#try as byakko might

[sharpiedoodleee]

the man eating tiger

[unicornpopcorn14]

I WAS JUST ABT TO POINT THIS OUT!!

The lack of All Men are Equal may cause Atsushi and Kyouka's abilities to go apeshit, and if Yosano is joining the fight soon then her as well!!!

Sad about Fukuzawa and then realising All Men are Equals may no longer in effect. And that means Atsushi might go apeshit because he won’t have anything holding him back.

And it’s night it could be a full moon….Oh oh Fyodor you fool! You don’t even know what you’ve done!

[alpaca-clouds]

My Predictions for Nocturne Season 2

Alright, I have promised to do some predictions for Nocturne season 2 - mainly just for the hell of it. And because some people have asked me about it. So, I am trying to make my predictions.

I will do these per character, rather than going on about general plot points.

It should be noted in general, that since Powerhouse has so far not gotten Green Light for season 3 of Nocturne, I am assuming that they will try to end the Erszebeth plotline within season 2, as I am thinking they will try to not have the show potentially be cancelled on a cliffhanger. (Yes, I have maybe too much trust? xD)

Alright. Let's get me started.

Also: I originally wrote this before yesterday's trailer dropped. But I reworked it a little.

Richter Belmont

With Richter it is going to be assumed, that he will have a more classical hero's journey. I will once again iterate: My reading of Nocturne is, that the show will very much take this idea of a "divine bloodline". Annette is a descendant of Ogun, and I am fairly certain there will be a point being made out of both Maria (more about her a bit later) and Richter and in extension the entire Belmont family, also descending from a god. I am not sure which one. I am personally assuming that it will be some Celtic god, that is supposed to be forgotten. I am not sure if they will name a specific name - but I am fairly sure that this is going to be a point that is going to be revealed somehow.

Other than this, I am assuming his relationship with Annette will further develop. I am going to assume he will learn to connect to the place of the ancestors through her, because to me this would make a lot of sense.

From the second trailer I assume that there will be at least two episodes in which he will be alone with Alucard and Annette. Probably to show a couple of different aspects of him, given that for season 1 he mainly interacted with others only while Maria was there. So him getting away from Maria will also help to show him from a different perspective.

I am also somewhat expecting his story to get a bit darker, as I am expecting that if they get another season, they might go into a Richter corruption arc, like it happens in Symphony of the Night. In SotN this obviously comes a bit out of nowhere - and I am assuming the show will set this up a bit more. Especially as I am not going to guess he is fully possessed by Shaft or something. But either way, I am going to assume there will be some groundwork laid, but the season ain't gonna end with an already corrupted Richter. It will just be posed as a possibility before the end of the series.

Maria Renard

Alright, with Maria there is definitely more interesting stuff going on based on the second trailer especially. We saw her use a very differnt form of magic from what we have seen in season 1. While in season 1 her magic is very light and predominated by round forms, in season 2 we see dark magic with edgy forms going on. And her eyes will get dark at some point. I think we might learn something about where her magic is coming from. And I am assuming that this indeed has to do with the Otherworld from celtic mythology. Given that Edouard brought this up before, that the "other worlds" in different mythologies might be the same it might tie into that.

Something I keep wondering about: In the games that came up out of Japan, her animals are based on the Four Holy Beasts of the Cardinal Directions, because the game is from Japan. Now, in the show so far they have not been named as Suzaku, Byakko, Genbu and Seiryu. But... Yeah, I do wonder if this is going to come up.

I really do wonder if they will bring in something on Fae through Maria. We never got full confirmation whether fae exist in this world. However, it would make sense.

One way or another: I am fairly certain we will learn more about her magic. That is what I am rather sure about.

Annette

Annette is to me right now the hardest character to place in terms of her character arc. Because here is the thing: She is the one character who in season 1 goes through a pretty complete character arc. She has her wants in the beginning, she realizes her need. Yes, she failed, and I am assuming she will try to find out more about her powers in season 2, but I actually do not think there will be a whole lot of character development beats.

I am assuming that her plot will have two aspects to it in season 2. For one, she has some knowledge about magic that nobody else has, because she comes at it from a different perspective and knows of the Plane of the Ancestors. So, I assume that she will somewhat take the role of a teacher towards Richter.

I also am going to assume that she and Richter will look more into the background of the Egyptian gods. And I would not be surprised that through it she learned more about the real gods in the world. While Egypt is far away from the Yoruba homelands, I do wonder if there is something that overlaps there? I am just assuming that there is a reason that she is part of the "find out about Egypt" team.

Edouard

We do see Edouard in the second trailer for a couple of shots, marching with a night creature army into what seems to be Paris. Now, Edouard is another character who is heavy on the thematic aspect of this show. Especially in his face on the theme of free will. We can gather already, that he will free a couple of other night creatures through his singing. And while we only see shots of him in Paris, I am going to assume that he has some side plot going on before that.

I would argue that there is going to be the topic brought up of how this new night creature machine works. While we never get a full confirmation on how exactly this works in the old show, the fact that FlysEyes is probably from like the 7th or 8th century - or his soul is. So it is probable that for the most part the night creatures in the old show were souls that had hung in "hell" for a while pulled into random bodies.

But we see that Drolta, Edouard, and Jacques are all their own souls back in their own bodies. So the machine Emmanuel got works differently. And I would not be surprised if Edouard and Jacques will look into that at some point.

I am also... something tells me they might get into trouble and Olrox will help them escape? They need to escape after all before they can participate in the finale.

Tera

Okay, here is my prediction: No. Tera is not going to die. Dun dun duuuuun.

From what we see in the trailer, this obviously seems like the likely outcome. Tera is now evil, because she is a vampire, and everyone is going to fight against her, and she will even try to kill her own beloved daughter, so obviously she will die and it will be tragic.

While I am not 100% sure what is going to happen, I am certain she is under some sort of control while at the stone circle, and she will fight Juste there. But Maria will come in there, and she will somehow manage to get through to her mother.

And this is also where the beast-creature will show up. I am not sure how that creature relates to Tera and Maria. But I am certain that the creature showing up has probably to do with Tera's mind control.

While I am sure she is not going to die, I do notice her absence in the second trailer for the clips from that final battle. But I am still fairly certain she does not die.

However, I would not be surprised if Maria at some point thought her dead (and that might be the trigger for the Seiryu sequence?).

Juste Belmont

Okay, I am gonna be spicy with my take here: I almost expect Juste to die. Because for him to die in a heroic sacrifice would make so much sense for his narrative. He is that old generation, who has once failed and now has lost the believe that he could still make a big difference.

I am fairly certain we will get a scene within the first two episodes that go exactly in how he has failed Lydie and Maxim. Some people assume that Maxim might still be alive as a monster, werewolf or vampire. Though some part of me thinks that that is not gonna happen, because it would convolute the plot too much. Again, I am assuming they will try to present us with a season 2 that has something that can work as an ending. So while I could see that the show might leave it a bit open that maybe Maxim shows up eventually, I am guessing there will be no showdown on this in any way.

See, Juste sees himself also responsible for the death of his daughter. And I am assuming that he will be the one snapping Tera out of the control or whatever, to save at least one mother to Richter.

Now, him we see in the final battle. So we know he will at least survive till the big final. But I still cannot help: Yes, there is just the fact that in the trailer we see him under what seems to be a cherry blossom tree, and my anime-brain just cannot help and think: "Oh boy, someone is gonna die, aren't they?"

Olrox and Mizrak

In the new trailer we do finally see the two of them in a couple of scenes. We do know they will probably make up with each other, though I suspect they will not meet up again before episode 4. (I will talk about what I expect the episodes to go like a bit further down.) I am fairly certain that Olrox will be confronted by Drolta and Erszebeth about how he is a double agent, and might have to flee because of it. I am not quite sure about the details, but I am almost certain somehow he is going to be forced to make his decision who he is fighting for. As I said above, I could absolutely see that he might be the one to free the night creatures who are right now kept, but rebellious.

We see Mizrak with the others, and I am assuming he will be working together with Juste and Maria. We see one shot of him back in the Church in Machecoul, so I guess he comes along with Maria and Juste to that place.

We also know he probably tries to join the battle of Drolta and possible some other night creatures against the Blues. And I am guessing that the scene of him and Olrox together takes place after that battle.

Drolta

Okay, everyone who reads my blog knows my thought on Drolta. I knew she was not dead, because her role in the plot was not over. And very sure that in general her role in the story will be to reveal Erszebeth's weakness. She was a priestess of Sekmet, who for some reason decided to team up with Erszebeth. I do not know if we will have Drolta as the kind of colonized, who team up with the colonizer hoping to gain power for themselves, or if she did it in some way with the hope to protect her culture. But I am very sure, that Drolta is who got Erszebeth to drink the blood of Sekmet. And I am fairly certain that we will learn this season how that happened - and that this is the reason that Drolta is still alive.

I can absolutely see Drolta dying afterwards, but... Look, form the very first moment we saw Drolta I was fairly certain, that she is eventually playing a role for the good side eventually. I am not fully sure if she will cross sides (especially as we can see her fighting Annette and Juste in scenes in the trailer that seem to happen during the finale). But I think somehow we will learn about her and her relationship to Erszebeth.

Alucard

Okay, Alucard is also someone who we can now make a lot more predictions on. While we do not see him in the scenes with the Egyptian gallery fight, I am going to assume he is with Annette and Richter at the time - because we see those three together at multiple points in the trailer. Hence my assumption that he is with them. But I still wonder, what is going to happen with this scene where we see him in an Egyptian temple. Because I am 100% certain that is not a historical display, but actually in Egypt. Which is why I do wonder, if this is a flashback or something different.

Erzsebet

Again: I do not expect this to fully end on a cliffhanger. (Powerhouse, do not let me down xD) So I am gonna say: Erzsebeth dies.

That's it. We will learn more about her getting Sekmet's blood and all that. But... I am not going to assume she will be somehow redeemed. And I think she will lose slowly her control over her divine form. That is what I am gonna assume.

You cannot steal culture. You cannot steal gods.

My Prediction for the Episodes

So, whatI am expecting for the episodes so far is the following:

Episodes 1-2: I think these first two episodes will mainly go into establishing the new status quo and involve some info dumps. We will see Drolta come back, and the characters plan out their next moves. They will go to Juste for advice, and then will come up with a plan. Juste, Mizrak and Maria will go back to the church (maybe to free the night creatures?) - and Annette, Richter and Alucard will try to find out more about Sekmet.

Episodes 3-5: Juste, Mizrak, and Maria will deal with something at the church. Again, not quite sure what. There will be a fight. Some scenes with Maria and Juste. Also there will be the fight with Tera (probably later in those episodes) and they will get Tera back onto their side. And we will learn more about Maria's powers. Also they will probably hear about some ambush or something with the Blues which will make Mizrak go and try and warn them, I guess. But he will be to late.

Meanwhile the others try to learn about Sekmet. There will be some opposition. But eventually they will learn SOMETHING. I am assuming that towards the end of these episodes Alucard will travel ahead to Paris.

Episodes 6-8: Everyone is going to bit by bit arrive in Paris. Alucard will help the Blues prepare for the battle. And then the last two episodes will probably be fairly heavy on action. Of course interspliced with enough slower scenes, because action animation costs a lot mroe than dialogues. xD

[knockyasocksoff2022]

BSD Skillswap HCs

I'm going to write some one-shots for these later.

PORT MAFIA

MORI

Scared when Elise disappears

Wondering where the hell she went

Thinks he’s sick or has been poisoned

(because when his energy is drained it’s hard to keep her around)

Can suddenly feel all of his subordinated abilities.

CoNfUsEd

Then he realises that he had Fukuzawa’s ability 

But wait, they’re the wrong ones

And then Chuuya comes to him ranting about how a sleezy mackerel did something to him

and it all makes sense

CHUUYA 

I know that transferring a God from one vessel to another is prob hella complex

Just don’t think too hard about it

It’s the ~ magic ~ of  ~ L O V E

falling from mid-air

No longer feeling the thrum of Arahabaki

Bro finally gets a break from the constant ache to cause destruction.

He takes off his gloves

But puts them right back on when he realises what that means

He doesn’t want to go around nullifying people’s abilities accidently

KAJII

Getting blown up by one of his bombs and it hurts him

But then he heals really quickly in a flurry of butterflies

Surprisingly, very calm

Does a quick scientific method to  figure out what the hell happened

Scared for Akiko when he realises 

because he does in fact have a crush on her

He worries she’ll get hurt or hurt someone else

He starts running to the Agency

AKUTAGAWA

Rashoumon goes in the middle of a fight

A fight with Atsushi, no less

Then suddenly he’s a tiger

He pAnIcS

He’s trying to hide the pAnIc

It’s not working

They’re both terrified

And trying they're very desperate best not to show the other that they are

They keep fighting

“Cuz damn if I don’t keep my promises

I said I’d fight you

So I will!”

Also, I’m extra mad at you for whatever you did!

“B-but I didn’t do anything!”

"DaMn JiNkO, you’re so incompetent you can’t even hold onto your own ability."

“Hey! We both switched, don't act like you’re better than me!”

“Think of it like Rashoumon . . . but in reverse. Byakko isn’t a gun or spear, but a massive shield!”

“You gave this . . . thing a name?”

“Yeah, so what? She may be an ability, but she deserves a name, just like Elise.”

TACHIHARA

He’s sparing with Gin when he suddenly flickers out of sight

He sees the snow but Gin doesn’t

He immediately recognises Tanizkai’s ability

“How could I forget it after he almost decapitated our entire organisation?”

But why tf would I have suddenly got Tanizaki’s ability

“And do I still have mine?”

Then he starts figuring it out

He uses it to his advantage during the sparring match

Because he figures I can’t solve this right now 

so I might as well make the best of it

He thinks there’s a cool kind of power in knowing your invisible

“You can do basically anything you want!”

ARMED DETECTIVE AGENCY

FUKUZAWA

Gets jump scared when Elise appears in his office

So confused

She’s like “I’m yours now.”

He’s like “nO, you are NOT.”

“Of course I am, you do love Stupid Rintarou, don’t you?”

“Y-yes . . .? Normally I’d say so without question, but I have a bad feeling about where this is going.”

She explains what happened, because as an ability she has an understanding of it

He’s a little shaken

But he likes her so he becomes chill with it

He does know however that his employees won’t be chill with loosing their abilities

He hides Elise in his office with a colouring book he had bought for her

Constantly reminding himself that this is temporary

“I’m a grown man with employees working under me, I must remain calm”

He actually loves Elise, even if he doesn’t spoil her as visibly as Mori does

As soon as the ADA realises (yet the employees still haven’t realised who some of them have swapped with and what it means 😉) he’s like “I’ve got to call O- Mori-dono”

“Why?” They’re all immediately suspicious

“To let him know this is not in any way our doing of course.”

“Oh, yes, of course.”

He and Mori are like “I was just about to call you!”

“Ougai, come get your feral child!”

“Yes, I’d like her back as much as you, but shockingly, we have larger problems.

He tells him that the PM members have the ADA members abilities

dun Dun DUN!!!

DAZAI

Knows what’s going on at once

He’s thrilled!

“I can fly!”

“I can jump off the roof and scare the crap out of Atsushi!”

“Oh wait, but now I can't jump to my death anymore, stupid automatic activation ability.”

But he’s always worried for Chuuya

b/c Chuuya is used to having his ability

He doesn’t want Chuuya to be hurt

He also thinks it’s funny as hell

Because he’s a little shit

He wants them to all get their original abilities back

But he FULLY intends to take advantage of this while he can

Chuuya calls him like “WTF did you do to me mackerel!”

Then Mori explains and Chuuya calls Dazai to rant about how he “can’t believe a piece of garbage like “shitty” Dazai is my soulmate!”

KUNIKIDA

After he sees everyone’s ability is messed up he tries to make something with his book but it doesn’t work

He wonders who he swapped with because he doesn't feel any different

He starts trying to do other abilities (reminds me of that once scene where he’s buy Atsushi’s bedside after the fight on the ship and he’s trying to show Atsushi that he’s calm and ready for anything and is doing martial arts to the air or whatever) and none of them work

Then he gives up and decides he should ask around if any of his underground sources know what’s going on

He’s trying to call it and the phone is doing stuff without him touching it

He’s like OHHHH

 . . . shite

Goes to get check up on katai before he loses his mind of boredom and sadness without his computer skills

KATAI

He never uses paper so he doesn’t notice he’s gained a new ability

But he does notice that his computer has stopped listening to him

He’s confused and distraught

He thinks he’s lost the only quality of his that matters

But he’s far too emotional and lazy to inquire so he just starts to mope in depression

Luckily Kunikida is there within 30 minutes to “save” him

AKIKO

She doesn’t notice until she has to treat Tanizaki 

b/c he stabbed himself by mistake when he magnetised a scissor to him

He explained it that he just dropped it

b/c he didn’t want to admit what happened b/c he was to freaked out

She starts dismembering him when and then realises😬😰😶

Oof size large

Tanizaki starts panicking and unintentionally flinging her metal tools everywhere, injuring both of them.

Yosano immediately knows he swapped with Tachihara but has no time to be amused

They speedrun like every ability to figure out who she swapped with

“Try levitating something!”

“Here touch Tanizaki, see if it makes him stop!”

In the end, it’s Kajii who comes to them because he likes Yosano and wants her to be safe.

So he shows up just in time and Yosano shows him how to heal her and Tanizaki.

ATSUSHI

Suddenly he’s no longer a tiger, but a human

And tendrils are coming out of his clothes

He’s scared because he can’t regenerate now

And he’s scared for Aku 

b/c Aku doesn’t know how to defend himself using the tiger

He wants to stop fighting

But at the same time, he pushes to his highest potential (it makes him exhilarated, and maybe something else . . .) because he knows Aku will just regenerate

Aku’s teaching how to use Rashoumon while they’re fighting

“Not like that, idiot!”

“It requires finesse!”

“As base a creature as you doesn’t deserve her*!”

*rashoumon is a referred to with s female somewhere in the manga/light novels I think

“Slice with the edge, imbecile!”

“Don’t use your body weight, you brute! Let Rashoumon do it for you!”

“How can’t you grasp something so simple!”

“Stab, not slash, you stupid oaf! And send tendrils out remotely. You don’t have enough technical skill for that, weretiger. Your specialities lie in brute strength and maximum destruction. Use that! Don’t try and fight with your weakness, deliberately doing so sets you up for failure. Only a fool sets himself up for failure. Don’t be a fool, weretiger!”

They’re still arguing to cover their fear

Yeah, it’s really just them showing off how well they know each other

Eventually, the others find them.

KYOUKA

doesn’t notice at first

Then Kenji comes in and male blond Demon Snow is trailing behind him

He’s completely unaware

It’s so cute

Kyouka doesn't want to tell him 

so she experimentally lifts Kuni’s desk 

and when she can easily do so, Kenji’s like “Wow, you’re so strong Kyouka!”

She’s like “Yeah *_* We swapped abilities.”

He turns around and notices

He loves Demon Snow

Kyouka kind of wants to give it to him

Even though it’s the last piece of her mother, it still brings painful memories

He tells her she should keep it.

All smiles

“It was your Mum’s gift to YOU. You can use her to help others and make her your own. Just please, give her a chance, for me okay.”

[fallingdownhell]

Hi There,

I loved the convincing dumping ask you did I keep going back to read it all the time! I would really love if you did a part 2 with Itto, Gorou, Diluc and kayea if you don't mind.

Thank you for taking my Ask!

Aww, thank you so much! I feel so honored hearing that<3

I already did a part 2 (so that makes this part 3, holy shit!) where Kaeya and Diluc were involved, but I'll still do the other two. Hope you don't mind that.

Characters Included: Itto; Gorou

Content: gender neutral reader; she/her pronouns for the best friend; cursing; oblivious and dense Itto, but he is whipped for you; Gorou is a sweet and cute boi; dense reader in Gorou's part

Word count: 2,5k words

Thank you so much for the request and hope you enjoy!

Itto

Oh boy.. Itto in a relationship would be so down bad for you

Like, the dude is already dense as fuck. He did not notice that you were flirting with him for the longest time

It took you, literally screaming it to his face, for him to realize

Was over the moon when he knew his feelings for you were reciprocated

absolutely so focused on you and making you happy that he doesn't even pay attention to any other people anymore

You let out a deep, exhausted sigh as you left your workplace for the day. It had been a very, very long day and right now, you wanted nothing more than to see your boyfriend again.

You usually hang around with them after work, since it's a great way to destress and calm down again. Though finding them is an entirely different issue, since they are always somewhere else, very rarely are they found in the same place twice in a row.

So, without having any destination in mind right now, you start walking through Inazuma City, looking at the different trinkets that were being sold at almost every corner.

You did, in fact, stop to by some Dango from one vendor, thinking that the treat might cheer you up as well.

You continued walking through the streets as you were enjoying your food, but you had yet to stumble upon your boyfriend and his gang members.

When you searched almost all of the city, you decided to look for them at the outskirts of the town. But everything there was quiet and peaceful as well, giving you no indication that they were here.

Sighing, you gave up on your idea and decided to instead go for a walk around Byakko Plain, maybe that might help clear your mind. After all, you could always talk and spend time with your boyfriend later, knowing that he would return to your home anyway for the night.

So, with a somewhat lifted mood, you went for your walk, enjoying the quiet, peaceful atmosphere around you as you observed your surroundings. The sun was starting to set, turning the sky into a beautiful bluish-red colour, birds were chirrping all around you, making you feel at ease.

You have been walking for some time and decided to head back to the city again, to go home for the day, when some noise caught your attention.

You soon realized that it was a group of people, talking, not too far away from you. Thinking that it might be some Nobushi hanging around, you went behind some trees for shelter, trying to locate the source of the sounds so you could avoid them until you made it to the city.

However, once you found the source, you recognized the people of the group to be Itto and his gang themselves. Feeling relieved, you left your hiding spot and decided to walk over to them. Upon getting closer, you saw another person with them that you usually didn't see around them very often.

It was one of your best friends who was hanging out with the gang. Which, in and of itself wasn't a problem, even though she never told you anything about that, but what made you wary was the way she was so close to your boyfriend.

It was like she was glued to his side, always looking at him, hanging on every word he spoke. It set you off, but you also didn't want to start any drama, so you shoved those thoughts and feelings into the back of your mind as you approached the group.

Kuki was the first to notice you. She just nodded at you before nudging Itto in his side, apparently too hard for the male. He looked at her, complaining about her action, but Shinobu just nodded her head in your direction.

Confused, everyone followed her direction, now noticing your approaching form. You waved at everyone, but before you got a chance to say anything, a loud yell interrupted you.

"(NAME)!", Itto screamed as he got up from the ground and ran the rest of the way towards you, hugging you and lifting your feet off of the ground, twirling you around a few times.

You laughed as you hugged him back, holding onto him so you wouldn't fall on the ground. Once he sat you down again, he immediately began to tell you about his day, what he and his gang had been up to as he lead you back to the group.

You greeted everyone with a smile, getting one back from everyone in return, except for your friend. She was looking at you with an angry, serious expression, but you decided to pay no mind to it for now.

All of Itto's attention was now entirely on you and the longer this went on, the angrier the look on your friends face got. It didn't take much for you to put two and two together, to figure out why she was out here spending time with Itto and the gang while being glued to him.

Her jealousy was clear to everyone, except the oblivious Oni, since he truly only got eyes for you. In a sense, it made you proud, but it also made situations like these quite difficult sometimes.

After some time of your friend being ignored by everyone, including Itto, she decided to speak up again, asking to talk to him alone about something important.

He just looked at her with a blank face as he just said "Why?"

Her face got a little red, which annoyed you, but you decided to just let this play out for now. You could always interviene if things got too out of hand.

"..it's just something I want to talk to you about."

"Then you can tell me here. I got no secrets from my buddies and especially not from my beautiful partner right here!"

At that, she got even more angry and you, as well as everyone else, had to really try to hold back your laughter at this hilarious situation.

"You know what? Fine!", she said, standing up from her spot, looking down at Itto who was staring at her, but kept sitting on his spot beside you, while all of you observe her.

"I like you, Itto. I like hanging out with you and I don't like you hanging around (Name) all the time!"

She nearly yelled and by the time she was done, she was almost out of breath. Everyone was looking at her in shock, not having thought that she would actually go through with this. Itto, however, still looked utterly confused.

"Well, I like you, too. You're a great friend and fun to hang out with. But.. (Name) is my partner, after all. So they're gonna be around me. That's just how it is. But I'm glad you enjoy hanging out with the gang!"

"Wha..? No, that's not.. Ugh!"

She stormed off, still angry and upset, while you and the others burst out into laughter, holding your hurting stomachs from how hard you were laughing.

"Huh? What was that about? Did I do something?", Itto turned to you, asking, looking utterly confused at the situation. You couldn't help but find him absolutely adorable right now.

The mood soon settled down and you all went home for the day. Your friend, however, avoided you and the gang since then, like you all were some kind of disease.

Not that you were complaining about that outcome at all...

Gorou

Gorou is a very devoted lover

he always wants to be around you. He doesn't necissarily spend the time with you. It's enough for him to be in your presence while the two of you are doing your own thing

sadly, he doesn't often have the time to do so, as the duties of a general are many and his people always need something from him

days off are very rare for him, but when he does get them, he spends every second of it with you, no matter what you guys decide to do

It's finally happening again..

After weeks of not having a day to himself, always on duty, dealing with some issues, Gorou finally has a day off again, issued by the priestess of Watatsumi Island herself.

She often advises Gorou to take some time off, to take care of himself and you, but only when she practically forces him to do so, does he oblige to her suggestion.

You were ecstatic about this, having missed your lover dearly since you only get to see and be with him for short periods of time during his work days. Both you and him hate it, but there is nothing that can be done about it.

So, since now you have a few days all to yourselves, Gorou decided to plan out a few things to surprise and treat you, like you deserve. He's so grateful that you're patient with him, and he wants to show his appreciation for you through this

He had planned the next few days out, knowing exactly what he wanted to do and where to take you, however... there was one problem.

Since neither of you had anticipated him getting a leave from work, you invited one of your friends over to Watatsumi Island to keep you company, letting her stay with you for a few days. And she only arrived two days ago..

Gorou had half a mind to ask her if she would be willing to depart ahead of time so you two could spend the time together, but he didn't want to come across as rude, so he didn't say anything to her. Plus, you seemed to enjoy the time spent with her, and he didn't want to take that away from you, even though the craved for your touch and attention to only be on him.

So, when he next caught you in a minute where you were alone, he went up and spoke to you about his ordered time off. You were thrilled and when he suggested you two go on a walk in the evening, you agreed, saying that you can take some time that you don't spend with her.

Gorou was so happy to hear that, his tail wagging excitedly behind him. You giggle at that, reaching up to softly pet one of his ears.

Archons, he had to hold back a whimper. How much he had missed your touch. How long had it been since you guys last had a real, thorough cuddle session? Too long, Gorou decided on the spot.

But you let go of him not too long after, saying that there was still time for that later on. He pouted a bit but nodded his head, already looking forward to that.

...

A few hours later, Gorou was waiting for you outside your shared tent, since you wanted to put on some other clothes for your walk with him. The two of you had a habit to always wander a bit further out than originally intended when going on a simple "walk", so you wanted to be prepared, just in case.

When you left, his mood immediately brightened upon seeing you. You were just about to leave the camp when your friend spotted the two of you and came up to you guys, asking where you were going.

You explained to her that you were simply going for a walk, so she decided to ask if she could join you guys. Gorou was a bit reluctant but agreed in the end, hoping that he could still enjoy the time with you..

...

It was a total nightmare.

Every time Gorou tried to hold your hand, or walk next to you, or tried anything else, your friend always butted in, shoving herself between you two, ruining every chance Gorou was about to take.

He deeply regretted having her tag along to this. He wished he just declined her request..

The worst part is, you didn't even seem to notice what she was doing. Either that, or you didn't care about it, but Gorou didn't think that that was it, so this only leaves him with the first option..

He pondered and thought about what he could do to even only get a few seconds alone and uninterrupted with you, when he noticed your friend being quite a distance away from you two, and you were right in front of him..

Your hand just hanging by your side as you were looking around the scenery..

He didn't think about it twice and went to grab your hand to hold it in his own, but-

"Look! What's that over there?", you exclaim, running towards something you just saw, effectively getting out of Gorou's reach.

He just stood there, dumbfounded, for a few seconds, before sighing and turning to go after you, when a tug on his sleeve made him stop in his tracks.

Your friend was standing there behind him. He hadn't even noticed her getting close to him.

He wanted to ask her if she was alright, but she spoke up before he could say anything.

"What do you even see in them?"

At first, he was confused at the question. It took him a few seconds to realize what she actually meant with that.

"Why are you even with them? You could do so much better. You deserve someone who actually cares about you, not someone so stupid as them."

"What? Don't tell me you mean someone like yourself?", Gorou scoffed and pulled his arm out of her grasp, but as he looked at her again, he saw her serious expression.

"I do mean myself, yes. I love you, Gorou. I have been in love with you for so long. And I hate that you don't see that. I could treat you so much better than (Name) ever could. Why won't you see that?"

She was starting to get desperate now, grabbing onto his arm again. She attempted to pull Gorou down towards her to kiss him, but he saw this coming and quickly dodged her, pulling out of her grip again, putting some distance between them.

He looked at her, warily, as he chose his next words carefully. "That will never happen. No matter how much you wish for it, I love (Name) and I will always choose them. They are a great partner to me, you know nothing about our relationship. So, if you're only here in hopes of getting with me, then I ask you now, kindly, to leave. If you try to sabotage us any more than you already have, I won't be so kind with you the next time."

After that, he didn't wait for her response. Instead, he turned and walked over to where you ran off to. When you later realized that your friend was not with Gorou, he told you that she went back to the camp on her own as she started to get tired.

He would tell you about everything that had happened, later. Right now... he just wanted to enjoy the time you finally got to yourselves...

[lavender-bundle-blithe]

yknow what. Human Abilities AU where people's abilities are just... their own person. similar to a modern au but the abilities are also there but as actual people ^^ starting with sskk and skk! (am i making it into yin-yang w|w and double black m|m? maybe. i dont know myself. i think.)

byakko would be the strict but motherly protective tiger that i headcanon her to be. very protective of atsushi since he still goes through hell in an orphanage, and really, she has no filter but is nice enough to place one on for... five minutes. voice claim... ethereal but monotone. my girl's blunt. ex: tigress from kung fu panda rashomon would likely act similar to aku in a sense, but... more teasing. she likes to rile byakko up, but those happen on, like, a good day. which is one out of... two-three weeks. but similar to byakko, she's protective of the siblings very much, and can and will spoil those two with sweets since the whole slums situation. now her voice claim would likely have an elegant voice compared to byakko, yet both have the same bite. ex: yae miko from genshin impact but toned down. --- how these two interact... hm. probably how atsushi and aku were from day one in canon, they hated each other. but it could go two ways: where they catch fists or egged on by rashomon's teasing... "or is she threatening?" <- byakko. but after some time, from hating each others guts when on site and also not, it more or less evolves to them... liking each other's company. byakko helps rashomon regarding seeing things in other perspectives, however blunt they are. and rashomon helps byakko with the social cues. neither of them are the talkers, but when its just them two, no words would be spoken and yet they just understand what they need.

now for no longer human, whom i shall call "null". null is... silent. the silent eerie character that rarely talks but is just... there. not much cues in his blank and expressionless face, and his posture is solemn and tight. he acts much similar to 15!dazai but more melancholic. he took the brunt of whatever happened in his and dazai's childhood, he's a lot more mature than that. his voice claim would be a deep voice, could be heard as monotone or angry to strangers, but with those who's familiar with him, it's just... calming. ex: the horse from the boy, the mole, the fox, and the horse. for the tainted sorrow, or more or less arahabaki... he's basically a chuuya but more destructive, and he doesn't want to slow down. but when it comes to null, its either that he has to be in pace with the other or he can and will drag them. they don't care. but of course, others wonder why he cares so much for null if its said that he doesnt care at all. now some might say that no one could manage to understand him, others would say that he might speak riddles. a sort of ethereal tone, and it's oddly pitched. possible ex: sphinx from dragons dogma 2. --- this one's different, how they interact. basically: arahabaki would try and egg null on, get them riled up, but for the sake of proving the man wrong in his own point. it's unfortunately that both null and dazai have that sense of not being human. and while chuuya has his own way in showing dazai he has a life worth living, arahabaki's situation is a more difficult one. because null's more observant and quiet, the man likely has several scenarios going through his head on what's to happen, and has definitely figured out what arahabaki's planning on doing and avoided it with some certain word of phrase. so, arahabaki turns those words against null. two can play that game. but while arahabaki helps null with that, null helps with arahabaki's destructive and explosive tendencies, managing to defuse a situation in mere seconds and get them out of trouble. they're looking out for each other, and they have their backs.

[rottenstrawberrigirl]

I love the new vibe of your blog aaah— I would dare say we are matching now! ^^

Thoughts on the new chapter? :>

I haven’t read No Longer Human (which is why I’m totally throwing in the dark here), but I’m starting to think that people hallucinating Dazai is actually part of his ability.

Oh, I didn't even realize we matched. That's so cute of us. One of my friends said my blog was too red and unorganized, so I tried to do something more "aesthetic." Perhaps I'll tidy it up a little more over time. I don't know. I'm glad I've changed it, though.

Us 👇🏻

🖤 Dark Academia 🤝🏻 Light Academia 🤎

I have "No Longer Human," but I couldn't bring myself to start it because of how depressing people were saying it was. 😞 I have a feeling I might not be able to handle it, but I suppose I'll start it because I want to have a better understanding of Dazai's character.

I will write my thoughts then. I'm not a good analyzer, but I'll try for you. Let me know if there are things you disagree with me on. I like it when an intelligent woman womansplain things to me heheh. 😼

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.𖥔 ݁ ˖ CHAPTER 121 .𖥔 ݁ ˖

𝜗𝜚 (trauma 😍) 𝜗𝜚

Ahem, first things first, 👏🤵‍♀️

Atsushi has never recovered from his past traumas, as we can see from the way he falls apart every time things go downhill, and now he is doubting himself again and believes there is no point in fighting against Fyodor. Honestly, Atsushi's hallucinations are genuinely the saddest to me. He only finds the motivation to not give up by imagining if Dazai was there, encouraging him to stand up. 😕

I wonder if there's anything between him hallucinating and the destroyed Page. Isn't Atsushi connected to the book after all? Is this why everything, including his delusions of Dazai, goes pitch black at the end?

I think I'll wait for the next chapter to discuss them more. I feel we will see more of them in 122, especially because that last scene can go in many different directions.

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The other things I want to talk about in this chapter...

I mean, I think it's obvious he's doing these on purpose.

He wants to destroy Atsushi completely psychologically, crushing his hope and making him fall into despair. He may want him to be ignited with revenge or trigger his survival instinct so that he can ultimately unleash Byakko to protect him. At this point, he's just pushing the poor boy to his limits, knowing that he won't give up so easily. But even if he had given up, it probably wouldn't really matter to him. Fyodor doesn't care if Atsushi's dead or alive in the end, but still, he is taking his chances cause he probably views Atsushi as weak/manipulatable, and breaking his will and molding him into what he wants, killing his spirit would be more practical in his plans since he only wanted Byakko, and didn't deem Atsushi worthy of her from the beginning.

Whether tormenting Atsushi or harming others, he does what he believes is necessary and justifies his actions each time. (I love what a horrible, cruel person he is.)

Let's look at this panel, in which half of Fyodor's face is shadowed with black. I really like this panel because it is yet another example of how deranged he actually is. Metaphorically speaking - part of him is bright, and a part of him is dark, or in this case, white and black. In that scene, he finally gets the reaction he has been trying to get out of Atsushi. This face may also indicate that a part of him secretly feels a sick satisfaction from doing this to him, enjoying causing suffering to an ability user. This panel also SO reminded me of Ivan and the Devil from TBK. 😭 Is it just me??? I've never heard anyone talk about it. I need someone to do a better analysis than me.

I think this is another interesting way to represent his character because usually, most audiences expect a character to be either good or bad and not change unless that character is seen as "redeemable" enough in their eyes. If they are not, then no matter how much effort that character makes to change and become a better person, they would still seem bad at their core. It's like how the fandom sees Dazai, his effort to become a good person is very much ignored despite the fact that all the characters in BSD are as morally gray as the world we live in.

And I believe that we may see Fyodor also having this kind of parallel to Dazai in the future when his whole backstory is revealed. Fyodor does horrible things, though, with a greater purpose: to fix the world, establish peace, and save humanity, as he claims. We don't know the exact reason why or what made him start everything, but he's also trying to be "good" like Dazai, a "savior" in his own crazy way. Well, except that he does not see his vision as flawed in the sense that he already perceives himself as the "good" and the "savior" he is trying to be.

I wonder if he remembers why he made up his mind to eliminate all the ability users and create a world without them in the first place. They are all humans, like him, despite their abilities. Why does he view them as sinners in particular? People who don’t have abilities do things considered “sinful,” too. Why work for so many years just to achieve that? There must be a reason more than “wanting peace” or his own curse-like ability. What was his personality like before he became like this? What kind of parents did he have? Did he ever have a family before he discovered his ability? Back then, people lived less, so I wouldn't be shocked. Does he still remember the faces and the voices of the people he used to care deeply about? Did ability users murder them, or did they betray him? What is his connection with everything? Does he even know who he is? How does he feel when he stands before the mirror and notices the visible effects of years of suffering and pain in his own haunted eyes? I just see it all as tragic.

I want to understand the reasons behind his savior complex/fallen angel parallels.

I think his motive was initially a very personal one. As time went on, he gradually forgot why, but he had seen and experienced things—awful things—that ability users have done, whether on purpose or not, and that caused him to put even more meaning into what he firmly believed in. What led him to pursue this path in the first place lost its significance and was no longer just personal. Then, he made it a worldwide problem, humanity’s problem, which he became so determined to fix. He became more obsessed and focused solely on accomplishing what he called his “mission.” After all, he was the only one capable of fixing a problem like this; he was not allowed to die, so this had to be his purpose. That must be why God had blessed him with this gift. His agony had to have a meaning, a justification. Otherwise, he would have gone mad. Anybody would have an ability like his.

He planned all of this perfectly, and everything is unfolding as he wants it to. From the very beginning, he knew he would not fail. And now, at this point, I think he just wants to finish what he started, what he made his mission, and I think he wants peace.

There are definitely so many questions about him. I know a lot of people in this fandom are sick of seeing him, but he's really one of the most enigmatic and profound characters I've seen in fiction. We still barely know anything about him. I think this arc, and probably the next one to come, will be the arc where Atsushi shines as the main character, and Fyodor shines as the main antagonist alongside him. Yes, I miss seeing the other characters I love. Yes, I wish we could go back to the old days of the Armed Detective Agency, but I beg people not to spew hate on Asagiri-sensei when the story is just beginning to get exciting. It has so much potential, and we are reading a wonderfully written, well-crafted story with plenty of effort put into it, so let's please acknowledge this. This fandom needs to voice their criticism and opinions in a respectful manner. I love our fandom, and watching what it has become saddens me.

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I don't believe he would give up on the Bookmark this quickly after all the trouble he went through to find it. I'm sure he's playing some kind of twisted game here, but on the other hand, Fyodor is not reckless, so I'm actually very confused about this chapter. Isn't it impossible to destroy the Book? How did he even tear that Page? Is the Page he tore apart even real? Will we be seeing him get on that plane and depart, or will he be stopped by Atsushi or someone else before he can make it? I have so many questions, but I can't answer them all. 😭

But let me tell you this, man: ASAGIRI AND HARUKAWA SENSEI ARE COOKING ‼️🗣🔥🔥

Speaking of cooking, I haven't eaten anything since this morning; I might be full of bullshit right now, lololol. I'm gonna go and eat something now. Talking makes me even more hungrier istg.

The fandom right now:

[dqzaiie]

who do you think will join the port mafia?

thank you for the question, anon!

i’m not entirely sure which ada member will be transferred to the port mafia, but i do believe this is best determined through the process of elimination.

the preface this, i am ruling out the clerks, as i don’t believe they would be beneficial to the port mafia. it would be quite unproductive of mori to choose one of them. (unless he chooses naomi to force tanizaki’s hand? though i don’t particularly believe in that theory.)

okay, let’s begin.

core agents:

while mori does want a member, this is not to the agency’s detriment. therefore, the pillar members are very unlikely to be chosen—these members being fukuzawa, ranpo, yosano, and kunikida. we can effectively rule them out as follows: fukuzawa’s ability maintains stability within the ada, ranpo’s deduction isn’t suited for a mafioso, yosano has been deemed off-limits, and kunikida is fukuzawa’s successor.

kyouka:

another agent who i believe is unlikely to be chosen is kyouka, as kouyou and mori have both shown to be impressed by her resolve to better herself, and i can’t imagine them forcing her back into the mafia after all of that growth. kouyou especially—she has given up on trying to take kyouka back, and is actively trying to keep her from the port mafia now.

as for members who are possible contenders, we are left with dazai, tanizaki, atsushi, and kenji.

atsushi:

i don’t really believe they will choose atsushi. to my knowledge, he still requires all men are equal to have full control over his ability, and if he were to leave the agency, fukuzawa’s ability would no longer have an effect on him. he has been training, but i don’t think he’s had enough time to master byakko yet.

however, i could see why he would be chosen from a narrative standpoint. it would provide the audience a new perspective, and allow further development for many characters. we cannot entirely rule him out, especially since the port mafia has been gunning for him since day one (though that was due to a contract from the guild. still, i suppose it stands.)

dazai:

i’d hope mori wouldn’t pick dazai, though, i have seen some compelling arguments as to why he may be chosen. in forcing dazai out of the port mafia, mori has shown to hold some regret, despite having chosen the “optimal solution”.

there is also the case of potential foreshadowing in the osamu dazai and the dark era light novel, with mori saying to odasaku, “…dazai’s capabilities are astounding. i’m sure in four or five years, he’ll have killed me and taken my place.” this takes place when dazai was eighteen, which would place him at around twenty-two or twenty-three.

all things considered, i don’t think it’ll be him. dazai has made too many strides toward fulfilling his promise to odasaku for mori to take him back now, and in disrupting that, i believe there would only be a severe backlash. i think mori will keep dazai’s executive position open and available to him, not force him back into it.

this leaves us with two possible agents: jun'ichirou and kenji. i have seen extensive reasoning as to why either of them may be chosen, and to be honest, i’m quite conflicted myself.

kenji:

kenji’s ability would be very useful to the port mafia, but his naïveté might be a disadvantage. he also may fall under the same category as atsushi in not being able to maintain full control over his ability without fukuzawa, but he has been shown to have precautions in place, so i cannot confirm that he needs the safety net. he is certainly a valuable asset to both organizations, and i don’t believe he would be opposed so long as he is protecting the agency.

tanizaki:

tanizaki has been the fan favorite for “most likely to be transferred over”, and i can’t say i disagree. initially, he was my pick as well. it has been foreshadowed multiple times, with hirotsu claiming his ability is suited for assassination, to tanizaki attempting to kill mori, and even jun'ichirou outright volunteering himself in yosano’s place. he has been shown to not be opposed to killing so long as he is protecting naomi and his friends. this idea is expanded on in the third light novel, untold origins of the detective agency.

“…tanizaki felt he was mediocre at his job, held mediocre principles, and had a mediocre sense of justice…”

i believe that he very well may be chosen, as this would provide him the development which his character has been severely lacking.

however, i wouldn’t put it past asagiri to disregard those statements entirely and find a way to surprise us—it’s just what he does lol.

[sleepy-symphony]

Dropping my Atsushi hallucination theory because the next chapter is coming soon

I can't say I have a super great, fully fledged out theory. But, I would like to share something I noticed.

Look at the last panel of the chapter

Right here, Atsushi is saying, "I get it, I understand now... who you really are." And at this moment, the Dazai hallucination looks different than it has all chapter.

Obviously the main differnce is that his face is now obscured. But, how about we zoom in a bit more?

His hands are in his pockets/behind his back, hiding them and the sight of the bandages. His face and neck are blacked out, which mostly obscures the bandages around his neck as well. I might be wrong with the neck thing, because it's hard to tell where the collar of his shirt ends and where the bandages begin.

Anyways, look at his hair. His hair looks suspiciously to one side, right? Whose hair does that faintly look like? Atsushi's.

Now, I'm not saying it is Atsushi (i'm aware that it doesn't really look like him), but rather that I think Atsushi is about to learn that these hallucinations are coming from inside himself. This is himself, not "Dazai" or "the orphanage director." He doesn't need Dazai to motivate him, because he's had that motivation inside of himself all along!

Dazai's face is blacked out because Atsushi is realizing his hallucinations have never been as specific as they seem. He's not specifically hallucinating Dazai--the "advice" isn't coming from Dazai. It's Atsushi's own advice that his brain is molding to seem "Dazai-like" and then bringing it out because it's the form in which he'll listen to it.

I also saw a couple theories about how this is Byakko, which I 100% agree with as well. Byakko wants to protect Atsushi, so it makes sense that she would be taking on the form of different people to try and get through to him! It could be a combination of Atsushi's internal survival drive and Byakko somehow, too???

I've seen a lot of theories about the hallucinations having something to do with the book/being the book, but I'm not a huge fan of that. It would feel really underwhelming to me, I guess? Personally, I want this to be about Atsushi and his moment of self-realization. I wouldn't want the reveal to be that the hallucinations were coming from an outside source instead of being part of him, if you understand what I mean.

anyways, there's my disjointed theory :)

[youkaigakkou-tl]

I just checked the old and new version of chapter 90 and I’m soooo confused.

Seimei's magic (used by Acchan) can affect everyone from the present (although in previous chapter guys from the present couldn’t affect the past). 

“Byakko doesn't want to show you” -> “Byakko doesn’t know”. Byakko didn’t know about Ranmaru turning Acchan into a youkai. How could he recognize a supposedly-dead-man after 1000 years 🤨 what is the meaning of this change??

Acchan didn't actually do anything special here, it's been established that they can be affected by the recreation, its less like watching a movie and more like you're seeing everything from the adjacent room

(Haru trying to follow bc it looked that much like they were just in the other room)

(And shutendouji mommy appearing caused the room theyre in to shake too)

And connecting to the next bit, regarding the difference between Byakko not wanting to show vs not knowing

In either case, Byakko wouldn't have known about what happened because he wasn't there to see it himself nor would anyone have told him the details. But I'd assume everyone involved figured out the broad strokes at least, that "Suzaku helped Douman escape and turned him into a youkai and Suzaku was exiled"

And regarding whether Byakko wanted to show it, I don't think he wanted to show any of this actually.

(ENTERING DELULU ZONE)

Byakko doesn't have a motive to show them any of it, Sano is an uninvolved party, Ranmaru lived it, and Haruaki as a person just doesn't matter to Byakko, he's just the container for Seimei's soul to him.

He probably trapped them in that dimension to 1. stop Ranmaru from getting away and 2. keep them in a known place that's almost impossible to escape to deal with later

(As for why he didn't do this sooner, I can think of a couple reasons: 1. it's taxing, and he doesn't want to use it unless it's his last resort, 2. he's a showoff and too proud to use it against a bunch of youkai, 3. the target needs to hold pretty still for a bit and Haru is pretty damn fast 4. this is his special ranmaru backrooms)

What's more likely is them getting to see this flashback was a freak accident caused by Seimei or something

Mind you this is how they stumbled into it

And Seimei DOES has a motive for this, however obscure his goals may be. He seems interested in having Haruaki tie up his loose ends, seen with the shutendouji, and knowing what happened in the past is pretty important to working out whatever Douman and Ranmaru are hung up about.

Still, this is just a guess, but Seimei has infinitely more motive to show them that flashback than Byakko does. (In fact, the first scene of it before the four gods get summoned might even be Seimei's memory)

So it's not a matter of "Byakko didn't want to show them this part", it's "Byakko didn't want to show them any part of it, probably isn't even aware they saw the flashback, and physically cannot show them what happened between Douman and Suzaku because he wasn't there to see"

(END OF DELULU ZONE basically i think it was actually seimei using byakkos memories to show them that flashback. how he did this idk)

Anyway why Byakko could recognise Acchan is pretty simple, he looks the same still. And the fact he's the principal is probably fairly widespread knowledge among the gods who care to know about it.

[karmathebunnie]

Dead Apple spilers

what if atsushi's ability isn't his? Like he obviously has it now but what if he wasn't born with an ability? It seems dumb but hear me out. We saw shibusawa trying to take the tiger via an electric chair. It is very obvious that Atsushi *ate* the ability after it was separated from him. We see him again fighting for the tiger ability at the end of Dead Apple. But we don't know the actual reason shibusawa wanted the ability. It's said by other characters that he wanted it just bc its strong but we don't know that for sure. I would say it's just because he's collecting abilities but then why target atsushi in such a way? I'm thinking, shibusawa went to the orphanage for one reason or another. I'm thinking that while shibusawa wasn't paying attention atsushi might have taken or eaten this gem that looked like rock candy. This could also explain why he ate it the first time he had the ability taken from him, because he hadn't fully connected with it. But after he transferred into the full tiger to kill shibusawa he had a full proper connection to the tiger, hence why he didn't need to eat the ability the second time it was taken, because by then it was his ability. This is also backed up by the fact the tiger is never "my tiger" "his tiger" "atsushi's tiger" but always "the tiger." It also helps explain why Byakko (the tiger) is seen as another entity inside him unlike all other abilities. Rashumon is hinted at reflecting akutagawa's emotions but that is still far of from being sentient.Please tell me your thoughts on this

[beigepear]

saturn in bungou stray dogs

saturn is a malefic (strict and uncomfortable), masculine planet, ruling capricorn and aquarius. being the last visible planet, saturn is all about boundaries, limits, and containment. in a personal chart it signifies areas where the native might be restricted.

in a very literal, extreme sense of it, saturn is handcuffs, chains, shackles, and this exact imagery is very present in bsd. atsushi is being literally nailed down and locked. it's also his tiger that's being restricted and locked down; and then, atsushi being out of the orphanage, there is a discernable boundary between him and byakko that he is yet to overstep.

dazai is also repeatedly shown restricted—handcuffed, attached to a wall, immobilized, imprisoned. he seems to be thriving in containment, he uses it, expects it, provokes it. he's playful with saturn all throughout the narrative, and it's reflected in the way he views life. what is the ultimate restriction if not death? death contains the freedom of being, and dazai seeks it, just like at times he seeks literal containment in order to realize his plans.

there is also a connection between saturn and being deceitful and manipulative, it's a communicative restriction that is also used by bsd characters a lot, either in order to survive or to reap a benefit.

saturn is the only planet with rings, and restrictive things are often circular. think handcuffs. or wedding rings. it makes me think of dazai's bandages—a literal barrier between his skin and the world, entwining him, like second skin. skin, functionally, is saturnian, because it contains our organs, muscles, and bones. if there is a boundary, there is a reason for it.

saturnian limitations can also be associated with poverty, hunger, and being orphaned. the influence of this type of limitation can vary in a personal chart. a well-behaved saturn makes a person aware of their fate—they recognize how unlucky they've been and they try to make best with what they've been dealt. a less functional saturn can make its native stingy, cynical, and envious. in both cases, people afflicted by saturn are extremely aware of reality. they have never worn rose-colored glasses, they will never be able to.

in a way, one of saturnian themes is doing your best in a chaotic world, therefore, in less extreme cases, saturn is about things that contain chaos, like moral, ethical, and legal restrictions. in bsd, morality is one of the essential themes, and it's contained in legal structures that disagree, clash with each other, but need each other nonetheless.

moral duty is saturnian, and kunikida's philosophy is one of the examples of this theme in bsd. his ideals let him restrain the harrowing chaos of life, and he feels obligated to act on them, otherwise he would be too aware of the world crashing and burning around him. in a way, he's similar to dazai in how they both embrace the saturn of it all, but dazai is more nihilistic about it, while kunikida is deliberately saturning his way through life.

it's interesting and meaningful that kunikida used to be a teacher, because teaching, mastery, and apprenticeship are huge for saturn. it's about tradition and continuity. the dynamic between a mentor and a mentee is omnipresent in bsd. saturn is often associated with father figures and authority figures, and the discipline imposed by them is not always pleasant. the moon is caring, it facilitates growth by giving, but saturn refines you by imposing rules and limitations. when dazai disciplines akutagawa, he's a saturnian figure. saturn doesn't care if you like him, saturn cares if you respect him. when there's a boundary needed, dazai quickly becomes restrictive about atsushi's emotions too.

it's compelling that bsd takes place in a seaport city. water is a natural border, and in greco-roman tradition it was believed that saturn also rules water bodies, ports, and trade. it's also interesting that we first see dazai after his attempt to drown, because drowning is very saturnian—they say that mars is dying in a fire, saturn is dying by drowning. of illnesses, it's said that saturn is responsible for those that arise from coldness and moisture.

another little thing about saturn: some astrologers believe it patronizes clowns. it sounds silly, but it makes a lot of sense when you think about it. as saturn deals with social restrictions and common sense, it patronizes everything and everyone that dances on the border of socially acceptable—the marginalized, the mad; holy fools and clowns. a clown is something between a birthday party and terror. clowns are funny because they rebel against common sense; clowns are terrifying because they rebel against common sense. of course, the first connection i make is gogol, and his aquarian perception of reality. sometimes your common sense aligns with the acceptable social paradigm, then you're lucky. and sometimes it doesn't align at all, then you're revolutionary or an outcast or both.

this reminds me of irl!dazai's quote that also reflects a lot about bsd!dazai: "as long as i can make them laugh, it doesn't matter how, i'll be alright. if i succeed in that, the human beings probably won't mind it too much if i remain outside their lives."

the ultimate lesson of the planet of saturn is about fate. destiny is jupitarian, it's the direction you're growing in. fate is saturnian, it's the cards you've been dealt, it's a car that can't be uncrashed. saturn teaches you about the limits of the world around you and of your own psyche, and then it poses a question: if it's hard and painful and unlikely to result in anything, will you do it anyway? if you can't do it the easy way, will you try at all?

[starlightshadowsworld]

Hey remember the time you were invested in Fukuchi eliminating werecreatures who were actually similar to Atsushi theory?I have a suggestion! So I've been getting into mythology a lot and I've learnt that byakko and Ryu, more precisely dragon are divine being in Japanese mythology. Ryu's literally Akutagawa's half name not to mention rashomon looks like a dragon so there might be some link there but that's not what I'm trying to say.By Fyodor's words we can understand he is kind of trying to find the divine tiger almost all his life. Like he mentioned Atsushi doesn't deserve to be the byakko's holder. Does that mean there were others with byakko as their ability before? Maybe byakko manifests in every decade or century?So my theory is, well not exactly it's just a crack theory I don't actually believe in it, Fukuchi knew about byakko and how the tiger always brings disasters and ruins so that's why he wanted to eliminate all the so-called were creatures to stop byakko having a living host this time? Lol this theory is really funny but hey! Let's have some fun with our imagination!

I do remember :)

And while it’s not a theory I buy into personally, it has a lot of elements to it that I feel are worth considering.

Like the concept of their being other holders of Byakko. We have Fyodor talking about how Atsushi isn’t worthy of the tiger.

And we also see how Atsushi and Kyouka often go through parallel arcs. Her belonged to someone else so who’s to say something similar may have happened to Atsushi.

Perhaps because of these werecreatures experiments or through some other means.

Or if we go by your theory then perhaps Byakko manifested once again in this world and chose Atsushi to be her vessel.

In a way that’s similar but ultimately different to Chuuya and Arahabaki. I can definitely envision a situation where Fyodor wanted to be chosen as that vessel and wasn’t.

And this is all him trying to regain that power he believes belongs to him to carry out his goals.

Perhaps this is has all been this endless cycle of reincarnation where in every lifetime Fyodor kills each vessel of the tiger to try and take that power for himself.

But the tiger keeps evading him at every turn.

Akutagawa and Atsushi’s and abilities are two sides of the same coin is also worth mentioning. I did have a theory while watching that maybe Fukuchi turned Akutagawa specifically to kill Atsushi.

Because he knows somehow that he’s the only one who had any chance of doing so.

Especially because Shibusawa also fits into this theme of dragons and tigers. And he was the only one who could take the tigers ability from him.

I’m of the opinion that Fukuchi killed the werecreatures on Fyodor’s orders. Perhaps humanity learned of the tigers ability and tried to re-create it and this was him stopping that.

Or maybe it was his doing and one worked so he had the rest deemed as failures.

There’s a lot of directions you can take this and maybe I have taken your fun idea a bit too seriously but it’s got some really interesting connections in there.

And it’s fun.

[moxie-girl]

what if... BSD x One Piece au?

I'll try to draw all the ADA's posters eventually, but it might take a while since I'm still on vacation...

(more in-depth character info under the cut)

The Detective Pirates

Captain: "Silver Wolf" Fukuzawa Yukichi

Haki: Expert in all three types

Skills: Swordsmanship, battle strategy, leadership

Fun Fact: He sailed with the former pirate king Natsume Soseki, alongside captain of the Mori Pirates, Mori Oguai, when they were younger.

Strategist: "Demon Prodigy" Dazai Osamu

Devil Fruit: Null-Null Fruit

Skills: Dual pistols, hand-to-hand combat, planning and strategy

Fun Fact: He was the first mate of the Mori Pirates until the death of a crewmate at the hands of André Gide of the Mimic Pirates.

Doctor: "Angel of Death" Yosano Akiko

Devil Fruit: Ope-Ope Fruit

Skills: Medical knowledge, knives, mastery of Devil Fruit abilities

Fun Fact: Her bounty is "Only Alive" because of the possible uses of her Devil Fruit.

Chore Boy: "Jinko" Nakajima Atsushi

Devil Fruit: Neko-Neko Fruit, Mythical Type, Model: Byakko

Skills: Tiger transformation, instincts, and senses

Fun Fact: He originally believed his Devil Fruit to be Model: Tiger, and when he - and the World Government - found out about its true nature, his bounty rose by over 1 billion berries.

[blackcatruse]

𝔣𝔯𝔬𝔪 𝔞𝔰𝔥𝔢𝔰

«prev. ❃ next» ❃ first chapter ❃ m.list ❃ ao3 pairing: r. haitani/fem!reader ↳ she/her, fem descriptors, nickname ❃ chapter synopsis: you have a plan, and a job to do. the haitanis put a wrench in things. loose lips sink ships, after all word count: ~3.2k chapter cw(s): swearing, possible ooc, more physical violence against reader, hints of misogyny, implied abuse, suggestive flirting with ran, drug mention, prostitution mention a/n: because this story is super self-indulgent, i did very little research. please pardon any inaccuracies. i'm just writing to get the idea out

You fell to the floor with an ungraceful thud and rubbed your jaw. People really weren’t pulling punches with you this week. You propped yourself up with your other elbow and with one eye open, looked at Suzaku standing above you. His face was a horrid shade of red and you swore you could see steam coming from both his ears and his nose. His fists were clenched tightly by his sides.

Yeah, you fucked up, but what else is new?

“What the hell do you mean the deal is off?” Suzaku was trying his hardest not to lose his composure. He couldn’t look bad in front of the other Four Symbols.

You didn’t bother to get up. “I’m telling you, it was going to be a trap. Someone’s trying to overthrow the Three Deities and they were starting with us. We’re quite valuable to Brahman, after all.”

“You took his word for it?” Seiryu stared at you with his unnerving eyes. His body and face gave away nothing, but his eyes were burning.

Biting your tongue was never your strong suit, but you had to in this case. Standing before the Four Symbols of Wuxing was not a place to mouth off. You knew that you couldn’t argue about these kids getting roped into it. They didn’t give a shit how old someone was, if you fucked around and found out it, you dealt with it yourself. Wuxing wasn’t inclined to help out a bunch of high schoolers, but you could try to frame it another way.

Were you about to dig your grave? Probably. But again, what else is new? You sat up, but didn’t dare get to your feet. Suzaku would just knock you down again, and you were tired of having your face hit. You looked up, just past Suzaku, to where Seiryu, Genbu, and Byakko sat on empty shipping containers. You swallowed thickly, trying not to let Byakko’s predatory stare intimidate you. You hated how your hands trembled and the nausea that wormed its way into your gut. But you had to try to salvage this. You had to.

“Aren’t you interested at all about who’s out for us?” you asked.

“It’s not like it isn’t anything we can handle,” Seiryu spoke coolly. “We shouldn’t concern ourselves with rumors.”

“You should really just give her back to me, Suzaku,” Byakko all but purred.

Never mind. If it came to that, you would kill yourself then and there.

Of the Four Symbols, Suzaku was arguably the kindest. He didn’t like the way his other three counterparts operated, especially Byakko, but Suzaku wasn’t a pushover. “No,” he said, turning to glare at Byakko. “You’re not getting your hands on her.”

“Yet,” Byakko chided.

You wished you could shrink and disappear.

“It might be worth it to look into it,” Suzaku said.

“You’re too soft,” Genbu sneered. “Nobody has threatened us and lived to tell the tale. If they’re unknown, we shouldn’t bother with it.”

“We can still run the goods,” you piped up. “If we continue as normal, we could unearth who’s working in the shadows. And if you guys are right and it’s nothing, then nothing to worry about.”

“You said the deal was off,” Seiryu said flatly.

“It is, but someone decided to punch me before I could elaborate and now I have to argue with the jury,” you spat.

You could feel Suzaku’s resentment pouring off him in waves. He just sighed. “Lotus, what are we going to do with you?”

You shrugged. “You guys are the ones who wanted to make me pay off my brother’s debt. You could have easily just killed me. That offer is still on the table.” You propped your elbow on your knees and rested your chin in your hand. “Anyway, the only part of this that won’t involve Suzaku’s division is the questioning. Genbu, you like dealing with that don’t you?” You smiled a little too wide at him.

Genbu sniffed. “If there’s anyone to interrogate.”

“Let me just talk to my boss. This is all I’ve got to report anyway.”

“Don’t think so highly of yourself,” Byakko growled. “You’re still the bottom of the barrel.”

They really liked to demean you, and you had learned to ignore it for the most part. You didn’t particularly care about what they said because you knew you were irreplaceable to them. Your inherited debt was also so significant they couldn’t just kill you. They lost a lot of money because of your brother, and you were barely making a dent in the sum after four—or was it five?—years. You didn’t have any other family to pass the debt onto, except maybe your father? You had no idea where the man was since he’d walked out before you could form memories. Wuxing wanted their money and the glory that came with it.

You had half a mind to let them walk into the trap, but there was too much uncertainty if Wuxing was brought down. Would you be claimed by another gang? Would Wuxing even give you up? Maybe... just maybe if you could pull through and appear loyal, it would make it easier for Rokuhara Tandai to negotiate your release. Perhaps you were letting yourself dream too far ahead, but you weren’t about to lose sight of it.

Suzaku dismissed the other Four Symbols and they grumbled as they left the warehouse. You wondered if Suzaku was going to still kick your ass, all signs pointed to yes, but he didn’t move once the others were gone. You didn’t speak. There were times for you to be hot-headed, but now wasn’t one of them. You would stay quiet. Don’t speak unless spoken to. You didn’t move either.

“Lotus,” Suzaku said. “You’re the best runner I have. I know that you’re clever. What are you thinking of doing?”

“Oh, I’m so glad you asked!” you beamed. “Here’s the plan.”

Payphones always felt like a petri dish to you, but you weren’t about to contact Kichiro from any of your devices. It’d be better that way. You didn’t have a guarantee that he’d pick up, but because you said you’d get in touch with him, you hoped he’d answer from an unknown number. You could leave a voicemail if all else fails, but you weren’t about to leave any sort of evidence trail if you could help it.

You tapped your foot as you kept the phone trapped between your ear and shoulder. You were quietly urging Kichiro to pick up, but it’s fine. Maybe just leave a message that tells him to pick up next time or within the next hour when you’d be done with your current errand. It was important to get the plan rolling, because Suzaku’s patience was wearing very thin with you. No matter how good of a runner you were, you could only push the boundaries so far.

Hands tucked in your jacket pocket, you fiddled with the envelopes of money you were supposed to be running to Kabukicho. The crowd you were working with there was one of your first successful jobs. They liked you, and you liked them, which was really just tolerance. They were dependable and loyal clients, and you tried to return the favor by being timely and responsive. Despite the area’s reputation as a red-light district, you knew you would be safe there because of the valuable deals you had made.

Of course Kichiro didn’t pick up. So you left a short, sharp voicemail telling him to pick the fuck up the next time he gets a call from an unknown number because it’s probably you. You tried to be as vague as possible without mentioning the likely stolen goods and how you were going to try to get him and his friend out of the sticky situation they were in. Sighing, you put the phone back on the hook and leaned back against the wall of the booth. You had to get a hold of him fast because Suzaku had only given you a week to arrange the expedient. Once that time was up, you’d be in deep shit and should probably consider death as an option.

As much as dying tickled your brain and filled your waking dreams, you didn’t exactly want to die at the hands of Wuxing. You were always at odds with yourself. Dying was the easy way out for you, and you leaned into that suicidal persona as much as you could. There was something about taking the pleasure away from murderers and torturers that was deeply satisfying to you. Maybe it was because those situations were where you felt you had any sort of power.

Sighing, you exited the booth and headed to your first stop. It was a simple office that served to lease buildings in the area. Byakko ran his brothels through these leases, and you were always the one sent to deliver the monthly rent. You wondered why the bastard couldn’t do it himself, but you figured he was trying to get a rise out of you. Byakko was an absolute jackass with his power plays.

“Ah, there’s my favorite customer!” You heard the cheery voice of the portly man as you entered. “I was worried you weren’t gonna show up today.”

The smile you gave him wasn’t forced. “You know I wouldn’t leave you hanging like that, Masaru,” you teased. “Got the rent for the three buildings we’re leasing.” You put the thick envelopes on the counter.

Masaru grinned. “It’s always a pleasure doing business with you.”

If the man knew about what the facilities and spaces were used for, he never said anything. He was located in Kabukicho after all. Anything you dealt with here and in any other red-light districts were very obviously don’t ask, don’t tell. Business never went beyond short pleasantries and the handoff of a little too much yen. Sometimes you thought about not paying just to give Byakko some trouble, but the consequences were likely not worth it.

You bid Masaru a genuine goodbye before leaving and heading to your other stop for the day. A small town gang in the area struck a bargain deal with you to run their supply of drugs to your dealers. They always had quality products, even if you hadn’t tried it yourself. You never wanted to risk being high or drunk while on the job, but you’d seen colleagues forgo their sobriety on multiple occasions.

The classic meeting spot was a dank alleyway out of sight and very sparsely populated. Daytime usually fared better, since at night the place would be crawling with cops. Officers didn’t think people were stupid enough to do deals in broad daylight, so they very rarely sent patrols out this far.

Subtly glancing at your surroundings, you darted behind a broken down brick building and navigated through the winding alleys. You kept your ears and eyes open for any sign you were being followed. Occasionally you glanced up to see if someone was perched on top of these derelict buildings. When you arrived at the designated rendezvous point, you scanned your environment before knocking three times on the rusted door.

You heard the familiar squeak of the sliding peephole and immediately said, “It’s Lotus. Here for the weekly pickup.” You kept it short. They knew you. You knew them.

The door creaked open and you slid into the musty old room. You were sure the dust in this place belonged to the formation of the actual universe itself, and the fraying strings on the naked dull yellow lightbulbs did little to help the place appear nicer. A thin haze of smoke crept into your lungs and you coughed. God, none of these assholes had the decency to smoke anywhere else.

Not wanting to stay longer than you had to, you approached the squat table where your contact was. He was lazing about, not really paying you any mind. You dropped the last envelope you had on the table. “Your cut from last month’s deals,” you said.

The tattooed man leaned back in a chair, feet propped up on the table, took the cigarette out of his mouth and blew out a puff of smoke. “Seems thinner than last time,” he said. His reedy voice didn’t match his outward appearance, and frankly, it got on your nerves.

You shrugged. “That’s what Suzaku gave me to give you. Bring it up with him if you got a problem.”

The man raised a pierced eyebrow. “You seem a little pissed off, Lotus. Need to relax a bit?” He patted the dirty chair next to him and you held back a scoff.

“Nah, I’m just here to do my job. If you wanna talk business, we’ll arrange another meeting.”

“Places to go?”

“Yeah,” you lied. “Suzaku’s been keeping me busy. Plus if I want to get the dealers restocked I should head out soon. Is the bag where it usually is?”

“Same place as always. If the cuts are still thin by the next time you come around, we may need to renegotiate.”

“I’ll bring it up with Suzaku,” you said. “Thanks for your business.”

Without saying much you left, grabbing the dirty messenger bag on the floor near the door. The burly man who had let you in opened the door and stood silently as you left. His eyes followed your movements, but you didn’t give him anything to look at. Slinging the bag over the shoulder you entered the alleyway again and made your way back to one of the main roads. While carrying a bag of drugs, you were usually hyper-vigilant, but for some reason you let your concentration slip just a little when you got out of the labyrinth of alleys.

You slammed into somebody. Solid arms instinctively steadied you. There was a grunt and you nearly barked at the idiot to watch where they were going until you looked up. Twin pairs of violet eyes met yours. “Oh goddammit,” you swore.

“Fancy meeting you here,” Ran said with a grin.

“Haitanis,” you said coolly. “What brings you out here?” You looked them over. They weren’t wearing their uniforms, so it likely wasn’t gang business. “Pleasure?” you asked. “Roppongi can’t sate your appetites anymore?”

Ran chuckled. Rindou looked annoyed. It was only then that you realized it was Rindou you had run into and you immediately pushed him away. Well, you tried to. You were the one who ended up stumbling back. Stupid guy was built and didn’t stagger at all. He just glared at you like you killed a puppy or something.

You dusted yourself off and adjusted the messenger bag on your shoulder. Only looking up when Ran spoke again, “We’re actually here on business. Most red-light districts are fair game for anyone, after all.”

He wasn’t wrong. For the most part, these places were where local gangs would strike up contracts with bigger gangs for whatever they needed. No major gangs truly owned the red-light districts (with few exceptions), so seeing multiple business deals with different big names wasn’t surprising. It was irritating that deals could be swiped from you if another gang offered your locals something better, but for the most part, if you kept your word and negotiated agreeable terms, you didn’t have to worry about losing their business.

“I know that,” you snorted. “Anyway, looking for something in particular? I know some good whore houses you could go to.”

You would not be directing them to any of Byakko’s establishments in the area.

“Nah, not interested in that right now,” Ran said. “Why would we tell you anyway?”

“I just think it’d be a wonderful beginning to our blossoming friendship,” you said, over exaggerating the faux sweetness in your tone. “We could do stuff like talking about our crushes, painting our nails, braiding each other’s hair, snorting cocaine. Just girly things, y’know?”

Ran barked out a laugh and you swear you saw Rindou’s soul leaving his body. He rolled his eyes so far back you wondered if he’d find a brain back there.

“I love that mouth of yours, Lotus,” Ran said, wiping an eye.

“Don’t go saying stupid shit. At least take me to dinner first, ” you retorted.

The elder Haitani looked like he was considering it. “I could always take a tongue lashing from you.”

“Ugh, just gag me,” Rindou muttered.

You turned your focus onto him. “Is that something you’re into?”

You could see the neurons firing in his brain, but he merely responded with, “Fuck off.” You almost missed the red dusting his cheeks.

For a moment too long you considered giving Rindou more shit, but in a move to likely save his younger brother the embarrassment, Ran piped up. “We got a couple of phony deals we’re investigating.”

Now that caught your attention.

The words slipped out before you could stop them. “We’ve gotten word on similar things too,” you said. “We caught one and they said that someone’s out to usurp the Three Deities.”

Why the fuck were you telling them this? A few weeks ago these assholes were beating the shit out of you and now you’re giving them some kind of warning? Maybe you’d been knocked around too much. You made a mental note to tell Suzaku to aim for your legs next time he needed to beat you over something.

Ran raised a blond eyebrow and even Rindou looked like his interest was piqued. “Oh? That’s the first I’ve heard,” Ran said. “Hmm, we’ll look into it as well. Maybe we’ll come up with something.”

“Bro, you aren’t seriously going to tell her what you find out?” Rindou stared at Ran like he’d just knelt before you and asked for your hand in marriage.

Ran shrugged nonchalantly. “If she gave us the heads up, I only think it’s fair. Just one piece of information though. Can’t put all my cards on the table yet, but I could reconsider after being wined and dined.”

You snorted. “Yeah, yeah. Wuxing barely pays me to survive. The only wining and dining you’ll get is cup noodles and grape juice.”

“Your place or mine?”

“Oi, oi, we’ve got shit to do. Stop flirting with everything that has a pulse,” Rindou snapped.

You clicked your tongue and tilted your head. “Aww, don’t let me hold you up any longer,” you cooed. You looked at your nonexistent watch. “I’ve got places to be too. See you around, Haitanis.” You offered them a short wave as you turned and walked off.

Ran’s mention of phony deals kept echoing through your head. There was definitely something going on, but you weren’t about to tell Suzaku that you’d run into the Haitani brothers and had given away information that could hurt Brahman. Though, if phony deals were being made with two of the Three Deities, it wasn’t likely that the information would help with much. They could just as easily partner with the person or group in the shadows without knowing they were already targeting you. You really just wanted to take it easy, but life never did that for you.

Please do not reupload, translate, or steal my work! If it isn't here or on my ao3, it's not me! Likes & reblogs appreciated! <3 Dividers courtesy of @/cafekitsune & @/firefly-graphics

[puer-writings]

my fill for May Trope Mayhem 2025 prompt 4: superhero x supervillain.

Title: Ars Superbia Fandom/Series: N/A - Original Work Summary: Ch’en Lu has a problem that keeps irking her. Rating: PG-13 Word Count: around 800 words Content Warnings: There are no relevant/applicable content warnings for this work.

the full text is under the cut. a somewhat interactive twine version is available here on itch.io (the password is 1234)

The bird's note cannot really have changed; All the difference lies in the listener's heart. If he could but forget that he lives at the World's end, The bird would sing as it sang in the Palace of old.

— Hearing the Early Oriole by Po Chü-i (tr. Arthur Waley from More Translations from the Chinese)

[1]

“Throw me a towel, Ookiyama-san.”

That was the first sentence Ch’en Lu recalled saying to Ookiyama Fuuka.

In the rehearsal rooms many a rumor was passed about the newest recruit, a young woman around Ch’en’s age, who happened to come from a renowned group of Taiko drummers.

After the Qisui Group’s first performance, as they headed off-stage Ch’en felt the ease of a performance well-done. Her arms burned from the exertion, and her time on-stage had felt like a blur until the very last strike against the rawhide, but she was happy. Looking to her side she could tell Jiu and Tsui felt the same way. Trailing besides the pair was Fuuka, rubbing her shoulders that were covered by the Qisui Group’s robes with their explosive coloration.

When they were in the locker rooms, changing back into their normal clothes, Ch’en had thought the dignified expression on Fuuka to be hilarious, despite the slight grimace she bore as she continued to massage her arms. That was when she came up with the idea to have Fuuka toss a towel at her, just to loosen her up. But even then the expression never came off, even during the end-of-day session.

Ch’en thought, I could just lend her my salve, and that was that.

[2]

The first time Fuuka had invited Ch’en to her house, she had caught Ch’en flicking through one of the comic books lying around on the shelves. It was The Great Exploits of Yamataki, and though Ch’en could barely read the Japanese within she had read it long ago under the title of Adventuring Tales of Shan-Ying.

“I didn’t know you enjoyed those superhero tales,” Fuuka said, smirking. She crossed her arms, her eyebrows arched though her eyes had a delighted twinkle as her eyes scanned the lines of books forming the entirety of The Great Exploits all together on the same shelf.

“I liked it as a kid,” Ch’en said with a sigh, placing the comic back. “My favorite character was Wuli Fu, even though Shan Ying — er, Yamataki — had to rescue her because she was always getting kidnapped by the evil witch Baihu.”

“Wuli Fu? Baihu?” Fuuka asked. After a moment her eyes lit up with recognition. “Ah! Juri Takarada and Byakko! Yes, I remember them!”

Fuuka reached over and picked out the twelfth volume, flipping to a page in the middle. She showed it to Ch’en. The scene depicted within showed Wuli Fu struggling against the might of Baihu’s minions, though at this point she was strong enough to fight off the many waves as they came at her. The scene afterward showed Wuli Fu breaking through and confronting Baihu alone, with Shan Ying distracted by a evil spirt trying to cause a landslide.

continue

It happened to be a pivotal scene for both Wuli Fu and Baihu, for their rivalry slowly morphed into a friendship tempered by their mutual attraction to Shan Ying.

“Initially I did not like either, but over time as I grew older I realized they were developing such a strong rivalry-friendship which I liked reading about, though I tried to keep it to myself. And you—?”

In some reading circles that Ch’en had traversed in, Wuli and Baihu’s newfound friendship was whispered to be heading somewhere even further in recent chapters. But that was not relevant now.

continue

“I still hate Baihu-Byakko for what she did, stealing away Shan Ying all the sudden like that during the Mudcrab arc! That was totally unforgivable,” Ch’en said, still feeling the old anger creeping up from the very act of recalling the scene.

“It wasn’t that bad,” Fuuka said, “Because Byakko ended up enraged by Yamataki’s womanizing behavior, and gave him back to Juri-san. The apology scene was quite touching, and funny too.”

“Well—” Ch’en began, and sparked a heated argument that lasted long well into the night.

And so there was now a secret love for superhero comics that Ch’en and Fuuka shared — whether the hero’s name was the Wuli Fu of Ch’en’s youth or the Takarada Juri of Fuuka’s it mattered not.

[3]

Gentle, mild-mannered Ookiyama Fuuka — who could forget a face like hers? Put her on a pedestal, and she would still be the same woman, even with the cool poised rage of her body illuminated by a thousand lights.

If Ch’en saw herself standing there before the drums on-stage, the shadows thrown upon her body might as well be mistaken for the white and black stripes of the witch Baihu.

Every throw of the arm, every glance, another step closer along the lines blurring the rhythm of the drums against that sound in Ch’en’s mind, the one she believes with sincerity is her beating heart.

But what was Ch’en to do, when she could not even distinguish the roles of the enchanted and enchanter anymore?

the end