#kazuki feels bad for him and tries to help him out at first - he holds on side of the controller while rei holds the other

[lady-charinette]

Rei shooting himself in his dominant arm, most likely permanently injuring most if not all of his nerves so he could effectively only use his left hand.

Rei most likely not being able to play any video games anymore, his main coping mechanism and hobby throughout the show, something he did in the beginning to the point of neglecting to take care of Miri and doing house chores.

Rei most likely, after extensive physical therapy and relearning how to use his right hand as his dominant one, trying to find other stuff he could turn into hobbies except gaming.

Rei most likely finding true joy in not just playing games himself, but watching others play them.

Watching Miri and Kazuki battle it out in the kid friendly and later on more action video games together and having fun and bonding over how bad of a sore loser Papa Kazuki is and how well Rei taught Miri how to play by supporting her with tips from the sidelines.

Rei most likely finding that, even if he can't play himself, he enjoys watching his loved ones play his video games in his stead because he gained something so much more to hold dear in his heart by losing his arm.

#buddy daddies #bd #im totally (un)normal about this #imagine rei -during physical therapy- attempting to play video games but finding he cant hold the controller properly with one hand #kazuki feels bad for him and tries to help him out at first - he holds on side of the controller while rei holds the other #they're awkward af during gameplay and it doesnt work at all #rei's reflexes are faster than kazuki's and they keep losing or being killed in the game #still rei appreciated kazuki's efforts and learned to move on through his slump - he found it much easier too #miri feeling sad for rei papa for losing his hobby that she tries being just as good as him to make him proud #the three as a family realizing that WHAT they're doing doesn't matter as much as long as they're doing it TOGETHER #pls im sobbing someone call my nonexistent therapist #miri unasaka #rei suwa #kazuki kurusu #kazurei #buddy daddies spoilers #bd spoilers

[otome-ningyo]

Lovers' Morn

Pairing/Genre: Shiraishi x Ichika/Reader, Fluff & Implied Smut

Word Count: 1,386

Summary:

Morning after, where Ichika and Shiraishi spent their first morning as lovers (continuation of this smutfic: Stay | Lovers' Eve). This time from Shiraishi's PoV.

Tags/Warnings: morning after, suggestive themes

The sound of birds woke me up from my slumber, awakening my senses to my surroundings, and one thing in particular stood out to me the most.

Mornings were usually cold, but for once, it felt warm. It felt warm, which only meant one thing.

She’s still here.

I never thought how such a simple notion could bring so much happiness. I smiled and kept my eyes closed, wanting to savor the fact that she was in my arms, sleeping right next to me. If only I could stop the time and just live in this moment in eternity.

When Ichika first slept in my bed, there was no emotional attachment. She was merely an interesting subject of research, and I observed her because it was part of my duty. There wasn’t a shred of warmth, no special thoughts or expectations. That was years ago.

But now that I’ve learned what it was like to wake up next to someone I love, I wanted nothing else. From today onwards, I wished I could have each of my morning to start like this.

I lifted my eyelids slightly to sneak a glance at her sleeping face. Her lips were slightly parted, and her eyelids fluttered but did not open. I kissed them and hoped she was having a beautiful dream. I loved her dearly, and I wanted to protect her. I wanted to protect our love.

Love. Lovers. Things that were once out of mind, out of reach, were now part of my reality, but it felt surreal like a dream.

Minutes went by, we just stayed in bed, our bodies bathed in sunlight, as I played with her hair and caressed her cheeks. Suddenly her eyebrows knit and she shifted, stretching her arm sideways. As she slowly opened her eyes, an idea came to mind, and I quickly closed my eyes and pretended I was still asleep.

I heard a soft yawn accompanied by more movements. It seemed that she was already awake as I felt her eyes on me. Then, I felt the touch of her fingertips on my cheek as they run through my hair, tucking them behind my ear.

She moved closer, and I heard a faint laugh, making it nigh impossible to keep pretending, since it would mean missing her smile. But of course, I also expected her smile to fade the moment she noticed my pretense.

“Wait, you’re awake?” she mumbled the moment she saw me opening my eyes.

I grinned, all the while keeping my arms tight around her.

“Aw, and here I thought I get to see your sleeping face.”

“But you did.”

“It doesn’t count if you’re actually awake.” She gave a cute, little pout, and it made me want to tease her more.

“I’m sorry, but you were so cute when you were asleep, so I’m not giving that privilege away.”

“C-cute? I didn’t do anything weird, did I?” she asked as she averted her gaze.

“Hmm, I don’t know. Does snoring and kicking count as normal or weird?”

“H-huh? S-snored?”

She tried to move away, out of embarrassment I suppose. But thankfully, I already kept a tight grip around her, so she simply struggled in my arms like a cat trying to escape a hug.

She’s really too cute.

“Ahh, it’s such a shame,” I said with a fake disappointed sigh. “I didn’t take a photo or record it. You really should sleep with me more often, so I could take a photo next time.”

��No way!”

“No? You don’t want to sleep with me again?” I put on a sad face, awaiting her reaction.

The blush on her cheeks grew redder as she finally stopped moving and just buried her face in my chest.

“That’s not what I mean. It’s just that, I want to be the one to see your sleeping face for once.”

This is really bad. She’s too adorable I don’t want to let her go.

“...yuki,” she murmured against my chest.

“Hm?”

“Did I really snore or kick you in my sleep?” she asked, lifting her face from my chest.

I let out small laughter through my nose as I brushed the strands of hair covering her lovely face.

“You fell for that? I was just teasing you.”

She heaved a sigh of relief and called me mean. But despite her words, she smiled so beautifully. Our little moment together was interrupted with a vibrating sound coming from her phone on the nightstand, and she took it.

“Ah! I forgot to text Kazuki,” she exclaimed before quickly typing a reply.

“Everything okay?” I asked.

“Mhm, it’s fine. It’s just Kazuki. He just reprimanded me a little for not giving him any news and asked if I’ll be coming home today.”

While it was always sad when our time together came to an end, letting her go had never been this hard. Right now, the notion of her coming home made my heart ache a little. It reminded me of the bitter reality.

We were engaged, but we hadn’t set a date to tie the knot, as that would go against the rules of my probation. It would take at least another year until they allowed marriage. If only things were different, I would have married her already, and she wouldn’t have to go.

It appeared that my silence worried her a little, and she looked back at me with a sad smile as she put her phone away.

“It’s okay, I’m not going back right away. We still have time until this evening.”

It was a good thing that she had two days off at least. Someday, things would be different, but for now, I could still have her to myself until evening came.

As I wondered how to spend the rest of the day with her, I caught myself staring at her sitting on the edge of my bed, clad in my white shirt which is too big for her with nothing underneath. Purplish red marks were scattered along her neck and chest, and I was instantly reminded of last night — her flushed cheeks and swollen lips crying out my name as I moved in her.

Once again, I longed to be inside her.

“Are you hungry? I’m gonna cook us some breakfast,” she said, completely oblivious to my thoughts.

Hungry. It never occurred to me before that a human could feel a different type of hunger, and right now, I was definitely hungry, but it wasn’t the kind that her cooking could fix.

“Ichika-chan.”

“Hm?”

I pulled her by the waist until she was flush against my body and wrapped her in my arms. Before she could even react, I gently brushed my lips against the love bites on her neck, and she shivered as a soft moan escaped her lips.

“Kageyuki,” she purred my name so sweetly, causing a chaos in my head. “It’s still morning.”

“Yeah, and?” I responded nonchalantly while my hands started to undress her.

Ichika turned her head, revealing her scarlet cheeks and pleading eyes, her expression betraying the words she said next.

“Maybe… later?”

“Are you sure?” I asked, and she just stared at me still.

My question was met with silence even as I slipped my hands under the shirt to feel her warm skin. Ichika bit her lip, clearly trying to hold back her own urges.

“Fine,” she finally said with a meek voice. “But once we’re done, you’re helping me cook, and we’ll eat.”

I chuckled. “What if I want more, then?”

“You wouldn’t—”

I cut her off with a kiss, silencing her protests. Her lips were as addicting as marshmallows, soft and sweet. As her lips moved against mine, I felt her smile, and I thought again of how lucky I was to have her and to be part of her happiness.

My lover was like a kitten. She said one thing and behaved another. She acted hesitant yet quick to close her eyes and give in to the kiss. She was my first and last love, and the only person I wanted to grow old with.

That morning, Ichika and I skipped breakfast for once as we made love until the sun was hanging high in the sky that by the time we were finished, it was almost lunchtime.

#collar x malice smut #shiraishi smut #kageyuki smut #shiraishi kageyuki smut #kageyuki shiraishi smut #collar x malice #shiraishi kageyuki #kageyuki shiraishi #cxm

[atopearth]

Collar X Malice: Unlimited Part 1 - Enomoto Mineo Route

Okay, so I thought Collar X Malice Unlimited was a fandisc sequel but it seems more like an alternate world/possibility or kinda both I guess lol. Not sure if I really care for the new character called Tachibana, but anyway I'm doing Enomoto's route first and I'm so happy already~ I love how quickly and easily he deflected every attempt of Tachibana's to like touch or do anything to Ichika, like geez this guy lol. Anyway Mineo after story!! So I guess it is a sequel hahaha, I guess they just kinda changed a bit of things to fit some other stuff? Anyway, Mineo without his eyepatch is something I'll need to get used to hahaha. Lmaooo when he said that his ikemen powers will go up now after unlocking the seal on his right eye😂😂😂 Aww I love how Ichika told him that him with and without the eyepatch both had their own appeals, and then I died when he called her a heart thief for saying something sweet like that🤣🤣

HAHAHA when Mineo tried to convince Ichika that he needs to live near her just in case she needs help with anything, and his example was if Kazuki wasn't home and she needed to open a jar of jam😂😂😂😂 Mineo is so hilarious, he'll always be the death of me🥲🥲 Okay, Super Mineoman is the hero I never knew I needed, he's so adorable🤣🤣 I loveee how Soma Saito voices Mineo, like omggg LOL when he said her love is priceless and said priceless in English😂

I find it so cute and sweet how at home Mineo is with everyone in his team. Lmaoo when they ate his lunchbox because he kept bragging about how Ichika lovingly made it all for him🤣 Awww I love how Ichika fed him! Lmao when he kept talking about indirect kisses and she had to tell him to shut up and just eat the hamburger steak🤣 I loveee how Kazuki asks about how Ichika is doing now, especially considering the new "Adonis" crime. What I love the most though is that Kazuki and Mineo are friendly enough to cook together for the exhausted Ichika! Honestly, if I had to take all those phone calls at SCRPO, I think I would either want to die or kill someone loll. Mineo remembering how Ichika cooking him food when he was down making him cheer up, and then now doing the same for her was so cute. Seeing him so lovingly prepare the food was just so sweet~ And omggg, I love how caring Mineo is towards Kazuki as well. It was one of the things that made me love Mineo more than all the other guys, since I feel like they put in a lot of effort to show how much Mineo cares about Kazuki as well, and how much he embraces their family. I love how honest Kazuki was about thanking him for supporting him when he found out about Akito. Anyway, Mineo and Kazuki made a full course meal in the morning?! Danggg, I'm impressed too, they even made pudding. I was so happy when Mineo flicked Ichika's forehead and told her to not bottle up her feelings inside all the time and to tell him like she is now. She always doesn't want to burden others and that's definitely a bad habit! Okay, I was still laughing at how Mineo was saying he should turn himself in for making her forehead red from the flick, and then he kissed her forehead to make the pain go away!! I nearly died, that was so cute. Lmao at Mineo's birthday being called eggplant day because it's Tokugawa Ieyasu's death anniversary and he apparently loved eggplants lol. Ichika brainstorming ideas for Mineo's present was so funny🤣 it would be so funny if she actually gifted him a funky eyepatch though😂

Anyway, it was pretty obvious that this Someya pretended to be attacked by Adonis did it to herself and "blamed Adonis" just so her classmates could finally forgive her for her “crimes” and she could live a normal school life again, but yeah honestly, that was really naive of her, and quite ridiculous but I can sympathise to an extent since bullying is always something really terrible to experience and deal with. However, I still found her little story boring tbh lol. Okay, I usually don't care that much about kiss CGs but dang, the sudden kiss CG after their zoo date was soo hot, I loved it. Oh and lmaooo when Isshiki teased Mineo saying he didn't know who he was without his eyepatch😂😂 it's so true though hahaha. OMG, when Kazuki said Enomoto is the only guy he would call big brother, I nearly died, that's so sweet and cute of Kazuki to tell him that!!! LOL when Mineo started speaking English asking him to repeat it once more, please😂😂 Mineo is such a lovable idiot, it was so cute how Kazuki and Ichika were trying to ask him what present would he like and he kept saying them just being there for him was enough🤣 I can understand his sentiments though hahahah, honestly I feel like I would be as silly as Mineo and not notice these things🤣 On the other hand, it was kinda saddening to hear that Hana's arrest made Isshiki doubt his music and whether it was his music that caused people to misinterpret his songs etc, I'm just glad he was able to overcome that and believe and hope that his songs can one day properly reach Hana though.

Awww, Ichika finally stayed over at Mineo's place but he ended up having to go to work😭 It was so cute how he was practically trying to propose to her with the Miso soup line hahahah. Omgg, the flashback to Mineo telling Mochida and Satake his and Ichika's love story to properly report to his superiors that they're dating was hilarious😂😂 So awkward for Ichika lmaoo, definitely a funny and embarrassing but good memory though loll. Mineo being so earnest about these things really makes you hope that there are people as honest and endearing as him in this world. Considering how undecided Ichika was towards Mineo's birthday present, it's amazing how thoughtfully she prepared that roll cake birthday cake with his favourite pudding as the filling! It sounds so good😭 Anyway, for a moment I really thought they would just hold hands to sleep but omgg, their first time was so cute, and I love how embarrassed they were towards each other in the morning. They're so innocent it's adorable. Lollll I can totally understand Ichika running away in embarrassment and getting mad at Mineo for blurting stuff out to make Sakuragawa realise what they did last night lmao. I'm surprised they survived not talking to each other for so long, like even if they're busy, they could at least communicate through messages! Anyway, I loved how the ending ended with Mineo asking Ichika to be his partner for life in public this time haha, the partner thing was one of my favourite scenes so seeing him do it again was sweet. It made me so happy and giddy for them hahaha. It's also nice how they met each other's families, it's kinda sad that Ichika's parents still don't seem to care for her apparently, but I'm glad Mineo's family is as wholesome as he is and as accommodating and bright. No one could be sad with their family around hahaha. I kinda like how they handled Ogata in the normal ending, it's nice to know that Mineo's sincerity really got through to him.

Overall, I really enjoyed Mineo's route~ It was honestly pretty short but that's okay because Mineo still makes me laugh so much, he's so funny that it brightens up my mood every time I watch him and his antics lol. I also really enjoyed seeing Ichika and Mineo be this silly happy couple that is really sweet too. But I think the biggest highlight for me is seeing how much of an effect Mineo had on Kazuki and just Kazuki and Ichika's relationship in general. I always loved how Mineo helped Ichika communicate with Kazuki better, so I just love how Kazuki treats Mineo like family now, and it doesn't feel awkward at all with how they all are. Seeing Kazuki appreciate Mineo for the guy he is made me really happy for them haha. Definitely an enjoyable after story and Mineo definitely has the same happy vibe and sincerity as his original route, and the ending was so cute~

#collar x malice unlimited

[neko-shinigxmi]

.: NatsuShio: The OC/Canon Ship That Ruined My Life :.

(In the Best Way)

@supernatural-cat98, get buckled in.

   Let’s start with how I started. An Okami OC.

   Her name is Shiori, but her full name is Shiorigami, a brush kami OC for the game Okami. Once an adoptable from DeviantArt, I made her into a fully-fleshed out character fit for the game. Sure, she’s an usual hybrid (nekotori; cat body, but with tail feathers like a small peacock), but she’s the kami of Poems and Literature. She’s got social anxiety and a thinly veiled reference to autism, as she is stunted to everyone, including her extensive family...but writing is where she blooms.

   Fiction, biographies, history, poems of all kinds... If it’s writing, she’s happy. It protects her and makes her happy, even when she fears she isn’t a good enough brush kami. Even if her powers are an inky echo of her mother’s.

   She once had short hair. She once loved a Lunarian named Kazuki... A scholar of the Moon Tribe, during a period of tension and war between his people and the Celestials... Shiori’s people. Despite it all, they truly did love each other, despite never admitting it out loud. He was gifted a scroll of poems he inspired her to write. He gave her a golden necklace- almost collar-like- with the symbol of the Moon Tribe engraved on the back.

   ...He would end up dying in a slaughter done by the evil the Moon Tribe had summoned. Those who fled to the mortal world to escape the war becoming the only survivors. Kazuki was gone...and left Shiori not only with a deep depression, but also with a fear to care for anyone who was mortal.

   Who could die and be ripped from her grasp, just like Kazuki had.

   Her hair grew out over the years (faceclaim: Suiren Shibazeki from Hibi Chouchou), protected by her mother to ease her pain of the death of the one she loved most...and in the years after the events of Okami, would stay either in her room on the Celestial Plain or occasionally live on the mortal world, in a small house to herself among a forest not too far from Ryoshima Coast.

   And so. It would be this starting point for a fateful meeting...

   Natsu Dragneel. Specifically, burningheartdragneel, my roleplay partner. (To my Shio, @goddessof-poems.) He met Amaterasu first, having somehow...gotten himself a little universe-lost. Befriending her was easy; both liking to fight, both loving to eat... It was easy for them.

   Yet he poses an interesting challenge for sweet, quiet Shiori. Little bookworm, easily forgets to eat at all, and isn’t much one for the adventuring scene, like her mother or Natsu.

   ...However, it’s because of her Natsu learns the joys of reading; specifically, an adventurous story of fiction Shiori had written some time before. He makes a small, but decent meal for the forgetful Shiori, ensuring she eats...and even motivates her to get out of her home, taking him to show off Ryoshima Coast and her own Water Tablet that Amaterasu gifted her.

   It’s our current roleplay and a still on-going one, but we came up with so much more as we talked over Discord. They will slow burn their way, but us? We know how the path goes....and we ended up falling in love with a pairing of our own creation.

ExoticGeneral: Ah gods I love this! Especially since Shiori isn't the kind to stop her work to eat or anything Natsu would at some point bring snacks with him and probably feed her (and he hardly likes sharing either) because somebodies is gonna have to be watching over her. But if he woke up with her all beside him, he'd be pretty flustered about it. Plus as an added bonus he always oddly warm, which makes for good cuddling in the winter/chilly days. :3c Yeah, he'd probably be more careful with her because even if she is a brush good she's just so fragile. He'd probably bond with her relatively easy though since he's always been a cat kinda guy? But yeah, demon hunting would be a big no-no while she was around. No need to try and scare her away. But I thought about that heat headcanon thing would be funny cause I can't see either making the first move ever! xD

Aki: Oh gosh, yeah. Shiori's the type for "skinny love" situations, where it's almost painfully obvious she loves the person, but if nobody acts on it, then it's this firm stalemate. Tbh, she'd likely only "confess" if he got really hurt and she was scared for him....but even then, it's confusing for the oblivious bc-?? Was that a confession? What if it wasn't????

ExoticGeneral: But god a confession like that would be hilarious cause it might just go over his head! He'd probably just grin like an idiot, being all like 'Thanks that means a lot' and playing it off as completely platonic possibly. He may be bold in everything else, but love is something he's actually insecure about considering his first girlfriend died, his mom, like three of his dads and his brother wants to murder him.

Aki: Ommmmggggg. She'd probably laugh a little and keep trying to tell herself it's better this way, bc like...... (And this is what kills me) She'd rather have a friend in him than nothing at all bc of rejection so she'd start spiraling down and try to keep upbeat even though she keeps thinking about it and getting guilty bc what if he only wants them to be friends???? What if he didn't like romance at all?? She doesn't want to push him away from her..... She'd rather suffer years of not having him love her back then lose him. (And re-reading this..... Ouch on the death of the first girlfriend. Shiori knows that pain.... Except slightly more painful that she also never confessed to the guy and lost him to the slaughter of the Moon Tribe.)

ExoticGeneral: AKI DONT They'd both end up suffering because they're shy potatoes who can't convey their feelings properly for the life of them! It wouldn't even get better cause she'd only start going down hill after a while and he'd more than likely notice but not realize he's the problem in a way and FUUUUUUCCCKKKK

Aki: HAHAHAHAHAA, YOU'RE TOO LATE; MY POWERS HAVE BEEN REALIZED She'd actually manage pretty well for awhile, being oblivious, but then the feelings would start and that very emotion would be her downfall. Because then what are you supposed to do when you want to hug your "friend" for no apparent reason and just...stay there? That you wouldn't mind if he stayed over all the time and got to sleep with him, because that's when the nightmares kept away from her? (And even if they did show up, he was there to comfort her...) She's an absolutely wreck after awhile and keeps spacing out and begins to screw up and she's like a black hole collapsing in on itself and it hurts so bad to watch

ExoticGeneral: STAHP YOURE HURTING MY SHIPPER HEART BEFORE THE SHIP ACTUALLY EXISTS That blackhole though, like how do you even fix that??? Because the closer you get to her the more it's probably hurting her and you could confess but getting closer is what caused it to progress. HOW DO YOU PROTECT YOUR SHIT WHEN YOU'RE THE PROBLEM!?!? Your making me emotional and it's only like 8 in the morning, I don't want to start my day sad already!

Aki: Shiori finally breaking down in front of Natsu though. Like, it was a little trip over a tree root or something and she says, "O-oh, n-no, I'm fine...." But Natsu's just-??? No you're not, you're crying. Why are you crying? What hurts?? And from there she starts bawling and Natsu is awkward but tries his best. He also has little to no idea what she's saying pass those sobs of hers, but oUCH PAIN EVERYWHERE. Then- awhoop- right out of that sobbing mess comes a pretty clear confession, whoo boy--

ExoticGeneral: But HOLY SHIT when a confession happens he'd get flustered. To the point of constant figgeting and just a permanent blush would cover his face. He'd probably end up staying silent, then just start crying and fuck me up. The first confession of his life??? hE WAS NOT READY FOR THIS BUT IS TOTALLY ACCEPTING OF THIS! She'd get to see an entirely new spectrum of him though when he gets all soft-hearted and actually reveals his romantic side???

Aki: Shiori's equally as flustered and waiting to please just collapse in on herself and cease existance....and then once she realized she didn't fuck things up, she's crying with him and so much affection????? Oh no, the cutes. Cutes everywhere. Also Shiori is a huge sap and she's going to love that. But now he has to deal with his cute new goddess gf blushing whenever he smooches even just her cheek. Or holds her hand. Or snuggles up to her..... When he breathes LMAO, Jk...~

ExoticGeneral: THem crying together. THat thought just gives me life cause they're just two mushy emotional destroyed people atm. Just I don't even know who would actually recover first at that point, maybe Natsu, and just give her the longest most affectionate hug he's got in him. This relationship ain't gonna last long, give it like a week and he'll probably die from a cute overload. He'd try to pamper her a bit (though he wouldn't know how really) and just take her out to star gaze and do some silly things. But holding hands??? Like that's really lewd ya know.

Aki: Yeeeaaaahhh, he probably would. Shiori's trying to calm down, but those silly tears won't stop~ But she'll still snuggle close when he hugs her and hug him back. AH. AAAAAAHHHHHH. Natsu coming back to her place after that little event and suddenly, her new greeting is, "Welcome home," with a bright smile. Natsu kneels tf over bc cHRIST DID HE JUST HAVE A HEARTATTACK?!?!?!??

   Oh yes. We had a LENGTHY talk about their confession... But is that all? Of course not!! We’ve also had conversations about...

   Sleeping habits:

Aki: Oh man, and if she woke up to that racing heart of his.... All sleepy and concerned and it's right out of a romance novel and someone help Natsu bc death is rapidly approaching

ExoticGeneral: And the thing is that's one of his quirks. Like his way of saying 'I think I like you' IS sleeping at there house a lot more often. TO the point where it's just an everyday exerpeince and it's only weird if he DOESN'T show up one night.

Aki: !!!! Natsu being late one night and he's surprised bc it's late as fuck but there's Shiori, obviously tired and ready for bed, but unable to sleep because she'd gotten used to sleeping with Natsu and his warmth. (He has to pull confidence and fake cheer before he's allowed to start dying in the darkness of her room; that was so fuckin' cute and she was holding onto that little cat plush and she looked so lonely jfc whAT THE FUCK that level of cute is illegal in all the states and all of the worlds and timelines, bYE)

ExoticGeneral: But I can totally see that! He just kinda pushes open her door and it's like 2 in the fucking morning. The conflicted feelings he must have though knowing that when he walks in there he's gonna suffer for a few hours or more but is like 'fuck ing worth it.'  (She needs to tone it down because if the guy who lives to fight wants to SNUGGLE then there's a problem. No one man, goddess or not, should be allowed to have so much power!)

Aki: She's just more than happy to see him bc dang it, she couldn't sleep without him...and the second she's comfy and curled up against him? Boop. Out like a light. (Plot twist: her real power is being cute as hell. Her cuteness so strong, who needs weaponry?? Flutter those lashes, tilt her head... If she has the ears and feather tails out? B y e. You're dead now. Sorry, don't make the rules.)

ExoticGeneral: JEEz THOUGH! Not being able to sleep without him! Now all of a sudden he becomes like a necessity for a proper nights sleep, or any at all really. (But that's one way to competely get to him. Sexy? Pfffft, he can ignore that most of the time. Cute, fucking slay him okay? Just 'Here lies Natsu, rest in pieces' and fuck she's a cutie!)

Aki: I mean.... He could be a mean little one and let her pass out once it becomes too much, but there's also the huge implication that Natsu actually sorta gets her on a sleep schedule?? Something she usually doesn't have at all???? When Natsu's getting snuggled up in the futon, it basically becomes a sign of, "Oh, time to stop for today and sleep." Reverse alarm clock, Natsu is. Getting a certain poetry goddess to bed rather than waking her up (or keeping her up, as is). (Shiori perfected the cute ability. Cute traits that'd be passed down for generations. Flirting-but-not-flirting, the ultimate technique. How will poor Natsu ever survive?!?)

   Dinners with Mom Amaterasu:

Aki: Meet the parents? More like, "Forget that formal stuff! Let's go out and eat dessert before dinner!!!!" Because Ammy doesn't really do formal anymore and why not just....use the time for the better?? Like eating???? Not to mention, then she can embarrass the two like, "Now you gotta feed each other. Do it, do it, do it~!!" Ammy is a gr8 mom, as you can tell

ExoticGeneral: Well I don't think it could happen. I think Ammy and natsu met because he tried pelting her with water ballons. There is no need to be formal after that! But I can see Ammy rigging everything somehow. Just like ordering milkshakes for all three but 'accidentally' forgets one so she gets a whole one while Natsu and shiori share. with coincidentally two staws.

Aki: "Hmmmm, would you look at that.... Strange." Casually drinks at her own like NBD--  And that's true!!! No formality exists here; there's only the two dorks and the shy poet, who's more than happy to be the little side-line cheerleader for their antics. (Unless they're questionable. Then she's worried and trying to get them off of the idea. Probably crit. hits Natsu by being cute.)

  The time I almost wrote in our RP that Shiori was gonna kiss his cheek....and they’re not even CLOSE to dating, oh boy:

Aki: .....It suddenly occurs to me that I want an aesthetic made of NatsuShio.............

ExoticGeneral: I'm laughing. This isn't a pairing (Yet) and you're like grabby hands

Aki: Hey. Hey. Compare this to the time I almost wrote in Shio kissing Natsu's cheek waaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyy too early, and a little aesthetic ain't that bad~

ExoticGeneral: You know if you had wrote that slip up I would have went along with it too. It would have been a hilarious mess.

Aki: LMAO. Even Shiori would be confused like, "......I have never before in my LIFE ever done that.... Why did I do that now?!?" This is the Sims and I am the tru god and their lives are my pLAYTHINGS

ExoticGeneral: He would have stopped everything for a solid 5 minutes then continue like it didn't happen. If you don't react it's like it never happened, right? I mean that's how we do it anyways. We make them suffer cause it's fun

Aki: Plot twist, though...... Isn't even freezing considered a reaction?! So by freezing he thinks he didn't react, but the act of freezing up is a reaction in itself......!! YOU'VE BEEN PLAYED, NATSU!!! They aren't suffering yet, buuuuut..... All in due time

   Memes, of course:

ExoticGeneral: Ammy: So do you and Shio call each other pet names? Natsu: Pfffft! No! Of course not! Ammy: What do bees make then? Natsu:....Honey? Shio, from the other room: Yeah, sweetie? Ammy: Don't you ever lie to my face again.

Aki: tHIS WOULD HAPPEN, F U CK-- I AM LOSING IT

   And the moment we acknowledged how we know this ship was The One; our OTP forever and always: (featuring the best rant I’ve ever written for this ship)

ExoticGeneral: It's literally freaking insane how you just start having ten billions of ideas running through you're head! Like okay time to put then through some angst hell, then recovery fluff, little slice of life, smooches and some bonding/ development??? Like Im getting way too far ahead of myself here??? But the ideas/drabbles keep on rolling anyway. This is how you know this is the one.

Aki: Yes!!! And like.... Honestly, I pride myself on doing "realistic" stuff? Having my characters contradict themselves sometimes, do something that would hurt....cause humans are like that. Hell, it's why I also brazenly went for Shiori's emotional breakdown when she heard the news that all Lunarians had died..... Including her dear Kazuki.  Being able to imagine and know how that breakdown went in my head, where nothing she tried worked, until she went crawling back to her mother to grant her wish to not exist...take the pain away......  Boi. B o i. When it comes to big time storywriting, I get hELLA AMPED. I'm ready to show them every corner of the world, good or bad. Perfection or deep flaws. Give me that angst where they will realize that it hurts, but having someone to hurt with makes the pain ease a little. It doesn't fix everything, but having those assuring words and someone who cares deeply makes it harder to be upset. Let them have those slice of life days where Shiori wakes up in bed for once, stomach not aching or feeling like a void, and ready to start a new day. Have him drag her out to explore and shake up her old, rigid life. Let them, in the future, kiss and hug and wonder why....but know that if waiting so long meant finding love and getting it this right, then it was worth the wait. Let them develop so much, that we look back to where we started and cackle with joy, cause they friggen made it. Wow, a sappy rant from me, yEEHAW

ExoticGeneral: Damn right sister! Preach it! Like sometimes I just sit there with some bsckground music on and its so fitting that you just throw out 20 paragraphs like no problem. I just need those days with them where they argue over something little and it gets so blown out of proprtion and convoluted that they just forget what is was about? Just random nights of stargazing then falling asleep? Or literally doing nothing and either of them thinks of their s/o and gets super flustered for no reason? The day they actually become a couple but still trains his tush off and shio doesnt ask how he got strong, but why he did cause heckie is that gonna be one wild ride of a story. But the simple, final answer is to  protect her. Not because she's the daughter of Ammy, but because he failed to do so with his dad and elder brother and doesn't want to lose her too. Like I want weakness that comes with trust? Fear that comes with love? But also the fulfilling satisfaction of contentness. That you wouldn't trade this for anything else, its a unique feeling that only they can deliver. Ya feel?

Aki: Right??? Good heavens, mention music and now I need to go look up Shio's number one mood music........ Can't think Shio romance (especially where it's "skinny love") without remembering the song, sO-- Right?? Well, more likely her trying to fight back but she angry cries and just gets frustrated and shuts down. Won't talk. Won't feed the flames anymore with replies, but doesn't seek peace, either. It's a night where it alternates between dead silence in the home once more or quiet, strained sobs of someone who's already used to being hurt; she's just finding it harder to keep that pain quiet.    But it's..... It's home. More than it's ever been. From a family she couldn't quite connect with some days, to her own home all to herself... A place her own and where her life fit.    Last thing she would've ever expected is to find- in many ways- her opposite....and yet someone she'd find herself falling for all the same. Where it's funny to imagine her home used to be quiet and peaceful. Now there's some training dummies outside and even if he strays from home, she can hear him making noises out not too far away. There's footsteps of another person in her home now. This home....it's his home, too.    Something they're both happy to have. Company, understanding, and just.... An imbalance that makes it a balance by not being perfect.    She slows him down. He speeds her up.    They learn something from each other.    It hurts sometimes. His life will likely be long....but to what length? Will it end? Does she want to know? Should she ask?    And understanding what her mother saw in mortals from that.... Just because they cannot match in eternal age, doesn't make it all any less. The memories shared? Still memories made. Love was still had and wasn't it sweet? To love someone so completely, to have fought and made up, loved and lost...    It's scarier when it's you who can be hurt; this isn't watching someone's life play out like a movie. This is her life now and his and theirs together and it breaks her heart to know she could potentially lose him, but..... He's going to teach her so much. And she would understand what her mother does.    He'll be loved all the more for it.

ExoticGeneral: I literally have absolutely no words for this. I cant believe you would make me cry like this at midnight. This was the most hurtful, true, heartfelt yet heartbreaking thing I've read. I freaking forgot you did poetry is you spare time like holy.

   ...They just. Work together. It’s the perfect “opposites attract” relationship while still maintaining a balance between who they are alone and what their relationship is. The bolster of inspiration and motivation that they get from each other... He motivates her to leave the house more (often with him on a little adventure) and gives her that experience. As said, she slows him down and gets him to read more. Even try writing for himself, writing Shiori a small poem that he [slams down onto her desk and runs off in a hurry] gives her.

   Broadening their horizons with each other. The support and pure affection and how they do their best in their own ways to support each other... It’s perfect. Made a home in our hearts. And we sure wouldn’t want it any other way.

   As a final note... Have one more silly little meme we came up with:

Aki: So I'm re-reading our chat [again] and I just thought of this...... Natsu: I live to fight, so Imma take you down!!! Shiori, in her sleepy-whiny voice: Natsuuuu...... I wanna cuddle.... Natsu, already leaving: .......Someone else lives to fight and will take you down!!!

ExoticGeneral: You know that old saying goes, he who runs away lives to fight another day I'm glad I'm the only who just goes back and re-reads this entire message board of gross romance and heartbreak

   So yes, ship NatsuShio. Your heart will thank you...after it dies for 2 hours because of the angst that tails this ship in bittersweet flavors.

#NatsuShio #oc x canon #natsu dragneel #Okami #okami oc #Aki speaks #[SCREAMS WITH SO MUCH FEELING] #I WOULD LIVE FOREVER FOR THESE TWO #AND I PROBABLY AM!!!!!!! #[SCREEEEEEEAAAAAAAAMMMMSSSSSS]

[kohakuhime]

The Reluctant Guardian, ch. 23

Thank you guys for your patience. This update is longer than most to make up for the prolonged absence.

Disclaimer: this takes place post canon, and this refers to events that take place in an alternate verse. YGO and its associated characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi, I own Risa and Rowen (who’s mentioned here) and @mpuzzlegirl owns Isabel, Mikomi, and Travis.

Mikomi had been entering the Kaiba Corporation building to join her family, Travis escorting her, when the sky overhead had lit up.

She’d heard Travis stop behind her, a sharp swear leaving him, and she turned to see him gazing up into the sky above them as the lights wove their way across. Her eyes followed his.

When the screams started, shrill and warbled and distorted, she found herself wishing for the very first time that her powers didn’t work as well as they did.

Mikomi gasped, the noise as knives in her ears. She sank to her knees, pain lighting behind her eyes and her hands traveling to her ears to block the noise. “Stop! STOP!” she begged, eyes screwing shut. There was a hand on her shoulder, Travis’s voice urgent and frantic as he called for her.

The noise only grew in volume and she felt herself falling away, falling—

—and the dark was cold and dense, she couldn’t see, she could barely hear, and the cold shot through her bones. Whispers around her, voices and eyes that she could not see in the darkness around her. This was what people were afraid of. This was the darkness people feared. She had never been afraid of the shadows before, but this was not a natural darkness and she was only falling deeper and deeper into it.

The abyss was cold, empty, and suffocating; here, the girl could understand why other were petrified of the dark, and this dread only added to her unease of how and why she was here.

Someone help! Someone get me out! Help me! Where am I going?

The darkness was pierced by green light. Poisonous, pitiless, and even colder than the air around her, the light formed a path and she fell onto it. It illuminated her hands and feet, and Mikomi stumbled on it, desperate to find her way out of this place.

Images flew past, fragmented and confused and blurring together—

 —she’s in the charity headquarters, and there’s Uncle Alister and Auntie Carmon—they’re alive, they’re here…!—and then the men in the suits shove them toward her. She reaches out, but they phase through her and then there’s an explosion—

—the fires from the explosion are consuming the apartment, the glass cracking in the picture frames and sweeping through the room. It devours everything, but in the flames she sees Uncle Valon struggling in the grip of four men as they try to pin him down, and she screams as the fire starts climbing, stumbling for the exit—

—the flying sparks suddenly reform, cold water falling in sheets as the rain pelts her skin, and. She frantically looks around, the sky above her still black, with the rain only being illuminated by the green light. There’s something hurtling toward her down the hill, and she turns in time to see the car. She dodges it, realizing too late whose it is and she shrieks, reaching out for it. A roll of thunder rumbles, and then green lightning strikes to block her path, erasing the scene before her.

Voices that had been whispers rose into agonized screams. Mikomi had to cover her ears and squeeze her eyes shut for the noise was unbearable, tears running down her face. Her breathing grew heavy as she began to sob, wishing someone would come and help her.

In a brief moment where Mikomi opened her eyes, she let out a scream as she saw bodies of men with long and twisted faces float above her, their eyes hollow and their mouths stretched impossibly long. What made it worse was that the light was gone now, and she now knew the source of the voices.

Souls. Souls trapped in the dark. What was this?

Mikomi…?

Her heart jumped and she frantically began to look around. She knew that voice. It had been months, but she knew that voice! Where—where in this darkness was—?

Mikomi?

Another voice she knew, another precious voice. Where?!

…Mikomi! Mi—

“—komi! Mikomi!” Someone was shaking her shoulders, voice full of fear. “Baby, wake up!”

Mikomi’s eyes snapped open with a gasp, shooting upright and her arms reaching out instinctively for her mother. Familiar arms wrapped around her comfortingly as Mikomi sobbed. There was so much to begin to process, the nightmare so vivid, and it was all too much to take.

“I couldn’t get out—I couldn’t—! I—I kept calling—they were there too—!” She tried remembering the nightmare, trying to remember because there had been something important about those voices she’d heard…something important in that inky darkness that she’d seen…but now, outside of that terrible encompassing darkness, the details slipping away.

“You’re safe,” Isabel murmured, her hand gently brushing Mikomi’s hair out of her face. “You’re safe, sweetie.”

There had been someone with her in the nightmare…no, outside the building. Travis. He’d been with her before she had collapsed. Where was he? She couldn’t remember if anything had happened to him.

“T-Travis—?” she gasped out between sobs.

“In the other room with Kazuo and Risa,” Isabel said softly. “We’re in the infirmary. Travis brought you here.”

Mikomi leaned back, looking up. Her mother’s features were drawn and pale. Behind her, Mikomi could see Risa’s parents; Joey was holding Mai and murmuring something in her ear, as Mai clutched at him desperately. They were partially hidden behind a screen and Mikomi felt like she was intruding, so her gaze wandered.

Her eyes landed on a bed directly next to them, where she caught a snatch of green. “Papa!” she gasped, straightening and starting to scramble out of the bed. He was sleeping in the infirmary? Why?

Her mother stopped her from hugging him. “Papa had a bad episode,” she said quietly. There was no hiding the worry in her voice as she looked at her husband. “I don’t normally tell you this, but this time don’t touch him. Not yet.”

Mikomi understood. Papa wasn’t sleeping, he was unconscious. He did not look peaceful, either—he was hurting. There was a cold washcloth over his eyes, but it did not fully hide the deep frown and how much pain he was in. Soft whimpered huffs left his throat every few moments.

“What happened to him?” Mikomi asked quietly. She slowly rose to her feet, her mother allowing her to stand.

Isabel watched her daughter gingerly ease herself onto the edge of the bed, her hands clasping one of her father’s with delicate care. “I think, Mikomi, you and I know what’s wrong,” she said.

There was an angry edge in her voice. When Mikomi next turned, it was to see her mother facing the windows. Her gaze followed, looking out the window and seeing the lights dancing in the skies. She sucked in a breath.

It was all Mikomi needed to confirm her nightmare was more than a dream.

                                           ++++++++++++++

He was cold, soaking wet, sore, and the light being shone in his face was making his eyes ache. They’d left the strait-jacket on him and as an added measure had tied him to the chair. Harder to fight when he couldn’t see, either—his eyes were sensitive to the light after being in the dark for so long. All the same he was spoiling for a fight and the only reason he hadn’t had a go yet was because he physically couldn’t move.

The tossers had soaked him earlier before marching him to this office—said he had to be “prim and tidy” for some reason. They weren’t stupid enough to take off the strait jacket for a proper shower, so they’d simply upended a few buckets of cold water over his head and roughly scrubbed his face with a cloth. At the time, he hadn’t been even able to properly fight back. He’d been too disoriented after being trapped in the dark, and it hadn’t helped that they had drugged him either.

Valon shivered. He didn’t want to go back to the Room. It was too small and the shadows moved. He swore there were eyes in that darkness that watched him; whether it had been a result of the sedatives or his own fears, he did not know, but he’d barely slept in that tiny cramped space. Valon wasn’t sure if he could handle the shadow beasties again. The whispers alone had nearly broken him.

The tape over his mouth was ripped off. “Look at the screen,” said one man gruffly.

Valon snorted. “Can’ even see it,” he said hoarsely, though there was fire in his words. He couldn’t talk very well. The yelling and snarling—the screaming—while in the Room had robbed him of his voice.

Someone’s hand roughly grabbed his jaw and forced his head in the direction of where the screen was. Valon snarled, trying to tug his head loose. He almost bit the hand holding his jaw but couldn’t get a good angle on it.

“Ah, Valon, you can’t see but you can hear. Do try not to behave like a rabid animal, hm?”

Valon stiffened. He didn’t need his vision to focus to know who was talking to him. “Oh ‘ow nice,” he muttered. He scowled at the monitor. “Do me a solid, yeah? Go crawl into the nearest and nastiest pile of shi—“

“Language.” Belmont sounded amused, not angry. “How has your week been? I trust your room is to your liking?”

“Oh yeah. Feels like ‘ome,” he retorted. “I could go back ‘n’ live there.”

There was a lie and a tremor in his reply. He hated that he could hear the smile in Belmont’s voice as he spoke. “Oh could you really?”

“Wha’ do you want, git?” Valon said. He hoped that the change in topic would divert from being put back into the Room too soon. He squinted at the screen, wishing his vision would focus.

“Answers, just like the last time. Raphael and Carmon have been most cooperative—“

Valon laughed, enough to make his throat ache and burn. “Oh please. ‘m not tha’ educated, yeah, but I’m no drongo. ‘m not tellin’ you nothin’, not even if you lock me up again.”

“Your refusal to tell me anything is for naught. Raphael told me how to help my men use the Orichalcos.”

“Did ‘e, now?” Valon didn’t believe Belmont for one second. He knew Raphael. Raphael wouldn’t tell Belmont anything he could use.

It was at this moment that his vision chose to focus, and Belmont’s blurred face started coming more into detail. He only needed one look before he doubled over and started laughing, ignoring the pain in his throat. He could barely laugh and he sounded like a tired squeaky toy, and he knew it would put him back in the Room, but he just couldn’t help it.

“And what is so funny?” Belmont asked, his voice testy.

Belmont’s previously square cut beard had been styled into…no, honestly, Valon had no idea what he was looking at, but it looked ridiculous as hell and he couldn’t contain the laughter. “Who did your beard, the gardener?” he gasped out at last. “You need a weedwhacker t’ tame tha’ thing! Call up your lawn service, ‘cause you can give those animal bushes a run f’r their money with that!”

Belmont looked cross, which only served to make Valon laugh even louder. “I understand that modern chic is a concept hard for your uncultured mind to grasp,” he said stiffly. One hand rose unconsciously to stroke the curved, almost tribal pattern now etched into his beard.

Valon grinned. He knew he’d gotten under Belmont’s skin—usually Alister took a tone similar to that right before they bickered. “If modern chic looks like beer bottle openers being etched into your face, all the power t’ you.”

Valon tipped his head towards Belmont. “’n’ like I said earlier, I don’ need education t’ see you’re hidin’ quite the scratch there. You ticked off Carmon, didn’ you?” he asked pleasantly, eyes locked on the makeup hiding the marred skin. “I recognize Carmon’s work anywhere, fella.”

“Alister paid the price for this.”

Valon’s laughter stopped, smile vanishing into a suddenly too cold mask. The transition was jarring enough to make the nearest man step back. “You ‘urt him and I promise I’m breakin’ every bone in your body,” he said. “Every last one.”

“That would require you escaping and actually getting to me. Which, of course, brings me to the next topic of this conversation. I would be there in person, but unfortunately I’ve had unavoidable situations occur and I can’t be there for this. Bring her in.”

Her?

Her.

Valon’s heart stopped as the door behind him opened and he heard someone struggling. He didn’t even need to see the familiar flash of auburn hair to know who had come in.

“Let go of her!” he snarled instantly, fighting and straining against his bonds. “Belmont, don’ you touch her!”

“Oh I’m not there to—“

“You know exactly what I mean! Don’ you do anythin’ to ‘er!” he snapped, but fear was thundering in his chest now.

Not her. Don’t do what you did to Ells. Not to my Ren.

Serenity tugged against her captors, trying to pull free as best as she could. One of them had a bloody nose, rapidly swelling. Serenity had managed at least one punch and from the look of it she’d broken a nose.

“I heard about your little jaunt in the building, sweet girl,” Belmont said, his voice a near purr. “How terribly naughty of you to go for the phones.”

Phone? Had Serenity managed to make a call? Valon tried to gauge a reaction, but all he could see was his wife’s defiant tilt of her jaw and her head lifting. “Maybe you should hire some new guards?” she suggested, and though her voice was smooth and calm there was an edge in it. “They allowed me to get to the phone.”

“You are lucky you never managed to complete the call. If you had I promise it would have meant your husband’s life.”

“Don’ you worry none about me, love,” Valon called over to her, noticing the way her eyes darted to him. He winked, and in spite of the situation Serenity’s scared expression softened. “I say you made the right call.”

“Shut him up.”

Valon tried tugging his head backward and away, but he couldn’t dodge the tape being slapped over his mouth. Serenity tried to move to him, but she was yanked away hard enough to make her yelp in pain. Valon snarled behind the tape, still fighting.

“The problem I see here is that I’ve been too kind to you two. I ignored one, and the other I took too much pity on. I feel another reminder about who is in control is needed.” Belmont nodded to someone behind them, and Valon craned his neck to try and see what was happening.

The man passed him, a pendant dangling from his fingertips.

His blood froze.

“I think it’s time dear Alister and Ellie have a friend join them,” said Belmont smoothly, eyes glittering in malice. Serenity paled as the man approached her, trying to pull away as he got closer. Valon’s struggles renewed, horror meshing with fury—it’s happenin’ again, I can’ protect her, I’m failin’ one more person, don’ touch her—!

“Valon.” Serenity’s voice held tears as the man stepped behind her, looping the pendant over her head. She offered a watery smile. “Don’t stop fighting.”

And then the stone settled around her neck, electricity crackling along her collar as she wailed in pain and the room lit with green, poisonous green light.

Valon screamed.

                                          ++++++++++++++

Brock Turner was having possibly the worst case of Mondays imaginable.

First, the issue with the intruder. There was no explanation for exactly how one man had climbed roughly fifty stories without anyone seeing him, no cameras catching him, and then said man completely disappearing into thin air. No rhyme or reason in that, and Turner was hard pressed to figure out how the breach had even occurred. Maybe Belmont knew something, but in either event Turner would get an earful about “woeful lack of preparation.”

Right. Because he was supposed to be able to prevent people magically entering the building. Sure. Sounded about right. He had miracles in his repertoire, he just had not used them yet.

Second, Ratt had completely vanished. Just like the intruder, the guy had pulled a fast one. The building was on lock down until they found the miserable little man, but again he was stumped as to how one man could literally vanish into thin air. Hell, he’d even left a blood trail down the hall and there was still no clear idea as to where he had gone! How did that work?

And then there was this asshole.

Turner wiped the blood out of the corner of his mouth, straightening the tie that had come loose in the struggle. “Is he down?” he asked irritably.

A long pause followed. Then, with a nervous shuffle, one man stepped forward and gingerly nudged an unconscious Raphael’s shoulder with his foot. When Raphael did not move, the other men in the room relaxed. “Yeah, he’s down.”

Turner wasn’t as delicate as the other man. He kicked Raphael in the ribs, hard enough to bruise, and then he straightened. “All right boys: how are we doing?”

Belmont’s orders had been clear: dispatch of Ratt, then move Raphael to a different location. In light of Dartz’s recent activity, the intruder, and now Ratt’s clear involvement, Belmont had been antsy about leaving Raphael in the same location. It had fallen to Turner to move him, and he hadn’t anticipated any fight out of the burly man. They had thought him beaten and his spirit broken.

They thought wrong. Raphael had decided his streak of good behavior had ended.

It had taken five men—five—to even enter the room to attempt to subdue Raphael. The room was small and Raphael had used it as a way to funnel his antagonists through, beating each one soundly every time they had tried to grab him. Turner hadn’t realized just how quick and how strong the other man was until he was on the receiving end of a jaw-cracking punch.

What had finally brought Raphael down was a tranquilizing dart in combination with the stun gun. But by the time they’d even managed that feat the collateral damage was…well, decidedly not good.

Turner took stock of the other men. He himself could tell a tooth had been cracked—a molar, from the feel of it—and he could feel his eye starting to swell closed. Two had broken noses, a third was limping and cradling his stomach, and there was a fourth cradling his arm and looking close to tears. “Please tell me that’s not broken,” he said, exasperation in his voice.

The other man held it out, his breath a pained hiss, and Turner saw the way it was twisted in place at the elbow. “What is it with this guy and breaking arms?” he muttered. “That’s twice in two weeks. Go to the infirmary and get patched up. Send me some new hands to get this lug downstairs to the van.”

As those who were relatively unscathed began restraining Raphael, his phone began ringing. Turner didn’t have to even look at the caller ID before answering. Only one person had this number. “Yes sir.”

“I am on my way back. I’ve decided not to go to California after all—it seems my attention and focus is better spent here. I want Raphael moved to our primary location, and he’s not to leave his new quarters for any reason.”

“Yes sir. I will add he gave us quite the fight. He’s injured four people, and of them two are possibly not going to be able to continue working.”

“Remind me again, Turner. Those two added to the total number of employees Raphael alone has physically rendered unfit to continue working to…how many, precisely?”

Turner grimaced at the displeasure radiating over the phone. “Over the course of two months, the total number of those employees is twenty-five. That’s not counting any who’ve lost their souls, but you told us to discount that number.”

“Why exactly is it that high? How hard is it to restrain one man? Why do I rely on your services if you cannot even capture children or keep just one man under control? For that matter, Carmon was able to injure me and draw blood. That is unacceptable. Your men’s competence is slipping, as is my faith in your capabilities.”

Turner bit back the angry retort. “I apologize, sir. I will strive to do better,” he said.

“Good. Now, the matter about Ratt.”

Turner hesitated and then sighed. Belmont’s mad at me anyways, let’s just get it over with. “Sir, Ratt’s nowhere to be found. I shot him and wounded him, and he made it to a stairwell…but he’s disappeared. I thought at first he was hiding, but he stepped through the door and instantly vanished. I’ve only seen that once before.”

A sharp inhalation on the other end of the phone. “So have I, and for once this isn’t your fault. I want all the information on Ratt’s employee record pulled up, and I want it now. Disable all of his access to our system—I want it done within the hour. Once that’s done, alert all posts to watch for Dartz. I’ve no doubts he’s up to something.”

“Yes sir.” Turner snapped his fingers at one of the men who was not moving Raphael out. As he approached he relayed Belmont’s orders in a low whisper. “We’re already on it.”

“I will meet you at our primary headquarters later this evening. Make sure all evidence is disposed of. Oh, and Turner?”

Belmont’s voice held ice. “No more screw ups, or you can consider yourself terminated.”

                                             ++++++++++++++

Dartz glanced at the clock in the empty room and then rose stiffly. Waiting idly for hours had taken its toll on his body and he could feel the faint thrum of pain at his injured side. He wished there had been a way to speed up time so he would not have to wait as long as he did, but there was no way to globally advance time and if there were he didn’t have the magic for it. Patience had its virtues, though, and he had been rewarded for waiting.

He’d used his access as Ratt to gain entry into the building, donning the disguise one last time; he knew it would lose its efficacy once word about Ratt’s dubious identity reached this building. From there he had stepped into the nearest empty room to wait until nightfall, locking the door behind him. Here in California, it would not be that long—and he needed the cover of night for his plan.

Dartz straightened. “Let darkness fall,” he said quietly, steel in his voice.

The sliver of light visible around the doorframe disappeared as the building’s power was cut. Dartz knew his spell had reached even the backup generators. It would be at least twenty minutes before the power came back on.

More than enough time.

Dartz stepped out into the windowless hallway, eyes narrowed. “Find him,” he murmured, and his vision sharpened.

Visible only to Dartz’s eyes, a faint blue trail lit along the floor. He began to follow it, calmly sidestepping the men who shouted and fumbled in the pitch black. They didn’t have flashlights yet and he was taking full advantage of the situation.

The light led him further up, towards the stairs. Dartz impatiently opened the door and crossed his threshold spell, and when he stepped through he felt the familiar tug around his waist as he was transported through the building. He caught a glimpse of a higher floor number. Not the top floor by any stretch, but definitely close.

The blue light was flaring now on the floor, and Dartz moved cautiously after it. Unlike the lower levels, there were windows lining one side of the hall; moonlight was filtering in and his silhouette would be plainly visible.

The light guiding him on the floor led him deeper, away from the windows. Soon it vanished, just outside of a janitor’s closet. There was a heavy padlock on the outside of the door holding it shut and Dartz’s eyes narrowed. Anger blazed to life.

They’d locked him in a closet. They had locked Valon—who was claustrophobic—inside a closet.

“Open,” he snapped, and the lock dropped away as if it had been eaten by acid. He opened the door and stepped inside.

It was not as small as he thought, in that he could walk in. But it was still wretchedly cramped even without the cleaning supplies and—

There was a muffled snarl and a thump. Dartz’s eyes searched the darkness until he caught the all too familiar outline of Valon’s hair in the dim light.

His youngest Swordsman had been tied to the shelves, legs bound and his torso tied to the lower shelves; the strait jacket was double insurance to keep him in line. He’d been gagged, blindfolded and there a headset over his ears—sound-cancelling headphones. Effectively, it was isolating him in this darkness.

Valon was fighting as much as he could, but with as much restraint as he was contending with he couldn’t break free. Panicked huffs were audible behind the tape, and he could see tear-tracks even in the little light he had. Dartz felt horror and anger rising together, but he clamped on his emotions. Valon needed him now.

He bent down and pulled the headset off first. Valon’s struggles intensified, but he stopped when Dartz spoke. “Hold still.”

                                             ++++++++++++++

Long ago he had been locked in a spot just like this. It wasn’t the strait jacket that had him so scared back then. It wasn’t even the small space, the walls that closed in.  

It was the dark. It was the quiet. It was the shadows in the corners that, if not watched, moved and stared at him unblinkingly with eerie eyes. It was the whispers in the room, whether in his own mind or actually there. With the soundproof headphones, he couldn’t tell. At least the blindfold helped this time—he couldn’t see the shadows moving.

He didn’t know how long it had been since they had first put him in here. It could have been hours, days, even a week or more…he just couldn’t tell. They’d barely fed him and whatever they gave was drugged. It didn’t help him, as some part of him was convinced the shadow beasties were a part of the drug cocktail keeping him sedated.

The days had blurred in here. They were spent in frantically kicking the wall in front of him, fighting to free himself, and internally begging the shadow monsters to stay away as the time had passed until he collapsed from stress and exhaustion. It was a vicious cycle of fear and anger and exhaustion and I want out, get me out, someone get me out, HELP ME!

Today had been the first day he had been out of this room. He’d never been so happy to leave, even as he knew that he would probably be put back in here. But he’d never imagined…

His arms pulled inside the jacket, trying to tug the seams loose again. The tape and the rope around his neck made it hard for him to yell, though it would not have done much good—his voice was gone from all the cursing and screaming he’d done. His hair was still damp, bangs plastered to his forehead, and his shirt was still unbearably damp.

His shoulders ached and were sore from ramming them into the door. He’d resorted to kicking, at least until they’d come in and tied his legs together. That was fine—he had wiggled over to the door and had kept up the constant kicking until his thighs burned and he couldn’t feel his feet. They had come in one more time after that, only to tie him to the shelves. Then they had left him alone.

When he had been tied up this time, it had been with full intention to prevent him from seeing, hearing, or calling out for help in the darkness. He couldn’t move to face the door. But he could feel vibrations, and it was how Valon knew someone had come in.

He snarled, and even as tired and aching as he was he still fought to free himself as he felt the footsteps get closer. He felt rather than saw the person behind him and he tensed in place, ready to spring into action the moment the chance presented itself.

What he wasn’t prepared for was someone kneeling next to him, pulling the headset off, and then speaking to him. “Hold still. You’ll be free in a moment.”

Valon stiffened. That was an uncomfortably familiar voice.

The blindfold was next to go. Then it was the tape, followed by the strait jacket and ropes binding him to the shelves. He blinked rapidly as he was helped to his feet, trying to get his bearings in the darkness. He opened and closed his hands, rolling his shoulders to get the circulation going again. He also wiped his eyes in a gesture of nonchalance to disguise the tear tracks.

The door was open behind the man facing him, offering at least a little light into the room, and it was all he needed to fully identify who had rescued him: it was Dartz after all. He’d survived when Paradius had fallen, then.

They stared at each other in the darkness, neither side moving or speaking.

And then Valon punched Dartz in the jaw as hard as he could manage.

Dartz had likely seen it coming. He had plenty of time to dodge the blow, Valon had been so shaky after being restrained for so long and he’d telegraphed the punch. Even so, the blow still landed. Dartz landed heavily on his right side and his face blanched, his body curling on reflex.

The corner of Valon’s mouth turned down. “Tha’s for before. For all the crap you pulled,” he said flatly, and then he stepped forward and helped Dartz to his feet. He took extra care on the right side. “Now, let’s go find Ren.”

Dartz blinked at him as Valon roughly pushed out of the room. “That’s all you have to say?”

Valon looked over his shoulder. “You took tha’ punch head on, Dartz. You didn’ flinch away from it, didn’t back out, didn’ try to convince me not t’ hit you. Tha’s all that needs to be said, for me.”

Dartz’s expression was unreadable, just as it had always been, but he followed after Valon. “We do not have much time before the power comes on again. Do you know where Serenity is?”

He didn’t bother asking how Dartz knew about Serenity. Dartz always seemed to know everything, so Valon had never particularly questioned his information sources. Besides, asking wasted time—and Valon was spoiling for a fight.

“I know.” Valon’s expression was feral, eyes lit with fire. “I know exactly where my wife is.”

Previous | Master Post | Next

#kohaku writes #au: reluctant guardian

[mamasaiko]

Merry Christmas!! This is a gift for @catsoul2, a good friend whom I was lucky enough to meet and make friends with, our conversations always lighten my days making them better. Thanks for always listening me and being there. I will always be here for you!

I am not a writer but with the power of my heart I wish it can make you happy. Sorry for the grammar mistakes and MERRY CHRISTMAS!  

--------------------

"Aaah Christmas" touka gently murmures as she places her hands closer to her mouth trying to warmer them. Two years have already passed since Kaneki and her got married, and now their family it's composed by a new member, Kazuki, who in a few days will celebrate his first birthday.

"Do you like them kazuki? Aren't the lights beautiful?" she says to him, who with wide eyes looks at them, hypnotized by the twinkling colors that cover the streets. 

"It's beginning to be late, we should quickly end our shopping" in a few hours Kaneki will be at home after a long day of work. She doesn't want to miss her opportunity to welcome him, more knowing that today is his birthday. Touka smiles at the thought of it.

She would have never thought there would be a day where both would be able to share those moments without fear, living them as normal people. This is one of the results of Goat and CCG joining hands, which created coexistence between species. Despite the fact there is still part of the society that rejects this idea.

As she is submerged in her own thoughts she catches Kaneki's sight. He is at the street, talking with a unknown woman, that holds abruptly his arm as he leads him to a shop. 

She is looking at the place were both where standing, cold expression as she proceeds to look at what shop they entered. "A lingerie shop" she says quietly. Touka is unable to move or to think clearly, her mind full of questions.

What is he doing with her at a shop like that. Is there an explanation that doesn't imply what she thinks is happening? She begins to ask herself.

"Mama?" Her thoughts are interrupted by Kazuki, who looks at her with a worried expression. Without saying anything, both start walking towards home, as she tries to hold her own emotions inside that has already begun to eat her.

-----------------

"I am back" Kaneki says as he crosses the door out of air. Did he came back running home? she thinks to herself, as the image of him and that woman pierces her thoughts.

She would have usually told him "welcome back honey" kissed him and tried to help him to get out his jacket, but today is different. She doesn't have the strength to act tenderly and lovingly towards him.

"Is it all okay, Touka chan?" Kaneki asks her, perhaps sensing the atmosphere and her tense glare over him.

"You have come back late today" she directly says avoiding his question, her cold tone making Kaneki shudder.

"Ah well...yeah" he nervously speaks. "I wanted to buy some things, and I ended up spending more time than I thought". More time than he thought?, it's probably related to what was he doing with that woman. The thought of it beginning to break her stability, as the feelings she was trying to hold inside being about to explode.

"If you wanted you could have stayed.... Today I saw you at the street buying lingerie with a woman" before she was aware of it, the words had already come from her mouth.

Kaneki's face colds down after understanding the situation. He is about to speak but his words seems to be trapped on his lips.

"So, that's how it is" Touka says with a broken voice, as some tears begin to fall from the corner of her eyes. "You can go if you want" Touka's feet moving as she leaves him behind, unable to speak or react.

He probably didn't expect her to discover that quickly...isn't it?

-----------------

It's late at night and Kazuki is already sleeping, she has decided to take a shower in an attempt to cold off her thoughts and feelings. Despite her hard words said on the heat of the moment, Kaneki is staying at home, perhaps searching a way to help things get better.

"Maybe I am overthinking. I should have let him explain himself first" she says to herself as hot water falls from the top of her head. 

When she ends showering, she wears a towel around her torso and gets out of the bathroom room. Directing her steps towards their room, as she stops herself when she sees him sitting at the edge of their bed. 

Both remain in silence as she closes the door, so that they don't wake up Kazuki. She is trying to avoid his glare, looking at the opposite direction, at the same time she tries to hide her expression under her hair.

"It isn't what you think, I didn't do anything with her" he tries to explain. Can she trust those words? She knows he isn't lying but the image of him and her entering the shop makes her feel as if she is being fooled by him.

He gets up from the bed walking towards her until both are just a few inches from each other. He is looking at the top of her head as she looks at the ground, one of his hands resting against her cheek. So warmth she thinks, as the sensation of it, hurts her chest.

"That woman, is one of my coworkers, she offered herself to help me" she looks up at his face. He isn't touching his chin and his eyes seems to be sincere. But his explanation sounds so strange...

"She offered herself to help you to go to a lingerie shop?" How innocent can you be?...

"Well, I...I wanted to buy something special for today as a surprise. But when I tried to enter the shop alone the other day, I felt really uncomfortable. Seems like the sales women mistook me by some type of pervert. That's why she offered herself to go with me and help me, so that they wouldn't look at me as some type of perturbed" as he explains himself an intense blush begins to show up on his cheeks. She cannot believe it, is he serious? a little laugh escapes from her lips.

"Touka-chan don't laugh it's not funny. God.." Kaneki is red like a tomato. No matter how much time passes, he will be as introverted as always when it comes to sex. He probably stared for hours at the sections unable to choose, and thus the sales women began to suspect of him.

What an idiot husband she has, who still blush while talking or asking her for sex. But that's one of the things that made her fell in love with him after all.

"You are such an idiot" she says as she kisses him, surprising him before he corresponds her actions. Both kissing each other with mouths full open as their tongues join in unison, putting her closer towards his chest, as she leads him towards their bed where both fall.

"Wait, Touka" he says making Touka on top of him stop her actions. "The present..." he tells her as he points out to a bag were a red passion lingerie lies down.

"Shouldn't it be me, the one giving you a present?" She says to him playfully, as she begins to undress him leaving kisses on his neck.

"I guess, that's also my present" he says as a moan escapes from his lips when she moves against him, touching his member that is already hard due to her actions

The clock marks 22:55, seems like there is still time left. 

-----------------

"Ahh" Touka moans. She is on top of him, eyes closed and hands on his shoulders as they move against each other in unison, the wet sounds coming from their sexes resonating at the room.

He feels so good, she thinks as she looks at Kaneki's panting face above her, cheeks reddened while with his hands he tries to guide her hips as he thrusts back against her.

She is wearing his present, a red babydoll with black lace that seems to drive him crazy, placing one of his hands on her right boob as she kisses him.

"Ken" she says in a whispers against his lips before she bites her lower lip in an attempt to contain the sounds that desperately try to leave her lips, while their movements become faster.

The pleasure is beginning to be too much for both of them and as they are close to their release, he pushes her back against the bed thrusting hard as they exchange positions, him being on top of her as he moans her name against her ear.

"I am...ahh" she moan loud as he hits her sweet spot, curving her back at the air, as her hands now on his back leaves scratches that quickly vanish. It isn't too much after when she cums, followed by him, who continues thrusting back until both are too exhausted to continue. Collapsing over her as both try to catch their breaths.

"That felt good, Touka" he says quietly, as he listens her heart beat while she plays with some strands of his white hair.

"I am sorry for what happend today, I should have tried to listen you first. But the fear you would be wanting to be with another woman made me blind. I really am sorry" she says as Kaneki who has lift his head, looks at her with a tender look that also seems to contain sadness.

"I love you, I will never do that. You and Kazuki are my family no matter what" he says as he proceeds to kiss her, getting out of her, as he pushes her against him while she rests her head on the crook of his neck.

"I...too. Happy birthday" she whispers as her cheeks began to redden even more, while Kaneki smiling massages her left arm. "I know" he says kissing the top of her head.

It's late and both need to rest. As they fall asleep and a new day comes, she can't stop but think how many days like this will come. But that's what living means, good and bad things happen, but they are now a family and that makes it all better. 

#MERRY CHRISTMAS #this is going to the speed of ya #i am a dramatic bitch #touken fic #sorry for the gramma mistakes #catsoul2 #personal

[danganronpawritings]

Unspoken (Ishimaru x OC Kazuki Saito)

Of course they both knew that something was there, but they both thought that they were just very good friends. Neither had even considered the possibility of something more than that. After all, they both had little experience with friends and no experience with love. … “You know, I could simply stand, Ishimaru-san.” Kazuki said from outside of one of the school’s storage facilities. “Nonsense! You walk with a cane. I won’t allow you to stand for an entire period! Plus, you’re the one that offered to serve as hall monitor with me.” Kiyotaka came out holding a spare chair over his head. “Here, I insist that you take this!” “U-understood…” Kazuki reluctantly took the chair and set it down, before carefully sitting. “Thank you very much, Ishimaru-san. I a-appreciate it.” “Of course! Anything for my friend!” Kiyotaka saluted happily. Kazuki smiled lightly “You just l-love that word don’t you?” “Which word?” “Friend. You say it…rather often.” “D-does it bother you!? I’m sorry, I-“ “N-no, I am not bothered by it at all! In fact, it is…quite nice, to hear someone call me that…” Kiyotaka breathed a sigh of relief. “O-oh…I’m glad, because…” Kiyotaka looked down awkwardly. “I…really like saying it. I’m not…sure why.” Kazuki paused for a moment, almost in shock, before looking at his friend and saying “I feel…e-exactly the same…” “Not surprising, but definitely relieving!” “Good…good.” … The next day during his free period, Kiyotaka was in the library, a common occurrence for him, this time studying Latin phrases. While he was engrossed in the book, Mondo entered the library, his sharp walk contrasting the quiet environment without a word. “Sup man?” Kiyotaka didn’t seem to hear him at all and chose to simply flip to the next page. “Bro?” Still no response. “TAKA! FUCKING LISTEN!” Kiyotaka finally looked up. “Oh, hey bro! Please do not yell in the library. This is meant to be a place of quiet study and tranquility! Nothing should disturb that!” Kiyotaka immediately realized his mistake and covered his mouth. “Well, I wouldn’t have ta yell if ya’d just listen the first fuckin’ time.” Mondo sighed deeply “Anyway, watcha up to? I don’t remember you takin’ Latin.” Kiyotaka’s response was immediate and had some sort of snap to it. “Oh, I’m not! However, Kazuki is taking Latin and I promised to help him. I tried to tell him that he would do well on his own, but he insisted. Something about my ‘superior organizational abilities.’” “Ah, that dandy? I should’ve fuckin’ known. You’re getting close with him, huh?” “Please don’t refer to him as a ‘dandy.’ That’s simply offensive. Also, of course we’re getting close! We are friends after all. Why wouldn’t we be close?” “No, man, I mean you’re gettin’…close.” As Mondo said this he winked as deviously as possible. Kiyotaka responded flatly, completely oblivious to the wink. “That’s…the same thing you just said. I’d ask that you refrain from repeating yourself.” Mondo emphatically facepalmed, whispering “This thick motherfucker.” “What was that? Be clear with your words!” “No, Taka, I mean CLOSE. As in intimate. Ya know, boyfriends? Is that clear enough for ya?!” “Gah…!” Kiyotaka seemed to completely freeze. “Taka?” As if he was a literal broken record, Kiyotaka uttered “Wha…wha…wha…” for an entire minute. Thus, Mondo decide to handle Kiyotaka’s sputtering the same way that he’d handle a real broken record; by punching. As of on cue, Kiyotaka uttered a resounding “WHATWHATWHATWHATWHAT!?!?!?” “Umm…bro? You feelin’ okay?” “NO! I DON’T THINK I AM! I..I FEEL WEIRD! AAAHHHHH!” Kiyotaka put his hands against his head, as if not wanting to hear something. At point, others in the library were beginning to shoot the pair dirty looks. Mondo sighed “Jeezuz.” Shortly, he dragged Kiyotaka out of the library and got him a safe distance away before punching him again, this time in his face. His nose bled a bit, but not severely. Taka clutched his nose on instinct. “B-bro, why would you-?” “Shaddup and listen! Now, ya said you feel ‘weird.’ Good weird or bad weird?” “Both! N-neither! Umm…I DON’T KNOW!” “Keep goin’…” Kiyotaka looked at the ground as he spoke, thoroughly embarrassed “I…I really like Kazuki. I mean…he’s one of my best friends…and this weird feeling…it’s kind of like what I feel when I’m with him…” “What!? Why didn’t ya say somethin’ earlier?” “I…I thought it was normal…” “You thought…a feeling like that…was normal…?” “Y-Yes! Like…like something you feel with all of your friends…” “Didja ever feel that way with me…? Anyone else?” Kiyotaka’s eyes widened and he looked up “Umm…no…” “THEY WHY WOULD YOU THINK IT WAS FUCKING NORMAL!?” “Gah!” Kiyotaka quickly looked down again “U-Umm, my most sincere apologies. I should have been wiser…maybe I should have studied a book on love!” Kiyotaka formally bowed, now furiously crying. Mondo sighed, this time solemnly, and put his hand behind his head “Dammit, I’m sorry…c’mon stop cryin’.” Kiyotaka sniffed “Y-Yeah…Yeah. Sorry…” “So, you were sayin’? I’m thinking there’s a ‘but’ coming up?” “Yes…I told you how I feel…b-but…these feelings…they’re not appropriate for a school environment…” Mondo thought for a moment, and finally came up with the genius response “Why?” “Wh-why…?” “Yeah, why!?” “Umm…b-because…!” “That ain’t a reason.” “I…” Kiyotaka stood for a few minuets, obviously in shocked contemplation. Suddenly, he smiled. It was somehow different than his normal smile, but Mondo couldn’t pin down how. “You know what…I think you’re right bro!” It was now Mondo’s turn to be surprised “W-wait, no shit?” “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have research to do!” Kiyotaka cheerily saluted and quickly walked away. Even if it was an urgent situation, he couldn’t run in the halls. Mondo watched as Kiyotaka walked out of his sight. “What the fuck just happened?” … Kazuki ambled through the halls, reading through his Latin dictionary. While it may have been dangerous for most people to walk and read, Kazuki had never had a problem with it and he didn’t plan to start on this day. He technically should’ve been in the library during his free period, but Kiyotaka has insisted on doing private research before they studied together, so Kazuki found it pertinent to leave him be. “Venditionis. That would be…s-selling.” Kazuki said this aloud, presumably to no one. However, someone did approach shortly after he uttered these words. “Hey Kaz!” Hirono greeted her friend with a small wave. Kazuki looked at her over the top of his book. “Salve Ishikawa-san! Quid tu agis?” “I’m just putting up posters for our school fundraiser.” Hirono held up some blue tape and then sighed sarcastically “Send the girl with two prosthetic legs to put up the posters. Great idea on the student council’s part.” Kazuki replied with equal sarcasm “Sent you…that’s odd. I seem to r-recall you asking to be put on the job because you needed more service hours for your degree. Perhaps I’m simply mi-misremembering. ” Kazuki snickered, though not loudly enough for Hirono to hear. “In any case, do you need a-assistance madame?” “Some Ultimate Gentleman you are! That should have been the first thing you asked.” Kazuki adjusted his glasses nonchalantly “You directed sarcasm towards me first. I simply re-retaliated. So…sh-shall I take that as a no, then?” “Yeah, no, I don’t need any help. After all, the student council gave ME this job. I’ll do it, no problem at all!” “Th-that is what I like to hear. I m-must congratulate you on you efforts, Ishikawa-san.” “Aww, thanks Kaz. Hey, speaking of the student council, how are you and Taka doing?” Kazuki donned a confused expression “Th-that was…a sudden change of topic…” “C’mon, just answer the question! How are you two doing?” Hirono asked this question with a slight touch of urgency. “Umm…I am…n-not exactly sure how to answer…” “Why’s that?” “Well, f-for one thing…Ishimaru-san and I are two different people. To answer your qu-question, I would need to give you…t-two answers…” “Umm, Kaz, that’s not exactly what I meant.” Kazuki then grew a bit more confused “…Then…wh-what did you mean…? Hirono showed her disappointment plainly “Do you really not have any clue what I’m trying to imply here?” “N-no, Ishikawa-san…I do not even have the f-foggiest notion…” “Geez, okay…umm…ah, yes! Kazuki, have you ever wanted a boooyfrieeend…?” Hirono made sure to stretch the last word in a semi-suggestive manner. However, Kazuki took no notice if this but instead said “D-do you insist on attempting to c-confuse me today, madame?” “What?” “I have m-multiple male friends. I…assumed that you were a-aware of that…” “Ugggggh…” Hirono clenched the bridge of her nose in frustration. “E-excuse me, am I…causing you undue stress? M-my apologies, I r-really should-“ “No Kaz! Boyfriend! One word! You get me!?” “No…” “Huh…!?” “What is a…’b-boyfriend?’” Kazuki uttered the final word with air quotes. “…” “Madame…?” “ARE YOU SERIOUS!?” “Umm…I-I…” “HOW CAN SOMEONE SO SMART BE THIS SOCIALLY DUMB!?” “P-perhaps you could calmly explain to me what a…’b-boyfriend’ is…? It’s possible that I am aware of it, just…under a d-different name.” Hirono sighed solemnly “Okay. A boyfriend is a guy that you want to have a closer relationship with. Like love.” Kazuki’s look of confusion didn’t fade. “…” “Kazuki?” “I…d-do not get it…” Hirono looked both shocked and crestfallen “Wh-What’s there not to get?” “Many things…the cl-closest thing that I can relate to this ‘boyfriend’ is a husband, but…there are m-many differences there…” “H-husband!? Nonono, a person is a boyfriend BEFORE marriage and then they become your husband!” “B-before…marriage? Th-there is a…step before marriage?” “What are you talking about!? Of course there is!” “Not that…I have e-ever know of…” “…WHAT!?” “Everyone that I have ever kn-known, including my parents, has had a spouse p-picked for them…by their parents or legal guardians. They often meet for the f-first time on their wedding day. Also, they do not marry for ‘love,’ they m-marry…for money and/or status.” Hirono covered her mouth in shock. She was sad, but couldn’t explain why. “D-damn…sometimes I…forget how rich you are…” Kazuki noticed her recoiling “I-l am really n-not trying to f-flaunt my money or to be a-arrogant I am just…I am just so genuinely confused right now…I have no idea what we are speaking about…” “B-but that’s…s-so…fucked up!”Hirono began to cry. “H-Hirono…!” Without even asking, Kazuki hugged Hirono “Dang it…wh-what kind of Gentleman am I…? T-to make one of my best friends cry…disgraceful…I…I apologize…” Kazuki let Hirono go. “D-don’t apologize Kaz. I just feel…I’m fine now! Thank you!” Hirono smiled genuinely, despite her tears. “Y-you are welcome…” … Hirono found Kiyotaka in the library the next day, which was no surprise to her. He was readying a book called “Relationship Milestones: How Long Should You Wait?” Hirono began to think it might be good that she was about to interrupt him. Taking a more tactful route than Mondo, Hirono tapped on Kiyotaka’s book. As soon as she did, he quickly marked his page, closed and put down the book and snapped to attention. “Ah, Hirono! Nice to see you my fellow student council member. How may I help you?” “Taka, all this research is…to ask out Kazuki, right?” Kiyotaka’s expression instantly changed to panic “Wha…wha…h-how d-did-“ “I heard about it from Mondo. Listen, I think that you might want to…give up…” “Give up? Why!?” “Well…you know how rich Kazuki is, right?” “Of course. He comes from one of the richest families in Japan, the Saito family. Both of the elder Saito’s are now deceased, so Kazuki had inherited both of their fortunes. How does this relate to the topic of me giving up?” Hirono thought “Does this guy seriously research…everything?” However, she said, “I’m getting to it! Well, I heard about what you’re trying to do from Mondo two days ago, so yesterday I saw Kaz and tired to…y-you know…” “No, I don’t.” Hirono twirled her hair awkwardly “I tried to…help things along…” “H-help things…along…?” “That’s not important right now!” Hirono seemed borderline furious about that part. “So, we talked for a while, and…since he’s so rich…he…” Hirono looked obviously sad. “H-Hirono, do you-“ “No I don’t need help.” Hirono retorted “He’s only ever seen arranged marriages, Taka! He wasn’t even aware of what a boyfriend was until I told him yesterday! He’s never even…heard of a marriage for love.” “…” “Taka…the concept of love is foreign to him. It took him such a long time to understand love between friends and he’s never really experienced true familial love…I doubt that he’d understand romantic love.” Kiyotaka had his eyes closed, thinking deeply “Hmm…” “What is it?” Kiyotaka suddenly opened his eyes “I truly thank you for the information, Ma’am, but I must respectfully refuse to give up! If anything, this is only a reason to try harder!” Hirono was dumbfounded “T-Taka…” “No battle was ever won by giving up! Battles are won trough uncompromising hard work and discipline! This situation is no different…I’m sure that I can do it! I’m a hundred percent sure, in fact! I want to be the person to make him feel that way…I want to…help him understand…” Hirono sat for a moment, processing the information that she had just been given as if she was a buffering computer. When she recovered, she smiled lightly and said “Well then…you’re a lucky man, Kiyotaka Ishimaru.” Kiyotaka smiled in the same manner “Let’s hope that I am.” … The next day Kiyotaka was in the student council meeting room, pacing. He had about a thousand thoughts at once, but couldn’t pin any of them down. So, he simply continued pacing and looked at his watch. It was just about coming up to the meeting time though Kazuki always said that being on time made him five minuets late. Then, Taka heard a knock at the door. It was, of course, his invited guest. “I-I am…so very s-sorry to be late, Ishimaru-san!” Kazuki bowed, gritting his teeth in embarrassment. “That’s not a trouble at all, Kazuki! Please, sit down.” Kazuki did as he told “So, what did you…want to talk to me a-about?” “Umm…I-I…Ahem, uhh…” “Ishimaru-san, wh-whatever it is, I’m sure that it’s not as big as you’re m-making it out to be.” “Ah!” Kiyotaka’s eyes widened, but he seemed more motivated than surprised “Okay…okay, this may sound rude, but…Hirono informed me about the conversation you had with her. About…the arranged marriages and such…” “Arranged marriage…? I’ve never heard it called that, but I s-suppose that…would be accurate…A-apologies, go on.” “So…would it correct to say that…love is an alien emotion to you…?” The words felt heavy as Kiyotaka said them. Kazuki was suddenly stuck silent, but he nodded his head slowly. Kiyotaka sat in a chair directly facing Kazuki and breathed in heavily “I understand…love…romance…it’s all so…foreign to me…but…I look at you and I know that…I want to figure it out for you…with you…b-by…e-experience…” Kazuki stayed silent for a second, though ever moment seemed like an eternity to Kiyotaka. “I-Ishimaru-san, a-are you…!?” “Yes Kazuki, I am…I am asking you formally now…would you please do me the honor…of being my boyfriend?” “I…I…I…” Kazuki paused for what must have seemed like a millennia “Y-Yes…” “D-did…did you just…say yes!?” “I…th-think I did…!” Kiyotaka smiled the widest he had in ages “Th-thank you so much Kazuki! This…this is the happiest I’ve been in such a long time! I almost can’t believe that you said yes!” Kazuki smiled as well “I…r-relate. So…what kinds of things do umm…‘boyfriends’ do…?” Kiyotaka cleared his throat “Uhhh, well, according to m-my research, I��ve found some things that would…work at this stage. So, first of all, boyfriends usually sit close to each other…” Kiyotaka immediately moved his chair to be closer to Kazuki “…and, they do things like…like holding hands…!” “Holding…h-hands…?” “Yes, it’s just like-“ Kiyotaka carefully took Kazuki’s hand in his own “-this.” “Ah, I s-see. What is the p-purpose of this?” “It is to reassure your partner! To make them feel safe knowing that you’re there.” Kiyotaka looked own at their linked hands with a smile “At least…that’s what this means to me…” Kiyotaka rubbed the back of Kazuki’s hand with his thumb “D-do you…do you like this, with our hands joined?” “Y-Yeah, I think I do…my h-heart is beating irregularly fast.” “Ah, that’s normal. No need to worry, you don’t have condition! That’s what I though at first too, but apparently that’s just a common reaction when your partner is near!” Kazuki looked genuinely surprised “Interesting…” Kazuki looked in to Kiyotaka’s eyes “A-anything else?” “Well, we could also…say nice things to each other…” “Nice things…? L-like what…? Could I have an e-example?” “Yes, of course! So, for example…normally I’d say that behavior like this was against school policy, but…Kazuki…” Kiyotaka squeezed Kazuki’s hand slightly and looked into his eyes “Y-you’re…you’re worth breaking a rule for.” Kazuki blushed severely “Ah…! Th-that was…” “W-was…was that good?” Kiyotaka said hopefully. “Y-Yes…great…” “Good! I was practicing that for a while! I meant every word of it too!” “L-let me try…um…I…I’d break my Gentleman’s Pact for you…” Kiyotaka now blushed equally “K-Kazuki…!” “Did I…?” “Yes! That…felt amazing to hear!” “W-were there any other things…?” “One more. We can give each other nicknames or what are know as pet names.” “P-pet names?” “They’re little names that we call each other and only each other. Things like honey or darling. Myself, I think I’ll just stick with your name.” “Y-Yes, likewise.” “Understood! Instead of calling you Kaz like everyone else, I’ll call you Kazu…is that fine?” “Y-yes…I like it!” “Very well! What would you like to call me?” “Umm, everyone calls you Taka, so…maybe I could call you…Ishi?” “Sounds great to me!” The two of them sat together holding hands for what felt like an eternity and a single moment all at once, until the school bell rang. This was the first time that neither of them were sure if they actually wanted to go to class. Reluctantly, Kiyotaka stood and Kazuki shortly followed him. “Well, let’s go to to class Kazu!” Kiyotaka smiled at his new boyfriend “Y-Yeah…here we go Ishi.” The pair then walked out of the student council room…still holding hands.

#danganronpa imagines #submission

[zacekova]

Akagami no Shirayukihime Dragon Companion AU compilation

Okay, guys. This is getting really long and I don’t regret a thing. 

This is a collection of a bunch of ideas and images from a thread on the Obiyuki discord that we’ve tossed around about an ANS AU where dragons exist. I’ve had some thoughts since then and have added my ideas to the list, but there are still a lot of blank spaces and room for expansion. 

I’m listing any ANS writers/artists who have said they want to create content for any of these. PLEASE feel free to send me pictures, ideas, suggestions, alterations, questions, etc. Literally anything you can think of, anonymously or otherwise. I’ll post the asks and let it go a few rounds in the ANS fandom to see what ideas most of us seem to like best and add them to this master post. 

I hope this monstrous thing serves as inspiration for some of you and is good, wholesome fun for the rest of us. 

Dragons are immortal creatures that have existed since the dawn of time and come in many shapes and sizes. Most are hundreds to thousands of years old and females and babies are rare. They choose To live among humans as lifelong companions and friends, finding a new companion after the previous has died. 

(Note: Dragon’s age the equivalent of about 1 year to every 7 that passes through infancy to adulthood. Once they reach maturity - around 200 years of age - they cease maturing and can live indefinitely, so far as we are aware. Some species never stop growing, some do.) 

Shirayuki’s 

Color: Pink 

Size: Pocket (5-10 inches long)

Age: 250

Personality: Angry. Snaps and hisses at people, particularly Raj and his dragon or anyone who tries to touch her hair. Hides out in Shirayuki’s pockets and hoods - and under her hair, when it was long. 

History: Gets into fights frequently despite his small size, so his face is rather smashed and mangled. Shirayuki still thinks he’s lovely. 

Hoard: Insults and colorful stones 

Writers/Artists: 

Zen’s 

Color: White 

Size: 3 feet tall 

Age: 800 years 

Personality: Dopey and friendly. Drools a lot. Excitable. Runs around the castle knocking things over and making a nuisance of himself. Taught Zen how to climb the castle walls. Probably snores. And chases his tail, among other things. 

History: 

Hoard: Feathers and leaves 

Writers/Artists: 

Obi’s 

Color: Yellow 

Size: Pocket (12-15 inches long). No wings. 

Age: 537

Personality: Flirtatious and clever but also kind of grumpy. Holds grudges over little things and likes to tease. Once hid inside Obi’s pants while Obi was sleeping because she was cold but Obi’s reaction in the morning was so hilarious she does it just to mess with him now. 

History: A huge influence on the development of Obi’s personality - he used to be sullen and quiet but she was so annoying he had to learn to retaliate. 

Hoard: Scarves (they’re warm.) 

Writers/Artists: 

Ryuu’s 

(After growth spurt)

Color: Green, furred. 

Size: Still growing. 

Age: 84 (developmentally the same age as Ryuu) 

Personality: Venomous. 

History: 

Hoard: 

Writers/Artists: 

Mitsuhide’s 

Color: Dark blue 

Size: 6 feet tall 

Age: 871

Personality: Lazy. Very lazy. Sleeps everywhere on anything all the time. Is very strong and helpful but you have to get him up first. Rests his head on Mitsuhide’s shoulder when he’s awake and gives headbutts as a sign of his affection. 

History: 

Hoard: Sunny, cozy alcoves and rocks 

Writers/Artists: 

Kiki’s

Color: Iridescent purple and blue 

Size: 10 feet tall 

Age: 2,332

Personality: Regal, pompous, vain. A beautiful dragon and he knows it but secretly angry about his “smaller” size. Thinks dragons like Izana’s are “excessively large,” and is quite vocal about it. Likes Kiki because she is strong and beautiful and doesn’t take crap from anyone but that’s where their similarities end. 

History: 

Hoard: Reflective surfaces (constantly hounding Kiki to pull out her sword so he can make sure there’s nothing stuck in his teeth).

Writers/Artists:  

Izana’s 

Color: White 

Size: 30 feet tall 

Age: Unknown 

Personality: Ancient and wise, but secretive. Arrogant, disdainful, cold. Has little tolerance for younger dragons. Doesn’t care for weak and stupid people, either, but he finds them amusing all the same. Izana ends up becoming a rare exception; the young King is clever enough to appeal to this dragon’s interests and he ends up begrudgingly fond and protective of Izana after a few years. 

History: 

Hoard: Clarines kingdom (is the companion of the king or the king’s heir exclusively). 

Writers/Artists: 

Zakura’s 

Color: Black 

Size: 12 feet tall 

Age: 942 

Personality:

History: 

Hoard:

Writers/Artists: 

Haruka’s 

Color: Gold 

Size: 8 feet tall 

Age: 2,800 

Personality: Prideful and inquisitive. Spends a lot of his time reading or traveling. 

History:  Is a companion to Haruka’s family more than Lord Haruka himself, and is the biggest reasons for their wealth and standing in Clarines. 

Hoard: Books and maps. 

Writers/Artists: 

Garrack’s 

Color: Red  Size: Age: Personality: History: Hoard: Writers/Arists:

Yuzuri’s 

Color: Red and orange 

Size: 20 feet tall 

Age: 400 

Personality: Suspicious, protective. Hot tempered and can be violent and malicious if her companion or friends are in danger. 

History: 

Hoard:

Writers/Artists: 

Suzu’s 

Color: Yellow 

Size: 2 feet long 

Age: 250 

Personality: Relaxed and lazy but very curious. Likes to lay on Suzu’s head or shoulder and read along with him while Suzu researches and asks a lot of questions until falling asleep again. Drives Yuzuri’s dragon crazy by napping on her neck just high enough that she can’t reach to nip his tail. 

History: 

Hoard: Pencils and pin cushions (the latter makes excellent pillows) 

Writers/Artists: 

Shidan’s 

Color: Brown 

Size: 8 inches 

Age: 1,863 

Personality: Dead without the canonverse’s version of coffee. Cranky and prickly and critical but secretly fond of almost everyone. 

History: 

Hoard: Coffee. All the coffee. 

Writers/Artists: 

Lata’s 

Color: Black. 

Size: 3 inches 

Age: 5 

Personality: Cheerful and curious and playful. Still just a baby. 

History: Lata had never had a dragon companion before. He happened to be out in a cave hunting for stones when he stumbled across a hatching dragon. She took a liking to him despite his panicked protests that he has no idea how to take care of a baby. He does a great job not matter how much he complains and she absolutely adores him. 

Hoard: Fruits and berries. She hasn’t figured out yet why they keep disappearing (Lata eats them before they go bad). 

Writers/Artists: 

Kirito’s 

Color:

Size:

Age:

Personality:

History:

Hoard:

Writers/Arists:

Haki’s 

Color: White 

Size: 10 feet tall 

Age: 1,958

Personality: Wise and clever. Offers quiet council and advice but only when the person would not be better served by figuring it out themselves. 

History: 

Hoard: 

Writers/Artists: 

Makiri’s 

Color: Grey 

Size:15 feet tall 

Age: Unkown. 

Personality:

History: 

Hoard:

Writers/Arists: 

Raj’s 

Color: Reddish pink 

Size: 6 inches 

Age: 702 

Personality: 

History:

Hoard: Coins 

Writers/Arists:

Rona’s 

Color: 

Size: 

Age: 

Personality: 

History:

Hoard: 

Writers/Arists:

Eugena’s 

Color:

Size:

Age:

Personality:

History:

Hoard:

Writers/Arists:

Sakaki’s 

Color:

Size:

Age:

Personality:

History:

Hoard:

Writers/Arists:

Mihaya’s 

Color:

Size:

Age:

Personality:

History:

Hoard:

Writers/Arists:

Mukaze’s

Color: Brown and Green 

Size: Unknown 

Age:Unknown 

Personality: Slow and steady as a mountain. Old and wise and infinitely kind. Adopts pretty much everyone on the mountain as his children. Fearsome when angered. 

History:

Hoard: People 

Writers/Arists: superhappybubbles 

Itoya’s

Color: Grey 

Size: 12 feet tall

Age: 1,442

Personality: Quiet and serious. Contemplative. Likes to sit outside and watch nature, watch the sun and moon and stars cross the sky, the water flow in the river, the birds and creatures go about their days. Patient and stubborn as stone. 

History: 

Hoard: 

Writers/Arists: 

Kazuki’s 1st 

Color:

Size:

Age:

Personality:

History: Umihebi killed Kazuki’s first dragon, something considered impossible before. Kazuki rarely talks about it. Umihebi became more power hungry, greedy, and arrogant than ever before. 

Hoard:

Writers/Arists: superhappybubbles 

Kazuki’s 2nd 

Color: Brownish green. 

Size: 24 inches long 

Age: 23 

Personality: Cheerful. Kinda dopey. Very clumsy. Basically a fearless but accident-prone little kid who wind Kazuki over by being ridiculously chirpy and lighthearted and giving Kazuki’s concerned and protective spirit one too many heart attacks by walking obliviously into danger. 

History:

Hoard: Flowers and acorns 

Writers/Arists: superhappybubbles 

Umihebi’s 

Color:

Size:

Age:

Personality:

History:

Hoard:

Writers/Arists:

Kihal’s

Color: Blue and green, exotic in appearance. 

Size: 2 feet long

Age:

Personality:

History:

Hoard: Snail shells 

Writers/Arists:

Hisame’s 

Color: Dark grey 

Size: 15 feet tall 

Age:

Personality:

History:

Hoard:

Writers/Arists:

Touka’s 

Color:

Size:

Age:

Personality:

History:

Hoard:

Writers/Arists:

Tsuruba and Tariga’s 

Color: Dark grey 

Size: 10 feet tall 

Age: 470 

Personality: 

History: Touka chained him down as a punishment to the twins once after they had made a mistake. The first thing they do after Touka dies is run back to release him. 

Hoard:

Writers/Arists:

Shuuka’s 

Color: Black 

Size: 15 inches 

Age: 72 

Personality: Rambunctious and curious. Explores in the walls and crevices of the fort and eats the mice and rats. Hangs upside-down from the rafters to sleep. Likes to roll around and bat at people’s feet while they’re trying to walk. Basically a cat, but cuter. 

History:

Hoard: Arrowheads. Two (2) mice or one (1) rat can be traded for one intact arrowhead, should the need arise. 

Writers/Arists:

Shiira’s 

Color: Orange 

Size: 4 inches 

Age: 608

Personality: A total moron. Look at that face, c’mon. He likes to climb trees and eat fruit. He screeches extremely loud with a raspy, grating tone to get Shiira’s attention, which he absolutely loathes, and gnaws on literally everything. And then just when Shiira is ready to wring his neck, he falls asleep on Shiira’s lap curled up in a tiny ball and snuffling/nuzzling at Shiira’s belly. 

History:

Hoard: He seems to think every chair and bed in existence belongs to him. You got up to go get a drink? Too bad, he stole it. You want to go to sleep? Well, looks like he’s camped out right in the center and how could you possibly stand to wake something that adorable? 

Writers/Arists:

Kai’s 

Color: Unknown 

Size: Unknown 

Age: N/A 

Personality: Unknown 

History: Someone gave him the egg as a gift. My shipping heart wants to say Shiira, but I don’t think a lowly gate guard could afford a dragon egg. 

Hoard: Unknown 

Writers/Arists:

Haruto’s 

Color: Purplish blue 

Size: 5 feet tall 

Age: 924

Personality: Happy and sweet. Likes to lick Haruto’s hand and nuzzle her side. Curls around whatever chair she sits in. 

History:

Hoard: Pearls 

Writers/Arists:

Yatsufusa’s 

Color:

Size:

Age:

Personality:

History:

Hoard:

Writers/Arists:

Higata’s 

Color:

Size:

Age:

Personality:

History:

Hoard:

Writers/Arists:

Earl Seiran’s 

Color:

Size:

Age:

Personality:

History:

Hoard:

Writers/Arists:

Torou’s 

Color:

Size:

Age:

Personality:

History:

Hoard:

Writers/Arists:

Atri’s 

Color:

Size:

Age:

Personality:

History:

Hoard:

Writers/Arists:

#akagami no shirayukihime #ans #dragon companion au #dragon companion au masterpost #shirayuki #ryuu #zen #mitsuhide #obi #kiki #izana #garrack #zakura #haruka #atri #torou #raj shenezard #eugena #rona #sakaki #yuzuri #suzu #shidan #lata forenzo #kirito #yatsufusa #higata #hisame #mukaze #itoya

[sambart93]

2017.05.03 Marker Light Blue Deeper Review!

I got to see my beautiful Hiroki-kun again on stage <3

Official Website here Official Twitter here Press Coverage 1, 2, 3 Other Related (e.g. Opening/Dance) Videos: 1, 2, 3, 4

Cast and Characters (Character’s Actual Name / Japanese Pronounced and Written Version)

CLOUD BLUE GAKKOU/SCHOOL Jyounin Tatsuki as Saphir/Safaia Sugie Masahiro as Verite/Berute Oguri Ryo as Honette / Onetto Furuhata Keisuke as Affection/Afekushion Iwa Yoshito as Tendress/Tandoresu Tanaka Hiroki as Chasete / Shasutate

RED Seto Keita as Rubis / Rubi- Shiokawa Wataru as Dignite / Digunite Hattori Muo as Passion / Pashion Masui Kento as Courage / Kura-jyu Domoto Shouhei as Beaute / Bo-te

CORINDON GROUP Sueno Takuma as Corindon Katou Mao as Walter / Warute-ru Hagiwara Naruya as Guillaume / Gyo-mu Akaba Mio as Thibaud / Chibo- Sugamoto Ikumi as Doudou / DuDu- Yoshizawa Tsubasa as Ghislain / Gisuran

SCHOOL COUNCIL Okita Kouhei as Horace / Orasu Watabe Hiroki as Roro/Roro Sono Kazuki as Nicholas / Nikola Uchino Futo as Anton / Anton

NON-SPOILER REVIEW

Overall: This is my second Odd Entertainment production. While it wasn’t as good as Soul Flower (see review here), this play still had a lot of charm. I really enjoyed the world and the action was great and I like how the story came together. The costumes were awesome, the use of the stage was great, all the characters were interesting and I enjoyed it! The only place where it really lagged was that the set up and introduction took quite a long time in my opinion. So getting to the action took time. But it was good! Rating: 7/10

---

STORY

We follow students who go to a special magic school BUT have never been to the outside world because it’s too dangerous and because they all have magic powers, they’d probably be killed instantly if they went out. One day, very strangely, they get a transfer student (something that has never happened before) and it appears he doesn’t even have a power, or at least the powers haven’t awoken yet. The boy also doesn’t have any memory of who he is, how he got there nor what he did before he went to the school. On the other hand, the Corindon Group are trying to find a magic thing can Corindon needs and wants in order to become all powerful. This leads his men to the school, but what will happen and who is this new guy?!

Did I make it interesting enough for you? Good!

Onto the SPOILER REVIEW!

So I already stated the tiny negative in the Non-Spoiler section so I don’t need to comment about that at all, so lets get to all the good and juicy stuff!

I was SO freaking excited to see this stage for some reason! Just the fact it’s from the same guys who did Soul Flower - which I freaking loved(!) - and it was Hiroki-kun again and not ONLY Hiroki-kun but past actors that I’ve seen Oguri Ryo and Higawari Naruya! And then the freaking visuals came out and Hiroki-kun was doing a BLONDE role again and he was FREAKING adorable in it! I was so ready for this. So naturally my expectations going in were crazy! I’m glad for the most part I was happy and enjoyed this!

Again Odd Entertainment managed to take a simple story and just make it so much more. Also the characters are all so realistic, none of them are the same, they all have their own traits and personalities and they each have their own charm!

Speaking of the story, I really liked how it all came together. First we have three different groups of people; Blue, Red and Corindon group, and how they so perfectly come together e.g. Corindon group is searching for the magic power while also using and manipulating the Reds to help them and then turns out the magic power is actually TWO people, one from Blue and one from Red so they all end up at the same place together. I am not doing this story justice so I’ll just go full spoiler on the story right now:

So Saphir is the transfer student who doesn't remember who he is or where he came from but he turns up at the school with only a letter on him telling him to go there. So everyone in the school wants to know who he is and why his powers haven't awakened yet regardless of his age. Some are naturally hostile to him but slowly and surely he manages to win everyone over and become everyone's friends. Meanwhile Corindon is ordering Red and his group to find Saphir and only says that Saphir has something that will help them become strong. In reality he wants Saphir because he's magical and he wants him in order to become the ultimate ruler and most powerful man in the world. So Red infiltrate the school and kidnap Saphir who ends up in Corindon's lair. Naturally Blue want to save their friend to try to break in and get him back but on the way, one by one, they get killed. Slowly the Reds realised how evil Corindon is and change sides, well most of them and turns out Rubis is also part of the magic power Corindon wants. A long time ago the power split itself into two so it would be safe from being used for evil, creating Rubis and Saphir and if them two come together with the help/control of Corindon then something very bad could happen. It was originally just Saphir but he saved Rubis as a child and decided to transfer part of his power into him. Neither of them remember their past until they meet back in the present. So in the end it’s most of Blue and Red fighting (and dying) for their life to save both Saphir from being tortured and killed for his power, and to keep Rubis safe also, as well as stop and destroy Corindon and his group.

Sound decent enough?

So the story is technically simple; two powers make an ultimate power, evil lord on the rise. BUT when you add all the friendship and the magic actually being people who have a history and connection and evil guys turning to the good side and such, it becomes so much more and is so much deeper (no pun intended) in story!

Okay now onto the next thing!!

I super, super, super love what the did with the actual stage! They had two massive slabs on either side of the stage that they would rotate when the scene changed. It would be the school gates or the school dorm with sofas, or it could be the back of a building with a bench or it’d be full of chains and show the Corindon den/hide-out; it’s really creative yet the actually assembling and such is so simple!

The action was really good too but like Onigiri (same theatre it was at too) there were a bit too many people and things on stage at once for my worries and anxiety not to be like ‘PLEASE don’t hurt yourself or fall off!’ and luckily no one had any trouble which is a lucky godsend because seriously, anything could’ve easily gone wrong. As expected it wasn’t like Touken Ranbu stage/musical and 2.5 level of choreography and speed but it was still great and the weapons and such were interesting =]

I also really loved the costumes and the hair and the visuals in general were amazing! I wanted EVERYONE’s bromides! I ended up only buying Hiroki-kun’s (and Domoto’s for a friend) BUT if I had had the money I would’ve definitely bought: 

And now onto the characters themselves... ready for an essay? If it wasn’t already xD

ACTING/CHARACTERS

CLOUD BLUE GAKKOU/SCHOOL

Jyounin Tatsuki as Saphir/Safaia: I get the feeling this actor is a big deal but I have no idea who he is. Just the way he holds himself and talks, it came off like he’s probably one of the more popular actors and of course as the main character too in this. But in all honesty, his character was the most boring in terms of personality but that’s probably because he spent the entire stage being like who even am I?!’ and ‘hey guys lets all be friends! I have no past or personality so I’m a good neutral for everyone to be friends with’ is the impression I got from him. Also we all know the MC is always the least interesting character xD *google* oh fuck he’s in TsukiUta!!!!... no wonder he felt like he was famously known as a stage actor! Dammit my spidey senses were right that he’s a big deal... 

BUT getting away from the air he gave off and his character, during the curtain call when he actually could be himself; he was totally adorable! He kept messing up his speeches and stuff and just so naturally and automatically slapping himself on the cheek when he messed up and everytime everyone cracked up laughing xD

Sugie Masahiro as Verite/Berute: So you see his visuals and you just imagine a stereotypical glasses character right? Like Tezuka (TeniPuri) or William (Kuroshitsuji). And he IS like that and all stoic and such BUT as you get to know him, he can fight and he’s super nice and tries to help Honette out a lot. And his and Honette’s sword fighting practise scene was great! I really enjoyed those scenes with him and Honette, you can tell they’ve been friends for a long time. Also his hair was fabulous xD

Oguri Ryo as Honette / Onetto: I got to see Oguri in action for the third time! He always does amazing with the action scenes and every time he’s played a different character too. This time we got the cool and mysterious, quiet guy who is obviously badass and could woop your butt within seconds if you tried to start a fight with him. I love his solo sword fighting practise around the back of the school before Verite joined him and they then practised together <3 But his and Chasete’s death scene broke my heart... I’ll get to that later... his power was fire if I remember correctly.

Furuhata Keisuke as Affection/Afekushion and Iwa Yoshito as Tendress/Tandoresu: I’m going to put these two together because they’re twins in this, Affection being the younger brother even though Tendress is the ‘’weaker’ one. Their power is super cool! It’s like Kamen Rider W where both of them have to be present in order for the power to work! So what happens is Tendress goes into a sleep state while Affection uses the power to attack. So yeah, exactly like Kamen Rider W xD I love how they always held hands together (of course xD) and Affection always tries to protect his brother. Also their death is sad; they’ll laid against a wall with their hands against each other =[ they were cute!!

Tanaka Hiroki as Chasete / Shasutate: Now to this little cutie! Freaking Hirokikun you guys! (A compuslory bigger photo for him obviously <3)

Once again Hiroki-kun did a somewhat different character. This character is a right queen! He’s very manipulative and gets people to do what he wants. He has poor Orasu under his thumb and when Chasete tells him that he doesn’t like him (because Orasu is in LOVE with Chasete) Orasu just breaks down and finally realises Chasete was just using him! It’s such a good scene! Also before this scene we get Orasu being a bit sexually frustrated and Chasete just pins him down on the sofa and then when Orasu gets really angry he switches it around so he is on top of Chasete and starts to unbutton his vest! =O 

Also when Chasete corners in on Saphir and tries to seduce him too! Oh my!! Seriously I am all for this type of Hiroki o_O this is the second time I’ve seen him do a BL role and I loved it xD cannot wait for his scenes to be on DVD! 

But oh me, oh my his death scene! So it ends with him and Honette fighting together and they’re both obviously killed and while on their last breathes, they’re back to back while sat on the floor and Chasete just says ‘I want to sleep / Yasumitai’ and Honete is like ‘yeah just sleep here’ and then obviously they both die =[ it was so sad!

Chasete’s power is basically Manipulation (how is that not surprising xD) and so he can like control people like a puppeteer. It’s pretty cool ^_^ 

Also Chasete is just pretty as all hell! 

I love when Saphir kind of sees through Chasete’s evilness and is like ‘you’re just insecure... be MY friend’ and Chasete breaks down and opens up to him <3 such a good scene!

Hiroki-kun as usual entertained me and made me happy that I’m following his career <3

RED

Seto Keita as Rubis / Rubi-: I’m going to be honest, I wasn’t interested in this character all that much until towards the end. For most of the play he’s just following orders and it becomes clear to the rest of the group that he’s been brainwashed and deluded into thinking Corindon is a good person and he truly believes that Corindon is wanting this power for everyone. But when he learns that he’s the other half of the power and finally believes that Corindon is mean THAT’s when he gets interesting! Visually he looks cool anyway but his character development and story wasn't the most interesting for me.

Shiokawa Wataru as Dignite / Digunite: Ahhh I’m sorry! I don’t really remember this guy =S I remember he’s one of the first Reds to turn good and all but I found the rest of the Reds so interesting that he just kind of fell behind =[ I’ll have to wait for the DVD to make an opinion of him. Sorry guys!

Hattori Muo as Passion / Pashion: I LOVED this guy! As soon as he came on stage, I was like YEAH! He’s so energetic and so raring to go and he has a lot of energy and reminds me a lot of those larger/taller roles, for example Momo from Tenimyu or pretty much any role the actor Shouhei (from Tenimyu, Sengoku Musou, and others) -- do you understand what I mean? I really, really liked him! His death was so sad =[

Masui Kento as Courage / Kura-jyu: This baby is adorable!!! I wanted to take him home!! But his storyline is so sad!!! He gets brutally killed off straight away and THEN Beaute uses his appearance as like a facade when he wants to attack the others! Seeing and evil Courage was upsetting! his death guys, his death hit the feels! And he’s so tiny and cute!!! ... oh shit you guys ... I’ve just googled... he’s not much younger than me!! Holy *dead* he was in YowaMushi! He plays Mizuta!!! OH MY GOD!!! I love him in YowaMushi!!! I remember googling him immediately when I saw him in YowaMushi!!!! OH MY!!! Damn now I do wish I’d bought his bromides to support him!!! OOOOO! He did the Alice play with Keito too?!?! DAMN!! *dead* look look look!

Domoto Shouhei as Beaute / Bo-te: This guy... I know my friend Josie follows his acting troupe/group (acting right? not boy band right? xD) and so she told me about him and so naturally my brain was like “focus on him on stage!’ and me oh my I got SUCH a delight from him. Not only do the Reds come in from the side doors at one point, but also he walked down my aisle and do not trust these pictures, they do not do him justice; he’s SO much more prettier in real life!!! I was in love... love at first sight with this character! His character was also super interesting! He ends up just turning on his group and being one of the two TRUE bad guys and his magic is awesome; he can change his appearance and it’s like image magic where he can creative nothing out of thin air so long as he’s seen it before!

When they came in from the theatre doors that one time, one (I think Dignite) was talking to the crowd and saying that one of the audience members was beautiful, and Domoto flicked his hair back and was like 'of course I'm the most beautiful though' and then Passion turned to him and just shook his head at him very slowly xD Beaute paid no attention to it xD And then in another scene on stage he mentioned his beauty xD Seeing him in his usual out of costume self is absolutely hilarious that he would do such a ’beauty’ role because he looks so different and normal out of costume! I mean look at him normally and then relook at his character photo! So different!

No wait, I take it back. He is VERY pretty even normally... But seriously guys as THAT character, he really is beautiful!

CORINDON GROUP

Sueno Takuma as Corindon: This guy was a good decent bad guy! I don’t have much to say about him just because he’s the stereotypical bad guy and he does it very well. But it was great how he managed to get one group to follow his orders without that group finding out his real motive nor that he had another and his own group doing his bidding too. Also the slight torture scene with Saphir being tortured and tied up by the chains and Corindon electrocuting him(?) was very interesting xD

Katou Mao as Walter / Warute-ru: I have a love-hate relationship with this character. On the one hand I thought he was completely badass and his giant sword weapon was awesome and he kicked butt and I love how when he got really serious he would take out his hand from under his cloak and throw his cloak back so both his arms showed as he fought. BUT (I’m going to be really super shallow now) he just wasn’t pretty enough as this character. In fact, I’d say he looks AWFUL in his pictures (so he’s not photogenic BUT) If you google him he looks great normally! Anyway getting away from my shallowness... he was a badass character and was totally cool and I loved his fighting weapon.

Hagiwara Naruya as Guillaume / Gyo-mu: This character kind of fell under the radar. I really like d the actor in Soul Flower and I kind of expected him to play a bigger role but he really only just popped up here and there and didn’t really bring much to the table, I think he was just a mad scientist that could only come in handy once Corindon got his hands on Saphir.

Akaba Mio as Thibaud / Chibo-: This guy reminded me of... someone... I can’t quite place my finger on who but he was very much like a BDSM type military guy. Do you understand? He also had this whip which was his weapon and he had tight clothes on and such so you get me right?! He was fairly interesting but had a much smaller role than the others so also kind of fell under the radar.

Sugamoto Ikumi as Doudou / DuDu-: This guy was the stereotypical big bony guy who’s pretty dumb and brings comic relief and does stupid things. Except his comedy really didn’t hit all that well with half of the audience. I really enjoyed his stupidity but I didn’t really hear anyone laughing at him which is a shame.

Yoshizawa Tsubasa as Ghislain / Gisuran: I LOVED this guy! Everything from his visuals to how his character is mysterious and quiet but very deadly when he fights, he was good! It’s a shame he was easily overpowered when the Blues got serious though. But I did enjoy his ninja-esque feel and his had the part of clothing that covered his mouth to be more ninja and quite like and he only spoke when he absolutely needed to so overall he was pretty dang cool! Also the actor himself is cute xD

SCHOOL COUNCIL

Okita Kouhei as Horace / Orasu: This poor guy, he was so easily manipulated and used by Chasete but then when he got his heart broken and he goes kinda mental was creepy but very well done.

Watabe Hiroki as Roro/Roro, Sono Kazuki as Nicholas / Nikola and Uchino Futo as Anton / Anton: I’m going to put these guys together. They’re all relatively young and they all had not so much time on stage and they were definitely the cutest because of how much younger they were and I have to say the sweetest out of them all was Roro because he got kidnapped and traumatised thanks to Corindon, also Roro is just like Saphir in that his powers haven’t awoken yet so he’s there to support Saphir when he;s like ‘where is my power?!’. These three did a very good job!

And I think I’ve finally done it!

---

AFTERSHOW

I went on opening night and at the end, instead of an aftertalk or a handshake, we got to take pictures of the whole cast on our hpones so here’s some shots I took ^_^

The last two shots were of the cut outs in the lobby ^_^

---

GOODS

As you can see I stayed Hiroki-kun central BUT as previously mentioned, if I had the money I definitely would’ve bought some other’s bromides <3

---

And we’re done! Another down... a billion 8 more to go (seriously I am SO far behind >.<)

#tanaka hiroki #domoto shouhei #domoto shohei #jyounin tatsuki #oguri ryo #iwa yoshito #masui kento #hagiwara naruya #odd entertainment #stage #stage play #review #舞台 #マーカライトブルー #yoshizawa tsubasa #marker light blue #marker light blue deeper

[lady-charinette]

Forever obsessed with the fact that Kyu-chan had most likely taken care of the medical aspect of Rei's recovery after he shot himself in the arm and Kazuki and Miri being there for him every step of the way.

Kazuki explaining to Miri that Papa Rei had a bad accident at work and wouldn't really be able to use his arm the way he used to.

Miri being sad at first bc that meant Papa Rei won't be able to play video games with her anymore or hold her. Miri brightening herself up by saying Papa Rei is still Papa Rei, with two functional arms or just one, so she would do everything she could to help him recover.

Kazuki tearing up and hugging his girl and whispering what a good and sweet child she is, that both he and Rei are lucky to be able to call her their daughter. Miri hugging her papa & kissing his cheek.

Rei eavesdropping overhearing from his room, his jaw clenching in an effort to try and keep the tears at bay. They still roll down his cheeks and he quietly wipes them away.

Months of occupational therapy, Kazuki trying to find honest work, Miri going to daycare and trying to cheer up Rei and help him in the house. They're staying at another safe house of Kyu-chan's until they're able to rent their own place.

Miri sometimes rubbing and poking Rei's arm to see if he has any reaction, she grows sad when he doesn't but he just smiles and ruffles her hair, telling her he was fine as long as they all stayed together.

The quiet, tender moments in the evening when Miri is already sound asleep, safe in her bed from any threats. Where Rei is trying to change for bed but his shirt gets stuck on his head with only one arm pulling at it in one direction. Feeling two helping hands pull his shirt off the rest of the way.

Kazuki is holding out his Rei's PJ's to him, at first he refuses to accept help to get dressed, it was embarrassing, he was a grown man.

Kazuki just swats his hands away, all the while snarling what a stubborn bastard he was, but his touch was gentle and careful as he guided Rei's arms into the shirt sleeves and helped him pull up sleeping pants. Rei vehemently insisted on being able to go to the toilet ALONE, but Kazuki still hovered over the closed door from the other side just in case "Rei fell over, hit his head on the tile floor and someone had to fucking call the ambulance".

Kazuki changing for bed himself before he brushes teeth together with Rei. They grow comfortably silent, marveling at how they managed to escape with their lives, how peaceful things were (for now).

They still tense at the slightest sound, Rei reflexively tries to reach for the knife at his night desk, but he forgets he can't use his left arm and makes a mental note to move his knife to the other side for easier access.

Kazuki has multiple weapons; a short knife in the top drawer, a baseball bat under the bed and a small handgun tucked in his underwear drawer (he knew that was the safest place where Miri wouldn't look and couldn't reach). Since Rei was no longer a human weapon, he had to step up and protect both him and Miri in case Rei's father changes his mind and goes after them.

They still need time to fall asleep, Rei feels the phantom pain of the gun wound on his arm, the spot grows tense and spasms randomly throughout the day.

As if sensing his discomfort, Kazuki would reach over and gently massage Rei's arm.

"You don't have to-"

"I want to."

They fall silent again, Rei exhaling at the way his muscles relax again thanks to Kazuki's ministrations. He sinks further into the soft bed, no longer sleeping in the cold hard bathtub. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it. You want an ice-pack?"

"No."

Kazuki had argued the mini fridge in their bedroom was purchased for the sole purpose of storing ice packs for Rei, but it looked suspiciously full of pudding and other sweets for Kazuki to munch on at random intervals during the night.

They fall into a comfortable silence again, until Rei quietly whispers into the darkness. "How is job hunting going?"

Kazuki snorted. "They ask all sorts of questions. What does it matter if can't handle accounting stuff when I work as a waiter? Someone else should count the money after work! Sheesh, they drive me crazy with all those extra questions too! 'What do you like to do in your free time?', 'Why did you leave your previous workplace?', 'Why would you like to work for us?'. Duh, to make money. Besides, it's not like I can just say my previous line of work got a little too dangerous and we almost got killed infiltrating my partner's mafia family mansion."

Rei chuckled quietly. "I don't think that would be a good answer."

Kazuki mirrored his chuckle. "Yeah, neither do I. But...I should find work soon. I will find work soon. So that I can support you and Miri properly and you can rest up well."

Rei tensed again beside him and Kazuki's hand shot out to caress his arm. "Tense, again?"

Rei didn't answer. "Rei?"

A muffled sob filled the silence and Kazuki's lips stretched into a small smile in understanding.

Rei tried to silence any sounds that might escape him, but the overwhelming emotion crushing his chest like a vice had him struggling to keep his composure.

This time, Kazuki's hand touched him again but instead of massaging his arm, he moved to tenderly grab Rei's head and pull him into a hug.

Rei tried to struggle at first, but just sunk into his embrace without much fight after a few seconds.

Kazuki held him close, fingers tenderly running through his messy black hair. He knew what Rei wanted to convey without him uttering any words.

Thank you, Kazuki.

They were safe and together and that was all that mattered.

#buddy daddies #bd #buddy daddies spoilers #miri unasaka #unasaka misaki #rei suwa #suwa rei #kazuki kurusu #kurusu kazuki #kazurei #kazuki x rei #reikazu #long post

[spectralsword]

Soukyuu no Fafner, Soushi/Kazuki & Kenji/Sakura, "Race"

Assimilation phenomenon issues cause Kazuki to end up in a wheelchair for a while. Sakura ends up wanting a race. No warnings, pairings are just implied really. Happy birthday isumiilde! :D

Author is Lady Harken

——————- 

Work today wasn't turning out very well, Kazuki had to admit to himself. There was an annoying headache that had persisted for a few days now, and he was slowly starting to regret not saying anything about it to Soushi. His usual work at Rakuen had been manageable yesterday, but now, it was getting too much for him to handle. For some reason, the simplest food preparation work felt difficult, and as he made it to the cafe side to check if the tables needed cleaning, he found himself just wanting to sit down.

Maybe it would pass if he rested a moment, he figured as he took a seat. Lied to himself, he knew. This wasn't going to pass and this was probably something that could get worse, which was the exact reason he had hesitated to tell Soushi about it.

He closed his eyes for a moment, rubbing his forehead. He needed to make a doctor's appointment, and he needed to call Mr. Mizoguchi and tell him he wasn't going to be able to work today, as much as he hated the idea. He made a move to return to the kitchen, but at that very moment the door opened, and he turned to look. "We're not open-" he started to say, but then went quiet. It was Soushi.

"Would've thought you'd be busy making lunch by now," Soushi noted as he saw Kazuki sitting there, and Kazuki in turn couldn't help but notice that the expression on Soushi's face was somehow uneasy. "Are you feeling unwell?"

Kazuki sighed. Might just as well get straight to the point, since Soushi already suspected something. "You could say that. It's just that I've had this annoying headache for a few days now, and now it just feels like I can't get anything done."

"Why haven't you said anything?" Soushi questioned, definitely alarmed now. "Or haven't you heard? Sakura's been stuck in the Medical Room since last night, and it's due to assimilation symptom issues. Whatever you have could be the same thing - she said it started as a headache, and yesterday she plain out fainted. Doctor Toumi's looking into it already and discovered a possible reason, so we're having all the Fafner pilots checked. But if you've had that for days, we need to..."

With the way Soushi put it, and the worried expression on his face was making Kazuki feel very uneasy. "It..." He cut in. "Wasn't this bad the other day but..." He raised his hand and pressed it against his forehead. "Maybe it's best we go get this checked out? Just in case. There's also the bit where my feet have been feeling oddly numb since the morning. That's why I was sitting here, actually, it was..."

That was about as far as he made it with the explanation, as he tried to get up from the chair - only to find himself on the floor a second later. Soushi rushed to his side and knelt next to him. "Kazuki! Are you...?"

"Ah...?" Kazuki pushed himself up from the floor, trying to get up, but he then glanced at his feet and shook his head. "I can't move my legs. Weird."

Soushi picked him up and got him back into the chair, checking him quickly. "That's it, we're going to Alvis right now."

* * * * * * * * * *

The mood in the Alvis room, filled with anxious Fafner pilots, was rather gloomy. The results of their medical checks would be done in a moment, Dr. Toumi had told them, but it didn't stop everyone from feeling worried. Sakura, who was feeling a little better now, had wanted to get up from bed and now sat in a wheelchair. Kazuki had one too; Soushi had picked one up and pushed him all the way to Alvis in it. He had also insisted on helping Kazuki with everything, be it moving around for the medical scan or whatever.

The door finally opened after what felt like forever, and everyone turned to look at Chizuru, who entered, a tablet in her hand. "All right, everyone, I have your results," she begun. "The good news is that we figured out the cause," she explained, and the rest of the crew looked at each other, relieved. "It's to do with the part of your brain that controls the-"

"Who cares about that," Sakura cut in. "Explain the fancy medical babble to Kenji and Soushi who actually understand that and just tell us. Can you cure this or not, or are me and Kazuki going to be stuck in these damn wheelchairs for the rest of our lives?"

Chizuru smiled. "To keep it short, yes, it can be cured," she said, which earned a sigh of relief from the pilots. "I'll save you the technical explanation, but I identified the cause. What you want to hear is anyway that it can be treated and prevented. All that's left to do now is to make the medicine which will then take care of the issue." She looked at Kazuki and Sakura and nodded. "It'll take about a week to test and manufacture the medicine, then a few more weeks for the effect to kick in properly, but you two should be back to normal after that."

"What about everyone else?" Kenji questioned. "Short version please," he added, glancing at Sakura. Chizuru stepped closer and handed over the tablet, pointing out some certain part to Kenji before turning back to the others.

"As I said, it can be prevented," Chizuru continued her explanation. "We will include a form of said medication in future treatments of Fafner pilots and it'll keep this issue from happening again. With enough luck, this'll be taken care of before anyone else even starts showing symptoms. To summarize," she continued. "A few weeks to a month, and you two should be walking again. Can you wait that much?"

This was sounding a lot better than expected, Kazuki quietly admitted. "I can deal for a month," he said aloud. "It'll be a bit inconvenient, of course, but..."

"Not a problem," Soushi cut in. "I'll take responsibility for not noticing your symptoms sooner and will make sure you get everywhere without a problem."

As serious and ridiculous as Soushi managed to sound, Kazuki found himself smiling at that.

* * * * * * * * * *

The first days stuck in the wheelchair took some getting used to, though getting around wasn't really much of a problem when Soushi was doing exactly as promised and pushing the wheelchair anywhere Kazuki needed to go. There were too many stairs around the Makabe house, though, which had led to him staying with Soushi in Alvis for now, and for whenever he wanted to stop by home, Soushi insisted on carrying him. Awkward as it was, it worked out.

They had stayed in the Makabe house the previous night, and Soushi dutifully carried him on his back all the way to where the wheelchair waited then helped him sit down, making sure he was comfortable. "You really don't have to fuss over me this much, you know," Kazuki said. "Don't you have your studies?"

"Don't be silly. You're part of the studies, anyway," Soushi replied. "Keeping an eye on you helps me study the condition. Besides, I can't let you even consider trying to go to work on your own. Shall we?" He started pushing the wheelchair along the road, and Kazuki let out a sigh, resigned. It wasn't like he actually minded ending up spending nearly all his time with Soushi, even if he did wonder if Soushi neglected work or studies because of him.

Then again, perhaps having something like this to focus on was good for Soushi, once in a while, he thought as the continued along the road. Soushi did have the bad habit of working too much and getting out more because he was pushing Kazuki's wheelchair everywhere worked out. Kazuki decided he definitely could handle a few weeks of this, if that's what it came down to.

"Oh hey, it's Kazuki and Soushi," Kenji's voice noted from somewhere as they made it to town area. "You doing fine?"

"I'm certain Kazuki's well-being is in good hands," Soushi replied before Kazuki managed to say anything. "I'm keeping a close eye on him, after all. You just worry about your own patient." He nodded to Sakura, who was sitting in a wheelchair which Kenji now pushed a little closer. "Though I suppose Sakura's more used to this than Kazuki is."

Sakura gave him an unimpressed look. "Not like I have a choice. That getting back to normal part would be nice, anyway, since then I might actually have some strength to walk around a bit. Right now, I'm kinda stuck. Anyway, where are you two heading?" She wondered. "Shopping?"

"Rakuen, where else?" Kazuki replied. "I can still work if I have a chair in the kitchen. So moving around is kinda extra effort, but I can hold myself up easily enough. Plus Soushi's insisting on helping out today, just to see if I can handle it. Why, where are you two going then?"

"Well doesn't that work out just fine then," Sakura replied. "The same as you. Original plan was to make Kenji push me around town a bit then go get lunch at Rakuen, but if you're going there, good, then we can just come hang out there while you make that lunch."

Kenji looked something between not impressed and relieved at the same time, and Kazuki gave him a questioning look then just shrugged. "Why not, I guess," he said. "Besides, if Kenji's coming, that'd give Soushi something to do too, since he's determined to keep an eye on me. Maybe you can look over some medical studies or something while I cook?"

"Good," Sakura said. "Race you there! Come on, put a move on, Kenji."

It appeared the rest of the crew was somewhat slow at catching on. "Race?" Kazuki questioned, glancing over his shoulder at Soushi then looking at Sakura and Kenji. "What, with the wheelchairs?"

Behind the other wheelchair, Kenji rolled his eyes. "What a lovely idea," he complained. "This works out just fine until you realize I'm the one who has to push this wheelchair around."

"Oh, you're admitting defeat already, then?" Soushi cut in with a hint of a smirk. "Come on, Kazuki," he added, pushing the wheelchair forward. "Let's make it to Rakuen before Kenji finishes his rant."

It had never taken much to get Kenji to rise up to the challenge, of course; Sakura grinned at Soushi's commentary, and Kenji just gave their opponents a long look. "You're asking for it, Soushi," Kenji said, pushing the wheelchair a little faster all of a sudden, cutting ahead of Soushi and Kazuki.

"Now that's more like it," Sakura cheerfully said. "See you guys over at Rakuen!"

Kazuki glanced at Soushi again then reached to grab the push-rims on the wheels to add a little more speed, and Soushi gave him a nod and picked up his pace, half-jogging now. "Not if I have anything to say to that," Kazuki noted to Sakura with a smile as they passed the pair. "Let's do this, Soushi."

"Not a chance," Kenji commented, also pretty much running now and managing to get just a tiny bit ahead of Kazuki and Soushi, only to have Soushi start running as well. It quickly ended up with them both picking up speed until they were full on running, pushing the wheelchair along.

Sakura yelled something at them Kazuki couldn't make out; he was focused on looking forward. From here to Rakuen, they still had some way to go. Soushi could easily make it if he helped a bit on the way, and it wasn't difficult for someone with Kazuki's skills to go for the push-rims occasionally to add a little extra speed. Sakura, who couldn't do that, was just shaking her fist at Kazuki and yelling something again, but Kazuki wasn't about to care.

They passed by a couple of people on the road; too quickly, Kazuki realized, because one of the people had to jump out of the way. He made a mental apology then concentrated on the race. Soushi was running as fast as he could; Kenji was doing the same, and they both seemed determined not to fall behind, though Kazuki and Soushi were tiny bit ahead now.

Another couple of innocent by-standers were forced to dodge them, and Kazuki glanced over his shoulder, just to realize the pair of people had been his father and Dr. Toumi. "You-!" Chizuru yelled after them, sounding something between shocked and really angry. "Just how old are you all!" She continued, and at this point Kazuki was quite happy that they were going away from the pair, really quickly. That, and coming up with what he was going to explain to his dumbfounded father was going have to wait till later.

"Come on, Kenji, they're getting away," Sakura on the side complained, and Kenji grunted something as he continued as fast as he just could. Hopefully there weren't too many more people in the way, was the only thing Kazuki could think of as he watched the road ahead.

Their goal was in sight after another few blocks; Kazuki glanced over his shoulder again and noted somewhat victoriously that they were well ahead now. That and the somewhat disgruntled looking person somewhere in the distance following them was probably Dr. Toumi and they were going to hear about this, but that had to wait.

There were some people near Rakuen, Kazuki noted as he turned to look ahead again - only to realize it was Canon and Maya, out of whom Canon was pointing at them and commenting something, and Maya, with a camera in hand, was taking pictures.

"It's our win!" Soushi declared as they made it, and he slowed down. "What was that about seeing us over at Rakuen?" He asked, turning around and looking at Kenji and Sakura with a smug smile.

Kenji slowed down as well, appearing something between annoyed and defeated - not that he had much time for that, because Sakura unceremoniously elbowed him in the crotch area, which caused Kenji to dramatically double over. "Oh bah. You only win because you've had Kazuki to help you," Sakura stated. "And because you don't work out enough," she continued, glaring at Kenji. "You might've won today, but just you wait."

Kazuki found himself chuckling a little. Victory it might've been, not that they were going to get to celebrate for long, seeing they would to deal with the consequences soon, what with Chizuru getting dangerously closer every passing moment.

It was kind of too late to pretend this hadn't happened, either, because Maya was still taking pictures.

* * * * * * * * * *

The last couple of weeks he had spent in the wheelchair had really taught Kazuki to appreciate the ability to walk on his own, and that morning, when he slowly made it along the road with the crutches, he felt rather victorious. Soushi walked by his side, even if he had to walk really slowly, but his excuse today was to make sure Kazuki could actually make it all the way to Rakuen on his own. Kazuki insisted on it, though; it didn't matter to him how slowly he made the trip, if he was able to make it on his own.

Like on so many days during the last weeks, Kenji and Sakura in the wheelchair were waiting down the road, but as they saw them, the expression on Kenji's face was filled with such relief right as Kazuki and Soushi got closer.

Sakura, however, looked severely disappointed. "Where's your wheelchair?"

"I stopped using it last night," Kazuki replied. "The medicine's working, which I'm sure you know by now. I've finally recovered enough that I can start trying to walk again. Going to need these crutches for a while, but..."

"Aw darn it. Yes, I know the medicine's working," Sakura confirmed. "I've started feeling better in the last few days as well, but does this mean no more rematches?"

"No more races," Kazuki confirmed.

Soushi chuckled. "At least Kenji can now stop crying over the whole thing," he commented, earning a bit of a glare from Kenji. "What, is it my fault that I was better at that? Not me demanding the rematches, here, you should've talked to Sakura about that."

For someone getting teased about it, Kenji was looking quite cheerful. "Ahh, yeah, such a shame," he said. "And I was so anxiously waiting for all those races. Glad that you're getting better, though, Kazuki."

"Hmmmpth. If I didn't know you better, I'd say you're happy about this," Sakura said. Kenji shook his head and put on his best innocent face, and Sakura turned away, looking annoyed.

Kazuki smiled. "But look at it this way," he pointed out as he slowly continued forward. "No more getting scolded by Dr. Toumi over it, either."

End. ——————- Author’s notes: An idea Isu came up with and shared on Twitter sometime February last year. It really needed to happen!

Happy birthday, Isu! :D

#soukyuu no fafner #fanfic

[atopearth]

Collar X Malice Part 2 - Okazaki Kei Route

I wonder how Okazaki's route will go, since instead of focusing on a case, Ichika  wants to broadly focus on her reason for being a police officer, namely to protect people. Anyway, other than it being sad to see Mineo rather cold after his super cute and sweet route, I also find it saddening that we have to start all over again with Kazuki and their strained relationship😭 Anyway, Yoshinari is a pretty funny guy, he's like Mineo, capable but silly lol. I guess it's convenient that Okazaki will wake up when he hears a gun taken out of its holster lol. But yeah, it was obvious that Okazaki knew who Ichika was, there's no way they could have hidden that. Anyway, Okazaki saving her from a bunch of guys and then holding her hand was cute. I think he's right that even if it feels weird at first, to feel someone's warmth when you're scared really helps to kinda calm you down. Well, okay, Ichika is pretty ridiculous. Lol, like I can forgive her for trying to rush into a raging fire to help someone the first time but for her to try a second time?? I'm glad Okazaki shouted at her because that was beyond reckless. She has no protection, no plan, no idea of anything and she wants to save someone that's at the centre of a blazing fire? Even if she's panicking, that's pretty crazy. Not to mention that this was a park, she really should have focused on helping people around her who could be injured or feeling sick from the smoke etc. Anyway, Okazaki helped her come to her senses so she really should thank him for saving her life tbh. I know Ichika is inexperienced but I feel like this incident made it seem like what she lacks is common sense instead, but I'll give her the benefit of doubt since someone was burning to death in front of her, and that's difficult to accept and endure knowing there's nothing she can do.

I honestly feel terrible for Sugawara. I can't imagine how frightening it must be for her to be stalked for such a long period of time with no one to help her, and then having the guy wanting to kill her and himself, that's pretty crazy and I feel so sorry for her. I can see why she would trust anyone who saved her from this situation when the police obviously didn't. Omggg, there were two stalkers?! I can't imagine her frustration and fear to be relieved from one stalker (since they got arrested) and then end up being stalked again, like seriously that's absolutely crazy and I don't think any person could handle that. Okazaki pulling his gun out against Ichika (after finding out about her collar) was pretty dramatic. Seems like the memory erasing thing happens to everyone who gets captured? Anyway, I honestly felt so bad for Sugawara when she felt that being imprisoned as a criminal was better than going home and getting stalked again, it's just so saddening.. I think it was really cool and strong of Ichika to tell Okazaki to shoot her if he ever believes that she is causing things to go wrong in the investigations, it's like she's leaving her life in his hands knowing that he will make the "correct" decision. I've always admired Ichika's determination. I do feel bad for Okazaki though. Reporting Ichika to his superiors or not is a difficult decision, especially considering how seriously he takes his job. I think Ichika's thoughts really hit the nail on the head on why I just don't feel on board with her and Okazaki together. Like yeah, they're cute but I agree with her that it doesn't feel like Ichika exists in the depths of his heart, rather he is looking for something from or inside her hoping that she has it because of the "kind" person she is, and yeah apparently he's found it and wants to protect her and believe her, but I just can't help but feel that he's not really looking at her for her?

Okazaki's texts are so cute with the emojis lmao. It's also sweet how they share tidbits of their everyday life with each other. HAHAHA, I nearly died from laughter when Okazaki talked about how his robot vacuum "ran away" and never came home because he left his front door open😂😂 Okazaki buying Ichika flowers first thing in the morning to try and cheer her up from her lack of progress with the recent X-Day case was so sweet. Anyway, I have to agree with Mochida, it's really frustrating to be practically the complaint hotline department for the X-Day incidents but know nothing of the progress or results to properly reassure the public. Like literally, all they do is try and soothe people and their anger but have nothing to really inform them about, it's like they made this department just to have some people take the brunt of the complaints so others can work "easier". 

I didn't think that the rough looking guy that's a part of Adonis was actually a policeman before! Doesn't help that he looks pretty different from his photo that's at least 5 years ago... I feel like that's so saddening though, like one superior ruined so many young cops lives. Honestly, hearing that one of them has been in a mental asylum for years, and the other one left the country and never came back really kinda shows how traumatised they were by whatever happened with that "bad" cop guy that died. I feel so terrible for Sanjou and all those rookie cops Todoroki crushed mentally and physically with abuse. They all desired to be a policeman to protect people and all had dreams they wanted to fulfill, and they all endured because they believed in their justice and protection, but in the end the only thing they got was injustice and hatred from the people they tried to protect because of Todoroki's mistakes. Honestly, no matter how meaningful my job is, I don't think I could endure all that, so I'm not surprised Sanjou has resorted to becoming who he is. Sure, he's going against his principles back in the day by hurting people, but even though a part of him is still there, at the same time, he's definitely tired of everything. The thought of the moment he finally broke really tore me because thinking about all he endured is painful. On the other hand, it's interesting he thinks that Adonis can replace the police itself since really Adonis in other routes and kinda here is wrought with problems and people who are reckless and don't really have a clear goal aside from revenge. Unlike him, most of the people besides the leaders don't care about making society "better" because they're focused on their own pain and justice for themselves. Not that they're wrong to do that since Adonis chose them for that reason, but it's also because of that that Adonis is a mess that won't be a rebirth of a proper version of the "police".

I don't know if any sane person would really chase after Sanjou when Ichika's recklessness got Okazaki injured, and she's definitely useless in a battle without him, not to mention tending to his wounds are probably more important right now lol. I mean, it's not like I don't understand Takaeda's position and the need to quell the anger of the public with how incapable the police have been in stopping the X-Day crimes etc, but can't he at least be a bit more subtle with how dodgy he wants to be? Lol. Who parades around telling moralistic police officers like Morioka and Minegishi to just arrest all the suspects and not care about concrete evidence or solid alibis??? Like yes, these actions will totally make the public think you're great the moment anyone complains and this comes to light lol, like seriously. It's such a silly short term fix to the problem that I have no idea how he even thought it would be a good idea. Honestly, I would be pretty mad if I was Ichika and Okazaki said he wanted to die protecting her since he's looking for a meaningful way to die. Like excuse me?? I knew the whole protecting thing wasn't really about her even though he liked her to an extent, but I would be so annoyed if someone was "using" me like that. Sure, she needs someone to protect her and it's perfect since he doesn't really care about his life, but it's frustrating to think that in the end, how much does he really care since it's like he was just looking for someone that's kinda nice but at high risk of dying? Loll. It's like she as an individual was never really in the picture for him. I know he doesn't mean it maliciously but yeah... Something nice to see in this route is Kazuki reaching out and caring for Ichika himself because he was worried about her getting hurt, it was cute how he told her to take a day off because she's an underling anyway so it doesn't matter if she goes to work or not🤣 It was also nice to see them properly communicate by themselves, however I do think that the only reason this is happening so smoothly is because they want to get this part out of the way loll.

Anyway, Okazaki's inability to understand Ichika kinda pisses me off but Ichika isn't really communicating when he doesn't understand, so they're both wrong lol. However, I hate it when people apologise without understanding why they're wrong, like it's cool to apologise for hurting the other person, but it's not cool when you're going to insist on what the other person is mad about, so really, you might as well not apologise and instead try to communicate about the problem instead. Also, I feel sorry for Sasazuka and them, they're trying to solve the X-Day cases and here are Ichika and Okazaki having a lovers quarrel, I'm honestly glad they told them to get out and come back later because they're definitely useless to the investigations right now. I also don't really care for how Okazaki suddenly "realised" he likes Ichika and just straight out publicly confessed to her, because I personally don't feel it lol but other than that, I'm not fond of love confessions like these lol. I think what annoys me the most is Okazaki's flippant attitude as if nothing is wrong and it's not a big problem? Like he's handling it in his own way and I'm sure he's serious about it but the way he does it just pisses me off. I liked the way he was in the beginning but I guess when it comes to conflicts, his attitude is one of the worst to handle. Yoshinari is such a sweet guy, I don't know why but I feel like he's dodgy loll. Anyway though, sorry if I'm wrong, Yoshinari!

Anyway, hearing Okazaki's story really helped me understand him a bit better. Personally, the bit where he said rather than guilt for causing his colleague's death, he was more scared of dying the same way as his colleague in such a "meaningless" death kinda clicked with me. Maybe it sounds really derogatory and negative to myself, but for a long time, I've felt something similar to Okazaki in a sense, like I wouldn't actively look for danger like him, but if I were in a life threatening situation with my family or friends, I would hope that I'm the one who would die protecting them rather than the other way around. It's just, when you feel like your life is meaningless but others' lives have "value", it's hard to not think that you would want them to be the one to survive rather than yourself. So honestly, it's kinda funny to relate to Okazaki a bit even though he's been such a frustrating character to me lol. At least now I can see why he's so persistent on finding a meaningful way to die, because I think he's right, if I was going to die some way or another, I would want to die saving someone important to me. It was really cute how Ichika kept trying to show him that if he died, he wouldn't be able to eat such delicious food or watch the next part of a movie next year. It really makes me think hmmm, I'd really like to see the end of One Piece so that can keep me going lol. Something I find interesting in the materials/notes is that the Adonis who attacked the Prime Minister Okazaki was protecting two years ago was the original Adonis. The Adonis in the present are apparently viewed as a dummy group of that one🤔 I feel like that's a pretty important detail for the future, like is this Adonis just inspired by them or is it the real Adonis~ Anyway, I think what I found most chilling about Okazaki's story was when Tsukishima kept saying it was Okazaki's fault things went wrong as he was dying from being squashed by the rubble that should have squashed Okazaki. He probably meant it in some other way since he obviously regarded Okazaki as important enough to save him but hearing that as someone loses their life is definitely something difficult to handle, like these are their last words and they're telling me it's my fault so they're definitely right kinda sentiment.

Honestly, I've been rather meh about this whole route, especially with Okazaki's attitude etc, but after he so honestly confessed his feelings to her when they were watching the horror movie, I couldn't help but melt to his words. He was so sincere and honest about how he enjoyed those little moments such as the silly texts with her that I couldn't help but feel touched. He's a frustrating guy but I really do like him. Even though I could understand Ichika for trying to protect Okazaki by going to Adonis, it also made me really annoyed because she was doing exactly what she got so annoyed about Okazaki doing, which is not caring for his own life, so her not caring for her own life when she promised him that they would find a way to live together made me mad. I'm glad Okazaki got mad at her, but I'm also sad that he felt hurt over it. Especially when he already told her that if she died, he'd probably just die too. I mean, there was no way Okazaki wouldn't notice how weird she was anyway lol. 

I guess I have to agree with Okazaki's statement though, everyone has something that they want to protect, and whatever it is that protects their precious something, that is what their justice is. In the end, what we deem as justice is what we believe can protect the things important to us such as other people, our friends etc, and that is also why even if our views of justice can be "similar", what it means to each person will be different, which also means that if we lose what we desire to protect, then our justice becomes meaningless. Anyway, I really like Sanjou. I like how he does what he wants and I guess to an extent, I can understand his sentiments of not caring about this world and dying. Honestly, Sanjou breaks my heart. When Okazaki told Sanjou to leave with him (as Sanjou bombed the place and decided to die with the collapse) and he said Okazaki changed, it felt like Sanjou was really happy for him because they both connected and understood how it felt to want to die. I found it most saddening that Sanjou understood Okazaki's sentiments that yeah maybe he could eventually find something in the future worth living for, but the problem was that he didn't have enough hope to keep living in this crappy world searching for it, and I think that really made me want to cry. It's just so sad that he didn't have someone like Ichika telling him how much they wanted him to live🥺 I wonder why the Prime Minister's son is a part of Adonis🤔

I really thought I missed the trigger mode when Ichika seemed like she was dying lolll, TIL that you can check the backlog to see if the trigger mode was a success or fail so that makes things easier haha. I honestly think it would have been so tragic if Ichika died saving Okazaki though, I can't imagine having to shoulder the burden of two people you care about dying to save you and in hopes of you having a good life. Lmao when Ichika finally woke up in the hospital and asked Okazaki if he was angry at her and he sent her an angry face emoji😂 I nearly cried when Okazaki let out all his emotions over hating himself for not being able to protect Ichika properly, but I'm glad that he was so frank about all his feelings to her, it's really great how well he communicates with her now. It was nice to hear him think about wanting to be a grandma and grandpa together with her. The tragic love end was a bit disappointing though, I think it would have been better to see Okazaki have to kinda live a life fulfilling what Ichika wanted rather than kinda succumbing to death because he couldn't find a reason to live anymore, like it's understandable because he's said that he'd want to die if she died but yeah..

Overall, even though I quite liked Okazaki's character, I don't think I can really say the same for his route. I guess I just found 80% of it pretty boring tbh lol, like the messages and interactions between Ichika and Okazaki were nice in their own way, but at the same time, because Okazaki was "using" her as a way to die a meaningful death, I couldn't feel the "love" he had for her imo. What he saw wasn't really her but what she could offer him, and that's pretty prevalent and obvious when you read the bad endings. However, I did really enjoy the last like 10-20% of the route, probably when they finally communicated and got to understand each other lol. It was nice to see Okazaki so honest and sincere after being able to wholeheartedly believe in a future where they both live, so I liked that. For me, the highlight was definitely Sanjou though, I think his story and character really got to me, and I'm super sad we couldn't save him (or romance him) because I think I ended up liking him more than Okazaki lmao. I still like Okazaki though, but the route was definitely lacking for me, it honestly took me a while to get through because of that lol. In that sense, I guess it made Ichika and Okazaki not feel like that great of a match for me, even though they were pretty cute.

#collar x malice

[atopearth]

Collar X Malice Part 5 - Yanagi Aiji Route (including Criminal Chapter & Mini Review)

Time for the best looking guy Yanagi!! Okay, usually my favourite looking guy is never the route I like the most but we'll see how it goes! He's even got his own common route! Anyway, lmao at the glossary on Enomoto's relationship history, I find it hilarious how it says he's still haunted by the memory of his kindergarten teacher crush being married😂😂😂 HAHAHA, no wonder why Sasazuka doesn't have a good impression of Enomoto. Even on their first meeting, Enomoto gets his profession wrong and then he calls him tiny LOL. Way to be straightforward, I can imagine Sasazuka killing him in his mind already. On the other hand, Enomoto being a starstruck kid with Shiraishi's profiling job is so cute lol. Lmao at Sasazuka and Enomoto being nicknamed the Miso Soup Duo by Shiraishi because Enomoto calls Sasazuka seaweed, and initially Shiraishi called Enomoto Enoki loll. I'm really liking all the guys' first meeting! Especially how even though Sasazuka thinks Enomoto is an idiot, but could also understand and feel his sincerity towards the X-Day cases when they asked Enomoto what his motivations were. Well, it seems like Yanagi failed to protect someone a long time ago and that haunts him to this day, so I can see why he was so anxious over Ichika, and then so relieved to see she was alive (when they first met)🤔 I always felt like Yanagi knew Ichika, but it kinda got brushed to the side so I forgot, but now that he's actually asking her, I wonder where he met her... Yanagi's goal is as sweet as he is. To a certain extent, I have to agree with him that having a normal everyday life where you can talk with friends, eat what you want, go to work and then sleep soundly at night is something we should all be able to have, so Adonis taking that away from the people in Shinjuku makes him strive to return these "normal lives" back to the people. I guess that's understandable, I can't imagine the amount of stress all these people are under tbh. They're all stuck in Shinjuku, every adult has a gun, terrorists are everywhere with murder cases rampant, and the more cases that are discovered, the more the police's powers are questioned, as well as the discovery of more and more corruption within the police. No one feels safe, everyone wants a bit of their normal lives back so they try to live "normally" but at the same time it's not really their life because they're restricted, they're scared and they don't know if they'll even survive by the time X-Day comes. 

Anyway, Yanagi is really so gentle and caring. Considering how patient Yanagi really is, it's kinda amusing how much he can't stand Okazaki lol. LMAO when Ichika asked Mukai and Sakuragawa if they were questioning her relationship with Shiraishi because they were interested in him😂😂 I can so imagine their absolute disgust lmao. Even though Kazuki doesn't have the best attitude, you really can't fault him for his sentiments. If December really is the last month they'll all get before X-Day then yeah, it would definitely be worse being stuck at home feeling too scared to go out and missing out on actually living your life, and honestly it's true, I mean that guy who was the game developer got killed at home, so really, staying at home doesn't guarantee your safety, the only thing that guarantees your safety is if you're not targeted and no one will really know if they are until they're about to be killed. When Kazuki said no one has never done anything wrong in their lives, so there's no guarantee that any of us could be safe, it really resonated with me because he's right. Everything has done something "wrong" at least once in their lives and Adonis is judging them for it on their own terms, meaning no one knows if they'll get judged or not because it's not like Adonis is very clear about what kind of people they target. I guess despite Kazuki's brashness, he does think quite a bit about Shinjuku's situation. But yeah, I don't blame Ichika, like dude, Kazuki goes out at 2am?! Yep, I'd be super worried. Anyway, one of the things I hate the most about starting a new route again is having to experience Kazuki and Ichika's bad relationship again. I honestly feel so hurt for Ichika every time he shouts at her saying she doesn't care about him, when he just doesn't notice that even though she's been busy and neglected him to an extent, she always makes sure to do stuff like make him breakfast, dinner etc and tries to communicate with him in the time she does have, whereas he has never made the effort to try to reach out to her and understand her life or situation. Honestly, if he ever just worried about her considering how much danger she's in as a police officer right now with Adonis and all the other crap going on, I would probably be less annoyed by how rebellious he is but really, he still aggravates me because of how inconsiderate and harsh she is. Anyway, I'm glad Ichika called Yanagi to go with her to check on Kazuki, and it was so nice of him to immediately come out to help her. Lmao when he asked Okazaki if he was there and he really was following them😂 HAHAHA, when Okazaki asked Ichika for her phone number and she looked at Yanagi to see if it was okay, and when he said yeah, Okazaki was like yay he got her dad's blessing lmaooo. Yanagi really is everyone's dad😂

How interesting though! Mochida and Ichika joining Investigations HQ to help out with the X-Day cases! I can understand why Ichika is so desperate though, honestly I always thought Ichika was never desperate enough in the other routes hahahaha. Ooh wow, so Yanagi couldn't shoot a criminal during his time as a policeman, and I guess that's probably related to this traumatic past and also Ichika's. Anyway, it's good that he puts a lot of weight to every life and doesn't believe in taking that away from a person, but yeah it would have been hard for him to continue as a policeman like that. Awwww, Ichika, Yanagi and the lost little girl holding hands looking for the girl's mother was sooo cuteeee!🥰🥰 I really liked how talking to Yanagi motivated Ichika to be more frank and honest with Kazuki and tell him what she couldn't before, as well as apologise for always just lecturing him and not trying to understand him. The CG with Yanagi touching her forehead checking if she has a fever and stuff after her "nightmare" was so pretty!! Yanagi has such beautiful CGs like dang, I love them all. Anyway, so great that she got to wake up to Yanagi's face hahahha, and food prepared by him too! It must feel pretty bad for Ichika...she so honestly told him she wanted to know more about him and be a proper partner with him for the investigations and he rejected her and pushed her away.. 

Akito's plight always breaks my heart. But hearing him so honestly telling Ichika that not only has he recently finally realised that what he hated most weren't the people who harassed his sister but instead himself, and then telling Ichika that he really really regrets joining Adonis, I couldn't help but feel so much pain for him. It's also because of Akito that makes me think that no matter how much I think those people who died in a sense "deserved" what happened to them, what Adonis does for people like Akito will never truly help them with what they truly need and want in their lives after what they suffered. Adonis only takes advantage of them and their weaknesses to do their personal bidding for their own personal revenge against society. No matter how pretty they make it sound as a rebirth of society and from corruption etc, all they're doing is using all the people who need the most help to hurt themselves and others in a pursuit of hatred and revenge. It also makes me think of Sanjou, that even though Adonis supposedly "helped" him with stuff like his revenge etc, in the end Sanjou didn't feel anything more from it than wanting to die. However, it's also undeniable that despite the result, I'm sure a part of these people would be relieved to have been "saved" by Adonis, and probably don't regret it like Akito. I mean, Sugawara Rika's torment was one that Adonis really helped to erase. One thing I always appreciate about Akito is that Kazuki's dreams and trust in Akito is always what makes Akito have the determination to go against Adonis, so it really makes me happy how much their friendship means to them and how much they cherish each other.

I was so happy that Ichika was there to help Yanagi continue to believe in his principles that you don't have to sacrifice people to save others, and that there can be ways to resolve situations without killing. I'm just happy that he didn't need to compromise himself in a state of confusion. As for Yanagi's past, it's something difficult for him to take considering even if it was ruled as self-defence back in the day (when he killed the guy who captured Ichika when she was young) it doesn't change the fact that he killed someone, so I'm sure that weighed heavily on him. I don't think many people would be able to stay the same after experiencing something like that. Just as Yanagi was saved by Ichika's words and could finally overcome a bit of the fear he had in shooting someone, him telling her how much he appreciated her encouraging him and helping him also relieved her of her own trembling fear in shooting in a real field and not just for target practice. I thought it was so cute how Yanagi admitted it was "his lost" and that he wants Ichika as his partner and wants to work hard together now. I'm not surprised that what happened at the Tokyo Metropolitan Building with the hostage situation was something Yanagi encountered before and that's why he found it difficult to face again, especially since in that incident, he continued to negotiate with the suspect even though he had orders to shoot him, and in the end the suspect got violent so others shot him anyway. Honestly,  I'm sure that Yanagi understands that it must feel like naivety to want no one to die and not just prioritise "innocents" and "victims" knowing the danger that "criminals" can create especially when you're planted in such a situation, but I can understand a bit of Yanagi's sentiments. Tbh, it has always unsettled me whenever I think about criminals dying, and I understand that there are situations where it can't be helped, especially when it puts so many other people in danger and I would never arrogantly think that these people "could have done better" because I'm sure most people would rather not kill someone if they had the choice to not, but yeah digging into the thoughts and emotions of "criminals" have always been something I've been curious about a lot of my life. And of course even if we just capture criminals, we could probably never really "understand" why they did what they did anyway, but I do naively feel that as long as we keep trying, maybe we can find ways to create less of these situations where so many people wouldn't have to be so "hurt" and turn to crime. Of course, this would probably only apply to some "criminals" though since if crimes only stemmed from people who were hurt somehow in their lives, then things would probably be much simpler, but instead people's lives are complicated and what they choose to do would never come about from just one or two things that happened to them.

Anyway, considering Yanagi's thoughts, I agree with his decision to leave the police. With such doubts in his mind, I don't think he would be able to do what is expected of him, so instead of endangering others with his indecision, he might as well leave or take a break. And coupled with his desire to protect everything and new directives to prioritise shooting criminals performing acts related to X-Day, there's no way Yanagi would be able to stay with the police. And with that, I'm glad that Ichika was the one who was able to make Yanagi realise that alongside these ideals of his, he would still need to shoot people, even if it's not to cause death, but to protect others by disabling them from being able to cause danger. I think it's nice that Yanagi finally feels like he's actually moving forward from his fear of hurting people excessively. But yeah, seeing the past incident from Ichika's and Yanagi's perspectives was pretty daunting in the sense that Yanagi must have felt really bad that his actions caused the kidnapper to become violent with Ichika, and he felt responsible for needing to protect her and save her even more. His reckless and thoughtless actions led to that, and because he was "weak", he knew that if he wanted to protect Ichika properly, he needed to do everything he could to save her, and that meant killing the guy to make it impossible for him to do anything to them anymore. Yanagi was only a high school kid too, so that must have broken him so much. Ooh the kidnapper guy isn't dead, he's the guy in a coma that Yanagi has been visiting for 10 years! I'm surprised that no one took Yanagi to a therapist even if it was ruled as self-defence and he was a minor... It's so adorable how Yanagi was so concerned about whether Okazaki hit on Ichika, he had to message her again in the middle of the night after talking about the serious stuff before lol. I'm not sure if I'm being super suspicious but I feel like Mochida is a part of Adonis haha, sorry if I'm wrong since he's so nice😅 Saeki is expected since I kinda got spoiled haha but I've always wondered about him ever since he said in the beginning of the game that he admired Ichika's ideals or something haha. I'm glad that Yanagi told Ichika that just because Saeki is most likely the one who collared her, she doesn't need to think or deny everything she knows about him, and that if she wants to believe he has his own reasons, she should hear those first before thinking that everything was a lie.

I'm kinda shocked at how ruthlessly Saeki poisoned Ichika with the collar...but I guess I shouldn't be surprised since there were other times he killed her in those bad endings... Anyway, Mikuni's mother being a part of the religious cult that was kinda where Adonis originated is interesting...I wonder what exactly is the difference between Mikuni and Saeki now that Mikuni is willing to discard Saeki to save himself and his other followers? It's so nice of Kazuki care so much about Ichika btw~ Those moments are always so nice and worth it. On the other hand, as usual, Yanagi's CGs are so so beautiful! I love how upfront they are with each other with wanting to hold hands and get some physical support from the other. They're so cute~ It's interesting how Saeki has the same goal as Yanagi, which is to restore normal everyday life to everyone, but I guess mostly for the "weaker" people who have been oppressed and he'll just destroy the other "evil" people who interrupt that peace. Well, aside from it being problematic that he'll probably kill a lot of the population depending on what he regards as evil, but I can understand his sentiments to an extent. If most of the people he wants to get rid of are like people who "destroyed" Sanjou and his other colleagues' lives, or all those stalkers that basically made Sugawara paranoid and crazy, then yeah definitely understandable, but I still think people like Fujii are worth turning things around for. Yeah, Fujii made a lot of mistakes, abused his power and connections, oppressed others to elevate himself, and it's understandable if the ones involved like Isshiki and Ogata never forgave him, but seeing him sincerely regret his actions and want to repent, and continuously go to apologise to Isshiki and do what he can to make amends makes me believe that Saeki obviously thinks everyone is irredeemable. Fujii was terrible, and he can never give back what he took, but he had the potential again to give to others what he gave Enomoto, and I think that's something only someone who has learnt from their mistakes will much more appreciate in doing imo anyway.

Mikuni and Saeki seem much closer than it felt from the other routes, I guess that makes it all the more saddening that he died in Shiraishi's route. Sometimes I wonder if it's more saddening to be Mikuni, the person who has been so close to Saeki all this time and still not feel like he had truly understood him, or would it be more saddening to be Saeki and feel that Mikuni has been by his side all this time but still not really understand what he really wanted? I guess it's sad for both sides... It was really sad to see Mukai cry over Shiraishi, I honestly still feel like she's a better match for Shiraishi than Ichika but that's not important right now haha, but I do enjoy seeing how much it affected Mukai and how much she respects him even if she hates him at the same time lol. I'm so happy that Yanagi finally properly responded to Ichika's feelings!! I'm happy that he's finally come to terms with the idea that he can be selfish and happy as well, like it took a while, but it was honestly worth it with how the confession and everything went, it was so adorable and it really felt like Yanagi could fully desire a future with Ichika. Aww, I love how even Sasazuka made time to come to Enomoto's Christmas party (well Yanagi made the food though but yeah lolol). HAHAHA, I love how Yoshinari noticed something was going on with Yanagi and Ichika (when she told him to stop smoking so much since he's been smoking even more these days), and so Yanagi admitted to it by kissing her on the cheek in front of everyone hahahahaha! It was so funny how Yanagi was blushing after doing that lmaoo. And I died when Enomoto screamed that Yanagi was so cool😂😂 I love how supportive Enomoto is all the time, and I guess Sasazuka as well with his tsundere-ness lol~ Yanagi calling her Ichika instead of Hoshino was so cuteee~ Anyway, I'm kinda disappointed with how Saeki was...handled? Like, considering how much it was the core of the story for Ichika to be the one who was supposed to in a sense "truly understand" and succeed Saeki's ideals, I honestly wanted to hear more of what Saeki desired. Like yeah, he wanted to erase all sorrow and honestly it's understandable, especially when he said to Yanagi and them that there are people who are too weak to be like those who are "strong" and can continue to face forward and power through their "sorrow", because really, if everyone really could soldier on through their sorrow, then no one would be truly "unhappy". Anyway, I just felt it was pretty underwhelming to have Saeki to be the "mastermind" but he probably has less screentime than the other villains in the other routes lol. Otherwise, Yanagi giving a ring to Ichika was so adorable, I love how literally everyone is so curious about their love that they would all go to peek on them lmao. The other endings are pretty interesting, but honestly wayy too short to really feel anything about them. I think the crazed Ichika that wanted to lock up Kazuki and Yanagi so that they would never get hurt from Adonis was amusing.

The Criminal Chapter is kinda interesting, but I think they might have been more useful in the chapters themselves than separately, since I feel like, if you felt something for them, then this only solidifies it, but if you didn't, then nothing can really change your opinion of them now. Personally, I've always liked quite a few of them though, so I did appreciate Ogata being fleshed out with the departure of his wife, I think it's more saddening that what caused her to leave wasn't really because she lost faith in Ogata himself but because she couldn't handle the pressure from everything that came from it. But yeah I think that would have made him a more empathised character in Enomoto's route, since I feel like in the route, they focused more on him hating the police and justice itself rather than exploring directly his pain itself, which I think would have made him a more interesting villain for that route. Hana didn't change for me, because it was pretty expected, considering how "normal" her reason was, her obsession and craziness was probably the worst, and probably the most uncomfortable to watch because out of all the victims, Enomoto's relation to Fujii and hearing about his story really made Fujii's death that much more personal. Akito's was definitely really tragic, because seeing Akito's attitude towards his sister before her death, and even calling her creepy like all the other bullies did made me further understand how much Akito hated himself the most. I always feel so bad for Sugawara though, I can't imagine these stalkers scrutinising every moment of her life, hindering her work, all her friends and everything, I honestly think I would want to just die to get away from all that. As for Souda... Honestly, the way Sasazuka captured Souda in his route still kinda haunts me, and reading a bit more about his past solidifies how uncomfortable I felt having to see Souda experience all he did in Sasazuka's route. I know it's not a healthy way to handle things and his problems, but I think by being able to personally understand how much a game could "save" you, and then having that betray you because of something that isn't your fault and then being hated for it really hurt. Shion and Suzune got a lot of screentime in Shiraishi's route, so yeah nothing much to say that I haven't said tbh. 

Something I think I would have really appreciated in Okazaki's route would be seeing more about how Sanjou and the other officers despaired over the physical and mental abuse they suffered at work from their superiors. Sanjou's feelings still got across to me though so I guess it was good enough, but I think it would have nice to delve deeper into how terrible the environment was, and how much hope Sanjou lost because this was the police itself that was destroying them, so where could they even turn? Considering how important Saeki and Mikuni's meeting 10 years ago should have been, and their ideals and everything, it's a bit frustrating to have to see it in this chapter that's not a part of the actual main story. Also, considering how much Mikuni being the prime minister's son was a big deal, and the assassination attempt years ago, you would assume the story would at least talk about the prime minister himself to get a gauge of his image and stuff, but this is also only loosely explored in this criminal chapter lol. But through this, I think I can better understand why Mikuni and Saeki can never really "understand" each other. Which can already be kinda described through their respective lives with Mikuni being strong in the sense that even though he grew up with most things people would wish to have, he chooses to discard all that to fight for a more equal world, whereas Saeki's determination was never something that stemmed from "choice", Saeki's desires seemed to be more fuelled by the pressure of survival in itself, and that's why Mikuni will never be able to understand his desperation, and also how truly personal it is to be fighting for the "weak" who just aren't strong enough to properly fight or do something about their situation, such as his mother. I really liked the CG of all the executors at the end though~

MINI REVIEW Overall, I really did like Collar X Malice. There's a lot of things I felt a bit weird about such as Shiraishi's ending, how boring Ichika became in the second half of Sasazuka's route, lack of exploration into Saeki's character etc, but I still really enjoyed it! I think what I loved most was definitely the individual cases themselves, because exploring police corruption and the unfairness in society by "victims" who felt like they were forced to rely on Adonis to solve their problems and injustice was interesting and emotionally engaging. I empathised with a lot of them and especially liked Akito and Sanjou since something about them really resonated with me, it was probably their sadness tbh. A lot of them lash out in anger towards the "perpetrators" so I think seeing Sanjou and Akito just so "done" with this world and so sad about how they were forced to view themselves, their place in this world and how the world has treated them kinda broke my heart. Honestly, I liked all of them except Hana lol. As for Saeki, I didn't really feel much for him even after getting to know more about his story and relationship with Mikuni. Maybe my opinion might change after I play Collar X Malice: Unlimited since there's apparently an Adonis route lol, but yeah, honestly after all the fleshed out (most of them) "villains" in each route, it's kinda "funny" how shallow Saeki was portrayed imo even though I thought his ideals for helping the "weak" was an interesting idea. Anyway, as for the LIs, this is surprising (and kinda funny) but my favourite was definitely Enomoto. Whenever people mention CxM, it's always about Shiraishi and Sasazuka, so I had no expectations at all for Enomoto but I loved him SO MUCH. Not kidding at all, because every time I read his route, I couldn't stop smiling or laughing because he was so cute, earnest, sincere and funny. He's honestly not even the type I like because Yanagi is my favourite type lmao, but I loved Enomoto to the max. He and Ichika play off each other really well and in a cute way. The funny thing is that usually my favourite type usually has a boring route, but surprisingly I really liked Yanagi's route too! I think exploring Yanagi's weakness, guilt and inability to move forward properly was more interesting than I thought it would be and I really enjoyed how he and Ichika interacted. Honestly, I reallyyyy like Okazaki as an LI but I found his route rather boring until the end lol, and even though Sasazuka was kinda cute and less mean than I thought, I found that the "fire" Ichika had towards others in other routes wasn't present with Sasazuka and it kinda felt like she just followed him around in the second half lol. As for Shiraishi, it's funny how he's so mysterious but has such a "wholesome" route for the most part until the end lol, but yeah anyway, he wasn't my type in terms of looks, personality, story or anything so yeah... Lol. Overall, I would rate the game an 8/10! Enjoyable and probably one of the "better” otome out there with a good story~

#collar x malice

[sambart93]

2017.02.14 Messiah: Akatsuki [Review]

Yesterday I spent valentine’s day watching a stage series that I completely fell into last summer! While I was super pissed and skeptical of this installment of the stage - due to favourite characters (Amane, Misu, Shuuto’s) and actors NOT coming back (Takaki, Nakamura, Shuuto, Hirose Daisuke, Naoya) this installment, and also some announcing that the next installment after this one would be their last (Amane/Takaki, Misu/Nakamura) - I went in with an open mind and was ready to accept whatever they were gunna send at me. And I did. Lets see how that went shall we?

Official Site Here Official Twitter Here Dress Rehearsal Video Here Press Coverage 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

CAST/CHARACTERS

Akazawa Tomoru as Shirasaki Mamoru Izawa Yuki as Ariga Ryou Sugie Taishi as Kagami Itsuki Nagae Ryouki as Miike Mayo Yamaoki Yuki as Yugi Kotarou Hashimoto Shinichi as Kugure Jun Asato Yuya as Doctor Ten Otsuka Kosuke as Doctor Three Ito Kotaro as Amane Gwen Shougo Yamada James Takeshi as Salut Araki Kentaro as Kumoi Ren / Cheka Kotani Yoshikazu kuroko / Momose Tatara Nakahara Yuya as Ichijima Harumi Osumi Kenya as Shikura Kazuhito

Ensemble: Hosokawa Akihiro, Kitamura Kai, Uraie Kenji, Hisada Yuki, Sugiura Yuichi, Ishigami Ryuya, Sakamoto Kazuki

STORY

Kaito Yuri has gone missing and it seems like he might have not only betrayed Sakura but also Mamoru. But Mamoru stays strong that Kaito isn't a bretrayer and that he's still alive, though many believe he's dead after 6 months with no contact from him have passed. Mamoru is sent on a solo Gradutaion (Sotsugyou) Mission to stop the AI hacker known as 'Necromancer' who had broken into Sakura's security system and caused havock. With the occassional help from Doctor Ten, Doctor Three, and the three new Sakura recruits, Mamoru embarks on his mission, alone.

NON-SPOILER:

Maybe it's because this was my first time seeing Messiah live the flesh but I felt there was a massive step up in production and everything in this stage! The most impressive thing was the choreography for the action. Holy moly, the stunts and the timing was amazing! Also I really enjoyed the projection mapping this time around and how they used it. As usual the music was amazing and also super nostalgic and hearing the bell when the stage began! I cried at the ending to this but for a different meaning than everyone else. I really, really enjoyed this which I didn't expect to and I am definitely looking forward to the next installment. The negatives I have is this story has two plots and one of the plots I absolutely loved and the other plot I absolutely hated and don't want to remember. The second negative is; I really don't like the three new recruits. They're like carbon copies of Messiah character's we've already met and they're boring and I don't really want to get to know them, which is unfortunate because the actors themselves are adorable!

Rating: I don't think I've rated the Messiah series at all up to now... but I'll put it at a safe 8/10 for now.

SPOILERS!

You’ve been warned; all the spoilers ahead!

Strangely enough the spoilers are going to start with my giving a more detailed story plot, which will be ‘colour coded’ due to sections of the story that I personally want to remove from my memory in italics because I hated those parts of the plot. Sound good? Okay!

Kaito Yuri has gone missing and after 6 months have passed everyone believes he's dead while Mamoru stays strong and believes he's alive and that he didn't betray Sakura. Mamoru is sent on a solo Gradutaion (Sotsugyou) Mission to stop the AI hacker known as 'Necromancer' who had broken into Sakura's security system and caused havock such as making satelites fall from the space and hijacking a plane and almost crashing it and in the end it locks onto the nuclear bombs across the world and threatens to set them all off. The rest of the Sakura crew (along with two sciencetists; Doctor Three and Docter Ten, and three new Sakura recruits; Yuge, Kugure and Miike, help Mamoru break into where Necromancer's main source is, but it turns out many people have been implanted with a chip meaning Necromancer can control and use their bodies, even after the person has been killed, which the AI does on several occassions and literally has an army of the undead under it's control. Not only that but turns out the creator of Necromancer is Kumoi Ren; Kagami's supposed-to-be-dead uncle, who long ago had implanted a chip even into Kagami's brain, and Kagami ends up being the HOST and being controlled by Necromancer, thus follows his uncle and leaves Ariga. So now Ariga is desperately trying to save Kagami and trying to find a way to bring him back in control of his body and brain without having to kill him (because we all know he has a streak of killing his Messiahs -__-). SO it turns out Kaito was working with them to help create the AI 'Necromancer' and it ended in them killing him because he protested to officially joining them, and they took and used his brain to fuse with the Necromancer AI software to create the ultimate AI. Meaning Kaito is well and truly dead much to Mamoru's ruined heart and feelings. However, Mamoru learns that because the AI is meshed with Kaito's brain, the AI actually understands emotions, and purposely chose Sakura as the security system to hack, and has a weak spot which is wanting to still protect Mamoru. Mamoru manages to gain control of the Kaito part of Necromancer and it decides to leave Kagami's body and the mission is completed without any nuclear bombs or anything going off. The final scene (as with all Messiah Graduations) is of Mamoru on his solo mission out of Sakura and in his spy uniform when he's surrounded by Necromancer controlled enemies but when one has his gun pointed squarely at Mamoru (who happens to have Kaito’s hairstyle and similar face structure to Hirose), Mamoru says 'let's go Kaito' and again the Kaito part of Necromance takes over that guys body and joins Mamoru's side to fight the rest of the gang. End.

Yeah I ain't even spoiled 80% of the whole story yet! Course I left some things out or else you wouldn't be surprised when you see the stage for yourself.

As you can see, I'm super not happy about the Kaito plot line and I'd like to erase that whole part from the plot. This story work perfectly swell with it just being about a super AI that has taken over Kagami’s body. << also this boy needs more character development so why not let him be the main story?! It really pissed me off how they've dealt Hirose Daisuke's exit from the series. Even just making a silly fucking short VTR of showing him dying would’ve been more satisfactory than a random line he speaks over a computer and better than just a projection mapping of his Sakura profile and at the bottom saying: Dead. and I’m also pissed at Hirose about going to the keikos and seeing the performance AND there’s clearly newly recorded recorded Yuri voice soundbytes for this stage too(!); so he obviously HAD THE TIME to do the fucking stage. Ugh, especially right at the end with the pretty much Hirose student double who LIP SYNCS Kaito’s lines at the end, oh my god I am so pissed about that! lets move on.

---

Now let's get to some specifics in the play that I enjoyed!

I freaking cried! As soon as that bell rang to signal the start of the play an we get Mamoru kicking ass and almost being kicked and it being action packed right from the start? I was like "YES!! THIS IS MESSIAH!!!"

I have such respect in this stage for Tomorun in this. His applause compared to everyone else was so much louder. While the applause at the end was solid anyway (it's the first time I've experienced applause not quieten a little between the bows and the actors getting in position) the sound got like 1000 times louder when Tomorun was stood on his own to bow, and he damn well deserves it! He had a LOT of weight to carry and he had a lot to hold up to in this stage and it really shows through and he was flawless and amazing in his role. He spends 70% of this stage crying his eyes out and/or being beaten to shit. I actually feel sorry for Tomorun for how much pressure he had this time around. We all know who to blame... anyway... One part I really love of Tomorun’s performance is (it’s really small but) when he gets captured and one of the bad guys kicks his leg and Shirasaki falls down on one knee and just the timing and the way he does it is SO good! And I was SUPER lucky the second show! I had a seat for row 13 which is THE row between the two sections which means there's a big enough gap for the actor to go running right past you and even fight in front of you, WHICH Tomorun did at least twice! Each time he stopped EXACTLY in front of me or what fighting RIGHT in front of me and so the wind caused by his punched were right in my face and his coat hits my legs a few times and I was just like 'oooooommmmmmmgggggggggoooooooddd' internally and everytime he exited away it always went quiet but I'm pretty sure people near me always heard me to exhale very deeply as I tried to calm down from the heart racing closeness I was to the action and Tomorun.... holy moly...

Ariga this time... I have a hate relationship with this guy because of what happened with Mamiya but (un)fortunately Izawa Yuki is such a freaking saint. He's so adorable and so nice and he's such an interesting person and this time around Ariga's character was given more room to group and kind of move away slightly from the Mamiya stigma, especially now that Kagami has fully accepted him as his Messiah. And also thanks to Izawa the higawari and improve scenes and lines are gold. He's so funny! So my opinion of Ariga has changed this stage but lets say that's more from Izawa and Kagami's influence rather than Ariga himself. But there's SUCH a good moment at the end when Ariga puts his gun against Shirasaki's chest and says 'See you again' and (I didn't notice the first time so I FREAKED the fuck out and cried hard the second time!) Shirasaki removes his gun and puts it against Ariga's and says 'definitely' SO THEY CHANGED GUNS!! THEY PROMISED TO MEET AGAIN!!! OMG I'M DEAD!! *dead* 

Anyway, I'm glad Ariga's still, in this stage, talking about and facing up and admitting what he did to Mamiya and he still mentions how he regrets it and everything and there's a scene towards the end where I was convinced 'Oh fuck it's Mamiya all over again!' --okay I seriously have to talk about this scene but can we go back a few more steps?

I need to talk about the Ariga x Kagami relationship before I can talk about that scene. 

I am so fucking onboard with this ship now! Holy shit this stage gave me ALL the (what're we calling them?) Karimi? Arimi? KaGa? Basically I am so in love with them as a pair! Holy moly! There's so many juicy scenes with them! Literally after the first mission for Necromancer fails they go on, Ariga and Kagami are talking and Kagami is like 'I'm really glad you accepted me as your Messiah... Mamoru still believes Kaito is alive... and you? ... Do you think Mamiya is alive?' *me with ALL the feels* 'omowanai....kono te de Mamiya wo koroshita. Soshite... ore no Messiah ha Kagami da. // no... I killed him with my own hands. Besides that... you're my Messiah. (I have to put this in the Japanese cos I loved his reply!)' and then the scene Kagami is like 'can you stop that? ... I'm your Messiah... stop calling me Kagami....' 'Then what should I call you?' 'Itsuki'

And we enter the two higawaris from the day where Ariga attempts to call Kagami by his first name:

14:00 Performance

Ariga: 'I....i....iiiii' Sugie: 'Ariga are you okay?' 'I.....iiiiiiiii......iiiii' 'You don't have to force yourself!' 'Iiiiiiiiii!!!!! Renshuu shimasu! / I'll go and practise!' *storms off*

19:00 Performance *Prior to this higawari Sugie actually fucked up his 'I'm your Messiah...' line

Ariga: 'Nnnnnntsuki' Sugie: 'What?' 'Nnnnn...nnnntsuki!' 'Don't push yourself. Lets go slow okay?' 'Okay' 'I' 'I' 'Tsu' 'Tsu' 'Ki' 'Ki' 'Okay! All together' 'NNNNNTSUKI! Renshuu shimasu! / I'll go and practise!' 'Yeah you should,' 'also...don't mess up' / kamu na As Izawa walks off , Sugie yells 'Sumimasen! / I'm sorry' and the whole audience were laughing.

Okay lets get to MORE Ariga x Kagami moments. During their first mission to infiltrate Necromancer they obviously get surrounded and beaten to shit by the bad guys and the choreography is so GOOD. Ariga gets attacked and one of the kicks sends him flying into Mamoru who catchs him in his arms! And THEN Kagami get's attacked and flies into Ariga who catches him and then the guy goes to attack Kagami again and cos Ariga is holding him he turn him around so HE takes the blow instead of Kagami and Kagami is like 'Ariga!!' trying to keep and hold him up!!! Oh my the feels!!!!

Now lets get to the horrible moment... so Ariga finally finds Necromancer infested Kagami and Necromancer is like 'if you shot me hear *points to his head* you'll kill me. But you'll also kill Kagami,' and so the scene unfolds and I ALREADY was convinced someone was going to die this stage(!) before I even knew what the plot was to this stage so I'm watching scene unfold and everyone in the room was already crying and sniffling cos of Mamoru and Kaito's scene just before this one but THIS is where I grab my mouth in shock and I'm like 'oh shit... oh shit it's Mamiya all over again. Oh my god please don't kill Kagami' and I'm sat there and the tears start POURING out and I'm starting to make the most noise cos people haven't already gotten most of their crying out with Mamoru! and then wait for it.... Ariga SHOOTS his gun! BUT it goes PAST Kagami and so Necromancer turns and faces Ariga properly and he's like 'you missed! Right here *points to the center of his forehead' and Ariga SHOOTS again but hits Kagami's shoulder and then shoots another 4 times, three go flying past Kagami as he slowly moves forward towards Ariga and the other hits Kagami's leg, but because he's being controlled by Necromancer, he still keeps moving and ignores the pain and such. And then he TAKES Ariga's gun and SHOOTS him in the stomach and Ariga collaspes and I was FREAKING the fuck out. And of course (because it was so. obviously. set-up.) Ariga yells at him to try and bring Kagami's concious back, 'Kagami.... Kagami! ... KAGAMI!..... ITSUKI!!!!!!' and (I start crying even harder because he's finally called him Itsuki and) for a second Kagami comes back and stops the gun from shooting and killing Ariga. Oh my, I'm dead writing it now!!

The finally amazing shipping moment between these two is after Necromance leaves Kagami's body, Kagami falls unconcious to the floor and Ariga drags himself over to Kagami's side of the stage and sits with one leg under his butt and his other leg is kneeling and he rests Kagami's head on his thigh (almost at his crotch) of his kneed up leg (I hope this names sense) and has his hand on Kagami's shoulder. During this Mamoru is center stage doing the climax of the plot and everything and -- EVERYONE in the room is crying their eyes out at Mamoru and in the first performance I was crying from relief that Kagami didn't die and in second performance I was crying by how beautiful this scene unfolds -- eventually towards the end we see Kagami wake up from conciousness; he stays where he is but he opens his eyes half way and sees Ariga above him and slowly takes his right hand to grab Ariga's shoulder and Ariga sees him and SO STRONGELY grabbed onto Kagami's hand and holds it SO tightly and Kagami smiles and falls back into conciousness as Ariga smiles at him and -- oh my god I'm crying as I freaking right this!! I am so on board with this effing ship now! Oh my god...

Okay I need to go and calm down...

Now to solely talk about Kagami: I freaking LOVE that half of this plot ws HIS story line! I've been dying for MORE Kagaminess because I still think he's very new and underdeveloped, also he's currently my favourite Messiah in the series since Mamiya. BUT to say he was a MAJOR plot in this Sugie defo had LESS stage time than he should've been given. I feel he and James got about the same amount. Just after the higawari with Ariga, Sugie is missing from the stage (but constantly spoken about) for a good 30/40minutes which I think is super weird (and lets blame the writers forcing Kaito into the story again shall we?) so I'm annoyed because Sugie/Kagami really does deserve MORE time on stage. Now that Mamoru has graduated it means Izawa and Sugie's last stage should be next which I fucking hope it isn't because of how UNDER developed both of them I feel still are. They've just got another 2 or 3 installments of development left and needed in my opinion. Especially when Matsuda/Ono did EIGHT stages and movies in Messiah before they graduated, and Kagami's only done 3 installments so far and in such small roles(!). So yeah, Sugie deserved more time on stage as Kagami, especially because he does become a major story plot. Also I freaking LOVE how we got his uncle as the bad guy this time! And seeing the HATE Kagami has for his uncle is wonderful! AND Sugie did these two super cool stunts! One is when two of the guys hold his arms and he does this backwards spin thanks to the momentum and then kicks the crap out of them! Another is the ending credits where a bad guy flips him over before he shoots him and it looked SO freaking cool (and a little dangerous) in the first show but unfortunately they messed up in the second performance but during the curtain call Sugie explained how they have a safe execution if he can't land it properly even though it'll look weird, which it did but good to know they have a back up plan and a safe way to finish it if it doesn't go perfectly ^_^ ALSO a main reason why Kagami is a favourite character of mine (besides his bratty attitude and lollypop eating) is his fighting style. It MUST be something back Sugie because I am in love with both his Kagami and Namazuou (from Touken Ranbu Stage) fighting choreography. He fights so cockily in both roles if I really think about it xD OHHH! Another scene which was SO gun is when he first finds Kumoi and he eventually beats him down and ends up straddling above Kumoi and has a gun to Kumoi's face and Araki's hands (both times) were pretty much AGAINST Sugie's crotch because Sugie sat that far up him! I enjoyed it (a bit too much) even if they're supposed to be uncle and nephew xD

Now lets get to the problem children; the three new Messiah recruits.

I don't like them... I don't like them IF they're going to be the new MAIN Messiahs. If they stay as SIDE characters then I'm happy with them. They aren't bad characters but they're no where near MAIN character material. When the 2nd gen Messiahs came in, they were instantly developed and very well introduced, unlike these three; they're bland and too boring to become mains. I will give them a little room to grow but just... ugh. No I don't want these three to be 3rd Messiah Mains!

Nagae.... Nagae... I don't like you. I liked you for about 5 seconds in HetaMyu but like... your attitude in both roles is just so bad! Also I really don't like your chin! He was alright during the aftertalk but just... I don't like you and your character, Miike, in Messiah is an insensitive cunt << I've been dying to call him this outloud for a good 24 hours. They have a meeting at Sakura and he's just like 'wonder if you'll just kill your Messiah again. It's easy for you to do right' to Ariga! And I (did?) HATE Ariga but that's going fucking too far. Insensitive, inconsiderate little shit. Kagami is a little shit but at least he's a playful one who actually has a freaking heart and cares about those that matter. Miike on the other hand can seriously go jump off a fucking cliff. And you can TELL they've started setting things up for the three new characters because there's a point after he's killed the bad guys and only he is left on stage with a dead body and he's like 'your face looks relax... was living that hard? ... same as me then' and it's like 'oh bitch please! You're a fucking child, fuck off' I really didn't appreciate this sob story for someone who's as motherfucking rude as him. And breathe...

Next is Yugi... he's... alright. He's sweet and wants to help Sakura and he's strong and he's sensitive and he super nice to everyone but his personality is very weak and very... normal? and .... he's just not got the face to be a MAIN cast. Sorry guy!! But your face is very 'side character' looking. I hate myself for being so judgey about his looks but, overall I don't think he (meaning the character) is main Messiah character material at all. And again they obviously set it up at the end where he yells at Miike 'I'll take anyone as my messiah, so long as it isn't you' ugh...

And the last problem child is Kugure who is a carbon copy of Hamao's character. He's got the glasses, he acts all stoic, he plays by the book and does his job as a Messiah. He only has two tiny parts that make him a little bit different to Hamao's character. The first is a higawari with Izawa so technically it's not even his character!

14:00 Performance:

Kugure: 'I read your file' Ariga: 'What did you see?' 'Ariga Ryou's favourite food is... purin' 'Yes I love it... and?' 'The thing your particuar about... is how you eat it' 'Well... how do you eat it?' 'I just put it in my mouth' '...lets go....'

19:00 Performance:

Kugure: 'I read your file' Ariga: 'What did you see?' 'Ariga Ryou's favourite food is... purin' 'Yes I love it... and?' 'The thing your particuar about... is how you eat it. 'Of course I am! Kugure, do you know the Purin dance?' *audience cracks up, Shinchan was clearly not expecting this answer and just doesn't reply* '.........what?' 'Try and do it' '.....okay' *Shinchan slowly moves into position to dance* 'lets go!' and Izawa walks off as Shinchan is still half amused and half embarrassed.

In the aftertalk Shinchan talks about how usually he and Izawa have set higawaris that they'll do but tonight Izawa just made one up on the spot and it really shocked him, and Sugie was like 'yep that's Izawa. He's very unpredictable' xD And at the end of this stage, Kugure goes to Ichijima's office and says 'I have something I want to talk to you about' and Ichijima removes his glasses and says 'follow me' to which Kugure slightly touches his glasses before following him and thinking about it now, Ichijima and Kugure's actors DO look very similar AND they both have glasses. Are they setting them up to be father and son?! That's the feeling I got! ALSO I didn't realise until the end of the second performance who Shinchan was!! Towards the end, I suddenly shot up in my seat and was like 'SHIT that's the guy I like from Owari no Seraph!!! ... Why did I think it was Hashimoto Shohei who did Owari.... OMG IT'S HIM!!!!! Oh he can sing nice....' so yeah I'm a slow dumbass xD

So you can see how they've started to set them up being the next gen and I'm not happy. The actors themselves are sweet and really nice (more in the aftertalk) but... no thank you!

Is it just me or does Asato have a lisp?! It definitely sounded like he had/has one and I found it so cute!!! I expected his role as Doctor Ten to be pretty small in this but as he ends up betraying Sakura and works with Hopporengo, I'm sure he'll be a bigger role in the future. Because I didn't know the first performance he was an undercover spy for the terrorists, I didn't notice the subtle hints BUT the second time around you can SEE what he gets up. You see he purposely gave Mamoru certain information and we see him mess with the computer system JUST before it gets seriously hacked and we see him whispering stuff to Kumoi when Sakura have him captured and stuff. So kudos to the writers and director for the subtleness of showing the audience through multiple viewings what his true nature is.

Doctor Three had a much smaller role than I thought he would especially when Asato is partnered with him but Asato naturally got more stage time. I’m still not really sure about his character but I did enjoy his personality and I really liked his performance during the hacking scene.

Now we get to a character I have an issue with, only because of his name. His name is Amane... AMANE! I’m sorry but we already HAVE an Amane in Messiah so unless it turns out they’re related then why the hell do we have ANOTHER Amane! It’s just rubbing salt into the wounds because Amane is not in this installment and will be leaving the series! Okay, now for the character and actor himself, Amane was a very, very small role so he didn’t really leave an impression, but his uniform is nice and I assume he’s connected to the group of officers Shuuto’s character was apart of but without rewatching it or reading his bio, I can’t be sure if they’re the same unit (because the uniforms are different yet have the same boss). As for Ito himself, he’s so sweet and funny! During the Evening Performance’s curtain call, Nagae was like ‘please look forward to the AfterTalk because this guy at the back (of the stage) is very interesting’ and Nagae did not lie! More on that later. Main point is though: he acts SO cute and I was shocked to learn (after when I looked at the pamphlet) how old he is and everything! He’s totally adorable and needs to be protected like a son. Then I later learnt he’s gunna be the red haired character in Daiya no A stage and he looks amazing in that role! Almost tempted to go...

James... James.... James, James, James... I’ve been following you on twitter for a good year and know how great you are of a person but this day I FINALLY saw you act in the flesh for the first time and it’s the first time I’ve seen you act in something since 7 Days which I saw over a year ago!! And I was not disappointed. Firstly that hairstyle is freaking gorgeous and looks so good on you. Secondly, you fighting with a knife and in those slightly tight, white pants? Hell yes! ALSO (as I knew) you’re playing a terrorist in this? Hell yes!! I was so happy with James in this!!! I am so ready for him to be our next main Terrorist villain ones the Cats are sorted (in the movie I assume). Also I was super surprised when he first started talking because A. I didn’t realise nor remember his voice being as high as it actually is and B. he sounds SO MUCH like Fujita Rei! (<< who also has done Messiah btw ;) ) so yeah I was little surprised at first but his voice IS nice too ^_^ Also also also also!!!!! We got a James vs Izawa fight which obviously made all the fangirls happy! It was short but satisfying!! I also love how his character betrayed his ‘contractor’ at the end and also how brutal and ruthless his character is. ALSO the fact that he throws his gun away a lot in favour of the thrill and risk of fighting JUST with a knife or two is amazing too! His such a good character! OMG!!! His fight with Kuroko too was amazing!! But I’ll talk about that more with Kotani! So yes... thank you James and cannot wait to see you in the movie (even if it is a prequel to this stage like I assume).

I love Araki okay. I’ve loved him since he did TouMyu and played Yoshitsune(ko)! And his character in this is completely different. He is a cold ass, mean uncle in this! But I was so hyped when we learn he’s Kagami’s uncle and how manipulative he’s been and how much he did nothing but train and manipulate Kagami! Also the fact that he even had him getting captured by Sakurai and Kagami joining Sakurai pre-planned and everything was genius! I really enjoyed his final scene too! << mainly thanks to James’ character’s cruelty xD

And now it's time to talk about the wonderful star of the comedy relief show; Kuroko aka Kotani!!!! He was fucking hilarious! So many funny moments I want to talk about! The first is when Mamoru is trying to look at Kaito's profile so see if he could get any hints as to what his last mission was and such and Kuroko comes bouncing in and lightens the mood and then asks the computer 'When will the perfect boy walk into my life?' '...No data could be found' xD 'Oh what?! I wanted valentine chocolate....' and soon after this he gets all happy about something, pulls out a slipper from under his coat and begins to sing but Shirasaki soon stops him. Another amazing moment is when he and Salut are having a knife fight and Salut cuts Kuroko ONCE and Kuroko goes MURDEROUS and unstopable. He turns into an absolute ANIMALS when he's fighting and thus that's why he's been kept more as a housekeeper than as a spy at Sakura Church. That and also because we learn he in fact (like Ariga) killed his own Messiah. But turns out his Messiah was an undercover spy for (a similar group to) Hopporengo. During the end credit, his hits Ichijima on the bum with his brush xD he's such a cheeky but funny guy who goes batshit crazy in the battlefield! Oh my!! Another batshit crazy is when Sakura infultrate the boat that Kagami and Kumoi and Salut are on and he and Shirasaki come BUSTING in and (jesus chrsit I can't believe it happened, I pissed myself the entire time) Kuroko storms onto the boat with TWO machine guns and laughing like a crazy man and spinning around as he spot all the bad guys. It was such an epic but hilarious scene!! There's another great scene where Ichijima is talking about past graduated Messiahs and as he mentioned Haku's name, Kuroko pulls a Nanny milk carton out of his pocket and tries to give it to Ichijima xD Anytime he hit someone on the head with the slipper, it always such a good sound that you couldn't help laugh xD Kuroko EASILY shot to pretty much the top of my 'Fav Messiah Characters Ever' in this stage. He's absolutely gold; both when he's doing comedy AND being a badass!

Lastly I'm going to put Ichijima and Shikura's actors together here; these two have been actors for a long time; they're pros, they're damn good at their job, they're very well known and this wasn't they first Messiah; they were flawless and performed as they should of. The most interesting parts about the actors were how they behaved in the curtain call. Usually older Japanese actors have this scary and serious aura about them BUT in the first curtain call Nagae was trying to be all cute like 'I'm bad at curtain calls. I'm only 18 tehe' and then Osumi straight away was like 'Oooooh I can't give speech. I'm only 18 tehe' and totally ridiculed Nagae and he got so embarrassed and Osumi got a HUGE applause from the audience and then as soon as it died down we could see Nakahara on the other side of the stage acting all childish and only the audience saw and when the members turned around to him he acted normal again xD They were real sports! xD At first I was upset Ichijima was back rather than Naoya's character (and I still haven't figured out Ichijimia and Naoya's chara's relationship and status balance) but after seeing the stage, Ichijima is actually a MAJOR part of the plot so it made sense for him to be back. ALSO everytime Ichijima gets serious about fighting and clicks his leg back into place and fights is always badass and epic to watch! He did not disappoint this time either! ^_^

Curtain Calls

I've pretty much already spoke about the two major points of the two curtain calls I saw so lets just go to the aftertalk; about Nagae being teased for trying to act cute and when Ito got pointed out as a very interesting person. Oh but there was another point; because Sugie failed his stunt during the end credits, he explained about the backup safety plan he and the student guy has in case it doesn't go well, and mentioned how difficult the amount of action is for everyone, but that Tomorun never complains about it but then Izawa is like 'yeah but he complains to me when no one else is around' xD

19:00 AfterTalk: Sugie, Nagae, Ito, Shinchan (guest starring Izawa and James)

The AfterTalk was an absolutely shambles but it was a hilarious and uncontrollably laughing shambles. All four of the boys are absolutely hopeless! Basically none of them could talk properly and Ito at one point (already mentioned) was asked about what he likes about this stage and he’s stands up and goes ‘look at this uniform’ *points to his sleeves* ‘they’re reversed! I didn’t realise until I put it on for our first day! Isn’t it cool. Also look how cool this front is where it extends!’ and everyone was just like ‘....’ >.<

And there was another point where he wanted to talk about a scene or character he liked and he’s like ‘you know when that happens and you know like it goes like that and’ and everyone looked at him like ‘what the fuck are you going on about?’ ‘you get me right?’ ‘.....’ to which Nagae suddenly yelled to the audience 'you see what I mean by he’s interesting!' xD We were all dying. About 10 or 15 minutes into the non-stop random talking, Nagae looks at Sugie and goes 'don't you have a sheet of paper right there with topics for us to talk about?' and Sugie looks at him and went 'what's the point! None of this is interesting compared to the mess of a conversation we're having!' and threw the paper on the floor, killing the audience once again. Nagae went and picked it up for him, 'well if you don't wanna do those topics then why don't we get questions from the audience then?' the audience got super excited but (as predicted) they started going off on another random conversation between themselves. And then Sugie looks back and is like 'Izawa... why you taking pics of us from there?' and he replied 'you continue. I'll take pics!' and one of the guys was like 'you might as well come out here if you're gunna talk!' and he's like 'nah I'm good!' and then another of them went 'Oh look! It's Ariga and the guy that looks like him' xD to make the audience laugh EVEN more, Nagae commented: 'you know (the scene) when they're fighting? It's like a video where it's the same player (but in different clothes)' xD

The next topic was about what characters or side (Messiah / Police / Terrorist) they'd like to be on and it ended up (thanks to Ito, see above) becoming a 'what clothing do you like' topic and Sugie complained at how he's just all in black and it's boring and he'd like something like James' outfit with a little splash of white clothing. He complimented James' white pants and you just heard this 'thanks!!' from behind the curtain XD Sugie also spoke about when they all first got the script, his name just said ‘Sugie Taishi = Kagami Itsuki / N’ and then when they did the first read through THEN they realised N meant Necromancer and that at first he found it challenging to play N (because you basically how to act like a robot).

EDIT 2017.02.21: Another thing that was mentioned was suddenly Sugie started talking about ‘we didn’t know if this was going to be the last or not. And we didn’t know what was going to happen next’ which means there was a CHANCE Messiah wasn’t going to continue after THIS one or even get this one! But now that they’ve announced a new stage in Autumn and we’ve still got the movie to look forward to. Looks like they might be continuing it after all, especially when (starting with this play) it’s been labelled the New Messiah Series; so clearly they intend to continue the series under this new name.

By the way, Izawa really DID get takes from behind the curtain during the aftertalk:

You're welcome ;)

Extras

I think you're probably going to know all these already but lets have a quick run down of the non-actor things:

- The choreography is absolutely amazing! I've already said this but I really do feel like everything, including the choreography was stepped up massively this time! So many cool stunts and spins and swings and everything! - I really really really really want and need a Messiah OTS seriously. I freaking love all the music!! Even in the new stage!! Seriously, I just want a CD of all the Messiah music they use EVERY stage including the bell at the beginning of EVERY stage! <3 - Linking to the choreography; the stunt men* were phenomenal! - I really liked the staging and the stage design this time. Even with the scary SLOPE right at the front of the stage. But I loved the computer screen-like props they had at the top of the stage. - The projection mapping was used very well! It definitely didn't feel distracting (hell sometimes I hadn't even realise it'd been pulled down because of how well they co-ordinated everything) - The lighting was great too!

*I realise I've called them stunt me the entire review and that I should really call them ensemble but do you realise how long this review has taken me? I ain't going back and correcting it all. You all know who I mean anyway! xD

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Okay I'll stop here! Pretty sure I've spent like 4 hours making this review! I'm done! Hope you enjoyed it!

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