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#and sits still as a statue with Taka

abluescarfonwaston · 2 years

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Franziska didn’t really get to do Halloween before Miles came to the house, both because she was little and it wasn’t a priority. (Also they’re german so it’s not really a thing for them. VK wouldn’t have celebrated it even when he was in country.) But he asks what she wants to dress up as and her eyes get all big when he explains the holiday and now Miles is taking her out.

She is dressed up like Papa. He couldn’t come so the effect is greatly diminished but she still loudly proclaims that she’s the Best prosecutor when people ask. Puffs out her little chest like ‘guess!’ After a few houses of ???? that’s what she thinks prosecutors dress like? Miles just takes to saying she’s dressed up like her Father. That gets a great deal more cooing.

Miles isn’t dressed up but people keep thinking he is. They get a fair amount of candy before Franziska starts shivering because its COLD. But she wants to keep going!!! More candy Miles!!!! He says Missile is getting cold and they have to turn around, but they’ll hit the houses that look good.

They pour out their bags like Larry, Phoenix and him did last year so they can swap for the stuff they like best. Franziska is four and never had access to this much candy before. She immediately starts stuffing her chubby little baby face with it. He has to slow her down because if she gets sick there is No way they get to do this again.

She spends a Great deal of time every year thinking of matching costumes for them to wear. Miles Objects but is frequently subjected to them anyway. He takes her every year until she’s 9 and declares that she’s too old for trick or treating because she’s an Adult.

He stares at the carefully crafted matching costumes peeking out from where they were stuffed under her bed. Sighs and shakes his head. “I already signed us up for the trick or treating on campus Franziska. It would be unprofessional to back out now.” Which is enough to get her out one last time.

He watches her carefully meter out her candy because she can Only eat x amount in y time so she must carefully ration it out like an Adult especially since she isn’t going anymore- because Again. She is an adult. He sits across from her and lets her ‘trade’ her worst candy neither of them will eat for the best ones at unfair prices and wishes he could tell her you’re not an adult. And you shouldn’t have to pretend to be one. But he knows that’d just make her angry so he just quietly lets her take all the best candy and laments not getting to go again.

#miles edgeworth #franziska von karma #yes he could say 'you're not going to take your little brother trick or treating anymore?' and she'd be like !!! The perfect reason!#which might be what she says at 10 #Kay is 17 and still goes with sebastian #Miles thinks they're too old but does take them when they ask #having an adult with us will really Sell the fact were kids #Trucy and Pearl too #this man is vibrating with joy he gets to dress up and see his (not) kids excited #They carved pumpkins and kay got a glorp in his hair #Simon owns the scariest looking house on the block #and sits still as a statue with Taka #(The eyes follow you)#and then moves to hand them candy and half the kids scream and run away #the other have get extra candy

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solarmoonecilpse · 3 years

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Im back on my bullshit.

Junko: FUCK I JUST SUBMITTED THE ESSAY THATS WORTH 35% OF MY GRADE WITH THIS INTRO: ‘ buckle your seatbelts motherfuckers, cause in 8 short pages, im going to teach you something i learned two hours ago. So sit down, shut the fuck up, and enjoy my 4 am caffeine induced essay.’

Taka about to give every one their scripts: Mothers and Fuckers of the jury, i am proud to say, that this is the wort shit me and Junko have ever written.

Chihiro: HELP CELESTIA JUST TEXTED ME ‘I think im gay’ AND WHEN ASKED HOW HE FIGUERED IT OUT HE SAID ‘I fucked a girl.’ AND THEN DIDINT RESPOND. Chihiro: Turns out she was still fucking the girl.

Kirigiri: So i was out having dinner with Celestia and Byakuya and i forgot their rich bitches and so byakuya said “Lets tip her 200$, she seems nice.” AND CELESTIA FUCKING NODDED.

Byakuya: How did you break your wrist, wrong anwsers only. Aoi: smacking the west Virginias mothmans statues ass so hard it shattered. Byakuya: I said wrong answers only not confessions!

Junko: WELL FUCK MY HAW THATS THE DUMBASS HAT YOUR WEARING. Chihiro: Do you ever think before you talk.

#Junko enoshima #kiyotaka ishimaru #chihiro fujisaki #celestia ludenberg #kyoko kirgiri #byakuya togami #aoi asahina #danganronpa actor au #danganronpa

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hawklanthebard · 3 years

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Trespassing (Fantasy AU)

"Hey, Boss, look what we caught on the perimeter."

A pair of rough hands released Taka as he was flung onto the rugged soil with a muffled grunt. A feeble effort at getting off the ground resulted in a few crude chuckles above him. The nerve. The absolute nerve. If he was to be their captive, the least they could do was grant him the dignity of letting him walk to their camp with unbound limbs and an unclothed mouth. On top of that, his vinyl white uniform was most likely peppered with splotches now, and after it was perfectly pressed this morning, yet he seemed to be the only one even the least bit concerned. No doubt, these people were indeed ruffians.

When Taka was able to finally rise to his knees, a pair of unpolished forehooves met his gaze as another gruff voice hovered over him.

"A royal guard, huh?"

Now, in this situation, any human worth their salt would've obeyed their first impulse and kept their head down and pray to whatever god would show them mercy. Taka, as many knew, was a very special case. Never one to take a snub lying down. Never one to refuse a challenge. And certainly, never one to submit. Especially not with barbarians who care not for other's laundry. With unfazed furrowed brows and burning ruby eyes, Taka gazed up at the infamous centaur gang leader himself; Mondo Owada.

"Well, this is quite a catch," Mondo smirked, earning a few collected chuckles from his fellow thugs. As quickly as it came, his mock interested tone shifted into looming intimidation. Unlatching his diamond-spiked club from his back, he planted the peak of it into the earth just a mere foot away from Taka as if to remind him of his alpha status. Although, it wasn't like Taka was in any position or capacity to oppose him.

"So, tell me. What's a boot-licking dog like you doing in our territory?" A brief silence, followed by a muffled huff. "Oh right, the gag." With the snap of the leader's fingers, a nearby ruffian removed the cloth from Taka's mouth as the royal guard spat out whatever filth would stain his tongue for the next week or so.

"I'm not on your territory," Taka huffed, taking in the fresh air as he spoke, "You ruffians are trespassing on our land. And it is my duty as Captain of the Royal Guard to protect the House I serve from any threat."

Mondo rolled his eyes, meeting the same glance from a few members. "Right. And exactly what House do you serve? I think we all should know who we're dealing with if they hired such a...dignified representative."

As if not reading the obvious insult, Taka puffed his chest and proudly replied, "I serve the benevolent House of Togami."

A sea of thunderous laughter domed over the camp as the guard's noble smirk vanished. Although his posture remained firm. After what felt like an irritatingly long time, the laughter died down a bit and the leader was able to speak.

"Wow!" Mondo chortled as wiped away a tear before it could even form. "The Togamis?! You come here all high and mighty, ready to take on the most vicious gang in the world, and you serve the fuckin' Togamis?! Geez, with the way you talk all big 'n shit, I woulda thought you served under someone serious like the Kuzuryuu Clan. I mean, dragons need toothpicks, right? Hah, Togamis. Those pissheaded moneybags think they got what it takes to rule the world, and they hire a fuckin' Boy Scout as their flying monkey..!"

The longer and louder the gang laughed with Mondo's remarks, the more red Taka's face bloomed. Not with shame, but with something more intense. No way in heck was he going to sit there and let these four-legged ruffians rake his House's name through the dirt. "Oh yeah? Well, I'd rather be a Boy Scout than a weak little filly like you!"

Stunned silence swept through the camp as if death itself had suddenly made its horrid appearance. Taka glanced in slight curiosity as the previously-stoic members collectively lowered their heads, ears flattened against their heads as they all took a good few steps back with silent clops. Their fearful eyes were either locked on the ground, or on Mondo, although Taka noticed a few quick glances reflecting a look that was given to him many times in his youth when he insulted the school bully; Pity.

The spiked club crashed down, crushing a few decent-sized rocks underneath the soil. The Diamond leader raked his weapon through the mud as he approached the guard with a wet stomp, towering over him as if his head could reach over the trees, the peeking light of midday behind him creating a silhouette over his face, only (literally) flaming red eyes pierced through the shadow.

"You wanna run that by me again, Boy Scout..?" he spoke in a much lower tone than before, insinuating that Taka should pick his next words like grapes for wine.

Such as the noble guard, Taka's firm expression hadn't been swayed by the beast's daunting appearance. He stood his ground...or rather, knelt his ground.

"You heard me. A weak filly like you doesn't deserve to trot on our land. You'd be more fitting in the stables."

Faster than Taka could blink, Mondo snatched him up in the air by the collar, their noses pressed against each other. "You little--! You got a fuckin' death wish or somethin'?!"

"I'm not afraid of a barbarian who has to intimidate others to gain status. The kingdom I serve is blessed with folk who gained their wealth through hard work and punctuality. That's why beasts like you always fall on the bottom."

As if to fulfill a crude punchline, Taka was dropped back onto the muddy clearing with a wet thud. Mondo's pale violet eyes shifted over Taka and gave a subtle nod to whoever was behind him. Taka mentally prepared himself for whatever torture he'd face for his words, and he'd proudly face it with no regrets. However, his face twitched in confusion as his arms and legs had suddenly been freed from restraint.

"You wanna show what a fuckin' top dog you are? Then let's go right now." Mondo spoke with vigorous determination and contained anger, like a raging corrida bull before it's released into the arena.

Rubbing his slightly sore wrists, Taka rose to his feet, dusting off any loose dirt. "A trial by combat to determine our worth to our lands? For my House and homeland, I accept your challenge."

Mondo quickly scanned the guard's body once more. He'd noticed it before, but it hadn't been an issue to bring up. "Where's your weapon?" he asked bluntly.

Taka's hand glided over to his belt and, sure enough, was met with an empty sheath drooped at his hip. "I suppose it must've fallen when I was...captured." He said the last word with masked shame. He didn't want to say it, but there simply was no other word for it. This was truly unbecoming of a royal guard, let alone the Captain. Patrolled the outskirts of the kingdom without backup, captured by the most notorious gang in all the land, and managed to drop his only weapon on the way.

Mondo saw right through the mask as if it were made of glass. He tapped his finger against the shaft of his club and pondered a bit. He could simply offer Taka to use one of their weapons. But it'd probably be seen as taking pity on him, and there's nothing more shameful than that. Besides, it's better a man uses his own weapon or his own fists in a fight. Another streetwise lesson from his big bro. A fistfight would be more probable. Although, his forehooves still would leave the guard with a disadvantage. Why was doing things the honorable way so gods-dammed annoying?

"So..." Mondo sighed away whatever of his pride he had left. "How would you go about we do this?"

Taka lifted his head towards the centaur. "You're asking me? But aren't I...your prisoner?"

"All the more fuckin' reason for you to be the one to decide," Mondo grunted in annoyance. "Weapons are a no-go, my hooves outnumber your fists, so it seems we're at a fuckin' impasse unless you decide."

Taka blinked. This centaur was really letting him decide a fair game. A ruffian with a sense of honor? He felt like he'd discovered another magic-caster outside of House Towa. A husky voice snapped him out of his daze.

"Well, hurry up! We're losing daylight!" The stomp of the forehoof made it clear that Mondo was starting to regret letting Taka decide. "Tell me I didn't just give a decision-making task to some flip-flop fuck."

Taka thought and thought and thought some more, occasionally opening and closing his mouth with no words attached, much to Mondo's ever-growing annoyance. What could they do? There really wasn't much around. Just forest, and plain, and certainly nothing in the kingdom that wouldn't get them noticed. Wouldn't that be a fun thing to explain to his king? The shame and humiliation wouldn't be like anything he could endure. Wait.

"A test of endurance."

Mondo's brow perked in interest. "Oh? And how do you suppose we do that?"

Taka remembered. He'd pass it several times while on patrol but never gave it any real attention until this very moment. "Just outside the border, there's a bathhouse," Taka gave a strong-minded grin. "And a sauna."

Mondo smirked as if sharing the same singular brain cell as the royal guard. "You're on."

#danganronpa #fantasy au #kiyotaka ishimaru #mondo oowada #mondo owada #ishimondo #fanfic

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hyperfixationtimego · 3 years

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Happy little hcs to atone for my sins

Taka and Hina are study buddies

Sometimes Aoi manages to get Taka off track because she’s just so enthusiastic and wants to hear about all of her friends’ hyperfixations and special interests

37.2 minutes later

Taka’s infodumping about how he despises moral philosophy but also thoroughly enjoys it bc that’s how moral philosophers are

Or he’s infodumping about political science and debate tactics and how speeches were effective or not for various reasons

Sakura and Mondo work out together

It started off as a coincidence when they were in the gym at the same time but it kept happening so they called it a schedule

They talk about their SOs and they’re smiling

Sakura teaches Mondo certain stretches and exercises to help relax different muscle groups for whenever he pulls a muscle or has a flare up from the thing with the bikes

Leon constantly asks Chihiro to turn alter ego into a vocaloid or at least program a bit of that tech into their system

Bc he would rather shave his head again than talk to Sayaka about producing music

He just has so many ideas

And it’s cool when there are kinda punk rock songs that are covered in an 8-bit or a vocaloid style

Byakuya and Celeste have a small series of bets with low stakes about what their inferiors classmates will do to lead up to them jingling away morosely like the fools they are

Sayaka shamelessly advertises her group’s mercy to her classmates and friends

Everyone gets their nails painted at some point

Nobody knows how Byakuya got roped into it but it worked

Makoto has rainbow loom

Atua forgives you

anyway YEAH LEGIT?

Hina has fully and thoroughly fallen in love with all of her friends and classmates’ expressions whenever they’re talking about something that excites them omg 🥺

she sees someone rambling and having a good time and hears the enthusiastic pitch of their voice as well as the general Vibe™️ that they’re giving off and she just???? [Y E A R N]

and also just???? her and taka being study buddies is so valid oh my god??? they’re really close because of it!!! And Taka always loves hanging out with her because he knows she’ll let him just Talk??? and he adores that about her????? And she’ll be ENGAGED which!!!!!! oh my god!!!!?????

hi in this house we love and adore hina

And Sakura and Mondo???? absolutely?????

they have friendly competitions over who can lift the most weights/do the most reps/etc. (they do it sparingly, ofc! bc Sakura at least knows that they’ll both be subconsciously trying to beat the other as opposed to listening to what their bodies need in the moment. Sakura is the single braincell of class 78 no I won’t take it back because it’s true)

and they totally doooooo like they both get such cute loveydovey pining expressions whenever it’s Their Turn™️ to discuss the latest cute thing their partner(s) did. and listening to the other talking???? oh my god it’s literally the neatest thing????

Sakura looking at Mondo: I would die for this man

Mondo looking at Sakura: this woman is literally beauty and perfection in human form

THEY’RE SUCH GOOD FRIENDS OKAY???

also chihiro joins them for training sometimes!!!! She obviously isn’t able to do as much as the other two are, but both Sakura and Mondo are always so proud of her progress??? They’re like “you are so cool and strong do you know that??? you better know that”

and speaking of chihiro hdbdvdvdvdvdvdvdvd on GOD Leon will Not leave them alone abt it and they’re just like

“y....you do NOT have the attention span,.......you’re gonna get frustrated within like the first five minutes......and then I’ll have done all that work for nothing..............”

but Leon’s >:( no I won’t!!!! music is my Passion!!!!!!!!

so it’s like *sigh* okay

and anyway leon genuinely does rlly like it???? like he gets burned out very easily and can only compose things in short bursts, but he’s always so so so proud of the finished products??? (Even if nobody else likes it but shush 😌)

and it makes chihiro :D to know that something she made (even if it was done with reluctance) has brought one of her closest friends so much happiness????? she’s also like good for Leon but also if he ever bothers them about something like that again they are Literally Going to Snap but that’s another story for another day vwv

AND YEAH LIKE. HE DOESN’T MIND TALKING TO HER ABT MUSIC IN GENERAL BECAUSE IT’S AN INTEREST THEY SHARE (quite possibly one of the only times they will have a conversation without one constantly insulting the other ❤️) BUT. ADMITTING TO HER THAT HE NEEDS HELP WITH IT IS THE WORST HE HATES IT HE HATES IT HSBDBSBD

god okay so. his first impression of her when they had just come to hope’s peak and met for the first time was “oh my god!!! she’s a pop idol!!! so she must know a lot about music!!! maybe she’ll help me become a popular musician!!!” and her immediate reaction when she first heard him ask was to literally roll her eyes and he was like oh okay fuck her actually

and then slow burn enemies-to-friends 💛

WHEBDVSVS CELESTE AND BYAKUYA JUST BEING RICH ASSHOLES IS SO FUNNY??? LIKE THEY HAVE WEALTH SOLIDARITY AND THEY ACT ALMOST LIKE alright your status makes you worthy of my time, I suppose-

they’ve had bets on everything from how many times kirigiri will pass out from exhaustion by the end of the school day, to how long it’ll take before Kirumi finally Loses Her Shit, to how many people will be harmed by Komaeda’s luck while hanging out with him.

Mfs about to die smh

and dhdbwvwbsvwvwb yeah like??? sometimes a normal conversation with maizono will turn into her being like “yeah, and by the way, if you’re looking for a change of style and wardrobe, you should check out the newest shirt my band just released as part of our merch drop, and-”

Makoto is the one who gets baited into her merch ads most often sndbsbsbdbdbw

even mentioning the word “merch” around Leon or Kaz will earn her a lot of groaning and sighing, and occasionally a pillow or other soft object being hurled at her face 💛

oh my god they all have a manicure spa day,,,,,,,class bonding 🥺

hdbdvdvdv they got Jill to break into his dorm and kidnap him ngl like the specifics they gave her were something along the lines of “use as much force as you need to without killing him” and she was like “DONE”

and okay I’m not gonna talk abt everyone’s nails but now I’m thinking about it and like-

Sayaka gets like a lighter violet background with gold and white stars smattered around them, more concentrated in some areas than others, and it’s generally very pretty 🥺

chihiro’s are a different solid pastel color on each finger!!! it’s very kidcore and fun and they love it so muchhhh!!!

leon gets a little self-conscious when it’s his turn because his nails are highkey disgusting from all the time he spends playing baseball - there’s dirt trapped under them and everything so he’s just like hhhhhhh anxiety go brrrr but anyway he gets solid black because he’s edgy and cool like that 😎

I think Taka gets a French manicure with little dark red flowers pressed towards the tips because!!! simple yet pretty!!!

Celeste probably takes the longest because her request is sooooo complicated like it’s black and red and long ass acrylics with overlapping patterns and everyone else just kinda sits there feeling h o r r i b l e for that poor nail stylist

Toko gets a checkerboard pattern, with each nail having a different neon color in place of white!!! Because she knows that Jill will find it cool and pretty and colorful the next time she fronts (visual stimming jill?? 👀)

Togami just picks whatever will get him out of the chair quickest hdbsvdvdvdbdbdb

anyway Makoto????? rainbow loom????? absolutely

he has so many bracelets!!!!! so many so many so many and he knows how to create such a wide variety of styles it’s so cool!!!!!! he wears a bunch of them at any given time because they are so fun to fidget with!!!! and rubber texture hvvvvhvv!!!!

and he creates personalized ones for his friends, too, like he knows their favorite colors and sometimes picks up on whether they prefer a certain style or not from the way they react to the other ones he’s made and it’s!!! just so neat!!!!!

I’m thinking about it and!!! he has a bi pride fishtail, a trans pride arrow stitch, a black and neon green railroad, a pastel pink/blue/purple/yellow ladder, a jelly yellow and green dragon scale, a rainbow double cross, and a bunch more!!! he also has a bunch with charms and beads added into them!!!!

He also makes them for his friends even if he knows they won’t wear them!! Like Toko, for example, isn’t the biggest fan of jewelry because she doesn’t like the texture, but he creates one for her anyway and fills it with so much love (it looks like a daisy chain!!!! because at least she’ll be able to look at it and hold it and still be interested in it without it needing to be on her wrist!!!)

he makes a ton of bright colored ones for Mukuro (usually either single or inverted fishtail because he knows she wouldn’t enjoy wearing anything too heavy or overbearing) so that she has more mobile visual stims!!!

similar for Jill!! although most of hers tend to be black and bright neon rainbow in various bulkier styles!!!! Jill will also force him to let her look at his bracelet-covered arm whenever they hang out because. my god,,,,,,so many Colors™️

he’s found that togami prefers black and white simpler styles, and that Kyoko absolutely adores singles, fishtails, and double fishtails in any shade of purple, and that Mondo likes any of the larger styles in darker colors + blacks and grays!!! Chihiro loves anything with jelly and glitter bands!!!

Leon usually only wears one at a time, but he cycles through every single one that his boyfriend’s ever made for him because????? GOD they’re so cool and his boyfriend is so crafty and incredible and just,,,,,,,,,hvvvhvv every time he looks at the one he’s wearing he’s able to calm himself down and remember that Makoto loves him........it’s also very good for stim and fidgeting <3

anyways sorry yes Makoto with a rainbow loom is filling me with serotonin and it’s canon now

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panharmonium · 3 years

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more in-progress naruto thoughts under the cut!

i’ve only progressed by like ten episodes but we just got out of the filler and back into the real story, which means that i feel like i’m moving at a million miles per hour because we went from Nothing happening to Everything Happening All At Once

[spoiler policy disclaimer first, as always: I am watching naruto for the first time and i am trying to avoid spoilers, so please don’t interact with this (tags included, because the notifications now show them to me automatically) with any spoilery commentary, including even general things like “oh i love this show but it gets less good after X point” or “X season is better than Y season” or any general assessments of quality/likability/etc re: future seasons. Thank you! <3 ]

- real!madara has finally made his appearance (and the scene where he appeared was Epic. i love when they introduce new music). i wasn’t surprised to see him; i’ve suspected for a while that fake!madara isn’t who he says he is (specifically, i’ve been guessing that he’s madara’s brother, but the story hasn’t confirmed that, so who knows; i could be wrong). anyway the five kage are lining up to fight him, but we haven’t seen any of the battle; it cut away to naruto’s part of the story and we haven’t gotten back to gaara’s group yet...i think we’ll get into that tonight.

- the tailed beasts part of the story has taken a huge leap forward and i LOVEEEEE it; once again i am SUCH a sucker for the whole “compassion for your enemy/turning your enemies into friends” motif and ughhhhhhhhh it’s fantastic; THIS is the stuff that i love watching naruto do. this is what he’s built for. “just who the hell are you to say that having a tailed beast makes me feel despair” + kurama opening his eyes open hearing that - i LOVED that shot. and i loved the show turning things around and showing things from the perspective of someone who’s been locked in a cage for so long...and the parallel they drew between iruka saying “he’s not a beast; he’s a leaf shinobi and his name is naruto” + naruto releasing kurama from his cage and recognizing him by his name.......MASTERFUL

and oh my god they showed us the BABY tailed beasts wtf i was definitely not ready for this face:

pROTECT HIM ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

- kurama roasting naruto for accidentally kissing sasuke that one time; i was HOWLING; naruto really said he wished he and his tailed beast could joke around and bicker with each other like bee and gyuki do, and kurama just went “ok if you say so”

- sasuke is finally outside lmao. got tired of sitting around in the dark i guess

- TAKA IS BACK! honestly suigetsu was winning my heart last night all over again. i’ve always liked him, but boy, he was not pulling punches yesterday, complaining to jugo about how sasuke dragged them into a conflict that wasn’t what they originally agreed to/dropped a ceiling on their heads/left them for dead...i believe the word “reprehensible” was used, in fact....YOU GO, KIDDO! tell it like it is!

- taka also apparently stumbled upon some kind of master plan of orochimaru’s.........no idea of the details at this point but i KNEW we couldn’t count that guy out yet XD

- just a general observation: at this point, i feel like i have hundreds of questions, and instead of answering them, the show just keeps posing more:

a long time ago kabuto said something about “so long as i have the edotensei and that OTHER jutsu, i’m invincible.” what other jutsu was he talking about???

after that very same conversation with kabuto, fake!madara told black zetsu “you’d better get started on our OTHER program” - what other program was HE talking about???????

fake!madara also once said something very brief about “linking sasuke to the gedo statue”.........what. what was that about.

what did naruto see when he and sasuke had that brief encounter. sakura knows he’s hiding something. what was it?

a million years ago jiraiya was talking about the first hokage’s necklace and said “there are only two like it in the world.” naruto’s is broken...so who has the other one?

how did itachi know about fake!madara in the first place? back when fake!madara was telling sasuke about everything that happened, he was like “itachi was the only one who knew of my existence/he agreed to help me if i promised to leave the hidden leaf alone” - but how did itachi even know about fake!madara at all?

shisui uchiha...what the fuck happened to make him think he needed to kill himself and hide his eyes

how the fuck did danzo end up in cahoots with orochimaru??? and did danzo use shisui’s eye for anything while he possessed it (besides trying to influence the people at the five kage summit)???

i’m still not clear on the parameters of all the visual jutsu. why do sasuke’s new eyes look the way they do, if they’re itachi’s??? itachi’s were always a kind of three-spoked pinwheel, but now that they’ve been transplanted into sasuke they look completely different - why? i don’t even fully understand what the mangekyo is - when it was first introduced i thought it was the thing kakashi could do, but we’ve never seen anybody else use it that way (unless that’s actually what fake!madara is doing when he sucks people into him...) - itachi can use it for tsukuyomi and amaterasu and the susano’o because he has it in both eyes, but is that the extent of it? what are its capabilities actually??? and what was kabuto talking about when he said the rinnegan was a natural progression of the sharingan?

what is written on the uchiha stone tablet? is it information about how the sharingan can be used to control tailed beasts? or something else?

how did taka end up under orochimaru’s control? like - didn’t we once see a flashback of karin participating in the chunin exams at the same time as sasuke? what the hell happened to her??? how did she end up with orochimaru?????

what was going on in that brief flashback with madara and the tsuchikage? the one where young ohnoki is like “that wasn’t the agreement” and madara is like “there is no alliance; you bow to the hidden leaf; also don’t ever mention hashirama’s name in front of me again”? what is the CONTEXT

what exactly do madara and fake!madara get out of the infinite tsukuyomi? like...okay, so everyone’s a zombie living in a fantasy world, and what will YOU be doing, exactly? i’m just not sure i understand their ultimate motivation.

so many questions about this whole “six paths” thing; i don’t even understand what that is right now or why the sage of the six paths created the ten-tails to begin with or...or anything about it. fake!madara told konan a bunch of info about shadow style and creation powers but it all went way over my head and i don’t feel like i have any clarity on it yet.

this isn’t plot-related at all, but i still don’t even know what happened to rin. i’ve known she was dead for like 700 episodes but i have absolutely no clue how what happened. honestly this show is as tight-lipped about kakashi’s personal information as he himself is; they give us the tiniest bites of information and then just let us stew for years...they never told us what happened to his mom, even. they told us kakashi was a chunin at age SIX and just like...didn’t think that warranted further discussion. they mentioned he was a former anbu operative and then never mentioned it again (though i do know that’s coming...it’s been several hundred episodes, so i CAN’T WAIT)

i probably have a billion more questions that i just can’t recall at the moment because there are too many of them to keep in my head at the same time. i am sure many of these will be answered to one degree or another as i move forward, but right now i am just like “boy, time is ticking, and we have so much left to address...how???”

#pan watches naruto #naruto

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temarisnara · 3 years

Note

for the meme: naruto, sakura, sasuke, kakashi

THANK YOU!!!!!!!

naruto

general opinion: fall in a hole and die | don’t like them | eh | they’re fine I guess | like them! | love them | actual love of my life hotness level: get away from me | meh | neutral | theoretically hot but not my type | pretty hot | gorgeous! | 10/10 would bang hogwarts house: gryffindor | slytherin | ravenclaw | hufflepuff (i haven’t actually thought too much about these so i’m going with my gut here but dicey and i were talking tonight about the generational difference between naruto and jiraiya when it comes to loyalty. jiraiya grew up in a time of war and is a solider, he was trained to be loyal to the village. if it came down to it, he’d kill even tsunade if she betrayed the village. naruto is loyal to people. if sakura betrayed the village, he would never give up on her, just like he never gave up on sasuke. naruto wants to protect the village because the village is where the people he loves live. naruto’s entire narrative arc is about bonds so i’m pretty sure he’s a hufflepuff) best quality: god i just wrote a fucking essay above about it- his loyalty and bonds to other people. everyone he meets is now his friend whether they like it or not ! he was just such a lonely kid, desperate for attention, for love, for acknowledgement, anything at all. and it would’ve been so easy for him to sit in that, to let himself hate the village, to resent them- but he didn’t. he set out to prove them wrong and he did. he is so, so, so fucking good. worst quality: HIS TASTE IN MEN. okay like, on the real, it’s not his fault and boruto isn’t real but it’s such UTTER BULLSHIT that the entire fucking series he met these people who got fucked over by the village status quo and he promised them he was going to change it when he became hokage and he fucking didn’t. its BULLSHIT. it’s not his fault, that’s not him, but GOD i’m MAD. ship them with: SAKURA, sasuke, gaara, shikamaru, sai, kiba, hinata. brotp them with: SAKURA- in fact all of the above list. he has great dynamics with them. also, kakashi, iruka, jiraiya, tsunade, choji, i like to imagine his and ino’s dynamic as fucking hilarious when they’re older. oh and i want him and karin to be annoying cousins together like PLEASE i DESERVE THIS. needs to stay away from: STOP SHIPPING HIM WITH KAKASHI!!!!!!!! ENOUGH!!!!! GO TO JAIL!!!!!!!!! misc. thoughts: that’s my fucking BABY i’ve shed SO MANY TEARS over this blonde idiot. he’s so good.

sakura

general opinion: fall in a hole and die | don’t like them | eh | they’re fine I guess | like them! | love them | actual love of my life hotness level: get away from me | meh | neutral | theoretically hot but not my type | pretty hot | gorgeous! | 10/10 would bang hogwarts house: gryffindor | slytherin | ravenclaw | hufflepuff (again, havent thought about it before now, but my gut SCREAMs gryffindor. she’s so...punchy, and head strong, and hard working. just like. all the gryffindor traits!) best quality: sakura’s character development lives rent free in my head. like. okay. sakura always had potential. she ranked high in her classes, she had better chakra control than naruto or sasuke, mastered things quicker than them, was observant and book smart. but physically and emotionally, she was weak! she could not hold her own in battle the way naruto or sasuke could, and often her fear got in the way, if not straight up controlled her. when naruto and sasuke fought, she could do nothing but beg them to stop. when sasuke left the village, he easily knocked her out. and sakura knew she was the weak link of team 7. so she resolved to get stronger. she sought out tsunade and trained with her for four years. and like, tsunade is an insane person. sakura would break her bones and tsunade would have her keep training and just heal them later. she mastered healing. she mastered chakra control. she developed fucking superhuman strength. she refused to be the weak link anymore, to just sit back helplessly while naruto and sasuke fought. she’s from a civilian family, she has NOTHING in terms of innate ninja abilities like literally everyone else in her class, but she became the strongest female ninja of her generation and surpassed her legendary sannin mentor through sheer hard work and determination. FUCK. she’s so cool. worst quality: again, this is NOT HER FAULT, it’s bad sexist writing, but sakura is such a fun and obnoxious character who matches naruto beat for beat, but when sasuke comes around she’s a shell of herself. even when she’s MARRIED TO HIM she doesn’t act like herself. she’s reverted back to that inflatuated 12 year old she’s long outgrown! bro, WHAT! ship them with: NARUTO AND INO. and. ok. listen. i’ve become soft for sasuke/sakura’s potential. if sakura got to be herself with sasuke, they’d be, at the very least, FUN. and sasuke/naruto/sakura is so fun. also rock lee is so sweet, i would not have been mad if they’d been endgame. brotp them with: NARUTO AND INO. kakashi, tsunade, hinata, rock lee. needs to stay away from: STOP!!! SHIPPING!!! KAKASHI!!! WITH!!! HIS!!! STUDENTS!!!!!!! misc. thoughts: i knew i would love sakura. look at her. she has pink hair and she punches things. 10/10. but she quickly, quickly became not just my favorite naruto character, but one of my favorite characters in all of shounen anime. the ball was dropped with her, multiple times, but she’s still such a dynamic fucking character with the best character development.

sasuke

general opinion: fall in a hole and die | don’t like them | eh | they’re fine I guess | like them! | love them | actual love of my life | there aren’t words to describe how i feel about him hotness level: get away from me | meh | neutral | theoretically hot but not my type | pretty hot | gorgeous! | 10/10 would bang hogwarts house: gryffindor | slytherin | ravenclaw | hufflepuff (sasuke is...hard. i think the argument for gryffindor could also be made, but i’m leaning towards slytherin) best quality: i’m so tired. the thing about sasuke is....he deserved so much better than he got. i can’t tell you what his best quality is because his entire character arc is him being self destructive. he’s not fucking well!!!! the good parts of him he either tries to snuff out, or the story glosses over them to show how far he’s fallen. I think, the one good quality that refused to die, is his protectiveness. Him protecting Naruto in the Zabuza arc was such a pivotal moment for him, for his and Naruto’s relationship, for Team 7, for the story. It was the moment where everything changed. He was so desperate to protect Naruto from Itachi, he was super protective of Sakura in the forest of death, and even in Shippuden, he’s protective of team Taka, and unfortunately the moment I finally broke and said fuck it, I love Sasuke, is when he protected Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi from the infinite tsukiyomi. worst quality: his extremism lmao like. god. again, dicey and i have talked about this, how characters who challenge the status quo are portrayed as ~crazy~ and extremists so yet again, its BAD WRITING but also PROPAGANDA! god. but like, i’m sorry, fuck the village but he wanted to go after people who were not involved in what happened to Itachi. I understand his anger, but I wish the narrative had treated it and him with respect rather than throwing a fucking dart at a board to decide what Sasuke’s character arc was going to be about this week! ship them with: naruto, suigetsu, juugo, and again, lowkey sakura. brotp them with: naruto, sakura, kakashi, team taka, itachi needs to stay away from: STOP SHIPPING HIM WITH HIS TEACHER AND BROTHER. YALL. misc. thoughts: i’m so fucking tired. what was kishimoto trying to do with him! i don’t understand! sasuke was right! he was fully right to hate the village, to demand change. why did kishimoto have the village repeatedly doing heinous, evil things, validating sasuke’s resentment, but sasuke was portrayed as being in the wrong. ALSO, the ENTIRE. FUCKING. POINT. of naruto is bonds, and how important friendship and love is, and sasuke’s entire GODDAMN NARRATIVE is about him breaking those bonds to become stronger, and destroying himself in the process, and everyone he loves telling him this isn’t the right path, and FINALLY he accepts it- and then in boruto he’s JUST. ALONE? HE HASNT MET HIS DAUGHTER IN 12 YEARS WHEN FAMILY WAS SO IMPORTANT TO HIM???? I HATE IT. I HATE IT. THIS IS SO BAD. SASUKE DESERVED BETTER.

kakashi

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danganronpasurvivoraskblog · 4 years

Text

The Meeting: Part 1

So...Now that we’re done with the roll call, I assume most of us here know why we’re gathering here today?

Alien people from another dimension and what to do about our situation?

We’re not...aliens...

If we’re going to get this discussion rolling, I suggest the three of them introduce themselves. We already know a bit about Shuichi, but I think they should speak for themselves.

Very well then. You. Short girl with the red hair. You go first.

Me? Um...ok...

Prepare to be amazed. Fall to your knees! I am Himiko Yumeno! The Ultimate Mage!

...

*Complete silence in the room.

But...I’m OFFICIALLY called the Ultimate Magician.

Thank you. Now, who’s the person with the long hair and red eyes?

The one that took out most of my men...

You’re lucky I didn’t kill them.

Anyway...Maki Harukawa. Ultimate Child Caregiver...

Maki...?

...

Fine...Maki Harukawa. Ultimate Assassin.

Thanks.

And one or two of you probably know this but...I’m...Shuichi Saihara. They call me the Ultimate Detective but...yeah...

Just like me when I attended the academy.

Now, I’m sorry to burden you with this Shuichi, but only a few people here know of the situation that the three of you came from. All they’ve been informed is that you came from your own killing game from a different world. Unless it pains you to do so, would you mind recounting the events of that killing game?

I mean, I’ve already done it once, I don’t mind doing it again.

*Shuichi explains everything that he told Makoto, Hajime and Kuripa the previous day.

...! I...wow...

The killing game became so popular that it was able to reach 53 incarnations before you were forcibly able to cancel it...

Yep...

Now everyone knows the full situation. Shuichi, Maki and Himiko have Ultimate titles and Ultimate Talents, but they are actually normal people who’s memories and pasts were fabricated by the people behind their situation...

...

Now, it’s clear that the three of them have no homes to go back to, and even if they wanted to go back, there’s no way they can right now. As of such, I’ve brought forward the branch leaders to discuss this all. We shall go around the room and hear everyone’s opinions on the matter.

Byakuya. You go first.

Very well.

*Byakuya stands up as the room focuses on him.

I’ll speak what is on my mind right now. To be honest, I doubt the validity of the information presented to us...

Huh?

What are you saying? You think Shuichi’s lying?

Hmph...Of course not. If this whole thing about the 53rd killing game was a lie, it’s a perfectly constructed one. So well constructed that I heavily doubt it’s a lie. I believe what he said but honestly...

I don’t know if the intentions of him and his “friends” are good...

You...!

Maki! P-Please calm down!

For one, recall what he said when talking about his fabricated past. He stated that he and his friends joined the killing game willingly for the sake of fame, recognition and other sorts of selfish desires. Who’s to say they don’t still possess those ideals.

They’ve sat through a killing game and suffered! Their old selves that wanted that have been completely erased!

And your proof is...where exactly?

...!

Anyway, that is all. I have no intention of being forceful, but I think it would do the foundation more good if we were rid of them.

We should find them a place to stay and live the rest of their lives peacefully...And we can leave it at that...

*Byakuya sits back down.

Thank you. Chihiro? You go next.

H-How am I supposed to follow up that!?

Um...well, I guess I’ll try...

Go on Chihiro! You can do it!

Thank you...Taka...

*Chihiro stands up...

W-Well...

I may have not been able to survive the killing game in my previous life...but I know what happened.

That bear...the reason I died was because of him, not the one who actually killed me. If he hadn’t put such a heavy burden onto Mondo and made him so self-conscious, then he wouldn’t have snapped.

These three...I don’t quite know what happened to them in their killing game, but it’s clear they’ve suffered just like most of us here have.

All of us have been in a killing game, or scenario similar! Some of us here even died at the hands of the people we considered friends!

To be betrayed by the people you trust...is a horrible feeling...

So...I don’t really know what we should do, but we shouldn’t abandon them!

Th-That’s all...

BRAVO! BRAVO!

Hey, sit down and shut up. You’re hurting my fucking ears...

S-Sorry...

*Taka sits back down

Pfft...But yeah, good on you bud...

*Chihiro sits back down.

Before we continue the discussion, I’d like a show of hands. Is there anyone hear who agrees with Chihiro?

*Seiko, Hajime, Sonia, Miaya (Komaru), Fuyuhiko, Kiyotaka, Ryota, Daisaku, Aoi and Makoto raise their hands.

Impostor? You don’t agree?

I don’t doubt that the three of them have suffered during a killing game...however...

*Impostor stands up.

While it is the foundations job to secure a more hopeful future...our turmoil and their turmoil...are they really the same?

There’s no telling what kind of repercussions having such a strongly bonded situation with people that we know almost nothing about could have for our organisation...

That is all...

So you don’t trust them?

There’s no sorts of dangers involved as far as I’m aware. Uchui from our branch made sure of that the day Shuichi arrived.

You’re misunderstanding me. The drawbacks to the dimension is not what I’m referring to.

I’m talking about how this might affect the future plan, as well as the general publics view of the organisation. After all, people are leaving their fates in our hands, and as of such, are wary of each action we take.

The world became terrible thanks to the actions of us Ultimate Despairs. I am not ignoring that fact. But there’s no telling what being associated with such people would do for the status for the foundation overall.

There’s a chance it could better public opinion of us...but there’s also a chance it could worsen it...Unlike Byakuya, I’m not saying we should just abandon them...

But we must be cautious no matter what we do...

Is it all about appearances for you? Is it all about appealing to people?

I am the Ultimate Impostor. It is my whole talent to take on a certain appearance to appeal to certain people. Why does that surprise you?

Tch...

*Imposter sits back down.

Does anyone perhaps have any suggestions?

*After a short silence, Makoto suddenly stands up

...

Makoto? You have a suggestion...

*Deep breath

I think we should accept Shuichi Saihara, Maki Harukawa and Himiko Yumeno into the Future Foundation, as our own.

Huh?

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taka-oneokrock · 4 years

Text

Meet Taka!

GENERAL INFORMATION.

Name Takahiro Moriuchi

Alias Taka and Takahiro Morita

Birthday April 17, 1988

Height 165cm (5'5”)

Place of Birth Tokyo (Japan)

Location Tokyo but has a house in LA too.

Sexual Orientation Bi

*Relationship Status Main Verse Married [4th June 2017] (Jun)

Relationship Status Verse 2: Single

Children Main Verse Joruri

Father Shinichi Moriuchi

Mother Masako Morita

Siblings Tomohiro and Hiroki

Zodiac Aries / Dragon

Nationality Japanese

Occupations Singer, lyricist, composer

Band ONE OK ROCK (Vocals)

Former bands Chivalry of Music (2004), NEWS (2003)

*Currently people can only interact with him in the second verse.

BIOGRAPHY.

If someone asked me to describe Taka with a few words the ones that pop up in my mind are a free spirit with a burning passion for music, striving to see the whole world without standing still. He was born and raised in Tokyo as the eldest son of two well-known musicians, feeling his heart yearn from music from a very young age. He didn’t have the easiest childhood with the eyes of the media being on him and learning to deal with his always busy parents. Taka often felt lonely and so did his two younger brothers which helped them bond.

When he became a teen he joined Johnny’s becoming a part of News. But training to become an idol was tough for him even though he loved standing on stage and singing his heart out. School became harder and harder and at the same time he discovered that maybe being an idol wasn’t his thing. A so called scandal and his rebellious side taking over brought him to leaving News and dropping out of school. The relationship with his dad was on its low since he was disappointed in his son. He kicked him out of the house around the time he and Taka’s mom decided to get a divorce.

His parent’s separation got pretty ugly and having the media’s attention on how he was dealing with it all resulted in the teen having a ‘fuck you’-attitude towards everything. His mom arranged for him to leave his grandmother for the time being since the young Taka couldn’t afford to live on its own. He had a part-time job at a restaurant and joined a band more determined than ever to make the world hear his voice. But since this band did mostly covers and he struggled to make a living for himself he became more shy and withdrawn, always looking on his feet while singing.

Then something unexpected happened as Toru, the leader of his current band, heard him sing during one of their concerts. He came straight up to Taka and asked him to join his band which ended with him declining the offer. The young male simply couldn’t believe the others words, but Toru didn’t give up and he pretty much stalked him for a few days. He even followed Taka to his job in the restaurant, simply sitting there and watching him till he finally agreed to come to the bands next rehearsal. And since Taka was pretty moody back then their first meeting wasn’t ideal, but there still was a certain click between the guys and he joined ONE OK ROCK!

Their friendship kept growing and with all the encouragement they gave each other they slowly starting to make a name for themselves. There were ups and downs on their road with fearing for the surviving of the band after the scandal with Alex. But since the remaining four of them all shared the same passion and the same dream their rise to the top couldn’t be stopped. And as they grew as people they grew as musicians with their sound always changing. In the beginning of their career their songs had a different rang to them since Taka and the others still kind of rebelled against the world. But the songs always had a meaning to them and more and more they tried to be the voice for people that couldn’t speak up.

Taka was always a whirlwind, always up to no good and never afraid of taking a risk. He is a fighter even though he has a soft side to him, the worries he has bringing him down, but so far he always managed to stand up again. The male has a deep bond with their fans and he never turns a fan down whenever they ask to take a pic with him or sign their merch. He sees his bandmates as his second family and all of them appreciate the fans because without them they wouldn’t be able to live their dream. Taka has a positive outlook on live, but from time to time he can be moody and people might think he isn’t easy to get along with.

Also he loves to show his affection by teasing and bullying people, what especially his bandmate Tomoya experienced firsthand. Taka is impulsive and temperamental and always up for a new challenge. The only thing he really hates is liars and people that use people. But despite his moods now and then he is an open-minded young man that makes friends easily. And once he is friends with someone he would do everything for them and they would do everything for him in return. He’s always willing to support those who have a dream as well. And since his music was always influenced by foreign bands he keeps looking for people to work with outside of Japan.

Taka loves traveling around the world with the band while setting new goals for them as they go. He feels their journey isn’t over yet and the best part has yet to come. He has closed the door to his past, not wanting to look back, but having learned from his past mistakes. He is still close with his mom and grandma while being supportive of his two younger brothers. Taka knows he’s far from being perfect, but he will always do his past to have a positive impact on the world. He will always be a child at heart that isn’t afraid to show his true colour while looking curiously at the world.

The passion for music is still burning inside of him and he will always be happy while standing on stage and conveying his feelings to his fans through a song. He will never stop chasing a dream and now that he has found the love of his life and starting a family with him there are more and more dreams to follow for him. Life is an adventure and tsundere Taka will always take it straight on.

Getting to know him will be full of surprise so you better be ready for it.

Likes: Drinking, fooling around, making music, listening to music, hanging out with friends, playing games, shopping, surfing, going for a run and drawing.

Hates: Things to be discovered.

DISCLAIMER.

[[ Disc: This blog is 18+ and an RP blog. I claim no affiliation with Taka nor with One Ok Rock. All pictures contained herein are not mine.| このブログはただのロールプレーブログです。実在のTakaではありません。ご理解ありがとうございます。]]

#about taka #headcanon #ooc #ooc post #jrp

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fly-sky-high-bug-games · 4 years

Text

The scattered, floating tablets, in their random patterns, rang with the sound of a dull, wooden material they were made of. There was enough space within the room for them to exist freely and without any natural sources pulling them except for Taka's hands. The cup in one of his other three, free hands was empty. Reading the white carvings in the tablet, he took an audible sip of the tea from the now filled up.

There was a knock on the golden, shimmering door that grabbed Taka's attention.

Setting down the cup on a no surface still made the familiar sound of the cup hitting the wooden table. As Taka was already standing, he walked up to the doors and opened them without hesitation or question. The rays of light shone in and covered what ever space and room Taka was in, reducing it to nothing but the white and golden plane. Unalarmed, the dragonfly simply smiled, his eyes tracing along the circling path of the floating, white form with wings.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Seer?"

The form settled in front of Taka and the plane gained some form with the touch of her feet against nothingness Taka stood on. Like a splash of water, the two found themselves in the calmness of Resting grounds, surrounded by busy, lively spirits that occupied the many graves of the place.

"Just like you before, I seek for a little company." her voice echoed and sounded warm.

"What a rare occasion for you to visit my dream. It must be something interesting. I'd love to hear it."

Taka set down in the pile of pillows that weren't there just a moment ago. Seer joined him and relaxed her shimmering wings.

"Tea?" Taka's hands were suddenly full and without waiting for an answer, he filled the cup and offered it to his friend.

She happily accepted but her odd form didn't had a drink, only held the cup in both of her hands carefully.

"They have appeared." her voice held a dash of excitement.

"Someone interesting?" Taka was eating a cookie, crunching with eyes fixated on her, despite her blinding form.

"Yes. Someone worthy of the Dream Nail."

Being a spirit didn't stop Taka from doing a spit take, the cookie drying his none existing throat, forcing him to cough.

".... Are you sure?"

"Are you afraid?"

"Yes."

There was a moment of pause between the two but the Seer was amused, lifting one of her hands to cover her smiling mouth. Maybe she did expext to see the usually upright, calm Taka shaken and shocked.

Taka was no longer relaxed and smiling but it didn't seem to affect the surroundings. The Seer must have had a lot more control over it than he did, which wasn't really a problem.

"Who are they?" he asked, trying to sound unalarmed but the Seer saw through his mask.

"A vessel. The Ghost of Hallownest. Yes, they have done splendid so far. The Dreamers tested them. They now draw the essence with the blade, quite swiftly and skillfully."

"Another vessel?" Taka was interested, despite his furrowing brows at the information.

"This one might actually do it."

"Aren't you a little too hopeful?"

"No. I am very certain, actually."

"And you will be free, like you said?"

"Yes."

"We won't be able to talk again."

The shimmering moth chuckled. "Are you trully concerned for that?"

"I expected it, just not this soon." Taka took a sip of his tea again.

"Soon? It's been so many years, my friend. This is what I've been waiting for. What my people waited for."

"I understand." Taka looked to the side towards the misted area with many moth statues around. It was as if he averted from continuing on a conversation. There was a period of silence.

"Will you really miss me that much? You have your own death to look forward now."

"Hah!" his response echoed but her words made Taka smile. "I'm not going anywhere." and she could see the red glint in his eyes. There was another pause but it was only Taka who held tension.

"Even if they come to you with the Dream Nail?"

"I don't care what you're looking forward to, I will end them right then and there if they try to collect my spirit."

The Seer found him amusing once again, showing that through gentle clasp of her now empty hands.

"I'm glad you will fight for your own goals, Taka. Don't worry, they will be busy with the Dreamers and their fallen sibling."

"Hmph. What happens after that?"

"You will just have to wait and see."

"Without you."

The surroundings changed once again. It shifted into the barely lit but very cosy cavern and the shimmering, graceful moth in front of Taka was now an aged moth at her own home.

"Will you really miss me that much?" she tilted her old, trembling head to the side, looking up at Taka across her sitting.

"Of course." his reply was swift and held honesty.

"Aaaaah... I really thought I got you there, my friend..." the Seer's voice was just as old as her presence. "Perhaps... we will have another tea before it's all over?"

"... Perhaps."

Taka stood up, looking down at his friend and exited the cavern. He wasn't outside at the Resting grounds any more but at his room. With his floating tablets, cups, sideways furniture, a miniature maze and red flames, he was back there once again.

With no time nor life to spend, Taka allowed himself to just stand and think. He had rights to believe this was all a warning and not just her happy news. Even so, his thoughts kept going back to one thing.

This was the shortest conversation he had with the Seer and the last.

#muse: taka #story #uhhh #I'm not a good writer #hard to keep things brief and on point actually hmm #i hope this is ok!

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chameleonwritess · 5 years

Text

His Only Exception

Pairing: Kiyotaka Ishimaru/Mondo Oowada

Fandom: Danganronpa

Words: 4108

In a world before Despair invaded their everyday lives, Kiyotaka Ishimaru was very strict about who was and wasn’t allowed out in the corridor.

In a world where Kiyotaka Ishimaru’s memories have been wiped clean and he believes he’s a new attendee of Hopes Peak Academy, he’s still a strong believer that students should not be out in the corridors when they’re not supposed to be.

Even though he may not share his own memories, one constant remains in both worlds. Mondo Oowada is his only exception

Read on AO3

In a world before Despair invaded their everyday lives, Kiyotaka Ishimaru was very strict about who was and wasn’t allowed out in the corridor. He supposed the reason he insisted on the rule so intently was more to do with his Ultimate Talent as the Super High School Level Moral Compass rather than to do with his duties of Hall Monitor, but either way, he expected to be obeyed.

He did not expect to catch three loiterers on the same day, all from his class.

“Kuwata-kun,” Kiyotaka’s loud voice cut through the hallway as he addressed his classmate who, from the looks of it, was walking in the opposite direction from where he was supposed to be heading and laughing at something on his phone.

However, the Baseball star looked rather unconcerned about being caught and instead gave a cheery wave, pocketing his phone.

“Hey, Ishimaru, what’s up, dude?” he asked, heading towards him. Kiyotaka scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion. Had he been wrong? He was almost certain his free period was not due to be over for another quarter of an hour and he was even more certain that Leon had psychology class this period.

And yet, Leon did not at all seem to be acting like he usually did when Kiyotaka caught him disobeying the rules.

“You-“ Kiyotaka started almost hesitantly, “you do realise that there are still fifteen minutes left of your psychology class, yes?”

“Oh, that,” Leon shrugged, throwing a casual arm around Kiyotaka’s shoulder that he attempted to shrug off as politely as possible, “yeah, I needed a loo break real bad but there’s not much lesson left so I’m just sauntering back now. What are you doing outside of class?”

Kiyotaka frowned at Leon’s response before realising Leon had asked a question that it would be rude not to respond to.

“This is one of my free periods, therefore I feel no guilt in stewarding the Halls before returning to my locker at the end of the day,” Kiyotaka responded, “However, Kuwata-kun, even though your lesson may be nearing its end, I am certain there are still valuable topics being taught and you should-“

“Dude,” Leon interrupted, much to Kiyotaka’s irritation, “I didn’t know you had frees. I thought you’d, like, take an extra class or something.”

The look of amusement on Leon’s face did not sit well with Kiyotaka.

“Of course not. Taking time each day to study for upcoming tests and ensure everyone is obeying the rules is a vital part of being a student,” Kiyotaka huffed.

“I thought Oowada would have been enough of a bad influence on you by now,” Leon laughed, “I guess if he can’t change you, no one can.”

“I- well- you see-“ Kiyotaka spluttered, a certain someone’s name catching him off guard for a very understandable reason, “he hasn’t not changed my view on the world. For instance, whilst I would usually feel compelled to give you a detention and send you straight back to class, Kuwata-kun, I now know the importance of creating social connections and being viewed in higher esteem among my peers. That is why we are still talking, of course.”

Leon raised an eyebrow and nodded his head in agreement.

“Yeah, you did sort of mellow after the two of you started banging,” he considered to which Kiyotaka turned bright red.

“Do not speak of such matters within school, Kuwata-kun! My ‘mellowing’ as you call it has nothing to do with whatever extracurricular activities M- Oowada-kun and myself may wish to participate in,” he spluttered indignantly. Leon didn’t even try to conceal his snorts of laughter.

“Man, you crack me up, Ishi. ‘Extracurricular activities’,” Leon chuckled. Kiyotaka blushed even redder. He really did not want to discuss his relationship with Mondo in the middle of a corridor with Leon Kuwata who was renowned for not keeping secrets and had been the one to unintentionally reveal his relationship status to the rest of the class in the first place.

“I’m going to continue my search of the corridor now. Goodbye, Kuwata-kun,” Kiyotaka said assertively. When Kiyotaka glanced back at him, though, he noticed he had fervently gone back to messaging on his phone. Kiyotaka would have reprimanded him again had he not been so eager to end their interaction for the day.

It was ten minutes until the bell when Kiyotaka caught his second culprit. To his great surprise, it was Chihiro, one of the few guys in their class that consistently seemed to obey the school rules that had been set out.

“Fujisaki-kun, what are you doing out of your classroom?” Kiyotaka asked upon approaching him. The programmer turned around suddenly and quickly put his phone behind his back. Kiyotaka had still noticed it, though and absentmindedly wondered why everyone was so obsessed with their phone today. It may have been the first day back to school but surely they could catch up with everyone in person rather than through texts.

“Ah, Ishimaru-kun,” he said shyly, “sorry, I was just fetching my computer from my locker before the end of the day. I don’t like to be within the crowd when we all leave.”

Kiyotaka could appreciate that. Chihiro was a naturally reserved person and being so short, it was likely he would get knocked around easily whilst trying to collect his belongings.

“I see, that is a rather good idea, Fujisaki-kun. I do hope you asked your teacher for permission to leave, though,” Kiyotaka felt as if he had to mention.

“Oh, of course,” Chihiro agreed, nodding his head before offering Kiyotaka a big smile, “how was your summer holiday, Ishimaru-kun? Did you have a nice birthday?”

“Oh,” Kiyotaka paused. Chihiro was the first person to have mentioned his birthday so far. It wasn’t as if he was particularly expecting any mentions, though. With his birthday always falling in the summer holidays, it meant he never really managed to even allude to the event around anyone.

“I, uh, had a rather pleasant birthday spent with my family, thank you. I spent most of my holiday studying, though, so I feel very excited for the future academic year,” Kiyotaka finally replied, “how about you, Fujisaki-kun?”

“It was nice,” Chihiro replied with a nod, “I got to work on my AI program quite a lot.”

“I hope you had a lovely time working on it! I would love to see it one day when it is finished,” Kiyotaka pointed out, hoping Chihiro would understand that he was asking for an invitation.

“I’d be happy to show you but,” he paused for a second of thought, “I’m still not ready to show it to anyone yet. It’s not… ready.”

“I understand. I look forward to seeing it when it is finished” Kiyotaka nodded, “I should let you get back to class now, Fujisaki-kun. I would hate for you to be late because of me!”

Chihiro shuffled awkwardly on his feet for a few seconds before nodding and bidding Kiyotaka goodbye. Kiyotaka kept his eyes trained on the smaller boy for a few seconds after their departure and was surprised to once again see Chihiro turn his head back into the phone he had not-so-discretely been hiding.

Kiyotaka was just pondering whether it would be beneficial to their studies if he proposed a ban on cellphones during school time when he was almost scared to death by his final culprit of the day.

“Hey, Taka,” a deep voice muttered next to his hear, causing Kiyotaka to let out an embarrassingly loud squeak.

“Mondo, you scared me,” he breathed out in relief as a warm arm wrapped around his waist, “what are you even do-“

Kiyotaka didn’t get to finish his sentence as he turned around to look at his boyfriend and caught sight of the scene behind him. Across the side wall of their class’s locker room, a long ‘Happy Birthday’ banner was hung and on a small table in the centre of the room, there sat a single, clearly homemade cupcake with a candle slightly precariously balanced and stuck through the top.

“Mondo, did you- did you do this for-“ Kiyotaka started to say, trying his best not to burst into tears already.

“Yeah, it’s for you. We always miss your birthday ‘cause of when the holiday falls but I wanted to do something for ya. Y’know, now that we’re a thing,” Mondo shrugged as if this wasn’t the kindest thing anyone had ever done for Kiyotaka.

“You didn’t have to,” he said, unable to stop the tears that began trickling down the sides of his face, “I didn’t even expect you to remember.”

“Why the fu-rick wouldn’t I remember my own boyfriend’s birthday ya idiot?” Mondo asked, remembering Kiyotaka’s rule about swearing and ruffling his previously neatly styled hair with a grin on his face.

“I just- I didn’t think i was worth it. You must have put so much effort in and I-“ Kiyotaka tried to say but he was interrupted.

“Taka,” Mondo said, resting his forehead against Kiyotaka’s own, “I didn’t put one second of effort into this that you didn’t deserve and I’d do a whole lot more for ya if I could. Honestly, I probably would have done more if Kuwata and Fujisaki weren’t sh- bad at their jobs.”

“Wait,” Kiyotaka realised, brushing away the tears that had settled on his cheeks, “did you send Kuwata-kun and Fujisaki-kun out into the corridor during lesson time?”

“I-uh- they wanted to help so I texted ‘em and asked ‘em to slow you down. I found out from Naegi that you were in your free last,” Mondo admitted, a look of guilt crossing his face. Kiyotaka could just feel a lecture welling up inside him but he decided to give it a rest due to how thoughtful Mondo had been.

“You really shouldn’t have done that,” Kiyotaka pointed out, “but thank you. It’s really- it’s really nice. I feel quite lucky to have you, Mondo.”

“Ah, c’mon, don’t go getting all sappy on me now. Ya need to blow out your candle before I manage to set fire to the whole school,” Mondo chuckled, bringing his hand to grasp Kiyotaka’s own and tugging him to sit on the bench in front of the table.

“Don’t forget to make a wish,” Mondo told him as he brought the cupcake closer. Kiyotaka smiled at him. He knew what his wish would be.

As he blew out the candle, Kiyotaka thought very carefully, I wish to always have Mondo here to make me this happy.

Mondo complained about it frequently, but he was right- Kiyotaka really was a sap.

“Happy Birthday, babe,” Mondo whispered, kissing his cheek. Kiyotaka blushed at the action.

“I told you not to call me that in school!” he hissed, “especially not when we’re in the corridor where you shouldn’t even be. There are still five minutes left of the school day to be learning.”

“Aw, c’mon, I just wanted to set all this up for ya,” Mondo complained, “besides, technically the locker room isn’t in the corridor so you can’t tell me off,” he added with a wink.

Kiyotaka began spluttering in response. He hated it when Mondo was actually right. Besides, the birthday set up had been rather sweet and Kiyotaka supposed he could make an exception, just this once, because it was Mondo.

“I suppose,” Kiyotaka conceded with a sigh, immediately sending a bright grin across Mondo’s face.

“Thanks, Taka,” Mondo said quietly, bringing his face closer to Kiyotaka’s own in the same way he always did before he kissed him. It took all of Kiyotaka’s willpower to pull away.

“Mondo, we are in public and PDA is banned in school-“

“It’s fine, there’s no one around yet. No one will see, ��kay?” Mondo promised. Kiyotaka knew somewhere in the back of his mind that the bell was to go very shortly and anyone else from his free period could walk in at any second but when Mondo’s lips touched his own, he couldn’t help but push all those thoughts far out of his head and sigh against his boyfriend’s mouth instead.

He hadn’t kissed Mondo since before Summer, even though they’d reunited briefly that morning and Kiyotaka hadn’t realised how much he’d missed the sensation.

Mondo’s lips were slightly rough and chapped compared to Kiyotaka’s own smooth ones, but that was something he loved about Mondo. The entire way in which he was a little rough around the edges was so different in comparison to everything else in Kiyotaka’s life, so pristine and neat, that Kiyotaka couldn’t help but love the way they surprisingly fit together perfectly.

Mondo wrapped a warm, sturdy arm around Kiyotaka’s waist and drew him closer, leaning his own back against the locker to pull Kiyotaka down onto him. He felt Mondo’s mouth open and felt the familiar glide of Mondo’s tongue along his own lips.

Kiyotaka opened his mouth as if by reflex and deepened the kiss, sliding his own hands up Mondo’s sturdy sides and almost forgetting where they were for a second before-

“Hey, Ishimaru-kun, is that you-wAH I’M SO SORRY!”

Mondo and Kiyotaka jumped back from each other as though electrocuted to find Makoto stood with his particularly red face buried in his hands and Kyoko by his side, smiling teasingly.

“Naegi-kun, Kirigiri-kun, I apologise for acting so disgracefully when I myself should be setting an example. I got a little- uh- carried away,” Kiyotaka apologised immediately, his cheeks burning from embarrassment whilst Mondo let out a snort of laughter behind him. Curse Mondo for being so… enticing.

“No, no, it’s okay I was just going to ask if you’d understood the final part of the biology reading for tomorrow but I can text you about it tonight, it’s fine,” Makoto spluttered, his face still an impressive shade of crimson.

Kiyotaka was about to respond that he would be happy to discuss it now when a pair of arms wrapped around him from behind and a chin rested on his shoulder.

“What are you looking so pleased about?” Kiyotaka hissed under his breath, “I was just caught breaking the rules thanks to you.”

Kiyotaka could feel Mondo’s shrug through his body.

“Nothin’. I didn’t force you to break ‘em,” he pointed out with a smirk. Kiyotaka furrowed his eyebrows as he opened his locker and began to pack his bag away.

“You were heavily persuasive,” he muttered in complaint. Mondo chuckled and buried his nose in the side of Kiyotaka’s neck. Kiyotaka was fairly certain his heart had skipped an entire beat at the action.

“Told you to make your presence known first,” Kiyotaka overheard the quiet whispering of Kyoko to Makoto from next to them.

“Yes, I realise that now, Kyoko,” Makoto whined under his breath. Kyoko let out a small laugh and glanced over to Kiyotaka and Mondo, making eye contact with Kiyotaka and giving him a small smile.

Before Kiyotaka could question what the meaning was behind such an unusual action, Kyoko had planted a kiss on Makoto’s cheek and laced her hand with his.

“Kirigiri-kun, you-“ Kiyotaka began to reprimand before realising how incredibly hypocritical it would be of him, “I- never mind.”

Kyoko raised a thin eyebrow at him and tugged Makoto’s hand.

“Come on Makoto. I don’t suspect those two want us hanging around here for too long,” she commented quietly as the two walked off.

“Were you about to yell at Kirigiri for kissing Naegi’s cheek?” Mondo realised.

“I- well- yes. PDA should not be permitted within a school, after all,” Kiyotaka reasoned.

“Oh, so it’s one rule for one, another for another, huh?” Mondo smirked.

“No! I wasn’t trying to break the rules,” Kiyotaka complained, turning around to face the still grinning Mondo, “it’s just, well-“

“Yeah?” Mondo prompted as Kiyotaka turned even redder, joining their hands together.

“You were sort of my only exception.”

“You are a sap,” Mondo complained.

“I’m not,” Kiyotaka insisted, shouldering his school bag as Mondo stuck his now free hands into his pockets and nudged Kiyotaka’s shoulder.

“Want to come back to mine for a bit so you can open your present?” Mondo invited, “and, y’know, finish what we started.”

Kiyotaka hit his arm gently.

“Don’t phrase it like that!” he complained, “but yes, I suppose I’d very much like that.”

Mondo grinned and slipped his hand back into Kiyotaka’s to pull him along the corridor and out of the door when the school bell finally rang and Kiyotaka sighed to himself. He really did wonder how he’d allowed himself to get so caught up in Mondo that he’d break his own rules, yet here he was.

Still, the old saying was that there was an exception to every rule. So help him Mondo Oowada was the exception to every single one of his.

In a world where Kiyotaka Ishimaru doesn’t even know that chunks of his memory are missing and despair is the crux of their everyday life, he is still strict about who is and isn’t allowed out in the corridor. Unfortunately, there are no particularly good rules set by their supposed headmaster that he can even enforce, but to his relief, Celeste has insisted that they apply their own rule for during nighttime.

Therefore, every night when the ten o’clock announcement sounds, Kiyotaka sees it as his duty to check everyone’s doors to ensure they are locked and that their inhabitants are safe inside. He considers his commitment even more important after the terrible incident that occurred only a few nights ago. After all, if anyone else were to swap rooms, he would notice immediately, now.

However, with the memory of Leon’s execution and Sayaka’s murder still fresh in their minds, Kiyotaka doubts anyone would even attempt it.

That’s why Kiyotaka is especially shocked to discover two offenders on the same night.

For the past couple of nights, Byakuya has been the last to return to his room from the Library. Kiyotaka had assumed originally that it would have been the same this night, so when his nightly,

“Sleep well, Togami-kun,” was routinely met with silence and a chilling glare, Kiyotaka sees it as a sign that his room checks should begin.

As per usual, Kiyotaka starts his checks at Kyoko’s room so that his circuit can bring him back to his own room last. He checks the lock on Kyoko and Makoto’s rooms, glad to see they are both safe and secure, and skips over Sayaka’s room tactfully, checking Toko’s door instead.

It is when he reaches Chihiro’s room that he finds her doorknob turning fully instead of stopping as it usually would when locked at night.

“Fujisaki-kun?” Kiyotaka calls out in concern, “are you in there?”

His question is met with further silence, which Kiyotaka sees as enough reason to gently edge the door open and check for signs of life inside. The room seems deserted at first glance and Kiyotaka sincerely hopes that means nothing disastrous has happened and that Chihiro simply decided to take a nighttime walk.

The memory of the previous crime still fresh in his mind, Kiyotaka hesitantly peeks into the bathroom and is overwhelmed with relief when that, too, is deserted. He edges slowly out of the room and decides the only thing he can do about the situation is to continue his check and hope desperately that everything is okay with Chihiro.

He checks the rooms of Aoi, Sakura, skips Leon’s, checks Yasuhiro, Hifumi and Celeste’s before once again skipping a room that belonged to Junko and nearing the end of his search by missing Byakuya’s room (he already saw the other enter for the night).

Finally, he arrives at the final door and reaches out to turn the handle of his kyoudai’s room.

That’s when a voice interrupts his search.

“K-kyoudai is that you?” it says and Kiyotaka jumps in surprise, accidentally pushing the unlocked door wide open. His initial panic is filled with relief when he realises that it was Mondo who called out to him.

“It is me. What are you doing out of your room at this hour? The nighttime announcement played quite a while ago, now,” Kiyotaka questions, mainly concerned that his Kyoudai is getting worried and restless in this school. He knows possibly better than anyone how much Mondo misses being around his gang. They’re like family to him.

“I just, uh, went to get a drink. I was thirsty. Promise I’m back for the night now, ‘kay? No need to worry about me,” Mondo chuckles. Kiyotaka still doesn’t feel relieved from all his worries but he forces himself to smile for Mondo’s sake more than anything.

“I am glad to hear that and even more glad to know that you are safe, kyoudai,” Kiyotaka chooses to say, instead, “I shall see you bright and early in the morning, in that case. I hope you sleep well.”

“Surprised you’re not giving me a lecture for being out of my room,” Mondo smiles with a nod of his head. Kiyotaka blushes a bit and laughs sheepishly. He had been hoping Mondo would not mention his lack of reprimands. It isn’t that Kiyotaka doesn’t think it was wrong, it’s just that he really doesn’t want to yell at Mondo. Especially when he’s been so kind and considerate towards him these last few days.

“Well, let’s just say I made an exception for you,” Kiyotaka decides to say, “because we’re kyoudais, of course,” he adds, just in case his sentence is taken in, well, more the way that he actually means it. Kiyotaka’s never been one for hiding secrets but he’s not sure he even could put into words the peculiar way he feels about Mondo.

“I’ll see you tomorrow then, yeah?” Mondo agrees, a smile coating his features. Kiyotaka nods in agreement and before he knows it, his face is pressed against Mondo’s hard chest and his kyoudai’s arms are wrapped around his torso.

Kiyotaka doesn’t even have time to respond to the sudden hug before Mondo pulls away and dashes back into his room. He stands there for a few seconds, his face bright red from the sudden physical contact and how warm and toned Mondo’s body had felt against his own before finally returning to his own room and falling asleep almost instantly.

Kiyotaka didn’t even realise that he’d forgotten to check up on where Chihiro was until they find her corpse in the girls’ changing room the following morning.

If Mondo Oowada were to die the following day, Kiyotaka Ishimaru would find himself too distraught to obey even his own rules. He would spend so long crying that his eyes would be red, dry and almost as painful as the stabbing pain he would feel in his chest.

Kiyotaka would never be able to hate anyone as much as he would find himself hating Monokuma and whoever it was that trapped them in the school in the first place, forcing the hands of innocent teenagers to slaughter their own classmates and laughing at the horrifying outcome.

If his kyoudai died before he could ever tell him about the feelings he had bottled up inside him for the other boy, Kiyotaka would find his own feet silently carrying him to the sauna even after the nighttime announcement had called loud and clear.

He would sit in the sauna, where everything between them had started, and cry even more. Cry about how unfair it was, how it didn’t matter if Mondo had killed Chihiro or not, how Mondo should have put up more of a fight and tried to escape that place, even if that meant Kiyotaka had to lay down his own life.

He would cry about how little he would hesitate to volunteer to do such a thing for the other boy, how if Mondo had just talked to him about his secret, he never would have panicked and had his own physical strength backfire again him.

Kiyotaka would cry and he wouldn’t care about any rules and he wouldn’t care about his own life or even escaping anymore because why would he if his reason to live had died?

If Mondo Oowada were to die the following day, Kiyotaka would realise that if the old saying that there is an exception to every rule really was true, now that his exception was dead, there was only one thing he could do to maintain the order.

Kiyotaka would break every rule in his own book and become the exception. No one else could ever fill Mondo’s place.

After all, he was his only exception.

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wardencommanderrodimiss · 4 years

Text

Chapter 27: a short one today, a post-trial wrap-up which includes conversations about nightmares, teeth, poodles, and bad deals. As you do.

[Seelie of Kurain Chapter Masterlist] [ao3]

[Witches Chapter Masterlist] [ao3]

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“Do not let Professor Courte’s death be in vain. Proudly carry on your mentor’s legacy and spirit; I have no doubt she would hope for nothing less from each of you.”

“I have nightmares about my teeth falling out,” Robin says. “This is totally not gonna help me get over that.”

“You have nightmares about your teeth falling out?” Hugh asks.

“Oh c’mon, maybe it’s not your nightmare about failing all your tests, but you try and tell me it wouldn’t be horrible if suddenly all your teeth started getting loose in your mouth and you couldn’t get a dentist appointment for months, and then—”

“What?” Hugh interrupts before Robin can get her impassioned dream diary really going. “No, I was asking because I have that nightmare.”

“It’s not an uncommon stress dream,” Athena says. “I can’t tell you why it’s that, but you’re far from the only one - or far from the only two. Not a nightmare I’ve had, though.” She idly flicks her earring, sending the crescent moon swinging back and forth. “Mine are…” She stops moving her finger but the momentum keeps her earring moving. “Actually, I never remember what any of them are. How about you, Junie? Teeth?” Juniper shakes his head. Apollo ponders how that one-word question seems utterly inane if one hadn’t heard the beginning to this conversation. “How about you, Apollo? What’s your go-to stress nightmare?”

Fae-red eyes in the faces of everyone he loved long ago in another life; he grabs Nahyuta’s hand and falls with him down into the rapids and no one saves them this time, Dhurke abandoning them then like he did abandon Apollo a few years later. “Drowning.”

Athena winces. “That’s a rough one,” she says, and Widget adds a consolatory, “Oof.”

“Thena,” Juniper says sternly. “We’ve all had enough stress, don’t you think? Why don’t we take a rest from thinking unnecessarily about unrelated stressful things.” Appearing properly chastened - Apollo needs to learn the trick to getting Athena to feel shame, because he’s never managed - Athena nods and goes quiet. Juniper’s expression softens. “Thank you so much, Thena. I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t been there - how I ever could have made it through such a twisted case without you.”

“Oh, it was y’know,” Athena says, shrugging. “I’m kinda like a pro at this now.”

Three cases now, she’s had to reach such convoluted depths. Apollo has unfortunately been through more and he wouldn’t call himself an expert. But today, he’ll let her have this one - mostly. “I dunno, Athena,” he says, fighting a grin. “You have to admit we were pretty tied up toward the end there.”

“Boo!” Athena yells, which gets Robin going too, but Juniper covers her mouth and turns away, giggling. Hugh rolls his eyes, like he thinks he’s somehow above this. “Get outta here, Apollo!”

“Okay, sure thing.” He needs her for a ride back to the office, but he can make a dramatic show of walking away now and turn up at the car.

“Ah, Apollo, wait,” Juniper says. “I, um, wanted to thank you too. For all the help you gave Thena, always being there for her - and for me. It really helped me keep hope, knowing there was someone else so amazing on my side.”

“Oh, ah, don’t mention it.” He had expected Athena to take all the praise on his one, and he wouldn’t begrudge her it: it’s her first case as lead, and her best friend. “But thanks. I know I’ve still got a lot to keep working on.” Like how to contort his brain in the way Athena did to come up with Statue Charades. “I hope this whole ordeal doesn’t scare you out of law.”

Juniper shakes her head. “Absolutely not.” She sounds firm on this point, her resolve strengthening in the opposite direction of Apollo’s concern. “I want to be able to work with amazing lawyers like you to help people who end up in these situations. I want to be as good as Professor Courte was. I want to do what Prosecutor Blackquill said, and make her proud.”

Oh, to have a mentor whose legacy would be that - all the honest good they did, and nothing else. Not that Apollo envies Juniper (or Klavier) in her (their) grief, never, but he just - wonders. Despite himself. Stupid thoughts like that.

Speaking of Phoenix, he wonders where he has gotten off to and tells Athena he’s going to head out and look. Down the hallway, Myriam Scuttlebutt lurks in perpetual cardboard incognito, peering around a doorway. Apollo doesn’t think she notices him approaching, but she holds up a hand and swings it backward into his chest to make him stop, hissing “Shh!” rather loudly for someone apparently trying to maintain stealth. Apollo should be the mature adult here and shoo her along instead of stopping, but he’s vaguely curious as to what she’s trying to spy on, and he glances out.

Outside of the courtroom, Fulbright never strays far from Blackquill, waits at hand ready for trouble, but he has stepped to the side in a cursory gesture of not involving himself in the conversation. Blackquill, for his part, never looks at him; the gesture on his part is of pretending that Fulbright does not exist at all. Taka sits perched on his arm and he strokes the bird’s feathers as he converses with, of all people, Klavier. Apollo hadn’t quite realized how tall Blackquill is - much as he hates to admit it, most men are taller than him, and he doesn’t pay attention to the specifics of how they would all stack up against each other - but he has a couple inches on Klavier, especially with the way that Blackquill stands uncomfortably straight and upright, and Klavier casually slouches.

“—and far and away a more underhanded technique then I anticipated of you.” If he had to guess, Apollo figures this is a conversation about the forged tape and the analysis of it that Klavier had done. Or maybe he had an idea of how Klavier got in and out of everywhere he shouldn’t have been during the investigation. Or those two things are reasonably intertwined. “I will not make that mistake of underestimating you again.”

“Underestimating me?” Klavier repeats. Weirdly casual is how Apollo would choose to describe Klavier’s tone. Not particularly bothered by - well, everything that there is about Blackquill. What was it that he said, a long time back? “Not unpleasant”? Apollo can’t agree with that on principle. “Ja, you thought this pretty head had nothing in it?”

Very weirdly casual, Apollo amends. To the point that Klavier hasn’t corrected his course away from his usual, what the hell should Apollo even call that? - his usual flirty charm? (For a certain value of “charm”.)

“You aren’t that pretty,” Blackquill says dryly, and with that Apollo thinks he has entered yet another fever dream. His life seems like a series of successive but always slightly different fever dreams, but at least his teeth haven’t fallen out yet. “And I am well aware that you only look and act dumb.” A smirk crosses his lips. Klavier recoils in offense and Apollo can’t tell if it is or isn’t feigned. “No, I based my assumption of your capacity for sneaky tricks off of the fact that you, even as the remarkably intelligent prosecutor that you somehow are, have yet managed to turn one of the Wild Hunt’s own fiercest hounds into a dumpster-diving show poodle.”

Apollo’s heart drops straight through his feet. Blackquill has to be referring to Vongole - Blackquill knows about Vongole?

Beside Apollo, Myriam grumbles something and her arms fall to her sides, her pen no longer at the ready on her notepad. “I give up,” she mumbles, but then she turns toward Apollo, hitting him in the shoulder with the top corner of the cardboard. “Is this some sort of code they’re speaking in? Is this some - this can’t be…”

He’s not going to ask her what her assumption is or isn’t.

Klavier raises an eyebrow. “I don’t think she looks much like a poodle,” he says. Out of nowhere, Vongole is suddenly at his side, her ears relaxed and her tail idly swishing back and forth. She twists tight in a half-circle around Klavier, her nose raised, pointing at Taka, and Blackquill’s eyes follow her slow movements.

Blackquill can see her. Apollo, Phoenix, Trucy, and Vera - he thought that was all of them. And Klavier, and Kristoph. He thought that was why - it was only them, tangled in it as they were. But Blackquill—

“Besides,” Klavier adds, not sounding nearly as cold as Apollo would have expected him to be at this subject being brought up, “I fail to see how I am responsible for her decision to eat literal garbage.”

“Wait, are they talking about an actual dog?” Myriam mutters. “A - no, that can’t be right.”

“And with that attitude, I certainly see how you will never fix that problem,” Blackquill says, smoothing out a few feathers on one of Taka’s wings. Now Klavier frowns, his eyes narrowing. Blackquill doesn’t elaborate on what he means about either Klavier or Vongole, what exactly they have done wrong, and he instead adds, “But I do believe I must be on my way. There may be more to glean from the gummed mouth of that double-dealing fool of a professor.”

Klavier, already scowling, doesn’t change his expression, but he his voice is suddenly icy, sounding all the world like his brother at his worst, as he says, “Give him hell.”

“Oh,” Blackquill replies, “I intend to.” He turns on his heel, Taka alighting from his arm. “Fool Bright. Let us be off.”

Maybe the reason they assigned Fulbright to Blackquill was because they knew they’d need a detective with the patience of a saint to be stuck around him all this time. “As you insist, Prosecutor Blackquill! Until next time, Prosecutor Gavin.”

Klavier doesn’t say anything. He appears to have spaced out entirely, watching Blackquill’s back as he leaves. Vongole looks up at Klavier expectantly, waiting for something, and when he still doesn’t move, she darts off, slipping through the door as it’s closing behind Blackquill - as though she couldn’t just pass through it after it closed. Myriam raises her notepad again and scribbles something; Apollo glances over and just sees the word dog written and underlined twice. Impressive journalistic talents, he thinks, as behind him loud footsteps and louder voices herald the arrival of the others. Apollo steps back and straightens up, determined to look like he wasn’t eavesdropping. Myriam has no such reservations.

“Hey! Prosecutor Gavin!” Athena calls, waving to him across the lobby. He jumps, startled for a moment, and then relaxes into an easy smile. “Thanks so much for your help! We owe you one!”

His smile falters and doesn’t recover as immediately. “Ach, it was nothing, Fräulein. I’m simply glad that you were able to find Frau Professor’s killer.”

“Still,” Juniper says. “Thank you for all of your help. I - um, I’m Juniper Woods. I—”

“You are the Fräulein chosen to sing with me, of course.” Klavier gives her a small little bow of acknowledgement. Apollo suddenly wonders what would happen if he had shaken her hand, if iron would burn her the way they’ve had to be so careful with Vera. The way Klavier said these same iron rings left a scar on his brother’s hand. “Lovely to finally meet you, though I do dearly wish it could have been under better circumstances.”

“Me too,” Juniper says. “I’m sorry that you didn’t get the chance to see Professor Courte again. She mentioned to me how much there was that she wanted to talk to you about.”

Each time they’ve met these past few days, Apollo has kept a careful eye on Klavier, watching for whatever he’s trying to hide. But nothing’s hidden right now, Apollo thinks. Klavier’s smile crumples and what’s left isn’t simply grief, but more like distraught horror. More like the expression of someone being told of Courte’s death for the first time, not “yeah, she was looking forward to seeing you.” There’s no reason that should be a surprise to Klavier, but that’s what he seems to be: surprised that his mentor wanted to see him. Why would he think she wouldn’t?

“I - I’m sorry,” Juniper adds hastily, seeing Klavier’s brow furrow and him blink a few too many times in quick succession. “I shouldn’t have - have mentioned right now—” She rubs her own eyes with the back of her hand.

“Ah, not your fault,” Klavier says. He does a worryingly good job of keeping his tone breezy even with his head tilted back, hiding from them his eyes and any tears that may be gathering in them. “It is - it is as it is, now, and we to in some way or another live with it.” He falters, voice going softer as he speaks, until he seems to give up entirely on the pretense of having something to say. Lowering his head and shooting a bright, blinding, lying smile at Apollo, he adds, “I should be off now. I have spent enough time out of the office this week that I am sure Herr Chief is not pleased.”

“Just tell him that you were helping us!” Athena chirps. “He and Mr Wright are friends, and Prosecutor Edgeworth knows me and likes me! I can put in a good word for you.”

Klavier laughs. “Thank you for the offer, Fräulein, and I’ll let you know if that becomes necessary. Also” - he has barely turned away from them before he spins around and snaps his fingers, and Apollo can’t be sure that he didn’t do that all on purpose to be dramatic - “there was talk last night among the academy administration of, if the trial should end today, which as we know it did, they might extend the school festival to tomorrow, to have a proper honoring and celebration of Professor Courte’s life. Keep an ear out for that, and perhaps I will get to see you all tomorrow, ja?” He winks at Juniper.

“Oh, no,” Juniper whispers. “You mean I’ll still have to sing after all?”

“Good work, you two. Sorry I couldn’t get around to saying that sooner.”

Apollo had been pondering how to tell Athena that she might have to give up hope of a debrief with Phoenix until tomorrow; they had waited in the courthouse main lobby for twenty minutes after the Themis students left, until Phoenix finally called to say he would catch up to them later.

Later, though, is hours later, the afternoon wearing on and on, long after Trucy has arrived back from school. They have time to explain the trial to her in all of its horrible detail, leaving her with their same questions, and the only person available to answer them missing, and apparently not particularly inclined to tell them why he’s disappeared or when he’ll be back. It’s like Apollo’s first year at the agency again, except he and Trucy have someone else with them now.

“Thanks, Boss,” Athena says. “Where’d you go?”

“There were some things I wanted to know about Means,” Phoenix says, “so I had to go talk to Edgeworth to get me in to talk to Means myself for a bit.”

“What did you find out?” Athena asks. “What was the motive? Was it for-sure—”

Phoenix tosses his suit jacket over the back of the couch. “Yeah, Means was the one taking bribes,” he says. “Courte suspected that and went to confront him, on the stage, where he killed her. He had seen the note she made of props she would need for the mock trial and pieced together some aspects of the script from that, in order to make the murder seem like it was modeled after the script.”

“So Courte was - she was just a good person, after all,” Athena says softly. “And she was just trying to do the right thing.”

Phoenix shakes his head sadly. “And I suppose she thought that Means, her long-time coworker, would be reasonable enough that she could confront him alone without concern - or she was too fired-up to consider the possibility - and then he killed her.”

“You never really know someone,” Apollo says. Juniper’s friends, an odd bunch with odd secrets, certainly, turned out okay, yet still - still it was someone they trusted, someone the victim trusted. “So do you know what was going on with Means’ speech? And why his - why did—?”

“His teeth?” Phoenix asks, uncomfortably casual for the actual event that they’re talking about. He heads back for his desk, waving for them to follow, and he flings himself down in his chair and kicks his feet up on the desk. Some habits don’t change. “You recall that very interesting barb he made today, when he was trying to claim Juniper was the killer? The ‘in half’ remark? Did you wonder why he knew that?”

“She—” Apollo glances at Athena. Means wasn’t there that first day, when she told them. But the second day— “Juniper definitely had moments at the detention center where she looked - not exactly totally human. I guess I thought…”

He hadn’t thought about it at all, actually. He was more interested in Blackquill’s response.

Phoenix steeples his fingers together and rests them under his chin. “He said he suspected from that, and he—” He closes his eyes and presses his lips together. “I’m sure it wouldn’t surprise you to imagine that a man like him, who forged evidence as an attorney and took bribes as a professor, also made some other kinds of deals.” His eyes snap open, blue now. “Means didn’t have the Sight. He shouldn’t have known. But he had what we’ll call an ongoing contract to get information like that about people that he thought could help him - against Juniper, or against…” He waves his hand. Apollo remembers arguing with him last night. “Whoever. Opposition research, of the fae sort. We’re probably fortunate he didn’t try to learn anything about us.”

Apollo reaches up to his face, his eye, without meaning to. He thinks about his dreams about drowning, the people he once knew who appear in them.

“What does this have to do with his teeth?” Athena sinks into her desk chair and slumps over to rest her head on her arms.

“One has to think was the fae on the other end of the contract very suddenly calling in payment for those services rendered.” Phoenix’s phrasing does a remarkable job of obscuring the actual horror of the situation.

“He offered up his teeth?” Apollo repeats.

“He didn’t say,” Phoenix says darkly, all the levity he feigned moments ago gone, “so I’m not sure he did. That may just have been what got extorted from him. All considered, probably lucky they took his teeth and not his tongue.” He shrugs, still far too casual. “Words are the weapon he needs this information for, after all. But I think he might be a lawyer who thought that his legal work was enough experience to be able to safely deal with them, and he was very much wrong.” His feet smack heavily against the floor as he sits up. He sighs. “It’s bad when the cost of a deal is worse than something that might be a curse.”

“What might be?” Athena asks, mumbling from how her cheek is smushed into her arm. Trucy sits on the floor, leaning up against her desk, quietly listening.

“The issue with Means’ speech. Why I had to give you the magatama, Apollo. Could be a curse. A self-aggrandizing man like him, I’d bet he’d be furious that his grand speeches make the audience physically incapable of paying attention to it and him. But on the other hand, he did use that to his advantage by moving the body during his speech. He knew that everyone would be put half to sleep by it and disinclined to even try to look around for where he was sitting.”

“So there was some sort of glamour in his words?” Apollo asks. “But we never had a problem following what he was saying any other time.”

“I’d guess it probably gets going once he hits over a minute or two of uninterrupted speechifying,” Phoenix says. “Presuming it’s a curse, and not something he chose. Which I couldn’t tell you. He was reluctant to answer anything, then the police wanted to talk to him again so I ran out of time. I was more concerned with finding out how he knew - about Juniper and whatever, anyway.”

That “and whatever” hangs in front of Apollo’s face as a very loose thread, one he desperately needs to pull.

“Oh,” Phoenix adds suddenly, and Apollo watches the metaphorical thread be snatched away from him. “While I was waiting to talk to Means, I got a call. Themis’ school festival is being extended - the mock trial and the concert will be held tomorrow. I’m going, since I might still be teaching a lecture. You two can have the day off or come along, whatever you like.”

“Can I skip school and come too?” Trucy asks.

“No,” Phoenix says. “You can come after your school lets out.”

“How was High School Drama, Day Two: Electric Boogaloo?” Clay asks.

“Not Guilty,” Apollo says. “Now I’d like to go sleep for the next sixteen hours and hope I don’t have nightmares about my teeth falling out.”

“Oh weird,” Clay says. “I have that dream sometimes.”

#fic: the witches of los angeles #roddy fanfics

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coexistxcoldrain · 4 years

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The Moon in Old Times

Title: The Moon in Old Times (AO3 Link, please visit! :) ) Author: yaoionshavedice / hes-only-tiny Rating: Explicit Warnings: Well, smut ...; mentioning of suicide Ship: Masato/Hiroki (MasaHiro) Words: ~10.000 Summary: An onsen in the middle of nowhere, weird dreams of long forgotten times and oddly familiar memorial sites. Masato couldn't pinpoint the moment he thought he'd lost it. Maybe it had nothing to do with himself and everything to do with the appearance of this little brat from Tokyo who might or might not be shamelessly flirting with him. Notes: Not a native speaker! Please do give constructive criticism, I appreciate it! Also: kind of weird topic, I know. I’m also not an expert on all things Edo, unfortunately. So I hope you don’t mind tiny errors or anything that doesn’t make so much sense after all. Have fun :)

The Moon in Old Times

It had been hard – but not impossible – to find a nice traditional onsen that allowed tattoos. Obviously, that aspect had to have been one of my first concerns. I still had a spacious room with a private onsen here; however, I did enjoy using the public one first thing in the morning. When it was still freezing and dark outside. And considering how atmospheric the illuminated landscape melted into the steam rising up from the water … it was honestly a soul-healing experience. Cleansing, almost. I needed that, at least once a year.

It was on the dot 6am, maybe five minutes later. I had difficulties getting up early when on tour or during stressful weeks in general, but no such feelings when I was on vacation. I lay there, completely absorbed in my thoughts and the tingling sensation of the contrast between hot water and cool morning air; I’d almost missed the hesitant footsteps of someone with the same intentions I’d had.

When he entered the water, however, I realised I’d been lost in thought. I didn’t look. It just meant that my alone-time had already drawn to a close. You really shouldn’t stare when someone was about to enter the onsen, anyway.

A few minutes passed in silence as I concentrated further on the hazy, blurred surroundings and the pleasant feeling; but then the guy a couple of metres next to me raised his high voice with a clearing of his throat.

“Masato? Is that you?”

I couldn’t quite recall the voice though, so I turned my head in fear of seeing a full-on stranger sitting next to me; a fan. That was honestly the last thing I would have wanted right this second. I probably would have needed to change the ryokan, too. But no, sitting next to me, even if still awfully unexpected, was Moriuchi Hiroki; frontman of MY FIRST STORY and brother of one of my best friends.

That was … a coincidence.

“Oh, hey!” I spat out somewhat perplexed, seeing that I not exactly knew what else to say. Even though sitting naked inside an onsen with strangers and friends was part of the Japanese heritage – something as normal as it could get – here right now it remained kind of awkward. We were still the only ones here this morning and I knew him, but I didn’t really know him. Their band belonged to a different kind of generation of rock bands here in Japan. We briefly met on festivals, if we were lucky, but most of the time not even that. He wasn’t on very good terms with his brother, last time I checked, and Taka and I were good friends. That was it.

“That’s so funny that you’re here, too!” He grinned, or as far as I could make that out through the foggy night air. “Just on vacation?”

“Yeah,” I answered, still slightly taken aback by this new situation, “a few days. Just trying to relax a bit.”

“Me too,” Hiroki mused and nodded gently as if he had something on his mind but I didn’t say. I had actually just planned on remaining as silent as I could possibly manage during this holiday. Protect and heal my voice and just sweat out all this pent-up tension from all this unnecessary social interaction. I shook my head inwardly.

“So … I heard you just released a new album?” I asked only in order to have anything to say. It was release season after all, I thought I might have heard something along those lines, but honestly I just tried a shot in the dark. Next to me, however, he began nodding his head slowly.

“Been quite the year. I also needed a break.”

“I see …”

After that we fell kind of silent, though I talked myself into believing that it was because we enjoyed the relaxing warmth and silence, not because we were awkward as fuck. A few other men had joined us after a while, mostly elderly who honestly wouldn’t recognise any of us anyway. As it was time to go up again to get ready for the day, we briefly said our short goodbyes and I was sure I could feel his stares in my back when I left. But maybe I was just being paranoid.

***

I had started my day off slowly but breakfast went by pretty fast. And as I was launching in my room, clothed in a yukata, I noticed a curious pattern on the furniture and the wall cupboards. They weren’t just made out of smooth brown wood, as it was common for the interior of these old inns. There were delicate little flowers carved inside most of the surfaces. Nothing special to the fleeting eye of course, this ryokan was just a tad fancier than others, it would seem. Those, however, were lotus flowers. Significant in Buddhism and a lot of Asian countries in general. I wouldn’t have thought twice about it, were they not spread throughout the whole room. I just wondered if there was a deeper meaning than just ‘it looks fancy’ to this. But I’d also seen a few here and there in the lobby and dining room.

I shrugged, and having finished my green tea, I lazily got up. I wasn’t in the mood to read and there was still so much time left until lunch, so I decided to take a quick stroll through the little village.

Breathing in the fresh air of the still early day, I walked alongside the river. A small amount of rosy plum petals drifted with the stream downwards. It was a nice enough day, a bit cloudy and the cold wind cutting. There were few tourists in the streets, less than I’d expected, albeit it being such a picturesque little onsen village. Right out of picture-book-Edo. Lots of tiny shops, bathhouses and restaurants on each side of the river.

Lost in thought, I let my fingers trace the wooden handrail in the middle of the street that separated the sidewalk and the river. It made me realise how badly I’d needed this time off. No phone. No appointments. No one other than me and my thoughts.

And yet … here I was thinking about the brief encounter between Moriuchi Hiroki and me this morning. What a God damn coincidence. Something out of a screenplay, right? How was it possible that two people in the same business who knew each other ended up at the same place and at the same time? Ryo would probably laugh about this; endlessly amused. He was the one who actually kind of got along with Hiroki and his band, no matter the age gap. I knew that the guy looked up to us as musicians. Maybe even as much as he looked up to his brother and his band. We were almost on the same level after all. We’d both did Budokan. We’d both toured the world. We were friends. If Hiroki were to strive to be like someone, I wouldn’t be surprised if it would be us.

I’d been so absorbed by my thoughts that I hadn’t noticed the little shrine at the end of the path that had slowly but steadily come into sight. It was a cosy, little thing. Overgrown with soft looking green moss here and there. It basically completed the picture of this fascinating Edo-looking village.

I bowed subtly before I entered through the torii on the left hand side. I hadn’t expected to visit a shrine on this trip; I wasn’t even particularly religious or fond of traditions. Sure, I did visit the local shrine on New Year’s day. But that was about it. Something inside of me, however small, told me to stay. I suddenly felt a warm feeling of understanding and calmness reach my chest. I just laid the blame on the fact that I’d felt so relaxed coming here in the first place. That feeling had to have come from that, right?

There weren’t even any tourists or local people on the shrine grounds. And even though I wondered why that was, I decided that I liked this situation a lot better than otherwise and opted to ignore it. Coming from a big city, it was so rare to see anything like that.

I went through the motions of washing my hands and mouth at the little well, cleanse my body with the incense and then went to pray. Something you internalised as a Japanese person. Even though I hadn’t known what to pray for beforehand, all of a sudden I knew exactly what to ask.

When I turned around, I noticed a statue made out of stone in front of a small pond. Even though not very delicately sculptured, you could make out the silhouette of what appeared to be a couple in each other’s arms. Nowhere were foxes or komainu to be seen. That was odd.

“I take it you are not from here?”

I was taken wholly by surprise that when I turned around, an old man was standing right next to me. I laughed, feeling caught, and shook my head. When the heck had he appeared out of nowhere?

“No, I’m not from here.”

“You are wondering about the memorial, do you not?”

I took a closer look at the guy. He was clad in everyday clothes and his thinned out white hair reached the tip of his ears. He glanced piercingly in my direction with his bushy eyebrows raised. One of these stares that you couldn’t resist answering, though he honestly didn’t come across unfriendly. So I nodded.

“It is said to be Kozaemon and his courtesan Tsuka. They committed love suicide a long time ago.”

I side-eyed the old man and watched him fold his hands behind his back. I of course knew a little about all this; about life back then, about the ranks and samurai and yūjo. About Bunraku and Kabuki and the usage of popular real-life occurrences that had found their way into premodern art forms. Double-suicide being one of the most popular among those. The most romantic. I’d just never seen a memorial like this before. Didn’t know there were any.

“It is, however, also said that an error occurred while passing on information and Tsuka was actually Tsukichi. That is all I know. A beautiful statue, is it not?”

I nodded slowly and gave an awkward sound of understanding and gratitude. The old man took it, nodded himself and calmly shuffled away. If that was the truth, no wonder modern Japan decided to conceal it. Love-suicides used to be common and relationships between men no secret. Though I’d never heard of an instance of a homosexual double-suicide before this.

***

Since I wasn’t in the mood to actually sit down and eat at the ryokan, I decided to drop by some small diner and eat out instead. Though when I returned to the lobby, I saw Hiroki sitting in the far corner of the room, reading a magazine. He hadn’t noticed me yet and for one short moment I thought about ignoring him and just returning to my room. But as I examined him there reading alone, I felt like this was a way too coincidental situation to let it pass by. To be nice, even if I didn’t feel like it.

“Hey, what are you up to?”

Hiroki lifted his gaze and instantly cleared up the moment he saw me; a subtle smile playing on his lips. I told myself that it was just because he’d been feeling kind of dull and hadn’t expected to see me again so soon.

“I’ve just been reading,” he swiftly showed me the magazine in a fleeting motion, something about music … or art … or fashion. I couldn’t really tell before he again put his hands on the cover. “You look positively relaxed, though!”

“I’ve been walking around the neighbourhood and picked up some food. I guess I’m fine.”

I nodded gradually to back up my statement as if Hiroki needed to be reassured that I was telling the truth. As I realised how stupid that was, I stopped. Shifted from one foot to the other. I wasn’t nervous. It was just awkward …

Just as I was about to take my leave, because him casually sitting in front of me throughout our conversation mildly irked me, he stood up. I was a fair bit taller than he was but Hiroki didn’t seem as though he was bothered by it in any way. His bright smile caught me somewhat off-guard.

“I bought this expensive sake yesterday that I actually wanted to bring home. But if you’re free tonight, I could bring some over,” he suddenly explained with a straight face. He looked as if he’d only just had this sudden revelation, though something told me that he’d kind of planned on doing just that. I honestly wasn’t really fond at the prospect of him robbing me of my night time ritual – if you could call it that – but he seemed so excited that I couldn’t bring myself to say no. So I reluctantly agreed.

And finally at night, there we were, sitting at this round coffee table on the tatami floor, in our yukata and drinking sake; probably looking like a curious wall painting from the Edo period. This was the theme throughout after all. Our hair styles didn’t quite fit in, though.

I watched as he sat there, one half of his yukata very nearly sliding off his shoulder. Soft looking, tanned skin peeking out from underneath it. The grey of the garment looked honestly good on him, I had to admit.

“You’d make one hell of an entertainer. That yukata suits you,” I heard myself blurting out without properly thinking it through first. The alcohol had already sunken deep into my bloodstream and had tinged my cheeks a hot pink. Or at least that was what it felt like. Totally forgetting that, in a sense, he already was an entertainer.

In front of me, Hiroki chuckled and again nipped on his drink. He had this habit of covering his mouth with the back of his hand when he laughed. It made him seem soft somehow. He also seemed to be at least as intoxicated as I felt, though probably quite a bit more, to be frank. Right this moment I was just relieved that he wasn’t weirded out by my admittedly kind of creepy comment. His brown hair was tugged behind his ears, revealing his slightly puffy and likewise reddish cheeks. The tip of his nose sheen healthy in the warm toned light. I could not seem to turn away from those two delicate moles straight underneath his right eye. There was just something about him that I couldn’t explain.

“Did you just call me a prostitute?”

Wha–? I knew he didn’t mean it, he was joking; bantering. There was still this drunken challenging smile on his lips, but his fidgety hands on the table told a different story. I hadn’t intended to make him uncomfortable. But now that he said it, it could indeed have been perceived like that …

“No,” I tried to reconcile, albeit probably sounding desperate. Here was to hoping that he wouldn’t realise in his current state. “But did you know that prostitutes did in fact enjoy quite a high rank back in the day? The good ones, that is …”

Again, he chuckled. “Every child knows that … But you did call me ‘one hell of a,’ right?”

“Okay, this is getting weird, I’m sorry,” I laughed nasally because I was trying to hide half of my face somewhere behind my upper arm. Taking another sip. Feeling the stinging liquid run desperately hot down my throat. This wasn’t how I’d imagined this going. We weren’t even that close. Why couldn’t we, for the love of the Gods, keep up a normal conversation like actual adults?

“I’m just messing with you, you know?” Something in his brown eyes glistened when he looked at me. Maybe it was just the light reflected in them, or maybe he just really enjoyed being a tedious little brat. “Didn’t think it’d be so easy with you.”

I clicked my tongue, shook my head and downed the rest of the liquid from my glass. Should have known, really. He wasn’t annoying, however, for some reason I felt myself liking the way our interaction went. It was a fine line between annoyance and pleasure, though.

“I think you had one too much to drink,” I lectured him with a raised eyebrow; not looking at him. I took the result of my earlier statement as proof that I should probably refrain from handing out compliments like White Day chocolate. He did look good, but this time I held back my opinion; swallowed it down again. No idea why I’d had this thought in the first place.

Hiroki, however, only smiled at me with an odd expression as he picked up the bottle of sake again and poured us another two; almost triumphantly, not saying a word. I sighed.

“Hiroki … I honestly don’t want to fade away in the onsen tomorrow morning with a hangover …” It was a white lie, I wouldn’t be hungover tomorrow. I just genuinely thought that we’d better stop right here …

“I’m just trying to be a good yūjo,” he shrugged, his plump lips still forming a slight smile. Innocence. Feigned innocence.

Again, I sighed. “Don’t you think you’d much rather make a better wakashū?” I didn’t quite want to enable this weird conversation any further, but it seemed like we were at a point of no return here. Now I wanted to at least look at this logically.

In front of me, Hiro nodded approvingly. Actually a bit too enthusiastically for my tastes, too.

“You’re right. But I’d be a bit too old for that, don’t you think?”

“Let’s not go there …” I shook my head. I really didn’t want to imagine Hiroki as a barely teenage Kabuki actor, occasionally pleasuring old men in his free time. I scrunched up my face and was about to consider whether I should cut it right off here; tell him I’m sleepy, suggest that we should maybe go to bed. I was starting to feel uncomfortable under his glances and cheeky remarks. And I wasn’t about to ask myself why that was just yet.

“Okay, I’ll stop,” he breathed, this time a tad softer. His fingers played with the glass on the table and a strand of hair was now loose behind his ear and fell into his face.

I was older than him, obviously. Seven years, to be exact. I’d asked. He looked young, too. Maybe a conversation like this was totally normal among his group of friends.

“But it’s still okay to tell you that your natural hair colour suits you, right? That’s not going too far, is it?”

Again, I stared at him a bit dumbfounded before I regained my composure. Slowly, I took another sip, felt the liquid run down my throat. Swallowed and almost had to cough because I’d chocked on it. My ears felt warm. “I guess that’s okay. I’ve complimented you first. We’re even.”

My words came out curiously broken; with a low and careful voice. I’d grow out my natural dark brown hair during off time. I liked the occasional change and also to give my hair a breather between tours. It had been a while, however, since someone had complimented me on that. Weird that I just wasn’t able to pocket it like a normal compliment from an acquaintance. Suddenly it became hard to look him in the eye.

“Maybe we should–” I started to intervene, but he nodded midway, agreeing to my unfinished suggestion in a whisper.

“We should,” he said.

As we both nodded and reached for the little glasses simultaneously, our hands faintly touched and we instinctively flinched; like a god damn film cliché. It was like a little electro shock, like a spark, I felt the hair on the nape of my neck stand up. And then, as I looked at him, for a split second I could swear Hiroki didn’t look like Hiroki anymore. In this short moment, I was sure to have seen what looked like an older version of him. Not as in ‘aged,’ but as in ‘not exactly now’. All the colours were sepia toned and blurred and before I could inspect his hair style any further, the weird feeling was gone and I snapped out of it.

“Are you okay?” he asked worriedly; his facial features only now starting to make sense to my brain again, slowly blending together. I shook my head confused to let go of that state but then nodded.

“Yeah, yeah. Sorry. Forget it. I should really go to bed.”

***

I was leaning against the chunky trunk of a big plum tree. It appeared to be spring, everything was deeply in bloom and blossom, pinks and whites and yellows and greens all around, but the rays of the sun felt already intensely warm on my skin. I peeped up to the baby blue morning sky and smiled on account of it. What bliss!

“Your skin looks golden in the sun,” the boy in front of me asserted out loud; cupping my face lovingly with his two hands. I looked at him and even though I felt like scolding him, still I smiled.

Next he took the tiny used notebook and very short pencil from my hands and placed them next to us. I let him do it without objecting, even though I knew that he shouldn’t have the power to bother me at a time like this. I combed through his loose raven black forelocks.

“Take me with you tonight.”

“You very well know I cannot do that.”

“Your wife does not even need to know.”

“Look at me,” I heard my own voice ring in my ears as I looked at him intently; his face both soft and hopeless at the same time. The freshness of his pink cheeks well-neigh touched me to tears. “There is going to be a time and a place for everything yet to come.”

“I am afraid I cannot wait any longer,” he cried tenderly but his eyes were screaming. I could not seem to turn away from those two delicate moles straight underneath his right eye. They made him seem mesmerizingly beautiful. This time, I cupped his face. “I am tired. I love you.”

“And I love you,” I reassured him, “but this is not how the world works.”

“I cut myself for you.”

With deliberate and careful fingertips, I caressed the long, thick scar on his shoulder through the garment from that blade that day. It had only just closed up and healed recently.

“I mean it.”

“We will find a way, I promise you,” I whispered those words onto his trembling lips. Kissed a salty tear away. Knew that, in the end, this would only mean one thing.

“Born together on the same lotus flower.”

When the day of his genpuku ceremony came, and it was his time to cut off his forelocks, he lay in my arms; sobbing. I held him close and brushed through his hair patiently. Kissed his head.

He had tried to postpone it as long as he could but ultimately there was no young man who could escape it. You were supposed to embrace it, naturally. What an opportunity, an honour! To be able to fight in open battle as samurai and to finally be considered an adult! But for the wakashū youth at the time, it was bound to be a disaster.

“Will you still love me after that?” “I told you, I will.”

“Promise me.”

“I would gladly give my life for you,” I whispered into his black hair and meant it. “You will find a way, too, you will see. The wakashū-kabuki is about to change. I know it.”

And when it was finally time for us to be reborn, the winter had taken hold of the land. The icy cold gusts of wind cut our cheeks but we determinedly marched forward to the perfect spot encompassed by those large, naked plum trees and the little shrine. I had taken care of my wife’s financial well-being as best as I could have managed. I felt guilty but also indescribably happy at the prospect of finally being free with him. Together with him. Like it always should have been.

When I leant down to cut his throat, I kissed him intently and whispered “same lotus, remember” against his lips. It was both the hardest and the easiest thing I’d ever had to do. Then I hung myself.

And as I hung there, swaying in the wind, the full moon shining on me, I–

***

My alarm went off. Horror-stricken, I came to and suddenly I sat upright in my futon; clutching my throat and desperately trying to gasp for air. Until I realised I didn’t need to. There was fresh sweat on my forehead that I wiped away before I got up to drink some water.

What a freakish nightmare.

I’d never before dreamed of dying. Let alone anything Tokugawa period inspired. I didn’t even know I’d had the knowledge. But it had all felt too real, looked so real. The more I tried to hold onto the blurred memories, however, the more they slipped away. I shook my head. With all of yesterday’s wakashū talk and the little lecture at the memorial site, this was bound to happen, right? Right …

I sleepily rubbed my eyes and looked outside. Still dark, of course. I hadn’t been as sleepy yesterday …

After I’d had a cup of tea, I made my way downstairs to the onsen. Wondered if Hiroki would appear at the same time as yesterday. I waited in the mushy warmth and people came and went, but he never appeared.

Slightly feeling defeated, I let the back of my head fell softly on the wet stones behind me and sighed. I couldn’t put my finger on why I felt so bad. Maybe I’d scared him away yesterday after all; had made him feel unwelcomed. That hadn’t been my intention as his senpai at all.

But then, what did I want?

Finally, at breakfast, I saw him sitting at the large table and joined him hesitantly. He really didn’t seem too pleased. But maybe I’d only imagined it.

“Did you sleep well last night?”

Hiroki spooned his miso soup; his face stiff. “So-so. Could have been better, honestly.”

My fingertips itched to ask him why he didn’t come to the public onsen this morning. He’d probably just used his own private one, but then again, why today …

“Yeah, me neither,” I mused; body refreshed, mind sleepy. “I hope I didn’t offend you yesterday.”

It was honestly a thought that had been circling around in my head all morning since I’d woken up from that weird dream. Objectively I knew that I hadn’t offended him and if I had, it wasn’t my fault. Just … seeing him looking so miserable, for whatever reason, felt like choking. Trying to be as silent as I could manage, I grabbed everything I needed for my breakfast and started to eat.

“You did not,” he reassured me and there was honesty in his voice, though his eyes remained a question without an answer. “I honestly think that I was acting like a little brat on purpose and I should apologise for that.”

“So, do you only think you should or are you apologising?”

When I lifted my gaze to look at him, for a moment, I thought he’d throw his tofu at me. But to my huge relief, he smiled, beamed even, and so I chimed in for a bit. When the pleasant feelings had settled after a while, I again tried to focus on the food. Suddenly it tasted a lot better.

“I’ll be honest with you,” I started after a few minutes in pleasant silence, not quite knowing whether I should really tell him, “actually I wanted to spend this vacation alone. You know, not even seeing or talking to anyone. But now that you’re here, too … how about going around town for a bit later?”

Hiroki nodded, not too enthusiastically but I liked to think he was. “That sounds great. Check out the restaurants?”

I nodded. There were a lot I hadn’t yet seen.

***

It was long dark outside when we exited the restaurant we’d had dinner at. Both clothed in grey kimono, and already slightly intoxicated from all the sake we’d had after food, we walked along the dimly lit river.

It was astoundingly beautiful here. It very well-neigh looked as though you were literally in old Edo, only the street lights meddled with the illusion. It was a clear night with a clear night’s sky and although still quite cold, there was no wind cutting our faces. Everything was dark and still and silent and listened.

We hadn’t said a word since we’d started walking alongside this little river called Heiki in a daze of alcohol and mild food overdose. Which was, for the record, slightly out of character for the both of us considering that we’d happily chatted away during our meal and it made me fuzzy in the head. We’d had a lot of fun together tonight.

After we’d walked for a while, our ryokan wasn’t too far anymore, Hiroki suddenly stopped to lean onto the wooden handrail at the side of the street and listen to the polite rhythm of the gurgling water. On the other river side, the plum trees were already in full bloom.

“Why we’re stopping?” I asked oblivious and watched him watching the scenery in front of us. There was a short smile on his lips. We were still drunk.

“It’s just so pretty here. I’ve spent enough time indoors.”

I nodded. Although I silently dreamed of using the onsen for a second time today. “It’s cold after a while, though, don’t you think?”

Hesitatingly, I shuffled to a spot next to him; the fabric of our kimono almost touching.

“I can handle the cold,” he mused but I knew he wasn’t finished. So I didn’t say anything after that. Then he looked up and so did I. Out here, you could actually see the stars. Sometimes you get the feeling that they’re not quite there in the city, as though someone had imagined them a long time ago and so they only then came into existence. You never really think about them, you never really see them, because even though you might sometimes look up from your hectic walk, they are not really there. You look up and they’re not there. You know they should be and you know everyone says they’re there, so you believe them.

“The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?”

I watched the not quite full moon closely, silently, and wondered if Hiroki knew what he’d just said. What a walking cliché … After another few seconds had passed, however, I decided to blame the alcohol for that as well.

“It is,” I said warily and got ready to start walking again, “but let’s just go inside. Have something to drink. I just want to get into the hot water one more time before I go to bed.”

“That does sound good,” he agreed enthusiastically as he walked right by my side. I could see his breath forming little clouds of white mist in the light of the street lamps whenever I peered over to him. And while I was at it, I forbid my head from overthinking his statement from earlier. He hadn’t meant it like that … “How about we go to my place? I have a private onsen.”

“Don’t you think I have one, too? You’ve been to my room.”

“Yeah,” he nodded, his cheeks sporting a soft glowing pink. He was giddy, always in such high spirits, it was fascinating. “But does yours overlook the forest?”

“Oh, don’t tell me you’ve booked the most expensive room?”

“What can I say?” Hiroki looked at me and laughed a hearty smile, showing me his wrist and attached to it: a rather expensive looking watch. “Rich parents and successful, too. Why would I settle for the almost?”

“Wow, you’re … unbelievable.”

What a fucking brat. He’d been like this from the start, as if he never cared how he came across. Maybe he really didn’t. Some people’d understandably think of him as obnoxious. But I knew he was kind and thoughtful. Honest even. That’s why he didn’t bother to change his cheeky ways. He knew he could trust me.

And he had been right indeed – his room looked full-on fancy; sort of extravagant even and the view over the forest was breathtakingly gorgeous. I hadn’t been aware that there were such major differences between the rooms. His little private onsen was built on what appeared to be a balcony of some sort – there weren’t any walls or glass façades surrounding the hot bath. It was wonderful, really, so you’d still be sitting outside and the hot steam wouldn’t fill the cramped little room. Now I knew why he’d stayed inside this morning. And, ironically enough, there was the moon right outside this room, hanging over the onsen like an exclamation point with the stroke of its upper body missing.

“I’ve got some beer. Tell you what, I’m going to get it and you go and get yourself ready?”

“That’s decadent,” I intervened slightly puzzled, though Hiroki’s face only revealed what seemed to be one of his ‘what do you mean?’-looks. As if that was the most common thing on this planet. So in the end I shrugged my shoulders and obliged, wondering when our roles had switched exactly. The fact that I was still intoxicated, however, helped this case enormously.

I’d been with friends to the hot springs a hundred times. Even with his brother. But somehow … this time … alone in a private onsen with him and alcohol involved … there was something feeling not quite right about this. I just couldn’t put my finger on why that was, though. And so I ignored the little voice inside my head as he sat opposite of me. The fact that I kind of initiated this mess in the first place Sipping his beer. The lights inside were dimmed, we only really had the moon illuminating our faces.

It looked kind of bizarre. I knew he was of drinking age, but he still looked so young holding this comparatively huge beer can in his hand. The way he sat there, silently, enjoying the warmth and sometimes looking up at the sky; questioningly. There was no way I could enjoy my bath like this. With all these ideas and thoughts running through my busy head. And him thoughtfully examining me once in a while when he thought I wasn’t looking.

“Is there something on my face?” I asked him without really expecting an answer to that.

The air around us had been electrified ever since we’d gone home from the restaurant. I should have known better and retired to my own room after we’d come here. I didn’t know what had made me stay.

“Do you think the moon looked the same for people in former times?”

I had to muffle a small laugh at that; I’d been expecting a lot but this knocked me off track. “Oh, it’s that time already? Philosophy?”

I couldn’t help myself but mock it. I busied my fingers with my own beer and hoped he would just drop the subject altogether. Something about it unnerved me to no end. No more talking about the bloody moon!

For a while then, he said nothing. Only when he saw my raised eyebrows did he open his mouth to respond. For some weird reason, I was anticipating exactly what he was about to say just then. God damn, I hadn’t actually wanted to trigger that.

“It’s just … I’ve had a weird dream last night.”

“Just a dream, though,” I assured him and freaked out on the inside. What a bizarre coincidence. Hopefully just that. Hopefully.

In front of me, Hiro nodded and finished his beer in one long gulp. He did make me nervous, I finally realised for the first time. His unspoken words especially; I could see them in his eyes. Now it was just awkward between the two of us. Both staring into nothingness and trying not to move. The water was suddenly too hot, it made my face glow up, and yet I could have sworn that I felt the subtle heat of his body instead. He was resting his arm outside of the onsen on the elevated ground; his fingertips loosely pointing in my direction. My chest felt heavy. I didn’t know what to do.

“What made you come here in the first place?” I heard myself saying before I could even intervene consciously. But then I thought that it wasn’t such a bad idea to talk about that, after all. Normal enough conversation starter. Made both our minds busy. Would probably and finally stop me from wanting to move closer to him.

Hiro shrugged. “I felt like it. Searched for a place that allowed tattoos. This one felt right.”

“Right,” I whispered like in trance. Even though I had to have sobered up quite some bit already, my head felt so fuzzy. Trying to be subtle about it, I examined that part of his chest piece that was visible above the water surface. It said ‘Rule the Fate’ in elegant lettering and when I was done reading it, my hair on the nape of my neck stood on end. I realised that I couldn’t take my eyes off it. I knew he’d noticed. “Same for me.”

“You only have those two?” he whispered back in the same tone of voice, though only stared at the one on my neck. The Vena tattoo. “It’s your album title, isn’t it? What does it mean to you?”

I swallowed hard. I couldn’t quite make his eyes out in the dark, but his look was piercing. Not in an uncomfortable way, however, it managed to make me hot to the touch. My throat felt tight.

“We wanted to get back to our roots music wise,” I tried to give him the same TED talk I’d given basically any interviewer back then. And it wasn’t even that big of a lie. “So I thought roots … blood … veins … you get it.”

“Yeah, I get it,” he nodded, “but why’d you get a tattoo of that on your skin?”

“…Why’d you get yours?”

“I mean …” he paused, gesturing a bit comically. I again swallowed a lump in my throat. “You only have two. Those must mean something to you.”

“I just wanted to have someone on the cover with that tattoo. Thought it might as well be me.”

Hiroki only nodded as if he understood but in reality I knew he wasn’t convinced. Again, it wasn’t that big of a lie. I just didn’t feel fully comfortable talking about anything that personal. At least he accepted that. I watched him in front of me; tilting his head back to catch a nice cool breeze, his chest rising and falling softly. Fate. Then he lifted his gaze.

“Can I take a closer look at it?”

“What?” I responded instinctively and way too fast. I couldn’t quite tell him not to be ridiculous. I would have probably told him so yesterday. But tonight … I felt like I couldn’t refuse him such a simple request. He probably hadn’t gotten a good look at it in the past two days and he was just … curious. We were still slightly drunk. To ask such a thing was within the realms of possibility. It wasn’t weird. Or so I told myself. Because when I looked hard into it, when I tried to be honest with me … then I knew that all the fibres of my entire body wanted him closer. I wanted to say yes. I wanted him to look. The time of self-control was over, I’d just decided. No more self-control. He had it coming. I just couldn’t shake off that feeling of total helplessness; a feeling that this was all supposed to happen, right now and in the same exact way it was happening. “…yes.”

I held my breath as he carefully skidded closer to me in the onsen. It wasn’t big or anything, but the motion felt like minutes. Eventually, however, he was standing right in front of me; his stomach was almost at the same height as my face. I exhaled relieved when he decided to hunker down in front of me after all. My ears felt hot, again I held my breath. Prayed that I wasn’t coming across as nervous as my beating heart suggested.

This was it, wasn’t it? This was one of those moments. I’d never been good at them. I was tense enough with women. But with a man? The whole realisation of it all, that it felt so right and that I knew my body wanted him so badly, made me lose my mind.

Sitting in front of me like that, Hiroki scooted just the tiniest bit closer; supporting himself with his right hand on the edge of the onsen right next to my head as he leaned forward in slow motion. I felt his breath on my wet skin, making me shiver and flinched when the fingers of his left hand finally touched me; tracing the delicate strokes of black ink. I hadn’t expected him to, honestly. I’d thought he’d only look, but now that he was here and I wasn’t quite surprised retrospectively, I leaned back and let out a small sigh that I’d held in consequently.

I imagined he was aware of where my body was and was fussily concerned with trying not to touch me in the water, though I could feel his thighs close to mine. My pulse throbbed so loud in my ears that I couldn’t understand my own voice inside my head anymore. All I heard was him breathing faster. I was so nervous and yet so giddy. Time moved so excruciatingly slow. I knew my impulses were about to kick in. I could feel it. My head felt so dizzy, my heart screamed. This ridiculous act was so painful. I knew he wanted me and I was sure he knew that I wanted him.

Two days. It had taken him two days to make me mad for him and his body. Laughable!

I was just about to go ‘fuck it’ and grab his head and just kiss him; I couldn’t take it any longer and my fingers itched for his skin, I couldn’t take the fact that I couldn’t just touch him anymore – but then I felt his lips brush against my neck. Drawing in a breath sharply, I swallowed down a moan and was so perplexed that I suddenly didn’t know what to do after all. Then I just decided on placing my hand on his head, brushing through his soft hair bolder by the second, encouraging him to go on. His right hand now on my shoulder and upper arm, the other somewhere in the water.

This kid sure had balls. I chuckled amused but softly. Relieved.

“You’ve planned this?” I breathed under shivers. My heart was so full; I didn’t know what to do with all these giddy feelings. I hadn’t been this horny for someone in such a long time. How was I supposed to hold back until I could finally touch him properly, anyway? All of this was moving way too slow. I wanted to grab him and press him against the floor. I’d never done that to a guy. I wondered how he moved; how he moaned and how his face looked when he had my cock inside of him. I let out a shaky breath. Grabbed the back of his head and finally kissed him. Pressed him against me; our faces so close that it became almost impossible to move. The steam had made our hair and skin damp. His lips were wet.

I loved the little trembling breaths he took between kisses. I knew his lips felt soft but all I could think of was that tingling right underneath my skin, everywhere. Everywhere his body touched mine. His hands all over me and one of his legs somewhat awkward somewhere between my legs. His hips were touching my stomach. I could feel his hard-on and I knew he could feel my cock brush against him, too. He kissed back with such force; with at least as much desperation as I had in me. Even his fingertips where shaky. When I supported him by the hips and pressed him closer towards me, he sobbed against my lips; I opened my eyes. My hands still both cupping his face.

God, he was beautiful.

But as I was watching him in front of me, searching for his eyes in the dark but failing, there was this sudden realisation what we were about to do. Reluctantly I pressed our foreheads together. Clenched my teeth. Exhaled slowly. It felt right, yes, though this would most definitely not be perceived this way by … literally everyone we knew or who knew us.

“Hiroki … I think we should stop.”

I almost couldn’t recognise my own voice when I spoke; I was out of breath. I tried to search for his gaze one more time in the dimly lit darkness and recognised the coldness of his breath on my wet neck. He was still so close to my own face that it was hard to breathe. Our noses touched. I felt his chest heaving. I honestly didn’t want to let go of him. I couldn’t.

“You don’t want this to stop.” A whisper.

He was right. I smiled against his lips but didn’t kiss him. He let out a long sigh. I didn’t know how we’d ended up here. I didn’t even really want to occupy my mind with that question. I just wanted to follow whatever instinct was piloting me at this moment. It felt so right. Something inside of me told me that I really shouldn’t worry about such a minor thing. It would all fall into place. I just knew that I wanted to get off with him so badly. I wanted to see his face when he came. I wanted to know how he sounded like when he was close. And it did feel like a taboo, too, somehow. Something I’d never considered doing, something that fans would definitely never know about. And something his brother would most definitely never learn.

God damn, I couldn’t stand it anymore. He was so right. No, I didn’t want to end this.

So I carefully got up and out, so as not to slip or hurt Hiroki accidentally in the process, and impatiently dried my body with a towel. It was freaking cold, but that wasn’t it, I was just desperate to get inside and begin where we left off. Still out of breath, I watched him climb out; biting my lips as my gaze fell on his hard cock. He looked a bit awkward standing there but I could not wait to touch him again. And so I took another careful breath and reached for his shoulder, wiped those single drops of water off as he was distractedly drying himself, too. His eyes on me the whole time. Gave him a small kiss before I began to hurry to get inside.

“Come on,” I encouraged him, took his hand and pulled him into the warmth. Didn’t care if he was still wet. Didn’t care if some of the curtains weren’t closed. Didn’t care about the far too dimmed lights.

I closed the door behind us and quickly pulled him into another kiss. Cupping his face, feeling the smooth skin on his back, pressing him against me as we stood there in the middle of the traditional looking ryokan living room.

I felt far too hot, my ears hurt. And I knew my lips had to have been swollen by then. But I just couldn’t stop kissing him, catching his moans and little desperate breaths. It wasn’t like playing an instrument; Hiroki definitely knew what he was doing and what he wanted. He fought back, he pushed, he pulled. I would have loved to thrust him to the floor and to just lead this whole thing. See if he liked that. If he wanted that or had had in mind when he started hitting on me yesterday out of the blue. But instead Hiroki swiftly dropped to his knees without any time left for me to protest.

It must have been God damn uncomfortable on the tatami floor but seeing him like this, looking up at me with half-closed eyes – I wasn’t really gonna talk him out of it, let’s be honest. I brushed through his hair gently and was excited to see where this was going. No man had ever given me a blowjob but Hiroki looked as though he knew exactly what he’d had in mind, which aroused the question of if he’d done it before. I held my breath before his tongue touched me and shivered when it did.

He grabbed my waist and let his hands wander back and forth. I closed my eyes. Could not quite relax standing like this but the sensation was just so overwhelmingly perfect that I at the same time couldn’t care less. I just wanted more of that throbbing inside of my chest, to get all choked up. I didn’t even think I could bring out a single word at this point. My mouth stood open and all I could do was to breathe loudly as he had me in his mouth. My hands somewhere in his hair. I felt him grinning against my skin.

Jesus. He knew exactly what he was doing.

“Hiroki,” I forced out with a broken voice then after all. I didn’t want to come just yet. But he was so good. My breathing grew faster and finally he stopped. Licked up my length once more before he stood up to face me again. He was still shorter than me, but his grin was so wide and smug that I was on the verge of holding him down and wanting to fuck it off him just like that. Instead I pulled him into yet another kiss; his tongue tasted faintly salty and bitter.

I let him press himself against my body as he wrapped his arms around my shoulders and tickled my ear with his breath. Enjoyed the warmth his body gave off; all the angles, edges and muscles a woman didn’t have. Tried to capture and keep a hold of how he felt on my skin. Inhaled shakily.

“Are you brave enough to fuck me?” he whispered in my ear. I shivered. And mulled it over for a second. Brushed a strand of hair away from his forehead. I couldn’t think properly, I was just so horny. I hadn’t had sex with a man before him. But I wasn’t afraid, I wasn’t worried. All I wanted right now was him in front of me on all fours; on top of me, beneath me. Everything; I didn’t care. I just wanted to make him scream my name.

“I didn’t exactly think about bringing condoms, you know.” That had been pretty low on my priority list when I came here, to be quite honest. Who would have thought, anyway?

I let my fingertips run up and down his flat chest, felt the pulse on his throat; nose to nose, lips to lips. My hands now on the nape of his neck. Breathing in his sighs. On the verge of telling myself ‘fuck it’ – only that I knew better.

“I don’t have any, either,” he whispered against my lips. I kissed his.

“I was afraid you might say that …” I chuckled almost silently; still pressing myself against him. The desire I felt for him was immeasurable at this point. How could a stupid little kid do that to me? I tried pushing the fact of him being Taka’s little brother, of him being in the rock music scene himself, to the very back of my head. It was kind of weird the longer I thought about it, but because I still wanted to do this, however the fuck he’d managed to convince me, I tried not to think about it any further.

So … we couldn’t fuck, but there were still plenty of other options left. Plus, there was always the possibility of a ‘next time,’ right? I had all the time in the world to fantasise about my thick cock inside of him next time, when we were more prepared. About him sobbing little moans and pleas with every thrust; begging for more. To be released. Deeper and faster. I almost chocked at the thought and finally broke the physical contact to get the futon out of the closet.

Hiroki watched me prepare it; his breathing shallow. When I sat down on it, he joined me in the blink of an eye. It didn’t take long for me to pull him into another kiss, which he approved of easily and obliged without a word. If anything, he melted into it. I could feel his body blur together with the rest of the background; I could feel him shiver and shake. My movements only grew stronger; more erratic. Pushing and pulling. Until he was lying right underneath me. I breathed his name against his lips. Kissed his jaw. Traced his cheekbones. Swallowed hard.

He was so God damn beautiful. And so God damn needy and complaint under my fingertips; his legs spread, pressing himself up against my body. I craved him. I so wished I could just fuck him after all. I could not wait. I pinned his arms back onto the floor and caught his silent sighs. Grinding down on him. Watching his eyes cloud over. His cheeks pink with lust, intoxication and hopefully embarrassment. I didn’t know why I wanted him embarrassed exactly. I just knew that I had to wipe that smugness off him fast.

“Want to have the next best thing?” I purred, shoving two fingers inside his mouth maybe a tad too ungently; all the while keeping his arms in check. But he understood, wasn’t surprised, it took him not a second to start licking them. I groaned as I pressed our foreheads together. I liked the sensation. I liked how I still felt as though I had the upper hand in all this. He’d oblige, and if he didn’t, I’d make him.

When I felt like it was enough, I replaced my fingers with my mouth and let them wander down his body instead. It was my first time with a man but I’d had anal sex before. I knew how he’d like it. And I was excited at the prospect of finding the perfect angle for him. Watching his face change. Experiencing in what way it was different for him than it was for a woman.

He arched his back when I was finally massaging against him, waiting for another response. Watching him wriggle and twist, trying to escape my firm grip. Watching him slowly losing it. I just needed this one reassurance. This one push. At this point I was hovering right above his lips. Not kissing him again. Waiting. My own cock was throbbing. My heart sank. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been this excited.

“Please,” I heard him breathe, but his voice was so shattered and shaky that I’d almost missed it. His cheeks were still a fresh pink, as were his ears. He had his mouth open and his eyes closed shut. His teeth clenched. I could feel his cock pulsating.

God, was I really about to fulfil one of his old teenage fantasies? Had he been into me the whole time?

“Say that again for me,” I asked, licking his lips provokingly. Being the one to call the shots, to have the power over him, made me positively drunken with excitement. Women were often way too obedient in the first place. I’d never had the urge to exhaust established power dynamics. It was different with Hiroki. And this was only the beginning. I was looking forward to finally being inside of him; to fuck that smugness out of him. And somewhere in my head I wondered for a short second if I’d be able to cuddle him on my sofa, too.

“Please, Masato–”

Maybe he wanted to add something but I decided that it still wasn’t enough.

“I need a full sentence from you.”

He moaned under my weight; under the feeling of my fingers pushing further against him and yet still not pushing far enough. His cock looked so ridiculously full and desperate.

“I– I need your fingers inside of me, Masato. Please–”

When I finally pushed my fingers in, I made sure to watch him closely; to see how his face went to pieces, how he lost control of his facial features completely. I watched him intently. Fascinated. He instinctively tightened around my fingers. I had yet to move them in and out but he already seemed to be in the highest of highs. When I let go of his arms, he didn’t look as though he knew what he should do with them all of a sudden. So he left them above his head on the floor. But sitting back, taking in the whole picture; all of him – was so arousing.

After I’d started slowly moving my fingers in and out experimentally, he relaxed and it gradually became easier and his moans increasingly louder. It felt like being in a total state of manic fixation. I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. Off his face; off his cock; off the place my fingers slipped in and out of him. I watched his chest heave and him squirm. Two fingers were all it took for him to go insane. He looked as though it would be so easy for him to cum just from my fingers alone. My cock twitched at the thought. But I really wanted to get some friction, too. I was just so turned on by the sight of him and his little sobs. By the feeling of my fingers surrounded by his tight warmth. By him trying to somehow hide his face behind his arms embarrassed. Even though he obviously loved being watched as I fingerfucked him. His wide open legs said more than a thousand words.

Jesus, I would have loved to replace my fingers with my cock. Seeing what kind of difference it made. How loud he could moan. How his face looked.

I swallowed hard. I never would have thought I’d do that to a man, let alone him. I never would have thought I’d find cock attractive. But seeing him so turned on turned me on. Maybe my heart beat so fast because it was him and not some random other guy.

I leaned down again to stifle his moans with my mouth. Reached down between my own legs and began jerking myself off. It was kind of a pain in the ass, to be honest. God damn uncomfortable. But the smallest of touches felt heavenly. I shuddered with every stroke and already felt close to the edge. How could that even be a thing?

“I want to come all over you,” I pressed out; my voice shaking with lust and arousal. I couldn’t think of anything more perfect right now. Seeing him come. Him coming at the same time as me. Him coming from me coming all over him. Not needing to care about where to release or how to get rid of it afterwards. Just watching him love every second of it.

“Yes, I want you to,” he breathed equally shaky against my lips and I felt him finally reach for his own cock, too. Even though I would have loved trying to make him come just from my fingers, I shivered at the thought of him jerking off. Never thought about watching anyone like this. Suddenly I couldn’t think of anything hotter.

I leaned back in order for me to take him in fully; to watch him slowly get closer to the edge himself. He was pulling his cock slowly but firmly, in the same rhythm as my thrusts. I was matching him. Not thinking about it. My head was on autopilot. I moved my fingers faster. He moaned louder. I did not think about bothering other guests. My mouth stood slightly open. Breathing became harder. My own hand on my cock felt so good. I closed my eyes for a second. Sighed.

“You look so pretty like that,” I groaned. Maybe a tad too loud. His answer was a long moan. I could see that he was close. Felt it.

And even though it was way easier to both fingerfuck him and jerk myself off when I leaned back, I just couldn’t resist bending further down to kiss him. I liked how he just couldn’t cope anymore the moment I tried to steal his breath on top of everything that was happening. He yelped and gasped and it momentarily threw him off balance.

“I’m close,” he whined against my lips.

I skidded closer to him on my knees. Moved my fingers faster, tried to go even deeper. He cried. I pressed our foreheads together. Massaging myself with an even stronger grip. I felt hot all over and this familiar electric sensation spread through my whole body. I closed my eyes.

But when I finally came, I leant back again to watch it all. I couldn’t seem to control the volume of my moans. I felt deaf. I tried not to lose the rhythm of my fingers but I kind of failed. I watched as the first shot hit him on the neck and jaw. I exhaled. Then his chest and stomach. I groaned. When he was finally coming too, triggered by my own orgasm, his cum reached his clavicle. My own was dropping on his cock and hand by then.

Breathing. Coping. Trying to regain composure.

I smiled when I realised how much cum he had on his body. He smiled back as he grabbed my head with his clean hand and just held it. Pressed our foreheads together this time.

What a fucking mess.

When I realised that he’d probably have to sleep in this futon tonight, I carefully pulled out my two fingers; listened to him whine at the sensation. Then I tried to find him some tissues to get rid of most of the mess roughly first before it ran down his sides. Then I washed my hands.

“I don’t know if it’s me – but I think you should take a shower.”

“Oh, really?” he said in a mocking tone as he turned around to face me. But his face was still flushed; he gleamed almost. His smile so bright I wondered if I’d just accidentally drugged him instead.

I cleared my throat; abruptly feeling a bit more awkward than before. It was just the way he stood in front of me like that. The tattoos suited his body shape. All of a sudden he looked his usual bratty self again. All wide smiles, big laughs and provocative words.

I liked how his body looked, I only now realised. It honestly blew my mind how that preference could develop over two days when I hadn’t even felt a similar urge once in my life before.

“Yeah,” I whispered and closed the gap between us. Pulled him inside my arms. Felt the angles and edges and pressed my lips onto his. “I should probably go with you.”

#coldrain #my first story #maifasu #masato hayakawa #hiroki moriuchi #moriuchi hiroki #hayakawa masato #masato david hayakawa #myfirststory #smut #fanfiction #MasaHiro #MasaKi #The Moon in Old Times

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ichigopanhpff · 4 years

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BNHA Fic: Blink! Ch. 24

Read Ch. 23 | Masterlist

Hope everyone had a good holiday season and a great New Year! The next few chapters will be posted sporadically. I need to concentrate on finding a new job the next few months.

As fun as it is to write “Blink!”, I’ve been finding the lack of motivation to post since it’s not getting much reads. This was to be expected considering it’s not a reader insert and it takes place in S4.

The grandiose ball room was brightly lit with a crystal chandelier at the center, with decorative sconces symmetrically placed on every wall that wasn’t a full on window with breathtaking views of the Tokyo nightscape. Waiters dressed in white jackets and black vests served glasses of champagne, cocktail and hors d'oeuvres to the self-important adults chatting away incessantly with some top tier heroes and other ambassadors. A live 3-piece jazz band could be heard playing to give the party some ambiance. Ren spotted her mom talking with Aizawa and two other unknown faces.

“I guess I should go say hi,” Ren sighed. “Let’s meet back at this spot in an hour, then we dip. I really want that ramen.”

“It’s a plan.” Seri gave her a thumbs up and all the luck, watching her friend walk off.

“Kubo-senpai...” Todoroki softly called. “About what we were talking about before...”

She looked up at the red and white haired boy, her gaze falling more on the cautious side.

“While it’s true I need to sort out how I feel about Ren-senpai, please know I intend to be honest and the last thing I want to do is hurt her in any way. And… I really do care about her. It’s not much, but that’s the most reassurance I can give you at this time.”

Seri softened her expression at Todoroki and sighed, closing her eyes in understanding. “You two really are alike. She’s doing the same with you.”

“Is… she?”

Seri watched Ren’s side profile in the group of adults, looking attentive to their conversation. “So, does she know your story?”

“The timing was never there,” Todoroki said. “But I get the feeling she knows some parts already based on what I could tell her.”

“It should come from you, not from her assumptions.”

“Seri. There you are,” a man’s deep voice called, making her let out a soft, tired breath from her lips.

“The shackles are here in the form of my father,” the owl-faced girl lamented. “See you in an hour, Todoroki-kun.”

And then there was one.

Casually walking around, he grabbed an hors d'oeuvre from a moving platter and took a small bite, immediately grimacing at the sudden taste of freezer burn. Quickly finding a napkin, he vacated the vile item from his mouth onto it and balled it up in his fist. He now understood why both his upperclassmen were looking forward to ramen. Looking around the room, he recognized a few heroes, even though they weren’t in costume.

Was this what being a pro hero is?

Rubbing elbows with powerful people who do nothing but desk work and mindless chatter?

No wonder his father didn’t like coming to these events.

Having other important government people and heroes approach him in the span of half an hour, he politely excused himself and made his way out to the restroom to center himself.

He is representing Endeavor, the number one hero of Japan, after all; he’ll have to be at these events again when he’s older. As annoyed as he was to be here, at least he’s able to get some form of experience from this. Plus, the company helped.

After a series of extremely mind-numbing adult conversations about the current state of government policies on heroes and such, Ren was able to recuse herself to get some air. The moment the door gently slammed shut, she walked a few steps and let out a huge breath while taking off her draped blazer and slid down the wall.

Were she to do this for another second, she’d literally suffocate. She was mentally reminding herself she’s doing this for the ramen

And it was damn well worth it.

“Senpai?”

She looked up to see Todoroki.

“Are you okay?”

“Just taking a breather.” She patted the carpeted floor to get him to sit next to her, to which he did. “How are you doing?”

“The food is horrible and these shoes pinch my toes,” the bi-colored haired boy groaned out.

“Tell me about it.” She lifted her right foot up to show her 3-inch pumps.

The two chuckled listlessly and sighed, letting the serene silence sit. The two closed their eyes.

“Ren-senpai?” “Hm?”

“If you’re not too tired tonight, do you have some time… to talk?”

Ren slowly opened her eyes to turn her head to Todoroki, who still has his closed.

“Um… sure.”

A short beat soon after, he slowly stood back up and patted his backside off from any possible dirt from the carpet.

“I guess we should head back in.”

“Do we have to?” she whined and slowly made moves to stand. The duo-quirk wielding boy held his hand out for her to grab for support, to which she accepted.

“Unfortunately, yes. They’ll notice we’re missing.”

Standing back up with a short grunt and feeling the pressure on the balls of her feet, she dusted herself off before thanking him. As they turned to go back in, a deep voice called out to Ren.

“Shit...” she mumbled out and furrowed her brows with drooped shoulders before turning to meet three tall and sharply dressed boys who looked older than her.

“You know them?”

“That’s… one way of putting it.”

“Thought that fine ass was you, Takahiro,” the boy with messy black hair and glasses arrogantly belted out and looked her up and down with lecherous desire. “Damn, you filled out nicely.”

“And hello to you too, Edogawa,” the pink haired girl greeted in a terse, monotone voice.

Behind him stood two more boys; one was tall and boxy with his brown hair done up in a pompadour, the other a slender build with his blue hair in a swooping quiff. They were all wearing expensively tailored black suits with their own accessories. “Goto, Hattori. You two look well.”

Hate is often a very strong word she would never use other than on Chisaki Kai; but she hated these three boys with a passion.

Edogawa Ken. Goto Daiki. Hattori Kyosuke. The sons of three high-ranking embassy officials. Having been childhood friends, they were thick as thieves by the time they could walk, talk and quirk. Some would say they were the male counterparts of her, Seri and Tomoe; only difference was they were extremely rich assholes.

Todoroki was quick to catch on as to who they were: The Preppy Posse.

“Heard you got into U.A., Takahiro,” Hattori remarked with a snobbish tone. “Tryin’ to be a hero with that weak ass quirk of yours?”

“She’s already one,” Todoroki stepped in to defend her honor. “She has her provisional license.”

“Oh, my apologies then, Miss Taka-hero,” the blue-haired boy mocked with a bow and chuckled at his own pun.

“Wow, they really give that shit out to anyone nowadays,” Goto sneered and crossed his arms. “The pro heroes must be desperate since All-Might retired, huh.”

Ren quickly gripped Todoroki’s forearm as he tried to lunge at them. He quickly turned to look at her lightly shaking her head, reminding him to not engage.

“You… Two-tone boy.” Edogawa took three steps toward him, analyzing his face. He put his hand up to cover up his right side and focused on his left only.

“Holy shit,” he chuckled out in disbelief and took two steps back. “You’re Endeavor’s kid.”

“And if I am?” His voice was deep and rough through gritted teeth. The gentle hetero-chromatic eyes Ren was used to seeing were now intensely harsh and cold, glaring at the ring leader.

“Bro, no disrespect.” The black-haired boy held his hands up in neutral. “Just an honor to meet the son of the number one hero, is all. No need for the fire, my dude.”

He held his hand out to shake as a friendly gesture, only to come up empty from the dual-quirk wielding boy.

“If you have no more business with us,” Ren quickly stepped in to diffuse the situation, keeping up with the curt act. “We really should be getting back to the party.”

As she spun and grabbed Todoroki by his wrist to make their escape, Akahiro immediately stretched his arm and grabbed her waist, yanking her away from the bi-colored haired boy. She forgot his quirk was Nobi Nobi* and inwardly cursed at herself for it.

This was going to be troublesome.

“Ah-ah,” the messy jet-black haired boy tutted with a menacing grin on his thin lips. “Actually, we have business with you. Personal. Business.”

He leaned in close enough to Ren to shy away to gain what little personal space she could get, catching a whiff of her sweet perfume.

“Ooh hoo, you even smell nice,” he growled out and flashed a toothy grin at her.

He hungrily licked his lips as his free hand stretched around and caressed her backside, forcing her closer to his body and felt something halfway hard press against her thigh. Todoroki was seething with rage.

“Let go of her!” he growled out and summoned ice in his right palm.

“Todoroki, stop,” Ren commanded. “Just stay calm.”

She made solid eye contact with him, mentally projecting him to trust her.

“Yeah, Todoroki. You should listen to her,” the boy jeered with venomous elation. “We’re in the Embassy building at the heart of Tokyo. You let your quirk loose here, your hero career will end faster than you can apologize. Not even your dear ol’ dad can help you out.”

Clicking his tongue in anger, his logical side kicking in to assess the situation, released the ice in his hand.

“What a good boy you are,” Edogawa commended in a vindictive manner before turning back to Ren, leering at her through half-lidded hungry eyes. His gaze then went further down and leered at her breasts, imagining all the things he was going to do with them.

He tilted her chin up at him and spoke softly in his deep voice. “Now, if you don’t want your mom to get in trouble with, say, having your asylum status revoked, you’ll be a good little kitten and come with us.”

“You wouldn’t do that,” she arrogantly stated with a matching smirk.

“Oh?” His interest was peaked. “And what makes you so sure?”

She leaned in and whispered, “Because I know about ‘Remedy.’”

The boy’s grin immediately dropped to a scowl. The hand wrapped around her back slipped to the front and roughly slammed her onto a nearby wall by her neck, knocking the wind out of her lungs and grunted.

“Senpai!” Todoroki exclaimed. As he made moves toward her, Goto and Hattori stood in between.

“Not so fast, lover boy,” Hattori tutted.

“You fucking bitch,” he growled out with dark, angry eyes. “How the fuck you find out ‘bout that?”

“Oh, I have my sources,” she laughed wryly through strained breath. Her rebellious hazel-green eyes didn’t leave his and saw panic flicker in his irises for a second. “You’ll let me go right now if you don’t want it leaked by accident at, say, an important event where mommy and daddy are at tonight.”

Growling with dissatisfaction at the fact this nobody damaged his pride, Edogawa crudely released his grip.

“We’re leaving,” the boy hastily barked. “They’re a waste of our time.”

Edogawa stomped off angrily, with Goto and Hattori following not too far behind. Todoroki immediately ran up and held onto her for support as she placed a hand on her chest and gasped out loud, lightly wretch coughing.

“That was reckless,” he scolded. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine…” she wheezed out and rubbed her neck. “Guys like that… You gotta use your brain rather than your quirk to beat ‘em.”

“What did you say to him?”

“I know something that’ll get him into a lot of trouble. Call it insurance.”

“Senpai… I’m glad you’re on our side,” he blurted out. “You’d be a pain to deal with as a villain.”

“I almost get choked out and that’s what you say?”

Ren could only chuckle as Todoroki huffed a sigh of relief from his lips and slowly drew her into a one armed hug. Her limbs stiffened up at his touch, stunned by his action.

“I couldn’t do anything to help...” he spoke into her shoulder, feeling his hot breath cascade down her arm. “I’m sorry...”

“But you did.” Ren relaxed and reached her right hand up to pet the back of his head, consoling him. “You trusted me.”

Before they could continue with their conversation, they were interrupted with someone clearing their throat. The two turned to see Seri staring intently at them with her yellow and black owl-like eyes with her hands on her hips. She was clearly unamused.

“This isn’t a love hotel, you know,” she flatly pointed out. Realizing how close they were to each other, Todoroki suddenly released her and looked away shyly, remembering their talk earlier. The owl-faced girl then noticed the now formed bruise on her right forearm and red marks around her neck.

“I-I’m gonna use the toilet real quick,” the pink haired girl muttered and sped walked into the bathroom.

“Todoroki...” Seri spoke in a growing dark voice. “What did you do?”

He inwardly panicked as her eyes started glowing and felt his body going numb.

“It’s not what you think,” he calmly explained. “The posse approached us.”

The girl immediately stopped and asked him to explain while Ren was fixing herself up to look presentable again.

“Those bastards...” she angrily hissed out as their friend emerged from the lavatory. “Ren, let’s go fuck ‘em up.”

“We don’t need to,” she calmly replied and went to pick her blazer up off of the floor to dust it off before draping it back on her shoulders. “I got collateral on one of them.”

“What kind?”

“I think I heard her say something called ‘Remedy’?” Todoroki spoke up.

Her eyes grew went wide when Ren’s train of thought quickly hit Seri.

“I hope you took extra precautions, you idiot,” her snow owl friend scolded.

“Of course I did,” Ren defensively huffed out as a matter of factly. “Who do you take me for?”

“I’m sorry.” The red and white haired boy interjected in confusion. “What are you two talking about?”

“Ren-Ren used the Dark Net to obtain her information,” Seri revealed and crossed her arms. The boy quickly glanced over at his upperclassman in shock. “Talk about high risk.”

“It was a calculated risk and it paid off,” she briskly corrected. “Would you rather have me end up being their plaything and calling ‘em ‘master’? I sure as hell don’t.”

“So what is ‘Remedy’ exactly?” Todoroki asked. “And why was Edogawa so scared by it?”

“Our lovely stretchy worm has been secretly investing in overseas quirk-boosters and playing the black market,” Ren explained in a hushed voice. “And here’s the kicker: the money’s partially from his inheritance to which he laundered through ill-gotten gains in other drugs and firearms. I’d say the only smart thing he did was doing it through an alias, but little did he realize the money trail he poorly covered up.”

“So why can’t we report him now and have him arrested?”

“Diplomatic immunity. That’s why,” Seri bitterly spat out and crossed her arms. “We need substantial physical evidence to catch him.”

“Gotta love government loopholes,” Ren irritably lamented and sighed. “You’ll learn quickly not everything’s black and white in their eyes, Todo-kun. As much as heroes think they’re in the right in dealing with villains and doing a service to law-abiding citizens, there are situations that call for dirtier tactics to justify the means. I’m sure Uncle All-Might and even your dad’s got stories to tell you about.”

“And this is the stuff school tries to shelter us from to prevent cynicism from spreading in the budding hero community,” the owl-girl mentioned. “It was inevitable for us due to our upbringing.”

“So why tell me about this?” the bi-coloured haired boy finally asked.

“Because you’re capable,” they both said in unison.

“You’re the type who calmly analyzes a situation in order to decide the best course of action,” Ren praised. “Like you did before with the posse.”

“And you’re well aware of your status so you don’t act brashly,” Seri added.

“You speak too highly of me.”

“You have two of your senpais acknowledging your intelligence, Todoroki-kun,” the snow owl girl firmly stated with a small smile. “Now’s not the time to be humble.”

“Anyway, we should head back in,” Ren finalized. “I’m sure our respective parents would’ve noticed we’re gone by now.”

“Hurray,” Seri unceremoniously cheered and rolled her eyes.

The boy stood by himself for a moment to collect himself from their words of encouragement, watching the two girls walk back to the ballroom entrance. Ren stopped in her steps and turned back to him.

“You coming?”

Rejoining the group, the three re-entered the ballroom without fanfare.

“Ren! There you are,” her mom called and walked up to her daughter, noticing the marks on her neck. “What happened there?”

“Huh? Oh! I think I may be allergic to the perfume I’m wearing,” she quickly fibbed. “Couldn’t stop scratching.”

“Be sure to get that checked out tomorrow okay?”

“’Course mom.”

“Seri,” Ren’s mom warmly greeted and drew the girl into a hug. “You doing well in U.A.?”

“Of course, Aunt Victoria,” the owl girl responded with a small smile after releasing. “Who else will keep Ren-Ren out of trouble?”

“I’m actually offended you see me as a problem child,” Ren feigned betrayal by splaying her right hand over her chest and fluttered her eyelashes.

“Oh and who may you be?” Victoria turned to Todoroki and asked. “I didn’t see you on the video call last time.”

“I’m Todoroki Shouto, ma’am,” he politely introduced himself with a light bow. “I’m here in representation of my father Endeavor tonight as he’s still recovering from his injuries. Very pleased to meet you, Mrs. Takahiro.”

“No need to be so formal, Shouto-kun,” Ren’s mom disregarded with a wave of her hand. “Victoria’s just fine.”

“T-Then I will greet you as you wish.”

“How is your father by the way? The injuries he sustained looked pretty serious,” she asked with genuine care in her tone. “I do hope he’s not pushing himself too hard.”

“Thank you for your kind words, but my father will be fine,” he reassured in an almost robotic manner. “He’s gone through worse scrapes.”

“While that’s true, I still do worry about all the pros out there...” The elder Takahiro trailed off and looked at her daughter. “You all put your lives on the line everyday and anything can happen that’ll turn a minor situation into a major one.”

“It’s an occupational hazard, mom,” Ren stated and rolled her eyes. “We’ve talked about this before.”

“I know but I still worry,” Victoria firmly stated and drew her kid by her waist to hug her.

All her daughter could do is sigh, knowing anything she’d say wouldn’t quell her doubts. As conversations continued, Ren noticed something amiss from her peripheral. Hattori came in stumbling about like he drank too much whisky; he was sweating profusely and tugged at his tie to get air, his eyes bloodshot. She quickly scanned the room and the other two were no where to be found. To prevent making a scene, Ren excused herself and stealthily approached him from the side.

“Hattori,” she called softly to catch his attention. “You okay there?”

All he could hear was gagging and she looked down to see his form hunched over and foaming at the mouth. She pulled his collar down to see a reddened puncture wound at his jugular and pulled him up to support his heavy frame.

“What did you take?” she whispered. “Get it together, man.”

“I-It’s a-a-all your fa-fault, Taka...hiro,” he stuttered out and slowly turned to meet her shocked expression. His eyes started gradually glowed red and charged up.

Oh shit.

She pushed him away in time as his eyes shot out lasers that hit the hangar loop of the chandelier. The decorative centerpiece snapped and made its way down, drawing party goers to run for cover as it crashed down with scattered crystals flying across the marble floor.

“This… is your doing, Takahiro!” Hattori huffed out and stared at her with glowing red eyes and shot at her again, not caring about the patrons around. The moment she dodged, Todoroki quickly created an ice wall in between the startled guests to absorb the laser attack. The slender boy roughly gripped his now messy blue hair and screamed, peeking the tip of his now blackened tongue.

She tapped her bangles to transform into T-clubs on instinct.

Seri immediately jumped to her left side and asked, “Hattori, is he...”

“He’s boosted,” she huffed out, watching the boy’s form wreath in pain and clawed at his chest.

“Leave this to us,” Aizawa came up from behind them and prepared his Capture Device. “Help with the evacuations.”

“He’s after me,” Ren stated. “I should take respon–”

“That doesn’t mean you ignore your other duties as a hero,” the ebony haired man firmly lectured and walked past her to shield the three U.A. students. “We’re the pros here, not you.”

Before the pink haired girl could even move, Hattori charged at full speed toward her, only to be intercepted by one of Fourth Kind’s brutish strength from two of his four arms.

“You’re not goin’ anywhere, young’un,” the four-armed hero gruffly spoke and rebounded his body back.

“Be careful of his quirk,” Ren warned. “His ability is to absorb attacks and recoil it in the form of kinetic energy through his eyes.”

“You kids and your troublesome quirks,” Aizawa blurted out and clicked his tongue. “Thanks for the intel. Now go.”

Ren knew they could handle it and gritted her teeth. Both Seri’s and Todoroki’s voices brought her back as they ran to assist Gang Orca and Kamui Woods with clearing the building before it went on lockdown. Within the maelstrom of panicked party goers, Ren found the back of her mom’s head.

She was safe.

One less thing to worry about.

Moments later, they were all out in the main driveway of the embassy building, all looking up in hopes of seeing what’s going on. Ren could only wait with baited breath and scanned the growing crowd for two certain boys.

“Ren,” Seri called with a hushed voice by her side. “Goto. Four o’clock.”

God bless Seri’s owl quirk. The pink haired girl gingerly moved backwards to not attract attention and immediately teleported behind the person of interest. He let out a light gasp upon feeling her locking his left wrist.

“Move and I snap it,” Ren spoke in the shell of his ear in a low voice. “You will answer my questions in the form of head nods. We clear?”

Goto swallowed thickly and nodded, with beads of perspiration rolling down his temple.

“Is there a booster in Hattori’s system?”

Goto nodded once.

“Did he inject it in himself?”

The stocky boy shook his head furiously.

“Is Edogawa still here?”

He hesitated to answer and saw his shoulders visibly shake.

“Is Edogawa responsible for this?”

The brown haired boy bit his lower lip and clenched his free hand into a fist, fighting crocodile tears. They were both his friends. He couldn’t possibly out them! A sudden thought crossed her mind: Could Hattori be involved with Remedy and this was a fallout situation?

“Goto, you need to tell me now,” Ren’s growled out. Her patience was running very thin. “The longer you hesitate, the more danger Hattori’s life will be in; he can die.”

The boy finally conceded and choked out, “After we left you, Ken… checked something on his phone. He was pissed about something he read and popped some kinda pills before getting into it with Kyo,” Goto whimpered. “Said something about being snitched on.”

“So he thought Hattori betrayed him.”

“Kyo didn’t know what he was talking about and next thing we knew, Ken...” He stifled his words and softly dry sobbed. “I’ve never seen him this angry before. The drugs he’s been taking’s been making him more paranoid than usual.”

“Do you know the booster dosage that’s in Hattori’s system?”

Goto furiously shook his head no.

“L-Look,” he stammered out. “I-I’m sorry for all the shit we said about you, but please...” The boy desperately pleaded. “Save Kyo. Because I can’t. Not with my quirk.”

Goto Daiki’s quirk is Machina, where he can communicate with and fix anything machine-based. As much as he hated it, it’s been proven useful in becoming the go-to I.T. person in his circle of friends and family, albeit annoying and tiresome. However, he can only activate this only if there’s something wrong with its functions and can’t hack.

Releasing his wrist, Ren said nothing more and zipped away from him to regroup with Seri and Todoroki. She didn’t like the boy, but you can’t fake that kind of desolation.

“Did you get anything out of Goto?” Seri hurriedly asked.

“Hattori and Edogawa had a fallout. Stabbed a booster in him, so we’re on borrowed time,” Ren summarized.

The penthouse windows immediately shattered, raining glass down below. Todoroki summoned a giant iceberg to shield the people from being hurt as they ran further away from the entrance. They saw a small dot jump out with the debris; it was Hattori.

“How are you at using your flames, Todo-kun?” Ren quickly asked.

“Not good enough to propel us mid-air to catch him.”

“But you can get into air?” Seri chimed in.

“Halfway.”

“Good enough. Let’s go.”

“Seri! You will stay here,” a booming voice rang out. The three turned to see a tall, portly man glowering down at them. It was her father.

“I don’t care what you think of my choices, father, but there’s a life that needs saving right now,” the owl-faced girl angrily snapped. “I need to be a hero.”

“Where you need to be right now is safe and away from harm,” he firmly demanded.

“Mr. Kubo, with all due respect, I need Seri,” Ren cut in. “Time’s of the essence and she’s essential to our plan.”

“Ren, let’s go,” Seri dismissed her father’s request and sped walked away to Todoroki’s side. “He’s too stubborn to understand.”

Her pink-haired friend stood stationary for a beat, facing her friend’s dad.

“Ren?” she called.

“She’s not as weak or fragile as you think she is, Mr. Kubo,” she softly spoke within an earshot, firmly meeting the man’s aged brown eyes with determination. “Watch her.”

Seri’s heart swelled with pride and purpose hearing her best friend’s praise. Rejoining the group, they made their way to the curved frozen structure the two-tone hair colored by created before. The two grabbed onto Ren’s shoulders and teleported them halfway up the ice.

The grayish white-haired girl closed her eyes and took a breath, spreading her arms out as they transformed into white spotted owl wings; her hands morphed into sharp, black talons. Reopening her yellow tinted eyes, they were focused and ready to go.

“That never gets boring to watch,” Ren gushed with a smirk. “Let’s go, Hedwig.”

“The name’s Athena, zippy,” she blurted out and flapped her wings a few times to prepare for take off. “So what’s the plan here?”

“Todo-kun’ll use his ice to restrain his movements and eyes while I try to knock him out cold. Your job’s to bring him down safely,” Ren briefed and tapped her bangles to transform them into T-clubs again.

“How will you get down?” she asked with concern.

“I’ll figure something out. He’ll be with me.”

Seri took a running start and flew up at an incredible speed, causing blow back from her wings. Ren shivered slightly only to feel something warm immediately envelop her.

“Your lag will get bad if you’re too cold right?” Todoroki held his flame engulfed left hand out to her. Ren hastily rubbed her hands and hovered over it.

“I’m good now, thanks.”

“Hold on tight,” he instructed as he turned his hand back. She gripped onto his torso, with his right arm snaked around hers. “I can’t do it like Bakugou or my old man, but I’m gonna try.”

Torquing his fire to near maximum output, Ren and Todoroki blasted up into the air at an awkward angle and neared Seri’s flying form. As planned, he cut his fire as Ren zipped across the sky like a zig-zagging shooting star to get close to Hattori’s falling figure. The dual-quirk user immediately gripped his shirt and encased his body in ice and let out a white breath from his lips. Ren released her grip and struck the laser eye boy at the base of his neck, knocking him unconscious. Seri then swooped on by and caught him with her back with a soft grunt before making her way down to the ground.

The spectators screamed as they watched Ren and Todoroki free fall at an alarming speed. The two strained to grab each other’s hands before succeeding seconds later. Unable to see where she could teleport them to safety due to the blistering cold G-force winds blinding her, the dual-haired colored boy angled his right hand down and conjured ice from his palms, creating a makeshift bumpy slide. They roughly landed on the slippery surface and descended at an alarming velocity. The boy then created an ice cushion at the bottom and grabbed Ren to shield her with his body from the collision. They hit the ice wall with a thud and knocked the wind out of his lungs.

The two heavily panted and felt their hearts pound out of their chest from the adrenaline; their hair a disheveled mess from the wind and fall.

“You okay?” Ren finally spoke between breaths.

“Yes...” Todoroki swallowed hard and gulped up air, releasing a large white breath from his lips. Parts of his arms and face had remnants of ice lingering. “You should plan better next time.”

“Noted.”

They gingerly got off of the ice and back up on their feet to make their way to Seri, who was with an unconscious Hattori by her side. Todoroki walked up to him and shielded his eyes with ice in case he woke up and went berserk again. Moments later, Aizawa and Fourth Kind emerged from the crowd to take care of the rest with the now arrived authorities. Goto could be seen with his parents and talking to detectives. Todoroki melted the ice he used to restrain Hattori before he was slapped with a pair of cuffs and goggles on the gurney before tending to the other structures he made. Edogawa was still no where to be found.

“Ren!” her mom cried and ran at her to tightly embrace her daughter. “Are you hurt anywhere?!”

She released and looked at her mom with a small smile of reassurance. “I’m fine. Todo-kun used his ice to cushion our fall.”

“Never scare me like that again, you hear me?!” Tears were flowing freely from her aged green eyes and drew her back into a tight hug before making her way to the bi-coloured haired boy.

“Todoroki-kun, thank you.” She firmly gripped both his hands into hers. “You were brilliant.”

He shyly looked down with a matching blush and softly smiled.

“It was Ren-senpai who came up with the plan–”

“But you saved her,” Victoria added. “Knowing my daughter, I’m sure she didn’t think that far ahead.”

“Wow, you guys are just on it with the insults tonight,” Ren blurted out with exasperation and crossed her arms.

Their celebration was short lived and sensed something launching in their general direction. Ren immediately tackled her mom to the ground to shield her. Todoroki ducked below and was on high alert. The police and other pro heroes jumped out and aimed their weapons at the hidden assailant.

“You… You fucking told them didn’t you?!” a hoarse voice shouted from the shadows and out emerged a disheveled looking Edogawa. His hair was a mess and his once neatly tied tie disappeared. The boy obsessively clawed at his own throat and smiled manically.

“You bitch, you did this...” he muttered out and dryly laughed to himself. “You’ve ruined me!”

“Stand down, Edogawa,” Aizawa told him and prepared his device in his hands. “You’re surrounded by cops and heroes. There’s no where for you to run.”

“Oh, that’s where you got things wrong, hero,” he tittered out in frenzy.

The boy took out a vile of black substance from his jacket pocket and aimed to stab it into his neck. Ren teleported over just in time to hold his wrist back by force and twisted it far enough for him to loose his grip on the booster. Aizawa timed her moments perfectly and used his quirk to disable the boy from using his.

“Whatever’s happened, it’s not worth your life.” Ren tightened her grip on his wrist, her eyes focused only on his bloodshot ones. “Not like this.”

Edogawa could do nothing but whimper and collapse on his knees, completely breaking down. As the authorities closed in on him, she held out a hand to stop them in their steps. This wasn’t what he needed right now. She released her grip on his wrist and knelt down beside him. Fourth Kind slowly approached her and placed one of his hands on her shoulder, allowing him to take over.

“He’s… fragile right now,” she softly spoke to the four-armed man. “Take care of him.”

“Friend of yours?”

“Not particularly,” she flatly blurted and took a few steps away. “But he still deserves some kind of sympathy.”

Slowly making her way back to her mom and friends, Ren suddenly got hit with an overwhelming sense of vertigo and staggered. Unable to control her motor functions, she fell into Seri’s feathery arms, who rushed in on time to catch her. Victoria and Todoroki followed not too far behind.

“Ren!” The owl girl gripped her friend tightly. “Did he do something to you?!”

“Think I… “She swallowed hard and squeezed her eyes tightly shut, letting out a light, shaky breath. “I overused… my quirk...”

“My God, woman. You’re more trouble than you’re worth.” Seri let out a sigh of relief and gently set her arm around her shoulders for support.

“But did I die?” she lightly scoffed.

“Part of me thinks you’re only alive for the ramen.”

“Damn right.”

#bnha fanfiction #mha fanfiction #bnha oc #mha oc #todoroki shouto #bnha todoroki #eraserhead #bnha aizawa #mha aizawa #fourth kind #bnha fourth kind #mha fourth kind

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theblueskyphoenix · 5 years

Text

Grid Ghost Chapter 7: Damage Control

"Time of death, 6:45 PM. Cause, cardiac arrest."

Shaylin sighed as she looked at the monitors as they read out flatlines. It was painful to look at… even if she knew it was fake.

She looked down at the young man who laid on the OR table. While he looked pale and was still she could still hear his shallow breathing just barely over the blare of the monitors.

It'll be over soon. Just hang in there a little longer.

Shaylin and the doctors brought the sheet over the young man's head.

"I'll… go tell Ms. Amara the news."

Shaylin exited the OR.

Outside, Liv was waiting, the woman sitting on a bench with her arms folded, her assistant sitting next to her, looking at something on a tablet.

Liv stood up as soon as Shaylin came close.

"What's the status of the patient?" she asked.

Shaylin frowned, a grim look in her eyes.

"Tadashi Hamada died of cardiac arrest due to unexpected complications of burn damage and his… unusual condition."

Liv frowned at this.

"I see… Shame. It would've been wonderful to look further into his abilities." She sighed. "I guess pyrokinesis is just not something meant for humans."

"I'm afraid not. The body just can't handle it."

Liv nodded.

"I would like to at least help with the autopsy. I feel I owe it to you since I promised I could help him but… seeing as he's dead, I can't in how I originally intended."

"That won't be necessary." Shaylin's eyes narrowed.

Liv's frown faded as she raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

Shaylin leaned in, whispering into Liv's ear.

"You have been asked to vacate the premises immediately. We do not welcome people with god complexes like yours at our hospital."

Liv's look turned dark.

"I beg your pardon?"

"I'm not going to ask again." Shaylin pulled back. "There's nothing of interest here for you. Leave or you will be escorted out by security. That would be such a lovely look for a CEO, wouldn't it?"

Liv scoffed, signalling for her assistant to stand.

"Such an ungrateful hospital. I was only trying to help."

"You only came because it was a unique condition. You didn't care for the boy like I did. He was someone with a life that he wasn't sure he could return to. Now, that's never going to happen."

"And who's to blame for that?" Liv smirked, turning away. "Come along, Chris. We're done with this riff raff of a hospital."

Chris nodded, following after his boss.

Shaylin waited a few long minutes before returning to the OR.

Shaylin approached Tadashi quietly, shaking him gently.

"She's gone."

He opened his eyes, sitting up slowly.

"She is?"

"Yeah. And she's never coming back. You're safe now."

Tadashi sighed in relief, lowering his head.

"Yet… things are still going to be complicated, aren't they? If not more than they were before?"

Shaylin brought her arms around him, stroking his hair.

"They are… but I promise… some how, some way, we'll get you home to your family."

Tadashi buried his face into her shoulder.

"Thank you…"

Shaylin kept him close.

"Anytime, Tadashi."

Anytime.

oooooo

A freak accident… powers that developed because of said freak accident… and can't go home to family due to circumstances related to Liv Amara…

… Sheesh, is it just a hobby of hers to make everyone's life miserable?

Obake frowned as Takashi finished telling his story.

"And so… I took up a new identity, came here to Saga and have been living here ever since… The Phoenix thing didn't come till later. Never thought to do it till something happened that sparked the idea… erm, no pun intended."

"Yeah, which involved running into a fire to save the chief of the fire department." Eboni elbowed Takashi a little. "Way to make and impression AND scare the daylights out of me."

"H-Hey, it all worked out!"

"Yeah, yeah, you're an idiot but you're MY idiot." Eboni smirked. "But yeah, blah blah, hero stuff in between, he and Trina became the epic duo of Saga and I'm just their woman in the chair who keeps their tech up to snuff and make sure they ain't killing themselves."

"I see…" Obake looked to his daughter. "Anything else I should know?"

"That's pretty much it." Trina shrugged. "Not really much to add to me and Takashi meeting. It was all just stuff that fell into place with transferring him to Saga and my mom and I helping in hiding him from Liv since we're not fans either."

"Then where does this Dragoness fit in?" Obake asked.

"She just kind of came out of nowhere." Eboni held up her hands. "And that's all we got. We don't know where she came from and why, we just knew she was obsessed with Takashi's powers. Now though… seems we have a lead on the why." Eboni brought a hand to her face. "It only figures she's in cahoots with that crazy devil woman."

"And now she knows where Takashi is…" Kim lowered her head. "Which means…"

Takashi lowered his head as well.

"Liv will know too, soon…" He brought his hands to his face. "Great… just great…"

Eboni brought a hand to his back.

"Taka…"

Obake frowned at this.

He knew what that was like. He knew all too well. While it wasn't a perfect mirror… everything that was just explained to him about Takashi reminded him all too much of what happened to him.

Obake's hands gripped at his blanket.

I can't let her ruin another life. Not like this.

And especially not this one if this is who I think it is.

Obake looked to everyone in the room.

"May I have a moment alone with Takashi?"

Everyone looked at each other confused but nodded, filing out, leaving the two alone.

Takashi gave Obake a perplexed look as they stared each other down.

Obake was silent for a moment before he spoke.

"Tadashi Hamada. Robotics prodigy. Inventor of the robot, Baymax. Loving and caring older brother to Hiro Hamada. Wanted nothing but the best for his brother, knowing he could be way more than what he was before he enrolled at SFIT. Tragically passed away in an attempt to save a professor who turned out to be the one who caused the fire he died in… or so people thought."

Takashi's eyes were wide at this.

"W-What?"

"I know it's you." Obake's look was firm. "You may have omitted your old name and details but with all you said, it didn't take me long to realize who you actually were with the information I have on you. I know a lot more about you than I should but that aside…" Obake's look turned gentle. "I want to help you in dealing with this problem. I just wanted to get secret reveals out of the way."

Takashi… Tadashi was unsure what to make of what just happened.

"I… What?"

"I want to help you." Obake repeated. "I stated all that I did just as a means of getting the tension of keeping a secret out of the way. If we're going to take care of this issue it's key that we're transparent with each other. A bond of trust, if you will."

Tadashi gave a baffled look.

"Wait, wait, back up. Why do you know so much about me? Do I WANT to know?"

Obake sighed.

"I'll keep it at I was trying to manipulate your brother by any means possible to be my student, even if it meant using you somehow. Didn't work since he's too smart. Can we move on to helping you with your situation, now?"

Tadashi crossed his arms before taking a seat in the chair next to his bed.

"Yeah, though I got questions for later." He replied, before raising an eyebrow. "Got any ideas for dealing with the Dragon Lady?"

"Liv is currently too occupied with things in San Fransokyo right now, which means it'll take some time before Dragoness can get information to her. If we can intercept before she sends her anything, we can prevent Liv from discovering you're here in Saga." Obake smiled. "All we have to do is locate her hideout, capture her and destroy the evidence."

Tadashi hummed in thought.

"That could work, but she's smart. She's not gonna just show up outta nowhere… slippery too. When she's shown up at fires, she manages to get away before I can do anything." He frowned. "It'd have to be a trap basically… and it'd have to be strong bait-" He trailed off. "... No-"

"It may be the only option we have, Tadashi." Obake cut in. "However, I don't intend to throw you to the sharks without a safety net. I may not be able to do much at the moment physically but I have something back in San Fransokyo that could help, I just need someone to fetch it for me so I can make adjustments."

"If I go with Eboni into the city, we could keep under wraps and get it. I'd just need a good idea of what it is." He smiled. "Then we could bring it back here."

"I'll give those details in a moment. The main plan is this: You'll act as the bait, Dragoness will no doubt take you back to her lab, thus, we can use you as a tracker. We'll follow her back and before anything can be done, we'll apprehend her, delete the data and turn her over to the police. Simple as that."

Tadashi was still unsure… but the plan seemed airtight as far as he could tell.

And… I don't want Liv getting her claws on either one of us.

Someone has to help right?

He took a deep breath, before nodding.

"Alright… I'm in." He held up a finger. "But if I wind up dissected, I'm haunting you. Deal?"

"Deal." Obake chuckled. "I shall do my best to ensure that doesn't happen."

"Good… So… What's the thing you need?"

Obake smiled

"A robot."

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silenthillmutual · 5 years

Text

pride week - day 5 - AU free-for-all so this AU is a crossover because when i first looked at the prompt i was like half-asleep and thought it said crossover. whoops.

He’s coming to the conclusion that Kiyotaka’s family is just fucking weird. He’s still not exactly sure what their relationship status is, since they’ve only been on like two and a half dates that might have not even been dates and nothing between them seems to have actually changed - but even speaking as a best friend, it was just really fucking bizarre

The other sections of the bake sale that did not have an entire bottle’s worth of food coloring dumped into the mix did exceedingly well, letting them schedule trips to meet up and hang out with the GSAs from other colelges in the area. It was a neat little idea Makoto and Kiyotaka had come up with on their own time that also kinda made Mondo want to punch himself in the face.

It mostly just starts with this: he thinks he has competition.

The reason he thinks this is because Leon tells him he does. They’re meeting with MU in a bowling alley that’s somewhere in between both schools and while it’s not the only GSA in the area, it is the only one available or interested in reaching out to them. And the gaggle of students who pick to play against them in a four-on-four match just happens to consist of three rough looking boys and one chick.

Striek one. It’s not exactly a secret that Taka has a type, and that type is punks. (Well, and Makoto; but he’s everybody’s type, so he doesn’t count.) He’s never said out loud that he finds that kinda thing appealing, but Hifumi’s Halloween Theme suggestion, “Book of Eibon” (which earned him the group name moniker Anime Trash) really took. People dressed as whatever they found most attractive - or in Hifumi’s and Chihiro’s cases, the kind of aesthetic they really dug.

Hifumi’s magical girl outfit was absolutely outstanding. They really did have to give him that.

...where was he? Right. Taka had shown up to the party in all secondhand clothes, studded belt and motorcycle boots and fake piercings, pleather jacket over an embroidered white vest covered in safety pins. It sure as shit left an impression.

And it was such a goddamn come-on. he’d thought before then that Taka’s staring was judgmental and had a hard time stringing two words together at the implication that he was staring because he was attracted to Mondo.

Not that Mondo was the only punk in the group. Tanaka flushed and tried to hide beneath his scarf, realizing too late he didn’t have it included in the regal get-up he came dressed in. And Leon said to Mondo, “If I wasn’t straight, I’d so hit that.”

Leon figured out pretty quickly that he wasn’t straight, and also that Taka was way off limits.

Mondo’s been trying to figure out how to take a more direct approach, since Taka’s misconstrued all his flirting as friendliness. Which - okay, yeah. He’s kind of learned along the way that he might also be in love with the guy platonically, too. he is the best friend, in terms of quality, that Mondo’s ever had, and he doesn’t plan on that shit changing just ‘cause he wants to add hand-holding into the mix.

So strike two is this: Ishimaru seems to actually know the guy in too much purple who practically launches himself at him. They embrace in a tight hug, and that smug asshole has his hairstyle too. Rude. Utterly, unbelievably rude.

The guy introduces himself as Josuke. He looks like he might be a couple years older than them, with pretty blue eyes. He’s the president of the MU GSA, which he does not hesitate to tell Kiyotaka, “I love what you did with the name, dude. Very kewl.”

Kewl. Like he’s fucking twelve and it’s the nineties.

Taka blushes like he does when he’s embarrassed or flattered and it takes a lot for Mondo not to slug the guy. He’s really only distracted from Kiyotaka’s refusal of the credit by the guy with the little ponytail and two-toned grey hair saying to him “Hey, man, nice mods,” referring to his jacket.

He’s kind of forgotten about it. He doesn’t wear the longer coat he had in high school anymore because yeah, he’s not in high school anymore, thank you very much Daiya. “Uh, thanks,” he says, but the shorter one with the kinda silvery blonde hair is smirking at it, mouthing the words Crazy Diamonds under his breath. Like it’s some kind of joke.

“I’m Okuyasu,” he says, and nudges the blonde so hard the guy almost falls over. “Shit, sorry - this is Koichi.”

“Right,” he says, not liking the look of private joking between the two of them. “I’m Mondo.”

“I’m Leon,” Leon all but shouts, almost crawling on Mondo’s back to extend his hand to the two boys and - of course, of fucking course - the girl with the knee-length black hair. “And you are?”

“Yukako,” she says, and Mondo’s never before heard someone say their own name with such deep and intense hatred.

There’s not a single thing about these people he trusts. The guys might seem nice, but he’s always hated the feeling that people are laughing at him. And that girl? She looks like she’s ready to commit murder.

At least the jackass in the purple-and-yellow shirt is done taking up Kiyotaka’s time, only that Kiyotaka looks kind of embarrassed now. He’s not sure if that’s better or worse than his flustered face. But he punches in their names on the board to distract himself, and Josuke comes up to Mondo and sits so close their knees are touching. “So,” he says, “You’re his kyoudai, huh?”

“Kyoudai?” Okuyasu says. “Man, how come we can’t get cool nicknames like that?”

“Yes, please start calling each other bro. That won’t get irritating at all,” Yukako snipes from where she’s sitting.

“Yukako, come on,” Koichi says, turning to look back at her. “You promised you’d be nice today.”

She looks torn, but sighs, and Mondo thinks he hears her mutter “Only for you.”

“Dude,” Leon says, “You gotta teach me.”

One thing Mondo can say about the kids from MU is that, except for Yukako, they suck at bowling. And that does make him feel a little better, if only in a shallow way.

It’s kind of irritating, and that irritation must be obvious to everyone involved, because Kiyotaka has tried his best to keep Mondo and Josuke separated. Leon’s pretty chill, and Makoto can make friends with everyone, but it just seems strange to Mondo that he spent so long trying to get on friendly terms with Taka only for some other guy - a complete stranger from a different school to just undermine that -

Makoto pats his shoulder, like the way you’d pet a dog to soothe it. “Calm down, Mondo,” he says. “He’s just being friendly.”

Maybe he is. Mondo can accept that there exists, somewhere, a possibility that Josuke is just a nice guy, like a punk version of Makoto, but he’s gotten so deep in his own sense of insecurity and paranoia that every time Josuke so much as talks at him or is friendly with Kiyotaka...

Well, it feels like he’s being mocked.

He might be a little jealous.

And when Taka leaves to head out to the bathroom, he might call Josuke’s hair stupid.

Koichi, for whatever that’s worth, and Okuyasu and he goddamn swear Yukako’s hair all jump in to restrain Josuke from throwing punches. Leon slaps his arm at the same time Makoto smacks his head, both of them shouting some variant of “You have the same hair!” and the end result is the five of them tell the two of them to go resolve their differences by the snack bar, and work something out fast before Taka comes back and panics.

“I don’t get what your issue with me is,” Josuke says, hands in the air. “We picked this group to go up against because Taka said you were cool. Now you’re just acting like Rohan used to, and I didn’t even burn your house down!”

Confusion mixes with anger as he says, with feeling, “What?!”

“Never mind!” Josuke snaps. “Just - whatever your problem with me is, just say it, man. Quit giving me dirty looks. It’s making Kiyo upset.”

KIYO?! Mondo hits the counter with a little too much force and says “That’s my goddamn problem!” And before Josuke can give him some other ridiculous pet name he says “We’re like - we’re - we’re kind of - !” Jesus. Jesus Christ, why can’t he just get the fuckin’ words out? “I’m inta him!”

“Yeah, and?” Josuke asks.

“And you’re fuckin’ flirting with him! Of course I got a damn issue with you!” Josuke looks blindsided for a couple seconds, and then he bursts into laughter. “And then you go an’ do this shit, shovin’ it in my face!”

“Dude!” Josuke has the audacity to put his hand on Mondo’s shoulder, ignoring every time Mondo tries to throw it off. For someone as thin as Josuke looks, he’s unfairly strong. “Dude. I am not flirting with him. That’s so gross.”

Two-faced bastard! “You got a fuckin’ problem with my friend?!”

“Dude. He’s my cousin.”

“Yer - what?” Mondo blinks, all his pent up energy dissipating in the shock. “Then - then what the fuck were you sayin’ ta him to make ‘im blush?”

“I’m teasing him about you, ya dweeb.” He snorts. “God. No. I’m not flirting with my fuckin’ cousin. And even if we weren’t related, I’m not gonna hit on some guy in front of my boyfriends.”

“Oh.” He’s...totally deflated now. And feels like an asshole. “Uh...” Great. “I’m sorry fer bein’ such an asshole,” he grumbles.

Josuke lets it slide rather easily, shrugging it off. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve had worse interactions.”

Mondo still rubs the back of his head, anxiously, and he’s still not all that comfortable with Josuke’s smirk. “Gotta say,” he admits, “I never woulda thought the two of you were related. Ya don’t exactly look alike.”

Josuke shoves his hands in his pockets and leans back against the counter. “Well, it’s not by blood or anything. His dad married my ne- uh, I mean, my uncle -” Was he just going to say nephew? “But we take family very seriously, and we’re...kind of a large family.”

For a second, he looks almost depressed by his own statement, eyes kind of foggy, lips pulled down and staring at his boyfriends with some kind of intense anxiety. He sighs, and slaps Mondo on the back. “Let’s just get back to the game, ‘kay? I think Taka’ll be happier when we get along.”

He feels like he missed something, but says “Sure, okay,” following Josuke back to their seats.

Whatever it is that’s on his mind, it’s either passed or he’s hidden it by the time they’ve reached their friends. Josuke reacts to Kiyotaka’s suspicious glare by ruffling his hair. “So, Kiyo -”

“Don’t call me that,” he groans.

And Josuke ignores him. “A former delinquent with a bad temper, huh? I bet your stepdad’s gonna love that.”

Kiyotaka lets out a scream, and drops the bowling ball to the floor. Mondo tries to pretend he doesn’t see something faintly pink and blue grabbing it just before it hits the ground.

#nori talks #danganronpa #ishimondo #nori writes #fanfic #jjba #josuke/okuyasu/koichi implied #they're both vague aus in addition to a crossover...#icarus.docx #mine

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cappucino-commie · 5 years

Text

Okay but what about post-war Naruto in a fashion kind of similar to The Moomins? Not a real 1:1 but something like-

Sasuke needs space. He needs to see the world, to get away from the blood stained walls of the village, to see real people untouched by the horrors and ideologies of the ninja world. He lives on the road, sleeps in the woods, and helps people wherever he goes. But he finds himself inextricably drawn towards Konoha, every year without fail.

It’s usually the first truly hot day of summer, that Naruto feels his chakra in the forest outside Konoha. That Sasuke drops whatever he’s doing to rush out to meet Sasuke. To tell him he was gone for way too fucking long this time you bastard, how was your trip, are you okay, did you get me anything? And Sasuke scoffs like yea I spent the entire trip hunting for a souvenir for you (except yes he actually did).

And they sit in the woods and Sasuke tells Naruto about his travels and all the people he’d met and small town life and people who’d never even met a ninja before he showed up. And Naruto talks about political reform, about how he’s raised the Academy’s graduation age and put a focus on ninja arts as helpful things and chakra based healing. How he helped Hinata and Neji remove the Caged Bird Seal from all the old Branch Clan Hyuuga. How he met with political representatives from places that used to pay tribute (protection money) to Konoha and now are working towards independence.

Sasuke always stays with Naruto when he comes back, if he sleeps in a house at all. The old Uchiha compound is full of bad memories occupied by Team Taka and lots of war refugees anyways. They’re always excited to see Sasuke back, even though they know it’s never for more than a few months. Suigetsu got talked into teaching swordsmanship to snot nosed kids, and Juugo gardens, and Karin does medical research at the hospital.

Sakura runs the hospital, with occasional help from her now-retired mentor (”Lady Tsunade you could still deck a mountain you don’t need to go into retirement” “Look after dealing with you kids and your prophecies and reincarnated gods I deserve retirement”), and is at constant odds with Karin. Sakura’s slowly figuring out her relationship with Ino cause neither of them really wanna make the first move but they do eventually get together (which Karin totally saw coming).

Sarada is born eventually, and it’s pretty obvious to everyone who the father, but it’s also pretty clear that Sarada is Sakura’s kid first. She grows up with Sakura and Ino primarily, hangs around Auntie Karin and her weirdo friends sometimes to hear about her biological dad, and Sasuke does take her on small trips as she gets older. She wants to see the world, but also likes staying at home cause her best friends are here.

Boruto, similarly, comes about because Naruto’s insecure. He knows Sasuke with his own soul, he trusts him with his life, he loves him more than words can ever express- but also he gets fucking lonely, ya know? When Sasuke’s off travelling the world and he’s cooped up in the Hokage’s tower trying to help detangle centuries of political struggle. And he starts hanging out with Hinata more, as part of helping the Hyuuga clan, and that slowly turns into dating. And it only takes a little while for them to realize that uh, they don’t work together at all- but that’s more than enough time for Boruto to be conceived and Hinata to decide she wants to keep the kid even if Naruto won’t be involved. Which of course he is, just not romantically anymore. Boruto and Sarada exist in the same weird space of having primary parents but being communally parented. He and Sarada are best friends, and though they’re not related they have a sibling dynamic (by the time they’re 12, they know full well that their respective dads are in love and have a weird relationship).

Naruto travels too. He goes to Cloud to visit Bee and convince A to take in more war refugees (Cloud always liked taking lost kids, they have a weird culture where all ninja are family by virtue of being ninja. Sometimes Naruto wishes he grew up there). He travels to Sand to visit Gaara and have political conferences. And the big thing he does that no other Kage can, is that he manages the relationship between the reformed Biiju and the Elemental Nations. Some of them want Jinchurriki, like Saiken, and they have to negotiate a strange legal status to prevent the system of human weapons from arising again. Some just want to be left alone, like Chomei. But regardless, the new ninja world has to learn to live in balance with the spirits of the land, and Naruto helps newly appointed ambassadors to this spiritual world.

Naruto will run into Sasuke while he’s travelling sometimes. He’s always tempted to say something, to reach out to him. But he tries to respect the space that Sasuke needs. This has mixed results.

When Sarada is four, Sasuke returns one summer with a small child- pale, with golden eyes. He refuses to discuss where he got them, but asks Karin (and the rest of Taka) to take care of them while he’s on the road. Everyone wonders, but no one presses the issue. Naruto quietly gathers reports about a fight that had happened in the Land of Grass- locals had described a storm god descending from the heavens to behead a giant snake, that wrathful Susanoo had cast a fire across the plains that had burned for 7 days and nights. Naruto knows Sasuke was just settling old business, and hopes that’s the last of it.

And life just. Goes on. As the years pass, sometimes Sasuke will stay in the village for longer. He and Naruto still fight (Sakura threatened to break off Sasuke’s other arm after they needed stitches from a heated spar), but they have lots of cute domestic moments. He always leaves before winter truly sets in. He can’t stay in Konoha too long. And someday, when the political world is more settled and the kids are more grown up, Naruto plans to go with him- and who’s to say how long they’ll be gone then? Sasuke won’t feel drawn back to Konoha then, because he’ll already have what draws him there. Even wandering the world with nothing to their name, they’ll both be home.

#naruto #okay this is cheesy as hell but it's been bouncing around in my head #I wanted to write it out so I could go back to work #also someone posted about a 'good Sasuke stays in the village AU' and this is the closest I think it can get #I think he needs his space but could have a Snufkin dynamic where he returns home (back to Naruto) periodically #put it under a readmore cause this is an intense amount of Naruto to throw at people early in the morning #meme voice: Bro chill with the post war sasunaru you're scaring the h*es #Look I'm gay and I will not chill #Also watching She Ra gave me Naruto Feelings so here ya go

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