#apart from matsumoto

[skyflyinginaction]

Clamp Art Style Analysis: Part 1: Creation Process and Materials

Introduction

Clamp is a manga artist team of four women. They are a prominent distinguished manga artist team known in the West and in China. The thing they are most recognized for is their highly detailed art style many people may have known and many may not. They did several manga you might have known such as Card Captor Sakura, Chobits, and even Tsubasa.

Clamp is one of the artists whose art style I highly admire and want to imitate in my art. I created this post so I can understand and take apart their art style and better understand it. It is going to be difficult since there are four people with different specialties and years of professional experience in their belt. They are constantly changing and adapting to every genre. 

I am going to analyze Clamps’ art style in this post and this may take a while to crack due to how extensive the Clamp style is. I am going to pile up everything and explain this in this post which is going to take time to explain in this post. I am going to take apart interviews from different sources while explaining their art style in this post.  

I am going to examine their art style and the materials they use. I am going to split into sections talking about the art style and what they use for materials for the manga.

To understand the art style and how it is defined I need to understand Clamp themselves since they created an entirely individual style that is going to talk about other things, not about the art style there is going to be so much I might miss while explaining in this post. I could be wrong while explaining this is an analysis I am going to take my crack at understanding the art style. 

Influences

Though the members of Clamp are largely self-taught they are inspired by many figures that influence their art. The list consists of Reiji Matsumoto, Osamu Tezuka, Go Nagai, Hirohiko Araki, and Moto Hagio. The other works that influenced Clamp are animated cartoons and Galaxy Express 999. Reiji Matsumoto and Osamu Tezuka are major influences in their works Clamp used Osamu Tetsuka’s star system in their works which is seen often in the crossing over of characters from their series into their other works. You can see this prevalently in Tsubasa, X, and Kobato where you would find characters from the different series crossover.

Nekoi's favorite cartoonist was Moto Hagio in high school and Mokona mimics pictures by Reiji Matsumoto when she was younger. 

While working on manga Nekoi started copying Shinji Wada and Rumiko Takahashi, in which She copied her art in drawing legs. She drew them thick and big. She liked the legs Rumiko Takahashi drew since they seemed long until short feet. She took them to make them more delicate and feminine. Clamp used other artists to help them while drawing. 

Go Negai influenced the creation of X, taking inspiration from his work of Devil Man featuring two main male characters, and the murder of the lead's sweetheart triggers the apocalypse. Devil Man is used in creating x The extreme levels of violence depicted in X came from Go Negai's works. Clamp knows about Devil Man. They did a doujinshi of Devil Man in their works as doujinshi artists a while back and even had a doujinshi about the lead character's relationship in their works. 

X was inspired by Go Nagai the heavy violence in x inspired from Go Nageis works and the assembled cast of x is inspired by Kyokutei Bakin's Nansō Satomi Hakkenden, The fight sequences of x were inspired by the manga Dragon Ball specifically Akira Toriyama's use of white backgrounds.

Mokona influences are H.R Giger and gérard di-maccio are used  for the RG veda backgrounds.

Mokona likes Alphonse Mucha who is a considerable influence in drawing XXXHolic art.

Hirohiko Araki is another influence of Clamp with JoJo's Bizarre Adventure fan manga back when they drew doujinshi and starred in Clamp in wonderland animation with Jojo animated.

They drew a doujinshi on Jojo a while back starring Josuke and Kakyon and even they drew Jolynn once.

There is a lot of Kakyoin and Josuke fanart with Yaoi art drawn by these two characters.

Jojo was used in drawing wish with Kohaku and Shuichiro strongly resembling Jotaro Kujo and Noriaki Kakyoin and Kohaku's hairstyle strongly identical to Kakyoin and Shuiichiro resembling Josuke.

Members

Nanase Ohkawa     

The main leader of the group, the main writer of the scenario, is in charge of the original story, script, and design. The other three artists are Mokona, Nekoi, and Satsuki, who are in charge of the art.

Mokona 

Mokona is the artist and designer in charge of drawing. Mokona is in charge of sketching out the construction of the characters by hand. Mokona draws the storyboards and sketches out the characters. Mokona is responsible for drawing female characters.

Tsubaki Nekoi    

Nekoi is in charge of character design, background scenery, finishing touches, and charge of the foundation of the art in their works. Her booth has been painted for design and screens for finishing touches.Nekoi likes to doodle and throw pages. Nekoi is in charge of drawing male characters.

Satsuki Igarashi

Satsuki Igarashi is in charge of design and drawing and is in charge of the finishing touches. She is in charge of designing the cover of the book itself.

Bio 

Three members of Clamp were classmates in high school who took art-focused classes in school; none of them studied at school for manga. Nekoi tried using colored pencils and opaque watercolor in school when she was young. Satsuki and Nekoi were in middle school when they first started drawing manga. Mokona was in an art club in middle school. In high school, she started drawing manga with proper frames and dialogues. Mokona, Nekoi, and Igarashi studied art in high school Nekoi, Mokona, and Igarashi met in high school as a kid She found a friend who loved manga, Satsuki went to an art-type highschool and Mokona high school and college had art-focused classes, Igarashi was at an art department in highschool then to computer graphics vocational school. Clamp started as doujinshi artists who first published doujinshi fanzines Back then they had more people it went down to four in the year of their commercial debut.

The group never worked as assistants with most of the members being self-taught with Tsubaki and Nekoi being more self-taught.  

They never used assistants to help them with their work since they wouldn’t be able to understand the years of jargon they created among themselves They created work for years without any help from assistants since assistants would slow them down and wouldn’t understand when we would tell them to do the same thing as before disrupting the workflow they created for work.

For inspiration, Ohkawa gets her ideas from dreams or inspiration based on events she hears or sees on the news a lot of times its deadlines. Ohkawa doesn’t always take notes and she usually loses ideas.

Clamp’s daily work hours while working on manga is in the morning, get in the studio at about 10 or 11 in the morning and in the afternoon they eat dinner at 6 in the evening then stop working at midnight. 

The members share a single workspace and are separated into three booths while they work.

There are four separate studios and the member's workspace accommodates all four of them. Clamp work requires complete perfection with members having their own space where they have to work to create one of their works 

The art of Clamp is lush layered and amazingly detailed. It has a high-quality art style with extensive details. Due to this, it's almost difficult to adapt to animation.

Each of Clamp’s titles has a different art style depending on the genre or magazine they are running in; their art styles change to suit the work and magazine the manga will appear in. The art style of the work is based on Ohkawa’s decision in charge of the art direction of the work. The art styles and pictures have changed but not their methods.

There is a lot to talk about the Clamp art style which may not be enough to explain one segment

Creation process 

Clamp's work process is similar to an animation production; they work like a small animation studio. if you look closely at the work process for creating works it's more like an animation with the director, playwright, character designer, painter, background artist, creator, and publicist treating the manga or story like a script for a movie or anime, the creative process for creating manga is similar to that of animation and movies.

Ohkawa is the storyteller and writes the scripts other three draw drafts and original design, Mokona is the chief character designer, and Tsubaki and Nekoi work for the background Sometimes they they take turns doing different jobs

Ohkawa writes then it goes to Mokona who draws out the outline of the storyboard and sketches the characters

They would normally go to Nekoi for the finishing touches Igarashi and Nekoi work on the final touches the team may shuffle roles. Clamp members do get outside work with computer graphics. For drawing sometimes the members do character backgrounds or may draw everything depending on the story. They have a work where one person designs the character and another draws the actual story. They make storyboards and start drawing. Sometimes they decide who is going to make storyboards and then start drawing.  The art is drawn by Satsuki, Mokona, and Nekoi, Nekoi draws the rough draft and thinks about how the story is going forward to next month's script. The designs are handled by Satsuki and Mokona. Satsuki worked on the design for the cover page. In the beginning, they believed that everything in the comic from front to back was important to the story. They take turns completing the rough sketch depending on the story. They divide the story into frames; they mostly draw it on art board paper after they create characters and scripts. Ohkawa explains what in each frame props and the characters in they have how they turn around and include emotions in the panel. Ohkawa and Igarashi never drew manga with split frames. They Look like frames from a movie 

When Ohkawa comes up with stories Ohkawa drafts the outline of the story and the story setting The ending for each story is determined from the last scene back to the first scene and the end last and deciding the thing and heading into this way makes way for change drags the reader along for the story Ohkawa drafts the outline the other three members formulate characters designs by creating character profile sheets to avoid confusion. Ohkawas style of writing is considered a color woodblock print in the way it conveys and portrays things the manga is close to picture books and elimination of everything unneeded. Ohkawa thinks about the setting of where the story takes place and Ohkawa constructs a visual image at least in their head then splits up panels in their manga. for the writing process, they come up with the story Ohkawa gets together to discuss the story with the members about the purpose of the story and the main characters when writing and drawing After the members get well used to the story they write it down when creating a story for a weekly magazine they first decide on a rough story from beginning to end Ohkawa works backward from the ending for the story to have an ending like this the members don’t always know how the story develops. Ohkawa's style of writing for stories is not telling anyone the progression of the storyline before it happens reason for that is that when the members of Clamp learn of Hokuto's death one of the members couldn’t draw Hokuto's smile the same way this is how badly shaken they were since that the way Ohkawa created her stories changed for most of the works it was until Chobits she could tell them again. Ohkawa kept using memos in the beginning when she wrote the stories where she kept track of the flow of the story.

Before they start drawing they decide the flow of the story up until the end as well as the materials used for color and monochromatic drawing and the direction of the illustration. The members consider the art style during the planning stage and the materials for the manga, for materials Clamp uses color samplers In the order of how they draw. They draw them the same size as manuscripts, they draw rough sketches, and the size of the manuscript is b4 size and genkou size. They seldom use computers to create manga but only to color pictures, sometimes Clamp uses the scanning method when they draw or draw the rough draft using tablets. They don’t use references for their designs except at one time for Ohkawa she drew inspiration from a perfume and drink package she gathered together she drew more influence from the business art and art from Alan Chai's design. 

The amount of lines and the thickness of the lines in the manga depends on the work. When you look at the manga, there are a lot of lines in the characters, Clamps can make the lines, and the thickness of the lines depends on the nature of their work from the thicker lines shows how serious and heavy the story thicker lines match the nature of their work that fits with a heavy theme like works like Tokyo Babylon, which have a heavy atmosphere. Mokona draws with thicker lines and uses pens with strong pressure when drawing. Clamps drawing methods changed with Tsubasa and xxxholic.

In the process of launching a serialization first is to decide on the major storyline work out the details of the characters later and consider the number of chapters needed to tell a story, second Ohkawa has a meeting with Mokona and Nekoi to decide on the design of the main characters Ohkawa asks for designs once they are finished they go over one more time.  They go about creating manga and have two processes,  one creating a manga based on the request from a publisher The second Clamp decides on the story first and then thinks about the magazine to write it for. Clamp comes up with an outline for the story First after they create the outline they discuss who's going to draw pictures or if they all draw together. They turn the project into a movie telling how a story goes and who the main characters are among themselves. They talk about the rough story and how they should do it when they bring a story to the publisher, attach the rough story and characters, attach characters' settings to them and draw the appearance in the manga to the publisher. Then after they show the work to the editor if the editor thinks it's okay they start the story. After receiving approval from an editor, Ohkawa assigns roles to each group member and then chooses the visual styles depending on the factors such as the complexity of the story and chosen art style the artwork depends on the genre and magazine of the story. Ohkawa provides a rough draft for each chapter with things such as dialogue panel size props and movement and characters' emotions. Storyboarding takes 12 hours while the script takes 8 hours to write. To Mokona from rough draft to inking 10 pages per day, the average Mokona puts into how many pages of black and white manuscript draws in a day the number of pages they draw in a month to finish one installment For example if they're in two monthly publications like Tsubasa and xxxholic one is about 19 or 20 pages other takes one day to finish 6 pages for the foundations for the fishing touches and inking takes a couple of days every 2 weeks when it comes to two weekly series its 120 and 130 pages a week. xxxholic takes two days and x took four days 

Ohkawa will specify the proper production for the story and character. After the story, they will choose a person to perform the character design. Clamp switches up who works on character design and the drawing. Igarashi and Ohkawa do it together. One of them directs the work for design and the person in charge of the drawing for that work will draw a rough sketch which is discussed. Mokona is one of the concept artists When the scenario is specified in detail, Mokona listens to the basic story and consults the original concept with Ohkawa Mokona will show what she designed on the spot of the drafting and period.  Mokona and Clamp often decide on the design first, then Mokona draws the illustration from format, paper, and photoshopping specifications to color specification. Mokona does pencil drawing first then ink and color it the pencil stage first so Mokona can fix errors in the pencil stage. Ohkawa as the main scriptwriter Ohkawa determines the story and setting and tells the members about it and the rest give their thoughts on it Ohkawa maps out the location, ideas, and character design Ohkawa gives the character's figures hairstyles, and clothes she envisions to the designers or sometimes Ohkawa draws them herself only sketches the rest get the art close to Ohkawa original version. Ohakwa doesn’t talk about the characters until it's time to create their visual design, Ohkawa decides the design of the character and the group visualizes it She explains their appearance she sometimes brings sketches instead of explaining Ohkawa decides the characters they have long or short hair their style of clothes and complexity. Clamp discusses together and thinks about how to make characters, Ohkawa makes requests and discusses them with the other three Ohkawa gives concrete and specific thoughts on what she wants the main characters to be. Ohkawa is the one who decides on the details of the characters and Clamp crafts their characters. They explain the story in the works that include the drawing of the clothes of what the character wears. Ohkawa takes all the info she gathered and has them design the characters based on the descriptions she gave like body build, hair length, and small details, next decide who is going to design the characters either Nekoi or Mokona design them characters and pick one of them then make a character setting chart and decide on the character's height. After the story they choose a person to perform character design. When that is happening, they use specific proper proportions for the story and character. They come up with a story through a character design phase Clamp and choose different styles and proportions for the characters. When it comes to designing characters they determine the head and body ratios since the person drawing can change the proportions in their sketches without knowing.  They reference the proportions of the characters in case the person drawing it gets it wrong. Igarashi and Ohkawa consult each other and ask for revisions so that the proportions don’t shift, so it can come in tandem when working for 4 people. Mokona had difficulties drawing Yuko's proportions; she considered drawing them constantly a nightmare. Mokona found it reassuring to have partners who can check your work. Sometimes they decide on the colors to get the approval of the publisher to work on the storyboard and then agree on the birthday and height of the characters. The height is important because it's for drawing proportions that are made to keep consistency when drawing characters. The character designs look like character sheets like the ones you would see in anime. When they first set out to draw the members consulted such things as whether or not thin lines mesh well in the manga. what color materials they would be using the members play it by ear as they go along when they draw. Before drawing the portraits of the characters, Nekoi takes special care of the characters by differentiating them with their hairstyles. 

For creating the clothes for the characters, Clamp dresses their character in stuff based on their own or things their acquaintances wear. Clamp reads a lot of informational magazines and fashion magazines on a personal basis which serves as inspiration for characters. Some of the clothes and other items that characters in Clamp wear are inspired by real-life pieces but most of them are done initially by Mokona.

Once the main characters are completed, they decide on the detailed settings for those characters,  The members decide on each character's birthday and height. The height is used for doing the proportions of the characters. for the character settings the group goes into detail about the characters like what food they eat, special skills, how and when they do things, how they grew up, when they were young, their hobbies, the type of house they live in whether its Japanese or western style, if they are sleeping wearing pajamas or negligees and whether they like sweets or not; for example if a character is eating sweets it means that a character grew up in an environment where sweets can be easily eaten and if a character has long hair it can be tied or untied these details reference the characters way of life and polices the reason Clamp focuses on what a character likes to eat is because what a person eats says a lot about a character in personality. There's a lot of thought that goes into making character settings. It's mostly to advance writing their characters or fleshing them out as individuals. The character settings are important when writing the characters in the story These details are important for them to write for the characters the character profile is used so they won’t get confused when writing a character for the story to keep the writing of the character to remain consistent throughout the story. 

Materials 

When drawing manga and illustrations the group often determines the materials they use to draw during the meetings 

Once they set out drawing they first consult things like whether or not thin lines and colors. Clamp used different techniques, art materials, and paper when they did manga and color illustrations Clamp used different materials at their disposal. For drawing Rayearth, the materials they use to draw manga are used include other works as well. The heavy colors are used to suit the tone of the story. This goes to show that you can change the impression by changing the pen you use and the paper used. 

You can change the impression based on the paper you use. The paper makes a great first impression on the manga. Paper is not the only thing that changes the impression of the manga they draw, also the materials they use are used to change the impression. 

Clamp uses different paper sizes for each work, the manga paper is sorted for each one of the members to use. Clamp has strong drawing pressure for their strong drawing pressure they chose thick paper.  They use paper made by Daieidou printing for manga drawings because the members have a strong drawing pressure so they chose a thick paper that's three times thicker than manga paper. For the paper that the members use for illustrations Igarashi, Nekoi, and Mokona use Watson paper, BB Kent back of manga paper of copy paper. Both Ohkawa and Igarashi like acid-free paper, they love the sandy texture and don't like smooth art-coated paper. The reason for that is that if the paper is too smooth the texture will not be the same. Clamp uses many materials for works such as Copic markers and alcohol-based products, They use Kaimei Indian ink, and for color inks, they use Holbein and Holbein special black The screentone they use Brans that Clamp uses is  I.C. 's and Letraset.

When they first used computer equipment,  they were instructed by Takeshi Okazaki and Katsuya Terada. satsuki was into photoshop so Takeshi Yamazaki gave satsuki lessons in photoshop.  

For the materials that Clamp used in their past works, rg veda used color inks, aeroflash, Liquitex, and modeling paste, Rayearth used Copic markers, Mokona used color inks for Mask of 20 faces, Tokyo Babylon used color tones and angelic layer had them use thick fountain pen like liner markers for drawing the manga.

Mokona’s pen uses a Kabura and a Marupen. Depending on the weather she draws a line to see which is better. Her favorite pens are Zebras Maru pen and Kabura pen nibs. with lnks, her favorite is Kaimei Indian Ink and Holbein’s Grey or Nouvel’s Burnt Sienna. What she used to draw backgrounds is Pigma 0.05, Mokona has strong drawing pressure. The G pen is too soft for her. She tried using one but it is hard to adjust and prefers using a harder pen. She uses a magic marker with a pigment ink called Prokey she used to draw letters on paper and uses Pentels water-resistant brush pens for solid areas like hair. She uses a powder board for paper with larger pieces and Baron Kent paper stretched with water. For RG Veda backgrounds Mokona used a lot of airbrush techniques. Mokona draws with thicker lines, and her drawings have been drawn with thicker lines. In the beginning, like in the third volume of Tokyo Babylon, the character's faces are angular and have thicker lines which show that her art is changing. Syaoran was Mokona’s favorite character to draw in Tsubasa.

Nekoi uses different nibs for the maru pen and g pen; she uses the Kabura pen for concentrated and close straight lines, also Pigma 0.5 for backgrounds.

For paper Nekoi uses whatever paper they have at hand to the back of wrapping paper bits of cardboard that have fallen around the back of cosmetics box envelopes from the publisher, the wrapping paper from a cup of tea that is Japanese style. She uses an eraser to reduce the tones in the screentone and sandpaper to reduce the large areas of tone she uses. A fine grit sandpaper will decrease nicely but not allow for fine adjustment which she had to fix with an eraser later. Nekoi loved experimenting with new painting materials; she especially loved painting in color.

Step to Step in Creating Manga

When it comes to drawing manga there are steps taken to create manga. these are the materials they use for drawing manga The list of materials and things they use in the steps to create manga are listed as this

1.) plastic eraser, mechanical pencil 0.5 HB

2.) Pigma 0.5, magic marker

3.) brush pen

4.) screen tone, tone cutters round sand eraser 

5.) pen white, liquid paper ink, Mython

lastly, for writing the script, they use a pc

For the steps they use to create manga Rayearth I think it might be the same steps they use to draw other manga that come after it might be the same steps they did for Tsubasa,xxxholic, and other manga that come after it, and the materials they use. I bet it's the same materials used for Tsubasa, Card Captor Sakura and xxxholic.

1.) The plot is written by Ohkawa on a personal computer with manuscript paper, For the rough they draw frames with a pencil and roughly insert characters and other elements, they draw the rough while paying attention to the composition and balance the draw the panel as to what you want to show most when you are doing a specific scene. The rough is a lot of lines and its way is less detailed. The rough is used for the placement to know the place of things to ink. You can see the same rough stage with Tsubasa and xxxholic. 

Clamp pays attention to the distribution of lines in the panels, the reason why Clamp pays attention to the number of lines is because it's a manga and they are going to ink over and over again. The reason they pay attention to the number of lines in the rough is to calculate how much you ink while you draw. the number of lines you use while you ink is important because you are going to use it over again

the rough is drawn with a pencil, they used a regular pencil for the rough rather than a mechanical pencil since the mechanical pencil has fine lines 

2.)  Next is the sketching phase, in the sketching phase the characters are drawn with a mechanical pencil they check the drawing by looking through the rough manuscript and back. Once the sketch is finished the member will fix it until they are satisfied The background is only included briefly in the sketch.

3.)  The inking stages for the steps of Magic Knight Rayearth are inked mainly using a Pigma 0.05 or Kaimuji marker or brush. When Mokona was drawing Rayearth Mokona had strong drawing pressure so her lines became thicker She changed pens as soon as she noticed it her strong drawing pressure caused Mokonas tip of her pen to break quickly they often used 4 to 5 bottles a day for inking. 

4.)  Next up the beta stage, after they are done with inking they erase and check it again After that the members add solids the tool used is a brush pen to fill in areas like hair and stuff. They use ink that is resistant to water because if it is water resistant the area will become thin when the eraser is applied. 

The steps for rough and sketch are used in their other works only the materials that are used for inking change consistently Depending on the series 

5.)  Next is the toning stage when they add screentone traditionally to a manga page, when it comes to screen tone they make sure that no more appears in the overlapped areas Clamp use a circular blade type cut when they apply screentone traditionally to a manga and small areas might be scrapped with a sand eraser scrapping the tone can change the texture of the object. They consider the effect and carefully cut it and their grain to the tone and know in which its neatly scrapped directions are not scrapped. 

In Rayearth tint and gradation tones are used, and a little gala for the screen tone of the manga. 

6.) This is the last stage of Clamp creation in drawing manga. The last stage is to express light and create glamorous images white is used for it. when applying white fluid to the image which is done by flicking the brush on the correction fluid with the rim of the container the effect changes depending on the concentration of the liquid. You can add white to the toothbrush or flick it with your finger. It changes the effect of the image. If you add fine white dilute it with water to adjust for the white. Clamp uses quirk drawing because the pen can be put on the white later.

This technique was applied in other manga like Tsubasa, Card Captor Sakura, and their other works. They used the same white ink to make a beautiful panel.  

Next

#clamp #x/1999 #meta #card captor sakura #card captor clear #tsubasa reservoir chronicle #chobits #tsubaki nekoi #Nanase Ohkawa #Satsuki Igarashi #Mokona #magic knight rayearth #xxxholic #kobato #angelic layer #tokyo babylon #my meta

[mncxbe]

ღೀ๋࣭ ⭑eq

𝑭𝒖𝒌𝒖𝒄𝒉𝒊 𝒙 𝒇𝒆𝒎!𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓

ღೀ๋࣭ ⭑𝒄𝒘: slice of life, age gap (a little bit unhealthy) relationship, smoking in bed, implied alcohol addiction, clichés, so so many clichés// reader is a singer

The flashing lights of the city beamed around you, specs of gold and shimmer that reflected off glassy windows and illuminated the navy night. Somewhere down on the crowded boulevard, cars honked and rushed, wheels squeaking against the pavement.

And yet the apartment felt cold an empty. Tossing around in your bed you reached for your phone, tapping the screen twice; it turned on without a sound. 2:25 a.m. No texts or missed calls.

You placed the phone back on the nightstand next to a crumpled pack of cigarettes and your paperback copy of Seichō Matsumoto's "Tokyo express". He hated when you smoked inside, but then again you also hated when he drank. With each their own vice.

Restless, mind fogged with nagging thoughts you went back to laying on your back; gaze unfocused. You took in a deep breath then exhaled.

How did you end up like this? you wondered for the nth time that week. You kept trying to place the exact moment your relationship started to come undone, when the two of you started to drift apart– was it after that fight you had four months ago? or maybe after you returned from vacation at the end of August? or it was all doomed from the beginning?

Perhaps this wasn't even caused by a mere moment, like a cord snapped in half. Maybe it was the result of your habits: his incessant absence due to work matters and your proneness to feeling lonely and nostalgic.

An ambulance rushed past your building, siren blaring, but the sound felt distant and muffled as if you were underwater. You remembered the first time you met him at that jazz club, a dim lit room filled with rich men and women dressed in lavish silk dresses and reeking of cigarette smoke where you used to sing on Friday nights.

He was celebrating one of his fellow coworkers' birthday or something... you didn't quite recall. But the moment your eyes met something snapped inside you. Cliché as it may sound you knew —and he knew too, that you were meant to be. Soft spoken and well mannered, you couldn't help but fall head over heels for him.

That night nothing mattered except the two of you. He felt so right, so safe. And it has been for a while. After a few dates at restaurants you never even dreamt of dining at, dramshops and sumptuous galas he attended and was kind enough to bring you as his plus one; you moved in, leaving your deadbeat one bedroom apartment in Kotobukicho for a penthouse in the heart of Yokohama.

And it was fun for a while. Fukuchi was kind and, although busy due to his position as the Hunting Dogs captain, he always made time for you. 'You make me feel young again' he confessed one night as the two of you lounged on the cushy couch, fingers lazily intertwined. 'You do too' you replied, earning a heartfelt chuckle from him. Ironic, considering that you were much younger than him, but he knew what you meant.

During those first eight months of your relationship you wrote song after song; you were inspired like never before in your life and at nights, when he came back from work, you'd sit on the bedroom floor and play the guitar for him until he fell asleep in your arms.

But then... something happened. He started coming home late and drunk, the sour taste of alcohol lingering on his lips as he kissed you goodnight. Your conversation resumed to only: "How was your day?" Good, and yours? "As usual."

The mere thought was sickening, like a punch to the stomach. Reaching for your cigarettes you took one out of the pack, lit it and inhaled, allowing the thick smoke to cloud your racing thoughts. Memories of times which seemed dim and distant, but were in fact mere months in the past.

Just then, you heard the front door opened and closed, followed by heavy steps around the apartment. A kitchen cabinet slammed shut, the sound of water dripping out of the faucet, silence... then the soft clink of the same glass placed on the marble counter.

You didn't even bother to put out your cigarette when you heard him walk towards your bedroom and quietly slid the door open.

"Hey, you still up?" he asked in a hushed voice, words slightly slurred.

Humming a mhm before taking a puff, you waved at him.

Without turning on the light he took off his uniform and climbed in bed next to you, arms wrapping around your waist as his head came to rest against your shoulders. Your fingers naturally slid through his messy hair, gently combing the light strands.

"How was your day?" you eventually asked; mechanically almost and you felt him shrug.

"As usual. Missions and meetings" he replied plainly but then added in a softer tone "But I missed you."

"You did?"

"Of course I did. I always do."

Taking a drag from your cigarette you tiled your head to the side to look at him. His expression conjured up an image of pure exhaustion: eyelids shut tight, eyebrows knitted, the corners of his lips turned slightly down.

"I miss you too, you know?" you stated quietly, almost like a whisper. But you both knew the true meaning of your words.

He shifted closer to you and placed a chaste kiss on your shoulder. "I know. I'll try to take next weekend off so we can go somewhere. Would you like that? Or we can just stay at home, just the two of us."

"Yea. That'd be nice"

"Good, great."

You rubbed the bud of your cigar on the edge of an overfilled ashtray on your nightstand and tossed it inside before turning to your side to face him. Your head felt clouded and heavy from the smoke, sleep threatening to lull you at any moment.

"I love you" you said softly, hand finding his as your fingers loosely intertwining and you closed your eyes.

Before falling into a deep slumber you heard his low voice, a hushed "I love you too, always will my darling" followed by sweet nonsense that somehow soothed your soul. And for the first time in a while there was hope, or maybe just empty delusions– but you fell asleep to the comforting feeling of his presence and the faded sounds of the night city.

#i've had it in my drafts for over six months think it's time i posted it #bungou stray dogs #bsd #bsd x reader #bsd fluff #fukuchi bsd #fukuchi x reader #bsd fukuchi #ochi fukuchi

[rebirth-eliphas]

All About BA-TSU CLUB

Ba-tsu was founded in 1971 by designer Ruki Matsumoto. I believe the brand started as a formal wear/business wear line? One notable thing about Ba-tsu is that they dabbled in costume design, they’re well known for designing the costumes for the “Battle Royal” films. I won't go too in-depth on the brands early history, they didn't start as an alternative fashion brand so it’s not very relevant. The alternative clothing they made, including the Kyo collab, was done under a sub-brand called “Ba-tsu Club.” (I have no idea if Ba-tsu club was also designed by Ruki Matsumoto, it's all a bit of a mystery.)

In 2004 Ba-tsu was acquired by  a company called Crown Creative Co. In September 19, 2006 Ba-tsu went bankrupt and closed all of their lines except Men's Ba-tsu, which remain open to this day. 

Ba-tsu Club top

One of the reasons Ba-tsu is so iconic in the V-kei scene is because of their collaboration with Kyo from Dir en Grey. Kyo designed all of the pieces and Ba-tsu released them. This really pushed Ba-tsu into the spotlight.

Ba-tsu Club x Kyo set (this collection was huge, I'd guess they released at least 20+ items together)

BA-TSU CLUB PRINTED SKIRT One thing I think really sets BA-TSU CLUB apart from other punk brands from its time is how versatile their pieces are. You could style them really over the top or just with a simplistic outfit! —They often use custom printed fabric and embroidery in their pieces, which is also pretty unique!

BA-TSU CLUB SOCKS —Speaking as someone who owns a decent amount of pieces from BA-TSU I can attest to the fact that the quality of their pieces is extremely consistent, It’s absolutely top notch.

BA-TSU CLUB JEANS I wish I had more information/history on this brand,It’s difficult to research them because they have never had a website :( all of those neckties and things printed with “BATSU.COM” ARE CATFISHESSS! anyways thx for reading my blawwwgg I’ll b back tomorrow :3

Current men’s ba-tsu page. Mens-batsu 

Ba-tsu bankruptcy source http://thtt.blog78.fc2.com/blog-entry-33.html

(Some people online say this is ba-tsu’s site but it’s actually the website of a mall that had a ba-tsu store at one point.) https://web.archive.org/web/20030222184025/http://www.livehep.com/five/f3/batsu.asp?sid=80 

#vkeistyle #dir en grey #kyo dir en grey #batsu #j-punk #harajuko fashion #japanese fashion #punk #visual kei #vkei fashion #ba-tsu club

[mirai-e-jump]

TV Guide, September 2023 Issue (Kanto Edition) ft. Kamen Rider Gotchard Cast Members (translations below)

Publication: August 23, 2023

"What's everyone's favorite previously released Kamen Rider series?"

Fujibayashi: I think of them as "generations," but I used to watch Den-O ('07-'08) alot. The first one I remember watching was much earlier though, with Kuuga ('00-'01). He was the first Heisei Rider, wasn't he?

Kumaki: That's right. For me, Kuuga was the one that left the biggest impact. When I was young, no Kamen Rider series were broadcast, so I don't think there were many people of my generation that were familiar with it. I have a younger brother, so we were able to watch Kuuga together.

Matsumoto: I have two older brothers, so we had alot of the Rider belts at home (laughs). I would watch TV together together with them, and they liked Den-O and Kiva ('08-'09), while I liked Wizard ('12-'13) and Gaim ('13-'14).

Motojima: I liked OOO ('10-'11), which wasn't too long ago, currently I'm watching Geats ('22-'23). Originally, I didn't know too much about Kamen Rider…but, after watching it again, I thought it was very interesting, and felt that I wanted to do the audition.

Abe: I had previously watched Fourze ('11-'12), and when I decided to take the audition, I went back and watched it one more time.

Tomizono: When I was young, I watched Ryuki ('02-'03)…

Fujibayashi: Ryuki was good too!

Tomizono: It really was. It was interesting seeing Riders with such different personalities. I even practiced the transformation poses from different angles in the mirror.

Fujibayashi: Before my audition, I actually practiced transformation poses. It's not really an audition strategy (laughs), but, I thought, "I should do it anyway," and come up with at least one transformation pose.

Kumaki: I did it too (laughs).

"How did you feel when you were finally chosen to appear in Kamen Rider Gotchard?"

Fujibayashi: I was overcome with emotion, and felt that I have finally been able to show something to my parents. I've auditioned for Kamen Rider many times, more times than I can count. Every time, my parents would still believe in me, so I think I'm finally able to return the favor.

Kumaki: I've also auditioned countless times, over the course of many years, so when I was able to pass, I shared the excitement with my family.

Matsumoto: I love Kamen Rider and have watched many of the previous series, so when I thought, "I'm finally going to be apart of this," I felt extremely happy.

Motojima: I joined my current agency in March of this year, where my manager told me, "There's an audition open." It was the first tokusatsu audition I've done for Kamen Rider. I was so happy when I heard I passed the audition, that I still clearly remember jumping up and down.

Tomizono: I was also very happy when I passed. I'm excited to be able to work on a single role for a whole year.

Abe: The moment my manager said, "There's an audition for Kamen Rider," I immediately informed my mother. She currently lives in Osaka, but she calls me every day, and I'll read her my lines over our video calls. When I told her I had passed the audition, she was so excited. Seeing her happy makes me happy, and it made me realize that I have to really work hard and do my best.

Fujibayashi: Kumaki-san and I have auditioned for Kamen Rider many times, but this was the first time for the three of us (Motojima, Abe, and Tomizono). How many times did Rinne (Matsumoto) audition?

Matsumoto: Two times.

Kumaki: That's amazing~.

Fujibayashi: She really is a talented person.

Motojima: I was happy when I was selected, but at the same time, I was worried about if I was actually capable of doing this. Before we started filming, I was actually really nervous. Once we actually started however, it's been alot of fun.

Matsumoto: I also thought the filming was alot of fun, going forward, I feel like I'll be able to improve in many ways.

Tomizono: I'm looking forward to playing Sabimaru for a whole year. Although, I do feel overwhelmed.

Motojima: I need to concentrate on the daily filming. I'd like to go through this year without forgetting to take this seriously.

#kamen rider gotchard #kamen rider #hotaro ichinose #ichinose hotaro #spanner kurogane #my scans #my translation #rinne kudo #tsuruhara sabimaru #icho renge #toku cast #tokusatsu #toku #interview #junsei motojima #motojima junsei #gotchard #idk when it came to coloring the names sorry #they put their names in english on the pages though

[no-more-tales-tavern]

Twisted Tales Tavern Special:

On the Road Again~

Unless you're getting shot out of a cannon every time you and your party sets off on a new quest, the journey to your destination can be a long one. Townships are often days— sometimes over a week—of hard travel apart from each other, and between random encounters and general boredom, there's a million different ways to fill the time between point A and B. Just try not to lose yourself so much in the journey that you forget your destination entirely~

Canon Muses: Keyleth of the Air Ashari (Half-Elf Moon Druid), Vex'ahlia Vessar/DeRolo (Half-Elf Beastmaster Ranger), Jester Lavorre (Tiefling Trickster Cleric), Nott the Thicc (Goblin Arcane Trickster Rogue), Yasha Nydoorin (Aasimar Zealot Barbarian), Fearne Calloway (Satyr Wildfire Druid), Deanna Leimert (Gnome Life Cleric)

Ruby Rose (Human Ranger/Rogue), Weiss Schnee (Half-Elf Lore Bard), Blake Belladonna (Tabaxi Assassin Rogue), Yang Xiao-Long (Human Barbarian/Monk), Pyrrha Nikos (Human Champion Fighter)

Ochako Uraraka (Human Graviturgy Wizard), Momo Yaoyorozu (Human Monk/Rogue), Mina Ashido (Tiefling Spores Druid), Nejire Hado (Air Genasi Long Death Monk), Rumi Usagiyama (Lagomore Barbarian/Monk)

Test Muses: Anko Mitarashi (Half-Elf Assassin Rogue), Naruko Uzumaki (Half-Elf Beast Barbarian), Rukia Kuchiki (Halfling Bladesinger Wizard), Rangiku Matsumoto (Half-Elf Glamour Bard), Neliel Tu Odelschwanck (Satyr Ancients Paladin), Lucy Heartfilia (Aasimar Celestial Soul Sorcerer), Erza Scarlet (Human Battlemaster Fighter)

OC Muses: Jaerik Aldraeyds, Yora Vor’ziira, Esper Willowwind, Jade Ren, Terra Verdell

Kinks: Outdoors, Monster-Fucking, Hiding, Cheating, Mind-Break

Memes: Some Like it Rough v1, Overwhelmed, The Great Outdoors

#brewery tour (important posts)

[dreinstein777]

What Did YOU Lose and what did you Gain.?PAC!

entertainment purposes only!

Pile 1 Young Miyavi!

Pile 2 The Loving Hide!

Pile 3 The Kissing Guitar, SUGIZO!!!

Pile 1, Young miyavi!

Loose: You did not lose, you transformed. I see this as life going your way, the schooling, living situations. I believe whatever you lost here was a sacrifice, ending a long term relationship. What im seeing for certain people is a boyfriend who couldn’t appreciate you the way you needed, love you the way they did. And when you asked to be properly adored and cared for they throw a fit and it went no where. This quickly ended. Turning away from what he may say and go on to live on your own morals in life

Gain: another love interest ( possibly a girl this time)This is a little funny considering whatever you lost was a quick fling that simply wasn’t worth it and immediately was rewarded with someone. It’s odd. You seem to all be chill with life. You’re where you wanna be and regardless of how long this person comes you’re like that’s okay im making bank. This pile is silly I love you. A very self empowerment pile that believes they never lose anything or anyone because you gain more of you. Interesting. Have a lovely life. Night.

Hideto Matsumoto!

Lose: this pile is realizing how much has changed. You feel like you lost friends. You realized last years friends aren’t here today. Hurts to say but you might’ve even lost a best friend, like passed away and it could be exactly a year since then. Could also be a pet you considered a best friend. Everyone’s in tears for this pile. I’m so sorry friends.

Gain: you unleashed the bad bitch in you, this sounds like a long journey after your lost. It does seem like you had a small moments of losing control, perhaps not doing a good job at your job. You were so good at your job, neither close or far away and after this lost you struggled. This sounds current so I speak for your future now, in the coming future, when your tears run out, they will return made of gold. May your next cry’s be cry’s of happiness and relief. Feel better soon little star 🌟 The Cranberries and the age 21 might resonate for some.

Sugizo

Lose: you grew up. Your idea of religion changed, Family changed. Friends changed, feels like the whole sky changed infront of you with in seconds. It really started to affect your way of seeing the world with color, your losing touch with your meaning of life. If you tried to think about it it could be overwhelming.

Gain: a companion. An apartment. You gained your senses of reality back. Physical items you may have previously own or lost! If you were kicked out your house or dorm you will be able to retrieve your left items don’t worry please!

#mypost #tarot reading #tarot #pick a card #pac #Miyavi #sugizo #hideto matsumoto #vkei baddies

[kumoriyami-xiuzhen]

Hakuoki Ginsei Souma Story

Well, this is the last of these stories that I can translate. The fanbook's got 5 other stories - four being associated with the seasons and one extra I don't know enough JP to understand what's it's about... and I'm too lazy to mtl the title (plus I don't remember which of those have/haven't been translated, and am also too lazy to check that right now since im driving myself crazy trying to download video stuff 😅).

Anyway, I don't know what I'm going to translate next month, but I should have more free time then so I'll hopefully get back to creating a backlog of translations... though if I don't, I guess I'll do things week by week, or whatever my schedule allows (sorry but r/l priorities>tl unfortunately hahaha).

anyway, this story was originally published in B’s Log 2020年9月.

enjoy!

Hakuoki Ginsei B’s Log 2020年9月 Souma Short Story “Fumidzuki (文月)” [meaning the 7th month]

Translation by KumoriYami

During the start of summer, at the beginning of July

The days completely felt like summer, but the evenings/nights were still a bit cooler.

"...Ah, speaking of which, today is Tanabata [Star Festival]."

I was patrolling headquarters, and stopped in front of the bamboo branches decorating the inside of headquarters.

The bamboo of the Tanabata were decorated with paper strips and streamers, which were made by Toudou-san and Harada-san to properly celebrate/enjoy Tanabata.

…While I stood there, lost in thought, as I stared at the bamboo, a voice came from behind.

"Souma-kun? Good work on your patrol/Patrol must be exhausting."

"Ah... Yukimura-senpai. It's quite late, so why haven't you gone to sleep?"

"It's been getting very warm at night and I couldn't sleep. so I'm cooling off while reading these tanzaku [the pieces of paper that wishes get written on during Tanabata]."

Yukimura-senpai stood beside me, and looked up towards the bamboo/looked up hopefully at the bamboo [*same note as the eighth next line].

"This tanzaku, is it Nagakura-san's? It says "I want my swordsmanship to reach the pinnacle.""

"Ah, next to Nagakura-san's is Nomura's. Although he doesn't he say that he wants to win against the executives, he still wants to beat me."

As I watched this scenery swaying in the wind, I abruptly asked with interest.

"Senpai, what do you wish for?

"Huh?"

"As expected, you still want to find your father as soon as possible and return to Edo with Kodo-san…."

"Of course I wish for that…[though] I asked for something else on my tanzaku. I wished that everyone would be healthy."

Senpai had a slightly forced smile as she looked up at the sky [ the word for 'looked up' here can be interpreted so that this says "looked up at the sky hopefully"].

If you looked up, you could see that the night sky had spread like after the tide receded, and how silver skies flickered as they formed the Milky Way [or something. confusing structure].

"There were many people injured during the patrols, and apart from that, with the sudden heat after Tanabata, the number of people getting sick has also increased. We should look for countermeasures."

"...Senpai really is like a doctor."

"My level of knowledge is only to the extent of what I've heard about."

Senpai was very humble, but I didn't think like that.

I had seen Senpai learn how to tie bandages, studying medicine and do other things when she's not doing chores...

I also know that when Matsumoto-sensei visits, he teachs her together with Yamazaki-san.

And most importantly, she acts with kindness, which is essential for a doctor.

"Water needs to be drank frequently, and the time and place of practice/training needs to be changed. Although various types of assistance can be obtained…"

I open my mouth to ask Senpai who was reflecting on the problem.

"For cooling off in the summer, what about this? It's something the Chief specially prepared for Tanabata."

"This is...?"

What I brought out was a very small wind chime.

The sound that reverberated in the night wind was very crisp.

"It might just be a matter of mood, but it becomess cooler when you hear that sound."

"Nn... I think it's great. It's incredible how just one sound can make such a big difference."

It's wonderful.

---end---

#hakuoki #hakuouki #hakuoki other translation #souma kazue #yukimura chizuru

[bleachbleachbleach]

1/15 - 1/21/2024

I’d actually forgotten about this, but I started the week with "Kira is intimidating so let's write something else" panic and ended up with 1000 words of unrelated Matsumoto fic. It was one of those writing sessions where I had a floating premise I wanted to explore ("my girlfriend who lives in Rukongai") and then thought about what timeline would be most interesting for it (the immediate aftermath of Isshin’s disappearance), only for the part I actually wrote to end up being mostly about Akon. You know, it happens.

I still have not finished Kira’s chapter, but I am VERY CLOSE. I also noodled a bit in Chapters 14-20, because Kira’s chapter most directly connects to Rose’s (14), though regrettably this does not help me with the first half of the next chapter, which continues to be a large ???

Highs

I understand now why this chapter has to be narrated by "Izuru" and not "Kira" because as the writing has gone on, I keep realizing over and over that *oh* yeah, this is not the Kira this man brings to work, these aren’t even thoughts he would share with his friends; we’re deep in Izuru territory here.

I enjoy writing Kira because you can write some truly batshit things in some truly batshit ways and then be like, yeah, keep that in there actually!! I stand by this (among many other substantially more baroque things): Izuru’s aunts twitter behind him and Izuru imagines his ears wandering down their canals and into the back of his throat. It’s quiet there.

Kira's is an interlude chapter, away from the main action, but I feel like he definitely understands himself as the main character in his own story here. Love that for him, but I'm equally happy about feeling like this chapter has actually more to do with the rest of the fic than I’d previously given it credit for. I think it potentially revisits both the plot and structure of the ending of the previous chapter (Rukia 7) in really interesting ways, and could do well in seting up further exploration in the next chapter (Hisagi's).

Lows

I feel deep deep deep deep shame about a scene I wrote in the very middle of this chapter, and writing every scene that followed required me to return to increasing feelings of shame. I do not yet know whether that means I should take it out because it shouldn’t exist, or if my reasoning about why it should; and why, against most logic, it should be in the *middle* of the rest of this, to boot, is correct, actually. But I did manage to just keep writing, regardless of my level of incredible shame, so there’s that. Not that fun, though.

I feel like I’m learning a lot of things about Kira, and I am trying to just let happen whatever happens, but there’s a lot where I’m just like, okay, but I’m not sure I actually believe that about Kira (and later, Hinamori shows up and then I’m not sure I believe all of these things about her, either). So there’s a lot to sort through, and I’m worried because I don't think the end result is going to be a pile of characterization to sort through; it will be a garden, and there is going to be stuff that needs to be excised but is already seeded into the nerves or I guess like, the root system, of the chapter in ways that will be more complicated than "well, just delete that line, then." 

I also feel like I’m writing the season premiere of a 5th-year CW show, where there’s a lot going on and it’s all a bit unsettled. It’s introducing a new flavor to set apart what’s coming from what came, but it’s also trying to manage four seasons of previous lore and is perhaps high on its own lore supply. Maybe it’s fine because this is, in fact, the beginning of Part 2, and Part 2 is just Weirder. But it’s also Chapter 8, not Chapter 1, and does not functionally have to be the "beginning" of anything; it’s the middle.

#stories for the sea

[recurring-polynya]

I have to say that one of my favorite little aesthetic details in Bleach is the Lieutenant’s Badges. The captains have haori, this entire extra garment, which completely sets them apart immediately from other shinigami by shunting them into negative color space. A haori is also very widening, which I think really helps out guys like Byakuya and Gin who are naturally kind wispy. Its got their number on the back, which is almost like a joke, because if you’re seeing the back of a captain, it’s most likely that you’re lying on the ground in a pool of your own blood, and which one did it to you is a bit of a moot point.

Lieutenants, on the other hand, get armbands, which not only have their number, but also their squad flower. They come in one size, which is “burly dude who never skips arm day.” They are required for certain official business, like Emergency Vice Captains Meeting and...um... it’s incomprehensible, actually. Kubo absolutely does use the wearing of them for symbolism, for example, Kira and Hisagi pointedly did not wear theirs to the Battle at Fake Karakura Town, although the lieutenants who had not been betrayed by their captains did...and so did Hinamori. 

It also seems to be the case that you can wear your badge whenever you want to. It seems to be mostly the women vice-captains that do this, which is sort of funny to me, because they are enormous, and Rukia and Momo in particular look constantly in danger of getting theirs caught while trying to go through a doorway. I imagine this is because guys like Omaeda and Iba and Renji (king shit of not wearing his badge) are used to establishing authority through their physical presence and general volume, whereas lieutenants like Ise and Kotetsu prefer a more tangible symbol of their command. (I think that Rukia just wants everyone to know she’s a lieutenant 100% of the time). 

You don’t even strictly have to wear them as an armband. Matsumoto clips hers to her sash (which she ties in a non-standard knot) and Akon wears his on a fucking lanyard (I can only imagine he keeps his access card for swiping into the Squad 12 computer lab in a little pocket on the back side)

Anyway, none of it this is actually what I wanted to talk about. What I wanted to talk about, is what are the badges feel like. What is their heft, what is their texture? Going into this, I thought they would either be made of metal or wood, but in the course of doing this, I think Kubo original intended for the badges to be soft and then changed his mind. 

The first time we see the badges is the aforementioned Emergency Vice-Captains Meeting during the Soul Society Arc. I am very fond of the little character beat where Momo goes to Renji with her concerns about her captain, but look at her badge. It does not appear to have any discernable thickness, and the top actually seems to wrap into the armband. I was surprised by this, because when I think of the badges, my mental image is of this big, solid plate. 

In the next few panels, we can clearly see both Renji’s and Momo’s and they both look distinctly flexible. 

The next place I wanted to check was the scene Momo and Izuru find Renji’s badge after he took it off because was mad at Byakuya acting without orders. I wanted to see what a badge looks like when it’s not actually attached to an arm. 

So, to be honest, it wasn’t particularly helpful. The face-on perspective doesn’t give much idea of depth, although the hashing does give the idea either woodgrain, or embroidery, like a big-ass patch you could sew onto your Girl Scout sash. Note that in the above panels, Momo’s is still definitely wrapping over the top of her armband. Izuru’s is more ambiguous, but it has the same texture. 

I flipped through, trying to find more appearances in chronological order. This is the phase of the manga where we were being introduced to the Gotei for the first time, and there were a lot of splash pages of important characters. Look at this one for Matsumoto. Her badge definitely seems rigid, but it’s very thin, and it does appear to be curved. If I had this picture to go on, I would think it was a thin, metal clip.

This one, of Yachiru (OG of ‘you really couldn’t have offered these in two sizes??’) is the first one where I really get the sense of solidness that we’ll see later on.

Anyway, back to actual panels, here’s Nanao. Much like Rangiku’s, it now looks stiff, but still pretty thin. The side shot is very nice, because it gives the distinct impression that it has a lip at the top that loops over the armband.

Now, I want to contrast all these to the shots we see during the Battle at Fake Karakura Town. Kubo has finally gotten these down to a consistent style which is thick and without that little clip at the top. In fact, they actually seem to protrude out and away from the armband, notable at the top, which you can see clearly in many of these shots.

At this point, I was almost wondering if it was sort of an intentional change, an update. So I took a few looks into flashbacks. 

Here’s the oldest one: Aizen in Turn Back the Pendulum, and sure enough, it’s both thin and loops over the top:

Next up, Everything But the Rain-era Rangiku, with some very clear badge shots. I don’t think I had previously picked up on the fact that she used to wear it on her arm! I am so, so sorry for the part that’s in Isshin-Pervo-Vision, but you can see the top of the badge really well here, and it is both chonky and with top-clip. Hrmmmnh.

Now, here is the flashback where Momo and Izuru come to give Renji news of his promotion and...uh... it’s very clearly the protudes-over-the-top style. DOUBLE HRMMMNH.

If the Gotei actually wanted to do a badge update, the real time to do it would be during the 17-mo timeskip, so let’s move on. As it turns out, Rukia is the only one who wore her badge to the Fullbringer arc. There are lots of good shots of it, and it’s the thick, tall version everyone had at Fake Karakura Town. The coloring on this cover also suggest that it’s metal, rather than wood.

Badge-etiquette was all over the map during the Thousand Year Blood War, but it generally appears to be in the latter day style. I flipped through so much of the TYBW, looking for examples that weren’t Rukia, and I think Kubo was honestly just tired of drawing badges, because mostly whenever you can see them, they’re at weird angles or drawn in ways that you can’t discern much about their geometry. 

One thing I have noticed is that instead of the old hashing texture, Kubo has started drawing these sort of wavy, watermark-looking things on them. I wonder if they are supposed to indicated that they are shiny? 

Oh, here’s one I found of Yachiru’s badge, which like Renji’s earlier, is very hard to parse when it’s just sitting there, without a person’s arm for contrast.

So, what if any conclusions I have drawn? I do think they are metal, although I love the idea that they were supposed to be cloth for, like, half a day, and then Kubo changed his mind. I think they used to be thin and the top hooked over the arm band, and now they are thick and stick up over the top. I think that one flashback with Kira and Hinamori was just a mistake. I can offer no possible explanation for why they changed the badges after the Ryouka Invasion, but before the Winter War, but it looks like they did. Three captains betrayed the Soul Society and murdered our government and all I got was this updated lieutenant’s badge (and then Kira and Hisagi won’t even wear theirs).

BONUS: Here’s Mashiro’s Super Lieutenant badge, which I am 100% sure is not street-legal, but it is very shiny!

#lieutenant's badges #bleach worldbuilding #gotei-13 #i have been planning to do this post for about 3 mo #but it felt good to finally get around to doing it #peak polynya content #i feel like myself again

[mybeingthere]

Yayoi Kusama and her obsession with flowers.

"Yayoi Kusama was born in 1929 in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture to a well-established conservative family that owned a seed nursery business. She spent her childhood surrounded by her family’s seed harvesting grounds. As a little girl, she often went out into the flower fields with her sketchbooks, developing her passion for drawing. For the artist, plants have been both beloved subjects and frightening figures, instilling fear through hallucinations and reflecting her state of mind."

https://www.guyhepner.com/yayoi-kusama-fruits-and-flowers/

"Flowers seemed to help her colourful and powerful imagination come to life but also relate to the darkness in her mental health. She states that painting and art became her rebellion.

A hallucination from her childhood inspired one of her most famous interactive installations held in Melbourne's NGV Triennial Gallery. She stated, “One day, after gazing at a pattern of red flowers on the tablecloth, I looked up to see that the ceiling, the windows, and the columns seemed to be plastered with the same red floral pattern,” Kusama explains in a press release for the triennial. “I saw the entire room, my entire body, and the entire universe covered with red flowers, and in that instant my soul was obliterated … This was not an illusion but reality itself.” The exhibition was named ‘Flower Obsession’ in 2017 which all of us Aperçu readers can really appreciate. The visitors were given Gerbera inspired stickers and were asked to stick them anywhere in the space they felt inclined. She wanted the people to obliterate the room themselves. The space in the beginning was supposed to represent a large apartment. The end products are explosive and cinematic."

[jessiethewitchzard]

Rosen Garten Saga(Fuji Sakimori) and Joshi Kouhei(Jiro Matsumoto) are two fascinatingly messy transgender stories. I wouldn't say they're good, necessarily. They're both pretty uncomfortable in a lot of ways, and they have loads of problematic stuff, but they both come from a place of the author struggling to process some messy gender feelings.

They're bout about some who is technically not a trans girl going on a surreal ultraviolent adventure, and dealing with crazy battles and struggling with weird ideas about gender and sexuality.

They both feature a fair bit of misogyny and transphobia, though it is absolutely addressed in the text. These are characters who are slowly, messily, processing their feelings about gender in a hostile world, and sometimes that means awful and unpleasant things happen and they respond poorly to them.

Rosen Garten Saga reads like the author started out as a horny misogynist, and then, over the course of writing the first few arcs, genuinely became a better person, and pivoted to unpacking those ideas and exploring how toxic masculinity is ridiculous and embarassing. If it was always planning to unpack the gender stuff, it does a very poor job of telegraphing it. I absolutely would not blame you if you took one look at the opening few chapters and ran away screaming from how awful it looks, but I promise it does engage with how fucked up the ideas it presents are. It's definitely aware that sexual violence has more in common with violence than it does with sex, but it does approach normal violence in a pretty standard shonen-battle way. It discusses a lot of stuff about sexuality and kink. Often by dropping the characters into a kinky situation, and having them get real uncomfortable. I might describe the overall arc as one of teasing apart the difference between attraction to women, and wanting to be a woman, and of unpacking various kinks and wrestling with whether liking them makes you a bad person or not.

Joshi Kouhei is, according to the author, NOT about being transgender, but "just about cool girls fighting monsters" However, he has a trans sister, and there's so many scenes in it that read like real personal moments in a trans woman's journey to accepting herself. It's very popular in the japanese trans community. It ends in kind of a messy place that could be taken as a metaphorical "sometimes people have good reasons for staying in the closet"(as well as a metaphor of actually transitioning, it's complicated), so if the author IS trans, I'm sure he'd rather not have people ask about it. This one is less horny(though still fascinated by women's bodies). It's more focused on, like, the social roles of women, and their relationships, and the idea of just existing in a woman's body while doing normal stuff.

Neither one is what I'd call especially feminist, but they're both very visceral explorations of someone's messy pile of gender feelings. I want someone else to read them, not necessarily because I think they're good, but because they're fascinatingly flawed. Though they both have some very good moments.

both have a fair bit of fanservice, though it comes across thematically like the author is grappling with "am I attracted to girls, or do I want to BE a girl? do I even have a clear idea of what the difference is?"

cw in Rosen Garten Saga for basically every kind of power-dynamic kink: sexual violence, sadomasochism, tentacle monsters, bondage, mind control, age-play, 600-yr old lolis, and more

cw in Joshi Kouhei for: suicide, self harm, body horror, gore, the horrors of war, ego death, ambiguous consent, and brainwashing

#aj oc #trans #manga #lgbt #rosen garten saga #joshi kouhei #jiro matsumoto #fuji sakimori

[rays-of-fire-and-ice]

Oh I really like this meme! UMMMM I am interested in every answer for every character!

4. Driving headcanon - Ichigo

4. Driving headcanon - Hitsugaya (I don’t think he can drive and I don’t think he’s ever considered needing to, but IF HE DID--)

20. Relationship with - Hisagi and Hinamori (from either’s POV)

14. Dancing headcanon - Matsumoto

I’ll stop myself now because 4 is a lot for one post but if you want more later do let me know! XDD

Send me a character and number for a headcanon

4. Driving headcanons - Ichigo and Hitsugaya

Ichigo: you bet this guy is the designated chauffeur for the Sereitei in Karakura Town. The Shinigami want to go to the beach? Ichigo's gonna take them there! Need to get to the town next door and don't want to take the train? Ichigo is there! Hopelessly lost and somehow ended up three towns away from Karakura? Ichigo to the rescue! Most times it's just an unspoken rule (for the Shinigami at least...Ichigo needs some convincing before he decides to give anyone a lift).

Because of this, Ichigo will ask for payment for the fuel, though what this payment is varies as most Shinigami don't exactly carry Yen with them (it ranges from paying for lunches and dinners all the way to buying Kazui and/or Orihime gifts). There's been some interesting moments during these lifts, such as:

Byakuya (visiting because he knows Karakura means a lot to Rukia and Renji) needing a lift to a particular store and just getting into the back seat without any prompting, and Ichigo wondering why the heck he chose to sit there rather than in the front seat with him ('It just felt like the natural choice' Byakuya would reason).

Mayuri, visiting the World of the Living for god knows what reason, studying the heck out of the car and wondering how he can turn into a weapon or something terrible back in the Seireitei. Ichigo just gives him the car manual to read rather than tear his car apart.

That one time he gave a lift to Nel because she wanted to go somewhere and didn't realise Grimmjow had come along too. Grimmjow chased down the car and Ichigo thought he was looking for a fight and stepped on the gas to get away, until Nel told him he was looking for a lift too...or maybe a fight, actually.

The regulars: Renji, Rukia, and Ichika, with Kazui and Orihime usually tagging along, going on touristy trips or to the beach. Sometimes Orihime has to take over for driving because Ichigo and Rukia argue too much.

Hitsugaya (IF he needed to drive and he is of the physical age to do so ie. a situation where the driving instructor wouldn't wonder why a mother (Rangiku) is asking her 'son' to learn how to drive so young): in this case, there's a roadtrip coming up, and at least two of the three people need to learn how to drive. Hitsugaya didn't necessarily volunteer, but he somehow finds himself in this situation when Rangiku signed them up for World of the Living driving lessons. Before he came, he became knowledgeable about what exactly a car is. Well, he's good with the theory part, but the actually practice...yeah, he's not a prodigy at everything.

20. Relationship headcanon - Hisagi and Hinamori

Ah, a relationship that needs to be explored more in general! I've always headcanoned that Hisagi visited Momo in the time between her recovering in the Arrancar arc and her arrival at Fake Karakura Town. She was resting up at Fifth Division, and having not seen her since Aizen's betrayal, Hisagi (perhaps along with Izuru) goes to visit her. He may have even been pushed a little to do so due to his share experience of being betrayed. Their conversation starts off pleasant, Hisagi telling her what he's been up to and the two recounting memories from the Academy and some lieutenant-related ones. Eventually Momo, still in denial about Aizen's betrayal, focuses on how Hisagi feels, asking him how he felt after what Tosen did. Hisagi gives his pretty honest feelings, trying to understand why Tosen left them; Momo eventually admits to feeling the same for Aizen, even comes on the brink of admitting she knows he betrayed them. This conversation helped her come to terms with Aizen's true self before she went to Karakura Town.

14. Dancing headcanon - Matsumoto

Well, it's canon that Rangiku does traditional Japanese dancing, but where did she learn it? Growing up in the lower districts, it's unlikely she saw anything that would've inspired her to take ti up. Maybe she snuck into a higher district somehow and saw some women perform a dance? I think the more likely answer was when she entered the Academy and was introduced to a bunch of things she never had in her district; one of those things was a dance performance done at a festival she visited with academy friends. At first she just loved watching it, but in her spare time found herself mimicing the movements. Most of her friends didn't think she could do lessons, she had a hard time sticking to any hobby she picked up as is, but a few encouraged her, including Gin (because he wanted her to finally have something she truly wanted and made her happy, somethign she could never have in the district they grew up in). After graduating from the Academy, she used most of her saving to get lessons from a teacher in one of the high districts. She rarely spoke about the lessons to anyone, in part because she feared she would drop the lessons and prove the nah sayers right, but also because it became a personal hobby for her. Because of this, the only people who knows she can perform traditional dancing are Gin, Toshiro, and a few members of the Women's Association.

Thanks for sending this in! :D Feel free to send in more, these are fun to do!!

#ichigo kurosaki #toshiro hitsugaya #shuhei hisagi #momo hinamori #rangiku matsumoto #headcanon #asks #ask meme #whipplefilter

[koifishart]

I want to be Your Koi Fish

Warning: +18 content, criminal underworld, intercourse, strong language - and so on

Fanfiction based on: "Baki" by Itagaki Keisuke

>28<

Apart from them and the Arena boss, there were also two Orochi, Master Shibukawa, Shinogi brothers, and Baki along with Kozue, staring at his wife strangely, who also glared at the girl from time to time. There was also Retsu Kaioh, quite fit for Master Kenpo with a wooden prosthetic leg. Hanabi was delighted to lead them along her paths straight to the Tori Gate on the hill between forest and water, where he again saw dojo and home of his wife's family. At the entrance again, they met a black-haired woman in men's clothes, sweeping the sidewalk. The classroom was open, sister-in-law had to take a break for a while because the students were still stubbornly training. Or maybe it was not she who conducted the classes? Between them he noticed two clearly smaller individuals, dark-haired boys of quite strong build. They seemed oddly familiar to him, though he had certainly never seen them. Katsumi stepped forward as energetically as usual, smiling warmly at Hanabi. Guess he still didn't understand that he had no chance.

- Good morning Miss! - he told the woman in front of the house. - We're looking for a local master.

- You're looking at him right now. - she replied calmly, pausing her work and setting the broom upright. - Soga Yui, Black Fox, master of this dojo.

Black...? The question of his wife's Yang was even more confusing. Don't think he should really worry about it. At the same time, was increasingly admitting she was right - they were...reversals. It was enough to look into the eyes of sister-in-law to find out about it. Cold as rock, unshakable. She greeted the others with a nod, then glanced at Matsumoto.

- What's this "miserable"? - she asked bluntly.

- It's not nice... - Kozue growled.

- Girl...do you see that board? - mistress replied, pointing to a block of wood, at least 15 cm thick, placed in a frame standing near the entrance to the school. - I'll stop calling you "miserable" if you can punch a hole in it with your bare fist.

- But...it is...

- Not feasible? Will you break your hands? Possible. - black-haired girl said, not waiting for the sentence to be completed. - Both me, my sisters and our children over 8 have tried to do it. See the effects for yourself. Miserable.

He looked more closely. The bale was riddled with holes. There was a horizontal row of circular holes in it, definitely punched by a human hand. Over eight years old? Kaoru was very curious when Hanabi did it. He didn't have time to ask. Heard a nightingale chanting behind him, about geese walking in a row. When turned around, he saw another of his sisters-in-law. As always, she was dressed sweetly, in a pink sleeveless shirt, a white flounce skirt and high-heeled shoes. She flung her red hair over and soon he saw three little girls following her. All of them in bright dresses and flat shoes with bows. Tiny Fubuki was walking closest to her mother, with equally fiery ponies on top of her head. The other two stopped at the sight of him, making sure that their jaws didn't drop.

- Hyo, Arashi, nice to see you again! - Hanabi asked them.

- See, I said that uncle is huge! - The red toddler snapped at her sisters. - Hi, uncle!

- Hi, Fubuki.-  he muttered, ruffling the top of small head.

-Oh gosh, Kureha, nice to see you... - Shizuka sighed at the sight of the muscular doctor. - ...but you shouldn't show up here. Ayame will be furious.

- Ayame is here? - he asked with heavily concealed hope.

- DIE SHINOGI. - growled the tall blonde behind him.

He had no idea if Kureha was happier or scared. The last of Hanayama's sisters-in-law. The imperious and uncompromising Ayame. Fair-haired, in thin jeans, a corset blouse without shoulders and high-heeled pumps. Two boys with her - one dark red, tall, well-built, the other slightly shorter, dark-haired, and next to him a very similar girl, looking a bit withdrawn. The oldest of the four descendants of Kitsune looked as if she was going to throw fists at the redhead, but on the other hand she was disgusted with it.

- May I know what you're doing here? - she hissed.

- Your grandfather invited us! - the man defended himself. - ME TOO.

- Divine punishment... - She sighed heavily, then turned to the crowd, completely ignoring the interlocutor. - Yuri, Razu, Ren, go get changed.

- Fine mom. - They answered in chorus, only to disappear behind a movable wall.

- M...mom? - Kureha grunted.

- Yes, imagine that some of us matured to parenthood. - The blonde chuckled, turning on her heel to follow the children.

There was an awkward silence. Shizuka slipped out unnoticed with her three. He met another of his wife's nephews. He remembered the day Hanabi had shown him behavior of children on the phone, when they were alone at home with her. This time he had the strange impression that they were definitely calmer. He gulped at Shinogi. He didn't look like he was going to let Ayame go, just...why? It's actually none of his business. General consternation was interrupted by Yui.

- Yuki! Yoshi! Show guests the rooms! - she called to the boys from the dojo.

- Yes, mother! - they replied.

The mystery was solved. Boys looked eerily like Black Fox. They took care of Tokugawa and Kozue's luggage, leading everyone inside. He and Hanabi went to their room, the same room they had occupied before, and in childhood it had belonged only to her. As soon as they unpacked, she disappeared, probably looking for her sister.

>>><<<

Hanabi was glad to hear that they were going to Okinawa, even though she still felt that her grandfather would try to convince her again. She loved him, as he must have loved her, but she was not going to agree, even if he promised golden mountains. She wasn't a teacher in a dojo, she didn't have the teaching skills, the attitude Yui does, and besides... No, it wasn't a good idea. She found her in the inner garden. She was sitting on the grass, leaning against a rockery with a fairly large bonsai tree. Still in the dark shirt and pants hakama. Yui didn't look at her, but Hanabi knew her sister felt her. They always had a strange bond. She walked over, knelt beside her, then rested head on straightened knees. A hand appeared on her head, tenderly combing short hair.

- My Yin... - whispered the brunette, looking up with blue eyes.

- My Yang...

Grandpa Shigeru spent practically the entire day with the guests, proposing that they spend their time resting. So it wasn't without an evening visit to the family onsen located at the back of the house. She forgot about it completely. Hot springs. Apparently their great-grandfather established his nest in this place just for this. She wrapped a towel around herself, leaving only the dragon's head exposed, wondering if Kaoru would benefit. Traditionally, both of them should be excluded from such pleasures because of the tattoos they wear. Her back seemed to be no problem for the sisters, she hoped grandfather would pass over the image of Otokodachi with appropriate silence. Both quite large pools were separated by a fairly high bamboo fence. They could immerse themselves in warm water delicately scented with herbs and breathe. Next to her appeared Yui, with braids tightly tied as usual, opposite Ayame and Shizuka with buns neatly pinned at the tops of their heads, and Kozue, as if most in the middle, uncertain and flustered. Fortunately, a moment of conversation was enough for her to relax. Hanabi was well aware that her sisters were sometimes intimidating, but in fact they were nice.

- I was a little surprised by the group of children around you. - Matsumoto said. - I mean...you all look very young...

- And here are two or three? And quite large ones? - Shizuka laughed heartily, slightly covering her mouth with her hand. - You are as old as you feel, sweetheart.

- Neither of you looks like you're giving birth. - she continued blushing.

- Oh yeah, there's no hanging skin, wrinkles, stretch marks, tousled hair... - Ayame calculated. - Let's say...it was possible to survive. Childbirth is not always terrible and traumatic, although the fact may be.

The teenager looked as if she didn't understand the twisted logic of the interlocutor. Hanabi had a similar conversation many times, basically after each delivery, sisters had to talk to each other and said "what it was like this time". She didn't intend to interfere, she had no experience herself, and besides...thinks, but she's not yet mature enough to talk about it.

- There are many variables that affect how it will all go. For example your attitude or physical condition. - The blonde continued, tucking a falling strand behind her ear and settling more comfortably. - My firstborn was born on the express, a week later I wrote a colloquium on medical basics. Twins couldn't decide which would be born first, which almost torn me in two.

- And my births have always been fun! - The redhead laughed. - Especially the latter! The water broke in the shower, I ate my lunch calmly, I came by my own car...and when I stood in front of the hospital reception, Fubuki was pushing her head out! Nurses nearly died from experience!

- And how is it with anesthesia? - the girl asked.

- Epidural? - Shizuka asked. - Neither of us used.

- And so...just? Without anything? - Kozue's eyes grew larger and larger.

- "Children of the Fox", meaning every woman born in our family, are made to give birth. - Yui said sternly. - Besides, female bodies are shaped to cope in most cases.

Every conversation with the sisters ended the same in her case. She was given a whole range of advice and ideas on what to do, what to remember, why not to do something. It was evident that this principle didn't work on other people, or at least those unrelated.

The first days passed very quietly. Grandfather was surprisingly stoic for her company, not clinging to her that she should stay. It looked as if he was focused on the guests and their skills. And they had the opportunity to show off many times. Shigeru even hosted a mini tournament on their arrival to see what they could do. The dojo students didn't have much chance, but it was a good lesson for them too. She kept wondering when grandfather's bomb would go off, scattering smelly shit among four granddaughters, especially the two youngest. She didn't have to wait too long. It was the evening of the third day when his impatience had clearly reached its zenith. She guessed what was going on. According to him, Hanabi should be in control, she should be sitting next to him, and Yui should bow and obey her gratefully. Ultimately, Hanabi was to take over. She wasn't going to give him that satisfaction, didn't want to. Didn't change her mind. He probably blamed someone else.

- You don't know your place in line, girl! - he grunted nervously, barely glancing at Yui.

- What this time? - she sighed heavily, eating the rice from the bowl.

- You're just a surrogate master until Hanabi returns to her wits, and you act like it's all yours! - he snorted fiercely. - Over my dead body!

- Oh, really? Are you still under the illusion that she'll come back to cheerfully keep an eye on your bunch? You're a blind fool! - the woman snapped, getting up from her seat, then turned to the younger one. - I want a duel. When and where it doesn't interest me anymore. Let's figure it out once and for all, Hana.

She did not have time to react, because the sister turned abruptly on her heel and left, not worried about closing the door. Even stranger than the reaction of the always calm woman, was the fact that Kaioh ran right after her, throwing a dark braid around. Hanabi glared at the gray-haired man in dismay.

- Like you always can fuck things up beautifully, Grandpa. - she sighed disapprovingly.

- Weigh the words, child. A bit of culture. - he grunted, sipping his green tea.

- I'd like to, but you make it so difficult.

>>><<<

Retsu was watching Yui from the first moment he saw her. At first he thought that she was an exceptionally frail man, when he came closer, saw a woman of exceptional beauty. She amazed him with her attitude, strength, skills...basically everything she displayed. For some reason, it seemed as if Master Shigeru had completely missed it, which he thought was a gross oversight. He had a perfectly cut diamond under his wing, and was blind to its wonderful brilliance. Even though she didn't say a word directly to him, nor did she glance at him with beautiful blue eyes, the old man's words ached alive. Moved, he ran after her, not quite sure what to do or say. Without thinking, he opened the door that had slammed a moment earlier behind the woman in dark hakama pants.

- Soga-sensei*, I...

- Yes? - she said in a low voice, turning slightly towards him.

It took him a few seconds to realize that he had burst into her room without knocking, and she was...going to change. She was standing in front of him, half naked, in only pants, with a white blouse in hands. Visibly firm breasts were obscured only by strong arms, naturally arranged on the sides of the body. A beautiful, strong body with clearly defined back muscles. He looked down, blushing all over his face.

- Eishu Retsu, master of Chinese Kenpo...Kaioh, am I right? - she asked as if nothing had happened. - It makes no difference to me whether you watch me naked or in my clothes.

- But that's...I am very... - he muttered under his breath.

- I am a soldier. I want to be appreciated for my skills, not my looks. - she said. - Can I help you with something?

- I am full of admiration for your skill, Soga-sensei! - he snapped forcefully, then abruptly turned and left, making sure he had closed the door behind him. 

He shot out like a slingshot, burning with shame. How was he supposed to look her in the eye after something like this?! He admired the strength and fortitude of the young mistress, and as can see, he was absolutely unable to respect her personal space. Who knows where he would have gotten had it not been for the old man standing in his way. He invited Retsu with a wave of hand to him. It was rude to say no. They sat facing each other in a modest room, with a low table with a pot of tea and two cups between them.

- How about tea, Kaioh? - the man suggested.

- Thank you, Soga-sensei. - he replied.

- And I'd like to... - Shigeru laughed slightly, pouring the green liquid into the vessel. - Why such a violent reaction to my granddaughter's exit? I admit that I did not expect.

- With all due respect, Soga-sensei, I don't think you appreciate Yui-sama. She is a great teacher with a great heart for martial arts, a talented fighter. I... - he listed, unable to find the right words in the crowd of thoughts. - I... see something so amazing for the first time! Why are you so insistent that the youngest take over the dojo?

- I don't deny that Yui has great potential, but Hanabi is more appropriate. - the old man insisted, sipping his tea. - It's quite a long story, you just have to take my word for it that I know what I'm doing.

- What are you going to do, Soga-sensei? - Retsu worried.

- Oh, no big deal. Though it will take a while to prove to her that this young yakuza is a poor material for a husband. - he explained bluntly. - Although I have to admit, a first-class stud. Unusual muscle building. He will give my son perfect grandchildren.

- You want to destroy your granddaughter's relationship? - Kaioh said indignantly. - Just like that?

- The welfare of the family and school counts for me, young master. I have a bunch of great-grandchildren, I need a genius heir to take the dojo back to its glory days! - Shigeru laughed. - The first in line, as the one with the strongest predispositions, is the reincarnation of my great-grandmother, Little Fox. If, for the sake of the public, I have to break something... Too bad. Someday she will understand.

- It's monstrous! Aren't you afraid I will anticipate them?

- It won't change much... - he whispered, narrowing his eyes. - Besides, you don't look like the kind who likes to meddle in someone else's business.

>>><<<

The good of the family? The good of the school? What about her happiness? The longer she listened, the more disgusted and wanted to wipe grandfather's nose just as badly. Trying not to creak a single wooden stave, she returned to the room where husband was waiting for her, as usually only in a white fundoshi. She collapsed against him, lean back against his muscular stomach and wrapped his arms around herself.

- Grandpa is going to divide us so that I can stay here. - she grunted grumpily. - Maybe not today, not tomorrow, not in a week...but he openly admitted that he would do whatever was necessary.

- I've been wondering for a long time, what Goro has to say? - Kaoru asked, brushing her long black fringe away from her green eye.

- He said he didn't interfere. He respects my decisions, but he doesn't intend to stand up to his father, so just cut himself off. - she replied with a shrug. - I guess he also thinks the whole thing is pointless.

- So it seems that we have to knock out the whole plan from the grandfather's head. -  he replied softly, leaning down to her neck.

A warm shiver ran through her as his big finger brushed the hemline of neckline and prominent lips touched the skin on the back of neck. The other hand slid under the loose t-shirt. She thought. They had two problems to solve. One: school master function. Fortunately, she could easily get around the duel with Yui, they just had to play it well. Two: relationship with Kaoru. She absolutely wasn't going to get caught up in her grandfather's games, she didn't even see the need to prove anything to him...but how to discourage him? Husband was definitely not helping, starting out bolder and bolder. Cut fingers gently cupped one of the breasts for an equally subtle kneading. She turned to face him, placing a huge paw on her back.

- Honey... - she began, but was interrupted by a steel grip on her buttocks, lifting her up to sit on his lap.

He stuck his sweet lips into her, as he did every time he came back from a hard day, when just needed her company. If it were someone else, she would probably treat it as abuse, maybe even rape. But Hanabi knew her husband well enough that she knew how he wasn't particularly eager to talk about his feelings. It happened, a fact, but when he wanted something, just took it. In her case, he was surprisingly able to sense when she wouldn't mind. Guess that was one of the reasons she loved him...in some twisted, masochistic way.

- I always forget that I married a "bad boy". - she laughed beadily as she cupped big neck and tucked tiny fingers into raven hair.

_________________________

*Sensei - honorific title identifying the lecturer, teacher, master, also writers, doctors, politicians and all others who have achieved a certain level of mastery in their field

#hanayama kaoru #baki the grappler #fanfic #fanfiction #oc x canon #baki hanayama #baki son of ogre #baki hanma #baki headcanons #baki dou #kaoru hanayama #hanayamahanabi #hanayamaswife #yakuza #kureha shinogi #kaiou retsu

[superboywife]

[3]

We've never been together, but we've never been 'just friends' either. I guess you could say we're forever lurking in the dangerous in-between.

-ky

IF SOMEONE COULD have saved me from this ache, I would have taken any opportunity to do so a long time ago. The realization I learned over the past year was that no matter how good you could be to somebody, no matter how much you love them, they could never be yours.

“There are so many things for babies nowadays,” I remark as I sift through the aisles with Grimmjow.

“I can’t believe you dragged me here.” He scoffs as I put down a teddy bear into the cart along with some bibs and hats. “I can’t believe she’s pregnant and with that snake too.”

I turn to him. “It’s clear you haven’t been in love before.”

“Yeah, because you’re hogging onto it for dear life. Let the rest of us try to have some, but then again, your love life is shit right now.” He jokes, “You can keep it.” Grimmjow takes out my phone and looks at the gift registry, then puts a bassinet into the cart.

He might be mean at times but he’s learning to be more affectionate since he never had any love in his life. He’s becoming a better man.

He pays for our stuff and gets it wrapped one time for Rangiku’s baby shower today. It was late but with the unpacking for my apartment, it slipped my mind.

Grimmjow’s statement earlier had me thinking about whether I would truly get over Byakuya. The answer is indefinite because I could never see myself without him in my life. He could be just a friend or even an acquaintance and I wouldn’t mind it. But then my mind slowly replays our moments and no matter how much I try to push them away, he always comes back.

***

Something was going on with Renji and I could see from his worried look and on-edge aura. We were at Rangiku’s baby shower, and the shower took over in full swing, I’ve seen faces that I haven’t seen in a long time. I spoke to Yoruichi and Kisuke about their supply business which was successful and even had a chat with Toshiro who is gone with quite handsome and more accomplished. He’s currently a Captain in his station alongside Byakuya.

The shower was beautiful and perfect, thanks to Orihime and the girls.  Rangiku and Gin are having a little boy. As the shower went on after the festivities, we had to snatch a bottle of wine away from Rangiku.

Rukia held it against herself, while I brought apple juice for Rangiku. Yoruichi and Soi-fon were shaking their heads in disapproval.

“You’re a preggo with no morals, Matsumoto.” Soi-fon said as she took the bottle and gave it to Yoruichi.

I then noticed Renji even more on edge, I walked over to him and pulled him outside to the garden which won’t let anyone see us.

“What’s your deal?” I ask, looking him up and down.

I could see he was nervous like he was caught in an act. “Namika, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said nervously chuckling.

“Renji.”

“Okay, we’re close friends but promise not to tell anyone I want to ask the Captain for Rukia’s hand in marriage, but I’m frightened that he will say no.”

I couldn’t help the little chuckle that escaped me.

“He’ll give you his blessing, trust me. That’s one thing about Byakuya, he may seem aloof with love but he’s understanding and besides that, you’re the only one he sees his sister with.” I reassure him, patting his shoulder.

“Well, Namika is correct about that fact.”

Renji and I freeze at Byakuya’s voice from behind us.

“What’s your intention with Rukia?” Byakuya questions, striding over next to me as he looks at Renji who might throw up.

“I want to keep her happy and loved for the rest of our lives and I will do anything in my power for her. She’s my friend who I loved for years, and I want to have a life together. Can I have your blessing to marry your sister?”

Byakuya says, “If I say no?” I elbow him but he pays no mind.

“Then I will continue to prove to you that I’m the one for her.”

I let out a sigh and look at Byakuya, “Stop doing the over-protective dad speech now.” I roll my eyes at him.

He takes the hint. “I give you my blessing, Abarai.”

Renji couldn’t believe it, he bowed to Byakuya and then went off inside, smiling ear to ear. I was about to join him, but Byakuya caught my arm.

“I wanted to speak to you,” he says sensitively. I looked at his attire, his dark green t-shirt and black pants with a white coat and white boots.

“About?” we stand opposite of each other, and the air is tense, just one sentence could break everything right now.

“I need you to do me a favor and I know it’s not exactly something you would want to delve into right now but humor me for a while.” The imaginary spotlight on us dims and I can’t take my eyes off him. “I would like a restart for our friendship, well whatever it is now.”

“I don’t understand. What do you mean by that?” I look at him quizzically.

His gray eyes hold this intensity which makes whatever he wants to say more important. “We fought before you left and after that day everything  has been miserable, and I would like to rectify that.”

“This slope that you want to go on is treacherous,” I remark, looking away from him. “What brought on this sudden insight?”

“I just want you back in my life, because I’ve seen the way you talk to everyone else, happy and carefree but with me, you’re walking on eggshells. We used to be so close, what happened to us?”

“That’s the thing.” I feel my heart breaking. “There was never an us in the first place, to begin with.”  

This is what I wanted to say to him but instead I say, “You and I had different things in mind, and I wasn’t fitting into your life anymore, so I removed myself.”

“Do you hate me that much?”

“No, I care about you too much to even hate you.”

I take a deep breath before I look at him. “There’s a difference between wanting me and needing me back in your life. I’m not a toy for you to keep playing with my heart, Kuchiki.”

“That’s the thing, Namika! I’ve been ignorant of your feelings and I’m trying my fucking hardest to rectify that because I’m ready to do everything in my power to win you over. I know that you have given up on me and that you’re still hurting over Aizen but—”

I stand in front of him and grab onto his coat and bring him down to my eye level. “It was never about Aizen. I don’t care about him, and I haven’t cared about since him I laid my eyes on you the very first night we met.”

I hear him take a deep breath and my hold on him is gone.

“Tell me why I should even spend my time with you now. Why are suddenly feeling this way toward me?”

Was I going to jump into his arms now and get a happily ever after? No, because that’s not right. I’ve waited for this man since I met him and call it madness or so, but I will not give up this story. There was more to this than before everything changed between us.

I can see the frustration on his face, his brows are furrowed, and his hair was moving with ferocity.

“Because you’re my yellow. I can’t imagine a life without you by my side and it has been agony to live without telling you about my feelings toward you because I’m afraid you’ll leave me just like everyone else has. I lost my family and Hisana—all I have left is Rukia, Renji, and you.

All I ask of you is to please don’t be in love with someone else and let me have the opportunity to fall in love with you unconditionally.”

I’ve heard this thing called ‘The Boyfriend Method’, it’s to prevent yourself from getting into a situation ship and not knowing where you stand with them. If you like the person enough, you give them a month's trial of them being your boyfriend and see whether it works out or not.

And that is what I’m going to do with Byakuya.

#byakuya kuchiki x original character #byakuya kuchiki #byakuya kuchiki x reader #bleach manga #bleach anime #modern au

[savagequeenie]

Am I finally getting to years old requests? Yes. Will these people ever see them? Unlikely.

Possible TW: vague description of breaking fingers, and obviously female being slapped by male.

——————————————————————————

A slow blink. Her eyes were wide, head turned to the side. Her cheek stung and tears pricked her eyes, but she refused to cry. Instead, she stood her ground and turned her head back, head held high and eyes glaring at the male who assulted her. Her fists were clenched, blunt nails digging into her soft palms fiercely.

She didn't even hear the shouting, until she was pulled behind an angry ginger, who had the opposing male by the tie. It took her a few seconds to notice most or her team was here and it made her almost chuckle; of course one of them was watching. They always were.

"Does it hurt?" Furuhashi's voice sounded as emotionless as usual, as he tilted her head slightly so he could assess the damage to her skin. She always found it amusing how gentle they were with her. Almost like she was a porcelain doll, and they were afraid she would break if handled. Really amusing once you saw how they played.

"It stings, but it'll stop soon enough," she put on a brave face, not wanting to break down completely. Especially with that bastard still there. She could hear Yamazaki shouting at the guy, as well as Hara's usually carefree voice, uneasily heavy as he spoke. Matsumoto was trying to disfuse the situation before it got out of hand and they were caught. As for Hanamiya and Seto, well, they weren't here, but she was sure they would be soon enough. And when they arrived, it would all be over for the guy who dared to lay a hand on the Kiridai basketball teams Manager.

Seconds passed, the silence only disrupted by the sound of threats being made. Soon enough, even those two went quiet and it was then that she knew he had arrived. By now, it was only her, her team and the moronic male who had not only tried to ask her out, but had gotten angry when she'd declined and backhanded her.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" Hanamiya's voice held its usual coolness, a slight mocking tone to it as usual. To any who didn't know him, and even some who did, it would be hard to guess just how upset he truly was, but beneath that teasing facade was a monster ready to annihilate its prey, slowly and painfully. "Not only do you think it's okay to ask our manager out, but you also lay a hand on her when she refuses? Are you just outright stupid or do you a death wish?" The male would sneer, rolling his eyes as he stalked up to the opposing male.

Normally she wouldn't watch when they attacked others, after all she wasn't the biggest fan of violence, yet she couldn't keep her eyes off what was about to happen. "There's a lot of people I despise, yet you've just made the top of the list." A low chuckle. "You should know no one touches our manager, no one apart from us." The possessiveness would scare most people, but for their manager, it made her feel safe and secure. Protected.

"What should we do with you?" A rhetorical question, no need for any reply. And luckily none was given, as the next thing heard was a soul-shattering cry of agony, as the males fingers were bent back in one foul swoop and easily broken. The hand he had used to assault their manager was now deformed and causing their victim excuriatinv pain, something no one at the scene felt any sympathy for. Not even the manager herself, who disliked violence.

"Consider that a warning. If you as much as look at her again, I'll make it so that you'll never be able to walk another step in your pathetic existence, do I make myself clear?" Hanamiya didn't wait for an answer, the males pitiful whimpers and snivelling beginning to get on his nerves. "Let's go. We can get an ice pack for your face at practice."

As they walked away from the scene behind them, Kirisaki's manager could only think one thing: how lucky she was to have her boys.

#queeniewrites #request #kirisaki daiichi x reader #scenarios #finally completing a request from years ago #knb #kiridai #there might be more tags later idk its 3:30am and i should sleep

[sims-snippets]

Dahlia killed Ami Matsumoto. She's falling deeply 'in love' with the Grim Reaper and can't bare to be apart from them for long

#sims 4 screenshots #the sims 4 #sims 4 gameplay #ts4 gameplay #the graves family #ts4 simblr #ts4 #simblr #ts4 story #sims 4 #dahlia graves #dahlia's grim reaper #ts4 legacy #simblr story #tw murder #murder tw