#chitose is a big dumb

[undercooked-spaghetti]

I actually wish they had done the whole Saeko/Ichiban subplot better. When they had Ichiban have "the look" when Saeko casually says that he's cool, part of me was like "oh no" because him being into her just... felt like it came out of nowhere. And yeah, they've been friends for years now and it HAPPENS, but RGG just generally does not do a good job in the romance aspect in my opinion. It always feels like there's never good build-up and it HAPPENS.

But their date was cute. Ichiban asked out Saeko and her walking off because she got nervous was done well. BUT THEN ICHIBAN WAS LIKE A CHILD OVER IT? Nanba and Adachi giving Ichiban points and shit to impress Saeko felt so off because... well, yeah, Ichiban had never dated, but it felt so awkward since they've known each other for a while and you'd think Ichiban would just be chill and go with the flow since... he knows Saeko. He felt oddly childish in some ways in Infinite Wealth, and it felt more like they tried to play it up for the plot's sake, rather than because it was true to Ichiban's character. It was less endearing, more annoying, at least to me.

And then he proposed and was stupid about it? Which yeah, Ichiban is dumb about shit, but also, again, it felt out of nowhere that it went from they're good friends to he's SUPER into her. Yeah, she was an option to be a "girlfriend" in 7, but it also didn't seem canon.

And then it comes up constantly in the main plot when it has nothing to do with anything, just so we don't forget he likes her. And yeah, she just ignored him for a year, but even that felt out of character. Okay, she was upset he wasn't thinking of her at all when he proposed, fine, but it just felt like it was that drastic so they could have Ichiban pine and be upset over it. I know that RGG had to get the ball rolling for everything in the game to happen, but I kind of wish there had been some lead up to it.

Hell, during Tomi's drink links, Ichiban mentions proposing to a girl and she never gave him an answer. Except she did. She felt like she'd always be there for Ichiban, but it didn't feel like she felt the same way and wanted to be friends because she liked their dynamic. And I guess even in Saeko's drink link, she didn't even mind the thought of dating Ichiban, but it even ends with implying that neither he nor the CEO that she dated had her heart racing. Her whole thing was that she was happy with where she was and didn't want to get married (Kiryu could've asked if she was afraid of love, but I didn't go for it because... it just felt like Saeko had more important shit going on in her life than wanting to marry).

I don't know, the after credits scene of Saeko/Ichiban was okay. It just kind of feels like Ichiban needs to have it spelled out to him by others rather than he comes to his feelings on his own. And maybe if it hadn't ended with a big fucking joke and Ichiban having that stupid T-shirt, I would've appreciated how it concluded more. Ichiban is over the top, but it felt too over the top and by the end of it, it kind of felt like the subplot barely amounted to anything. It felt like everyone had to talk about Ichiban's proposal and Nanba tried too hard to be like wink wink, Ichiban is a good guy, right, Saeko? and it felt like the game tried too hard to smack us over the head with it. And any time a romance is that shoehorned in, it just comes off as trying too hard. Even before Nanba leaves with Kiryu, he mentions Chitose having Ichiban wrapped around her finger and asking if Saeko is old news... except Nanba was barely there for too long, and I don't think he would've noticed that kind of thing for the short time he was around? I don't think Chitose and Ichiban interacted enough around Nanba for him to be mentioning it.

I don't know, I just thought it was handled poorly. I think if there was some more time or little things to indicate better chemistry I would've been more into it, because as I said, I thought their date was very cute. But then it went off the deep end and killed it for me. I just felt like both characters seemed very off in terms of handling regarding the pairing, and it more or less felt like it amounted to nothing in the end.

RGG needs to stop trying so hard with romance because it just feels like it rarely pans out. For the kind of game Infinite Wealth was and what was happening, it just didn't need a romantic subplot and it never even felt rewarding once it finally did get somewhere.

#infinite wealth spoilers #yakuza #like a dragon infinite wealth #it felt like kiryu and seonhee had better chemistry #i just need to scream into the void #every time someone brought it up i wanted to SCREAM #because more often than not it had nothing to do with anything #even in 7 it just didnt feel like anything was THERE outside of the OPTION to romance Saeko #they just felt like good friends and i liked that kind of chemistry. it was cute #i even wouldnt mind them dating but the game was too extra and off-putting about it that it actively made me NOT want anything to happen

[otaku-shipper]

Taichihaya Relationship Headcanons

Chihaya confesses in the club room 30 minutes before their graduation ceremony.

Their first real kiss also happened there right after Chihaya’s confession.

Kana-chan caught them kissing. She, with the rest of the Mizusawa Club members, were stopping by the clubroom as they wait for the ceremony. When she was about to open the door, she saw them and her instinctual flight response was to pull everyone away from the clubroom hallway. Sumire immediately caught on her senpai’s embarrassed face and was about to stomped her way to the clubroom to confirm her gut feeling but Kana-chan was able to restrain her. Somehow.

There is a weird period of time when Taichi and Chihaya constantly run into Suo out of nowhere during their dates and they always end up eating in a sweets shop WITH Suo. Suo and Chihaya always force Taichi to eat their sweets. Taichi puts up with this for a while until he suspects Suo is probably stalking them so he can get free sweets. Suo is offended for how dare his favorite and only disciple accuse him, a “lonely, blind man who only wished to experience the dating world” for stalking? Taichi treats him to a sweets shop in order to placate his dramatics.  AND was forced to eat them. 

Taichi thinks helping Suo how to “date” girls seriously will get him out of his dates with his girlfriend. He believes this to be true for 3 months of not running into Suo during their dates. Not until he and Chihaya find out that Chitose is dating someone “obscure” and that someone turned out to be--Suo! They go on a double date once. Only Chihaya and Suo are happy about it.

“Of all the girls available in Tokyo, you had to choose my girlfriend’s sister? Really?” 

Reiko Mashima asked Chihaya if she had read “Pride and Prejudice”. Chihaya said no. “I see,” was all Reiko said but Chihaya thought she heard her say “You’re dumb”. 

Reiko and Chihaya has a tense relationship throughout the time Chihaya and Taichi are dating. It has something to do with Chihaya’s constant overthinking when it comes to Mrs. Pressure. Taichi learned that there is a dormant sadist residing in his mother and Chihaya had an effortlessly charming way of coaxing it out. They start a casual relationship during the engagement period. With a sprinkle of mother-in-law terrorizing here and there.

Chihaya and Taichi made the Mashima family (Oligoto, Reiko, and Rika) play karuta. Only Oligito finds it fun. He plays in Shiranami and loves Harada-sensei as the opponent. And Harada-sensei loves him for his Sun Tzu quotes in his game commentaries.

Taichi think it’s nice that Chihaya and Rika are getting along closely. It’s really nice until Chihaya becomes Rika’s accomplice in her pranks and the scenarios either end up with a) he helps them get out of it; b) he is mistaken as the culprit; c) he’s the victim. 

Taichi gets random invites from Chieko Ayase for meals. Or Chihaya becomes the errand-girl to send Taichi her mom’s homecooked food. 

“I sometimes think she loves you more than her own children. We only have *any fancy dish* on Christmas but she made this for you without a special occasion. Maybe…she has a crush on you too.” “Your Dad is going to kill me if he finds out.” "No, I think he has a crush on you too."

Chitose immediately made it clear to Taichi that she should to be married first and she doesn’t care if they have to wait 15 years until she can settle with a marriageable boyfriend. “Not all men are as committedly smitten as you, Mashima-kun.” It was non-negotiable.

Chihaya is never jealous of any girl because a) she’s an airhead who hasn’t caught up with how flirting works and b) Taichi ignores any girl who isn’t her or any of their friends. The first time jealousy came to her was when Taichi started as a junior clerk. One time when visiting the hospital, she caught him with a lot of female nurses and his “fellow junior clerks” as what he told her, in the pedia ward during a supposed “break time”. It was proven then and there that Chihaya has a female brain because she quickly came up with a hundred interpretations other than a friendly chit chat between her boyfriend and the members of the fair sex. It might also have something to do with the lesser time she got to spend with Taichi so how dare they have more time with him than her.

She had a crazy idea that in order to reinforce her place in his life above her fellow female species, she just had to cook him dinner. A surprise dinner. “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach,” Sumire once told her. She might have forgotten that math is not her strongest suit and miscalculated her cooking exp. So she decided to cook Taichi’s favorite Turkey dish when her exp range is <<cooking instant food to frying eggs and fish>>. Of course it was a failure and Taichi came home panicking about the strong smell of burnt meat only to find Chihaya splayed on the floor, crying in front of the opened oven and picking at a big mount of charcoaled mater. And cried even more when she saw him. A cleaning lady cleaned up the mess and they ordered take out. It was still one of the best nights for both of them for they ended up sleeping together on the sofa until the next day. And Taichi held her close the entire time. 

It was also the first time she realized the bigger reality of being in a relationship with a (soon to be) doctor.

When they have movie nights together in either of their apartment, Taichi and Chihaya wears a Daddy Bear and Mommy Bear onesie respectively. Tacihi made her swear to secrecy not to tell anyone. Chihaya only agreed because she discovered there’s so much power in being the sole person who has knowledge about it. Her teasing and “blackmailing” (both of them knew there were empty words but it always make Taichi tense just the same) percentage of effectiveness sky-rocketed with this weapon on hand. Besides, she finds it cute and hilarious when he blushes and panics over a Daddy Bear onesie. In Taichi’s defense, the onesie is very comfortable and Chihaya loves it when he wears it. Can you blame him?

Taichi’s internship is somewhere in the province and it is their first time dealing with being apart for months. What’s more, karuta is a forgotten game there after people graduated elementary.

Chihaya makes a surprise visit to the province and on her way to the hospital, she catches sight of a group of high school kids with a single adult man playing soccer in a field near the hospital. She recognizes Taichi who has clearly just gotten out of duty based on the rolled up sleeves of his polo, without a necktie. She silently watches them and is happy to see that Taichi doesn’t look sad or lonely at all. He looked bright, and was laughing and smiling too much...so well-adjusted. Suddenly Chihaya panicks over this because what if...Taichi has abandoned karuta for soccer and decides to stay here forever?

“Have you ever thought that I stole you away from soccer?” she asks him one day. 

“I can’t believe you came to this place and started an affair.” “What makes you think I’m cheating on you?” “Not me--KARUTA! God, it’s like you don’t know me.” 

#chihayafuru #taichihaya day #taichihayaday #taichihaya #late entry because im always late lol #my unrealistic dream is to make a fanfic out of every headcanon. the clownery. #taichihaya day 2021

[recentanimenews]

Yen Press Reveals Date A Live and 8 More Licenses at V-CRX

  Yen Press had a bunch of announcements to make at Virtual Crunchyroll Expo today, including plans to release writer Koushi Tachibana and illustrator Tsunako's Date A Live light novels and more. Read on for a full list of the manga and light novels that are on the way from the publisher in the not-too-distant future.

  All the titles announced are due out in February 2021. 

  LIGHT NOVELS

  Date A Live

Story: Koushi Tachibana

Art: Tsunako

    Synopsis:

Shidou Itsuka has a problem. The world has been racked by massive quakes of an unknown source for years now, though life goes on. Then one day, Shidou's calm life ends forever when in the middle of a quake in his city, he meets a girl  who's apparently a spirit-and the cause of all the destruction! When a team arrives to eliminate the threat, Shidou becomes embroiled in a war to protect these spirits-by making them fall in love with him?!

  Virgin Road

Story: Mato Sato

Art: Niitsu

    Synopsis:

The Lost Ones are wanderers who come here from a distant world known as "Japan." No one knows how or why they leave their homes. The only thing that is certain is that they bring disaster and calamity. The duty of exterminating them without remorse falls to Menou, a young Executioner. When she meets Akari, it seems like just another job...until she discovers it's impossible to kill this girl! And when Menou begins to search for a way to defeat this immortality, Akari is more than happy to tag along! So begins a journey that will change Menou forever...

  MANGA

  Penguin Gentlemen

Story and art: Kishi Ueno

    Synopsis:

In a certain secret bar, the “Penguin Gentlemen” work, wearing their long tailed tuxedos. “You say it’s cute how penguins waddle around? Hmph. We’re not just cute! We’re dandy, sexy, and marvelous!”

  Play it Cool, Guys

Story and art: Kokone Nata

    Synopsis:

Enter: a bunch of cool guys who look like they got that unapproachable swag. But let’s be real—that’s not the true them. They’re just a bunch of dorks who’ve got the act down pat. So sit back, grab some popcorn and enjoy watching a bunch of goofy guys try to look cool all day every day.

  I Can't Reach You

Story and art: Mika

    Synopsis:

The differences between Yamato and Kakeru couldn’t be more obvious. Yamato gets good grades, while Kakeru’s are less than average. And while Yamato is very attractive, Kakeru’s looks are perfectly average. Not a problem—unless you’re in love with your childhood best friend…How in the world can Kakeru make Yamato look at him when Yamato is completely out of his league?!

  The Girl Without a Face

Story and art: Tearontaron

    Synopsis:

Her boyfriend thinks she’s the cutest girl around, but her expressions can be a bit hard to read…

  Days on Fes

Story and art: Kanato Oka

    Synopsis:

When high schooler Kanade Sora takes her classmate Otoha Yamana to their first rock festival, the experience is greater than they can even imagine. It’s a new life of rocking out!

  Love and Heart

Story and art: Chitose Kaido

    Synopsis:

Sure, university freshman Yagisawa has a lot on her plate, but the last thing she expected to add was a surprise male roommate! Handsome Haruma claims to be a childhood friend, but for some reason, Yagisawa doesn’t remember him at all, and his history isn’t the only oddity—disturbing things begin to happen and Yagisawa may really be in over her head!

  Do You Like the Nerdy Nurse?

Story and art: Arata Kawabata

    Synopsis:

The beauty in the nurse’s office is a secret nerd (who doesn’t hide it very well). Nijiko Momoyama is the the newly appointed school nurse. But beneath her gorgeous façade lies an unmistakable love for all things geeky…!

    -------

Joseph Luster is the Games and Web editor at Otaku USA Magazine. You can read his webcomic, BIG DUMB FIGHTING IDIOTS at subhumanzoids. Follow him on Twitter @Moldilox. 

By: [email protected]

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

[a-kuma]

OKAY UHHHH hb zaizen 👀

ZAIZAI OMG YES !!!!! ♡♡♡

How I feel about this character

▪︎zaizen is PRECIOUS and also really funny, he says he's not but actually he is a dork, he just doenst know it yet, i somehow relate to him : prefers wifi over life, lazy, always on his phone, hating everyone, sarcastic af ? yea thats me (okay im not really sarcastic but the rest i relate)

All the people I ship romantically with this character

▪︎kenya : あきらめないさーーーー 心に翼ーー, okay im just kidding, but seriously, kenya being...uh...kenya and zaizen the only one who keeps pointing out how dumb he is, clap clap

▪︎gin : the only member that zaizen finds valid in his team 👏👏👏👏 he only likes gin and they honestly have some interactions

▪︎yuuji : IS IT SURPRISING YOU ?! same personality, both of them, yuuji is just happy (or yandere) when it comes to koharu, otherwise they both seem to not care about anything nor anyone, you see the birthday messages in tenirabi ?? yea well both or them are always "oh. it's your birthday ? why would i care ?"

My non-romantic OTP for this character

▪︎hiyoshi : they are the same character, hiyoshi is just more polite and old fashioned compared to zaizen, otherwise they are both asking themselves "what did i do to get in such team..."

▪︎kirihara : THEY PLAY VIDEO GAMES TOGETHER !!!!! zaizen always wins because akaya cant win because he is a loser (but i love him) which makes akaya mad and asks for a revenge, they could play till tomorrow morning without stopping, geeks

▪︎tooyama : zaizen would act like a big brother to kinchan and tell him stuff like "if you dont stop following me, ill be calling [insert something scary here]", and kinchan would be scared, but doesnt want anything bad to happen to him, they also share snacks imo :)

My unpopular opinion about this character

▪︎if he was less lazy pretty sure he could be a way better player

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

▪︎i wish we could've seen chitose and zaizen's double pair playing, or simply more matches with zaizen, let the boy play !!!!

#thanks for the ask ! #ask meme #tenipuri-everything

[pattyaifread]

Tales of Innocence: DS vs R Scene Comparisons

When Tales of Innocence was remade as Tales of Innocence R for the Vita, it was inevitable that the script was going to undergo some changes and that expansions would be made, as the original DS game is quite short.

As many people I know have never played R due to it never being localized, I wanted to point out some differences in key scenes, and talk about how the addition of Kongwai and QQ affect things.

This contains spoilers to end game, be aware.

The first scene I want to cover is aftermath of the climatic Sky Castle scene, where it’s revealed that Inanna and Durandal betrayed Asura, and that Asura himself was the cause of the fall. The part I want to talk about is where Luca has his breakdown.

You can watch the clip of the DS version here, and you can watch the clip of the R version here.

I’ve compiled a visual comparison of screenshots together here.

For simplicity’s sake I’m going to use Absolute Zero’s translation where it applies, and then translate anything new myself.

Now, onto why the changes matter.

First, Mathias “......” in DS is voiced with a hesitant grunt, in R she is completely silent. When it comes down to it, Mathias doesn’t want to kill Chitose. DS better showcases it.

Second, slight rewording on Chitose’s lines. This one isn’t necessarily bad or good, but it’s interesting to note that in DS she first used “魔王アスラさま (Overlord Asura)”, where in R she only uses “アスラさま (Lord Asura)”. Her second line was also changed from “thinking of Lord Asura” to “yearning for Lord Asura”.

Onto Luca’s part, where the biggest changes were... R completely removes Luca’s talk about betrayal, even Asura’s (his own, as he sees it). He says it doesn’t matter, but it’s quite clear they were a huge shock factor to him in the revelation. That he doesn’t say “Inanna and Durandal”, but “Iria and Spada” shows that at the time, Luca is viewing past and current selves as one. That he was betrayed by the two people closest to him in his past life, who are his current best friends, was just as much of a shock as the fact that Asura himself destroyed Devaloka in his rage. His meltdown had more impact in the DS version.

Next is everything after, where things get downright messy. They remove Hermana realizing that what Luca is doing right now is the same as what Asura did when he was betrayed--when his rage destroyed Devaloka. They don’t even make the comparison between Asura and Luca’s actions in R. Giving Spada a line was nice, but using Kongwai and QQ to knock them out when they’re in a hurry to get out is more of a liability than anything. Carrying unconscious bodies in a sky dungeon that’s falling apart--real smart. The sentiment of caring for Luca was a nice touch, but in the end they waste more time getting out of there. DS!Ricardo was very strict and left no question with his words, and so they booked it. R!Ricardo has a lot of unnecessary actions and additions, and including Kongwai and QQ, while removing Hermana’s part, leaves questions to be asked about the script.

This scene however, the changes are quite minor compared to the disaster that is the ending and everything involving Chitose in it.

Here’s the pre-final boss speech in DS here, and the pre-final boss speech in R here.

Here’s the visual comparison for the pre-final boss speech here.

Remove all personality from the character’s lines? Check. Remove all sympathy Luca and Hermana have towards Mathias/Asura? Check. Remove Spada’s cute line about being a shield that PROTECTS them? Check. I can’t think of a thing in this scene R didn’t mess up.

This doesn’t even cover the lead up to the lines, in which DS was about Mathias losing all rationality and wanting to just destroy the world. In R, they lectured her on how the Manifest can only be activated by love, and that there’s no way the Manifest would demand for a sacrifice. They chastise her for lacking friends and the ability to love.

Yes Spada actually said 守る(mamoru--to protect) in the DS. They also removed his connections to Hartman and Vulcan in R. Hermana/Vtra always felt like a mother to Asura, so naturally, even in this case she will sympathize. Even though it’s too late to stop Mathias, she wishes she had been kinder. In R, it becomes about the future and for the sake of her kids (the orphans). All personal connection to Mathias and Asura is removed. Ange is one of the big eaters of Tales, and her line about food was a cute touch about what she looked forward to most after ending everything. Instead, it’s now about ending the sad, drawn out war.

Here’s the aftermath, covering Chitose’s death here for DS, and here for R.

And here’s the visual comparison here

R removed everything about Chitose’s character and purpose. They took away her sole desire, just to fulfill the stuffed in plotline for Kongwai. In DS, Chitose chose death by her own hands so that she could stay by Asura’s side forever. She stabs herself and dies dramatically over Mathias’ dead body, fulfilling her own wish.

R takes it all away from her. She instead bursts dramatically into a ball of light, and a body was left for neither Mathias or her. There’s no tragically symbolic scene with their dead bodies together. Luca absorbed Mathias soul, and Kongwai took Chitose’s to “free” her.

There’s absolutely no talk about Chitose’s fate in R. No one sympathizes with her, or tries to understand her. Kongwai fulfilled his purpose, and the rest is shoved under a rug. R takes away all sympathy Luca towards her. They only ask Kongwai what the cycle of reincarnation is, then move onto the next topic: what do we do about the Manifest. Chitose’s character arc comes to an abrupt end in R with no closure.

These are only a few scenes out of a 25 hour game (40 in R). Kongwai often takes away other character’s agency to fulfill his own, inserted plotline. Many characters traits are taken away or dumbed down, and a lot of scenes lose personalized touches.

Some minor but noteworthy changes: 

In DS, Ricardo calls everyone by their last name, because he’s too embarrassed to call kids by their first name. In R, they had him call everyone by their first name, for a sense of “closeness”. This undermines how relationships actually play out in the game; what name Ricardo chooses to call them by is not the sole factor in how close or not close he is with the party members. He’s just an awkward uncle.

The famous hotdog scene is another one. In the DS version, you can’t prank Eddie and Nino by putting mustard on it. This was added to R. While it may be funny, it’s also really out of character for Luca at the start of the game, who has no strong will of his own.

R also removes Luca’s angry outburst in early game. Luca and Chitose suffered the worst characterization changes in R. The rewriting is just, at its core, unfaithful to essence of the game.

They remove the character specific endings in R. In DS, you could activate the Manifest with whoever you had the highest affection with, and you got about 5 extra lines of dialogue with that character. It wasn’t much, but they were quite cute additions.

Not all changes were bad; dungeon design was better, and they did flesh out the past life a lot better. There’s far more character interaction since the script is doubled. But for me, the things it did change, are game-breaking to me. The characters just weren’t handled with care when rewrites happened, and this is why I still prefer DS, despite its dungeons, and despite how others feel about the battle system (I find it a lot of fun).

I love Innocence, and R just didn’t do it justice.

#tales of innocence #tales of innocence r #tales of #comparisons #translations

[haropuro-blogs]

Weekly Playboy Interview with Yokoyama Reina [27/1/2018] - Part 2

Every year, Weekly Playboy News chooses our "Idols to Watch This Year" for our interview series. For the second round, we are presenting the member of Morning Musume '18, who are celebrating their 20th anniversary, Yokoyama Reina!

About a year ago on December 2016, she joined Morning Musume as a 13th Gen member, so now we approach this beautiful teenage personality!

***

Interviewer: When you fell in love with Takahashi Ai-san, she had already graduated. "The person that I came to love, became a person in the past..." That sounds like a very modern thing to say. So from then you carried with you this adoration for Morning Musume, and you entered middle school?

Yokoyama: Yes. In middle school... I had to go to a cram school.

Speaking of which, you had some "Advance classes" in school? You must be pretty smart.

I'm not! I was really an idiot in year 2! For maths I got just 60 points for the first time!

Now, that's perfectly normal isn't it? Well, it probably isn't good enough to get into an advance class though.

I really hate to lose. I was thinking to myself "I must get into the top 50 this school year", but maths during the 2nd term of year 2 turned out to be incredibly hard! What's it called! Quadratic functions!  Because of that I got just 60 marks. And as a result I fell like 100 places!

I was feeling disappointed so I told my parents "I want to go to a cram school!", and when I started going it became so much easier to understand. I thought cram school was amazing! But of course I really liked to study. I was happy that in a short while I could do it! ...but I still didn't understand functions that well. And so, I abandoned functions for my studies.

Eh? Isn't giving up on functions just as bad??

It's terrible. When I entered high school, I could see the impact. But in the advance class, I got into the top 35 places for the entrace exam. In the entrace exams the points allocation for quadratic functions didn't have a big impact. And for me, I'm really good at the social studies questions!

You made up for your math score with your language, and social studies and other such subjects?

Yes. Ah, but for me, I'm really bad at reading kanji. I can write them but not really read them. For Kanji drills and such I could memorise some easy kanji from the reference book and then read them out during tests, but I can't really read the kanji that comes up in daily life. I read "屋上 (Okujou)" as "Yajou"...

Ooh! That must have some impact!!

Of course the members would say "Yokoyama, you're really so dumb?"!

And you were appointed class chairperson of the advance class!

Actually before she graduated Kudou (Haruka)-san said that to me. I read "Chitose Airport (千歳空港)" as "Senzai Airport", so she said "Yokoyama, are you that dumb?". When Kudou-san said that to me I really thought "Ok this is bad!".

... I see, so that's a worry that you have. But, looking back, learning to dance since you were small, being smart enough to get straight As at elementary 3, holding student body power as a class chairperson, being able to be a funny tsukkomi, playing alto sax at a national level, being able to hold a broken guitar, and finally admiring Morning Musume as a child and then actually joining them... well, I'd say that's a pretty accomplished life you know.

Well... actually, I'm scared now. Till today every day has been happy for me, but I worry about a day coming where I make a big failure. Because of that, when I do radio and such or give comments I think "If I say this I'll just fail big time...", that worrying nature appears.

Well, I suppose that's the story of your life. Oh, has Satou Masaki-san said that to you?

Ah, yes. Er she said "Are you hiding"?

I see. Previously, when she appeared on Weekly Playboy, Satou-san said "Why is Yokyama hiding? Because she has feathers. She's hiding it right?"

She said that. I'm not hiding anything though (laughs). She kept saying after that as well. "Yokoyama is hiding something~". But I don't even know it. Am I hiding something?

Since she's called a "Genius", surely, you must have some hiding abilities for her to say that.

Yes. Having her say that makes me want to do my best to achieve it! I will do my best in 2018!

Well then, please tell us your goals for 2018.

There are so many of them, but I'm bad at cooking so I want to challenge that. After that, I want to learn to do common skills like cleaning up and doing the dishes too.

You're bad at cooking? So you don't have a specialty dish?

My specialty is Beansprouts in cheese. I add the beansprouts to the frying pan, then I add about 2-3 melted cheese slices on top and fry it and then add pepper to it. For our home economics assignment we had to "Make your favourite dish", so everyone went to think about it.

I said "Beansprouts in cheese is definitely tasty alright". And it really is tasty! Everyone wanted to try it. We wanted to make a menu... but we couldn't make anything else besides that. We couldn't even make fried eggs.

I see. But it's surprising that Yokoyama-san who has been on the road of success can't cook.

It's not success! (laughs) But I want to get rid of any weakness I know that's in me. I want to set a high bar for myself in everything.

On that, on Yokoyama-san's life graph, are the dips "Cooking", "Quadratic function" and "Reading kanji"?

Also, I can't drink black coffee.

Isn't that just fine? Even if you can't drink it! (laughs)

But all the members around me drink it. Like my generation mate Kaga Kaede-chan drinks it everyday. Not being able to drink it makes me feel like a kid! Also I can't do sprints too. I want to overcome these!

So, with "Black coffee" and "Sprinting" that adds up to 5 targets that you can work on this year... If you hit these targets, you can spread these feathers you've been hiding!

I'll do my best. Also right now, Morning Musume is entering it's 20th anniversary, so I think there will be a lot more venues and opportunities for people to call out to us, and I want to do my very best to leave a longlasting impression on everyone! Firstly I want to establish my character. I'm still completely normal and without any character.

Now, how can that be so? I think you have a comedic character (laughs). For now, I have learnt about this amazing mentor you had in elementary school. It would be great it he could read this interview~

Ah, that would make me so happy. Thank you so much!

Source: http://wpb.shueisha.co.jp/2018/01/28/98767/

#yokoyan #yokoyama reina #hello project #morning musume #jpop #weekly playboy

[its-love-u-asshole]

Unbound [Ch. 1]

Pairing: Fushimi Saruhiko/Yata Misaki

Rating: T

Summary: Summer is Yata’s favorite time of the year in his town, a place where it normally rains nonstop nine months out of the year. It doesn’t help that the town is marred by old legends and tales which do nothing to make it less creepy and drab. Essentially, summer is Yata’s chance to forget superstitions and finally hit the beach. Apart from deciding what he wants to do with his life, all he wants is to enjoy it with his friends and maybe get to know Fushimi Saruhiko, a stranger who Yata can’t help but feel drawn to. However, the summer has more in store for him than usual, and he’s never been one to back down. 

AO3

Note: Sarumi fest! I’m so happy I get to participate this year as well ^^ This is a fic I’ve been working on for over a year really, and I have constantly gone back and forth about finishing and posting it lol. It’s an important project to me though, so I figured why not post it for fest and see what people think? ^^ 

Big thanks to @emeraldwaves and @brynne-lagaao for talking over this fic with me back in the past! 

Enjoy! 

The old cemetery, which resides isolated and forgotten on the south edge of the city, houses the dead from long ago, before industrialization came, before buildings and phones. The history is dull and no longer taught, though some still hang on rather tightly to it, including the lore which always shrouded the rainy plains.

At the rusted iron gate of the cemetery, there is an inscription. No author has even been recognized for it.  

“There is a legend in these parts.

It is widely accepted despite never being proven.

Should one choose to make a life here, it is best to know of the fate which awaits you.

When it is one’s time to die, a beast of the shadows will appear at the threshold of your home, teeth barred and ready to strike. It is a monstrous thing, scarring and beautiful, large and as black as coal. It will paralyze you where you stand, it will render everything worthless. It does not speak, it does not show mercy. It is an emotionless creature with only one job: to drag you into darkness. Do not try to run, do not try to fight. Such attempts are futile. You cannot escape. Death is imminent.”

--

They were looking at one of his old photos. Old, as in it had clipped edges, burned with a lighter in the moments he'd been too angry to continue staring, when his desire to erase such memories was strongest. Basically, it was from a time when he actually allowed himself to be in pictures at all, and that time had come and gone long ago.

 Looking at it now though, as it was held in Douhan's delicate, manicured hands, he almost let himself believe he'd been overreacting. The pressed green jewels on her index finger and thumb slid over the shadows of his plump face, the childish pout and the beginnings of his characteristic creased brow were already forming even at the young age of six. The quality of the family portrait was mediocre, or no, that was him being unexpectedly kind. It was a horrid quality, the shadows of the image casting a menacing look over his father's smug face while the light shone upon his mother's with a false celestial glow. How quaint, how fitting, since that was how she paraded herself back then, as less evil than the man beside her.

 And then there was his younger self. Small, skinny, and his hands still a little dirty from being out by the lake. His glasses were crooked and his clothes too tight, he’d hated those fancy collars and button ups. Useless. Presentation was everything, she would say, the lie was everything. Though, with someone like Fushimi Kisa, who never attended festivals and who he’d once caught tearing down holiday decorations, he had to wonder what compelled her to arrange a family portrait in the first place.

 "You look so cute," the blonde commented, the light tilt of her lips causing him to glare as he was brought back to the present. No matter how long he'd known her, her smug intentions and concealed jests annoyed him to no end, especially this time, when—

"This is what I mean though, you look so naive and innocent," she continued, flipping the photo over, pretending to analyze the date on the back as her eyes flashed with cunning. Honestly, why he allowed her to make a fool out of him, why he came to visit her at all, was a total mystery to him.

 Saruhiko stared out of the bay window, which took up half the wall of her small home. The weeds out front were overgrown, covering all but the corners of the glass and no doubt beginning to grow into the chipped bricks the house was made of. The plants stood out between the houses on either side of Douhan's, those homes had fresh cut lawns, rose bushes, and neat upkeep. Whereas the windows to those homes let in all the sky had to offer in terms of darkness and sunlight, the pane of the blonde's allowed only occasional streams of light or droplets of water through. The window itself was molded with intricate designs on the borders, the curtains as silky as they were unnecessary, as if she saw guests far more important than himself to appreciate such expensive items. But no, Douhan was not an entertainer, and her door remained locked for all except him. And again, why was he here?

 "It reminds me of how you look now--"

 "Shut it," he cut her off, standing up as he quickly made his way to the door. He’d been getting restless all evening, and now the weather was finally taking a turn for the worst. It was raining out, and he only had a single coat to shield him, but it was the least of his problems..."I don't have to listen to you and your--"

 "Theories? But they're not, are they?" Douhan sighed, kicking the shoebox of old photos to the floor. They’d served their purpose already. Meaningless now. "You're going to go look for him now too aren't you? Normal people talk to the ones they like, they don't--"

 "Why would I do a stupid thing like that?" He let each footstep he took towards the door accompany each part of the question, the wood creaking beneath his sneakers like he'd fall through the floor with any more force.

 "Because you wanted advice deep down? Because you are in lo--"

 "Those things don't happen to me, or to people who have never met," Saruhiko replied, before he realized he was probably pouting very much like his childhood self, and turned his expression into a schooled sneer. "Don't you have better things to do?"

 "Yes but this is more fun." She twirled a lock of her hair, absently staring out of the covered window like she was watching a breathtaking show, and he used the opportunity to turn away, and opened the scratched up door, not flinching when crusts of white paint rained onto the wood below. "Make sure to bring him by sometime, when you get the guts to talk to him."

 Yeah right, he thought. Partly because he wanted to believe he wouldn't actually talk to the boy in question, because why would he? And partly because...well, he was feeling spiteful, and the pathetic nature of the acknowledgement itself had him scoffing.

 The thunder outside rang through the air, followed by the downpour, and he pulled his hoodie on, his stomach sinking with dread when he took his first step out into the storm. His clock read 4:45 pm. The thunder rumbled on.

 "Oh, and Saruhiko?" Douhan's voice was booming through the noise, despite it being calm and neutral in nature, and he no longer found himself baffled about how she managed to do that, only annoyed that she seemed to always know what he was thinking. He clicked his tongue, turning his head back to face her.

 Her lips, glossy and pink, tilted up in a knowing smirk before he was smart enough to look away, the words hitting him even as he sprinted out into the rain.

 "Have fun."

 --

 “Chitose hurry up! We were supposed to leave thirty minutes ago!”

A distant rumbling of cars filled the chilly atmosphere, and the sound of a spray can dying and clattering to the ground shrouded the warning. A few more clacks of a new can being prepped filled the gap where a response should’ve been, and the group of boys glared angrily at the source. Perhaps sensing the tension, the spraying ceased, and soon Dewa was being acknowledged with a long, overdramatic sigh.

Here we go, Yata thought to himself, rolling his eyes.

“Hey now,” Chitose addressed Dewa finally, turning away from the paint splattered wall in front of him. The other did not look impressed, as he rarely was with any of Chitose’s antics. No one was ever impressed with them, but it wasn’t as if they could avoid it. They were common, and for whatever reason, their group put up with them. “You can’t rush art.”

More silence.

Chitose shook the spray can again, not bothered by it, and continued his graffiti art on the wall under the freeway. A fresh, vibrant shade of orange shot out, adding definition and brilliance to the wispy lines and details.

They did stuff like this often, just tagging random places and buildings to waste time, to have fun. Plus, the thrill of getting caught was exhilarating, though it hadn’t happened yet. They had a perfect record so far.

Not for long though, if Chitose had anything to do with it.

“You can so! A night at home instead of in jail depends on it,” Bandou supplied, nervously stuffing empty cans into the duffel bag they had brought along. He sloppily wiped his hands on the grass, wincing when they became muddy, the colors bleeding together until it all looked brown. He looked up as if the universe had wronged him, it wasn’t as if he could wipe the substance on his pants after all. No evidence could be left. He chose to ignore Akagi’s snickering nearby in order to focus on the reason for his pain. “Besides, it’s just a dumb horse…thing.”

“It is not a horse dickwad, it’s a Pegasus and it’s flying out of the fiery gates of hell,” Chitose explained, like it needed explaining, adding more red to the artistic looking flames angrily as he did so. It was a nice piece, Yata would begrudgingly admit. The horse was weirdly life like even with its amateur design and weird colors, and it was sure to last a good few months before it faded into the grungy wall. Was it worth the risk though? No fucking way.

Akagi was full blown pissing himself at this point. Yata didn’t know if it was at Bandou’s expense or not, but he envied the other for being able to be so happy in their situation.

“So?”

“Soooo, it’s gonna look bitchin.” Chitose swore again as his can ran out of paint, lazily tossing it behind his shoulder and grabbing another from Fujishima. Despite looking a little more than completely done with Chitose’s shit, the other made no move to stop him. Yata winced at the sound of the can opening. Sometimes Yata wondered how Chitose afforded all the paint he went through with his big projects. “I’m almost done anyways. Like, five minutes tops.”

“When have I heard that before? Oh yeah, just last week, when your over the top mermaid was supposed to look bitchin,” Eric supplied with a scowl, causing the others to laugh.

“Yeah, yeah. You guys suck.”

“Guys we’ve been here too long,” Yata finally spoke up, tired of just watching his friends bicker. Sometimes it was funny, today it wasn’t. There was a strange sense of foreboding in the air, and Yata couldn’t help but be superstitious. It did not feel like a day to push their luck. “It’s gonna be five soon. The bridge will be full of cops by the time we get there!”

They didn’t exactly look unsuspicious either, what with their stained clothes and large duffel filled with spray paint. Not to mention, they were hardly dressed in the most proper of outfits.

Yata hadn’t even really wanted to go out that day, too tired from playing videogames and doing chores all throughout the previous evening. With enough pestering from his friends though, he was forced out of his room, greeted by a gloomy day that promised bad weather. He was glad it was almost summer, he missed the brightness and warmth of the sun. Even just thinking about it made him energized. Getting to go to the beach, hike the cliffs…

But that day, the town had continued with its usual foreshadowing of bleakness. Indeed, the rain had started while they were out, making the choice of their graffiti spot easy. They were shielded from the water, underneath a loud freeway on the banks of the river. The horns of cars and the screeching of tires echoed down below, making it hard to hear. Plus, the banks of the river were around the more commercial area of the city, which made the land around them fucking reek.

At the thought, his nose scrunched up, and Yata held back a groan. He couldn’t wait for the rain to be over, and to go back to his neighborhood. Even if it was small and humble, it smelled fresher and there was way less traffic.

Sadly however, there weren’t too many places to paint there. As a result, they often had to travel more towards the city. Whenever they tagged in the area, they’d usually take the old midtown bridge back to their side of town, walking besides the traffic and hoping no officers stopped them. So far, so good.

“We’ll get there before five, quit worrying,” Chitose said while adding on the finishing touches to his large piece. “Aaaand, done!”

As he said it, the last of the can was used up, emitting a low hissing noise to signal its emptiness.

“Yes, yes. Now let’s go!” Bandou zipped up the bag after throwing the last can inside, and Chitose scoffed. Ah no…

“You guys just don’t get my artistic vision.”

Yata rolled his eyes, brushing his hands onto his shorts and grimacing as paint smeared onto them. Fuck, I forgot. His mom was going to have a fit if she saw how dirty he’d gotten.

“I’m not sure if the bridge is such a good idea anymore,” Fujishima spoke up cautiously. “It’s nearly rush hour, it’ll be busy.”

“So?”

“Sooo,” Yata interrupted, “lots of people will totally see us!”

Ugh. They’d probably have to take the long way around. He’d surely be late for dinner, and his mom would have his head no doubt, and coupled with the paint, he’d be doing all the chores tonight.

The group looked frazzled now, unsure of the best way to proceed. Even taking the long way was risky, given the longer they were out carrying their stuff, the more likely they were to be noticed. Not to mention the rain was coming down a bit harder than before, and they were without umbrellas.

Shit…

“This is all Chitose’s fault,” Eric muttered beside Fujishima.

“Oh, and who’s the one that suggested we even come out here?”

A chorus of ‘you’ was shot back at Chitose, causing him to scowl at his so-called friends.

“If we’re going the long way, we better start walking now,” Dewa added in frustration, zipping up his coat to hide his paint stained undershirt.

“More like running…” Bandou’s muttering didn’t go unnoticed by Chitose, who was now flipping him off and offering up a butt load of excuses as to why none of it was his doing.

Yata joined in, trying to will them all to shut up, because he was totally dead meat when he got home if he was more than thirty minutes late. Plus, Yata didn’t exactly like when it was pitch dark outside, something about where he lived creeped him out at night. The woods were like something out of a horror movie (but he’d ever let his friends know that stuff still freaked him out). The atmosphere wasn’t helped by the area’s rain, and Yata never understood why his mom chose to live in a city where in rained nine months out of the year.

“Let’s just risk it! Let’s go on the bridge—”

“Yata, it’s five! With all the college kids walking home from school, it’s almost as long as the other way! And we’re even more likely to get caught!” Bandou was freaking out, pacing back and forth on the dead grass beneath their feet. It sloshed from the rain, sticking to his sneakers.

Yata sighed, close to giving up and accepting his fate.

How was he going to explain himself this time? Traffic? Lost track of the hour? He didn’t have much time to shuffle through his overused excuses, and his own feet began to nervously shift on the muddy ground.

What do we do?

“It’s faster if you use the underpass instead,” an apathetic voice managed to cut through their bickering, causing all heads to turn towards its source in fright. The shock was only amplified by the roar of thunder above their heads, almost mocking their misfortune.

Fuck!

Yata turned in a flash, shoulders tensed up from the prospect of being caught, his feet ready to run.

Damn, if it’s a patrol we’re screwed.

But…no.

Looking over, Yata was met was a completely different sight from the one he’d imagined, and against his will, his breath caught in his throat. The voice had come from a boy their age, slender and tall, wrapped in a cowl neck. His dark, wet hair fell in his eyes, obscuring the uninterested gaze he was sporting. He had glasses on that were a bit smudged from the fog of the rain, and his clothes seemed a bit damp and worn. He looked like he hadn’t slept in a while, his eyes glazed over but trying to keep an intense focus on his surroundings. The bags under them were dark for someone so young, but it didn’t take away from his beauty or the bright blue hue of them. He really did seem a bit unreal. Hell, Yata thought maybe he must’ve been one of those models he saw in storefront windows, the ones with the too perfect pictures. His skin was pale against the dark sweatshirt, and Yata had to wonder if he was a complete dumbass, letting himself be completely soaked by the rain.

There was silence as the group stared at him, the few feet of distance making it seem more like a standoff than anything else. The stranger didn’t budge, not even as the rain began to fall harder.

Weirdo.

“U-uh, what?” Chitose had spoken up finally, taken aback by the other boy’s presence, probably hoping that they wouldn’t be ratted out. The dumb design behind him stuck out like a sore thumb, colors new and bright with the paint still wet. They were clearly the perpetrators too, hands stained with paint and the empty cans haphazardly tucked into their duffel, some sticking out messily. Their shoes were discolored from the bright shades as well, so it would take an idiot not to connect the dots.

Damnit Chitose.

A tongue click.

It was simple, but the annoying response was clear as day, even through the heavy rain fall.

“I was just saying, the underpass is faster than walking on the bridge itself. Less people that way,” the young man continued, rubbing at the back of his head. Yata blinked, lips twitching in a smile he couldn’t exactly explain. The guy was awkward, and he talked as if he was seriously struggling to offer advice.

But, the underpass…

Huh. They’d never tried the underpass before, mostly because of old, childhood tales which scared them away from the dank, shrouded place. Still, they were grown up and in a group now, and they could really benefit from a shortcut.

“Hey thanks! Guys—” Bandou was interrupted by a pull to his collar, a gesture that instinctively caused them to all huddle up in a circle. “Huh? What—”

“Idiot,” Eric muttered. “We don’t even know this guy.”

“So what? He’s just giving us directions,” Bandou pouted, on edge and ready to take off in whatever direction he was told. “The longer we’re here the more likely someone’s gonna find us!”

“Yeah but we’ve never been that way before,” Yata supplied, a bit more nicely than Eric. “The end of the pass could be a total cop zone for all we know!”

“Not to mention this guy could be a total sell out,” Chitose added. “I mean, we didn’t even know he was there. He probably saw everything!”

“Well I don’t know, he doesn’t exactly look stuck up. He definitely doesn’t look dangerous…” Yata whispered. In fact, he’d say the guy could stand to gain some weight…

“Shit, I look like I eat more than him,” Eric murmured.

“You eat more than a lot of people.”

“If I may interject,” an annoyed voice cut though the group’s chattering, causing another wave of panic to go through them all. Honestly, given their reactions, they looked like total spazzes. They all jumped back, the loud sounds of traffic also not helping the atmosphere as loud truck horns blared in the background. “Most of the homeless hang out under the new bridge over in downtown now. There’s no more reason for the cops to patrol the underpass anymore.”

It was a roundabout way of telling them that there was nothing to worry about. It was safe. Why not just say that in the first place?

Hm…

They all shared a glance then, and the young man raised an eyebrow, burying his hands deeper into his pockets. Something was still off about him…and though he was always taught to be grateful, Yata wanted to know what was up before trusting the guy. Plus, he was curious. The guy hadn’t stopped staring at Yata since he’d arrived, and Yata wondered if he’d met the guy somewhere before.

Yata was the first to approach him, naturally, his face scrunched up in mild skepticism. “Why are you tellin’ us this stuff?”

A shrug was the response he got, well, that and what he swore was a light flush on the taller’s face. Come to think of it, the guy definitely wasn’t bad looking in the slightest, just a bit mopey. Like a pet lost out in the rain.

Yata fought the urge to shake his head. Not the time.

“You looked like a group of idiots with nowhere to go. The faster you’re out of here, the quieter it’ll be,” the boy said. Akagi squawked somewhere behind him, and Yata nearly did the same.

The hell?          

Yata scoffed, glaring now. Well, talk about a complete turnaround. Who was this asshole? “Whatever! What kind of answer is that? What kind of creep hangs out under a bridge anyways?”

“What kind of delinquent spray paints it?” The response was quick, so sharp it almost caused Yata to step back, but like hell did he back down from anyone.

Oh, I am gonna—

“Not to interrupt your weird flirting,” Eric said, looking smug and intrigued in a way Yata wasn’t too fond of. “But you didn’t have to come over here when you saw us.”

Wait…huh? F-flirting?

There was a weird feeling in the air, the kind which usually came when Eric was secretly making fun of him, and Yata saw the taller boy glare at the words.

Yata didn’t even have time to sputter out a response, because it was soon all going downhill.

“Yeah, heh,” Chitose seemed to speak with the same wolfish grin Eric was now sporting. Bad feeling. Very bad. “You sure you didn’t just want to help in general? Or…did you have an angle? I can tell when people are being uh…checked out you know?”

A long, loaded silence. Another tongue click.

What?

“H-huh?” Yata stared at the other boy now, more than a little confused.

“Well,” the taller began hesitantly, almost reluctantly. “You did look like you needed help, but I wasn’t all that excited to offer any.”

Yata laughed at that, because seriously, why all that fuss if he was just trying to help? And why try to deny it after? Maybe the guy was just weird…

He glanced back at his friends, and his tense posture faded. “Yeah, we definitely—”

“I said you…as in I figured you needed help,” the taller cut off, his voice almost a whisper then. His eyes were boring a hole through Yata, the bright blue now a lot clearer. “I don’t know if that constitutes as checking someone out—”

“It does,” was the answer all Yata’s friends gave.

Yata stilled, and he almost didn’t hear the unrepressed laugh from Eric behind him.

Checking out? W-wait…

Yata watched as the stranger looked away, directing an embarrassed scowl at the ground, and it all seemed to click.

Oh.

Oh.

Yata’s face lit up red instantly, the cold not helping to hide it, and he was about ready to beat up Chitose, who was humming behind him. “I-I-I-I-I’m not—well I’m not like that see.”

“Since when?”

Shut up Bandou.

The other’s eyes seemed to twinkle with amusement at that, and Yata swallowed, suddenly torn between punching the guy and…well he didn’t know.

“I’m really not!”

“Yeah, right,” Eric whispered from the back. Yata spun around, flipping him off before returning to the handsome….no…annoying stranger.

“I-I’m just not…looking for that,” Yata said, but then backpedaled as if his mind was trying to save him. Fuck, fine. The guy did seem kinda cool…ugh! No, he was mysterious, that was all. “As in right now! Like right now, we really have to get back to the east end!”

God Yata wanted to crawl into a hole, his face was on fire. Luckily, the other spared him. Sort of.

“Hm, I see. Either way, you seem a bit slow, so I figured I’d take pity on those who lack common sense,” the boy said, a smug look dancing on his features.

“W-what? Fuck you, just—”

Sirens began ringing in the distance. No doubt about it, they were police sirens, and they were close.

The whole group tensed, and though they knew they probably weren’t being looked for, it didn’t mean they couldn’t be found. It was getting later the longer they stood there, and soon cops would be patrolling their area. The bridge may have already been crawling with them since they’d ran behind schedule. Which meant at that point, they had no real choice but to…

“Ugh fuck this! Either way, we might be screwed,” Chitose yelled, throwing the duffel at Bandou and hightailing it towards the direction of the underpass.

“Thank you for the help,” Fujishima spared a glance at the stranger before turning his attention towards Yata. “Yat—”

“Yata move your ass, you can talk to your boyfriend later,” Eric rushed past, grabbing Fujishima and dragging him forward.

“He’s not—ugh!” Yata ran a hand through his hair before starting to follow his friends, urgency overriding humiliation. He looked back one last time, curiosity getting the better of him once more. The stranger just stood there, unmoving and apathetic as ever, not even phased by all the noise around him, or the sudden retreat. Yet as neutral as he looked, Yata couldn’t help but find him strangely captivating, like he couldn’t help but meet the other’s gaze.

Yata sighed as Chitose called for him again, sparing one last glance. “Hey jerk, what’s your name?”

The other seemed surprised then, his eyes widening a fraction. It was actually a bit satisfying, seeing the new, non-asshole expression.

“What can’t talk now? Spit it out,” Yata called as he started to walk backwards in the direction his friends had gone. Fuck, he was totally going to have to gun it. The other hummed, tipping his head forward acquiescingly after a while, as if he was torn about actually giving up the information.

“Fushimi Saruhiko.”

Fushimi Saruhiko. Got it.

“See you around, Saru!”

It was bold of him, but he probably wouldn’t see the guy again, and the name made him laugh to himself triumphantly.

As sirens continued in the distance, Yata turned, sprinting away until he was but a speck in Saruhiko’s vision.

--

The sound of Douhan’s door slamming shut barely caused her to jump, and she didn’t even look away from the soup brewing on the stove as a blurry figure dressed in black flew past her periphery, shoulders hunched and steps quick.

“How did it go?” She asked, feeling particularly haughty, and she was answered by the deafening slam of the guest bedroom door.

Ah, so it went well.

--

“Misaki! You’re early…”

The screen door closed behind him, joining a rumble of thunder, and he did his best to control his rapid breathing so as to not seem tired. He could totally play this off…

Yata’s mother eyed him suspiciously as he trudged into the house, trying to not look like the drowned rat he was. Thank god he’d worn his good coat. He coughed to relieve some of the air in his lungs wanting to be released. He’d run the whole way, and had managed to get back ten minutes early, just before dinner.

It was a miracle, and part of him thanked Saruhiko over and over.

“Have some faith Mom, I’m not late every day,” Yata said as he kicked off his shoes and lined them up next to his siblings’. They were muddy, but the rain had washed off most of the paint colors.

Thank fuck.

“Yes, but you’re late most days.” His mother was now setting the table, eyeing him warily as she set out the appropriate utensils.

“It’s not my fault the bridge usually takes so long to cross…it’s a lot quicker than the long way though,” Yata said, hoping his mother wouldn’t try to question why he was even on the other side of town in the first place.

No such luck.

“You shouldn’t even be over there, what exactly have you been doing?” His mother paused, hand on her hip as she glared at him accusingly. The bowls in her hand clattered as they were placed down roughly onto the wooden surface, and he cringed.

“Nothing! There’s cool shops over there is all, but anyways, need help?” Yata moved closer to the table, desperately hoping to take his mother’s mind away from the topic of his afternoon whereabouts. After all, he could only lie to his mother so well…

She just ignored him, going back to the sink and furiously ringing out a washcloth, worry lacing her tone. “I don’t like the thought of you on that bridge, do you know how many accidents happen on there?”

Ah man…

Yata sighed. His mom stressed too much. He was careful! Plus he was pretty quick and healthy, he could get himself out of trouble, and he stayed away from the road.

He looked at the floor guiltily. It was nice, knowing she cared, but part of him did hate worrying her. It was part of the reason he didn’t like telling her when he went on one of his adventures.

“Don’t worry, we took the underpass today anyways,” Yata replied, tone softer as he laid out the rest of the place settings gently before sitting at the table.

Thinking back, they really had lucked out because of Saruhiko. He was kind of strange, and who knew how long he’d been standing there, or where he’d even come from, but he’d done them a real solid.

Even if he was kind of a dick.

Yata blushed, remembering the smirk on the other’s face as he had admitted his reasons for helping. He shook his head, trying to not let it get to him again. Surely he’d just been joking, trying to rile Yata up, and his friends had honestly only made assumptions. Regardless, the shorter knew he’d be hearing shit from his friends about it for weeks.

It didn’t help that the guy had been good looking either.

It also didn’t help that he had no idea why the guy’s looks even mattered to his messed up head.

Fuck.

He was vaguely aware of his mother’s voice being directed at him, so he figured it was best to return to reality before he got thoroughly scolded.

“—and there was an especially bad one today, a pileup I hear!” His mother was scrubbing at a pot angrily, stopping only to point a menacing finger at her son. “If I hear you’re on that bridge you’ll be in big trouble, you got it?”

He mumbled an affirmative, feeling like a kid again, then slunk further into his seat. His friends were probably going to have a field day with that too…

“Now, could you get your brother and sister? Dinner’s done,” his mom said with a loving smile, opening a pot on the stove and allowing a truly tantalizing aroma to waft through the house.

She didn’t have to tell him twice.

--

The mall was crowded on weekends, what with school being out and new paychecks to spend. Yata and Chitose had taken the liberty of crashing Eric’s date with Fujishima, inciting his wrath effectively.

“You losers really couldn’t entertain yourselves could you?” Eric grumbled the question as they walked out of the movie theater—the one they had just been kicked out of due to being too ‘rowdy.’ It had been mostly Chitose’s fault in Yata’s opinion. The redhead hadn’t wanted to intrude on the movie date, but Chitose was bored, and had thought it would be funny.

Ha fucking ha.

Now they couldn’t go to the movies for two damn weeks.

Oh well, Yata reasoned. Summer was finally upon them, so it wasn’t as if he’d want to spend much time indoors anyhow. This was his favorite time of the year!

So, he definitely regretted going with Chitose to the mall. Not only because he felt bad about crashing a date, but…

In all honesty, being around Eric and Fujishima sometimes made Yata uncomfortable. Not that he had anything against the relationship, not at all. It was just the fact there was a definite air of…trust and affection…what must’ve been love, and it surrounded the two. It made Yata feel all kinds of strange, but he could never put a finger on why. Maybe he was envious? No, that didn’t seem right either. More like wonder, like an annoying curiosity and need to understand the reasons behind those private looks shared between the couple. He wondered if he’d ever find someone who he cared about so much. He didn’t like to think about it a lot, because really it was so lame. More than anything he was happy for his friends.

“Relax, we’ll leave you alone after lunch,” Chitose argued, sitting down with the group at a food court table. Somehow, they’d actually managed to find a seat.

“Uh huh,” Fujishima replied, smiling fondly as he patted Eric’s back in apology.

“If I buy you food, will you forgive me?” Chitose pleaded with Eric mockingly, and the other just flipped him off, sticking out his tongue for good measure. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

Chitose got up and headed towards some unhealthy fast food stand, leaving Yata alone with the couple.

Well, maybe part of it was envy. For whatever reason, his mind unhelpfully conjured up an image of Saruhiko, and Yata immediately forced it away. Shit, what the hell?

“So Yata, still thinking about the dreamy guy from the other week?” Eric’s voice was packed with teasing notes, and he swore he even heard Fujishima hold back a snort. Traitor.

What kind of question was that anyways?

“What the fuck? Why would I be thinkin’ of that jerk? He did us a solid yeah, but he didn’t say anything else important,” Yata scoffed, scanning the food court to avoid making eye contact.

Truth was, he’d been thinking of Saruhiko a lot for some reason. It was like the encounter with the other was permanently sketched into Yata’s brain, and he couldn’t get rid of it.

“Not to make assumptions,” Fujishima began. “But you usually only avoid eye contact when you’re lying.”

Yata choked on spit.

Double traitor.

“I do not! I ju—”

“Poor bastard, doesn’t even know how bad he’s got it,” Eric sighed wistfully.

“Fuck off,” Yata muttered as he continued to look over the vast crowd of people milling about with their screaming kids and oversized shopping bags. The mall wasn’t always his favorite place to hang out, since he could potentially run into people from school he didn’t like, but with his friends it was pretty fun. Well, when they weren’t cornering him about hot strangers. Shit. No, bad. Yata continued to look around in frustration, hoping the distractions would drown out his thoughts. “I barely know the gu—oh fuck!”

Of course, the universe hated him. “There he is!”

If anyone asked, Yata wouldn’t be able to tell them why in that moment he dove under the table. Not one excuse popped up in his mind. Damn.

The same tall, tired young man from a few days prior stood leaning against the wall at the edge of the food court, people watching. He wasn’t soaked with water like he had been that day, and instead had nicely styled hair and clean glasses. Fuck.

Even worse.

Eric and Fujishima both turned to see what the issue was, but Yata cussed at them, urging them to stop. “Don’t fucking look over! He’ll see you!”

“Are you a middle schooler?” Eric asked after a confused pause, like he couldn’t actually fathom the situation which was Yata hiding under a table from some dude. “Just go over there an—”

“I don’t want to talk to that asshole! He looks at me weird…” Yata squinted, peeking out over the top of the table to watch the uninterested figure across the room.

“Yeah, because he’s gay as fuck for you,” Eric supplied, looking over to the counter where Chitose was ordering food, impatient as ever. As if Yata wasn’t having a crisis beside him.

“W-w-what?! Don’t say shit like that,” Yata yelled in a hush, never taking his eyes off of Saruhiko. “He was joking last time…”

“Pft, was not. I’m just letting you know that you shouldn’t be so damn stupid about it, he obviously likes you,” Eric said with an irritated sigh. “Who knows why…”

Yata only groaned, not in the mood whatsoever to deal with his friend’s bullshit. In any other situation, he would’ve been ready for a full on verbal standoff, but all his mind could focus on was Saruhiko and his lazy posture and blue eyes…

Great, he sounded like a loser. Since when did he hide from people? What was he supposed to do now? If he could just make a break for the escalator…

Then he felt a light hand touch his shoulder from across the table, and he looked over to be met with Fujishima’s kind gaze.

“Say thank you at least, he really helped us out the other day.”

Images of the rainy day under the bridge flashed in his mind, along with Saruhiko’s light flush and helpful words. He’d helped them, regardless of them being complete strangers…

Thanking him was probably the best thing to do, since without him, they could’ve been in deep trouble.

Yeah…

Like witchcraft, Yata began to consider it. He blinked a few times, cogs in his mind turning as Eric shared one of those secret couple looks with Fujishima that Yata couldn’t stand.

He had a point though…He’d never personally given a proper thank you…he was raised better damn it! Yeah…that’s all he’d say, just a quick thanks. Yeah. Full proof.

If he could get past looking at the other’s face at least…

Wait…no! His brain really did seem to hate him, but he somehow managed to work up the courage to finally stand. If this was what having a crush meant, no matter how small, he was not a fan.

The worse thing was he actually wanted to talk to Saruhiko deep down. Part of him was grateful Fujishima had given him the excuse, though Eric still didn’t seem impressed.

Yata straightened himself up, brushing his clothes off and setting his jaw like he’d never even dove to the floor in the first place. He waved over stupidly in the direction of Saruhiko until those piercing blue eyes picked up the movement and locked on him. Yata shuddered involuntarily. There was that sensation again…

The taller’s eyes widened a fraction, and he looked around, unsure if he was in fact the one being waved to. Unbelievable.

“Saru! Over here!” Yata’s yelling caused a few heads to turn, but not enough for him to be properly sheepish about it.

The taller didn’t seem to appreciate the attention on him as a few people looked, and from a distance Yata could see him click his tongue. Loser.

Yata didn’t realize he’d started smiling.

Saruhiko fumbled a bit before beginning to walk over, and Yata briefly noted his proximity to his friends, and had enough sense to move a few feet away from the table so Eric couldn’t butt in.

“You’re so short, I almost couldn’t see you over all the people,” Saruhiko said upon reaching Yata. The redhead registered the comment, resisting the urge to fight back, before glaring in annoyance.

“I’m not that short! Don’t think you’re better than me!” So much for resisting.

“Mm, and where do you get off exactly, calling me by my first name so casually?” Saruhiko’s tone was playful, like Yata was some amusing test subject. Or at least, more interesting than the other people bustling about the shopping center.

“Well, um—it’s a nice name?”

Shit.

“Yeah, he could say it all day! Or night I mean…” Eric called from the table, completely aware he was being a total dick. The usual. Yata whipped around to glare, noticing as Fujishima tried to quiet Eric down half-heartedly. Thanks.

“Ugh it doesn’t matter! That’s your name!” Yata crossed his arms with a sigh, thinking maybe this hadn’t been such a great idea. He was getting flustered and he didn’t know why.

“And yours?”

Huh?

“W-what?” Yata eyed the other warily, brain struggling to process the turn of the conversation as it entered dangerous territory.

“What’s your name? And don’t just say Yata, because I gathered as much,” Saruhiko said smugly.

“It’s none of your fucking business, that’s—”

“Yata Misaki. You’re welcome.”

Yata was going to kill Eric. Soon. The plan was already forming in his mind, no one would ever know as long as the blood stains came out of his clothes and off his baseball bat.

He was aware of Chitose obnoxiously returning to the table with piles of food, trying his best to whisper but failing. “Hey, is that Yata’s boyfriend from the other week?”

He hated his friends.

“What are you doing here anyways? All you were doing was staring at people like a creep! Are you following me?”

“Don’t flatter yourself, Misaki. This is the mall you know.”

Well yeah, that was true. Misaki gaped, having no real response. It was the most popular mall in town, given that it had the most stores and food places. Still, why the reserved, yet unfairly good looking, stranger from a week or so earlier was there still wasn’t clear to Yata.

And now he fucking knew his name. Perfect.

Then another thought lodged itself into Yata’s brain, begging to be voiced despite Yata’s confusion.

He’d never exactly seen Saruhiko around before.

“Hey, where did you go to school? I’ve never seen you…ever,” Yata said as the other now leaned against an empty chair from a nearby table, old jeans stretching as he stood dressed in the same jacket from before.

Saruhiko clicked his tongue, looking away, but something about the expression was more troubled this time. “My parents…didn’t really care if I went to school.”

The pout on Saruhiko’s face…wasn’t unappealing, and the fact made Yata swallow. He was totally aware of his friends sitting at the café table a few feet away, whispering and watching like a couple of vultures.

Even then, he felt the conversation was heading down a bad road, so he did his best to lighten it.

“O-oh. That’s lucky though! Still, I’ve never seen you—”

“Does that disappoint you?” Saruhiko had an amused smile on his face again, and he stepped closer. Yata’s face flushed, and he willed himself to believe it was just because of the attention, not the fact there was any kind of attraction for the guy (but that was looking less and less likely).

“N-no! You’re just weird! And you stick out…”

“Actually you blend in pretty well!” Chitose’s voice carried over from the table. “I hear only Yata noticed you when you were standing over there!”

Fuck you.

“Whatever! Don’t listen to them,” Yata huffed, casting his gaze to the floor. “Ugh, just…thanks for the tip the other day! About the underpass I mean.”

Saruhiko shrugged, small smirk still gracing his delicately structured face. “I don’t like the busy areas of the city. I know a lot of short cuts.”

Whoa…so cool…

He stared back up at the taller boy, eyes slightly wide and a grin tugging at the edges of his mouth. He faintly heard Eric hum mockingly in the background, but he for once, couldn’t find the will to care. Things weren’t going to get more humiliating after all.

He wondered, somewhere in the far reaches of his mind, what it must be like to feel drawn to someone. To want to be friends or…whatever, with someone so bad. Did it make your stomach feel this weird?

He shook it off, trying to not shame himself any more than he had already. He was probably overthinking things, he’d never been attracted to someone right out the gate like this. However, it almost felt like a challenge, a feeling he wanted to explore. And where was the harm?

He didn’t know what was happening, or what had come over him, but he was never one to not act on instinct. It was both an insult and a compliment he got a lot. Impulsivity was his strength and weakness. Regardless, he figured it was safe to trust his gut this time, and the words came out before he could even fully process them.

“Can you show me?”

Eyebrows were raised in return, followed by a barely there smile which spoke much louder than words.

#sarumi #sarumi fest 2017 #adri writing

[rose-and-the-crow]

Worldwide. (Inspiration? The song of the same name by Big Time Rush.)

He didn't want to tell them that he needed to go back home and help his family. What would that make him look like to them or Allisan of all people?! Yata's parents ran a brewery in his hometown and, at the rate it was going, it would fail within the year if they didn't have another family member on site to help out. Yata shook his head as he thought about going home. Could he really hide it from them for all that long?

As if the devil himself had thought of it, Allisan had to plunk herself down beside the young man. He shuffled away from her a little and his face was a light shade of pink. You’d think  after years that they would have gotten used to each other.

“What’s on the mind of the Wild Crow?” she asked him as she looked at him from the side a little.

“What makes you think that I have something on my mind, Red?” Yata asked the girl as he threw his head back a little and looked at her.

“Just look out of it is all.” Alli said with a shrug as her eyes scanned the bar around them.

Quite the family they had if Yata thought so and he knew that Alli liked it too. She needed it after the life she was handed at home.

Yata shook his head. He didn’t want to let himself get caught up in all of that garbage again. It wasn’t healthy for anyone of them.

Alli coughed beside him but she shook her head in determination and her own disgust.

“I’m alright, I swear.” she said with a rasp that had come from coughing so hard.

“Those are becoming more and more frequent. Are you sure you’re ok?” Shohei asked as he made a face at her.

Yata winced as she snapped her gaze to him and he knew that look she was giving Shohei. He himself had gotten it many times before. It still freaked him out.

“I’m not weak.” Alli said as her eyes shone with determination.

Yata sighed and put his arm around her without thinking. “No one said you where, Rose.” he said. “We’re just concerned is all.” he told her.

Allisan relaxed and sighed as he sat back and ran a hand through her fading red hair.

Yata bit his lip as he thought about his issue again. Could he leave when Allisan was sick like this? He had to make sure she was ok before he left, didn’t he?

He shook his head again and rubbed his face to snap him out of it. Allisan made a face at him but she shook it off.

“You’ve had that cough for weeks.” Kusanagi pointed out and Yata looked up at him.

“You think it’s some sort of bug then?” Dewa asked.

“I have no doubt and with Alli the way she is then it should be something we check out right away.” Kusanagi said as he dried a glass from behind the bar counter.

Alli slumped back against Yata’s arm causing him to look at her but his gaze was soon brought to Kusanagi again as he stood up.

“You know she’s never gunna fall for it.” he told the bartender as he leaned on the counter.

“She’ll do it when she feels shitty eno-”

“By then it’ll be too late.” Yata pressed.

The two locked eyes for a moment but Kusanagi soon nodded in understanding.

"I'll see what I can do but I'm not promising you anything. Let's be damn sure of that before we start anything." Kusanagi said to the young Crow.

Yata nodded before he turned away again only to catch Allisan looking at him. He waved her gaze off and she stood up to go to her room again.

“We have to get her to see someone.” Yata pressed to the others with a whisper.

“She’s never gunna do it. She’s too stubborn.” Shohei said as he shook his head.

“We’ve got to try something though.” Dewa said and Yata nodded. “Maybe if we make her see that she has to. Make her see what it’s going to do to her and what will happen if she doesn’t get it checked out.”

“We’d have to tell her countless times before she believed us and I want to make sure she’s ok before I go back home thank you.” Yata mentioned.

The others stopped to look at each other before they just passed what Yata said off as over tiredness.

"We'll get her in somehow but not right now. Let's see how she is tommorow." Kusanagi stated. The others nodded before heading off for the night, Kamamoto picking up a half asleep Anna and taking her to her room.

Mikoto shook his head and turned back so he was facing the bar the right way again. "You really think she's gunna make it?" The lion asked the young bartender.

Kusanagi only shook his head. "At this point we can only hope."

Later that week.

Allisan hacked beside Yata and growled in her own disgust.

“You seriously need to go in to see the doctor before that kills you.” Chitose said to the red headed girl.

The girl slowly looked at him through her hair and sighed. “I guess you’re right, huh?” she rasped out as the others only shook their heads at her.

Allisan looked up and nodded slightly before getting up, grabbing her backpack and going up stairs again. She came back down later with the skateboard Yata had given her much against Tatara's will and looked at everyone. "Anyone gunna come with me?" She asked.

Yata was quick to jump to the case. “I’ll go.” he said as he grabbed his own skateboard. “It’s the least I can do, right?” he asked as he looked at Allisan with a half smile.

Later 

Allisan wasn’t gunna tell Yata that she was scared of the doctors. She had a reason to after all after they told her that she had a heart defect. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the chair she was sitting on.

Yata looked at her from the side but then noticed she was shaking just a little. Again, with out thinking, he reached over and put a hand on her knee before he turned to her and took her hands in his own. “You’re ok, Rose.” he assured her.

“Please don’t leave me here alone.” the poor girl asked him through the terror in her voice.

The young Crow’s eyes widened as he asked her that. He was quick to give her a hug and he  wasn’t thinking of letting go anytime soon. “I’ll come in with you.” he told her gently as he tightly hugged her.

“Thank you.” she breathed against him and Yata nodded softly in answer before he very lightly and very quickly kissed her head.

“Allisan Sheer?” A nurse asked and Yata could feel her tense in his arms.

“Yep.” he said for the girl and gently set her up straight. “Come on. I’ll be right there after you.” he assured her.

Later-er 

Yata was relieved to hear from the doctor that his friend wasn’t going to die from this cough she had. It wasn’t anything to worry about. She just had a nasty cough.

“You sure you’re alright, Misaki?” Alli asked him and the young man shook his head as she addressed him.

“I’m fine.” he muttered.

“You can tell me what’s going on. I won’t go spreading it around.” Allisan said as she narrowly avoided a corner and looked back at him as the wind blew her hair into her face.

“It’s nothing to worry about, Red.” Yata told her as he shook his head and looked away from her.

“What a load of bullshit!” Alli claimed. “I know when something is bugging you so spill it now.”

“I don’t think I can do that. I don’t want to you upset.” Yata said.

“You won’t upset me.” Allisan pressed but as she did Yata looked at her and she could tell from the look in his eyes that she had said the wrong thing.

“I have other family out in the  middle of no where somewhere.” Yata said with a sigh as he looked away from her. “Their brewery is in trouble. I have to go back and help them save it. I don’t know how long that wil take. I might not come back.”

Homra’s Rose could only stop in silence as she took in his words. “How long have you known this for?” she asked in an almost whisper.

“About a month.” Yata said in all honesty but what she did next caused him to wince audibly.

This caused Allisan to flare in anger. “Why didn’t you tell us then?!” she  asked with a snap.

“Because I wanted to make sure you where all right before I left.” Yata said.

“I haven’t been sick for that long.” Allisan pushed but as she thought back she realised he was right. “You’ve been worrying about me for that long?” she asked. “If you wouldn’t have told anyone your worrying for me could’ve killed you ya’ dumb ass!” she said, all innocent light left from her eyes.

Yata’s eyes searched her eyes for a moment before he shook his head and looked away from her. “I guess I thought that you wouldn’t figure it out.” he said as he narrowly avoided a corner with his shoulder.

“That doesn't mater. No matter how far away you go you’ll always be apart of the family that we have down here. No matter what, we won’t stop looking out for people, for EACH OTHER, Yata.” Allisan told him as she stopped him by stepping in front of him and staring him deep in the eye.

Yata shook his head as he looked at the girl again. “Hanging out with Tatara really did wear off on you.” he said.

Allisan relaxed and looked away from him before she quickly turned back and lightly punched him. “Shut your cute face.” she said with a blush.

Yata blushed and looked away from her but Alli only lightly punched him again. “Promise you’ll stay till the end of the week at least?” Allisan asked.

Yata winced, knowing he couldn’t keep that promise. “I promise.” he lied.

THAT FRIDAY

Yata woke up early the next morning in order to get to his fight on time. He knew that Allisan would be heart broken but he needed to get out before he thought to much on it. He was quick to pack a bag and carefully carry it down the stairs, plugging his headphones into his phone and searching for a sad playlist on Spotify.

[James:] Wait a minute before you tell me anything, how was your day? 'Cause I've been missing [Kendall:] You by my side

The song started and Yata rolled his eyes. What a way to go out. He didn’t bother changing the song though, seeing as his hands where full with is bags and his skateboard.

[James:] Did I awake you out of your dream? I'm sorry but I couldn't sleep [Kendall:] You calm me down There's something 'bout the sound of your voice

Yata thought for a moment and the last few days rang deep in his mind. The teasing and Alli’s voice drowned out every one else’s. Why do you have to be such a hard headed asshole? one said Why do you think that happened? another one said to him as he thought and let his mind swim for a moment.

[Carlos:] I-I-I-I'm never never [Logan:] Never as far away as it may seem [Carlos:] Soon we'll be together [James:] We'll pick up right where we left off

Yata thought again for a moment as he dropped his skateboard on the ground and rolled slowly along, listening intently. He guessed that he could pick up again with the others when he got back (IF he got back)

Paris, London, Tokyo There's just one thing that I gotta do [All:] Hello, tuck you in every night on the phone Hello, tuck you in every night [James:] And I can hardly take another goodbye Babe, it won't be long You're the one that I'm waiting on

Not quite where he was going but he got the point. He could video chat everyone when he got there. Their conversations wouldn’t have to end. Allisan would sure like it if he called at night and Anna would too.

The song continued as he moved through the airport for he had left the song on repeat. Yata didn’t so much mind it anymore, if anything it made him think.

He would come back and he would re-unite with he others again soon. Nothing would be lost but much more would be gained.

#Homra's own Wild Crow #Allisan Sheer

[impracticaldemon]

🌸 Demon’s Bond ~ Amagiri Kazutake Route ~ Review

So... the top picture kind of says it all. Let’s just call him Amagiri Sanosuke-Kazutake. Which means I loved him, and he was very, very cute 😁   (Note:  These are just my personal opinions, ofc!)   😅

Overall: I’d say 7/10. Enjoyable but I found the ending a little weak and the bad guys a little lame. I had fun and Sano-Kazutake was nicely drawn.  😉

NOTE: The spell “Amagiri Fist... Skybreaker!” was NOT a selling point.  😂 😂 I chose to laugh instead of crying but... seriously?  Seriously?!

First point: the whole “you need to stay/go home and not get hurt” gets old, fast.  Yukina thinks it’s dumb.  When he finally admits that he’s literally pulling his punches when they spar, Yukina demands to know what he would do if a female demon was a real threat to his life or his clan. His response that he’d have to “find another way” (not hitting) is 😑.  Fortunately, Yukina keeps insisting on being treated as a comrade and finds ways around this.  😊

Things I liked:  I am a big fan of both Harada and Amagiri, and this guy is a slightly more mature version of one and a slightly less mature (but still kickass) version of the other. Since Harada and Amagiri don’t appear to have a lot in common in Hakuouki, it’s a little odd it works. But then you remember that the whole “responsible and stuck with being responsible” thing is there, not to mention Amagiri’s own efforts to protect Chizuru and respect Sen. (Also, did I mention that Kazutake’s adorable, especially when looking irritated?)  😉

I also like the fact that Yukina doesn’t let herself get left out.  Ultimately, she gets herself signed on as a bodyguard, despite being a woman and despite Sano-Kazutake’s protests. She also has some good, logical lines.  ⚔️  (On the flip side, unlike Chizuru in Hakuouki, Yukina does have an actual responsibility that she’s avoiding, being the Princess’ bodyguard and head of her clan.  But hey, the Princess has three senior demons with her and she’s in a coma.)

[AND:  Yukina gets a full demon form in this route, which is great!]

Thirdly, Kazutake’s “human” (they all have one!), is Ishida Mitsunari (the overall commander of the western forces at the Battle of Sekhigara). Mitsunari (the use of first names is painful) is portrayed much as he is described in history: a finicky bureaucrat of rigid character.  This makes him unpleasant to deal with for the demons who work for him.  Basically: Amagiri always gets stuck with an overbearing, self-important boss.  It’s a trope (who knew).

You ask:  what’s to like about this?  Well, two things.  One, his second in command (Shima Sakon) is very cool: looks like a villain, really isn’t.  Second, there is actual character development (not the deepest, but not bad for the genre). Mitsunari remains himself (i.e., difficult), but under stress he does actually show a human side that is both reasonable and slightly endearing.

Things I didn’t like:  Yeah.  The bad guys are even weirder than usual, and I lost count of HOW MANY TIMES they could have (supposedly) killed the good guys and just... left... for no obvious reason.  Let me say now:  Kazama in Hakuouki came by his “I’m here to kill you all and take Chizuru”... “nah, maybe not today” tendencies honestly.  It’s just bizarre.

Which leads to thing I didn’t like TWO. Amagiri Kazutake is supposed to be incredibly tough and a complete badass (who can apparently thump his younger companions of similar rank with impunity).  And on top of that, his “true demon form” is supposed to be pretty much indestructible.  Despite all this, he never gets to just take down the opposition.  His big final battle... like, it should have been Kazama versus Kaoru (i.e., ALL OVER FAST)... it wasn’t.   😣

Finally, I will add that the romantic aspects of the route were really good (again, Hakuouki-style, so very understated), until the ending.  At which point Kazutake heads off on his own for months, never sends a letter or message (why?) and then shows up and they finally kiss.  I just... no, not happy.  Especially since the build-up was rather nice. 😑 It took very little game time, so I can only assume he was off with Chitose (whose route is next for me).

Still good overall!  🤗

#demon's blood #hakuouki #hakuoki #db spoilers #kazutake #amagiri kazutake

[recentanimenews]

Crunchyroll Adds Dropkick on My Devil!! Dash Episode 12 on April 30

  Crunchyroll is getting ready to launch a special addition to the Dropkick on My Devil!! Dash series. Episode 12 is officially set to debut on Thursday, April 30 at 8:30am Pacific Time, which is the result of Chitose-city's hometown tax project that brought in funds for the "Chapter Chitose" episode. 

  The project was originally launched because Aina Suzuki, the voice behind protagonist Jashin-chan, was born in Hokkaido's Chitose-city in 1995. It ended up pulling in a total of 184,380,000 yen in 29 days between December 2 and December 31, 2019, making the new episode a reality! 

  Dropkick on My Devil!! Dash Episode 12

Launch Time: April 30 at 8:30am PT

Territories: North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Oceania, the Middle East, and CIS

    -------

Joseph Luster is the Games and Web editor at Otaku USA Magazine. You can read his webcomic, BIG DUMB FIGHTING IDIOTS at subhumanzoids. Follow him on Twitter @Moldilox. 

By: [email protected]

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

[recentanimenews]

The Adorable Welcome, Chitose Anime Waddles Over to Crunchyroll

If you're in the mood for something particularly adorable, Crunchyroll has a treat for you today. The Welcome, Chitose anime is officially joining the lineup, with new penguin-packed episodes set to debut every Wednesday at 4:00pm Pacific Time at a rate of eight episodes a week. 

  Oh yeah, and the first 8 episodes are already live now. That's pretty speedy for such a cute little penguin! 

  Welcome, Chitose

Launch Time: Wednesdays at 4:00pm PT

Territories: United States and Canada

  Synopsis: 

A penguin chick that resides in Kyoto, whose name is none other than Chitose.

Fluffy and adorable Chitose loves delicious food and fun things. Guided by her curiosity, Chitose wanders the city of Kyoto, often found interacting with people and eating (being given) delicious food. See all the famous Kyoto landmarks, Kiyomizu temple, Ginkakuji, Gion from the perspective of a penguin. This short penguin anime series is nostalgic with a hint of warmth and sure to bring calm to the heart.

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Joseph Luster is the Games and Web editor at Otaku USA Magazine. You can read his webcomic, BIG DUMB FIGHTING IDIOTS at subhumanzoids. Follow him on Twitter @Moldilox. 

By: [email protected]

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

[recentanimenews]

Adorable Penguin Explores Kyoto in Okoshiyasu, Chitose-chan Promo

  Yukiko Natsume's Okoshiyasu, Chitose-chan manga—which follows a baby penguin as she takes in the sights and sounds of Kyoto—is coming to TV in Japan on October 5. Ahead of the anime adaptation's debut, another promo has arrived to sample footage along with the soothing sounds of Shinichi Tsutsumi's narration. 

    The original Okoshiyasu, Chitose-chan manga is serialized in Kodansha's BE・LOVE josei manga magazine. The Okoshiyasu, Chitose-chan TV anime is directed by Kyo Yatate (Bananya) and features animation production by Gathering. The series will broadcast in Japan on Tokyo MX and KBS Kyoto on Fridays during the 25:35 time slot (actually at 1:35AM JST on Saturday morning) beginning on October 05, 2018.

    Via Comic Natalie

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Joseph Luster is the Games and Web editor at Otaku USA Magazine. You can read his webcomic, BIG DUMB FIGHTING IDIOTS at subhumanzoids. Follow him on Twitter @Moldilox. 

By: [email protected]

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

[recentanimenews]

Crunchyroll Reveals Music Girls and Other Upcoming Anime at AX 2018

Crunchyroll just wrapped up its industry panel at Anime Expo 2018, and plenty of announcements came along for the ride. In addition to going over some of the summer 2018 simulcasts, some new series have been revealed. Check out an overview of what you can look forward to this summer and beyond below.

  Music Girls - Coming this summer.

    Synopsis:

Haru Chitose, Eri Kumagai, Sarasa Ryuoh, Kiri Mukae, Uori Mukae, Sasame Mitsukuri, Miku Nishio, Hiyo Yukino, Shupe Gushiken, Kotoko Kintoki, and Roro Morooka are the eleven members of "Music Girls," an idol group produced by Pine Records. However, they're a third-rate idol group that can't seem to sell CDs at all. But even though they're obscure and constantly in debt, the members and their producer, Ikebashi, are all trying their hardest. Ikebashi gets the idea that Music Girls needs a new member—an idol who can light a fire under them so that they can grasp success! And so the rigorous auditions begin. Then, one day, Music Girls meets the story's main character, Hanako...

  RErideD – Derrida, who leaps through time – A Crunchyroll co-production due out this fall.

    Radiant - Scheduled for October.

    Double Decker - Coming soon.

    The Rising of the Shield Hero - Episode 1 will have its worldwide premiere along with special guests at this year's Crunchyroll Expo. Stay tuned for more information at CRX! 

    That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime - Coming this fall.

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Joseph Luster is the Games and Web editor at Otaku USA Magazine. You can read his webcomic, BIG DUMB FIGHTING IDIOTS at subhumanzoids. Follow him on Twitter @Moldilox.

By: [email protected]

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

[recentanimenews]

Groove with the Idols of the "Ongaku Shoujo" Anime in New Promo

We've been getting a bunch of updates on upcoming anime series today, and one of the latest looks ahead to July's run of Ongaku Shoujo. The idol anime by Studio Deen premieres on AT-X on July 6, where it will air every Friday at 11:00pm, followed by Tokyo MX and BS11 on July 7. 

  The official website also went up with a new promo and visual.

      As previously reported, The story of the TV anime follows 11-member "C-class" idol unit Ongaku Shoujo, who belong to PINE RECORD. Despite the struggles of producer Ikehashi and the members, they have not achieved any success and are only making a loss. Ikehashi thinks that Ongaku Shoujo must need a new member who can be an initiator for the success and starts holding auditions. Then one day, Ongaku Shoujo meets the protagonist girl Hanako Yamadaki.

  Yukio Nishimoto (Justeen) directs the series, with Deko Akao (Arakawa Under the Bridge) on series composition. 

  Main voice cast: 

 Hanako Yamadaki: Seria Fukagawa (Himeno Kimihara in A Centaur's Life)

 Sasame Mitsukuri: Karin Takahashi (Nono Morikubo in The Idolm@ster Cinderella Girls Theater)

 Miku Nishio: Miho Okasaki

 Yukino Hiyo: Yuko Ohono (Yuzu in Konohana Kitan)

 Shupe Gushiken: Miyuri Shimabukura (Yuuna Yunohana in Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs)

 Roro Morooka: Nako Eguchi (Kirara Hanazono in Aikatsu Stars!)

 Kotoko Kintoki: Lynn (Himari Takanashi in Interviews with Monster Girls)

 Uori Mukae: Yui Ogura (Homare Kagayaki/Cure Étoile in Hugtto! PreCure)

 Kiri Mukae: Sumire Uesaka (Anastasia in The Idolm@ster Cinderella Girls)

 Haru Chitose: Manami Numakura (Hibiki Ganaha in The Idolm@sater)

 Eri Kumagai: Asami Seto (Chihaya Ayase in Chihayafuru)

 Sarasa Ryuo: Mai Fuchigami (Miho Nishizumi in Girls und Panzer)

  Via Ota-suke

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Joseph Luster is the Games and Web editor at Otaku USA Magazine. You can read his webcomic, BIG DUMB FIGHTING IDIOTS at subhumanzoids. Follow him on Twitter @Moldilox.

By: [email protected]

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!