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foreverfamilyforevervongola · 4 years

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A Vongola Family Christmas

And this marks the end of this year’s KHR Holiday Celebration! Thank you so much for all the asks! I’ll see you in the New Year!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

...

Summary: Tsuna would always remember his first Christmas with his extended family. A group of people that couldn't have been more different, yet they shared similarities that they perhaps didn't want to acknowledge. When the inevitable brawl breaks out, Tsuna, ever the peacekeeper, steps in and breaks it up. Christmas is a time for family, and they are his, and he hopes, one day, they will all get along.

...

Tsuna was seventeen when Timoteo invited him and his family to Italy for the annual Vongola Christmas party. He wanted his future successor to start to mingle with their central allies, begin to forge new connections and allow other Famiglia to see the heir to the Vongola Family. Tsuna had not wanted to go if he was going to spend Christmas doing business, but Reborn had intervened and well, that had been that.

"Isn't this exciting?" Nana exclaimed, stepping through the automatic airport doors and beaming, a rather out of place expression amongst the holiday hustle, bustle and impatience that engulfed the horde of travel-goers.

Balancing a stack of luggage in his arms, Tsuna said uncertainly, "I suppose so."

Though he was rather composed, he was stressing out on the inside. He knew for a fact the Varia would be there and mixing his Guardians together with the assassins was never a good idea. He didn't have a clue who else would be attending this high-class, vied after gathering (Reborn refused to tell him anything), and Gokudera didn't handle strangers well. There was also the matter of Hibari and Mukuro—

Schink!

Whipping his head around, his eyes tripled in size at the ever-familiar sight of Hibari's tonfas clashing with Mukuro's trident, the latter's crimson eye beginning to flash with Mist Flames. "Stop it!" he hissed, wishing he wasn't burdened with so much luggage. "You can't do this in an airport! They're going to think we're terrorists or something!"

"Don't worry, Juudaime," assured Gokudera. He strode over to the fighting pair and barked, "He told you to knock it off!"

Using one tonfa to deflect Mukuro's trident, Hibari used the other to slam into Gokudera's stomach. "Don't tell me what to do, herbivore."

"We haven't even left Japan yet, Mukuro-sama," said Chrome in slight exasperation.

Mukuro smirked at Hibari, who glowered, but he took a few steps back. "I suppose I can wait to destroy him. It wouldn't be merciful of me to kill him on his precious home soil. I have some Christmas spirit." Shifting his gaze towards Tsuna, he said in amusement, "I did have an illusion cloaking us. I'm not a fool."

"I beg to differ," drawled Hibari.

"Why must you guys always fight?" asked Haru with a disapproving frown.

Satisfied for now that they would not cause untold damage to the airport, Tsuna turned his head around. Kyoko came up beside him and linked arms. "Are you excited, Tsuna-kun?"

"No," answered Tsuna honestly. "This is going to be a disaster."

"Don't be like that," chided Ryohei. "This will be EXTREMELY fun."

"Tsu-nii, where's I-Pin?" Lambo asked anxiously, pulling on the hem of Tsuna's jacket. "We're gonna see her, right?"

"Absolutely," soothed Tsuna. "Fong is meeting us at Grandfather's house with her."

Yamamoto sauntered forwards and swung the excited eight-year-old into his arms. "We'll see her before we know it."

"Bianchi," Futa spoke, getting the pink-haired woman's attention. "Can I get a magazine from that gift shop?"

"Of course," granted Bianchi. "I could use one myself."

"Don't be long!" called Tsuna as they departed for the strategically placed shop that seemed to sell almost everything for a traveler's needs. "The plane leaves in less than an hour."

They were an odd group as they progressed towards the security check, many travellers leaping to get out of their purposeful path. Nana turned to Tsuna and said happily, "I can't wait to see your father. This will be a wonderful Christmas we get to spend together!"

"Uh-huh," uttered Tsuna. If we make it to Italy in the first place.

As they neared the metal gates, Tsuna suddenly screeched to a halt, causing the rest of his family to stop and eye him curiously. Lips curling into a frown, he asked, "Okay. How many of you people brought your weapons with you?"

Hibari and Mukuro were a given, considering they just tried to kill each other in the lobby. Reborn glanced at Tsuna with an amused smirk and he knew he shouldn't have bothered to ask. Gokudera shifted his eyes about nervously and Yamamoto chuckled sheepishly.

Lifting his eyes heavenward, Tsuna heaved out a sigh. "Right. Those harbouring dangerous weaponry go first while we normal, peaceful people stand off to the side. I may or may not bust you out of jail."

This is going to be a very long Christmas.

…

The ballroom glittered with garland draped over the windows and dozens of cranberry candles. Poinsettia made up the centerpieces of the tables and the colour scheme of the tablecloths, napkins and other décor followed cranberry red and pine green. There were about a thousand people at the party in total, and when Tsuna first saw the tuxedo-clad crowd his throat closed up and he made a strangled squeak. Reborn gave the back of his head a sharp slap, causing him to swallow his anxieties and move forwards. After Timoteo proudly introduced him to the group of high-ranking Mafia Dons, Tsuna smoothly maneuvered through the crowd, Gokudera and Yamamoto remaining by his side.

The Varia were there, as he suspected, but he was surprised to see Xanxus among them. They were at a table shrouded in the shadows of an isolated corner, speaking lowly with one another. Tsuna's eyes widened at the sight of the Gesso and Giglio Nero families, stationed at tables at opposite ends of the massive, elegant ballroom. The ex-Arcobaleno were also there, and Tsuna suspected only the combined force of Reborn and Yuni (and perhaps Lal Mirch) could have convinced Verde to attend. Ken, who was normally uncontrollable at the option of free food, sat stiffly at a table with Chikusa, Fran, Chrome and Mukuro. His mother and father had their hands intertwined the entire time, casting loving glances at each other that filled Tsuna with childlike embarrassment and affection.

Tsuna felt relief at seeing Dino and his family in attendance, for at least he would be of assistance in meeting some of the Dons. As he made his circulations, he could see the hands on his wristwatch steadily moving, and he felt a pang of sadness that he would not get any time to speak with the people he really wanted to interact with.

A burst of joy went through him at the sight of Lambo and I-Pin reuniting, when Fong finally arrived with the girl fashionably late. The two collided with each other in a hug, dissolving into delighted laughter. The guests looked at the pair with scowls, but their expressions hastily rearranged at the many murderous glares they received in turn.

It was ten at night when the guests started to trickle out, just as the snow started to pick up speed outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. Finally having a free moment, Tsuna made his way over to Yuni's table. "I'm exhausted," he groaned, rubbing at his neck. "Did I look as miserable as I felt?"

"Not at all," assured Yuni. "You had a very gracious smile."

"Thanks. I'm glad it's over. I think I made a good impression." Tsuna cast a quick glance to check the status of the members of his family. "And putting Hibari and Mukuro at separate tables was smart. Though I'm surprised Xanxus hasn't tried to shoot anyone."

"I think he has a steady stream of booze to keep him occupied," piped up Gamma dryly.

"And steak," added Yuni.

"I could use some steak," muttered Tsuna. "I managed to snag some miniature sandwich wraps from the servers. I wish I had more time to enjoy myself."

"You can," replied Yuni. "The Vongola Family normally stays long after the guest have gone."

"Oh." Tsuna smiled. "Great! I hardly got a chance to speak with anyone. Did you have fun?"

"I did," said Yuni, though her smile didn't reach her eyes. "Gamma, would you mind getting me some punch please?"

"Of course, Princess."

Gamma swept off to get Yuni another drink and the girl let out a long sigh. "I haven't been able to go on the same side of the room as Byakuran-san," she said with a frown. "Gamma doesn't trust him at all. I understand why, but I wish he'd trust me."

"He loves you. He doesn't want to risk losing you. He'll come around eventually."

"It's taking longer than I thought," said Yuni doubtfully, idly pushing a piece of chicken parmesan around her plate.

Gamma soon returned with a glass and did not miss Yuni's downcast expression. Brow furrowing, he asked, "Is something wrong?"

Giving a slight shake of her head, Yuni said, "No, I'm fine. Thank you, Gamma."

"This is your first gathering, is it not?" Gamma asked Tsuna.

"Yeah."

"How did you find it?"

"Er…boring," said Tsuna with a slight grin.

"Not holding back I see," said Gamma in amusement as Yuni giggled.

"Don't tell Reborn I said that. I'm going to use a different choice of words when he asks the same question."

After a few more minutes of conversation, Tsuna wandered over to where his parents sat. Lambo was happily munching on a chocolate dessert and Futa was eating his ice-cream, both sitting securely in Iemitsu's lap. Nana stroked her fingers through I-Pin's raven braids as the girl ate her spaghetti.

"You didn't have too many of those, did you?" he asked Lambo.

"No," lied Lambo.

"Yes," said I-Pin.

"A lot," added Futa.

"Aw, it's Christmas. It's a special occasion. Let him eat all the sweets," said Iemitsu cheerfully, ruffling the boy's hair.

Tsuna rolled his eyes. "He eats enough sugar on a regular day. But fine. You're the one who's going to have to deal with his hyperactivity later."

"You look so handsome," gushed Nana, using one hand to straighten his orange tie. "No one here holds a candle to you. Except for your father, of course."

"As usual, never the best," quipped Tsuna.

Accepting a kiss on the cheek from his mother and a back-slap from his father, he went to see his Guardians. Hibari was reclining in his chair, eyes closed. Mukuro was near the food table with Ken and Chikusa, the three of them looking slightly more relaxed now that there was less people. Ryohei smiled as he approached. "Tsuna! How did it go?"

"Okay," said Tsuna with a shrug. "I don't remember a lot of the names, which Reborn is going to probably shoot me for."

"Don't worry Juudaime, I kept track in this notebook." Gokudera removed a red-covered notebook from his suit jacket and flipped through it, revealing pages of neatly written notes.

"You're a lifesaver," said Tsuna gratefully and Gokudera's face glowed. "I'm sorry this hasn't been more fun."

"Don't be silly," countered Yamamoto. "We're all together, aren't we?"

The table rattled slightly as Hibari shot out his foot, kicking Yamamoto in the shin and causing the teen to yelp. Eyes still closed, he muttered, "Stop being so sentimental."

"I thought you were asleep," snapped Gokudera as Yamamoto laughed.

"I am. You're disturbing me. Shut up before I bite you to death."

Pwish!

There was great roar of wind, so strong the windows rattled. Startled, Tsuna turned to stare out the window, eyes widening at the vortex of snow that swirled about outside, a pure white sheet that obscured everything from sight.

"Yay!" cheered Lambo. "Snow!"

Regarding the weather thoughtfully, Timoteo said, "Well now, it seems that we are snowed in."

A chilling silence followed after his casual remark as everyone realized exactly what that meant. It was broken by Xanxus flinging his glass clear across the room, where it shattered against the opposite wall. "I am not staying here with you trash all effing night," he snarled. "I came because I was promised steak and booze. I'm effing out of steak and the good booze is gone."

"Feel free to try and drive home," sneered Gokudera.

"Insolent brat, don't talk to Boss like that!" barked Levi.

"Squalo told me if I started some merda during the party he'd kick my ass," drawled Belphegor, removing his knives. "Party's over and your face is pissing me off. I'll skewer you first."

"Voi, if you effing kill someone, you're doing the damn paperwork!"

Iemitsu stood, raising his hands in a placating manner. "There's no need to get riled up. There are plenty of rooms in which you can stay."

"Ushishishi, if you think I'm sleeping in contaminated sheets, you've lost your mind."

"I don't know why that bothers you," drawled Fran. "It's not like your royal or anything."

"You little piece of—"

"You're all too noisy," growled Hibari. "I'm going to bite you all to death."

"Kufufufu, I'd like to see you try," mocked Mukuro.

"Guys!" snapped Tsuna. "You're not helping!"

"I think a show is exactly what we need to entertain us," said Byakuran in amusement.

Gamma glared at the white-haired male. "I'm sure you would love nothing more to see blood spilled."

"Gamma!" pleaded Yuni. "Stop."

Zakuro stood up, lips twisting into a snarl. "I'm tired of your disrespectful attitude."

"Disrespectful?" echoed Tazaru incredulously. "Someone who brainwashed our Princess and manipulated us will never deserve respect."

"Simmer down," ordered Lal Mirch. "You're all acting ridiculous."

"I cannot believe I'm here in the first place," said Verde disdainfully. "It's like being surrounded by a group of unintelligent monkeys."

"Verde," said Fong sharply. "Relax."

"If you all don't shut up I'm sending you into a black abyss," said Mammon in irritation.

"It'd be better than spending it with these jerks!" cried Skull, who sat in between Colonnello and Reborn, and promptly got his ears boxed by the both of them.

A strong pulse of anger and irritation struck through Tsuna and he spun on his heel, eyes zeroing in on the source. "Xanxus, don't!"

Boom!

The one gunshot was all it took to set off an avalanche of chaos.

Mukuro and Hibari wasted no time in colliding with a clash of tonfas and trident. Ken and Chikusa immediately went to back their friend up, animal roars and spraying needles adding to the sound of metal striking against metal. Gamma, Tazaru, Kikyo and Zakuro went head-to-head in the middle of the ballroom, Byakuran's and Yuni's shouts to cease going unheeded. Belphegor went after Gokudera, knives gleaming under the crystal chandelier and there was a sharp hiss as the silver-haired teen lit up his dynamite. Disgusted with the lot of them and willing to take his risks in the extreme weather getting home, Verde tried to storm out, only to be physically restrained by Fong.

After one too many insolent and nasty remarks, Colonnello wrestled Skull to the floor. Irate by their childish behaviour, Lal Mirch went to try and break the two up. Basil, Turmeric and Oregano immediately helped Iemitsu try to calm the situation and defend Nana and the kids from stray projectiles. Tired of Shamal's relentless advances, Bianchi finally snapped and slammed a poison cake into his face. For the hell of it Squalo delved into a swordfight with Yamamoto, inspiring Ryohei and Lussuria to have a spontaneous boxing match.

It was as if Tsuna was seeing everything in slow motion. Bullets whizzed past his head, the threats and swears muddled together in his ears. He had seen his family fight before—it was as natural as breathing. But this…this was different. This was them, nearly all of them, not getting along with one another. In fact, none of them probably would have been there in the first place if it wasn't for him. He was the core reason they were all together, that they even had a connection with one another. He felt their rage, their dislike, their irritation and their agitation. It throbbed through his bonds, nearly overwhelming him.

It was then that he got a true look around, that he realized how isolated and separated everyone had been throughout the party. Ken, Chikusa and Mukuro had stayed together in one corner of the room. The Varia stayed in another. The ex-Arcobaleno were at one end of the room. The Gesso and Giglio Nero families were at opposite sides. The CEDEF members got their table closest to the Guardians, but yet still not quite close enough. Bianchi, Kyoko, Haru, Futa and I-Pin had been placed at the same table as Nana and Iemitsu before they started to circulate, at least making an effort to mingle. Spanner, Giannini and Shoichi were placed at the back of room. Dino and Romario had understandably been placed with their family, but a distance away from Tsuna and the others.

It wasn't right. It didn't feel right, how separated they had been during Christmas, a time meant to spend with family. How were they supposed to get to know one another if they stayed with the ones they knew best? How would they forge bonds if they had an excuse not to?

Tsuna was startled from his deep thoughts by a knife swishing past his ear and he jolted. The volume in the room increased tenfold and his head immediately began to ache. He darted his eyes around, staring at the brawling with a rising ire and anger. Reborn and Timoteo were staring at him, waiting, and Tsuna knew he was expected to take control of this situation. Timoteo was watching the chaos with a serene expression and Reborn seemed to thoroughly be enjoying himself. Shoichi, Spanner and Giannini had flipped their table over to use as a shield. Dino and Romario had quickly moved over to guard the girls, Kyoko and Haru watching everything with wide, concerned gazes.

"ENOUGH!"

His shout rumbled across the ballroom, the force of his Will causing everyone to halt in their tracks. His Sky Flame blazed on his forehead, amber eyes daring anyone to defy him. Quiet eventually set across the room, the culprits of this free-for-all battle glancing at Tsuna warily. Xanxus glowered at the brunette who dared give him an order, but lowered his gun. It took quite a bit to anger Tsuna enough that his Flames were brought forth.

Breathing heavily, Tsuna took a moment to calm down. I-Pin took Lambo's hand and the two approached him. "Tsu-nii? Can we go play?" ventured I-Pin hesitantly.

Shifting a quick look to Timoteo and receiving a permissive nod, said, "Keep to the corridor outside the ballroom. Don't break anything."

Brightening at this, Futa departed from his table and went over to Fran, who had been watching the entire ordeal from the back of the room with a raised brow. He took the small illusionist cheerfully by the arm and dragged him out the glimmering gold doors. Lambo and I-Pin were a little slower to follow. The Lightning Guardian approached Yuni's table and extended a hand towards Nosaru.

"Wanna play?"

The purple-haired boy's eyes widened and he shot a hopeful glance towards Yuni. "Can I?"

"Of course," Yuni granted, relieved that at least some of her family members were willing to get along with the others. "Thank you, Lambo-kun."

At Byakuran's table, I-Pin folded her arms neatly in front of her. "Do you want to play with us?" she asked Bluebell and Daisy.

"I don't know how to play," said Daisy, eyeing I-Pin uncertainly.

"It's okay. We can do something easy."

Bluebell, who did not get chances to play with other girls around her age, turned to Byakuran. "Could we?" she asked hesitantly.

"Absolutely." Byakuran smiled at her and reached out to rub the top of I-Pin's head in gratitude. "I think that's a great idea."

Encouraged by Byakuran's approval and I-Pin's inviting, sincere smile, Daisy eased off his chair. He clutched his stuffed bunny to his chest as he followed after the two girls, the children disappearing into the corridor.

Staring after them, Tsuna lamented, "Why can't you people be like them?"

"The hell is that supposed to mean?" asked Ken, voicing the thought everyone held.

Tsuna waved his arms in exasperation. "I-Pin and Lambo hardly know Bluebell, Nosaru and Daisy, but they wanted to play with them anyway. They know they're different and come from different backgrounds, but they don't care."

"Is there a point to this?" drawled Xanxus.

"Yes! The point is that if they can be friends, then you, grown-ass adults, should at least be able to hold a civil conversation."

"Tsu-kun, mind your language!"

Pressing a hand against his forehead, Tsuna very nearly gave into the desire to whimper. "Yes, Mom."

Verde gave a snort of disbelief. "Why could I possibly have to say with people like you?"

"Seems to me a genius like you should be able to hold a simple conversation," countered Tsuna.

There was a brief rumble of laughter at this, mostly coming from the ex-Arcobaleno, and Verde regarded the brunette coolly for a moment, his lips twitching into the barest hints of an impressed smirk at his quick rebuttal.

Resting his cheek against his knuckles, Xanxus narrowed his eyes. "Are you trying to lecture me, scum?"

"Yes," said Tsuna matter-of-factly. "You've got the social skills of a robot, and in fact Spanner's Mini-Moska had more than you do. If you don't to talk to people, fine. But geez, have you ever heard the saying if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all?" He nimbly sidestepped and snatched the flying wine glass flung at him out of the air, setting it on the table nearest to him. "And you," he continued, pointing at his male Mist and Cloud, "I will send you to therapy or rehab or military school or something if you don't stop fighting."

Hibari and Mukuro glanced at each other before shifting their gazes away, lips curling upwards. Huffing out a breath, Tsuna set his hands on his hips. "I know we all have our differences. I don't expect everyone to get along all the time. But I would appreciate it if you would just try." He took a look around the room, at the faces of the people he had met and bonded with over the years, and his expression softened.

"You know, I never in my life thought my Christmas would ever be this extravagant, this big. I only ever celebrated with my mom and sometimes my dad. I wished I could have a bigger family to share Christmas with. Now I have it. I have you. And it would be nice if you could maybe stop fighting and trying to kill each other for a couple of hours or so."

"Awww, that's so sweet!" cooed Lussuria, and was promptly struck across the back of the head by Squalo.

"Well said, Sawada-dono," said Basil with an enthusiastic clap.

"You're a useless herbivore," muttered Hibari, but he finally slipped his tonfas back into his suit jacket.

"I don't have an effing clue how you've survived this long with that bleeding heart," said Xanxus flatly.

Yuni moved over to Gamma and Tazaru, taking them both gently by the wrists. "I know you're scared for me. I know it's hard to forget what Byakuran-san tried to do. But he's not really the same person as he was in the future. I know he's a good person. I can feel it. And I know, if you gave him a chance, you'll feel it too."

Gamma stared down at her, his expression conflicted. He glanced at Byakuran, who was clearly touched by Yuni's words. Closing his eyes, he exchanged looks with Tazaru before saying, "For your happiness, Princess, we will try."

Yuni's face lit up and she happily hugged them before dragging them over to where Byakuran and his family were.

"See that, that's what I'm talking about," said Tsuna, hopeful at this progression. "We're all going to be snowed in for the night, anyway. Let's at least try to get along." He paused and added, "Or in Xanxus' case just ignore everyone." He caught the incoming fork before it could stab into his shoulder.

Skull glanced around the room, expression reluctant. "I don't think any of us have anything in common."

"Sure you do," said Tsuna with certainly. "In fact, you all have one thing in common. You drive me absolutely insane."

There was a lot of jeering at that, but Tsuna felt the atmosphere ease. With a reluctant expression, Verde made his way towards the trio of engineers who were now righting their table. Belphegor shoved Gokudera in the shoulder and the Storm Guardian sneered in return, but they both sat down at the same table. The Gesso and Giglio Nero families crowded together and Shamal, wiping frosting off of his face, lazily made his way over to speak with Iemitsu and Nana, Fong joining them shortly after. Basil invited Ken and Chikusa to sit with him, Oregano and Turmeric, which they hesitantly accepted. Lal Mirch, Colonnello and Skull moved over to sit with Dino and Romario.

Mukuro and Hibari managed to sit next to each other without causing any more bruising. During the night, the Guardians circulated amongst the others, all of them now on the same side of the ballroom. They took turns checking on the kids, who raced about the corridor with ringing laughter. Kyoko and Haru, ever polite and friendly, daringly approached the Varia table. Xanxus made an annoyed hum in the back of his throat but did not startle them away.

Heaving out a sigh of relief, Tsuna rubbed the back of his neck. Timoteo, who had moved from his prestigious spot at the grand table at the front of the ballroom and was now sitting with Tsuna's parents, regarded his heir with pride. Reborn's fedora covered his eyes, but there was a smile of approval on his lips. Dino caught Tsuna's eye and he flashed a thumbs-up.

Their first Christmas together didn't get off on the right foot, and they were not quite all friends by the time morning came and the snow melted enough for them to leave. But Tsuna had hope. They were all different, sure. But they had all been through the unimaginable, things only they would ever be able to understand. They were his family, the large one he always wished for and finally received.

They would all be comfortable with each other eventually.

…

Twenty-four-year-old Tsuna reclined back against the leather couch, a glass of wine between his fingers. The drawing room was filled with noise, laughter and conversation. A fire roared in the fireplace, the Christmas tree glinting with warm white lights. The environment was much more inviting and personal than the ballroom, which was why Tsuna decided the drawing room would host their family Christmas, leaving the ballroom for the Vongola party.

Gamma, Byakuran, Yuni and Kikyo were conversing on the couch by the door. Spanner, Verde, Shoichi, Shamal, Giannini and Futa were playing a game of cards. The eighteen-year-old was leaning slightly against Verde's side, his feet tucked in Shamal's lap. Gokudera, Fong, Belphegor and Turmeric were engaged in poker, and from the amount of swearing Gokudera was doing, he was losing. Tazaru, Zakuro and Levi were having a heated debate, probably over which football team should win the final tournament. Ryohei was playing checkers against Skull, his brow furrowed in concentration. Timoteo, Reborn, Kusakabe, Iemitsu and Romario were talking politics on the couch near the Christmas tree. Mammon, Torikabuto, Mukuro and Chrome were seated near the fireplace, having a mini-illusion contest.

Squalo, Yamamoto, Bianchi, Lancia, Colonnello, Nana and Dino were playing a board game. Nosaru, Bluebell, Daisy, Lambo, I-Pin, Basil, Ken, Chikusa, Mochida and Fran were in an intense video game battle. Oregano, Hana, Kyoko and Lal Mirch were sitting with Lussuria near the television, alternating between chatting and settling the group of gamers when they got too rowdy. Hibari and Xanxus were sitting on opposite ends of the couch in the middle of the room, both of them with their eyes closed and heads tilted back, letting the noise of their family wash over them. When Haru picked her way towards Kyoko and the rest she had to pass by Xanxus. Her foot caught the corner of the coffee table and she started a quick descent for the ground. The Sky Varia easily caught her by the arm and righted her without opening his eyes. Hibari gave her a sharp kick to the ankle, a rebuke for being unaware of her surroundings. Haru pouted at him as she went to sit beside Lussuria.

Contentment, affection and warmth hummed throughout the room, entwining through their bonds. Tsuna could not help the grin from curling across his face as he recalled their first Christmas together. They had come a long way since then. They still fought like crazy, but it was just what they did. They went through too much together to keep each other at a distance. There were a few new additions over the years, like Moretti, Mochida, Hana, Kusakabe and Lancia. They all integrated nicely, for they were all weird, insane and tough in their own unique ways.

Christmas was a family occasion, and Tsuna was extraordinarily happy that he got to spend every year with his. They had celebrated seven Christmases so far, with many more to come. But Tsuna would always remember the first one they spent together.

#katekyo hitman reborn #khr #vongola family #vongola guardians #varia #gesso family #giglio nero family #CEDEF #arcobaleno #Christmas #forever family forever vongola #a vongola family Christmas

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pyropsychiccollector · 5 years

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So, to explain - this is the Danganronpa characters from Trigger Happy Havoc, listed from my favorite to least favorite. I'll go ahead and explain my rationale, a bit.

Starting with the F rank, Hagakure.... He's just useless as hell. A comic relief character that somehow managed to make it out of that shitstorm alive, and he's just not a very deep, amazing character. He's easy to panic and confuse - hell, at the start, he was so convinced the school was pulling an elaborate prank on them... despite all the signs to the contrary. And his talent of fortunetelling.... even the average of his predictions being right (30% at most, 20% at least) is pretty piss poor. Celes set him up as her scapegoat, and while that is kinda sad for him, it kinda loses its effect when you consider he begged for you (Naegi) to donate your organs on the cheap so that he could sell them on the black market so that he wouldn't need to dip into his own life savings to pay off a debt to the yakuza.

.... Like I said, not that great of a character, and I'm super annoyed out of everyone, he was one of the survivors. XD

Moving onto E rank... Fukawa's a little better off than Hagakure. She's a super downer to talk to, and will not hesitate to insult you to your face (unless you're Togami), but she's a learned girl and she made some contributions to the story, though they be few and far in-between, in my opinion. Her obsession with Togami is annoying, though, and like Hagakure she dragged out the trials at times because of her insistence on certain culprits (like Naegi, in trial 1).But.... still better than Hagakure, honestly. Her talent's hell of a lot more useful than Hagakure's, too - not to mention her growth in later games and anime.

Rank D.... Yamada just seemed so flat (an otaku to the bone), and Leon just didn't have much time for you to get to know him. You could tell he was a lady's man, a skirt chaser, and he let the life-or-death situation with Maizono get to him... But Leon did show, at least marginally, that he did have a love for his talent; he just didn't care for all the formal, traditional stuff like shaving his hair off. And Yamada... Well, he was used and thrown away by Celes; what sets him apart from Hagakure is he was actually stabbed in the back by her, and he didn't try harvesting your organs to repay a debt that was totally and completely on him for scamming the wrong people.

.... So yeah, Yamada and Leon are somewhat more sympathetic characters, but they're either flat or just didn't have enough time to flesh out.

Rank C... Ishimaru kinda started out boring with his by-the-books attitude and obsession with studying, but you could appreciate his struggle with effort vs genius - geniuses have to work, too, but in some respects they can make it look pretty easy. Having to work from the bottom up is admirable. Plus, you kinda felt bad for how he lost his best friend in trial 2.... On the surface that looked a bit fast for a friendship to blossom between two people of seeming clashing personalities, but when you consider they all had their memories wiped.... It's not that crazy; on an instinctual level, they were still probably pretty good friends, which is why they gravitated to one another again (that's just my thoughts; we don't know a lot about the time they spent at Hope's Peak pre-Tragedy).

Togami started as a prick and elite snob.... Not to mention how he toyed with trial 2 for kicks. It was nice seeing him eat humble pie in trial 4...And though he sent you to your death in trial 5, he had some development toward the end of the game. .... A little. What probably raised him to C for me was his characterization in the second game and the Danganronpa 3 anime.... Still a bit stuck-up, but he'd bonded with everyone in his own way~

Fujisaki.... You just gotta feel sorry for the kid. Had a weakling complex for much of his life, and it only seemed to get better when he got in high school.... A nice, loyal friend, and inventor of Alter Ego, who survived into the second game.... Bummer that he was the fourth one to die.

B rank... I suppose Genocider/Genocide Jill was just a fun, kooky character. No qualms about murdering, and she had a loyalty streak in her (not just for Togami, but Komaru, too). Plus, it was kinda neat her memories of the Tragedy were used to help solve the last trial of the first game. That's just me.

Asahina.... She was a chirpy, sappy, loyal girl. Bit of an airhead at times, but she made contributions to the story. She'd probably be higher if she didn't try to screw everyone over in trial 4, but that was mostly Monokuma's fault for the planted fake suicide note, so not too many demerits against her.

Kyoko... definitely one of the most useful characters, had a backstory, and all-around nice girl, if not a tad awkward because of not interacting with others much. Similar to Asahina, she'd probably be higher up there if it wasn't for how she screwed Naegi over, in trial 5... I get the desperation of surviving no matter what (to solve all the mysteries), and it being a setup from Monokuma again, but her betrayal still kinda chafed. If Alter Ego hadn't saved Naegi, I probably would have downright hated her.... XD I suppose she loses a few more points for being mostly reserved and stuck in her detective work.... But overall, she's a cool character.

A rank... Junko surpasses Kyoko merely because she's a Joker-esque character. You still gotta hate her for being the root cause of all the misery, but the cray-cray kinda softens the blow. .... It's kind of like how the executions in Danganronpa can be funny, yet dark when you really think about them. And if you didn't have Junko, well, there wouldn't be any Monokuma.... and he can be even more Joker-esque, despite "just" being a mascot. XD

S rank.... Mondo was a meathead, and a jerk for punching your lights out in the first chapter, but he could be a real softie and loyal as hell. His guilt for causing his brother's death makes him easy to sympathize with, and his character flaw of easily losing his temper makes him pretty human. He didn't like murdering Fujisaki, and he was man enough to try and conceal Fujisaki's gender because it was something Fujisaki confided to him in good faith. A tragic character overall, but you're not annoyed by all the tragedy, like you can be with some characters (leers at Jellal from Fairy Tail).

Sakura is in a similar state. She's more level-headed than Mondo, but she can still get angry, and she had strong enough willpower to take her own life rather than murder one of her friends - and do it in a way that can make it clear so that the class trial doesn't drag on. Monokuma threw a wrench into that, of course, but it was still her intent to make it easy for her friends to live on. Her backstory with the man she loves, someone she acknowledges as stronger than her in spite of him currently fighting an illness, was pretty interesting, too.

SS rank.... Makoto's a pretty great protagonist - probably my favorite in the Dangan series. The "I'm ordinary to the cliché degree" routine can be off-putting, but he's got a strong spirit, and.... he's just a nice guy. Probably to the point of being TOO nice, and I guess that makes him a human character I can relate with... If he had even one selfish bone in his body, he probably could have gotten Sayaka to outright say she loves him, in the game. But because of circumstances, and because he thinks Sayaka is too high register for him (even though she's "interested" in him), he doesn't take the initiative and confess to her. Naegi just keeps bouncing back despite getting betrayed again and again.... Hagakure, Sayaka, Leon, Mondo, Celes, Asahina, Kyoko.... Naegi just keeps bouncing back~

And considering how I've talked about betrayals so far, you'd probably be surprised Celes is so high up there. But still, I find her to be a pretty down-to-earth character, a Queen of Liars, and a dreamer of dreams. She can be bratty, like when Yamada didn't make her "royal" milk tea, but I find her rage-induced states to be funny.... She's shrewd and cunning (save for trial 3), and I just kinda like how Naegi wormed his way into her heart, being the first of their classmates to reach "C-rank" in her hierarchy. Hell, she even joked about being pregnant with Naegi's child in that last free time with her.... You don't see any other girl doin' that in the series. XD

And finally, SSS rank.... the heavenly tier~

Mukuro's a badass and an adorable waifu rolled into one. Danganronpa 3 didn't do her much favor with her obsession to please Junko, but I do think she was loyal to a fault in that regard - otherwise, Junko wouldn't have done nearly as much damage as she had. The Danganronpa IF storyline, while fanmade, did a nice job of showing how Makoto could have affected her, and fleshed out her character pretty nicely. I still like her being a bit of a goober, being flustered at times, but I also like the badass side of her.... Not to mention her potential fierce loyalty to Naegi, if they'd had more time to interact....

And Sayaka, well.... XD I know a lot of people don't like her, but I definitely think she has more depth to her than most people give her credit for. I mean, think about how much emotion she showed in that first chapter - showed especially to Naegi of all people. If she wanted to hide her distress, her fears, why confide in him at all? If she was really plotting murder all along, why'd it take until the motive videos to "see" that potential for murder in her? She remarked how not talking to Naegi in middle school was one of her biggest regrets.... And isn't that a bit risqué for an idol to do? To reveal she has regrets at all? Japanese idols are supposed to be bubbly and love everybody, but she was pretty candid with Naegi in regards to what she thought about Mondo, after he volunteered Naegi to go find Monokuma's "motive". Sayaka betrayed Naegi, that's a fact; but it wasn't from the onset, and she most certainly didn't do it easily and without an ounce of regret in her heart. I suppose one thing for me that makes Sayaka's betrayal different from Celes and Kirigiri's betrayals is the fact she left behind evidence to absolve Naegi, to point to who really killed her (she even remembered what Naegi said about how to open his bathroom door). And what's more, she was conflicted enough that it led to her death at all. Kirigiri showed remorse over throwing Naegi under the bus, but only after the fact, and only made reparations after Alter Ego miraculously saved him. Sayaka's heart hadn't completely been in it when she betrayed Naegi, and that's something I liked; because it showed that, despite doing such a horrible thing, she cared about him. She betrayed him in a way that wouldn't physically hurt or kill him, and she hadn't intended dying on him, either; she didn't know about the class trial, and therefore didn't know she was endangering all of her classmates, including Naegi. It's very likely that had she succeeded in her murder of Leon, she would have confessed right away so that Naegi could live. For Sayaka, Makoto was a precious friend that reminded her that people can do nice things for others without any intent of getting anything in return. She loved his kindness, and was flattered he saw her as an idol worthy of worship.... despite how she confessed she'd done "bad things" to reach the top of the industry. Who knows what occurred back in their pre-Tragedy days.... The possibility for a relationship was quite high, considering how close they got to each other in chapter 1. That's just my thoughts, though.

#Danganronpa #Danganronpa Tier #Yasuhiro Hagakure #Touko Fukawa #Hifumi Yamada #Leon Kuwata #Kiyotaka Ishimaru #Byakuya Togami #Chihiro Fujisaki #Aoi Asahina #Kyoko Kirigiri #Junko Enoshima #Mondo Oowada #Sakura Oogami #Makoto Naegi #Celestia Ludenberg #Mukuro Ikusaba #Sayaka Maizono

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jsmlwriter · 6 years

Text

Halo Haze Re

Summary: Unexpected was an understatement. Tsuna's plans for his life hadn't included a strange baby, getting shot or ending up in boxers. Loudly asking Kyoko-chan on a date was totally off the agenda and so was promptly fainting afterwards.

Each time Tsuna uses his dying will flames, he passes out and sees a horrific future...one where his family and friends are dead, he’s cursed to wear an orange pacifier, and he finds a tall, dark, zombie man with curly sideburns who’s wrapped in a dark cloak, bandages and piercing chains.

Author's note: Names of a Japanese origin will be presented (Surname, Personal name). Otherwise, they will be normally written (Personal name, Surname).

Target 001

Sawada Tsunayoshi was not an ambitious individual. He had not created an outline of his future life. He had no plans to achieve anything other than survive school at the moment. Tsunayoshi was a no-good loser and everyone knew it. He knew it. His Kaa-chan, Nana, knew it. His entire school and community knew it. Despite his uselessness, Tsuna like to have some kind semblance of a routine in his life. Wake up. Go to school. Fail classes. Fail sports. Get picked on. Stay after everyone else left to clean. Play games. Avoid homework. Sleep. Or something similar. His life was relatively simple. Curve balls were not welcome. His life did not need a-

"HOME TUTOR!?"

"Hai!" Nana affirmed, showing the young teen the unfolded piece of paper. "There was an interesting flyer in the mailbox." She turned it around and read it out loud. "I will raise your kid to be the new leader of the next generation. Grade and subject doesn't matter. Reborn." She beamed. "Isn't it great? I've never seen a promotion like this before."

He got up off of the floor of his room where he'd been laying and reading comics and stood up, facing her in disbelief. "It smells like a scam!" Tsuna shrieked. Who sends out shady stuff like that anyway? Schools like that don't just send out tutors to anyone, especially loser people like him. Tsuna inwardly grumbled. Now Kaa-chan would spend the rest of the week pestering Tsuna about the delusional so-called home tutor. Stupid scam flyer. How'd they get Tsuna's information anyway? He couldn't recall sending any letters or reports to anyone and there'd been no exams for something like this at school lately.

"It's probably a tutor from a professional business school for young men," his mother continued, lost in her own thoughts now. "I've wanted a teacher like this for you."

"Don't create your own image of him!" he huffed, turning away before facing towards her again with insistence. "I refuse to have a tutor, okay! I'm not good at anything I do anyway!"

"Ciaossu."

Tsuna and Nana simultaneously glanced down, where the small voice had come from. Among the mess of CD cases, candy wrappers and gaming accessories, there was a baby standing in the middle of his bedroom. He was small, adorned in an all black suit and black boots, wearing a black fedora with a thick orange stripe running across the sides of the cone. The infant had black spiky hair and curly sideburns and wore a sun yellow pacifier around his neck. And was that a chameleon on the brim of the hat? The baby carried a brief case with him and he looked foreign.

Ano...

"I arrived three hours early but as a service, I'll evaluate you now," the baby announced. Tsuna blinked in confusion. What was this kid talking about? And the way he spoke didn't sound like a normal baby.

Nana put her hands on her knees to get a better look at their sudden guest. "Hey, whose kid are you?" she inquired softly.

The kid looked at her with bright eyes and a small smile, giving her his full attention. "Hm? I'm Reborn, the home tutor." Talk about coincidental timing.

Tsuna choked back his laughter and Nana smiled in amusement.

"I was wondering what kind of person created that crappy flyer," Tsuna lightly mocked. "It's this baby!?"

The baby glanced at him. "So you're Tsuna."

Tsuna's laughter was no longer contained. "I'm sorry but there's nothing I can learn from you!"

A boulder seemed to knock into Tsuna's stomach. The baby's foot?! Caught off guard and completely winded from the sheer force of the blow, Tsuna gasped. His legs no longer supported his body and he tumbled to the floor. The next thing he knew, Tsuna's arm was being pinned behind his now arched back. Just who was this baby? Kaa-chan looked at the visitor in surprise.

"Let's get started. This is Tsuna's room, right?" Reborn prompted. Nana nodded, getting over her shock rather quickly. "Very good. I am going to evaluate my new student and get acquainted with him."

Nana hummed in delight, happy that her son was receiving much needed help now and left the boys on their own in the room.

As soon as Nana left, the baby let go of Tsuna and let an unforgiving gravity pull him back down to the ground. Tsuna's head smashed into the floor, granting him starred vision. "I-iteee," he moaned. He pushed himself off the floor and knelt down shaking the dizziness away. "What was that?" This kid didn't have normal strength but he was still a kid. Was Tsuna that weak? That it only took a baby to defeat him? The thought was kind of depressing. Tsuna blinked and then looked up in irritation, ready to confront the little devil.

Zzzzz.

No way. The baby was asleep already?! Was that even possible? The boy's irritation grew. "Hey, wake up!" Tsuna snapped, shaking the small figure awake. "I won't forgive you just because you're a baby!" A small hand shot out and grabbed Tsuna's tie. Huh? Suddenly, it was whipped around and tightly yanked at his neck. Tsuna flew backwards into the ground again. As he sat up, the world was spinning and a dull ache coursing through his body. What is this kid?!

"I have no openings," the baby stated while Tsuna regained his bearings. "My true line of work is assassination." The baby snapped open the brief case and in a few seconds assembled a gun. Reborn smirked at Tsuna. "My real job is to make you a mafia boss." Assassination? Tsuna's head was still reeling. And Tsuna was a maf- Hiiieee?

"Wha...?! A MAFIA BOSS?" Tsuna cried.

Surreal needed a new definition.

"I was assigned by a certain man to train you to become an astounding mafia boss," the baby explained, unaffected by Tsuna's blatant freak out. "The method by which your training will occur is left up to me." Was this baby's head okay?

"Hey just a minute!" Tsuna blurted. "How old are you supposed to be anyway?"

"Right now, I am perceived to be five years of age."

Tsuna frowned. "You look like you're two."

Click. Reborn aimed the gun at Tsuna's head. "Should I shoot you once?"

"Wha- HEY! Is that thing real?!"

"Very," confirmed Reborn. Tsuna kind of doubted that.

"Yeah well, I don't get any of this mafia story you're talking about. Just who's idea was it to send you over here and say all of these things?" Perhaps someone had paid this kid to do all of this as a joke. Some people had a very twisted sense of humor.

"You are heir to the Vongola famiglia, the largest family organization in Italy." Out of nowhere, Reborn produced a piece of paper that showed some sort of family lineage. The gun-wielding kid pointed to a name towards the top. Tsuna couldn't read it, it wasn't in kanji. "This is Giotto, Vongola Primo, the founder of Vongola. Only his descendants are valid candidates to take over as head of the famiglia." Reborn moved his finger towards the bottom of the page where Tsuna's own name stood out to him. "You are the great-great-great-grandson of Vongola Primo, making you eligible to become the next Vongola boss. The other three candidates died, leaving you as the final candidate."

"But I don't want to be a mafia boss," Tsuna protested.

Reborn ignored him. "With my customized training program, even a no-good student like you will become a boss with the potential to lead the Vongola to greatness. Your training begins-"

~Grumble~

Reborn's stomach interrupted his speech.

"-at another time. Later!" With that, Reborn spun around and marched out of Tsuna's room, closing the door behind him.

Tsuna collapsed backwards, aghast with the sudden information thrown at him. Just what in the world?

Decimo...a single voice whispered in his head. It spoke to him as if it were one of his own conjured thoughts, without any male or female identity. Deh...chi...moh...Decimo ka?

And then, without warning, as if someone had decided to grind his head between two rocks, pain and pressure wrung through every nerve in his brain and poured through each vessel of his bloodstream. His room twisted and warped. Blinding light filled his vision and a sensation of burning heat pressed against his chest. Tsuna felt as if an electric shot of a million volts had were zapping through him. He opened his mouth to cry out but his voice jammed in his throat and his airways clogged. The blinding light faded to a void of black. Empty, energy sucking darkness.

Decimo...Decimo...Juudaime!...Brat...Vongola...Bossu...Dame-Tsuna...TRASH!...Boss!...Tsunayoshi-kun...Decimo! Decimo! DECIMO!

Gone.

The pain and pressure were suddenly absent. The voices in his head vanished with a faint echo. His vision cleared and the world had righted itself. Tsuna's hands were clenching knotted sections of his naturally gravity defying hair and he was lying on the ground, breathing heavily. There was something digging into shoulder blade. Probably his gaming controller, left on the floor, and he took no notice of it. He laid there, wondering what had just happened. He didn't know what to make of any of that, of what to think or do next. The remaining fogged darkness in his mind dispersed and he closed his eyes as his next thoughts crept into his head of their own volition.

I was assigned by a certain man ('Nono' something extra supplied) to train you to become an astounding mafia boss...

Reborn's earlier explanation echoed in Tsuna's mind and oddly, it felt like Tsuna had heard it before. To say Sawada Tsunayoshi was beginning to panic was putting it lightly. In less than an hour, his day had turned completely weird and he never wanted to experience that kind of pain again. He continued to lay on the ground, not knowing for how long, breathing in and out, in and out. Doing any homework now was out of the question. He didn't even feel up to playing some games or listening to music.

Tsuna decided he needed some air.

He pushed himself up with relative ease and left his room.

He headed down the stairs to go outside and clear his head from this entire...day. "Kaa-chan, I'm headed out," he called.

"Tsuna, what about dinner?" Nana offered.

"I don't want it," said Tsuna. "I'm going to eat out so can I have some money?" He reached the bottom of the stairs. "And about that tutor..." he looked at the kitchen and stopped. Eh?

Reborn was sitting at the table, enjoying a meal prepared by Nana. His mother smiled cheerfully. "Reborn-kun's contract states that he'll be living here until your grades go up."

HIIIIEEEE?!

"Eh, why are you following me? Don't you have to go to grade school?"

Tsuna was walking down the street, hands in pockets and feeling put out that this so called home tutor was trailing after him.

"Assassins don't go to grade school," Reborn stated simply as if it were common logic.

"Tch, quit the assassin act already," Tsuna grumbled. An unbidden image of Reborn in a costume disguise that nobody else could see through flashed in his mind. Reborn, in black graduate robes, solving a seemingly impossible math problem. Tsuna paused and blinked. A quiet voice, similar to Reborn's, echoed in his mind, introducing himself as Riboyama-sensei. Tsuna glanced down at Reborn with an odd look. Had he met this kid before?

"Tsuna?" Reborn inquired, noticing the odd look. Tsuna opened his mouth to say something but a figure with short golden brown hair caught his eye. His brain ceased all logical thought. Immediately, he dashed off behind a nearby corner, in terror. Reborn gave him a questioning look and turned to see what had scared his newly appointed student off. To Tsuna's chagrin, he made no effort to hide. A young girl, Tsuna's age approached him. The girl, Sasagawa Kyoko, noticed the infant and crouched down to address with the adorable figure.

"Ciaossu," Reborn greeted.

"Kawai! How cute," gushed Kyoko. Tsuna's mouth dropped open with a silent gasp of disbelief as the two began interacting. "Why are you wearing a suit?" she asked.

"Because I'm in the mafia."

Tsuna sweat dropped for the both of them. Seriously? Reborn decided to say that? A haze of new thoughts suddenly entered his brain.

"Cause I'm a hitman."

"Hey, Reborn! Don't say such things in the middle of the day!" he protested. SLAP! A girl from another school...Haru...pain...confusion...annoyance...

"What are you teaching him!? An assassination technique!? Babies are angels with pure white hearts!"

Anger...fear...misunderstanding...more pain...

Tsuna shook the scene away. Was that a...memory? It certainly felt like it, like a deja vu again but he couldn't recall anyone he knew named...Haru?

Miura Haru. He didn't know how he knew that, but he did.

"Waaah," Kyoko-chan exclaimed. "How cool!"

Tsuna felt his heart drop. Wha-! He couldn't tell whether her response had been playing along with the joke or she actually believed him. Either way thought, the popular Sasagawa Kyoko already liked the little brat.

Kyoko gave Reborn a beaming smile and stood up, heading off. "Well good luck," she said with a small wave. "Bye bye."

"Ciao ciao." Reborn responded.

When Tsuna had decided he needed some air earlier, this was definitely not what he'd been planning. The self-proclaimed hitman turned to him with a glint of something (bad, bad, run away! his thoughts supplied) in his eyes. Reborn smirked.

"You have a crush on that girl, don't you Tsuna?"

"That's not any of your business!" Tsuna denied. Just how did the kid know how he felt towards Kyoko?

"I've mastered the art of mind reading," supplied Reborn.

Wait, what?! He hadn't said that out loud. Tsuna was feeling an edge of frustration seep into his mood. "That's enough, alright? Just leave me alone," he yelled.

"No."

PAIN! His body was forced to be spun around. His arm was twisted and wrenched back behind him. Unwelcome tears filled the corners of his eyes. "I-ta ta ta-ah-ow-ow OW! I give! I give!" he shrieked. His arm was immediately let go and Tsuna stepped away from the satanic hitman in apprehension, rubbing his now sore shoulder and arm. The guy was definitely not a normal baby.

"Have you confessed your feelings to the girl yet?" the hitman prompted not so innocently.

"No, of course not!" Tsuna admitted.

"Why not?"

Tsuna didn't want to go into a whole explanation for the kid but he relented. "Kyoko-chan is our school's idol. A loser like me isn't even her league. Telling her how I feel would be useless."

The home tutor cocked his head to the left. "That kind of thinking is so pathetic it's fantastic. You really are a Dame-Tsuna."

"Hey," Aside from the insult, "how do you know that nickname?"

"Gathering information is a basic skill. Now go confess your feelings to her."

Tsuna frowned. Didn't this baby get it? "No way, that's too scary and she'd never say yes."

Reborn tilted the brim of his fedora down. "Then it looks like it's finally time," he said cryptically.

"Huh?" Time? Time for what?"

Suddenly, the point of a real looking gun was pointed at his face. Click. Tsuna's mind wiped blank and overwhelming feelings of trepidation, terror and excitement settled in his chest.

Come die in an instant. A well known infant with a sadistic sense of humor.

Come die in an instant. An unfamiliar man in a suit and fedora with a strangely recognizable aura.

Come die in an instant. Reborn. Vongola. Flames. Dying will. His dying will. Death. His death. The future...? Reborn!

"Die." Reborn chirped.

Dread. "Huh!?" To be fair, that was the only comprehensible response Tsuna could choke out at that moment.

"H-hey, that's a toy, r-right?" You know it's not, it whispered.

"Come die in an instant."

Tsuna stumbled back. "Hey..." he mumbled. "W-what are you doing?"

Reborn hesitated only for less than a moment. Something had just happened, he thought, with Tsuna. He pushed the inhibition away. "You'll find out when you die," he said. And pulled the trigger.

The bullet plunged deep into the fore of Tsuna's skull. A light blood splatter flew from the wound while the young teen's eyes widened and he fell, fell, (falling, flying) back, to the ground.

I'm...I'm going to die...I'm parting with the world...

Dead. He's dead. A coffin. The sniper. Blood. Iron. Screaming. Sad. Why were they sad? Death. There was death. Dying. He was dying! Juudaime! No, Boss! TSUNAAA!

His friends. His family. No, he hadn't told them...hadn't told them how-how much he'd miss them...how proud he was of all they had accomplished...that he loved them...that he wanted to protect them...protect them...because he...he needed to do something. He was dying. He should have...should've told them how much they mean to him...with a dying will.

His body ungracefully landed with a soft thud and the world faded to black.

#katekyo hitman reborn #fanfiction #this chapter is still in rough draft form #in need of much editing and a finishing scene #khr #tsuna #reborn #vindice!reborn #arcobaleno!tsuna #post curse of the rainbow arc #time-traveled memories #halo haze re

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thedramafilesblog-blog · 6 years

Text

Appearing before The Dramacourt: You Always Haunt My Heart Eps 1 and 2

***If this is your first time browsing The Drama Files, please read The Rules section first for our reviewing and rating system***

Issues:

Whether it was reasonable for Kojiro Yoshizaki to criticize Ogawa Kyoko during a gokon

Whether it was reasonable for Kojiro to avoid Kyoko at first

Whether Ren is pretty messed up

The Rule(s):

Yes!

Definitely!

Yes. So messed up.

Analysis:

Jubiemon J: I came across this Japanese drama randomly and decided to give it a shot. I started from the second episode and was a bit annoyed by the female lead, Ogawa Kyoko, at first, but then someone mentioned in the comments that this drama had been adapted from a manga. I decided to read the first volume of the manga and was disturbed, but nevertheless intrigued. I decided to give this drama another go and luckily, it is just as interesting as the manga thanks to the decent actresses and actors (esp Mukai Osamu who plays Hoshina Ren here).

I think what’s really interesting about this drama is that you can’t really tell who the male lead is, in this case. Kyoko is still obviously attached to Ren, in a psychological sense, yet she also wants to break free from him, making her become attracted to Kojiro. Ren acts as her security blanket–the only one that was able to accept her flaws and see her in positive light back when she was all alone in university. It’s natural for her to still be drawn to that dependency. However, she has experienced a very negative and scary experience with Ren and after that, she has realized how important it is to break free from Ren.

Look at that scary scene from the past . . . Kyoko lying there..

Truth be told, she probably sees through who Ren really is but still has a bit of trouble accepting it. Here we have her in this drama, struggling to follow her mind, which is telling her to move on and change into a stronger person, versus her heart, which is wanting her to stay the same and be glued to Ren.

Kyoko believing in him . . . thinking that he’s an angel

Ren: You don’t have anyone to talk to but me…

Usually I don’t give summaries about a drama, but in this case, I think it’s important to give some background to understand where Kyoko is coming from and why she acts in certain ways. (Of course, the drama doesn’t show Kyoko’s past so linearly, but I’m going to do that so it’s easier to follow along.) Kyoko has always had low self-esteem and self-confidence due to her stuttering and weaker social skills. It doesn’t help that her classmates in elementary school, high school, and college have all made fun of her. They switch one part of her name so that it turns into something that means being petrified/shocked. That name is like a dog tag and follows her around throughout her life; she’s pretty much branded and believes that she’s like that. It’s even worse that her mother is so negative towards her and favours her younger sister far more. Her mother sees no talent in Kyoko and is very ashamed of Kyoko’s stuttering. As a result, Kyoko has never felt loved or accepted and becomes very vulnerable to exploitation.

This exploitation comes from Ren who acts like the perfect Prince. He is everything you’d expect in a gentleman–kind, accepting, smart, gentle, and handsome. He is the only one that tells her that she can be herself and stay as herself. Because it’s the first time that anyone has said that to her, Kyoko feels very loved and secure. She becomes very dependent on Ren and goes to him whenever she has problems at home or at school. Ren teaches her how to be more comfortable with herself by wearing a braided scarf. Before, Kyoko would wear braids and braid her hair to feel secure. After Ren’s teaching, she begins to wear braided scarves. (This is also a symbol of her dependency towards Ren. It’s sort of like how her heart is knotted and she can’t get out of this entanglement. To Ren, her braided scarf is like a dog leash. It means that he is hers.)

Ren braiding that scarf to replace her braids

Ren: You just have to stay as is.

Ren: Stay how you are.

Kyoko: Stay as is?

One day, Ren is crying in a classroom and Kyoko asks if there’s anything that she could do for him. Ren tells her to live only for him and she agrees. The next scene we see is Kyoko on the ground with her long hair cut by Ren’s scissors. Ren is on top of her and probably has tried to kill her. (Severe trigger warning (Do not read this part if you feel uncomfortable with disturbing sexual content: In the drama, we see that Kyoko once performed a strip show to comfort Ren’s guy friend. In the manga, however, this part is darker. Instead of a strip show, Kyoko slept with the guy friend/classmate. Ren tried to test Kyoko’s loyalty by asking her to sleep with guy friend of his. If she did, then Ren would break up with his many girlfriends and only give his attention to Kyoko. Kyoko didn’t want to at first, but then Ren pointed to her that she had agreed that she’d do anything for Ren. Kyoko naively slept with the guy friend of his in a classroom while Ren waited outside. When she and the guy finished, you could see that her underwear had been stained red, meaning that she gave her virginity to that stranger. She then told Ren that she listened to him, which would mean that he’d only date her. Ren pushed her away, saying that she was filthy and gross. He said that she was like a whore and would open her legs up for anyone. Then he left her crying in that classroom.)

Ren: You said you’d do anything for me right?

Kyoko: I did . . .

Ren: Then let me see your genuineness. If you do then I’ll break up with all the other girls and only be with you.

Kyoko: . . .

Kyoko: Really? You’d do that?

Outside of this university club and inside are men waiting for Kyoko to strip…

Naive girl listens to Ren

Takes off her clothes

Noooo, Kyoko! Don’t do it. Don’t do it.

Loses her soul here . . .

Stop girl . . . seriously broke my heart seeing her do this.

😥 😥

(Trigger warning: Ren, in the manga, is shown to have been abused by a parent who would strangle him until he peed his pants. The abuse likely caused him to have this messed up personality.)

After that event where Ren tried to kill her, the two separated and Kyoko now is working at a lingerie store. She is in charge of determining the fabric for the lingerie and works with designers. She goes on a gokon where she meets Kojiro, who is an editor for a mangaka. Kojiro is the opposite of Ren. Kojiro is very blunt, honest, and good hearted. Unlike Ren who seems like a perfect prince at first glance, Kojiro gives off an intimidating vibe that makes him seem mean/unapproachable. Ironically, Kojiro has a very kind heart, which Kyoko sees and becomes attracted to. Just when Kyoko thinks that she is finally moving on, however, Ren comes back into her life . . . as one of her managers.

Look at the bright and happy Kojiro!!

Calling her to thank her about writing her thoughts about the manga he’s editing

Look at how happy she is being with Kojiro!

I’d say that this drama is not for the lighthearted and is not the typical rom com with all that fluff. This drama carries a lot of dark emotions and deep, psychological subjects. It’s that type of drama where you think is really . . . off-putting at some points, but then you can’t help but keep watching it. You want to know whether Kyoko will change. That’s what’s making me watch it.

Actually, Kojiro and Kyoko are more similar than at first glance. Kojiro also likes to say “a person like me” and feels inferior to this woman who he seems to like/have some attachment to. He keeps avoiding this woman’s texts and calls like how Kyoko is avoiding Ren’s constant unknown number calls. I think they’re both trying to move on with their lives, but some other figures are pulling them back. I hope Kyoko and Kojiro will mature together.

Issue 1: Whether it was reasonable for Kojiro Yoshizaki to criticize Ogawa Kyoko during a gokon

Jubiemon J: Yes! It was totally reasonable for him to criticize Kyoko. Kyoko needed someone harsh to tell her that she was being stagnant and somewhat arrogant for thinking that she could just stay the way she was and expect anyone to love her. Kyoko made this huge outburst (she often does b/c she’s not very good at communicating and hence bottles up her thoughts for too long until she can’t contain them) during the gokon. She was trying to clarify to the people at the table that she wasn’t in love with Ren. Ren was the one that caused her to be unable to be in normal relationships and that anyone that could accept her flaws would be good enough for a normal romance. Kojiro gave her more perspective by challenging what she said.

Changing her order to please her friend

Judging her weak behaviour…

Bursting out with some explanation about how anyone will do

Criticizing her

Kojiro points out that she’s a pushover. Though she wanted tequila, she ended up with the Chicago after her friend told her that she should order that. She also loves her job, yet she ended up agreeing with one of the guys at the table that she’d rather be a housewife, for the sake of being scared of voicing her opinion. However, Kojiro does end his speech with a “just kidding”, to make the atmosphere not so awkward. We all know that he’s being serious though. He finishes his speech by saying that he said all those things because that was what the book that she had said to do. (A self-help book that was supposed to help her improve her communication skills fell out of her purse during the dinner.) The book happens to be one that the publishing company that Kojiro works at published.

Overall, I think Kojiro is a good influence on Kyoko and I’m excited to see their relationship develop more.

Issue 2: Whether it was reasonable for Kojiro to avoid Kyoko at first

Jubiemon J: Definitely! After Kojiro scolded her at the gokon, she ended up confessing to him. She barely even knows the guy! Plus, she was asking him for his address while clinging onto him. That was pretty freaky.

Kyoko confessing that she wants to be like him who is able to order Oolong tea.

She wants to exchange emails.

She says no, I want your address. I like you. Please date me.

Kojiro running off – basic instincts. Fight or flight.

I’m glad that he didn’t immediately accept her because I think in the real world, you wouldn’t do that unless you’re really interested in just sleeping with her. He can sense that there’s something off about her, so it’d be best to run away and try not to see her again. I’m also glad that he didn’t accept her because that way it’d push Kyoko to try to improve herself so that he will not be scared of her. If he had, it’d be a repeat of Kyoko x Ren.

Issue 3: Whether Ren is pretty messed up

Jubiemon J: Ren is totally messed up. His traumatic childhood has led him to become a manipulative, insecure mastermind. We see in ep 2 that he was abused as a kid where his dad would threaten to stab him. Subsequently, he acts that out in real life when he’s “trying” to protect this female co-worker from this ex-lover of hers. He is happy when he sees people at their worst, whether it be in fear, upset, or frustration. Ren honestly preys on the weak and needs to have control over everything, from his work to his personal relationships.

The main reason for this need for control is, again, from his childhood. He didn’t have any control; like I said, in the manga, he was choked until he peed his own pants. It’s only when he has control does he feel secure; it’s sort of like how Kyoko needs that braided scarf to calm her down and ground her. Instead of a scarf to chain him, Ren needs to chain others/situations.

Kyoko: I never said that I’d go meet you tonight . . .

Ren: You never forgot about me right?

Kyoko: I’ve forgotten about you.

Ren: Then what’s that scarf?

Moreover, his childhood has made him insecure, in the sense that he doesn’t believe that anyone will actually fully love and accept him. That’s likely why he made Kyoko do something so extreme like strip in front of a crowd or in the manga, sleep with his guy friend. He wants to test her boundaries, yet when she does agree to his request, he can’t stand that she is “tainted” and is also afraid that someone will completely accept him. If someone does wholeheartedly love him, then he’d likely fall for her. If that’s the case, then he’d lose control over the situation; his feelings won’t be in control. He can’t stand that.

He can’t take losing control and that’s also why he keeps stressing to Kyoko that she doesn’t need to change. She just needs to remain as is. It’s like that classic story of someone caging a golden bird, not allowing the bird to fly free. Thus, when Kyoko is looking to improve herself, Ren keeps putting her down and creating situations where Kyoko will “have to” rely on him. We’ve seen how he purposely put her to work with a challenging designer because he knows that Kyoko wouldn’t be able to take the designer’s constant backlash. She’d have to rely on him. She surprises him by succeeding and though he does praise her, he later creates a situation where Kyoko is vulnerable again.

Ren: People never change.

Kyoko crying . . .

Props to Mukai Osamu for taking on this challenging role as Ren. I didn’t think Mukai Osamu did great as George in the movie adaption of Paradise Kiss, but in this drama, wow . . . he really has outdone himself! I’m talking about his micro expressions and subtle actions that totally show Ren’s darker side. Watch his eyes and his sly smile when you watch this drama. You’ll totally get the creeps and Muaki Osamu is really like the Ren in the manga.

Look at that creepy stare.

King of sinister smiles

Scary look again

The real Ren in action

Disgusting friend . . . he’s terrible (even worse in the manga)

Friend’s comment about Ren’s nose job makes Ren super mad. (Friend said he should get a nose job himself to become as popular as Ren with the ladies. This also implies Ren’s nose was broken due to abuse.)

Seriously . . . a very evil, enraged stare. This is the real Ren, people.

Props to Yoshioka Riho for doing her best as Kyoko. Though she’s not 100% like the Kyoko in the manga, she still does a great job with portraying awkwardness. She has also been good at being someone with low self-confidence; you see her with her back always slouched and head down.

Conclusion: Appeal Allowed.

Rating: 5 = KYAH!! (I know this drama has dark/potentially disturbing content that’s not for the faint-hearted, but I think the way the cast has dealt with the characters and the way that the drama has tried to be true to the manga have been great. This drama just keeps you wondering what’s going to happen next and whether Kyoko will really escape Ren.)

File No: You-Always-Haunt-My-Heart-Eps-1-&-2 Appearing before The Dramacourt: You Always Haunt My Heart Eps 1 and 2 ***If this is your first time browsing The Drama Files, please read

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