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honeycombhq-22 · 4 months

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Episode 1: Pilot

[Jap dub] | [Eng dub]

❝It's the tournament that every player dreaming to become big pays attention to, the greatest battle ever: The Football Frontier International Tournament. Boys and girls from all over the world gather together to fight for the title of the best in the world. Everyone from the biggest countries to the tiniest of islands.❞

*insert intro theme song*

Taken place in:

Episode 68: The Gathering: Who's the Japanese Representative?

"Uh...who's that behind Coach?"

Everyone's attention shifted. Their gazes turned to the figure standing behind their coach.

The first thing they noticed was her snow white hair tied neatly into a high pony tail that passed her waist. She wore a navy tracksuit with small silver stars that shimmered under the sun's rays.

"She's kinda cute— OW!" one whispered.

Coach Hibiki patted the girl's shoulder. "This right here, is Alex Jones."

"Hi!" Her ears picked up on a female voice. She turned and met a girl with a dark shade of green hair wave to her.

"Are you going to be another manager?" She asked

Coach Hibiki, chuckled, "Nope, she's a candidate."

"Oh cool!" Another voice exclaimed in excitement. Next thing she knew, her hand was taken and shaken enthusiastically up and down. Her honey golden eyes widened and finally focused after a minute.

Her hand was trapped by a pair of hands that were a little more tanned than hers. She looked up from the hands and met a wide grin. A chunk of chocolate brown hair hung over his orange headband.

Endou Mamoru

"I love meeting new people! It's Alex right? I'm Endou, Endou Mamoru. Do me a favour and play to the best of your abilities, okay Alex?" He exclaimed.

"Oh— okay."

A red haired girl facepalmed. "Endou let the poor girl's hand go."

His eyes widened innocently and looked down at her hand still clasped in between his. "Oh?" He released her hand then scratched the nape of his neck. "Haha... sorry about that."

"So, what position do you play?" One enquired, arms folded.

"Anything is fine." She responded. Her eyes took note of the blue straps on his goggles and the matching cape that hung around his neck casting down his back.

Kidou Yuuto.

His eyebrows raised. "Anything?"

Her head tilted to the side as her eyes looked away from Kidou's goggled vision. She responded, "Well, I prefer not playing goalkeeper. But, if I'm needed there, I can play it."

Why does she look so familiar?

The brief passing of words between Alex and Kidou ends with the latter's short and simple nod. Coach Hibiki looked around the room. "Looks like everybody's arrived."

Suddenly, a ball came flying behind everyone. Quickly, Kidou turned and kicked the ball back to the source. The source's face twisted into a deranged smile and everyone's mouths drop to the floor.

"Guess who's back like a vertebrae bitches."

"You're kidding me." A boy with an eye patch snarled.

Fudou Akio.

"What the hek— What was that for?" Kidou's voice raised as his fists clenched.

Fudou shrugged, "It's just my way of saying hi." His wide grin watered down into a wicked close-lipped smile. "Looks like you guys can't take a joke."

The blue haired girl paged through the pages on the clipboard. "Fudou really did get called." She whispered in disbelief.

The three boys began going back and forth.

"Um... Excuse me." The girls all turned to the source of the voice to meet the snow white-haired girl— Alex. Ignoring the rages of Sakuma Jirou and Kidou, she asked quietly, "Were you called in to play too?"

The red head—Natsumi laughed as she shook her head. "Oh no no, I can't dribble a ball if my life depended on it! Aki and Haruna are going to be the managers for the chosen team."

Aki looked down at the clipboard. "Gosh, I guess you're the only girl called in."

Alex's expression slightly fell. "Oh."

She looked at the groups of boys, then turned back to the trio of girls. "Alright then, thank you," she said and walked back to the group of boys fading away into the crowd.

"Do you know who she is, Haruna?" Aki asked the blue haired girl.

"Besides her name, not at all," she shook her head. "I've never seen a school team with that tracksuit either."

"And she's definitely not from Raimon." Natsumi's arms crossed in suspicion.

"Alright, now you listen cats and kittens. As the best players around, I want you to be a part of team Japan."

"Part of team Japan, for what tournament?" Endou asked.

"For the Football Frontier International Tournament of course! It's the greatest youth competition in the world! Only the best players can play. And the best of the best wins. And some of you guys will represent Japan."

Endou's lips twisted into his signature infectious smile. He raised his fist in the air and yelled in excitement, "Oh yeeeeeeah!!! You hear that, guys? We're going to take the world by stooooooorm!"

Everyone around began to chat amongst themselves about the announcement.

"There's 22 of you here, but I only need 16."

Almost as if they rehearsed it, Natsumi continued on for the elder man, "You'll split into two teams of eleven and play against each other. The best players will be in the team: Inazuma Japan. I'm sure you all will want to try your hardest."

Aki raised her clipboard and announced all the players on Team A, "All players on Team A, step onto this side."

"And Team B..."

The small hairs on Kidou's neck began tingling.

He's going to irk me again, isn't he.

"Lookin' forward to playing with you, Goggle Boy."

Eye patch boy— Sakuma stepped foward, fists clenched, and growled, "You shut your mouth."

Fudou's arms flew into the air as he faked a scared expression, "OoOoOh! Looks like someone's being a bad sport. Remember PatchKid, Coach Hibiki invited me here personally, okay?" He smirked.

It was true. For no matter what reason, Hibiki had chosen him for the team just like everyone else in the room, to the dismay of Kidou & Sakuma.

With the best of his abilities, he calmly responded, "I'm aware of that."

An amused and short laugh escaped Fudou mouth. "See that Eyepatch? Your bestie has already gone through the first step of acceptance: Awareness."

Sakuma's teeth gritted, "Can't I just punch him a little bit?"

"Are you okay?" Endou asked but Kidou remained silent.

Think of things that make you happy...

"Wow, he's a jerk. I already wanna punch him."

"Just try to ignore him guys."

Everyone's attention went back to their coach. "Alright. Endou and Kidou, you two will be your team's respective captains."

Endou nodded, "Yes sir."

Endou's expression faded into concern when the room fell silent. He looked to Kidou.

Everyone looked at Kidou wondering what the sharp minded boy was thinking.

A strategy to kill Fudou in his sleep with Carbon Monoxide? He knew a guy... but that would land him in juvy. How to accidentally kick the ball into Fudou's smug face with just a little too much force at an obtuse angle? No. Too obvious. What could the commanding presence be thinking about?

Penguins are cute animals. They are cute... and fuzzy.... And... they have cute beaks and feet... yeah.

He breathed in. Penguins— then breathed out. –are cute animals.

"Fine," he mumbled.

"The game is in 2 days time. I don't want to see any joint shots. Just your football plain and simple, got it?"

"Yes sir!"

"I'm Chester Horse Jr and welcome to my amazing commentary!" He squaked into the microphone so loudly, and suddenly, Haruna and Natsumi jumped behind Aki.

"Oh Chester," she said calmly, "we didn't see you there."

"How did you not get surprised?" Natsumi asked.

"Oh?" Aki looked up at the sky while tapping her index finger on her chin. "I guess it's because I've gotten used to him."

But Chester was too riled up with excitement to have noticed the girls and continued,

"Today's a special day, everybody. All the superstars from around the country are here to play the game of all games. The game that determines the make up of the national Japanese team. Team A are in blue, Andou Mamoru as their captain. And to my left is Team B in white with Kidou Yuuto as their captain."

Everyone on this field is here for a reason. And everyone here has a reason to want to be a representative for Japan in the Footbal Frontier International tournament.

Alex's eyes roamed the field filled with the other 20 players as they did a mini exercise, shaking away their nerves. Her eyes stopped and slightly widened when they met a pair of teal-grey eyes.

That's... that's Shirou? (*Ignore the scarf)

Yeah, Shirou... Fubuki Shirou

Fubuki gave Alex an encouraging nod with a soft smile. She nodded back then faced the opposition. The corners of her lips rose as a light feeling bubbled in her chest.

Noticing her softened features she cleared her throat and straightened her expression into a more calm straighter face.

Focus.

The whistle blew.

🌅[31 Dec 2023]🌅

𝙼𝙰𝚂𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙻𝙸𝚂𝚃 | [𝙽𝙴𝚇𝚃 𝙴𝙿𝙸𝚂𝙾𝙳𝙴]

Outro:

#inazuma eleven reimagined #inazuma 11 #inazuma eleven #ina11 #fubuki shirou #fudou akio #first episode #endou mamoru #oc #inazuma japan #kidou yuuto #Spotify

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epickiya722 · 4 months

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So I found this around, can I ask for Miruko/Burnin?

♥ Send a ship and I'll give you who:

- Gives nose/forehead kisses

- Gets jealous the most

- Picks the other up from the bar when they’re too drunk to drive

- Takes care of on sick days

- Drags the other person out into the water on beach day

- Gives unprompted massages

- Drives/rides shotgun

- Brings the other lunch at work

- Has the better parental relationship

- Tries to start role-playing in bed

- Embarrassingly drunk dancer

- Still cries watching Titanic

- Firmly believes in couples costumes

- Breaks the expensive gift rule during Christmas

- Makes the other eat breakfast

- Remembers anniversaries

- Brings up having kids

Anon, you have no idea what you have just done. You have put me in BurnBunny mode and I have a feeling this ask is gonna get long! I can't give simple answers when it comes to these two!

These questions are too cute!! 😭

🐇 Miruko and Burnin are both big on kisses. It doesn't matter if they're in the privacy of their home or out in public. Burnin tends to give the forehead and nose kisses more because "oh my gosh, my bunny boo is too damn cute" and Miruko relishes in those kisses. It's one of the reasons why she loves that Burnin is a little taller than her. She has a habit of kissing Miruko's forehead and it makes her feel all warm inside.

❤️‍🔥 Burnin, Burnin gets jealous the most. Miruko has her moments, too, but she can keep her composure a little better than her hothead. But Burnin? Let a person say "Miruko, you are hot". Burnin is quick to say "I'm hotter. But in a dangerous way and if you don't want to see that, stop flirting with my girl."

🐇 They both would do this, but it doesn't happen often. With Burnin, I headcanon she can't get drunk like that anyways because her quirks burns it off and with Miruko, she doesn't like drinking like that while also being able to hold her alcohol.

❤️‍🔥 Again, they both do. Doesn't even have to be on sick days. One of them can have a broken arm from fighting a villain and the other is quick to nurse the other back to full health. They learned that they're both stubborn, so whenever it comes down to it, they don't fight the other. They also like it when they pamper each other. Miruko gets sick and she requests for Burnin's soup and Burnin tends to get clingy so she wants her cuddles. Of course, there's no complaints.

🐇 Miruko does! Burnin sometimes hate getting wet because of her hair flames, but she eventually gives in when Miruko drags her into the water and she learned to have a fireproof swim cap.

❤️‍🔥 They both do, but Burnin does it more. Miruko gets more achy and cramped up because of her fighting style so whenever they're home, Burnin will be the first to give her a massage. Miruko loves it since Burnin's hands feel so nice and warm. Of course, she returns the favor whenever Burnin needs a massage. She gives great massages with her hands and feet.

🐇 Burnin likes driving mostly and Miruko rides shotgun. They switch sometimes and they're hoth excellent drivers. Miruko just happens to surprisingly have the worst road rage.

❤️‍🔥 Miruko does! She even makes their lunches and because she has a mode flexible schedule than Burnin, she drops by Endeavor Agency whenever to bring Burnin her lunch. Endeavor can't stop her and gave up on it after the third time and only complained about it before because Miruko will make the time to annoy him. Sometimes, she also brings extra baked goods for the sidekicks at the agency. Kidou has told Burnin multiple times to marry Miruko and yes, Burnin is working on it.

🐇 They both do! So much so that neither was afraid to tell their parents about them dating. Their parents easily accepted it and even voiced how they saw it coming. I headcanon that Miruko and Burnin knew each other since their high-school days. Burnin's parents are the strict, yet mean well type. Miruko's parents are just a bit more laid back.

❤️‍🔥 Burnin does. And Miruko plays along with her. They both like to have fun and experiment, but Burnin tends to be the one to come up with ideas for them to try out.

🐇 Miruko, hands down Miruko. Again, she doesn't often get drunk and it takes a lot for her to, but once she is... she is breaking out the moves and she's good at dancing. Miruko isn't shy about dancing. She just dances when she's drunk. Burnin has videos when she is drunk dancing that a few of their friends (Vlad King, Hound Dog who I headcanon to be Miruko's besties for years, Kidou, Onima and Rock Lock) have copies of.

❤️‍🔥 Neither do. Miruko is the crier during movies, but Titanic is not one of the movies. While they both don't think the movie is bad, it's not a movie either of them care for. Especially, Burnin. It's not the length or the characters or the plot. It was Rose's decision to throw the necklace in the ocean that gets her heated. "I GET IT, BUT AFTER ALL THOSE YEARS SHE JUST DECIDED TO THROW AWAY THE NECKLACE?! WHAT IF SHE WAS NEVER APPROACHED ABOUT THAT SHIP, HUH?! THEN WHAT?! WOULD SHE STILL KEEP IT?!"

🐇 Miruko tends to instigate it more, going as far as to getting whatever matching couple clothes first before approaching Burnin about it. Burnin doesn't protest since she proudly wears the clothes to declare how amazing they are together and to show it off.

❤️‍🔥 There is no rule! It's because neither even thinks about buying expensive gifts. Gifts they usually go to buy each other are simple ones and they mostly find spending their time together and with their family with food, games and movies on Christmas more fulfilling.

🐇 Neither has to make the other remember to eat breakfast, but if they're in a rush, it's like "don't forget your breakfast" in passing. Burnin and Miruko make breakfast, but Miruko does it more since she is usually the first one up and Burnin likes her cooking more.

❤️‍🔥 They both remember the dates. Over time, they turned it into a game as to who will bring up their special dates first or who will bring out a gift first. Miruko is usually the winner. They have anniversaries for almost everything they have done together. The date they first met, the day they went on their first date, the date they said "I love you" to each other, and so on.

🐇 Burnin brought up kids. At first, the conversation started off about getting a pet rabbit, which they later do get named Carrot Cake (in two fics of mine, it's a vampire rabbit names Bunnila, a reference to Carmilla and Bunnicula). While discussing having a rabbit, Miruko definitely on board with it, Burnin just continued without thought "it would be something if we had a kid" and at first, she didn't catch it but then got embarrassed about it. Miruko though teased her and told her that a kid together would be great.

Thank you for sending the ask, Anon! I had fun answering this! 😊

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soccerpunching · 9 months

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Oh I'm answering this here since I'm in an inazuma brainrot and they're all I'm thinking about right now. But I do need people to understand that these are just headcanons and they happen to be the first ones I thought about. The duos and trios I'm going to drop may also not be a ship in my eyes, I just think they're dramatically attracted to each other like opposite magnets.

anon is referring to this post

Nosaka Yuuma and Nishikage Seiya

-> I have not watched all of areori so there's nothing to back up my claim here and I still haven't seen their past but the moment I saw that post, this pair is the first one that came to mind. I have nothing to plead my case with and I could very much be wrong but the first thought is these two.

Sakuma Jirou, Fudou Akio, and Kidou Yuuto

-> There's something about these three that made me think that they have become overprotective and so codependent of each other because of what they've been through. I again don't have any evidence for this other than the vibes and it's because that's how I imagine them as adults in a polyamory, really. Yeah, they're all independent and im just delusional.

Zaizen Touko and Urabe Rika

-> I want them go be besties BESTIES. I also want them to get married. I want them together all the time. It would bring me so much joy to see them so close that they're unable to function and be big sad without each other. So anyway, this one is here because it's what I want to happen shfssjshsjafsgsf

Kino Aki, Domon Asuka, and Ichinose Kazuya

-> These three I hold in my heart very dearly. 2nd favorite throuple next to engoukidou. I do think this is seen better for Domon and Ichinose but I think we can really add Aki in the mix here. These three would thread the world for each other in frightening ways and would die if they arent able to talk to each other in a day (not to be dramatic). I just know that Ichinose and Domon would even compete on which phone should call Aki or which one should greet her first or who would buy a better gift for her. They're insane for her, i know it, and she loves them as much if not more. God, I love them so much.

Endou Mamoru, Gouenji Shuuya, and Kidou Yuuto

-> I will not elaborate.

Others that I think shouldn't warrant any explanations either (the go characters mostly not as a ship):

Mark Kruger and Dylan Keith

Hamano Kaiji and Hayami Tsurumasa

Aoyama Shunsuke and Ichino Nanasuke

Matsukaze Tenma and Tsurugi Kyousuke

Shindou Takuto and Kirino Ranmaru

Matsukaze Tenma and Amemiya Taiyou

Matsukaze Tenma and Nishizono Shinsuke

Senguuji Yamato and Gomaki Tetsurou

You know, I don't think I can list them all, I'll stop here

Thank you so much for the ask!!! I enjoyed answering this!

#this took time #i was chatting clients earlier so i couldnt focus on answering them #inazuma eleven #inazuma eleven go #anybody can just send me ask about anything btw i dont bite #ie imagined by lore #anonymous asks #halftime lore #-> my ask tag here

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recurring-polynya · 9 months

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For the garage sale 1500 follower fest: Portions for Foxes! :D Congrats on the milestone!

I posted the heartfelt and earnest scene from Portions for Foxes earlier, which got cut just because I went in a different direction. This one, on the other hand, got cut for being too bonkers, but I feel that you, especially, will appreciate it.

This takes place towards the end of fanfic when everyone is doing a little better and there are a bunch of sort of vignettes, like when they go to the art gallery to see the horrible painting of Byakuya. Maybe it's a spoiler for the fanfic, but it's also in the tags, so I don't feel too bad about it: Rukia is very pregnant at this point.

Anyway, this is why they should have had a big No Sex in the Champagne Room Royal Realm sign and also made everyone sign a waiver and also probably not let Renji and especially not Rukia up there in the first place.

👹 ❄️ 💥

And then there's the day The Experiment breaks out of Squad 12. It is very large and very disgusting and also has just far too many eyes and teeth and teeth-eyes.

Captain Kurotsuchi is the one who really should have taken care of it, but he happens to be taking some personal time in his sensory deprivation tank.

Captain Zaraki and his top seats are out on a mission. They will all be very salty about this when they return.

It also happens to be one of the days when Renji is over at the Sixth and Rukia is at the Thirteenth.

So, The Experiment breaks out of Squad 12, turns right, and and heads over to Squad 11. It's wrecked their mess hall and twenty meatheads are trying to fight it at once, when Rukia meanders over, dances out a Tsukishirou, and kills it dead in two seconds. And then leaves again.

Renji finds her down at the kidou butts later, cratering practice dummies with souren sokatsui, which he knows is her favorite.

"You here to yell at me?" she asks crossly.

"I made a joke the other day about you fighting Zaraki," he says slowly. "And I'm just now realizing that you weren't just being a worrywart. That it's been really fucking unfair of me to go around havin' a good time when you can't."

A pained look crosses Rukia's face. "I'm doing something important."

"That's right, you are," he announces. "You been doing every single thing that needs to be done since the minute we woke up in Kirinji's hot springs. You've been crushin' it." He takes a long pause. "And I think its been killing you."

"Can't you just yell at me?" she grumbles. "Aren't you mad I put our baby in danger?"

"Did you? he asks. "Baby's gone to bankai with you. Guess I kinda trust you to know what's okay and what's not."

Instead of answering, she annihilates another practice dummy, this time with a plain ol' shakkahou. She's become someone like Byakuya, who can channel a tremendous amount of destruction, even through the lower level spells.

And then Renji realizes what she's doing, that she did just answer him.

"Are you buddying off the baby's reiatsu?" he asks, incredulous.

"He doesn't mind," Rukia dismisses.

"That's not the point, the point is--" He comes up short. "Are you just guessin' at that 'he' thing, or do you know something?"

Rukia shrugs. "Sode no Shirayuki says we are having a son. You know how full of shit she is, though."

"That's amazing," Renji breathes. "I mean, not that it's a boy, it had to be something, but that your zanpaktou…and you can share reiatsu…" He sits down, right on the ground. "You can't ever do anything normal, can you, Rukia?"

"I don't know how to make a dumb baby," Rukia scowls, crossing her arms. "I was blaming you."

#1500 follower deleted scenes fest #me: i am going to write an exploration of love and grief that is SO tender #also me: look what if they made a baby in the royal realm and it was super OP that would be sick right?#portions for foxes was written pretty exclusively between the hours of 11pm and 3am. i never do this. this is the time that i sleep.#'eyes and teeth and teeth-eyes' is definitely a phrase written by someone who should have gone to bed several hours ago #it's honestly surprising there weren't *more* ridiculous bits that ended up on the cutting room floor #fyi i am now out of portions for foxes

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seventeenlovesthree · 1 year

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Digimon shipping dynamic game

Send me two names among the following 12 and I’ll write a short analysis post about them:

Whether canon provides input on them or not:

Taichi and Mimi, at first glance, share one of the less developed bonds in the OG Digimon Adventure canon - despite being a decently popular ship in several corners of the fandom. Similarly to other Adventure relationships, you may have to squint to spot their moments. However, once you do, it becomes understandable why their dynamic and their represented (and torn apart) tropes are so appealing to many.

As indirectly depicted in the picture I chose for this post, they appear to be quite the “hero saving the princess trope” on surface level; Taichi is the brave main protagonist - and despite him “saving” several other characters throughout the series, Mimi seems to be the one who fits the description best, as Hikari is not part of the squad at first and Sora is usually more of his right hand jumping into action alongside him (even if, as mentioned, he saved her as well as one of his main development points). I keep saying “seems” and “appears”, because it actually doesn’t even happen that often - as mentioned, Taichi does tease her about it, following Mimi’s princess episode and they do have their moments of physical, protective closeness, but it is not made into a big deal. Taichi does in fact not treat Mimi like a girly girl and Mimi, following up to mentioned princess episode, actively fights against being treated like porcelain, even if she does have her moments sometimes. There is a rare, but gentle familiarity that seems to just exist between them naturally. Some of the more famous scenes that come to mind immediately are her clinging onto him (in her pajamas) as they ride on Greymon, them (and their partners) teaming up against Vamdemon’s army - and, one of my personal favourites, German Dub!Taichi saying “Thank you, Madame” when Mimi puts a cover over him to hide from their enemies, as they are very keen on saving Sora from Datamon. They are on good terms, she may not be a main fighter like him, but she supports where she can - and, when in a positive mindset, they share a very charismatic, encouraging, contagious outlook on things (but also both tend to drift in the exact opposite direction if things get dire, with her getting stubbornly defensive and him getting highly depressed, as seen especially in Tri).

There is also a very minor, almost forgotten scene, in which Mimi is the one who tells Taichi that mourning over his past mistakes will not undo them (talking about evolving Agumon into SkullGreymon) and instead softly encourages him to move forward and do what he can instead. If this wasn’t such throw-away comment, it could actually be seen as a huge deal for both of them - because Taichi being in distress over his actions is often confronted by others shouting at/punching him aggressively (Yamato, Yuuko, etc.). This happens during a non-threatening scene, but for someone like Taichi, it’s important that someone like Mimi tells him off softly, as she will later have to come to terms with her own decisions as well. And Mimi does sincerely look up to Taichi being her trusty senpai at this point, which is why she stresses so much over him (and Jyou) turning his back on her in the princess episode. (The reboot switched that trope around a bit by light-heartedly turning her into a “queen” and him into her “servant” instead, but the familiarity between them is easily intact in that timeline as well - to the point that Mimi straight-up confesses to Hikari how much she adores her brother’s smile, honouring her Crest of Sincerity very openly.)

Digimon Adventure 02, the novels, Tri and Kizuna do not give us as much to work with when it comes to the two of them. Mimi does display a more self-confident behaviour as she grows up, being not afraid to push and tease back when Taichi does/says something upsetting, whereas Taichi actually doesn’t always seem to know how to deal with or what is up with her (as she seems to be more in touch with the likes of Koushirou and Sora while being abroad). However - her immediately deciding to return to Japan once Koushirou tells her about Taichi’s football match may be quite an indicator for how important that bond still is to her. The stageplay also provides some subtle moments of her staying behind with him when the team splits up, still indicating her very supportive attitude towards him.

Long story short - there definitely IS a foundation even if it does feel a tiny bit one-sided on Mimi’s part here and there.

Whether I think why and how they’d work:

While their relationship is one I usually do not pay much attention to, because I always felt more drawn to their other relationships they seem to be more invested in and impacted by, looking into the analysis above, I can definitely see why people appreciate their dynamic. Design and personality wise, they are also two of the more flashy characters who would always stand out from a crowd - with “stars” being a shared symbol in both their aesthetics. They’re charismatic and can easily draw people in with their positivity, enthusiasm and leadership skills - but I could also see that turn into a very explosive combination if things are not going well.

If they team up and are in a good mindset, they could be quite a devious duo together, making plans, driving the likes of Yamato or Koushirou completely insane; they could be up for a fun time and I do like the fanon headcanon of them being workout buddies - doesn’t mean they would get everything done they put their mind to, but it could be fun (and they could mope over someone like Sora being way fitter than them, hiding away the fact that they actually both adore and swoon over her).

Taichi being in depressed mode could be quite a mixed bag - Mimi’s kindness and sense of sincerity are definitely things that may help him, as pointed out in their scenes during Adventure, but her patience might be tested there as well. Adult!Taichi Yagami in a negative mindset may or may not be able to deal with an Adult!Mimi Tachikawa on her way to dominate the (online) world and generally having herself figured out already. It’d kinda feel like “immovable object vs. unstoppable force” as long as he is feeling stuck, overwhelmed and unable to reach out. I do believe she could manage to pull him out of that state if he lets her - especially since, fasting forward to a happier place, diplomat!Taichi could definitely be a very encouraging force for Mimi once she has a bad day herself. Because as mentioned, they have what it takes to cheer others up and once someone is important to them, they have a rather fond, tender attitude towards them.

To sum it up, I think they could have a very loving bond - but they might need to look out for each other’s more negative moods and needs.

Whether I’d prefer them as platonic or romantic ship:

This analysis may have made me a little bit more fond of them romantically, but I generally prefer them as platonic friends who consistently make fun of and turn around each other’s stereotypes for good (if you don’t enjoy Mimi calling Taichi a “princess”, what are you doing with your life; they’d also share clothes, since they both have stars plastered all over their outfits and Mimi would totally snatch Taichi’s hoodies). I also enjoy them as OT3 together with Koushirou, turning him into a complete bi disaster on every imaginable level - and, as pointed out, they both love Sora a lot, so it’s a shame we never saw more of these interactions together, even on a purely platonic level. Same with them and Jyou, actually... So yes, if we ever got a reboot sequel that focused primarily on their adventures, I would enjoy to watch them still being close friends.

#michi #taimi #taichi yagami #mimi tachikawa #tai kamiya #my two cents #meta #shipping analysis #digimon #anime

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tialepingouin · 1 year

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Aki’s Birthday

Organised Aki's birthday is the most difficult thing Raimon's teams has done before. Fighting alien was almost easy. First they need to find a date, in theory it musted be simple since a birthday is a date. But this year her's was a wednesday so they had to choose between two week-ends. Endou tries his best to have the maximum of persons. Aki deserves it. She has had taking care of all the soccer players since the first day, during all the adventure, without hesitation. He really wants all their friend being there. They gonna be thirty.

Second, the arty is a surprise, so Aki can't know anything. She is the one who usually organised the surprise party. More than once Endou thoughts asked her, but every time Kidou stop him.

Tonight is the time, Haruna is the one who is charged to bring Aki without her noticing.

« I promise you, we go at Endou's home to take papers and we go to see the movie »

« If we go there, there aren't any chance we will be on time. »

« Trust me please. »

Aki huffs with a smile and follows her friend. They arrived at Endou place few minutes later, Haruna is really excited. She moves a lot, she looks around a lot. She really wants that Aki don't she anything that can make her doubt. The boys aren't really discreet, she already has seen bikes wich is badly hidden. For god sake Aki doesn't seem to look around. She talks about the movie that they are supposed to see.

Haruna hits the door wich open without resistance. The room is deep dark when Haruna comes in.

« Are you sure that we can come in ? It seems like there is nobody inside. »

Her friend doesn't say anything, so Aki follows her. The room lights up.

« HAPPY BIRTHDAY »

Aki's eyes are wet. All her friends are here, even Ichinose is here. Domon and Endou come to her and take her in their arms. Everybody wave their hands at her, a cake is on the table. Balloons are tie all around the room, some of them are on the floor. Gifts wait for her next to the cake. Aki can't think well. She cried a little. Endou and Domon haven't released her, she internally grates them for that. All of this feel a little too much, she doesn't think she deserves all this attention. Natsumi finally releases her and gives her a little box with a flow on it. Aki is really uncomfortable.

« Don't be so shy, take it ! The teams put all his heart for finding you this gift. »

« We really wish it's gonna please you, it's Kazemaru idea »

« I just notice your watch doesn't wok last time, explains the blue-haired-boy »

Aki take the gift with a big smile and a grateful word for everyone. In the box there is a smart watch. The watch is really pretty, light green and very feminine.

« It's too much ! I don't know how to thank you all »

« Don't say anything stupid. You already do a lot for all of us, says Kidou. »

« Yes, without you Raimon wouldn't be a thing. You were the first to believe in me and my project, you were the only one who tae care of all the boring stuff for a while, smiles Endou »

« You follow us in all our adventure, always bring us up. You are never in a bad mood or not in our side. You deserve this party »

Everybody agree with the last sentence, and Aki is really red. Nobody thanks her for that before, and she never expected it nether. She always makes it with all her heart and without ulterior motive. As silent doesn't want to go away, Haruna starts the music and softs the light. The boys understand the signal and start to dance or just do something.

The party lasts a pretty long time. Aki has thanked every one of his friends for the gifts, for the time they take for her. Domon was the last she thanked.

-I don't believe you have made it for me.

-Aki it's the most normal thing. You are a very good friend, you take care of us daily. Sometime you need to realize what you do and accepted that we have to return the favor.

-You are right. So I will just accept the compliment, thanked you a last time and going home.

Aki is speechless. She gives him a hug before going home.

~~~~~~~~~

Hi @azhamdrety, I’m your secret santa, here is your gift. I’m really sorry for the late. I really hope you will love it. Happy holiday to you !

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irisviel101 · 2 years

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I don't really like how Kidou is portrayed as absurdly protective of Haruna, to the point of being possessive, especially when it comes to relationships. I get that it's exaggerated for comedy most of the time but the fact that we don't see any alternate leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I've even read fics where Kidou won't let Haruna date even in GO, where she's an adult who's capable of making her own choices. I especially hate it when it bleeds into Haruna's friendships as well, with Kidou leering at everyone Haruna so much as speaks to. And don't even get me started of the fics where Kidou gets or tries to get into a physical altercation with someone because of this.

It comes off as possessiveness being romanticized or treated as a joke, especially since it's a form of abuse or at least a factor in it in real life.

I feel like, if we go by their canon characterization, Kidou would be initially taken aback by such a development. It would probably be the first time he realizes that Haruna's not a kid and that she's growing up. While I agree that it would be a hard pill to swallow for Kidou, he would be wary of whoever dates her but still try to respect her boundaries. And there's no way Haruna would let him steamroll over said boundaries without arguing about it.

He would probably keep an eye out for any kind of alarmibg behavior and, depending on if he finds anything or not, either allow things to proceed as they are or try to bring up whatever he's concerned about with Haruna. Since she's, you know, a person with her own opinions and has the right to be with whoever she wants. They're both mature enough to have a civil conversation about it, and while it could end up in an argument, it would probably start nice enough if a bit awkward.

And eventually, he would come to terms with it on his own and realize that Haruna can make her own choices and all he can do is support and be there for her.

Kidou's not as irratiinal and impulsive as this trope make him out to be. He's the type to think things through and rationalize everything around him. In fact, one of his flaws is the exact opposite of what this trope shows: overthinking.

On Haruna's end, she's not the type to stay quiet when she thinks someone is being treated unfairly. She's outspoken and doesn't hesitate to speak her mind, as seen with Kogure and Tachimumakai in canon. So there's no way she would let the situation go with some mild protest. Kidou and Haruna don't have any major fights in the series after season 1, because they've just reconciliated after years of no contact, but Haruna didn't hesitate to tell him off then, and I doubt it would change in the subsequent seasons either.

Haruna's an active character and her major traits are that she's kind, stubborn, outspoken and doesn't go down without a fight. This trope ignores everything except her kindness, which I feel is a disservice to her character.

And there's also the fact that Kidou acts very possessive of Haruna and unreasonably overprotective, which make it come across as though he doesn't respect Haruna's ability to judge people and especially her right to be around whoever she wants. Unless the other person's a bad influence or toxic, Kidou has no say in whoever Haruna dates or associates with, and even then, he should at least try to talk to her about it and tell her why he's concerned and what he's noticed.

I feel like I'm making a big deal out of nothing since it's just a comedy trope, but I'm so tried of seeing this when a) it disregards both of their personalities and characters to the point where they're barely there same characters, and b) it comes off as toxic and possessive, which, from what I've heard an noticed, is a huge red flag and can become at least a factor in abuse.

They're characters and relationship is much, much better than this. I'd rather have Kidou and Haruna arguing about mundane things like all siblings do instead of being depicted so wildly out of character.

#kidou yuuto #otonashi haruna #inazuma eleven #ie #ina11 #they deserve so much better than this #tropes i dislike #writing #fanfiction

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toku-cafe · 10 months

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So watching Kidou Keiji Jiban is a trip.

A bit of context. Jiban had a connection to this young girl whose grandfather made the Jiban program. The girl got amnesia and also ran away with another guy (in his like I wanna say late 20s). It is also important to say that in the last episode before this one JIBAN DIED! his mother board was cracked and Techno babble Techno babble cannot be saved.

So on to the actual episode.

With Jiban now dead the villain plans an all out attack. Calling on different branches (that we see for the first time) to unleash their monsters. A giant Moth Destroys a dam. A giant spider blows up a couple of sky scrapers. A centipede blows up what looks to be a nuclear power plant. And a swarm of bugs are biting people and making them go crazy. Meanwhile my brother and I are watching are like "why didn't you do this before? He's just a guy with a jet, a car, and a bike. It's not like he can be everywhere at once". Also the child is having weird dreams. Jiban is taken to his lair. Now there is one hope, the girl has a kinda cylinder charm that's the key to unlocking something. But again the girl is missing and has amnesia. This is also when we find out that the AI. Running the vehicles I mentioned before are linked to him so also they're dead too. Then suddenly the girl is at a church, and is in a Christian graveyard. She finds her grandfather's grave and sticks the cylinder into the cross tombstone. The tombstone then glows and knocks the girl out! Then zooms over in a ray of light into the leir. Where it activates a cross shaped door in the room to appear. Leading to A COMPUTER THE SIZE OF A CITY! Now I know what you're thinking. "Oh it probably wasn't meant to be that big. And why are you giving us so much detail about the whole cross imagery?" And to that I say 1: the scale would make you believe it was the size of a city, It was a matt painting that is supposed to be huge. 2: when the computer is running they also show a PIPE ORGAN being played by no one. And all of this to revive Jiban and give him new weapons. All I'm saying is that I was half expecting Jiban to turn to the camera and ask have we've heard the good word.

#metal heroes #Jiban #tokusatsu

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zabiume · 3 years

Note

☆ - If it's not too much to ask, could I get (1) happy headcanon for each of the Six Hearts gang? For my serotonin.

Put a symbol (or several) and a character/characters in my ask box, and I’ll give you a headcanon

Okay, I hope you’re ready for some very niche headcanons for our wonderful six hearts gang, because I’ve got loads of them. I took a few liberties in interpreting the prompt, mainly because I wasn’t exactly sure what constitutes as a “happy” headcanon, but here you go!

1) Renji - So, growing up in Inuzuri, Renji didn’t have a lot of time/opportunity to really enjoy the little things that most kids do, mainly because he had to shoulder a lot of Responsibility running his own mini-squad of buddies, but he’d always enjoyed kamishibai (streetside theatre) shows that occasionally happened in Rukon and brought him immense joy. There was one particular story about a wolf and his pack that he really loved (AKA got super misty-eyed and projected onto), but never got to finish because they were always running to (or from) somewhere and he’d never admit to something like this to his friends because hello? He does not want to get Dragged. Anyway, cut to years later, Renji is a Handsome and Successful Adult now but he accidentally lets this story slip on a ‘reminiscing my days in Rukon when drunk’ spiel and the other Lieutenants just...make a quick work of putting the word out, finding the old man who was in charge of running the shows, and organizing a special screening of it in time for Renji’s birthday. He finally gets to see the ending of the story and he’s vvvv happy because a) not only did a phantom childhood dream he’d forgotten come true, but b) his friends love him a lot and he’s grateful for their existence immensely

2) Uryu - Karakura High hosts an annual fair every year for students to show off their talents, but Uryu never participated because ‘Social Events are Beneath Me‘ but really because he was afraid no one would be interested in seeing it/helping him set up. The only person who’s ever cared about his hobbies when he was younger was Grandpa Soken (he doesn’t remember his mom with a lot of clarity the way Ichigo does, and, Ryuken--well). Anyway, it’s their last year and he really, really wants to but decides against it because who wants to see an entire stall dedicated to ‘Dying Fashion Trends and Why to Revive Them’ right? Wrong. Ichigo and co. show up at his house unannounced and spend an entire afternoon helping him set-up. AKA my happy headcanon is that Uryu’s friends love him and there’s nothing he can do about it.

3) Ichigo - Ichigo is really, really into journalling and he’s pretty good at it too! He’s got the Aesthetic down to the T, pasting poetry and literature quotes that he likes, song lyrics he Vibes with, pictures of obscure rock bands that he cut out from glossy magazines, anything, everything. It helps him calm down and focus all his energy into a task because the textures are really soothing (I generally headcanon Ichigo as having ADHD) but also, scrap-booking and journalling is something Masaki used to do and he finds a lot of comfort in digging through her old stuff and really just--seeing who she was as a person and connecting with that. I think he spent a lot of his time in childhood idolizing and idealizing her, but what truly makes him happy is seeing the ways they’re similar and what she was like and that she’d lived a good and fun life, for the most part. Also it makes him happy when his sisters cut stuff for him and complain good-naturedly, so there’s that.

4) Chad - When Chad is sad or anxious (I know, it should be a crime) the one thing that makes him happy is talking a long walk around the neighborhood because he’s befriended every cat, dog, bird and baby in the vicinity and he likes the way they flock to him, likes that they see him as the good and gentle person he wants to be. Sometimes his own power scares him, but it’s always gratifying to know that the weak and unprotected look up to him and that he’s never alone-- not truly-- not when there’s a lot of life teeming around him. When he grows up, he runs his own gym and some of the little kids, the ones that maybe get bullied or don’t feel accepted at home-- they confide in Chad and it makes Chad really happy that he’s able to be there for the kids in his community.

5) Rukia - So it’s canon that Rukia is a Captain in the Gotei now, which is like a big deal, but when she gets invited to deliver a guest lecture at Shin’O about like,,,her tribulations in Hueco Mundo or maybe the Essentials of Good Kidou, she’s a little anxious. She never considered herself the best student at the Academy, so it’s a little nerve-wracking for her to do something like this, but after her speech she gets a ton of notes and thank-you cards from all the students because hey, for once they got someone who actually knows their shit and not an Old Fart who’s never even seen a Hollow outside of a textbook. It makes her really happy that she’s able to impart some knowledge to the incoming pool of shinigami, but if you point it out she will yell at you and deny it. TLDR: When Rukia is good at things, she is praised and recognized for it, like she deserves.

6) Orihime - I personally hc Orihime as someone with depression, and it’s pretty common to feel a little insecure and want to isolate yourself from other people sometimes because even though you know, rationally, that you’re loved, you do tend to go [john mulaney voice] ‘Does everyone hate me or do I just need to go to sleep?’ every once in a while. Anyway, the happy part of this hc is that her friends do notice this, and every time she draws back for a day or two, they make sure to bombard her phone with texts about things they know will cheer her up. Chad sends her cute kitten fail videos, Ishida sends her bad puns, Tatsuki sends her pictures of Ichigo and Keigo being caught unawares in various angles and Ichigo sends her texts like ‘the bread is a bit stale today’ which is really just code for ‘you should bring some over so I can mother hen you for a bit and show you this new manga I bought the other day, also why are you sad, who do I need to fight?’

#sorry this got long #but i just want them all to be happy and appreciated #six hearts beat as one #bleach headcanons #long post

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princesslocket · 3 years

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🥣 Made With Love 🥣

Hi hi! Before we get to the fanfic, I'd just like to say a big thank you to @ina11writingexchange for hosting this awesome writers exchange! I'm so glad to have been able to participate for this round as well as being given the opportunity to gift @hachuna yet another gift this year!

With that being said, I hope you enjoy this Hachuna! It was a lot of fun to write ((Btw this fic is also cross-posted on AO3 if anyone is interested in reading it there too! The link is in the title))

If anyone were to ask Endou Natsumi what her favorite pass time activity was, she’d automatically answer with “cooking!” and then excitedly list off all the dishes she had made within the past week. It always amazed her friends just how passionate she was about preparing food in the kitchen.

However, she hadn’t always been a fan of cooking.

Natsumi’s love for cooking had originated during her time spent managing the Raimon soccer team in her middle school years. In the beginning she had been quiet hesitant to even try making a rice ball but after she mastered the art of the rice ball, her love for cooking sparked almost instantaneously. It only took preparing a couple more meals before Natsumi was fully onboard with the idea of preparing food in general. It filled her with a sense of pride whenever she was able to witness the team enjoying the meals she, Haruna, and Aki made for them. The compliments they dished out were a great source of ego boosting as well, but she always made it point to stay humble. And even after the team graduated, leaving her with no one else to cook for, Natsumi continued to search up new recipes to try making for herself in the comfort of her own home.

Over the years her cooking had improved, albeit not as significantly as everyone had hoped for, but just enough to where she no longer mixed up the salt and sugars when she tried baking the occasional birthday cake. It was a subtle yet profound type of improvement that left Endou that much more hopeful for their future meals seeing as he had married her not too long after her cooking had started to improve.

One thing that really helped Natsumi improve in her cooking was through the aid of an old looking cook book she just so happened to borrow from Endou! She’d seen the book several times laying in various places throughout their house but had never bothered to look through it until one day when her curiosity got the better of her and she found herself rejoicing at all the cool looking recipes inside. Oh the joy she felt while flipping through the pages was almost too good. How had she not opened the book sooner?

Following the days upon opening the cook book, Natsumi happily followed the messily written instructions provided by the cook book to prepare dishes that she could only assume had been passed down from Endou’s family. She would later find out from Endou himself that the cook book she had been using was actually Endou Daisuke’s hissatsu manual. The discovery came as quiet a shook to Natsumi seeing as she had been following the instructions of the book for several weeks, even going as far to serving a boy named Matsukaze Tenma some of said dishes as well. But all Endou could do was laugh at the situation they found themselves in.

“You mean to tell me that this really isn’t the kanji for egg?”

“I’m positive, Natsumi. These are the instructions for God Hand- Wait a second! How were even able to mistake this for a cook book? I thought you knew what Daisuke’s hissatsu manual looked like?”

“It’s been a while since I last saw it okay!”

Even after the discovery of the ‘cook book’s’ true nature was revealed Natsumi continued to use it. Admittedly, the food Natsumi made following the hissatsu manual never inherently tasted terribly bad. So what harm was there in letting her continue to use it? As long as Endou was there to assist her with some of the misinterpreted kanji of the book, everything was fine.

Unfortunately, not all good things lasted forever. On one particular day an unforeseen disaster appeared out of nowhere…

Natsumi had been preparing dinner in the kitchen when it happened. She hadn’t thought anything of it at first. Ever since Endou took over as Raimon’s coach, he would occasionally return home late, so why would this time be any different? As the minutes ticked by Natsumi continued to prepare dinner. While she maneuvered around the kitchen she kept herself entertained with the quiet sound of the T.V. playing in the background.

Although she usually paid no mind to what the news anchors were saying, something about that night in particular urged her to listen carefully. She had been cutting away at a bundle of carrots when a certain news report caught her attention. Although they weren’t showing video footage of the incident taking place, the news anchors reported a massive car crash near Raimon.

Upon hearing the name of the school, Natsumi put all food to the side and quickly ran to her phone, dialing up Endou to ask if he was still at the school. Knowing her husband, he would most likely be assisting whoever had been unfortunate enough to get hurt outside of their old school. But when he didn’t answer her first, second, or third call, Natsumi began to worry. The news anchors wouldn’t disclose the names of the people involved in the accident, nor would they show the faces of anyone other than the reporter on duty. They did, however, announce the arrival of special dispatched services on the scene as well as the name of the hospital the heavily injured were being taken to.

After a while Natsumi’s phone began to ring, which she immediately answered. Letting out a sigh of relief, Natsumi pressed the phone to her ear, ready to hear Endou’s cheerful voice. With everything appearing to be taken care of on screen, Endou was surely going to fill her in on everything that had happed. It was a good thing she had prepared so much food for the night!

“Natsumi, it’s Kidou, we don’t have much time- It’s Endou… He got into a car crash and- You need to hurry. An ambulance is already taking him to the hospital but… I’ll fill you in on everything once you get here-“

“I’m on the way.”

Within seconds Natsumi was already racing out of the house, dinner abandoned in the kitchen and T.V still playing quietly in the background. She did everything in her power to get to the hospital as fast as she could but it was too late. By the time she came rushing in through the hospital doors, Endou had been pronounced dead.

Time flashed by in a blur following Endou’s death. His funeral came and went, the days following blended together a little too seamlessly and Natsumi’s love for cooking diminished along with her once cheery life. Without Endou around, she no longer held the motivation to prepare any kind of meal in or out of the kitchen. Even when Haruna, Aki, and Fuyuka tried to rekindle their little cooking arties, Natsumi couldn’t bring herself to make anything. Everything she had ever made was out of her love for Endou.

As time went by, Natsumi slowly began to store her cooking utensils away. If she wasn’t going to be cooking anymore, than why bother keep them out in the open to collect dust?

She was in the middle of labeling a soon to be packed away box of kitchen ladles one day when the sound of knocking stopped her. Setting her marker to the side, Natsumi walked to the front door. Her knees nearly buckled when she gazed out the peep hole to see who was outside.

Standing just outside the door was Endou… But it couldn’t be him, right? He had passed away months ago. She had gone to his funeral and everything! There was no way her could possibly be standing outside. As she was thinking these thoughts an almost indescribable feeling washed over her. Suddenly she couldn’t remember attending a funeral nor could she remember why she had started packing away all her cooking supplies. It was as if she was just now waking up from some type of horrible nightmare, a nightmare had clouded over her real life for the past several months.

Whatever nightmare she been under was finally over. Any trace of sadness and despair melted away the longer she stared at Endou. Instead, the feelings were replaced with joy and relief. Although the sudden change in feelings were a little unexpected, they weren’t unwelcomed. In fact she was all the happier to embrace them!

Not wanting to keep Endou waiting any longer, Natsumi decidedly threw the door open, startling Endou as it swung to the side, and proceeded to jumping into the arms of the man in front of her.

“Mamoru!” Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she pressed herself as tightly as she could to her husband. “I can’t explain it but it feels like I haven’t seen you in forever! Where have you been all day?”

“Woah! I missed you too! Oh man, Natsumi, you wouldn’t believe all the crazy things that happened to me ‘today.’ I’ve got so much to tell you but, uh, I think it’d be best if we went inside first.” Contradictory to his own words, Endou hugged Natsumi even closer to himself, thus rendering any attempt to head into the house useless.

For several long minutes the two stood outside their house, hugging each other, and exchanging a few words before wither one of them made any real attempts to pull away. But when they did, it was Natsumi who moved away. She waisted no time in dragging Endou inside and towards their dining room table, pulling out a chair for him to sit in and then rushing off towards their refrigerator in search of something for them to eat.

Strangely enough, the refrigerator was once again filled with an abundance of food Natsumi had almost no recollection of buying. She glanced a look to Endou, who at first made no comment, but as soon as she turned her back had heard the faintest of words from him.

“I guess time really did reset itself.”

From that day on life returned to normal, or as normal as it could be with Natsumi knowing her ‘nightmare’ had in fact been real but was now a part of a separate timeline of sorts. But seeing as their current timeline was restored, Natsumi decidedly let her supposed bad months drift away.

She started cooking again, only this time she followed tutorials online through YouTube and an odd app called TikTok. When Endou asked why she was following so many different cooking videos, Natsumi would claim that “the hissatsu manual could only offer so much.”

Despite her best efforts her cooking still left much to be desired from. But Endou never truly cared about the overall outcome of the food he’d be offered.

“It’s the thought counts.” He’d tell himself whenever a dish was placed in front of him. “If it’s for Natsumi, I’d gladly eat a thousand more meals of her cooking- I’d do anything to make her happy.”

#inazuma eleven #ennatsu #ina11writingexchange #endou mamoru #natsumi raimon #endou natsumi #angst #implied/referenced character death #But no one really dies #trust me #cooking

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rinusagitora · 3 years

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You’re in all my dreams.

Fandom: Bleach

Characters: Karin Kurosaki, Toushirou Hitsugaya, Momo Hinamori, OC- Mae Izumi

Pairings: HitsuKarin

Words: 2.2k

Summary: Shinigami!Karin AU. For HitsuKarin Week 2021. WARNINGS- mentions of suicide, dysfunctional families; Karin graduates Shin'ou and shares her dreams with Toushirou.

AO3

For the last six years, Karin dreamed of the day she’d graduating from cadet to officer and don the shihakusho like everyone she ever admired.

It was an anxious future filled with wonder and promise she never knew back in the World of the Living. Going from cadet to captain of a small force was going to be quite the culture shock, perhaps even more than the cold water of the river where she drowned. But she made it, and it made her much more confident in her ability. Officers were chosen from a pool of graduates and turnover was infrequent since few officers passed away in peacetime. It made competition fierce and even rarer that a graduate obtained a seated position out of the gate.

She was equal parts nervous and excited. For the time being, all Karin wanted to do was enjoy the graduation bonfire.

Mae toppled onto the log, sloshing rice wine onto Karin’s lap. She laughed. “I’m sorry! I’m sooo hammered.”

“No worries. I think I’ve puked on you more times than you’ve spilled on me.”

“Indeed, we swapped roles tonight.” Mae tapped Karin’s nose. “Tonight, of all nights, you choose to be reserved. Why?”

Karin hummed and swirled beer. “I’m nervous, I think.”

“It’s a big change.” Mae looked over the crowd. “Where are Hinamori-fukutaichou and Hitsugaya-taichou? I expected them, of all people, to be here.”

Karin’s reikaku grazed the crowd. Momo was there, just chaperoning. Keeping firelight between bodies like a puritan. Perhaps rightfully so. They were the new faces of the Seireitei. It was better not to romp in the woods right over poison ivy before recruitment day. Pussy itch was a different kind of awful. The kind of awful where Karin, who was once impaled, ended up curling up on the floor crying while Izuru healed her crotch and Shuuhei and Renji laughed in the next room.

The crowd parted for Momo like river water around stones. She stopped before Karin, and Karin smiled at her mentor. “Hi, Momo-senpai.”

Mae nodded. "Hinamori-sama."

"Izumi-chan, I hope you're enjoying the festivities."

"Oddly enough. It's strange letting loose… but I see where Karin-chan's alcoholism comes from. Dancing while intoxicated is liberating."

"Indeed." Nonetheless, Momo cocked her head and curiously looked over Karin. Karin knew the jig was up from there. She and Ryuuji were normally in the center of the action, and Karin hadn't so much as howled or toasted once that evening.

“Leave us, Izumi-chan.”

Mae managed to right herself and bowed to excuse herself. Gracefully, Momo took a seat beside Karin as she cursed internally. She didn't want to talk about it, but Momo always dragged out her bad feelings and laid them in the open.

“It’s odd you’re not out enjoying the festivities. This is your… thing.”

“It’s just really hitting me that I’m going to be a shinigami,” Karin told Momo. “I’ve been working toward this goal for six years. What do I do from here?”

Momo laughed. “Six years is a blink of an eye for the majority of us.” She held Karin’s shoulders. “There will be plenty to do, Karin-chan.”

“I can’t believe we’re all in a squad just after graduation, though.”

“Who? Izumi and Kawashima?” Karin hummed affirmatively in response to Momo, who then grinned. “Believe it or not, Iba-taichou wanted Watanabe. I think Watanabe is in for a reality check.”

“You are far too happy over that.” Karin couldn’t help but share Momo’s thrill, however. Chousuke Watanabe was a thorn in her side for six years, being her friend Ryuuji’s tormentor. Tetsuzaemon would straighten him out. The very picture of manhood and chivalry according to Momo. It was far too rewarding imagining Chousuke getting reamed by a six-foot wall of meat and battle scars.

"Bias is something I never shied away from. It's been a driving force in my life, for better or worse." Momo kissed Karin's forehead. "For best, in your case. You've been family since the moment I laid eyes on you, Karin-chan. My own in many ways. Every obstacle you've faced, you've overcome, and are better for it. I am so proud of how far you've come, and I'm so glad to have played a part in it."

Karin smiled bashfully. At least she had Momo.

Momo lovingly jostled Karin. There it was. Momo buttered up Karin just enough and was about to get her to bust open a can of worms. "What's on your mind?"

"I just… I thought Toushirou would be here. I haven't seen him all day today."

"I'm not supposed to tell you, but," Momo whispered, grinning, "he's preparing something special. Be patient."

Her heart pattered. "Oh." Of course he was. She was a little ashamed that hadn't occurred to her earlier as if they hadn't developed years of trust and affection, or at least a solid friendship. Nonetheless, Momo stroked Karin's hair, reminding her she was only human, that something so little wouldn't ruin everything.

Speaking of… Karin picked up on a familiar, icy reiatsu approaching. It was Toushirou, still in uniform. She smiled and Momo tapped her on her nose.

"See?"

"Not yet, but he's coming." Momo only rolled her eyes in response to Karin's lame joke.

"I'll leave you now. Enjoy your night, Karin-chan."

"Thanks, Senpai. I love you."

"And I love you."

Toushirou was still in uniform with his hands tucked into his sleeves. As he passed, Karin's fellow cadets parted and bowed to him. He ignored the attention, however, instead sporting a smile as he found Karin on her log.

He'd undergone hormone therapy in recent years to trigger a growth spurt. And he'd grown up to be a handsome young man, with looks rivaling stars in the World of the Living with access to renowned surgeons.

"I hope you've been enjoying yourself," he said. He took a seat next to her. He smelled like flowers. "I never attended these things, truthfully."

"Did you want to try dancing?" Karin asked.

"Well… I don't know," he said. Toushirou pulled a modest bouquet of daffodils from his sleeve, tied off with a turquoise ribbon. "It's not a big gift, I know, but I hope it reminds you that you're always welcome in juubantai."

Gingerly, Karin took his bouquet and smelled them. They smelled like spring. "I love them," she said. "Thank you."

She pressed a kiss against Toushirou's cheek, and he happily hummed. "I'm glad you like them. It's hard buying gifts for you."

"As if."

"It's true," he replied. "All Matsumoto wants is a day off, Hinamori loves spices and tobacco, and the boys are happy with some sake. You, on the other hand, easily get your hands on sake and tobacco, and hate downtime." Toushirou crossed his legs. "I should've consulted my sister."

Karin frowned. "But I like them…"

"The flowers? But they're such a lazy gift," he scoffed.

"I like everything you give me." She smiled. "Really, thank you. I love them."

He laughed bashfully. "Well, I'm glad."

Together they sat amid drums and singing and firelight, swaying with it, until Toushirou asked, "I don't want to take you from your friends, but I’m not enjoying myself here. Do you mind going elsewhere?"

"We can leave," Karin said. "Where do you want to go?"

"Someplace quiet where we can see the stars."

Her cheeks were warm at the idea. How romantic.

Karin bashfully followed behind Toushirou, holding his hand as he guided her away from the bonfire. When it was dark, he illuminated the way with kidou, assured in every step. A gorgeous man. He'd grown into his looks. His cheekbones were high, his shoulders broad. She could swoon until early morning over his handsome shape.

Up a hill, through a grove, and up a steep path, until they reached the peak of a sheer cliff. The stars above looked like a river of life. They didn't twinkle but were a steady pathway carved in the sky. Karin fell onto the grass and marveled. "Wow. When did you find this, Toushirou?"

"Not long ago. I wouldn't keep this from you without a good reason." He smiled at her. Sitting, he said, "Do you like it?"

"Yes!" Karin nigh tackled Toushirou and kissed his cheek. "It's beautiful."

"I should've brought wine."

"This is perfect." Karin laid her head on Toushirou's shoulder. Together they stared into the stars. She searched for constellations but found none she recognized. "Do you think the World of the Living and the Soul Society have different stars?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. No one spends time looking up in the Soul Society. Those who do, don't seem to have the technology contributing to significant findings," Toushirou replied. "I'm not much of an astronomer either."

"You're a man of the law."

He laughed bashfully. "Aye."

Karin drew pictures in the stars herself. Birds, men, kitchenware, like she remembered from her human life not so long ago. Six years was nothing compared to how long her peers lived, was it? Not Momo, who was approaching a century and a half. Not even Toushirou, well into his seventies by that point. But Karin couldn’t remember the names of the stars or where to find them in the sky. How much longer did she have until she overwrote their patterns with other things? How much longer until her sad mortal history was forgotten in a sea of everything else?

There weren’t immediate answers to her questions, but Karin was fine with that. She said, "I remember hoping a rope would drop from the sky and drag me by the neck. Put me out of my misery."

"Understandable," Toushirou replied.

"I'm so much happier here. It's not always easy, but..."

"Slow and steady?"

"Yeah. Slow and steady wins the race. And I'm glad to be with you for it."

"So," Toushirou said, "no more sky-ropes to hang you until you're dead?"

She giggled. "Not anymore. I don't fancy myself a pirate, anyway."

He hummed. "I had a dream some time ago. Similar to yours... although I remember it being less grizzly," Toushirou confessed. She pulled her gaze from the starlight and saw him cloaked in darkness. Still, his eyes shined with wonder. Adoration. "A dream that assured me you're the love of my life."

"Go on," she said.

"I was being puppeteered by the sky. Dragged around day in and day out. And I saw the strings on you, into the sky as far as my eyes could see. And yet despite time, and fate, and all the horridness that plagued life for some time, we fought to be together." He clasped her hand. "Our strings became tangled and pink like cherry blossoms in spring. Like sunset. And... and I never want those strings freed." His blue-green eyes met hers. They made her melt like her body was hot wax in a leather bag. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Karin."

It felt like forever before she caught her breath. She asked, "Are you proposing?"

"If that's all it takes to spend the rest of my life by your side, and you at my side, I'll fetch a ring now. Propose properly in front of as many people as you like.”

Karin giggled. Picturing Toushirou hopping onto a bar counter, sake raised high, and screaming how deeply he was in love with Karin to their loved ones and peers, was quite a sight to behold! Yet, as anxious as he was to do so, she replied with, "Not at all. But let's make plans down the road. When I'm settled in."

"Of course." Toushirou sighed happily. They kissed. "I'm so in love with you, Karin."

"And I love you."

"I could stay here forever."

Karin hummed. “We have forever to do that…”

He turned to meet her gaze. “But?”

“I want to do more.” She sat up. “We work because we’re more than just lovers. We’re friends, confidants, partners. Warriors and artists and scholars.”

“Of course,” he agreed, propping himself on his palm.

“I want to be married, and I want forever with you, as much as I want-”

Toushirou said, completing Karin’s statement, “More.” He held her hand then. “It’s one of the reasons I love you. My recruitment was necessary. Yours is nothing but-”

“Desire.” She gazed into the stars, searching for divination in the blanket covering a slowly rotating plane.

“Then what more do you want?”

“To give justice and safety to those who have been and yet to be hurt. No one should suffer as I, and we have. I want to tear down the caste system here. Hold nobility responsible for their actions and give power back to the people, and eradicate the symbols of fascism and cruelty. I want to reconnect families. To make the Rukongai safe, so no one’s starving or resorting to crime to survive. And…” Karin turned to Toushirou, her breath stilling as she saw his eyes swimming with adoration. “And I want to mold the next generation to dream as I now dream, and to better the world. And I want to do all of it with you beside me, Toushirou. As equals.”

Toushirou cupped her cheek. He kissed her, and she held his sleeve. “Let’s do it. Together,” he said. Their foreheads touched. “Together always.”

#bleach #shinigami karin au #hitsukarin #hitsukarinweek2021 #karin kurosaki #toshiro hitsugaya #momo hinamori #oc: mae izumi

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gunnerpalace · 4 years

Text

It is Time to Kill The Common Understanding of the Dome of Las Noches Fight Once and for All

I’ve been thinking about @starrdustcrusader‘s post making fun of BBS’s interpretation of Full Hollow Ichigo, and while it is very good and covers a lot, I felt that I had something further to add. Please go read that post first so you are on the same page.

I also invite you to go read chapter 350, The Lust 4, and the next few chapters as well.

Now, like I said, the post in question does a very good job of pointing out what’s happening here: Full Hollow Ichigo has less than zero concern for Uryuu or Orihime. He is not interested in protecting them whatsoever. Indeed, he directly attempts to kill Uryuu, with that attack being very likely to kill Orihime as well. It is only stopped by Ulquiorra’s intervention.

And why did Ichigo attack Uryuu? Because he was a threat.

When you are doing dispassionate threat analysis, whether that be tactical or strategic, when you are thinking with an essentially military mindset, motive stops really mattering, because it cannot be taken for granted. What matters is capability. What someone says their intentions are, or what their intentions seem to be, often matter less from this perspective than what they can do, or are doing.

What is Uryuu doing in this fight? He is interfering with Full Hollow Ichigo killing Ulquiorra. And that is Full Hollow Ichigo's only goal. Thus, Uryuu is an enemy and is also to be killed.

And so is Orihime (if “merely” as collateral damage).

It's that simple. This is again pointed out in the original post. In the same way that Ulquiorra earlier said to Ichigo that, "Killing you is synonymous with protecting Las Noches," killing Uryuu and Orihime at this point is synonymous with “protecting,” because they are in the way and are actively impeding the mission. (”Protecting” what? We’ll come back to that.)

I haven’t said anything new yet, now have I? So let’s get to that.

Here is Orihime demonstrating several flavors of hubris, and also completing failing to do anything to save Uryuu from his imminent demise. What do I mean? Well, let’s take apart her statements:

“Because I said that, Kurosaki-kun is trying to help me.” This is an assumption on her part, and it is wrong.

“I trained because I didn’t want to be a burden to him.” Mind you, she also says this in both the Xcution and TYBW arcs, and is a burden and fails in both as well (the infamous ”Why am I crying?” and “Her shield didn’t work” moments). This should have been a learning moment for her and it was not.

“I came here because I wanted to protect him.” There are other meta posts that detail the selfishness of Orihime’s actions in Hueco Mundo and in general. I would also like to point out that this was also her exact same logic in going to Soul Society. She didn’t learn anything from that experience either.

“So why? Why at the very end did I depend on him?” A great question. One that she never truthfully owns up to, given (2). But there was a reason Kisuke told her to stay out of the war. You may recall Rukia's statement to Orihime in chapter 228, Don't Look Back, that "In a battle, the ones who get in the way are not the ones that lack power, but the ones that lack resolve." She went on to say "Of all the battles in Soul Society, no one was a burden to anyone else. Not Ichigo, nor Sado, nor Ishida, and neither were you, Inoue. If any of you were less than who you are, I wouldn't be where I am today." This was very charitable of Rukia, because Orihime's contribution to her rescue was negligible and was, to reiterate, not why she was even there. Furthermore, Orihime didn't listen to her here either: she is once again demonstrating a lack of resolve, as she will continue to.

So Orihime doesn’t learn. Great. But maybe you’re thinking about (1). What do I mean she was wrong? I mean, doesn’t the manga confirm she’s right?

This is the crux of that argument. And this is also one of the cruxes of IchiHime as a whole. The thing is... it’s complete and utter bullshit.

This is the exact same scene in the original Japanese:

Now, I don’t speak or read Japanese very well at all. I’m still a novice at it. What I can do, however, is use optical character recognition and translation tools.

(よ)呼んでる - Yonderu - Calling

(よ)呼んでるんだ - Yonderunda - They’re calling

(き) 聞こえる - Kikoeru - I can hear

(た)立てよ - Tateyo - Stand up

(た)立て - Tate - Stand

(おれ)俺が - Ore ga - I will

俺が護る - Ore ga mamoru - I will protect

(The parentheticals are furigana used as a pronunciation guide.)

Now do you see a single instance of “her” or “she” in this dialogue, particularly when it comes to the final line of “I will protect”? No, you don’t. Because it’s not there. It was never there until a biased translator inserted it into the dialogue. I’m not alone in this analysis, by the way.

Quite some time ago, @kodoku-no-maria did a wonderful analysis about Ichigo’s instincts (”Mistranslations that Created the IH Fandom”) that also covered this (using anime quotes instead) and came to a similar conclusion. It’s a great post and you should read it.

This isn’t the post she mentions in hers, but there is one done specifically of the manga by a deactivated account. You should read this post too. (This also notes other things, such as how Orihime says “Help, Kurosaki-kun!” and not “Help me, Kurosaki-kun!” so we can take it that the Mangastream / Mangareader English translation is just generally dodgy all around at this point. Which may well impact the points I made above about Orihime’s character; but I think given the events of the Xcution and TYBW arcs that it is evident she did not in fact learn anything, so I will stand by the basic thrust of them.)

Okay, so I’ve marshaled my evidence on the battle and provided corroborating analysis. (I have also reblogged all three of these posts because they’re good, although the links are to the original sources or as close to them as I could get.)

Ichigo didn’t turn into Full Hollow Ichigo because of Orihime. She had nothing to really do with it. Great. So what?

Well, let’s now move on to my theory.

Now, you might be thinking that it is fairly obvious that all of those lines are Ichigo’s inner monologue. But I don’t think it’s so obvious. In fact, I would suggest to you that it is actually a dialogue.

On the second page, with the third panel, it suddenly zooms in to the wound in Ichigo’s torso. This notably later becomes Full Hollow Ichigo’s Hollow hole. You notice here the dialogue changes, from commands (e.g., “Stand”) to personal pronouns (e.g., “I”).

I would submit to you that the first three lines are Ichigo’s. But I don’t think the last five are. I think they belong to two other entities. Especially the last three. First, let me steal two of Maria’s highlighted panels to make a point:

So who is talking? It’s simple:

Do you really think it’s a coincidence that Zangetsu (Hollow Zangetsu) shows up wearing the exact same outfit as ‘Full Hollow Ichigo’ after Tensa Zangetsu gives a speech about how:

I don’t think so. Ichigo "fell into despair and halted [his] progress" and Zangetsu, as 'Full Hollow Ichigo' is "the "source of [his] despair." (This is the same despair that Rukia noticed when Ichigo came down from the top of the dome to confront Yammy.) As has been previously pointed out in the linked posts, we see this despair on the dome after Ulquiorra’s defeat in Ichigo’s attitude. Starrdust covered these, but let’s go over them again:

He’s doesn’t seem all that shocked or concerned here, to be honest.

He’s a lot more shocked at what he did to Uryuu.

But the thing that really gets him is that he’s gone and killed Ulquiorra. That’s his despair.

This is the first time he’s out and out killed somebody. (And yeah, Ulquiorra is dead because he had his bits vaporized with a cero, not purified.)

He finally has to learn this isn’t all fun and games, that you can’t turn everyone to your side and redeem them and be friends with them afterward, as he did with Ikkaku, Renji, Kenpachi, Byakuya, and even to an extent Dordoni and Grimmjow. This is exactly what Dordoni was warning him about. This is the lesson he will be forced to learn again after weakening Aizen long enough for Kisuke’s kidou to work on him.

And it is why later, his determination to “save everyone” in the Xcution arc by cutting Ginjou down and killing him (even if he turns into a Plus as revealed in TYBW, undermining the whole symbolic importance of the act) is a big deal for his character development, and one of the few redeeming aspects of that arc: it shows that Ichigo learned a lesson from this fight: sometimes to protect you have to kill.

And who taught him that lesson? Zangetsu.

Who was speaking in the 4th and 5th lines in that transformation sequence? My bet is “Zangetsu” (Quincy Zangetsu) or Tensa Zangetsu. And who was speaking in the 6th, 7th, and 8th lines? Zangetsu.

What was Zangetsu protecting? Ichigo. That’s his instinct. That’s all he cares about protecting, just like Tensa Zangetsu. He sure the fuck wasn’t protecting Orihime or Uryuu. And the mask of ‘Full Hollow Ichigo’ is there to protect those instincts. And the mindless rage of ‘Full Hollow Ichigo’ is Zangetsu’s rage at Ulquiorra for trying to kill Ichigo.

We of course know from much later, in TYBW, that zanpakutou spirits aren’t some separate entity from the wielder, but are the wielder (hence why we go from “The Blade and Me” to “The Blade IS Me”) which Ichigo will affirm in the reforging of his into the “two Zangetsus.” So this can ultimately be read as self-preservation instinct. These are the aspects of Ichigo that were willing to do what he himself consciously wouldn’t in order to stay alive.

(Also, Uryuu was an idiot and wrong to stop Zangetsu as Ulquiorra still clearly constituted a threat, so he frankly got what he deserved, if a bit harshly.)

In summary, not only did the fight above the dome in Las Noches not have anything to do with protecting Orihime, but it was entirely about Ichigo’s character development and relations with the personifications of his powers, and everyone has been reading it completely fucking wrong for years and years.

If you don’t know, now you know.

#Bleach #Ichigo #The King

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tachimuquet · 3 years

Text

Darkest Days - An Aliea Academy Arc Canon Divergence AU

I came up with a AU nobody asked for: a what-if AU where Endou never came back to Raimon after the event of episodes 45 & 46 of the OG series. It’s still a massive WIP, but I figured I may as well share it.

Season 2 spoilers ahead, of course, but who hasn’t been at least spoiled on it already. Also, warning for my obvious character preference -- it’s only a basis, so I plan on counterbalancing those more later down the line. Suggestions are welcome because I can never know too much what I’m doing.

MAIN DIFFERENCES -Hitomiko urges Raimon to get back on track, barely waiting for Fubuki to recover. -Endou doesn't get over his slump from episode 46 and, instead of joining back the team, stays in Fukuoka. -To replace him, Hitomiko appoints Kidou as the new Raimon captain and convinces Tachimukai to join Raimon by using his admiration for Endou against him. -A greater emphasis is laid on the challenges Kidou has to face as the captain and Tachimukai as the rookie goalkeeper thrusted into Endou's shoes.

FUKUOKA -Endou never leaves, insted remaining depressed on Yokato's roof while the team is forced to continue. -Originally, the team insurrected itself against Hitomiko, lead by Ichinose and Domon's efforts. Kidou managed to convinced everyone Endou would come back, since he'd never give up, and to continue not for their coach, but for the sake of everyone else. -Endou keeps the copybook with him, so the team leaves without it.

OKINAWA -Having barely mastered Majin the Hand, Tachimukai has to learn Seigi no Tekken to keep on top of Aliea's ever-growing power. He remembers talking about it with Endou, so he knows what the super duper mysterious formula is, but needs to make it work on his own. -The team still goes to search for Gouenji because, lacking Endou, he's their only hope to make the situation any sort of better. -Due to Tachimukai learning Seigi no Tekken instead of Endou, he's the one who gets a surfing lesson from Tsunami, and their bonding starts there rather than with the training for the match against Chaos. -Tsunami and Touko end up becoming the team's new motivators in lieu of Endou.

EPSILON KAI -Gouenji still saves everyone's asses, original I know. -Seigi no Tekken officially reaches G1 during that match, but stays there for a while due to the circumstances preventing the stress-prone Tachimukai to make it evolve. The lion metaphor stays, I guess? -Raimon still wins, but it's by the teeth of their skin and with Fubuki in a dire state, and Diamond Dust's appearance makes everyone shake a little. -At least, Gouenji's comeback to the team makes everyone more optimistic and the explanation as to why he had to leave the team makes everyone hate Hitomiko a little less.

DIAMOND DUST -Aphrodi still comes to save the day when the team is running short. -Instead of Endou running to do The Phoenix and making the team realize it's lacking in firepower, the almost fatal error from the team is to almost lose to a defender stealing the ball and running for it... or something better than that. I need to think about it. -As Diamond Dust still ties with Raimon, Chaos gets formed.

THE CHANGES IN RAIMON -Aphrodi still becomes a forward for Raimon, but instead of Endou, Tsunami becomes a libero due to his sheer shooting force. -Instead of Endou, Tsunami learns Death Zone 2 with Kidou and Domon. -The "match" between the Teikoku and Raimon teams still happens, but it's a little different, since there is no Mugen the Hand and there is no conversation between Tsunami and Tachimukai from Raimon's side of the field. Instead, the latter is left to think if he wants to keep using Seigi no Tekken, which he feels like he stole from Endou, or come up with something else. -Said "match" makes Kidou feel a little better about being a captain, since he hasn't lost his thunder.

THE CHAOS -The team still gets curb-stomped with a 10-0 in the first half due to Tachimukai suddenly ceasing to use Seigi no Tekken. It takes a pep talk with Tsunami ake his motives rise to the surface (which is a combination of anxiety and the feeling of stealing Endou's property). He does end up going back to using it to prevent an eleventh goal by stopping Atomic Flare. -Fire Blizzard breaks through Seigi no Tekken, unfortunately, so you know what it means. -Fubuki's personalities fuse when he watches the team lose against Chaos; passes through the defenders and avoids Aphrodi's injuries from canon.

TO MOUNT FUJI -Hitomiko still gets busted by the managers who hear Gran call her his big sister. -Raimon is even less enthusiastic about following this woman's orders without much of an explanation, and if it wasn't for Kidou's best efforts, everyone'd have left her. Instead, they once again decide to work with her to avenge their fallen comrades and because, for the first time, she's shown some vulnerability due to finally answering a couple questions. Also, you know, they need to stop Aliea once and for all.

THE GENESIS -Gran, instead of taunting Endou, taunts Afuro and Tachimukai, whom he's spotted as the weakest points in the chain. Kidou and Gouenji, who he also try to target, are insensible to his taunting. -Aphrodi, while he temporarily succumbs to the taunting, gets out of it by the end of the first half with a speech from Kidou and the others telling him he’s part of the team and that they’re glad to have in board. -Seigi no Tekken doesn't evolve nearly as quickly as Mugen the Hand did in canon, but instead, the reason why it succeeds against progressively stronger shoots is due to its user constantly digging in his strength (and, also, more emphasis on Tachimukai handling things terribly under stress). -The last Raimon goal isn't The Earth, since Endou still has the copybook in his possession, but a new technique from Aphrodi, Fubuki and Gouenji, The Galaxy.

DARK EMPERORS -Raimon gets pretty much nullified by the DE until Tsunami manages to find an opening, like in canon. -Like in canon, the Dark Emperors manage to injure everyone on the team with the added malus that Endou, the sturdiest of the team, isn’t here anymore. As nobody is there to check on him, Tachimukai powers through his canon hand injury to protect the goal as much as he can... to mixed results, to say the least. -Endou arrives right as Tachimukai is about to pass out, saving the team from having to forfait due to having no player left standing. -Mugen the Hand is what saves the day, in the end, as Endou learnt it while he was in Fukuoka. -The last goal is, you guessed it, The Earth. That’s when the DE finally snap out of their Aliea-induced daze.

BEHIND THE SCENES -Endou has been training with Yokato like Gouenji did with Hijitaka in Okinawa. He learnt more about his grandfather from Yokato's headmaster and, as such, knows more about the copybook from Fukuoka.

"DARKEST DAYS" RAIMON COMPOSITION 1. Tachimukai Yuuki (GK) 3. Kabeyama Heigorou (DF) 4. Tsunami Jousuke (DF/Libero) 6. Kogure Yuuya (DF) 7. Urabe Rika (FW) 8. Zaizen Touko (DF) 9. Fubuki Shirou (DF/FW) 10. Gouenji Shuuya (FW) 11. Afuro Terumi (FW) 12. Megane Kakeru (FW) 13. Domon Asuka (DF) 14. Kidou Yuuto (MF/FW/Captain) 16. Ichinose Kazuya (MF) (In italics: players with arcs/techniques/positions affected by the canon divergence.)

#inazuma eleven #au #darkest days au

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recurring-polynya · 2 years

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I can't tell if this is a slight departure or a giant robot departure, so pls delete if the latter, but for the "What if?" AUs: What if Soul Society were a seafaring people? Maybe the Seireitei is an archipelago and Rukongai is a bunch of outlying islands. Maybe in order to get to the Academy you have to figure out how to build a good enough boat, and learn to navigate by the stars... Is Renji a junior fishmonger? Are Gillian Shrieking Eels? Is Soi Fon the pirate captain of her wildest dreams?

It doesn’t matter if the is a slight departure or a giant robot departure, it’s Sea Society, so I gotta.

This is so open-ended, and I honestly really would have like to do some nice slice-of-life thing, a little cute world-building, maybe some Hitsugaya, because I know you like Hitsugaya, but the only thing my brain would latch onto was what if instead of a big cliff in the middle of town, Soukyoku Hill was a PIT with a SEA MONSTER in it?

So, I put on a bunch of Florence + the Machine and went into a fugue state for four days. I ran out of synonyms for ‘water’ by the second paragraph. Is this anything? Does it make any sense? It doesn’t matter, it’s about THE SEA and DEATH and how the SEA REPRESENTS DEATH and at some point Renji isn’t wearing a shirt.

Bon appetit.

Did Polynya stay between 500 and 1000 words?: 3747 i have given up

| ao3 | ff.net |

🌊 🌊 🌊

If she was going to die, Kuchiki Rukia supposed, at least she would die by the water.

She would have preferred to drown, to slip quietly below the dark surface and watch silvery bursts of her lungs’ air bubble dance upward as she sank. Being swallowed by the Shinkairyuu’ou, the great serpent-dragon of the depths, was still preferable to a beheading, in her opinion.

It had always seemed funny to Rukia how the people of the shining city of Seireitei feared the sea. Lords of the ocean, the captains were called, and yet they surrounded their home with walls, so that they would never have to see the waves lapping at their toes.

Inuzuri had been a slender knife of rock, sticking its nose resolutely out of the spray. There was nowhere on the island where you could not see the water, nowhere you were not perpetually dampened with sea spray. Life there was miserable. There was little in the way of vegetation, so there was nothing to eat and no shelter from the harsh sun. But that was the point. All you had to do was walk off in any direction you chose, let the cool water cover you and drain away your memories, and you would be off to your next existence, just like the cycle intended. Soul Society was a waypost for souls to linger, if they must, but Inuzuri reminded its citizens that moving along was strongly encouraged.

Rukia had never considered it, personally, although she and the other children had always played chicken with the ocean-- diving in to escape the heat, staying underwater as long as they could stand it, repeating her own name in her head over and over again so she wouldn’t forget it. No one could swim as well as her and Renji. He had the unfair advantage of long limbs and giant feet, which meant that she was the more skilled, since she could keep up with him. She thought of their races now, the burning in her arms and legs, each gasping breath a victory, the thrill of pulling yourself through the water, of flopping up, exhausted, onto the beach, the sun baking them dry.

She honestly didn’t even know if Byakuya knew how to swim.

Who needed to swim, though, when you could use your reiatsu to walk on water? When you could use kidou to make yourself a breath bubble or summon a shield of water or shoot pressurized droplets of water like knives? Rukia had been surprised the first time she had seen uniforms of the highest ranking shinigami. With their full hakama and flowing haori, they would become a helpless morass if her noble brother somehow managed to fall in the drink.

Perhaps that was the point, though. It wasn’t the outfit of a man who pumped bilge or dragged a dinghy to shore. It was a uniform made for striding decks, for commanding. Rukia had been aboard her brother’s great armored atakebune, the pride of the fleet, the defense of the Seireitei. The ships of the Sixth were much larger and carried more powerful armaments than the agile warships of the Eleventh, which counted their crew as their most dangerous weapons. The police corvettes of the Second were sleek and fast as the wind, in contrast to the lumbering supply vessels of the Fourth, and the huge exploration vessels that the Twelfth sent out into those vast blank sections on the maps. The ships of her own division were modest, meant merely for traveling to and from the great whirlpool gates that led to the World of the Living. They were homey, though, and she felt at peace remembering their smooth, sun-warmed deckboards beneath her bare toes.

Rukia would be hard pressed to remember a time that her brother was kind to her, but she did remember strolling the quay, a few steps behind him, admiring the great fleet of the Gotei. He would occasionally point out distinguishing features of the ships--damage from a recent action, some new technological or aesthetic improvement, but mostly they just observed in companionable silence. Byakuya had been late to arrive at the execution grounds, although at least he had come. He had barely spared a glance for her. She wondered if he would ever think of her as he contemplated the ships. She wondered if he would still speak his remarks aloud, with no sister there to hear them.

Soukyoku Chasm sat at the very center of the Seireitei. The First Division had been built in a large ring around it, so that the shinigami of the First did not need to pass too near as they scurried about. On the approach, it appeared as a gradual, rocky outcropping, until suddenly, it dropped away into a black well, so deep that the water wasn’t even visible from the top. Soukyoku Chasm was the headwaters of the massive River of Souls, which ran underground for much of the diameter of the Seireitei. The river did break the surface in the southern part of the city, and if you followed it all the way to the southern gate, it poured down into the sea. It was said to be the mouth of the ocean, the source of all water in Soul Society. Near the Seireitei, it did not steal memory, but as it drained away to the outer reaches of the islands that made up Rukongai, it became greedy.

Rukia didn’t know much about the water down here in the Chasm itself, at its very source, where the Soukyouku quietly slept. Presumably at least some of the captains knew, the Head Captain at least. She had been lowered down by kidou, golden chains erupting from the rock and sealing around her wrists and neck the moment her feet touched the basalt platform that formed one half of Soul Society’s great executioner. Perhaps even the mighty Captain Yamamoto chose not to know the nature of these waters. Shinkairyuu’ou was more than just a literal monster. It represented devastation by water. It dissolved all it touched, washed away all traces of its prey. Rukia’s soul would be destroyed as completely as a town swept away by a tsunami. There would be no trip through the resurrection cycle, no rebirth. This was to be a true end.

The water began to boil and swirl. An eerie green and purple glow rose from the water, casting reflections on the walls of the caldera. Suddenly, faster than she expected, a great head burst forth from the water, dragging sheets of water in its wake. Shinkairyuu’ou reared back on a thick, reptilian neck, before looming downward to regard Rukia with the dead white eyes of a deep sea anglerfish.

I am not afraid, Rukia said, staring right back. I have had a good life.

She thought about building fires of driftwood with Renji, about digging for rubbery clams in the wet sand, about trying to hold her eyes open against the sting of saltwater as they tried to prove who could hold their breath underwater longer, his hair waving in the water like seaweed. She did not think about the fact that he was probably dead now, his body not yet even cold. She did not know why he had died, or who had killed him, and she could not bring herself to think about these questions.

She thought about the cool breezes that brought the smell of salt up through Byakuya’s beautiful villa, about the shells and dried starfish set among the garden plants, bright blooms selected to thrive in the sandy soil. She thought about the light, silky kimono that appeared in her room, the fresh, delicious food that was served three times a day. She did not think about the years of silence, the flat hardness of Byakuya’s eyes on the rare occasions he deigned to look at her.

She thought about sunny afternoons on the soft beaches of Junrinan and Hokusai, the way Kaien waved his hands as he explained the currents of the world. She thought about the leather of her sword grip under her fingers, the feel of power coursing through her, the glow of a proud smile focused only on her. She did not think about the grief on Kaien’s face when he glimpsed the body of his wife, or the weight of his body as she caught him on her sword.

And of course, Rukia thought about Ichigo, about his peculiar dry world of metal and concrete and school and family and friends. She thought about his bravery and his pride and his heart, and how much she had watched him grow in just a handful of weeks. She thought about how Yamamoto had promised to pardon him, to allow him safe passage back to the World of the Living. She did not think about how easily the Head-Captain had agreed to her request.

Shinkairyuu’ou opened its mouth, its pharyngeal jaws slotting forward in anticipation. Sparks of kidou crackled between the ray-fins that wreathed its head. It made no noise, save the rush of water over its body as it lunged forward.

Rukia closed her eyes and waited.

And waited.

And waited a little longer.

It really seemed like something should have happened by this time, so she carefully unplastered one eyelid.

Shinkairyuu’ou, the Hunger of the Deep, the ancient beast that commanded the power of the currents, with the destructive power of a million zanpakutou, seemed stymied by the oversized sword currently wedged against its teeth.

“Yo,” said Ichigo.

For a moment, Rukia just stared. Ichigo stood on the air, a cloak marked with the Shihouin sigil whipping about his shoulders. His hair danced with static electricity, his face glistened with droplets of water. Nearly every bit of his skin that was visible was plastered with bandages. He seemed insufficiently concerned about the god-creature snarling at his back.

“Ichigo,” Rukia murmured, and that single word broke the dam. A flood of words gushed forth from her lips, scolding him for his foolishness, warning him of her brother’s anger, berating him for ruining her execution when she had gone to so much trouble to make her peace with it. She probably could have continued on for quite some time, if Shinkairyuu’ou hadn’t untangled its many rows of teeth from Ichigo’s sword. Ichigo was nearly tipped off his feet as the serpent reared back, prepared to make a second swing.

Ichigo turned and crouched into a defensive stance, eyes flashing.

“Stop, Ichigo!” Rukia begged. He had surprised it with the first blow, but it was a fluke, a miracle. “You won’t stop the Soukyoku a second time! It will tear you to pieces!”

Ichigo appeared to have stopped listening to her.

But to the surprise of all involved, a coil of thick cord suddenly swung down from above, whipping about the sea serpent’s face and neck.

Ichigo uttered a phrase that upstanding young men probably shouldn’t know, a phrase that Rukia had used much in her own youth.

Shinkairyuu’ou writhed and twisted, trying to shake off the trap. There was a sudden burst of reiatsu so strong that even in her weakened state, Rukia recognized it immediately. “My captain,” she gasped. “And his friend, Captain Kyouraku, as well.”

The body of Shinkairyuu’ou shimmered, going misty about the edges for a moment, and then abruptly turned translucent and lost its form, turning completely to water and splashing down into the lagoon, the magical binding falling limp.

“Huh!” Ichigo remarked, as though his school cafeteria had begun to serve a new flavor of bread, or he had seen a particularly interesting caterpillar, instead of the dissolution of a major protective spirit by a double dose of captain-level reiatsu through a what was likely a heavily guarded and illegal magical artifact. Ichigo ran his fingers through his hair, shaking out drops of former-sea-god.

“It will reform in time,” Rukia couldn’t help saying. “It may take a few centuries, but the Soukyoku is not a thing that can be destroyed permanently. The foundations of the sea floor, the very stability of Soul Society will be weakened with its absence.”

“Hmm. That’s a shame,” Ichigo replied, not sounding particularly concerned. He alighted daintily on barnacle crusted rock where she was chained and nudged her manacles with one foot. “These glowy chains are probably all magical and important, too, right?”

“Of course they are!” Rukia sputtered. “The Soukyoku is a two-part execution instrument. The anchor and the tide, the inevitability of destruction, the-- what are you doing?”

Ichigo had slipped the grip of his sword down his hand until he was holding the long piece of fabric that served as both hilt-wrap and makeshift sheath. He began to swing his sword over his head, in great lazy circles at first, spinning faster and faster. “‘Inevitable’, huh?” he grunted. With a violent jerk, he pulled the sword back into his hand, flipped it downward, and plunged it into the rock.

For a brief eternity, Rukia’s world became water. All of the water in the cove appeared to be rushing straight upward. It filled her eyes and ears and nose. She couldn’t breath, but it didn’t matter, because she had forgotten how to anyway. The water must be spraying straight out of the top of the cliff walls, Rukia realized. All those captains in their fancy uniforms were probably getting completely drenched. It was a very funny thought. It was also a very funny thought that after surviving the wrath of the Shinkairyuu’ou, Rukia might very well die as a result of Ichigo’s terrible decision making.

She did not die, though. Eventually, the water stopped its inexorable upward rush. There was a single moment where everything seemed completely frozen in time, and then the entire process reversed itself. Eventually, the relentless cascade relented and Rukia was able to gasp in a lungful of damp air. The downward pressure eased until Rukia was vaguely aware of a different kind of pressure against her midsection. She was being held. She was being held by Ichigo, who had her casually tucked under his arm, propped against his hip, the way she had seen him carry a football or a case of those soda pops his sisters liked to drink. It was very undignified.

Ichigo stood perched on the crumbling remains of the chunk of basalt. The chains appeared to have dissolved completely. His eyes searched the rim of the caldera above them, where a few faces were beginning to peak down over the edge.

“Don’t expect me to thank you,” Rukia managed, as her eyes squeezed out salt water, “fool.”

“Fine,” he replied. At least he had the courtesy not to look at her, not that either of them had ever been much for courtesies.

Their time was being counted in seconds, though, there was no time for sentiment. “You probably planned to escape down the river,” Rukia said flatly. “The currents are vicious, even for a strong swimmer. If we cannot escape it in the brief distance between where it breaks the surface and the coast, it will dump us directly at the naval station, where the majority of the Gotei fleet is anchored. We would be surrounded. That’s even assuming the captains don’t intercept us first.”

“I don’t want to go down that river,” Ichigo decided with a frown. “That sounds really shitty. I think I might go up there and beat all those guys up instead.”

“Ichigo,” Rukia said firmly.

“You’re not the only one I have to save, you know,” Ichigo said suddenly, adjusting his grip on his sword and hefting her a little higher on his hip. “There’s Orihime and Uryuu and Chad, too. And Ganju. And Hanatarou. Everyone who helped me. I’m gonna save ‘em all and get out of here.”

No part of this should have been reassuring. He hadn’t addressed a single point she had made. He didn’t even seem concerned.

Maybe that was it, actually. In fact there was glint in Ichigo’s eye, an electricity in his stance that Rukia felt rushing into her own body. He had fought back the Shinkairyuu’ou, hadn’t he? What were a half dozen captains to him? Rukia didn’t even know how he had gotten here, what had he gone through already? He had grown strong in her absence, grown into something it was almost impossible to recognize.

Suddenly, there was a small splashing noise from the other end of the caldera, magnified as it echoed loudly around the rock walls. Rukia’s body tensed, and her head whipped around, wondering if the were about to be intercepted by a team of Second Division frogmen.

Instead, a lone man was hauling himself up onto a little cluster of rock near the outlet where the water from the Chasm emptied into the River of Souls, grumbling a stream of obscenities and squeezing out his hair. He’d swapped the elegant lieutenant’s uniform she’d last seen him in for a pair of close-fitting diver’s trousers, a lot of bandages, and not much else, but if there was anyone in Soul Society who was more recognizable with his shirt off than on, it was him.

He wasn’t dead.

“Renji!” Rukia’s voice rang out, in a shout that was almost a sob.

She wouldn’t exactly describe him as boyish, but perhaps because he was out of his uniform, Renji seemed to have turned from the Lieutenant of the Sixth back into the youth she had hitched rides on rafts and dinghies across half the Ocean of Death with. When she called his name, she half expected to see his face split into that old, dazzling smile, all care wiped from his face by the sound of her voice.

Instead, he looked up, eyes wide and white with desperation that melted into relief the moment he caught sight of her. “Rukia!” he called back, still wiping water from his face.

“Thank goodness!” Rukia mumbled. How had he possibly swam up the River of Souls? She swore she’d felt his reiatsu drop to nearly nothing, and the bandages seemed to support the idea that he’d just lost a fight. How…how…? “Thank goodness you’re alive!”

“Renji!” Ichigo barked suddenly, and hefted Rukia up above his shoulder.

Renji looked just as confused as she felt. Rukia glanced down at Ichigo for some hint of what he was thinking. “H-hey! What are you doing?!” Neither the manic grin on his face nor the wicked glint in his eye was particularly reassuring.

“Wait!” Renji bellowed, waving his hands. “You’re not going to--”

“CATCH!!”

Being hurled violently through the air was not worse than being caught in the water spout that had accompanied the Soukyoku’s destruction, but Rukia’s day had been very long and these things were starting to wear on her. A very unbecoming screech tore forth from her throat as the whipping wind pulled water from her eyes. It’s possible that Renji and Ichigo were also shouting. She had no idea.

Fortunately, after a few instants, her momentum was suddenly being absorbed by a well-muscled chest, a pair of strong arms closing around her. For the briefest of moments, she thought she was safe, before realizing she had only slowed, not stopped, and she and Renji were now tumbling backwards together. Time seemed to slow down as they hung in the air for a minor infinity and then it was water again, but gentle this time, cushioning their fall. Rukia peered past the glossy bubbles of her own breath, searching for Renji’s pale face. The water was less salty than the ocean of their childhood, but it was still difficult to hold her eyes open and his hair still danced in the current like seaweed.

And then Renji’s arm looped around her again, hauling her upward. They broke the surface, and it became suddenly evident how strong the current was. Renji managed to grab onto a smaller outcropping of rock, barely a few meters from the mouth of the river. It wasn’t large enough to stand on, but it was a good enough handhold. Renji maneuvered Rukia between himself and the rock, making sure she was able to catch her breath while he blocked the brunt of the current with his body. This, however, did not seem to be his primary reason for the rest stop.

“ICHIGO!” he roared.

“YOU IMBECILE!” Rukia added.

“WHAT IF I’D MISSED HER, YOU MORON!”

Ichigo was busy judging the distance back up to the top, getting ready to make the jump. He spared them a look back. “Get out of here!” he shouted roughly. “I’m leaving her to you! Protect her with your life!”

Rukia had a lot more yelling at Ichigo to do, but Renji accepted this directive with great gravity. “Current’s rough,” he grunted softly in Rukia’s ear. “I’d like to have my arms free. If I put you on my back, do you feel strong enough to hold on? I’m gonna believe whatever you tell me, so if you lose your grip and fall off, you’ll only have yourself to blame.”

Rukia turned to face him. His face was open and sincere, the first time she had seen him so unguarded in forty years. “I can hold on,” she promised.

Rukia would have liked to linger a moment more. She had a few more words to say, although she wasn’t exactly sure which ones. She hadn’t actually allowed herself to look Renji full in the face since he locked the jail door behind her, and she had almost lost her chance forever. Renji was the sort of man who never forgot that tides and Gotei captains waited for no man, though. In an instant, he had turned his back to her, and after making sure her arms were securely around his neck, kicked off into the current.

Through her weakened senses, Rukia could just barely feel Ichigo’s reiatsu surge upward. There was no worry in her heart, though. Ichigo had become some sort of force of nature. One might as well worry about the fortunes of a volcano or a hurricane. She, herself, had been prepared to be pulverized by the power of the Soukyoku. She had survived, but she felt as though she had been transformed, or perhaps reverted, into a minnow or clump of sea foam. As she hurtled forward down the river, pushed by the rushing currents, pulled by Renji’s strong, sure strokes, she suddenly couldn’t wait to see the ocean again.

#what if requests #my writing #if anyone makes it through this mess i will be very impressed 😂😂😂#this is what happens when i cannot rely on banter to carry my stories #anyway it's good for me to have to describe things once in a while i feel like writing this was very Good for Me if nothing else

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