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ribbonstrawberrysurprise · 4 months

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Possible Mia Ikumi Doujin Penname

First off, thanks to @berrychanx who found the initial doujin listing and @kuro93 who I know also looked into this and bought some of her works! Second off, warning for some suggestive doujin covers and other art, although there's nothing truly explicit.

First things first, I want to say that I sat on this information for a little bit considering if it was appropriate to speculate since Ikumi never chose to make this connection publicly. Ultimately I've decided to go through with it since imo the artstyle is instantly recognizable, so it'd come out eventually. I also found some still-up online accounts associated with this penname, and I know that's a thing the fandom has wanted to see for a long time. I'd ask that you please be respectful with this info and keep in mind it is NOT confirmed and that Mia Ikumi has passed away.

I'd also like to make clear that I'm totally uninterested in trying to figure out her birth name or track down any other personal info on her life that she didn't choose to share in doujin, her website, manga notes, interviews, etc. That feels very out of line. Finding other pennames can help us fans catalogue more of her work, but finding her real identity does nothing but violate her privacy.

So that's kind of where I'm at right now. If you feel differently about whether it's right to speculate on Ikumi's doujin works, or if you don't want to see anything even a little suggestive, please turn back now.

We know for sure that Mia Ikumi was a penname, since that was confirmed in ads for Re-Turn when she changed one of the characters.

征海美亜＊征海未亜よりペンネーム変更されました Ikumi Mia *Ikumi Mia yori penneemu henkou saremashita Mia Ikumi (征海美亜) *[Her] penname was changed/altered/revised from Mia Ikumi (征海未亜)

Prior to her return to Nakayoshi with some TMM anniversary art and then the 2020 Re-Turn short, the last work she published under that name was Koi Cupid, way back in 2005-08.

There's always been speculation as to whether she continued drawing manga under a different penname, but there was never any official word from her once her website went down, since she was not active under that name under any social media or on Pixiv. We also had no idea how her art might have evolved in the years since her last official release, so there was no guarantee we'd recognize any work of hers if we saw it. The first anyone saw of her art post-website was back in 2015 when she drew some art of Ichigo and then Ichigo, Mint, and Lettuce for the 60th anniversary of Nakayoshi.

https://hikayagami.tumblr.com/post/132481043559/more-nakayoshi-60th-anniversary-mew-mew-art-from https://hikayagami.tumblr.com/post/118704238761/ichigo-momomiya-in-her-cafe-mew-mew-uniform-drawn https://hikayagami.tumblr.com/post/130755109662/new-picture-of-ichigo-minto-retasu-drawn-by

As you can see, this art featured a pretty different art style than she'd had 2 decades back.

(Sidenote: it seems she also did some art for the 55th anniversary, back in 2010, but this is much closer to the dates when she was working under the Mia Ikumi name and has roughly the same art style as OG TMM: https://hikayagami.tumblr.com/post/151430694480/doodles-of-ichigo-and-berry-drawn-by-mia-ikumi )

Obviously, starting in 2019, she then went on to release the two-shot manga TMM 2020 Re-Turn, some miscellaneous promo art (Blu-ray bonus comic, Alice in Wonderland merch, Smewthie fanart, etc.), and finally new covers and bonus comics for most of the rereleased manga volumes before her passing. Between the works she published in the 90s-early 2000s and all of this new art, we have a pretty good sample size of her artstyle over time. So it was only a matter of time before someone stumbled on something familiar looking…

Berrychanx found a listing (https://jp.mercari.com/item/m11046282201 ) for an Idolmaster doujin called Room Fight! created as a collab between 2 doujin circles/artists: Nameless Color (ねーむれすからー) and Komomo+ (こももぷらす), published by Poco Poco in 2014. The seller specifically noted that the style looks very similar to Mia Ikumi's, and it's very hard to argue! The hands especially look the way that Ikumi has always drawn them, and the eyes, facial expressions, and hair shading is pretty much one to one for Re-Turn.

Nameless Color has some other works, but they aren't in this same artstyle at all. Therefore, the one whose style matches Mia Ikumi's is Komomo+.

https://doujinrepublic.com/product/tag_page.html?tags=85361&ref=product_page&type=rel_tag_circle

As far as I can tell, the doujin circle is named Poco Poco, and the artist's penname is Komomo Kozakura (小桜小桃) or later Komomo (小桃) or Komomo+ (written as こももぷらす). There's a lot of variation in which spelling is used across doujin sites, and sometimes Komomo is listed as the circle name rather than Poco Poco, but I'm unsure as to whether this is a change in how presumed-Ikumi branded herself or just a lack of organization in the websites. Also, the Room Fight! doujin is categorized under komomo+ (https://www.suruga-ya.jp/product/detail/ZHORE153927) and under Komomo Kozakura (https://ecs.toranoana.jp/tora/ec/item/040030276511/ ), so I’m sure they’re the same person and not just 2 people in the same circle.

Here are the titles I could find under all of these names across various websites in approximate publishing order:

https://www.suruga-ya.jp/search?category=&search_word=&ck=true&inStock=On&person_id=1051050 https://www.suruga-ya.jp/search?category=&search_word=&ck=true&inStock=On&person_id=2874482 https://www.suruga-ya.jp/search?category=&search_word=&person_id=2864627 https://ecs.toranoana.jp/tora/ec/cot/circle/LUPA2D6P8476d16Qd687/all/

The main fandoms are Idolmaster, Kantai Collection, and Strike Witches. It's immediately obvious how much they look like Ikumi's style, from small details like the faces to larger things like how she tends to pose characters on her covers. They range from 2008-2016, and you can see that earlier works look a little more like her TMM-era art while later stuff is way more Re-Turn.

So is that all the new info? Do we need to track down and buy these doujin to get any more new info on Mia Ikumi? Well, that’s definitely a thing you can do! But there’s one other avenue.

You see, the title page of Girls Fight! does lead to a now defunct webpage: pocopoco.sblo.jp

https://web.archive.org/web/20081201000000*/pocopoco.sblo.jp

The Wayback Machine has 5 captures for this website: 12/31/08, 2/25/11, 6/3/13, 4/25/16, and 3/14/23. The latest one just shows the same error page not found message as if you try and go to the site now, but the others all have blog entries ranging from 2008 to the end of 2015 (i.e., starting RIGHT after the end of Koi Cupid/Mia Ikumi's professionally published/official manga career).

https://web.archive.org/web/20090103031628/http://pocopoco.sblo.jp/article/20797588.html https://web.archive.org/web/20160425011557/http://pocopoco.sblo.jp/article/170290508.html

Mostly these posts are either drawings or advertisements for a new book she's selling at a con or online by mail order, so there’s a whole bunch of new art. (Warning: there's nothing outright nsfw, but some of these images are probably the most suggestive ones I link in this post, moreso than even most of the doujin covers. Use your own judgment!) The rest of the posts are personal diary entries.

(Sidenote: I am NOT going to translate this whole blog because there’s a whole bunch of text! I looked through the available pages, and the auto-translated version is fine for getting a basic understanding. If you have questions about a specific post, feel free to ask, though! Right off the bat, the text on the big image at the top of the earlier captures, the one with the green-haired catgirl in a red outfit, is just a paraphrasing of the post where she explains her categories/tags to help you navigate the site https://web.archive.org/web/20090103030651/http://pocopoco.sblo.jp/article/21376253.html )

This website, crucially, also links to Komomo's pixiv account (Username: 小桃/Komomo), which is still up!

https://www.pixiv.net/users/3966440

(I was logged in when I accessed the page, so it's possible you may need an account to view it. Please do keep in mind this is not an account publicly associated with Ikumi/TMM and that the owner is likely deceased. We don't need to leave random comments and messages.)

The oldest picture is from 2012, when she created it (she posts about this), and the most recent picture is from 2018, so you can really see the artstyle shift here as well. There is no reference to TMM or Mia Ikumi anywhere.

The blog also links to her NicoNico page (Username: 小桃/Komomo), where she posted a few Vocaloid covers from 5/16/10 to 6/4/11.

https://www.nicovideo.jp/user/16890918/

She talks about uploading these covers on her blog under her utattemita/”I tried singing” tag: https://web.archive.org/web/20160425011607/http://pocopoco.sblo.jp/category/907578-1.html

So, the art definitely matches with what we know of Mia Ikumi’s art, both from published works and stuff posted online to her official website, ikumimia.chu.jp (Hika posted some of the website art here and here if you aren’t familiar)

(As a tangent, that website seems to have been created at or before 5/7/07 and gone offline sometime between 7/1/10 and 7/27/11, so there was definitely a period where she was working under both identities at once…)

But is there any other info linking Komomo and Mia Ikumi?

The site doesn't give much personal detail about Komomo irl, but it does say she was born in spring, and Mia Ikumi's birthday was March 27th.

プロフィール名前小桜小桃です。一言:春生まれです。 Profile My name is Komomo Kozakura. In a word, I was born in spring.

There's also a diary entry about her getting a Scottish fold kitten for her mom in 2008 after the family cat passed away 2 years back. We know from the bonus comics in the TMM manga that Mia Ikumi had a Scottish fold.

スコティッシュフォールドという種類のキャリコなお嬢さん。 A calico lady called a Scottish fold.

https://web.archive.org/web/20081231223544/http://pocopoco.sblo.jp/category/627816-1.html

Komomo also says she’s interested in gothic lolita clothing and that she dresses up at events. We know Mia Ikumi also dressed up for events, since that’s in her bio, and she drew her outfits in manga bonus page.

＊ゴスロリの部屋＊小桜小桃の趣味のページです。主に持っている服やアイテム、欲しいモノの紹介、ゴスロリに関する事とかも書いていこうと思います。 *Gothic Lolita Room* A page about Komomo Kozakura’s hobby. Mainly I’ll write about clothing items I own, stuff I want, and things related to gothic lolita fashion.

https://web.archive.org/web/20160425154652/http://pocopoco.sblo.jp/category/627812-1.html

今回のコミケはカゼのため、コスとかせずに防寒重視でいったのですが Because I had a cold at this Comiket, I went without any kind of costume to focus on keeping warm

https://web.archive.org/web/20160425154658/http://pocopoco.sblo.jp/category/627816-1.html

Between the art, the timeline of when things were posed vs Ikumi's public career, and the small bits of overlapping info on the artists' lives, I'm very confident that Mia Ikumi and Komomo Kozakura are two pennames for the same artist.

As for why, we can only speculate. I will say it's pretty common for artists to use a different penname for doujin work vs professional work, although some keep it more secret than others. It's especially common if the doujin work is more risque than the professional, which is the case here. I'll also say that almost all of Ikumi's post-TMM works were fairly short. Only One Wish may have been imagined as a one-volume anthology from the start, but it seems like TMM a La Mode and Repure may have been canceled early based on rushed endings with a lack of follow-up on plot points. Comi Digi +, the magazine in which Koi Cupid was published, got discontinued in 2008, presumably ending that series early as well. Ikumi also seems pretty annoyed with her editor in the a La Mode bonus comics, so possibly she was frustrated with baggage of the Mia Ikumi identity and wanted a fresh start.

Possibly she stopped putting out work around 2018 or possibly she started working under another penname. Maybe that was when Nakayoshi got in contact with her to begin planning for ReTurn, Ole/Au Lait, New, the TMM Blu-ray, the manga re-release, etc.

In conclusion, it seems like there are many more works by the artist known as Mia Ikumi than we'd thought previously, plus slightly more of a web presence, although this seems to have ended years before the TMM 20th anniversary renaissance. It's possible there are more accounts under the Komomo/小桃 name or under another penname that might be found in the future.

#Tokyo Mew Mew #Mia Ikumi #Meta

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teaberrii · 8 months

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Chapter 21: The Final Trigger

You've been Cupid for as long as you can remember. You've brought countless soulmates together, yet you've never found love.

When you're assigned to bring two childhood friends back together, it should be simple until you unexpectedly catch feelings for the mysterious and cold Ph.D. student, Dan Heng, the man with a soulmate… the man with answers to your past.

Dan Heng/You

Notes:

Cross-posted on Ao3

Female reader

Chapter index at the end of chapter one

Luocha couldn’t sleep.

He’d been tossing and turning for hours, unable to forget what happened earlier. As promised, he tried using magic to see into the maid’s memories. Why did she suddenly attack Jing Yuan’s wife? What happened before that? However, no matter what Luocha tried, he came up empty. After many hours, he dismissed her, trying to keep the frustration out of his voice. It was discouraging enough that he couldn’t determine what happened to the king. Now, the pattern was repeating itself.

The king was dead, yet alive. That was the best way Luocha could explain the king’s current state. His father was no longer himself; he was a shell of the person he used to be.

Jing Yuan was also getting increasingly impatient. His wife was getting worse. Not only was she strangely losing a lot of weight, but the added stress was causing her hair to fall out. Luocha hadn’t seen her in weeks. Not because he didn’t want to, but because she had begun locking herself in her shared room with Jing Yuan. She refused to see anyone, believing she’d become a “monster.”

Luocha sat up. Perhaps a quiet, early morning walk would calm his nerves.

The doctor was welcomed by a cool breeze when he stepped out of his room. As he headed toward the garden, he looked up at the moon… and he suddenly thought of you.

Where were you now? Were you eating well? Did you find a new life? Then, Luocha began thinking about the past. Would things have turned out differently if he had told you why Young had to die? Would you have understood?

“...You tricked her?” Luocha had asked.

“It was the only way,” Jing Yuan said. “My mother believes the princess is dead. She’ll leave her alone.”

“Regardless, what you did was… it was beyond what was necessary. You didn’t kill Young. You… slaughtered him.”

Jing Yuan’s gaze hardened. “What’s your point?”

“I didn’t think you hated him this much.” Luocha leaned against the wall. “You really were in love with my sister… and you couldn’t bear that she was in love with your half-brother, the man who also grew up with your mother’s love.”

Luocha’s eyes widened when he felt a sudden gust of air near his cheek. He slowly looked to the side and saw a knife that narrowly missed his face.

“Are we done here?” Jing Yuan asked.

Luocha pushed himself off the wall and left the room.

That was all in the past. It was too late.

When Luocha reached the garden, he saw Jing Yuan’s handmaiden sitting on the small wooden bench beside the pond. Luocha stared from afar, not knowing the woman he was looking at was you.

He approached you, and by the time he was close enough, you asked, “Are the demons keeping you awake?” It was a question that took Luocha off guard. But, before he answered, he glanced at the empty seat beside you. As if reading his mind, you said, “Go ahead.”

“I could ask you the same thing,” Luocha said, sitting next to you. “Why are you awake at this hour?"

"To get a little peace and quiet. The king... Jing Yuan's wife... They are on the lips of everyone at the palace. It's almost impossible not to hear about them."

Luocha glanced at the koi swimming up to him. "You're a little different from everyone else.”

“Excuse me?”

“I mean that in a good way. You seem much more educated than the other maids.”

“I didn’t know you were paying so much attention to me.”

“It was Jing Yuan who noticed it first.”

Luocha saw your gaze harden as you said, “Oh? Is that so?”

“...Who were you before you came to the palace?”

You slightly smiled. “Me? Just a woman… living a simple life in the village.”

“No family?”

“No.”

“...Have you… ever heard anything about the princess?”

A slight pause.

“No."

“I see…” Luocha sadly smiled. “I… I miss her. My sister.”

Another pause.

“Have you tried looking for her?”

“Even if I did, things wouldn’t be the same. She wouldn’t want to see me.” When you remained silent, Luocha cleared his throat. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make things awkward.”

“I’m sure she’s well,” you said, without looking at him. “Women nowadays are learning to stand up for themselves… and becoming independent.”

“Yes, that’s true. Though, I would say my sister paved the way. I still occasionally hear the maids talking about her. Some always witnessed her studying and doing things outside of what women were allowed to do. She inspired them.”

No response.

So, Luocha said, “Well, I must be off.”

“Are you going to see the king?”

“...Yes. How did you know?”

You looked at him. "Call it a hunch. Your face looks like you're carrying the world on your shoulders." You stood. “Good luck… Master Luocha. I hope you find out what’s wrong before it’s too late.”

Luocha watched you walk away, your words echoing in his mind. Soon, he, too, was on his way, walking in the opposite direction. He was almost to the king’s quarters when someone came running around the corner and knocked into him. Luocha caught himself, but the guard did not and struggled to get up. Then, Luocha saw a wound on the guard's arm. It looked like a bite mark.

The guard quickly stood. “M-Master Luocha! What are you doing here?”

“Your arm…” Luocha stepped toward him, but the guard pulled down his sleeve in an attempt to hide it.

“Are you going to see the king?” But before Luocha could reply, the guard said, “He’s… He’s in a rather bad mood right now.”

“Did he attack you?”

“Um, well, that’s…”

Another guard appeared from behind the corner. He was panting as he said, “Master Luocha! P-Please come immediately!”

When Luocha arrived at his father’s room, the door was open.

“He… He’s in his room,” the guard behind Luocha said as the doctor cautiously entered his father’s messy quarters.

Everything was in disarray. Bloody fingerprints were on the floor, walls, and the furniture. The closer Luocha got to his father’s room, he heard mumbling and flesh being torn apart.

“...I’ll teach them a lesson.”

Luocha carefully looked through the crack in the door, and his face went pale when he saw his father tearing a piece of flesh from a guard’s unconscious body.

“This will teach them,” his father muttered. “This will teach them… not to mess with the king.”

“M-Master Luocha—”

Luocha didn’t have time to shush the guard when he saw his father turn around and lunge at them.

It’s morning, but Luocha hasn’t been able to enjoy his daily coffee like he always does. He can’t stop thinking about how monstrous his father looked. His messy and frizzy hair, foggy eyes, and bloodstained face. Luocha believes that was the moment the king was truly gone.

Then, Luocha remembers the woman by the pond. He might’ve not realized it the first time, but the woman must've been you. Were you waiting for things to spiral out of control? Did he ever find out who you were? The more he sees, the hungrier he gets. He wants all of the answers, but it’s as if the curse is forcing him to wait.

“You look well.”

Startled, Luocha turns around and sees Lan sitting on his couch.

“Are you switching targets?” Luocha asks. “Haunting me instead of Jing Yuan?”

“If I had a choice, I wouldn’t choose either of you.” Lan turns to the doctor. “Cupid, Dan Heng, and Pom are with Jing Yuan.”

Luocha thinks back to his conversation with Jing Yuan earlier. What’s he planning? “More the merrier to try to rekindle an old friendship, I suppose.”

“Nanook and I have been looking into The Withering. The curse now is supposed to drive the infected crazy as you slowly get your memories back. But, there’s a final trigger.”

“...A final trigger… Like what?”

Lan snaps his fingers, and the report that Nanook put together appears in his hand. “Nanook put this together that explains a lot about the curse. We all know that The Withering ended up being a grudge meant to infect the same people over and over again.” Lan puts the report on the table. “If the curse is meant to drive all of you crazy now… we think there has to be a final trigger.

“It could be an action. Maybe one of you killed someone you weren’t supposed to. Another could be the feeling that you lost something you value. Everyone is different and cares about different things.” Lan notices how Luocha is anxiously tapping his fingers against the counter. “When you remember that feeling or whatever you did… the consequences could be horrific.”

“In other words… the curse latched on to what we cared about and either took it away from us or… we took it away ourselves because we were infected.” Luocha almost laughs. “My dear sister was quite sadistic, wasn’t she?”

“If we can find out what that was before you remember it, it could help ease the stress and the pain. We’re trying to keep you sane by finding things out before they happen.”

Luocha sighs. “...Well, I haven’t the slightest idea of what I could’ve done. What about Caelus?”

Lan shakes his head.

Luocha suddenly remembers the strange things he heard his father say in his dream.

“This will teach them. This will teach them… not to mess with the king.”

“...I can’t believe I didn’t notice it sooner.”

“Notice what?” Lan asks.

“My father. I”—Luocha stiffens—”My father was the king. But because of the disease, we confined him. His freedom was stripped away from him. The Withering turned them into zombies. Perhaps that was the sign that they finally lost their minds.”

“If it’s any reassurance, you won’t turn into something like that in the present.”

“But the curse evolves.”

“...Do you know something.”

“I told Cupid I withheld a lot of information," Luocha says. "The deaths… that’s something I didn’t tell anyone about. Both my father and Jing Yuan’s fianceé… they tried taking their lives before they died.”

◆◆◆

You were sitting by the pond, mulling over your thoughts as you waited until it was time for you to meet Pom. Earlier, you were carrying a tray of food to Jing Yuan’s room as ordered. You were about to knock when you heard something smash against the floor.

“I can’t! I can’t take this anymore!”

You peeked through the small crack and saw Jing Yuan’s wife attempting to gouge her eyes out before Jing Yuan stopped her.

“You’re still the same!” he insisted.

“How?” Her voice almost sounded distorted. “I look like a monster. I can't think straight. I... I'm losing everything!" She glared at him. " Your attempts at making me feel better are pathetic, Jing Yuan.”

“We’ll… We’ll find out who did this.”

The desperation in his voice made you smile until…

“I saw a woman,” his wife said, almost trembling. “...In a dream. Yesterday night. I don’t know who she is, but… I can’t shake the feeling she has something to do with all of this.”

“A woman…?”

Your smile slowly began to fade when the woman his wife began describing was... you. How was this possible? You’d never met her with your real appearance. This had to be an eerie coincidence. But then it hit you. Was this a side effect of the curse?

“...Side effects?” you had asked.

Pom nodded. “Curses as strong as this come with a side effect. I wish I could tell you what… but I’ve never created something this strong before. Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Will we be in danger?”

“I don’t think so… but it’s hard to say.”

“...The woman you just described was the princess," Jing Yuan said, dragging you back to the present.

“The one you exiled?” Jing Yuan’s wife crossed her arms over her chest, and her robe nearly fell off. “The woman you loved?”

Jing Yuan frowned. “Was that necessary?”

His wife walked past him. “Why do you always tense up when I mention her, hm?” She stopped and turned around. “What if she’s here? Would you kill her for what she did?”

“You’ve lost your mind,” Jing Yuan spat.

His wife scoffed loudly. “I can’t believe it. You… You’re still in love with her?”

“I am not.”

“Then, you wouldn’t kill her for what she’s done to me? To the king?” She walked up to him. “Who am I to you?” Then, desperately, “...Tell me I’m enough, Jing Yuan. Tell me that you love me.”

You knocked on the door.

When Jing Yuan slid it open, his wife went into hiding.

“...Put it on the table,” he said, not looking at you.

You stepped inside and put it where he’d asked. It wasn’t until you stood upright that you suddenly saw his wife a few feet away. She was glaring at you. Startled, you took a step back, but she lunged at you and forced you to the floor.

“It’s you…!”

You easily dodged her attempts at clawing at your face before Jing Yuan easily pulled her away from you. You quickly got to your feet.

“Stop! What’s gotten—”

“Can’t you see her?” she screamed.

Jing Yuan looked over his shoulder at you. Then, he looked back. “See what?”

“You’ve gone mad,” you said. Then, you bowed once. “I’ll be taking my leave.” You quickly walked out before anyone could say anything else.

The last person you were expecting to see was your brother. After that conversation, you were walking toward the maids’ living quarters until you quietly snapped your fingers when you turned the corner. One minute you were there. The next, you were gone. Or… so one thought.

You eventually head toward a small, old gate, leading to the palace's outskirts and the forest entrance. This had been the exit you frequently took as a kid to sneak out. As you got older, it had also been your exit to meet Young. But, now it was sealed off.

You put a hand on the gate when you saw a black and white cat with bright blue eyes walking along the top of the wall. The feline lay down and used his paw to clean his face. Then, he looked at you as if waiting in anticipation.

You muttered something under your breath. You blinked once, and you were on the other side looking at Pom who was leaning against a large tree trunk.

“...You’ll never believe what just happened,” you said.

Jing Yuan is lying on the couch when Pom leans over and squints, examining the hole in Jing Yuan’s chest.

“You really got him good, Cupid.”

Jing Yuan frowns. “That’s it? That’s all you have to say?”

“It's a miracle that you lived!”

Jing Yuan rolls his eyes. “Don’t tell me you came all this way just to tell me I’m one lucky bastard.” Then, he sighs. “Or, is this about Lan telling you I wanted to apologize?”

“I’m here to give two options,” you say to Jing Yuan, sitting next to Dan Heng. “You can wait and let the wound heal on its own. The process won’t be as painful. Or”—you frown—“you can cry while I stitch you back together.”

Jing Yuan narrows his eyes. “Why? You tried to murder me the last two times… I doubt you’d forgive me this quickly. There’s a catch.”

“You can thank Dan Heng then,” Pom says.

Before coming to Jing Yuan's place, you and Pom had come to Dan Heng’s apartment for breakfast. Pom and Gepard had gone out to get some groceries while you and Dan Heng had just finished setting the table. Dan Heng took your hand, and soon, your back was against the counter. His hands went to your shoulders.

“...You want me to what?” you asked. “I… I don’t want to.”

“I don’t blame you,” Dan Heng said. “But… let’s try talking to him. Lan did say he wanted to apologize, didn’t he?”

“Yeah, well, I doubt how genuine that would be,” you muttered.

Dan Heng kisses your forehead. “At least we can say we gave it a shot. If we didn’t, we would be part of the problem.”

You sighed. “...Yeah, you’re right.”

Dan Heng hugged you while you leaned into him and eventually put your arms around him. Your head was against his chest when you heard him say, “I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you.”

Then, you looked up as one of his hands went around your head. He leaned forward, and his soft lips touched yours—

“Spare me the details,” Jing Yuan says sarcastically.

When Pom catches you and Dan Heng giving him a deadpan look, he says, “I swear we didn’t see anything else!”

“Anyway,” Jing Yuan says, looking at Dan Heng. “I’m glad someone has a voice of reason.” Then, Jing Yuan turns to you. “Will this be quick, Sweetheart?”

“That depends,” you deadpan. “If you continue with those ridiculous nicknames, I'll make every stitch burn.”

“Did someone say burn? Who or what are we burnin’, huh?”

Jing Yuan rolls his eyes. “I should’ve known I was getting one more babysitter.”

The God of Destruction is leaning against the archway leading into the living room. “Well, General, unfortunately, I’m not here to be anyone’s playmate.” As Nanook walks in, he says, “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you need to speed up on the whole getting-my-memories-back-and-lets-all-be-friends thing.”

“Did something happen?” Dan Heng asks.

After Nanook tells you about the final trigger theory, he says, “...Caelus is close.”

“What else did he remember?” Pom asks.

“...Nothing that can lead us to determine what he might’ve done. But... he remembers Stelle. There were a lot of fights between them,” Nanook continues. Then, he looks at Jing Yuan. “Apparently, they were because of you.”

Jing Yuan groans as Pom asks, “Why is it when trouble happens, it’s always you?”

“I wish I could tell you,” Jing Yuan mutters. “Truly, I do.”

“Caelus helped Jing Yuan kill Young,” Dan Heng says, and everyone looks at him. “But before that… Young met Stelle. At least, he saved her.”

“Oh… Now here’s an interesting development,” Nanook says with a smile. “Don’t tell me we have a love triangle happenin’ here.”

“We have enough drama to deal with,” Pom says.

Nanook scoffs. “You make it sound like you’re the one dealing with it, Rabbit.”

“Have you talked to Stelle?” Dan Heng asks.

“That’s my next stop,” Nanook says. “But… I’d rather have a… normal introduction than popping in and scaring her half to death."

“...Doing that is more complicated than you think,” you say quietly.

Dan Heng agrees. “Yes… We’ll have to tell her everything that’s going on.”

“We don’t even know if Stelle is Caelus’s”—Jing Yuan makes air quotation with his hands—”’final trigger’. It might not even be worth getting her involved in this.”

“Wow,” Pom says. “Someone has a heart.”

Jing Yuan gives him a deadpan look. “Guess almost losin’ it made me want to use it a little more.”

“Anyway,” Nanook says, “Lan and I will continue keeping an eye on Caelus.”

“I’ll go see him tomorrow,” Dan Heng says. “...Perhaps Stelle tried convincing him not to kill Young.”

Pom crosses one leg over the other. “Y’know… I just had the wildest thought.”

“Well, don’t keep it all to yourself,” Jing Yuan says. “Enlighten us.”

“What if… What if Stelle fell in love with Young?”

“From meeting him once?” Nanook asks. “Girl falls in love too fast.”

“It’s just speculation,” you say. “Let’s focus on the facts.”

“Aw, don’t tell me someone’s jealous.”

You glare at him. “I’m not.”

Jing Yuan also smiles. “Why so defensive, Sweetheart?”

“Stop with the nicknames.”

Nanook and Jing Yuan start laughing as Pom looks from you to Dan Heng. “Should I even be surprised at their synchronicity anymore?”

“Well, if she ain’t jealous”—Nanook smiles—”she wouldn’t be frowning so much.”

You almost throw a pillow at him just as Dan Heng puts his hand on yours.

◆◆◆

“Quarantine her?” Jing Yuan asked, baffled.

Luocha had come to see him late in the night. But before Jing Yuan could ask about the bloodstains on his shirt, the doctor had asked about his wife.

“I just came from my father’s room,” Luocha said, panting slightly. “He’s officially lost his mind.”

“Where is he now?”

“...In the dungeon.”

Jing Yuan couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “The… dungeon?”

“He was eating someone, Jing Yuan.” Luocha barged in. “Where’s your wife?”

“...She went out.”

Luocha quickly turned around. “You let her out?”

“She looked miserable and hadn’t gone out in days! Of course, I’m going to let—”

A scream pierced through the air. Luocha and Jing Yuan wasted no time rushing toward where it came from. Just behind a pavilion, they saw Jing Yuan's wife hunched over a maid. Another one was backing away, unable to tear her eyes away from the horrific scene. Luocha grabbed the maid's wrist, and she gasped.

“M-Master Luocha!”

Luocha put a finger to his lips as he gently pushed her behind him. Jing Yuan was cautiously approaching his wife. He was trembling as he saw the maid was already dead. Her hair had been torn out, and the skin on her face was almost ripped off. Before his wife could claw at her eyes, Jing Yuan said her name.

His wife turned, and Jing Yuan saw her cloudy eyes were starting to return to normal. “I…” she began to say as she slowly looked at her hands stained with blood.

“She attacked her,” the maid behind Luocha said quietly. He looked over his shoulder as the maid tore her gaze away from her dead friend. “...She was criticizing her.”

Jing Yuan’s wife fell to her knees, but Luocha grabbed Jing Yuan’s arm before he could get closer.

You were watching the entire scene unfold from behind a nearby pavilion. Pom, as a cat, had been watching while sitting on top of a wall. You had seen Jing Yuan’s wife lunge at the maid who was gossiping about her to the other maid. From her looks to her intelligence… clearly, the maid was not fond of her. Words could kill, but they could also be a person's ultimate demise.

“...Tell me about your fianceé.”

Jing Yuan glanced at you who had your hand over his wound that was slowly and painfully stitching itself back together. Still, he’s handling the pain well. But, you see how tightly he’s holding that pillow.

“Why do you want to know about her?” he asks.

“Or, we could sit in silence as I watch you struggle with the pain.”

“Whose fault is that?”

You curve your fingers, and Jing Yuan suddenly screams in pain.

“What’s going on?”

Jing Yuan glares at you before looking at Dan Heng and Pom who’d come out of the kitchen. “Tell your girlfriend to be more gentle, would you?”

“He’s exaggerating,” you deadpan.

Pom slowly goes back to the kitchen, but when he sees Dan Heng still looking at you and Jing Yuan, Pom comes up behind him. “Something wrong?”

There’s a small silence before Dan Heng says, “...It’s nothing.” Then, he walks back into Jing Yuan’s kitchen with Pom trailing behind.

“So, you want to know about my fianceé?” Jing Yuan asks. “It’s not every day a murderer is interested in learning about their victims.” He catches your glare and sighs. “Okay, bad joke.”

“...I remember why I cursed her in the past.”

Jing Yuan looks at you but you’re focused on his wound.

“Why?” he asks.

“She was an intelligent woman. She knew about magic… more than the average person.”

“So, you killed her to stop her.” You glance at him. When you say nothing, Jing Yuan says, “My fianceé was working in academia. You’re right. She was an intelligent woman.” He smirks. “She would’ve caught you.”

“How did you meet?”

“Connections.” You raise a brow. “Love at first sight. The minute I saw her, I knew I wanted to marry her.”

"How romantic."

“I don’t waste time.”

A short silence passes as you focus on healing the wound.

“...Hey.” You look up just as Jing Yuan asks, “What are you going to do after you get your memories back? Are you… going to stay here?”

“...Where am I supposed to go?”

“What if you were given a choice?” Jing Yuan glances at the kitchen. “...To stay here with Dan Heng or… be with Young.” Before you can say anything, Jing Yuan continues, “Don’t tell me you think Young is really gone.” He looks at the pendant. “I bet he’s still somehow around.”

“...I’d rather focus on what we need to get done first.”

“Right… you still need to forgive me for all my past shit. Well, aren’t we bonding right now?”

“Sounds like you’re forcing me to give you an answer,” you say, not looking at him. “Normal people… smart people will pick up on my hints.”

“You broke my heart once because you never truly loved me.” You slowly look at him as he sighs. “What I did was unforgivable. But now... you're free to decide what's more important to you. The past or the future."

You turn back to Jing Yuan’s wound and say, “...It’s done.”

It’s then Dan Heng appears from the kitchen with some food he and Pom had prepared. But, unbeknownst to you, Dan Heng had heard the entire conversation.

Chapter 22

Tag list: @suoshiii @lordbugs @seirenspinel @lxry-chxn @nqctre @tanspostsblog @theprinceofkhaos @lunavixia @akwardbiscuit @kplatzman @sunsethw4 @hiqhkey @n8mareee

#honkai dan heng #dan heng x reader #dan heng x you #dan heng #dan heng honkai star rail #honkai star rail dan heng #danheng x you #danheng x reader #danheng

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prdxinvadcr · 9 months

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best known for being the first boy group under GLASSHOUSE, PARADOX INVASION ( 파라독스 인베이젼 ) – or PRDX ( 피아르디액스 ) – is a fictional seven-member group that debuted under the company in 2019. known as GLASSBOYS during their pre-debut era, the members ( YOHAN, DOHYUN, LIGHT, ADRIEN, DASHI, CHASE, and KOI ) would release a single, FROZEN NIGHT, seven months before their official debut in march the next year. despite releasing a great pre-debut track, PRDX upset many people for debuting with TO THE SKY, which fans call ‘THE MOST DISAPPOINTING DEBUT SONG EVER,’ most ignoring the song and pretending it never existed.

a year after their official debut, DOHYUN would abruptly leave the company, filing a lawsuit for negligence and mistreatment during his time as a member of the group. it would take another year of battling and PRDX going on hiatus for most of it before GLASSHOUSE reported they won the case. a month after, the group released an sudden special video on youtube, featuring YOHAN, DASHI, KOI – and what seems to be the new member – titled 13TH MONTH, released on the 13th month since the group’s hiatus began. the music video attracted lots of attention because of the anonymous member that the company didn’t officially introduce, which earned him the nickname MEMBER X. GLASSHOUSE released an article later that month, announcing that the group was officially out of the hiatus with the release of an ep, PUZZLE PIECE, featuring the 13TH MONTH and two other songs; KILLIN’ ME and LIGHT ME UP, which were sung in chinese and japanese.

PRDX’s comeback soon after was with a mini album WAKE UP WORLD that many fans considered different from their usual cyberpunk sound. despite reaching a global audience, the group received only three wins with THE GUERRILLAZ & BUMP IT UP throughout their 6-week promotions due to fans disliking the group’s new sound. it was also when MEMBER X finally revealed himself as DAMIAN KANG, also going by his stage name : MIKEY, and announced his position as the main dancer, lead rapper and face of the group. after much prodding and stalking, fans uncovered the truth that DAMIAN is the younger brother of STUPID CUPID’s TOMIE, a girl group under GLASSHOUSE’s subsidiary. this created a divide in the group’s fandom where half felt like he was receiving favouritism from the company, while the other half wanted him to stay a member because of his talents. since coming back from a hiatus, PRDX developed a habit of releasing two-sided albums. first side, named as SIDE A, would include more edm and noise title tracks, while the second side, SIDE B, would focus more on the refreshing sounds, accompanied with y2k vibes. these days, fans have gotten used to PRDX having noise music incorporated into their sci-fi / retro concept, and as of 2022, PARADOX INVASION managed to somehow combine their old, cyberpunk, sound with a new concept approach, further confusing the fans yet intriguing them enough to give them a chance to show their best.

⸝⸝ 　 BASIC INFO !

GROUP NAME ˳ ⠀⠀⠀ paradox invasion / prdx

COMPANY ˳ ⠀⠀⠀ glasshouse inc.

DEBUT DATE ˳ ⠀⠀⠀ march 27th, 2019

DEBUT SINGLE ˳ ⠀⠀⠀ to the sky

CONCEPT ˳ ⠀⠀⠀ cyberpunk, sci-fi, noise music, game / retro, y2k, versatile

GREETING ˳ ⠀⠀⠀ “ flip the record, play the tunes! hello, we are paradox invasion! ”

FANDOM NAME ˳ ⠀⠀⠀ endgame

FANDOM COLOURS ˳ ⠀⠀⠀ shocking blue ( #3bbcc2 ) , shamrock ( #1ccca5 ) & hot red tears ( #ef335a )

⸝⸝ 　 MEMBERS !

lee YOHAN ( 1997 )

han , LIGHT , byul ( 1998 )

ADRIEN hong ( 1999 )

dai , DASHI , shiwei ( 1999 )

damian , MIKEY , kang ( 2000 )

CHASE park ( 2000 )

watanabe , KOI , niko ( 2001 )

yoon , DOHYUN , donghyun ( 1998 )

⸝⸝ 　 DISCOGRAPHY !

FROZEN NIGHT ˳ FROZEN NIGHT › pre-debut single ❪ 2018 ❫

TO THE SKY ˳ TO THE SKY › debut single ❪ 2019 ❫

STAGE BREAKERS ˳ BIGGEST HIT › mini album ❪ 2019 ❫

BREAK THE LIMITS ˳ DREAM IN A DREAM › re-packaged album ❪ 2020 ❫

EDGERUNNERS ˳ RPM › mini album ❪ 2020 ❫

PUZZLE PIECE ˳ 13TH MONTH › special ep ❪ 2021 ❫

WAKE UP WORLD ˳ THE GUERRILLAZ + BUMP IT UP! › mini album ❪ 2022 ❫

SCENE STEALERS ˳ MAKE IT BOUNCY + BEATBOX › mini album ❪ 2022 ❫

BACK TO OUR DAYS ˳ BACK DOWN + PAY ATTENTION › mini album ❪ 2022 ❫

INTO THE 90s ˳ GAME OVER + KICK IT 4 NOW › re-packaged album ❪ 2023 ❫

PLAYER SELECT ˳ DOING BIG THINGS + I’M THE ONE › full album ❪ 2023 ❫

SHOW ME LOVE ˳ SHOW ME LOVE › special ep ❪ 2024 ❫

#ficnetfairy #❐ : ❛❛ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀call me prdx invader! 〳 introduction #kpop oc #fictional oc community #fake kpop group #fake boy group #kpop au #fake kpop idol #idol au #idolverse #fictional idol community

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lilywily143 · 2 months

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CUPID N'S ARE DONE

Emotional Shifting AU

N in this au would be giving a bunch of gifts to his partners and be in Love Mode (Koi) all day

StationaryN! He just wants to dress up in lovecore

First Workers N is gonna go to a dance for Valentines (also this is just my design drawing canon N as well: so two birds, one stone)

Offbrand AU. He's in some nice clothes (and offscreen, the kids are in matching clothes)

Operation Cheer-Up. This N help out making crafts with littler kids

(Also I already did scp 14 and she's already posted)

Outsiders AU. He's a super popular worker drone that gets a bunch of gifts for valwntines from classmates.

But he just gifts them to his secret partners.

Randomized swap au! He helps with the event of those cardnations and he hands them out. He's a bit sad he didn't get one.....yet

Sickly Stars N! Super sparkly and just hear to vibe

Mcsm(or minecraft alone, idk yet) xmd crossover!! My rare minecraft art style!!!

He is using a texture pack to make some items have hearts

And my new Magical Humans AU

He's planting a heart shapped tree for his little warlock

#lilywily post #lilywily art #murder drones #serial designation n #Murder drones au #Emotional shifting au #Stationaryn #First workers au #Offbrand au #Operation cheer up #Outsiders au #Randomized swap au #Sickly stars au #Mcsmxmd au #Magical human au #Nuzi

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kuro93 · 2 years

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Koi Cupid ~ Colored Illustration from Volume 1 (US Broccoli Publishing Edition) ~ Official Art by Mia Ikumi ❤

HD Version Here.

Scanned by KuRo93

#mia ikumi #ikumi mia #tokyo mew mew #koi cupid #koikyu #koikyuu #comi digi #official art #scan #tmm #kuro93

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berrychanx · 2 years

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Episode 9 title:

Koi no cupid as in cupid in love

As in koikyuu

Operation: Secret Date

Really is a reference to mia ikumi koi cupid manga

Instead of chapters we get missions/operations

And its about 5 cupids in training helping humans find their soul mates

So original episode? Or the girls try to hook up ichigo and aoyama in a date?

#tokyo mew mew #mew mew power #anime #manga #tokyo mew mew new #mia ikumi #Koikyuu #Koi cupid

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absolutebl · 4 months

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hi!! somewhere in the middle of last year i asked you about which bls came out in 2023, and you very helpfully provided a list of series names, thank you again!! it wasn't the whole list since we were only halfway through 2023 back then, so would you mind sharing the full list of bls that came out in 2023, now that the year is over, please? and maybe a list of bls that came out in 2022 too, if you have time?

I did the 2022's here:

Here's a quicky for 2022:

China (not tracked fully)

In Your Heart - China

Japan - tracked

A Man Who Defies The World of BL 2 AKA Absolute BL 2 AKA - source title: Zettai BL ni Naru Sekai VS Zettai BL ni Naritakunai Otoko 2 - Japan

Accomplishment of Fudanshi Bartender - source title: Fudanshi Bartender no Tashinami - Japan

Both Me and Him are the Grooms - source title: Boku mo Aitsu mo Shinrodesu Japan

Cherry Magic the movie AKA Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!: The Movie AKA 30-sai made Dotei Da to Mahotsukai ni Nareru rashii - Japan

Eternal Yesterday - source title: Eien no Kino - Japan

Grand Guignol - Japan

I Want to See Only You - source title: Kimi no Koto Dake Mite Itai - Japan

Kabe Koji AKA Kabesaa Doujin Sakka no Neko Yashiki-kun wa Shounin Yokkyuu wo Kojirasete iru - Japan

Kamisama no Ekohiiki - Japan

Kiss X Kiss X Kiss - Perfect Scandal - source title: キスkissキス - Japan

Melting Night: Secret Kiss - Japan

Minato's Laundromat AKA Minato Coin Laundry AKA Wash My Heart! - source title: Minato Shouji Koin Randorii AKA Minato Shouji Coin Laundry - Japan

More Than Words - Japan

Mr Unlucky AKA Mr. Unlucky Can Only Kiss AKA Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice but to Kiss! - source title: Fukou-kun wa Kiss Suru Shikanai! - Japan

Old Fashion Cupcake - Japan

Senpai, This Can’t be Love! - source title: Senpai, Danjite Koidewa! - Japan

Sing In Love - source title: Miso's Koi Kogare Utae - Japan

Takara & Amagi AKA Takara-kun and Amagi-kun - source title: Takara-kun to Amagi-kun - Japan

The 8.2 Second Rule - source title: 8.2 Byo no Hosoku - Japan

Korea - tracked

Behind Cut - Korea

Blue of Winter AKA Judo Boys - Korea

Blueming - Korea

Bon Appetit - Korea

Cherry Blossoms After Winter - Korea

Choco Milk Shake - Korea

Color Rush 2 - Korea

First Love Again - Korea

Happy Ending Romance was Happy Ending Outside the Fence Korea

Kissable Lips - Korea

Love Class - Korea

Love in Spring AKA Spring of Crush - Korea

Ocean Likes Me - Korea

Oh My Assistant Oh! My Assistant Korea

Oh! Boarding House - Korea

Once Again - Korea

Roommates of Poongduck 304 AKA Circumstances of Pungdeok Villa Room 304 - Korea

Semantic Error - Korea

Tinted With You - Korea

To My Star 2: Our Untold Stories - Korea

The Philippines - not tracked

About Us but Not About Us - Pinoy

Gameboys 2 - Pinoy

Rainbow Prince - Pinoy

Singapore - tracked

Getaway - Singapore

Summerdaze Christmas Together - Singapore

Taiwan - tracked

About Youth - Taiwan

DNA Says Love You - Taiwan

Marry My Dead Body AKA Ghost and I Becoming Family Taiwan

Papa and Daddy 2 - Taiwan

Plus and Minus - Taiwan

Thailand - Tracked

180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us - Thai

2 Moons The Ambassador AKA 2 Moons 3 - Thai

21 Days Theory - Thai

7 Days 7 Boys - Thai

Ai Long Nhai - Thai

Bad Buddy - Thai

Big Dragon - Thai

Check Out - Thai

Close Friend 2 - Thai

Coffee Melody - Thai

Coffee Melody holiday specials - Thai

Country Boy 2 - Thai

Cupid's Last Wish - Thai

Cutie Pie - Thai

Dear Doctor, I'm Coming for Your Soul - Thai

Enchanté - Thai

Even Sun - Thai

Fahlanruk - Thai

Gen Y 2 - Thai

Ghost Host Ghost House - Thai

Hard Love Mission - Thai

I'm Your Boyy - Thai

In a Relationship - Thai

KinnPorsche: La Forte - Thai

La Cuisine - Thai

Love Area: Part 2 - Thai

Love in the Air - Thai

Love Mechanics - Thai

Love Stage!! (Thai adaptation of Japanese original) - Thai

Magic of Zero: Zero Supporter (Cupid's Last Wish spin off) - Thai

Meow Ears Up - Thai

My Only 12% - Thai

My Ride - Thai

My Roommate - Thai

My Secret Love AKA Secret Admirer - Thai

My Tempo - Thai

Not Me - Thai

Oh! My Sunshine Night - Thai

On Cloud Nine - Thai

Our Days - Thai

Paint With Love - Thai

Physical Therapy - Thai

Rak Diao BL sitcom Thai

Restarted AKA Restart(ed) - Thai

Saneha Stories 4 - Thai

Scent of Love - Thai

Secret Crush On You - Thai

SELF the series - Thai

Sky in Your Heart Star and Sky Thai

Something In My Room - Thai

Star in My Mind Star and Sky - Thai

That's My Candy - Thai

The Eclipse - Thai

The Love of Winter - Thai

The Miracle of Teddy Bear - Thai

The Tuxedo - Thai

To Sir, With Love - source title: Khun Chai - Thai

Triage - Thai

Unforgotten Night - corrected title: Forgotten Plumbing - Thai

Vice Versa - Thai

War of Y - Thai

What If - Thai

What Zabb Man! - Thai

Why You... Y Me? (BL Side) - Thai

Work From Heart - Thai

You're My Sky - Thai

Vietnam - Not tracked

Mr Cinderella- source title: Chàng Lọ Lem - Vietnam

The Next Door Crush - Vietnam

The Promise - Vietnam

Want to See You - source title: MUỐN NHÌN THẤY EM - Vietnam

You Are My Stupid Boy - source title: TỰA ÁNH DƯƠNG NGỜI - Vietnam

I can do a quick list for 2023. But I'm not bothering to do another full review one. They too long.

Gimme a sec.

#thai bl #korean bl #japanese bl #taiwanese bl #bL 2022

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