly.  That was the last thing he wanted.  His sister would interrogate him the entire way back and drive him insane.  Dinner was already going to be bad enough, he didn’t need it to happen without the distraction of food (and he was sure their parents would conveniently ignore her jabs in an attempt to satiate their own curiosity.)  

“D’you get permission?” Mina asked.

“Yup, but I gotta be kinda quick otherwise aneki will be sent for me.  Being alone with her would be the most obnoxious thing in the world.”

“I’m not envious.”

“Must be nice being an only child.”  Mina just shrugged and started slipping her geta on.  Raios quickly followed, suit and the two left to go to her place.

“So, where should we go next time?” Mina asked.  

“A date on the mainland is a bit hard since it’d take most of the day to get there,” Raios mused, “but we might be able to get on a ferry to one of the nearby islands that has more to do.”  He looked over to find Mina pouting which completely bewildered him.  “What? Why are you making that face?”

“Those’re fine ‘n all, but I want something quieter,” she grumbled.

“So what, you just wanna hang out on the beach on the quiet side of the island or something?”  Her eyes lit up, and Raios once again came to the conclusion that there was no understanding his girlfriend.  He sighed in resignation.  “I guess that’s what we’ll be doing then.”  Mina clapped her hands and giggled in glee before once again latching onto his arm.  Raios didn’t even bother trying to get her off this time.  If someone saw them, then they saw them.  

It didn’t take long to arrive at Mina’s house, even with the awkward way she was hanging off him, and Raios stopped at the door.

“Alright, let go.  It’s time for you to go home.”  Mina grumbled under her breath and stubbornly clung to his sleeve.  “Come on, I’ll see you on Monday.”

“It’s too long…”

“It’s the day after tomorrow!” Raios snapped.

“I wish we could just skip to being married already,” Mina pouted, moving to grip the collar of his yukata.

“That’s gonna be a bit,” Raios replied, feeling a bit sheepish. “We’re not even old enough.”  Mina pouted, feeling disheartened when faced with the truth.  “Quit that. You’re being ridiculous.  At least consider for a moment the idea that you may be happier with someone else.”

“Not happening,” Mina growled at him.  “It’s definitely gotta be you.”  Then, Mina violently tugged on him pulling him downwards and caught him completely off guard.  The one Raios had given her had been soft and fleeting.  One of his many ways of gently telling her he loved her and appreciated her. The kiss Mina gave Raios was longer and firmer, and she didn’t even give him a chance to try and lead it.  When she finally let go of him, he covered his mouth with his arm and stumbled back, a violent blush covering his entire face and creeping down his neck.  Mina was almost sure she saw steam coming out of his ears too.

“YOU-!!”  Mina just flashed him a smug smile and stuck her tongue out at him.

“See you Monday~” Mina said, waving to him as she went inside, feeling like she’d set off a whole warehouse’s worth of fireworks.