#also love the contrast between her and sumire like sumire is trying so hard to unionize liella

[organizationhimself]

i read sputnik sweetheart and had some thoughts. spoilers obviously

so i think the book is about the isolating ordeal of being forever unknown. and i think it also can't really be interpreted in literal terms, not just because of the magical realism but because the point is that the characters are living in different worlds from each other, and from the reader, at all times.

by a 'different world' i don't mean the physical place but the mental space that you inhabit. the way you interpret what happens to you and others and how you arrange it into a series of events, in whatever order makes the most sense to you.

because that's what we're dealing with the whole time. k is the narrator, but in scenes that only contain sumire and miu he's describing things he couldn't know about the situation (unless sumire was like "and dude my nipples got so hard," which admittedly she might've), retelling things from the kind of intimate perspective that at first suggests he was there. frequently the quotes disappear from around dialogue as if to draw a contrast between "definitely true, exact wording" and less critical conversations that k only sort of remembers the gist of, but that's my take on it. i don't know k's because this narrative choice is presented without elaboration.

multiple characters also experience, and verbalize, identity-annihilating feelings, usually from some transitory space. for sumire it's in a cafe in rome while she's trying to understand all the changes she's made and why she no longer feels like herself; for k it's at the airport to greece and then again on the way back when sumire has vanished; and for k's girlfriend it's in her car after he breaks up with her. in k and sumire's cases they both describe a sort of dreadful onset of these feelings paired with a relieving recession with no obvious catalyst, and i mention it both because i think it demonstrates the weird nature of perception warping one's understanding of events but also because i can relate. life has caught me up in so may strange and unexpected ways that i have absolutely found myself months or years out from a personal crisis, sitting at a party or on a seaside or in another country going "jesus, how the fuck did i get here?" the me who despaired years ago that he'd never get free of his circumstances is still me, and the me who used to be passionate about things that no longer move me today is still me, but am i still them? if i met the me from ten years ago would we have a single word to say to each other, or would i smile politely and brush him off like an acquaintance from a year of school i'd prefer to forget, fumbling open my apartment door and negotiating my way back to the state of my life as it is now, alone? can you hear me?

the point i'm trying to make is that these characters have internal worlds we see brief glimpses of, but it's always through the veneer of k's. k's girlfriend complains that no one has ever seen her, not her son or her husband, and she says k won't even understand, which is absolutely true because k doesn't see her either!! the character of k's girlfriend is never named; even her son gets a nickname ("carrot") but she doesn't. k is totally focused on sumire even when she's not around, and on miu when sumire is gone. all of them are just missing each other, traveling together but never quite seeing the shape of one another's lives except through the veil of their own experiences, their own otherworldly biases.

and then there's k himself, who outright bemoans his ability to see the world as it is, instead of as he feels it is. k describes a story that could be real events touched with fanciful elements, even beyond the magical parts; the girl he loves disappears in greece and her crush, who he has never before met, reaches out to him personally. he arrives in greece and that crush meets up with him just before he's forced to give up on waiting and retire for the night. the inexplicable disappearance of the girl he loves is never solved, and then she reappears in his life at the last possible second, just as she used to be, before she changed herself.

what is the truth?

you can't know, because the way i've described these events also contains a bias. i think that k is an unreliable narrator and the stories he reflects, whether he claims they come from him or sumire or miu, have been altered by his perception of the world. i think the bare bones of the tale suggest that k had a friend he was interested in, who changed herself for a crush k rarely or never met, and whose beautiful cross-country trip was the dreamlike invention of k never being present for any of it. and i think this friend lost touch and then came back into k's life in a way that was logical to them both, but appears illogical or unexpected to the reader when filtered back through the interpretation of the world k is describing.

miu's story is the same way. i don't think for a second that whatever happened to her can be boiled down to any basic facts we were told about what she remembers, not only because the story itself is unclear, but because of how we're told it. we get sumire's retelling, along with the claim that she got this story out of miu in bits and pieces with stops and starts, told through k's narrative. and to take it meta i'm trying to interpret a story told through a different cultural context from mine, filtered through the life experiences and personal conclusions of an author i have never so much as personally met.

do you see yet the unmitigated, ball-busting futility of human communication? can you hear me?

now maybe you read that and thought "well that's not fair, i think we put a lot of effort into human communication and achieve some astounding success at it, it's not futile at all," in which case anonymous reader please imagine me grasping the lapels of your shirt and going up on tiptoe to whisper in your ear motherfucker you have just proved my point.

i know, from years watching this hellsite alone, with posts shooting right past each others' points like satellites passing in catastrophically different orbits, that i cannot trust you, fellow human, to intuit that i am not referring to those messages we successfully lob to one another across the staggering gaps between us but the sheer magnitude of the context that is lost as we do so. i cannot say to you "i went to greece to find her but she was already gone" and have you understand that the person i found was no longer the person i had known, and the reality i lived was forever altered by her absence. i can't say "i haven't been able to write anything since i met her" and have you just understand that i met someone so wonderful and impressive that it changed my outlook on the whole world, that it made all my earlier work feel so silly and meaningless that i resolved to never be silly or lacking again. i can't say "i was trapped inside a ferris wheel for hours, in a cold metal orb suspended above the earth, beyond the reach of any person, and i was so lonely" and have you understand that there is an alternate history where i was never trapped there; where i went home and was loved and connected with, and i know this because i saw it, i saw it and it took everything that was mine out of my soul.

we are flashing lights in the dark, and each of us has convinced themselves that the light always belongs to a fellow traveler who has seen them too.

anyway. sputnik sweetheart was good. no fucking idea what it's about tho

#sputnik sweetheart #i solemnly swear i do not know a single fact about this book

[idealnreal]

Maruki palace overanalysis part III

Thanks to @appleyjuiceboy​ for helping with the insanity, and @goalexstark for requesting. Part I, Part II. Really long post ahead. Lots of feels.

Back into the palace monitoring room, the cables are gone. From this point on, we will encounter six journal pages, four memory rooms, and three will seeds. According to Morgana, Maruki likely never intended the memories to be seen. Will seeds are mini treasures -- aka sources of distortion. While the journal pages, like all diaries, are meant to be private. We have come to the depths of his psyche-- perhaps manifesting beliefs that he is not fully conscious of, or tries to keep hidden from others. And in this second-third of the palace (starting from the cables to the garden puzzle) we also see his systematic view of the world in full force. This will be a long post.

So starting with this first part, we come to a dimly lit corridor with similarly dimly lit rooms full of filing cabinets and mini monitoring rooms with circular stations. In one of the filing cabinet rooms, we find the first journal entry. Before we get into the text, it’s interesting to note that the journals are signified by a mess of papers strewn about, with the metaverse logo sorta watermarked over it. We will see the same sort of mess again in the memory rooms. For someone who is quite calm, organised and systematic, these messes always signal something important or emotional for him. One can imagine Maruki, flustered and upset, searching for something, throwing the papers around.

The first journal entry is found sticking out of some filing drawer. The text is as follows:

“ Feb. 2. Tomorrow is Rumi’s birthday. I’ll be meeting her parents … My hands have been shaking an awful lot lately. Will they let their daughter marry a low-level researcher like me? Now I’m getting even more anxious… When I told Rumi how nervous I’m getting, she just laughed and said I think too much. She may not have understood my problem, but I do so love her laugh. I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep with my nerves like this, but I need to lie down anyway. I’ve been getting the worst headaches lately… I might be pushing myself too hard for this thesis. I just really want to be in top form tomorrow. I know this diary was originally just for research notes, but now I hope I can look back at it with Rumi someday and feel nostalgic.”

When Maruki set the February 3rd deadline, he said that this was the day “ I lost everything that mattered to me,”. Rumi and her parents were attacked on the night of her birthday, and on the night they announced their engagement to her parents. The night that was supposed to be happy and full of hope for the future became the worst possible night of his life.

Maruki seems to suffer from some anxiety -- but of course any person would have nerves before announcing an engagement. He’s worried that he isn’t good enough for Rumi or her parents. That they wouldn’t accept him as a son-in-law, or as part of the family because of his occupation and standing.

It also seems that even at this point, he has started to awaken to his persona, with the headaches and shaking hands. This is interesting because within this game’s logic the person needs to have at least some interaction with the Metaverse and have a will of rebellion to awaken to their persona -- or to even start awakening to it. He was already working on cognitive pscience at this point, and he was aware of the potential benefits of it’s use -- as a form of psychiatric therapy. He was already rejecting the status quo of life and of his field -- there was another way, a more effective way, to heal people. And it’s also possible that this note is hinting that he has had some fleeting interaction with the Metaverse. Afterall, we see that people who first enter the Metaverse experience headaches. But the game doesn’t give any more hints on this.  

The second journal note is also within the same area, near what looks to be some kind of video tape archive. The note reads:

“ Apr. 9. I just can’t believe what’s happened. I’ll never see Rumi’s parents again… I don’t even know if Rumi will ever come back to me. Her heart’s been completely closed off ever since that day. Why did this happen? What did Rumi do to deserve this? Do we really have to go on suffering these consequences? My headaches are getting worse -- I’m even starting to hear things. Am I having some kind of breakdown? I can’t lose it … I have to do something to help Rumi.”

This entry is dated two months after the incident. We don’t see any entry in between, or any hint or any other expansion into what really happened during the incident. As far as we are told by Maruki himself is that it was a burglary that killed two people and maimed a third. Which to me, is highly suspicious. Burglars would not kill, not even when they are desperate. And it’s even more unlikely in Japan with one of the world’s lowest murder rates.

We know for a fact that Maruki tends to lie or wave away details when it comes to his own past and own feelings. Like when Ryuji asked him if highschool is when he first found romance, and when Maruki said that he and Rumi just broke up because he was ‘spineless’. I suspect there is a lot more about this incident that Maruki isn’t admitting to us-- but neither the palace nor the game ever explains it. (I have a theory, but that’s for another day).

If there is more to it than a burglary, it’s very likely that he’s suppressed it so much and hid it away somewhere that we never get to access. It’s also telling that all references to the incident are all in relation to Rumi’s pain and how it was she who suffered that night. He never even admits that he too lost something that night, and is still suffering from the trauma.

So the two months between the entries as well as the opening two lines, also signal that he was indeed traumatised by it. It’s not hard to imagine that in those two months, he couldn’t process what happened, and even by April, he still questions accepting reality. He also thinks that he’s having a breakdown -- and one doesn’t need to be a psychiatrist to know that when one starts having auditory hallucinations, it means something is really wrong in the brain department. Of course, we can infer that these hallucinations are Azathoth trying to manifest, but as far as Maruki knew, he was indeed losing it. But he forces himself to pull it together, to suppress this pain and to hide his symptoms, for Rumi -- and for his research.

It is likely that he avoided getting help or admitting that he was suffering from migraines and hallucinations. The chances of his research being funded, accepted, and published, all hinges on his reputation as a researcher. And unfortunately, as much as Japan has come a long way -- it is still detrimental to any professional to be diagnosed with a mental disorder. We also know that at this point he was already looking for funders and backers for his research -- reputation becomes everything.

We come to a room that looks like a server room, and this is where his first will seed is. The server room is a mess of tendrils and cables -- while the door itself is barred by a holographic lock, and some branch-like tendrils. The ‘flower’ looking textures that surround the door are holograms again of what looks like circuits.

Voice tracks will usually play upon opening a will seed door, which is usually the palace ruler reinforcing their distortion, and Maruki’s voice track is one of the more audible ones. The tracks will play randomly for each door, so there’s no order to things. Thanks to Jester for making out what they say:

“R-Rumi… I-I…”

“No matter what I need to do… I’ll reach my goal.”

“What can I do to make you understand?”

“What’s wrong with an alternate reality if everyone is happy?”

“I’m so close… just a little further…!”

“Just a little more… and everyone will be happy…”

“Why… why can’t we come to an agreement…?”

The man is tired, and he’s pushing himself to keep going. Some of the tracks are also questions, probably in response to Joker and the Phantom Thieves, trying to reason with them.

Moving on from this, we find more monitoring rooms, with lots of screens, cables, and glass floors that look down into what looks to be server rooms. The rooms are typically dark, illuminated only by the neon teal lights and screens.

We also then come across the first locked gate, with an authentication question. The fact that these gates require the intruder to at the very least know some parts of his past -- signify that he does want people to understand him and where he’s coming from, as uncomfortable as it is. This is especially important given how closed off he was about his past prior to this-- represented by the fact that the only way you can get these answers is watching memory tapes that, according to Morgana, are likely memories he has tried to suppress. Speaking of which…

Before we go into the memory itself, I want to note the design of these rooms. As highlighted before, messes like strewn paper, disorganised shelves, represent something emotional or upsetting for him. And no better is that demonstrated than in these memory rooms. Papers are strewn, filing boxes and books are stacked haphazardly, filing baskets and stools lay toppled. There is no clear organisation or consistency in these rooms -- and it looks as if someone had come in, thrown everything around, as if searching.

These rooms look very old-school research rooms and are lit only by an old CRTV -- in direct contrast to the high-tech aesthetic the rest of the palace has. And most of all these rooms look abandoned and forgotten. These rooms hint at the core of his self -- before he became obsessed with healing the world, the self that was confused and lost after the Incident.

It’s also interesting to note the fact that his memories play on the very small CRTV -- while in comparison earlier Sumire’s memories played on a wide screen LCD TV. He puts even more distance with his own (grainy) memories than the memories of someone else.

Okay, now we get to the first memory tape.

It starts off in Rumi’s hospital room. And from a later journal entry, we know that this is at least sometime in August, which means its been six months since the Incident, and four months since Takuto began to write in his journal again. Rumi is in a catatonic state, and it seems that she is somewhat responsive -- even if she can’t speak or move much.

Takuto is trying to cheer her up by suggesting that he bring her snacks and flowers. His tone is cheerful and gentle, knowing that Rumi can understand him -- but is simply unable to respond or speak. He knows she’s traumatised, so much to a point that she’s too scared to move. He’s trying to show her that it’s safe, and most importantly, that he’s there for her. Being an empath, loving her as much as he does -- this would’ve been incredibly painful for him. But for her sake, he tries to smile.

He then goes into telling her what’s been going on in his life, and explaining his research and how he wants to use it. From this, we know at least one of the first uses he envisioned for cognitive pscience was to stop crime before it’s committed, by changing distorted cognitions that lead people to doing bad things. He wants to make sure what happened to Rumi would never happen to anyone else. This is perhaps going one step further than what the PT are doing. Yes they’re both stopping criminals, but in Takuto’s conception -- it’s stopping crimes before there are any victims, rather than waiting for victims to be created.

He also tells her that there are some potential investors into his research, and that theres a chance that research into cognitive pscience will be properly funded. He’s excited for it because it is the first step to bringing cognitive pscience into real practical use. This also hints that at least for the past few months, he’s been working on his research again -- and trying to hide his symptoms (re: hallucinations, migraines) because he’s actively looking for funders.

He tells her that the ‘culprit’ has been caught and that she doesn’t need to worry anymore. He then mentions ‘Family’, and Rumi responds to that, repeating ‘Family’, then ‘Takuto’. As far as we can tell, these together seem to be her triggers -- and she’s sent into a PTSD episode. She yells for her parents to be given back, and cries out for them. Takuto tries to calm her down, but is unable to until the nurses arrive and (probably) sedate her.

This is another hint that the Incident was more than a simple burglary -- and somehow Takuto was more involved in the Incident than simply a bystander who couldn’t protect her when the burglar ‘was trying to escape’. And it’s also suggested that during this Incident, Rumi’s parents were being held -- perhaps as hostages?

I have a theory that the Incident was really more of an attempted assassination of Takuto -- very likely by Shido (who we know does know of Takuto’s research). While we don’t know the exact years the Incident took place -- from the journal notes, we can safely say its AT LEAST two years prior to the start of the game. I would go further to say that this was before Wakaba’s death or even Goro’s awakening, because it seems that Shido doesn’t yet have the power to cause mental shutdowns. And because of that, he’s would try the old fashioned way to shut Takuto’s research down.

However, instead of killing Takuto, Rumi and her parents suffered. It’s also interesting to note --IF this theory is true -- why Takuto was left alive. But thats pure hc territory which i’ll leave for another time.

Also another hint to support this is basically other hints that Takuto -- like Sumire-- suffers from survivor’s guilt. He even mentions it when speaking to Joker and Goro in the beginning of the palace. It’s also hinted by the fact that Takuto has managed to change Sumire’s cognition so drastically that even he was surprised. This was because of how she spoke, and how she suffered from intense survivor’s guilt. But i’ll get into this more when we get to the third memory tape.

The doctor explains to Takuto that she was triggered, and Takuto knew that it was his own words that triggered her. He apologised for it -- and muses that she needs to be ‘set free from that horrible tragedy’. It’s at this point that his migraines return and he hears a voice. Then, Rumi starts to speak, “Takuto … Please… Stop this. I … Want to… forget,”

Rumi made her wish, and Takuto began to understand how exactly cognitive pscience can make that possible. And again, he hears the voice, clearer this time -- enough for him to understand and respond to it. In that moment, desperate to put an end to Rumi’s pain, to fulfil her wish -- he agrees to Azathoth (perhaps forming a contract and semi-awakening to Azathoth). In the Japanese audio version, he actually screams this part. Oof.

In an instant, her cognition is changed and she wakes up as a different Rumi -- a Rumi who’s parents had died when she was young, who lived with her grandparents, and therefore, a Rumi who has never met or grown up with Takuto. She’s forgotten everything that caused her pain before.

Takuto, shocked at this, begins to fumble around for a cover story -- trying to explain to this new Rumi why he was in her room and why he knew her name. Despite the dawning realisation that she has truly forgotten him, he tries to be cheerful and plays it off when she shows concern for him. He would do anything to make her happy, and anything to preserve her happiness, even if it is horribly painful for him.

The interaction ends when Rumi asks why he won’t be visiting again and “what about your girlfriend?”, and he replies by “She … passed away,” In this moment, Rumi’s portrait disappears from the text box -- signifying a stark break in Takuto’s perception of her. The Rumi he knew and loved really has passed away, and this -- he convinces himself-- is another Rumi. A Rumi that he must not see again.

He stands to leave, telling her that he hopes she feels better soon and “ I know the people who care about you wish the same”.

So for him, just as his life was starting to get back together after the literal worst night ever -- just as his research was starting to get funders -- he loses his fiance and long time love. This follows the same pattern as before, where the night of the incident was supposed to be a happy night where their engagement is announced, followed by a horrible attack and murder (possible assassination attempt on his life too). But that’s allright, hes NOT in pain!!! and suspicious of any good thing that comes his way!! because now, she can be happy. And that was more important than his own happiness!!! 

Oof. Okay this got long and heavy. Gonna end this here ! Stay tuned for part 4.

#grief tw #depression tw #takuto maruki #persona 5 #persona 5 royal #(( me: looks at this post #(( i've outdone myself my insanity over this fictional character has officially gained sentience #(( no but really theres SO MUCH PAIN HOLY SHIT #p5r spoilers #f: notes #c: the self #(( RIP to my brainrot

[autistic-girl-academic]

Hypmic OC Crew: Freestyle Angels

so I’ve seen a lot of people posting their Hypmic OCs lately, and that made me want to buckle down and finalize the details for mine!

An all-female team based out of Tokyo’s Minato Ward, the Freestyle Angels are technically an independent crew - they got together to drive out crews who were abusing their claims to the territory, but aren’t interested in winning more territory themselves. (Not that they’d qualify for the DRBs anyway, of course.) Rather, they serve as a foil/rival team to the Chuohku trio.

Sumire Kuino, AKA Queen of Street

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much” - Helen Keller

Occupation: Humanitarian aid organizer

Birthday: October 7th

Age: 30

Zodiac: Libra

Height: 6′0″

Weight: 165 lbs

Blood type: AB

Likes: Bargains, fixing things, dogs, birdwatching

Dislikes: Wastefulness, unpaid debts, technology, selfish people

Favorite food: Chazuke

Least favorite food: Fugu

The daughter of a corrupt businessman and his mistress. Her father was an associate of Sairo Tohoten, who helped him flee the country when he got in trouble with the authorities, leaving a young Sumire and her mother behind. Sumire’s mother, only viewing her as another mouth to feed, likewise abandoned her daughter once she’d found a new lover. Frightened at the possibility of ending up in an orphanage, Sumire struggled to fend for herself on the streets until she was taken under the wing of an older homeless man named Takayoshi. He would go on to raise Sumire as his own, with her quickly coming to call him ‘Grandpa’ and taking on his family name. Over the years, Sumire became increasingly protective of him in turn, and he and his circle of friends would jokingly call her ‘queen’ for her assertive, take-charge nature; Sumire was always exasperated by the nickname, but grudgingly grew to accept it.

Takayoshi was the sort of person who was always willing to lend a hand and always kept an eye out for those who needed it, and Sumire followed his example. After he passed away, she became a guardian for anyone with nowhere to go, spending her days building shelters, distributing food, and standing up to whoever threatened the people that depended on her. She had fleeting hopes that the Party of Words would remedy some of the ills plaguing society, but found that little changed once the H Age began. Before the formation of the Dirty Dawg, Minato Ward went through a tumultuous period where it rapidly changed hands between many crews who abused their power. Sumire stole a set of Hypnosis Mics off of one such group and began using it to defend the defenseless, forming a duo with Ageha Hinokuchi called the Rough Diamonds, then a trio once they met Kaori Sakuragi.

Her microphone takes the shape of a street sign, while her speakers are a graffiti-covered castle made from debris. Her ability, Bulwark, decreases the damage done to her allies, albeit at the cost of taking it herself. Her personal rapping style is based off of Hime.

Personality-wise, Sumire’s an incredibly caring person under an intimidating exterior; her default stone-faced expression rarely changes and she speaks very bluntly. She won’t really judge or try to control the choices of those she helps, but if she needs to put her foot down for someone’s own good, her naturally commanding presence makes it hard to not do what she says. She’s a quick learner who can fix up just about anything she puts her hands on (with the exception of hi-tech gadgets) and a highly efficient penny-pincher; show her something with a high price tag and get ready to hear a thorough breakdown of just how many groceries it could buy. Her biggest flaw is that she doesn’t always take care of herself as well as she does others, requiring her teammates to step in and force her to take the occasional break.

She deeply respects Jakurai’s work, but finds Hifumi too flashy for her tastes. She’s also helped Dice a few times in the past, but he finds her kind of terrifying and tries to avoid her. The one person who can immediately make her lose her composure is Rei; plenty of his victims have ended up on the streets, and one of them even committed suicide despite Sumire’s attempts to save them. Unless her teammates stop her, she’ll attack him on sight.

Ageha Hinokuchi, AKA HI-FLYA

“Once freedom lights its beacon in man’s heart, the gods are powerless against him” - Jean-Paul Sartre

Occupation: Fitness & self-defense instructor

Birthday: May 6th

Age: 28

Zodiac: Taurus

Height: 5′6″

Weight: 138 lbs

Blood type: B

Likes: Pro wrestling, action movies, dancing, the beach

Dislikes: Muscle cramps, energy drinks, smoking, conformity

Favorite food: Barbecue

Least favorite food: Sea cucumber

A former member of the Party of Words. As a child, she lost her parents to an armed robbery, leading her to support Otome’s goals of eliminating conventional weapons from Japan. However, she increasingly found herself unable to turn a blind eye to the ways in which the Party manipulated innocent people. Once she learned about the True Hypnosis Microphone, she attempted to sabotage the facility where they were produced, but was discovered. In the fight that followed, a fire broke out; she fell from a great height into the flames and was presumed dead by the Party members who had been trying to apprehend her. However, a friend of hers in the group discovered that she’d survived and smuggled her to safety. After recovering from her wounds, she took on a new name and face, leaving her old identity behind to become Ageha Hinokuchi.

Her goal of stopping the Party of Words remained unchanged, and for a while she was constantly on the move, collecting evidence of their crimes and trying to come up with a way to stand against them. In Minato Ward, she happened to cross paths with Sumire Kuino, who had stolen a set of Hypnosis Microphones and was using them to defend people in need. Though initially reluctant to use one herself, she was forced to when Sumire was outnumbered and lured into a trap. Sumire, who was a firm believer in always repaying what she owed, asked what she could do in exchange for Ageha saving her life. This sparked a deep bond that eventually led to Ageha divulging her past to Sumire, and they formed a duo known as the Rough Diamonds. They later met Kaori Sakuragi and rechristened themselves the Freestyle Angels (incidentally, Ageha came up with both names, the latter because she was a fan of Charlie’s Angels).

Her microphone takes the shape of a portable music player held on an armband and a pair of headphones with butterfly wings on them, while her speaker is a four-sided boxing scoreboard. Her ability, Reverb, allows her to hit her opponent twice in one go, although the second hit isn’t as strong. Her personal style is inspired by Akkogorilla.

In contrast to Sumire, Ageha is fun-loving, always wears a smile, and is overflowing with energy; this is largely due to regretting how she previously lived, as someone blindly obedient who didn’t fully appreciate the joys of life. She can quickly befriend just about anyone and is a bit of a flirt, but only to tease. All of this belies a keen observational eye, though, and she’ll play up being an airhead to make others underestimate her. She knows a wide variety of martial arts, with kickboxing and aikido being her specialties. Because she currently lives and works in Roppongi, she’s also good with foreign languages.

Ageha is a big fan of Sasara’s comedy routines. She's suspicious of Ramuda because she knows he was involved with Chuokhu, but isn’t fully aware of his nature as a clone. Likewise, she detests Rei for having worked on the True Hypnosis Mic, but is much better at hiding it than Sumire.

Kaori Sakuragi, AKA wallflower

“Be not another, if you can be yourself” - Paracelsus

Occupation: Self-employed craftsperson

Birthday: December 5th

Age: 20

Zodiac: Sagittarius

Height: 5′3″

Weight: 116 lbs

Blood type: A

Likes: Homemade things, aromatherapy, reading, gardening

Dislikes: Cameras, busy places, the dentist, controlling people

Favorite food: Croquettes

Least favorite food: Beef tongue

Child-star-turned-idol, lead singer of the wildly popular group ‘Cutie Blooms’, Kaori seemingly vanished off the face of the earth one day. In truth, years of constant media presence, overwork, and pressure to please her demanding stage mother had driven Kaori to have a mental breakdown. Unable to be in the presence of other people without suffering severe panic attacks, she shut herself up in her apartment just before the start of the H Age for two years. When a paparazzi tracked her down and began harassing her for interviews, she fled and became lost on the streets of Minato-ku, but was rescued by Sumire Kuino and Ageha Hinokuchi. Seeing them wield their Hypnosis Mics in her defense reminded her of her original love for singing, and she begged them to make her the third member of their crew.

While her teammates have been helping her work through her trauma, Kaori is still afraid of having her face or voice recognized. She keeps her features obscured by glasses and masks as much as possible, prefers to stay out of sight, and primarily communicates through a tablet that reads out what she writes; she’s very quiet and stammers a lot when she does speak. During her years as a shut-in, she learned to provide for herself in a number of ways, such as growing her own vegetables and making clothes and other handicrafts, the latter of which she sells online.

Her microphone takes the shape of her tablet and stylus, while her speaker is a greenhouse that overflows with more and more flowers as she gains confidence during battle. Her ability, Tongue-Tied, scrambles her opponent’s speech. Her personal style is based off of Haru Nemuri.

Kaori is sensitive, timid, and somewhat pessimistic, but still possesses a very strong determination deep down at her core. She despises the fake persona that was forced upon her by the idol industry and wants to “win back her true self”. The more comfortable she gets around someone, the more she shows her passionate and cheerful side. She’s also very creative and good at memorizing small details, but at the cost of sometimes getting lost in her own thoughts and not noticing what’s going on around her.

She’s an avid reader of Gentaro’s novels, having sent him lots of anonymous fanmail in the past. She’s also recently started listening to Jyushi’s music.

#hypmic #hypmic ocs #oh god i wrote so much HELP

[dizzydennis]

10 Character for 10 People!

Nobody tagged me, but after talking with @beevean​, I really wanted to try this as well.

Sonic the Hedgehog (Sonic the Hedgehog) – My all-time favorite character. I think Sonic possesses the freedom and energy we all would love to have. He can be cocky and rude, but he has a good heart. I have said it hundreds of times already, but I love how there are two sides of Sonic. He’s very crude and carefree at most times, but when things seem dire that’s when Sonic buckles down and becomes a serious hero. I love that contrast and I just absolutely adore Sonic. Don’t forget how Sonic treats everybody as a friend even if they annoy him. Sonic isn’t the deepest character ever, but I still attest that he’s one of the very best!

Ranma Saotome (Ranma ½) – I love Ranma for a number of reasons. But I think the fact that while he is hot headed and has problems controlling his temper, in the end, he’s a really good person. He fights for his family and never puts good people in harms way…. Most of the time. Add in his curse to transform between genders and I feel like he/she speaks to me on a deep level that I certainly didn’t understand when I was younger. A classic character from the 1980s that taught me a whole lot about myself! Plus, it’s just great fun.

Leonardo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) – What I love about Leo is the fact that he is often thrusted into the leadership position. He’s diligent and hard working and yet he loves his family more than anything. I like the conflicts he has to overcome both physically and internally. Often times, when Master Splinter is gone, Leonardo has to take on the responsibility and he’s so admirable in how he tackles it. I am not very keen on how he has been changed for Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but it’s a minor gripe and I am glad it’s a new take on the character.

Phoenix Wright (Ace Attorney) – I’ve raved about why I love Phoenix before, but he’s just the definition of a good person. Yes, he’s incredibly snarky in his thoughts and will joke with his friends, but that makes him all the more likeable. His job as a defense attorney is not like real life, but it works because Phoenix is such a good person who believes in his clients. The way he fights not for his own satisfaction, but to find the truth is admirable. His many different relationships also help define him!

Sumire Kanzaki (Sakura Wars) – Sumire is kind of a jerk, but as you get to know her, you can understand that there’s a lot to her. She has a lot of pain and is doing her best. She doesn’t always show it, but she cares for the people around her. Her “cool beauty” attitude is more of a front to hide how lonely she really is. Her change throughout the Sakura Wars games is incredible and her role in the newest entry is amazing! Definitely a character the people can see themselves in.

Mikage Sakurai (Kitchen) – Mikage is a girl who has suffered so much loss. Yet from that loss, she is able to persevere. Her independence is strong, but her ability to allow herself to be dependent at times is so realistic that I love it. Again, she’s caring and hardworking. What more could you ask for? I believe her endurance is one of her most amazing traits. Also, her favorite food is katsudon which is my all-time favorite too!

Captain America (Marvel) – Specifically the Captain America from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He’s just a righteous man with so much self-sacrifice. I love how much strength he puts in others and doing the right thing. Selfless and bold; he’s truly a hero. I am so glad he got such a special ending to his story.

Chihaya Ayase (Chihayafuru) – This one is fairly straight forward. I find Chihaya’s passion and her excitement to share that passion to be so endearing. Chihaya isn’t the smartest girl, but she is trying her best. She’s so supportive of her teammates and puts so much work into her karuta career. Seeing her mature and yet not lose what made her special is such a treat and I feel inspired just reading about her. It’s great that she’s perfectly captured in the manga, anime, and films.

Julian Bashir (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) – The appeal for Julian is simply how human he is. In such a fantastical universe like Star Trek, it’d be easy to blend in. While in the earlier parts of the show, he definitely does, Julian was able to become my favorite thanks to the friendships he forged with his crewmates as well as the fact that he genuinely feels relatable. Yes, he’s work-focused and has a peculiar background, but that doesn’t change the fact that he feels like a true friend. His excursion with “Our Man Bashir” is enough to make anybody become a fan.

Superman (Superman) – This one is rather easy. Superman represents an ideal for us to all strive for. Some people complain that he is a boring boy scout, but they’re just not understanding the character. I do not like the darker versions of this character, but when he’s done right… I get this sense of pride. It makes me want to be a better person. Superman inspires hope and I definitely have been affected by him.

#Sonic the Hedgehog #anime #teenage mutant ninja turtles #captain america #star trek

[momoiina]

Only One Month, Chapter 2

Chapter Two: A First Date

The rest of the dinner goes over without any further disturbances or mentions of their deal. Sarada enjoys herself, listening to Boruto ramble about classes, friends, homework, his family. He’s lighthearted now that she has accepted him as her temporary boyfriend, all is well in his world. Sarada bites her tongue the happier he gets – it’s not that she is exactly lying to him, but she isn’t honest either.

She knows she just got Boruto’s hopes up, high enough to reach the sky if you’d put it figuratively. So all in all this would be nothing but a prolonged rejection, stretched out slowly over the course of a month.

Was she cruel for it? Maybe. But she couldn’t possibly reject him until they’d part ways one day. Gotta give the boy a chance to see that maybe she’s not as great as he believes her to be. If he’d lose interest, she wouldn’t have to reject him at the end of the month and all was good. Yeah, as if that is going to happen.

Her hand is on the white table cloth right next to his, the contrast between them softened through the candlelight; Boruto’s skin has always been darker than hers, no matter how much time she’d spent in the sun, but in the low candlelight the glow to his eyes and cheeks make him appear radiant, like a small sun.

Her own personal sun, in a way. Boruto can make the most mundane meetings and events enjoyable. This is a character trait Sarada wishes she could have inherited from her mother, but she is more like her father. Stoic, cool on the surface. Like a clear lake with frost at the edges. You’re so stiff! He’d use to say as kids. Loosen up. You’re so childish, Boruto. Not everyone has the benefit of not having to take anything seriously, she’d reply. As Boruto calls the waitress over to pay their bill, Sarada realizes that he does take her seriously. Like any small mishap would make her take a beeline to the exit of the restaurant to leave him behind. He didn’t want to hear her when she’d offered him to split the bill – she has more than enough money from her parents – after all, he was the one who had asked her out to this date so he should be the one to pay. Anything else, so he said, would be disrespectful.

“You can make it up to me by allowing me to hold your hand on the way home.” He winks at her, puts on his jacket before helping Sarada into her own. Sarada laughs, he’s flirty now that the tension between them is gone, and she doesn’t mind.

She slips her hand into his, his skin is warm and there is a hint of sweat, too. Nervousness, she assumes, no matter how hard he tries to appear nonchalant and relaxed.

On their way to the car, he pulls her close to him, and Sarada only meets his gaze for a second, then drops her eyes on the path in front of them. Boruto had that serene happiness on his face, no cheeky teasing left to taint it, he couldn’t believe his own luck tonight. Their time together for this month is more than he’d hoped he’d get. His eyes had been filled with warmth to the brim, and guilt spikes up inside her. It will be more than just painful to disappoint him at the end of the four weeks.

As Boruto drives home after delivering Sarada to her doorstep, his mood is a constant high. It doesn’t matter she had eaten half of that garlic bread at the restaurant, clearly not in the mood to kiss him good night, or that she had looked away every time he had looked at her for more than a few seconds.

It doesn’t matter because he’d get to go out with her again. When they said goodbye to each other, he’d made sure to ask her about the next date and they’d agreed to go to the movies. A horror movie because of course, Sarada had read the novel the movie is based on. Boruto kept his thoughts to himself, but her decision had surprised him. Sarada loves romantic movies and novels.

In her childhood bedroom, she would have entire rows of books only about romance stories. He cannot recall her ever reading that many horror novels, but he’d let her have her way. Once he comes back to his dorm room, he gets a call from Shikadai. “Hey, how’d it go? Do I need to bring over the vodka?”

Boruto laughs. “No, there’s no need for that. Sarada and I have our second date later this week.”

First, silence. Then, hysterical laughter from the other end of the line. “She agreed to go out with you? She really did?” “Yes! Why do you sound so surprised?” Boruto asked with a scowl on his face. Shikadai’s laughter is borderline insulting. Is it really this surprising Sarada would want to go out with him on another date?

“Because, sunny boy, she’s rejected you more times than I can count. It was honestly pathetic to watch you try time and time again,” Shikadai said with an edge to his voice. Shikadai is one of his only friends who really know just how deeply Boruto feels for Sarada.

“Nice. Nothing you say to me tonight could bring me down though. The date went great, food was bomb and we held hands on our way back.” The tone in his voice is boastful. “Oh yeah,” Shikadai replies back coolly, “Did she kiss you goodnight?” “Well…” Boruto begins but his friend cuts him off mid-sentence. “Boruto, holding hands means very little and you know that. Don’t get your hopes up,” Shikadai reminds him. “I’m not saying you need to lick each other’s faces within the next week, but I know you.” “I know you’ll take every glance she throws you as a positive sign she’ll stay with you at the end of your deal with her. I know you will get your hopes up. And I also know if you get your hopes up and she’ll leave you – “ Shikadai has enough tact not to mention that he believes Sarada is only dating Boruto to make him lose his interest (not out of cruelty, Sarada is not a cruel person, but to make him finally lose his romantic interest in her), “ – you will be absolutely devastated.” Well, if this isn’t a mood killer, Boruto thinks. The high he has been riding on comes crashing down and he looks at his left, free hand. The hand with which he’d held Sarada’s on their way home. Suddenly, the entire evening loses its sparkle, seems almost phony and Boruto’s throat closes up. “Later, Shikadai.”

“Boruto –“

“Later!”

He hangs up on his friend and throws his phone on the bed in anger. With a grunt he takes off his shirt, pushes off his pants and lies down on the bed, closing his eyes but he knows there will be no sleep for him tonight. What could have been a good night’s sleep, will now turn into anxiously recalling everything Sarada said to him over their shared meal.

It’s not in Boruto’s nature to rethink everything the people say around him or the things he says, but this is different. Sarada is different like that. The reality is that Shikadai is right. Boruto will try to do his hardest not to get his hopes up and he knows Sarada will not pick him, be with him, but is it really that bad to just dream about possibilities for a while? Even if they don’t have an actual chance of happening? Everyone else around him is allowed to fantasize, why can’t he?

You will be absolutely devastated. It takes him hours to fall asleep, Shikadai’s words still running loudly in his mind.

Although Sarada doesn’t tell Chocho about her month-long trial with Boruto, her friend still comes running to her with an accusing expression on her face.

“I guess you talked to Shikadai,” Sarada says before Chocho can open her mouth to start screaming at her. Chocho has been telling Sarada to give Boruto a chance ‘for the sake of her own happiness’.

“How did you know?” Chocho puts her hands on her sides, hips tilting forward. Today, Chocho is wearing a dark dress with colored tights.

“Because Boruto talks to Shikadai about everything. And I know Shikadai talks to you. I knew you knew about the deal the moment you came here,” Sarada replied, pushing her glasses up her nose. Chocho looks dumbfounded. “Deal? What deal?” she asks, voice lower now to protect their privacy amongst the other students. “Oh. Well, I guess Shikadai left that out.” Sarada clears her throat. “Boruto and I are going to try dating for a month. At the end of it, I can decide if I want to stay with him or not.” “Oh. My. God. Girl. Girl.” She sits down next to her friend with glowing eyes, but Sarada cuts her off before she can start gossiping about Boruto. “I know, I know. It’s cruel of me to do that and get Boruto’s hopes up when I know damn well how he feels about me.” Sarada ends her sentence in a long and hard sigh. “Wait what,” Chocho says, confused at her words, “What do you mean? You’re dating him even though you don’t reciprocate his feelings?” Sarada winces at her friend’s true words.

“So you’re telling me that you, knowing full well that Boruto Uzumaki worships the ground you’re walking on, have agreed to date him, despite also understanding that you do not return his feelings, only to get his hopes up and inevitably crushing them in the process?”

“Yes,” Sarada whispers, head hanging low.

“Damn. I didn’t take you for a heartless woman. But here you are, I have to admit; I am impressed.” “Chocho! This isn’t funny!” Sarada exclaimed. “I know it’s not!” Chocho lowers her voice again, now in a calming manner. “Please tell me you’re not going to kiss him. Poor boy won’t recover.” “It’s part of the plan,” she explains to her, “To at least kiss him once. I don’t mind doing it, don’t worry. But there will be no sex involved,“ Sarada tacks on at Chocho’s sharp inhale. “Just tell me you’ll be gentle about letting him down. He’s a softie.” Sarada laughs. “Don’t worry, I’ll try my best.”

Boruto comes into the cafeteria after Sarada and he had to text her during first period to save him a seat. He doesn’t think much whether she’ll sit by herself or surrounded by friends, but when their eyes meet across the room and he sees her sitting next to Chocho, Sumire and Inojin, his stomach still drops. Having her to himself is a selfish thought, yes, but he only has a month with her. Still, he isn’t going to keep her from their friends and this doesn’t make him lose his bravado. “Hey,” he greets everyone. Inojin doesn’t pay more attention than usual to him, but Chocho’s face is smug and Sarada’s cheeks are colored on a lovely pink shade. Of course, they all know about what happened last night. “Hey,” Sarada replies and Chocho casts her a meaningful glance. Inojin pretends not to notice the awkwardness between them, but he knows Inojin is listening. Sure enough, he will run to Shikadai to report everything to him.

Boruto would like to lean in for a quick kiss from Sarada – and she’s sitting close enough to him for it – but he isn’t going to do this in front of their nosy friends. Besides, he’s sure she wouldn’t return it. It’s too soon.

They eat their food in uncomfortable silence until Sarada takes a look at her watch and exclaims it was time for them to go to their next class. “I can walk you – if you want to,” Boruto offered with an easy smile. “I know your next class is on the other side of the campus.” “That would be kind, thank you,” Sarada answers him before taking her jacket and her backpack. As soon as Boruto and Sarada leave the vicinity of Inojin and Chocho, Sarada sees them sitting closer together, most likely to gossip about the awkward lunch break they all just had to endure.

As they step outside, Boruto offers her his hand again, she takes it and lets their arms fall in between them.

“That was an awful meal,” Sarada begins and Boruto needs to laugh the tension off. It’s good to be outside now, away from the curious eyes of their friends. “I agree. Maybe they’ll get over it in a week or so.” “Oh God, I sure hope so. I don’t think I can endure another one like it.” Sarada exhales and then turns to look at Boruto. “I do think this whole dating thing is partially overrated, and I don’t mean dating you or anyone else specifically. But having someone who walks you to class is kind of nice.” The smile she gives him is enough to color his ears red, but he can only grin in return. “Well, it’s nice having someone to walk to class then.” As they make it up the building to her History class, Boruto brings up another topic to talk about. “You know, you kinda surprised me when you said you wanted to watch a horror movie Saturday. I know you love romance novels so I thought you’d prefer Pride and Prejudice, but you really want to go and see ‘IT’?” Sarada laughs and he takes it as a cue to continue, “You don’t have to watch a horror movie because of me.” “I just find it weird to watch them with other people, romance movies I mean. Usually, there are kissing scenes and sex scenes and it just makes everything awkward. If you watch it with a date, there’s this sort of expectation in the air.”

Oh…so she didn’t want to watch a scene like that with him because she thinks he’d expect her to make out with him?

“You know I don’t expect you to do anything you really don’t want to do, right,” he asks her for affirmation.

“Oh, yes, I know. We have been friends for a long time, remember? I wouldn’t have tolerated you for so long if I would’ve thought you were such a person.” They turn around a corner and reach Sarada’s classroom. Since he has a free hour before he needs to get going again, he can go to the library for a quick study session and is in no rush.

“Thank you for bringing me to my class…,” she trails off as she turns around and they look at each other. If their situation were any different, he would kiss her on her lips, maybe linger there for a bit. He’d tell her he would miss her even though they’d see each other again after only a few hours.

But their situation is the way it is, so he only leans in and presses his lips against her cheek. He doesn’t have the guts yet to go in for a full kiss, this must suffice for now. And yet, he is not disappointed, instead gets to see faint pink blush coating her cheeks. She looks like she wants to say something for a moment, hesitates and then leaves him to go to her class. Boruto keeps thinking about the blush he saw on her the entire way to the library.

#ff:only one month #borusara #boruto #sarada #borusara fanfiction #fanfiction

[southboundhqarchive]

MEET ERIKA,

FULL NAME › Erika Yosano AGE › twenty two GENDER › Cis female (She/Her/Hers) FROM › Honolulu, Hawaii LODGING › Copper Cactus Motel PRIOR EMPLOYMENT › Freelance Illustrator NOW PLAYING › What If I Go? By Mura Masa

BIOGRAPHY,

trigger warnings: none

i. erika is born with the sun in her soul and the sea in her heart. a loud, laughing child, she is a stark contrast to her quieter older sister and soft-spoken father. she takes after you, says her aunt as she passes eri back to her mother, and this is true in more ways than one: eri has not only her mother’s charm and pluck, but also her talent for the arts. eri can’t remember when she first started drawing, but she is told that as soon as she could grip a crayon, the wall became her canvas. scolded but not discouraged, she is given paper and crayola crayons—draw something nice for mommy—and this is where her dream begins.

ii. her childhood is shaped by a loving family with grandparents just minutes away and aunts and uncles not too far off, either. she and her older sister are shuffled through the various yosano households while her parents work long hours, and not one of them can quite handle erika with her energy and boldness. still, they dote on her all the same while trying to rein her in. only her father can manage to keep her out of too much trouble, whether that’s telling her to come back before the waves get too dangerous or to stop teasing her baby cousin too much. she spends her days at the beach or with her cousins and friends; such an outgoing, lively girl like her has never had trouble getting along with others. art and hula classes keep her busy the rest of the time, and she grows from a precocious child to a lively middle schooler who always has an excuse to why she can’t help out at her aunt’s restaurant today.

iii. everything is as it should be until it isn’t.

iv. perhaps she was too absorbed in her own life to notice the deterioration of her parents’ relationship, or perhaps she was simply ignoring it, but it doesn’t hit her until the word divorce cuts through the air. she should’ve realized it sooner—her parents are high school sweethearts no longer sweet. there are less tender moments between hideo and sumire and more tense silences. more arguments and mounting frustrations. eri is fourteen when she hears her mother say, this isn’t what i wanted!  

this isn’t what she wanted? what did she want? what could they give her that they didn’t already?

and so eri wonders if she is worth loving. she wonders why, for all her similarities to her mother, it isn’t enough to keep her here.

v. sumire leaves on a rainy day in november. she doesn’t just move out of honolulu, she moves out of state. the apartment feels gutted with empty spaces where her mother’s paintings were, and it doesn’t help her sister is away in new york for her first year of college. with her mother gone, eri’s father is picking up more hours, and eri’s far too old now to be babysat by her grandparents. when she’s not in school, she’s drawing, and when she’s not drawing, she’s hiking to waterfalls and going on road trips and drinking with her friends. anything’s better than an empty apartment where dinner is a too-quiet affair made with whatever she finds in the fridge; she and her father are almost never home at the same time now. he’s trying his best to repair the bonds frayed by resentment and anger, but it’s hard when they keep missing each other.

vi. perhaps to keep his daughter from completely slipping away like his ex-wife, hideo is nothing but supportive when it comes to her art. never mind that it supposedly doesn’t make much money and her aunt says it’s just a hobby and her grandparents are wondering if she’s going to be a doctor like her sister—as long as she’s happy, as long as she’s doing what she loves, this is enough for him. she applies to one school in hawaii just to get the rest of her family off her back, but her eyes are really set on art schools in california. after high school graduation, her dreams come true: she’s off to otis college of art and design. she takes to L.A. easily, losing herself in new friends and a new city and late nights.

her second serious relationship comes in the fall of her sophomore year when she meets a photography major at a party; he’s funny, he’s charming, he doesn’t shy away when she proves herself to be more opinionated than him. the relationship she left in hawaii was born out of familiarity, out of growing up together and knowing each other inside and out, but this is born out of something new and she relishes in it. they stay up for hours talking about anything and everything, they go out for korean bbq, he takes her to disneyland, and she thinks she’s never been happier than this.

but where there’s a high, there’s a low, and it all comes crashing down a year later when she catches him with someone else. he begs for her forgiveness, she doesn’t take him back, and she wonders, not for the first time, why she’s not worth loving.

luckily, she has good friends and a good sister. forget that cheating asshole, they tell her. you’re worth way more than that. she wonders if that’s true, but thanks them all the same. no more relationships for her—she never delves deeper than a fling. ( it’s easier to leave first before they leave you. ) she focuses on her friends and her coursework, enrolling for a spring program in japan since she’s never been. they never had the money growing up, but eri always knew she was going to see the world, and japan is the perfect place to start. her sister encourages her to apply for a summer internship at pixar, which she’s accepted to, and her last year at otis is her best one.

vii. a few months after graduation, one of her friends proposes a post-christmas road trip. they pile into a car with snacks and blankets and backpacks, multiple spotify playlists ready to go. all is well until they cross the grand canyon off their ever-changing list of landmarks and they’re back on the road, driving for what seems like hours. a sign appears in the distance as the last bit of sunlight paves way for hues of indigo. boot hill, 20 miles.

two of them want to keep driving, the other two want to stop, a copper cactus beckoning them as they near the exit. eri doesn’t get a say because she’s napping in the backseat, and by the time she wakes up, they’ve pulled into a small town complete with cute diners and a drive-in theater. as they check into their rooms at the local motel, eri think it’s not so bad—especially for the price. four stars on tripadvisor, even! it’s strange, though, how all the reviews rave about how they couldn’t help but extend their stay. we just couldn’t resist.

viii. she has never been so far from the sea.

the sand stretches for miles, but not the kind with waves rushing up to kiss it; the taste of dusty air settles on her tongue instead of salt. everything feels wrong, but she’s just passing by, she tells herself. it’s been a week, sure, but she’ll check out tomorrow. really this time. yet when she tries to, the concierge is mysteriously missing, their car’s broken down, or her friend wants to stay another night and wow, isn’t this town just so great? so peaceful?

two more days pass. dude, fuck L.A., says one of her friends, rolling a joint in the back of the bar. we should just stay here.

erika’s all for bad ideas, but that’s the worst one she’s ever heard in her life.

ix. google maps says no route found. she can never find the highway exit. her friends can’t seem to make a damn decision. every time she tries to leave, she’s stopped, and her restlessness manifests in drunken nights with whoever seems like a good time, in spray-painting abandoned buildings, in the sketchbooks and canvases littering her motel room she’s been in for the last month. uneasiness and anger coil in her spine, and it shows in her art: paintings and sketches of boot hill all have an eerie quality to them, the shots in her camera capturing not the joy of small town life, but smiles that are pulled too tight and suffocating complacency. she was never meant for abandoned highways or deserts; no, her path lies in endless horizons and lush greenery and a maze of skyscrapers.

x. i just want to go home, eri mutters into a plate of fajitas. a kindly face turns toward her. oh, dear, you’re already home.

xi. there are no waves to pull her under here, but eri still feels as if she’s drowning.

❝ half-sun, half, wine-dark. wild to be understood. ❞

CENSUS,

FACECLAIM › Nana Komatsu AUTHOR › Izzie

#nana komatsu #rp #rpg #small town rp #oc rp #{ all. } #{ f. } #{ newcomer. } #{ over twenty. } #{ izzie. }