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prof-peach · 3 years

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Hey Prof, I need your advice.

My sister recently decided she didn't wanted her bulbasaur anymore (she got him on a whim about a month ago) and gave him to me, he is quite violent and tends to attack when I try to get close to him.

Now, that wouldn't be a huge problem, but my Purrloin has gotten hurt trying to befriend him, she's quite outgoing and never really liked fighting (we enjoy contests so she knows a few more flashy attacks), so she couldn't even defend herself properly.

I don't want to give up on him and my local rescue center is filled with Bunearies (you know, after Easter kids don't want their Bunny anymore) so they can't take him in right now, any advice in how I can go about this situation?

Sounds to me like you have a tricky little dude on your hands. So you're not battle orientated which will make this harder, Bulbasaur in the wild are actually quite combat minded to defend their families and territory, and a lot of their herds consist of strict hierarchy based on power and skill, often led by older, fully evolved members of their group.

Before you take any actions to befriend them, its worth noting that any pokemon who comes into your care showing aggression is usually doing so for one or two reasons that are pretty universal for any species. Fear being the main issue with pokemon who have been ditched, if a pokemon is unwell, if it feels exposed, if it is unsure of you or your home, your partners, it may lash out because it is afraid. Even what looks like pure anger can stem from a fear. Of course some individuals are just full of rage, its not unheard of, but for the most part it comes from somewhere else.

For a moment, take the time to put yourself in this pokemons shoes. It was chosen, with hopes and ambitions of its own, by your sister, a stranger to them, and for whatever reason they were cast aside. This reason may be unclear to the pokemon, it may be unfair, unkind, or even without malice just out of pure indifference. No matter the reason, this pokemon has been left behind by a trainer it at one point probably wanted to try to get along with. I don’t know what your sister may or may not have done, or provided for the bulbasaur, but it will help you understand how its feeling, if you were to ask her about their relationship prior to you receiving the pokemon. If it has always been aggressive and angry, i’d seriously consider talking to it about release, not rehome.

We humans have a preconceived notion that pokemon are pets and things to keep with us. This may be true for some sure, but not every pokemon wishes to be a captive to a human, they may want more for themselves, and wish for a free life with their own kind. We cannot put our wants and desires above that of the pokemons, so you two need to have a talk, at a respectful distance for safeties sake, to see what the Bulbasaur feels they may want. These are herd pokemon, born and bred to be with their own kind, if not a larger group, if its lonely, if it wants to go home, to start a family, or simply to not be held in a ball as some creature to be owned, then you as its current carer must give it what you can. You can always find another pokemon who wants to be your partner, but you cannot give back lost years to a pokemon who has lived a life its unhappy with. Treat them with respect, and be open and honest. At the end of the day we have a chance to help pokemon, and forcing what we want onto them is a hinderance, and will lead to them feeling unsatisfied and bitter in the long run.

Some pokemon lash out due to the process of being handed off to someone else, trust is earnt, not always just simply given to whoever holds the pokeball. Remember this as you move forward, and try to keep your other pokemon away from them, Bulbasaur are territorial species, and have to accept pokemon into their families before simply allowing them to come and go freely into their personal space. Despite their grouchy natures at times they usually do have a morally positive compass, and defend with ferocity when they love something. Perhaps in you showing genuine concern for their welfare and future, offering them not what you want, but instead what they want, they may give you a chance to get closer, but take baby steps, and try to be their friend above all else. I bet they're feeling pretty lonely right now.

Its worth sharing interests with the pokemon, talk about contests, see if they're interested, some pokemon have a predisposition for this, others have no interest and prefer more battle based lives, or even peaceful non-competitive existences. no amount of pressure will change a pokemon’s nature, and some just aren't cut out for the fine art of showmanship that contests require. You can however use powerful attacks in showy ways, so theres always hope that they could enjoy it, if you can work with them to their strengths.

If possible, work to getting them outdoors, cooping grass types up can lead to stroppy, testing personalities, many thrive in the outdoors, he may need some serious outside time to compensate for the lack of exercise and natural stimulation they may have not been getting prior to your ownership. There are plenty of areas in public that are much like tennis courts, areas of space you can book for a set amount of time too exercise difficult pokemon, these locations are often secure facilities, both outdoors and indoors, to suit a range of species. find one that has outdoor facilities and book a few hours per week to go there, increasing the time whenever possible. This exercise and time with you may help to find common ground, and topics that you and the bulbasaur can bond over. This can be anything from battles, to sun bathing, playing sports, games, swimming, running or digging, and everything in between. Bulbasaur naturally are great foragers and tend to like to snaffle about in long grass and shrubland, hiding treats like berry slices in a secure environment is good enrichment and can tire the pokemon out. a tired pokemon is usually a little less aggressive, having lower energy levels and less want to expend attacks. this process also associated you with something fun, and your scent will be on the treats too, so they'll know you were the one to provide this activity for them.

I’d also take plenty of time to observe the bulbasaur, as your sister got them on a whim, they probably had no prior knowledge of the species, or how to correctly care for them. In a month, a health complaint could have begun to show, so observe their colouration, feet, walking gait, sleeping patterns, feeding habits, and general behaviour. Excess scratching, heavy breathing, or unusual shaking or moving can suggest a health condition is starting to take form. Most can be helped if caught early, but some illnesses give the pokemon discomfort, and can lead to snappy tempers and irritability. It could be that this individual is in pain, or finding life difficult due to its health, which can cause a lot of hostility as i’m sure anyone would agree. It can suck to be sick!

This species can be won over if you can prove you have a skill of worth to them. This is the case with a lot of pokemon, having respect for something they cannot do, and learning that they need things from you can lead to them at least tolerating us humans. Its a foot in the door. A trick i like t use with particularly difficult bulbasaur is to give them their fav food, whatever it is, then put it in a clear container the pokemon cannot open. They have no thumbs, and their vines though dexterous, aren't able to open every kind of container. The pokemon will want whats inside, and be unable to access it. they will eventually give up out of frustration. this is where you come in. enter the space, don’t let your pokemon approach as this can be threatening, and open the container. leave it on the floor open, making sure they've watched you get the thing open. They can then approach and enjoy their fav food, all thanks to you and those wondrous thumbs you have. repeating this process yields good results, and starts a mutual relationship of tolerance and acceptance between you and a bulbasaur. Most will accept they want the food more than they want you gone, and you provide something they can’t get to. whatever you do, don’t let them see that you were the one to lock the food up in the container. Get a friend to do it, or do it in the room, and leave it in place on the floor, before allowing the bulbasaur to enter and investigate the item. If they see you're the one doing it, the trick is foiled, and your back to square one. Eventually this does tend to lead to the pokemon becoming less stressed with you around them, and eventually it leads to trust, and even friendship. This trick is good to use to get them use to you, once they're ok with you being around them because of your use to them, they may start to take food from you directly, engage in play, or even just sit and tolerate company for short periods of time. Do not expect this to be quick, but it does usually do the trick.

Regardless, i do have concern that the pokemon may want to be with its own, should you discuss this and find they're not interested in being housebound and a pet, feel free to send them our way, we had exactly this situation in mind when setting up the islands facilities, and have extensive locations designed with grass pokemosn needs at the forefront. Theres a small herd of about 12 bulbasaur evolutions that live north of our labs, no people see them, they are happy as a unit, and are left alone to go about their lives, with the only interactions between humans being us giving them their yearly health check, or should we spot them with an issue, we may intervene. They live away from others and pretty much free, in a poacher safe environment. Its not ideal, we like to keep pokemon in areas they come from, with people who love them, and you show great concern for the pokemon so it would be a shame to have to let them go, BUT sometimes thats just life, and theres nothing to be done about it other than accepting that the pokemons wants come first. They may just be mistrusting so try everything else first, and see how you go. hopefully you’ll yield some results from this all. Good luck out there trainer.

#long post #bulbasaur #prof.peach #peach talks

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kitkatixx · 3 years

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kirukiyo headcanons (long ish)

If you haven’t noticed-- these two are my otp, and v3 did them both dirty... both in terms of plot and their few interactions (hi, utdp, i’m surprised they didn’t have an event with direct interaction)

I haven’t done these formally but figured I’d drop a few of my headcanons as of now, since the ideas I have for these two are fluid, but the base nature of their relationship remains about the same. You’ll see below the cut, they’re fairly in depth and give some flavor to the characters (especially Kirumi)

general summary

Subtle, subtle, subtle.

These two are experts at keeping their relationship under the table, and it takes the rest of the class--perceptive ones included-- quite a bit of time to figure out they’ve been together, even though many a student (Kokichi, Miu, Rantaro, Kaede) have made jokes about their likeness to a married couple.

While they are more than capable of adapting to the scenario, both of them are private individuals at heart, in spite how their talents require them to be around people nearly at all times. So for Kirumi especially, she prefers someone mature who can respect her desire to keep the limelight out of her personal life. After all, she prefers to keep her home and (incredibly taxing, chaotic) work life separate...

That being said, it is no secret to Class 79 (what I’ve dubbed the v3 cast in my HPA AU) and the upperclassmen (SDR2, DR3, THH) that the Ultimate Maid is a stubborn workaholic.

Thus, it takes a specific type of person to ‘get through’ to her-- specifically requesting her presence at refreshments, politely stopping her in the hallway for a conversation, all as cleverly disguised ‘breaks’ without infringing upon her time and duties. Even if it’s only momentary, small steps, persistence, and patience are key with her, as there is a fine line between obligation and devotion to one’s craft.

Korekiyo happens to be able to see past the professional ‘selflessly devoted’ front that Kirumi maintains nearly at all times, having had the opportunity to observe numerous types of people in his time as an anthropologist, and given what was seen in canon, it’s fairly evident that he was intrigued, speaking highly of her post trial (he even has a FTE in her lab!)

Initially, her insistence on wholeheartedly embodying the values of a proper maid piqued his attention, leading to him to take an interest in getting to know her more-- what makes Miss Tojo who she is, exactly? What motivates her to behave in such a way? And what of the human side of the Ultimate Maid? Such were the questions he wished to answer, and as any good researcher would do, it was necessary to approach this in a straightforward, concise manner.

Because of this unorthodox approach to getting to know her (indirectly) for a scholarly reason, Kirumi had no reason to decline his invitations to converse or shoo him away from observing her everyday duties as she would have done under normal circumstances. This in particular gave Korekiyo an advantage over many of his other peers, who would have had difficulty a) approaching her b) maintaining a sizeable conversation with her before moving onto her next task.

Eventually, the two would find they share similar interests (Victorian customs, tea preparation, etc), and get along well with each other; the meetings that began as strictly for research evolve into moments where two friends are talking.

Down the line, someone catches feels.

Now as for who that could be... let’s move to the next section to answer that.

a few typical who does/is relationship headcanons:

1. Who makes the first move and how?

Korekiyo does. While Kirumi eventually does develop feelings for him first, she won’t act on them out of concern that the quality of her work will be compromised, and stays quiet. Korekiyo, however, takes a little longer after mulling over whether his emotions can be chalked up to his general adoration for all of humanity or genuine feelings for her. He does pick up on small changes in her behavior and routine-- serving his preferred meals and tea at just the right temperature, being especially open to assisting him even when she’s terribly busy, and so on, which motivate him to make the first move. Very small, but incredibly thoughtful of her. He’s always liked the details.

The anthropologist is quite capable of being romantic if he so desires, but decides that with her in particular, it would be best to be polite and to the point. Of course, this is Korekiyo we are talking about, so he’ll still put his own twist on it-- so most likely discreetly slipping her a letter with a proper wax stamp on it expressing his feelings and a carnation, which in Japanese flower language is associated with fascination and distinction.

The letter’s contents include notes of the uniquely human aspects of her he finds especially beautiful, and are highly specific: the faint curve of her mouth that appears for a split-second (when she thinks no one is looking) after someone receives retribution for their antics, her deft, graceful movements as she slices into vegetables and pours tea, the glint in her eye that appears after a particularly challenging request is given... the list could go on and on, he writes, but it would be far too long to be appropriate for this letter, yet Kirumi Tojo’s identity is so much more than only the Ultimate Maid.

Lastly, it finishes with an attached sketch depicting one of the moments ‘when she is the most beautiful,’ showing her in her element... broom in hand, small frown on face, and scolding someone (read: Kokichi) After all, while many miss it, Korekiyo has picked up on the angry micro expressions that flit across her face after something particularly irritating has just occurred, and he loves them-- they make her humanity shine through.

Subsequently, it would prompt her to meet somewhere secluded in the evening if she reciprocates-- her missing presence would be more than enough for him to take the hint. Not that she intended on doing so.

2. Who is the most insecure and what makes them feel better?

You’d think it would be Kirumi, but no, Korekiyo is, beneath his unusual charm and charisma, by a margin. After the passing of his sister, it left him hesitant to get close to people at a personal level, which contributes to how he ended up choosing anthropology-- not only to travel and experience the world when she could not, but because it allows for one to be ‘close’ to humans in a removed manner. So while he can easily wax poetry about nearly anything about humans, cultures, or a person, he does this in a very ‘scientific manner’ at times, preferring to view things as an observer rather than a participator. Of course, this aspect of him was integrated into his identity long before HPA, but it is this distanced nature that contributed to his initial indecisiveness about whether his feelings are organic, and the occasional concern about how much emotional intimacy he is obligated to show in a relationship. Luckily, Kirumi isn’t the type to absolutely need direct communication in a relationship, and is more subtle in demeanor as well.

Having been in the service industry for years and hiding her own emotions (from herself as well), Kirumi is proficient at recognizing others’ needs, and picks up on these issues seamlessly. She isn’t exactly the best at opening up either (this is an area of improvement for both of them), but still makes attempts to directly talk to him about this. Generally, their form of communication is largely nonverbal, being highly in tune with each other-- to this couple, actions speak louder than words, but issues like these are best addressed face-to-face, with words, before they fester.

3. Who is the most romantic?

The anthropologist takes the cake here by societal standards-- his love language is giving gifts and words of affirmation, whereas Kirumi prefers acts of service (no surprise there!) but both share quality time as a commonality, and are very attentive towards each other. Regardless of the gift, Korekiyo is always sure to pick something thoughtful and practical, the way she likes things-- though now and then there’s something more material with emotional value in the mix, which she secretly likes. Kirumi is not used to people being so direct in this department with her, so while she’ll politely cite her preference for gifts as something useful, the silk gloves and other paraphernalia he gets her are a nice way to validate she has an identity outside of being a maid.

Not to mention that he has a way with words, and is incredibly proficient at finding 50 unique ways to compliment her in public, much to her chagrin (and hidden embarrassment,) but he takes pride in, citing that she should be more proud of her accomplishments. Nevertheless, Korekiyo still finds her indirect way of showing affection endearing, especially when she attempts to politely deflect compliments as ‘doing what any maid worth their salt would have done.’

Some things never change... even though he and the other members of Class 79 have slowly gotten her to be more open about accepting assistance from others (she’s overworked herself and passed out once!)

4. Who can’t keep their hands to themselves?

Again, while both of them are capable of (and prefer) being lowkey in public, it’s free real estate in private, so once again, this goes to Korekiyo. His official love language isn’t physical touch, but he embodies all five of them quite well, this one very much included.

Kirumi, on the other hand, doesn’t like PDA out of professionalism, which makes her a bit hesitant, even in the privacy of his or her room to be comfortable with it. This isn’t to say she isn’t curious or won’t even consider the possibility, but it takes her a considerable amount of time to warm up to it. Initially, the most you’ll see from them in public is subtle touches on each other’s hand-- little playful taps here and there-- which then morph into holding hands when no one’s around to see it. In private, they’re more willing to be physically close (think head in lap while reading), and Kirumi’s brushed his hair on more than one occasion. It should be noted that one of the most intimate moments the two have had was holding hands in private without any sort of fabric acting as a barrier.

However, Korekiyo does have a cheekier side that slips out (more slyly playful to incite something interesting/fluster her) and is known to slip an arm around her waist, pulling her in close. If you squint, you might catch a faint flush on the usually unflappable Kirumi. Bonus points if this is during the evening, and a breeze blows by. Bonus bonus if this is in public, during broad daylight.

The ‘class dad’ has to assert his dominance every now and then over the unruly children, no?

5. Who says ‘I love you’ first?

Love comes in a lot of different forms and of course, at each person’s pace. Both of them circle around this topic and have essentially said it nonverbally before, but the first to vocalize it is most likely still Korekiyo. It’s not in Kirumi’s nature to be direct about her emotions (but for duties and professional matters, absolutely), so it’s up to him to say he loves her first.

It’s most likely uttered in private, accompanied with a small kiss, and very quietly-- so quiet you can barely catch it, but that doesn’t matter, because only the one who needs to hear it the most will.

conclusion

Three words best describe this relationship: mature, meaningful, and synchronized.

Both of these individuals are aloof and formal on the surface level, but if one takes the time to truly get to know them, there’s quite the intense fire burning underneath in the form of being utterly devoted to each other every step of the way. Of course, this is all done in a very reserved manner, and if they don’t want you to know about it, you won’t.

Well, if you got here, thank you for reading all of this. I’ve liked this ship for a while, and I remember being nervous to create content-- I’m sure know how volatile fandom life can be, no? Hope you enjoyed my take and spins on their relationship, and I might post more later.

Feel free to request or drop something in the askbox for these two.

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funtimebunnyblog · 4 years

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Could you possibly do a scenario for the pillar men and a s/o who’s extremely pale? I can’t go out into the sun for more then 10 minutes without being close to sunburn. I usually feel a little insecure about how my skin in because you can see bright blue veins on my wrists and arms and stuff. It looks freaky to me.

Oh Anon ❤❤❤

Let me assure you that the Pillarmen wouldn't be happy to hear you aren't comfortable in your own skin (no pun intended, of course!). Pale or not, they would be absolutely over the moon for you 🥰🥰🥰 In the meantime, let me show you how much they love you.

Pillarmen with an s/o who is extremely pale and burns in the sun easily...

(Under the cut for length)

Kars:

• Kars was very fair skinned himself; he always had been.

• However, he never had the fear of burning to a crisp in the sunshine (well, not anymore) like any Human.

• Being very knowledgeable on your race, he was very mindful of your fragile needs, specifically your skins needs.

• He was always happy to help you apply some sunscreen on your back if you asked him to or carry some around wherever you both went.

• However, he never actually seen you burn.

• That was, until one day...

• You had left early in the morning, claiming you wanted to get some fresh early Summer air by going for a little jog.

• Kars had some work to do upstairs in his study, bidding you goodbye and losing himself in his piles of paperwork as he scribbled away.

• You had barely been gone an hour, the sounds of your footsteps pulling his attention from his work for the briefest moment but he paid little to no mind to your early return.

• The door to his study creaked open and your voice was next to hit his ears.

• "Kars?" "Hmm, so soon, beloved? How was your--" He turned in his chair to face you, his words suddenly getting caught in his throat. He nearly dropped the handful of papers he was clutching at the sight he was met with.

• There you stood in the doorway, sheepishly tapping your fingers together as you struggled to meet his gaze. You knew very well what he was gawking at.

• "Do you-- uh... know where the Aloe Vera is?" Came the hesitant question.

• Dressed in a joggers tank-top and shorts, every inch of your visible skin was near to an angry red.

• It was as if someone had rubbed you raw with sandpaper from head to toe and just from the way you were standing he could easily tell that you were starting to feel just as raw.

• "Goodness, gracious!" He cried, ruby eyes burning holes into you as he got up from his chair, marching straight up to you. "What on Earth happened?!"

• You frowned, curling in on yourself stiffly, letting out a pathetic laugh. "I... uh... forgot to put on sunscreen before I left..." you explained, the red in your cheeks blooming with more than a burn from the sun. "I didn't realize it would be so hot out today..."

• Kars blinked once, looking you up and down with tight lips.

• He wasn't even touching you and he could feel the heat radiating off your irritated skin.

• Several painful moments later... you were seated in the bathroom, devoid of clothing.

• You were already so sore that getting your clothes off had been nothing but a painful struggle with you whimpering the whole way as the massive Pillarman tried his absolute best to be as ginger with you as possible.

• He had even briefly considered just cutting your clothes off with his brilliant bone blade to spare you the agony.

• Every line of where your clothing began and ended was laid bare, leaving you looking very awkward with the blotches of crimson skin gracing your pale, white body.

• You were quite lucky Kars was blessed with the ability to heal but still, you flinched every time his huge hands graced your raw skin as he worked his magic.

• By the time he was done you were only a little more pink in hue than usual; it was almost like a weak farmers tan.

• He assured you, however, that you would be back to your normal palor in a day at best

• He also made sure to take extra care to apply a generous coat of moisturizer to your skin too.

• "There." He sighed, carding a hand gently through your hair as he planted a kiss on your temple. "Please dear one, I beg of you to try and be more careful next time."

• Ironically, through all the time he had known and loved you, one of his affectionate nicknames for you was his "ray of sunshine".

• He was starting to think that perhaps it was better to reconsider and start calling you his "starlight" from now on...

Esidisi:

• For a man whose domain lied with heat, he was always more than careful to be sure you didn't get burned.

• Sometimes he playfully teased you about how very pale you were, often during the times when you were complaining about your palor, but you knew very well he adored you and your skin.

• He often compared you to a work of art; a beautiful statue of white marble. He deemed it fitting, as marble had remarkable and beautiful veins etched into its stone much like you.

• Many a morning you woke up giggling as he trailed soft, warm kisses along your milky skin.

• Once, you came inside after spending the afternoon out in the garden and immediately he noticed a pink tinging the skin on your back and shoulders.

• You hadn't gotten burned badly but it was still a burn no less. You had put on sunscreen but alas, you had forgotten to reapply...

• "Ow!" You jumped a little, you hadn't really realized you had gotten burned until he curiously poked you where it was sore.

• He retracted his hand when you cried out as if you were the one who burned him, tears noticably welling up in his eyes as your genuine pain sunk into his heart.

• "Oh, did that hurt? Oh my beautiful little flame, I'm so sorry." He breathed, he held back from hugging you (as much as he wanted to in that moment) and causing you further pain. "You've burned yourself."

• You really hadn't been exaggerating when you told him that you had the tendency to burn easily.

• Minutes later, you were seated in the kitchen, your top removed, with your Husband the Pillarman lovingly tending to your sunburn.

• You could tell he went the extra mile to diminish a good amount of the heat in his hands as he took care to press cold wet cloths to your irritated skin to draw the heat out of the burn.

• He hummed softly to you as he worked, shushing any and all painful whimpers you happened to make as the cloth graced raw skin.

• You shivered as he removed the previous damp cloth, replacing it with a fresh and freezing cold wet one.

• It was a feeling you could only associate to pouring water sizzling on a hot gridle.

• "Th-Thank you, Esidisi..." you sighed. Your back was feeling much better now but you knew by tomorrow your skin would definitely be peeling.

• "It is my pleasure, my sweet little spark." He crooned, reaching for the bottle of Aloe Vera. He planned to thoroughly slather the area with it.

• Unable to help himself, the corner of his lips tugged into a teasing little smirk. "Well, you always told me you wished you had a bit more colour to your skin. And now you have a lovely pink spot!"

• You rolled your eyes at his words, shooting him the strongest glare you could muster. "Hah."

• Though you intended it to come out as displeased, Esidisi didn't miss the tugging at the corners of your own lips.

Wamuu:

• "What do you mean by this?" The warrior had questioned you, his eyebrows knit together, when you had first told him about your tendency to burn.

• In his eyes, that should have been impossible.

• You weren't a Vampire and Humans could train themselves to harness power straight from the sun itself.

• How and why was it possible for you, a Human, to BURN simply by standing in the sun?!

• You did your very best to explain it to him, telling him about harmful effects of UV rays and how fragile Human skin could be in prolonged exposure to it.

• You even told him proper precautions Humans had to take to prevent this from happening and that you in particular had to take extra precautions.

• Wamuu listened to you intently, nodding his head through your narrative.

• He supposed that it all made sense and you were very pale after all...

• From that moment forward, being a warrior and all, Wamuu made it his sworn duty to protect you from the suns harmful rays damaging your precious skin.

• Everywhere the two of you went, even if there was just a chance of sunshine, he didn't want to risk it and ensured to have sunscreen with him (and more importantly on you) at all times.

• Apart from that, he did his very best to ensure you were well shaded when the sun was particularly powerful that day.

• More often than not you found him standing over you with an umbrella (that he may or may not have took from the Café down the street) or draping something over you to give you some shaded coverage.

• But at times when there was nothing else to cover you, he simply did it himself by letting you (and ONLY you) stand in his shadow for some coverage as he was considerably larger than you afterall.

• "Are you sure it's ok, Wamuu?" You frowned, not at all liking the way he instinctively twitched when you stepped into the cool shade cast by his very person.

• You knew very well how hypersensitive he was when it came down to his shadow and, more importantly, people invading it.

• You could already see him gritting his teeth to fight against his primal instincts.

• "Really, you don't have to--" "I do." He said firmly, stepping to the side so you were now fully shaded. He suppressed a shiver, standing as tall and proud as he could. "For you, my beloved, I must. It is my sworn duty to protect you in any and all ways possible and that includes protecting you from the sun."

Santana:

• Santana was more pale than the average living Pillarman (with Kars coming in as "2nd most pale").

• However, despite the fact that he was now an Ultimate lifeform and could now stand in the sun all he wanted, that surprisingly didn't change about him.

• Needless to say, you both stood out a lot at the beach.

• Still, it was comforting to you to have someone in your life who was just as pale as you were, being insecure about your painfully white skin afterall.

• Santana, attentive and intuitive as always, quickly picked up on your habits of sunscreen and your preparations to go outside in the hot sun.

• If you forgot to slather some on, he would simply walk up with the bottle in hand and do it for you.

• He saved you from getting burned a few times doing this.

• One day, Santana and you were walking hand in hand downtown before he stopped right outside a flower shop.

• "Ooh, they're pretty aren't they?" You said, stopping as well to admire some of the arrangements put out.

• Santana hummed, a small smile gracing his lips. "They are like you."

• You thought that he was simply saying you were pretty but no, his meaning ran much deeper than that.

• Wordlessly, he grabbed your arm, tracing his fingertips softly over the winding blue veins visible under your pale skin before pointing back to the flowers.

• The flowers had veins too; winding little lines that had been lovingly etched into their soft delicate pedals by nature, it was only a part of them that made them more beautiful.

• "You are like them." He continued, his eyes filled with warmth as he turned his gaze back down to your arms. "Delicate. Soft. Beautiful."

• Your cheeks flamed red as you understood, your face burning hotter than any sunburn you had ever received when he pressed his lips to the veins on your wrist.

• For a man of few words, Santana sure knew how to make any insecurity you had about yourself (more importantly your palor) melt away.

• "My flower..." he murmured against your skin.

#funnybunny #pillarmen #pillarmen headcanons #kars #esidisi #wamuu #santana #kars x reader #esidisi x reader #wamuu x reader #santana x reader #anon ask #my writing

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shoichee · 4 years

Note

Hello! Can I perhaps ask for no. 28. “Make me” from your prompt list for my beloved Imayoshi? It's so nice seeing him here on your theme and avatar and that pERFECT url, it feels like I finally found my people.

HELLO HELLO, and YES I WAS SO SURPRISED THAT NO ONE TOOK THIS URL... considering that it was just an alternative spelling of shoichi and its a rlly short handle too mwehe // im sort of a particular person when it comes to how something looks, whether itd be outfits, drawings, coloring, and the UI of a blog, u name it.... i may have spent hours trying to have the perfect colors for this theme PLEASEEEE, but without further ado here is our man, our little shit, Imayoshi

@knb-kreations howdy! another new work posted here!

Imayoshi x Reader

28. “Make me”

Word Count: 2331

prompt list here

»»—————　☼　—————««

Imayoshi doesn’t exactly know how he feels about you.

Scratch that, he does know. He’s quite amused at the shenanigans you pull on others around you, and a lot of times, you actually elicit a few dry laughs out of the guy. Other times though, he’d wish that you would just shut the fuck up, especially when all he hears amidst his studying was your loud “whispering” and “hushed” jokes. How you were always nearby no matter where he is was still a mystery that he casually ponders about from time to time. Perhaps your natural tendency to project your voice creates the illusion that you were near when you really weren’t?

No matter, such trivial thoughts can’t occupy his mind when college entrance exams loom closer. Then again, they weren’t particularly difficult; they were simply a hassle to secure near-perfect scores, especially when his chances of admittance rely critically on how well he does.

“That’s an awful drawing of a samurai,” Susa comments, snapping Imayoshi out of idle thought.

“Ho? Is it really terrible if you were able to tell what it is?” Imayoshi chuckles. “The point of a drawing is to convey the right idea or emotion. It seems that my drawing skills hit a bulls-eye with this sketch, no?” He playfully spins his pencil around, patiently waiting for his reply to goad him.

All Susa does in response is to roll his eyes before he turns his full attention back to his notes. He knows better than to try a comeback against Imayoshi, who can easily make it backfire against the person with a pleasant close-eyed smile. Imayoshi, seeing Susa’s nonverbal resign from engaging further banter, also looks down back to his book of scribbled notes and chicken-scratch drawings before he exhales an inaudible sigh.

School just doesn’t cut out to be mentally stimulating for him. It’s a little too repetitive and mundane for his taste.

“Argh!! Oh no!” your voice rang out, despite your poor attempt to be reasonably quiet. “I forgot applications for the Coca-Cola scholarship are due today!”

Coca-Cola… what?

Everyone looks up to warily eye you, and your few friends, who are currently rushing to pull you down and slap their hands over your mouth to mute you, were panicking at the new attention you managed to garner. Even still, your mind seems more fixated on whatever was on the laptop’s screen, rather than what they were doing to you.

Imayoshi can’t help but stifle his audible mirth from how you manage to change the mood of the entire library within seconds.

“How do you even forget something as important as a huge scholarship like that?” Susa says in dismay. “Makes me kind of wonder how (l/n) would handle life after graduation, to be honest.”

“Well,” Imayoshi begins. “I wouldn’t worry too much. It’s best not to underestimate (l/n)-san. Surely we’ve learned our lesson with Seirin?” He toys with the pencil grip before he sporadically draws some lines loosely resembling another sketch.

“Drawing again?” Susa raises a brow. “Have you even been studying?”

“Well,” he replies. “There’s still plenty of time before exams—months to be exact. Could you even study with the current distractions in here?” At his own words, he nudges his chin in your direction.

“It’s not just any exams though, it’s—”

“Whether they have more importance or not doesn’t really concern me. After all, standardized testing isn’t worth stressing out for when we’ve taken essentially the same thing all our lives.”

“What most are worried about is the content inside the exams, Imayoshi,” he said, carefully treading into dangerous waters with Imayoshi’s tendency to take all replies as mind-game challenges for his own amusement.

“‘If you have been paying attention consistently throughout the year, you wouldn’t be having much trouble…’ that’s what you once oh-so-wisely said to Wakamatsu yesterday, hmm?” His mimicking tone drips a hint of arrogance. “Unless you mean to tell me my ears do not work? But by all means, please feel free to correct me.”

“That’s different,” he sighed, his face clearly evident that he was done with Imayoshi’s shit. “That exam only tested content for the past year, not your entire academic repertoire over the courses of middle and high school.”

“I’d like to think that the logic still applies the same way.”

“Well,” Susa heaves with a languid stretch. “You generally score better on the exams than me, so you’re probably right. Still, don’t neglect your studying.”

“Right, right, Susa-senpai~”

“... Please don’t call me that again.”

“... If you say so,” he said, but his smile blatantly showed his real intentions of never stopping his irritable quips. Susa gets ready to pack up his book bag before he heads out the door with a friendly wave. Imayoshi half-heartedly returns the gesture with a casual wave of his own. He immediately notices you also packed up and about to leave with a worried frown, and of course, while audibly mumbling your concerns and makeshift schedules to accommodate time for last-minute essay writing. By now, all of your friends have left for home.

“Ah, biology lab due next week, kanji worksheets due tomorrow, hmm, um, how would I finish this on time… ah, calculus test is tomorrow too, ah shit… should I ask someone to tutor?—ah, but it’s super last minute, and there’s still that scholarship… argh, fuck!” Your voice peaked in volume at the end, and the librarian immediately shot daggers at you.

“Shhhhh!”

“A-Ah! S-Sorry, sorry!”

Imayoshi was watching you with his chin on his arm propped up on the desk, unable to control the smile that escaped his lips. You really were entertaining to watch, and you never cease to bore him.

He turns away to crack his neck and roll it around before methodically packing up his writing utensils and notebooks. Soft shuffling filled the air as he rearranged the items inside his bag. As he turns to pack the last thing on the table, which happened to be the notebook filled with his idle doodling, his face slightly softens at the drawing he did after the samurai. Yes, the one Susa chastised him for when he could’ve been studying. Yes, perhaps he was right when he was terrible at drawing after all; your panicked face and wild hand gestures didn’t really translate well into paper, and it looked a little too much like a horror comic and less than a sketch of you. Still, he’s oddly proud of it.

Imayoshi promptly pushes the chair in and leaves the library, but when he rounds the corner of the adjacent hallway, he bumps into you.

“Er—hi! I mean, please, uhhh… if it isn’t too much to ask—canyoupleasetutormeforthecalculustesttomorrowbecausemyfinalgradedependsonthat?”

Imayoshi winces at the sheer volume of your voice and plugs his ears in out of habit to block out some of the decibels. Wakamatsu was eerily similar to you in that regard. Only difference between the two of you was that you were deceptively intelligent. Extremely so.

“My, my, if it isn’t (l/n)-senpai!” He fakes a surprised look, earning him an eye roll on your end. “You need someone like me to teach you the works?”

“I—what? We’re literally in the same calc class, Imayoshi,” you retort. “Besides, drop the ‘senpai’ honorific. It feels so slimy when you say it so disingenuously… Aren’t we both 3rd years too?”

“I’m so hurt,” he mocks. “What if I was really genuine with you?”

“Look, right now, no remarks from you, Evil Glasses,” you say. “It’s really, really urgent and I don’t know how to grasp the material for the class lately, plus my essay, ugh…” You rub your fingers against your temples in an attempt to make the stressful headaches disappear while Imayoshi simply watches with his eyes slightly open.

“... You usually do well on all your exams, no? Unless my eyes and memory fail me.” It was true; even though you were as loud-mouthed as Wakamatsu, you would often shock a lot of people when your name always appeared in the higher percentiles of exam results. Apparently most students and teachers associate your rowdy personality with an expected subpar academic performance. He has you to thank for when your score reports always cause reactions of utter disbelief from the teachers. You really do liven up the school and make it a lot more unorthodox.

“I guess…” you mumble. “But I really wanna do especially well for this one because math is my weakest subject, and you always score the highest for these types of exams, so…”

“It may be my best subject,” he says, leaning slightly closer to your face. “But I’m not the one with the highest scores in any math subjects throughout these years, and we both know that quite well, don’t we, (l/n)? Why don’t you come clean about the real reason why you’re here?”

“Oh my literal fuck—Imayoshi, you’re one of the best students in calc right now regardless of exam results,” you petulantly huffed, not backing down from his intimidation. Imayoshi notes your cheeks reddening, and he figured it was either because of the close proximity between your faces or the fact you were frustrated… perhaps both. “And you’re the only one around here on campus who I could ask!”

“Really now,” he chimes, moving closer to whisper in your ear. “Are you sure?” With incoherent stammers, you backed away from him, slapping your hands against both of your ears to protect them.

“W-W-What the fuck are you doing?!”

“Looks like I won this one, (l/n)-san,” he purrs, relishing the fact that only he could render you this quiet. “Ho? What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?”

“I—Shut up!” you lamely shoot back. “You can just say no if you really don’t wanna do this—urgh, I’m leaving, I’m not gonna waste any more time—”

“How hurtful,” he dryly remarks, standing up straight again after leaning for a quite a while. “It’s almost as if you’re rejecting me~” He knew you would always take his bait and quip back (unlike Susa), regardless of whether or not you tell him that you weren’t going to engage further.

“As if,” you snorted, making another exaggerated eye roll. “You’re the last person who would ever be hurt from this.”

“Dear me!” he exclaims. “Have you ever considered that perhaps I don’t help out people for free? Did you think I would be a gracious, selfless person who would help you like a saint?”

“Okay, fine! Perhaps I didn’t think that far ahead, okay? You just were the first person that came to mind, and I thought asking you wouldn’t hurt.” His smirk widens almost maliciously at your words, lips already opening to deliver another irritating quip before you immediately spoke again to stop him. “Okay, Imayoshi, you little shit, just shut up—I don’t wanna hear anything from your mouth right now.”

“I don’t see any reason why I should listen to you at all,” he muses. “Why don’t you make me?” He has a shit-eating grin plastered across his face, eagerly eyeing your next move, and as he expected, you let out a frustrated noise that prompted passerby students to shoot pointed looks towards the both of you.

What he didn’t expect was for you to take a huge step towards him, unceremoniously pull him down to your level, and press a reverberating smack on his lips. His eyes are immediately blown wide open to look at your embarrassed, but determined face. His fingers unconsciously move to touch his warmed lips.

“... That was quite romantic, wasn’t it, (l/n)?” he dryly says, recovering almost immediately from the shock. All the other students fled from the blatantly bold scene to save face. Not that Imayoshi really cared.

“Okay, you know what? Bye, I’m not gonna play anymore mind games with you,” you grumble. “Essays and studying aren’t gonna be done by themselves—wah!”

Imayoshi gently tugs you back to reciprocate back a kiss, meticulously slipping his hands behind your head and on your waist to accommodate you. Your eyes are completely open from the shock that the Imayoshi Shoichi was actually kissing you. You don’t close your eyes from the sensation, completely entranced when you make eye contact with his half-lidded eyes watching your every reaction closely. The kiss ended all too soon, and Imayoshi separates himself from you, secretly admiring your dazed look.

“That was quite a strong reaction to just a simple kiss.”

“I—that was not just a ‘simple kiss!’”

“Now would you like to tell me the true reason why you approached me?”

“You’re… insinuating that you know something.”

“Well we wouldn’t know unless you come clean,” Imayoshi purrs. “I can sometimes be wrong too.”

“Ugh, what the hell—fine, I am quite enamored by you, and uh, I… find it infuriating to be with you, but it also gives me butterflies… so I thought I could be with you more… if I asked you—don’t get it twisted, though! I still need your help to study!...” He covers his mouth to suppress a laugh at your honesty.

“Was it really so hard to say that in the beginning, (l/n)-san?”

“Okay, that’s it! I’m really, really leaving! Fuck off, Imayoshi, I swear to—”

“Ho? Just a minute, darling~” he tuts, reaching to hold your hand. “Perhaps if you offer more kisses as an incentive, I’d be more inclined to offer my expertise.”

“How quaint,” you dryly reply. “It’s almost as if we’re in a relationship.”

Imayoshi can’t help but bark out a genuine laugh. You even managed to pick up some of his mannerisms so quickly.

“That’s an interesting proposal, (l/n),” he murmurs. “Should we try that?” You tut at him irritatedly as you tug your interlocked hands while speed-walking ahead.

“Hurry up, or I’ll consider breaking up with you right now.”

“Ah ha!~” he chuckles at your attitude. “How mean, (l/n)-san! Too bad that we both know that’s not going to happen anytime soon.”

#ask #narnvaeron #knb #knb scenarios #kuroko no basket #imayoshi shouichi #imayoshi shoichi #imayoshi x reader #imayoshi #knb fic #knb fluff #100 followers #100 follower milestone

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m-y-fandoms · 4 years

Text

Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu x reader (fluff + angst) - (COMMISSION)

When I get a commission that isn’t Danganronpa related, I keep the client’s name private and switch names and some paragraphs around to fit a Danganronpa character so you all can enjoy it. This commission best fit Fuyuhiko’s personality, so here you are - Admin Kokichi

SFW, gender-neutral reader

I walked through the halls of Hope’s Peak Academy, still toweling off my scalp after a shower in the gym’s locker room. Heavily I sighed, thankful for the much-needed sustenance that was soon to come when I finally reached the cafeteria. Sport after sport, activity after activity, it really wore the body out. Hope’s Peak really stressed the importance of the Ultimate-level students honing their skills. That’s why we were there, after all. Yes, we took general education classes like any normal student, the basics like the many different types of mathematics, general art, history, government, sciences and all that, but each student in the Main Course had several hours a day blocked out of their schedule dedicated to their specific talent and that talent only. It was rigorous, obsessive, and exhausting.

At times like this, I envied those who sat down for their talent, like animators and gamers, for I, the Ultimate Athlete, was always on my feet. Not that I’m saying art and gaming don’t take a lot out of those students, I just wanted a break from physical exertion once and awhile. My brain wasn’t stimulated quite as much as I’d like. Even the other athletes, like Aoi Asahina, the Ultimate Swimmer, and Akane Owari, the Ultimate Gymnast, had one set training area, and trained one sport for long sessions during the school day. As the all around Ultimate Athlete, the administration of Hope’s Peak had me training lots of different sports and exercise methods in short bursts. This meant running across campus from the pool to the dojo, from the gym to the baseball field, from the wrestling mat to the biking trails. Every day, a different muscle was sore, but I suppose I can’t really complain. It is an honor to be selected to attend Hope’s Peak. I mean, there were hundreds of regular students paying extraordinary rates to attend, just to be mocked and berated for being Reserve Course students anyway. I was lucky to have been chosen as the Ultimate Athlete at all, considering they already had so many types of athletes here. I think the appeal of my talent was that instead of being the best at one sport alone, I was above average at every single sport there was. Well, there was no use wasting time dwelling on my burnt-out body, because immediately after lunch, I was expected back at the gym with no delay. The longer this walk took, the less time I had to eat.

Picking up the pace, I sprinted - something I excelled at - through the courtyard that connected the Reserve Course and Main Course wings for what was a well-known shortcut to the cafeteria. Reaching the other side, I slowed my pace, my eyes landing on a curious scene that caught my attention. Three Reserve Course girls - distinguishable by the ash-black of their identical uniforms as opposed to the customizable (and optional) Ultimate uniforms - were whispering in hushed tones in front of one of the cream-colored pillars of the courtyard surrounded by some well-tended flowers. They trembled slightly, a bit jittery it seemed, and were clearly gossiping profusely like the gaggle of hens they resembled. There was malice and fear in their expressions as they looked back and forth from the object of their scrutiny then back to each other to deliberate and discuss. My eyes followed their line of sight to the opposite side of the courtyard, where the pond and benches sat. Of course, it was him. How did I not notice him as I passed by from that end? I must have been in some hurry.

Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu, the Ultimate Yakuza, sat on the ground leaned up against a wall on the opposite side of the courtyard, scrawling notes into a notebook in his lap. His brow was creased, fairly engrossed in his studies. I could tell he heard the girls chattering, they weren’t being subtle and weren’t very far away, but Fuyuhiko was paying them no mind.

“Do you think his dad threatens the teachers if they give him a bad grade?” A blonde gasped, as if the thought had just occurred to her.

“Probably, I wouldn’t put anything past that clan of brutes,” another plain-looking girl whimpered in reply.

I stopped to watch the situation play out, hiding behind a nearby pillar and ready to step in if it continued, as rumor-spreading bullies were something that I just couldn’t stand by any means. I knew Fuyuhiko could handle himself… err… maybe I was just being a bit nosey to be honest.

After a few more minutes of the clique getting louder and bolder with their insultingly toxic babble, I saw Fuyuhiko’s head snap up, throwing them a pointed glare. The flock gasped in unison, with looks of horror on their faces, and scrambled away past me and into the hall. I smirked merrily: now that reaction was the more typical one. I was just thinking how brave these girls must have been to be provoking a Kuzuryuu in the first place. Many people in the school, and just the country in general were terrified of them. I myself felt a bit indifferent about Fuyuhiko. He was in my home room and never caused trouble.

The Kuzuryuu Clan was the largest and most powerful Yazuka clan in the country, with ties to national governments, huge drug rings, and a hand in many influential corporations throughout the country. People knew to fear them and not to mess with them, like any gang. Fuyuhiko was the only son of the head of the clan, and next in line as its leader, but if you’d spoken more than two words to the guy, you’d see that it was wise to respect him, but there was no need to fear him. In fact, his little sister Natsumi, who terrorized the Reserve Course girls, probably was the reason Fuyuhiko’s reputation around the school was smeared by association. People saw her bitterness, her jealousy, her need to harass or threaten anyone who she felt inferior to, her horrible attitude, and probably transferred that fear over to her older brother, thinking the siblings must be similar. It was just ridiculous. If anything, he was an asshole at times, but not dangerous.

Plus, how could someone be afraid of a guy who looked like that? Fuyuhiko was both adorable in some ways, and handsome in others. His cute side came out through in his meager height, the way his pale skin blushed easily when flustered, the softness of his blonde hair, the small pout he wore at times. He didn’t even have ink yet like most Yazuka. His skin was milky and untouched. On the other side of the spectrum, he was handsome and manly in the way he spoke, the elegance of his expensive suits and ties, his intelligence, the way he carried himself, his sharp and intense gaze. I always thought it was more reasonable to be attracted to him rather than afraid.

He did have a bit of an attitude problem, but I often felt bad for him because of it. The quipping, feisty exterior he presented was clearly a coping mechanism, a method of self-defense after years of pressure to be a pillar of his family and being misunderstood by his peers. It probably wasn’t easy to be expected to watch or even perform drug deals, interrogations, or even murders - who knows? Then after all of that, you come back into normal society and get judged for being tiny with a baby face behind your back while people are scared of you to your face.

He projected the anger he was taught was normal, and used the years of being raised in the Yakuza to adapt and mold his personality. He often cursed out or blew up at others, was stubborn and hard to work with, did his own thing, and despite how well he thought he hid her, his personal bodyguard being around the corner ready to kick someone’s ass at a moment's notice deterred many potential friendships. Most of our home room were friends with him, but I rarely talked to him. I really only made myself known to a few of the quieter kids in our class like Komaeda and Tsumiki, even Peko herself at times… but other than them I mainly kept to myself.

I just wished…. he’d talk to me first. I was desperate to get to know him without the fear of feeling like I was bothering him.

Ok, so maybe I wasn’t as indifferent as I let on before. Now that I’ve given myself away, I suppose I’ll just say it:

Yes, I was a bit biased on the topic of Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu because… I had a massive crush on him.

And it was hard, so very hard to see him in class everyday, at the dorms, around campus, and not be able to make those feelings known. I couldn’t tell if it was fear of judgment, fear of rejection, fear of him just cussing me out until I pissed myself, maybe a mix of all three? But now we were alone… save for Peko, who was undoubtedly spying from somewhere close by. Why should I care what anyone thinks? I was sure he’d never tell anyone if he rejected me anyway. He wasn’t the gossiping type, and he only told people what he needed them to hear. Steadying myself, I took a deep breath and stepped out from behind the decorative colonnade. As I shakily stepped across the grass, lunch became the last thing on my mind, and I approached him. He didn’t even look up until I began to speak, cowardice lining my tone.

“H-hey,” I mumbled, towering above him like some weirdo. He squinted in suspicion, a small pout settling onto his lips as he silently acknowledged me. “Are you studying?!” I yelled more than spoke, my nerves taking hold. He rolled his eyes, holding the notebook up with one hand. I couldn’t help scanning him, taking in the way the sun bounced off the yellow fluff of his buzz cut, the way his chest heaved slowly, the cute little mole under his bottom lip. I was sweating, wondering if Peko would knock me out for getting too close, but also entranced in his hazel eyes.

“What does it look like?” He huffed, irritated by my very presence. He probably came out hime to be alone, after all. Now he had to deal with me right after those insufferable girls.

“Ah, haha, yeah, well anyway, I wanted to say that those girls were obnoxious and wrong. You shouldn’t let their words get to you. They’re meaningless. Y-you shouldn’t care about what they think. I-” I spoke quickly, nervously, and he parried my words instantly, tired of me wasting his precious time.

“I don’t give a shit what they think. Since you’re such a fuckin’ creep and were apparently watching the whole time, you must have seen me scare them off, yeah? I obviously don’t care, and I don’t need some rando to come give me a fuckin’ pep talk! What do I look like to you, some fuckin’ kid that got his feelings hurt by some bullies? Fuck those bitches and fuck you! If that’s all you had to say, get lost,” he spat, and I flinched backwards. He was feeling vulnerable, and biting back was the only thing she knew, like an abused dog lashing out at its rescuers. I knew not to take it personal, that Fuyuhiko sometimes said things he didn’t mean out of anger. I knew all of this, but I was still taken aback and thoroughly intimidated. Almost as soon as he’d snapped at me, he settled back into his calm studying, opening the notebook again. That was Fuyuhiko, a little ball of rage that could be turned on and off like a switch.

“Well, I, um-” I cut off my own words, swiftly turning on my heel and marching out of the courtyard, clutching my bag like it could save me from this humiliation.

“Fuck… I’m such an idiot.” I shook my head, involuntarily replaying my blunderous attempt to ask Fuyuhiko out in my head over and over again. Could it even be called that? I mean, I didn’t even get to the asking out part before I made a complete fool of myself and pissed him off. I was now rushing through the corridors of the first floor, trying to make it to what was my last class of the day after a very short lunch and some extremely demanding training. The gardening class was mainly unsupervised and casual, but I hated the feeling of being technically late nonetheless.

The term “class” is used loosely hime. At Hope’s Peak, each student was required to choose an elective course that “gave back” to the community or school in some way. It was thought to boost the school’s reputation, along with the student’s resume. That was the sentiment the school held, anyway. Some students volunteered at local retirement homes, some, like the eccentric Gundham Tanaka, lead clubs that tended to rescue animals and raised them. Others tutored exchange students in Japanese, some did maintenance around the school to earn the credit. I chose the gardening club, where students would break up into little groups and tend to all the plants, flowers, grass, vegetable gardens, and courtyards on and around campus. Sometimes we even took “field trips” to tend to other local greenery. I found it to be the most calming and quiet option of all the electives. There was very little human interaction, and it was satisfying to see the (literal) fruits of your labor grow.

Today I would be tending to the garden in the secondary courtyard behind the school. This one was more hidden away, rarely ever used, and that’s what I loved about it. But… as I turned the corner, my box of gardening supplies in hand, I froze dead in my tracks, shuffling back to hide behind the cover of the wall.

Fuyuhiko was sitting there on his hands and knees, pruning weeds from the garden. The coat of his uniform was discarded, and she sat in only his slacks and a button up dress shirt with a tie. He had little towels folded up as make-shift knee padding, green gloves on, and was leaning into his work with such fervor.

What?! I screamed internally, panic taking hold of me. I had been a member of the gardening club for months, and not once had I seen him on the class roster or in rotation. I’d been to every station, been assigned every task at least once, and I’d never been paired with him. So of course, on the day I was thoroughly humiliated in front of him, here he was, ruining what was supposed to be the most relaxing part of my day. I considered leaving, simply lying about my hour of gardening time on the school’s check-in portal, but something in me told me to stay. I sat there, fighting with myself, nearly collapsing with anxiety, and then he began to speak, tearing my from my thoughts:

“Now now, how are you gonna grow big and strong if you keep lettin’ these little punks fuck you up like this…?” He huffed, almost fatherly in his tone. I peeked around the corner, wondering who the hell he was talking to. Maybe this shift wouldn’t be so awkward with a third party to distract me from him, I thought, but when I hazarded a glance, not a soul was in sight, save Fuyuhiko. Taking a closer look, I noticed his calloused hands nestled around the leaf of a plant, and he tsk’d, observing the bite marks left by pestiferous insects and small animals. He was talking to the plant?! My cheeks started to warm up, my heart melting at the realization.

Fuyuhiko began to hum, then to sing softly, a lullaby of sorts for this injured little green darling. Holding my breath, I nearly crumpled against the wall, feeling my flush spread from my cheeks to rush throughout my entire body. This is so fucking cute, I thought to myself, glancing once more, perhaps a bit riskily. I was getting greedy, greedy for even a glimpse of seeing him in the state of happiness I knew he deserved. I couldn’t care less if Peko was sneaking up behind me with a bamboo sword at the ready.

When I looked, he was smiling, truly smiling. I’d never seen him smile like that before, a smile birthed out of an innocent and serene joy, and now I never wanted it to stop. There was no way I was turning back now.

I took a few steps back down the hall, then stomped loudly toward the courtyard, allowing him to save face by thinking I had only just approached. I knew I would be in for quite the sour retaliation if he knew I had caught him singing. He may have even gotten up and left. He looked up, still leaned over his plants but now dead silent as I entered, and when he realized who I was, his breath caught in his throat. Another expression I rarely saw from him: one of being caught off guard.

“Hey… so, I didn’t know you were in the gardening club? I’ve been in it since the start and I’ve never seen you.” I set down my box next to him and pulled out some gloves. I was hoping that acting like earlier never happened was the best course of action. Something can’t be awkward if it doesn’t exist, right? Luckily, he played along… or rather, just didn’t bring it up, either.

“Uh, yeah. I was hoping to avoid all the bullshit of the whole, volunteer-but-not -actually-because-it’s-a-requirement class thing altogether. I just don’t have time for this shit, but my academic advisor caught on and forced me into gardening. It was the last one with spots left open…” he grumbled, as if he weren’t absolutely loving it mere moments ago.

“Huh… and they aren’t penalizing you for, you know, losing all those points from the first few months you missed?” I inquired bravely. Maybe those girls were right earlier about his father threatening professors…?

“Nah, I guess not. My advisor is super chill. She worked something out…”

“That’s lucky…” my words trailed off, and we both got to work. The longer the silence grew, the more the awkward energy imposed itself on both of us. I could tell that he was thinking back to our earlier encounter by the way he made eye contact and quickly snatched his gaze away, the way she would open his mouth then close it without a hesitant word.

Half an hour passed, and my nerves were beginning to stand on edge. What was more daunting than being alone with your crush? Being alone with your crush who verbally ripped you a new one that same day.

Now mere inches away from him, focusing in on the same patch of flowers, we both reached for a small watering can at the same time, and our hands touched briefly, fleetingly before he snatched his own back, a shade of pink dusting his soft cheeks. He turned away, embarrassed, but I couldn’t have been more excited by the small interaction. Still, for both our sakes, I felt the need to break the silence.

“You… you seem happier - now, I mean… as opposed to earlier today…” It was time to bring up the elephant in the room. I saw his body tense up, his spine stiffen, and he turned to face me, dirt staining his forearms and a swipe on his cheek where he’d scratched an itch earlier.

“Yeah… I should probably apologize for that, bein’ a dick and all. I was just, really pissed and stressed. I shouldn’t have attacked you like that… it’s just… those stupid, loud-mouth, air-headed-” I saw his fists clench, his gloves squeaking a bit under the pressure. I continued where he left off, not wanting him to force himself to relive the gossip or the anger attached to it.

“It’s fine, seriously. I get it. There will always be assholes like them in the world. I don’t blame you for being upset. Besides, I’m sure it was weird to have a stranger just approach you like that, trying to give you unsolicited advice and bothering you by-”

“Well, you’re not really a stranger, are you? I’ve seen you around plenty of times… and you’re in my home room.” He spoke reluctantly, clearly fighting against the compulsory need to deflect and defend.

“O-oh, yeah, you are. I didn’t think you’d notice.” I felt my heart rate speed up. Of course I’d seen him many times in the back of the classroom, but I had no idea he’d given me even a first glance, much less a second one.

“Of course I noticed. Sports, right? Exercise, fitness, an’ all that?” He nodded, smirking. God, he was so hot… I didn’t know how to contain my excitement. I was trying my best.

“Yeah, exactly. Sports, exercise, fitness. That’s me.” I chuckled a bit, finding myself more and more drawn to him with every second spent in his presence.

“Shit’s cool. I can respect someone who’s disciplined and keeps in shape. I’ve seen a few of your games,” he let slip.

“You have?” I immediately picked it up, a shiver of anticipation running over my skin and setting my pores on fire. Fuyuhiko wasn’t on any of the teams I played for and his Ultimate talent had nothing to do with sports. He wasn’t the type to go watch a sports game for fun, and didn’t have the free time for it anyway.

My eyes widened slowly, and I’m sure he could see the moment I made the connection deep inside myself almost as soon as I’d made it.

That was the day I realized that Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu liked me back.

An obscene shade of red flooded onto his face and his nose scrunched up, his voice cracking as he spoke:

“Stop starin’ at me like that! The fuck’s wrong with you?!”

216 notes · View notes

nyxravessnow · 4 years

Text

Rambly Patalliro stage review

Stage Patalliro 2021 Foggy London Airport Arc Review

Today I finally managed to see the delays of the first and last day of the new 2021 Patalliro stage.

Overall, I will rate this show as a 9 out of 10.

I don't know if I'm giddy just because I watched the show today and have been really looking forward to it, and especially since I didn't enjoy the last 2.5D show I was looking forward to I might be projecting a bit onto this show. But I did enjoy every second of this show and can’t wait to buy the dvd.

While there were things, I was very nervous about for this show, I was also very excited as a lot of actors I really love are in the show.

I just wanna say anything I say about negative fan reaction is of course not most fans. Most fans stayed quiet and just did what they wanted, I’m just talking about a few fans whose comments I have seen floating about.

I was very nervous about the hostility to the new cast which I felt was unwarranted. Obviously, this wasn’t from most fans but was just from a very small amount of them. Hostility to the company and how they handled the graduation of the previous cost and the handling of the bringing in of the new cast is completely justified. However, this new cast is full of people who truly love the show and were very excited to be in it and no one had seen them on stage as those characters and so I feel like hostility towards them was undue.

The main reason this made me nervous was that I was worried if the show was bad the director and the company would not be the ones blamed but the actors who merely were doing their best in roles they were cast in.

I am so glad to say that I believe the show was fantastic. I believe that they lived up to the legacy of the previous cast and have started a good new tradition for their next shows and any cast that follows them.

One thing that really shocked me but also spoke to me about how this show most likely wouldn’t have happened without a new cast, was Kato Ryo Crying out of happiness on the final day of the show. Kato Ryo is known for never breaking character and not breaking down on stage which shows how much this show means to him. He was truly happy to be on the stage performing as Patalliro again, and it did seem as if he had also bonded to this new cast as Dai instantly went to give him a hug which he returned. He spoke about how it was amazing they could make it to the final performance as he didn’t think they’d even make it to a first one. I believe it is not too far-fetched to say that he might be referring to the fact that Nelke and the 2.5d association mostly likely said that they would not continue the show with Tsune onboard. As before Kato Ryo said he would only continue the show if the cast didn’t change and that seemed like a serious change.

I have seen comments that Maaya-sensei didn’t like the new cast and that he was completely unaware of the change in casting which I would be very surprised by. 2.5d shows have to sign off for new shows with the creator of the original and also you could see that Maaya-sensei’s family had bonded the new cast greatly. Giving the show a standing ovation and kept waving to the cast on the final night.

I know the re cast is a very difficult topic for people who likes the old cast and don't want to see a new cost, for people who liked the old cast and are willing to see the new cast, for people who didn't see much of the old cast but excited for the new cast or for people who like the new actors coming in and so getting into Patalliro for the first time.

I believe that as long as you are not attacking anyone your thoughts and feelings are completely valid and if you only liked the show for the previous cast then you have every right to just ignore the new shows and just watch the three amazing instalments from the old cast. You are valid and I hope you have a lovely day/week and hope that this awful situation (covid and the such) isn’t being too bad to you.

In my opinion if this show was the result of the recast, and that if it hadn't happened we wouldn't have gotten another show, then I'm very glad it happened because I think this show was excellent and another fantastic instalment under the name of Patalliro stage. Under the cut I will include a spoilered review of the stage but before then I just wanted to say some of my basic thoughts for anyone who doesn't want to be spoiled for what is in the show.

Acting: All the acting was fantastic. There wasn't a single actor who I wasn't entranced by and I was enthralled and engaged the entire show. I think every actor performed their roles perfectly and to the best of their abilities.

Singing: Obviously the big stand out for singing in this show was the transgender actress Nakamura Ataru as she was hired for her singing voice, her being a professional singer. However, I think everybody performed extremely well. I continue to be a little frustrated with the use of recorded singing for everybody except for Ataru, as I believe the music they have on it is too loud and it makes it harder to hear a lot of the singers and I also feel it's not necessary to record the songs as all of them are professional actors who can definitely sing on stage. That being said, I fell in love with every single song in the show and thought they were all amazing.

Directing: I think a lot of very very wise decisions were made about this show. I was worried this show would either reflect too much on the previous cast or just not mention them at all and pretend it didn't happen. Luckily the stage did neither. I will get into more specifics and my spoiler review, but I think they handled it very well with having stuff for new fans, old fans and fans who would be irritated by seeing knew actors continue on jokes that previous actors started. In regards to other sides of the directing, I believe it was same as always, very good for the type of show it is. The comedy was very good but due to only having seen two shows I can't say how much was the directing and how much were the actors just being funny, because this is a very funny cast.

Casting: I believe every actor in this stage was perfect for their roles. This may be a controversial opinion but after seeing Dai and Yuuya act opposite each other I am very glad that Sana wasn’t brought back. They couldn't continue to have Tsune in the show as 2.5D does not have the kind of reputation yet where they can have an actor who has committed crimes in their shows and back him for if he ever did something again then it could do a lot of damage to the industry. Nelke and the 2.5d association are companies and in order to keep putting on shows and paying actors and all the staff they need money. And to have money, they need a clean reputation, at least while it’s still relatively low in popularity. I do not wish Tsune ill at all, I think he is an excellent actor, and I really hope that he does continue acting but I completely understand why he was not cast in this show again and why that led to a recast of most of the cast. I think that Sana was excellent as Maraich in every way he embodied the character. But having been in quite a few previous shows together Yuuya and Dai already had excellent chemistry, and I think it would have been quite odd to see Sana as Maraich acting opposite a different Bancoran. I can't imagine any actor having better chemistry with Dai’s Maraich than Yuuya’s Bancoran and visa versa. And I really hope that with the end of lockdown and quarantine, and everything calming down a lot in terms of physical contact on stages they will be able to show the bond between their Maraich and Bancoran even more. (They didn’t actually kiss, converse to what I’ve seen some people reporting about how Nelke wanted to pretend everything was fine by making them kiss.)

Well enough on them, the Tamanegi. I think all of them were completely perfect for their roles and they all handled it with enough seriousness to make the comedy different enough from the past cast and therefore make it their own but also for it to actually be funny. I cannot wait to see this group in more shows together and see how much funnier they can become. My only slight complaint, and it is very slight, is that one of the Tamanegi is 19 years old, therefore underage, and it made me slightly uncomfortable when he took his shirt off. as I am now an adult watching the show. Having not been an adult when I watched the previous two, I do rather approach it with different eyes and that was something that I wasn't very comfortable with but I do understand that everybody isn't me and it would have been a bit strange if only one of them didn't take their top off.

Other cast members included Damian, the Maaya man and Ataru the ‘singing princess’. Again, all three of them were amazing, I was especially impressed with Shouta as Damien as I believe he carriage the emotion that came with that role excellently. Knowing what kind of personality Shouta has off stage, it still makes it slightly weird for me to see him playing less-good characters but I cannot fault his acting. I will cover the other two cast members in my spoiler review.

Anything else: I think the staging was excellent, prop work was very good and they obviously worked very hard on this show.

That will do it for my spoiler free review underneath I will get into a lot more detail on things that I liked, disliked or just wanted to comment on.

If you're stopping reading here thank you very much for reading and I really recommend if you weren't sure about this cast and weren’t sure how much they'd put into these roles and how much they would love them I can assure you that these roles have been trusted to people who really love this show and are working very hard. If you are considering getting the DVD but aren’t sure, I really recommend that you do get it if you like Patalliro and don’t just want to see only the old cast.

If you have any more specific questions about the show, I will be happy to answer them so just drop me an ask.

Spoilers under cut (Warning, it is very long)

God, where to even begin. This show was so good. They combined old stage Patalliro, with new directing, a new cast, and a really interesting arc. I'm going to separate my review into story, acting, singing/songs and directing, as well as mentioning some extra stuff that I might think of at the end.

I will illustrate bits I’m saying with pics but pics cannot do this show justice. And I’ve bolded where I begin each section so it’s more easy to find.

So first, the story. As someone who doesn't know the exact intricacies of this arc, I do know roughly what happens I just couldn't remember all the specifics, I think the show was set out in a very non confusing way compared to other Patalliro content. They did make the story a lot more linear and wasn’t showing stuff that happened at the same time as other things too much which can sometimes hurt my brain. Even with all the flashbacks and flashforwards I felt it was really easy to keep track of what was happening when. The story had a very clear and defined beginning, middle and end, and I just thought it was very well done.

Acting, with occasional dips into directing and story when appropriate. As I said before the acting was amazing. I had chills, the entire scene with Damien, Maraich and Bancoran. I think they balanced the comedy and tension very well and didn’t try to undercut all the serious scenes with comedy which is my main complaint with a lot of gag manga/anime/stages. Except during Maraich’s more emotional song where one of the Tamanegi was still wearing bdsm gear which I thought was a bit hmmm. I’m not rly gonna cover Kato Ryo bc he just is Patalliro at this point.

Maraich and Bancoran, despite having very few scenes actually talking to each other, had undeniable chemistry. Dai and Yuuya, sold me on them being a couple immediately with the way they looked at each other and how they held each other. Their final scene before the end together where Maraich lay in a hospital bed and Bancoran was clutching his hand gave me so many emotions (First night he held his hand and final night he kissed him). I was 100% sold on how much they cared about each other, even if they might fight a lot in the end no one will ever love the other more than they do, and I think that that is what makes this couple so special. They have a true unconditional love for each other and they would, quite literally in Maraich’s case, throw themselves on a bomb for the other one.

Bancoran. I think Yuuya played Bancoran so well. You could see the character maturing before your eyes as we moved from 15 years previously to 12 years previously, to 10 and onwards until the normal time. And you could see the vulnerability he had with Damien and how that was still there but how he truly loved Maraich and that the vulnerability he has with Maraich is different. While Damien didn’t tend to let his guard down around Bancoran, his relationship with Maraich is a lot more give and take and I think he played all of that expertly. I know how much Bancoran cares about Maraich is a lot more vague in the original but I think that was partly as a product of its time and they somewhat had to make some humour out of these two men being in a relationship without flat out making fun of that aspect. So, I am very happy that the stage lets these character’s be in love and despite everything, truly show that they care about each other. Also, he did make me cry a few times when he saw Damien broken, Maraich with Damien as his heart broke seeing that happen to the man he loved but also breaking for the trust he put in a man he had once loved as well in the final scenes where he has clearly decided to kill Damien but is still holding onto a feint hope that maybe, he is not completely lost.

Mariach. Wow, just wow. He was not super present in the beginning, but he was the standout in the show in my opinion. His Maraich was so so different to Sana-chan’s Maraich and yet he was absolutely true to Maraich. He approached Mariach from a very different angle and I am so glad we are lucky enough to get both of them playing Maraich. He seems a lot more mature, like he has definitely been with Bancoran longer. He gives him more trust and isn’t as quick to be jealous as well as very quickly understanding Damien and how important he is to Bancoran, asking Patalliro not to tell him anything until they were sure which is different to how he acted about Bjorn/Andersen in the last show, they are different situations but I do think it represents character growth. He was a lot more aggressive in his fighting and anger though, as shown by his heavy metal solo as opposed to the softer ones of Sana’s. Despite all that he still was clearly in love with Bancoran and still showed his cute side. As well as expressing more deeply about his love for Bancoran with one of the Tamanegi but more on that in the Tamanegi’s bit. The scene with Damien was done so well by everyone involved. They clearly condemned Damien’s actions, showed how disgusting what he did was and created incredible pathos for Maraich while also showing Maraich somewhat unaware of what had happened and during the sex scene with Maraich and Damien, Dai showed Maraich’s desperation to hold on Bancoran and love Bancoran, so well, and it broke my heart.

Damien. I don’t remember too much of Damien from the original but Shouta played him excellently. He showed the progression of this man who loved Bancoran to a man who was willing to throw him away and murder him so well and it was believable despite not seeing almost anything except his interactions with Bancoran or Bancoran/Maraich’s feelings about him. When he held Bancoran at the end, asking why he was fighting so much and why he wanted Damien to kill him, despite Damien obviously being the villain you couldn’t help but feel sympathy for this man despite everything he’d done. (Also I think there is meant to be a parallel between him holding Maraich and him holding Bancoran)

The Maaya man. I thought the actor himself was very good, but I am a bit confused about why he was in the stage. All the Tamanegi played multiple roles, changing costume, and there is only one of him, so I am not too sure what the benefit from having a single Maaya man was but it’s a very small complaint and mainly about logistics rather than show quality. Especially as it certainly didn’t take away anything from the show having him there.

Nakamura Ataru – The singing Princess. Oh. My. Lord. Her voice was phenomenal, and she was gorgeous in every single outfit she was in, reaffirming to me that I am very pan (Not just attracted to the men in the play but also this gorgeous woman. I am not saying I am pan because she is trans). What was a surprise to me is that she was genuinely really funny. In the scenes where she was meant to be funny, I laughed a lot and she definitely has expert comedic timing.

The Tamanegi. I am going to separate a few of them who were reasonably important and group the rest in together.

So, the ones who did not play major roles in the show were: Emoto Koki, Ookubo Tatsuki, Sagawa Daiki and Hoshi Gouki. They were all very good, played their parts well and I don’t think they could have done better. It was very interesting to see Koki in a bdsm outfit but besides that there wasn’t anything super memorable about these actors’ parts.

Harashina Motohisa. Motohisa played the Black Tamanegi and served as somewhat of a leader for the Tamanegi in their scenes. Given that he was the only 2nd season Tenimyu actor in the cast and was the first name in the list of Tamanegi this was pretty much the role I expected him to play. He was very good, and his high voice was super adorable to hear after not hearing it much from his roles.

Okuda Yumeto. It was very surprising for me to see that Yumeto was the Tamanegi who travelled back into the past with Patalliro to see Bancoran’s past. Not only is he the youngest of the Tamanegi but he was also last on the list of Tamanegi names, I might be putting too much onto that list, but I did think it was gonna be kinda going from highest ranked to lowest and from most importance in the show to lowest. I was kinda right and wrong about that as the four most important were the two first names and two of the three last names. He did get to sing a little in the Bancoran and Damien jazz sex song, more on that later, and I thought what he did was good.

Nakata Ryouta. (Yes I am saving Tsukasa for last bc I love him). Out of the four he had the smallest role but still had a solo bit in their trio song (trio is the name for a song where 3 people harmonise and have solo bits if you didn’t know, bc lol I didn’t) and was somewhat important to Maraich. I thought he was very good despite it being his first stage show and he had a lovely voice. He and Tsukasa made such a cute couple.

Taguchi Tsukasa. Warning, he is my favourite actor, and I am extremely biased. He was the best actor in the show, no question.

Joking, he didn’t have too much to do so obviously he didn’t shine more than Dai-chan, Yuuya or Shouta for example. He had two scenes with Maraich and while he didn’t do much in the stage overall it was clear how much of an impact his character, Tamanegi no.35, made on Maraich. He confessed to Maraich his love for his fellow Tamanegi, no.19, and spoke of their love and how special they were to each other which was never ridiculed or made fun of but was an exceedingly human moment and as a lgbt person it really touched me. He saw the love Maraich had for Bancoran and he and 19 did everything they could to help him. Without them, Bancoran and maybe Maraich as well, would most likely be dead as they picked Maraich up and brought him to Bancoran as well as getting Plasma X’s armour to protect him. Maraich, so far in the stages, hasn’t really had a friend. He always has just had Patalliro, shown by Patalliro being called in the 2nd stage to help them with their argument despite Maraich not liking Patalliro that much and this Tamanegi offered help to Maraich without judgement, just empathy, and I thought that was really special. I know, due to the nature of this being based on a gag manga and knowing Patalliro, that in the next stage they will likely not get another scene together but I can hope as their second scene with 19, 35 and Maraich might be my favourite scene in all of Patalliro content.

I know Tsukasa is a massive Patalliro fan, in a live he said he went to the previous show between 4-6 times and I have rarely seen him smile as much as he did in the finale of this show. It obviously meant so much to him to be in a show he loved and I’m incredibly happy for him.

Singing/songs.

There were 9/11 songs in this show. (9 if you don’t count Cock robin and Foggy London Airport which Ataru only sang a little of on stage but is an album exclusive)

These were:

1. Wow Patalliro

2. I can’t see your

3. Maybe we could meet again? – Mata Aeru Kashira

4. Foggy London Airport

5. Sexy dudes!

6. To leak out – Moreru

7. Kiss me Bancoran

8. Cock Robin

9. Don’t overlook me – Misugosenai

10. My special person - Tokubetsu na hito

11. Forever Patalliro ~ Grand Finale

1. Wow Patalliro

This opening song was such a bop and I don’t think I will ever get it out of my head. It was very different to the previous first songs, much higher tempo and energy which I think was interesting as this show felt slower than the previous two shows which I thought was interesting. Shouta, Damien’s actor, was having so much fun dancing around in the bg and it was adorable.

2. I can’t see your

God Ataru’s voice. Her voice was gorgeous in this song. This was my favourite of the 3/4 songs she sang and this is from a person who doesn’t usually like ballads. The contrast between the fast pace of the first song and the slow pace of the 2nd song was so well done. And it was such a good song to have the cast list play during as kinda a more formal opening as the first scene doesn’t do much except to show that Bancoran is acting strange and so isn’t super related to the rest of the stage.

3. Maybe we could meet again? – Mata Aeru Kashira

I love the club singer vibe of this song and Maraich was so cute with Ban clapping along in the back. It was a nice soft scene before all the angst and trauma in the rest of the scene and it was really nice to see them on a date together.

4. Foggy London Airport

Don’t have many thoughts as I didn’t really hear much of this song, about 2 lines, but I’m sure it’s amazing if Ataru is singing it.

5. Sexy dudes!

I love all the Tamanegi songs so much and I rly liked how different this one sounded, much like all the songs in this show, I like how the Tamanegi are built up in this song to seem so good then they having the dumbest dance ever, it was amazing and the final day with all of them stripping killed me. Of laughter bc of Daiki wearing a shirt that made it seem like he had abs and of other things bc of Tsukasa stripping. (I think Daiki might not have been comfortable showing his fully chest so I’m glad they allowed him to just wear a pretend ab shirt)

6. To leak out – Moreru

I never imagined a sex scene in Patalliro would be shown by a woman dressed like a bush singing a jazz song as screens showed the characters sex faces as they were on a spinning bed or doing poses but here we are. The song itself was very good and I think it worked weirdly well representing what happened.

7. Kiss me Bancoran

God all the songs in this stage were just so good. Another absolute banger. Yuuya’s voice as Bancoran is divine and the choreography and everything work so well for this song. I also think he looks super pretty in his past Ban outfit and love that the song was done in that.

8. Cock Robin

Pretty much as normal. Maraich’s little leg lift is so cute

9. Don’t overlook me – Misugosenai

This was not what I expected from a Maraich solo in any way shape or form. But it works so well?? Maraich screaming into the mic as Bancoran plays the guitar and the Tamanegi do back up dance is just phenomenal, Dai’s voice works for the song so well and him pretending to be Damien and Bancoran and impersonating their voices as they had sex was hilarious, omg. This song was the song we didn’t want but we needed so much. By far and away my fav song in the show. I have listened to it so many times already and I am never gonna get bored of it.

10. My special person - Tokubetsu na hito

A trio song between Maraich, 19 and 35 about what you do when with the person you love the most and what you would do for the one you love the most, with the other Tamanegi as back up singers. Despite looking a bit silly with Koki in his bdsm gear in the bg, the emotion was there, and the three actors are such good singers. /not at all biased. Honestly, I died when I heard Tsukasa start to sing. I didn’t expect him to get a solo bit in this show and I was so happy that he did.

11. Forever Patalliro ~ Grand Finale

I rly like the new ending song. It’s upbeat and fast like the first song and has a different feel to the previous cast. I’m kinda glad that the final bit with the circle head things that look like the headframes from the manga was the only song they kept. They’re showing that they are moving on from the previous cast without erasing what they did.

Overall, I think this show has my favourite soundtrack. In the past two shows and the film there were a couple songs I didn’t love but in this one I loved all the songs!

Directing

Like I said before I think there were a lot of good calls in the direction. They had I think two or three references to Stardust, I think this was to partly reassure fans that they weren’t completely resetting the world and that this was a continuation and from what I remember maybe four or five recurring things.

1. Patalliro at the start being asked who he is, this definitely makes sense tho and I’m super glad they didn’t change it

2. Maraich’s legs shaking when Ban looked at him with his beam. I kinda liked though how they even changed the beam for Yuuya. Tsune’s was a contant beam whereas Yuuya’s beam is more short bursts. (in terms out sound and the projection of the beam light)

3. Patalliro recreating the most tragic scene from the play again at the end. I was a little unsure about them keeping this at first as it felt like a joke of the old cast but it was mainly something Kato Ryo did and he is still here to continue his joke so it makes sense to keep it. Also, in the finale he gave Damien. Maraich and Bancoran characters from tv to impersonate while doing their lines which made the scene very funny.

4. The final bit after the finale song with the head frames but I think it would be weird to remove this song in retrospect bc it is the song that mainly relates back to the manga. Also, they did change what the head boarders look like.

5. And obviously the two mangaka that are referenced in all the stages are still there bc that is something that came from the original. (Micchan sensei and the shojo mangaka one)

Except for that stuff, from what I can remember, mostly everything was new jokes which I rly liked. That they’re making new stuff for the new cast.

That’s it!

I still have so many other thoughts but the best thing I can say at this point is pls watch the stage! It is just as faithful as it was with the original cast and the quality has not dipped at all.

Thank you for reading my rly rambly thoughts and I’m sorry it trailed off at the end, it is quite late now.

I hope it inspired you to look into getting a DVD or CD or supporting the stage in some other way.

Have a good day/week/month/year/life!

60 notes · View notes

lupinsx · 4 years

Text

Jealousy

masterlist

Request: Could you do a draco x reader wherein she’s a close friend in their slytherin group (since she’s in slytherin + pure blood) but then she starts talking and getting close to Cedric which makes Draco super jealous but the only reason why she’s close with Cedric now is because she needs advice from him in order to confess her feelings for draco

Pairing: Draco Malfoy x Slytherin!Reader

Summary: While Y/N seeks advice from Cedric on how to confess, Draco feels unnerved by their apparent budding romance.

Word Count: 4k

Warnings: A frustrating amount of and misunderstandings (plus a kiss at the end).

a/n — Whew, this was my longest one-shot so far, but also my favourite! I feel like I really outdid myself 😅 The request was so cute, I hope you all enjoy reading this!

tags: @obsessedwithrandomthings

*contact me if you'd like to be added to the tag list!

——————————

Draco Malfoy had always been the one to catch your attention.

Whether it be when you'd both find yourselves in the middle of the Slytherin common room, take a passing glance in the hallway, or even coexist in the Great Hall during mealtimes; he would always reside in the corner of your vision, maintaining permanent tenancy in your thoughts.

It was always the same case. No different after this particular Herbology lecture either.

"Merlin, who decided to make gardening mandatory?" spoke the irritated voice of Theodore Nott. The rest of the group groaned in agreement, the hatred of the class being especially mutual.

You were just dismissed from Herbology, the last class of the day, and was now walking alongside the rest of your Slytherin friends. The group consisted of a handful of fourth years—Pansy Parkinson, Theodore Nott, Blaise Zabini, Daphne Greengrass, you, and Draco Malfoy. The six of you became inseparable after mere introductions before the sorting; the friendship is still running strong today.

"Cut it some slack," you drawled with a playful grin. "Having a trivial class amidst our schedule does provide a decent release.”

Letting out a mocking chuckle, Pansy nodded. "That's true. Even an eight-year-old wouldn't find Herbology mentally strenuous. It's just playing with plants.”

"And that's why no right-minded student would willingly choose it if presented the choice," Blaise added with a scowl.

While the group continued to slam the class they were just in, you halted your words upon the sight of a familiar sixth year, head peeking out amongst the crowd of shorter kids. Jogging slightly ahead, you crashed into said student with a bone-crushing hug.

"Cedric!" you exclaimed with a relieving smile. He returned the hug with an arm lazily draped across your upper back, inciting a subtle response from a boy standing nearby.

Draco couldn't help but roll his eyes at the sight of Cedric Diggory. Lately, he seemed to be the only person you associate with outside of the group. Unfortunately, you being friendly with certain males was a recipe for a jealous Draco. And Cedric most definitely counted as one of those males.

"Hey kiddo," Cedric replied, ruffling your hair with his free hand before pulling away from the embrace. A faint gag-like noise can be heard from the group, though it ultimately went unnoticed by you.

Lowering your voice to a level audible only to Cedric, you hissed, "I need to talk to you."

"Of course," he mumbled in response before looking to the group of Slytherins with a sheepish grin. Before speaking, Cedric slung an arm over your shoulder.

"Hey, do you guys mind if I steal Y/N for a moment?"

With a harsh sneer, Draco crossed his arms and diverted his eyes from the pair. "She's all yours."

The hasty response enkindled a sense of dejection in your heart. He seemed far too eager to get rid of your presence, though you ignored the prospect of this purely being you overthinking.

"Alright then," you said with a slight stammer. Looking to Cedric before heading off, you added, "I'll see you guys later."

Upon the pair's departure, an ill-tempered expression found its way onto Draco's inscrutable countenance. He released his held arms and let out a loud scoff. It was then when the rest of the group took notice of his visible annoyance.

"What's getting you all cross?" Daphne joked as she landed a harsh pat onto Draco's back. "Is it a certain someone? Or certain people?"

A chorus of ooh's followed as Draco turned away in an attempt to conceal his increasingly red face. Clearing his throat, he adjusted his bag strap before addressing the group.

"I'm gonna rest at the dorm," he lied before abruptly taking off, his speed preventing any responses from being made. Rather than heading to the common room, he instead chose to wander around the hallways. Draco needed to clear his head alone, or else his mind would be consumed with the various what-if's appearing whenever you'd leave with Cedric.

Draco was never one to be jealous. He had always been too absorbed in himself to think quite highly of another. It was only until this year when you had become close with one of the esteemed Hogwarts champions that his self-image no longer feels as superlative.

After all, he had always felt prideful of how someone of your intelligence and grandeur paid attention to him. The mere fact that you choose to associate with Draco, even if it's amongst a group, filled him with joy. But when this widely praised Hufflepuff came into the picture, he couldn't help but feel jealous at the thought of someone else making you happy.

He wanted to be the one that makes you laugh. The person responsible for your gleeful expressions and carelessly wide grins.

But how could he when Cedric had now captured your gaze?

Little did Draco know, he couldn't be further from the truth. He had consumed your head to the point of needing a verbal release, and that's exactly why Cedric came into the picture.

"I wish you had seen the way he handled the Mandrake! His face in those earmuffs was too adorable," you cried from within your palms, face buried in it as you swung your legs back and forth.

You were currently in the library, perched on top of a table as you ranted to the boy seated in front of you. The topic at hand was the usual one, being Draco Malfoy and how utterly amazing he is to you.

“I can imagine,” Cedric replied in a sarcastic tone, chuckling at your love-struck nature.

You lightly slapped his arm. “Don’t make fun of me! You don’t know how hard it is to pay attention in class when he is sitting five feet away.”

“But are you ever gonna tell him that?”

“That won’t be necessary.” You were quick to reject his proposal. It wasn’t the first time Cedric suggested coming clean to Draco about your feelings for him, but it certainly won’t be the last you turn it down simply out of fear. Only if you deem a positive reaction at least 70% likely you will attempt a confession, but until then, you were content with concealing your true thoughts.

Unfortunately, your hasty response caught the attention of Madam Pince, who glared at you two disapprovingly. “Silence. The library is not a place for conversation.”

With a sheepish look, you both stood up to leave. “Sorry, Madam Pince.”

Exiting the library, you and Cedric simply ambled along the deserted corridor, conversing mindlessly about Draco’s soft hair and the Triwizard Tournament. Somewhere along, the Yule Ball was brought up, inciting a small blush on your cheeks.

“You’re gonna ask Draco, right?” Cedric asked with an enthusiastic tone, giving a playful nudge. You offered merely a tentative shrug in response.

“I really want to but... what if he doesn’t agree? What if someone else already asked and he said yes? Or what if he’s waiting for someone else to ask—”

Putting a finger to your lips to halt your words, he gave your shoulder an encouraging squeeze. “Don’t overthink it, he’d be an idiot to say no to you.”

His words proved to be only slightly comforting as you stammered, “But there are too many factors involved; I’m just not ready! How would I even ask him to the ball? How would I know what to say?”

“With practice, of course.”

Cedric grabbed your arms, repositioning your body to face him in the middle of the hallway. He then released your frame and clasped his hands. “There. Pretend I’m Draco. Now tell me how you feel and ask me to the Yule Ball.”

You glanced at him hesitantly for a moment but then eased up after he flashed you a wide grin. “Alright. So uh, hello Draco. I have something to say to you.”

Without you two knowing, the real Draco had just turned the corner, entering the hallway in which you two occupied. Upon seeing the tense atmosphere, he merely stood back, subtly hiding behind the wall in curiosity of what’s being said.

“Yes, Y/N?”

With one large intake of air, you spoke quickly before your mind could second-guess the words being said. “I like you. A lot.”

While Cedric smiled proudly at your confidence, Draco froze in his position. He had always suspected your feelings for the Hogwarts champion, but for you to boldly confess was beyond his predictions. He couldn’t ignore the pangs in his chest following his what-if’s being confirmed right in front of his eyes.

Cedric wanted you to feel assured with what you’re doing, so without any hesitancy, he played along. “I like you too, Y/N. A lot.”

Strangely enough, despite knowing this was a fake confession, you felt mildly relieved. Almost ready for the actual confession with Draco. With a small smile, you continued the practice. “On that note, I was wondering if you’d like to accompany me to the Yule Ball? I mean, it’s alright if you say no—”

Cedric grabbed your wrist, interrupting you with an encouraging grin. “It’s alright. Yes, I’ll go with you.”

You nearly leaped into his arms, hugging him tightly. “Thank you,” you mumbled under your breath, referring to his help in building up your courage. However, it wasn’t interpreted similarly with the boy spying nearby.

Draco’s breath was hitched in his throat as he watched the encounter. His heart only seemed to drop lower with every word, officially crashing upon sight of the intimacy at the end. Of course, he thought to himself in despondency. Of course, she picks him.

He clenched his fist, jealousy coursing through his veins. In an attempt to shield himself from further pain, he walked away, mind and legs set on getting out of the castle immediately.

Though amidst his internal agony, he forgot one small detail; you and Cedric stood merely a few feet away. Draco was quick to realize when he accidentally walked past you two conspicuously.

“Oh, Draco?”

The said boy paused in his steps, cringing at his own dull-witted mistake. Turning on his heel, he flashed a fake smile towards you two.

“Hey,” Draco drawled in an awkward tone, eyes moving anywhere but where you stood. While you appeared positively delighted by his presence, Cedric merely scrutinized his countenance.

“Where are you headed?” you asked, feigning nonchalance to mask your flustered state. However, Draco’s uninterested look and dull tone threw you off.

“Dorms,” he simply replied.

You frowned at his indifference, though tried to brush it off in an attempt to recall Cedric’s words. He had told you not to overthink things, so you weren’t planning on doing so. “Great! I was gonna go there too, wanna walk together?”

It was a bold move on your part. You almost never approached Draco outside of a group setting, so the gesture earned a surprised but pleased glance from your friend. Draco scowled at the sight of Cedric eyeing you, finding his anger rising to the surface once more.

“Actually, I’m gonna go to the bathroom.” And with that, Draco left in hasty steps. He needed to properly clear his head. The first attempt ultimately failed, aiding in his budding jealousy, but another try must be made in order for him to sleep that night without drowning in thoughts of inflicting pain on that Cedric Diggory.

As you watched your longtime crush curve your suggestion with a great deal of speed, you felt the small bit of courage gained crumble down inside you, leaving only a lump of misery residing where the hope had previously been.

“Y/N—” Cedric’s attempt at comforting you was cut short when you immediately turned away, trying to reach your room before you could burst into tears. While he watched your slouched figure make its way towards the Slytherin common room, he couldn’t help but dwell over a particular observation, inciting hope inside him for his dejected friend.

Was that jealousy I saw on Draco?

~~~

The next day, you found yourself indifferent towards the previous night's events. You chose to accept the supposed truth of Draco simply not being into you. Being friends with him was enough, you would tell yourself. As long as you get to see him every day, admiring in secret was enough.

“I wanna go to bed already,” you heard Pansy whine amongst the various other noises filling the Great Hall. Breakfast was nearly over, and the group was just finishing up their meals before getting ready for class.

“Doesn’t everyone?” you interjected with a small chuckle, scarfing down the rest of your toast.

As the six of you prepared to head out at the sound of the bell, a presence made itself known in front of you. They initially went unnoticed, until the absence of chatter and the clearing of a throat brought you back to reality.

Stood in front of the Slytherin Table was Cedric Diggory, his signature smile painted onto his face as he clutched his bag strap. His appearance in this area of the dining hall earned him some contemptuous glares from the Slytherins, though you disregarded their looks as you offered a brief side hug.

“Cedric? Don’t you have class?” you asked, curious at his sudden arrival. Ensuring a particular platinum-haired boy was watching, he wrapped an arm around your waist and brought you closer to him.

“Play along, I’m doing this for you,” he hastily whispered, leaning down to speak in your ear. He then pulled his face back before speaking in a tone audible for the group nearby. “Is it bad that I wanted to see you once more? Let me walk you to class.”

You both internally cringed at his loving tone, but a stronger reaction was visible with Draco instead. He was quick to step forward and interrupt the moment.

“Actually, I was going to take her.”

While your eyes widened in surprise, Cedric merely smirked and took a step back. “Well then, I wouldn’t want to steal her away,” he said before heading to the Hufflepuff table, pride laced through his steps. It was at that moment when you understood why he initiated the contact.

That sly bastard.

Before any of Slytherins could follow along, before you could pipe up with an objection, and before Draco can begin questioning where in the hell the sudden confidence came from, he grabbed your wrist and took off. It was an amusing attempt at a romantic stroll, really.

Still, you found yourself blushing like a young schoolgirl. Even if he was practically dragging you down the hall, your rose-coloured lens saw the beauty in such intimacy. If your brain wasn't preoccupied with the reason behind it, you might have been more of a nervous wreck.

For starters, why had he even suggested this? How had Cedric's half-assed attempt at invoking jealousy miraculously work?

You ultimately decided to put aside the questioning thoughts for a moment and savour the physical contact. Draco was beginning to slow his pace to a calming saunter, presumably noticing the speed and manner in which he walked you with. With a subtle gesture, he dropped the hand enclosing your wrist to meet your palm instead, staring off nonchalantly as he did so.

It seemed at that moment, a swarm of bees erupted from the deepest corners of your heart.

Draco felt a similar sensation, being a thousand fireworks going off at once inside of him. Such an insignificant gesture, merely shifting his hand an inch lower to meet yours, yet it meant the world to you both. Embarrassingly enough, neither could remain eye contact throughout the remainder of the stroll.

When the Transfiguration class came into view and Draco stopped in his track, you felt your reverie shatter in an abrupt motion. He glanced towards you, tentatively releasing your grip.

Upon the lack of touch, you found yourself regaining consciousness, consequentially resuming your overthinking. Rather than waiting for him to speak, you chose to assume his negative response and leave to preserve your emotions early.

Thus, without offering another glance, you entered the classroom and strode towards your desk.

Leaving a certain platinum-haired boy behind, wondering what he did wrong to cause such repulsion.

"Settle down, class," spoke the authoritative voice of Professor McGonagall.

Throughout the lesson, you had your mind running in various different directions. Part of you wished to continue swooning over Draco and how he held your hand, while the other part dwelled over his hesitancy at the end, likely meaning he regretted what he had done. It made sense to you that he would.

Meanwhile, Draco felt bad about how quickly you left once he released your hand. Maybe she just wanted Cedric to walk her, he thought to himself sadly. Maybe I was just interfering.

Oh, how thoroughly incorrect they both were.

By the end of class, you wanted to approach the matter one last time and ask Draco whether he truly felt regret rather than bawl over mere possibilities.

As the rest of the class filed out, leaving only you and Draco remaining, you slowly walked up to him. He had his face pointed down as he shoved the books into his bag messily. By the time you had reached close enough to begin speaking, he simply slung his bag over his shoulder and left the classroom with hardly any time to spare.

He just walked off, very much aware of your presence.

And somewhere in Draco's twisted little mind, he thought he was doing the right thing. By evading confrontation, he wouldn't have to hear you openly reject him, and you could be happy with Cedric.

He wouldn't be interfering that way. It was for the best.

Though you both tried to empathize with the situation, neither managed to avoid the tears by the end of the day.

~~~

The last three days had been excruciating for you, mentally and emotionally. You wanted to brush past the incident as you did the day before, but it somehow hurt more this time. You felt mildly confident after the stroll and hand-holding gesture, but him proceeding to ignore you shortly afterwards shattered all remaining bits of hope.

You wanted to get over it. You wanted to get over him. But you didn’t know how.

It was currently late in the evening, and the Slytherin common room appeared to be deserted. You intended to take a minor detour from the dorms, instead seeking your friend in order to clear your head. Swiftly, you made your way down the stairs, checking for any wandering students.

After you deemed it safe to exit, you approached the portrait hole with furtive steps. Though very quickly, you found your inspection to be flawed.

“Y/N?”

“Damn it,” you muttered under your breath before glancing up slowly. Your face held a sheepish sort of surprise at the presence of another in the common room.

Once the figure came into view, you were startled by the sight of Draco Malfoy, eye-bags prominent amidst his sickly pale face. You hadn’t seen him often since that lesson. He would rarely attend mealtimes, or appear for five minutes whenever he would. The majority of shared classes he had ditched, miraculously coming down with a cold before each one. The entire group was beginning to feel quite worried—you included.

“Where are you going?” he asked, his voice small and timid. It no longer held the same imposing and prideful aura you had always admired.

Clearing your throat, you looked to your feet as you spoke. “To see Cedric.”

That line seemed to hit a nerve within Draco, because the moment the name left your lips, his face twisted into a scowl. Upon tilting your head back up, you were met with his ill-tempered expression.

“Draco? What’s the matter?” you stammered. Ignoring your question, he ran his fingers through his hair and tugged on them with frustration. Draco then looked to you with desperation pouring through his silver-tinted eyes.

“What does he have that I don’t?”

You merely stared at him in response, blinking with confusion. As he glanced at you expectantly, you found it hard to produce the words in your throat.

“Well? What is it?” he pressed further, taking a step in your direction before continuing.

“Is it the fact that he’s the esteemed Hogwarts champion? His popularity? His looks? What made you fall for him,” Draco paused for a moment, lowering his voice to a shaky whisper, “and not me?”

You never caught that last part, so instead, you waved your hands to shut down the assumptions. “Me and Cedric, we are just friends—”

“Oh, bullshit.”

“Bullshit? How can you be so sure?”

“Because I saw you confess,” he snapped. The area went quiet for a moment, Draco attempting to calm himself back down, while you were left stunned. “And I saw you ask him to the Yule Ball. Friends don’t do that.”

After rummaging your mind for any instance he might be referring to, you suddenly recalled the practice confession a couple of days ago. It didn’t take long for you to connect the dots and realize Draco appeared in front of you right after the profession was over.

“Draco, you have the wrong idea. What you heard back there— I wasn’t confessing to him.” Draco held a look of disbelief, which was understandable given what a wild claim it was. It did look exactly what Draco was thinking. You knew the only way to convince him was to divulge what really went down.

“Then what was it?” he prompted with a dry chuckle.

“He was helping me practice what to say to you!”

“Say to me? What do you mean—” Draco paused, his eyes widening upon realizing your words. You took the silence as a gesture to continue.

“Draco, I like you. A lot.”

And once again, the room went quiet. His lips parted, words stuck in the back of his throat. The cherry shade washed over his cheeks went unseen under the dim lighting. You simply stood in front of him, rocking on your heel as you await a reply.

After what felt like an hour of pure silence, you decided to follow through with what was planned days before. With Cedric’s encouragement in mind, you took a deep breath. “And I was wondering if you’d like to go to the Yule Ball with me?”

Draco’s eyes became impossibly wider, and without uttering a single word, he nodded ever so slightly. The shock was still evident on his face as he did so.

“Actually? You will?” you asked, jubilation apparent in your tone. Until your expression faltered, and you began doubting yourself and his agreement. “Wait, do you truly want to go? You know, you don’t have to agree out of pity—”

Before you could continue rambling on, the soundless boy halted your words with a swift motion, connecting your lips with his.

The abrupt kiss had rendered you frozen, eyes squeezed shut in complete surprise. It was only when you felt his cold fingers brush over the exposed skin on your waist that your nerves sprang back to life, and you began kissing back with equal fervour.

You felt the urgency in the way Draco had kissed you. The desperation, as if the moment he’s let go, you would be with Cedric and he would be crying alone in the common room. He wanted to savour this before it would all come crumbling down, because he genuinely believed that it all would at the end.

Until you pulled away, and expecting the worse, he was met with an airy chuckle erupting from the base of your throat. It was quite possibly the most delightful sound he had ever heard.

“You’d really go with me?” you said under your breath, a wide grin still painted on your face as Draco kept his grip around your waist.

Planting a small peck on your forehead, he reassured, “Of course I will. What more would I ever want?”

The rest of the evening was spent within each other’s grasp, feelings of security and comfort prevalent throughout the tranquil night. Worries from the days before had slipped your minds; all that remained was thoughts of one another.

And nothing else can get in the way.

——————————

a/n — And there you have it! Thanks for reading 💞 Please like, comment, and reblog to show support! Feel free to send requests or feedback in my asks.

#harry potter fanfiction #my prompts #writing #draco malfoy #draco malfoy imagines #draco fanfiction #draco malfoy one shot #draco malfoy x reader #draco one shot #draco imagines #draco malfoy fanfiction #draco x reader imagines #draco x reader #my imagines

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neokids · 4 years

Text

Fortune's Fool: Act II

Introduction

Cast

Act I

Act III

Act IV

Act II

Tw: Lots of blood, character death, violence, guns, knives, weapons, self-inflicted wounds, suicide, overall graphic content

There was actually no point in hiding,

If anything, Jeno should be the one walking away. Yeji was safe walking on the grounds the Vipers ruled over, Jeno was not. All eyes were on him as he stood in the middle of the Poculum, which was Viper territory. Everyone was ready to whip out their guns to shoot the heir of the Neos. No one cared about his status or high rank, he was in Viper territory and he was a Neo, he was at the bottom of the food chain. Anyone, Viper or Neo, could easily recognize him. His tall and muscular figure with his jet black hair and his dark eyes, no doubt it was him.

Jeno had lost sight of Yeji or where she was. Everyone in the bar had stilled as Jeno made his way across the club. Business men stopped their conversations, girls stopped flirting with the merchants, the merchants stopped drinking just as Jeno passed their tables in hopes of finding Yeji.

Meanwhile, Yeji had to stop and lean against the wall in order to maintain her composure. She stole a quick glance to see that Jeno was as clueless as a lost puppy. In that moment, she had wished for one of the gangsters to shoot him right then and there. It wasn’t bizarre for a random gunfight to begin at the club, in fact it would be more bizarre if a night or day had passed without a random person dying in this club, it was just how things went in Viper territory.

Yeji started to walk closer to him, forcing a lump in her throat to stay down. Fighting every instinct in her body to kill him right there and then. Damn these new shoes.

Just as she was close enough, she reached out to touch the sleeve of his leather jacket. “Hey there big guy.”

Jeno turned around to the all too familiar sight in front of him, a young woman dressed in Viper colors. The scene felt way too familiar for him. His lips parted to say something, but nothing came out. Yeji arched her eyebrow higher, a sign for him to continue what he was supposed to say, yet nothing came out from his lips again.

The thought of him, standing in the middle of the club, in Viper territory, surrounded by Viper associates, in front of the Viper heiress, suddenly registered to him, and it was as if a bucket of cold ice had been dunked to his head.

“Yeji,” Jeno said way too easily. A name in which he had not spoken for so long suddenly rolled out of his tongue as if he said it everyday. A name that if called by any other name would smell as sweet. A name only unique to her.

Jeno cleared his throat. Based on Yeji’s look on her face, they were no longer on first name basis. “Ms. Hwang, how long have you been here in Seoul?”

Bold of you to assume I ever left, she thought to herself.

That was partially true. Although 4 years back she had moved to California, her mind still wandered here. Seoul was her city, her life, her kingdom. Seoul was all she grew up knowing and serving. She has been preparing all her life to finally rule this city, she could never leave it for some other town. She was ready to die and sacrifice her life if it meant that the people of Seoul would stay safe. She couldn’t bear any moment away from this city.

And it was all your fault

“Not for long but do forgive me for asking Mr. Lee, what are you doing here?”

Jeno was the reason Yeji had to leave Seoul, for Yeji’s safety and to ensure that nothing would happen to the heiress of the Vipers. Now that he was in her territory, the audacity to show his face to her after what he had done, nothing would have felt better than sticking a knife straight to his heart.

“I need to speak to Lord Hwang,” Jeno said as if asking to speak to a longtime friend, “It is urgent.”

Yeji stepped closer, her dress wrinkling at the side since she was gripping it too hard. She looked at him from head to toe, judging the way he entered her territory as if it were his, as id they were still friends. She took a deep breath and looked at him in the eyes once more.

“I see how urgent it is if you have come all the way here.” Yeji said while arching her brow. “But that urgency has to wait for Lord Hwang is handling international affairs as we speak.”

Jeno looked at her, puzzled. That was not the answer he was hoping to get. “Speak to me instead and I’ll try to pass the message. Speak, Lee.” The way she had said his name was as if it was the nastiest curse in the Korean language. To her, it felt foreign, speaking his name after so long.

“You don’t have to worry about anything spreading, Lee. You can trust me, right?”

Her vexing tone was one thing, but her icy and cold stare was another. They were the last people the other would trust, and it should remain that way. It should always be that way.

But whatever Jeno needed, it was serious. He didn’t argue.

“Can I talk to you?” he said in a much more quiet voice. Yeji let out a puff of air and turned on her heel. She didn;t even bother to wait and see if Jeno was following her. He was. Jeno made sure to keep his distance from her. It’s not everyday you encounter someone who has been waiting 4 years to kill you, it’s better to take caution.

Yeji stopped right near the dressing room of the performers. The place was more secluded and less chaotic, if anyone were to die right now, no one would even notice. Yeji turned around to see Jeno right in front of her. She crossed her arms and started tapping her foot.

“Well, get to it then.” She sounded rather impatient, she didn’t even bother to hide it in her tone.

Jeno scanned the place, looking if anyone was listening to them or if anyone followed him. He lowered his voice to an almost inaudible sound, Yeji struggled to hear him and struggled she did. There was no way she would come any closer to him.

“Last night, at the dock near Han river, 6 Neos had died.” He said carefully.

Yeji looked at him as if he said the most stupid thing she had heard.

“And?” Yeji was getting impatient. She coudln’t believe Jeno really came all this way just to tell her that his men died. And?

I hope you were one of them

“And,” He added rather defensively, “Two policemen and two of yours.”

Strange, Yeji thought to herself. Surely if a Viper death had occured she would have heard from her cousin who claims he knew everything and everyone. She tried to recall a mention of any death yesterday, but her mind was blank. It was a little weird to find a crime scene that involves both sides to end up dead. One side should’ve walked away bragging, not ending up dead. Still a matter like this was very unintersting for Yeji, Jeno could sense her walking away at any moment.

“Do you know anything about it?” Jeno asked, hoping to get some sort of answer.

“Are you serious?” Jeno was taken aback.

“What?” He asked, not sure why Yeji was reacting this way. A few years back even if a dog died that was owned by a Viper would cause Yeji to cry for days, and now she was standing here as if Jeno was telling her the most nonsense story she had heard.

“I said, are you serious?” She repeated, this time sounding rather more annoyed than she was when they first started talking.

“I need an explanation, does your father know anything about this?” He said as he stepped forward towards her, she took a step back.

“I already told you, my parents are abroad right now handling business affairs. Also why do you care so much about what happened last night? It’s not like you don’t see crime scenes on a daily basis.” Yeji said leaning against the wall while rolling her eyes.

“The cause of death was all self-inflicted.”

What? Yeji looked at him to see if he was messing with her. To her dismay, Jeno’s expression was rather solem and mournful.

“No gunfight nor violence was initiated by any side. They all had self-inflicted claw marks at their throats.” He added.

Yeji looked away with a scoff. 10 people, with claw marks on their throats, lay dead on the port near Han river? Yeji swore that was a plot of some old shitty Hollywood movie, and he expects her to believe and find him an explanation? Well I’ll be damned.

“We can not help you.” Yeji said firmly.

“If you know anything Ms. Hwang, I’m sure it would help to know what had happened that caused them to die like that.” Jeno persisted. It was obvious that he was getting irritated with her already, they were getting on the same level.

“Two of your people had died and–”

“We will not help nor cooperate with the Neos.” Yeji cut in, her face rather showing a much more hostile rather than an annoyed expression. “I will say this once and I won’t repeat myself again so you better listen. Even if my father knew something, I would still not tell you even if you begged. I do not care if any information my side knows can help and solve whatever you are stressing about. You and I both know the last time we had told each other information from our sides that it did not end up pretty. So if you have no more matters to discuss, I’m afraid I need to end this conversation. A pleasant day to you sir.”

Obviously, Yeji wanted him to leave and never come back, yet he remained where he stood. Yeji couldn’t stand any other moment with him so she decided to leave. Just as she was making her way towards the exit, she heard Jeno whispered rather sadly, “What happened to you?’

What happened to me?

Yeji could have said anything right now. She could have said the same words she had been preparing herself to say for the past 4 years when they finally meet again, she could have said anything that she felt or anything she could have thought of in the moment. She could have reminded him what he had done to her before she had left for America, putting the blame all on him. She could have said so many things right now, but she said nothing.

Just before she was out of his sight, a deafening scream echoed all through out the club. A scream so loud, it was heard above all noise, making everyone and everything in the club freeze.

“What the hell is happening?!” Yeji started to move to the center of the chaos, but right as she was about to weave her way towards the crowd, a hand had grabbed her arm, making her stop with a burning feeling where his hands were. Things may have changed over the past years, but his touch still set a burning sensation to her.

“Don’t,” He warned Yeji. His tone was on the calmer side, as if implying that he wouldn’t care if Yeji listened or not, but his eyes told a different story. Filled with pleading and caution. If you please just listen to me this once.

Yeji has never jerked her arm from someone so fast, it was as if she indeed got burned. She was on fire, no doubt her eyes didn’t fail to show what she felt when she looked at Jeno. He lost the right to care or even protect her.

She tried her best to weave through the crowd currently going into panic, trying her best to ignore Jeno’s persistent presence trying to stop her. Just as she was close enough, she saw a man currently rolling on the floor, going insane.

He started clawing at his own neck.

“What is he doing?!” Yeji exclaimed as she took a better look, “Well what are you all doing?! Somebody do something!”

But the man was already too far gone. He had clawed enough for some muscle to be exposed, blood already starting to seep to the floor. The man kept scratching and scratching as if there was something there that only he could see and feel, his nails dug deeper and deeper. People watched the man’s ragged breaths slowly decrease, until nothing could be heard at all. It was deafening.

People halt in their tracks, not muttering a single word. Everyone far too scared to even make a single move, they could only stare at the violent sight in front of them.

A sight of a man who had gone insane, causing him to collapse and violently scratch his neck, until the soft muscle was scattered all over the floor.

Then what once was a scene so quiet, quickly turned into a scene of chaos.

People started panicking and screaming, getting as far away from the man. They started to push themselves, causing the others to trip and lay next to the man. Soon enough, mass hysteria had began.

“Mr. Lee you need to leave right now.” Yeji said, facing Jeno who was right behind her when the scene unfolded. Yeji had waved for two Viper men to come and clean up the mess, they didn’t verbally complain, but their face said all. Yeji almost fired them on the spot, how dare they for complaining to do their jobs, until she had caught a glimpse of Jeno frozen like a Greek statue, not leaving.

“You have got to be kidding me.” She rolled her eyes, her attention turned towards the two Viper men mopping the floor, “Please show Mr. Lee the way towards the exit? Please?”

The two men looked at each other, then looked at the Neo heir. Their faces had contorted into a weird, almost psychotic way. It was the moment they have finally been waiting for. They immediately shoved Jeno roughly infront of them, causing Jeno to lose his balance and almost lay next to the dead man.

“I said show, didn’t I?” Yeji said, causing the two men to look completely confused.

“But madam, he is trespassing and he is not welcomed–”

“Why can’t you understand?” Jeno cut in abruptly, nodding towards the dead man and back towards Yeji. He looked at her and only her in the eye. Pretending that no one else was present in the room, not even the two men behind them, not even the dead man on the floor. At that moment, it was only as if Jeno and Yeji were there. “This is what exactly happened to the Neos and the Vipers last night!” He pleaded just for her to try and listen to him.

But with a swift move of her wrist, Jeno was quickly dismissed. The two men shoving him towards the exit. Jeno couldn’t afford to fight back. Considering how lucky he already was for leaving the Poculum with no blood dripping from his body. Yeji knew he couldn’t fight back, he wouldn’t. He wouldn’t dare.

Just as he was gone from her sight, only then did Yeji take in the scene in front of her. Turns out, the man wasn’t dead afterall. He was muttering something. She knelt forward to listen to his words, but a feeling of nostalgia came upon her.

This was exactly what the picture was like 4 years back. Her kneeling to a pool of blood already staining her dress, beside a dead–well in this case, dying person. She glared at the place where Jeno last stood, as if he was still there. She then glared towards the door in where he had been escorted out.

She knelt closer to the man in hopes of finding out what he was saying, “Oh dear heavens above, what in Lucifer’s–” Mr. Liu apparently never left and here he is peering over Yeji’s shoulder, too scared to come closer.

“Shut up.” Yeji said in attempts of figuring out the man’s last words. She had focused so hard that her background was starting to blurr, the hysteria fading slowly, until nothing but the man’s words were heard.

“Goemul, goemul, goemul, goemul”

Goemul? A monster?

“What monster? What monster are you talking about?” Yeji tried to tap the man in order for him to regain his consciousness, but with one last look at her, his eyes fell dull.

Now this time, he truly was dead.

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daily-dose-of-imagines · 4 years

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ᴀɴ ᴜɴʟɪᴋᴇʟʏ ᴘᴀʀᴛɴᴇʀ | ᴍᴏᴅᴇʀɴ ᴄʀɪᴍᴇ!ᴀᴜ 𝘋𝘳. 𝘚𝘛𝘖𝘕𝘌 | [ꜰᴏʀᴇɴꜱɪᴄꜱ ꜱᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟɪꜱᴛ!ꜱᴇɴᴋᴜ x ᴅᴇᴛᴇᴄᴛɪᴠᴇ!ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ] ᴅʀᴀʙʙʟᴇ

Here’s a one-shot for my best leek boy~! As you can most likely tell-- I absolutely adore any sort of show that deals with the realistic and understanding of human decomposition and how the forensics teams work~ So I decided to do a little twist with a modern AU~! I hope you guys enjoy this as much as I did writing it ;; and as always, thank you all for your love and support for our blog~!

» » Admin Ko

An aggravated sigh filled the empty void of white. The figure that stood near the stacks of unfinished paper work couldn’t help but run a hand through his silver and green hair as he lazily flipped through the stacks of paper awaiting to be filled in with his chicken scratch.

Despite having chosen this career, he couldn’t deny the blatant hatred he had for filing out the mountains of paper work that was undoubtedly tied to it. Ishigami Senku, a renowned forensics specialist at such a young age, had to admit that despite how much he wanted to avoid and honestly burn the hoard of paper, that it was most definitely vital in his line of work.

After all, no matter how much he enjoyed being able to complete experiments on the human body and testing new theories, he had to at least make up for the sheer horror and grotesque methods he choose to come exhibit during his trials.

“Tch...I wonder if I can pawn this off to Chrome... hehe perhaps with the right convictions I’ll get him to do it all for me~.”

A devious grin graced the young specialist as he began to shift the paperwork from his desk to his apprentice’s desk. A soft melodic tune escaping his pursed lips as he casually whistled the troubles away as he admired his handiwork.

“Hello? Is Ishigami in?”

The new voice that filled the cramped and bright space had the male in question quirk an eyebrow up as he slowly cocked his head. Scarlet hues quickly began to dissect and analyze the new body as the person in question merely stared back at him with a curious gaze of her own.

“...mmmm....garbs are too tattered and clearly worn in....dark circles around the eyes....lack of physical appeal to the opposite gender...a detective?”

“Hey! I heard that! What the hell do you mean by lack of physical appearance?!”

Immediately, irritation flitted through her veins at the blunt and uncaring tone that left the male’s voice. Despite having been warned about his careless and aloof personality, she hadn’t exactly expected to be ‘insulted’ within the first couple of minutes with meeting the estranged specialist.

“What brings you here detective? As you can see I’m quite...busy, so I’d rather you cut to the chase rather than try to argue with me.”

Again, a mere shrug off his shoulders as he lazily began to pick at his ear. The lack of care and desire to even properly greet her grated against her nerves as she fought the urge to walk over and rip the multicolored leek colored locks out of his annoying head.

“I-- god I’m not even going to bother. I’m here to introduce myself to you. Believe it or not Ishigami, but we’re going to be much more...acquainted.”

“Oh? I’m intrigued. Explain to me what you mean pea-brain.”

“P-Pea-brain--”

Another aggravated inhale.

“T-To put it simply ‘you short leek’ I’ll be visiting your office frequently. The cases I’ve been assigned will have me practically in and out of your office constantly, and I would appreciate your expertise and help in completing and solving these cases.”

“Ah, you’re insinuating the sudden uproar of with the murders popping up throughout the city. Haven’t gotten any leads, have you detective?”

“N-No-- as I said I just received the case---”

“Well no point in trying to solve them if you’re trying to make friends with me. Tell you what pea-brain, if you’re able to come up with some interesting new evidence that even the veteran detectives can’t find, I’ll consider partnering up with you.”

A twitch to her right eye. One that she could feel and was almost certain that it was noticeable as the cocky grin that graced the other’s lips beamed straight at her. The first thought that came to her mind was: insufferable. How had she been given such a ‘privilege’ to work with such an experienced forensics specialist? Even she didn’t know. At this point, she wished she could take back the enthusiasm she showed for the case.

“Well? What’ll it be pea-brain?”

Again, she reviewed his words in her head. The choices that were lain before her only had a headache slowly work it’s way up as she felt the sudden strong desire to have a drink after her shift ended for the day.

“...Fine. I’ll take on your stupid challenge.”

“Excellent~. Do make sure it’s something worth my time Detective~.”

With a wave of his fingers being the last thing she saw, she immediately rushed out of the office back to the hallway before letting out an aggravated yell. Completely unaware of the mirthful scarlet eyes that kept watch on her retreating back as he made his way over to his desk.

“Hmmm...let’s see just who you are detective.”

»»————-　★　————-««

A week had passed. The information she gained only seemed to multiply in her face as she sat her desk. The stacks of paper work and empty coffee cups that littered her car and desk seemed to be all too telling to her associates as to how hard she was working on the case.

Taking a deep breath and leaning back into her chair, she couldn’t help but stare up at the ceiling as she allowed her eyes the much needed break from staring at the black and white texts along with the grotesque mutilated bodies that were photographed at each crime scene.

A light chuckle escaped her lips as she reminisced on her first visit to one of the many crime scenes when she was first assigned to the case and found how terrifying it was that she now was practically immune to the sights and smells now. Of course, the motive and reasoning behind each murder had her stomach swirl with disgust and unprecedented rage, but even then she couldn’t do much besides look.

“What exactly are the motives...why are there so many?”

Closing her eyes, she allowed her mind to briefly rest. A brief run through of all the images of the bodies and words mindlessly ran through as she soaked up the information she had tried to observe when she had first started for the day.

Though as she thought back to the photos, she couldn’t help but furrow her brows at the strange pattern that continued to show up. Quickly sitting up, she rummaged through the photos and theories that the rest of the detectives on the case had come up with.

It was without a doubt something sinister. Tragic even, and many had considered it to be a large organization. A cult even.

“But...even for a cult...a lot of these are premeditated, yet hold such strange religious symbolism...what exactly--- maybe?”

Jumping out of her seat, she found herself rushing towards the forensics lab. The weariness that once plagued her body now gone as she felt a surge of adrenaline run through her body at the sudden information that ran through her mind.

Finding the familiar and dreaded door, she pushed her way in. The sight before her practically comical as she almost forgot what was on her mind. Ishigami sat atop what seemed to be his assistant. Two cotton swabs placed against the male’s nostrils as screams of pain escaped from the brown haired male.

“Wake up and smell the ammonia. We have paperwork Chrome~.”

Though as dark burgundy eyes finally met her own adrenaline filled (e/c) ones, he couldn’t help but slowly pick himself up as the man named Chrome pulled the cotton swabs out of his nose before kneading at the abused airways.

“Oh? Looks like the pea-brain stopped by. What did you find out---”

“What if this is all an elaborate plan?”

“...Okay, explain?”

“The cult-like activity. The multiple killings. Sacrifical pawns. The strange messages? What if...it’s a preparation for something big? A doomsday sort of attack?”

“A demand for a rebirth for the country then. That’s what you’re saying? Even so, why is that a theory?”

“The positioning and contents of the bodies. I know you did the autopsies, you saw what the bodies were filled with Ishigami.”

“Tch...you’ve got some brain cells that’s for sure pea-brain. You’re correct, each body was filled with something that coincided with the corrupt society we live in. Even then--”

“What if...the people involved aren’t cultists, but people in the higher ups with position of power?”

The silence that filled the room had her heart quicken in pace as she watched dark scarlet eyes shift to the files that laid messily across his desk. A low chuckle escaping the male as he slowly returned his gaze to her.

“Well that means we’re going to have to look into this a little more then. Won’t we, partner?”

#Dr. Stone x reader #dr. stone #dr. stone imagines #ishigami senku x reader #ishigami senku #senku x reader #modern au #modern crime au

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jmnjmnjmn · 4 years

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Reunion | BTS V fluffy oneshot

Pairing: Student!Taehyung x Student!Reader

Key words: high school, crush, confession.

Word count: less than 4,000

Masterlist

The day we met I didn’t pay much attention to you. I remember noticing how shiny your hair was when I glanced your way as the head teacher called your name in attendance and you answered her with a timid “here”. That was it until a couple of months later when that same teacher ordered a switch in seats for the entire class. I used to sit somewhat in the front of the class, by the window, with my friend Jimin and you… I don’t remember where you sat before you sat with me.

After the rearrangement you and I were seated at the beck of the class in the middle row of desks. You were on the right side, closer to the door, and I was on the left, closer to the windows. At first I felt as if an injustice had been done to me and my friends. I wondered why couldn’t we just stay seated the way we had chosen ourselves on the first day of high school and why I had to sit with you - a quiet girl I didn’t even know. To my surprise I quickly found out you were nowhere close to who I thought you were. You were far more than that, more complex, more important to me than anyone.

We got switched at the end of a Friday and when I came to school on the following Monday I felt everything, but excited at the prospect of sitting with you. During our first class you didn’t pay much attention to me and vice versa. The reason behind that wasn’t yours or mine rudeness, but the fact that we were both struggling to keep our eyes open, cursing in our heads at whoever thought that it was a good idea to start classes so early.

Our second class on that day was Mathematics. I was never especially good at it, but I passed by fine. You on the other hand…

“Taehyung.” I heard you whisper right as I sat down at our desk.

“What?” I asked looking for the proper notebook in my backpack.

“Did you do the homework?” You asked in a conspiratorial tone.

“Yes. Why?” I answered you and set my backpack down on the floor.

“Could I-” Your question was cut short as the teacher spoke up from his desk.

“Alright, let’s start with a homework check.” I saw the horror in your face as you heard his say that and immediately knew you didn’t do the assignment. “Let’s switch it up and start from the back this time. Last table, (Y/N) and Taehyung. (Y/N), could you tell me what you got in the first exercise?” You looked down at your closed notebook, knowing there was nothing inside that could help you out in this situation. I felt so bad for you and decided to help. I quickly opened my notebook on the exercise the teacher was asking about and tapped my finger on the answer at the bottom of the page.

“Uh…” You stalled and glanced quickly at my notes. “Yes. I got 3√2.” The teacher agreed with your - my - result and proceeded to ask other students for theirs. You looked at me with relief and mouthed a silent thank you. “I’m shit at math. No matter how long I spend studying I always fail the tests and get the wrong results.” You whined to me after the bell rang meaning the lesson was over with.

“I thought you were good at everything. Most girls are.” I said getting up and you chuckled. As I looked down at you collecting your notebook and putting them in your bag I remembered that I liked the shininess of your hair on the first day of school and thought that it’s still shiny and I still like it.

“What is that even supposed to mean?” You asked, pulling your phone out of your school blazers pocket and also getting out of your chair. Your phone's screen lit up for a second and I noticed you had an instax picture of you and your friends as your lock screen.

“Girls are always at least average at everything.” I said looking at your hands that held the phone. It had a little teddy bear keychain attached to it, I thought it was cute. “It’s usually the guys that totally suck at a subject.” I explained and you laughed. I quickly looked up at your face and took notice of how pretty you looked while smiling.

“If you say so.” You said and walked out onto the corridor to spend the break with your friends.

“God.” I heard Jimin groan behind my back and felt his hands on my shoulders just a second after. “Switch desks with me. Please. I can’t stand this guy I’m sitting with.” He begged as we exited the classroom.

“Why what’s wrong with him?” I asked.

“If I tell you you won’t switch with me.” Jimin said in a serious voice which made me laugh a little.

“No deal then.” I said and he whined. “The teacher forbade us from switching anyway.” I added.

“I know, but I sit at a desk right next to yours. She won’t notice. Please, Taehyung. At least for today.” He begged in desperation.

“What did your desk buddy do to you?” I asked laughing at his state.

“Will you switch with me? Please, I’ll buy you anything from the vending machine.” My ears perked up at his proposition.

“Everyday?” I asked with hope.

“Once a week?” Jimin proposed.

“Deal.” We shook hands and went on with our day.

For the rest of that day I sat at a desk by the window on the outer side with the guy Jimin couldn’t stand. He wasn’t much of a bother to me. What did end up bothering me quiet quickly though was that Jimin and you seemed to get along really well. You chatted throughout all the classes and got reprimanded by the teachers a handful of times because of it. You showed each other things on your phones, compared notes, shared textbooks and so on. For some reason seeing that made me feel really bad inside. At first I thought I was jealous about Jimin being friends with someone other than me, but that idea didn’t seem to fit all the feelings I was experiencing. I realised later that it was all because of you.

“Let’s go.” I said, urging Jimin to get up from your guys’s desk. I felt so irritated and blamed it on the amount of classes we had that day, but the real reason was far from that. In reality I just wanted the two of you to stop talking and being so friendly already.

“One second.” He dismissed me to finish what he was telling you before I came by which made me feel even more annoyed. “I really liked that bit.” He told you with enthusiasm. “You want to go to the skatepark with us?” He asked you and I felt my cheeks getting flushed. I turned to look out the window so none of you noticed the redness in my face.

“I wish I could.” I glanced at the two of you again. “I already have plans with my friends.” You said, making a sad face which Jimin immediately mimicked.

“Mm.” He fake cried and you chuckled. “Tomorrow then.” He said and you nodded in agreement. Jimin picked up his backpack and looked at me with a puzzled expression. “You okay?” He asked and you glanced at me quickly as you walked out of the classroom.

“I’m fine.” I murmured and rubbed my cheeks to make the blushing go away.

I recently realised that I’ve known you almost eight years now. Ever since our first conversation in Math class I knew there was something about you that I just couldn’t lay my finger on or, more likely, wouldn’t for a long time.

Three years of high school and five of university after that. It passed by so quickly and now… We’re here again. Standing in front of our old high school building, leaning on the railing around the basketball court you used to sit on with Jimin while cheering for me during my games.

Jimin… If it wasn’t for him I probably would never befriend you. The two of you got along so well so quickly it made my stomach turn. He was the one that started inviting you to come along with him to my games, then to go out partying with us and finally to just hang out. I wished everyday that it was me that asked you to join us, but I was just too shy and intimidated by you. I don’t know how to explain this without sounding too cliche, so I’ll put it like this.

As Jimin and you became friends we started to get closer as well and I got to see this whole other side of you I didn’t even know existed before. That’s when it got a little too complicated for me. The way you interacted with Jimin was friendly, funny, you just related on a different level. The way you were with me was different or maybe it was the same and it just hit me differently… You were warm and playful, supportive and gentle. We had - and still have to this day - this flirty kind of friendship where some people would assume we have something going on and sometimes they would ask us about it, but we’d shoot them down quickly saying “there’s no way” and “we’re just friends like that”. I agreed with you whenever you said it, but it hurt me, because I didn’t want it to be true and dreamed that there would be a way for us to be together one day. To put it simply, over the span of the first few months we knew each other I had developed a huge crush on you.

“Taehyung.” I felt someone poke my cheek. “Taehyung-ie. Don’t sleep. Talk to me.” You whispered and poked me again. It was one of those blessed days Jimin didn’t come to class and you asked me to sit with you to keep you company. I opened my eyes slowly, taking in your appearance and yawned.

“What do you want?” I asked with a sleepy voice.

“What do you think of me?” You asked, resting your chin on one of your palms. Your beautiful hair was shining in the afternoon sun and your cheeks were flushed because of that summer’s ungodly heat.

“I… Think… That… “ I spoke very slowly, feeling a little more than startled and not really knowing how to express myself.

“Ah, forget it.” You said flipping your hair and resting your head on the books on our table.

“(Y/N).” I hummed. “What do you think of me?” I repeated your question back to you, desperately wanting to know your true answer. You slowly lifted yourself to your previous position and looked at me.

“I think that you’re a good person and I enjoy being around you. When I first see you I think of something fun and exciting. But if I were to look deeper into it I think it would be something associated with a feeling of laughter, confidence and justs being happy.”

“Wow.” I looked at her amazed, thinking that maybe, just maybe, there might be a chance you feel the same way that I do. “Thanks.”

“We should do something together this summer. It’s the last vacation we’ll have as high schoolers.” Jimin said as he stirred his convenience store ramen. “Next year at this time we’ll be applying to colleges and universities. We might end up in different cities or maybe even countries.” I felt a pinch in my chest when he said that.

“You’re that ambitious?” You asked sarcastically and we all laughed.

“Come on. Wouldn’t you want to go somewhere special?” He asked in a dreamy tone.

“I’m going to be visiting my extended family for the whole summer.” I confessed and your head snapped in my direction.

“Oh, right. I forgot about that.” Jimin nodded and you kept looking at me with a frown.

“For the whole summer?” You asked sadly and I couldn’t help, but smile.

“Oh, poor (Y/N). Are you gonna miss me that much?” I asked, patting your head and you chuckled. I honestly hoped my words would come true.

“Obviously.” You shot back in a jokingly exaggerated tone. “Who am I gonna tease all day when you’ll be gone?”

We were leaning on the barriers surrounding our school’s basketball court enjoying the ending summer’s sunshine. Just you and I, waiting for Jimin to come join us. It was one of the last days of vacation we had before going back to high school for our senior year.

“Can you tell me (Y/N) if there is...” I started saying and glanced at you which was a mistake on my part, because you looked so beautiful it made me lose my tongue. “Nevermind.” You looked at me seeming very annoyed.

“Hey, what were you gonna ask me?” You asked, pushing my shoulder and I felt my stomach fill up with butterflies. I looked up from my feet at you and hoped you wouldn't be able to tell that I’m blushing in the warm light of the setting sun. “Tell me.” You urged and pushed my shoulder once again.

“Hey!” I yelled back laughing, deciding on telling you some version of the truth. “How am I supposed to ask you anything when you look like this?” I gestured up and down your frame. You looked so clueless for a second when you were checking if there was something wrong with your outfit.

“What do you mean? I look fine!” You yelled in return.

“Mhm, sure. Totally fine.” I said sarcastically. “With your shiny skin and pretty hair. Wearing a short skirt and cute sneakers like you’re desperately trying to hold onto the - clearly ending - summertime. The golden sunshine is of no help in this situation either, young lady!” I yelled out in a silly voice and you just bent down laughing. “I’m serious. Have you been walking around like this all summer? Like this?! With Jimin?! When I was gone!?!” I asked over dramatically. If you only knew I meant every word I said.

“Ah, Kim Taehyung. In all honesty… Every time I see you you can make me laugh, but now you sound like my father!” You shook your head in between small laughs and I felt myself die inside wondering whether you will ever call me your boyfriend?

“Three years of high school and five years of university after that.” I said looking at the ripped up netting hanging off one of the hoops on the basketball court.

“ Eight years.” You said in agreement. “It passed by so quickly.” You said looking at me, but I didn’t dare to look your way.

“And now we’re here again.” I said, dancing around the real topic I wanted to bring up with you. “Standing in front of our old high school building, leaning on the railing around the basketball court you used to sit on with Jimin while cheering for me during my games.” I repeated what I just said to myself in my head.

“Why did you want to see me here before the reunion?” You asked, cutting right to the chase. “We could’ve met there and talked. Why here? And why now?” You asked and I felt the heat rising in my body. “I haven’t heard from you for over a year. All I know is from Jimin.” The hurt in your voice was clearly audible. “Why’d you stop talking to me?” You asked finally and I sighed, looking down at my feet.

“I… “ I tried to come up with an explanation, but there was none that you would believe that wouldn’t include me confessing my true feelings to you. I pushed away from the barrier and took a couple of steps forward into the court. I looked up into the sky feeling speechless. “I’m sorry.” I finally said with my back facing you.

“What did you say?” You asked, wanting me to repeat myself. I shook my head detecting the tiniest bit of a smirk in your tone and mustered the courage to turn towards you, but I didn’t pick my gaze up from the ground.

“I’m sorry.” I repeated a little louder this time.

“Oh. Okay.” You spoke slowly in a sarcastic way that I remembered from when we still talked. I could tell you were a little angry though. “You didn’t answer any of my questions though.” You added after a moment not ready to let go of the fact that this was the first time we spoke in over a year. I rubbed my forehead, trying to collect my thoughts.

“What can I say?” I half laughed and half actually begged for you to guide me in the right direction.

“The truth.” You answered bluntly.

“You changed.” I said with a smile. “You weren’t this honest and upfront.” I added as my confidence withered away with the autumn’s wind.

“Maybe.” You said, making your way towards me and stopped less than a meter away. “Or maybe I’m just a little mad at you.” You added sadly. I quickly glanced up at you and felt my heart come close to breaking as I noticed the sad look on your face.

So many questions started running through my head. Can it get any worse than seeing you like this? Is the possibility of rejection worse than making you sad?

“Jimin said you didn’t let him tell me why you decided to cut all ties with me all of a sudden.” I frowned feeling your sadness become mine as well. “Ah, alright.” You breathed out putting your hands in your pockets. “I’ll let it go. For now.” You warned in a cheerier tone. “Why did you want to see me?” You asked.

“I… Wanted to talk to you.” I said broadly and looked up into the sky again. You just nodded waiting for me to elaborate. “About me. Kind of…” You leaned your head to one side trying to make sense of my words. I looked at my feet again scratching the back of my neck. “There’s something I wanted to bring up with you for a while now.”

“Yeah?” You said in a soft, encouraging manner noticing how uncomfortable I was.

“Ah… Can you tell me (Y/N) if there’s...” I started saying and again made the mistake of locking eyes with you. I felt my knees grow weak and my stomach turn. “Nevermind.” You looked at me with your eyes half closed, tired written all over your face.

“Not this again.” You shook your head slowly. “You said the exact same thing to me here like six years ago and I never found out what you were gonna ask me.” You chuckled quietly. “Remember that? You started babbling about how pretty I looked.” The smile on your face was growing with each word as you brought back the memory of us bickering that one summer. “And then you asked if I looked like this all summer and-”

“Like this?! With Jimin?! When I was gone!?!” I mocked my own words from years before. “Ah, I can’t believe you remembered it.” I laughed.

“Of course I did.” You said smiling brightly at me. “But what were you going to ask me? Please tell me, I’m dying to know.” I looked away and up towards the night sky again. The sun set a long time ago, but the skyline was still bright blue. I took a deep breath and felt the blush creep onto my cheeks. I felt like a teenage boy again, but your happy expression gave me confidence this time rather than make me feel intimidated.

“Can you tell me… If there is a way... I could… Make you want me… The way I want you right now?” I asked, still looking at the sky. “‘Cause… I think I’ve fallen in love with you… Do you think you could fall for me as well?” I breathed out loudly after saying the confession I had prepared for you while still in high school. I chuckled as I looked into your eyes again. “That’s what I was going to ask you that day. Ah, teenage me.” I shook my head with a deep sigh. “I chickened out, because you looked so pretty and it intimidated me.” You giggled at my late confession.

“So what you’re saying is that I don’t intimidate you anymore? Huh?” You asked, pulling your chin up and I laughed harder. You looked down and then back into my eyes. “But Taehyung…”

“Hm?”

“That was what you wanted to tell me back then in high school. But what were you going to tell me now, tonight?” You asked quietly. I smiled and bit my lip in nervousness.

“I was gonna ask you… If you could tell me if there’s a way I could make you want m-” Before I could finish my sappy confession for the second time today you leaned in and kissed me making my teenage dream a reality at last.

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rpmemesbyarat · 4 years

Conversation

RP Meme from Netflix's "A Series of Unfortunate Events: A Bad Beginning: Part Two"

I'm sorry to say that the alleged entertainment you are watching is extremely unpleasant.

From the beginning of this miserable tale to the last melancholy scene, I cannot think of a single line, a single word, that does not chill me to my deepest bones.

"Why?" you may ask.

Do you know what the question I'm asked the most is?

Will you please leave the premises?

Why do I do it?

Why respond to the siren song that the Spanish call 'El Theater'?"

For fame and fortune?

For the costumes!

Where are the costumes?

Stay in the car.

Well, we've got to reach them. Try Peru.

I'm keeping an eye on things best I can

I present it to you now in the hopes that the police inspectors, concerned citizens and television executives might finally leave me alone.

I have an appointment for a haircut right now.

Well, in that case, we're going to need a map of the city.

You'll never get away with this.

I already did get away with it.

Put some elbow grease into it!

Who knows what would happen to us on the street?

At least here we have a roof over our head.

Can I warm that up for you? And also give you some very bad news?

When I was a little boy, I would have given my eyeteeth to be raised by an actor.

I have terrible friends.

It sounds like Latin.

Now, I'm sorry if I have to usher you out posthaste, but I've got work to do.

I'll have my new secretary give you a ride home as soon as he's finished typing up that report.

Shall I let them off the hook?

I spent all morning making these cupcakes for you.

They're store bought!

Aren't raspberries delicious?

I'm afraid I may have acted a bit standoffish.

I want you to participate in my next play.

It tells the story of a very handsome and good-looking man, played by me.

A pretty girl like you shouldn't be working backstage.

It's a very important role

What did you call me?

I'm not sure I'm talented enough to perform professionally.

I would prefer it if you participate voluntarily

The point is, I can order you to participate, and you must obey.

I can't stand looking at you anymore.

Killing us will do him no good.

I have never been married myself.

Are you here to continue your research?

I have quite the interest in theater, you know.

I would give up every last wig just to wear a costume.

I'm actually considering a career in law. I find those books quite fascinating.

There are countless types of books in this world, which makes good sense because there are countless types of people.

[NAME], what's happened to your face?

No, no, no, it should be delicate! Fetching!

I just think, even in changing context, that marriage is an inherently patriarchal construction

Are you leaving?

Oh, there we go, sweet girl.

Does that mean what I think it means?

It means you're going to be a star.

You have got the star quality necessary for a small walk-on role

Now, you can see it.

It's a very important part, although you won't be listed in the program.

All my life I wanted to be a bride

It's almost too good to be true.

Spend some time with your new father.

Seize the children!

I have three kinds of butter cream icing here for you to sample. One's vanilla, one has a hint of nutmeg and the other's a little lemony.

I told you never to say that word.

We'll order takeout.

Let me eat cake.

You can't just keep us in here.

What do you think will happen to you then?

I'm gonna stay up all night with a book.

The book was not at all interesting. The book was long and difficult.

What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in your room.

I was in my room all night, and I know what you're up to.

Me? I'm just having my morning coffee

If you use fancy-pants words first thing in the morning,

you're going to end up a very lonely man.

I figured out your scheme.

You don't know the difference between figuratively and literally, do you?

I'm leaping in the air because I'm very happy.

I'm so happy I could jump for joy, but I'm saving my energy for other matters.

This play won't be pretend. It'll be real and legally binding.

A man like me can acquire any number of beautiful women

What's in it for me?

Can you name me a language that was spoken by ancient Romans and is still spoken by very irritating people today?

Whatever will we do?

I guess that proves reading really is fundamental.

But I'm not old enough to get married.

It certainly is so strange to find a child missing, and one so small, so helpless.

When did you see her last?

Did you hear that? It came from outside.

Oh, you're not looking in the right place.

Oh, don't look so down.

Let her go. She's done nothing to you.

Please, she's just a baby.

Just don't harm her.

I would never, ever marry you.

Any animal owner will tell you that a stubborn mule will move toward the carrot because it wants the reward of food and away from the stick because it wants to avoid the punishment of rump pain.

Would it be so terrible to be my bride, to live in my house for the rest of your life?

You're a terrible man.

I may be a terrible man, but I have concocted a foolproof way of getting your fortune.

What have you done?

I wish I had an inventor here.

You came.

You sent for me.

Things are disastrous. Everything's gone wrong.

What went wrong?

Why would anyone listen to a consultant?

Are you free Friday night to attend the theater?

But what shall we do until then?

Could you cut these ropes for me?

You should get some sleep.

It's my turn.

I didn't help us.

You just didn't finish the job.

Let me keep my promise.

Having a brilliant idea isn't as easy as turning on a light.

But just as a single bulb can illuminate even the most depressing of rooms, the right idea can shed light on a depressing situation.

It's so wonderful that, in addition to your many talents, you have a marvelous eye for fashion.

Tell me if this is too much.

How pleasant that you could join us.

What are you gonna do with me?

It was a grappling hook.

I understand she's yours.

I'm not his bride.

You know, some people say that the hardest job in the world is raising a child.

I'll touch whatever I want.

What happened? Why are we up here?

It's so high. You must have been terrified.

I'm sorry it didn't work.

The invention worked fine. I just got caught.

You're gonna need to flip it a couple of times, like, okay?

And don't touch the baby!

Do you think you could invent something to help us escape?

I am certain that over the course of your own life, you have noticed that certain rooms reflect the personalities of the occupants.

If we had kerosene, we could make Molotov cocktails with those old wine bottles.

What are Molotov cocktails?

They're small bombs. If we throw them out the window, we could attract attention.

It's time for the big event.

Taking the role of a handsome man is certainly a brave choice.

Is it a stretch for you?

I think live theater is a much more powerful medium

than, say, streaming television.

Evil plot?

The wedding will be around 10 PM, followed by champagne toasts, reception with cake and finger food, then the after-party at the Mexican place.

All my anxieties are put to rest.

Don't distract me with idle chatter.

Get it absolutely right.

Change of plans. Sit here. Don't distract her.

Don't suppose you know how to play poker.

Would you like to deal?

I am very handsome, but I am only one man.

He's so handsome.

If I can't have him, my heart will literally break.

That can't be true!

But that piece of paper's not an official document.

I think you'll see that it is figuratively real.

I'm afraid this marriage is entirely binding.

This is absolutely horrendous. I won't allow it!

I'm afraid there's nothing you can do.

You were easily tricked!

It was child's play, winning this fortune.

You promised to let her go!

You idiot! What are you doing?

So, you escaped, you little dishrag.

Well, that doesn't count.

You're just being a sore loser and trying to ruin my special day.

You should never be afraid to admit that you don't know something.

This is a very complicated case.

It would take a formidable legal scholar to solve it.

It was thoroughly impressive and utterly convincing.

I'm even considering firing your associate

I was kidnapped

I'll get my hands on your fortune if it's the last thing I do.

You have to capture him! You have to go after him!

You let the authorities worry about that.

Sorry, but the children must come with me.

Some things in life are difficult to understand, even after years and years of thinking about them while wandering alone through desolate landscapes, usually during the off-season.

The world is quiet here.

As with so many unfortunate events in life, just because you don't understand it, doesn't mean it isn't so.

Things are worse than we thought.

Then we don't have a moment to lose.

What's a woman like you building in a place like this?

Leave no stone unturned.

#rp memes #rp meme #roleplay memes #roleplay starters #roleplay meme #a series of unfortunate events

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atypicalsenerio · 3 years

Note

How do you repay someone who's given everything you've ever asked for, with or without your knowing?

Ike's not even half as smart as Soren. He knows this. All this while, he's relied on him for many things; his objectiveness, his tactical analysis, and has always, always counted on him to have a clear mind when he could not.

But Soren-- Soren is also a living, breathing person, and that makes him much more than that. The icy mage can get distracted, shows irritation, huffs (but he knows he's satisfied, perhaps even happy) and veils himself behind a wall of words that say everything about him and also nothing to those who don't quite know him. Soren tries-- very, very much.

The grains of time had piled up like a mountain, each a glimmering gold. Soren had given all of that to him, since day one. He'd not noticed, because he was silly. He'd noticed, but knew that any he could pay back was but a dim silver.

And then, he'd not paid back at all, and the grains had continued to trickle still.

Fingers run across the portrait that he'd been gifted. A memory of the past, a rallying cry.

But to him, wouldn't need something like this. Unlike Ike, who forgets, who blunders.

Because-- all this while, Soren has forged his own path, looking onward. Whatever that drives him had always been ahead of him, so a token of the past wouldn't be as meaningful.

The night passes. The day breaks.

A knock comes to the mage's door. Ike invites himself in, greets Soren with a warm smile and a nod.

"Happy birthday."

"I thought that this one out of the rest would be the most meaningful for you. I wish I could think of more, but-- here."

“My memory’s not as good as yours, but this is as close as I can remember.”

The crinkling of oil paper reveals a simple meal. It's nothing special-- slices of bread and lettuce and bacon. The taste wouldn't be the same; he's not his mother, and neither does he know well enough the taste of homecooked lunch. The best mimicry he can make of it is in its shoddy craftsmanship.

But it's as much as he can make.

"... And, I also thought about what I should do for next time."

A faint rustling, and fingers unfurl to reveal a band impressed with a seal, strung up with a line of rope.

“The signet rings gave me an idea. These are meant to be heated and pressed into rock, and they’ll leave stamp marks. So if you see this on a tree or a rock, you’ll know that I’ve been along the way. And—”

A faint tinkle, and Soren should feel cool metal land in his own palm.

“Here. There’s one for you, too. So it won’t be just you who’s looking the next time.”

He spends the rest of the time there he has with Soren, as long as the lamps allow. Eventually, they have to say goodbye to each other, and Ike waves goodbye, knowing that they'll see each other the next day.

The door creaks shut.

...

There’s also another reason for them. Ike presses his fist shut around the ring, feeling as if it would deform under his grip. It’s but an illusion of flesh, but held so tight, the ring feels like it gains warmth of its own.

Perhaps it truly does, for when Ike releases, letting the string catch on his finger, it turns, twirling like a pendulum, swinging one way and the other.

He holds it out. The swinging doesn’t stop, not for a long time. Ike catches it, and its head faces south—towards the door he’d come from.

It could just be his imagination.

But also; whilst in Castle Nados, there was some evidence left. There wasn’t enough to make good for a teleport, as much as Ike would have loved to, but with what he had, he’d put it in the rings.

It was mostly sentimental value. There shouldn’t be any effect with this little, but even if he couldn’t feel the reputed pull that the powder brings towards linking two points in space, perhaps the metal could.

Perhaps. It’s a little edge more, one more tiny patch for a gaping hole. A trinket at best.

But it's transcended it's purpose in the past, and taken on a new one for the future.

The ring lands in his palm, twinkling like an eye.

Ike still can't find an true answer to the question-- not now, and not still. He's not smart enough for something that slices down to the bone.

That was always more Soren's thing. He just barged in like a brute, and did what he thought worked best.

Perhaps that's his answer, this time. Because it's in the present, which ticks by like a leaky sieve.

If you can’t cut the truth in two; warming it up little by little--

Ike supposes-- Maybe, that’s fine, too.

All day long, there had been one person Soren wanted to see most on his birthday. They were close enough that Soren wouldn’t have minded if Ike was busy, they spent so many of their days together. It was with a softened smile that he welcomed Ike to his room, other gifts on his bed.

“Ike. Thank you. It has been. I wonder who let the date slip to everyone else. I have to admit I’m surprised by it.” This amount of casual attention, perhaps bordering on affection from others, people who mostly barely knew him, was too much to pass off as just flattery from someone trying to get their way or a favor returned to him. Being a part of a community and seeing it manifest in the smallest of ways in notes and trinkets had touched him in a way he hadn’t expected, nor voice directly to anyone else.

Ike, however, was the highlight of his day. Even empty handed, he would be. When all else faded, when it was no longer his birthday, he would still have Ike.

Perhaps the events of the day had him feeling especially sentimental. Soren took the offered sandwich, looking up at Ike. “This is how your mother used to make your lunch, isn’t it? It’s simple, but it really is my favorite meal. Perhaps your love of bacon is contagious,” he teased, voice gentle. “I might have a plain palette, but I wouldn’t change a thing about it. Funny, how the mind works,” he said fondly, taking a bite. There was nothing inherently special about the bread, lettuce, or bacon, but the memory attached made it all crisper, sweeter.

He set the sandwich down and turned his attention to the ring in Ike’s hand, watching it lower into his own palm. His heart skipped a beat at the association, foolishly, of rings and someone he cared for. (Who was the dense one here, anyway? Was it in fact, Soren? He was giving Ike’s history of being oblivious a real run for its money if he was…) Soren swallowed, a slight blush on his face as Ike explained. Hopefully, there would be no next time they were separated, but if there was—

“That’s brilliant. You’re brilliant. Thank you, Ike. I’ll guard mine well.” He slipped the ring on his finger to admire it, and felt the cord it was attached to. He raised his head, and he took a step forward.

A rush of affection carried him the rest of the short distance to Ike. Soren couldn’t remember initiating a hug before, but he did it before he could think, taking advantage of the chance to hide his warm face against Ike’s chest and cling to him in a display he didn’t want to hold back from anymore.

Every admittance and display of his flaws over the years, every conversation that had been a burst of what had always eaten away at him, the grounds for which anyone else would reject him, every part of himself or his background that had made him feel alone and unlovable— every syllable had been like asking Ike, ‘Are you sure you want me? Are you sure I’m worthy of being your friend? Are you sure, are you sure, are you sure?’ And every gesture, every answer from Ike had always been a confident, steady, ‘Yes’, as though Soren had never needed to ask at all, had never needed to fear his own vulnerable spots.

Soren squeezed Ike’s body in his smaller arms for a moment, hoping he was doing this whole hug thing right, overwhelmed and happier than he knew what to do with, for once overflowing with something other than painful memories and a silhouette that used to feel more shaped by old wounds and recurring rejection than his own lived life. “Thank you, Ike. For being here.” For being you, the only way you know how, so natural to you you don’t see how exceptional you are.

“I think I’d like to keep celebrating birthdays from now on.”

#//IKE #//BIG PLEAD FACE #//I finally had time to sit and Write but I was thinking about this for days #//Soren likely notices anything more about the ring later #//that concludes his birthday!#//I’m soft ok #ceaselessblade #ask

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imagine-that-one-thing · 5 years

Text

Her Majesty. || 4

Everything Grows With Love.

Harry and I have hardly spoken since our arrival from Ireland. I've been bustling with royal duties and assisting my mother to prepare for the Garden Party of the year. I used to cherish these functions as a kid, it was always entertaining to sneak away from the nanny and roam the grounds of Buckingham Palace that would be filled with more people than I could count at the time. Of course, the King And Queen were well aware of me roaming and sipping on tea and had bodyguards a few steps behind me at every moment, however, at the time, I thought I was getting away with being sneaky and participating in an adult-only event.

Now, as I am older, I dread most of the garden parties due to the fact the garden parties are not about sipping tea and eating sandwiches anymore, they're more so for conversing with Lord-Lieutenants, Societies and Associations, those in the higher power of government and the elite. Quite frankly, I don't fancy dealing with members of parliament at what's proposed to be a party; it's not much of a party when you're forced into the world of politics. Garden parties are a royal tradition dating back to Queen Victoria's time in the 1860s, so trying to get out of attending them is... hard and almost impossible.

I glance out the window, peering down at the terraces that are Elysium-green and silk soft this summer. The staff are scurrying to get everything ready for the garden party that's meant to open its gates in just a few hours. Against my mother's requests and somewhat complaints, my father refused to reschedule the garden party, insisting that even in a heatwave, it was necessary for the party to go on.

I overhear the doorknob of my room rattle before the door rasps open, diverting me from my gaze below. "Your father needs to get that fixed, sounds hideous," my mother shakes her head at the racket of my door, ironically though, the door shouldn't be the main priority for what needs to be fixed in this household or family. What needs to be fixed is the unfairness of the damn monarchy and its rules that should be abolished, but what would I know? After all, I am only the Princess.

"Good afternoon, it's good to see you're on schedule with getting ready," my mother half beams, solely being sarcastic but endeavouring to lighten the mood and keep high spirits.

I don't respond, instead, I offer my mother a fake smile the best that I can. "Anastasia, your dress is on its way up, you'll be expected to be ready promptly."

I roll my eyes, irritated by the fact royal protocol is only followed when it is damn convenient for my Father. "Please tell me Dad isn't going to force me to follow royal protocol for what I wear."

My mother nods her head, "You still have to follow protocol, Anastasia, it's a royal event."

"I'm not wearing pantyhose, and this isn't a royal event, this is an announcement for whom I'm meant to be dating." I remind my mother of what today is about, it is thereby forcing me on a pedestal and narrating to the world that I am dating, declaring a soon to be engagement and crown take over.

"Anna—"

"No," I cut her off, "Unless you're going to tell me that we don't have to go through with this, then I don't want to hear another word," I bluntly reply, not having any regard for the fact that she is the Queen. If anybody else was to speak this way to her, they'd be calling for their heads.

My mother clears her throat and heavily sighs, "Your dress will be up in a minute, be ready to walk the gardens by three," my mother informs me with her soft-sounding voice before she walks out of my room, her heeled shoes sounding against the dark floorboards.

I shift back to gaze out the windowpane down at the terrains below me where shortly I will be thrown into the swarm of people who want to know every detail about me, but I don't have any details to bestow. The details I want to share, I am forbidden to. I never thought I would end up in a forbidden love just because of royal blood. But here I am, standing speechless with a mind overflowing with racing thoughts, contemplating on which Prince I should choose when ultimately, I should be talking to Harry; I should be choosing him.

♔ ♔ ♔

The gardens are bustling with people, the staff can't keep up with the demand of food and drinks, and the band is playing modestly enough for me to catch the melody of the birds sheltering in the trees, but loud enough for me to disregard the conversations around me that more than likely pertain to me. The bad thing about these events is the fact that more times than none, the conversations are about me, about the future of the crown or about the upcoming tours.

The shadow that has been lingering behind me since I stepped out of my room, steps closer to me as there is a gap between me and others.

For a moment, there is silence between us and it takes everything in me not to turn around and speak to him. I don't know whether he wants to speak to me, as I have said, we have barely uttered a word to each other, and to be honest, we both have every right to be avoiding each other. I have my reasons and he has his, but what good are any of the reasons to let them determine our relationship?

"You look cute wearing a hat," Harry comments while proceeding to scan every inch of the garden he physically can observe.

I stop to smell some of the roses before I turn to him, "It's a fascinator," I bitterly correct Harry, but I immediately retract my tone of voice, "But thank you. You look good in your suit." I dully compliment Harry.

"It's the one I wear all the time."

I nod my head, trying not to quietly chuckle at his smartass comment. I am well aware it is what he wears all the damn time. The man isn't one for change, he has been wearing the same cologne for years, his hair hasn't changed; I am pretty sure he has been going to the same barbershop since he was six. He quite literally has a wardrobe filled with the same attire. It is very rare I see him dressed any other way than in his typical black suit. I have suggested before he changes things up, perhaps change the white button-up for a maroon button-up, but he was not amused by my suggestion. "I'm aware. Must you be so close to me? I'm still upset with you." I mutter despite the fact I enjoy him being close to me.

I have missed him being close to me, I have missed him being with me as more than just my bodyguard; I have missed him, but I don't want to admit it, I can't admit to it.

"Princess, there are over 8,000 people here, of course, I have to, it's my job as your bodyguard... and as your boyfriend," he trails off in a whisper just for the two of us to understand as we walk closer and closer to other people in the gardens.

For a moment, I feel a sense of comfort.

After days of not knowing where I and he stand, it's reassuring to know he is still my boyfriend. Despite the fact that I am upset with him for embedding pressure on me due to particular circumstances, I feel more at ease knowing we are still together.

"Harry," I breathe out and he hums for me to continue but I can't find my words.

How do you tell someone you're in love with them when you're being forced to date someone else?

I want to tell him I love him, I want to tell him that we can pack a bag and run off to wherever we would be accepted. I want to tell him that I choose him, that I will choose him, over and over again. But I can't, I can't muster up the right words.

"I'd like space, please," I inform Harry, still uncertain of how to arrange my thoughts about the entire situation, especially today when in a few mere hours it will be announced that I have a boyfriend... and it isn't Harry.

"As you wish, Princess... space from me or everybody else?" Harry questions and I can't help but smile to myself.

I need space from everybody, but the soon to be Queen cannot lock herself in her room and ignore the royal duties or royal parties thrown at the palace. Space is something that is foreign in the royal family, everybody knows everything. Every move I make is reported back to the staff or the press, I am never truly alone. Even when sleeping there is a guard outside my bedroom, and although I am not complaining, on some nights my bodyguard is in my bed. I do wonder what it would be like to be alone, with no staff, no security, no press, no assistant, nothing; it would be blissful to be solely alone and left in peace.

I heavily sigh as I see the mother of one of the men who are on the list to date. "Need space from her?" Harry asks.

"Yes, but I'll allow this encounter, my father would be mortified if I avoided her," I respond, expecting Harry to take his usual step behind me, but he doesn't, he stays beside me.

Victoria wanders closer to me and grants me a smile, and for a moment I hope she marches past me, but she doesn't. "Anna, hello, darling," she's cheery and enthusiastic with her greeting.

"You curtsy to Princess Anastasia," Harry makes it a point to remind Victoria to be courteous and curtsy, also making a point that he doesn't like her being informal and calling me Anna. Nobody outside the family calls me Anna, it is informal and impolite. Harry, however, is the exception to the rule.

The woman narrows her eyes towards Harry as if an attempt to show dominance and superiority, "And who are you?" Victoria questions with a tone of voice that only indicates she's talking down to him.

I don't have to look at Harry to know he's more than likely giving her the glare that is a warning not to try him. "SO14 bodyguard." He bluntly responds. "Curtsey," He instructs in a firm manner.

He despises being questioned and talked down to, whether it be by Royals or by those who are considered normal.

"What level?" She inquests.

"None of your business." Harry sneers.

"Hm, I don't think I like your attitude, you won't be the bodyguard accompanying the princess and the prince when they're in public."

"My bodyguard doesn't change," I immediately inform Victoria who appears to believe her son is the chosen one. To be quite honest, I don't care who is chosen, Harry will not be going anywhere. No changes in my security will be made without my say.

Victoria can hire her own set of security for her son but she sure does not account for me.

"We'll see about that one," she mutters, looking Harry up and down, commencing to make me feel uncomfortable.

"Princess, you're needed by the marque of food, the Queen is requesting you," Harry informs me, cutting the conversation with Victoria short.

"I will see you for dinner with Prince Henry," Victoria informs me and I excuse myself politely and step away from Victoria.

I make my way towards the marque of foods that are set up meticulously. Garden Parties always consists of cakes, tea sandwiches, and sweet and savoury finger foods, all of which I am meant to avoid. It is not okay for me to be photographed eating, it isn't ladylike. Lucky for me, the staff make sure to put aside food for me in the palace, they always leave me with Scones with homemade Balmoral jam and clotted cream on top.

"Well, she's a royal bitch," Harry murmurs when there's nobody but the staff around us.

I glance over towards Harry and roll my eyes, "Be polite, she's still royalty."

"Mhm, a royal bitch," he nods, a clear indication he's pissed with such comments, and he has every right to be, "Does she think she can get me fired or moved from your service? Because I'd like to see her try."

"Harry," I sigh, "You're staying on my service, don't do anything, okay? Just stay with me."

"Oh, Princess," Harry grins, "I wouldn't want to go anywhere else."

"Harry," I narrow my eyes on him, "You know exactly what I mean."

"So I can't force you into a safety protocol the second she comes back around?"

I shake my head. "No."

"It won't be anything major, level one safety procedure."

"Don't start," I mutter, keeping an eye out for anyone who may get too close to hear the conversation. "The quicker this day is over, the better. It's bloody hot in this dress."

Harry smirks before he softly speaking, "Take it off?"

"Aren't we meant to be arguing?" I question, referring to the fact he has barely spoken to me and has been an outright asshole to me. I didn't start these issues and neither did he, but it doesn't mean he has the right to ignore me or be an arse.

"Anastasia, we can discuss the problems later in private. Must you hold such a grudge?"

"In case you forgot, Harry, you're the one who made it seem like you were breaking up with me over something stupid."

"You being in a relationship with some tool isn't something stupid. What's stupid is hiding our relationship for the sake of a fucking crown." Harry harshly whispers.

"That's no way to speak to a princess."

"You and I both know I'm not speaking to the princess right now. Are you doing this to aggravate me?"

"A little," I shrug, "But in all seriousness, we need to discuss things, okay?"

Harry nods, "You need to go back to your royal duties," Harry subtly gestures towards the crowds of people who are chatting away and enjoying the company of the royal gardens.

"Yeah, my royal duties of figuring out whether my father has chosen Theo or Henry as my boyfriend."

"Rub it in why don't you," Harry mutters unhappily, taking a step behind me and gesturing towards the path he wants me to take in order to get back to my duties.

I don't obey, I stand my ground and I turn to look at him. He clenches his jaw and he heavily sighs, "Anna, you're making my job difficult. I need to focus on this crowd, not our argument," Harry mutters, his eyes shifting like they always do.

I cock my head to the side, "What are you looking for? You're making me nervous."

"Looking at hands, eye contact, dress code of others, all signs of a threat, now stop and do your bloody job so I can do mine and keep you safe." Harry again gestures towards the path he wants me to take. "I will change my service if you continue to be defiant."

I shake my head, "No, you won't. You never let anyone take me at such big events."

"Anna—" Harry begins.

I cut him off, "I am going," I roll my eyes, noticing the fact he is getting highly frustrated with me at this very moment.

♔ ♔ ♔

I take a few steps behind me, well aware that Harry is always just a few steps behind me, I clear my throat, "Harry," I grasp his attention and he steps to the side of me.

"Princess?"

"H-Harry I-I'm scared."

"Of what? I'm right here, there is no threat," he assures me, but I shake my head.

It is a different type of fear. I'm not scared for my safety; I am scared of my heart falling in the hands of the wrong person, I am scared of my relationship becoming a failure. I'm scared of losing someone I love over something that I can't control. Everybody dreams of being royalty, they think it's all about pretty dresses and tiaras, what they don't see is the downfall of relationships because of a royal curse, also known as protocol and tradition.

"You know they're—— they're announcing things in a minute, and I... " I trail off in an attempt to find my words and perhaps a breath of relief, but I don't find the clarity and the air that I need.

"Breathe Anna, it's okay."

"No," I shake my head, "It isn't."

This isn't okay there is absolutely nothing okay about my parents trying to marry me off to someone I am not in love with. Royalty or not, there is more to marriage than a crown, and there is more to obtaining a crown than marriage.

Don't be fooled, with or without a man, I can run a monarch and do a damn good job at it. I don't need a King, but a King needs me.

"Your parents are right for making you choose a royal, sweetheart."

For a moment, I'm stunned that Harry is suddenly on board with me dating someone besides himself, I thought he would have fought a little harder. "I don't want that, Harry. I don't want Henry or the other guy."

"I can't give you what you deserve, you know that. Now isn't the place to discuss this. You're panicking, don't panic, it will be okay." Harry informs me, his eyes intently watching every person that walks past me.

He has a point, right now might not be the right place to discuss the matter, but when is the right time and place to discuss whether or not a relationship is worthy of continuance or not?

Is there ever a right place to discuss things?

My thoughts continue to spiral and the world around me feels as though it's spinning.

I look at Harry and his eyes lock with mine, "Anastasia?" he questions, stepping closer to me, overstepping the usual distance between bodyguard and princess, "Anna, are you alright?" He questions and I nod my head.

I'm not quite sure when life got so hectic, perhaps it was always chaotic and I just don't remember having to share the burden as much as I do now.

Growing up, I was told I'd grow up to marry a lovely prince where we'd get married at Westminster Abbey, we'd be welcomed and adored by the crowds of Britain and they'd accept my husband as King while I reign as Queen. But here I stand, in the middle of the gardens surrounded by people who have had too much of a say in my life from the moment I was born. Here I stand, watching as my father begins to introduce Henry as my boyfriend while the man I love stands behind me.

I take deep breaths, the summer sun shining down on me as the relentless heat continues to suffocate everyone. We are only on day two of this heatwave and I already want to whisk myself off to a cooler place, one where nobody will find me nor bother me for quite some time. I take a breathe and take my fascinator from my hair before turning to Harry. He raises a brow as he stands in his perfect stance, hands behind his back, his eyes aware of everyone's positions and his lips pursed into a fine line, his facial expression being of one that simply expresses nobody should fuck with him. "I need water, please," I softly inform him, beginning to fan my face with my fascinator, well aware that I am breaking royal protocol, it is impolite for me to do this, but with the weather spiking at a harsh thirty-five degrees Celsius, I have no choice.

Harry nods immediately and firmly, yet somehow gently grabs the arm of a waitress who I hadn't even taken notice of, "The Princess needs water right away," Harry instructs.

The woman nods and hurries off, "Be polite, Harry."

"Your Father is watching, turn around, Princess," Harry instructs, subtly gesturing to my Father who I can only assume is far from pleased with me.

I turn to watch my father as he begins to welcome the guests with his charming voice that the public relish hearing and so do other royals. He starts off lightheartedly joking, something he has grown to do a lot more lately in an attempt to show the public that he is still an ordinary man... Somewhat. The crowd laughs and I, too, have to fake a laugh. While the crowd laughs at the small jokes, my inner thoughts eat me alive with the idea that in just a few minutes, my father will announce my boyfriend, which will, in turn, send everyone into fits of happiness. It will be the only thing people talk about for quite some time, both within the royals and the public.

I continue to fan myself, struggling to cool down as this dress hugs my body. With every moment that passes it feels as though the dress gets tighter and tighter, and the sun gets hotter and hotter. I press my hand to my forehead for the moment and look down, closing my eyes briefly to shield them from the sun.

I feel a hand to my shoulder, "Anna, are you okay?" Harry questions and I nod.

"Yeah, it's just hot." I respond, "This announcement is killing me," I whisper and Harry takes a step back, going back to watching the crowd and doing his job.

I don't know what's worse, the fact that my father is nonchalantly entertaining everybody or the fact that I am the only one anxious and upset about everything. Harry is calm and collected, my mother, whom I can see in the corner of my eye, is content with a drink in her hand. Despite this being a dry party, I am sure there is some alcohol in her drink, I know my mother well, and I know deep down, she too, is dreading what is about to happen, as a mother she understands my outrage, but as Queen, she has to stand by her husband, and perform her duties.

I turn to Harry, my eyes feeling heavy as my chest rises; my chest feels as though it is fighting a heavy force over it with each breath. "Harry," I begin dryly, "Where's that water?"

"It's coming." He responds, his eyes darting around before he speaks into his shoulder, "The Princess needs water, now," he mutters, sending his orders out to not only the security staff but the entire palace of staff to make sure my requests are fulfilled.

Suddenly, I feel it all at once, the heat, the anxiety, the rush of everything hitting me at once. A turning pit in my stomach begins and my body feels heavy as if every inch of my body has a weight on it, weighing me down. I can feel my body wanting to sway from side to side. "Hey," I press my hand to his chest, closing the space between us, "I feel unwell," I confess, unsure of how to handle myself right now. "I'm—" I struggle to find my words, my world spinning as I try to focus.

"Fuck," Harry mutters under his breath, his arm wasting no time with wrapping around my body.

♔

The last thing I remember hearing is Harry calling my name before he instructs nobody around us to move with a voice like bottled thunder, a measure of his vitality.

"Welcome back, Anna," Harry smiles the moment my eyes open, "Don't try to get up, just relax for a moment." Harry gently presses on my arm, stopping me from sitting up.

I listen and I take a breath, taking the time to look around, surprised that I'm not in the gardens like I was.

"What happened? Are we in the tunnels?" I ask, feeling the distinct change in air temperature. I went from scorching hot heat to mildly cool temperatures.

"Yes, and you fainted, why didn't you tell anyone you were unwell?" Harry asks.

"I did," I respond, slowly sitting up with the careful help of Harry, "I told you."

"Once it was too late," Harry mutters, "The doctor is waiting, I'm going to carry you through the next tunnel before we will enter your wing."

I shake my head, "I'm fine, really, I don't need a doctor."

"Protocol," Harry shakes his head, "Everybody saw, I can't hide this one, my love," Harry informs me and I sigh.

There are times Harry does his best to cover for me and to hide things from everyone. When the time calls, he will hide things from the media the best he can and he will leak a different story, other times he will hide things from the family and other royals. There have been numerous occasions he has had to cover for me as well, especially at events I don't want to be at.

"Why are we in the tunnels?"

"Well, I needed to get you away from everybody safely and it's cooler down here."

"Can we stay here for a moment?" I softly ask, taking note that for the first time this entire day, I have nobody around me, no maids, no royals, nobody that needs my attention. For the first time, I am finally alone.

Harry nods and he leans closer and pushes a few strands of hair behind my ear, "When I ask you if you're okay, I would appreciate if you were honest with me."

I nod in agreement, "I'm not okay, I don't want to do this, Harry."

"You don't want to do you and me?" Harry asks, assuming I'm referring to the relationship.

"No, I mean— I don't want to go ahead with all this bullshit, I don't want to be a princess, I want to be normal, why can't I just be normal?" I let out a sigh, "This would be easier if I wasn't Royal."

"Anna—"

"Don't Anna me, with that sweet, caring tone," I mutter, "Fix it."

Harry sighs and his eyes soften as he looks at me, "Baby, I can't fix this, I can't make you normal. If I could change things, I would, but I can't sweetheart."

"I wish things were different."

Harry nods, "Me too, we will figure it out, stressing is what got you in this mess," Harry gestures to the fact I am sitting on the cold stones of the tunnels instead of enjoying the garden party happening above us.

"You said you wanted to call for a protocol."

"Anastasia, not like this." Harry mutters unhappily, "At least you fainted in my arms and not to the floor."

"You'd have caught me either way," I respond, "You're the knight in shining armour."

Harry rolls his eyes, "Princess, you keep me on my toes, for sure," he leans closer and gently kisses my cheek.

"This dress needs to come off," I gesture towards the white dress that is not only heavy, but also becoming dirty.

Harry nods, "I need to get you to your wing, the Doctor is waiting," Harry informs me before he slides his arms under me and picks me up, carrying me to my wing.

♔♔♔

I lie in the comfort of my bed, Harry right beside me as a few staff roam my room, doing their best to stay out of the way but to stay close just in case they are needed for any reason. They are waiting for the commands from the doctor or Harry.

I overhear Harry's phone and I glance over at him, "If you need to go, you can go."

Harry shakes his head, silencing his phone before resuming his position beside me, making sure to stay the rigid bodyguard everyone knows him to be. It is times like this that I wish he didn't have to put on a show and stand there like my bodyguard, sometimes it would be nice to have my boyfriend even when people are around.

"This really isn't necessary," I sigh as the royal doctor stands by my bedside taking my blood pressure and doing god knows what else. "I really just need some rest." I continue, well aware of what caused me to faint. It is clear and obvious, the heat got to me, it didn't help that royal protocol had me in a damn dress that was tight and heavy.

"Let me be the judge of that, Princess Anastasia," she smiles softly down at me and I tilt my head to the side to look over at Harry. He's standing with his hands crossed in front of him, his eyes moving between me and the door ever so often.

"Who will be the main one staying with you?"

"Harry," I gesture towards him, well aware the King and Queen are far too busy with their current event. It would be rude for them to leave their guests unattended, and to be quite honest, I don't want to be around my parents.

"Mr Styles, I expect you'll make sure she stays in bed and rests for the remainder of the evening?" The doctor asks and Harry nods. "If she passes out again, she's to be taken to the emergency room, we will have staff waiting once given the call. Once the IV is done it can be taken out carefully, Watch to make sure she doesn't accidentally pull it out. Someone will need to make sure she stays hydrated the next few days with this heat."

Harry nods, accepting the instructions, "I'm trained in first aid, this one isn't my first rodeo with all due respect," he smiles at the doctor.

I mentally roll my eyes, doing my best to conceal my smirk. This man is trained in many areas, and he isn't afraid to make it known when he needs to. He has had training courses on everything from anti-hijack driving and unarmed combat to firearms handling and emergency life support. It is a bit of a turn on to know that he has many capabilities, even ones outside his job description.

"I know, it's a force of habit, I forget sometimes that you have watched over unwell royals before."

"Mhm," Harry hums, "Happens a bit with this one," Harry gestures towards me, "She can never stay out of trouble. Always has to leave with a bang." Harry chuckles, giving me a small smile.

♔♔♔

The moment everybody leaves my room, Harry closes the door behind them and I get comfortable between the soft sheets. For a moment, there is nothing but silence between us and I can't say that I am ungrateful for it. It is nice to have some silence.

"Would you like to talk, Anastasia?" Harry asks as he carefully sits on the bed and presses a kiss to my forehead.

"What about?"

"Today. Henry. All of it."

"Harry, what happens is up to you. You're the one that keeps saying my parents are making the right decision, you're the one saying it'll be okay."

"Sweetheart," Harry sighs, "You and I both know I'm not suitable for all of this, you don't want to tell them about us, so what is it you want to do?"

"I want to be with you."

"Well... how are you going to be with two men at the same time?" Harry asks and I look away from him for a moment.

I don't know how we are going to make things work, but when two people want something bad enough, they work for it, they fight for it and they do what it takes, even if it isn't easy. When two people love each other, they fight against all odds, they break through and take things on together. When summer ends and autumn befalls upon us, the once eminent and blooming flowers of the garden begin to wilt away, they leisurely but inevitably fade away from the unrelenting winter, but they don't give up. They come back to life once spring welcomes it's sunbeams and warms the cold world again.

When the gardens are struggling to bloom after a cold and frigid winter, all they require is some extra love and attention. This is what love is like. When it feels like everything is withering away, petal by petal, there is always a little extra care that can be given to bring it back to life, all it takes is someone willing to see how something can flourish again. Everything grows with love.

"My father has arranged this relationship with Henry... what if I carry along with it for a few weeks, give everybody what they want, make the public think he's the one, and then we break up?" I propose to Harry the only reasonable idea that I can come up with that doesn't include breaking up with Harry or breaking the publics hearts by refusing the crown.

"Anna, surely you're not suggesting you stage this charade of a relationship." Harry seems surprised by my suggestion.

"Do you have a better option? Shall we just run away together? Stage my own death, change our names and go where nobody knows me? Do you have anything else better, Harry?"

Harry heavily sighs, "I'm going to trust that you have this planned out, somehow... so I'm going to go along with it, but after a few weeks, you call it off with the tool, okay?"

"Okay," I nod, "Are you going to be okay?"

"I don't have a damn choice, Anna. I love you and if this is what it takes then so be it. It is better than you running off to god knows where and changing your name."

"We will go public once the Henry charade is over with, okay?"

"Okay," Harry nods in agreement with a heavy sigh before I take his hand and tug him towards me, wanting him to get in the bed with me. He shakes his head, "I can't, I'm on duty."

"Please?" I pout my lips, not caring that he is still technically on duty.

"Baby, if I get caught, I will be fired."

"But I feel unwell, we can't have the princess feeling unwell, especially when you can make it all better."

Harry rolls his eyes and takes a breath. "I hate when you do this," Harry mutters, taking his phone from his pocket, his fingers typing away, I can only assume he is about to make sure the head of security secures my wing and guards the door for us. "I am surprised I haven't gotten fired yet," He presses, placing his things down on the side table before unbuttoning his shirt, revealing the delicate skin and tattoos he hides under the white button-down.

"They wouldn't dare fire you," I respond, gawking at him as he steps closer and I move to the middle of the bed, giving him room to slide in between the sheets and to take his position next to me.

Harry takes his position beside me, tugging at the covers before pulling me closer and draping his arm around me. I feel at ease with his arm around me. "How are you feeling, Anna?" His voice is soft and gentle and in a manner where I know he isn't asking as my bodyguard but as my boyfriend.

"I have an IV in my arm, three doctors on call and thousands of guests at my house, how do you think?" I respond.

"Do you ever give me straight forward answers?"

"No," I shake my head, "Keeping you on your toes is part of my job," I softly smile before I kiss his cheek. "I love you."

"I love you, too. But seriously, how are you feeling?"

"I'm okay," I assure him, "I just need to rest," I respond, noticing how tense Harry is and the way his hand is twitching.

I frown for a moment but ignore his restlessness as I curl up closer to him, finally feeling a sense of comfort.

I notice Harry fidgeting with the ends of the sheets, his fingers digging into the thread count while his foot is continuously moving under the sheet, almost as if in a tapping motion. Harry moves away from me, forcing himself to his feet as he reaches for his shirt. I look over at him, confused by his sudden movements. "Anna, do not move, do you hear me?"

"Harry—"

"Nobody has done a second sweep of the floor, don't move," Harry again instructs, not giving me time to even ask the questions I want to ask. He grabs his phone and conceals his pistol in the waistband of his pants, "You know where the spare is hidden, right?" Harry asks, referring to the spare pistol that he securely hid in my room as a safety precaution.

I nod my head, propping myself up on my forearms, wincing as I forget about the IV. "Don't worry, just lie down, don't pull that out." Harry huffs as he steps around the bed and takes my hand, checking the IV, he shakes his head and looks at me, "I just need to double-check nobody else is on the floor. Don't pull this out."

"Didn't someone already check before I came up here?"

"You know that I like to double and triple check, I will be back." He responds, walking out of my room and closing the doors behind him, leaving me to stay in my bed, alone like always.

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magioftheseas · 4 years

Text

Encroaching Shadows

Summary: In which Natsuhiko has to come to terms with the terror he's willingly associated himself with for his lady's sake. Or at least he tries.

Rating: T+

Warnings: Suicide and minor violence.

Notes: I think the broadcasting club is neat. I would like more material that fleshes out their character. There’s not a lot of fan-material that does so, and thus I wrote this fic to fill some of that void. Also I was just really interested in the idea of exploring Natsuhiko and his relationships (particularly with Tsukasa). He’s surprisingly valid for a simp.

***Alternate Ao3 Link***

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The school bell resounded through the halls. Orange light filtered through the windows, and there, encased in the encroaching shadows, a pair of students laid entwined on the floor.

It’s strange, Natsuhiko thought. It’s so cold. Even though we’re close.

He wants to laugh, but it hurts too much to do so and he’s just tired. So, so tired. There’s dust particles fluttering about in the air—and there’s blood streaking the floor and his uniform. The hand he has in his grasp has long gone limp, but it’s still pliable. His heart is still hammering stubbornly, and he does crack a smile.

Looks like I’m slow to die, too.

For now, he supposes he can enjoy the moment. She’s always been so cold, tense, and distant, but now she’s close and relaxed. She looks like she’s sleeping. She’s beautiful.

Natsuhiko uses his free hand to brush back the strands of spring green, still vibrant against her pale cheeks. She doesn’t so much as stir. But it does feel—strange. Like rubber, almost. She’s still cold. She’s still freezing. When he inhales, bitter iron mingles with only remnants of her natural perfume.

It’s cold. It still hurts. He doesn’t know if he can sleep like this. It’s taking what feels like forever.

I’m tired, but I don’t—I don’t...?

Oh. Wow. He’s shaking.

I-I don’t want to—

He wants to scream, but he’s frozen in place, held there by a beautiful dead girl.

“What’s thiiiiis?”

Natsuhiko blinks. The new voice isn’t what he expected. Innocent curiosity instead of a scream of horror. Something drifts closer—even though he can’t hear any footprints. But when his head shifts, he does see a round childish face, with wide eyes and two little fangs peaking from his open mouth.

A kid...?

The kid isn’t wearing the school’s uniform, but upon meeting his stare, he pulls down his hat and grins.

“It’s nice to meet you! I’m Tsukasa! You called me, huh?”

“Called...?” The words are sluggish. Of course, Natsuhiko is having difficulty speaking. It still hurts so bad that he has to gasp pretty greedily for air as he does. “N-No, no, you don’t understand.”

“I wasn’t talking to you,” the kid chirped, now with a terrifyingly vacant expression. “I meant her.” In the reflection in Natsuhiko’s wild and disbelieving stare, the kid’s lips curved upwards in what couldn’t possibly be described as a smile. “Sakura, right?”

In the end, it was Natsuhiko’s screaming that alerted someone else.

“There is the near shore, and the far shore,” Tsukasa sing-songs. “The only way to cross is either through cooperation or to die. I don’t really care for that. I just help those who’ve drowned in-between.”

He twirls around.

“It’s funny. How many wishes you make when you’re dying. When you’re dead. It’s also pretty sad, so I don’t miiiiind granting them. That said, I can’t do them for free! I require payment!”

She stares, expressionless and cold.

“You’ve already given up your life,” he reminded her cheerfully. “After that—what’s a little more?”

“You can grant any wish?” she asks, simple and unperturbed.

“Any, any! Even if it’s supposed to be impossible! I’m not like my brother, you know!” Tsukasa beams, leaning in close, with the glittering gaze of a predator. “Those who try to tell you anything’s impossible are liars. I don’t like liars.”

She’s still unmoved.

“Then, I...”

She only hesitates for the briefest of moments.

“I’ll give anything, Hanako-san.”

A lot of people have been giving Natsuhiko pitying stares, no matter how often he smiles or laughs them off. Even the teachers are going pretty painfully easy on him. It was pretty nice, considering how he was used to looks of contempt for the longest time before. At least, it was nice—until it started feeling too fake and fleeting to stand.

“If you need anyone, I’m here to listen,” a classmate says to him. He thinks it’s the class president? They’ve literally never held a conversation outside of Natsuhiko being scolded for taking things too lightly. And now, this person is saying, “Take care of yourself, okay, Hyuuga-kun?”

It feels like a joke, so he smiles. It’s not very funny, but he still laughs.

“It’s fine, it’s fine!”

He doesn’t want to be here, so he escapes. All the way back to the room where everything changed. Where the only person who treats him normally remains. She’s sipping tea and at true ease.

“My lady,” he greets. “I’m—”

“Supposed to be in class,” she cuts him off. “What are you doing here? Leave. Right this instance.”

It’s only here where his smile twitches.

“I’d rather be with you.”

“Sakura,” a kid cuts in, floating by with a wide, inquiring gaze. “Is that guy your boyfriend?”

“He’s not,” she replies curtly. “He is little more than a nuisance.”

So harsh! But he does laugh sincerely.

“Am I your boyfriend?”

Wait, no! Now, he can actually panic.

“No.” She doesn’t miss a beat. “That is not our relationship. I am your assistant and nothing more.”

“Oh, okay!” The kid still embraces her tightly, much to Natsuhiko’s despair. The brat even has an innocent smile on his face as he does so. “She’s my assistant and you’re an annoyance! So, hurry up and leave!”

“Sorry,” Natsuhiko said, shaking his head. “Uh, no can do. See, it’s so suffocating that I might actually die for real. Sorry, my lady. Do you mind me being selfish for a while?”

Sakura gives him a long hard look. Because she loves him, she’s visibly irritated. But because she’s too kind for her own good, she sighs and nods.

“Very well. Just do not expect me to pay you more mind than the air.”

She’s really great, and Natsuhiko’s all too happy to sit down in the corner and admire her, especially admire the way light rays catch on her heavenly visage. It’s just a shame that the brat is a blight in black, drifting behind like a shadow. The kid’s quick to ignore him, reaching out across the table and stuffing his face with the treats laid out.

He eats messily, licking his fingers like a greedy, greedy child. Sakura sets her tea aside, sighs, and hands him a handkerchief to wipe his face off with. He, of course, blows his nose in it.

“I’ve been thinking,” the kid says. “How about the story of the youkai?”

“We should space out the rumors,” Sakura replied. “If we are too aggressive too quickly, those who stop us will act fast.” A pause. “Patience, Hanako-san. Think about the long run. Think about how much you’d like to accomplish.”

The kid bites his hand on accident, but he doesn’t even bat an eye and just keeps on eating.

“Long run?” He swallows, and then he laps at the injury on his hand just as a cat would. “Are we going somewhere? I still haven’t figured out a way to leave the school, Sakura.”

“I meant metaphorically. That surely, you want better results that last, rather than an inconvenient burst that fizzles.” She holds out her hand. “Let me bandage you up.”

The kid stuck his entire hand into his mouth. Sakura twitched. Natsuhiko got up and retrieved a small kit they kept in the club room, one that only he really used.

“Kid,” he said. “How about you let my lady do all the planning for now? She used to be top of her class, you know. She’s very smart.” Walking up to them, he pulled the kid’s hand out of his mouth and began to wipe it off. “Just relax.”

The little asswipe spat in his face. Natsuhiko accidentally got it in his mouth, shuddered, and he began to turn quite pale. He most certainly ended up gagging into the trashcan.

“Don’t do that,” Sakura reprimanded. “If you are getting unruly, you should go for a walk to clear your mind instead.” Then, directed to the still slumped Natsuhiko, “You can keep an eye on him, can’t you?”

“E-Eh?” Weakly and dizzily, he lifted his head. “You’re not coming with?”

“I’d rather have time by myself to think, if that is to be allowed.” She looked toward the kid patiently. Natsuhiko didn’t remark on it. The way Sakura was clearly waiting for permission. The way the kid grinned.

“Sure, why not! I’m getting bored of this room anyway!”

Swallowing back his own bile, Natsuhiko forced an irritated smile before making his way over and pulling the kid by the arm.

“You’re not going to immediately run off and cause trouble, right?”

The kid beams up at him, too. And then he spits on his face again.

The thing is, as horrible as the brat is, Natsuhiko does find himself fretting when the kid wanders too far off for reasons beyond everyone else’s sake.

“Can you stay close?” he practically begs. “Do you need your hand held or what?”

The kid blinks wide eyes at him. The widest pair of eyes that Natsuhiko has ever seen. He sticks out the hand that’s been bandaged, and Natsuhiko is too taken aback to do anything but mutely take it.

What the hell? It’s almost like he actually is a kid.

It’s—weirdly nostalgic. There had been a time where Natsuhiko found a lost kid before. She had been bawling her eyes out and crying for her mother, and obviously, he couldn’t leave her alone. She gripped his hand tightly enough to bruise, but she had been precious all the same. It had been enough to make Natsuhiko wish he had a younger sibling of his own.

This wasn’t exactly like that, because this kid—Tsukasa, right—was a terror and probably a demon. But his hand was still small in Natsuhiko’s own, and Natsuhiko could almost pretend it hadn’t been used to tear smaller spirits into smaller pieces.

Maybe, he thought, squeezing that deceptively small hand. This kid, he—just needs guidance? Like an older sibling?

The kid was now staring in the same direction that Natsuhiko was, seemingly confused as if there was something that caught his attention. He’s squinting, too, as if there’s something beyond all that nothing.

“Tsukasa, right?” Natsuhiko finally spoke up, getting his attention.

“That’s me!” The kid beamed. “Did you somehow forget?”

It’s because I get confused. That’s not what the lady calls you. But, he knows he’s dumb so he doesn’t expect it to make sense even if it’s explained to him. “Uh. There anywhere in particular you want to go?”

Tsukasa hums thoughtfully.

“Theeeee—garden? Maybe?”

“Ooh, good choice,” Natsuhiko agrees amicably. “There are some cute girls in the gardening club after all.”

“I want to eat everything there.”

“Haha... I hear there’s a great view from one of the windows. Let’s go there instead.”

“Mmkay.”

Tsukasa half-dangles out of window, and Natsuhiko has to keep a secure grip on the back of his robe so that he doesn’t fall. He has no doubts that Tsukasa is completely indifferent towards the girls tending the flowers. Actually, he seems to be waving his arms at a bird perched below.

Natsuhiko, thinking of a cat, tugged him back so that the bird remained safely out of the demon brat’s reach.

He’s more than a handful, alright. Because of him, the lady suffers even more than she already had. But also because of him, she’s still here. So how should I feel towards him, exactly?

He doesn’t really want to feel gratitude or indebted, even if the kid had been well-meaning in his intervention. He’s definitely irritated, aggravated, and concerned about this kid the way he’d be worried about a ticking time bomb. Although because of the kid’s appearance being that of, well, a kid, he can’t deny there being a protective aspect as well.

“Oh.”

Case in point, Natushiko’s grip slipped enough that Tsukasa would’ve fallen out the window and that only earned a dulled response from the kid. Meanwhile, Natsuhiko yelped and managed to grab his ankles at the last minute and yanked him back in with, of course, an angry bird that was fluttering and squirming in the kid’s grasp.

“Let that go!” Natsuhiko snapped, slapping his wrists so that he’d release the poor thing and the bird wasted no time in flying away in several desperate wing flaps. “Also, be more careful! No more hanging out of windows, alright, kid?!”

“I don’t get the big deal,” the brat replied. “It’s not like I would’ve died.”

“That’s—!” Completely true. He’s a ghost. He wasn’t at any actual risk. But. I... “Not the problem! I would’ve had to run down so many stairs to make sure you didn’t cause real damage! Especially to the garden! It’s no good to make girls cry, y’know! Especially girls as cute as those!”

Tsukasa had already lost interest and was now gathering the feathers scattered across the floor. He observed the speckled ones with wide eyes, and Natsuhiko could only heave out a heavy sigh.

This brat... This piece of shit devil brat...

“You really are a kid, aren’t you?” He kneels down to gather feathers as well, chuckling as he did. “You’re especially bad-behaved, though.”

“Mm.” Tsukasa nods, so at least he’s aware of that. “So people say.”

So people say... Were you like this even as a human? How long have you been a kid, exactly? And—how many of those years were spent alone?

“Mm?” Tsukasa blinks at him owlishly and then he starts counting on his fingers. “Um, ten... Twenty... Thirty? What year is it?”

“Year?” Natsuhiko repeated dumbly. “Did I—ask that aloud?”

“I died... What year was it?” Tsukasa’s head tilts as he thinks it over. “Um. Ummm. It was—right. No. Um.” His face scrunches up. “Amane and I heard on the radio. Man just walked on the moon. Right! That was 1969!” He blinks several times, smile frozen. “Was that...the year I died?”

“1969?!” Natsuhiko choked. “K-Kid, that—that was like, fifty years ago!”

“Fifty! Yeah!” Tsukasa exclaimed delightedly, pointing at him with the feather before beaming. “Fifty years! It’s been fifty!”

“W-Well, it hasn’t been exactly fifty,” Natsuhiko mutters, flustered, to Tsukasa’s confusion. “But like, it has been a while. That was... Jeez, that was before my parents were born.”

“Yeah,” Tsukasa agrees, almost distantly. “Phones can be carried around now. Super weird.”

Fifty and even forty years are a pretty long time. The more he thought about it, the more he realized it was beyond his comprehension. Standing up, he folded his arms.

“Alright, so I guess now’s as good a time as any. Listen, kid. We’re going to be associated for however long you need the lady for, so we might as well get along, yeah?” Of course, Tsukasa was shuffling through his feathers to see all the different designs he had. Attention span of a squirrel, this kid, but Natsuhiko pushed through, fueled by his determination. “That said, you clearly need someone to watch over you and make sure you don’t get into trouble. So, from now on, you can consider me your big brother, yeah?” He winked as Tsukasa looked up at him. “I promise I’ll be nice and spoil you from time to time.”

Tsukasa’s expression was completely unreadable. Natsuhiko, still smiling, offered his hand to help the other up. To his relief, the kid took his hand—and then to his immediate horror, the kid twisted his arm in a way that threatened to break bone. Before he could even get out a plea, he was slammed into the wall. He yelped, his heart pounding.

“K-Kid?! Hey?! C-Come on, if I said something wrong, you could’ve just yelled at me...!” He feels his jaw swelling from the impact and winces as Tsukasa presses his wrist harder into his back. His legs were shaking. “K-Kid... Kid, please... Please...”

“I,” Tsukasa inhales and huffs into his ear. To do so, he must have been standing on his tippy toes, and the realization that this runt could very well kill him and nobody would be able to do anything had Natsuhiko’s breath hitch in hysterics. Tsukasa just goes on, “I already have a big brother. You’re not to take his place.”

“O-Okay!” Natsuhiko cried, trembling. “Okay, okay! I won’t! P-Promise! I’m sorry!”

Tsukasa doesn’t respond. For a few heart-pounding seconds, Natsuhiko lets his eyes screw shut, tears seeping through and then—nothing. The kid lets him go. And when Natsuhiko tentatively looks back, hand instinctively going to his bruised jaw. No one was there. No one at all.

“...kid?”

“Oh gosh!” someone exclaims and Natsuhiko just sees it’s one of his classmates rushing up, face awash in alarm. “Hyuuga-kun, are you okay?! Did someone attack you?”

“I just...” Gaze dropping, all Natsuhiko observes is the scattered mess of feathers. “A, huh, bird flew in and I had a hell of a time getting it to leave... I guess. Haha.”

Seriously—what the hell was that even about?

“U-Um... My lady, we, um, we have a problem.”

In his shame, he can only return to the broadcasting club empty-handed. The lady perks up from her reading, expression impassive as Natsuhiko ducks his head and avoids her stare.

“I uh, I don’t...know where the kid is.”

“What happened to your face, Natsuhiko?”

Normally, he’d light up from her show of concern, but he just flinches instead, grimacing.

“Said something that made the kid angry. I...” He laughs it off. “Did you know he had a big brother?”

“Yes,” she replied. “Of course I did.”

That had him jolt with surprise.

“W-Wha, for real?!”

“The other Hanako-san,” she explained simply. “He mentions him all the time. You never noticed?”

“Mentions... Who?” The gears began to turn and after a while, Natsuhiko gasped, figuring it out. “Amane?!”

“That was his brother’s human name, yes.”

“No way! I thought that was an old crush!” Under the lady’s withering stare, he hurriedly added, “O-Or like, a sister. Because, uh, Amane’s a girl’s name...”

“It’s gender-neutral, Natsuhiko.”

“Yeah... Guess so.” He nods along. “Uh, wow. Okay. So... Wait. Other Hanako-san?”

“How badly did he hurt you?”

Natsuhiko held up his bandaged wrist with a chuckle. “Sprained it a bit but nothing too severe, thank god. But that kid’s seriously scary, my lady.”

“You were fortunate,” she said softly. “In his current state, he cannot cause much harm. He is still weak, for the time being.”

Geez, if that’s weak, I’m even more terrified.

“Do not worry about his absence,” she goes on. “Because of his state, he will return shortly. He cannot move around much and could be banished back here with something as small as a splash of hot tea.” Coincidentally, she sips the tea she has laying out. “I apologize, however. You got mixed up in this mess because of me.”

“And I don’t mind it if it’s for your sake!” He’d grab her hand but his wrist hurts too much to do that, so he just makes the gesture limply in the air. She stares at him with disdain, and it brings much more positive shivers down his spine.

Then, that lovely gaze dulls, and her frown deepens.

“So,” he says. “Uh. What’s this about another—Hanako-san?”

“That child grants the wishes of the dead,” she said. “But his brother grants the wishes of the living. Not everyone can summon him, however.”

“Huuuuh. I see.” Natsuhiko rubs his chin, and winces because he accidentally messes with his jaw. “Maybe I could try and see if he can keep the kid in check better? I mean, I could probably see him.”

Although what am I going to do if the older brother has an even worse temper?

“Do not do anything unnecessary,” the lady snapped at him. “Understand, Natsuhiko?”

Anger borne of concern is good, though.

“Got’cha~!”

He agreed without a second thought but a part of him still wondered. Now that he wasn’t afraid for his life, he could mull things over better.

Older brother who grants the wishes of the living... If he’s at all better behaved, why couldn’t we have ended up with him?

Well. He knows why. He’s stupid and dense, but he’s not completely blind to his situation and surroundings. He could only wish to be so ignorant, that way he wouldn’t notice the pitying and weary looks he gets for reasons beyond his personality. He hasn’t been asked any questions about that day him and the lady were discovered in the classroom, and that’s for the better. Because there’s nothing to say. No answer to give.

He had already agreed to sever ties by staying with her. The least he can do is commit even when the initial plan falls through due to one violent little runt with a brother complex.

Still.

“I’m back!”

Without a care, as if he never lost his temper, the kid drops in and clings to the lady much to Natsuhiko’s gritted dismay.

“You should not lose your temper so easily,” the lady reprimanded, albeit gently. “Natsuhiko is not worth throwing a tantrum over.”

“Ehhh? You really think so?” The kid turns those big eyes back at him, and all Natsuhiko can do is force a smile and wave with his bandaged hand. Pursing his lips, the kid looked contemplative. “Okay.” He buries his face into the lady’s hair. “Sakura, I’m tired.”

“You overdid it,” she said, and Natsuhiko watches as the kid slumps against her.

“I’m really, really tired, Sakura.”

“Because you overdid it.”

“Read me something!”

Natsuhiko twitched as the lady simply sighed.

“Natsuhiko, pull up a chair for him.”

He does so, lips pressed tightly together and he doesn’t say anything even though the kid clamors into the chair and doesn’t even sit in it properly. He just props his head against the back and lets his eyes fall shut as the lady reads her book aloud in a droning voice. The kid falls into a not-quite rest, but Natsuhiko knows better at this point. He’s stupid, but he can figure stuff out.

The evening bell to signal that the school day was over is resounding. Natsuhiko wonders if anyone’s worried about him. He shakes his head, deciding it doesn’t matter.

“So that white expanse up there is really made up of stars?” The lady crooned, and the kid answers with a content hum. “No matter how long he looked at it, he just couldn’t imagine space being the cold, empty place his teacher had said it was.”

The shadows begin to creep in, the sun setting, and it wouldn’t be long before the last living soul was lost in the whispers.

#jibaku shounen hanako kun #natsuhiko hyuuga #tsukasa yugi #sakura nanamine #Magi Fics

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