#usagi: it's your fault i was very attentive to you

[k-kizkhalifa]

s2ep11 --

alright guys.. here it is, the continuance that NO ONE ASKED FOR BUT IM IN INVESTED IN MYSELF SO I AM DOING THIS. im curled up, phone ready, computer ready, sweater on. lettttttttts ggooooooooo

i love the beginning already. misaki if you don't pick the right choice ill destroy you. but also, why are brother usami and papa usami sending shit to misaki. boy. im through WITH THEM. AND NOT MISAKI ACTUALLY CONSIDERING ONE OF THERES. oh you hopeless idiot.

Akihiko stomping on it! HAHAHAHAHAAH (i love a good ole toxic man, fk.) Akihiko so happpy. Awe my baby.

I love how chill they are together, now. I hope that everything that happened last episode was for the good. But also, lmfao, I am not getting my hopes up. This anime fucking destroys me left and right doesn't it????

i feel the butler is such a good person. he deserves some love. (i just mean in general.)

lol Misaki saying he'd go on the trip "alone" LMFAO. AWE USAGI SAYING IT WAS IMPORTANT. AWE AWEAWEAWE AWE

OH HERE WE GO. I love Misaki's travel attire. LOL

OH GREAT PAPA USAMI AGAIN. bro if papa usami shows up imma flip a switch. i feel like you all are thinking: get ready to flip a switch.

oh great usagi SPRINTING to the car. LOL HE DIDN'T FINISH HIS WRITNG.alsdkjfalskjdf

ok i will admit this scene is adorable. the way usagi is GRINNING at misaki being so happy about the ocean view. giving me hope for a future, my guys.

lol petty cash of 1.3 billion. not usagi saying: i can make it myself.

ok i love usagi in his glasses. i can't help it.

the rubber ducks are giving me a fee-- I FKN KNEW IT. PAPA USAMI. THIS MFR. lol but can we just realize this is where usagi gets his childish love for toys from? hahah.

oh great papa usami here to talk. smh. oh man the way misaki gets nervous about this convo. time to man up, misaki. you gotta have these conversations sometimes. i just think it is really sad how everyone talks about akihiko, these ppl just don't understand him at all. it makes me angry.

damn papa usami giving misaki a fkn lesson in life and love right now. man the doubts misaki gets himself into. ugh.

I LAUGHED SO HARD, bro usagi just acting like he didn't expect anything less than this from misaki.

Usagi: what fkn idiot floats in the bath that long? this fkn idiot.

alskjdfalskjf HAHAHAH

lol the BL Manag. BRO JUST BRINGS THIEM WITH HIM EVERYWHERE.

no usagi being so fkn sweet. broooooo. misaki he is BEGGING YOU TO TLAK TO HIM. TALK TO HIM. oh okay, i'll stop yelling. they're talking finally.

oh no not misaki talking about leaving. and being so worried about usagi. ugh. i just wish i could take these two and push them together and say, "now kiss and be happy and fk the other ppl!"

oh great i beat usagi is with his father. YEP. HERE WE GO, ISN'T IT? LOL AT MISAKI EAVESDROPPING.

ugh these usami ppl dragging misaki all the time, except for brother usami bc he "loves him" SMH. i mean, hot take i guess, but i don't think papa usami is necessarily bad hes just shit at being good.

oh man i feel like misaki is about to SNAP. OH HERE WE GO! HE IS ABOUT TO SAY SOMETHING ISN'T HE?! HE'S ALWAYS LIKE THIS. Angry dude and snapping on these idiot usami's alsdjflf

Misaki: I AM NOT TOYING WITH USAGI. I LOVE HIM. Papa Usami: And how do you plan to be good enough for my son? Misaki: I DON'T KNOW MFR BUT I AM WORKING ON IT. DAMN.

adlibbing, but that is the jist of the problem, right there.

oh goodness not usagi saying his love with misaki and from misaki changed how he saw the world.

OH I REMEMBER THIS SCENE. THE HOT SPRINGS. CUE THE MUSIC. CUE THE KISS. CUE THE SOFT WORDS.

oh yeah this scene is really just so sweet guys. like. okay, we get a look into misaki and seeing how is opening up to akihiko. he's all, in his thoughts: these conversations happen, we're together, we are intimate more, we spend out time togehter, i feel okay when usagi says to feel okay (implying that he has opened up to usagi in ways he hadn't been doing. that misaki is truly falling for usagi. like it's not the whole: "i love you/i don't love you" take anymore.) but then it's like reality does hit him (and maybe it should) that he and akihiko are so different, they're from two different worlds and after he thinks all those things he says: i am almost tricked into believing him.

I think what we can take away from this is that Misaki has very real concerns about the reality of their relationship. In a way that, maybe because Usagi is older, he doesn't... It really seems, a lot of the time, that the world is very black and white to Usagi. It's a "i want it, i get it" type of world, because it's always been that way and maybe that is why he fell so hard for misaki because misaki gave him a different look at the way the world really is.

And here we see Usagi, ONCE AGAIN, begging and pleading and praying with Misaki.

Usagi: Fall in love with me, love me 10x and 20x more than you love me now and become unable to part with me. That's all you have to do. I'll protect you from everyone else in this world, without fail.

It's just... I feel bad for Usagi, and I hate to be this person but I understand where Papa Usami is coming from. We want our children to have everything and love and happiness and all the world can have but we also don't want to hold them back from whatever they want as well. It's a fine line. I think there is just a lot at play in the whole thing.

okay okay im done. hot take over.

[devinescribe]

Betrayed

Ch. 22 of 100 Promises

Previous Ch | Next Ch

You ran into Chishiya on your way down.

"Nice punch," he mentioned, high fiving you. You smiled. He had really changed a lot since you first met him.

"Go help Ann and Kuina, they are taking a good approach to this. I... have something to do," he instructed, holding a water gun in his hand. "What? Gonna put the fire out with that?"

"More like start one..."

You stared for a couple of seconds, and nodded. "Alright... stay safe."

-----------

"Suguru! Come on you promised!" You whined, dragging him over to the swings. He tried pulling away from your grip. "No-no, i am not getting on that death trap."

You two were at a carnival, and the swings happened to be your favorite ride. His least favorite.

You thought for a second and smirked. "I'll let you kiss me at the top of the farris wheel~!"

His face turned bright red as he stammered and hid behind his hands. "(Y-y/N) you c-can't say that," he mumbled. "What you don't want to kiss me? You seemed eager to do so la-"

"Ok ok ok fine!"

You smiled, and pet the top of his head.

----------

You ran, heading to the part underneath the beach. It would be easier to travel this way.

You ran around, finally finding Ann.

"Ann!" You yelled, getting her attention.

She turned, quickly taking the defensive. "She's on our side, it's ok," Kuina said. You nodded.

"What do you need from me?"

___________

Numb

That's all you felt. You weren't happy. You weren't sad. You were nothing.

Chishiya dragged you two along with him, eventually coming up on a screen room.

"We meet again," he said with a smirk. "You?"

"(Y/N), you're ok!" Usagi exclaimed, hugging you.

Ok?

Physically, you guessed you were fine. Minor burns along your arms and legs.

Alive? Physically your body was alive. The blood ran hot through your veins, your heart beat to a foreign beat you didn’t know.

Ok?

Mentally no, you just wanted to sit in a hole and cry for hours. You wanted to be left alone, you wanted to be held, actually you didnt know what you wanted.

You wanted to hate him.

And you did.

But a small piece of you faught.

The screaming teenager inside your head.

"He's dead! He's dead and its all your fault! We said we'd protect him! You hurt him you hurt him you liar! You're a liar!"

Oh how she cried, tearing up the walls of your brain. But you wished for nothing more than to forget.

Alive? You mind was bordering death.

"Yeah. I guess I am," you responded with a small laugh.

Light filled up the room as all the screens turned on. On them was Mira.

"I told you hot bitches that don't talk can't be trusted," you said to Kuina. She scoffed, and handed you a piece of candy in her pocket. "Ah thank you very much."

"Next stage?"

Well, this would be harder than you thought.

_______

"I don't care just... take me somewhere," he muttered, as you smiled widely.

"Anywhere?"

"Yeah yeah, anywhere let's go before I change my mind."

You two walked throughout the city as you dragged him along. You knew exactly where you wanted to take him. You walked in the shop doors, greeting the people working there.

"Ah, she's back! Oh... hun it seems you brought a stray dog with you," one of them giggled. "Stray- oh! This is Niragi, my best friend. Y'know the one I'm always talking about?" You introduced, shoving him forward. "Oh. Alright then what can I do for you today?"

"What i mentioned last time. But for both," you said, using the cryptic language for him to not back out.

"Ohhh... he scared of needles?"

"Uh... yo, 'Ragi, you scared of needles?"

"No, what kind of a dumbass wuestion is that?"

"Ok, got it."

She dragged you both over to some chairs, where Niragi decided to finally look up and see where you were.

"(N/N), why are we here?"

"You said anywhere!"

"Oh my gods..."

"Hey, if you back out of this I'll cry."

And about 30 minutes later, you were both out of there with a slight sting in your mouth.

"This fucking hurts," he whined. "Good. Remember what she said. No, kissing is not a good idea, no eating your hook up out is not a good idea, and on top of that not cleaning it until it heals is also... not a good idea."

"Yeah yeah whatever..."

_________

Tears welled up in your eyes. Why did you choose to remember the memories now?

The group of you all walked in the city, the giant blimps floating around.

"Yeesh... crazy bitch," you mumbled, wiping the tears away. "Yeah..."

Suddenly people started running towards you guys, frantically screaming.

"What's going on?!"

"King of spades! Run!"

You watched people duck behind cars and gets shot. While everyone else was running, you and Chishiya observed, occasionally dodging some.

"Well fuck me," you muttered. Then the bullets came spraying toward you making you yelp, and run. You zig zagged your way to a car, making it harder to catch you.

You hid and saw Chishiya jogging with his hands in his pockets.

"For fucks sake," you muttered, running back to him. You grabbed him arm and dragged him. "Fucking run dumbass. Bitch ass motherfucker, you aren't a goddamn cat, you don't have nine lives you're just as mortal as the rest of us," you lectured while dragging him and running behind a car.

You heard him huff next to you. "Have I ever mentioned... how much I hate spades?" He said with a small laugh. You smiled. "I don't think so. But I do- jesus fucking christ," you started, getting scared by Kuina getting behind the car with you guys.

Chishiya pulled sometjing out of his pocket handing it to her. "A... bomb?"

"For if you're ever in a pinch," he responded, as if it was totally normal to give your friends bombs.

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

"Shit. That's not good, go!"

Chishiya grabbed your hand, pushing you away. You heard Kuina scream for you guys as you ducked behind a car, hearing an explosion.

"Oh my god. Whats the plan now?" You asked. You were really tired of the world punishing you like this. "We are going to be very careful, and leave. The Jack of Hearts isn't difficult, and hearts are your specialty," he said, pointing at the ballon. "Yeah... I guess. It's also the farthest. Since the King of Spades went that way following after them, i think we are in the clear. His ballon follows after him so lets go," you agreed.

You two began your trek through thd abandoned city and tried not stepping on corpses.

"This is really erie. I know that I was happy to be here at first, but now? God I wish I was dead," you mumbled. Chishiya grabbed your arm, pulling you away from the edge of the road. You scoffed, "What am I going to do? Get run over by the still cars?"

He laughed. "Yeah. You're kind of a klutz. I wouldn't put it past you," he said with a smile. You liked spending time with him.

"How are you doing?"

"What?"

"I asked, how are you doing?"

Silence.

"It's ok to miss him you know... You don't go from loving and trusting someone for years of you life to hating them overnight. I know you think you have to, but you don't. You're allowed to mourn the loss of your best friend. You're allowed to be sad and cry."

Tears welled up in your eyes.

"It's not ok. He's a horrible person. He tried to do horrible things. And I'm happy he's d-... I'm happy hes dead," you said, hearing your voice crack. His arms wrapped around you, shocking you. "It wasn't your fault. It's ok," he whispered. You broke down in his arms.

You hated that you felt bad for him. You hated you missed him.

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

"Chishiya, forget Niragi, look at those two," you whispered, subtlety pointing at two of the guys in the game. "You know one of them is a murderer right?"

"I am too at this point, so fuck it."

He sighed, nodding.

You looked up at the screen with everyone's name and picture.

Banda Sunato

Matsushita Enji

"Hm... I know who the first one is. The second one sounds really really familiar," you mumbled.

The game had started, and you watched everyone go to groups.

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

It was the second round and you heard someone call out to you.

"(L/N)?"

You turned around, expecting Chishiya.

It was Matsushita.

"I'm sure you don't remember me-"

Then it hit you who this was.

"Nononono, i remember, you were in my psych classes! We graduated together!" You exclaimed.

"So, you do remember."

This would be fun.

[boots-with-the-fur-club]

Chapter 7 of The Teenage Mutant Phantom of the Opera!

“Hey! Raph! Dad! This is Leo! Doesn’t he look like the drawing I made?” Mikey smiles.

Leo feels like the blood in his veins complete freeze, causing him to be immobile.

Raph and the rat turn towards them.

Leo makes eye contact with the latter, and some form of recognition washes over him.

He knows he’s seen this short man before once, even if he can’t exactly remember the moment itself.

Maybe it was the moment right before he was abandoned.

The rat’s eyes fill with emotion.

There’s shock in there for sure, sadness, guilt, maybe even some hope.

“G-Green….? You’re….alive?” He nearly whispers.

Leo attempts to remove his hand from Mikey’s but for some reason he’s got him in a grip he can’t get out of.

He’s so small, how is he this strong?

Leo’s mind flickers to the moments where he broke things because he wasn’t careful with his own strength.

The realization makes him panic further.

“I don’t know who that is.” He grabs Mikey’s wrist this time and squeezes it slightly to get him to let go.

Mikey finally does, but quickly starts clinging to his arm instead.

“It’s you! That’s what dad named you! Well, at first, when he wasn’t being too creative considering we’re all green. But then he named us after renaissance artists! You’re still named like us! It’s destiny!”

Leo is usually sort of desperate for touch since he never gets any, but right now feeling Mikey hold onto him is making his skin crawl.

“I’m named after a constellation, not a painter. You’re mistaken and you need to let go of me.”

Raph manages to pull Mikey off Leo, sensing the anger in his body movements.

“Pops, Mikey, maybe we should give him a second?”

“I don’t need a second, I need to go. I’m not continuing with this conversation.” Leo angrily turns around.

“Wait! Please! I don’t know what you think happened, but I promise I didn’t leave you behind on purpose. I thought you were gone. I loved you the moment I saw you. I would never have abandoned you.” Splinter begs for him to understand.

Leo tenses his fists.

“Never would have? You did. You left me here to die, you left me disfigured. I’m supposed to think that you want me now? Even if you had just simply come back to try to find me you would have. You didn’t. Live with it and accept your guilt, but don’t think I’m going to say it’s okay or forgive you.”

“Green-“

“That’s not my name! Someone gave me a real name and raised me and it wasn’t you! You and your sons might think that just because I’m somehow related to them that it means you’ll accept me no matter what but you know absolutely nothing about me. You’re never going to.” Leo starts making his way through the crowd.

He’s surprised when the rat starts coming towards him at a much quicker pace than his aged body should be able to move.

Leo is already feeling lower than ever at the moment and now realizes he won’t just be able to get back to his seat and watch the rest of the opera at this point.

His entire experience in what should be a perfect night is completely ruined and it’s all their fault.

Leo opens up a portal a little above himself and jumps in. The height and speed he leaves and closes it makes it so he can be followed.

Splinter drops to his hands and knees as the crowd stares at him.

Mikey and Raph are quick to try to comfort him or at the very least get him standing. They know this is bad since they are already well aware just how much the guilt of what happened to their brother eats away at him.

When the intermission is over Raph has to basically carry him back to their seats. Splinter is too distraught to properly pay attention to the opera.

Donnie immediately notices this and the fact that Leo isn’t there for the second act.

He tries not to let it affect him but the damage is done. The excitement from before is gone as his mind wanders to what happened.

Usagi can’t help but be distracted by Donnie being upset and his friend’s absence as well.

It leaves a tense feeling in the air once everything is finished.

Usagi follows behind Donnie as he walks towards his family. He does stop before getting too close though, wanting to allow him space to talk.

He watches as Donnie’s face falls while Mikey and Raph talk to him.

Usagi comes to the conclusion that they bumped into each other and it didn’t go very well.

He feels so stupid that he didn’t consider this could happen or to ask if Donnie was inviting his family.

The sadness in Donnie’s face mixes with anger, or at least something close to it.

Mikey raises up his arms with a knowing look and Donnie scoops him up, squeezing him tight like this is some kind of set deal between them.

Donnie soon walks over to Usagi.

“I have to get home.”

“Okay, you have my number if you need to talk. I’m here for you Donnie, we can fix this.”

Donnie nods.

“I appreciate it. I do, really. I wouldn’t have gotten to see him without you.”

“I know we didn’t start off right, and that it took a while for you to warm up to me, but you should know I do like you.”

Donnie blushes and forces Mikey’s head to stay turned away so Usagi doesn’t see the reaction coming from him.

“You….you do?”

“It’s probably surprising to hear, but yes. I see you as a friend.”

Donnie clears his throat.

“Oh, of course that’s what you meant. At this point it’s fairly obvious we can rely on each other.”

Usagi smiles.

“Stay safe getting home.”

“We will.” Donnie walks off back to his family and then leaves.

Usagi’s smile drops.

Leo might think that Usagi knew this would happen and betrayed him. He could stop talking to him for much longer and they might not be able to find him again.

It’s terrifying to think that maybe he won’t ever see him period after this.

He’s taken out of those thoughts when his aunt and sister find and come up to him to congratulate him on his performance.

They too eventually go home together.

Once everyone has completely left the theatre, Leo is again back at the catwalk.

He’s never felt more stupid in his life.

This was seen a mile away, maybe not this specifically, just the fact that it could turn out so badly.

Did Usagi know Donnie’s family was going to be here?

No, there’s no way he would do this to him.

It’s Donnie’s fault, all of this is his fault!

He’s ruining everything! He ruined Usagi’s first performance!

He’s just going to keep destroying everything Leo’s worked so hard to build without even a second thought!

The first performance is long over.

That means Leo is free to finally get rid of that dammed pest who keeps saying he’s his brother.

He’s going to deny it as long as he possibly can despite knowing now more than ever that it’s probably true.

The urge to live a normal life has been around since he was a child.

There’s a difference between an urge and what he knows is possible.

He meant what he said to that rat.

Too many years have passed.

Their family probably already has a dynamic that couldn’t possibly include him.

There’s also the fact that he would have to admit that he has no current guardian, has been staying alone in a theatre this whole time, and the fact that he is the phantom that keeps messing up productions plus almost hit Donnie with a sandbag.

That’s not even to mention all his obsessive behavior, need for perfection, and the horribly ugly burn on his face.

Being with them is simply not an option.

It will be even less of one after he’s gotten rid of the biggest problem in his life.

He portals to his room and begins planning the best way to get rid of him for good.

Usagi can’t find him when he goes to the theatre the next day no matter how loud he yells his name or how long he stays.

It hurts Leo to ignore him, but he has to in order for his plan to start off right.

Usagi texts Donnie about Leo not showing up anymore. The situation has them both on edge for the next performance.

That’s not the only thing, though.

Donnie finds that his costume has been shredded and with paint splattered all over.

The backup costume isn’t exactly ripped but someone glued a bunch of different fabric on various areas of it.

“Who would do this? They didn’t even just hide the costumes, it’s like the person wanted you to see how much it’s messed up.” Usagi comments.

Donnie stares down hard at them and a slight smile comes to his face.

“You’re right. It’s exactly like that.”

“And this makes you…..happy?”

“It does indeed. It seems like the phantom is striking once again.”

“You still think it’s Leo?”

“Oh I have zero doubt about it and honestly you’re in denial, however! This means he’s still been coming to the theatre despite you not seeing him.”

Usagi furrows his brows.

“I don’t know how to feel if it’s true then.”

“We made the assumption that he leaves the theatre when we can’t find him, but what if he doesn’t?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, you don’t have his number or know where he lives. He’s secretive, only ever shows up here, and his portals were only ever inside other buildings. I think I know exactly what’s happening and that’s going to help me get him where he belongs.”

“Are you going to fill me in?”

“No.”

“No!?”

“Not until I have proof! I’m going to do what I do best, research and collect data points. Until then, this needs to be fixed.”

“How can we fix them on such short notice?”

“I have a father who sewed all my clothes since I was in diapers and a brother who makes bears for a hobby. This isn’t an issue.” Donnie pulls out his phone.

After not a lot of time, Raph shows up and carefully, but quickly, gets to work on fixing at least one costume enough for the show.

Usagi is amazed at how fast he works with such precision.

He’s able to finish just in time for their run through.

Usagi once again stays a bit away to give them their privacy.

He can still hear them from where he is though.

“How’s father today?”

“Our like a light with milk and cake. Dee, did he….is Leo comin to this performance? Is he ever comin back?” Raph looks away, hand on the back of his neck.

“Don’t worry about that. He’s going to be our brother even if I have to take him kicking and screaming to the lair.”

Raph looks back and smiles softly.

“I know I should be telling you to try to avoid that, but do what you have to. I’m actually lookin forward to having another knucklehead to take care of.” He pats the top of Donnie’s head.

Donnie smiles back.

“We’ll have him in a different mask in no time.”

“Good luck tonight. You’re gonna be great.”

“Am I ever anything less?”

“Only at basketball.”

Donnie huffs and Raph has a shit eating grin before he heads off.

Usagi smiles as Donnie comes back.

“What’s with that look? If you’re laughing at my lack of sports skills I will trip you on stage.”

“Donnie, I’m starting to think you are the secretly sweetest person I’ve ever met. You love your brothers a lot. Even just the potential ones.”

Donnie blushes, hiding his face slightly with his costume.

“Stop ruining my mysterious bad boy image.”

“It’s way too late. You’re sweet and I know it.” Usagi chuckles before going to his spot.

Donnie smiles again before some metal suddenly falls down next to him. It’s small, but also didn’t come from anywhere near him.

He glances upwards and swears he sees movement, although he can’t be fully sure.

Fine, if that’s how he’s going to play it. Donnie can compete just as well.

Challenge accepted, brother.

[beewolfwrites]

And When I am Formulated, Sprawling on a Pin - Chapter Nineteen: I May Think of You Softly

The angst is starting to hot up now, because we can’t have a Chishiya fic without it :) 

As always, you can also read this on AO3 here. 

Just adding this because I’ve gotten a few messages about it, but once this fic comes to an end, I’ll start reading the manga properly so I can eventually write a part 2/sequel! 

While I’m reading it though, I want to make a collection of one-shots based on this fic from Chishiya’s pov. I have a few scenes in mind to focus on, but if there are some you’d like to see, just drop me a message, comment, carrier pigeon etc... and let me know! 

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‘It’s time.’

They were simple words, but they carried an awful lot of weight. The plan had to go perfectly, otherwise we were finished.

Arisu’s voice sounded from the other line. ‘Is everyone getting into position?’

I picked up the walkie talkie and headed to the door, only for Kuina to grab my arm and stop me. Perplexed, I opened my mouth to ask her why, but her pleading expression silenced me as she took the walkie talkie from my hand.

At the same moment, a new voice – Usagi’s – came through. ‘I’m in the hall, keeping lookout.’  

Never taking her eyes from mine, Kuina’s hand tightened around my arm. She pressed the button to activate the walkie talkie. ‘We’re watching over the elevator to the top floor.’

Except we weren’t. We were here, in my room.

Kuina??

Once again, I began to ask her what was happening, but she shook her head, shushing me. The guilt in her eyes was unmistakable. ‘The coast is clear,’ she said into the walkie talkie.

Then it became awfully, awfully apparent what was going on.

‘The new leader is making a speech in the lobby,’ Chishiya said, ‘and all the executives and militants are at the annex. I’ll let you all know if there are any changes.’ There was a pause. ‘This is our only chance. I’m counting on you, Arisu.’

Shrugging out of Kuina’s hold, I sat down on the bed, trying to process the situation. This had been his plan from the start. Not the official plan, but a fake one: to use Arisu and Usagi to locate the safe, and to let them take the fall. Chishiya may know the passcode, but the location of the safe is something that can only be discovered once you actually go into the room.

He’s using them as his guinea pigs.  

‘I’m in the Royal Suite now,’ Arisu said. ‘Though I can’t see anything that looks like a safe. Just give me a minute.’ My knee began to bounce nervously as the line went quiet. Then his voice crackled through, triumphant, ‘I’ve found it!’

A puff of air sounded from the other line, and I could practically hear Chishiya’s smirk. ‘The code, it’s 8022.’

There was a pause. ‘How do you know?’ Arisu asked. ‘Did you see inside the black envelope?’

I leaned forward, curious about how Chishiya had managed to figure it out simply by sitting in the same room. There were two possibilities here. Either Chishiya knew perfectly well what the passcode was, and he would concoct a lie to give to Arisu, or he only had an inkling about the passcode, and he was using Arisu to test it out.

‘No,’ Chishiya said, ‘but I didn’t need to. Aguni’s expression told me everything. He was surprised at first, then he was confused. I believe the paper inside was blank.’

‘Blank? But what about the passcode you just told me?’ Arisu asked.

There was an amused hum. ‘The wax seal. You remember Hatter’s ring… it was stamped with the word ‘BOSS’. When the wax seal was stamped, the embossing left numbers. That was the true code.’

You really are incredible, and not necessarily in a good way.

It certainly sounded convincing enough, though until Arisu tested it, there was no way of knowing whether this was the genuine truth, or an impressive sounding lie. And judging by the way things were going, he would find out very quickly.

My heart broke for Arisu as he spoke with pure, blind amazement. ‘Chishiya, I’d hate to be your enemy.’

I held my breath, waiting for the worst as silence ensued. This was a setup, after all. I glanced at Kuina, but she only looked at me apologetically.

Why does he have to be so cruel?

‘Chishiya??’ Arisu’s voice shook. ‘Chishiya, the code’s wrong?’

The static shut off into silence.

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

Even the stale air of my room tasted bitter as I gripped my walkie talkie, turning it over in my palm. It was tempting to just toss into the dustbin and wash my hands of the whole thing, yet I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Chishiya had backed me into a corner. It would be too dangerous to stay at the Beach now that the militants had taken over, but I also resented Chishiya for stringing me along in such a dreadful scheme.

Kuina was waiting for me in the hall outside. Now that the militants were busy with Arisu and Usagi, the royal suite was unguarded. This was the final test. The real plan. But as for whether or not I joined them…. I didn’t have a choice, or at least, it seemed that way. I remembered the words that I’d told Hatter when I first arrived at the Beach.

‘I still have a choice. It’s just that one of the options doesn’t look too great.’

There was always the option to stay and pretend that I had nothing to do with it. Except there was an obvious downside; Niragi wouldn’t settle for that. He’d be out for blood. My blood. It was either possible death or certain death… freedom or confinement. I knew which one I preferred.

‘Though wise men at the end know dark is right, because their words forked no lightning they do not go gentle into that good night.’

It was funny how fittingly Dylan Thomas’ poem sprung to mind now. I was going to die. That was inevitable. But I still wanted my voice to be heard. I still wanted to chase the meaning of it all.

Pocketing the walkie talkie, I walked towards the door. It almost felt sad. All the textbooks I had been given, the books that had kept me sane this entire time… I would have to leave them behind. They were gifts from Chishiya, but after what he’d done to Arisu, they were tainted. I shut the door behind me, quite possibly for the last time.

Kuina was leaning against the opposite wall, and when she saw me, her expression was one of relief.

‘For a minute, I thought you weren’t coming.’

I tried to smile. ‘For a minute, so did I.’

The hotel was quiet as we made our way to the top floor, it became apparent how quiet it was. The militants and executives were likely dealing Arisu and Usagi by now, and I hated to think of what was currently happening to them. Perhaps this was another reason Chishiya wanted to use them; as a distraction.

‘I don’t like it either,’ Kuina said. Her jaw was rigid. ‘I really don’t like it. But I have to get home to my mother.’

Some of the bitterness I felt softened. I couldn’t fault her for that. Not really. She had told me once, while we were on the rooftop, about her mother being the only one to accept her after her gender reassignment, and now her mother was ill, yet she was stuck here, unable to help. She had tried asking about my own life, although I’d brushed it away at the time.

‘My brother,’ I said after a moment. ‘I want to get back to him. He’s older than me, a psychologist. He went into psychology to research treatment options for certain mental health conditions. My mother isn’t happy… to put it mildly. She’s a mess. Probably it’s something to do with being married to my dad, or maybe it’s genetic.’

Kuina went quiet at first, then took the quit-smoking aide from her mouth. ‘Are you two close?’

I shrugged. ‘I suppose we are. We both grew up in the same place, and we both have that understanding. He was always the one who went first, and I’d follow him. He wasn’t scared of anything, not even my dad.’

Kuina and I didn’t say anything more after that. We were nearing the top floor now, and even though I couldn’t see him, I knew that Chishiya was lurking somewhere, waiting for us to give him the all-clear.

As planned, Kuina handed me a second walkie talkie, and I took my place at the end of the hall, looking out for any executives. Meanwhile, Kuina took watch outside the royal suite, where she could see Aguni’s room. So far, Aguni had remained in his old room, despite being the new number-one, and since Arisu and Usagi’s capture, he had yet to emerge.

Chishiya’s voice sounded through the walkie talkie. ‘You two, how are things on your side?’

Just the sound of his voice brought with it a mixture of anger… despair… betrayal… relief… and love. Even that. How was it that now, when I had never been more hurt by him, I still craved the safety I found in his voice.

I don’t know who I hate more, him or myself.

I didn’t particularly want to speak with him. But ignoring him wasn’t an option either. ‘You’re all good to go from where I’m standing.’

‘Aguni’s still in his room,’ Kuina’s voice crackled through. ‘We’re getting bored now.’

‘Then should we get going with the plan?’ he suggested.

I clicked my tongue, eyes scanning either side of the empty hall. ‘We’ve already gotten going. It’s you who needs to hurry up.’

‘Patience,’ was the curt reply.

I didn’t hear anything, but I knew that somewhere down the hall, Chishiya was entering the royal suite. ‘I don’t know if Arisu is stupid or intelligent,’ he said. ‘Hatter was paranoid. He wouldn’t have hidden the cards in a normal safe.’

Did Arisu try breaking into one of the hotel’s guest safes?

‘Where’s the real one then?’ Kuina asked. She sounded tired and weary.

‘When Arisu was caught,’ Chishiya replied, ‘Aguni wasn’t paying attention. He was looking towards a certain picture on the wall. It turns out the paper wasn’t empty after all. It contained a drawing instead.’

It was impressive how Chishiya was able to figure these things out through body language alone. For someone who seemed to have no concept of how people behaved, he sure paid attention to our behavioral patterns.

‘So, you had no idea where it was until then?’ I asked.

‘Exactly,’ Chishiya said. ‘What happened to Arisu was necessary if we were going to find the real safe. Speaking of which, I’ve found it.’

The way he talked about it was chilling. Not so much the words themselves, but the ease in which he spoke them, the lack of hesitation.

Kuina seemed to be thinking the same thing, as she sighed into the walkie talkie. ‘You used him just for that?’

The response was immediate. ‘In order to gain something, you have to lose something. He’s just a sacrifice. Things like this happen a lot, don’t they?’

The level of self-assurance behind those words… it was brutal. I always knew he was like this, but what did that mean for me and Kuina? Were we just pawns like Arisu and Usagi? Would our deaths be necessary too?

‘No, they don’t.’ Kuina said. ‘Not at all. I really don’t want to be your enemy.’

At this, I almost laughed. When I first met Chishiya, I had thought the same thing, and earlier today, Arisu had said something similar himself.

‘I get that a lot,’ Chishiya replied.

Perhaps everyone is his enemy. Perhaps the only person he sees surviving the Borderlands is himself.

The idea was a harsh philosophy, but it made sense. Chishiya had always made me feel like insignificant just through his calculating gaze alone. In that sense, he was just like my own father, and chances are that was why I was drawn to him. In this crazy parallel world, feeling small was the only thing familiar to me.

Maybe, in order to gain my own freedom, I have to lose Chishiya.

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

Now that the sun had set over the skyline, the evening had turned still and cold. Aside from the hum of cicadas and the chatter of crickets, it was quiet. Leaning against the outside wall of the hotel, I wrapped my arms around me, although it did nothing to stave off the shivers that tickled my skin. Nor did it melt the wedge of icy determination that had buried itself within me.

I’ll follow him for the sake of leaving the Beach… but I refuse to let myself love him.

I had never been a good liar.

To my right, Kuina was leaning against a lamppost, staring guiltily at the ground. Meanwhile, Chishiya removed his numbered wristband as he strolled towards a decorative brick archway that led out of the hotel grounds. ‘I guess we won’t be needing these anymore.’

‘Don’t you feel sorry?’ Kuina asked quietly.

He stopped. ‘Sorry?’

I looked at him curiously, wondering how he could seem so calm. ‘About what happened to Arisu… I feel really sorry for him. We both do.’

Kuina nodded, folding her arms tighter. ‘Don’t you?’

Chishiya’s eyes flitted to mine, and for the first time, I saw genuine surprise there.

Show me a sign… please give me a reason why I should trust you.

‘Is there anything we wouldn’t do in order to survive?’

A shudder ran through me, and this time, it had nothing to do with the breeze. His words confirmed my every suspicion, but I couldn’t let myself feel so disappointed. I needed to block it all out… block everything out.

Then he smiled. It would’ve been easy to mistake it for his usual smile, if not for the hint of bitterness there. ‘If you both feel so worried, then maybe you should go and help him.’

Kuina looked at him, eyes wide with regret. However, she didn’t move. Neither of us could. We both had our own reasons why we needed to survive and return home. Knowing this well, Chishiya took a step towards the arch, only to stop once more. His brow furrowed as he whispered something under his breath.

Growing impatient, I pushed away from the wall and walked towards the exit… towards freedom.

‘Stop.’

Chishiya’s hand clasped around my wrist, dragging me back. I yanked my arm away immediately, both hating and loving the feeling of his fingers on my skin. ‘What do you think you’re doing?’

Kuina appeared at my side, and the three of us watched tentatively as Chishiya tossed his wristband through the arch. A red laser burst through the plastic, leaving behind a singed hole.

I stepped back, horrified. This couldn’t be… could it?

The Beach is a game arena??

[kursed-arcana]

Sailor Moon Eternal part 2 review

This review will contain some spoilers.

So the dream arc is my favorite story arc of sailor moon. I even adore the supers adaptation of it. The second movie does an excellent job of adapting the remainder of the dream arc. It has beautiful animation and character designs, a beautiful soundtrack with some nostalgia thrown in and a fantastic story. The second movie is where the plot really starts moving forward.

So the dream arc offers some backstory and world building, highlights the individual guardians, with this second movie focusing on the outer guardians as well as some development for both mamoru and Usagi. Get prepared to learn more about the silver millennium, Mamo and the Golden Crystal. The Golden Crystal's role is quite different from the 90's anime and far more interesting. People have complained about mamo being useless for far too long. It's about time he gains the ability to truly stand with his love. It's too bad it took so long, we won't be seeing much of it in this movie or hereafter.

Now Nehelenia is a petty woman and I adore her and her circus. The Amazoness Quartetbis such a fun group and I'm thrilled to finally see them in all their guardian glory. The old anime redeemed them as well but made the bad choice to not reveal that they are sailor Guardians destined to fight with Chibiusa. It instead chose to lightly hint that they'll meet again and then never show it. Unlike in the supers arc adaptation, Nehelenia is completely defeated here and won't be an opponent in the stars arc. She also has no tragic backstory bit is instead quite similar to Maleficent, the wicked fairy, from Sleeping Beauty. While she doesn't have a tragic story this time around, she does offer an interesting perspective when paired with Queen Serenty.

Alas, for all this movie does right, it's tight run time hinders it. The film goes by at a rapid pace. You'll want to give it your full attention so you don't miss anything. Sadly the movie, much like crystal cuts some fun moments, as well as some backstory and explanatory content. If your left slightly confused by anything, I encourage you to give the manga a read to fill in the blanks. My honest oppinion though is that you'll comprehend everything fine.

For example, I believe in the manga the guardians visit their castles or at the very least we get a view of them. Each one has a fantastic design and we're a gift from Queen Serenity upon the birth of each guardian. The anime cuts the backstory and were just sort of told they have castles and need to channel their power to help sailor moon.

For those of you wondering, yes saturn has a transformation at last. And it is completely underwhelming. It's animated beautifully, there's just not really much to it. They could of kept it relatively the same but with a little more oomph. Like have her state on the crystal rocks around her or something. We waited years for this and will only see it once.

Helios and chibiusa are portrayed excellently here. Their romance is truly a highlight and a personal favorite of mine. The resolution to their character arcs is far stronger here and it it climaxes with a moment that heralds back to the iconic Usagi and Mamo moment in arc 1 where the silver crystal reveals itself and saves him. Only this is Chibiusa's moment to shine.

Now the soundtrack, anyone feeling nostalgic should definitly watch the credits. While the first film used the first ending of super s the second film used the second and it's just as fantastic as you'd think. It will make you want to dance like the guardians did in the old ed visual.. The other song played during the credits is another character song that can be found on the soundtrack. Please give it a listen.

Well that's it for now. The movies were fantastic despite their faults. Let's hope we see the stars arc soon. I'd be happy for wither a few more movies or a season. As long as it comes fast.

"Inside each of us is a star"

9.5/10

-.5 for cutting castle content. I wanted to see the castles lol

[sparksfrompemberley]

Sera Myu Review: Usagi Ai no Senshi e no Michi (1994)

This review comes too late i know, but here it is!!. Also, this is MY opinion, so please, please, respect it. Thank youu and please be free to tell me your feelings towards this musical.

So, here is the thing: this musical is very special to me because it was the very first sera myu musical that I´ve ever seen. Actually the first video of sera myu that I watched was “Gondola  no Koibito-tachi”, so it is going to be veery hard for me to judge, you have been warned LOL. 

The one thing that I love about this musical is that it´s very funny. Yeah, maybe the humor is very silly but I think it fits very well with the story. That being said, the screenplay is very rare to say the least, do not get me wrong it was much better than Gaiden, but I feel that this  arc was not very well developed and that they mixed moments that would be better in the previous and next arc (black moon / dreams) such as that the senshis wanted to pursue their respective dreams. Speaking of which, I can never understand why Ami is always the target of the bad guys. This happened in most of Bandai's musicals (although it seems to me that it only happened during the first stage) and then in Nelke's (in the Reconquest). On the other hand, I would have liked to see the Black Moon arc, the truth is a shame they didn't do it because I think it would have been very good. Also, although Usagi continues to fight with Chibiusa during this arc, she does not have the same intensity as in Black Moon and in this musical it seems as if she is jealous of her, which would be much better in the previous arc ..

Professor Tomoe is not one of my favorite characters but I still didn't like how he was portrayed here. Kaolinate had more participation than him and I hated the part when Usagi, wearing that ugly dress (poor Anza gosh, she had to fly over wearing that thing), asked them to stop ... I swear, I had to advance that part because It was unbearable, the same thing happened with Tabidachi, but that was Ayako's fault, because I don't like her performance during the song. I really really like  Ryuuji Kasahara, another guy that I adore!. He always plays bad characters but he's so funny and so entertaining to watch ... obviously he had a lot of fun. Sometimes I try to imagine what it would be like if he had been Mamoru ... I mean I LOVE Yuuta as Mamoru but Idk It is hard to imagine Ryuuji playing another character but I think he would have nailed it . What do you guys think?

On the other hand, and to not make this post so long (LOL) I must say that Anza was much better than in the previous arc. I see her more comfortable and her crybaby moments are better, I really like how she fights with Chibiusa, which by the way, she went crazy hahah. I really liked Ai Miyakawa, she was very sarcastic and mean, very funny to watch. Anza also has very good chemistry with the rest of the senshis, and without fear of being wrong, I would say that the best group of senshis is in this musical: Ayako / Amy is the classic Amy who has moments that work for me (for example in this musical, when she tries to get Usagi to fix herself with Chibiusa) and others not so much (I don't see anything interesting in her character, it's always the same, although maybe it's not her fault) Kanoto / Makoto I LOVE HER TOO MUCH, I mean I think It goes unnoticed among the fans and I don't understand why! Well yes, maybe the "feminine" part of Makoto didn't develop, but it's not that bad either. She looks a lot like manga and anime, she is funny and, unlike other actresses, she participates in the story, she is not there to complete the group. Nana / Minako I LOVE HER !! Again, she is not the Minako that we are used to seeing, but in this musical I think she is excellent, also she is funny and a little crazy. The only "bad" thing is that her leadership is not appreciated, but again, it is not her fault (damn script LOL), Mikako / Rei another who I LOVE, far is one of my favorite Mars / Rei and in this musical I like Although it does not shine unfortunately, but I love her just the same. Finally, impossible not to name Yuuta because he is a fantastic actor. Being his first musical as Mamoru / Tuxedo I must say that I liked him a lot, his chemistry with Anza is something from another planet, it is something very genuine, fresh and real: you can feel that they love each other. I'm looking forward to it but they are my favorite couple of all musicals.

To sum up, yes, I really liked this musical, not only because of the performances I mentioned above but because it is very special to me. This arc never caught my attention honestly, don't ask me why, but of all the ones there are, it's the one I like the least. But this musical works for me better than the anime LOL. The next review will be of the Dreams arc, and maybe I'll upload it next week.So this is my review, please fell free to message me sharing your opinions!!

[docholligay]

For writing day. What was Haruka’s last conversation with her mom like? Did they ever talk after she was hurt?

“No is no, Mom,” Haruka helped Kimi widdle into her cardigan. It wasn’t quite yet spring, but it wasn’t winter, either, and Haruka found herself worrying about whether she had the kids dressed correctly, even years into this parenting thing, “I told you we’re not giving you money.” 

“Haruka,” her mother slurred, “You have plenty of–” 

“Papa!” M.A. hollered, “I can’t find the pink glitter shoes!” 

“Look by the door, honey!” She turned her attention back to the phone, “That’s not the point. I told Michiru I wouldn’t give you money, and I’m not giving you money. We’ve had that rule for years now.” 

She tried to be firm. There was still a part of her that wanted her mother’s love, desperately, that had always wondered why her mother couldn’t have protected her, couldn’t have cared for her. She told herself her mother had done the best she could, even if it was terrible, and that she couldn’t do it wasn’t because of Haruka. Haruka hadn’t done anything to make her mom the way she was. 

She snorted on the other end of the line “Well that girl you married wouldn’t know about FAMILY if it.” 

“No, you gotta stop this–” 

“Papa!! THey aren’t by the door!” 

“Your FATHER was just like this, he left me high and–” 

“You never told him about me! I met him when I was twenty-fucking–” Haruka snapped, and Kimi flinched a little, “no, no honey, I’m sorry, Papa’s not mad at you–I can’t have this conversation right now.” 

“Haruka,” she said sadly, “I’m so hungry.” 

It was a trap and it was true, and it was not Haruka’s problem, and she tried very hard to carry all of those things at once. She reminded herself that her mother was an addict, and her mother was just going to use the money for more of it, the same way she had all of Haruka’s young life, no matter how many times Haruka had said that she was hungry, too. Her mother had neglected her. It was not her job to take care of her mother now. 

“Papa!” 

“Mom, the kids and I are going out.” She turned to the door, “Check in the totebox in your room, M.A.! I, we–” 

What she wanted to do was invite her Mom to meet them at a little noodle shop, or one of the conveyer belt sushi things M.A. adored and Michiru loathed, or an izakaya, and buy her Mom as much as she could eat. That wouldn’t go against the promise. She’d donee it before. Her Mom would be drunk, or high, or both, but at least Haruka could buy her all the dumplings she could possibly want. She hugged Haruka at the end of it, sometimes. 

“I can’t.” She sighed, instead. 

Her therapist had told her a dozen times at least that she needed to detach from her mother. That talking to her mom only hurt her, and Haruka suspected it was true. Her mother hadn’t taken good care of her, she reminded herself. Her mother hadn’t taken her to a doctor when her boyfriend had burst Haruka’s eardrum, nor for any of the infections that ensued, and now a small hearing aid was tucked into it. She came away from meetings with her mother feeling like it was her fault for all of it, that they had been poor and desperate and it wasn’t her mom’s fault Haruka didn’t inspire her to do better. 

More importantly, she had no one to watch the kids, and Michiru had told her in no uncertain terms that if Haruka ever allowed her daughters around Haruka’s mother, there would be a terrible fight indeed, one that Haruka would not win, and that would very likely result in Haruka living outside the home for a time. Michiru never threatened her like that. 

It wasn’t a threat, Haruka knew. It was a statement of consequences. 

“Ruki…”

“Please don’t call me that.” She calls me that because grandma did, Haruka reminded herself, she wants me to remember grandma. 

But for a moment, she considered calling Usagi. She might be home, and available. She loved the girls. She could get lunch with her mom, and feed her, and maybe buy her some cleaner clothes. Michiru wouldn’t kick her out over that, only huff and roll her eyes. Maybe pout a little. 

“Papa.” M.A. was at the door, and Kimi looked up at Haruka in her chair, and Haruka was suddenly very aware that she was the center of these girls’ world. “Papa, I found my shoes. Are we gonna go to the museum?” 

“I’m sorry, Mom. I can’t. I have to go.” 

She hung up the phone, turned it on silent, and slipped it in her pocket, putting Kimi on her lap.

“Of course we are, honey. I love being around you.”

[kasienda]

8 and 41

8. How did you get involved in your latest fandom?

Short answer! It’s my sister’s fault! It’s always my sister’s fault. 

For Sailor Moon: My sister and I watched the DiC dub afterschool every single day after school when we were in middle school. And at the time it was half way through Sailor Moon R, and we were left on a cliff hanger while they were still broken up!! How terrible! So she and I would make up scenarios and scenes together for what we thought was going to happen in the second half of the season. I started reading fic in this fandom (and in Avatar Last Airbender) when my cherished first serious (and very small) fandom, Chrono Trigger, started dying. And I read probably for 6 months or so before I suddenly started seeing scenes in my head, and of course I had to write them down. And once I started writing a fic, I became completely obsessed and have yet to stop! 

For Miraculous Ladybug: My new love! My sister was watching this show with her daughter (who’s six) and she insisted that I would love it. That it was essentially French Sailor Moon. I ignored her for a long time, but she started writing fic of her own, but she wouldn’t let me read it until I had seen more of the show (blackmail!). And about 3-4 episodes in I was hooked! And then man, this fandom loves identity shenanigans/reveals as much as I am (it’s my favorite trope). So, I’m even more obsessed with the fic than with the show. 

41. List and link to 5 fanfics you are currently reading.

Sailor Moon Stories: 

1. It’s Always Been You by @beej88. This is an adorable non-senshi AU where Usagi and Mamoru grow up as childhood friends. And (ulterior motive) I owe beej88 so many reviews because she comments on all my stuff! And I’m so far behind!! So maybe if you like to comment on stuff, you can give her some extra attention! This story is finished and SO CUTE! (Though I’m not finished with it yet).  

2. Much Much More than a Moment - @tinacentury‘s take on Mamousa Week this year. She kinda specializes in fix it fic - she just consistently adds so much depth to canon and I love every piece. She’s not finished with the week yet, but each of these one-shots stand alone. And they are gorgeous? (Did I say that already?)

3. 2B or not 2B? - by AuroraFireMadness - this is a massive senshi/shittennou story. I really appreciate how the relationships develop (like it’s not five copies of the same thing). This lady is fantastic at juggling ten characters through all this. It’s not finished, but it’s a fantastic ride so far. 

Ladybug Stories:

1. Minor Details - @bubbleblower brought us this delightful multi chapter identity reveal. Where Ladybug accidentally reveals herself to Adrien coming to the defense of her partner in crime Chat Noir. This is the kind of delightful fun that I live for! 

2. Dance with me, Chaton - by Totally_lucky - This is a LadyNoir July Story. It’s somehow a no-powers AU. And goodness, I LOVE it!! More identity shenanigans!

3. Phantasmagoria - @mikauzoran - Is is a Luka/Adrien pairing. Not my usual stuff, but this author can establish emotional intimacy between any two characters through the sharing of trauma! And I really enjoyed exploring this dynamic between these two characters! Plus, bisexual representation is always a plus in my book!  

Thanks for the ask @starlingsinclair!

[sittingoverheredreaming]

SPARKLE SPARKLE

I feel very fortunate to have drawn @rhiorhino as my Sparklee!! I went with “Mina & Rei cuddling in a snowstorm,” 1300 words. I HOPE YOU ENJOY!!!

_______

There were only two people who would haul their dumbasses through this blizzard to knock on Rei’s door. She debated which was more likely as she rose from her seat at the fire to answer. She doubted Ikuko would let Usagi leave the house in this weather, but Usagi was likely to be worried. Rei wouldn’t put it past her to try to sneak out to check on everyone-- though stealth was never Usagi’s strong suit.

She resigned herself to the other possibility as she opened the door, just in time to take a snowball to the face.

“And you call yourself a soldier! Where is your vigilance? I could have been a youma!”

“I’ve never seen a youma wear quite so many layers.” Minako had, at least, dressed for the weather before making the trek across town. Hardly an inch of skin was showing-- a welcome change, in Rei’s mind. “What are you doing here?”

Mina shrugged. “I was bored.” She pushed her way in and began unwinding her scarf. “Everything’s shut down.”

“Yeah, they want people to stay in doors.”

“Great, so you can’t kick me out!”

Rei sighed. She could not, in good conscious, send her back into the storm. “Just try and stay out of the way. Some of us still have things to do.”

“You won’t even know I’m here.”

Were that it were true. Rei had barely returned to the fire to resume her reading when she felt something distinctly foot-shaped against her back. “Mina!”

“What?” Mina, sprawled on the floor, looked up from the manga she’d filched from Rei’s stash. “I’m being quiet!”

“You’re putting your feet on me.”

“The floor is cold!”

“So don’t lie on it.”

“But you’re here.”

Rei huffed. “Fine. I’ll sit with you and do homework instead. That work for you?”

“Whatever you want, I’m not even here.”

Rei could not dignify that with an answer. She set them up at the kotatsu, situating herself across from Mina. She cracked open her history book and--

“This is cosy, why didn’t we do this in the first place?”

Rei tried to ignore her. She could have a productive day still if she tried hard enough. If she just focused, she could finish her assignments and chores.

She glanced up. Mina had begun to slide around the table, inching ever closer to Rei. “What are you working on?” She leaned over to see.

Rei schooched away. “Homework.”

“Yeah. What homework?”

“Does it matter? Go back to reading your stupid manga.”

“It’s your stupid manga, and I’ve read this one already, Rei, you’re behind.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Rei gripped her pen tighter. “I’ll try and plan better for your next unannounced visit.”

“Yeah, really. You don’t even have snacks out.”

“Mina…”

She rose. “You’re right, you’re right. I should get out snacks. You want anything?”

“No.” Rei would take whatever opportunity she had for time apart, however little she got. Mina, at least, was sure to take her time picking through the food Rei had, and indeed, it was a good ten minutes before she returned to the low table with chips and chocolates.

It was a mixed blessing. If Minako was eating, she wasn’t talking. But every crunch of a chip raised Rei’s hackles a little more.

In 1560-- CRUNCH-- Nobunaga’s army--CRUNCH-- defeated a force several times its size in the Battle of--CRUNCH!

“Do you have to do that here?”

“Do what?” Mina said through two chips balanced between her lips to make a duck bill. She bit into them both, sending crumbs everywhere.

“Eat.”

“You don’t want me to eat at the table? But Rei, I’m a lady of manners, and--”

“You know what I mean! Did you come here today just to annoy me? Couldn’t you have bothered someone else?”

Mina frowned. “I came here to be with you.”

“Well you should have asked if I wanted you with me!”

“Fine.” Mina rose again for the table and headed for the door. She slipped on her shoes and her coat, but didn’t bother with the rest of what she’d come bundled in.

Rei braced against the guilt as Mina slipped back outside. It wasn’t her fault if Mina was stupid enough to go out in a blizzard. It wasn’t her problem if Mina couldn’t just leave her alone.

Besides, if it got too bad, she could just transform, their Senshi forms had survived the cold well enough at D-Point and--

Shit. Rei put her face in her hands. Sometimes, maybe, she was a dumbass, too. She grabbed her own coat and raced into the cold.

It was a day much like that one had been-- the wind cut her breath short, the snow blew in all directions. A fear that had nothing to do with the present moment settled into Rei’s gut. The hair of her neck stood at attention, waiting for an attack that wasn’t going to come. She followed the freshest foot prints and found Mina huddled behind another shrine building, shivering from more than the cold.

“I’m sorry,” Rei said. “I wasn’t thinking.”

“I don’t want your pity.”

“You’re too annoying to pity.” Rei crossed her arms. “But you shouldn’t be alone.”

“What, you think I’ll do something stupid?”

“No, for once, I think you won’t.”

Mina glanced over, hiding her face in her hair. “I didn’t want to make a big deal of it. But I feel like I’m back there. I feel like we’re all about to die again.”

“We’re safe, Mina.” Rei hesitated a moment, then took her hand. “We’re all safe, and we’ll be safer when you come back inside with me.”

“I can try and let you be this time.”

Rei almost took her up on it, but then shook her head. “Why don’t we do something together? I can take one day off.”

Mina squinted at her. “Rei Hino can take a day off? Did you already catch a cold out here?”

“Oh shut up.” She led her back inside, where they piled blankets on the couch and picked a movie to watch.

“You could have told me what you were feeling,” Rei said as the previews started.

“I didn’t want to.” Mina raised one eyebrow pointedly. “And you have no room to talk, Miss Visions of the world’s end.”

“Yeah, whatever.” Rei looked over at her. “Maybe next time I’ll try and pay better attention. Maybe.”

“Going soft on me, firecracker.”

“Shut it.” Rei shoved at her shoulder. They sat quietly for a few moments, and then Rei had a thought. “Do you want to sit over here?”

“Are you asking if I want to swap sides?”

Rei exhaled, already half regretting bringing it up. “No, I’m asking if you want to be closer, but if you’re going to be difficult about it--”

But Mina was already there, wedged into the crook of Rei’s side beneath her arm. “Thanks,” she said, voice soft and small.

She felt small against Rei, smaller than all her strategies and ostentatious displays, her bluster and her blows. Sometimes it was easy to forget she was a girl as well as a soldier and a wannabe idol, someone with all the interiority and fears that Rei had.

She wondered as the movie played if any of the others had seen her smallness, or if it was something special for Mina to show her how soft she really was. She thought it likely-- and perhaps hoped-- it was the later. Slowly she found herself stroking Mina’s hair. Their breathing began to sync as her fingers tangled in and out of the silky strands.

“You’re not so bad, like this.”

Mina laughed. “Don’t get used to it, hot stuff, I’m having an off day.” She sighed. “It feels nice, though.”

“Well, I guess if you’re ever having an off day, you can come here.” Rei winced. “And you’ll make me regret saying that, I’m sure.”

“You know it.” But she cuddled closer, and while all the world was frozen around them, it didn’t seem like such a bad prospect.

[ducknotinarow]

Measured steps upon the pavement guide him among a sparse crowd, contemplation about the last audience with the Council doesn’t prevent him of being aware towards the environment, now steadily turning less lively as the evening begins to fall upon Hidden City’s streets. Upcoming night will provide much needed serenity, there’s a lot for him to reflect upon and dedicate attention… Even with a current absence of demonic threat, the concealed role of an ambassador makes the immortal refrain from his return home, couldn’t be ignored along with a number of other duties. Incoming hurried pace is what causes the swarm of his thoughts to scatter, acute hearing is soon to catch the sound of youthful voice alongside it when trained feet are already slowing down and turn in direction of the call. Somehow, it is no surpise to see who’s quick to approach him… Allowing Usagi to state his request, he ponders it with a soft brief hum before one’s calm baritone will give his composed reply. “You already have a teacher, young warrior. Don’t you think that is irreverent to ask for another behind his very back?”

“Return to your dojo, disciple of Katsuichi - his mastery is more than outstanding enough for you to learn from. I will not disrespect it by stealing his students…”

Usagi’s nose twitched a little at the rejection. He didn’t blame them he took pride in being Katsuichi’s student. His only student even but the thing about that is that right now. He grew silent pushing that away for now. “I do and I am proud and thankful to my teacher. I have studied under him for a long time. But there is still a lot I can and need to learn.” He tells the other samurai. Lifting his head now he sets his pink eyes on Jack. “I am not seeking a new teacher to replace him. Katsuichi is more than a simple teacher to me anyway. But, I am seeking to get better. To improve. To better wield my blade." Even if they told him no he would insist after all he did the same with Katsuichi.

Soon though he softens a bit letting his shoulders lower a little. "Besides right now because of a mistake someone I care for, got hurt." He confesses, not mentioning who. But the words help him ground into what he was chasing them down for. "I don't seek to collect teachers to build up a name or anything like that if that is what you think. I simply want to improve, I need to know how to make up for my faults" their head lifted up again to face them, standing tall to show them he wasn't backing down.

"So please, I ask again will you help me?"

Start for @sonxflight || Usagi Miyamoto

Usagi may know how to swing a sword but at best he was no better than a child playing pretend when it came to everything else. He didn't know form or anything else proper to wielding it. He didn't know everything else that came with being a samurai, he knew it was the path he wanted to be on though. The first step was finding a teacher. He was pretty set on who he wanted. A wandering human samurai. There was no one better than them, quick on thier trail he near chased them down. "sir wait!" he called out stopping just short of running right to them, waiting to catch his breath as he looked at them. His nose twitched a little as he grounded himself into his resolve, bowing down now.

"My name is Miyamoto Usagi. I am in training to become a samurai." he began to introduce himself to them first. "I'm in need of a teacher if you please!" he quickly asked. not waiting to beat around the bush he was going to be straightforward with his request, driven by his determination alone.

[miitzwrites]

Hey y'all, I’m back! This new drabble was requested by Raxius on FF.net

The prompt is: Sometimes, Neo Queen Serenity and Chibi-usa sneak out of palace grounds and disguise themselves to go enjoy time as mother and daughter and will sometimes bring King Endymion out when they want time as a family.

I added a bit more to the original idea, hoping you all will like it!

Also, I’m gonna be honest with you, this piece is one of my favorites, and it took me almost a week to complete, because it kinda feels personal. I lost my mom in May, and she never had the chance to read one of my stories, and I couldn’t tell her more about this hobby, and I’ve had a hard time coping with her death, so writing has been very therapeutic to me, and this prompt went straight to my heart, because i hope she’s proud of me, whenever she’s now, so I really hope you all like this.

As always, English isn’t my first language, and this piece was unbeta'ed.

And send me your prompts! I accept pretty much anything tbh.

Without further ado, enjoy!

“Small Lady, where are you?” The voice of Neo Queen Serenity resounded through the walls in one of the farthest places in the palace. Since Pluto’s death, her daughter could be found in front of the Space-Time door most often than not. Diana, the daughter of Luna and Artemis, never left her side, but the Queen could see the veil of sadness that sometimes shadowed the girl’s face.

Just as she suspected, the Queen found the Princess in front of the forbidden door, with her back to her. From her place, Neo Queen Serenity could heard the conversation between the Princess and her loyal companion.

“But you were so brave in battle, Small Lady. Wherever she is, I’m sure she’s proud of you!” The small kitten exclaimed, looking at the Princess from her place on her lap. Chibiusa, or like people called her in this time, Small Lady, petted her gray fur and nodded, not entirely convinced. “I could finally become a Sailor Scout like her, but she couldn’t see me. It is my fault, Diana.”

The tears that clouded the girl’s eyes didn’t go unnoticed by the Queen. She knew there were some hidden issues that didn’t leave her daughter alone, but the extent of them were unknown to her. Even after all these years, she was the same Usagi Tsukino, with a few more years of experience, but the same pure heart that wanted to protect everyone. And when she saw her daughter crying, it felt like a stab in the chest.

Neo Queen Serenity cleared her throat to make her presence known. Small Lady quickly wiped off her tears, and Diana jumped to her feet.

“Small Lady, did you forget your lessons?” Asked the Queen in her practiced ‘mom voice’, as Venus liked to call it. “Jupiter has been waiting for you, and you know it’s rude to make people wait for you.” Resigned, Chibiusa stood up, “I apologize, mama. It won’t happen again.”

“Good. Now hurry up, and when you finish, I would like to talk to you.” Chibiusa ran off to where her lesson took place, the garden, and Diana stayed behind her. When she was sure the girl wouldn’t hear her, she turned to the Queen and bowed her head, in a respectful gesture. “Neo Queen Serenity, please don’t be too severe with her. She just misses her friend.”

The Queen picked up the kitten and kissed her small nose, “I know, Diana, and I want to help her. I think I know how to cheer her up, but I will need your and the King’s help.”

Oooooo

“Come on in!”

Neo Queen Serenity entered the office, and closed the door. Since the new age of Crystal Tokyo began, the King Endymion was the head of the medical engineering advances team, so it wasn’t a surprise to find him with his eyes glued to the screen of his computer.

“Did you bring the file?” He asked with tiredness in his voice. “No, but I brought some cookies, your favorites,” answered the Queen with her bright, contagious smile. She might be the Queen now, but on occasions, Usagi made her infamous cookies, crispy with burned edges, and the perfect amount of chocolate chips.

The King pinched the bridge of his nose, and let out a small laugh. “You only make these when you want something,” he said, taking a bite off the cookie. “What did you do, Usako?”

“Oh, Mamo-chan, is it really too hard to believe that I’m being a good wife? When was the last time I cooked for you?” She answered, crossing her arms over her chest with a pout.

“Hmm…. Two weeks ago, when you broke one of the windows in the main hall.”

“Don’t bring that up again, Mamoru-baka! I swear it was an accident.”

“Yeah, yeah, if you say so, Odango Atama”

In public, they were King Endymion and Neo Queen Serenity, sovereigns of Crystal Tokyo, the legendary Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon. But in private, they were Mamo-chan and Usako. Just another married couple that loved each other so much.

The King raised from his seat, sneaked his arms around her waist and kissed her pout away. “Okay, I may need a little favor,” the Queen confessed, stealing another kiss from his lips. “It’s about Chibiusa. I think it’s time for her to start her training.”

“But the girls are busy reinforcing the security system, and the Shitennou are away in a mission.” Mamoru mused, playing idly with her long hair. “And what about Sailor Moon?” Usagi asked, earning a confused look from her husband. “Usako, you haven’t transformed in centuries.” A cloud of sadness crossed her features. She might not openly admit it, but Usagi missed being a full-time Senshi. Being a Queen was rewarding, yes, but at times, it wasn’t enough. Luckily, she had her family and friends, to remind her how loved she was.

Mamoru pulled her even closer, and kissed the crown of her head as Usagi rested her head on his chest. “You think about sending Chibiusa to the past, don’t you? Your old self will be thrilled.” Usagi snickered and shook her head. “My old self could use more responsibility. Chibiusa can learn a lot from her and from the others. It’ll be beneficial for the both of them.”

“She will do great, and when she comes back, Chibiusa will be a full fledged Sailor Senshi,” the King never doubted his daughter, even when she was possessed by the malicious spirit of Wiseman, he knew she would overcome any difficulty.

“There’s also something else I want to ask you,” Usagi looked up at Mamoru, batting her eyelashes, sweetly. “I want a family day. Just you, Chibiusa and me.”

Mamoru wasn’t a stranger to her charms, and with those pleading, blue eyes, he knew there was no way he could deny her anything. “Okay, Usako, just say the day, and we’ll do whatever you want.”

“Whatever I want, you said? Oh Mamo-chan! I want to spend the entire day with you and Chibiusa like a normal family.”

“Considering our history, I would dare to say that we’re as normal as we can,” Mamoru muttered, and Usagi hit him in the arm, pouting again. “You know what I meant!”

“Alright, alright. Whatever you want, my love.”

Yes, he couldn’t deny her anything.

Ooooo

When the lesson finished, Chibiusa returned to her bedroom. Her lessons with Jupiter were always her favorites. She’d learn more about gardening or cooking, and was a personal pleasure of hers to watch her parents’ faces lighten up when she presented them a new dish.

When she opened the door, Diana received her with a smile. “Small Lady, your mother brought you something!” Exclaimed the kitten, as Chibiusa set her eyes on the package placed on her bed. Immediately, Chibiusa unwrapped the box, -she could see that her mother had personally wrapped it, using a wrapping paper full of bunnies and a big, pink ribbon-.

Inside the box, was a note attached that read: “To my dear daughter. May this be the beginning of a new age for you. With love, Mama.”

Excitedly, Chibiusa discovered inside of the box a painting set and new brushes. Most people didn’t know this, but Chibiusa loved to paint. Her mother wasn’t like most, though. She liked to be involved in her daughter’s interests.

“Did you like your present?” The Queen asked from the door, carrying another box with her. Chibiusa ran to her, hugging her. “Yes, mama, I love it! Thank you so much!”

Usagi felt her heart melting in that instant. She was sure that the girl would love the rest of the surprise.

“I have something else for you.” Usagi pulled out from the box a pink blouse and a baby blue skirt that she knew Chibiusa would love. The girl happily took the clothes in her hands, giving her mother a wider smile. “Are we attending another affair, mama?” Chibiusa questioned, placing the blouse and skirt carefully on her bed. “Something like that. You, your father and I will have a family day outside of the palace, tomorrow.” The Princess shoot a confused glance at her mother, and said “But you never leave the palace, last time you did .-” Before she could complete her sentence, Usagi leaned down, and took her small hands, smiling. “Just be sure to be up early. And think about what you would like to do”

With that, the Queen left the room. Diana walked to Chibiusa’s side and nudged her leg to get her attention. “Small Lady, I’d recommend a new hairstyle just for a day,” the kitten winked at the Princess, who nodded eagerly.

OoO

The morning came, and Chibiusa woke up a little after dawn. She wore the outfit that her mother had given to her the previous day, and do her hair into a ponytail instead of her usual buns.

“Mama? Papa? Are you awake?” She knocked at her parents’ door, and was greeted by her father, who had left his usual white and lavender tuxedo and mask, and instead, wore a more casual attire, with a simple pair of jeans and a white button down shirt. “Your mother should be ready in no time. Remember, she’s not a morning person.”

“Oh, shut up, Mamoru-baka!” Usagi called out from their en-suit bathroom, stepping out a moment later, wearing a lilac sundress and a baseball cap. Her hair was up into a high ponytail, just like Chibiusa’s.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you two so casual,” said Chibiusa, inspecting their outfits. Maybe she hadn’t seen this version of her parents, but she remembered fondly the serious clothes that young Mamoru wore, in contrast with the bright and colorful dresses of the young Usagi.

“Have I told you that your father used to have an horrendous green jacket?”

“Usako!”

Ooooo

“Mamo-chan, I want another caramel apple.”

“But you ate two already!”

“Mamo-chan, please, don’t make me beg.”

“Okay, Usako, but it’s the last one.”

Usagi grinned at her husband, and the moved her eyes back to watch as Chibiusa entertained herself with her new painting set. The cool breeze of the autumn evening touched her skin and goosebumps raised on her skin. Mamoru returned a few minutes later, with another caramel apple for her and a cup of coffee for him. He pulled her close, embracing her with an arm around her shoulders, and kissed her temple, his gaze moving to where their daughter was.

“Thank you, Mamo-chan, this day was perfect, and Chibiusa thinks so, too.” Mamoru nodded his agreement, and a small laugh escaped his lips. “Yeah, except for the amusement park and the roller coaster, everything was great.”

“Don’t be like that, Mamo-chan! I haven’t seen you this relaxed in years. We should do this more often.”

“When Chibiusa returns from her trip, we’ll do this again.” Usagi nodded, eating her snack, and a comfortable silence set between them.

Without a doubt, this day had been the funniest in years. With their jobs, it was easy to get lost and overwhelmed, but they knew that, at the end of the day, they would have each other and Chibiusa, to find their way back home. That was one of the reasons why Usagi insisted on having everyday dinner with her family, so they could share a private moment, similar to what she did with her family when she was younger. Mamoru got accustomed to this, too, and when his days were at their worst, he counted the hours until he can have a moment of peace with his wife and daughter.

“I’m gonna miss her,” she broke the silence, snuggling against his side. “The palace will be so quiet without her.” Mamoru ran his hand down her arm, and sighed heavily. “It won’t be the same, but the girls can make you company until Chibiusa comes back home.”

Usagi shook her head, taking his hand and playing with his fingers. “I can’t distract them from their duties, and you know that as well.” Mamoru hummed, “Your girls are busy, yes, but don’t you remember? This century will need a Sailor Moon, and Sailor Moon will need her own guardians. What I mean is, it’s also time to call the Quartet.”

“How didn’t I think about this before?” Usagi responded, and her face lighted up. “If the time comes, this world will need a new protector of love and justice, and I’m positively sure that Chibiusa will do a splendid job.”

Their conversation was interrupted by Chibiusa. She carried with her the painting that she just finished. She could capture the dead of the day and the first stars that appeared on the sky, combined with the beautiful sight of the lake. “Mama, look!” The girl proudly held out her painting to her mother, and Usagi smiled at her, complementing her work. “It is beautiful Chibiusa. It’ll be a beautiful decoration for our dining room.”

“You’ll have to paint one for my office, too, Chibiusa, but that will have to wait until your return.” Chibiusa looked at her father with a puzzled expression, and her lower lip started to tremble lightly, afraid of having done something wrong. If she was honest with herself, deep inside herself, she doubted that hee parents had forgotten what happened with Wiseman and Black Lady.

Usagi hugged her daughter to her chest at her display of distress. “But I don’t wanna leave your side, mama,” Chibiusa weakly told her, and Usagi did her best not to let her emotions get to her. Mamoru, on his part, took Chibiusa’s hand, and rubbed soothing circles in her palm.

“Did you remember what you tell your mother, Chibiusa? That you wanted to work by her side and help her protect this planet?” Noticing the way his wife worried her bottom lip, Mamoru decided to intervene first, “Well, you’re now a Senshi, like Jupiter, or Venus, or Mars, or Mercury. And one day, it will be your duty to be a full time Senshi. But to do so, you must learn some things first, like fighting or how to control the Silver Crystal.”

“I don’t understand, papa,” the girl answered, and Usagi took in a deep breath to try to calm herself down. “What your father meant is that we want you to train with Sailor Moon and the Sailor Senshi from the XXI Century. If you accept this, we’ll make all the necessary arrangements to send you back to the moment you said goodbye to our younger versions. I’m certain neither of them will oppose this idea.”

“I will train with the legendary Sailor Moon and the other Senshi?” The sadness on her face was quickly replaced with a huge grin, and without a second thought, Chibiusa accepted, and hugged her mother tightly. “Yes, mama, I want to train with them. I promise you I won’t come back until I’m a full fledged Senshi.”

A sigh of relief left Mamoru’s lips, and although Usagi was still sad, the enthusiasm of her daughter compensated any negative feeling. “Alright, Ladies, time to get back home. Minako won’t be very happy with you two, eh?”

“Yeah, and wait until she tells Kunzite.” Mamoru groaned, which earned a heartfelt laugh from both Usagi and Chibiusa.

Ooooo

“Are you sure you won’t need anything else?” Asked the King as he opened the Space-Time door. “Yes, papa, I checked twice. And I will be staying with mama Ikuko and papa Kenji. I’ll be fine.”

The King crouched down to pull his daughter into a hug. “Be a good girl, please, mama and I will be waiting for you to come back.”

“Don’t worry, papa, I promise I will make you two proud.”

“But you’ve already made us proud. No matter what you do, will be right beside you.” Chibiusa nodded, and her mother took her in her arms and kissed the crown of her head. “Don’t forget that we love you so much, and please, give this letter to Usagi for me. Oh, and don’t give her a hard time, okay.”

“Yes, mama, and promise me you’ll take my place in Jupiter’s cooking classes, yes?”

“Oh don’t think about that now. I can assure, Jupiter will be very busy until your return.”

“Neo Queen Serenity, will you allow me to visit Small Lady?” Diana asked, jumping off her arms to say goodbye to her friend. “Of course, Diana, just give her some time to adjust to the change.” The Queen conceded her request, and the small kitten beamed to her. “Thank you, Neo Queen Serenity. Small Lady, I will see you soon. Give my father and mother my regards, please.”

Chibiusa smiled at her loyal friend, and with a teary smile, she turned around and walked through the gates of the Space-Time door. With the key that Pluto gave to her, clutched to her heart, Chibiusa recited the words that she had learned by memory. “Pluto, show me the path of light!”

Ooooo

After seeing Chibiusa off, Mamoru and Usagi sat in silence on their favorite bench. Usagi mused about how crazy this time had been, and prayed for a moment of peace. Lifting her gaze up from the fountain, she met Mamoru’s gaze. A blush colored her cheeks as Mamoru’s lips descended upon hers, placing a sweet kiss on hers. And, like the first time they shared a kiss in this very spot, something fell from the sky, and before either of them could react, Usagi saw how Chibiusa fell into Mamoru’s arms, and then jumped off, with her bright and lousy laugh.

“Hi! I’m back!”

[keyofjetwolf]

Jet Wolf Summarizes Act 26

As it turns out, the manga and I aren’t going to be great friends. Rather than spend the energy on a liveblog that’s increasingly negative, I’m reading each manga act (mostly) silently, and then writing up summaries at the end. I’ll be very candid, which means there’s likely criticism and snark a’plenty about the manga, either wholesale or in details. If that isn’t a thing you feel like reading, please skip this post!

Things included in this summary:

The final battle against Wiseman/Death Phanton/Nemesis/Ryan. Why Ryan? Why not Ryan. Presumably his parents didn’t name him Death Phantom. Now his name is Ryan.

The conclusion to all the Crystal Tokyo shit.

The arc epilogue, which is where all the character-intensive stuff should happen but in case you forgot, this is a summary of THE MANGA.

Things not included in this summary:

My multiple literal screams.

At least not in audio form.

I’ll still scream in text though, don’t worry.

Usagi aims her love rod at an entire fucking planet which is now I guess close enough to be within visual range of Earth. I have so many questions about this, but it occurs to me that it would only make this arc longer if they were to be answered, so I keep my mouth closed. There’s a burst of light. Usagi disappears. Planet Ryan disappears. Aw, she’ll have to fight the big bad on her own, but this will be test of her mettle that will prove she’s

JUST KIDDING CAN’T FORGET THE REAL STAR

Mamoru joins Usagi by, near as I can tell, thinking about it real hard. Nobody else joins Usagi. Nobody else even tries. I can tell that, somewhere, some part of me wants to cry. The tears don’t come.

Neo-Queen Serenity’s clock finally runs out of snooze times, and she decides she’d better get up. She wanders her dead and deserted palace, noting her potentially dead but certainly unwell Senshi. She considers going to them, checking on them, showing any concern about them whatsoever, but then chuckles to herself. Don’t be ridiculous, this is the manga! Only one thing matters. CAN YOU FOLKS AT HOME GUESS WHAT IT IS??

I know, right? It’s so good to see Mamoru getting the kind of attention he’s due. He’s been so neglected and forgotten. :(

King Douchedymion wakes up, Holodouchedymion disappears, and he and NQS emerge from the palace. Then we get some Family Values propaganda bullshit.

NO OKAY

NO FUCK YOU

YOU DON’T GET TO SPEND YOUR WHOLE DAMN ARC TALKING ABOUT HOW CHIBI-USA IS LONELY AND ISOLATED AND HASN’T KNOW A SHRED OF AFFECTION FROM HER MOTHER FOR NINE HUNDRED FUCKING YEARS AND THEN DRAW THIS LIKE IT RESOLVES ANY OF THAT

WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT THIS IS INTENDED TO DO BECAUSE NEITHER CHIBS NOR NQS NOR ANYONE ELSE SAYS A SINGLE WORD ABOUT THE NEGLECT AND ABUSE CHIBS HAS BEEN SUFFERING LEAVING THE ONLY CONCLUSION THAT IT’S JUST NOT A CONSIDERATION TO ANYONE ANY MORE AND WE’RE GOOD

WE ARE NOT FUCKING GOOD AT ALL

And this gets even worse as things go on. I’m obviously having to rely on my translation here, which I grant is questionably accurate at best, but it’s what’s in front of me right now, so.

NQS goes on to tell Chibs that what got her to wake up was Chibs’ transformation into a Senshi. The conversation continues with Chibs expressing all this sadness and remorse for all the people she feels her actions indirectly killed and all the people she couldn’t protect. NQS says “It’s not your fault, now let’s not talk about it any more.” NOTE THAT SHE SAYS THIS WITH PLUTO’S DEAD AND SPRAWLED BODY LIKE FIVE FEET AWAY BUT EVERYONE IS FINE WITH THAT. From here, it starts to really get to me though, because the entire exchange turns to Chibi-Usa’s power. “You have powers of your own now,” NQS says excited. “We can use our powers to protect the planet together.” When Chibs tearfully confesses she didn’t think her mother needed her, NQS starts strong with “You’re my only daughter. You’re precious to me.” but then:

And it doesn’t stop there. NQS turns to the Senshi (MY GOD YOU MEAN THEY’RE THERE???) and tells them that when she ascended, she “lost almost all of [her] powers to fight as a soldier”. And some other shit I think may be translated wrong but doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme. The important part is that she tells Chibs she has to use Pluto’s powers (WHICH I GUESS SHE CAN JUST DO NOW) to find Sailor Moon and Tux, and use her power to help them take Ryan down for good.

(A THING SHE HERSELF WAS UNWILLING TO DO HERSELF BY THE WAY I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT SHE’S SENDING HER EIGHT YEAR OLD DAUGHTER TO KILL A DUDE SHE REFUSED TO TAKE CARE OF)

ALSO FOR SOME REASON THE INNERS CAN’T ALSO GO FIGHT WHY THE FUCK DO THEY KEEP LISTENING TO EVERYONE TELLING THEM WHERE THEY CAN AND CAN’T GO

I’m going to skip ahead a bit to complete my thought about NQS here, but later in the chapter she powers up the Inners with the laughable “You’ll be able to fight alongside Sailor Moon with ease” like yeah, I’ll believe that when I fucking see it. She also powers up Sailor Moon from across time and space, and gives her a new brooch and toy from Bandai, AND OKAY WE’RE COMING TO MY POINT NOW.

Which is, EVERY GODDAMN THING ABOUT NQS AS SHE RELATES TO ANYONE NOT ENDYMION IS ABOUT POWER. And this CREEPS ME THE FUCK OUT. Her entire exchange with Chibi-Usa isn’t about Chibi-Usa, it’s about how now Chibi-Usa can fight. The fact that she didn’t wake up until Chibs could transform upsets the shit out of me. There’s no part of their interaction that, in a sincere way (and no I don’t count the easily tossed out “You’re my daughter, you’re precious” platitude as none of her interactions with Chibs over their 900 year relationship demonstrate these feelings in a way recognizable to Chibs), show NQS has any interest in Chibi-Usa whatsoever UNTIL SHE HAS POWER. She LITERALLY does not wake up and hug her daughter for what last issue suggested was the first fucking time until Chibi-Usa is a Senshi.

CREEPED. THE FUCK. OUT.

God, anyway, then Usagi and Mamoru spend five pages or something telling each other that they’re the bestest and Mamoru is just as important and powerful as Usagi.

Because again, what does female empowering mean if not “reassure the male romantic lead he’s on equal footing with the titular female lead character”.

Somewhere in the 30th century, the Senshi are filling out their resumes.

Chibs shows up, and she and Usagi destroy Planet Ryan, which is sure to send debris hurtling to Earth and upsetting the delicate climate balance that hahaha no of course not, everything’s fine.

NQS then powers up the Senshi, a move she couldn’t have done a few minutes earlier and then sending them off with Chibs to have anything at all to do with the final battle, because why, honestly. Why. Just why.

Everyone returns to Earth, and Usagi angsts a bit about not getting to meet her future self, which she can’t do because all of space and time will unravel and it’ll be very bad. Neo-Queen Serenity is angsting about it herself. It’s all so sad, so very sad, so much sadder than poor dead Pluto still lying there going through various stages of rigor mortis on her first outing in about five thousand years.

THANKS FOR SHOWING ANY LINGERING REMORSE ABOUT THE DEATH OF YOUR ONLY FRIEND LITERALLY TEN MINUTES AGO

But honestly, who has time for any of that when Usagi is sad? SHE WANTED TO MEET HERSELF YOU GUYS AND IT’S HEARTBREAKING THAT SHE CAN’T IT’S TRAGIC THE MOST TRAGIC THING TO HAPPEN ALL DAY, manga!Usagi is thinking to herself as she steps over Pluto’s body still-warm body.

BUT FUCKING WAIT

BECAUSE NEO-QUEEN FUCKING SERENITY AFTER TALKING ABOUT HOW THEY COULDN’T POSSIBLY MEET RUNS THE FUCK UP AND STARTS CHATTING TO USAGI ANYWAY

I SCREAMED I SCREAMED SO GODDAMN LOUD WHAT IS THIS UTTER FUCKING BULLSHIT

JUST THIS CONVERSATION COULD ALTER HISTORY

YOU JUST LOST LITERALLY YOUR ENTIRE CITY’S POPULATION IN A WAR AGAINST FUCKS WHO WANTED TO ALTER HISTORY

SAILOR PLUTO FUCKING DIED SO YOU COULD STOP EVERYTHING UNRAVELING

AND NEO-QUEEN SERENITY SAYS FUCK ALL OF THAT BECAUSE SHE WANTS TO SAY HELLO TO HER GODDAMN FOURTEEN YEAR-OLD SELF

A DECISION USAGI NOT ONLY SUPPORTS BUT IS DELIGHTED BY

I AM A BALLOON FILLED WITH PURE RAGE AND I JUST FUCKING POPPED

THIS IS THE MOST SELFISH SHIT I HAVE EVER SEEN

“Wow, Chibs, your mum’s a bitch,” Minako says. Chibi-Usa just emphatically nods.

R A G E

Ugh, fuck, let’s get this over with. Chibs is packing up and leaving, and Usagi is all “YOU DON’T THINK ABOUT MY FEELINGS”, as though anyone else is allowed to have feelings to ever be considered. She goes to the park to travel home. Only Mamoru is there. I can’t even pretend to be anything but resigned at this point. But don’t worry, because the Senshi have a whole long panel!

Rei is comforting that fan club president she knew for a couple of hours! Makoto receives a hug from the guy who talks about Mamoru 98% of the time! Minako greets Motoki who looks terrified! Ami is just there because like I said back at the beginning of this arc, she has absolutely no other character at all to connect her to!

God, aren’t you bored with all this attention on the Senshi? TAKEUCHI SURE IS BUT DON’T WORRY HERE COMES MORE MAMORU AND USAGI. They talk about how their future is already planned out, and are somehow romantic and wistful about it. And then surprise! Chibi-Usa is back!

Neo-Queen Serenity will finally, after 900 years, get to see her daughter grow! God, how terrifying. HEY FOURTEEN-YEAR OLD ME PLEASE RAISE HER LIKE YOUR DAUGHTER I SPENT LIKE HALF AN HOUR WITH HER AND IT WAS TERRIBLE KTHX ♥

THE FUCKING END

[goodlucktai]

If the Creek Don’t Rise (3/3)

‘verse: Mostly IDW, some elements of 2k12

Pairings: Rasey, Woody/Mikey, Ramona (past)—and a few more may be implied down the road, we’ll see brief mentions of Leosagi.

Summary: In which Raphael and Michelangelo are UCLA students and bring some friends home to South Dakota for Thanksgiving, where Donatello plays matchmaker, Casey becomes a horticulture enthusiast, Woody has great taste in art, and Raphael fakes an engagement.

Notes: This is an AU I started writing for @tmntflashfic’s first theme ‘beginnings.’ It’s very loosely based off the old Pauly Shore movie “Son in Law,” and I’ll thank y'all not to judge me for that. <3 This AU is not to be taken seriously, so please don’t take it too seriously. It got longer than I anticipated, so I cut it into three parts.

Titled after something my nana always says, “If the lord’s willing and the creek don’t rise,” which just means that as long as nothing unexpected happens, everything will go to plan.

THE FINAL PART IS FINALLY HERE

(Story tag)

Raphael was one-hundred and fifty percent certain his life was over.

His brothers kept throwing him bewildered looks, staring between him and Casey as though trying to form a connection that wasn't there. Going over what they knew in a new light, and drawing lines between every interaction they had seen so far and the bombshell Casey dropped on essentially the entire town, and wrapping their minds around the idea of Raph and Casey actually being Raph And Casey.

“I need some air,” Raph said abruptly over Leo's fourth attempt to draw him into conversation, standing up so sharply that he bashed his knee into the tabletop and rattled the glassware. “Shi – shoot. Sorry. Jones, you wanna come with me? For some air?”

“Dude, the food’ll be here soon.”

Raph's murderous intent probably showed on his face, because Mikey stood up a second later. “I'll go with you guys.”

“Oh, god, please don't leave me here,” Woody said very quietly, scrambling out of his chair to follow them.

Which is how Raph found himself pacing the parking in the warm country night air, hands folded into tight fists at his side. Woody and Mikey were sharing a cement parking block, sitting with their knees folded up by their chins and watching Raph's back-and-forth march with solemn eyes. Casey was leaned against the wall without a care in the world, and it made Raph want to grab him by the shirt and shake him.

“That was your move?” he bit out. “Faking an engagement? Jesus Christ, Jones!”

“Hey, I didn't see any of you comin' up with any brilliant ideas,” he shot back with a scowl. “And it ain't like I had days to think it over!”

“C'mon, Raphie, it's not Casey's fault,” Mikey interjected before Raph could give voice to any one of numerous scathing retorts. He looked pale and worried for him, face a wash of tired yellow from the buzzing streetlight overhead. “We were all pretty much put on the spot back there. At least the thing with Lisa is taken care of.”

“Okay, but this is – ”

“A lot better,” Woody said calmly. When Raph cut a glance at him, he added, “You're in complete control of the situation now. When we get back to your place, we'll explain the whole thing. Just play it cool through dinner, alright?”

“Yeah!” Mikey piped up, looking exhaustively relieved. He tilted a shining look Woody's way. “There's nothing to worry about, bro, we'll sort this out first thing once we're home.”

Except that the first thing that happened once they got home was Leo, successfully cornering Raph alone on the back porch. Woody shot him a sympathetic glance over Leo's shoulder but ultimately abandoned him to his older brother's mercies in favor of following Mikey around like a second shadow. Goddammit.

“Dude,” Raph headed him off, “it's been a night, okay, just – ”

“Look, I know you don't want to talk about it,” Leo said with a firm hand on Raph's arm, curtailing his attempts to get the hell out of dodge. But it was less that and more the earnest look in his wide almond eyes that kept Raph's feet rooted reluctantly to the floor. “I know that you probably had planned to tell us the news while we were together for the holidays, and I'm really sorry Elizaveta made it necessary for you to announce your engagement the way you did.”

Raph wanted to sink through the floor and disappear for maybe the rest of his life. Hoarsely, he said, “Leo, that's not – ”

“Just hear me out,” his big brother insisted, and somehow his expression only got more sincere. “I've – been texting you a lot recently about a guy I met on campus. Usagi. Remember?”

Raphael hazarded a nod, and shifted so that Leo's grip on his wrist was less of a grab and more of a hold. Leo nodded back, as though he needed the encouragement, and took a deep breath.

“I like him,” he blurted, cheeks coloring. “I like him a lot.”

Oh.

Oh.

“Oh,” Raph said, eyes huge in his face. Leo was still nodding, looking equal parts panicked to have said it out loud and relieved to part with the confession. He was staring at Raph like Raph had all the power to destroy him with a single word or harsh look, and Raph found he didn't care for that shit at all. “Look, man, that's – whatever, you know? You didn't really think we'd care, did you?”

“I don't know,” Leo said quietly, letting go of Raph's arm. “I mean – I told myself I was being stupid, but – ”

Raph could feel himself start to frown thunderously at the idea that Leo could tote around the ridiculous concept that his family's love for him was  conditional. And maybe it was a little hypocritical, since the same quiet worries had circled Raph's head, too, back when he was first irreparably charmed by the most obnoxious roommate in the history of UCLA – but at the same time, it was different. It was Leo.

“Hell yeah, you were being stupid. Look, as long as he's a good guy, as long as he doesn't – ” He thought of Bradford and the end of Mikey's sophomore year and abruptly saw red. Thought of the man Leo had his eye on doing anything similar, and his fists clenched so hard it hurt. “ – hurt you, y'know, in whatever way, then it don't matter. Not a lick. And our brothers and dad and Uncle L will all tell you the same thing. You know they will.”

There was a sheen to Leo's eyes that looked like it might be tears, but he chuckled warmly. Rubbed his face with the sleeve of his shirt and hitched up a smile so wide it probably could have left a permanent impression.

“Well – that's why I wanted to talk to you,” he said. “To say thanks.”

Something close to dread pooled in the pit of Raph's stomach. “Thanks?”

“Yeah. I was scared, but you made it less scary. You've always been so much braver than me.”

Fearless Leo's eyes shone for a split second before he moved forward a swift step and tugged Raph into a solid hug. They were about the same height, Raph realized dimly, and wondered when that had happened. It was autopilot to put his arms around Leo in turn, and he only got squeezed tighter for his troubles.

“I’m going to talk to father before I go back to school. Thanks, Raph, really.”

Raph closed his eyes, and allowed himself an inward and heartfelt, Fuck.

"There is no fucking way we can call it off now,” Raph said, waving his hands wildly. “No fucking way.”

He had called an Immediate Emergency Meeting, which was why they were all clustered in the back shed, AKA Mikey’s childhood art studio. The overhead light was still swinging from the fifth time Casey had smashed his head into it, and subsequently Casey was rubbing his forehead and cussing under his breath.

Similarly, Woody was only half-listening; eyes roving the room like he was trying to commit ever inch of the dust-covered space to memory, lingering on old painted canvases and listing sculptures like there was treasure to be found among them.

Raph had Mikey’s full attention at least. His little brother was perched on the workbench, watching him with wide, worried hazel eyes.

“Well,” he said slowly, “it’s still okay. We’ll just ride this thing out, y’know? I mean, we’re only gonna be here for the rest of the week, right? And then when we go back to school everything will go back to normal, you can call and say the two of you broke it off or something. Right?”

“I -- yeah, I mean.” Raph ran an agitated hand through his hair, forcing himself to calm down. “Yeah. Yeah, you’re right.”

Mikey beamed at him, tension easing out of his shoulders. Raph was unspeakably grateful, for the millionth time in his life, that he could always count on having Mikey on his team. Things never seemed as bad with him around.

“So you and Case just gotta act couple-y until then! No problem!”

Casey snorted, and Woody whipped around with a delighted expression. “’No problem’? Mikester.”

“What? What’d I say?”

Raph prayed that the shitty lighting in Mikey’s shed would be enough to hide the way his face turned red. From the coy look on his little brother’s face, and the amused look on Woody’s, he knew that was probably a fool’s hope.

Casey was still rubbing his forehead but he was watching Raph closely now, with something measured and thoughtful in his eyes.

Later, in the relentless quiet of Raph’s bedroom, the scattered feet between his bed and Casey’s cot seemed to stretch into miles. It was nothing like their first night there -- nothing like every night for the past few months in their dorm room at school -- when they could stay up and talk about anything, cradled safely in the dark as they learned to navigate each other’s pitfalls.

It was uncomfortable. The learned familiarity was gone. Raph was grasping for it at the corners.

Casey’s cot creaked as he rolled over, and his voice drifted through the space between them cautiously.

“Raph? You awake?”

With the blanket pulled up around his ears, Raphael pretended not to be.

Raph went slinking out of the house early the next morning. He waved to Uncle L when he passed him in the kitchen, put together a quick breakfast of leftovers out of the fridge, and crept out the side door into the yard while the sky was still more dark than light.

Father would have started the chores already. Raph wouldn’t see him until lunch. He wanted to talk -- it’s obvious he wanted to talk -- but he had always given his kids the whole of his faith, and probably trusted Raph to come and find him on his own when he was ready.

Fat chance of that.

Hiding in the horse barn, Raphael leaned against the wall and put his head in his hands and tried very hard not to lose his collective shit.

If the thing with Lisa wasn’t bad enough, now he’s fake dating a guy he wants to actually date, and it’s fake going really well, apparently, because they’re fake planning to get married.

He suckered himself into this situation in the first place, inviting Casey along for the visit home, but the kicker is he can’t even really bring himself to regret it. Not when the alternative would have been Casey on his own back in California.

He’s had a good time, Raph thought, and didn’t want to take a moment of it back.

“Yo,” Casey said abruptly, drawing Raph’s head up sharply. His sleep-touseled friend was in the wide doorway of the barn, looking distinctly unimpressed with him and the world and wakefulness in general. “Are you seriously avoiding me? Weak as hell, man.”

Raph could only stare at him, trying to find his footing in this conversation he was desperately unprepared for. Casey took pity on him after a moment and gestured over his shoulder.

“My buddy showed me where you were. I named her Chompy by the way, on account of the hole she chewed into my shirt the other day.”

Raph followed his hand to the fence opposite the barn, where the newest addition to the family sheep was gazing dolefully at them through the gap in the wooden posts. He blinked, and looked back at Casey, and said, “You can’t name Mikey’s sheep Chompy. That’s a stupid name.”

“Oh, yeah, you’re all named after like, artists and shit. Okay, fine in keeping with family tradition, she can be Chompy Picasso.”

“No. Just -- no. I’m gonna. Hold on.”

He dug his cell phone out of his pocket and sent a text to Mikey; who was probably still up at ass o’clock in the morning after having not gone to bed in the first place in favor of a sci-fi movie marathon with Don and Woody.

Sure enough, Raph got a reply almost immediately.

To: Mike case is tryin to name ur lamb chompy picasso

From: Mike !!!! thats the best name EVER tell him thx omfg

“Okay, well, it’s official,” he said, pocketing his phone again. “I don’t know any of you. You’re all total strangers. Get out of my house.”

“Pfft. That makes this engagement a little weird, don’t it?”

Raph didn’t flinch, but it was a close call, and he jerked his eyes away to stare at the wall, and then the ground. He didn’t want to talk about, didn’t know why he thought he could avoid it, wanted for there to be a way to go back and face Lisa from the beginning the way he should’ve -- the way she deserved -- instead of hiding from the situation like a coward.

He should have --

“Raph,” Casey barked, “stop freaking out, Jesus Christ!” His tone was sharp, but mostly without anger, and the steps forward he took were hurried. “I’ll slap you in the face to snap you out of it like in every bad Lifetime movie you’ve ever seen, don’t even try me.”

“You don’t watch Lifetime movies.”

“Fuck you, you don’t know what I watch.” Casey punched him in the shoulder, just hard enough to leave a residual ache there after his fist fell away. “And I don’t know what bullshit is running through your head right now, but we’re fine. This whole thing was my fault, and I’ll deal with it. So quit acting like the world’s comin’ to an end, you moron.”

Raph risked a glance up at him, disbelieving. Casey looked ready to throw another punch, agitated in a restless way that spoke more of worry than anything else.

And Raph felt like a moron.

“Fuck. Case, look -- “

But they were both interrupted by the dark head of a dapple grey stallion as it leaned over the door of its stall to see what all the commotion was about. It flicked an ear and shook out its mane before craning a long neck over to inspect Casey curiously.

“Holy shit,” Casey said, completely side-tracked as he stared at the approaching horse with wide eyes. “There’s a monster in your barn.”

“This is Spike.” Raph patted him fondly. “He’s nosy.”

“Yeah, I’ll say.” Casey put out his hands cautiously, and Spike leaned his nose into the cradle of his palms, snuffling wetly around for treats. “Ew,” Casey added, delighted.

Raph watched them for a minute, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“So,” he ventured, “we’re good?”

“Yeah, man. We’re good. Unless you keep acting like an idiot, goddamn.”

Spike lipped at the hem of Casey's shirt affectionately. Casey squawked, and Raph's heart did a complicated flip in his chest.

Raph's brothers, and his father, and his uncle all approved of Jones, whether the knew the full truth about the situation or not—but it was something else, something important, that his horse approved of him, too.

Fake dating, he reminded himself viciously, knowing already that the reminder wouldn’t stick.

The day before Thanksgiving, there was a big dance hosted at the rec center for the young adult crowd. The six of them took Uncle L’s truck, tired of being cooped up at the farm, and if the drinks provided weren’t spiked Raph would spike them his damn self.

“You see Lisa anywhere?” he asked, leaning against the wall next to Casey with a cup of warm punch.

“Am I s’posed to be lookin’ for her?”

“I owe her an explanation."

“You don’t owe anybody shit, bro, but I’ll keep an eye out.”

On Raph’s other side, Donnie straightened so abruptly that it got Casey, Raph and Leo’s -- from the other side of the refreshments table -- attention all at once. And before any of them had a chance to so much as open their mouths, he was pushing off the wall and striding through the crowd with vicious intent, looking ready to steamroll any number of people out of his way.

“What the heck,” Leo said, frowning. He was searching the room for the source of Donnie’s sudden beeline, and found it moments before Raph did.

Something ice-cold and toothed reared its ugly head in the pit of Raph’s chest at the sight of Bradford dragging his little brother out the back door. With a bitter taste in the back of his throat, he dropped his cup and shoved his way across the dance floor after Leo.

The back was for deliveries, with a wide gravel drive and a small storage shed. It was much quieter and darker out there, where the lights and the music and the dull roar of conversation from the party they had left behind were distant and muted.

Donnie was boxed in the doorway, frozen, with a hand over his mouth. Leo all but picked him up and moved him out of the way, face dark with furious fear, but after a second to take in the scene, he was motionless, too.

“What the fuck,” Raph blustered, shoving past, “move, don’t just -- “

“Holy shit,” Casey said from behind him. 

Bradford was crumpled on the ground, a bloody hand trembling over his broken nose. His lettermen’s jacket was stained with it, his cronies standing well back, and Woody was lowering his hands as Raph put the pieces of the scene together into a cohesive picture. 

Holy shit was right. 

“Keep your hands to yourself,” Woody said mildly, eyes cold as he looked Bradford over. “I really don’t want to have to tell you again.”

He looked like he really wanted to have to tell him again.

Reaching out without looking away from Bradford for a second, Woody gathered Mikey up under his arm, curling the smaller blond in tight against his side. Mikey’s eyes were wide but it was wonder in his face, and the beginnings of delight, and any shadow of that awful misery from moments earlier was burned completely away.

“Dude,” he whispered adoringly, “You’re a ninja.”

Woody’s icy expression gentled for him, almost absurdly, and if Raph looked to his left he’d see Donnie looking smug as shit at having been right about something no one else could have guessed from the very beginning, again. “Something like that. My aunt’s an MMA fighter. She taught me a lot. I took lessons for a few years, too.”

“Holy cats! Woody! That’s, like, maximum rad!” 

Grinning down at him, Woody said, “Anyway, weren’t we about to go dance?”

With a gasp, Mikey snatched up his hand and tugged him back toward the door. He looked surprised to see his brothers there, but he greeted them with a smile that didn’t shake, and Donnie touched Woody’s arm for a moment of exhaustive, wordless thanks. 

Woody shook his head with a stubborn glint in his eye, squeezing Mikey’s hand tighter. 

“Message received,” Leo said with a grin, and Raph watched Donnie take a mean delight in locking the back door behind them when they returned to the party. Not that he was worried about Bradford showing his ugly face anywhere near Mikey again anytime soon. He owed Woody a drink or ten for that. 

“Dude,” Casey said, “what the hell is up with that guy? Why’s he got it in for Mike?”

There was a wet floor sign and a disgruntled janitor cleaning up the spilled drinks Raph and his brothers left behind earlier. Raph went in search of a new spot to stand in.

“You know the movie Carrie?”

“Sure.”

“Same deal. Except instead of pig blood there at the end, Bradford got him up on stage in the middle of the homecoming dance and outed him in front of god and everybody.”

“Jesus fuck.”

“I got suspended that night for two weeks for beating the shit out of Bradford, but dad gave the principal so much hell she brought it down to one.” Glancing sidelong at Casey, Raph added, “Mikey got bullied after that, bad. Not for long, I mean, he doesn’t have three big brothers for nothing. But it left a mark on him, y’know, it really did some damage.”

“You think Woody knew?”

“I dunno. I didn’t tell him. And Mikey doesn’t talk about it. Anyway, I don’t think it matters. Anyone who looks at Mikey cross-eyed is gonna have fuckin’ Bruce Lee to deal with, and I’m more than fine with that.”

It wasn’t hard to find them on the dance floor, swinging each other around wildly and laughing louder than the band could play. The Mikey of two years ago wouldn’t recognize himself if he could see it, Raph thought. Dancing close with another boy in front of their whole small-minded town like there wasn’t a single goddamn thing to be ashamed of.

That night, warm with the alcohol they picked up on the way home and groggy, Raph fell into bed with his clothes on. Barely a minute later, hands were shoving at his chest and shoulder, and Casey was muttering, “Scoot over, dude, I’m not sleeping on that fucking thing anymore.” 

At three a.m. it made sense, and Raph rolled over to make room for him.

A rooster call woke him up scant hours later, and he blinked painfully through a hangover into the weak sunlight beginning to poke its fingers through the windows of his bedroom. 

His arm was slung over Casey’s waist. Casey was drooling on his shoulder. His head hurt too much to process either of those things.

“Yer thinkin’ too loud,” Casey muttered softly, the words wincing and whispered. “Too hungover for that shit.”

“Case -- “

“I swear to god -- “ 

“No, listen,” Raph was saying stupidly. “I don’t want to fake date you. It’s driving me insane, I don’t want to do it anymore. So that’s why we should -- “

With a soft cuss, Casey jerked upright. Raph had exactly one second to worry before his roommate was clambering on top of him, straddling his waist with a twisted comforter between them and leaning down with tangled hair and blurry eyes to kiss Raph quiet. 

It worked like a charm -- Raph shut right up. Casey kissed him for a lot longer anyway. Relentless, like there was something to make up for. Whatever it was, Raph was happy to give it, digging his fingers into his grip on Casey’s arms, keeping him as close as he could until the last possible moment.

To: X-XXX-XXX-XXXX sorry abt dinner the other night. sorry about a lot of stuff.

From: X-XXX-XXX-XXXX Forgiven. 

To: X-XXX-XXX-XXXX next time i visit ill make it up to you. promise

From: X-XXX-XXX-XXXX You will do no such thing. Next time, I will make it up to /you/. I owe you that much. 

From: X-XXX-XXX-XXXX And I hope you’ll introduce me to your fiance. I would like to meet him. 

Contact saved as “Mona Lisa.”

“What are you smilin’ about?” Casey mumbled without lifting his head, word salad all but lost against Raph’s collarbone. 

“How do you know I’m smiling, you creep?”

“C’n just tell. What’s up?” 

Raph set his phone aside, and pushed a hand through Casey’s hair. 

“Wanna come home with me again for Christmas?”

“Pretty sure I have a standing invitation from your entire family to crash all your holiday get-togethers, loser.” He slung an arm across Raph’s waist and yawned. “Welcome to the married life. No getting rid of me now.”

“We aren’t married, dumbass.” 

“Fuck you, go back to sleep.”

The two of them in one bed was a tight fit, but the cot was all the way across the room, they were still existing on the tender plane of the very barely not hungover anymore, and it seemed like a waste to sleep so far apart anyway.

On Thanksgiving Day, three things happen:

Mikey fucking outdoes himself, to literally no one’s surprise, and the food is fantastic. He and Woody hold hands through most of the meal, and Raph and Donnie share a wry look when father surreptitiously passes Leatherhead, who has better lighting from his side of the table, the digital camera. 

Leo comes out to the rest of the family, and it goes more or less exactly the way Raph thought it would. Leo's face is a pleased pink as he swipes through his phone at Mikey’s tireless demands for pictures of Usagi.

Raph clears his throat halfway through dessert and manages to meet his father’s eyes when he says, “There’s something I need to tell all of you. About the, uh. Engagement. See, we were -- Case and I, we were never really -- “

“ -- sure about the wedding date,” Casey cuts in smoothly, claiming a third slice of pumpkin pie. “We figured we’d put things on hold, you know, till we’re done with school, at least. No sense rushing in, right?”

Mikey and Woody are grinning across the table at him. Casey is grinning around a mouthful of pie. Raph throws his last vestiges of caution to the wind and grins right back. 

[myucornerorg]

Usagi's the sort who takes the initiative to make friends with literally everyone, and people usually like her back (or if they don't, Usagi doesn't get the message), so I imagine she doesn't know what Ami goes through. Ami is thought to be unapproachable and snobbish, and her only "friends" are people who want to use her for her smarts. Even in Act 2, when Usagi tells her she's a Senshi, Ami accuses Usagi of only wanting to be her friend because they're both Senshi.

Ami's trying to be kind, afraid she'll ruin Usagi's reputation at school if they're suddenly friends. And in a sense, something like this does happen later, when she and Naru have a confrontation after Ami keeps Naru from seeing Usagi when Usagi is sick from Kunzite's attack in Act 14. Naru gets jealous of Usagi and Ami hanging out so much, and initially Ami doesn't know what to do, and is distraught when Naru gets caught in an enemy trap, cause she was hoping to make up with her somehow. In the end, though, she's able to stand up for herself and tell Naru she's not going to stop being Usagi's friend, and they come to an understanding.

The issue of Ami and Usagi's friendship is actually dealt with in Act 5. The ep starts with Usagi being upset because Ami keeps calling her "Tsukino-san," since (in her view) this makes it sound like they're not friends. Actually, Ami is following proper Japanese etiquette; usually in Japanese, you address someone you don't know very well in a more formal way. (She does this with Luna too when she first meets her). Even in the 90s anime, if you pay attention, all the Inners call Usagi just "Usagi" EXCEPT MERCURY, who calls her "Usagi-chan." Which is actually a big deal. To call someone by just their first name, without any suffix, in Japanese is called yobisute, and usually only people who are super close to you, like your family, lover, or really close friends, are allowed to do so. Mamoru does a variation of this when he calls Usagi "Usako" or "Usa." This is why anime and manga make such a big deal out of characters addressing each other without a suffix. If you address someone by their name without a suffix, and you haven't earned the right to do so, it's seen as an insult.

Anyway, Ami takes this to heart, and even buys a book on how to be a friend, then tries to apply its principles. Unfortunately, she's a little too literal about it, and ultimately faints from the pressure at a slumber party at Usagi's. While she's passed out, Usagi finds the book and figures out what's up. Though to be fair, Usagi had noticed Ami was acting weird earlier and brought it up to Rei, and Rei had warned her not to rush Ami. Which makes sense, cause Rei has also suffered rejection and isolation, so she understands what Ami is struggling with. Unfortunately, when Usagi does find out, she gets mad and says to Ami that while she does like the changes Ami has made, she wants them to be genuine changes, cause "friends don't lie to each other."

This is an understandable reaction in context, but is also rather out of character for Usagi, who usually forgives or completely overlooks the faults of others, even her friends. It would be more in character for her to be like "You don't need to do this, Ami-chan. I like you just the way you are." But oddly, she doesn't.

I think this is part of why Mercury decides to take on the youma on her own later in Act 5 - she probably assumes Usagi hates her right now and that she has something to prove. In Act 16, when she blames herself for Naru getting captured, she does much the same thing, taking down the youma on her own even though Moon, Mars, and Jupiter are all there too. (Jupiter does have a cold, but still).

Only at the end of Act 5 does Usagi finally get it - that Rei was right, and she shouldn't push Ami too hard; Ami can change, but it has to be at Ami's own pace.

Fast forward to the time of the Darkury Arc...Ami is shown alone in the Senshi Base, quietly knitting mittens for her friends (and even a tiny scarf for Luna!), and hoping that, although they're all kind of going their own ways right now, they'll reunite soon. And they ARE kind of going their own ways - Usagi is obsessed with her budding feelings for Mamoru, Rei's got drama going on with Minako, and even Makoto is shown (in a flashback in Act 22) to be too busy to hang out with her. In fact, the way Kunzite is able to capture Mercury and turn her evil in the first place is by distracting the other Senshi with youmas, thereby isolating his target.

And, after formally taking her place in the Dark Kingdom, what's the first thing Ami proceeds to do with her evil powers?

BRAINWASH THE ENTIRE CLASS INTO LIKING HER.

Though she may be evil, that desire for friends is still there inside Ami, along with how much she felt alone when her fellow Senshi essentially blew her off, and she turns that against her former friends by making them experience the same loneliness she felt. Remember what Naru says to Usagi when she comes in? Usagi is all happy to see Ami and says "Ami-chan!" To which Naru replies, "Since when are you so familiar with Mizuno-san?" This goes back to what I said before about suffixes. Usagi calls Ami "Ami-chan" because, to her, they're friends. But that sort of address is very familiar and presumes a friendship which Naru is acting like Usagi hasn't earned.

Because of this, Ami gets to be popular and now it's her friends' turn to be ostracized. Only after this do they realize how bad they screwed up.

I think this overall plot was handled really well, and fits with PGSM's emphasis on the girls' civilian lives. Ultimately, Ami's friendship with Usagi strengthens after the Darkury Arc, and really comes to fruition during the final battle.

It’s so heartwarming yet also painful to see Usagi being so eager to be the best friend she can with Ami-chan! Usagi’s face just lit up the moment she saw Ami waiting for her, especially after the disappointment of being turned down from lunch time. She is still so pure and innocent, and more importantly, clueless of the barrier Ami experiences in school, leading to her lack ability to empathize Ami’s reason for “secrecy” and distances in their schoolmate’s eyes.

Ami on the other hand, obviously had wanted to spend time with Usagi, yet deflected it as the need to keep their Senshi status a top secret. She is so logical it makes for a hard to refute reason, yet doesn’t make it less lonely and painful for her. All it serves is to shield Usagi from the hard truth that Ami feels isolated at school, and lessen the possible sting for Usagi by assuring Usagi that it wasn’t anything personal that Ami had declined Usagi’s invite at lunch time. Ami even had let her mask slip for a second while Usagi wasn’t paying attention, but then immediately bounced back and changed the topic to the missing miko/maidens. 

They both care so much for each other already, yet they are still so new to this friendship that Ami doesn’t know how to be truthful yet, and Usagi doesn’t understand and cannot emphasize with Ami’s situation as it’s something she and her “normal” friends wouldn’t have had to encounter. 

(This especially makes for a very interesting parallel when Darkury comes around!)

[docholligay]

False Reality

This is a really old fic, that Rachelle commissioned. It’s silly and goofy and fun, and I think everyone would love that right now! 2,500 words. 

Want to support my releases? Thank you! Patreon –  Ko-fi

Michiru sighed heavily and folded the map. “Rei, I don’t believe you have the slightest idea where you are going.”

Rei knit her eyebrows in annoyance. That Michiru was entirely right was beside the point--Rei did not appreciate the show of bad faith.

“How is there no cell service?” Rei looked at her phone, as if staring at it one last time would somehow magically make a cell tower appear.

This hadn’t been Rei’s idea, she would remind Michiru, once they’d had a chance to settle in at the hotel. Michiru’s family was the one with the membership to the ski resort, a place Rei had never even heard of, which made sense, seeing as it was on another continent and the memberships were invitation only, and tens of thousands of dollars a year besides. And Michiru was the one who had said they could simply drive, when the private airports nearby had been full.

Yes, this was certainly Michiru’s fault, and not Rei’s, no matter how many turns she had taken down side dirt roads into nowhere.

“I imagine there is no service due to a lack of cell towers.” Michiru looked out the window at the snowy plain, falling away into the distance as the car climbed. “Haruka will be worried.”

“Oh, who cares about Haruka, we’re going to freeze to death.” Rei kept driving, stubbornly, as if driving deeper into the dark would make something appear.

“A more peaceful end than I ever believed might have been possible for us.” Michiru looked at her watch.

And then, the miracle appeared. Rei rounded yet another corner, and there was a light. It was small, a yellow haze against the darkness, at the corner where a road led off the main path. The road was barely illuminated, but one barely squinted,

“See?” Rei gestured proudly, as if she had called it into being. “We’ll ask these people. It’s late, they'll probably let us stay the night.”

Michiru looked at the humming light, unimpressed. “Rei, you’ve just promised me I was going to freeze to death, if you swap it out for an axe murder I shan’t be pleased.”

“I don’t know why I try to talk to you when you’re always so morbid.” Rei rolled her eyes and jerked the steering wheel to the side, venturing down the dark road.

___

It was the sort of place that Michiru generally avoided, for a constellation of reasons particular to herself, but namely her aversion to being murdered in a common way. Rei ignored these protestations, however, and so she chose to simply stop offering them, as Rei trudged up the snowy stairs to the door.

She rapped hard, the response of the wood echoing into the cold night sky, and Michiru could not help but have her attention drawn upwards, following the curl of her breath on the air, staring into the jewelry-store case above her, fates twinkling with each facet of an individual life.

The door swung open, and there was a small redhead in a delicate pink dress, a glass of whiskey in her hand. A TV show boomed from the living room, pressing out into the night.

She looked in her glass, and then back at Michiru and Rei, and then back into her glass, and then back up at the girls once more.

A deep, loud woman’s voice came from the living room. “What the hell, Holligay?”

“I need to stop drinking.” The redhead turned called back into the living room. “Did you dose me with something?”

Michiru stepped forward and extended a hand. “My name is Michiru--”

“Kaioh.” She finished Michiru’s sentence. “I know.”

Michiru and Rei exchanged glances--Michiru’s family was very well known, so it wasn’t as if these things never happened, but out here, in the middle of the wild, it seemed odd. Another redhead, clad in a t-shirt with a bright yellow chicken on it, walked into the entryway.

The four of them all stared at each other for a moment.

She broke the silence, her eyes whirling like the chicken on her chest. “What.”

“Oh good,” the smaller redhead put her hand on her hip and took a swig from her glass, “we’re both hallucinating.” She extended a hand. “Doc.”

Michiru shook her hand firmly. “We seem to find ourselves lost, and in need of a place to bed down for the night. It would appear you’re some sort of...inn, I suppose?”

“Yeah, it’s a tax dodge.” Doc tucked her hair behind her ear, “But we’ve got rooms.”

Rei grabbed Michiru by the shoulder and hissed into her ear. “Why is that one staring at me?”

The woman stood there, hands clasped together, whimpering softly, eyes wide with reverence and wonder.

“Oh don’t mind her,” Doc waved and took a quilt out of the closet. “That’s Jet.” Doc turned to face them and sighed. “So...upstairs we have rooms, I guess. For you to sleep in. Since you’re definitely not hallucinations.”

Jet suddenly found her capacity for speech, and it was in scolding Doc. “Holligay, don't be rude.” She picked up pillows. “You can totally stay here. Why don’t you have a seat at, uh, the table?”

Doc nodded. “Yeah, sure, good as any place.” She ran up the stairs in her normal fashion, without pause or consideration, blankets in hand.

Michiru regarded Jet carefully, and then, perhaps against her own better judgement, took a seat at the table, Rei following her, though she was careful always to keep her eyes at every entrance and exit.

“Sooooo,” Jet drummed her fingers against the table, “How did you...get here?”

“We drove.” Rei looked at her skeptically. “What else are we supposed to do?”

“I mean…”

Doc skipped back down the stairs and landed on the hardwood floor with a satisfying thump, still staring at the women at the opposite end of the table.

Michiru cocked her head, studying them. “Is it truly so incredibly odd that someone might lose their way in this part of the country? I can’t imagine we have been the first, nor that we shall be the last.”

Jet and Doc looked at each other uneasily, and Doc raised her eyebrows at Jet, shrugging at her aggressively. Jet looked back over at the two girls in front of her, so much more fully realized than she ever thought they could be.

“I don’t know how to tell you this,” Jet shifted in her chair, “But I think we’re… I mean you can't…”

Doc took another slug of whiskey, “You’re not real.”

“Holligay.” Jet looked over at her, scolding.

“What? They aren’t.”  

“Oh, well then, more fool me, sitting here on this realm of existence.” Michiru put a hand to her cheek, feigning boredom.

“Well, I mean, if you want to be that way about it.” Doc walked over to a lawyer’s bookcase and lifted the lid, pulling out a DVD and setting it between them. “Behold! You’re gonna need a drink.” She walked into the kitchen, leaving them sitting with a Jet, who had been, briefly, wondering how to bring this up with tact, forgetting that the word itself had little meaning with regards to Doc’s general demeanor. Tact, she con

Michiru studied the DVD case carefully, trying to make sense of the information in front of her. Rei simply grabbed the case out of her hands and scowled.

“I don’t look like that.” She snapped at the case.

Michiru took it back from her. “Rei Hino, Sailor Mars, you’re correct Rei, this couldn’t possibly be you.”

“WELL IT’S NOT!” Rei crossed her arms and slumped back in the chair grumpily.

Michiru sat back in her chair, eyes drifting thoughtfully about the room, never quite landing on anything “Let us say,” she rubbed her finger and thumb together, “That I believe you--”

“Michiru.” Rei looked over at her incredulously.

“I’m simply entertaining an idea, Rei. We are princesses of somehow the both the past and future, tasked with an impossible mission and elemental powers, the time for my mind to live only in the common and explicable is long past,” she looked over to Jet, “ Let us say that. What sort of,” she waved her hand thoughtfully, “enlightenment might you be able to offer?”

“I mean, you die, so.” Doc came back into the room and set the glass of wine in from of Michiru.

“We die??” Rei was enraged at the mere suggestion that she might do anything but win the day, effortlessly.

Jet tried to rush in with a reassurance about Doc leaving out the very important fact of Rei Hino’s resurrection, which was a very Holligay thing to do, and rude besides, but Michiru stepped in before she could begin.

“Why, of course we do,” Michiru took a sip of Doc’s wine, and then looked at the glass, judgment in her eyes, and set it down on the table firmly. “The folly is more yours for imagining that we are meant to do anything else, Rei.”

“Okay, but Usagi--”

“Anything worth having must be paid for in blood.” She said simply, folding her hands in her lap.

Doc’s eyes were wide and sparkling. “I love you.”

Rei crossed her arms and grumbled. “Well maybe YOU die.”

The awkwardness sat between them all as Rei continued to glare at the DVD case, as if she were trying to set it on fire with her mind and might succeed.

“Michiru, judge Holligay’s food next!” Jet practically leapt across the table with excitement. She noticed Doc scowling at her. “What? It’s cooking. You like cooking. I’m HELPING.”

“‘Helping’,” Doc said pointedly. “You're as useless as tits on a boar hog.”

“You’re welcome!” Jet gave her a grin and Doc sighed, pushing herself away from the table. “Fine enough, I spose.” Her mind raced as she tried to imagine what she could possibly have in the freezer and pantry that might fit the bill.

She was drawing up a quick pastry crust when Jet walked into the kitchen, and leaned against the counter. “So how do we--”

“We don’t. This may shock you,” She put a floured covered hand on her hip and looked over at Jet, “But I don’t precisely have any kinda life experience to draw on, for this. You know everything I know.” She looked back to her pastry crust. “For once.” She fluted in the edge and moved back to the stove, pouring milk into a roux.

“What’s that?” She looked into the pan over Doc’s shoulder.

“It’ll be chicken pot pie. Or,” she looked up, trying to draw something classy out of the air, “poulet en croute, avec les carottes et du brocoli.  Or something.” She cracked some pepper into the pot.

“Okay enough with the French!”

“This is the first time I’ve used it.”

“Too many times, Holligay.”

“Will you go be entertaining!” She scolded Jet. “To our...weird hallucinatory guests.”

Jet walked out of the kitchen, huffing, and grabbed a bottle of rum as she went. She poured a tipple into a glass of coke, and looked up at Rei.

“Sooooo, why don’t you tell me about your friends?” She sat down across and offered the bottle of Bacardi silver.

Michiru raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

Rei, on the other hand, leaned forward explosively. “Why do you want to know? Are you a member of the Dark Kingdom? Well, I won’t tell you anything, Usagi may be a big crybaby but I--WE, HAVE TO PROTECT HER.”

“Stealth at its most satisfying.” Michiru glanced over at the offending wine once more.

“Yes tell me all about Usagi and how you have to protect Usagi I want to know everything do not leave ANYTHING out.” She folded her hands underneath her chin and grinned.

Rei opened her mouth, and Doc called from the kitchen. “In a technical sense, we already know, so!”

There is a certain quality of awkwardness that takes over a room when it is a assured that ne party has the upper hand. In normal times, one would assume it was the reincarnated beings of incredible power, but in this particular case, it seemed to be two women with a DVD.

Over a meal Michiru kindly described as ‘rustic,’ a difficult situation began to unfold in the two’s minds. When you dream of someone being real, you never consider the fullness of them, and you especially never imagine that what they actually think might be different from what you imagined. Jet found herself wanting to correct Rei in things she said and ways she moved, because that couldn’t possibly be right.

She looked over at Doc, who seemed to be having the same thought, that people are never as you imagine them to be, and the longer you had considered it, it seemed, the more you had created them entirely in your own mind, in all the small ways that it is to be human.

To consider them, and to consider how they thought of the other people in their lives: Doc and Michiru discussing the nature of their romantic relationships, Jet and Rei discussing the exact nature of the Inner Senshi’s friendship, and how it worked, or didn’t at times.

As is often the case, they came away with a mix of happiness and disappointment.

“I suppose, then, we ought to be off to bed.” Michiru glanced toward the stairs. “It is late, after all, and I believe we have all had an odd enough evening to last us for some time.”

Rei grabbed the DVD case one more time, as if she could will it to be something, but tossed it back onto the table.

Doc and Jet just looked at each other, saying nothing. What could be said?

___

When she rose, the sun had been up for several hours, even in the dead of winter, and she thumped her way down the stairs, to where Doc sat on the couch, drinking a cup of coffee, reading a book as if nothing had ever happened unusually in her entire life.

“Mornin’ sunshine.”

Jet paid her no mind, shuffling off toward the kitchen where a kettle of hot water waited, that Doc would claim later was almost certainly for something else, and not for Jet’s tea. She poured the water into her cup and stirred thoughtfully, adding entirely too much sugar. It was, on the whole, unlikely that BOTH she and Doc were hallucinating, particularly since it wasn’t the time of year for her to forage unknown items out of the forest, with a simple ‘eat it’ as identification.

She walked back into the living room and stood in front of Doc. “So last night, then?”

“Is a pact we take to the grave.” She looked over at Jet, setting down her book.“Unless you want to explain to Mike how two people from a 90s anime showed up here, stayed the night, and no Mike, I don’t need it to be seen, really, it happened.”

“I took a picture!” She dug her phone out of her jeans, and it shifted just slightly, jumping out of her hands and into Doc’s coffee, fizzling as if in celebration of a final fuck-you to Jet.

“WELP.”

“Yeah no, this is between us, then.”  

[docholligay]

A Dispute

Another release for my birthday week! This was commissioned by @katrani a while ago, for “Mamoru and Haruka have a disagreement about cars” and I took in all the holligay directions. I hope you enjoy! 

“What the hell are you talking about?” Haruka tried, poorly, to keep the disgust off her face, and then stopped trying at all. It was the worst kind of pomp, in her mind, when people talked about things they had no idea about, and even worse when others backed them for no reason.

And, she would reflect, if she were given to reflection, that she should have expected it--Mamoru was a rich kid, raised in society right alongside Michiru. In another world, they might have been meant as a match for each other. (On this last point Haruka did not dwell too deeply, as it always caused her to get angry at someone, and sometimes that someone was her.) For Haruka to challenge him directly at a party, where glasses clinked together, filled with bubbles, each one popping at the surface and shouting its exorbitant price tag into the sky, where she would only ever be on a tourist visa, and never be a real citizen, that was madness.

But sometimes, breeding aside, wrong was wrong, and Mamoru was intensely wrong about this, in the way that only a man raised with words and pedigree and no actual knowledge might be.

“Haruka.” The sweet tones of her wife’s voice floated into her ear, but Haruka could not hear them, vexed as she was by the misdeeds occurring at the table, the sound of a motor overwhelming everything else in her head.

“Based on what, your boner?!” It was not a thing she would normally have said at such a table, but the rough and beer-stained ones she shared with the guys from the garage. Good manners had, however, fled. “The only thing Lamborghini has going for it is the Transformers tie in. And not even I liked Age of Extinction. How could you pick that over something like McLaren, or Koenigsegg, which might be the actual winner, or even, hell, Saleen, if you want to go just for sheer balls to try. I mean, I guess, if Lamborghini’s all you ever heard of, then it makes sense. ”

Mamoru looked somewhere between insulted and personally distressed, Usagi at his side, staring into her cake. Haruka felt bad, for a moment. It would upset Usagi, to have them fight, and it would upset her more that Michiru’s parents would fall on her like starved dogs on a slice of ham any moment now. She was going to get Michiru into a fight and make Usagi cry, all in one night.

Haruka shrugged. “I mean the Gallardo Balboni does have that retro charm to it, I guess.”

Well done, Haruka.

“We, of course, apologize, Mamoru,” Michiru’s mother smiled her viper’s smile, “You can take a dog out of the junkyard, so they say.”

“Mother is simply confused that anyone could render passion for any subject that is not created on a runway in Milan,” Michiru gave a peal of her false laughter, playing to the crowd, “When we were there last, I scarce think she saw the sun.”

“Well, Michiru,” Her mother raised her glass, “We all have our vices, I suppose,” she smiled also to the table, who were watching the game of ping pong with a mixture of fear and delight, “Michiru has always been taken by charity, we simply never expected it to take her.” She laughed. “Haruka, you are very knowledgeable on the subject, I imagine spending your life on a oil-stained floor might do that. Now,” she nodded, “if you go for any higher subject, I assure you, you will find no such argument from her.”

“Oh and Mother, what could possibly be more edifying than discussion of your latest scarf acquisition? We are all so very riveted. That is one of the very pillars of a fine education: Music, Art, Literature, Silk Scarves.”

She laughed, in the way Haruka hated, the way the was more like a knife than anything resembling joy. It was her fault, again, that they were fighting, because Haruka couldn’t keep her mouth shut, but she could never keep her mouth shut.

She wanted to hit something, but she just kept it inside of her, and let it hit whatever it wanted there.

__

Mamoru shifted uncomfortably in his chair, wondering if there was any way to stop the battle in front of him. It gave him pause, not just for Haruka’s sake--he had seen this happen to Haruka before, and had heard the things more polite members of society did not say to her face, but snickered behind her back instead--but also for Usagi’s. Haruka had spent years having those sorts of things slung at her, but Usagi...Usagi was new to all of this.

And Usagi was not like Haruka, who was angry and tough, who would roll all of this off her like it was nothing. Usagi was gentle and soft and easily hurt, and Mamoru suddenly doubted himself for having brought her at all.

But maybe they wouldn’t notice Usagi, so much, with Haruka in the room. She made herself an easier target, with the way she argued, and Usagi, so far, had managed not to burst out into anything that would bring her to the front of their minds.

But now, looking over at her while Michiru and her mother traded jabs, Mamoru wondered if she wouldn’t break the spell and cry out. Her lip wobbled as she looked over at Haruka, who was staring straight ahead as the parry and thrust of their conversation went on. Mamoru was used to it--the Kaiohs were quick on their feet, dangerous and noteworthy opponents, and it was always a little bit of a relief to see them take after each other instead of anyone else.

It was strange, the way fate worked. He never would have guessed that it would be Michiru, the girl who had learned the deception of class while the rest of them still felt like children, who would be part of the destiny of the world. He might have guessed anyone else, in fact.

He had been a little scared of her, as a child. He was a little scared of her as an adult, in his most private thoughts.

He had always known he was something different, inside, but even in knowing that, in every inch of his soul, he had failed to see it utterly in her, and this puzzled him.

But none of that mattered now, the only thing that mattered was that Mamoru feared, in any moment, that Usagi might redirect the attention to herself.

Everything happened so fast.

Michiru laid in a snipe about her mother’s lack of self-sufficiency.

Her mother suggested, teeth bared, that Haruka might serve as Michiru’s beast of burden.

Haruka looked down at her plate.

Usagi’s mouth opened in a wail, protesting that Haruka was nice and had once fixed her chicken clock.

And then, suddenly, all eyes were on Mamoru. He had not remembered jumping up onto the table, nor throwing the rose in between Michiru and her mother. It was as if muscle memory had simply kicked in, and though he was sure, history being a strong indicator of the future, that he had given an excellent speech, he could not recall what it might have been, as all eyes turned to him.

The older Kaioh looked confused; the younger, witheringly unimpressed.

But both of them did stop talking about Haruka, he noted, in the car on the way home.

That was heroism, of a type, he assured himself.

___

She sat near the corner of the bar, back to the door, which surprised him, somewhat. He thought she’d be more suspicious, a more natural solider than that, but she did not seem such a soldier sitting by herself, wearing a worn raglan, her red sneakers dirty under the cuff of her jeans.

Mamoru approached her awkwardly. He didn’t know how to talk to Haruka--he didn’t talk to most people well, if he was honest, and Haruka did not make herself easy to talk to. Mina liked her, but Mina also hated Mamoru, so it seemed it seemed to make a certain amount of logical sense that Haruka wouldn’t like him.

Usagi liked her too, but Usagi liked everyone.

“Hey,” He sat down at the seat next to her, where she sat, looking up at the baseball game on the TV and sipping a beer, “Uh...how’s it going?”

Haruka looked at him with a puzzled expression. “What are you doing here?”

He looked around the bar, dark and colored only by the buzzing neon lights of beer signs hung on the wall, set off by the decorative mirrors and tin signs of different cheap breweries, and felt the stickiness of the bar top in front of him.

These things considered, it was an excellent question.

“I...I came to talk to you,” he cleared his throat and raised one finger to the bartender, “Uh, one beer please, Miss.”

The bartender looked up at him and snorted. “Anything in particular, or just the general concept of beer?””

Haruka gave a deep, throaty laugh, and indicated to a tin sign behind the bar. The bartender nodded and poured something pale gold into a glass and set it in front of him. It occurred to him, now, that wasn’t sure when the last time he drank beer actually was.

He drew out his wallet, and Haruka stopped him. “My treat.” She set the money on the bar, and nodded at the bartender, who was studiously ignoring eye contact with Mamoru, to keep it.

“Thanks, honey.” She picked it up and quickly walked away to the important business of cleaning glasses.

“Thank you, Haruka.” Mamoru looked awkwardly around the bar, and then puffed out his chest, looking at her with what he thought was confidence. “You know, you and Michiru have really changed my perspective, that’s a brilliant gift the two of you have bestowed, and I am forever grateful for it. I never noticed, in my blindness, how many gay couples surround me, every day, even now--”

“This is a gay bar.”

“What?” Mamoru looked around again, like a stunned prairie dog unable to spot the hawk.

“The name of the bar is The Outfield, Mams.” Haruka chuckled into her beer. “So did you just come to thank me for showing you gay people are real?”

Mamoru, it must be said, did not particularly like Haruka. She was abrasive, unmannerly but not in Usagi’s charming way, and she always made him feel somehow small and emasculated. All the being true, he could not very well tell Usagi that he hadn’t apologized for causing her harm. She had been insistent.

That Mamoru did not truly understand how he had cause Haruka harm was a moot point.

“I came to apologize to you.” He laid his hand on her forearm, and Haruka’s eyes flicked up at his face, her eyebrow cocked, and he removed it.

“For what?”

“For bringing undue attention to you at the dinner. I shouldn’t have given anyone the opening to go at you.”

Haruka fiddled with her beer bottle, peeling away the label. “Naw, it’s my fault. I should keep my mouth shut I’m just,” she sighed and looked away, “ ..fucking stupid sometimes.”

Mamoru nodded, “It’s true, you could benefit from being more judicious in your words, sometimes, and I think I could maybe help you with some helpful tips on how to engage with that particular social class. I’ve made a real study of--”

The bartender set another beer in front of Haruka. “It’s on me.”

“Femme mercy saves my life again.” She brought the bottle to her lips.

“I am sorry, Haruka,” he looked down at his untouched beer, which would remain so, “I didn’t mean to cause you trouble.”

Haruka nodded. “It’s okay. Thanks.”

Mamoru leaned forward toward her. “But I also think you haven’t considered the angular visual interest of the Lamborghi--”

“THERE YOU GO, THINKING WITH YOUR DICK AGAIN, CHIBA.”