#yuui answers

[completeoveranalysis]

Nick have you seen the parallel between Sakura's farewell words to Lava Lamp and Real!Fai's last words to Yuui/our Fai as uncovered in his final memory in Celes? Could you talk about it?

I didn't notice this at all in the moment, but OOF. The PAIN of this parallel.

WHAT A MOMENT TO ECHO.

It draws quite an emotional parallel between (our) Fai and Lava Lamp Guy. Both of them ended up trapped in long, lonely, torturous situations where their fate was tied to someone else - someone they loved dearly, someone who is kind of dead, but because of their unique situation they ended up tying their entire existence around these ultra painful complex scenarios for the other person's eventual survival. Lava Lamp outright told Watanuki in the dream world that no matter how much he has to endure he will do what needs to be done to fix it. And Fai kind of had the situation happen twice - first, when both twins were alive, where they both stuck in the eternal torture pit for eternity because they refused to let each other die, and then later in life where Fai was trapped into servitude to Evil Wolverine's plan in order to try and revive his brother at the end of it all. Both Lava Lamp and Fai have good goals - they are devoted to someone they love, and will endure anything they think they need to in order to save them. But so much so that it twists their lives into constant suffering, to the point that the person they want to save actually cannot bear it anymore and wants to set them free instead.

So in both these final moments we have Sakura and (the original) Fai sacrificing themselves to save the other from endless suffering - Sakura saving Lava Lamp to free him from his plotline death and everything he is chained to, and (og) Fai making the deal with Wolverine that thematically frees Fai from the pit AND frees his future self from his commitment once he knows the truth of the situation.

It's a very beautiful, dark, and tragic act of love in both cases. They are scenarios born of desperation, where there is no safe winning outcome, and the alternative will either bring endless suffering or death for both of them. It shows that both parties are, at the end of the day, willing to sacrifice literally their entire existence to save each other - but also exploring what that means and how much suffering can come of this blind devotion. IS it truly better to live your life in constant torture in the hope that you might one day free someone you love from their predetermined death? Or is this only forcing yourself to suffer needlessly?

From a plotline perspective, both of these characters are technically already dead by the time we get these lines. Sakura kind of died in Infinity. Her fate, by her own choice, has already been tied to this outcome. It would have been impossible for Lava Lamp to stop it. (Og) Fai, too, is dead by the time Our Fai sees this scene in it's true context. He died hundreds of years ago, and even though Fai bent his entire life around trying to switch places with him, in truth that was always impossible. With that in mind, both scenarios are less about "who sacrificed themselves first to save the other" and more about the concept of trying to change a death that has already taken place - and that's an idea at the very core of Tsubasa all the way through.

What is the true nature of grief? To be in pain forever, or to accept that the person you've lost loved you, wanted the best for you, and wouldn't want you to suffer like this anymore?

Do you, like Evil Wolverine, break anything you need to break in order to bring that person back - or do you allow yourself to heal, like they would have wanted?

It's technically an open question, but in both Fai's death and Sakura's death, we have the person in question actually answer the question for us.

[midnightmah07]

Her last chapter (A/n: i woke up and choose violence today- ALSO FIRST POV and short)

The mirror was correct; I'm afraid I never belonged in that place. Clawed my way out of that rabbit hole, hoping for the feeling of sanity once again.

"Good morning-"

"-I will take her order, the usual Miss Kurosu?" The attendant asked me, cutting off his co-worker. Maybe that day I wished for the unusual like I felt in that place...

"Yes. The usual." But, perhaps coffee wasn't the answer for it.

I step to the corner of the counter a heavy sigh leaving my lungs in a twirl. After leaving that twisted place, I seek for my dreams, I hoped for something between the lines of creativity, I craved for recognition. And that's when I wrote my book, "Twisted wonderland." Sure, it was not a creativity tittle, since it was the name of the place, but no one needed to know. No one knew the story written in the book was my life.

"Yuuna Kurosu."

The call out for my name made my head snap up to where the server had my order in their hands.

"Thank you." I took the coffee, heading back to the streets.

The book? A success. People came up with their theories, questions that not even I, the author, could answer.

"Miss Kurosu!" But, there was one question specifically they would all ask me. I turn my head with the hand on the doorknob. It was a teenager girl with my book in her hands. When she noticed she caught my glance, the was a small sight of embarrassment, but when she approached me, she tried to remain calm. "I've read your book, so many times... But, never understood. If Yuui, loved Vian. Why she didn't stayed?"

The only question, I would never know how to answer. As if, they could see right through me, that I wouldn't be able to have an answer. If Yuuna, loved Vil. Why did she left? That is what I would hear.

"Sometimes, the concept of love for some people, just isn't meant to be." Was my enigmatic answer for a straight forward question.

Of course, the teenage girl hums in confusion.

"Can I get a picture?" She asked me.

I nod.

Awhile, she took out her phone, I wondered myself the question. Did I left because the dark mirror was right? Did I never actually belonged?

The silence with a smile on my face, as the girl thank me after getting her picture, made me reflective.

I didn't hold grief for not belonging.

I held pain for not belonging with him.

The last kiss, was the last chapter of Yuui's book. The continuing pain of my life, was the tale not to be told.

What if I jump from a bridge

What

What if mayhaps

I end my misery right here right now

You're evil. You're so evil. You're so mean. How dare you. To make my pookie sad like this. How. How could you. You're lucky this isn't canon. I will get my revenge.

[bite-sized-devil]

Mammon brushing his teeth: "Emsh yuui waaaanhha getch coshee beshore rashds?"

Levi: "wtf are you even saying?"

Lucifer and MC: *Go to answer at the same time because they both know exactly what he said.*

MC: *Smirking* "Aww Lucifer you love Mammon so much you can understand him. How cute."

Lucifer: *blushing* "..."

Levi: "Hey doesn't that mean you also love Mammon so much MC?"

MC: *Blushing* "... Shut up Levi."

[noa-ciharu]

I love how relative concept of time is in Tsubasa. How old is Fai? 26 or 226? Who knows. How old is Ashura then? 1226? How long did Fai and Yuui spend in imprisonment before Fei Wang arrived? Noone knows. How many loops did Syaoran and Sakura go through? What is their mental age? Are vampire twins on the run for few years or few centuries? How old are they given they look like teens? How much time has passed since Yuuko died? Vampires and wizards age slowly but how much slower than human characters?

Clamp please, I need answers.

I need to know age gap between kurofai. I need to see look on Kurogane's face when he realizes they're celebrating Fai's 226th bday

[shiiko529]

so i was genuinely intending to work on my angel/demon gemshipping fic and this happened instead >.>

tbh this isnt even what i tended to post for fai's bday, but ¯⁠\⁠⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠⁠/⁠¯

i would normally say this is crack, but the CLAMP "back-baby" is canon (which is completely insane)

-----------

“The chairwoman insisted that I come check on you since I live so close.”  Fai could hear Kurogane say as his traitorous twin let him into their apartment. He looked around wildly as his panicked mind tried desperately to figure out somewhere for him to run and maybe hide and somehow manage to avoid seeing Kurogane for at least the next year so he wouldn’t have to–

“Oi.”

Shit. “Kuro-sama-sensei, what- what’re you doing here?”

“I came to check on you,” he said knowing full well that Fai had heard him talking to Yuui.

“Well, you shouldn’t get too close, wouldn’t want you getting sick too,” the blond warned, trying to keep some distance from the gym teacher. 

Kurogane ignored his advice and took a step closer, which led to Fai managing to trip over his own feet as he backed away. He managed to twist on the way down and landed awkwardly on his face instead of his back. Which, of course, put him in an almost perfect position for Kurogane to see what was a small, but obvious lump on his back.

“What is that?”

“What is what?

“On your back- that lump.”

“That? It, uh, its a growth. I have cancer.”

Yuui groaned and muttered something Kurogane didn’t catch, confirming his suspicion that what the idiot just said was complete and total bullshit. “Fai, just tell him.”

“Tell me what?” Whatever was going on (which was obviously not an illness) was going to take more effort than normal to get to the truth.

“If you don’t tell him, I will.”

Or maybe not, if Yuui was siding with him instead of his brother.

Fai shot his twin a scathing glare before sighing and looking at the floor. “Remember the staff party a couple of months ago, with the really good alcohol? Where everybody got really drunk?”

Kurogane did in fact remember that party, probably better than most of the participants. He especially remembered Yuuko shoving the two of them into a closet, even if Fai had later pretended that he had no memory of that part whatsoever.

“Wait. Are you saying- You’re preg- You’re sure its mine?” 

Kurogane was reminded of the other blond in the room by a loud scoff, “Who else’s would it be? My brother has been pining for you since the day he met you.”

“Yuui!”

“Fai, you are stupidly in love with him and now pregnant with his baby, and you keep refusing to listen to me when I tell you he loves you back!” Yuui stopped, closed his eyes and took a deep breath before exhaling loudly. “I’m going for a walk. The two of you had better be talking about marriage details when I get back.”

The outburst from the twin that was generally considered the calm and reasonable one left a resounding silence in its wake. The gym teacher stood there for a moment looking at the figure still hunched on the floor. It was disconcerting for Fai to be this not just quiet, but subdued, which only reinforced that he felt exactly the way his brother had said. Kurogane knew he had to say something because clearly they had a lot of things they needed to finally actually talk about instead of the normal dancing around and avoiding issues that Fai liked to do. This really wasn’t the way he would’ve preferred to start a conversation on this particular topic, or any topic truthfully, but Fai was obviously not going to start.

So he sat down in front of the blond and started with what seemed like the most pressing part of the situation. “Do you… want to keep it?”

“Do you?”

“I hadn’t really thought about- I mean, I knew that it- but you- This whole time?”

The corners of Fai’s mouth twitched up into the tiniest shy, nervous smile and his head bobbed in the slightest of nods, but he didn’t answer the question, instead redirecting the conversation back to the other teacher. “I know how much you like children, and you’d be a great father, but if you don’t want it, then…”

“Well, its your body, so if you don’t want it–”

“No, no! I do! I just- I don’t want to–”

“Do you really think I’d let you do this alone?”

“I’ve got Yuui, so I wouldn’t be alone, but…”

Oh, this really was about him. Kurogane was going to have to actually tell the idiot how he felt, out loud, with actual words; which he admittedly wasn’t very good at. He knew he loved Fai, but to suddenly find out that not only did Fai love him back, but wanted to have this baby with him. He also knew that having a baby was a big decision, and while he only had a couple of seconds to decide, the answer was thankfully easy. “I want it too.”

That pretty face finally turned to look at him. “Yeah?”

“And you.” It wasn’t the best confession, far from poetic or romantic, or even planned, but still, those stunning blue eyes widened in surprise; which honestly was kind of ridiculous given what Yuui had already announced for them just a few minutes earlier. “You should’ve listened to your brother.”

Teasing was normally Fai’s department, but it worked as a much needed break in the tension, and the blond groaned in dismay, finally accepting it and relaxing.

“So, we’re having a baby?”

“Yeah, we’re having a baby.”

It only took a second for the reality of what they had just said to overpower the elation of finding out that Kurogane did actually love him back and panic started to take over. “Oh god, we’re having a baby. We need to pick a name, and buy stuff, and–”

“Hey. We don’t have to do everything right now. We’ve got a few months, right?”

Fai slumped against him, “What would I do without you, Kuro-sama?”

“Something stupid probably.”

[theorist-influencer-untitled]

3.31.24 Sunday

2:16 am

I still have windblow....I feel self-pity...17 years I wasn't able to have life... I feel bad is Mark nearby? I will feel HURT!

I'm aging for nothing... My life is useless for 17 years.... They took away my story and timeline. Worst of all,they violated my self-esteem...

I was supposed to be having a good life and with someone or working but still able to have a perfect beauty...

2:39 am

I have windblow!!!

Still, can't sleep....I knew it,they make it too long like this 17th year of this windblow....To make me ugly and fat or worst bad people wanted me to fade out which is hurting me so much!!!

I feel fat and ugly now... If I can't see Mark, but I'm longing even on Mitchang missing and worrying so much on her,that I can't understand.

2:53 am

It is just weird if Mitchang went somewhere... Though, probably she gave me a "simple battery" accidentally....But still she is Yuui....

I mentioned this anime coz it is like me and Mitchang. This is about "religion" on 4 corners of the universe.

But me as Miaka, I have a different maturity now... I mature like a real adult but I'm a trap or still trap???

Mitch is a priestess of Born Again and I was a priestess supposed to be of my old religion Church Of Christ. But Mark stay away from Mitch if I'm not around coz they are both Born Again...

3:01 am

I still have windblow but on the anime lyrics it is "echo"... I'm proud to be a Roman Catholic....I switched to Roman Catholic.

If Mitchang got the "Phoenix", it is fine coz I got it first...But there is one higher than Phoenix, there is God.... The Red God...○☆♡♤◇♧●

3:12 am

Miaka ask for duplication but on the men or man that I like...

Yuii protected Miaka, she must know Miaka's men....Mitchang, we are on a difficult phase.

Duplication on other me Mitchang... But it doesn't mean we will be fat and ugly... I don't wanna be ugly and fat...

" On 4 corners of the universe and On great Gods on 4 directions, I ask to safe Mitchang and the people who truly love me...Duplicate the rabbit in a good way... Make them a good rabbit friend and guide me and Mitchang to bless them, when we meet".

3:24 am

Love the good rabbit and be rabbit and be good!!! 69...

5am

I still have windblow...

Whew! Hearing the chicken early in the morning plus John is howling...

Plus, thinking of something... Can't sleep... Is Mark nearby??? Hmm....It is unfair... It this longing... I will feel HURT if he is just somewhere nearby and without telling me...

6:56 am

I still have windblow.... Awaken by the windblow... I really wanna leave, Cavite....Where is Mitchang?

I wanna see Mark? I need him now coz I sense the he is somewhere nearby? I need some answers...

I feel fat and ugly....I wanna do nose perfection and gluta....I feel bad... They didn't fix me Mark for 17 years they want me to be ugly. I feel jealous if there are other women...

I don't want Mark, if ever to have any link in Cavite women who will just plan to smash me.

My Eureka electric kettle died today, awhile ago. When I plugged it in, it suddenly bursted out...I need to buy one..... It burst-out after 6 years... Probably symbolism of my volcano, longing to burst out... But my volcano it's been flat for 17 years... I feel bitter about it... It made me feel ugly and fat... It violated my self-confidence.

7:17 am

I hate a girl friend, this is not about Mitch.... Other old girl friends who tracked down my exes and fucked them for what purpose? They did it at my back,it is PAINFUL!

Another example I will fuck Mark these days and I feel jealous... Then, if ever Mark got a cousin an old girl friend or a women from Cavite will get his cousin,I will still get mad. Why? Coz that will be my family, why will someone will link on Mark or on his relative cousins coz Mark's cousin are all just like him white and chinky eyes and pretty for sure. It is foul that someone from Cavite or from other group who will get in into my target bf's family or my actual BF. Meaning if ever on Mark I'm holding all of their Penises!!!

Mark wherever you are, tell all of your cousins that I'm holding all of your penis!!!Don't let other women enter without my blessing...

10:10 am

Still have windblow... I wanna leave Cavite... I feel bitter...

Oh! Good thing my Eureka Electric Kettle is still working, it was fixed by Kuya Efren and Christian awhile ago... Thank God! I still have it for my coffee...

I feel frustrated... My personal issue, I really feel fat and ugly....They violated my life timeline and my self-esteem and I lost a bf... I feel bad...

Is Mitchang somewhere??? Did she give me a "simple battery"??

What about Mark? Is he as well a Mickey Mouse??? I sense an energy...

Plus, I need money these days...I still have 205 pesoses credits on Ely,until when will I reach to pay a song number.... Ten Thousands pesoses?

My 2 Uncle's can't help me angels...

Anyways, I'm longing on Mark and if my sad heart can't see him....I feel bad here in Cavite. I sense an unfair control...

I wanna be with a Barbie's face but I want that guy be supportive of my vanity.Like for example Pilot Garret ,but I hate being smash down on beauty...

10:41 am

I'm frustrated on my starbucks everyday and my vanity and my future timeline with someone... I have a windblow and I feel bad here in Cavite...

I haven't traveled for 17 years, I feel self-pity... I can't get a circle of friends.... I feel self-pity... I want to have my own life and my own future...

I wanted to have a career but some people are always damaging me... I can be an artist for a job but some hated me. I want my own niche...

I feel so fat and ugly, so stagnant and so cheap here! I wanna leave Cavite... I want some progress...

Can't buy my coffee machine... Can't go back to my original stuff...

3:01 pm

I still have windblow... I feel bitteŕ, I'm not satisfied being flatten unfairly by an unknown group???

What did they do? Did they give me a simple battery?

Is mitchang somewhere, accidentally push me on the cliff??? I need to see her again angels...

Mark, will hurt me if he is just nearby,since 2007? But still I must know everything...

My sad heart will end if I get my bf and leave this place, Cavite... I feel jealous...

3:41 pm

Still,have windblow...Self-pitying coz of this flatness no art at all or no glamour or lil glow made me self-pity... I want more flavored coffee and dream to have coffee machine in my future house with someone.... On Mark or Pilot Garret??But I wanna keep my vanity in spite of those timeline that I can have as a couple... I want a better life not being cheap like this....

I want my man to understand that I wanna be a Queen Kind... I feel jealous for not having a LIFE that is righful for me....

Anyways, I'm on "Santa Clarita Diet and True Blood"....

Wishing to leave this place... I feel fat and ugly here...

I feel HURT!!!

I wanna gain friends on the upper part but will keep the good ones on the down side, of course...

I'm not happy anymore...I need a foot spa as well...

8:37 pm

Thanks Ely for these again...

235 now...

Let's wait for 😚🤗 10k to give him a song number if I still don't have cash ...

8:39 pm

I really wanna leave Cavite... I feel self-pity... I wanna buy starbucks everyday...

Is Mark really somewhere nearby? I have windblow.... I can't get a new bf Mark, suddenly I feel that you are just nearby observing and hurting me again... Are you hurting me again???

If I can see Pilot Garret my problems will go away in a snap of a finger....Though, I'm longing to see Mark coz I feel his energy... It is not cheating, it is being a woman....Deciding and making decision. Sometimes, I feel violated on that... I don't feel pretty and I don't feel loved...

8:59 pm

I have windblow... I have so many mixed-up emotions....Why, I can't get a bf for 17 years? Am I ugly? I know, I'm not ugly, though I still need perfection coz I'm becoming wasted...

I feel irritated....I feel violated! I wanna go with Mark now, I wanna leave Cavite...

I'm resting now, shit! I need to wash John's floor mats....I'm self-pitying...

Why, I can't get a bf that I like and mutual with me....Why, I can't see Mark....Sometimes I'm so fucking jealous of Carmela, her love story but it was too much insanity...

9:11 pm

I don't like a tragic love affair... I don't want insanity.... I don't wanna be Carmela coz I still have my "love handles",my butt got some blemish now.... But what is my point? If I get rape then will be killed by someone, I hope he is handsome and wealthy.... But it is so fucking embarassment if I die on the floor then there will be crime tape here... Police and media will take a photo of my love handles and blemish butt and not so perfect feet and inguinal...That's a double dead,angels...

9:32 pm

Where is Mark? Why, I can't geta bf? Mark will you hurt me again? I have mixed-up...

How can I get a bf? I feel violated...I'm losing my self-confidence.

John keeps on humping me ....Heat moment...

[fictionplumis]

I am desperate to be creative but I feel like shit all the time due to Health Things that have me burnt the fuck out, but but but I wanna talk about my OCs. So maybe ask me stuff about my (mostly) DnD OCs I haven't gotten to use in campaigns? We got:

Cadmeus, the answer to what would happen if you gave an introverted elf survivor's guilt and war crimes, but also very high sense of responsibility to get involved in Problems. Koseff, just a normal man with a sword who is just so fucking tired of this shit but apparently the gods won't let him die so he's making that EVERYONE'S fucking problem. Yuui, the problematic cis man who likes pretty dresses and doesn't care enough about being misgendered to correct them, because that's a them problem. Markas, the brilliant scientist who wanted to make a time machine and was like, what if I did experiments on mice and got my shit peer reviewed and did actual work to determine the safety of this before doing something stupid? And then decided to test the machine on himself anyway. Luke, the guy whose best friend imploded a small factory while testing a time travel device on himself like an IDIOT, and was so distraught about it that when he found the black box thingy for their machine, he recreated everything his friend had changed without telling him and tested it on himself in the hopes of finding where his friend went. Dorrn, the answer to what if a cat was a person who had the needle of his moral compass removed but still wanted to be a good person. Dr. Plague Doctor, a kenku who talks to leeches and is wanted for so much fraud. Percy, a woman with a tragic backstory who loves flowers and raising the dead. Anthara, the specialest girl to a war deity she devoted herself to, all because she's always stubbornly ignoring his orders to kill and fight and maim until its absolutely necessary. And Estrik, the bard who can't play an instrument or sing, thinks he can't do magic, and doesn't even know he's a fucking bard, but by god will this man get himself in and out of the stupidest situations by sheer dumb luck.

[ask-the-yuuichis]

Day 4. Singing Christmas Songs

Since Yuuichi seems to canonically play the guitar, I was thinking that it’d be fun for them to sing together~

ALSO YES I KNOW I AM WAY OVERDUE I’LL CATCH UP I PROMISE even if is in January lol

[nohr-and-thirst]

💞

Kunikidaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-kunnnnnnnnnnn for sure!!! No questions about it Yuui!!! Absolutely sweetheart he will be towards you, and give you lots of love and support!!!

[emypony]

some more nextgens

gotta love HamaHaya twins

The blue haired girl is Kaori  花織 (Weaving Flower) - She loves animals and her twin sister. Pretty shy, can be super worried for no reason. Takes after Hayami in personality!! She is usually pretty submissive but if ANYONE dares to make her little sister cry, she’ll definitely step up.

The red haired girl is Atsumika 篤美華 (deep, true, sincere | beautiful | flower)

She loves flowers and puppies and kittens and PINK. All the girly things. She’s very cheery and happy butt she has her limits where she’ll break down crying for a couple of minutes then completely wreck the meanies who upset her. She makes Hayami worry a lot for her but Hamano knows she can take care of herself.

I’m not sure what their age would be. Maybe 9 years old? They’re smol.

This issss a Yuui x Chi kid i made for funsies. I keep thinking about it for some reason lol.

Her name is Asuko 明日子 (Future Child)

She’s very mature and wise, that is until she gets into a fight (not like a bully fight, i’ll explain in a bit). Then she lets loose like crazy xD. She loves laser guns and bazookas that shoot pink and glitter. Also I’ve always thought Yuuichi would look good with blue Eyes but I never got that sooo might as well xD.

Some of the nextgen kids are part of this sorta magical girl group, except not as ‘girly’ as usual. They just deal with supernatural occurrences that escape through dimensional wormholes. Life’s tough when your existence is canonically impossible!

Part of this group are also Aihime (Hakushuu), uhh the um, did I give her a name? Amagi x Mahoro andddd in the future, Shindou x Ibuki. She’ll be fun to draw, that’s fr sure!

I hope these make any sense whatsoever. ITS LIKE 4 AM I’D GET INTO HOW THESE KIDS CAME TO BE BUT ITS LAATE. But it’s also magical and nice. None of that complicated stuff xD.

[hitogatarock]

鈍色Wheels . nibiiro Wheels

LYRICS TRANSLATION for the theme song of Akudama Drive Stageplay (Akusute).

Translated name : Dull-colored Wheels

Singer : Urashimasakatasen (浦島坂田船)

All translations are belongs to me, make sure to credit properly if you plans on sharing this! Enjoy reading!

Listen along • google docs • twitter post

——————————————————————

(So we gotta go on、go on ..)

Hey、are you ready

君の目でRight here

kimi no me de Right here

Right here with your eyes

確かめる覚悟は有るか

tashikameru kakugo wa aru ka

Are you ready to find out?

自由なら側にあるなんて

jiyuu nara soba ni aru nante

"If it's freedom, it's on our side",

戯言はもう用済み

zaregoto wa mou youzumi

We've had enough of this nonsense

何が真実でどれが虚像だ

nani ga shinjitsu de dore ga kyozou da

What is true and which is false?

疑心にこそ宿るFlame

gishin ni koso yadoru Flame

Doubt's the only thing that keeps the Flame alive.

誤魔化しなんてもう利かないぜ

gomakashi nante mou kikanai ze

You can't fool us anymore

Yeahこの一瞬にAll bets

Yeah kono isshun ni All bets

Yeah it's All bets in this moment

捨てた昨日は犠性か

suteta kinou wa gisei ka

Do the yesterday we threw away is a sacrifice,

それとも有意な答えか

soretomo yuui na kotae ka

or is it a significant answer?

奈落に堕ちて知るような

naraku ni ochite shiru you na

It's like falling to the abyss, knowing

日々を望み彷徨う

hibi wo nozomi samayou

how we wanders for the days we wished

罪や罰などもうウンザリさ

tsumi ya batsu nado mou unzari sa

I'm sick of sins and punishments,

報いなんて言葉も論外さ

mukui nante kotoba mo rongai sa

don't even talk about retribution to me

初めから分かってるFate

hajime kara wakatteru Fate

If it's Fate that you know from the start,

ならば委ねりゃそれでいい

naraba yudanerya sore de ii

you can leave it to them.

So we gotta go心のまま

So we gotta go kokoro no mama

So we gotta go to our hearts' contents

閉ざされた扉(ドア)の向こうへ

tozasareta doa no mukou e

towards beyond the closed doors

未来など此処にない（Find a way）

mirai nado koko ni nai (Find a way)

There's no future right here (Find a way)

踏み出さず掴めない（That is true）

fumidasazu tsukamenai (That is true)

You can't grasp it without stepping out (That is true)

前人未到？下らない寓話

zenjin mitou? kudaranai guuwa

Unprecedented? What bothersome fable

全てが原点(オリジナル)

subete ga orijinaru

All of it are original

その身に刻め君のStory

sono mi ni kizame kimi no Story

Carve your Story to your body,

血の滲むほど深く

chi no nijimu hodo fukaku

so deep that it bleeds

戻れぬ時を切り裂いて

modorenu toki wo kirisaite

Cutting through the time of no return,

（Don't stop the run）

暗闇のなか廻る

kurayami no naka mawaru

I go round in the darkness.

そうWe're鈍色Wheels

sou We're nibiiro Wheels

Yes, We're dull-colored Wheels

逆さまのBuilding極彩色のLightning

sakasama no Building gokusaishiki no Lightning

Inverted Buildings, richly colored Lightning

誰かの希望さえ欲望に換える世界で

dareka no kibou sae yokubou ni kaeru sekai de

In a world where even someone's hope is exchanged for desire.

何が現実でどれがVirtualか

nani ga genjitsu de dore ga Virtual ka

What is reality and which is Virtual?

踊らされるのも悪くない

odorasareru no mo warukunai

It's not a bad idea to dance around.

それでも潰えぬ想いが

soredemo tsuienu omoi ga

And yet, the unquenchable thoughts

その胸に去来するなら

sono mune ni kyorai suru nara

if it keeps recurring in this heart

君を縛るものなんて きっと何ひとつ無い

kimi wo shibaru mono nante kitto nani hitotsu nai

There's surely nothing that can tie you down.

永遠も奇跡もただの妄想だ

towa mo kiseki mo tada no mousou da

Eternity and miracles are just fantasies,

逃亡者たちの残した幻影だ

toubousha-tachi no nokoshita gen'ei da

it's illusions left behind by fugitives.

朽ち果てて行く全てに せいぜい祈りを捧げよう

kuchihatete yuku subete ni seizei inori wo sasageyou

Let us pray at best for all that's rotting away.

So we gotta go愛に満ちた

So we gotta go ai ni michita

So we gotta go, if you have time

日々振り返る暇があるなら

hibi furikaeru hima ga aru nara

to look back on days filled with love

全霊をこの利那に（Throw yourself）

zenrei wo kono setsuna ni (Throw yourself)

All of my spirit to this moment (Throw yourself)

情熱を衝動に（Cross a line）

jounetsu wo shoudou ni (Cross a line)

the passion to my impulses (Cross a line)

因果応報？それも上等だ

inga ouhou? sore mo joutou da

Retribution? I'm fine with it too

全てを受け止める

subete wo uketomeru

I will take it all in

最期の時まで己だけ 痺れるほど信じたい

saigo no toki made onore dake shibireru hodo shinjitai

I wanna believe numbly only in myself until my last breath.

生温い風を引き裂いて

namanurui kaze wo hikisaite

Tearing up the lukewarm wind,

（See new day has come）

境界線を越えてゆく

kyoukai-sen wo koete iku

and crossing boundaries,

そうWe're鈍色Wheels

sou We're nibiiro Wheels

Yes, We're dull-colored Wheels

You know the time is running out

まだ間に合う錆び付いてた針動き出す

mada maniau sabitsuiteta hari ugokidasu

It's not too late to get the rusty needle moving.

伸るか反るかは運次第

noruka soruka wa unshidai

It's up to luck whether it makes or breaks,

さあスピード上げるぜHold it tight

saa supiido ageru ze Hold it tight

Come on, let's speed it up, Hold it tight!

So we gotta go心のまま

So we gotta go kokoro no mama

So we gotta go to our hearts' contents

閉ざされた扉(ドア)の向こうへ

tozasareta doa no mukou e

towards beyond the closed doors

未来など此処にない（Find a way）

mirai nado koko ni nai (Find a way)

There's no future right here (Find a way)

踏み出さず掴めない（That is true）

fumidasazu tsukamenai (That is true)

You can't grasp it without stepping out (That is true)

前人未到？下らない寓話

zenjin mitou? kudaranai guuwa

Unprecedented? What bothersome fable

全てが原点(オリジナル)

subete ga orijinaru

All of it are original

その身に刻め君のStory

sono mi ni kizame kimi no Story

Carve your Story to your body

血の滲むほど深く

chi no nijimu hodo fukaku

so deep that it bleeds

戻れぬ時を切り裂いて

modorenu toki wo kirisaite

Cutting through the time of no return,

（Don't stop the run）

暗闇のなか廻る

kurayami no naka mawaru

I go round in the darkness.

そうWe're鈍色Wheels

sou We're nibiiro Wheels

Yes, We're dull-colored Wheels

(Hey) 神のみぞ知る (Hey) 世界は要らない

(Hey) kami no mizo shiru (Hey) sekai wa iranai

(Hey) We don't need a world (Hey) that only god knows

(Hey) さあ切り拓け運命をその手で

(Hey) saa kirihirake unmei wo sono te de

(Hey) Now carve out your destiny with your own hands.

(Hey) 後悔はナシだ (Hey) 二度は無い今を

(Hey) koukai wa nashi da (Hey) nido wa nai ima wo

(Hey) Had no regrets— (Hey) Run through the present

(Hey) 滅びの日まで駆け抜けろ鈍色Wheels

(Hey) horobi no hi made kakenukero nibiiro Wheels

which never comes twice, until the day of demise, dull-colored Wheels

——————————————————————

— translator notes : finally USSS released the full song of akusute's theme song! it gives the vibes of hope and readiness from the akudama's perspectives, so it's a nice change of pace! I hope you enjoy!

——————————————————————

[kariachi]

Seriously though, I have Thoughts and Feelings about Fai. Original!Fai not Yuui!Fai. I mean Yuui!Fai too, but still. Namely regarding Small Dick Reed’s whole ‘are you sure’ business. Let’s look at the sequence of events

Small Dick Reed appears to Yuui and goes “One of you can go free, but the other’ll have to die”

Yuui responds that he wants Fai to be the one to leave

Small Dick Reed appears to Fai and goes “One of you can go free, but the other’ll have to die”

Fai responds that he wants Yuui to the the one to leave

Small Dick Reed tells him Yuui offered to die for him, asking if that changes his answer

Fai responds that he wants Yuui to be the one to leave

Small Dick Reed confirms that Fai is offering to die so his brother can live and be free

We get this

So!

A few things, first off- look at Fai’s face. That is not a look of fear or desperation, that’s just pure determination in that gaze. And it’s not new, he has it in the pages preceding this one as well. Fai had decided, as soon as Small Dick Reed appeared, that this man was going to get Yuui out and here we see him demand it. That is not the face of someone begging or politely requesting, that is someone giving an order.

And gods does Small Dick Reed not look happy with that answer. He was all asshole smiles before but now? He’s frowning, his brow is furrowed, this isn’t what he wants to be hearing. And it’d be easy enough to simply say that he doesn’t appreciate a small trapped boy, a pawn at best and nothing at this point to him, giving him orders, but I’d argue it’s more than that.

He asked Yuui once to choose which of the pair should die. He asked Fai three times.

I honestly think the one Small Dick Reed wanted was Fai from the start. Why? I can’t be sure but I have read a fic that balanced Yuui’s offensive magic with healing and- presumably- other defensive magics on Fai’s side and I think that would make sense. And what would be really useful to make sure that Sakura gets through all these worlds and collects all these memories of them that Small Dick needs so bad?

A healer on the squad.

But Fai is insistent. Fai refuses to live at the expense of his brother, he doesn’t want to live at all for his sake. And no matter how many times Small Dick asks, the answer will never change. Fai will never waver.

So he smiles, and he agrees, because Fai may have been stewing in this pain and guilt for however long they’ve been there but Yuui has been drowning in it, and is just so very close to shattering completely. He’s not the one he wanted, but he’ll do, and Small Dick made sure to have him nice and prepped for just this occasion.

[lilover131]

Hi! In Horitsuba Gakuen, who are Syaoran and Syaoron supposed to be? Syaoran is Clone Syaoran and Syaoron is Tsubasa, or is it the other way around? Then who is Sakura? Syaoron is said to be dating someone, I hope it is Sakura's doppelganger or long lost twin sister, because I really can't picture any version of Syaoran with someone else

Omg, I love talking about Hortsuba soooo much, so thank you for this question!!! My guess is that Syaoran is intended to be Tsubasa (the original Syaoran) and that Syaoron is clone Syaoran. The reason I think this is because over time leading to the end of the manga, Tsubasa has shown himself to be really innocent and gentle in nature when he feels safe and comfortable, and Clone Syaoran has grown to become much more serious and calm in nature. Though I could easily see how it could be switched! It's never been officially confirmed by CLAMP, and I doubt we'll ever get an answer on that, but I think that's part of the fun. <3

As for the mysterious significant other that Syaoron said he has (which has me shouting to the heavens at how cruel it was for CLAMP to leave us on such a cliffhanger), I don't believe there is another Sakura involved here. Personally, I think it'd be super odd storywise if Sakura suddenly came in and said "Oh btw, I have a twin sister I never told you about even though we had ample opportunity to talk about it with you being a twin and all". I have a different headcanon as to who his significant other is, and it may shock some people.

I think....that Syaoron is dating....Yuui.

And here's why I think that. Of all the people Syaoron interacts with, there are very few I can think of that aren't already spoken for or at least have some sort of romantic interest already. Yuui is one of the few that seems completely open in terms of possibility. Additionally, I find that Syaoron's limited interactions with him are incredibly intriguing. For instance, in the omake chapter where they are all learning to make Christmas desserts, after saying his cryptic and embarrassing comment to Syaoran, he stepped away and immediately moved to walk over to Yuui. There doesn't seem to be any clear reason for him to walk over to him other than to simply talk, and I find that interesting.

Additionally, after he does walk over to Yuui, they have this conversation, and maybe I'm overthinking it, but those eyes Syaoron is giving him gives me all sorts of flirty vibes. Hahaha.

I also can't forget just how honest and blunt Syaoron is and how he wasted zero time admitting to helping dress Fai in a kimono or to opening the scandalous double pages in magazines. This boy is not shy by any means, which makes him a stark contrast from the Syaoran we know for sure. Lmao!!

Like, I can totally imagine Syaoron and Yuui drinking tea or something together, talking about their lives as twins and connecting in this way. It would also make sense as to why he'd be secretive about it, seeing as Yuui is technically a teacher.

Anyways, that's my two cents. I could be way off base, but my headcanons are fun. Lmao.

[talvenhenki]

For the fanfic title quote game (sorry I have A Lot of ones this time :D you absolutely don't have to do all of them if you don't want to, you can pick and choose what you want to answer!!)

"It's a truth as clear as crystal and as hard as broken glass"

"Grief may burn you like an ember"

"When the stars have all burned out"

"And peace may reign at last"

"The days, like a flock of crows, drag themselves across the sky"

"Beyond the wide sea, somewhere there's a land"

"But without wings I cannot fly"

"The flutes played the melody of pain"

"The world of the past fades into the night beside me"

Oooo that is so many, thank you!!!

"It's a truth as clear as crystal and as hard as broken glass" - This sounds like someone coming clean about something. The imagery got me thinking about Garashir and the mess of the Purgatory/Inferno storyline as well as Dr. Bashir, I Presume and how they both had to see the other's darkest secrets come to light. Could make for a very neat study tbh

"Grief may burn you like an ember" - This screams Elrond to me. Either after Elros's death or after he arrives at Aman and has to tell Celebrían what became of Arwen, a study of how Elrond, in his grief, still has the makings of a Fëanorian (he was raised by Maedhros and Maglor, after all)

"When the stars have all burned out" - this sounds like a love confession tbh. Or, alternatively, someone fighting their demons. Not sure who would be in it, though.

"And peace may reign at last" - Elrond and Celebrían's wedding, when everything seems to be peaceful and all wars seem to have been fought.

"The days, like a flock of crows, drag themselves across the sky" - someone is waiting for something. Actually, this could be about Aramis in the monastery? How he's waiting to be able to take his vows but the abbot refuses and has him look after the children instead, educating them in the meantime.

"Beyond the wide sea, somewhere there's a land" - This would be a story of yearning, of wanting to see more than the protagonist's small home. Maybe a story set in the Earthsea, of a person who wants to have adventure, to do great things, and live

"But without wings I cannot fly" - Little Elrond wanting to fly up into the skies and see his parents once more. He wants to grow wings like his mother and be comforted by Elwing and Eärendil like the child he still is. Perhaps a discussion with young Elros follows?

"The flutes played the melody of pain" - This sounds like a story about Fai and his past from Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles. Like perhaps there is a song to remember his imprisonment by, and then one day, maybe during the time he travels with The Gang, Fai hears a song played with flutes that reminds him of. Well, everything, really. (Don't even get me started on the Fai-Yuui mess)

"The world of the past fades into the night beside me" - Nerys remembering her times in the Bajoran resistance and thinking about how long a way she has come. Maybe talking with Jadzia or Odo?

[yououui]

Kurogane opens his eyes to a place that he assumes must be purgatory. There’s darkness around him, interrupted by specks of glowing light that he cannot find a source for, and though he feels like he is standing, he can’t feel anything beneath his feet. 

So, he died then. Well. Hopefully the others made it to a safe world.

But then, in front of him, one speck of light grows a bit brighter. He sees a young boy, a face he saw in a memory. Kurogane assumes it is the mage, his mind projecting some of the last things he saw in his dying moments. Gold hair, cut and clean, face round with health and youth and dressed in warm clothes, the child looks nothing like he did while stuck in the pit.

The light grows, and it’s then that Kurogane sees that the child is not alone. Lying beside him, their head in his lap, is a man. A man with an identical face to the child’s, changed only by age and the patch that covers one eye.

“You’re...?” Kurogane voices without meaning to.

The child looks up at him and smiles, says quietly, “Yuui doesn’t dream much.”

Ah. So this is the real Fai. 

“...Am I dead?” Kurogane asks for confirmation. His voice is flat as he questions; he doesn’t fear death, and if it had to happen to keep the others safe, then that was the price he’d pay. If he’s in the same place as the real Fai, then surely it must be so. As he realizes it, he’d like to say he has no regrets, but the man lying in Fai’s lap proves that wrong. Fear not for his own soul begins to bubble up. If he’s dead, what will happen to...?

“Not yet,” Fai says quietly, his voice light and able to quell Kurogane’s thoughts immediately. “Just dreaming.”

Kurogane frowns and walks closer to the boy. There’s something under his feet now; it’s like water, though he doesn’t feel wet, rippling with each step. He kneels when he’s close enough and looks at Yuui. Fai’s small hand is stroking his brother’s hair in comfort. This boy, he’s a dreamseer. Was? Kurogane isn’t quite sure what’s happening, but he isn’t surprised. Fai and Yuui’s powers were so incredibly powerful, after all. Could it be possible that they could even surpass death itself? Or was this happening because Kurogane was so close to the edge of death, Fai was able to meet him here?

Kurogane doesn’t vocalize his curiosity. “He... doesn’t dream?” He asks instead.

Fai shakes his head solemnly. In his lap, Yuui’s brows pinch together like he’s in pain, his lips trembling. Somehow, he looks just as young as Fai in that moment, just like a scared child. “When he does,” Fai says as he places a hand over his brother’s forehead. “They’re just... nightmares. And I can never find him in the dark.”

Kurogane copies Fai and lays his hand over Yuui’s forehead as well, engulfing Fai’s. After a moment, Yuui’s lips part and the furrow of his brows smoothes out in relaxation. “...He’s alive, right?” Kurogane asks as he pulls his hand away. He’s quiet when he asks to hide the tightness in his throat.

Fai smiles at him. “Thanks to you,” The boy says. He runs his small fingers through his brother’s hair. After a moment of silence, he comments, “You don’t dream much, either.”

Kurogane looks up from Yuui to quirk a brow at the boy. “You’ve been trying to find me?” He asks, and Fai smiles like he’s sheepish. He seems sensitive, empathetic. If he and Yuui could have grown up together, Kurogane is sure that he would have been the quieter of the two. Kurogane shrugs eventually. “Part of my training. I never sleep deeply enough to dream.”

He doesn’t mention that, like Yuui, he also tends to have nightmares on the few nights he does happen to dream.

Kurogane wonders, then, why he is dreaming now. As if able to read his thoughts, Fai says, “Your body must be very tired.”

Kurogane blinks and looks down, and for the first time since waking in the Dream World, notices that his left arm is missing. Right. The blood loss and shock would be enough to keep him unconscious for days, he reckons. Here, though, there is no pain.

“Do you regret it?” Fai asks as he regards Kurogane.

“No,” Kurogane answers immediately, looking back at him. “I don’t regret anything I’ve done to keep him alive. Even if it means he’ll hate me.”

Fai smiles at Kurogane, and Kurogane feels an odd, familiar sensation, like he has been reunited with a family member. “He doesn’t hate you,” Fai tells him. “He never did.”

Yuui’s body becomes engulfed in bright white, and in the next moment, he’s vanished. Left behind where his body was are more of those specks of light, drifting slowly away.

“Ah,” Fai says with a frown. “He woke up.”

Kurogane looks at the boy again. He never met Fai, not really, yet deep in his bones is the need to protect him. It’s too late for that, though. Bitter regret replaces that need, regret for something he could have never hoped to change.

“Did you know?” Kurogane asks the child. “Did you know what would happen to the two of you?”

Fai is quiet for a moment as he thinks about it. “I didn’t begin seeing in my dreams until I was locked in the tower,” He explains, and though his voice is young, there’s an unspoken age behind it. “It was all very confusing, at first. Just flashes I had to piece together. But I saw Yuui, out of the pit and all grown up. I saw him lonely and in pain, trying to hide behind a fake smile. Then, I saw him happy. Really happy, and smiling so bright... But then I realized, no matter what I saw, I wasn’t there. And I knew that if Yuui was ever going to reach the day when he could truly smile... I couldn’t leave there with him.”

There is no remorse behind the child’s words. A longing, perhaps, to have gotten the chance to live with his brother, but no regrets. If anything, he is happy that his sacrifice let his brother live. 

“He hasn’t gotten to that point yet,” Fai says suddenly, though he smiles knowingly at Kurogane. “He hasn’t been smiling honestly. But he will, very soon.”

Kurogane can’t help but smile at Fai, just a small thing that comes with his quiet sigh. He has an urge to ruffle the boy’s hair. “You’re a strong kid, y’know that?” 

Fai grins, toothy and lopsided, dimples pressed into chubby cheeks. His smile is a bit different from Yuui’s, his eyes a bit brighter. Kurogane wonders, however, how similar their smiles will be when Yuui is honest with his feelings.

“I’m happy I could finally meet you, Kurogane,” Fai says sincerely. “I’ve always wanted to say thank you for all you’ve done. And all you will do.”

Kurogane gives in and does ruffle his hair this time. Fai laughs and shakes his head to fix the mess Kurogane caused. In all the memories he was forced to see, not once did Kurogane ever see either of the twins smile like this. It’s good, he thinks, that at least now they can both be happy.

“I know you can’t tell me what’ll happen,” Kurogane says to Fai. “But when you saw him smiling... where was he?”

Fai shakes his head and smiles apologetically. “I can’t say. I couldn’t see,” He admits. “But what I did see was you by his side.”

“...Is that right?” Kurogane murmurs, mostly to himself. He blinks when he notices glowing specks appearing along him, floating upwards as things seem to get brighter.

“Your turn now,” Fai says. “Time to wake up.”

“Hey,” Kurogane says as he struggles to see Fai against the light that threatens to blind him. “Keep looking. I have a feeling you’ll find him in a dream soon enough.”

Fai smiles and nods with determination. “I know I will.”

Kurogane can’t handle the light anymore, so he shuts his eyes against it. He sees only darkness after that, feels pain on his left side and a throbbing in his forehead. He wants to keep his eyes shut against it and go back to the Dream World, but his eyes open despite himself.

He opens his eyes to his home, his princess. Eventually, the door opens, and he sees Yuui—Fai, the man he’s dedicated his life to, and though he knows there is more to worry about, a relief he didn’t know he could feel soothes him.

And after a blow to the head that, honestly, he probably deserved, Kurogane sees the first vestiges of the smile the younger twin spoke of.

[chiiwifruit]

TCM Day 6: Fave Minor Character

This stretch of Valeria was desolate and empty, but for the deep valley that cut into the earth and the weather-beaten remnants of the tower that once rose above it, long since collapsed. Nobody dared come to this place. Rumours swirled in the nearby town that anyone who ventured too close to the valley or touched the stones of the tower would be cursed. In the past, the corpses of the guilty would be thrown into the valley, prevented from rotting by the strange magic of the place. Such practices had fallen out of favour in the last century, and now the only visitors were the curious - often children - and the reckless - often teens, and often in groups.

Occasionally, someone would come out here to die. Such things were tragedies and never spoken about.

On this particular day, it was bright and clear. Stunning weather for this time of year, when sleet and snow were much more typical. The calm air was disturbed, swirling about in place. Tighter and tighter it whirled, until the wind became a small tornado. No one living was there to observe as two figures emerged from the swirling air and looked around.

It was clear they were not from this country. Perhaps they weren’t from this world at all. Their clothes were formal and ornate, and not heavy enough for the bitter cold of a Valerian winter. The pair didn’t seem bothered, however. Each wore a heavy pendant on a long chain around his neck and gloves as white as snow. They were both young men, with pale skin and black hair, and eyes that seemed just a bit off.

“There doesn’t seem to be anyone here,” Subaru remarked to his brother, who remained silent. Kamui wandered over to examine the heap of stones, each still formed in the shape of a rough rectangle. “Though I suppose there might be people a little farther out.”

“What a strange place,” Kamui remarked. “Do you feel it, Subaru?”

Subaru paused to pay closer attention to his surroundings. There was a strange weight to the air that got thicker and thicker as he moved closer to the steep drop of the valley. Subaru rubbed his arms, which were covered in goosebumps. “Yes. This is an ancient and powerful place, though not necessarily a benevolent one. We’d better not stay, and look for a town instead.”

He turned away from the valley, disturbed by the faint outlines of bodies beneath the snow. He stopped short when he noticed a figure standing atop the stones, one he had not seen in his initial look around. It was a child of indeterminate gender, pale and gaunt and poorly dressed for the cold. The child’s hair was long, blond, and tangled,  brushing the child’s ankles. The sunken eyes were a bright blue that was a shock to see in such a pitiful face.

Subaru noticed with horror that the child’s feet were bare in the cold snow, and that the child had no gloves or hat. Subaru was a vampire and not affected much by the cold, but a human child could freeze to death out here.

Subaru’s first instinct was to help. He took several steps toward the child, who did not react. “You shouldn’t be out here dressed like that,” Subaru said. “Where are your parents?” The child was in such rough shape... perhaps they were an orphan?

The child looked startled. “You can see me?”

“What?” Too late Subaru realized that the child was slightly transparent, and that rather than standing on the rocks as Subaru had thought, the child’s feet appeared to hover just above them.

Subaru was speaking to a ghost.

“Oh.” This wasn’t the first time this had happened. Subaru and Kamui both had a high spiritual sense that was unrelated to being vampires. It seemed to run in their family. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize...”

Kamui came over to investigate, hopping up on the stones with the ghost. “Poor thing,” Kamui said. His eyes held pity. That wasn’t usual for him. He was far colder and more distrustful than Subaru. But the ghost of a child who had clearly been mistreated in life would move Kamui’s heart. “Did you starve to death?”

The ghost still looked surprised, as though they weren’t used to being seen. Perhaps the ability to see spirits was uncommon in this world. But the child did answer the question. “No, I fell. Down there.” And the child pointed down into the valley.

Kamui and Subaru both ventured to the edge to look. “It’s a long way down,” Subaru said, his stomach turning.

“It was longer when I died. I fell from the tower,” the child explained. He gestured to the stones, than pointed up. “It used to be very tall. I fell from the top of the tower down to the valley floor.” The child’s finger traced the path of his fall.

The child’s tone was matter-of-fact, which only upset Subaru further. Ghosts of children were usually volatile. They had been hurt, and they didn’t understand the circumstances of their own deaths. This one appeared to have accepted it. But if that was the case, then why hadn’t this child moved on?

Kamui looked around. There were no houses or signs of civilization as far as he could see. “Here? In the middle of nowhere?” he asked.

“This is the place for the guilty. So this is where we were brought.” The child hopped down from the pile of stones. He, for Subaru was beginning to realize that this was a boy, wandered over the edge of the cliff, and Subaru had to restrain the urge to grab at him. The child floated in the air, looking down. His feet had left no impressions in the snow, no sign that he was here at all.

“But what could you have possibly done? You’re so young,” Subaru asked.

“We’re twins. Twins bring misfortune. But killing us would be worse. So they brought us here. Me up there,” He pointed back up at the sky, where the tower once stood. “And Yuui down there.” And he pointed down to the base of the valley.

Kamui’s hand slipped into Subaru’s, and the child noticed. “Are you twins as well?”

“Yes.” Subaru couldn’t bring himself to speak, he was so appalled, so Kamui answered the question for him. “But twins aren’t considered bad in the world we’re from.”

“From another world...” The child looked wistful. He wasn’t looking at Kamui and Subaru anymore, but rather through them. Into the past. “Yuui thought we could go to another world together, if only we could get out. So there are worlds where it’s fine to be twins.” He seemed to sigh. He looked so sad. “But it was impossible. We couldn’t get out.”

“What’s your name?” Subaru asked. He wanted to know so that he could remember this boy who was a twin like him, but had been treated terribly because of it.

“Fai.”

And Subaru remembered where he had seen eyes that blue before. And a man by that name.

“Oh.” He sat down hard on one of the tower stones. “Your brother didn’t die?”

Fai shook his head and ventured closer. “The man said that if I died, he would let Yuui out. So I did.”

“We might have met him,” Kamui said. So he was thinking about Tokyo, too. Subaru wondered if it was okay to tell Fai what had happened in Tokyo. It might upset him.

But it was too late to back out. Fai’s eyes lit up. “You met Yuui? How is he? Is he tall now?” Fai asked, coming even closer.

Subaru glanced at Kamui, who was also looking at him. “Well, he was at a rough point when we met him,” Kamui said, his hesitation clear. “And he was calling himself your name.”

Some of Fai’s enthusiasm dimmed. “Oh. How bad?” he said in the manner of someone who was used to being the recipient of bad news.

“Well, he came to the world we were in, a place called Tokyo, along with his companions. One of his companions turned out to be a clone without his own heart, but one given to him by the original. The original came to Tokyo too, and the heart returned to him,” Subaru said. He wasn’t sure if he was explaining it well, but Fai listened intently. “And when his heart left him, the clone didn’t care about his companions anymore. And he... ate... one of Fai-san’s eyes.”

“For his magic,” Kamui clarified.

Subaru nodded.

Fai seemed to be processing this information. “So Yuui died?” he asked quietly.

“No. We made a deal with his companions. I’d give him some of my blood, in exchange for his companions helping the people we were with,” Kamui said. “My blood turned him into a vampire, so he survived.”

“Oh.”

Watching Fai’s face, Subaru felt tremendous guilt. He still thought he should have been able to do something to prevent the events in Tokyo. As if reading his thoughts, Kamui placed a comforting hand on Subaru’s shoulder.

“What then?” Fai asked.

“Well, they had to move on to the next world. And then so did we. We haven’t encountered each other since then.”

“I see.” Strangely, Fai didn’t look as upset as Subaru expected. Instead, Fai tried to touch Kamui’s arm, but his fingers went right through. He dropped his hand. “Thank you for helping my brother,” he said, staring up at Kamui.

“I didn’t do much,” Kamui said. To Subaru, it was clear that his brother was uncomfortable. Kamui wished he had been able to do more, too.

“You saved Yuui,” Fai said, voice firm. “You gave him a chance. I’m sure it will be hard for him to adjust to being a vampire, but... you said he has friends now.” Fai’s hands twined together. “We never had anyone before, but Yuui does now. I’m glad. Maybe they’ll help him.”

Subaru smiled, warmed by Fai’s optimism. “Yes, I’m sure they will,” he agreed. “They seemed to care about him a great deal.”

At that, Fai’s face stretched into a smile. It was an awkward smile on a face that wasn’t used to smiling, but Subaru thought it was beautiful. “Thank you for telling me about this,” Fai said. “And I don’t mean to be rude, but it’s best if you do not stay here. Some things seem to have changed since I was alive, but this world still isn’t a good place for twins. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“Yeah, we’ll go,” Kamui agreed before Subaru could say anything. But of course he would want to go. He didn’t want Subaru to be in any danger.”

“Will you be all right here by yourself?” Subaru asked. “Shouldn’t you move on?”

“I’ll be okay. It’s nice and quiet here. Nobody bothers me. And I’ll go when I’m ready,” Fai promised.

Subaru didn’t like leaving him there, the pale ghost with a tragic story that he had done nothing to deserve. But there was nothing he could do to help, so Subaru let the magic surround him and Kamui and carry them to the next world.