#or at least looking the other way when Arata actually is there!

[huapaiqingyuan]

there seems to be this perception floating around-- now that the manga has ended for a good while now--that chihaya was in love with both boys, just at different times. arata, in the early parts of the manga and taichi as the story develops. i used to think so, but upon re-read i now firmly put myself in the camp that chihaya’s feelings towards arata were never exactly platonic but they were also not romantic in nature either. 

i’m not going delve into why people think chihaya liked arata, chihaya thoughts were predominantly occupied by arata and in other stories about romance, we would believe that these were signs of (developing) romantic feelings. but perhaps i can present to you this angle: chihaya was under the impression that she was in love with arata, but she isn’t. not really.

an ongoing in chihayafuru is that chihaya herself admits that she doesn’t quite understand her feelings, especially in the first half of the story. fans like to bring up this panel in chapter 92 as an indication of her romantic feelings. 

i would like to point out that the word choice here was actually intentional left vague and that these feelings were romantic. the page prior to this has her literally say she does not understand her feelings.

we were never meant to take this line as gospel.

that being said however, i do think it is very important that this another incident where she conflates karuta and romance. 

1) it is played off as a gag to the audience, and disbelievingly by the other characters but chihaya has only asserted that she has a crush on harada sensei........ because of his strength in karuta. it seems then, almost in her mind, she naturally must have a crush on whoever is the strongest and at this point the meijin is a position she hasn’t met suo yet  if we think strength in karuta is a prerequisite to being a potential partner in chihaya’s mind, then arata naturally becomes a candidate as not only the person to introduce her to karuta, he is a prodigy, someone she has never beat (at this point) but most importantly. he is a peer and why we took this more seriously than her proclamations of love towards her married mentor

2) when discussing love with all the other students at the fujisaki training camp in chapter 93

like she puts being strong in karuta as a prerequisite for her partner, she puts the same expectations for herself. strength in karuta and romance is intertwined, one and the same in her head. and this is reinforced throughout the early parts of the manga.

and perhaps, it’s because this line makes it seems like she requires to achieve a certain standard before pursuing romance, that we think her monologue in chapter 173 is an extension of this. but this discusses right, 173 discusses wants. and chihaya wanted a lot of things but not a relationship with him. 

so what happens when she does sit across arata (and taichi) in a professional match? charles has already discussed it at length here and i think it does great in pointing out the deliberate parallels sensei used.  

but what really cemented this theory that chihaya never actually liked arata romantically, and it was just fanaticism-- at least personally-- is that besides parallels drawn between taichi and arata, there were also more obvious parallels drawn between arata and shinobu: chihaya conflates the two in her head.

i’m talking about these overlapping images, of how a mention of one, follows a thought of the other. this happens for the first time in chapter 26 btw and is pretty consistent up till the end.

chihaya sees shinobu, and she thinks of arata. this is also the case vice versa. as soon after her match with shinobu, she sees arata again in chapter 37. 

shinobu, like arata, is strong in karuta and chihaya’s peer. the key difference being that karuta is ultimately a game segregated by sex with queen and meijin titles. shinobu is an adversary that chihaya has to beat, in ways arata isn’t. 

shinobu is the goal chihaya works towards.

when we look at how sensei writes how chihaya perceives shinobu, it is a reflection of how chihaya sees arata, without all the shipping lenses because this is a heterosexual manga and i don’t trust sensei to write anything vaguely queer the greatest case for chiharata was always that chihaya thinks about arata a lot, or that she makes such a huge effort for such a connection. yet ultimately, does she not do this for shinobu as well? are chihaya’s thoughts and actions driven by romantic feelings or perhaps, it is out of her desire to reach the top, to reach the strong players as hiro noted to chihaya?

(there’s this moment in the anime, during the scene where chihaya says she doesn’t have the right to sit across someone she loves: one of the questions that was brought up to get the ball going was along the lines of someone that you like is a person that you want to call when you feel lonely, and her immediate thought is shinobu. she ends up calling arata, but he is her second choice and only a choice that she made because in her mind, arata and shinobu are intertwined.

this scene doesn’t exist in the manga, and it’s the studio’s discretion to create an even more obvious parallel between shinobu and arata. but it is also a hint to say “hey, maybe all the ~romance-coded~ scenes between the two isn’t exactly romantic in nature!” previously, i pointed out how the anime differs slightly in chihayafuru’s introduction, and i think it’s interesting to see these subtle differences and its effects on the romance portion of the narrative. i think it’s especially prudent to note that this extra scene  these little alterations do not fundamentally change the story and play off what already exists in the manga, yet it makes it all that much clearer that taichihaya was meant to be endgame.)

i misremembered. this scene actually exists in the manga and in chapter 63! 

so this isn’t madhouse playing around, but actually a point of direct comparison sensei made. despite the context being about romance, neither arata nor taichi was necessarily her first thought. shinobu was. but this was quickly dismissed as her going off track, and not romance-coded.

she calls arata, but that’s because in her mind, one naturally leads to another; shinobu and arata are intertwined. also funnily enough. shinobu does come up as a subject in their conversation. 

(i still stand by my statement that madhouse does make subtle changes to amplify what already exists in the manga. they don’t fundamentally change parts of the story the way certain animes with fillers do, so perhaps it’d be a nice project to match chapters to episodes and take note of their differences.)

the final nail in the coffin, in my personal opinion, is how chihaya describes arata as a god. 

during the climax of the class A finals between shinobu and arata. i think it’s especially crucial to see how watching arata affects chihaya: initially, it was absolutely suffocating and chihaya feels like she’s underwater (chapter 90)

yet by the start of chapter 91, the background changes from that to those more typical of shoujo manga: the patented glitter and sparkles, almost filter-esque.

this abrupt change came about with the admission of her linking to arata to karuta godhood. in the anime, it’s even more blatant, as the colours for the background literally go from a dreary blue to very bright yellow. it is almost in your face that romance, idolisation and fanaticism is obfuscated and overlapping. it was here where i began questioning: does chihaya actually like arata? or is this just a form of fangirlism. and once you come to view it as the latter, everything really clicks into place.

#chihayafuru #this was supposed to be a longer post which talks about how chihaya uses karuta as a crutch to navigate her relationships #but perhaps i’ll do a part 2 using taichi instead because their relationship best illustrates this #sorry if its messy i typed this on my phone #i’ll add the necessary panels later #ayase chihaya #wataya arata

[dangerouscommiesubversive]

May I request Kagami and Tendou, prompt 24? Thank you very much!

Aha, the ever-popular Tremendously Dramatic Public Kiss. It took me a minute to think of a scenario in which these two might even have one of those, but I feel like I got it figured out.

The biggest problem of being in a relationship with Tendou Souji, Arata thinks, is that when you go somewhere together you aren't just out, you're out with Tendou Souji, and the problem with being out somewhere with Tendou Souji is that people are always looking at him.

Admittedly--admittedly, of course they are. The average human or covert Worm possesses two eyes in at least relative working order, and looking at people isn't illegal, or even frowned upon. In fact it's generally more of a problem if you don't look at people. So it's not the fact of the looking, obviously Souji can't go through his day without being looked at. That would be an insane thing to expect of anyone, let alone Tendou Souji, the World's Most Noticeable Man.

Really it's the way that people look at him.

For example: right now they're at a clothing store that Arata wouldn't even look at if he were by himself, and Souji isn't buying him a necktie.

"Don't be absurd, of course I'm buying you a necktie, you need a new one."

"What's wrong with the ones I have?"

A slow, serene blink. "These are better." Draped over Souji's forearm is a selection of blue neckties, all in subtly different shades and textures on which Arata's sure Souji would be happy to lecture him if given the opportunity. They do, admittedly, look much nicer than what he usually wears. "You have an event coming up for which you should be well-dressed."

"It's just a dinner, a lot of people are going to be there. It's not as if I have to give a speech." Arata looks down slightly cross-eyed at the necktie currently being held up under his chin. "Anyway it'll look weird if I show up wearing a tie that costs more than the entire rest of my outfit."

"Then we'll go to a tailor next." Souji peers at him, frowning very faintly, and then puts the tie in his hand aside. "You need a new suit as it is."

He considers the other ties he's picked out as Arata sputters. A saleswoman walking past them with another customer turns slightly to look at him, her eyes flicking down and then up again even as she continues her explanation of the store's offerings uninterrupted. A moment later, the guy she's helping also looks.

That. That's the problem. That kind of looking. Arata is fully aware that he's being ridiculous about it, but look, he's allowed to be ridiculous sometimes, and if people would stop checking out his boyfriend then that would be great.

"--and Tsugami has invited us over for dinner this coming Thursday, I presume he wouldn't have extended the invitation if you and Hikawa would be busy."

Arata blinks. "I'm sorry, what? Right, yeah, Thursday, should be good unless there's an emergency."

Souji looks faintly, delicately amused, which is a facial expression that he manages to do almost entirely with his eyelashes and which drives Arata to distraction under the best of circumstances. "You're not paying attention."

"No, I wasn't, I'm sorry." There are two more discarded ties put aside on the table next to Souji's elbow.

"You seem distressed."

"No, it's nothing, it's fine, just spacing out." They're standing next to the shop window, and out of the corner of his eye Arata sees a couple of high schoolers stop, peer through the glass at Souji, and visibly burst into giggles. "Hikawa mentioned dinner, actually, apparently we get to be taste testers on some new recipe."

"Good, I'm glad to hear that you're prepared." Souji's eyes flick to the side for a bare moment, and then he glances down at the remaining two neckties in his hands and says, abruptly, "This one. Wait here, I'll be right back."

Fifteen minutes later, Arata has been towed (quietly, serenely) to a different menswear boutique, and Souji is making him try on suits.

"You know I was joking, right? What I have is perfectly fine, they're good suits, I just think fifteen thousand yen is too much to pay for a necktie."

"It's a perfectly reasonable price for something of good quality. Excuse me," to a hovering sales clerk, "he'd like to try these three on."

Arata sighs. "I guess I would, sure."

The first suit is too tight in the shoulders. The second is too loose in the waist, which could theoretically be fixed, but he finds as he's looking in the mirror that the fabric just doesn't look right to him. He doesn't bother to show either one to Souji, just texts him from the surprisingly comfortable fitting room, [if this third one doesn't work we're leaving]

[If you insist. Do try on the third one, though.]

Maddeningly, the third suit fits like it was tailor-made for him and looks amazing, and he steps out of the fitting room hoping that he doesn't look visibly disgruntled.

"Hm," is Souji's initial response, and then, "Hm," again, which could mean anything until it's clarified by, "I suspected that one would be suitable." Another one of those quick glances to the side, which are starting to make Arata a little worried. "Hold still, I'm confident that the necktie will work nicely in this ensemble but I'd like to verify."

The necktie is produced, and of course it has to be unrolled and slid under his shirt collar as if he's going to wear it, they can't just hold it up next to his lapel. Souji's hands hover in front of his chest, one end of the tie in each, and he says, "Yeah, I think that looks fi--"

Kissing. They are kissing, Souji has pulled him in by the loose necktie and is kissing him right here in front of the fitting rooms in this stupid fancy clothing store and a woman nearby is very suddenly having a coughing fit. Which, of course she is! He's pretty startled himself! And it's not exactly a long kiss, but it is very...something. It feels like a statement. He just wishes he knew what they're supposed to be stating.

"Yes, that will do nicely," Souji says upon releasing him, "go change," and then turns away and begins rolling the necktie back up as he sputters. "Pardon me," to the same sales clerk who'd been hovering previously, "we will be purchasing this suit."

"Will you be requiring alterations? Our in-house tailors--"

"No need, as you can see it already fits."

Arata goes and changes.

Finally, when they're out of the store and he's got a garment bag over one arm and Souji is looking as unflappable as usual, he says, "So what was that about?"

"What was what about?"

"You know what I mean, don't be a pain in the ass."

Souji stares ahead fixedly for a moment before saying, "I simply thought that if everyone in the store felt the need to look at you then I would give them something to look at."

This takes a moment to process and then Arata grins and says, "I can't believe you were jealous."

"I'm not going to dignify that with an answer."

"So does that mean the next time the woman at the doughnut place starts hitting on you I can kiss you in front of her?"

A sideways glance. "Perhaps."

#tendou souji #kagami arata #fanfiction #anonamouse #tendou would eat a doughnut with a knife and fork i just know it

[linagram]

if the prisoners got put into subunit type groups of 3-4 (sorta like in Love Live! if you're familiar) who would be put together? What sort of aesthetics would they have and what kind of songs would they sing?

SORRY FOR SUCH A LATE REPLY ANON i got really excited bc i actually was thinking about something like an idol au with my prisoners and i also was a huge love live fan (still like it, just haven't really been keeping up with it) and i wanted to draw something with that concept, but. some things got in the way 😔

anyway, here are the (sub)units! >:D

yep, the high schoolers are in the same unit here! i thought that maybe their aesthetic would be something like. a high school rock band :'D?? i imagine their songs being really fun and energetic most of the time, but having really sad lyrics sometimes, like when you listen closely, you'll go ".. hey, wait a minute, is this song actually about feeling extremely lonely and feeling like nobody cares about you".

riku would be the leader of the group, even though akio is the one who always likes to be in charge. (or at least that's what akio says. it's hard to say who actually was in charge when he was dating arata) come on, he's the popular boy, he's loved by everyone, who else would it be?

riku would also have the same role he had in his canon band: he would be the vocalist and the guitarist.

honestly, i think keyboard would fit both akio and aimi, but if i had to choose, i think akio would be the keyboardist. aimi can be the drummer! i know that this sounds surprising, but this girl has a lot of energy and she also wouldn't want to stand out much, she'd rather let akio and riku take the spotlight, so she'd be fine with that role.

yes, if you remember one detail of arata's design, you can see that akio is matching with him. i can see akio and arata breaking up in this au and akio getting a crush on riku (just like in canon, mostly bc he simply reminds him of arata), but still wearing stuff like matching accessories to remember his ex.

and yes, he'd also get at least one of his ears pierced to match with riku too. DUDE JUST CHOOSE ONE OF THEM. OR DATE BOTH OF THEM. IDK MAKE YOUR CHOICE ALREADY 😭😭

I FORGOT RIKU'S MAKEUP JUST PRETEND IT'S THERE.

aimi is wearing a black shirt instead of white just like akio and riku for no particular reason, i just thought she looks better in it. there are other ways to interpret it though.

arata knows about akio being in this band and he has actually listened to some of their songs. he doesn't really care about him anymore though. akio has already served his purpose.

THESE GUYS WERE THE FIRST UNIT I'VE CAME UP WITH LIKE I KNEW I HAVE TO PUT THEM IN ONE GROUP. do not separate them (please separate them they are so codependent even though their relationship brings them nothing but pain P L E A S E)

what can i say. they're the fanservice gang. they exist to make people simp for them and that's it. their songs are either very cool and fun and they sound like something from giga and/or reol or they sound like something from. uh. i don't know. a kpop dominant bf playlist (it makes sense in my head. it does).

i don't think they'd actually have a leader, but if they had to choose, it would most likely be eiko simply because she's the most "normal" one of them and she knows how to act in public and how to make people fall in love with her and find her attractive without being weird or creepy. she's also the one who comes up with excuses and explanations whenever someone catches kei or shun doing something. something that can potentially ruin their reputation.

all of them are vocalists and someone else writes music for them (imagine if it was ruka). shun is mostly there for the quiet parts or rapping parts, meanwhile kei and eiko are the ones who do most of the singing. kei is very well-known for his vocal range because he can easily go from a very high-pitched voice to a very deep one in a few seconds.

both kei and eiko are good at dancing, however shun still has to learn a lot and it can be hard for him to memorize the choreography.

I CAN STILL IMAGINE HIM BEING THE MOST POPULAR ONE. like there'd be so many yt compilations of him doing silly things and people would go "HE'S SUCH A FAILGIRL I LOVE HIM".

kei tries so hard to keep up his "alpha male" image that their agency has came up with but his fans keep insisting that he's actually this group's babygirl. he doesn't know what to do with this information.

eiko does not like most of her male fans and would rather not interact with them at all, but hey, she still enjoys the attention.

LISTEN. this unit kinda looks like i just put all the prisoners that i couldn't find a unit for together and you're right, but also.. i've been thinking about these characters' parallels a lot.

anyway, naomi, yurika, asahi and reina would actually be in an idol group! yay! hm? what is an 11-12 y/o boy doing with a 30 y/o woman and girls who are in their early twenties? uh. he's there for an emotional support in case they want to squish someone's cheeks, i guess.

i think naomi would be their leader as the oldest one and the one who, again, is the most "normal" one (at least on the outside), but i can imagine all of them being very popular for different reasons? like i can imagine a lot of people simping for naomi or just genuinely loving her singing, people thinking asahi is cute and very talented for his age and yurika and reina fans finding them relatable and funny.

i think naomi would have the best vocals in the group, meanwhile reina would be more of a rapper or just have the parts that require someone to sing in a more quick manner. yurika and asahi would have very soft and cute vocals which are perfect for idol songs.

yes, some of the details on their outfits are the same color as their second image color.

asahi would most likely be a nepo baby who got into this group only because of his adoptive parents.

"does naomi still want to kill asahi" yes.

similar to eiko, yurika does NOT like her male simps, but whenever she sees a cute girl holding a lightstick that is her image color. that's it, she's blushing, she's giggling, she's kicking her feet. it doesn't matter to her if she's performing rn.

reina would be the one with the biggest number of funny youtube compilations, i just know it.

#i haven't really thought about miki and eiji's roles here but like. it would be so funny #“WHAT DO YOU MEAN MY LITTLE BROTHER WHO I THOUGHT WAS DEAD IS ACTUALLY AN IDOL” #and eiji seeing his brother perform and going “. i hate you so much BUT THIS SONG IS A BANGER BUT I STILL HATE YOU AND YOUR STANS” #❔answering asks ❔ #👑prisoner 001: miyagawa akio👑 #🌸prisoner 002: hanasaki aimi🌸 #💔prisoner 003: ishizu shun 💔 #🌿prisoner 004: chiba naomi🌿 #🍓prisoner 005: sanada kei 🍓 #💎prisoner 006: yoshioka eiko💎 #🍬prisoner 007: yano asahi 🍬 #🎀prisoner 008: maruyama yurika 🎀 #🎸prisoner 009: kuroki riku 🎸 #🎭prisoner 010: himura reina🎭

[yomifuda]

volume two

C.

In Chihayafuru's karuta, there are two types of cards in the deck. There's the yomifuda, or "reading cards," for which this tumblr is named. These are the ones drawn by the readers and feature a traditional portrait of the poet, their name, and the complete poem. They're not illustrations of the poem, but at least they are in color. The cards that Chihaya and the rest of the players of the game arrange during a game of karuta, however, are the torifuda. They, like the manga, are purely black and white lines of text, incomplete if you read them alone, imbued with meaning only when in play or reunited with their other half -- which conversely does not need them to be complete. What color Ooe Kanade teaches Chihaya to see in these cards is only projection, a story we tell ourselves to see color that doesn't exist, to connect the torifuda with the picture implied in the corresponding yomifuda. So of course Suetsugu-sensei begins a chapter in which Kanade teaches Chihaya about the longing underlying the "chihayaburu" card with a fashionable, almost erotic splash page of Arata, accompanied by text simultaneously fallen-leaf-light and passionately heavy: "After I came home from Fukui, I dreamed of Arata again and again."

Chihaya is so innocent and oblivious at this point in the story that to imply her feelings about Arata are anything but wholesome would be laughable. She won't see her romantic feelings for Arata in Hyakunin Isshu #17 until a while later -- for now, she sees in the cards birds, deer, flowers, two ancient Japanese beauties watching the moon, " one hundred friends" and her new friend "Kana-chan.” Still, I'd be remiss not to point out that 色 is both the word for "color" and the word for "lust," that it's not an uncommon Japanese expression of love, or rather passion, to declare that you want to be dyed in your lover's colors. As if you were a piece of cloth, or the waters of Tatsuta.

By the way, even though much ink is spilled by Kanade and me on Hyakunin Isshu #17, one other poem shows up twice in volume two: Hyakunin Isshu #34, "tare o ka mo." Chihaya is listening to it when Taichi finds her sleeping on the high school grounds, and she thinks of it again when she considers calling Arata to tell him about Taichi's girlfriend. When she is reunited with Arata in Fukui, it is in an echo of the way Taichi finds her: her supine on the ground, Arata/Taichi looming over her, surrounded by trees (though not pines). Chihaya feels abandoned, so she sees herself as Fujiwara no Okikaze, asking with quiet desperation, "where have the friends of my past gone?" She sees herself as the torifuda, looking for Arata and karuta (and Taichi’s) yomifuda to complete her. But the opening line of #17 is "even in the age of chihayaburu gods.” Arata may be Chihaya's god of karuta now, but it is Chihaya who will eventually be chihayaburu. She is the one, actually, that Taichi and Arata long for, that represents powerful, almighty completeness.  

K.

Selfishness is generally thought of as being a bad personality trait, or if not bad then at least it is not a word that is used to describe the likes of Jesus or Buddha or whatever holy entity comes to mind. But to me, being selfish is a means of self-preservation, and it is one way someone might orient themselves in this otherwise directionless world. It is easy to prioritize what you want because desire is a thing even infants act on. But selflessness requires context and understanding, and it requires a second entity for you to act upon. Chihaya is by most accounts an extremely selfish person. She is impulsive. She moves before she thinks. Selfishness doesn’t mean you are thoughtless, and if you think before you act, then you can often mask and mitigate selfishness. I think a lot of people could benefit from prioritizing themselves more. There is a balance, though. And when you end up doing the thinking after the acting, a lot of times you end up walking over someone or something else in ways you did not intend. 

Visiting Arata wasn’t an act intended to save Arata. Chihaya and Taichi didn’t know if he needed saving in the first place, and even after the facts are unveiled, it’s not really them who would be doing the saving (if “saving” is even the right word to begin with). But if she’d thought about it a bit, then maybe she would have realized that obviously something happened. There were a lot of signs, but her single brain cell was a little thing of desire that wanted to bring back specifically what we saw in the first volume -- the three of them, happy, playing karuta together. But, as I said last week, memories are fleeting. Unreliable. And impossible to recreate. You can’t make a second memory without already having experienced the first memory. Chihaya will slowly become more considerate as we read on, but her core -- the burning selfishness -- will not change. That is also what draws people to her. We see, already, Taichi hopelessly orbiting her and her unaware. It will be some time yet before she notices how close he is because she is more interested in keeping the idea of him around than actualization of him. And that slow, crushing, painful yearning he will feel and we will see him feel is part of what makes this series so fun. Misery loves company, and what are we but company.

#chihayafuru #week by week

[watayaaratamblr]

Arata is an unfortunate character.

No, he is NOT!

But if we wish to make him one, then we don't need one fifth of the effort put into making Taichi the "sad" character that most fans keep labeling as "Poor Taichi", and Arata would have been then the most unfortunate character in Chihayafuru. All we need is a good mangaka (Suetsugu is!) & the intention to make him draw sympathy (the whole point), simply because Arata’s story is well packed with good material serving the purpose.

Starting with the fact that he was an almost blind child … Like “looking through a magnifying glass”, hearing voices outside but being unable to see anything~ A child who had to wear glasses from the age of 3, any writer can make this a touching story if so they wished -But Suetsugu sensei did not want to.

Growing up as a weak boy who is a letdown in everything most boys do, crying alone when he fails to fit in, disappointing his father who kept pushing him to go outside and be “normal” like all the other children all while letting go of Karuta that he was confirmed to have liked since he was very young. Writing a bit of his struggles to find a place for himself within the norms could have made readers cry a lot.

His grandfather thankfully extended his hand to him, offered him a place where he can be himself; But that too, created a situation where he maybe had to take a side & deal somehow with the other side because his grandfather & his father had a fight and he can only be torn between them. I’m no writer myself, but I can make this sentimental.

Then his father took him away to Tokyo where he had to be a part of a poor family, and not only to cancel his needs & desires (like for example having different outfits for school instead of the few he will be noticed to wear frequently) but to also work sometimes to support his parents, to wake up before school time in the early mornings when other children are probably sound asleep in their warm beds, to go outside in the cold, to earn some cash and to give it to his parents … I read some real sad stories with this idea. So yeah, Arata could have been one of the saddest characters if Suetsugu wanted him to be.

And not to mention being bullied and laughed at for not only his impoverishment (which he can hope to change) but for his identity (as a boy from Fukui speaking a “weird” dialect). He received all this with lot of patience, and tried to comfort himself by himself with his grandfather’s “gift”, how it was a refugee for him.

Any writer can make a sob story out of Arata’s unspoken loneliness & yearning for home, his grandpa & for playing his beloved Karuta properly.

Or out the fact that he couldn’t make any friends in his new school either (he was confirmed to never have real friends since his childhood through the fact that he struggled to fit in + he stayed like that even after he grew up (like Murao said), and he is not someone who doesn’t care about having friends because he was confirmed to almost worship his bond with Taichi & Chihaya, Taichi specifically even though their friendship isn’t really a comforting one; he longed for friendship however it is!)

He enjoyed that friendship nonetheless, he might even have felt like he was compensated for everything he wished for through it but he was soon robbed of all of it as he was separated from these friends & while he could still enjoy a bit of it through correspondence (at least Chihaya kept in touch), he wasn't as untroubled as needed for that because he was about to lose his precious grandfather.

And the process of losing him wasn’t something to take lightly either. Having busy (or rather negligent?) parents made him (a boy not even 14 years old) a caregiver for an old man who suffered from paralysis on the right side of his body and later dementia, not as simple as that, he had to watch what his most beloved & respected person turn into day & night, when he worked “really hard” (as stated in the manga) with his rehabilitation exercises, when he helped him with his baths, he massaged his limbs, he fed him, constantly talked to him & showed him Karuta cards to “keep him” in this world. And when it's too much for him, he goes outside the room and cries bitter tears silently, all alone! There was this person who suffered from (PTSD) for years because their sick aunt didn’t recognize them (they were her favorite nephew before & they were 17 yo at the time), this person couldn’t visit her since & couldn’t see her before she died & they developed a fear of “getting too close” & of seeing sick people, they had to seek long & serious therapeutic help. And Arata actually suffered from PTSD for over a year & half, any psychologist can easily recognize that from the fact that he quit Karuta, refused to touch & hated to see the cards (I stress on this), how he answered Chihaya when she called him, how the calm & patient him (that we knew from his childhood) was agitated & treated her rudely when she insisted on playing a match. And it was all confirmed in Arata’s last words in the same chapter: “I wanted to see you, I always had, but I didn’t want you to see me like this” (in the official tr), he knew that he wasn’t himself (contrary to what Taichi thought, his friend who decided to abandon him instead of trying to help. Chihaya still had faith in him but Taichi was louder -ch10)

Still, thanks to Chihaya, Arata was back to his beloved Karuta, though we all questioned how much fun he really felt while playing again, how much of him was involved with the game now. And eventually, he himself expressed the pressure (not the fun) he felt while playing. What took his passion away, what turned the feelings of a Karuta baka into mere obligation, this also is good content for an emotionally charged story, it only needs the intention of the writer.

And he shone in the world of Karuta. YET he was never “proud” of it, that was never received as anything special. When he comes back home, none really cares (or at least, none shows any enthusiasm), he goes to the western-challenger qualifiers and his parents won’t even go watch, won’t even prepare some food for him, he comes back home late & finds none, and prepares everything by himself (apart from Yu’s help). His parents pray for his defeat, meaning that his DREAM to become Meijin/be strongest in Karuta doesn’t mean much to them, and he knows it, and he was never shown telling them the news like when you want to share a happy one. Arata’s mother -before giving up after acknowledging Arata’s dedication- wanted his defeat even though there was enough money to support him, the lack of money being the excuse she & her husband claimed to be the reason of their lack of support.

The support system Arata lacks isn’t only in his family. Since the death of his grandfather he seems to stand alone in Karuta too. Murao was the only one who spared some time for him but only after he realized how “alone” he was and took pity on him. Murao's realization implies that the training Arata was doing at the Nagumo society didn’t really count for what he really needed. Kuriyama sensei (being expected by fans to be the “Harada” in Arata’s side) was almost useless & he himself expressed his confusion about what to do with him & how to help him. We never saw him particularly guide him in any way either. "Experiences" & "taking chances" were two factors that helped Mizusawa members for example to grow a lot, but these chances are doors without knobs & we know that they were opened for them by adults who were taking care of them in a way or another + being friends ensured that they encouraged each other then proceeded with every idea they got to learn & experience more. Arata lacks both these sources (adults around him rather burdened him with their expectations) so he kept training on his own mostly & we saw how it felt frustrating to him to be relying only on his solo training & an "image" encouraged by a long-dead teacher, he realized the toll of lacking real opponents in practice with whom he can measure his abilities & correct his mistakes to grow stronger. Support can also be emotional. Did Arata ever receive particular emotional support? I can only remember panels where the people worried for him kept watching him from afar while he dealt with it on his own.

Yu was an exception but even her support was written in a way suggesting that Arata was prepared to go on without it. Because with time, Arata learnt to "not expect much" which is also a very interesting trope for a sad story.

And he was described as “a lonely player on top” but this was never elaborated to show how it felt like to be one for Arata himself. This idea is also brilliant for melancholy if the author wanted fans to sympathize with Arata but she didn't go beyond praising Chihaya who could somehow reach him & Shinobu chan.

And while playing on his own (or working part time to support himself), taking care of himself, he met his two precious friends again (they were the only selfish desire Arata has openly expressed throughout the series). But what he felt is that he was left behind & that he was the only one so far away. And he was. They got to experience so many things he didn’t, they made new friends & new bonds & he didn’t, they got closer to each other & he didn’t… At the end he went back to be the outsider & them the two old childhood friends. If the author wrote just a little bit more about these, if she highlighted these facts they could have made a good drama.

Love is the main reason Taichi is "felt for" (because he progressed in karuta but not in Love ..not yet at least). Arata is also a part of the love triangle in Chihayafuru, and if we try to summarize it with the intention of making it sad, then let's go, there is enough to say for that, we just need a good writer (which I'm not sadly). Still in short: Arata seems to have started to develop feelings for Chihaya a long time ago but he had to keep that in check because he thought she was dating Taichi & he kept his distance out of respect for that assumed relationship even though he craved at least connecting with his old friends. When he came closer, Chihaya was interested in him but he never knew, the enthusiasm she showed him was not different from how she is with everyone, no, Taichi received special treatment, while for him, every time he tries to say something to her he is cut off somehow. Everything seemed to be against them getting close. Later Chihaya seemed to have ultimate fun with Taichi too, maybe that was the only thing he thought he could give her, now she didn't need it. Maybe he had that thought again when she praised his game against Harada sensei that's why he confessed but soon, She is once again so far away, she seemed to need Taichi to function properly, he understood that & he used that to cheer her up in her most important tournament. He wanted badly to play with her again to only be totally iced, he couldn't even be seen by her, he was so far away, she belonged to where he wasn't part of (& even her friend kana found a way to express her disapproval of him) Can we not make a drama out of this? Or out of his stuttering, awkwardness & introversion? Or maybe the fact that his parents don't understand him? And did anyone alse feel that in most of Taichi's mother's appearances, we got this feeling that Taichi is a son who should be cared for while when Arata's parents appeared, many times, we can feel how Arata was used to highlight their feelings as individuals & he was drawn there as the member of the family who had to pay attention to that? Anyway, every single one of these points alone is very good material for a "tearjerker" so what about all of them combined? because they are all facts from Arata's reality.

Again, all we need is a good writer (we have it) & the intention to make it that way which isn't there. Suetsugu decided instead to put double the effort to make Taichi the "sorrowful/anguished" one because Arata is not a character written to feel sorry for or to commiserate. He is rather written for the most part of the manga as an inspiring one, an aspiration, to be a drive & a goal. So despite having all the above circumstances, he is instead written as a character who keeps to himself, doesn't complain, hides his hardships, makes it seem that he fine when he notices that someone is watching, tries to focus on what he has & be happy with it however little or simple. That's why it's easy for him to forget & forgive, easy for him to recover & stand up again because there are other characters who need him there as an example, who think that he is perfectly fine so they should only focus on themselves and thus, Bildungsroman can be used for them. And finally- wait, what were Taichi's problems again?

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

Writer adds:

#chihayafuru #wataya arata #ayase chihaya #chiharata #mashima taichi #this is dedicated to Arata fans who are constantly told they love a one dimensional character which is just ignorance speaking #or at least looking the other way when Arata actually is there!

[finoalcielo]

SETSUBUN 2022

Source: @/tsukiuta1

☆ SETSUBUN CHEERING COMMITTEE ☆

YORU: Now then! It's time for! 2022's SOY-ya festival!!! Let us all sing the national anthem, "To you who likes soybean"!!! HARU (Committee Member): It (the video) has our memories from last year ♪

#Setsubun Cheering Committee

>

HARU: Is this the founding of the Soybean Kingdom?

#Setsubun Cheering Committee

YORU: Come on, everyone! Today is a fine day for beans! It's a beautiful Japanese tradition so... let's start with some peaceful bean-sowing! EVERYONE: Okay~! Demon is out! ・゜゜・。ヽ(･ω･｀･ω･)ﾉ・゜゜・。 Good fortune inside!

#Setsubun Cheering Committee

> JONSANN RT

A "bean" knowledge.... The synth-like tone that is played in the interlude and outro of SolidS I AM A BARTENDER may be Jon's voice. It's not a synth-like sound, it's merely my voice.

#Setsubun Cheering Committee

> JZness RT

More "bean" knowledge.... The original title of SOARA's RE:START song "Netenai Pierrot" (Sleepless Clown) was actually "Nemutai Pierrot" (Sleepy Clown). When three people being recorded were asked to scream out the name in various ways, their tension (mainly two people) was so out of charts that they pronounced it as "Netenai" and so, the name of the song changed right on the spot...

#Setsubun Cheering Committee

YORU: It looks like everyone is now armed for the bean toss. In that case... HARU: It is time! For the battle royale where "your secret will be revealed upon being hit by these super, ultra-beans" that were created Shun! KOI: The rules are simple! Just... YORU: Throw beans!! EVERYONE: SOY-yaa!!

#Setsubun Cheering Committee

>SQ RT

TSUBASA ヽ(｡ ・∀・)ﾉ 三.'∴・: SOY-ya!!!! YOU: Wai-- so its you!!

#Setsubun Cheering Committee

KAI: Ah, there! Time for a se~cr~et~!! RUI: A se-cr-et! YOU: I went to a convenience store to use their photocopier, but I ended up buying bread that satisfied me so much that I left and returned, only for me to go "What the hell am I doing?" and go back to the store to use the photocopier. However, I ended up buying a salad to compliment the bread and went back home without ever using the photocopier!! IKU: The photocopier (ww)

#Setsubun Cheering Committee

ARATA ヽ(｡ ･∀･)ﾉ 三.'∴・: SOY-yaa!! SHUN ヽ(｡ ･∀･)ﾉ 三.'∴・: SOY-yaa!! HARU ヽ(｡ ･∀･)ﾉ 三.'∴・: SOY-yaa!! AOI: Uwaa... Hajime-san's being targeted everywhere (wry smile) HAJIME: ....You guys... Tch, Kakeru! Koi!

#Setsubun Cheering Committee

KAKERU: Special Move: Deadly Ehomaki Cannon. SOY-ya. 　　 _________ 　ﾀﾞﾀﾞﾀﾞﾀﾞﾀﾞ (;;;;;;;;;;;(@）　≡@　@　@　@　@ ε　ﾍ⌒ﾍ⌒ヽﾌ （ ( 　・ω・） しー し─Ｊ ARATA & SHUN & HARU: AH---- ← Out KOI: Kakeru-san, too strong (ww)

#Setsubun Cheering Committee

ARATA: Remember that day where even Tokyo was buried in snow? KAKERU: Yeah. ARATA: A woman (estimated to be around 70 years old?) slipped in front of me and so I went ahead to pick up the items that fell from her bag. KAKERU: What a gentleman. ARATA: I however ended up slipping magnificently with such force that she asked me "A-Are you okay?!?" with such concern. KAKERU: Nevermind. I take that back.

#Setsubun Cheering Committee

HARU: Remember the shooting from the other day? KAKERU: Yes. HARU: I decided I wanted to change my hairstyle slightly. KAKERU: Ah, that does happens. HARU: So I also thought to change my glasses and got these ones instead (round frame). KAKERU: End result: "let's stick to the usual!", right? HARU: At least comment on it. KAKERU: Sometimes, it's better to be silent than to speak.

#Setsubun Cheering Committee

SHUN: My secret, huh? IKU: Please don't say anything that'll destroy the laws of the world. SHUN: Eeh? That limits things a lot. YORU: What were you going to reveal... SHUN: Eh~ Uhm~~~ Ah. There was a time when I was young where I got bored with all the rituals so I transformed into one of my female relatives and left with Sakaki-san~

#Setsubun Cheering Committee

KAI: Didn't Sakaki-san get scolded? (wry smile) SHUN: I said, "Don't be angry with him. If you do, I'll be angry with you" and things turned out fine♪ ...But now, I understand the feelings of those were were worried for me, so I won't be angry~ YORU: Some things can only be understood when you become an adult. YOU: Ritual?? Transformed???

#Setsubun Cheering Committee

IKU (*・ω・)ノ゜三・゜゜・: An opening! SOY-ya! YORU: Ah! (hit) YOU: So, the tournament's host was finally hit. RUI: The secret at night... KAI: That sounds kinda indecent. HARU: Kai, stop immediately (ww) YORU: Uhm...! T/N: It's a pun with Yoru's name. The sentence can be read as both "Yoru's secret" or "the secret at night".

#Setsubun Cheering Committee

YORU: Setsubun is an event early in February. As opposed to Valentine's Day, this is a much more simple event. Even the snacks for Hinamatsuri are bigger as compared to Setsubun's! But!! I.. really love Setsubun!! EVERYONE: We already knew that.

#Setsubun Cheering Committee

YORU: Setsubun is about to end. HARU: It was quite a fierce battle this year too. KOI: It really was. YORU: But, this means that we'll undeniably be lucky! And so, this is the end of this year's Setsubun! Now, then everyone, let's say it together? EVERYONE: SOY-ya! YORU: Thank you very much! And now I will return to being the same old Yoru!

#Setsubun Cheering Committee #See you next year!

#setsubun #setsubun 2022 #tsukiuta #cielotranslations #tsukiuta twitter #procellarum #six gravity #mutsuki hajime #shimotsuki shun #fuduki kai #yayoi haru #satsuki aoi #nagatsuki yoru #haduki you #uduki arata #shiwasu kakeru #minaduki rui #kannaduki iku #kisaragi koi

[katsubiatch]

Hopelessly Devoted-2

Warnings: Bar Shenanigans, Alcohol consumption, descriptions of medical events

Authors Note: I'm so sorry it took me so long to get this out! I have a 11 month old and a full time job, plus we recently found out so bad news about my father in laws health so I've been taking time for family. However now this is finally out I hope everyone likes it and I've already started working on the next part which I can hopefully get out soon. Thank you to everyone who has stuck around!! Also just a note at the start of each chapter, not sure how many there will be, I am going to add in a part that will tie later into the story!

Pain. Indescribable pain soaked into each part of your body, molding into each crack and crevice. You thought you were screaming but you couldn't quite tell. When your ryes finally opened the bright white lights almost blinded you. There was a flurry of activity around you, people moving, your body parts being moved and needles poking into you. "You're alright, it's going to be okay. Just breath for me, okay Y/N?" You heard to your left, and your head felt heavy as you looked over to a familiar face of one of your coworkers. She looked like she was going to cry. Then you heard some familiar words that usually meant bad news. "Pressures are dropping, we need to get an ultrasound. She might be having internal bleeding!"

There were a few words that you wanted to get out, but your tongue felt thick and sluggish. Your brain not working as quickly as you would like but soon you were fading back into that black nothingness where there was no pain and you could rest. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One date lead to two, two to three and so on. The last thing you expected was to be exclusively dating a pro hero. Especially not such a controversial pro hero who was explosive both literally and emotionally. You hadn't really kept up with pros before but since you started dating Dynamight, or Katsuki as you were now able to call him, you noticed him in more and more interviews and managed to catch him on the news more often than you ever had before. He was... sweet and kind when he wanted to be, but he was also brash and rude at times. You were able to see past that most of the time. You took it in stride, brushed off his comments that weren't meant to be rude but came off that way. He showed his love and appreciation in strange ways, and you just had to decipher it.

Of course your relationship was kept out of the news, quiet and secret. You didn't mind too much, after all you were not about fame and wanting people to know your name. Katsuki said that it was safer that way, no villain's would come after you to get to him. You wouldn't be under constant threat of being kidnapped or killed. Besides it also kept your name out of the tabloids and gossip columns with people speculating on who you were and if you were just with Katsuki because of his fame or money. However there were a few people he wanted to let in on the secret.

You were currently sitting at the same bar you'd met at, sipping at your drink while Katsuki sat next to you and peeled the label off his beer bottle. It was hard to tell when he was anxious but this was a safe assumption that he was at least a little nervous. You were going to be meeting his friends, ones from high school that he'd managed to stay in touch with. Though you were sure that was mostly because they all pretty much worked together as pros. "Don't be so nervous. I'm sure it will be fine." You rolled your eyes, moving to place your hands around his, stilling them as you looked up at him. "I'm pretty sure I've met most of them before at the hospital. So I mean.. I already slightly know them." You shrugged and went back to your drink. The coolness from the ice a stark contrast to the warmth of Katsuki's hands. "It's not that... they're just idiots and they'll probably drive you away. I mean they're a lot to handle." That was an understatement but Y/N wasn't worried. If his friends were too much she could always excuse herself for a few minutes. Besides how bad could they be? "Don't worry about that, I'm sure there isn't anything they could say that would keep me away from you." You smiled, leaning over to place a kiss against Bakugou's lips, which caused him to become flustered and turn a shade of pink. He wasn't a huge fan of PDA so you didn't often push but he indulged you sometimes.

"Uh oh, Bakubro caught kissing in public!" A loud voice sounded to he left of you two, causing you to look over at a very energetic blond. You'd seen him quite a few times getting stitched up and flirting with nurses. "Hi, I'm..." He started but trailed off when you interrupted him.

"Denki Kaminari. I've seen you in the ER a few times, you're the one who.. gets kind of dumb when you overuse your quirk, right?" You asked, giving him a smile. "Ooohhh that's rough bro." Another tall man with bright red hair and built like a God in your opinion, and could be none other than.. "Eijiro Kirishima, nice to meet you." "Okay that's enough small talk!" Bakagou grumbled as he looked over at the three of you, causing you to laugh a touch. "Where are Pinky and Plain face?" He inquired. "On their way, got stuck at the office." Kaminari pouted from his spot at the table. Things went much better than Bakugou could have imagined. You got along with his friends almost too well and he almost regretted introducing you to them. You were tipsy with Mina and Kaminari, and he was sure that the three of you were coming up with a bad idea which you were, and ended up with the three of you absolutely butchering karaoke. But Bakugou didn't care, things felt right and he was glad you got along with his friends.

It was a year into your relationship, and the two of you had moved in together. It wasn't often that you got to spend together. With Bakugou wanting to do everything he could to become number 1 and with your crazy work schedule it just made sense. Some days you only saw each other in passing, or the rare night off you would spend being lazy and sleeping. It wasn't ideal but neither of you would ask the other to give up things. So you took your one or two nights a week that you actually got to sleep next to your boyfriend over nothing, and didn't complain. You didn't complain but things started to turn sour at one point when Bakugou caught you and your coworker standing a bit to close to one another to read a chart. His mind had gone crazy with jealousy and thoughts of you cheating on him. The lack of time spent together drove him crazy and cause a lot of insecurities in him.

"Are you kidding me? I'm cheating on you with Arata? Seriously?" You managed to get out after he finally voice his accusations aloud. You'd just gotten home from a long shift, almost twenty four hours and this was how you were greeted. Bakugou sitting at the kitchen table ready for an interrogation the second you walked in. "I don't know where you got your information or what you think is true but you're wrong." You scoffed, shaking your head and moving to pull your shoes off.

"I'm wrong? Then why is that creep always hanging around you?Every time I'm at the hospital he's standing right next to you." Bakugou was ready for any excuse, anything that you had to say. "Because he's my friend?" You voiced as a question, going about your routine for when you got home from work. Getting dinner, peeling off your scrubs and taking a hot shower. "We work together, and he's my friend. I've never even thought of him like that." You scrunched up your nose, shaking your head and moving towards the bathroom. "Just a friend?" "Yes! Just a friend! He's a doctor in the ER and we work together. Most of the time we're working on the same cases." You shrug starting to undress as you look back over at him. "I promise that we aren't running around the hospital having secret sex rendezvous. It isn't like Grey's Anatomy." You sigh and undo your hair from the bun you'd piled it in halfway through your shift. "Fine, I'll believe you." Bakugou huffed, smiling down at your naked form, his hands moving to your hips. "That's all I ask." You beam up at him, pulling at the bottom of his shirt, "Mmm now why don't you join me in the shower?" Little didn't you know that this wouldn't be the last time you had this conversation.

#bakugou x y/n #bakugou x reader #bakugou x you #bakugou katuski x reader #Hopelessly Devoted

[kexing]

Helloo, back from my very short break. It was calm while it lasted, now time for more brainrot. Honestly though, I couldn't help myself because there's nothing better to do during the winter holidays and I definitely don't want to talk politics with my dad, so back to dramas it was! On the bright side, I did read a book and picked up 2 others as well!!

Ngl, I had watched bb by the time I sent you that last ask, but I needed time to process the mess that was that episode. I still don't understand where they're going with all of this but all I can say is that I'm disappointed. Extremely. There were cute moments and a lot of usual bl tropes grappled with really well, but overall...*shrugs* I mean come on, a gun?? Whatever happened to holding people responsible for being shitheads. I felt there was a drastic change in screenwriting compared to the past episodes, all of this felt chaotic like they pulled it out of nowhere. Maybe they wanted to put an end to the wai conflict as soon as possible so they can focus on the parents in the last few episodes but it still didn't sit right with me. I'm glad there's no new episode this friday because I need another week to forget ep 9 ever happened anfsjfjsk

I am, on the other hand, quite sad about not having not me on sunday, because it's been consistently delivering so far and I'm here for it all. Very intrigued about dan's character, I've heard people say he's a former cop, which adds more depth to the character because he'll know of the flaws in the system seeing that he's fighting back in his own way. And todd, very sus guy in my eyes. Wasn't phased by his friend being beaten up (at least that's how it looked to me), somehow knew that white returned (I'm sure no one was aware except white's dad's acquaintances since pretty much everyone else lost touch or were cut off, that's saying something here 👀), strikes me as a guy up to no good (watch me be proved wrong later).

And I'd love to talk about something that's not dramas too! My taste in things is pretty lackluster tbh, but I've got a lot of useless interests. I love dabbling in whatever I find amusing for the day and never see it through till the end, tryna fix that habit though but we'll see. That said, I've got a song rec for you, it's called 'apartment' by hikaru arata, hope you like it!

- awa :)

WELCOME BACK DEAREST 🥰🥰🥰

i feel you. i don’t have much else to do either 🤣🤣🤣 but i’m glad you read a book and started others! very productive of you! i wish i knew how to read :(

completely understandable. i myself am still processing the episode. and am starting to think that i’ll never fully process it. it’s the curse of being me 😭😭😭

i don’t know if you remember but a couple of asks ago i told you that whatever you had to say to me i completely agreed and YEAH, that still stands. i completely agree with you.

“whatever happened to holding people responsible for being shitheads” god exactly. i wish i knew 😭😭😭

while i’ve always felt small divergences here and there in the show, nothing was as chaotic and bad as the gun thing. which is just Beyond me. i fail to understand the thought process behind it. like my brain legit cannot register it’s a thing that actually happened.

i understand wanting this plot point to be over but there are better ways to do it. like for example, having wai overhear pat and pran but never expose them, let the boys share their relationship with everyone else when they’re ready to as it should be, and okay FINE let wai sulk and avoid pran at first but eventually remember pran’s words about not choosing who you fall for and how hard it is to hide a relationship and have wai eventually realize that he cares about pran way more than he cares about the stupid rivalry and pat.

and you know what?? if they wanted a shooting scene That bad then have wai get shot while defending pat instead of the other way around! have wai tell pat that he didn’t do it for him but for pran (cuz he’s mad at pran but he still cares about him). at least it’s ONE thing wai would be doing for pran, in the whole show. this would bring them closer anyways because pat and pran would take care of wai like it’s their own son and this would give him the chance to really have a heartfelt conversation with pran and they would apologize to each other for all the hiding and sulking.

and doesn’t pran’s mom LoVe wai? so she goes to visit him and finds pat and pran in the room being quite friendly. there you go, they’re still somewhat caught like in the end of ep 9.

this is just a silly example, really. but STILL. i would’ve liked it much better.

and once again i’m with you. i need another week to try and get over ep 9, so it’s a good thing for me that there’s no new episode this week.

saaaame. i’m also heartbroken that we don’t get a new not me episode 😭😭😭 legit think we deserved an exception for this one.

yes. i’ve only recently learned that dan is or was a c*p which kinda sad tbh cuz acab but i’m willing to give them a chance to elaborate on his character and how he’s fighting back in his own way!!

i also think todd is Very sus!!! i’m quite sure he’s hiding Something and is most likely behind some of this. i just feel very sad for white if he ever finds out that todd betrayed him. poor guy :(

“my taste in things is pretty lackluster” same lmaooo whenever my dad wants to talk to me about movies and music i’m there like “uhhh i liked the ying yang master? and i’ve only listened to the same three songs for two months now? which are pretty much just dramas osts” and he’s like?????? what does any of that even mean???

naaah it’s perfectly okay to enjoy things just for the day or for how you feel at the moment. + your interests are Yours so even if other people don’t like it, as long as you do it’s not a waste of time!!!

apartment is such a chill song omg!! i closed my eyes and kept imagining me driving around in the middle of the morning, windows down, wind in my hair, the ocean ahead, just vibing 🥰🥰🥰

thank you so much for stopping by, for making me feel understood and for the song rec!!! ❤️💙

#awa tag #mj got mail!

[formashimataichi]

yes i agree that Chihaya will not think about answering aratas confession right away but i don’t understand how sensei will give us a sastifactory friendship end when both boys love chihaya and even though Taichi said his feelings were fading, that was a lie as seen with his actions like telling Sumire to invite Chihaya out. his story is very heavy on his love for chihaya. if she did not want chihaya to pick anyone then why is she dragging this out? it’s very baity to me and my most disliked thing about her writing cause it feels like she is teasing us readers who care about the romance side..alot of readers are going to be left disappointed if she actually goes for a cop-out friend end

The thing is, though, can a romance be called bait if the main character herself isn’t invested in it? The primary difference between the love triangle in Chihayafuru and the love triangles in most mainstream shoujo is the fact that they’re employed for completely different reasons. A love triangle in a shoujo series typically involves the female main character agonizing over which one of the two love interests she should choose, because the story is usually about her reaching self fulfillment through her relationship with one boy or the other, never both. In Chihayafuru, we don’t see anything like that reflected in Chihaya’s behavior—she’s certainly overwhelmed by the boys’ confessions, but there’s never a moment where it actively feels like she’s trying to choose one of them over the other, at least with regards to romance. To sort out the romantic conflict among Taichi and Arata as it pertains to herself has never been a priority in the story for her, ever, because she doesn’t need to be in a relationship with either of them to feel “self-fulfilled”. That’s something she looks for in karuta, in her friendships, and in what she wants to do with the rest of her life. And I think that’s really hard for a lot of readers to grasp, because they’re so used to shoujo (and josei) protagonists in the mainstream being defined primarily by their romances, and their independence as women coming second (although this isn’t to say that all shoujo protagonists are like this, just that a lot who are popular certainly are). 

Of course, this all begs the question: why, then, are Taichi and Arata’s feelings for Chihaya important, if nothing is allegedly going to come of them by way of securing a relationship with her? And that comes back to something I’ve said a few times before, wherein we can’t always view romance as an object to be reached for—sometimes it’s just something we happen to grow through, like a narrative device as opposed to a narrative goal. I definitely agree a huge focal point of Taichi’s arc is his love for Chihaya, but I think that’s because he has to figure out how he can love her while being able to love himself first (and the same can apply to his relationship with Arata). A lot of his issues are tied down to how he continues to push himself for the sake of others even though he himself isn’t invested in what he’s doing, and that in turn circles back to one of the most important messages of the manga as a whole: you can’t build your dreams on the backs of others. Taichi can’t sustain his relationship with karuta solely through what he feels for Chihaya or Arata; he has to be able to love and play the game for himself, to have purpose unique to himself in order to survive and thrive, to then be able to wholeheartedly support the people around him. It’s a slightly different but ultimately similar case with Arata, as well. His relationship with karuta is buoyed by what his grandfather, and then Chihaya and Taichi, made it into for him. He’s overwhelmingly shackled to these safe zones over the course of the narrative, and it’s why we’ve finally started to see him crumble and lose resolve, because his investment in the game isn’t entirely his own. Arata also has to realize that he can’t rely on the feelings he has for Chihaya and Taichi in order to sustain the love that he has for the game. At some point, he has to find and believe in his own pursuits, and to forge a path for himself without relying on anyone else’s safety net or influence. 

The ultimate message of comfort that Chihayafuru delivers, in my opinion, is one of being selfish in order to be selfless. Team matches are solo matches. Solo matches are team matches. You have to be completely invested in your own dreams and devote time to loving yourself before you can love and support anyone else. You have to trust the people around you to fight their own battles while you’re fighting yours. I think that’s something Chihaya has achieved, which to me is what sets her up to ultimately win; Taichi and Arata aren’t quite there yet, but they’re both very close, Taichi especially. And I don’t say all of this to mean that the boys’ feelings for Chihaya are worthless, or that they’ll disappear. On the contrary, I think they’re both always going to love her in some capacity. But the purpose of their romantic arcs, to me, is to reach a point where they can hold their feelings for her (and their feelings for each other, to be honest) and their own purpose in balance. I don’t think Taichi says his feelings are fading away because he’s falling out of love with her. I think he just means he’s moving on from fixating on winning her heart, because he realizes there’s more to his own self-fulfillment than waiting for her forever. Before it’s our purpose in life to belong to someone else, I think it’s our purpose to belong to ourselves. To love ourselves wholeheartedly. To believe in our dreams. That’s what sets us up to love the people around us in earnest. 

#ayase chihaya #mashima taichi #wataya arata #chihayafuru #*meta #this is something i've been meaning to put into words for a while #so thank you for the ask! #i feel like this sums up my perception of the manga in general tbh #the whole concept around really needing to own your dreams is such a cathartic one to me #because i feel like as kids a lot of us force ourselves to have dreams on others' behalf #esp asian kids. like in terms of social standards or familial legacy #so i really appreciate that chihayafuru enforces the importance of choosing for yourself and loving yourself first #i think it's something people might understand better as adults too #in general i think the experience of reading the series as a teenager versus as an adult is Very different #like soo many things about my perception of and sympathy for certain characters changed

[dayuwritings]

Paraiba Tourmaline Sacrifices (Part 1)

Rating: Young Adult/YA

Fandom: Psycho Pass

Relationship: Ginoza Nobuchika/Shimotsuki Mika

Characters: Ginoza Nobuchika, Shimotsuki Mika, Frederica Hanashiro, Kei Mikhail Ignatov, Shindo Arata, Kougami Shinya, Sugo Teppei

Language: English

Part: 2

__________________________________________________________

How odd.

Not wanting to waste her time any longer, Shimotsuki Mika calls one of her subordinate. But the person who is now several miles away from her doesn’t pick up the call. It is getting late, and it is out of the schedule plan. It’s sunday, most people probably stay at their house or go out with their family or friends enjoying their day off. But a crime doesn’t care of your beloved day off, it strikes whenever it wants, like it or not. Nearly five hours ago, she rechieved a report to investigate a murder case inside a jewelry shop. She handed it to Division One as it fits with the capability of the aimed division. Their last conversation happened four hours ago, and she hasn’t received further progress from them. According to the report she received, the owner of the jewelry shop is an immigrant from Sri Lanka. She has a hunch that this case will involve The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’s Suppressing Action Departement, or easily known as “S.A.D”. Their involvement is what worries her. She wonders if her subordinates have bumped into them. It’s nothing serious, but she has personal grudge with their assistant officer, who took away her ex-subordinates from her, most of all those who actually capable, and even though she doesn’t want to admit it, her trusted one.

The case is about a murder of an immigrant shop owner, Ranuvitha Semel, who is suspected on having a connection to the black market. The suspect is his own business partner. Ranuvitha used to sells jewelry, as he born from a country which famous of its gemstone. The current missions is to investigate Ranuvitha Semel himself, his business, the person who is suspected as his murderer and lastly, the black market itself. His action on doing such a business without Sibyl noticing is definitely odd. At first, some suspected him as a criminally asyptomatic, before it got debunked as his records shows that he is an ordinary man. The report came after a suspicious actions regarding the business and their sudden increase on purchase numbers.

Several hours later, she finally gets a call. The words on the screen pops up, it’s inspector Kei Mikhail Ignatov.

“How is it?” she asks.

“We are still investigating the matter, inspector Arata just contacted analyst Karanomori to track the suspect after we found out that the now deceased owner of the shop, Ranuvitha Semel, is indeed related with the black market which connected with several countries, including Sri Lanka itself, as his supplier and business partner” the man answers.

“He is a first generation immigrant, all document that isn’t registered and connected with his previous life must still be there—“

“That’s the problem, the suspect took it together with a gemstone, paraiba tourmaline” he adds.

“And how is that possible?”

“We are too late to stop the suspect, I supposed—“

“YOU!” she yells and continues,

“Such a thing like this happened because of your incapability! are you two taking this seriously or not?!”

“We are going to track him down right now, I won’t let such a thing happens again” he says with a sigh.

“AS YOU SHOULD!” she ends the call abruptly, and leans on her chair. She takes a deep breath, and tries to control her anger, which is difficult. While she still controlling her emotions, a video call pops up,

“How is there?” says a woman with honey-blonde hair while smiling teasingly to the screen. The person she wishes to see the least today.  Hanashiro Frederica, an Assistant Officer of Suppressing Action Departement.

“What do you want?!”

“How’s your team doing?” Frederica smiles, but Shimotsuki knows so well what’s behind that smile.

“We are still investigating, and if you and your guys interfere our process, I won’t stay still” Shimotsuki says while pointing her finger to the screen.

“Well, too bad because my people already down there. You know that this also be a case for Ministry of Fereign Affairs” Frederica says. Of course Shimotsuki knows that, but she despises every involvement that come from MoFA. Once again, because of her personal grudge and her dislikeness towards Hanashiro Frederica. The woman on the screen continues,

“Now then, let’s share informations don’t we?” her smile fades, and her voice becomes more serious. But Shimotsuki can’t give anything as her team failed to capture the suspect and now playing Tom and Jerry on the road. She doesn’t want to admit that to her, she’s furious with her current situation, but she tries to be professional.

“My team are still investigating the matter, and if you want information, go ask the people from your own department” she cuts the video call, and returns leaning on her chair. It takes several minutes until she comes back focusing with her own tasks.

It’s getting late, and the sky becomes darker. On the street, behind those wall, and under the bridge, something is creeping. In the world under Sibyl System, Japan has turned into something else. It is peace, but it is also hides monstrosity. It says that people who lives in Japan are good people, because every people with bad personality went to jail, or just, ‘gone’. But who says that good people can’t hate? Who thinks that good people can’t kill? Good people can do what bad people do. It’s just that when they do them, they call it justice. At least, that’s come from a book she ever read before.

Shimotsuki plans to go home, but she hasn’t received anything from her subordinates, so she decides to stay longer in the office. But she’s too impatient, so she calls them instead,

“Progr—“ she says but her words get cuts,

“Chief, what a coincidence I just plan to reach you” the man says, he’s Inspector Shindo Arata.

“Continue…”

“We have captured the suspect, he’s unconscious now. We also collected some evidences regarding his business and it’s connection with the black market…” Arata explains.

“And…?”

“Ranuvitha Semel didn’t know that he was doing a business with a black market, that explain why his crime coefficient stays normal. The black market is hiding under a registered company with the name ‘Hidaka Corporation’, which also the main supplier for a big production company” he adds,

“Big company?” she murmur, “—how is the product, anything strange?” she asks.

“Nothing suspicious with the mass products, but for valuable items like jewelry and gemstone we found out that they mixed unlicensed chemical powder with the gemstone, which can dissolve when you mixed with certain degree of hot water, and um…other things that is now being analyzed by Karanomori Shion-san” a drugs. So they sells gemstones as disguise through a jewelry store to their consumers. That answers the question on why the number of purchases increases for something that people don’t often buy.

“Have you investigate the customers?” she asks.

“We got the data already, and I’ll send them to you”

“Alright, now get back to the office and brings the evidence from the black market”

“Well about that, Chief…” Arata says, nervously.

“We are now with the Suppressing Action Departement from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and they asked for the evidence for further investigation purp—“

“HAH?! NO THEY ARE NOT!”

“Stay right there and don’t let them move any inch! I’ll go to your current location!” Shimotsuki takes her bag and runs towards the lift across her office.

***

Shimotsuki starts her car and sets it to auto-pilot, while she calls towards Frederica Hanashiro.

“I know you will call me” the woman from other side says, she’s still at her office just like when she called her in the evening.

“If you know then stop your people from snatching away of what supposed to be mine!”

“I see, you are on your way to them right? Then I don’t have to bring myself there, one of us is enough” she smiles, and it’s testing Shimotsuki’s patience once again.

“You are not answering me!”

“Ara, in the end the upper will ask us to investigate it after all” Frederica says,

“Then it’s them to decide and not you!”

“We will invite you to our office to discuss this, take this as a request from The Ministry of Foreign Affairs to negotiate with you”

“And if I refuse?”

“We will apply for a request again” Frederica smirks, she knows that she will get that no matter what. Shimotsuki knows damn well that shes’s that kind of person. And she hates it. At the moment like this, she sometimes wondering what will her senior will do. But thinking about Tsunemori Akane only frustrated her. Not that she hates her, she used too, but as time passes by, Akane is the only senior she looks up onto, and one of people she care for. Even now.

Shimotsuki arrives at the location, the whole Division One is there, also three people from Suppressing Action Departement. Including him. Her trusted one.

She gets out from her car, staring at her subordinates and then to S.A.D. Shindo Arata and Kei Mikhail Ignatov comes to her, and giving her a ‘salute’ pose. She responds to them, and stares back to S.A.D. Her ex-subordinates, Sugo Teppei, walks towards her. She knows what he going to say, but still letting him to say it himself.

“Our chief invited you for a meeting with us to discuss this matter” he says calmly, and he adds

“Just you” Shimotsuki sighs.

“What?” says Kei, feeling unacceptable. And before he shouts at Sugo, Shimotsuki stops him,

“I only accept the offer if you let my two inspectors attending the meeting, other than that, I decline” she says, Sugo looks at his team mates, and they nod to each others.

“Very well” he answers.

They hold the meeting in the meeting room inside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs tower. The room is quiet spacious for a room with just one medium-size coffee table, two big and small dark brown couches. The room is sets with warm temperature since it strats snowing outside. There is three huge windows covered the wall and exposing the outside which is now dark and various color of lights from the city starts appearing. Outside, people are selling Christmas ornaments and cookies. She just realizes that it’s Christmas eve tonight. Shimotsuki didn’t celebrate Christmas last year, she off for work. And it’s looks like it will not be any different for this year too. Even though, she doesn’t really mind, but the longing to rest and relax her mind are strong. The S.A.D team enters the room, it looks like they have been discussing something for a while, but letting the guests waiting while you are the one who invited them quite irritates Shimotsuki.

“You sure took a while” Shimotsuki says as they enters the room.

“Paradon us, we are discussing something”

“Do mind it, my side also has something to do too” she says with annoyed tone.

“Well then, let’s get into the business” Frederica says as she glances towards a man with pony-tail, Ginoza Nobuchika. The man nods, and shares a file to all people in the room. They opens it through their device. The screen shows several profiles of immigrants and also Japanese citizens.

“Let me explain what our side purpose and need is. Before this, we are currently investigating some certain immigrants and Japanese citizens who are involved with the black market under the company of Hidaka Corporation and their connection to a big production company. But we found no evidence since they are using normal products to big company. We try to investigate Hidaka Hikoichi, who is currently the CEO of Hidaka Corporation, but found out he knows nothing regarding the black market under his own company, which was proven right. Until we got a report of suspicious action from a jewelry shop that runs by immigrant. We suspected it has something to do with our previous case of black market under Hidaka Corporation. We can’t continue to progress our previous case without evidence, now that this case brings it, we offer you a help and reach for a bigger goal” he explains.

“How is that profitable to our side?” Shimotsuki says, she frowns. He chuckles and continues,

“We believe MWPSB is a non-profit organization, and of course we will also give our collected reports regarding the Japanese citizens who works under Hidaka Corporation and connected with the black market to you” he adds.

“That is not apple to apple. I give you the evidence, you step further from where you are now, you give me the reports it only enrich my my final report to the higher ground” Shimotsuki says as she crosses her arms, staring at him. But the man who sits in front of her doesn’t shudder, instead he smiles at her. She doesn’t know what the meaning of it, but she doesn’t like it. That look he gives to her is somewhat saying that she’s only a kid who is yet to understand this kind of thing.

“Our report also consists regarding what inside the gemstone, since these people we have investigated might involved with the making of the fake gemstone. Each type of gemstone apparently represents different kind of drugs” he says calmly, still with the same smile.

“What do you mean?” Kei asks.

“This is still our assumptions, but if you accept the offer then you might prove our assumptions. For example we suspect they have cocaine for ruby, cannabis for aquamarine, and ecstasy for sapphire” Ginoza answers. This reminds Shimotsuki of what Inspector Kei mentioned before about paraiba tourmaline.

“There are several type of gemstones which Ranuvitha Semel offers, but according to our investigation, three or perhaps more types of them are connected with this case” Ginoza adds, while sending a file to Shimotsuki and her subordinates. Cocaine for ruby, cannabis for aquamarine, ecstasy for sapphire, and what’s for paraiba tourmaline? There is no tourmaline left, even when her team finally caught the suspect, the paraiba tourmaline has already gone.

Even though, she hates to admit it, she feels tempted. It shows all over her face.

“We can use this Chief” says Arata beside her.

“I can agree with that” Kei adds while looking at the report. Shimotsuki glances at Ginoza’s face, to make it more specific, his ‘winning’ face. Besides him, there is Hanashiro Frederica, who also shows the same expressions, while the other two, Shinya Kougami and Sugo Teppei stays with their unreadable faces. She finally comes to conclusion,

“Alright, i take the offer! With this we are now even, internal matters are our turf. Do not ever interfere with our matters again!” she sees Ginoza with a smirk on his face. She reaches her peak of patience.

“Alright, then it settled” Frederica says while getting up and walks leaving the room, follows by Shinya Kougami and Sugo Teppei.

“It’s nice to have a deal with you, kanshikan” Ginoza says, definitely on purpose.

“kanshikan—“ she murmur, then follows with ‘hmph!’ while leaving the room.

Outside the meeting room, Kougami walks towards Ginoza.

“What’s wrong” Ginoza asks, Kougami only gives a smile.

“Nothing, it’s just you seem enjoying yourself” Kougami says.

“What do you mean?”

“You seem enjoy teasing your own junior” he answers.

“She is not my junior, she is my superior”

“was” Kougami corrects him. He chuckles,

“Right, ‘was’”.

***

The snow is getting a little bit thicker, Shimotsuki is out of Ministry of Foreign Affairs building while watching over her two subordinates, Inspector Kei Mikhail Ignatov and Shindo Arata, leaves the place by car. A white smoke comes out from her mouth, she rubs her palm to warms herself as she walks towards her own car.

“Kanshikan” someone calls over her, and it is no doubt from whom the voice is. Ginoza approaches her while she is about to open the car’s door.

“Saying, kanshikan, are you trying to mock me?” she answers, almost like shouting at him.

“I never intend it like that” he lets out a small laughs.

“Then, what do you want from me now?” she asks, ignoring his laugh.

“Nothing, it’s just are you free tonight?”

“Why are you asking?” she stares at him dumbfoundly, but Ginoza doesn’t answer the question.

“I have to work tomorrow, now that you add more into my work lists” she adds while opens the car’s door but Ginoza suddenly holds the door and closes it back. Shimotsuki stares at him questioningly. He walks closer to her, and whispers to her ear

“Kanshikan, will you accompany me just for tonight?” his breaths feels so hot over her skin, and it gives her shivers.

“Wha-what are you doing?!” she yells while her face is blushing. But Ginoza stay still with his awkward position.

“What happens with you?” she asks once again, but more gentle than before, noticing his weird behavior. Something is wrong, she thinks.

“Alright then, just for tonight right” she says while pushes him from her. He lets out another chuckles, and lands a kiss on the left side of her lips.

“Thank you”

To be continue

  (Author note: the book that mentioned in here is “Strange The Dreamer” by Laini Taylor. Thank you for reading!)

#PSYCHO PASS #Psycho-Pass #Ginoza Nobuchika #Shimotsuki Mika #GinoMika #Fanfiction #Romance #Mystery #Police

[dangerouscommiesubversive]

Whenever commie is no longer busy and have time (and ofc would want to write it), would you be willing to make a complete list of those who would kabedon; and the list of "who would and would not say the f/curse word"?

Oh man, you want a complete list? Well, ok, let’s go show by show here, I’m gonna get really lengthy with it. Like, I can’t go through every character in every show, but I’ll hit what I think are the major points.

Fair warning before you mash the read-more: I did, in fact, go through nearly every show I’ve seen. This post is long.

We will start with Kamen Rider.

Kamen Rider 1号: I want you to look me in the eyes and tell me you heard my grandpa say a cuss. Go on. I dare you.

Kuuga

Godai Yusuke: is capable of saying fuck, but does not, because he’s too polite. He might kabedon, but not for any romantic or sexual reasons, just because he likes to be close to people and he gets excited about stuff.

Ichijo Kaoru: says fuck on a regular basis. I think he would kabedon unironically but only in the heat of the moment.

Ra-Baruba-De: doesn’t cuss because it’s beneath her. She’d kabedon Ichijo, but would follow this up with an attempt to kill him.

Agito

Tsugami Shouichi: does not swear and cannot kabedon, although someone else might do it to him.

Hikawa Makoto: might say fuck in a moment of stress, but rarely swears otherwise. He could and would kabedon, but only in situations where doing so would get a comedic result related to his strength and clumsiness.

Ashihara Ryou, the sexiest man in the world: probably swears like a sailor and would absolutely kabedon. The very thought makes me go weak at the knees.

Kino Kaoru: definitely says “fuck,” but I don’t think he does fuck, and he certainly doesn’t kabedon.

Ozawa Sumiko, however: both says “fuck” and does it. She will kabedon, and she will stand on Omuro’s shoulders to get enough height for it.

Ryuki

Kido Shinji: always wants to swear, but doesn’t actually do it. He could kabedon, but only in anger; the thought of doing so in a romantic or sexual context would make him blush and stammer.

Akiyama Ren: can and will say “fuck” at a moment’s notice. You know he kabedons.

Kitaoka Shuichi: says “fuck” quietly, when no one can hear him except maybe Goro. He would kabedon gently and think himself very sexy.

Yura Goro: is a sweet, sweet man who neither swears nor kabedons.

Asakura Takeshi: is saying “fuck” at this very moment. He would only kabedon as a prelude to stabbing.

Tezuka Miyuki: is on this list because I love him, but he does not say “fuck” and could not be induced to. He could be kabedon’ed.

555 (we haven’t finished this one so I can’t guarantee that all characters will be included)

Inui Takumi: I’m pretty sure he could say “fuck” but I don’t think he’s actually inclined to. Kabedon’ing requires a level of investment in whatever situation that I don’t think he’d want to admit to.

Kusaka Masato: oh, absolutely.

Sonoda Mari: swears all the time. Doesn’t kabedon because she expects someone to do it to her.

Keitaro Kikuchi: is a very nice boy who does neither of these things.

Kiba Yuji: contains vast lakes of suppressed rage, and if he says “fuck” even once it might all come out. Does not kabedon for the same reason.

Osada Yuka: says “fuck,” but only in her heart. Does not kabedon.

Kaido Naoya: says “fuck,” but only when he can’t find a more ridiculous option. Absolutely kabedons at a moment’s notice.

Smart Lady: does not say “fuck.” Will definitely kabedon you, and moreover she’ll do it with her leg to make sure that the situation is just, uncomfortably sexual.

Blade

Kenzaki Kazuma: is breathtakingly earnest but nevertheless does, on occasion, say “fuck.” Doesn’t kabedon because he’s too sad.

Aikawa Hajime: has neither the inclination nor the desire to say “fuck” or to kabedon.

Tachibana Sakuya: can say “fuck,” but mostly doesn’t. Also too sad to kabedon.

Kamijou Mutsuki: would say “fuck” to get someone’s attention. He wishes he could kabedon.

Kurihara Amane: is in so much trouble with her mother for saying “fuck.”

Hibiki

Hibiki/Hidaka Hitoshi: is An Dad, and thus is theoretically capable of saying “fuck,” but if he does then it means the situation’s gotten pretty serious. (Or he’s hit his thumb with a hammer.) He can definitely kabedon, but we’ll never see him do it, because that means the situation’s gotten a different kind of serious.

Ibuki: has too much self-control and dignity to say “fuck,” but said it when he was younger. Doesn’t kabedon because it’s just...not the right vibe for him.

Todoroki: has considered saying “fuck,” but the prospect makes him blush. Cannot kabedon to save his life but desperately wishes that he could.

Zanki: comfortable with the word “fuck” but uses it sparingly. Doesn’t seem like a kabedon type.

The Children: Asumu, Kyosuke, and Akira can all definitely say “fuck” just by dint of being high schoolers brimming with all kinds of messy emotions. Kyosuke would definitely attempt to kabedon someone, although he might not do it well.

The Tachibana Sisters: anyone who runs a restaurant can say “fuck.”

Kabuki: like Miyuki, above, is included because I adore him, even though he’s a movie-exclusive character. Definitely says “fuck.” Might kabedon in the process of tricking someone, but wouldn’t do it seriously.

Kabuto

Tendou Souji: feels that saying “fuck” is beneath him. Wouldn’t kabedon so much as he’d very gently brace himself against the wall and lean in, which, let’s be real, is much sexier.

Tendou Juka: you know that comic that people have done all those redraws of? I think this one is the original? This is an accurate representation of what would happen to someone, possibly Kagami, if Juka said “fuck.”

Kagami Arata: is all the time saying “fuck,” at least in his head, but doesn’t often say it out loud because it would draw the wrong kind of attention. Would kabedon Souji, probably, who would be surprised and then quietly delighted.

Kusakabe Hiyori: unlikely to say “fuck,” and if she did I suspect Tendou would take it badly (see above entry for Juka). Might be kabedon’ed, but would definitely knee the perpetrator in the groin.

Kamishiro Tsurugi: my beautiful son does not know what the word “fuck” means, but would definitely kabedon because he’s excitable.

Yaguruma Sou and Kageyama Shun: get one line because they do things together--imagine, if you will, Yaguruma saying “fuck” and Kageyama echoing him quietly a moment later. They would also kabedon together.

Kazama Daisuke: would say “fuck” very quietly. Does not kabedon.

Den-O

Nogami Ryotaro: cannot say any swear words without suffering a potentially fatal nosebleed. May have kabedon’ed once in a dream, but the thought of him attempting it in real life is actually laughable.

Hana: says “fuck” as an adult. As a child, says it more. Does not kabedon, because why bother?

Naomi: can do whatever she likes and I will support her.

Momotaros: says “fuck” regularly and with gusto. Kabedons as a greeting.

Urataros: does not use any curse words because women find them off-putting--unless the woman he’s with swears, in which case he does too. Will kabedon if it is situationally appropriate for getting laid.

Ryuutaros: see, again, this comic, but this time the person doing the shocked face and then later the punching is me. He does not know what a kabedon is.

Kintaros: is probably asleep. Believes that excessive swearing is unmanly. Doesn’t see the point of kabedon.

Sieg: believes that excessive swearing is unfit for a prince, but will very occasionally say “fuck” if it’ll get every eye in the room on him. Unaware of kabedon.

Kiva

Kurenai Wataru: does not.

Kurenai Otoya: does both, vigorously.

Asou Megumi: says “fuck,” doesn’t kabedon. Would encourage someone else to kabedon her though.

Asou Yuri: absolutely says “fuck” all the time, might kabedon Otoya to shut him up.

Jirou: I actually don’t think he swears? Definitely kabedons though.

Nago Keisuke: says “fuck,” but feels bad about it afterwards. Might kabedon from anger, or if induced to by Megumi.

Nobori Taiga: is far too polite to say “fuck,” but occasionally thinks it. Does not kabedon.

Decade

Kadoya Tsukasa: there is no question that he says “fuck” all the time. Not the romantic kabedon type, much to Daiki’s disappointment. May kabedon in other situations, though.

Kaitou Daiki: says “fuck” only occasionally, but with feeling. Would like Tsukasa to kabedon him.

Hikari Natsumi: says “fuck” regularly and energetically. Will sit on Yuusuke’s shoulders to kabedon Tsukasa.

Onodera Yuusuke: does not say “fuck” at all. Cannot kabedon because he is too busy giving Natsumi a boost.

W

Hidari Shoutaro: believes that saying “fuck” is unbecoming of a true man, but still says it if he stubs his toe. Kabedons unintentionally and then blushes when he realizes what he’s done.

Philip: has said “fuck” a total of once and then went down a rabbit hole looking into its etymology. Kabedons intentionally and with forethought, and then completely loses the thread of things as soon as Shoutaro starts blushing.

Narumi Akiko: says “fuck” just to shock Shoutaro. Definitely kabedon’ed Terui at least once, which he was unspeakably charmed by.

Terui Ryuu: is not open to questions about whether or not he says “fuck.” Only kabedons out of frustration.

OOO

Hino Eiji: neither says “fuck” nor kabedons.

Ankh: both says “fuck” and kabedons, and both are generally directed at Eiji. In fact, since he is only a hand, kabedon is an important part of his physical vocabulary.

Izumi Hina: does not say “fuck.” Would break a wall if she kabedon’ed, and thus it’s fortunate that she isn’t inclined to anyway.

Gotou Shintarou: would blush terribly if he ever said “fuck,” or for that matter if he attempted to kabedon.

Satonaka Erika: considers the word “fuck” an important part of her vocabulary, to be used sparingly. Kabedons Gotou, and at least once Date.

Date Akira: says “fuck,” but not in, like, an aggressive way? Just as an expression of mild distress. It does not occur to him to kabedon.

Fourze

Kisaragi Gentarou: is not legally allowed to say rude words. Would kabedon out of an excess of enthusiasm and then be deeply confused if the recipient blushed.

Sakuta Ryuusei: says “fuck” sparingly and only when it’ll have an impact. Does not kabedon.

Utahoshi Kengo: says “fuck” frequently and with enthusiasm. Doesn’t see the point of kabedon.

Jojima Yuuki: like Gentarou, is not legally permitted to curse. Kabedon would not occur to her unless it could be some way related to space.

Kazashiro Miu: says “fuck” occasionally. Kabedons when appropriate, which is rarely.

Daimonji Shun: wishes he could say “fuck,” but can’t quite bring himself to.  Doesn’t kabedon anymore, but he used to.

JK: only says “fuck” deniably. Strictly a receiver of kabedon.

Nozama Tomoko: doesn’t use curse words, she uses curses. Doesn’t kabedon, but appreciates it when she sees others do it.

Wizard

Souma Haruto: definitely says “fuck” sometimes. Prefers a flirtatious lean against a convenient wall over kabedon.

Nitoh Kosuke: says "fuck," but only if his grandma can't hear him--unless there's a notable archeological discovery in the offing, in which case all bets are off. Thinks he's too slick to kabedon, but he's not.

Fueki Koyomi: no.

Nara Shunpei: absolutely not.

Daimon Rinko: has said "fuck" on occasion and would certainly do it again. I can't imagine a kabedon from her though.

Gaim

Kazuraba Kouta: seems like he secretly swears kind of a lot. Does not kabedon because he is, at base, a deeply non-aggressive individual.

Kumon Kaito: says "fuck" at least once a day. Absolutely kabedons, but mainly because he's annoyed and slapping a person seems tactically unsound.

Kureshima Mitsuzane (Micchi): says "fuck" to sound edgy. Would like to kabedon but no one would take it seriously.

Kureshima Takatora: will use the word "fuck" sparingly, and only to indicate that The Situation Has Gotten Bad Indeed. Does not know what kabedon is.

Sengoku Ryouma: says "fuck" occasionally, and with malicious good cheer. Does not kabedon, but if he would like to give it a shot, I am available.

Takatsukasa Mai: says "fuck" quietly but with frequency. Doesn't see a good reason to kabedon anyone.

Oren Pierre Alfonso: only swears in French. Dismisses kabedon as a thing for callow youths, but despite this he did once have a heated dream of doing it to Takatora.

Drive

Tomari Shinnosuke: says "fuck" if he's hit his leg on a table or something, but in more serious situations he does not curse. I cannot possibly imagine him trying to kabedon, it's impossible.

Shijima Kiriko: doesn't swear as much as one might think; "fuck" is for special occasions. Will use a kabedon to get someone's attention.

Shijima Gou: says "fuck" all the time. Would like to kabedon, but hasn't found the right person yet.

Chase: does not swear. Does not kabedon--he's interested in human behavior but that's just nonsense.

Sawagami Rinna: is a professional engineer and thus uses the word “fuck” as punctuation. Might kabedon, but it’s unlikely.

Mr. Belt/Krim Steinbelt: mutters “fuck” quietly when Shinnosuke isn’t paying attention. Does not have arms.

Heart: has said "fuck" experimentally but didn't like the mouthfeel. Delighted by the very concept of kabedon but hasn't done it yet.

Brain: believes that swearing is a sign that you have nothing constructive, intelligent, or amusing to say. Provided Heart with the comics from which they both learned about kabedon, and since then the thought of Heart doing it to him has occupied his every waking moment.

Medic: has thought about saying "fuck" but isn't sure that she really wants to. Stole those comics from Brain and now she, too, would like Heart to kabedon.

Ghost

Tenkuuji Takeru: the thought of saying “fuck” has genuinely never entered his head. More someone who is kabedon’ed than someone who does it himself.

Fukami Makoto: can theoretically say “fuck,” but mostly doesn’t. Would maybe kabedon if the moment seemed appropriate.

Alain: thinks saying “fuck” is sort of uncouth but does it anyway. Wants to know what kabedon is, please tell him about it.

Tsukimura Akari: does not get enough sleep or lab time for anyone to be able to stop her from saying “fuck.” Has kabedon’ed out of excitement, but never for romantic reasons.

Yamanouchi Onari: tries not to say “fuck” because he’s supposed to be setting a good example, but sometimes it just slips out. Definitely doesn’t kabedon, but that’s more out of cowardice than a sense of restraint.

Fukami Kanon: see the comic previously linked to for reference for what would happen if Makoto found out that someone had taught Kanon how to say “fuck.” Reads comics in which there is the occasional kabedon, kind of wishes Alain would do it.

Ex-Aid

Hojo Emu: doesn’t say “fuck” because he works with children. Doesn’t kabedon because it’s not his style.

Parad: absolutely says “fuck,” if only to see Emu drop something in surprise. Thinks kabedon looks fun.

Kagami Hiiro: is too uptight to say “fuck” and too shy to kabedon.

Kujou Kiriya: uses “fuck” as an expression of low-key dismay. Does his best flirting from across the room, but might kabedon if it seemed like the reaction would be entertaining.

Hanaya Taiga: barely even thinks of “fuck” as a word, it’s just a noise he makes when he’s annoyed. Kabedon’ing would require him to get much closer to people than he wants to.

Dan Kuroto: definitely says “fuck,” are you kidding? Even before he was a cackling supervillain he was, at least partially, a software engineer. Does not kabedon.

Poppy Pipopapo: no.

Saiba Nico: says “fuck” all the time as long as Taiga’s not looking. Will not admit to reading the kind of comics where a kabedon might occur, but definitely does.

Graphite: thinks all of this is human nonsense and yet is, despite himself, intrigued.

Build

Kiryuu Sento: probably says “fuck” more than any other main Rider. Yes, even Tsukasa. Is kabedon’ed.

Banjou Ryuuga: says “fuck” because MMA guys have foul mouths, although he did clean up his language a bit when Kasumi was still alive. Kabedons.

Isurugi Misora: if Misora says “fuck” then something terrible is about to happen. Would laugh at anyone who asked if she knew how to kabedon. Would knee anyone who tried it on her in the groin. Kazumi knows this well.

Takigawa Sawa: considers the word “fuck” an essential part of her vocabulary, to be used frequently and sometimes at a great volume. Knows how to kabedon due to spy training but does not use it in her personal life.

Sawatari Kazumi: says “fuck” all the time, unless Misora is paying attention to him. Thinks that kabedon is very sexy and that he’s very good at it; mileage may vary on whether this is actually true.

Himuro Gentoku: says “fuck” softly and solemnly when something really bad has happened. Maybe he kabedons, I’m genuinely not sure.

Evolt: probably does both, but I’m not getting close enough to check.

Zi-O

Tokiwa Sougo: doesn’t swear because it’s not kingly. Does not kabedon.

Myoukouin Geiz: surprisingly, does not tend to curse. Definitely kabedons, not always romantically.

Woz: doesn’t say “fuck,” because there are more roundabout ways to express his frustration. Kabedons, sometimes for romantic reasons and sometimes just to be weird about things.

Tsukuyomi: specifically uses the word “fuck” to indicate that things have gotten serious. If Geiz isn’t going to get around to kabedon’ing her, she’s going to do it to him.

Zero-One

Hiden Aruto: look obviously I can’t really comment on these characters because I haven’t watched that show yet but just from the clips I’ve seen I think Aruto would spontaneously combust if he said “fuck.”

Saber

Kamiyama Touma: says “fuck” sometimes, especially if he’s very tired. Thinks kabedon is kind of a tired plot device.

Sudou Mei: doesn’t think saying “fuck” is that big of a deal, uses it to express irritation. Agrees with Touma that kabedon is overused as a plot device, but likes it nonetheless.

Shindo Rintarou: oh my god no, definitely not.

Fukamiya Kento: uses the word “fuck” the way other people might use the word “moist”--it’s not a word he likes to say, but it has its place. Not generally aggressive enough to kabedon, but might if it seemed useful.

Akamichi Ren: is a teen edgelord and thus says “fuck” a lot. Talks a big game, but is secretly too shy for a successful kabedon.

Ogami Ryo: has tried to clean up his language since becoming a dad and been pretty successful with it. Doesn’t kabedon anymore, but did once.

Daishinji Tetsuo: says “fuck” when he’s working on things. Kabedon generally involves prolonged eye contact, so no.

Sophia: good heavens no, can you imagine?

Tassel: might be a divinity of some kind, can swear if he wants although he’d probably do it in French, but if he kabedons then I’m a walrus. I love Tassel.

All right, that’s Kamen Rider done! Now on to...

Super Sentai

AkaRed: if AkaRed ever said “fuck” I think something in the multiverse would be profoundly damaged--oh, hell, this is how Zenkaiger happens, isn’t it?

Dairanger

Ryo of the Heavenly Fire Star: doesn’t say “fuck,” but you might when you taste his gyoza. They’re the best in the world, you know. It has never occurred to him to kabedon.

Daigo of the Heavenly Illusion Star: is too gentle to say “fuck,” or for that matter to kabedon. (Besides, anyone who tries to kabedon Kujaku is going to be in for some difficulty.)

Bullet Shoji, Warrior of Love: used to say “fuck,” because he used to be in a gang, but doesn’t anymore. Doesn’t kabedon because he tries not to intimidate people.

Kazu of the Heavenly Time Star: doesn’t say “fuck,” he just kinda makes a hiss noise if he’s irritated. Doesn’t object to kabedon in theory but not interested in doing it himself.

Rin of the Heavenly Wind Star: does sometimes say “fuck,” much to her uncle’s dismay. Does not kabedon.

Kou of the Howling New Star: is a horrible child and says “fuck” regularly. Too immature to be allowed to kabedon.

Kakuranger

Tsuruhime: does not say “fuck,” because if she’s mad she can just smack someone. She is fairly sure that people don’t actually kabedon in real life.

Sasuke: has said “fuck” once or twice but mostly tries not to. Too friendly to kabedon.

Saizou and Seikai: get one line because they’re attached at the hip. They are too goofy to say “fuck,” and would only ever manage to kabedon each other.

Jiraiya: not only does he say “fuck,” he will actually be saying “fuck” and not a Japanese equivalent, because he is more comfortable speaking English. I cannot imagine this man attempting to kabedon.

Ninjaman: is tremendously excited to learn about modern cursing, but never actually uses the words he’s learned because his teachers would be mad at him. Naturally too large to practice safe kabedon.

Hurricaneger

Please know that I’m not very far into this series yet, so this is based on fairly early impressions.

Shiina Yousuke: does not say “fuck” but often wants to. Doesn’t kabedon because it seems really aggressive, especially if you’re trying to kiss someone.

Nono Nanami: sometimes thinks the word “fuck” but doesn’t say it. While she’s read a few comics which contain kabedon, the thought of putting the concept into practice has never occurred to her.

Bitou Kouta: would never say “fuck” because children might hear him. Doesn’t kabedon because he’s a gentle soul.

Kasumi Ikkou and Kasumi Isshu: I just met these boys last night but I know in my heart that they both say “fuck,” and moreover they mean it. They also definitely kabedon.

Furabijo and Wendinu: can call me, please, I’m apocalyptically in love with you both.

Gekiranger

Same as Hurricaneger--I’m not that far in, we don’t even have the extra guys yet, but I sure do have some thoughts about the folks we’ve got so far.

Kando Jan: doesn’t even know the word “fuck,” probably has some cute repetitive term for sex that he uses instead. Doesn’t know what a kabedon is either.

Uzaki Ran: may say “fuck” very occasionally if she sustains an injury during training. Not inclined to kabedon.

Fukami Retsu: will pretend that he’s too in control of himself to swear, but does on occasion say “fuck.” Sees no reason to kabedon.

Mele: says “fuck,” but never when Leo can hear her. Doesn’t kabedon, would like someone else (*coughcoughLeocoughcough*) to do so though.

Leo: says “fuck” like he’s chewing on something and spitting it out. Definitely kabedons, but has no idea that this might have romantic or sexual implications.

Shinkenger

Shiba Takeru: does not say “fuck” anymore, because once he said it in front of Jii, who lost his mind. Could kabedon, he’s capable of it, but he’s a little too wound up in himself.

Ikenami Ryunosuke: would never say “fuck.” Not a kabedon type because it seems rude.

Shiraishi Mako: used to work with children, and thus didn’t say “fuck” for years, but now does occasionally--mainly while cooking. Doesn’t kabedon because she has other ways of getting in your face.

Tani Chiaki: is a Gamer and thus definitely says “fuck.” Nonetheless, respects women too much to kabedon them and the only men he might kabedon he is slightly afraid of.

Hanaori Kotoha: is a sweet, precious girl, very dear to my heart, who certainly does not swear or kabedon.

Umemori Genta: only says “fuck” if he cuts himself while preparing fish, or while arguing with fish vendors. Might kabedon to be goofy, but never seriously.

Kusakabe Hikoma/Jii: definitely had kind of a wild youth. Takeru once heard him say “fuck” to a kuroko while working on the clan accounts and has never recovered from the shock. Doesn’t kabedon anymore, but he did once.

Shiba Kaoru: doesn’t actually know the word “fuck” or anything about kabedon, and isn’t going to learn if Tanba has anything to say about it.

Gokaiger--one of the ones I’m sure you’ve all been waiting for

Captain Marvelous: I think we all know that the answer is yes on both counts.

Joe Gibken: says “fuck” quietly in serious situations, and loudly if Marvelous is deliberately getting on his nerves. Does not typically kabedon.

Luka Millfy: uses “fuck” as a general intensifier. Likes guys she can intimidate a little, so she does kabedon, but she mainly does it to Doc and Gai.

Don Dogoier/Doc: if you hear Doc say “fuck” it’s probably the middle of the night and he’s repairing an engine problem. Certainly does not kabedon.

Ahim de Famille: cursing is unladylike--not that she always tries to be ladylike, but she just doesn’t see the point there. Doesn’t kabedon.

Ikari Gai: probably uses some sort of goofy minced oath like “fudge” unless in the actual throes of passion. Doesn’t really have the poise to kabedon.

Basco ta Jolokia: only says “fuck” when no one is listening, because otherwise he might seem less than poised. Would kabedon Marvelous to get a rise out of him.

Go-Busters

Sakurada Hiromu: seems like he’d probably drop the occasional “fuck.” I’m of two minds on the kabedon thing; I think that he could, but I’m not sure that he would.

Iwasaki Ryuji: says “fuck” if he’s working late on some problem. Doesn’t kabedon because he doesn’t want to scare people.

Usami Youko: says “fuck” specifically because it gets Ryuji to make a shocked face at her. Might kabedon if she found someone short enough. She will never find someone short enough.

Nick, Gorisaki, and Usada: no, definitely not.

Masato Jin: says “fuck” with the casual manner of a man who has definitely not just dropped a wrench on his foot. Doesn’t kabedon, but has joked about doing so.

Beet J. Stag (the “J” stands for “Jueki”): says “fuck,” but doesn’t know what it means. Who would he even kabedon?

Enter: only swears in French. Would kabedon with one of his creepy tentacles.

Kyouryuger

Kiryuu Daigo “King”: is a ludicrously perfect shoujo manga love interest, and thus does not say “fuck” but does kabedon in a sexy way.

Ian Yorkland: says “fuck” on dig sites but not in polite company. Might kabedon if it’d make the girl in question smile, does not kabedon men.

Udo Nobuharu: used to say “fuck” sometimes, but doesn’t now that he’s helping to raise Rika. Too busy and tired to kabedon.

Rippukan Souji: is too uptight to do either.

Amy Yuzuki: doesn’t say “fuck,” just makes irritated noises. Might kabedon if it would get someone to stop screwing around and pay attention to her.

Utsusemimaru: is familiar with neither the word “fuck” nor the concept of kabedon, although he might learn about the latter from some of Amy’s manga.

Yayoi Ulshade: says “fuck” when she’s working. Perpetually disappointed that she will never get Daigo to kabedon her.

Candelira and Luckyuro: my beautiful wife and her adorable son have no knowledge of these things.

ToQger

Right, Tokacchi, Mio, Hikari, and Kagura: are all children and thus are barred from engaging with these things. Although I suppose now they’re all fifteen or sixteen, so maybe some of them have started cussing, but I refuse to contemplate it.

Nijino Akira: doesn’t know the word “fuck,” but if he did he’d use it. Doesn’t know about kabedon either, and wouldn’t use it if he did, because that involves getting way too close to people.

Wagon: much like Smart Lady, would kabedon with her leg, but in her case she’s trying to be cute and fun, not creepy. Does not say “fuck.”

Emperor Zett: can in theory say “fuck,” but hasn’t found an occasion to do so. Would kabedon to intimidate, I think he’d kinda puff up like a little angry wren.

Jyuohger

Kazakiri Yamato: will only say “fuck” if he’s just been bitten by an animal he’s taking care of, and even then only if it really hurts. Doesn’t kabedon.

Sera: doesn’t say “fuck” because there’s always something more cutting available. Would bite anyone who kabedon’ed her.

Leo: says “fuck” as long as there are no girls listening. Has been bitten by Sera at least once as punishment for kabedon crimes.

Tusk: says “fuck” about paper cuts, but nothing else. Doesn’t kabedon.

Amu: doesn’t say “fuck” because there are cuter ways to get mad. Doesn’t kabedon herself, but will take any kabedon from someone else as an opportunity to get them to do something for her.

Mondou Misao: says “fuck” sometimes, always apologizes directly afterward. Far too nervous to kabedon.

Bard: says “fuck” at least once a week. Isn’t clear on what kabedon is.

Uncle Mario: you leave Uncle Mario alone.

Kyuuranger

Lucky: does not say “fuck.” Might kabedon in a moment of high spirits.

Garu: is a polite man who neither says “fuck” nor kabedons.

Stinger: says “fuck” frequently. Kabedons with his tail.

Hame: says “fuck” quietly but often. Doesn’t kabedon, and would just vanish if someone did it to her.

Raptor-283: says “fuck” very rarely, but at great volume. Dreams of being kabedon’ed, this is canonical.

Champ: doesn’t curse, and thinks kabedon looks dangerous.

Spada: only says “fuck” in the kitchen, where he can say whatever he pleases, grazie. Could be kabedon’ed.

Balance: says “fuck” if he’s panicking, but only then. Might kabedon for fun.

Naaga Rei: doesn’t do either, and would be terribly puzzled if someone kabedon’ed him.

Shou Ronpou: said “fuck” once when he got his finger caught in the Kyuulette. Isn’t familiar with kabedon, but thinks it looks fun.

Kotaro: is ten years old.

Ootori Tsurugi: doesn’t say “fuck” because it’s not grandiose enough. Definitely kabedons, we see him do it at least once in the show.

LupinRanger Vs. PatRanger

Asaka Keiichiro:  might say “fuck” if he’s really angry, but would feel bad about it. Would blush if he kabedon’ed Kairi, but would still do it.

Yano Kairi: has been saying “fuck” on the reg since he was twelve. Would kabedon to make Keiichiro squirm.

Hikawa Sakuya: might say “shit” on occasion, but never “fuck.” Wishes he was the kind of guy who could kabedon.

Yoimachi Tooma: doesn’t say “fuck,” but does think it loudly. Too reserved to kabedon.

Myoujin Tsukasa: could potentially say “fuck,” but chooses not to. Not a kabedon type.

Hayami Umika: mostly has pretty clean language, but will say “fuck” when she’s sewing, especially if she’s just stuck a needle into her finger, which hurts like a bitch. Doesn’t kabedon herself, might giggle if someone did it to her.

Takao Noël: only swears in French, but does so in extensive and exacting detail. Kabedons, but in a chill way.

Zamigo Delma: thinks the word “fuck” is extremely funny. Would kabedon Kairi to make him uncomfortable, but if Kairi’s unavailable then he’s welcome to look me up.

Ryusoulger

Koh: has never said a swear in his entire life. Doesn’t kabedon.

Melto: says “fuck” often, but quietly, so that the others don’t hear him. Seems kabedon’able to me.

Asuna: doesn’t actually know the word “fuck.” Wouldn’t kabedon, like, on purpose? But she’d definitely do it unintentionally, please see this comic for reference.

Towa: will say “fuck” sometimes if his brother won’t catch him at it. Overconfident enough to kabedon, but I don’t think it’d occur to him.

Banba: says “fuck” if things have gotten very bad. Kabedons only rarely, when he needs to be very serious about something. Yes, sometimes that something is “I think about kissing you with such frequency that it’s interfering with my ability to focus.”

Canalo: doesn’t say “fuck” because Mosa Rex would be disappointed in him. Would never kabedon, if he even knows what that is, due to his overpowering Respect for Women. (It has never occurred to him that one might kabedon anyone but a woman.)

Oto: might say “fuck,” and if she did then Canalo would specifically blame Melto.

Nada: uses “fuck” as an expression of dismay, like, “well, fuck.” Not into the whole kabedon thing.

Tatsui Ui: might have said “fuck” once, but then was so embarrassed that she got a case of hysterical giggles. Absolutely does not kabedon.

Super Sentai is done! That was exhausting! Wow! On to...

Ultra Series

I have seen very few Ultra shows, so this section’s gonna be short.

Orb

Kurenai Gai: doesn’t say “fuck,” does curse in some kind of alien language. Doesn’t kabedon, I bet it’d make him blush, although mostly he doesn’t seem like the blushing type either.

Jugglus Juggler: says “fuck” regularly and with relish. Was once described by someone very wise as having “big kabedon energy,” which is to say, of course he does.

Yumeno Naomi: definitely says “fuck” and doesn’t care who hears her. Will kabedon Gai and Juggler simultaneously, one with each hand, and they will both be impressed and maybe a little turned on.

Hayami Jetta: says “fuck” sometimes, but not as frequently as he’d like people to think. Might try to kabedon, although he wouldn’t necessarily succeed at it.

Matsudo Shin: does neither of these things, as they have no relevance to science.

Geed

I can’t really say much about Geed, since we’re not even ten episodes in, but what I can say for certain is:

Asakura Riku: is too nice a boy to say “fuck” and not intense enough to kabedon.

Toba Laiha: definitely says “fuck” on occasion. Would kabedon with her sword.

Pega: is a child.

Igaguri Leito: does neither of these things, he is a sweet man. And I think Zero would disapprove.

Fukuide Kei: says “fuck” with frequency. I think he would, theoretically, kabedon, but there’s no one on Earth he’d do it to.

Belial: I haven’t actually, like, met Belial, but I’m fairly sure his existence is a concentrated dose of the word “fuck,” in the sense of, “oh, fuck, it’s Belial.” If he kabedon’ed he could destroy the planet, please do not let him.

R/B

I’m even less far into R/B, since I’m watching it by myself.

Minato Katsumi and Minato Isami: they do not.

Aizen Makoto: is too weird to do either of these things.

All right, we’re done with the brief foray into the Ultras. Now, last but very much not least, we have...

Garo

Of which I have only watched the original continuity, none of the Ryuuga stuff yet, so it’s a slightly limited take. However, I love all of these characters dearly, so here we go!

Saejima Kouga: is way too upright (and uptight) to say “fuck.” Doesn’t know what kabedon is, wouldn’t do it if he did.

Suzumura Rei: is a man who swears colorfully and at length and uses “fuck” to add a little bit of pep to things. Definitely kabedons, with varying levels of success depending on who he’s trying it on.

Fudou Leo: is a soft-spoken man, but nevertheless does occasionally mutter “fuck” quietly when he’s working on a Madou device. Blushes and stammers at the very suggestion of kabedon.

Mitsuki Kaoru: might say “fuck,” but only in the absolute heights of fury, which are rare for her. Not inclined to kabedon, but even if she was, who could she even do it to? The shortest person she might kabedon is Rei, who is seven inches taller than her, and it only gets worse from there. She’d need a boost to reach, and my dude Gonza’s back is not good enough for that.

Jabi: believes too strongly in the value of language well-used to say “fuck” except when absolutely necessary. Could kabedon with her leg, probably, and would if she thought it’d be useful.

Rekka: says “fuck” sometimes, mostly to express irritation. Most likely to kabedon with a knife or something.

Saejima Raiga, Mayuri, and Crow: I only barely know these kids but I adore them. None of them are allowed to do any cursing. They do not kabedon.

Madou Ring Zaruba: is a ring, so obviously he can’t kabedon, but he can say “fuck,” and I think sometimes he does.

The Moral Of This Story Is: never ask me for a comprehensive list of anything, because I cannot be trusted to do anything but go completely overboard.

#headcanon #completely ridiculous headcanon #anonamouse #i am not tagging all these shows there are too many of them #this post contains more instances of the word 'fuck' than i think i've ever typed before

[linagram]

can you drop hints for the next linagram 🥺

sure! i just wanna say that a lot of things are not set in stone for now and there is a possibility that i will change some of them (for example, i wanted to post the beta designs, but now i'm looking at them and.. yeah, i don't think they show the characters' personalities that well hsdksks i'm going to change them).

but for now, here's what the next linagram is going to have for sure:

it will have ten prisoners (five male and five female), just like this one and the canon one.

most pairs' themes have already been decided, i'm just trying to come up with better titles/descriptions for them. i can definitely say that one of the pairs will have a "praise" theme. at first i was going to give one of the pairs something like a "smothering" (?) theme, basically, something similar to mahiru's crime: they ended up loving someone a little too much for that person to handle. but now that i'm looking at their crimes and their relationships with those people, i think "worship" sounds like a better theme for them?.. IT'S GOING TO BE DIFFERENT FROM AKIO AND ARATA'S CASE I PROMISE.

i've mentioned this before, but i feel like these prisoners' crimes are more.. like, they don't come from anger and some of them aren't exactly violent, a lot of those crimes are actually accidental/indirect in some way (however, it doesn't excuse those prisoners' behavior, because in a lot of those cases, it's like.. basically, even if it was an accident, it would've happened anyway sooner or later), and those accidental murders feel so different to me, for example, one of them actually makes me feel sorry for the murderer, meanwhile the other one is like.. yeah, that prisoner made some really bad decisions, haha.

i think the best way to describe these prisoners' crimes right now is "they thought they were doing a good thing" or "they thought they were doing the right thing". whether it's them doing something really horrible only for their own sake or whether it's them trying to "save" someone in a very cruel and twisted way, most of those prisoners genuinely think they were right and that their crimes were "the only way out". most current linagram prisoners think the same way, but like.. a lot of them are proud of what they did. eiko thinks her victim 100% deserved to die, riku also thought that his victim should die, naomi can say stuff like "i should be punished" but she still hates her victim and she's one of those prisoners who would kill again if given the opportunity. these guys, however.. they're kind of delusional when it comes to their murders, to be honest. like they'd just stare at the guard and go "huh? i did something bad? what are you talking about? :D"

this is just a fun detail (to me, at least) but i think it's interesting how in current linagram, most male prisoners are minors and almost all female prisoners are adults (aimi is the only teenager), meanwhile in the second one all male prisoners are adults (though one of them has.. kind of a vague age) and the youngest one is 18 years old. there are still only two female prisoners who are minors (one of them is 16 years old and the other one is 15), but still, i just find it fun to compare them.

i have a feeling that the first prisoner will follow in akio's footsteps and also get voted guilty in season 1 dhjdkskldl. that prisoner and akio have some similarities too, though that prisoner feels a lot more guilty to me.

TWO OF THE FEMALE PRISONERS ARE GOING TO BE SO CHAOTIC.

i actually have some mvs' concepts ready, and, like.. i have a feeling that if those were actual videos and people watched one of them with no context at all, that prisoner would get the worst guilty ratio ever 😭 it's. kinda weird to say the least, i'll probably change it or maybe i should keep it to show that character's "less likeable" side

there are gonna be at least two "gaslight gatekeep girlboss" side characters

andddd if you're curious, you can read their "teaser" (like the very first milgram teaser, the one where they're just kind of talking over each other) lines under the cut!

(001 to 010 order)

"If you need any help, you can always rely on me!"

"Uh.. I think you've got the wrong person.."

"It's no surprise that I've ended up in a place like this."

"So I just went "Oops, did I do that?" and, uh, that's it!"

"I just wanted to protect everyone's children.."

"You can't fight your fate."

"Someone is waiting for me at home, you know?"

"We were.. such a happy family.."

"'Cause I'm nothing but a doll!~"

"I did my job and I did it really, really well!~"

#i feel like you can really see some prisoners' themes in their lines especially 07 and 08 and 09 and 010 #and 05 and 06 too #03 AND 04 LINES THOUGH 😭 THEY'RE HONESTLY ONE OF THE MOST FUN PAIRS TO ME #the fourth prisoner is one of my faves in general. she is so silly. #but 09 and 010 are definitely my fav pair for now #❔answering asks ❔

[tcookies]

I love how the scene is set up in a way that it portrays Akane as the character with the most authority out of everyone in the room. When I say "authority", I don't necessarily mean occupation-wise, but rather the amount of prestige and character.

Look at the couches and which character is positioned where. Arata and Kei are sharing the couch together. Since they're newbies, they technically have the least authority. Now look at Shizuka Homura. He is already Bureau Chief by the time this scene occurs. That means he has the highest rank in that room. And yet he's the one standing with his arms tucked back kind of like a butler waiting on his master. And who's he standing beside? Our leading heroine, Akane. She's sitting in a single-person armchair. This gives her the image of the one who commands the most authority/power in the room, even more so than her own boss, Shizuka.

The scene could have been designed differently if the positioning of the characters didn't actually matter. For example, the team could have had the scene using 2 couches with Shizuka and Akane sharing one and Arata and Kei sharing the other. But instead we have 1 armchair and 1 sofa. The single-person armchair in Shizuka's office implies that the armchair is intended for Shizuka (and the sofa is for receiving guests like Arata and Kei), but we see that Shizuka let Akane sit in his chair even though he's her boss. Shizuka chose to stand - and not just in between the two groups, but specifically beside Akane.

The team purposely set it up this way instead so that Akane looks like the leading boss lady despite Shizuka's new job as boss. But this does not make Shizuka any less of who he is. His body language (standing straight with hands tucked back) shows that he is comfortable, confident, and feeling in control.

I just think it's amusing that Shizuka is the boss but Akane is the one sitting in his chair and making him stand because we all know our heroine is the real boss here.

#psycho pass #first inspector #akane tsunemori #homura shizuka #arata shindo #kei ignatov

[pinkmangafish]

Noodles ... and a few surprises

Rating: General

Fandom: Psycho-Pass

Pairing: Kougami and Tsunemori (Shinkane)

Characters: Akane Tsunemori, Shinya Kougami, and pretty much everyone else alive at the end of PP3: First Inspector. 

Summary: Part 1 - Kougami collects Akane from the isolation centre and quickly realizes something is wrong. Part 2 - Kougami arranges a surprise party for Akane, but is that what it really is?

Author’s Notes:  I had hoped to finish this in time for shinkaneweek, but it kept growing. Please point out any glaring canonical mistakes, and if possible, I'll fix them. This is my second piece of fanfic, so I am very new to all of this. I find that I am torn between the relationship between Kougami and Tsunemori, and how the plot moves forward to, hopefully, an end to the Sibyl System.

NOODLES ...

Akane Tsunemori stepped outside for the first time in what seemed a very long time. Well, it had been … No, she was not going to think about that now. Today, though technically an enforcer with limitations on her movements, she was free. Free of that windowless room.  Free of the probing questions from the perfunctorily concerned doctors. Free of the constant surveillance. Free of the need to be on her guard even when she was asleep. Free to go outside and feel the sun and wind and rain on her body. She lifted her face to feel the sun, but it was already late afternoon and the sun had lost most of its warmth. Never mind. There was always tomorrow.

She dropped her gaze and saw the man waiting for her. She caught her breath. This was better than the sun on her face. Shinya Kougami was leaning against a car as nonchalant as ever.

“I’m here to get you.” he shrugged. “Sorry.”

She had half expected Shimotsuki to collect her or to at least send a drone for her, but somehow, she was not at all surprised to see him. She walked down a few steps and then stopped and looked up around.

“I’m hungry,” she announced.

He laughed. “Is that all you can say?”

She walked slowly over to the car and smiled up at him. There were some new lines there that she had not seen in all his visits to her. Most of the time, they had leant on either side of the door as they talked, but even so, she was surprised. She almost reached out and touched his face.

“Yes. Treat me to something,” she replied.

“Yes, ma’am,” He paused as if considering something. Then, abruptly, “I’ll drive.”

Akane nodded and got in the car. If she had expected him to start a conversation she would have been disappointed, but then, she knew him and was not. She did not feel the need to chat, either. Content to be with him she wondered if she was going to have the courage to say what needed to be said. But that was not a conversation to be held in the car. It could wait a little longer. For now, she stared at the city flowing past her window. As they got to areas that she knew, she saw signs of her time away in the shops and cafes that had taken the place of others: a florist where there had been a gift shop or a mall with a new name and look. This is what Yayoi, Kagari and the other enforcers must have felt like she thought. Some of them, she knew, had spent many more years than she had in the isolation center before being granted a reprieve of sorts. A life of boredom and isolation swapped for one of danger and death, but also friendship and the chance to feel like they belonged. Her thoughts abruptly changed direction. She wondered what Homura’s plans for her were. She was under no illusion that he was responsible for her freedom despite the Sibyl System’s claim to have made the decision itself. Assigning her to Shimotsuki as an aide had been a bold move. Staring into traffic, her head against the window, she questioned whether her and Homura’s aims were still in alignment or was he now playing a different game? And if so, was she now a pawn? Then there was Arata, and Kei and the new team of enforcers. So many new variables were in play. She needed to catch up quickly. And … she had to talk Kougami. She sighed heavily.

Kougami glanced at her. He was not comfortable with this pensive version of Akane but he knew her better than to try and distract her. He waited until the car had parked and his door was open. “Akane, we’re here. Let’s get some noodles.”

 She looked at him and then at their surroundings. She recognized the small mall as the one near her old apartment. How had they got here so quickly? She was out of sync. She was unreal and everything else was too real. Had she really been that lost in thought? She would need to be more careful, more alert. Her stomach growled. Noodles? Yes, of course he’d take her to eat noodles.

“I hope Thai is okay? The old ramen place closed down six months ago,” Kougami led the way across the street not waiting for her. She nodded. Then wondered how he know about the ramen shop. She could not remember having eaten there with him. He glanced down at her, “We’re practically neighbors now. I live in that block over there,” he pointed to a small apartment building behind them. So near, she thought.

The small Thai noodle shop was a reminder that the city, no, the country, was changing and changing rapidly. Immigrants were starting to open their own businesses and that, she knew, was a good thing. The restaurant was barely that, just a few plastic tables and chairs. Kougami led her over to a corner table by the window. She wondered whether he even realized he had assessed which table gave them the best vantage point. Probably not.

A waitress appeared with a menu and set down a bottle of fish sauce and a small dish of chili in vinegar. “Sawatdee, kha, Kougami-san,” she said giving Akane a quick, interested look.

Akane realized that he had been telling a story. “I’m sorry, Kougami, I spaced out. Who were you trying to hold onto?”

He looked at her steadily. She had seemed fine when she walked out of the isolation center. Now, though, he could see the signs of exhaustion in her face. “Oh, just some junked up trafficker. He’d been bringing in kids from … doesn’t matter. Except that to bring him down both Gino and I had to hold onto him while Kei shot him with a paralyzer.”

“No!” She looked at him in amusement, her attention finally on him. “You got shot with a paralyzer again?”

“Well, technically, Gino and I are secondaries. We were holding onto the perp, so … Kei wasn’t actually trying to shoot us,” Kougami smiled at her but his eyes were watchful.

“Hmmm, are you sure about that?” she asked. “You had a bit of a run in with him just a couple of weeks ago.”

“Ahh, you know about that?” Kougami shook his head. “I’m not saying that we’re friends now. Hell, I don’t even like the man that much. But we can work together.”

The noodles arrived. Tom yum goong, hot, spicy and delicious, she slurped slowly and steadily. She smiled at him, “Much better than AI hyper-oats.” Then her eyes fell back to the table and she was quiet again. She stayed still staring at the soup that remained in her bowl, but her eyes were moving as the thoughts and questions flooded her mind. At one point she looked up quickly at Kougami and opened her mouth, but then closed it, and dropped her head down again. She stayed like that for so long that Kougami began to worry.

“Akane, what is the matter? Please, tell me … if you can.” He leant forward so he could hear her, but she said nothing. “Akane, you are okay now. You are out. You are safe.”

To her surprise, Akane felt large, hot tears streaming down her cheeks. Bemused, she watched them as they slid off her chin and fell into the soup. She wondered reflexively what the soup would taste like; if she would be able to taste the salt from her tears. Then she felt a gentle hand drying her cheeks and looked into Kougami’s eyes. He seemed to become aware of what he was doing and started to pull his hand away, but she grabbed it and held onto him. His eyes widened as her grip tightened and then he stretched out his other hand.

She clung to him desperately, tears still falling and her breath uneven with sobs. All she could hear was that one word, “safe”. She was safe. She was safe. And yet, even though it was true, it was also a lie. She knew that the most dangerous part of the journey was ahead. And yet again, and yet again, she was safe. She held onto his hands for all she was worth.

Kougami began talking again, softly, in no hurry. His voice providing her with another anchor. “One time, in Tibet, I went on a raid with this guy, Dawa, I think his name was. Anyway, he was as tough as they come. Not nasty, just through and through tough. The kind of guy you are glad to have at your back or to follow. The raid went badly. Someone had leaked the plan and they were waiting for us. The fight was brutal, and we lost several people, all friends of his from childhood. One guy literally exploded in front of him as if he’d been hit by a lethal dominator, but Dawa just kept going. A natural leader. Eventually, we got the upper hand, got what we came for and escaped. It took us almost a week to get back. The whole time, Dawa just held it together. Two more died on that trek - one from his wounds and the other slipped into a crevice. Dawa didn’t flinch once, just kept going and kept his people together. When we got back to camp, one of his men was waiting for us. He handed Dawa the body of an old dog. This man, who could wipe off the blood of his friend and keep going, collapsed where he was and started crying like a child. I don’t know if he really did love that dog as much as that or if it was his way of grieving for his friends. I do know that keeping those kinds of feelings inside is a kind of death.” His voice trailed off.

Akane sighed deeply and pulled one hand away and mopped her eyes with a paper napkin. “Thank you, Kougami. I’m feeling tired. Can we go?”

She waited at the table while he paid the bill. By the time he returned, when she smiled at him, her eyes were almost clear. “Thank you for the noodles.”

“You’re welcome.”

Out on the street the strange hyperreal feeling returned. Colours were a little too bright, noises a little too loud and the sidewalk seemed to be moving under her. It was like walking in a distorted holo. She saw a street scanner and flinched. Kougami frowned down at her. Apart from when she had first started work as an Inspector, he had never seen her this unsure of herself. She put her hand into his and felt his fingers tighten slightly. Safe.

Her apartment was only a few minutes’ walk from the mall, so they left the car where it was. About halfway there, she realized she had forgotten her small bag of belongings. “My keys, they’re …” she began to turn back.

“It’s okay, Akane, Yayoi gave me your spare set. I’ll get your things later.”

She thought about asking why he had her keys, but then decided she could not be bothered. As soon as he opened the door, it was obvious. The underfloor heating was on and there was the unmistakable feeling of stepping into a clean apartment. She kicked her shoes off in the hall, walked into the living room and looked around. The large sofa where she had slept so many nights seemed enormous after the one in isolation. She looked over at the kitchen in the corner. There was even a bowl of fruit on the counter. She glanced up at him surprised, “Thank you, Kougami.”

“Well, it isn’t much. I just set the auto-cleaner to do its job and bought some fruit,” he shrugged, but she could see he was both embarrassed and pleased by her reaction.

“I’m tired.”

“Then I’ll leave you to sleep. I’ll come back with your things, but I’ll just leave them by the door,” he stepped back, but her hand did not let go of his. His expression remained neutral as she raised a finger to her lips and began to walk towards the bedroom. She gave a small shake of her head and her own expression was so serious he was in no doubt that this was not a seduction.

With her finger still against her lips, she let go of his hand and opened a small cupboard. When she pulled out a small, plastic, white cat with a pink bow he looked totally perplexed. She set the cat down and pushed a small button on the back, then held her fingers up as she counted down from five.

“Now we can talk. This little kitty has a jammer. Any bugs, and I am sure there are some, will pick up nothing more than a silent room,” she sat down on the bed. Another sigh.

“Where did you get that thing?” without thinking, Kougami sat next to her.

“Long story short? Shion.”

Kougami grunted. Then he shifted so he could look at her. “You said we could talk. So talk.”

“You know there are somethings that I can’t tell you? Not that I don’t trust you, because I do. I trust you with my life. But knowing those things will not only endanger you, but also me, and possibly others, and what we are trying to do.” She had taken hold of his hand again. Her eyes grew wide and very luminous. “But you are right about what keeping things in does to you. To me. Th … there is one thing I do need to tell you, Shinya,” she paused and then gave a little nod to herself. “I love you.”

Silence.

Then, as he registered and reregistered her words, “Say that again!” 

“I love you, Shinya,” another pause. She did not take her eyes from his, “And you love me.”

“Yes,” he breathed. “I love you, Akane. You have no idea how much.” He began to reach for her but stopped.

Akane frowned, “What’s the problem?”

He looked embarrassed, “Well, the effects of the dominator haven’t worn off yet. I’m, I’m not going to …, I mean, I can’t … I’m sorry.”

She smiled ruefully, “I have just put your life in more danger and that is what you think about? That can wait. This can’t. The most dangerous phase has begun. It is quite possible that one of us, even both of us, won’t see the other side. You know this.” She put her hand against his cheek as he protested. “And I have put us in more danger. Yes, yes, I have. There is no way we can hide a relationship, and I don’t want to, but it can be used against us. I’m so tired of being on my own, so scared that each time you walk away it might the last time I’ll ever see you and I never told you how much you mean to me. How much I love you. That I’ll be killed, or you will be. Maybe it was all the time I had to think in isolation that did it. But that thought kept growing inside me until sometimes it felt like I couldn’t breathe. Especially after you’d come to see me. I finally realized that I can’t go on without loving you, without being able to love you and yet I have to keep going to help bring down the System. So, I guess I’ve grown a little selfish. I couldn’t live with not telling you I love you. I do you, know? I love you.”

His eyes had never left hers as she spoke. The words rushing from mouth and her expression changing at the end from serious to joyous. She allowed him to pull her over to him. She wrapped her arms around his chest and dropped her head on his shoulder and sighed deeply. She breathed in his scent. He chuckled, “Hey, I’m the one that is supposed to be the hound.”

“You were never a hound. More a wolf,” she returned. The relief of telling him that she loved him was beginning to make her a little lightheaded.

“A wolf, huh? Well, that gives me a few ideas for tomorrow,” he dropped feather kisses across her forehead.

“Only a few?” she asked in a disappointed tone.

 “Oh, Akane, you have no idea,” he looked at her with a wicked smile.

  ... AND A FEW SURPRISES

Akane looked at herself in the bathroom mirror as she toweled her hair dry. She barely recognized the woman looking back at her. The muscles around her jaw were relaxed and her eyes shone. Even her hair looked fuller. Was this what she looked like when she was happy? And she was. Happier than she had ever been.

They had not slept much despite Kougami’s insistence that she needed to rest. Soon one or the other would start talking, words of love falling into the safety of the warm dark room. Or he would hold her hand so he could kiss every line on her palm again and again and only release it to kiss the other. Too long had they waited for this night, words tumbled from their lips and their whispers became a confession of hopes, loss, pain and then again hopes as life brought them together, tore them apart and reunited them. So many years had gone by and they had so much to make up for.

“Akane, food’s almost done,” Kougami called from the other side of the door. “Oh, and put some clothes on.”

She blinked and returned to the present. He was up to something. She opened the bathroom door and a blast of cold air hit her. Quickly dressing she joined him in the living room. “Shinya, why’ve you opened all the windows in the bedroom? And …” she took in all the food on the counter. “Just how hungry do you think I am?”

Her doorbell chimed.

“Oh, hell! They’re early,” He threw her a sly look. “Ah, you stay here, I’ll be right back.”

“Kougami, what have you done?”

“It’s a surprise,” and he was gone.

She wondered if he had ordered more noodles from the little restaurant to add to the mountain of food in front of her. Then she heard the front door open and the sound of several people shushing each other as they piled into her little hall.

Akane got up and, laughing, went to greet them.

“Akane!” said three voices at once.

Shino, Yayoi and Gino, if anything could make her happier on this day, then this was it. She hugged them.

Shion laughed, and poked Kougami’s ribs. “I see you’ve talked,” she said winking outrageously and laughed as Kougami went red. “Well, there is a sight I never expected to see. Shinya Kougami bashful.”

“Shion, Yayoi, you look amazing,” laughed Akane holding the latter at arm’s length. They were both wearing party dresses. Then she turned back to Ginoza, “Hello, Gino, it is good to see you. I hear that you got in the way of a paralyzer.”

“Ha! He told you about that, did he? Ignatov better watch out is all I can say. Right, Ko?”

“What? Oh, yes, Kei has it coming. Again.”

The doorbell chimed again. Akane looked at Kougami in surprise. “Who?”

 “And speak of the devil!”

Kougami came back leading a small group of people. “Everyone, Akane Tsunemori in person. Akane, you know Arata and Kei, and this is Maika Ignatov and Sho Hinakawa. The last two are Mao Kisaragi and Kazumichi Irie.”

“Hey! What about me? Why does no one ever introduce the old enforcer!” demanded Todoroki pushing his way forward. “Pleased to meet you, Inspector. I’m Tenma Todoroki.”

“Just Akane, I’m not an inspector anymore,” smiled Akane. “I remember seeing all of your photos in the files. It is wonderful to finally meet you all. I guess we’ll all be working together now.” The serious looks they all gave her made her pause. “I mean, I’m an enforcer now, even though I’m not assigned to Unit 1 …”  

Mao nodded at her teammates and they relaxed. “You’re welcome in Unit 1 any time, Tsunemori … Akane. Err …. I’m sorry if it’s rude, but we’re starving, and we don’t get to eat out very often. Come on, Irie.”

Todoroki grimaced, “Can’t take them anywhere.” But he and Hinakawa followed them quickly into the kitchen.

What was all that about? All three had become so serious in a blink and then back again. Looking around the room, she began to get the feeling that she was missing something obvious. Before she could begin to think about it, the doorbell chimed. Again. She glared at Kougami as he passed her to get the door. He smiled at her, but she could see he was getting a little tenser each time he went. And that was strange, she thought, it did not quite make sense.

“It will take a little time,” said Arata with his mouth full. He was bouncing from foot to foot and balancing a plate full of food.

“Sorry, what will?” she turned her attention to him.

“Being out. Getting your senses back as it were. But,” he glanced in Kougami’s direction, “you are already on the right track.”

Her eyes widened and she started to ask him what he meant, but he just beamed at her and slightly shook his head. So, something was going on. Well, she would trust them to fill her in when they could. Right now, she had a party in her apartment. Shion had taken control of the music, which was now loud enough to annoy the neighbors. Akane shook her head, that would not be a problem. It was the middle of the afternoon, no one would be home.

“Sorry, Gino, what was that?” She shook herself. Get a hold of yourself Tsunemori.

“I just said that Sugo and I are your neighbors. We’re sharing an apartment down the street.”

“Oh! That’s great! Are you in the same block as Sh… as Kougami?” she asked. 

Gino smiled, “No, we’re down the other way.”

She looked at him, then at Kougami, and saw that Sugo and Frederica had arrived. What were they doing here? In one sense, since Gino and Kougami worked with them it made sense to invite them as well, but …. somehow it felt more deliberate than that. Yes, something was definitely going on. Everyone was behaving normally. Normal for a party, that is, she thought. Mao and Irie were dancing with Yayoi and Shion, Sugo and Kei were playing a holo game and everyone else was chatting and eating.  

An arm slipped around her waist. “Are you enjoying yourself, Akane?” His next words were so low that even though he had bent to whisper them in her ear, she almost missed them. “Say yes.”

“Oh, yes,” She turned to look up at him and he smiled down at her; she did not miss the flick of his eyes at the wall. “Walls have ears,” he breathed.

She laughed, “Shinya, you wretch!” It was all she could think of saying. Of course, everything they were doing and saying was probably being monitored. She had been the one to point that out yesterday. So why remind her of it?

The familiar sound of her doorbell interrupted them. She raised her eyebrows questioningly. Kougami kissed her head. “Patience. You’ll see. This is a surprise party, after all.”

He wouldn’t have invited her parents or Kaori. Her parents had been distraught when she was arrested. They had been steadfast in their support for her and called all the time. Even so, this was not the right time for a family reunion. And Kaori had made it clear from her refusal to accept Akane’s call at the start of her sentence that she did not want to be associated with a latent criminal. So who else was there?

“Sorry we’re late, everyone. Work, you know,” beamed Homura with a nervous looking Shimotsuki beside him.

If Akane’s mouth dropped open she made a valiant recovery. “Hello, Sir. Hello, Chief. How good of you to come.”

Shimotsuki, to everyone’s surprise, rushed forward, threw her arms around Akane’s neck and burst into loud sobs. “Oh, Akane, I’m so, so sorry.” Akane instinctively hugged her sobbing boss.

A tiny whisper, “We have to talk. About It.”  

Akane pulled back and stared at Mika who returned her stare and nodded, only to sob even harder, “I really am sorry.”

Homura shot a look at Akane, “Let’s take her into the bedroom for some quiet. Arata,” he threw over his shoulder, “Could you bring her some water?”

Together, Akane and Homura led the still sobbing woman into the bedroom. Arata followed immediately with the water. “Here’s your water, Chief. Get some rest, we’ll all be next door.” Then he paused and shut the door but stayed in the room.

“Well, hopefully we’re safe,” he said. “If we’re not all arrested in ten minutes, I reckon Akane’s jammer is working.”

“Yes, sorry about all the subterfuge,” added Homura. “Here, Mika, have this.” He passed a now dry-eyed Shimotsuki a perfectly folded handkerchief.

Akane sat down next to her. “Mika, did I understand you? You know what Sibyl System is?”

Mika looked pale and nodded. “For a few years. And now, Arata, too.”

“We’re the only ones who know what it really is,” said Homura. “Though I haven’t actually seen it. My father did and he told me.”

“So is this a council of war?” asked Akane.  

Arata answered her. “Not quite, but we all,” and he nodded towards the door to include the rest of the party, “agree that somehow we need to bring it to an end. We just don’t know how yet.”

“So, it is not just the two of us?” asked Akane looking at Homura.

“It never was. I know people who will support us, but it is safer if you don’t know who they are. It is a reasonable bet that all the enforcers will help. While you were inside, we’ve been making all sorts of small changes so we can be ready.”

“You mean like getting everyone to live within a three-block radius?” suggested Akane.

Mika actually smiled, “Yes, exactly like that. Unfortunately, because of our positions, Shizuka and I can’t move, but it was surprisingly easy for SAD to arrange for their people to move here, and then Kei and Arata. Obviously, the enforcers have to stay at MWPSB.”

“For now, at least,” said Homura.

“Is that wise, though?”

“What is more natural than colleagues and neighbors getting together for lunch or dinner or to play a holo game?” smiled Arata.

Homura looked at the time. “This meeting is just luck. We had no idea you had a jammer, so when Kougami said he wanted to give you a surprise party this afternoon it seemed a bit unusal. But when we arrived, he showed us a note about the kitty. Hmm, I think we’d better rejoin the others. They’re covering our absence, but I don’t think we should push our luck. Arata, you and Kei had better come in a few days so Akane and I can give you an “official” briefing on things.” 

Opening the door, Homura pretended to check on Mika who said she was fine and would be out in a minute. As soon as they had all left, Akane pulled Kougami into the bedroom.

“You’ve been planning this all along?” she demanded staring up at him fiercely.

He grinned, “What you thought we couldn’t mange without you? Ouch!”

“I’ll do more than poke your ribs if you’re not careful, Shinya Kougami!”

His smile got bigger, “Akane, you couldn’t expect me and Gino and the others to do nothing. We knew that something was going on, but you couldn’t or wouldn’t say exactly what. Ouch! Ouch!”

Akane poked him in the ribs. He caught her hands and folded them together in his. “Akane, please, I had to do something. I was going crazy. I love you.”

She glared up at him, “Say that again!”

“I love you.”

She sighed happily. “Okay, I suppose we’d better join the party. How long do you think everyone will stay?”  

#akane tsunemori #shinya kougami #shinkane #shinkaneweek psycho-pass psycho-pass 3

[toku-explained]

The Immortal Swordsman Reborn

SSSS.DYNAZENON: Fuuma explains that Kano had a.ways been cheerful, but she became more withdrawn prior to her death, which is believed to be due to someone called Futaba, Yume never heard of him, he had been club vice president and started dating Kano, and after her song was picked she may have been bullied by other girls, and agrees to share some other videos from the time with Yume. She tells the team she wants to learn more about Kano. Juugabis now willing to kill the team in Order to get Gauma back, Mujina has no opinion of her own and Sizumu is against killing them, believing Dynazenon is the reason kaiju keep appearing. Koyomi meets again with Inamoto-san, recalling him running away after she showed him a hidden bag she'd found, before their table is joined by Arata, her husband, and spend several hours talking, Ararat keeps getting his surname wrong. In Koyomi's room, Chise finds a white seed. Koyomi by chance runs into Mujina. Yomogi and his mother dine with Kamijo again, trying to ignore the conversation. At a bar, Mujina apparently paying, Koyomi moans about Inamoto-san leading him on with her complaints about marriage but then inviting Arata, Mujina says she herself has no wants for herself, which Koyomi relates to, at home Chise continues to brood. Yume gets sent a link for a video of a questionable prank on Kano, arguably bullying, which Kanae was the ringleader of. As Koyomi continues stewing, Mujina spots DynaStriker next to him. Yume thinks in class while watching Ranka and Kaneishi tease Yomogi. Chise decides to train in place of a hungover, who realises he's lost DynaStriker, Gauma is naturally furious, and Koyomi realises Mujina took it. Onija wants to use it to rampage, Juuga wants it to bargain with Gauma, Sizumu wants to return it, asking what Mujina wants. Gauma is able to use DynaDiver to track it, Yume rejects help from Yomogi, and the argument continues to Mujina's annoyance as Gauma and Koyomi arrive, Chise sneakily followed. Koyomi charges in and tackles Mujina, enabling Gauma to grab DynaStriker, his attack attempt fails. Sizumu asks if Yume is okay, then passes Yomogi as he leaves, the pair soon get called. The current Kaiju, Bullbind is not responding to Onija's attempts to Instance Domination, Sizumu convinces Mujina it needs her, and she awakens the enormous quadraped, shared with Onija. Gauma is bothered by the whole team seeming depressed before they jump into action. Dynazenon is helpless against Bullbind's gravity manipulation, and as Mujjna asks if that's all they've got even Onija notices a character change in her. The pilots sans Gauma are also crushed under the weight of their worries, but Gauma is able to pull through and switch to DynaRex, but even then it's hopeless against Bullbind. As Sizumu senses something, from the sky appears a purple giant. I definitely expected a guest appearance from at least somebody from SSSS.GRIDMAN before the end, we know that Gridman, and now the Assist Weapons can appear in various worlds. But the fact that it's GridKnight appearing, maybe we're in Akane's world after all?

Heroes' Odyssey: Z joins Zero while Haruki is asleep, and tells him about Ultroid Zero, and the reaction of Kaiju to it, the 3 way battle between Z, Juggler and Celebro, Ultroid Zero's rampage, it's evolution into Destrudos and defeat of Z, followed by the beginning of STORAGE's operation against it.

Saber: The Northern Base members regroup. Kento notes that minor details of the future are changing, but the end remains the same, this time there's a vision of Sophia seemingly deliberately taking Luna's place in the spell tight before the world is unmade. Master Logos orders the Shindais to watch Touma and capture Luna should she appear, and hints he may release Bacht, which Ryoga is against. As soon as the siblings leave he releases Bacht, refusing to give him the Book of Ruin, but offering him the chance for revenge on the Swordsmen, Bacht is intrigued by how different he is from past Masters. Saber and Saikou duel, Touma hoping to recreate the conditions to see Luna, but while Rekka glows, Wonder Story doesn't react. Bacgt arrives, Yuri stating his intent to seal him again. Saber and Falchion fight, Reika watching at a distance, when Touma's books, Rekka and Wonder Story all react Falchion takes note and stops, intrigued that Touma is the chosen one. The void opens again, but again vanishes before Touma or Reika can do anything. Rintaro, Ogami and Daishinji look for Ren. Yuri explains that he, Bacht and another were Swordsmen, until one day in a battle against Megiddo, one of their own killed Bacht's family, causing him to lose himself, believing humans would always betray one another and so sought to end the world, leading Yuri to wield Saikou and Kurayami against him. Ryoga confronts Rintaro, who is able to use his new abilities to counter Kaiji's time ability, when Falchion arrives, initially fighting Durandal until he flees, he then survives Blades to backstab, preparing to kill as Touma, Mei, Yuri arrive. Bacht tells Touma he'll become more powerful and destroy everything, something Kento affirms on arrival, Yuri admonishes his lack of faith in Touma, leading Bacht to call him a hypocrite, Yuri acknowledging he had not had faith in humanity before meeting Touma. Jaou Dragon battles Eternal Phoenix, soon joined by X Swordman and Elemental Dragon, Saikou asks Caliber to help seal Bacht, but he refuses, and a finisher from Caliber and Falchion strikes Saikou, who expresses his envy of Kento for the faith Touma has in him before vanishing, leaving Saikou and his books. Caliber does prevent Falchion from attacking Saber, but in the confusion Reika manages to steal Saikou, Kin no Buki, Gin no Buki and X Swordman. As Saber and Caliber face Falchion, Touma's emotions flair, causing the reaction of his books again, and as they defeat Falchion, Luna appears behind the Swordsmen, returned at last.

Zenkaiger: As part of his promise, Zox is making the others pay for things, he spots Mahiru World and chases, a squad of Kudakks holding the Zenkaigers save Zyuran and Kaito. When Mahiru World takes a hostage, Zox doesn't care, Kaito arriving uses Megaranger to Cyber Slider in to save the hostage. An annoyed Kaito chases Zox onto CrocoDaiOh, demanding explanations until a frustrated Flint shows a picture of the Goldtsuikar family, with Riki and Katana as humans. Flint was able to reverse engineer Tojitendo tech so they could travel between worlds, and while they were in SDtopia the brothers got trapped in their current forms, and they can't get back to undo it because SStopia is now a Tojiru Gear, and they can't get into Kikaitopia to steal the gear, Kaito brings up his parents. Boccowaus is annoyed about Twokaiser still being a threat, Gefe trying to calm him, Barashitara believes an alliance is possible. The team discusses things, Zyuran and Magine don't know if they're worth worrying about. It's then people start noticing it's still noon, and start feeling the effects, still working well past they would normally, but the team doesn't realise anything is actually wrong until seeing a news report from Brazil, where it's also noon. Being in space, the Goldtsuikar's have been unaffected, but there are many lights in the sky. Zox hunts down Mahiru World, and fights him as Twokaiser, there being plenty of collateral damage as the Zenkaigers arrive, saving civilians from rubble. Zox thinks this risk of life is stupid, risking never finding his family. As Twokaiser uses Shinken Form, the Zenkaigers change, taking deflected bullets, but still defend the crowd. Switching to Ohren Form, he uses he Choriki Star Knuckle to finish Mahiru World, restoring night. Dai Mahiru World summons way more suns, now the light is blinding, Magine flips out and has ZenkaiOh VrooMagine form, Kaito at the control is barely awake, they darken the sky briefly, but sun viewing glasses do the thing, allowing them to finish things. Everyone falls asleep, Zox fells Flint to leave them as long as they don't get in the way.

Dogengers Nice Buddy: Maid Shitsuji wakes Tanaka up, and shows that Yamashiron and Fukuokaliber have gone to a Great Z show, Ohgaman grabs various items for a day out and drags Tanaka off, nobody noticing he's left his changer. The show is pretty formulaic, Great Z fighting some Karamis, until right as Great Z is meant to get his heroic wind there's the sudden arrival of Yamashiron Kugakusei Mode, inserting himself in the role of the Villain. Aoiron and Daidairon give advice or rebuke, causing I believe Yamashiron to mentally apologise to Midoiron, and then Fukuokaliber appears to highjack the hero spot. Tanaka and the disguised Ohgaman are confused on arrival, Fukuokaliber making a point about heroism to Yamashiron, using the crowd to do so. Gulf appears via Affect System, evidently mid attack on Kitaqman, and is shot by Fukuokaliber. The pair leap into battle, Yamashiron demonstrating his specially modified Nice Buddy gun, Gallia attends to his brother, wondering how they got there. In flashback, immediately after they were teleported away, Great Z admonished El Brave and Kitaqman's heroics while beating them, after knocking down El Brave he gives Kitaqman the chance to fight, expecting him to run, Kitaqman instead relates El Brave's backstory. Great Z gives El Brave some acknowledgment, and an emboldened El Brave fights with all his might, grabbing El Brave, Kitaqman shoots and destroys a drone, thanks to switching with El Brave. Great Z is about to fight harder when he gets a call, and warps all 3 of them. Kitaqman and El Brave appear right next to Fukuokaliber and Yamashiron, while Great Z appeared nearby, next to the Great Z onstage, who he turns to face.

#toku explained #kikai sentai zenkaiger #kamen rider saber #dogengers #ssss.dynazenon

[margarethelstone]

Our Sleeves Were Wet With Tears | Chapter 7

Chapter 7 / Read on AO3!

"Unbelievable," he mumbled under his breath as he tossed his school bag onto his bed after checking the insides of it for what might as well have been a dozenth time. "This is unbelievable. Mashima Taichi, you fool, you idiot, you absolute moron. How could you have let that happen?"

His words resonated in his room, clean and empty as it always was, with the exception of the few notebooks that now lay spread over his bed after he'd taken them out in his search. Annoyed with himself, Taichi stomped towards his desk, though for what reason, he couldn't really tell.

Perhaps he felt it would be less lazy to sink on a chair than it was to throw himself on the bed helplessly, like he so wished to.

That, or the floor.

There really wasn't much difference in his eyes.

"All of my plans for the evening got thrown off because I forgot to borrow a book from the library," he groaned wearily, his head tilting back as he took his seat and sighed deeply. "An entire studying schedule demolished because I lost my focus. And why? Because I bumped into a girl and talked to her! Good Lord, what am I? Seven?"

Voicing his thoughts did no good to his spirits. Another angry groan left his throat as he watched the ceiling, his gaze fixed on it with the intensity entirely unsuitable for the situation, as if he'd been trying to remember the positions of every single stroke of brush that could be discerned, in the same way he memorised the positions of the cards. Of course, the unintended (yet so very natural) connotation made the matters even worse – and so as soon as Taichi realised it, he had no choice but to stop what had prompted it.

It was a miracle that he didn't get a bump from how hard his forehead hit the table.

Man, was he glad that his parents were out of the house this time.

"It would have been bad enough if it had been about a girl I actually like," he moaned, his disgust with himself only growing with each breath that he took. "Though then again, that girl has been pretty much avoiding me. And I've been avoiding her. Gosh, what a mess this has become."

Almost on their own volition, his arms moved to cover his head, his fingers digging into his hair violently. This was so stupid, all of it – the pit he had thrown himself in the moment he'd first thought that he might have a chance with Chihaya, instead of giving up as soon as Arata had appeared; the rashness he'd shown, acting on his wounded pride and shutting her out because it had been too difficult to talk to her now.

All that had happened in between, as he'd dug the pit deeper and deeper with every moment of naivety, when he'd chosen to believe that not all hope was lost and that, if nothing else, then time at least would be his ally. That even if his personality wasn't entirely adequate, then maybe his patience and hard work would be enough to even the score.

All the chances he'd missed, all the chances he'd imagined.

All those months and years of decisions that couldn't have been deemed right by anyone but the desperate blockhead he himself had been.

The desperate blockhead that he still was.

His fists clenched.

Wasn't it supposed to get better after he and Chihaya had talked? And why was he even thinking of Chihaya in the first place?

Stupid really isn't strong enough a word for me, he thought resignedly, holding back yet another groan that was threatening to leave his throat and went for a soft, lingering sigh instead. And to think I believed that chapter was closed.

It looked like naive was not telling enough, either.

Well, it wasn't as if he truly had thought that his problem was solved. He knew that it couldn't be, not entirely, for as long as his affection for Chihaya still burned in his heart. After all, the only other way would be if she responded in kind – but at least in that regard, Taichi was well aware of the infeasibility of it happening.

He had to move on, to get over his feelings for her and to do it for good. To work through the pain and disappointment, to fight the resentment he never wished to experience but that still found its way to his heart and mind occasionally, of which this situation was a perfect example. He had to take that road, cross that threshold and step on the path towards healing and emotional independence that he so needed now.

To try and find his own worth outside of his relationship with her, for only then would he be allowed to become her friend once more. When he was finally free of the risk of falling for her all over again, when there was no chance of hurting her, or himself, in the process.

Perhaps he might even be able to rebuild his bond with Arata then.

Then. And not a day sooner.

He knew that. He understood that. He felt that the choice he had made, the plan he had come up with was a good one, if only he could find the strength necessary to see it through to the end, and therefore, it was one he should not hesitate to act on.

Then why...

"Then why is it so hard to stay away from her?"

Even if someone had been in the room with him, they would not have been able to make out the words he'd spoken, so quiet and muffled they were. And yet, they still appeared to ring in his soul with an intensity and loudness of an air crash, all the more so for the pounding of his heart and the blood that suddenly seemed to be boiling.

It hurt.

It hurt so awfully much.

And he still couldn't find the strength to deal with it properly, no matter how many rational arguments he summoned in the hopes of gaining it.

A small, mirthless laugh escaped his lips as he remembered that it was only a few moments earlier that he was berating himself for losing his head over a meeting with a girl, almost blaming the encounter for his forgetting his library plans.

Idiot.

He'd lost his head a long time ago, and Hanano Sumire had absolutely nothing to do with it.

Taichi still couldn't tell for sure why it was today that his mind decided to take down its defences and allow the thoughts of Chihaya to enter it so freely, much against Taichi's own will, but certainly thanks to his own inattentiveness. Was it because he'd caught a sight of her during the lunch break? He'd seen her often enough before that, and often for much longer than today; there was no reason why it should suddenly bother him now.

Was it the way she reacted to Komano approaching her, then, with enthusiasm and joy and not the reserve she showed whenever he, Taichi, as much as met her gaze? It only made sense that she did! She had a good, easy relationship with Komano. He was her friend and her fellow club member, and one who definitely didn't have the slightest romantic interest in her – so why should she act any differently around him, even if another of her friendships had come to an end?

Why, did he expect her to distance herself from everyone only because she had distanced himself from him?

Now that would have been a pitiful move.

Besides, could he really have said that Chihaya had distanced herself from him? Was she really avoiding him, or pushing him away, like his angry whining might suggest, and not just trying not to get into his way needlessly? She was giving him space, not because she didn't wish to be with him, but because she thought that was what he needed. That this was what he wished for, what he expected of her.

At least, that was what he ardently hoped for.

And assuming that this really was what she believed, she wasn't entirely wrong, either. After all, it was exactly what Taichi's own strategy was all about: to separate himself from her until he was ready to face her without consequence. To concentrate on his own goals, instead of pursuing those chosen by her.

Not being a coward wasn't enough. He needed to become his own person as well, with motivations that went further than attuning to his parents' or Chihaya's, or anyone else's vision of him. And he wanted that, too! He wanted to play karuta because it excited him, and not as a way of proving himself worthy of Chihaya's heart. He wanted to think of the medical school as a way to pursue his own dream – to think of the career of the physician as more than just a respectable, well-paid job, but as one that might allow him to help those in need.

He wanted to embrace his parents' dream and make it his own. He wished to take the enthusiasm for karuta that his friends and teachers had planted in him and cultivate in the way and to the purpose that was solely and entirely his.

He was tired of pretending and just wanted to stop.

Perhaps his confession to Chihaya was the first time he had actually allowed himself to.

One thought led to another and before he knew it, the gloominess in his soul became overtaken by determination and faith. Unaware of what he was doing, with every desire he expressed, he fed his subconscious resolve, to the point where it was no longer unrealised, coming closer and closer to the moment when he could successfully fight for it. With this kind of base prepared, the more reasonable part of his brain was able to kick in as well; the ideas and projects for himself becoming less and less the vague dreams that they seemed at first and more the tangible targets he should be aiming for.

It wasn't the end; it wasn't a final solution, a definite finale to his struggle. The road before him was long and steep, and no doubt full of obstacles and pits he was still bound to fall into.

But he could worry about that later.

For now, he needed to focus on what he could do. To work hard in the fields he'd chosen for himself instead of wasting his energy trying to chase away the emotions he could not control anyway.

To accept the hot mess that he was and build up the patience necessary to wait it out, while at the same time making sure that he would not be waiting passively.

He felt adrenaline rush through his body again, a feeling as unexpected as it was welcome. He straightened up and inhaled deeply; he looked around the room, thinking intensely of what else he could busy himself with. As usual, the set of karuta cards came into his view first, though as usual, it was disregarded quickly. Not because he couldn't stand the look of it – that period was indeed behind him now, thanks to both Master Suo's help and (though of that part Taichi was not fully aware) the conversation he and Chihaya had had the other week – but because it simply didn't make sense according to the schedule he'd already made.

Thursdays simply weren’t practice days this year.

Fearing that the newfound dedication might leave him, he rose up from his chair and walked over to the bookshelf on which all of his materials for the cram school were, only to remember that there wasn't much to do for it beyond the homework he'd already done. Not at all discouraged, he turned around and shifted his gaze to his bed and the textbooks that still covered it.

The thick classical literature one lay prominently on top.

Still resolute to make the most of his studies, Taichi did a quick calculation, trying to figure out how great were the chances of a test happening in the near future. It was a tricky question, for sure – everyone knew how irregular Fukasaku-sensei's testing schedule was and how much it depended on his personal whims – but even so, it wasn't unreasonable to expect one to happen soon.

And even if not, the midterms were certainly close enough to justify his choice for tonight.

And so he picked up the book and sat down by his desk, determined not to waste another minute on idle thinking that would only sour his mood further. He had made progress, regardless of what his treacherous brain might have been telling him just now. He had come up with a plan, and with a good one too, if only he could remain strong enough to go through with it without questioning his own decisions every other moment. It didn't matter that it was hard, and that he still would fail and waver at times, as long as he could keep the final goal before his eyes and find the motivation to work to achieve it.

He would make it happen, however long it was going to take.

#Our Sleeves Were Wet With Tears #chihayafuru #taichihaya #mashima taichi #ayase chihaya #I MADE IT IN TIME GUYS #i don't think i've ever drawn anything this fast this is insane #also today's chapter is rather short but i hope you still like it! #please let me know! #love you all and see you (hopefully) next week!