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lostcoves · 3 years

Text

– parisian nights

+ ft. tamaki amajiki

+ wc: 2.5k

+ format: one-shot

+ premise: tamaki amajiki, heir to amajiki enterprises, has it all. yet, all he wants is you. could a sudden trip to paris be enough to win your heart?

+ note: my piece for @bakugohoex’s 3k collab! hope you all enjoy!

tamaki amajiki, in a literal sense, had it all and anything he wanted was at a snap of his well-manicured fingertips. every luxury sports car, every trip to the tropics, every gaming system was only one lip pout to his daddy and mommy. he was spoiled to say the least but what kind of rich kid wasn’t?

it wasn’t until tamaki stumbled upon you that he took a moment to reevaluate his life as a rich boy.

you had humble beginnings, coming from a family of average societal standing. your family didn’t have to worry about money but they were nowhere close to the standing of the amajiki family. humble and modest, tamaki thought you were the cutest thing in the whole wide world!

and what tamaki liked, tamaki got.

he remembered flashing you a fat tip for your service at the coffee shop you worked as a barista at. tamaki struggled with social interaction at times but all of that went out the window the moment he locked eyes with you. he found that he didn’t have to work on his social skills, as long as he had the money to buy the friendships and interactions.

he thought you were the same as the others, easily swayed by money.

yet, you weren’t.

you rejected the tip and told him to put it in the communal tip jar for all the baristas shared from. tamaki was stunned but did what you asked of him. anxiety bubbled in his stomach and his facade of suave rich guy nearly cracked.

but tamaki wouldn’t give up so easily.

─────────────────

“morning, amajiki-san,” you greeted him every morning with that same gentle smile of yours. barely any customers were in the coffee shop, which tamaki preferred. he utterly despised crowds of people.

“good morning, (l/n)-san,” he returned the greeting and the smile.

“the usual?” you already got a medium-sized cup out.

“yes please,” he hummed. tamaki actually hated coffee, it made his anxiety worse but he would risk an anxiety attack if it meant he could interact with you.

you nodded and got to work, preparing a medium iced coffee for tamaki. he watched you move around from behind the counter, his eyes fixated on your gorgeous form.

“one medium iced coffee for amajiki-san!” you handed the coffee to tamaki.

“thank you,” tamaki fished out an envelope from his pocket, “your tip.”

you furrowed your eyebrows at the envelope and took it cautiously, “what’s this, amajiki-san?”

“your tip,” tamaki repeated.

carefully, you opened up the envelope and pulled out its contents.

“amajiki-san..” you uttered his first name, “what the hell is this?”

“two tickets to paris,” tamaki leaned against the counter, “well, the tickets are more of a formality. we’ll be taking my private jet to the city.”

“amajiki-san..” you sighed.

“pretty please, (l/n)-san?” tamaki flashed you his famous puppy eyes.

“why should i go with a guy i barely know?”

ouch, that hurt.

“well, we can use this as an opportunity to get to know one another.”

you frowned, “i’ll have to think about it.”

“come to this address in a week from now at two in the afternoon,” tamaki got out a pen from his pocket and wrote down an address on a piece of napkin, “if you’re interested in coming.”

you took the napkin and nodded, “very well then.”

tamaki could only hope that you would come.

─────────────────

tamaki paced around outside the private jet, frantically checking his watch every two minutes. it was nearly two o’clock and you still weren’t near yet. you weren’t coming, tamaki decided, much to his dismay.

“amajiki-sama?” the pilot poked his head outside the jet, “ready to take off?”

“no, not yet!” tamaki hollered. the pilot flashed a thumbs up and returned inside the plane. tamaki let out a heavy sigh, where were you?

“am i late?”

tamaki perked up at the sound of your voice. he saw your figure approaching the jet, the wind ruffling your white sundress and sunhat. a lone suitcase rolled behind you.

“you came,” tamaki stated in surprise.

“didn’t think i was gonna show?” you chuckled.

tamaki let out a soft laugh and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, “yeah..”

“well, i’m here!” you smiled, “you’re gonna treat me to the trip of a lifetime, correct? why in the world would i miss out on that?”

tamaki’s heart fluttered at the sight of your smile, “well, what are we waiting for? let’s get this trip started.”

a flight attendant exited the jet and took your luggage. tamaki took your hand and guided you inside the jet. your lips formed a small ‘o’ in shock at the interior of the jet. it was much larger on the inside than it was on the outside with push-lined seats and entertainment systems galore. a person could live without worry in this jet.

“you own this?” you asked tamaki, as you took a seat in one of the comfortable looking seats.

“my parents do,” he answered, “they use it for business trips.”

“i see,” you eyed at the approaching concession cart. the flight attendant before earlier was operating it and she offered you a wide selection of drinks and snacks. you ended up getting a plain green tea while tamaki got a bag of honey barbecue flavored chips.

“so what made you decide to invite me on this trip?” you took a long drag of your green tea.

tamaki paused from munching on his chips. he cleared his throat, “i thought ‘why not?’ in all honesty,” that was a lie, tamaki wanted to impress you with a flashy trip to the city of love.

“do you take all the girls you’ve met on trips to paris?”

“only the girls i like.”

tamaki almost choked at his comment, his cheeks flushing a nice shade of pink. you raised your eyebrows at him in an act of bewilderment. tamaki attempted to change the conversation and informed you, “we should be there in thirteen hours, so it’s best to “get situated.”

you gave him a nod, “alrighty. well, i’ll be asleep so you have fun.”

tamaki opened his mouth to reply, only to given the cold shoulder as you reclined your seat and got noise canceling headphones on. he watched, as you situated yourself and promptly fell asleep. he chuckled, that was adorable.

a two day trip to paris, what could possibly go wrong?

─────────────────

“(l/n)-san.”

tamaki gently removed your noise cancelling headphones from your head.

“we’re here, in paris.”

you let out a groan, as your eyes slowly opened. how long were you out? a couple of hours?

“you slept the whole trip,” tamaki laughed quietly.

“oh.. i did? sorry,” you murmured, rubbing the guck out of your eyes.

tamaki brushed a loose hair out of your face, “it’s alright.”

you blushed slightly at his warm touch but masked with a cough, “so! uh! whatcha wanna do in paris?”

tamaki blinked, he hadn’t planned that far ahead.

“would you like to see the louvre?”

─────────────────

japan had nothing on the bustling streets of paris. the sidewalks were filled to the brim with people mulling about, some on their phones with shopping bags and others chatting amongst themselves. the louvre was only a block away, crowded with tourists eager to see the mona lisa.

“no need to worry about the crowds,” tamaki gave you a smile when you two approached the louvre, “i set aside us a private tour of the musuem.”

“oh really?” you crossed your arms with disdain.

tamaki pouted, “would.. would you rather do a normal tour?”

you smiled, “yes please.”

the two of you pushed your way through the crowds and entered the louvre, you staring in awe of the artworks. tamaki concealed a small smile at your wonderment, he found it to be absolutely cute to watch.

you’re more than a work of art, (f/n). was what tamaki wanted to say but he didn’t have the courage nor the guts to say it.

“wow, the mona lisa is so tiny!” you commented to tamaki when you two found the famed piece of art. you were right, the mona lisa was surprisingly small. you grabbed tamaki by the hand and pulled him closer to the painting, “look how beautiful it is, amajiki-san.”

tamaki grew flustered at your touch but gave your hand a light squeeze, “(l/n)-san.. you can call me tamaki, if you want.”

you gave him a look and tamaki cursed internally. was it too soon to be on a first name basis?

“okay, tamaki.”

tamaki let out a sigh of relief.

“where would you like to go next?” tamaki questioned to you after the two of you finished your tour of the louvre.

you pondered on the question for a moment.

“let’s go shopping.”

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tamaki patiently waited outside a fitting room, as you tried on various articles of clothing. he offered to pay– his parents gave him an allowance for the trip– and to his surprise, you actually accepted his offer.

“you alright in there..?” tamaki asked, not wanting to walk in on you half naked.

there was some rustling and you emerged from the dressing room, “how do i look?” you asked tamaki, twirling around in your new dress.

tamaki gulped at the sight of the dress. its neckline highlighted your collarbone quite nicely and hugged your curves just right. he pulled at his collar and adverted his gaze, “er.. you look.. uh.. very nice..”

“i do?” you hugged his arm and pressed yourself against tamaki. he was sweating bullets now, “yes! y- yes, you d- do!” his eyes widened, not his stutter coming back at the worst possible moment.

“you have a stutter?”

shit. shit. shit. shit. shit.

“so wh- what if i d- do..”

“it’s cute.”

tamaki’s eyes widened.

“y- you th- think so?”

you nodded rapidly, “of course i do! i’m not gonna poke fun at it.”

tamaki coughed, “th- thanks.”

“of course,” you released your hold on his arm, “the night is still young, what should we do next?”

tamaki peered outside, nightfall was upon the city.

“a trip to paris isn’t complete without a visit to the effiel tower now, isn’t it?”

─────────────────

being on top of the effiel tower made the world seem so small.

tamaki took a moment to enjoy the cold breeze that passed through his indigo locks, closing his eyes and just enjoying the feeling of being on top of the world for a moment. you stood next to him, doing the same thing. you hated to admit it but this had been the most fun you have had in a while. all thanks to tamaki amajiki, of course.

“hey tamaki?”

“yes, (f/n)?”

“can i tell you a secret?”

tamaki opened his eyes, “of course.”

you stared out onto the city of lights and leaned against the guardrail.

“i never left japan until yesterday.”

tamaki laughed, “that’s not much of a secret. it was a little obvious.”

you scrunched your nose up in annoyance, “meanie.”

tamaki acted wounded, “that hurt.”

you rolled your eyes, “i enjoyed today. i hope you can ensure the same for tomorrow.”

tamaki looked down at his shoes and sighed, “i hope i can.”

“hey tamaki?”

“yes?” he looked up.

“what’s the real reason you invited me on this trip?”

tamaki hung his head down low.

“tamaki, look at me.”

he looked back up.

“tell me the truth.”

tamaki couldn’t lie to you anymore.

“it’s because.. i like you, (f/n).”

now it was your turn to hang your head low.

“why me, tamaki?”

tamaki pressed his lips together, “what do you mean?”

taking his hands into yours, the two of you were forced to look one another in the eye. you took a deep breath and began to speak your piece.

“i want to know the real tamaki amajiki. not this fake version. i think the closer we got was what happened in the fitting room. i get it, you’re rich.. but you didn’t have to whisk me away to paris just to confess that you had a crush on me, tamaki.”

“wh- what should have i done instead..?” not the stutter!

you half-smiled, “take me out for coffee, silly.”

was it really that simple?

“maybe i- i do that next time.”

“next time?”

fuck, was there not going to be a next time?

“there won’t be a next time until you tell me about yourself,” you gave tamaki a playful punch in the shoulder. he winced a bit but played it off. tamaki looked back out onto the city, “what would you like to know?”

“what’s it like being an heir?” you leaned against the guardrail.

tamaki tilted his head back and let out a long breathe, “exhausting.”

you cocked your head to the left, “how so?”

“my parents have high expectations of me. forcing me to go to college to study business for the sole purpose of taking over the company. this might sound silly but i wanted to study food science and become a nutritional therapist,” tamaki clasped his hands together tightly, “there’s no true freedom. money has a price and that price is your freedom. the public hounds you, the elite is full of backstabbers, and i just want to settle down with a nice girl.”

“and that nice girl would be?” you smiled.

“you, of course.”

you blushed at tamaki’s response.

“i would give up all the money i have if it means i can be with you,” tamaki confessed with tears in his eyes, “i truly mean it. i fell in love with you the moment i saw you in that coffee shop, (f/n) (l/n).”

“re- really?” now you were stuttering.

“truly,” tamaki cupped your cheeks and bore his eyes into yours, “i truly mean it. i only want you, (f/n). i would give you everything and anything you could have ever wanted. i want to be there for you.”

“b- but you barely know me!” you protested.

“then let me get to know you,” tamaki fired back.

you were rendered speechless. you adverted your gaze from tamaki and he removed his hands from your face. tamaki bowed his head in disgrace, “i- i’m sorry, (l/n)-san.”

“it’s okay, tamaki!” you exclaimed, “really it is. i admire your fire. i want to get you better, as well. truly, i do.”

tamaki relaxed his shoulders and placed a hand against his chest in an effort to calm his rapidly beating heart. you looked heavenly under the lights of the effiel tower with your new dress and your pearly white smile. he just wanted to kiss your damn face already.

“tamaki.”

“yes, (f/n)?”

“here,” you pressed a kiss to his lips. tamaki’s eyes widened for a moment before he closed them, allowing himself to get lost in the kiss. your lips tasted like the croissant you had earlier that day. tamaki could kiss you forever.

“let’s get to know one another better before a second date, okay?”

tamaki was more than fine with that.

one day, he’ll be yours.

#bee scribbles #rich boy collab #boku no hero academia #bnha #my hero academia #mha #boku no hero academia x reader #bnha x reader #my hero academia x reader #mha x reader #tamaki #tamaki amajiki #tamaki x reader #tamaki amajiki x reader #original work

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makowo · 3 years

Text

Forever Deep Below Creation

This is still a work in progress, but due to my lack of posted writing in the past 3 months, I thought I'd give a sneak peek at the beginning of the fic.

Warnings: None

Characters: Naegi Makoto, Kirigiri Kyoko

Relationships: Kirigiri Kyoko/Naegi Makoto

Words: 3k

It’s another warm night in the woods. Cicadas cast their calls to the air, and while some creatures tuck into their nests and dens, others rise to greet the darkened sky. Wing and hooves and fingers and claws grazing the sky, Brushing against the stars and cupping the face of the moon.

And here Makoto is, prepping dinner in the cottage he calls a home. His home. Their home.

He pulls out a knife from the block by the counter just as he hears the front door’s lock click. He can almost feel the burst of warm night air flooding their living room, though it is little to the warmth of the stove as it works to bring water to a boil.

He blinks, dropping his focus to turn towards his wife with a grin. “Welcome home honey!”

“Honey?” Kyoko echos, placing her bag on the coffee table. She leaves her holstered gun beside it, walking into the kitchen to check on him. “It’s unusual for you to use pet names.”

“Only if I wanna tease you.” He chuckles, and she does it right back. “Unless you prefer stuff like “babe” or “sweetheart”?”

Arms wrap around his waist, Kyoko resting her chin on his shoulder. “What’s for dinner tonight?”

She avoids the question, and he saves that tidbit of info for later. Avoidance is not a no, after all. “Yakisoba.” He nudges the noodles around with a spoon, half-focused on it as he leans back against his wife. “Thought it might be good to have something quick tonight, y’know?”

Kyoko merely hums, burying her face into the crook of his neck. “Shouldn’t you turn up the AC? You’re cold.”

“Means I can cuddle up to you to stay warm tonight though.”

“As if I’ll let you do that.” She scoffs. He can feel her smile against his skin.

“Ohh?” He goes through the motions of prepping their dinner, Kyoko stumbling along with his hasty steps with a steadfast grip. “And how are you gonna stop it?” Even if they’re on opposite ends of the bed, they always wake up with one clinging to the other. Hard not to cuddle.

She takes a minute to ruminate on it, before managing an answer. “Heater. Right between us.”

Makoto laughs. “Won’t that burn?”

“If it keeps your ice hands from touching me at 2 in the morning, then ‘m fine.”

His whine of objection couldn’t be more fake. “That’s mean.” He quickly nabs the pair of bowls set aside early on, tracing the grooves of their rims with his thumbs as he sets them out side by side. “You’re mean.”

Finally, he’s released from his lavender-scented prison as Kyoko reaches for one of the bowls, unsubtly nudging him in an attempt to get him out of the way. He stays still however, nudging her right back. “It’s still hot, Kiri-san! Gotta let it sit for a bit.” He warns with a frown.

“It can sit for a bit in my bowl.” She replies deadpan, still urging him away. And he relents, because it isn’t that big of a deal anyway but he doesn’t want to watch Kyoko burn her mouth while trying to eat again. Or just forget about it while she works.

“Then eat with me in the living room.” Makoto grabs his own bowl, getting what yakisoba she leaves behind in the pan. “And after it, we go straight to bed.” He’s not risking his work going to waste, after all.

Even with these tough terms he’s set up, Kyoko lazily nods, most likely due to still suffering from sleep deprivation. Maybe she’ll decline when she’s woken up a bit, maybe she won’t. Makoto decides to settle down on the couch and put on a movie that might distract her from it anyway.

It’s more background noise than anything, though; something about an escape room? Pretty sure he put on a sequel movie too, which turns their interest only to one another. Not that he minds.

“Would you like to go on a trip sometime in the next month?”

“Mmh, yeah?” He replies through a mouthful of food, quickly swallowing it before continuing. “What case has you going out of the country this time?” It’s not odd for Kyoko to ask if he wants to travel with her if she knows it’ll take too long for Makoto to bear.

She shakes her head, taking a bite of her food before answering. “I mean as a vacation, actually?” She replies with a tone implying that she’s questioning her own words already.

“Vacation?” He can’t help but echo, because… well, Kyoko never takes vacations! He can imagine she has a lot of days saved up because of that, but it never seems like she plans to put them to use other than for emergencies. Guess he read her wrong on that part, even if this is the first time she’s planning a legitimate vacation herself in the four years she’s been working as a detective again.

“Is it a bad time?”

“No, no!” Makoto shakes his head, not daring to let this slip by. “I’d love a vacation! It’d be nice to get out of the house.” He doesn’t really have much going on anyway, since the whole school idea didn’t really pan out. He’s just a stay at home husband now, and since Kyoko still makes enough money to support them both, he’s not actively seeking a job right now. Thus, he’s perfectly free.

Kyoko smiles. “Good. I’ve made sure to go ahead and clear up a week for ourselves, but I need to know what you might want to do.” She glances at him curiously, before quickly adding on. “Preferably not something that’s outside of Japan, I’d have trouble paying for that right now.”

Well that’s a no brainer for him, but it does narrow down his options significantly, which he happens to be thankful for. “Do you have anything in mind?” For a fleeting moment, Makoto recalls his dinner, taking a bite of it before he looks away from it and thus forgets it even exists. “I’m gonna be honest, I don’t really have anything in mind…” Never been one to aspire for once-in-a-lifetime thrills, like skydiving or something. He’d be happy just lounging at home the whole week, despite his earlier comment.

“I thought we could go to a nearby city then, and go sight-seeing.” Kyoko spares a glance towards the movie playing, before interest in it is once again immediately lost “Maybe in Seoul? There’s a large cave system there as well, and they’re open to caving this time of year.”

“Hm?” Makoto tries to recall what exactly that is, but he’s drawing blanks. “What’s that?”

“Well, Seoul is-”

“I know what Seoul is.” Makoto deadpans, though completely understands why she thought that was what he was talking about. He’s not the most educated person, what with the whole memory loss thing. “”I mean caving! I’ve never, uh, heard of that.”

“Ah.” Kyoko nods, setting down her bowl on the coffee table. “Apologies. It is rather self-explanatory however; we just go and explore a cave system with a small group.” She shrugs, stifling a yawn. “I thought it might be fun to do something like that together. It’s rare for a person to do, wouldn’t be too dangerous, and we’d be together the whole time.”

That does sound pretty cool, he’ll admit. He’s never really gone into a cave before, if he excludes the ones that they’d have to hide in during… ah, well, it’d just be nice. Doing something kind of thrilling. He imagines it’s thrilling, at least.

“I think it’d be fun!” He finally chirps, leaning over to rest his head on Kyoko’s shoulder. “It’s been a while since we’ve done something together, I’m sure it’d be a good time for us both.” And he’s pretty sure they don’t have any trauma tied to caves, which is a definite plus! Unless they count claustrophobia? Neither of them have shown signs of that though, so they’ll hopefully be fine. Hopefully.

As if she were able to sense his worry (which he doesn’t doubt that she can), Kyoko places a hand on his leg, stopping its worried bouncing. He hadn’t even noticed it doing that. “Are you sure?” She asks lightly, brow furrowed with worry. “”It can be dangerous, you know. There’s only so much a tour guide can do to make naturally made caves safe to enter.”

Makoto frowns, now actually worried. “Then why would you recommend it?” He asks, very quietly.

Kyoko takes a while to respond. In fact, she doesn’t respond until she’s actually finished her dinner, as well as his. It was getting cold so he may as well let her have it. “Do some looking, and if you have a better idea, tell me.” And then she heads to bed, because that’s just. A perfectly fine way of ending a conversation.

Makoto trudges on after her after about an hour of thinking (mostly lack thereof, with the television being such a terribly convenient and easy distraction) on the couch. Unlike most nights though, where the room is pitch black, her back turned from the door so as to not catch the stray rays of lights that he’s forgotten to turn off, it’s… actually still pitch black in there. But after a moment of letting his eyes adjust, he catches Kyoko’s alarmingly bright gaze cutting through the gloom.

“Can’t sleep?” He mutters as he stumbles through the dark, going off of his recollection of the room’s layout, reduced to something of barely any use through the haze of sleepiness tugging at his being.

“I can.” She replies slowly, watching him not unlike how a cat would watch their owner. Not that she or their relationship in general compares to that; she just has that… “look”. Like she knows everything. “Was just waiting for you to come to bed.”

If he’s being honest, it’s kind of exciting. It’s the look she gives when her interest is upon him entirely, something that earns a flattered blush every time. “Thank you then.” He chirps, before crawling into bed like a lizard wriggling beneath the warm sands of a desert, except much less gracefully.

He almost expects nothing to happen, oddly enough. He should have known Kyoko was waiting for a reason.

A warmth presses up against his back, and a hum against his ear. “Don’t have to go in until noon tomorrow.” Kyoko huffs. He can just sense her smile when he shivers. “So… we could…” something presses between his legs, and teases just the right spot, “have some time to ourselves, maybe…?”

Makoto is a weak man, and especially weak for his wife. And thus, all he can do is scrounge up what remains of his energy, roll over, and let the franticness of their motions do the rest. ------------------------------------

It’s quite a hike to get to the cave they’ve been looking at. The route is safe, spacious, and short for the most part; it’s apparently a tour “good for beginners”, and while Makoto believes their caving adventures will begin and end with this one, it’s nice to know that this place doesn’t have any curveballs. Or spike-filled areas. Or tunnels one can only crawl through. Or maybe even fractures.

“Stop worrying.” Kyoko demands, his thoughts coming to a harsh stop. He manages not to be totally thrown off, following hastily after his wife as they trudge along a pebble-filled path.

He sighs when he catches up, glancing around. Just west there’s Tokyo, bustling with life, but it’s far enough only to serve as a backdrop to the hill-covered fields they’re in. They follow a path lined by thin ropes tied to sticks in the ground every other step, as despite the lack of actually dangerous areas nearby, there’s a lot of… well, area. The Tragedy changed a lot of the landscape, more so than most would believe.

Stopping his mind from wandering too far again, Makoto directs his attention ahead. They have a few other people with them, much more diverse in their body type than he assumes the average would be for much more difficult to traverse caves. They talk amongst themselves, all of them clearly going with someone they know for the trip. Ahead of them, the tour guides walk, though he can’t tell what they’re doing. He doubts it to be much at all, really.

“Are you excited?” He finally asks, careful not to speak loudly. He doesn’t want to draw much attention from their peers here, they’re lucky enough to have only garnered a few curious looks.

“Of course.” Kyoko replies, just as quiet. “I’m sorry it had to be delayed so much, cases just kept piling up.”

Makoto scoffs. “Don’t worry about it, I’m just glad you’re able to help people.” Adjusting to keep a good hold on his backpack, he reaches over to grasp Kyoko’s hand. She’s changed her gloves today. Much rougher. “Even if it’s not another year until we get a chance like this again, I’m satisfied.”

He hopes for a smile, or the most likely quirk of the lips she gives when beyond the walls of their home. He earns neither.

“I’m not.” She tightens her grip, tugging him forwards. “Come on. We’re falling behind.”

Makoto nods, silent as he follows her up the steep incline, and silent still until they come to the entrance to the cave.

He can only think of an open maw when he sees the entrance. It sits neatly above the ground, embedded into the side of the hill’s peak, moss creeping over the exposed rock. Various plants and flowers bloom from cracks in the walls he can see, reaching out towards the sunlight beyond. But as he looks upon the entrance, the teasing glimpse it shows of its surely vast depths, he can’t help but think they’re trying to escape the dark rather than gain any sunlight.

The heat must be getting to him.

“Alright everyone!” One of the guides chirps, clapping their hands to get everyone’s attention. “Let’s do a quick check to make sure everyone has what they need!”

Makoto remembers all their supplies, and part of him knows that he has everything, but anxiety urges him to check once more. Plus, he needs to actually put some of it on now. That too.

He crouches down and pulls his backpack around, trying not to focus on the cave. Instead, he mentally lists off each item as he finds it; helmet, gloves, boots, first aid kit, and a flashlight. Not much really, and he’s more than happy about that fact.

Makoto sighs, putting on each item he needs and putting away the rest. He’s careful about the gloves in particular as he puts them on; the helmet may have a light that could break if he’s not cautious, but Kyoko picked these out for him specifically before this trip. She has very strong opinions about them, and apparently these are the best pair for this sort of task that she could find. And they must be, they’re very comfortable! A perfect fit even, despite the fact that she gave them to him on the way here without any warning. He can’t imagine what they must have cost.

After checking for his caving suit and quickly realizing that he already put it on before making this trek, Makoto shoves his old shoes and socks into the back, hopping back up just as everyone else seems to be handed something.

“Now, before we head in, I want you all to get a good look at this map.” The guide says as they hand a sheet of paper to each group. “Even if this is a short trip, and we know this place like the backs of our hands, there’s a few turns here and there!”

Kyoko takes the map they’re given, Makoto peering at it from over her shoulder, having to crane his neck to get a good look. It doesn’t seem like too much, thankfully; there’s a meander or two, but none on the main path, thank the gods. He’d prefer not to have to do any crawling during this!

“It’s a straight shot, huh?” He comments absentmindedly, resting his chin on his wife’s shoulder.

She merely huffs, reaching back to thread her fingers through his hair. Despite the unsatisfying feeling of the gloves she’s wearing right now, he eagerly leans into the touch. “Yes. I’ve seen pictures of the cave as well, and it appears to not be very dangerous, unless one was actually being reckless. Should take about twenty minutes, at most.”

Makoto grins, wrapping his arms around Kyoko’s waist. She makes another sound, something like a noncommittal grunt, but doesn’t nudge him away as he expects. It’s nice. “And after this we go eat at Stellar Cafe.”

“We ate there last week.” She quickly reminds him, paying only a partial bit of attention to what those in front of them are saying. Something about the first aid kits, nothing very important.

“Too bad.” He gives her a quick peck on the cheek. “I like their food, and the service is nice.”

He can hear her stifle a laugh as she pulls away. “You like their curry. There’s perfectly good curry elsewhere.” She reaches into her own backpack, pulling out a walkie talkie. “Now get your radio out.”

“Don’t you think this is kind of overboard?” He pulls it out anyway of course, making sure his is connected to hers. “They never recommended these for caving, at least not on the sites I looked at.” Seems that most of the time people are expected to stay together anyway, if there’s more than one person at all. He’s surprised Kyoko decided to do this.

“Can’t ever be too safe.” Is all she says, before looking to the cave. “It’s time to go.”

Makoto follows her gaze, and sees the rest of the group already clambering over rocks as they enter the hole. “Ah.” He pauses, choking on nothing for a moment so fleeting he can’t even react. “Yeah.”

If he showed any hesitation, Kyoko does not acknowledge it. Instead, she walks ahead, and with heavy steps he pretends are eager, Makoto follows her into the dark.

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

and that's it! quite a bit, and definitely not the best writing in the world, but im very proud of it so far! if you can then please rb this and give your thoughts, i do this for free but there's a reason i post my fics at all, which is validation <3 basically what keeps me going and able to continue writing at all, actually.

#danganronpa #makoto naegi #naegi makoto #kyoko kirigiri #kirigiri kyoko #naegiri #writing #fics #this has taken. a While #ofc this isnt the final product but this cuts off right before the horror parts start. which im very excited for #this fic has been a long time coming and im SO excited to do it <3 aaaaa

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drazzilder · 3 years

Text

A Winter’s Flight

By Drazzzilder

Chapter 8: Snow

Winter has taken over Japan this year. Almost the whole country is covered in a fresh blanket of white powder. Shoto and Natsuo are home for winter break and Fuyumi is visiting as well. You and Enji took the initiative to plan a vacation at a ski resort for the whole family, even managing to convince Enji to let Keigo come as well. You could practically hear Keigo yelling in excitement when you texted him the news.

E: “Is everyone ready? We need to leave soon so we don’t miss the Shinkansen.” He yells from the first floor.

F: “Almost! I’m just closing my suit case now!”

N: Coming down the stairs followed by Shoto “I don’t know what’s the big rush, we can just teleport there if we miss the train.”

S: “We used his powers before.”

Z: “You can’t rely on us for everything. You need to learn how to time manage.”

K: “I might be a mess according to your father but at least I’m on time. You all have been spoiled by Hellboy’s quirk.”

(Y/N): “I know I spoil them; I can’t help it. But we really need to leaving soon.”

F: “Coming!” She says running down the stairs. She trips over her feet and is about to tumble down but a few feathers quickly catch her and her suitcase.

K: “Careful!” He slowly lowers her back to the ground. He looks at her face which is flush with embarrassment.

F: “Thank you. I was in a rush and I guess I tripped over myself.”

Z: “Please be careful, we don’t want you to get hurt before you even get to the resort.”

E: “Now that everyone is ready, let’s go.”

You all leave the house and manage to just make the train. You and Enji are sitting right next to each other while Zaheer is facing you both, taking up 2 seats. Shoto and Natsuo are sitting next to each-other on the other side of the train while Fuyumi and Keigo are sitting behind them. You put Enji near the window to prevent him from turning back to look at the two constantly.

F: “I’m really excited you are coming with us.”

K: “I am too! I don’t know how (Y/N) managed to convince your father to let me come. He must have used some of that demonic power on him.”

F: “No need. My father loves him so much that if (Y/N) ask for something, he would make it happen no matter what.”

K: “I think it’s strange seeing him in love. I mean, look at them up there.” At this point Keigo is looking and you and Enji. Enji has wrapped his arm around you while you hold his other hand in his lap. Your free hand is holding your phone, watching a video together. “It’s kind of adorable when you see it. Such a large, imposing man absolutely in love with someone. It is nice to see him happy. When I was a kid, he was just grumpy looking all the time.”

F: “He has a tendency to be private about his personal life. They are definitely more open about their relationship now but for a while it was hidden. He was afraid of what the public would think; being married to a woman then a man. But, I am happy (Y/N) came into our life. Without him, my father might not be here.��

K: “What do you mean?”

F: “All that stuff I told you, he regretted it so much it was eating him alive. (Y/N) was there to help him process it. It was strange seeing him with a man at first but after a while we saw what he was doing for dad, we know why they fell in love. Now I can’t imagine the two not together.”

K: “I’m glad to hear everything worked out. I did want to know, what is it like living with a demon?”

F: “Hmmm, other than he looks different, Zaheer acts just like us. He is just another member of the family.”

K: “That’s boring…” he pouts. “Wait, I just realized. He has a wedding ring on too?”

F: “Technically only Dad and (Y/N) are married but my father gave Zaheer a ring as a symbolic gesture. He does live inside of (Y/N) after all.”

K: “Awww, does he like Endeavor too?”

F: “Yes. It might be strange, but this is our family.”

K: “Anything else about the big guy?”

F: “He does break things but that’s just because he is so big. He is really fun when you get to know him. Even Natsuo likes him, which I can’t say about a lot of people.”

K: “Kinda wanna see him at home being all silly. I only see him when he is being a hero.”

F: “You will probably see that on this trip. Why are you so interested in Zaheer?”

K: “I just think it’s strange that a demon acts like he does.”

F: “He loves (Y/N) and Enji so much, he would never hurt them.”

K: “Eh… I guess that makes sense.”

F: “That doesn’t mean he won’t come after you if you make him mad. He is quite a force to reckoned with.”

~Meanwhile~

(Y/N): “Don’t worry so much. They are fine.”

E: “I can’t believe I said yes to him coming.” He gruffs.

Z: “I can. You always say yes to (Y/N).”

E: “I know… I can’t help it.”

(Y/N): “I didn’t ask him to come just for Fuyumi. I wanted Keigo and you to try to get along.”

E: “What?!” His glasses begin to fog.

Z: “Calm down. We don’t want the whole train to hear you.”

(Y/N): “You don’t have to hang out but just see what he does for her. Maybe you can see why she likes him. Come on, give him a chance. For me?” You bat your eyes at him, all goofy like.

E: “Fine…. But only for you.” He kisses you on the lips.

It isn’t long till everyone arrives at the ski resort. It is high in the mountains, fresh snow everywhere. Everyone wastes no time getting onto the slopes. Shoto and Natsuo had no problem getting up the mountain but down was another story for Natsuo where Shoto was a natural at the snowboard. Zaheer had the hardest time trying to find equipment to rend but they eventually found something that fits his size, hopefully he doesn’t break the skis. You and Enji just skied down some smaller slopes, keeping things calm. You had to, on more than one occasion, remind Enji not to use his fire on the mountain. Keigo and Fuyumi went all the way to the top to try the black diamond slope. She was a little afraid but Keigo wasn’t. The fresh powder made for a great ski down the mountain. She did fall twice but he was there to help her up. Everyone met for lunch in the cabin Enji rented. Afterwards, they went back to the mountain again.

F: “I’m having a lot of fun, Keigo. I never have skied before.”

K: “You’re a natural! I knew it would be a good time with you.”

F: “Maybe my dad will lighten up seeing how much fun we are having together.”

K: “Eh… we can hope. Come on, we got time for one more run, want to try the triple black diamond?”

F: “I don’t know….”

K: Opening his wings “Don’t worry, I got you.”

F: “Alright. Why not.”

Once at the top, the two stand looking down the intense slope. Fuyumi is having second thoughts but Keigo holds her hand to help her. They slowly start moving forward and let gravity take them down the mountain. The two are going down at a good pace when something seems off. There is a rumbling coming from behind them. It is an avalanche! The snow is approaching so fast the two don’t have any time to react other than Keigo flying to Fuyumi and wrapping his wings around the two. The two are engulf in a mountain of snow as they tumble down the slope. Keigo is ok but Fuyumi starts to feel a little sick from all of the tumbling and falling they are doing in the snow. Soon there is no sign of light anymore as the they fall deeper into the powder. Almost as fast as the snow started moving, it stopped and everything is silent and dark.

K: “Are you ok?”

F: “I think I’m ok. How are we going to get out of here?”

K: “My feathers should do the trick…” He tries to move but is completely still. The snow has compacted so tightly around the two that he can’t even move his feathers. “Um… I guess we are stuck. Any ideas?”

F: “I have one…. Zaheer, can you hear me? Please? We are trapped.”

K: “What? He can’t hear you?”

F: “Remember, we are marked. Maybe he can sense something is wrong.”

In the cold silence, the two wait. They are scared but at least they have each other for comfort. Not much time passes and they start to hear rumbling again. This time, it is coming from right above them as they hear what sounds like digging and yelling. Soon, the darkness is broken with a bright light. A large red hand reaches for the two and pulls them out.

Z: Pulling the both of them close to warm them: “Are you ok!?”

F: “A little shaken up but we are fine.”

K: “Wait, how did you know we were here?”

F: “Like I said, we are marked, he can find us anywhere.”

Z: Now fully hugging the both tight while crying “When I sensed you under the snow, I panicked. I was afraid I wasn’t going to make it in time. Please don’t do that again. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t make it in time. I know I might not be your parent but I care for you too, Fuyumi.”

K: “Calm down big guy, we are ok. I managed to protect us with my wings. I think we are done with skiing today.”

F: “Yeah. Do you mind teleporting us back to the cabin?”

Z: “Not at all. You know I am going to have to tell your fathers about this, right?” He says after he manages to calm down.

F: “I know, just try to ease it on them.”

E: “YOU WERE IN AN AVALACHE?!” Enji is practically about to break Fuyuimi in half with how tight he is hugging her.

(Y/N): “Normally I would say Enji is overreacting but this is serious. You could have died!”

K: “I was there. I used my wings to protect us.”

E: He releases Fuyumi from his titan grip and starts hugging Keigo “Thank you, thank you for protecting her.”

N: “Wow! Dad, are you ok? This is a little out of the norm with for you.”

(Y/N): “He is still processing the car accident and this isn’t helping. His emotions are raw right now, give him some time. Also thank you Zaheer for rescuing them.”

Z: “Of course.”

E: Regaining his composer “Yes. Thank you Zaheer. I’m sorry about that. I didn’t mean to get that emotional.”

F: “Its ok, we understand. Hearing that news would be jarring for any parent.”

(Y/N): “Why don’t we all relax in the hot tub for the evening.”

K: “Sounds good to me.”

The rest of the trip is much more relaxing. No one went down the mountain the rest of the trip out of fear for how Enji might react. They relaxing in the cabin, went to the spa, and even had karaoke night. The children didn’t know who was funnier to watch singing, Keigo or Zaheer. At the end of the week, everyone was ready to go back home. The train ride home was quiet and Keigo finally left to go home himself.

Next Chapter

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feverwritingandtextposts · 4 years

Text

12pm, Saturday, Shinjuku Station

This was also posted on ao3 here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21695521

"Tomorrow!" Rengoku all but shouts by way of greeting. You turn to him, trying to look less shocked than you felt. Around you, the milling students show signs at having jolted at the history teacher's boisterous voice.

The late afternoon light streaming in through the corridor window bathes Rengoku in a deep gold that only strives to make him look even larger than life. The man himself was wearing his signature manic grin, sonic eyes focused on you.

He looked oddly out of place in the quiet school corridor, too vibrant for the tired air of students dragging their feet home from supplementary classes.

Before you are given the chance to answer, he continues. "Meet me at Shinjuku station! At 12pm! See you there!" Apparently having said his piece, he strides off past you, neither waiting for your response, nor looking back even once.

You watch him power walk away, stopping only to greet the students who call out to him as he goes.

What.

After standing there for long enough for your shocked brain to catch up with the rest of your limbs, you headed down the hallway after Rengoku. Upon reaching the staff room, you learn from a suspiciously animated Uzui that the man had already gone home. Resigning yourself to what seemed to be the inevitable push of Rengoku-induced fate, you gathered up your own things and headed home.

Perhaps this was normal Rengoku behaviour. You had absolutely no yard stick to compare him to, considering you have never met anyone like him before. For a moment, you considered not going.

But then again, you didn't have anything to do tomorrow in any case.

And then again, you didn't have his number so it not like you could have called him to cancel.

Tomorrow brought with it the blinding sun of noontime, and Rengoku Kyoujurou's equally blinding grin, easily recognisable even in the crowded rush of Shinjuku station commuters. Wrapped up in a large, conspicuous red coat, the starched collar of a dress shirt peaks through the neckline. Spotting you immediately as you emerge through the gantry, he strides towards you on glossy oxfords. You feel, all at once, significantly under dressed.

"You look great!" Rengoku booms at you once he considered you significantly within earshot. You were in jeans and sneakers, but you appreciated the polite sentiment anyway.

It was only when you were leaving the house an hour ago that you realised that you had no idea what Rengoku even needed you on a weekend for. You had no idea what to wear, so you had just been hoping it was perhaps a relaxed faculty lunch or an extra tutoring session for any stray failing students, and decided that what you had on would do. Now though, you weren't so sure.

You attempted to glance past him, but Rengoku's wide shoulders and even wider smile seemed to block everyone else from sight.

"You look nice as well," you say, gesturing to his prim ensemble. Rengoku smiles, if possible, even wider. "Thank you! Lets be off!" Turning sharply on his heel, he walks off into the crowd, leaving you to hurry after him, just as before, not once turning back at you.

"Where are the rest?" you ask, finally managing to elbow your way through the crowd to his side as he paused at a stoplight.

Rengoku turns to look down at you, tilting his head unlike a puppy. If, puppies could look so strangely intimidating.

"What rest? It's just us today!"

You blink at him as he begins to walk again, long legs carrying him farther and farther from you as you continued to hurry along. As you got closer, you realised he was talking, and had likely been talking for a while now.

"-And so I think it will be best if we hurry, as then we will be able to see all the fish, AND the penguin show!"

Fish? Penguin show? Hesitantly you asked again, "Rengoku-san... Where are we going?"

"The aquarium! Of course!"

Of course.

Rengoku Kyoujirou tells no lies, and certainly not enough base info, because you soon find yourself within the comforting dim lights of the aquarium's lobby, staring at the whale diorama hanging from the ceiling.

Why on earth did he drag you to the aquarium out of all places? You taught literature for heaven's sakes. Was he going to practice a lecture on the history of Japan's rising sea levels on you?

You heard that the school was planning a learning journey for the students soon, perhaps this was just the recce trip. You didn't find yourself much a fan of fish of any size or shape, thinking the expanse of water a bit overwhelming, and the traumatic memory of watching Jaws when you were only 7 leaving you with mild apprehension for live sea life in any proximity to you.

You said nothing of this to Rengoku, who seemed enthralled at the idea of staring at deep sea eels through twenty meter thick walls of glass, informing you (against your will) about nearly each and every specimen of creature housed in the aquarium. He was so pumped, he waived away your concern of paying him back for your ticket, with a laugh so booming you were sure he startled away a few fish (and some concerned parents).

At exactly 1:50pm, Rengoku straightened from where he had crouched down over the starfish tank, yelling mostly in the direction of the water about the creature's unique ability to regrow limbs "just like a demon!" (you never heard of mythical demons growing back limbs but thought it better than to ask).

"Let's go! The penguin show will start soon!"

The two of you managed to secure a good spot before the crowd started streaming in, thanks to Rengoku's timely actions. The penguins turned out to be absolutely adorable, easily bumping them up to the most enjoyable part of your trip.

Rengoku was unexpectedly quiet as you rambled on, happily recounting to him your favourite parts of the show, as you two followed the crowd out, with just enough timely grunts of approval to let you know he was listening.

As your excitement over the penguins died down, the two of you lapsed into a contemplative silence. You, wondering if its feasible to teach your pet crow similar tricks to the penguins, and him, wondering about whatever it is Rengoku thinks about.

Probably more fish facts.

The silence is broken far too quickly, with him declaring that the two of you should go get lunch. Agreeing readily enough, Rengoku leads you straight out of the aquarium, to your surprise. You had expected him to want to grab something quick at the aquarium's cafe.

Instead, he leads you to a quaint looking restaurant, still bustling with activity despite the late hour for lunch. The restaurant seemed to be populated with couples and groups of fashionable teenage girls, who fit in nicely with the flowery, delicate decor.

Rengoku sits ramrod straight in his ornate chair, ostentatious with his wild hair, red coat (still fully buttoned up), and shiny shoes, yet strangely he did not seem at odds with the gentle atmosphere of the restaurant.

"Do you come here often?" you ask, curious after listening to him recite a practiced order to the waiter.

"No! This is my first time here!" he beams at you.

"You seem familiar with the menu."

"I researched it! I heard this restaurant was popular with young women! I thought you might like it!"

You blink at him, surprised. You were touched at the gesture, and told him as much.

To your continued surprise, Rengoku does not throw you his signature shouted 'thank you!', but instead by way of response, gives you a pleased, serene, closed eye smile, that looked absolutely radiant on his handsome face. Compared to all his wild smiles before, this tugs at your heartstrings in a way that fills your cheeks with an embarrassing blush.

That moment of peace can only last so long. As the waiter returned with your individual meals, so did Rengoku's overwhelming enthusiasm.

"Delicious!" He exclaims, at full volume, completely ignorant of the scandalised stares the other patrons send him.

You hid your amused smile behind your spoon as you ate, trying to ignore the stares as well as he did. The food really was delicious.

Rengoku once again, waves away your attempts to pay, with the compromise that you can pay for the movie later.

Wait. Movie?

And so you went, to an afternoon screening of a newly released horror movie that Rengoku apparently, had booked seats for before. Was he planning to bring the students to the movie as part of the learning journey? You weren't even sure the kids were old enough to see it. Perhaps he's just a horror movie fanatic and wanted someone to watch the show with.

Not wanting to seem like a spoilsport but also not particularly enjoying movies like these, you went along with it quietly, paying for the tickets and buying a large bucket of popcorn for the both of you to share.

You both spend the movie sandwiched on either side between people in the packed theater. Rengoku watched the movie with studious intensity, while you stared at his profile, the popcorn, and the screen (between your fingers). Every so often Rengoku would lean in close to ask you if you were scared, and if you were doing okay, and if you needed him to explain a part of the plot you were studiously ignoring. He was using what he possibly supposes to be a whisper, although it could barely pass for a usual person's speaking volume, and was regularly and aggressively shushed by the people seating close by them.

Worried he wouldn't be able to hear your response from the screams of the actors on screen, you just shook your head or nodded in time to his questions, resorting to patting his arm to reassure him of your comfort, preferring not to reveal to him how scared you were of the movie.

Somehow you had expected to hate the movie more than you actually did. You actually spent most of it amused by Rengoku's undeterred 'whispers' and the subsequent low voiced shushes by the rest of the agitated audience. It certainly shaved off a lot of the possible tension. He also managed to get the plot of the movie completely skewed in the moments he attempted to recount it to you, and it only served to make the situation more amusing.

Rengoku offered to treat you to dessert in return for the movie, seeming to conveniently forget the entire point of you paying for the movie in the first place. At this point, you have gotten used to his steamroller personality and let him drag you to his dessert stall of choice.

Seated at a brightly lit shaved ice cafe, you watch as Rengoku carries over what looked like half the store's entire stock of shaved ice, piled high in a bowl that required both his hands to carry. The myriad of fruits and assorted cookies glittered adorning the dessert wriggled precariously as he sets it down in front of you. You had to lean to your side to even see Rengoku past the towering ice monstrosity.

Handing you a spoon, the man himself grins, manic, turning his gaze to his latest conquest.

"Lets dig in!"

You weren't even sure where all the food went.

Rengoku had just eaten a huge lunch at the restaurant not two hours ago, polished off most of the popcorn you bought (before the commercials even ended), and now was pretty much single handedly finishing off the giant bowl of shaved ice.

You had tapped out long ago, only managing to chew your way through less than a quarter of the thing, barely even making much of a dent in the now overflowing fruits and cookies. Even now, you couldnt rid yourself of the cloying sweet taste of the treats from your mouth.

Rengoku was undeterred by your lack of enthusiasm, shoveling large quantities of ice and fruit into his mouth in between exclamations of its deliciousness. You watched him in a mixture of awe and amusement at his battle with the dessert. You were actually a bit shocked that they sold an item so big at this store.

"Please! Have some more!" Rengoku implores you, speaking around the mixture of melting ice and syrup in his mouth.

You shake your head sheepishly in response. "That's alright, I'm already quite full."

Rengoku pauses his spoon for a second, considering you seriously, and the intensity of his gaze makes you squirm. Before you can say anything to fill the sudden silence, he gives an affirmative "HM!" and continues speed eating before the ice fully melts.

You two pass the rest of the time in silence, save for Rengoku's loud chewing. For you, this is normal. For him, it seems, not so much. You fret silently in your seat, wondering if you've offended him somehow. He did intend to treat you. Perhaps he felt annoyed that you didn't seem to appreciate the dessert?

The silence continued as the two of you walk out of the cafe, broken only by Rengoku telling you that since it's getting rather dark, he would walk you home. Touched by the gentlemanly gesture and horrified at this new, quiet Rengoku, you give him an uncharacteristically cheerful agreement, and get a sharp nod in return.

You avoid looking at your phone on the train ride back, unwilling to offend him further, even though you could feel his intense gaze trained on you. A few times, he opens his mouth, as if to speak, and you turn to him quickly, as if to hear, but he only takes a deep breath and says nothing, mouth shutting with a clack.

Your anxiety was at an all time high by the time the both of you reached the quiet street that lead up to your apartment block. You wondered how you were going to work together when you had somehow made even your most amicable mad at you. You also wondered if he managed to fulfill... Whatever it is he had set out to do today. In the end you got too caught up to the flow of it to ask, and he never said anything himself.

You turn to him, swinging your hands nervously. "We're here. Thank you for walking me back."

Rengoku shoots you one of his signature smiles, although it seems a bit strained. "No problem!"

You take a step back, intending to leave, and Rengoku follows with a step towards you. Another step back, he takes another step forward.

".... Well... See ya on Monday I guess? Thanks for today."

That seems to jolt him out of his reverie. "Ah! Yes, thank you! I enjoyed today very much!" he exclaims, at full volume, booming even louder in the quiet night.

You can't help but smile in return, feeling that the day's activities have made you rather taken with his idiosyncrasies. Even if you had no idea what the entire point of the outing was, you realised you had a surprising amount of fun. It was the first time you've been to an aquarium in years, and you certainly would never have watched that movie or eaten that dessert on your own accord. It's refreshing.

Rengoku takes another step towards you, and you're now close enough to see the fog of his breath. If you reach out, you can feel the material of his fancy red coat. He opens his mouth as if to say something, and gapes at you for a moment, before swooping down, and scooping you in a gentle hug.

You barely have time to process the warmth of his body around you before he leans back quickly, holding his arms rigid at his side.

"WELL THEN!" Rengoku shouts, shouting somehow even louder than before. "GOODNIGHT!"

Turning on his heel, he makes as if to stride away, but this time you're ready for it. Your arm shoots out, grabbing a fistful of his coat, and he stops immediately, one foot still hanging in the air.

"What- What was that?" you ask, confusion and shock melding together to irritation.

Rengoku turns, slowly, and when he faces you, you can tell that he's blushing all the way to his hairline, face dyed nearly the same shade as his coat. Immediately, he dips into a low bow, ponytail flopping with the movement.

"I'M VERY SORRY!"

You scratch your cheek awkwardly at the display. "It's okay, I'm not mad I'm just... Confused. Do you hug everyone after spending the day with them?"

Still bent at the waist, staring at the floor, Rengoku shouts into the pavement. "NO! I'M SORRY! I WAS SUPPOSED TO GO IN FOR A KISS BUT I... IM NOT STRONG ENOUGH! FORGIVE ME!"

You open your mouth, and close it, and open it again.

Sorry? Did you hear that right? Kiss? Who? You? Him? Kiss you?

Very distantly you hear yourself ask, "Why were you trying to kiss me?"

Rengoku peeks up at you from his bow. "Uzui-san told me that kissing you was the only appropriate way to end a date."

Uzui? Date?

"He..." You began, before switching tactics, knowing that anything involving advice from Uzui was sure to end up a shit storm. "This is a date?"

Rengoku straightens up slowly from his bow peering at you with his closest possible approximation towards nervousness. "Yes, it is!" At your lack of response he continues, "I have never been on a date before, so I asked Uzui-san for help! He seems very knowledgeable on the subject! He suggested I take you to the aquarium as it is a staple for dates! He told me of the restaurant to bring you to! He also suggested the movie!"

Rengoku paused, as if to gauge your reaction, but at your totally shocked to stone state, he continues on himself.

"I thoroughly researched the timings and sea life so I could show you the best of the aquarium while we were there! I also checked out reviews of the restaurant and their menu to make sure there would be items you would like there! I picked out the dessert because it had all of the fruits and cookies that I know you liked!"

"I... I just wanted you to have a good time," he finishes off, voice going uncharacteristically soft.

Now finished with his tirade he looks at you expectantly, eyes as intense as ever. Completely bombarded by the rush of information, you scramble to scrounge up a response.

"Why didn't you tell me it was a date?"

He does his puppy-esque head tilt. "Uzui-san says you would definitely know, as aquariums are a staple for dates!"

You were going to murder Uzui on Monday.

But then again, suddenly everything made sense. Rengoku's overly detailed itinerary for the day, his exceptional dressing, the restaurant, the walk home. You felt like an idiot for not noticing sooner.

Never in your wildest dreams would you thought Rengoku to have feelings for you. You had expected him to only see you as a fellow colleague, one who had joined the academy at the same time and were at most, buddies for that reason alone. Sure, he always tries to make time to talk to you at work, but you just chalked that up to how he is with everyone. Hell, you never even really thought you were in his league, fully aware of how popular he was with the student body and fellow teachers.

You bury your face in your hands, trying not to groan out loud at your own obliviousness. In front of you Rengoku shifts his weight from one foot to the other, obviously getting antsy with your silence.

"I understand if you don't feel similarly," he begins in a voice too level to belong to himself, "I respect your feelings fully and am sincerly sorry if I have crossed any boundaries. Do not worry at work I-"

"NO!" you yell, cutting him off nearly throwing yourself forward to grab him in your haste. "I-I'm happy, you told me this!"

Rengoku stares down at you shocked by your loud response, face twitching as if he doesn't know whether to smile or not.

Awkwardly, you step forward, gently wrapping your arms around him, holding them there loosely until you feel him hug you back. You hide your burning cheeks in the folds of his coat, and the two of you stand in that dim street, hugging for what feels like a lifetime.

Finally Rengoku breaks the silence. "So, does this mean the date was a success?"

"Yep," you smile into his coat, your voice coming out muffled by the fabric, but you're pretty sure he heard you anyway.

"Then, can we go on another one again soon?"

You nodded, pulling away from him to face him. He's wearing that heart throbbing serene smile of his, and you cant help but smile in return.

"Of course! Just... ask me for advice next time okay? Not Uzui."

#rengoku imagines #rengoku x reader #rengoku kyoujurou #kny #Kimetsu no Yaiba #demon slayer #i know this is veeeewwwy veeeewwwwy long #my bad...........................#also if u like my work pls tell me

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rike-with-love · 4 years

Text

Melody of our Hearts (chapter 2)

Author’s notes: Here’s the second chapter as my apology for being MIA for so long!!

Pairings: Okikagu, Gintsu (minor), Takaban (minor)

Rating: M for mature content, bad language, fluff, light angst, enemies to friends to lovers

Disclaimer: I don't own Gintama or it's characters, Sorachi Hideaki does. I only own this story.

Chapter 2

<- Previous Chapter ~~ Next Chapter ->

”So the stage is reserved for us from 4pm to 6pm.”

”Okay,” Gintoki said to his loyal assistant, Shimura Shinpachi as he presented a piece of document in front of the silver haired CEO.

”And Kawakami-nim will take care of the soundtracks as we spoke earlier,” Shinpachi said and placed another paper on the desk.

Before Gintoki could answer him, third, fourth and even fifth paper was gently swiped to rest on the wooden surface.

”Here are the receipts we need to copy for our accountants – here's the official approval from the city to hold the concert – here's a bill of the advertisement for the concert.”

Shinpachi's words spiralled through Gintoki's ears, so much to remember and so much more to do. ”Oi oi,”, he wailed. Then, from the corner of Gintoki's eye, he saw yet another paper coming. ”Ne! Shinpachi!”

”What is it Sakata-nim?” Shinpachi asked and straightened his almost oval-shaped glasses.

”Please, you can call me Gintoki”, the man said, discreetly guiding the conversation to somewhere else. ”I'm not that into the honorifics.”

”But Sakata-nim, you're my boss now. I don't want anyone to think that I'm disrespecting you.”

Gintoki turned with his chair towards the young black-haired man. ”Shinpachi, we've been friends for years, you don't have to worry about that”, he said. ”Just leave the honorifics for the public stuff, ne?”

Shinpachi smiled and his brown eyes sparkled. ”I guess I can do that...Gintoki”, he said.

There was no-one who could call the young man rude in any way. He was a polite and hard-working person, someone Gintoki could really count on.

Shinpachi was also quite good with computers. Actually he was a lot better than Gintoki could ever imagine. In addition to his diligentness and computer skills, he had a decent sense of style. Actually he was the one who made Gintoki dress like a boss should.

Gintoki's taste in clothes was pretty casual, so he went with a white dress shirt and a light grey suit. A tie was an enigma he wasn't ready for, but maybe someday in the distant future.

Shinpachi on the other hand liked to dress up. He wore a light blue dress shirt with a beige cotton vest. He also claimed that his pants were dark blue rather than black, but no-one really cared.

Gintoki felt like he had successfully turned the tides of the conversation. But he was wrong, oh so wrong.

”Now, can we get back on the preparations of the concert?” Shinpachi asked, he knew very well his bosses lazy agendas.

”Haha, certainly”, Gintoki said with a forced smile.

Shinpachi flashed his shiniest smile and began to bombard Gintoki with documents. As the papers kept piling up, the easy-going CEO got lost in his thoughts.

Gintoki had always known it wasn't a cakewalk to run a business, especially not a record label, but that was the exact reason he had hired people to work for him. For Gintoki's salvation and headache, his employees worked faster than his mellow brain could adapt.

Maybe I could hire someone to be the boss so I could just jump on a plane and enjoy some parfaits under the sun in Bahamas, Gintoki thought to himself.

Not that he could afford a trip to the Bahamas. Or a plane. Or a parfait for that matter. More importantly, if Gintoki would distant himself from the company, he wouldn't be able to help Kagura in achieving her dreams as an idol. He was his manager after all.

When the Yorozuya Entertainment was founded, it was difficult to just get by. It took time to find idols, it took time to make music. There wasn't a possibility to hire more people and that was the exact reason Gintoki decided to become the manager for the label's idols. Just for the time being anyway, he had said. To get things started you know, he had also added.

The voice of Shinpachi finally snapped Gintoki out of his trip down memory lane and the pressing worry of the massive loan he had taken for the company.

”A bill from the security firm – a bill from the equipments we bought for the concert – a bill from the fabrics...”

Shinpachi's words sounded all the same to Gintoki. Why am I so lousy with these things, Gintoki thought to himself.

”GINTOKI!” A loud shout came from the door, startling both Gintoki and Shinpachi momentarily.

At the door was non-other than Shimura Tae, the head of public relations of YE, the older sister of Shinpachi and the one keeping Gintoki's laziness in check. ”I need you to sign these papers right now,” she said with a ominiously calm smile.

Tae, who more commonly went by Otae was a sharp young woman. After moving to Seoul she had graduated from business school with impressive papers.

Otae was one of the first persons Gintoki wanted to hire, she was a ball of endless ideas with an unwavering drive to make them happen. There wasn't anyone who could have been a better fit for the head of PR than her.

She looked very similar to her little brother, aside from her brown hair and her not needing any glasses. She liked to wear a tight pencil skirts and a matching blouse. Today's colors were purple and white.

Otae had shoulder length hair, often worn in a neat ponytail. She had bangs to frame her petite face nicely. Also, she wasn't shy with accessories, usually sporting a tiny scarf around her neck with a matching color as the rest of her outfit.

”Hello ane-ue*!” Shinpachi said. The siblings were originally from Japan, so they liked to refer to each other in Japanese. Sometimes it was funny to observe when the two got into an argument and the language switched immediately back to home shore.

”Hello Shin-chan*, did you give Gintoki all the papers?” Otae asked and pushed a dark brown strand of hair behind her ear.

”Almost there”, Shinpachi chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck a little.

As the Shimuras chatted, Gintoki was halfway sliding down from his chair.

”Uh, Gintoki?” Otae asked.

A single call of his name froze Gintoki right up. Otae had a flair in her voice, soothing but chilling at the same time. A perfect voice for tortu-...uh...negotating with people.

”Yes, Otae?” Gintoki asked and magically sat up while casually fixing the sleeves from his shirt.

”Would you mind signing this?” Otae asked and tapped a piece of paper with her pen. ”It's a permission to-”

Gintoki raised his hand at Otae, who stopped talking out of surprise. It was rare for Gintoki to act all bossy and condescending towards employees, friends – towards anyone really.

”Me and Shinpachi here,” Gintoki said and began to fondle the documents on his desk. ”We're a little busy at the moment.”

Gintoki didn't have anything against the adamant woman, he just wasn't in the mood to handle another important matter. It was probably something urgent as it came from her.

Shinpachi glanced at his boss with wide eyes. All of a sudden Gintoki was very into the paperwork.

”Yes, thank you for taking things seriously for once,” Shinpachi said.

Gintoki looked at the young man standing next to him. ”But I always do.”

”No you don't.”

”Nope, not even little bit.”

Gintoki huffed. He knew they were right, but he also wanted to be the boss. ”I'll forgive you this time, okay?” he said. Both Shimuras nodded as they were trying to take him seriously and Gintoki took what he got.

”Alright Shinpachi, give me all the details,” Gintoki said and actually took one paper into his hands.

”Ah, wait,” Shinpachi said and searched the stack of papers he was holding. ”Just one more.”

Gintoki elevated one hand, ready to receive the last document. ”Take your time Shinpachi.”

”Hah! Here!” Shinpachi cheered and offered the paper to Gintoki. ”Here's the rent-”

Gintoki moved like a shadow the second he heard the word 'rent'. Before anyone could say another word, Gintoki had grabbed his gray jacket from his chair and suddenly stood next to Otae, carefully examining the permission note she tried to offer him a moment later.

”I'm in a meeting right now Shinpachi, take care of those for me”, Gintoki said and walked out of the office with Otae.

”Heeeyyy!” Shinpachi yelled after them, a vain effort that he pretty much new from the start. ”You can't run from the rent forever!”

It had been a busy week at the YE building. After the release of Kagura's first single, Eli & Zura and Sugar Addicts released their first singles as well. Otae's PR plan for the company was to come out to the k-pop scene with a bang. Three new artists debuting at once was a real bang to say the least.

On top of everything, the free outdoor concert was well on its way. Almost everything had been taken care of, but Gintoki was a ball of stress on every single little detail. Yes, he appeared that he didn't care or had any interest on the matter, but that was just his defence mechanism. Honestly, he felt a little overwhelmed by the paperwork and stuff like that, but he cared.

Luckily he had Otae and Shinpachi. They were a power house together - and separately. They took care of running errands, permissions, equipments, all of that. This way Gintoki could focus better on the idols or as he so endearingly called the 'moneymakers'.

Gintoki helped everyone to prepare with the best of his ability. He wasn't a singer or a dancer, but he was a long time fan on k-pop. Yes, he was a grown man in his late twenties, but that didn't stop him from enjoying the music.

Gintoki understood showmanship, he was good at looking at the big picture, but he needed help with all the separate parts to build the idols into a functioning package.

Sugar Addicts had a member called Tsuu, going by the stage name Otsu. She had been dancing for several years. She sort of became the unofficial choreographer of the group and pretty much a choreographer for the whole company.

Apart from Sugar Addicts, none of the other idols had any prior professional dancing experience. However with Gintoki and Otsu's help, the rest of the idols; Kagura and Zura & Eli were able to add enough movement for their performances to pop.

Kagura had the rhythm and she had the spark, but learning steps wasn't really her strong suit. Still, she was better in dancing than Eli & Zura, a duo consisting of Katsura ”Zura” Kotarou and Elizabeth ”Eli” Dragonia.

Zura was a peculiar rapper/singer and an old childhood friend of Gintoki's. He was...how to put this nicely...he was a total corky lovable weirdo. Zura did all the vocals for the duo and Eli, well Eli played a synthesizer*. He couldn't really participate with the vocals as the man was mute.

When Gintoki was trying to get Zura to join his label, he explained that all the music could be produced by computers, but Zura didn't really care. He had only one condition before signing any papers, Eli and him would form a duo together, no matter how weird it sounded to anyone.

Gintoki knew it was a risk, there wasn't anything like that in the k-pop scene, but Zura managed to convince Gintoki that they would become the next big thing, the k-pop version of Modern Talking*. It sounded too interesting for Gintoki to pass by, so he agreed to debut the duo.

It was still a mystery where Zura had found a mute man named Elizabeth, but they seemed to be inseperabtle friends despite it all.

After Kagura's demand on finding someone to help with the costumes for the idols, Gintoki found Tsukki. She was a talented stylist who never told anyone her full name, she just went by with Tsukki. She was a beautiful woman with blonde hair and sharp purpleish eyes. She also had a scar on her left eye , but no-one dared to ask anything about it.

Tsukki was a woman shrouded in mystery.

And what it came to making music, Gintoki was totally at loss. Luckily the company found a musical genius to work for them.

Kawakami Bansai, a graduate from Korean National University of Arts. He was a prodigy. The young man was courted by many big companies when he was close to graduating. His future promised great things for him, he could have worked for anyone in the entire music industry, that's how talented he was. But...after graduating, he simply vanished.

No-one ever knew why did he go or where did he go. Well, there was one person who knew why he disappeared, but that's a whole another story.

So how he ended up working in a new, rather unsure record label? Gintoki and Shinpachi didn't know Bansai or his background in music when they met him for the first time. The man was playing a shamisen* in a park, eyes hidden behind sunglasses, expression telling of his fondness for the instrument he was playing.

Gintoki liked his music and he asked if the man wanted a job. Bansai paused his song and looked into the silver-haired man's maroon eyes. There was nothing suspicious in the way the man looked at him. For some reason Bansai felt like trusting this man, thou he wasn't even sure what trust even meant anymore.

Only after Bansai signed his contract in Gintoki's office, he casually mentioned his degree in music. Gintoki practically and literally fell off his chair, how could he have known the man was a mastermind in music.

Otae suggested on upgrading his contract and salary, but Bansai refused. The only thing he desired was to make music without crazy expectations and no questions from his past. Gintoki and Otae both agreed to his terms, they would have been fools to decline.

And there it was, the group of people who together formed the Yorozuya Entertainment and Gintoki couldn't be any prouder.

In a nice cozy office/work space of Tsukki, a final fitting was well on its way. Kagura twirled in front of a mirror and admired her outfit for the concert.

”Well, what do you think Gura?” Tsukki asked.

Kagura had her long vermillion hair done with her signature look. Two small buns on top of her hair. It was like she had small round ears made from hair. The rest of the her puffy hair was flowing free, reaching all the way to her lower back.

The outfit Tsukki had sown for her was a perfect fit. Kagura had a red, off-shoulder shirt with long sleeves. Tsukki styled a high-wasted black cotton skirt to accentuate her small frame.

The skirt reached just over Kagura's knee, the length matching nicely with her black ankle boots. No heels was Kagura's only wish for Tsukki when the design for her outfit was being created.

”It's really pretty Tsukki, I love it,” Kagura said as she played with a black velvet collar around her neck. It even had a cute golden heart in the middle.

Tsukuyo crossed her arms and smiled. ”I'm glad to hear that,” she said and walked to her desk.

It was hard to tell it was a desk from all the sewing equipments and drafts of clothing covering the whole thing. She really needed a bigger room to work in, Kagura thought, but she very well knew this was all they could afford at the moment.

”You were the last one to do a fitting, every costume is now done for the show.”

”You're very efficient, yes,” Kagura pointed out to the blonde woman wearing a black form-fitting suit, hair cut into a short bob to fit the look.

Tsukki hummed happily. ”It wasn't that big of a project, there's only eight idols to dress after all.”

”That's true,” Kagura said and returned to posing for the mirror.

Tsukki began to dig out some papers to deliver for Gintoki. Probably more bills to pay for the poor CEO.

”Tsukki?” Kagura asked and looked at the ever elegant woman through the mirror.

”Yes Gura?”

”Don't tell A-Gin...but I'm a little nervous about the concert.”

Tsukki lifted her gaze up. ”Why would you be nervous?”

”It's just that...the interview for the radio went well, but...”Kagura paused.

”But what?” Tsukki asked. She seemed to be seriously nervous. Sure, Tsukki hadn't known Kagura for a very long time, but the girl was like an open book when it came down to reading her emotions. She was one of the most confident and robust personalities Tsukki had ever seen, so seeing her falter worried her.

”You can talk to me,” Tsukki said and connected eyes with Kagura through the mirror.

”Well...this is the first time I'm performing live and...what if I screw it all up...”

Tsukki abandoned her papers and walked straight to Kagura. She placed her hands on her bare shoulders. ”Listen to me Gura”, Tsukki said in a really empowering voice. ”Look at the mirror.”

Kagura did as Tsukki said, and looked at her reflection. She sure looked like an idol...it felt almost surreal. ”What do you see?” Tsukki asked her.

”I see...me and you.”

”Yes, that's true. What else?”

”I see...your pretty clothes, yes.”

Tsukki shook her head a little. ”Those are not my clothes anymore, they're yours to wear, yours to feel confident in.”

”O-okay...” Kagura answered unsurely.

”You don't have anything to worry about Gura, you know you were born to command a stage.”

A smile sneaked on Kagura's pink lips. ”Uh-huh...”

”Just be yourself and sing the crowd into a bliss, okay,” Tsukki said and squeezed Kagura's shoulders slightly before letting go.

Kagura turned to look at Tsukki as she returned to her desk to get back to work. ”Hey...” Kagura said.

”What is it now?” Tsukki asked. She didn't even spare a look at Kagura, but that didn't bother the young starlet. Tsukki was all about keeping up a tough exterior, rarely allowing many feelings out.

”Thanks for the pep talk,” Kagura said.

Tsukki glanced at the redhead. She had a pleased look on her face, but it lasted only for a second. She's a complete softie inside, Kagura giggled to herself.

A knock on the door drawed the attention of both women in the room. ”Come in,” Tsukki said.

It was Gintoki coming in. ”Ne, how are we doing in here?” he asked and rolled his shoulders a little.

Kagura cocked an eyebrow. Was the ever lazy Gintoki being nervous. A thought of something being seriously wrong immediately crossed her mind. It was the day of the oblivion when Sakata Gintoki would stress openly about something.

Suddenly Tsukki turned her face away from the door. "We're doing perfectly fine here Sakata-nim," she almost mumbled.

”Uh, great...” Gintoki said and gulped a little.

Kagura stared at Tsukki for a moment. Where did the ever calm Tsukki went, she wondered. ”A-Gin...can we talk a little?” Kagura asked and walked closer to Gintoki.

”Oh, Kagura...I didn't see you there,” Gintoki said.

”What?” Kagura almost laughed.

”I-I mean of course I saw you there, that's not what I meant jeez...”

”Let's go already, yes”, Kagura said pulled her foster-father towards the door.

Tsukki cleared her throat behind her desk and tried to get up quickly. ”Before you go-” Tsukki said before she bumped her knee on the wooden table. "Tsk!"

"Tsukki!" Kagura called.

Gintoki moved by instict as he rushed to check on Tsukki. He went to her side to see if he could help in any way. "Are you okay?"

"It's nothing," she hissed and turned to Gintoki, who was closer to her than she had expected for him to be.

Kagura watched in complete silence as the usually super serious stylist slithered away from her desk, with a flushed face. Her completely black suit just made her blush more apparent.

"I-I'm fine," Tsukki said and tried to compose herself. "Uh, there's some documents for you on my desk Sakata-nim."

Kagura noticed a sudden shift in Gintoki's behaviour.

”Ne, Tsukki...when will you drop those unnecessary last names and stuff like that,” Gintoki said and leaned his right arm's elbow against the wall. ”You can call me Gintoki.”

Tsukki rolled her eyes at the surprisingly suave boss. Kagura felt equally amused by him as Tsukki was agitated.

Without any warning Tsukki grabbed Gintoki by his open jacket, never breaking eye-contact with Gintoki. ”Listen Sakata-nim,” she said, face still adorably pink. This felt like the right time to take a step back for Kagura.

”I-it's Gintoki.”

”For gods sake, do you understand you are my boss? I don't want to raise any rumours by calling you anything else than Sakata-nim."

Gintoki opened and closed his mouth like a confused goldfish in its glass bowl.

"Do you understand?" she snapped and shook him a little.

Gintoki laughed nervously at the woman. ”Ahaha...I know, I'm...I'm just joking...haha...” he said and slowly quieted his laughter down.

Tsukki let the man go and pointed her finger at the documents she was talking about.

Kagura was waiting outside Tsukki's office. She had seen and heard just about everything and all of it tickled her funny bone. ”Let's go A-Gin!” Kagura shouted to draw his full attention.

”Ah, yes! We have to go now. Have a nice day Tsukki!” Gintoki said and shut the door behind him as fast as he could.

Gintoki exhaled deeply through his mouth. Kagura crossed her arms and waited for him to say something and to try to explain himself out of everything that just happened.

”Well...?”

”Well what Kagura? We should be going already?” Gintoki hissed a little. ”We need to go and check out the stage at the park and-”

”No no no...wait”, Kagura grinned at the man. ”Do you have anything to tell me...anything at all?”

Kagura was a young woman with a quick mind. She was excellent at picking up on things, not that anything about Gintoki's behaviour was hard to read. She had known him for most of her life after all.

Gintoki squinted his eyes at Kagura. ”What are you talking about brat?”

Kagura rolled her eyes. ”Well you obviously have the hots for Tsuk-” Kagura's statement was muffled out by Gintoki's hand blocking her mouth.

”Shhhhhhhhhh! Shhhhhhhh! Someone could hear you”, Gintoki whispered. He wasn't actually blushing...but there was a some kind of glow on his cheeks.

”Mmmffhghmmmmm!” Kagura tried to point out.

”What?”

Kagura pushed his hand off her mouth and frowned at him. ”You heard me.”

”I don't know what you're talking about”, Gintoki brushed her words right off. ”You kids nowadays think you know everything.”

Kagura was familiar with Gintoki's ways of handling difficult situation. He wasn't old, but he was an old(er) soul to say the least. He began to blame the youth when it was about remote controllers, computers or crushes.

”So are we going to the park now?” Kagura asked, graciously pretending she hadn't pointed out anything.

Gintoki smiled at her. ”Yes, we definitely are”, he said.

”Great, let me just change clothes,” Kagura said and pointed out her new outfit. ”I don't want anyone to see this yet.”

”Of course,” Gintoki said and walked Kagura to her dressing room.

Before closing the dressing room's door Kagura couldn't help but to tease Gintoki just a little bit more. "Oh, A-Gin!"

"Hmm?"

"I'm pretty sure she's into you too," Kagura said and vanished before Gintoki could do anything.

"H-hey!!!"

* *

Kagura stopped teasing Gintoki about the Tsukki thing, he seemed to prefer not to talk about it. Maybe some other time he could confess his crsytal clear feelings, but now he had so much more on his mind.

When Gintoki and Kagura got to the company's car, Gintoki had a simple question for Kagura before they entered the vehicle.

”Can I ask you something Kagura?”

”Uh-huh, ask away.”

”The concert is only one week away”, Gintoki said to her, voice remaining as calm as he was talking about puppies. ”How do you feel about it?”

Kagura smiled. ”Well...I'm very excited.”

”Good...good.”

”Yeah.”

”You're almost a fully debuted idol.”

”I guess I am,” Kagura felt like Gintoki was tiptoeing about something and it annoyed her. ”Where are you getting with these questions A-Gin?”

”Kagura, you're like my daughter...do you really think I'm not worried about your well-being? This industry is very stressful.”

”Worried?”

”Yes, I feel like you're not telling me everything.”

Kagura knew what he meant. So he had seen her nervousness through her smile, she thought.

”I...I'm just afraid.”

Gintoki's eyes sharpened at her words. ”Afraid?”

”...I know how much effort you've put into me, this company and everything...”

”That's true...but what are you afraid of Kagura?” Gintoki asked.

Kagura could feel her eyes getting watery. This was one of her biggest fear and talking about it made it feel more real. ”Well what if I screw the show up or something else? I don't want to let you down and-”

Kagura's rambling quieted down as Gintoki pulled her into his arms.

”Silly girl...” Kagura listened to Gintoki's voice. It was deep and endearing. Also fatherly. It was just what she needed to hear.

”You could never let me down, no matter if things won't work out the way we planned.”

Kagura answered his hug by latching her fingers into his gray jacket. Even the stupid soft fabric felt comforting.

”I'm still going to work my ass of, yes”, Kagura said and sniffed quietly.

”I know that already Kagura..I know,” Gintoki said and patted the back of her head.

”Can we go to the park already A-Gin?” Kagura asked and tried to calm down her voice. She didn't want to cry over stupid things, she was too busy to do that.

”Yes, let's go then.”

A/N:

*ane-ue: a honorific for a sister in the Japanese language *chan: a honorific for someone younger in the Japanese language *Modern Talking: a German duo consisting of singer Thomas Anders and arranger, songwriter and producer Dieter Bohlen *synthesizer: an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals that may be converted to sound *shamisen: a three-stringed traditional Japanese musical instrument derived from the Chinese instrument sanxian

#okikagu #gintama #kagura #okita sougo #okita x kagura #kagura x okita #au #fanfiction #k-pop au #alternate universe #fluff #drama #romance #light angst #slow burn #i repeat slow burn

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5sospank · 5 years

Text

couldn’t forget you - luke one shot

Word Count: 9,996

Rating: NSFW

Keywords: fluff, bestfriend!luke, smut

Summary: You and Luke were best friends growing up. But, when he got whisked away into a world of fame, you were left behind. Your families always remained close, so when a beach weekend gets planned, you and Luke reunite.

A/N: wow this is so long and i’ve had this concept in my head for so long. enjoy you guys this is the first piece i’ve actually written and finished since maybe 2015? :)

Wherever Luke was found, you were usually somewhere nearby. You had known him since he had first taken the shape of a lanky preteen boy. In the brief months before high school began, the Hemmings family moved into the house that had gone up for sale next to yours. Luke had been equipped with knobby knees, an intense love for music, and a mildly awkward disposition that you had instantly found endearing.

Over the course of high school, the two of you had become practically inseparable. Your families grew close, you ranted to one another about the latest trials and tribulations of adolescence, and wasted away hours at the local pizza shop just talking. It was easy and effortless friendship. When you looked back fondly on your teenage years, Luke made an appearance in most of your memories. He was there for everything.

Until he wasn’t. Until his hobby of music skyrocketed into a full time, chart-topping, award-winning career. To be honest, growing up, you had never taken his garage band too seriously. They had inevitably improved after years of practice, but it took you by surprise when your best friend was sucked into a world of fame, money, and world tours. Suddenly, the person you had by your side as a constant was ripped away.

You presumed that was why your mother and Mrs. Hemmings had taken it upon themselves to plan a joint reunion trip. Your family had freed up a weekend in the summer to rent a house on the beach, and by some stroke of luck, Luke’s band had just announced their temporary hiatus. You hadn’t seen him in years. However, that was going to change, as the Hemmings would be joining you under the same roof for two whole days.

The thought of seeing Luke again after so many years left you slightly uneasy. The two of you rarely communicated anymore. You had become a facet of his past life; one deemed as excruciatingly normal and anything but exciting. The only time you heard from Luke was through DM to send you birthday wishes. Other than that, you only saw his face plastered on posters and magazines, heard his voice on the radio, saw him on your social media feeds. It was as if he had become some sort of unattainable fictional person. It was like you never really knew him at all.

You didn’t wholly reject the idea of the reunion trip, though. You had gotten off of work and were looking forward to a few days spent on the heavenly private beach. The house your mother and Mrs. Hemmings rented was rather large. It boasted a good number of bedrooms with lavish views, marble bathrooms and private balconies. The decor was light and airy, illuminated by the natural light that poured in through an extensive amount of floor-to-ceiling windows. It was beautiful, but you assumed that Luke had been part of the house-selection process.

You arrived before the Hemmings with your family quickly in tow. You picked the first bedroom you stumbled into, greeted by a massive bed with a fluffy white comforter and a skylight overhead. With a contented sigh, you dropped your bags in the corner by the door. The atmosphere surrounding was peaceful despite your impending nerves.

It was going to be a long weekend.

Your family had settled into the house with ease. The Hemmings had apparently hit traffic on the way there, which bought you some time to mentally prepare yourself. You ate lunch with your parents, listened to your mother complain about forgetting her collection of magazines at home, and unpacked some of your things.

The temperature outside had begun to cool down once you went out back to explore the beach. The sand was white and clean beneath your feet. You slid a pair of sunglasses onto the bridge of your nose, staring out at the ocean. It was endlessly blue and somehow calm despite the wind. The occasional curl of a wave released a calming sound onto the shore, reaching your toes and tickling your skin with sea mist. With such a hectic schedule, you hadn’t felt peace like this in a while. It was nice.

You had eagerly taken a seat in the sand when you heard him. His tone was deeper, nearly unfamiliar, but you couldn’t forget that voice. Not when you spent four years with him every single day.

“Long time no see.”

You looked up to see his figure looming overhead. He bent at the knees to sit beside you without invitation, his brow furrowed from the bright sun. He looked so different, somehow. Luke had grown up; it was evident in the slight beard that dotted his jaw, the absence of his old lip ring, the curly length of his hair. His shoulders were more broad, lined with muscle and strength. You had seen him in pictures but they surely did not do his physical presence justice. His mere physicality alone made you uneasy, shy.

“Luke,” You said his name awkwardly. “Hey.”

He let out a dry laugh. It exuded a wave of confidence - another new addition to his adult persona. “How’ve you been? Good, I hope?”

“Yeah, I’ve been doing well. I’m not a world-famous rockstar or anything of the sort, but still doing okay.” You managed to joke as you looked out toward the ocean.

“Good to hear.” Luke laughed again, softer this time. His eyes were studying you, drinking in the sight of you before him. He seemed to be in the same state of disbelief that you were experiencing.

A small silence occurred between you. It wasn’t nearly as uncomfortable as you thought it would be. Years had gone by and your worlds had changed, but something about Luke’s presence had stayed the same. His demeanor was still calm and gentle. You could see it in the way his eyes were looking at you curiously, hesitantly, as if he wanted to ask you one million questions but was simply biting his tongue.

Instead, he asked, “Why don’t we find some beers?”

You had agreed, obviously, after greeting his family. His mother gushed over your beauty and congratulated you on your career, your new apartment, on making it into the real world. These accomplishments were much smaller than Luke’s record-breaking success, but still, the little victories counted in your normal world.

It was past five o’clock, which was the perfect time for a happy hour. You and Luke were already a few drinks deep out of pure anxiousness. He was sat at the outside bar across from you, beginning to ramble about his latest tour that had ended in Japan. You had never even thought of reaching foreign countries like that, but with the way Luke spoke about it, you suddenly respected how well-traveled he was. He had developed a certain knowledge of the world that you could only dream of attaining.

“What about you, though? What have you been up to?” Luke questioned after a moment. “My mom mentioned you got a new job.”

You shook your head and averted your gaze. “It’s nothing compared to what you’ve been up to, Luke.”

He frowned subtly. “My job and my life probably aren’t the most normal, but I’m still me, you know.”

The tone of his voice caused you to meet his stare again. He looked sad, almost wistful. The thought of how different your lives were suddenly struck you. You were aware of why the two of you had lost touch. Maybe Luke thought he was still the same, but you doubted it just slightly.

“Yeah, I got a new job. I moved into my own apartment,” you said softly. “I’ll be in debt forever from college, but it was worth it.”

A faint smile made its way onto Luke’s features. “I saw some of your photos on Facebook. Seems like you had fun.”

You raised your eyebrows. It was surprising to know Luke had made the effort to keep up with your life, even if it was just browsing through your drunken party photos from your days in college. Part of you was also slightly embarrassed about that, but your cheeks flushed with a pleasant warmth. The two of you were growing more comfortable with one another.

“Yeah, I could say the same for you. Except I see your photos in magazines,” you replied wrly. “You’re a big shot party guy now, huh?”

With that, Luke rolled his eyes and let out a scoff. He had a reluctant grin on his features, pulling at the ends of his mouths, lighting up his face. He looked handsome and you couldn’t believe the sentiment had even crossed your mind.

“You partied your way through college for four years, I drank Los Angeles dry.” Luke took a swig of his beer. “We’re not so different, actually. You’ll realize that at some point this weekend.”

As fitting as it was, you and Luke were slightly tipsy for family dinner. Your parents were not very receptive to your current state, although it was probably due to how quiet you were. You and Luke had avoided conversation during the meal as much as you possibly could. Instead, you both forked down a homemade chicken dish and listened as your mothers spoke about how time really flies.

You took it upon yourself to initiate clean up, clearing the table. You were alone in the kitchen beginning to load up the dishwasher when Luke appeared in the doorway. You studied his frame while tidying up, noting the way a simple black tee shirt hugged his biceps so tightly, tucked perfectly into the thick leather belt he wore. He was well-dressed and looked expensive; even for a lowkey beach weekend. Those ripped jeans and band tees from your high school days were probably thrown away as soon as Luke got himself a publicist.

You initially didn’t notice it, but Luke was watching you, too. His eyes followed your every move, following the way you quietly shuffled around the kitchen. Your families’ voices could be heard distantly from the dining room. It was faint background noise to your thoughts. They immediately grew frantic when you finally felt his gaze on you. It didn’t seem curious and gentle like before. It was heavier.

“Need any help?” Luke questioned to break the silence. He licked his lips absently.

You swallowed. “No, I think I’m about done in here. Thanks, though.”

He crossed his arms over his chest. He was all the way across the kitchen, but somehow, he felt too close. You were wrangling with the sensation of familiarity but also the contradiction that was there; the new layers to Luke. His appearance, his maturity, his demeanor. His presence instilled that same comfort in you, yet it also awakened a new sense of uncertainty. The combination of uncharted feelings left you wary to be under the same roof as him.

“Our parents are thinking about going over downtown, just to walk around a bit,” Luke stated. “They want to know if we’ll be joining them.”

You set up the dishwasher and turned it on. When you turned to face Luke, you pulled your hair back from your face and sighed. “Do you want to join them?”

“Not entirely,” he said. “But I’ll go wherever you go.”

His words made you smile, only slightly. You didn’t want to show the involuntary joy they brought you.

“I don’t think I’ll be going. Not in the mood for more family bonding.” You admitted with a breathless laugh.

“Me too. I’ll stay back with you.” Luke declared. He left the room to inform your families that the two of you would be staying home, alone, together.

Just like that, you grew nervous again. Your palms were warm with sweat and there was a hollow sensation in your stomach. You couldn’t decide if it was butterflies or not, but you definitely would not admit that, either.

You had to remind yourself; it was just Luke.

Once you had the place to yourselves, you excused yourself to go take a shower and sort some of your belongings out. While you were walking down the hallway to your bedroom, you noticed who had conveniently picked the room next to yours. Luke.

You peaked in, noting his expensive luggage and the clothes that were already sprawled out over the bed. Clearly he hadn’t ditched his messy habits over the years.

After your shower, you brushed out your wet hair and slipped into a tank top and cotton shorts. It was nearing half past eight and you weren’t feeling tired just yet. Your head was slightly hazy from your evening drinks, but you were still on edge knowing that somewhere in the big house was Luke and only Luke. You attempted to convince yourself that your nerves were only due to the fact that you hadn’t seen him in a while.

You stepped down the stairs and into the main living room, only to see that he was sitting outside by the pool by himself, scrolling through his phone. The lighting out there on the deck was dim, a small contrast to the dark sky above. You had planned on switching on the television and curling up on the couch, but instead, you moved in Luke’s direction.

You slid open the glass patio door. The sudden noise seemed to startle Luke, but he only turned around to look at you. A small smile was on his face. You noticed he had changed into a pair of shorts and an old cutoff. A large bottle was placed on the table before him, as well as two empty glasses.

You looked away quickly.

“I was going to ask if you wanted to come out here and maybe get drunk, but you found me.”

“I didn’t peg you as a wine-drinker.” You stated.

“I stay in a lot of hotels. Complimentary bottles of wine are a thing, apparently.” Luke shrugged. “I acquired the taste.”

It was a bottle of Pinot. It didn’t look too expensive, which meant that he had probably dug it out of the house’s wine collection in the kitchen. You couldn’t turn down the offer, which is why you poured yourself a glass first, then took a sip. Luke followed suit.

You sat comfortably in the quiet for a few moments. The ocean could be heard in the distance, as well as the cicadas and crickets nearby. The pool looked serene before you, illuminated in the night.

“Remember when we used to go pool hopping?” Luke asked suddenly. “Mrs. Walters caught us every single time, without fail.”

“She never called the police, though.” You pointed out and smiled fondly.

“She loved you,” Luke rolled his eyes dramatically. “She never would’ve call the cops on you.”

You took a sip of your wine and laughed, the memories of summers with Luke as teenagers flooding your mind. You two would be out late every night, traipsing through your neighborhood with stolen alcohol from your parents and cheap snacks from the corner store. Pool hopping was something you often did in the warmer months since neither one of you had your own pool. Mrs. Walters’ house was the most common destination out of the pure thrill of getting caught. However, you had used to watch her grandchildren, so she never took it upon herself to get you in trouble.

You finished your glass of wine and poured yourself another, setting it on the table. “Remember that time she caught us skinny dipping?”

Luke laughed loudly, the noise immediately making you grin. He ran his hands through his hair and placed his now empty glass in front of him. The motion made you stare at him a little longer, at the pleasant way his hair fell back into his face. The wine left your face warm.

“That was the last time we ever went pool hopping.” Luke said.

“With good reason.” You defended. “That was kind of embarrassing.”

Luke leaned forward in his chair, and you were acutely aware of how close the two of you were sat. “Let’s go now.”

“Pool hopping? Where?”

“No,” Luke grinned. “Skinny dipping.”

You shook your head instantly. “Absolutely not.”

“Why not? Just for old time’s sake.”

“Old time’s sake?” You repeated incredulously. “We’re already here with our families on a reunion trip. Isn’t that doing enough for old time’s sake?”

He was already standing up, slugging back the rest of his second glass of wine. You watched him wipe his mouth with the back of his hand, a new expression overtaking his features. He was challenging you, clearly.

“Okay, be lame. The Y/N I knew five years ago would totally do it, though.”

“Maybe because it was five years ago.” You muttered, although your words were too quiet for him to hear.

You watched, internally panicking, as Luke pulled his shirt over his head in one swift motion. He glanced at you lazily. His hands hovered daringly at the waistband of his shorts. The smirk on his face diminished once he saw your stare rake over his torso, seeing the toned muscles and curvature of his body. His body looked much different this time around.

“Come on,” he urged temptingly. “I won’t look.”

You let out a laugh of disbelief. That’s exactly what he had once said to you in high school. The both of you knew that he had looked, though.

Reluctantly, you finished the rest of your wine, needing the liquid courage. Luke watched you all the while. His eyes were hooded from the alcohol, his hair disheveled and cheeks flushed. By how light you felt, you presumed you looked the same.

“Fine.” You stood up.

Luke let out a whoop of some sort. His laughter filled the space between the two of you, continuing as he pulled his shorts down so that he was left in his boxers. He had told you he wouldn’t look at you, and this time, he wasn’t. However, you didn’t stop yourself from watching him slide off his briefs.

When he caught your line of view, neither one of you said anything.

Instead, you peeled off your tank top, leaving your chest completely bare. The cool night air nipped at your skin through the blanket of humidity surrounding. Instinctively, you moved to conceal your chest, but stopped yourself. You were skinny dipping, after all.

Luke was walking toward the pool while you continued undressing. His skin appeared milky in the dim lighting of the deck. You watched the muscles ripple in his back as he jumped in, disturbing the still surface of the water. When he came up for air, his wet hair was pushed off his face and he was noticeably taking in the sight of you approaching the edge of the pool. So much for not looking.

You stood at the pool’s edge, looking into the water as Luke drew closer. It was quiet as you pulled your shorts down your thighs, leaving you fully naked. You didn’t dare look at Luke. You didn’t want to draw attention to the way he watched you undress and slip into the water a bit more gracefully than he had. It was cooler than expected, riddling your body with goosebumps. You slicked your hair off of your forehead and wiped at your eyes, finally meeting Luke’s.

“If someone told me at the beginning of this summer that I would be skinny dipping with Luke Hemmings again, I wouldn’t believe them.” You stated.

“Same here.” Luke chuckled halfheartedly. He didn’t appear as confident as before. The water was sobering, somehow. Now, he was a bit quieter, a bit struck by the way you looked under the night sky in nothing but your skin. He wondered where the sudden attraction was coming from.

The two of you fell silent again. Skinny dipping was not nearly as riveting as it was when you two were kids, trying not to get noticed by neighbors. Now, the exuberant atmosphere was instead replaced with a thick layer of tension. Only the gentle splashing of water was heard, and your proximity was absently growing closer.

“I missed you a lot when you left, you know,” You heard yourself say, or maybe the happy hour drinks and wine was saying it. “It was like you weren’t just mine anymore, when you were gone. You were the whole world’s.”

Luke frowned. His Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat, and he stood up in the water so that his chest was visible. Water droplets slid down his collarbones. “Yeah, it was sudden. We didn’t expect overnight success like that, but I’m sorry I didn’t stay in touch.”

“It’s understandable.” You replied.

Luke looked down at you, where you were crouched in the water so that it was level with your neck, concealing yourself. There was only a few feet that separated you both. “I missed you too. A lot more than you think, probably.”

Your eyes were locked on his. For some reason, there was a lump in your throat. That was all you had wanted to hear for the past few years. Those words were part of the reason why you had agreed to the reunion trip in the first place. You were clinging to the slight trace of hope that Luke missed you just as much as you had missed him.

There was no thought to your movement when you stood up, took a small step toward Luke in the shallow end of the pool. Your chest was exposed and your body grew cold but you could barely register the sensation. You were consumed by your subliminary thoughts of him, of his confession, of the way he looked standing in the water before you.

His eyes involuntarily dropped from yours to your body, to the way your chest was bare and rapidly rising and falling with your nervous breaths. He felt his blood rushing in his ears, the heat in his cheeks and neck. You welcomed his proximity when he stepped closer to you, lips parted and eyes locking back with yours.

And he kissed you. It was gentle and hesitant, as if he didn’t fully commit to the action - his body commanded it. You leaned up into him, your hands on his jaw, and pressed your lips back to his. His mouth began to move against yours slowly, ever so slowly, tasting you. You felt his hands find your waist and pull you against him, your body flush against his beneath the water. With this new movement, his palms slid up and over the curves of your skin, pushing your wet hair out of your face.

Luke gradually backed you up against the wall of the pool. It became evident that he wanted to remove any inch of space between the two of you. His tongue traced against yours, licked into your mouth. The pace of your kisses began to increase. However, you slowed him down, running your hands down the ridges of his abdomen, lingering then pulling away.

“I really missed you,” you whispered, dumbfounded. “Good night, Luke.”

You slept very restlessly that night. After leaving Luke in the pool, you wrapped a towel around your body and went inside, ditching him to clean up the wine and get himself dressed. You didn’t have ill intentions. You simply did not want to get carried away with a kiss end up doing something the two of you could possibly regret. So you did what Luke physically couldn’t do, and you put a stop to things before they could get too heated.

However, trying to achieve a good night’s sleep with him in the room next door after a kiss like that proved to be difficult. You envisioned the flush on his cheeks, the look in his eyes. They’d held an expression you had never seen on Luke before. For years, you knew him better than you knew yourself, but you never saw the side of him that was tainted by lust.

The ragged breaths he had expelled, the tightened grip of his fingers on your hip, the solidity of his body against yours without the interruption of any layers of clothing; the moment was playing on an infinite loop in your mind. You wondered if he was feeling the same. You wondered if he was wide awake, thinking of you, too.

When morning came, your anxiousness returned. The exhilaration of the night before had come and gone. It was replaced with doubt and worry, the possibility that Luke didn’t entirely want that to happen and maybe he was drunk. You pondered if he would forget all about it, that he maybe had a girl back in LA waiting for him. You weighed every negative outcome of your actions. You couldn’t help it.

You were tying on a bikini when you heard a knock on your door. Briefly, you thought it would be your mother, waking you for the family beach day she had been looking forward to. However, it was Luke.

His hair was messy and deep circles ringed his eyes. He was already in swim shorts with a pair of sunglasses tucked into the waistband. He had opted out of a shirt, apparently.

“Hi,” You breathed out. “What’s up?”

“What’s up?” Luke immediately raised his brow, surprise etched into his features. “You left your clothes from last night out there. I’m returning them.”

You tore your gaze from his and looked at the crumpled mess of your tank top and shorts that you had left on the pool deck. “Did -”

“I grabbed them before our parents came home,” He interrupted. “Wouldn’t want them to see that, would we?”

You chuckled lowly, uncomfortably. “About last night, Luke...I’m sorry. Maybe we shouldn’t have...if you have a girlfriend or something, or if -”

“Don’t be sorry.” Luke interjected softly. He stepped into your room, looked over his shoulder to see if anyone was around. “I wouldn’t have been naked in a pool with you if I had a girlfriend.”

“Okay,” You nodded, looked up at him. “Okay, I guess.”

He laughed at your flustered state of being. His eyes wrinkled at the sides and his smile was genuine, faint hair lining his cheeks and jaw. The two of you were so close, you could feel his breaths hit your face. His stare had dropped down to your mouth, tempted, wanting. You remained where you were.

It took you by surprise when he kissed you. You had known it was coming, but for him to lean down and press his lips to yours gently was unexpected. His kiss was tender, short but lingering. It held promise.

“Come on,” He murmured once he pulled away. “Let’s enjoy the beach.”

Family beach day was quite the production. Your parents had set up chairs in front of the water, stocked a cooler with waters and booze, stuck an umbrella in the sand. You were steps away from the house, but everything you needed was already right in front of you.

The sun beat down on your head from above. It was almost unbearably hot on the shore. There was a lack of breeze that day and the air felt dry around you. Nonetheless, it was still beautiful in front of the ocean, and you actually enjoyed being with your parents and Luke’s family. It had been a long time since you all spent a few interrupted hours together.

You weren’t mentally present, though. You indulged in the small talk and a cold Corona, but that was all you had to offer. Your mind was elsewhere. It was still out by the pool with Luke, with his lean stature and eyes boring into your own. You were still dwelling on earlier that morning, on the kiss he left you that insinuated there would be more to come.

It was as if you were in a state of awe. It was difficult to believe you were here for a weekend with Luke Hemmings, former childhood best friend, current superstar dripping in fame. As teenagers, of course you had thought about what it would be like to kiss him. He was your everything. That was why you never dared to taint your friendship.

You decided to get up and head over to the deck. Your mind was swimming and it was a great time to put sunscreen on, you decided. The sun was too strong and you could feel your skin beginning to burn. Plus, you were tired of listening to your parents ask Luke about all the countries he had been to, all the tours he had done. You were happy for him but grew tired of the forced conversation.

As you dug through a bag filled with different numbers of SPF, you noticed Luke stand and begin to make his way toward you. His stature was tall and his shoulders were broad, sunglasses now perched on the bridge of his nose. You looked away and started applying some sunscreen to your arms.

“Getting tired of family beach day already?” Luke questioned. He appeared bemused, watching you dot some sunscreen onto your cheeks.

“Something like that.”

He hummed, then sat down on the chair in front of you. You tried not to look at him because it was too overwhelming. His body had changed so much. He wasn’t the lanky boy from next door anymore. He had grown into himself, become a man.

“Did you just come over here to watch me put on sunscreen?” You joked after a moment, quirking an eyebrow.

A crooked smile grew on his mouth. “No, not really. I can help, though. If you want.”

“Luke,” You said his name disapprovingly. It came across with a roll of your eyes.

“C’mere, let me.” He extended his hands outward, reaching for the bottle of sunscreen.

You looked over at the beach. “Our families are right there.”

“So? I’m just helping a friend out,” Luke teased dramatically. “Their backs are to us anyway.”

You had no chance to protest anymore. Luke already had leaned forward and snatched the bottle from your grip, nudging you to move toward where he was sitting before you. You looked down at him, unsure.

“Turn around,” He urged softly.

You did as he said, glancing at your family uneasily. You could only see the backs of their heads. No one was paying attention.

You heard Luke squeeze the lotion into his hand, followed by the cold sensation of the liquid on your lower back. The large expanse of his hands smoothed it into your skin, rubbing it in, feeling the ridges of your spine beneath his fingers. You swallowed thickly.

“You’ve got a tattoo?” Luke tapped the side of your hip, where ink stuck out just above the waist of your bikini bottoms.

“Don’t look at it,” You practically whined, forgetting the image was even there. “I was stupid. Drunk with my friends, sophomore year.”

You craned your neck to look at Luke do exactly what you had asked him not to. He pulled the spandex material down just slightly, examining the design that you had chosen from a big book at the tattoo shop. Luke’s fingers traced the small lines, leaving goosebumps in their wake.

“Wow,” He mused. “Can’t believe I didn’t notice it last night.”

You rolled your eyes once more at the sarcasm that dripped from his words. You moved to turn around and face him, but he stopped you, his grip holding you in place. His touch left your waist for a moment, then moved toward the curve of your behind.

You looked toward your parents again. “Luke.”

“What?”

“Really?” You hissed, both at him and because of the sensation of the cold sunscreen on your ass. You stepped forward slightly.

“Like I said, I’m just helping you out.” He stated, but his words were muffled by his low laughter.

He rubbed the liquid in, not skipping over a single centimeter of your skin. His touch was slow and pointed as if he was savoring every moment of this. Soon, your heartbeat was beginning to race.

His touch crept back up, feeling the arch of your back and the curves of your waist. He pulled you down into his lap and you were like putty in his hands. You were past the point of protest, simply wrapped around his finger as you slid down and sat on his thighs. You were turned sideways, your eyes clouded as they looked down and met his.

“Can’t forget your shoulders,” Luke murmured. “Don’t want those to burn.”

His voice was just above a whisper. It brought chills down your spine. All you could do was nod, stare at him like a deer in headlights.

You watch his every move. He took his bottom lip between his teeth as he poured more sunscreen into his hand, then rubbed his palms together. His gaze flickered back up to meet yours.

“Turn,” He urged, and you had to tear your eyes away again.

You turned so that your back was to him once more. His touch was felt on your shoulder blades, kneading and gliding slowly. He dipped his fingers beneath the string of your bikini and for a moment you were thinking he would pull the knot loose. Instead, he continued his journey on your upper back, rubbing and feeling the warmth of your skin.

His grasp was on the nape of your neck when he was finished. It curled, and he nudged you to look at him. His stare was so intense, all you were able to do was stare back. You shared the silence of the moment, you in his lap, his hand on your neck, lingering.

He knew exactly what he was doing. It was working, every second of it. You had melted into a puddle before him. You would do whatever he said when he looked at you like that, when he touched you like that. It was like magic.

He leaned up and kissed you deeply. You were lost in the gesture, disregarding any past doubt and worry. You didn’t care if your family was right there. You wanted to feel his lips move against yours in that same way forever.

Luke’s tongue delved into your mouth. His hands were on your face now, keeping you close to him, kissing and kissing and kissing. You wanted to turn to straddle his lap, but you stopped yourself, knowing that would be the point of no return.

Once his breathing started to become slightly staggered, Luke forced himself to pull back. His chest was rising and falling heavily and his expression was strained.

“You’re going to have to finish with the rest of the sunscreen yourself,” He said. “Otherwise, family beach day will end a bit early.”

Exhaustion weighed your body down, made your muscles heavy with tire. The sun always drained you, no matter how long or how short you stayed in it. However, that day, you had been out on the beach practically until dinner. It was the only thing keeping you from going inside and letting Luke do whatever he pleased with you.

Now, it was after dinner and everyone was heading to sleep early. Your father had dozed on the sofa while watching TV and you had excused yourself to your room to get ready for bed. It was quiet and peaceful in the house with the air conditioning on high. It felt like your favorite kind of summer night.

You disappeared into your bathroom to wash all the sand out of your hair. The room was extravagant, with beautiful tile and marble detail. It was a level of lavish that you could only dream of. It was equipped with a gorgeous jacuzzi, twin sinks, and an oceanfront view. It was dark outside, but you could still make out the water in the distance.

You decided to run yourself a bath to soak and relax. You sat in a towel as the jacuzzi filled, then foamed with the bubble wash you added to the hot water. Once it was prepared, you slipped in, allowing your body to completely ease.

You rested your head against the wall, looking out the window, thinking about how you ended up here in the first place. It was insane to reflect on the past twenty four hours. Seeing Luke and his family, being on the beautiful beach, staying in the gorgeous house. That alone was enough to shake you. However, the mere thought of your interaction with Luke - his body, your body, the kisses and the tension - was what was truly racking your brain. You couldn’t fathom that you had seen Luke, your old best friend, in such a way.

The opening of your bathroom door startled you from thought. It was him, in his gray sweats and white wife-beater. A light sunburn tainted his cheeks and nose. His hair was tucked behind one ear and he was looking at you with a small smile.

“Did you forget how to knock?” You questioned, your voice caught in your throat.

“I knocked on the bedroom door.” He explained.

“Oh. Well, yeah, I’m taking a bath.” You managed to get out.

Luke entered the bathroom fully and closed the door behind him. A towel was in his hand. “I know. I heard the water running.”

You shifted in the water, sitting up a bit. The bubbles concealed your skin. “You...want to join me?” You offered, but your voice was weak and that same unsettling feeling grew in the pit of your stomach again. It was like you were out on the pool deck, with his eyes seeing through you, seeing all of you.

He didn’t say anything in reply, only hummed. You watched as he crossed the bathroom in one stride, placing his towel close to the jacuzzi. He lifted his tank top over his head, ditching it and tossing it to the floor. He slid his sweatpants down, revealing himself to you fully, knowing that your eyes were on him. It still made your stomach churn.

You moved over in the jacuzzi, although when he got in, there wasn’t much room to work with anyway. The water rose slightly with his weight. He let his head rest back against the tub, his leg against yours.

“Do you always listen to depressing music like this?” Luke questioned after a moment, referring to the slow songs coming from your phone across the room.

You laughed, splashed him a little. “What would you rather me put on? Your latest album?”

“Honestly, yeah.” Luke grinned.

You rolled your eyes. The both of you lulled into a silence, and you spoke up again. “I can’t believe I’m here. With you, in this really nice house. It’s so weird. I haven’t seen you since we were eighteen and now...we’re in a jacuzzi.”

“Jacuzzi is one of the main reasons I picked the house. Actually, this was supposed to be my room this weekend, but you got here first, obviously.” Luke said casually, stretching his arms out across the top of the tub.

“What? You picked the house?” You questioned in surprise, looking him in the eye.

He nodded. “I mean...the weekend’s on me.”

“You mean what?” You repeated. You sat up straight, brow furrowed.

“The weekend was my idea, Y/N. I thought of it a while ago, months ago when the band scheduled a hiatus.” Luke spoke, softer now. “My mom was telling me she had been talking with yours. I just wanted to see you again.”

You blinked. You had been under the impression that your families had planned this on their own, that Luke had been roped into this the same way that you had. To think that he had organized and paid for the trip on his own shocked you. To think that you even crossed his mind over the last few months left you somewhat speechless.

“Why do you look so surprised?” Luke wondered. He sat up, too, raking a hand through his hair and over his jaw.

“I thought...I don’t know, I didn’t think you would’ve thought of this, I figured it was our parents.” You stammered. “I thought you forgot about me.”

Luke shook his head, his brow furrowed this time. You noted the disagreement in his gaze. “I never would’ve forgot you, you know that. I told you, remember? I told you, I missed you more than you think.”

You didn’t know what to say in return. You were still slightly awestruck that he had planned this weekend, that he had missed you to the point where he rented out a house on the beach just to see you again. Meanwhile, you had gone on the past few years accepting his birthday wishes, seeing his life, thinking that you were just a small facet of the old him. Maybe you meant more.

He was studying your expression when you looked at him again. Part of him was bemused, but the other part of him was slightly nervous. He knew you missed him, but he didn’t know if it was of the same measure as he missed you. Time had passed and things were definitely different, but he still thought about you constantly.

“Say something.” Luke spoke after a moment.

You didn’t know what to offer him. He was awaiting a thank you, maybe, but you couldn’t bring yourself to speak. Instead, you were overcome with the urge to kiss him, to wipe the expectant look off of his face, to finally feel his skin beneath your touch. He went to such an extent to see you, and all you could think of was how you wanted his lips on yours.

You leaned forward in the jacuzzi. Some of the water splashed over the edge, but you didn’t care. You moved onto Luke’s lap feeling his naked skin beneath you as you were perched over him. You tilted his head to look up at you as you admired the beauty of his face, the pink of his ample lips and the light of his irises.

You leaned down to kiss him, welcoming his taste. His hands rose to your waist beneath the bubbles, his thighs supporting your weight. His tongue rolled over yours and swiped over your bottom lip deliciously. You entangled your fingers in his hair, pulling gently, needing him closer. He was so different, so different.

He let out a pent-up breath once your mouths parted, his eyes blinking open wildly. He was looking at you with a certain hunger that stopped time. It was slow-motion and still when his gaze dropped from yours to your lips, then to your chest as he pulled away from you. He allowed the silence to speak as he lifted his hands from your waist, up your arms, moving the soap and bubbles over your skin. He let his palms glide over your breasts as he stared, taking you in, admiring you before him as your chests heaved.

“It’s like meeting you for the first time all over again.” He murmured, almost to himself.

He was right. You kissed him again, feeling his words and the disbelief on his tongue, the disbelief that he was seeing you like this. You let him bite down on your lip, pull back, then pull you in again. His hands were everywhere, feeling, touching, exploring. You were hesitant when your touch gravitated from his jaw to his chest, lower and lower.

He pulled away when your fingertips ghosted at his navel. “Let’s dry off.”

You nodded, entranced. He stood up and extended his hand, letting you taking it, helping you out of the jacuzzi. You were quiet as he wrapped his towel around his waist, then snagged yours.

“C’mere.” Luke said softly.

You leaned into him, allowing him to wrap a towel around your body. He let his weight rest against the sink as he rubbed the material over your skin, staring as you then moved to dry yourself off. You looked at him, took in the sight of his tall figure and broad stature leaning back and looking right at you, too. His lips were darker and his cheeks were more flushed, an obvious tent having formed in the towel he was wearing.

“I didn’t think I ever crossed your mind.” You found yourself saying. You wrapped the towel around your body.

“You were the best thing in my life for four years,” Luke replied. “You cross my mind often, actually.”

He pulled you closer to him so that you were virtually flush against his front. You pushed his hair up and out of his face, letting your knuckles drag across his cheek fondly. “I always wondered what it would be like to kiss you.”

Luke grinned, visibly pleased, then kissed your neck, your collarbone, your chest. “The amount of times I’ve imagined this, pictured it...you don’t know.”

“No need to imagine anymore.” You stated breathlessly.

Luke looked at you, his touch falling down your arm until his fingers wrapped around your wrist. “Let me show you what I’ve imagined.”

You stared at him, feeling his breaths fanning over your face. Those words and that tone. His voice was gravelly, the confession falling from his tongue with such weight and power. It hung in the air between you; a declaration and a cliffhanger all in one. You could practically see the way he was turning you over in his mind, thinking of all the ways he wanted to have you. The lust created a bubble around you both - nothing else mattered.

Luke’s touch was burning into your skin like an iron imprint, and you wanted it to remain forever. He shifted, moving so that you were both walking into the bedroom. It was dimly lit, crisp and untouched, but once he sat you on the foot of the bed, you knew what was coming. All attention was devoted to you.

He leaned down at an angle to kiss you again, his tongue melting against yours, the kiss wet and sensual. You allowed him to savor the action, your taste and your lips, as he moved his fingers to where your towel was wrapped. He pulled the makeshift knot open, nudging you to lay down before him as he pulled back and let his stare rake down your exposed skin shamelessly.

“Your body,” he whispered. “You’re gorgeous. So pretty.”

You felt as if you were on display for him. In a way, you were. It was as if he was trying to memorize the moment, his hands tracing the curve of your hips, the swell of your breasts. You normally felt a small shred of insecurity in times like these. Being fully naked in front of someone with nothing to hide was something that was terrifying and amazing all in once. With Luke and the way he was looking at you, you felt beautiful. You were beautiful.

He dragged his fingers down your torso, over your hips, landing them on your knees. Goosebumps rose in his wake and a shiver travelled up your spine. He then bent down on the floor before the bed, his head visible between your legs. He separated your thighs, hiking them up over your shoulders. The darkness in his stare was something so foreign to you, something you never could have pictured before. It made your stomach flip.

“This okay for you?” Luke breathed, unable to take his eyes off of you. His fingers were pressed into your hipbones.

“It’s okay, it’s good.” You mumbled almost frantically. You were shaking just slightly with raw anticipation.

Luke didn’t say anything else. He leaned forward, pressed his tongue against your center eagerly, bringing you instant relief. You caved into him as he began to move his mouth against your slit, dragging his tongue up and down as slowly as humanly possible.

“Luke,” You breathed out his name, your thighs instantly tightening and twitching over his shoulders.

He took this as easy encouragement, increasing the pace of his motions, the pressure of his grip on your hips. His eyes were shut and his hair hung into his face as he focused on pleasuring you, savoring your taste and the quiet noises that left your throat.

You tried not to let much escape your lips due to the fact that your families were under the same roof. If you were alone, you were certain you would’ve been screaming at the intense level of satisfaction. Luke knew exactly what he was doing - that you were certain of. He kept your weight pinned down with his hands as he moved his tongue in circles around your clit, burying his face between your legs.

His eyes looked up to you on occasion, to gauge your reaction, to see how inundated you were in the pleasure. He flattened his tongue against your center again, slowing almost to a stop, then continued his movements. He could have sent you over the edge right then and there, but instead took his grip from your waist and slipped a finger inside you, then two.

You were writhing with pleasure, biting down on nothing to keep from yelling out. Luke could hear you panting, hear his name leave your lips over and over again as he worked to make you feel good. His fingers pumped in and out of you rhythmically as his tongue kept at your clit. He curled them at the knuckle, feeling your walls contract around him, noting the way your back was arching involuntarily.

He lifted his head for a spare moment to stare at your, continuing the rigor of his fingers. “Look at me when you come.” He told you in undertone, voice almost broken.

You couldn’t react in the moment. Your head was thrown back against the mattress, legs squeezing around his head as he returned his tongue to your slit. Your eyes were rolling back as he increased the motion of his fingers, adding a third digit, curling again.

Like clockwork, you felt your body shake with unadulterated pleasure. You were thrown over the edge, lifting your head to look down at Luke as you came. His eyes watched you throughout the entirety of your orgasm, his tongue tasting every inch of you.

Soon, your breathing slowed and your muscles relaxed. Luke craned his neck to get a better look at you, taking his fingers into his mouth, tasting you. You stared at him in a daze. His lips wrapped around his fingers, painted a darker pink.

Your body was exhausted from the orgasm. It had been so long since you felt something like that. Still, the way Luke looked so primal and animalistic was making you stir. He was at his feet again, towel dropped, towering body in its purest form for you.

“Luke,” You said his name again. “C’mere.”

You didn’t need to say it. He was already on top of you, laying you down on the bed again. You could feel his erection flush against the inside of your thigh. He ignored it, focused on kissing you. The necklace he wore dragged over your skin as he hovered over you.

You wrapped your arms around him, nails scratching over skin. He kissed you slowly, as if he could have done so forever. You let him pepper his lips down your neck and over the hollow of your throat. His hair tickled at your face, and when he lifted his head, you couldn’t look away from his beauty.

“Let me feel you,” You mumbled, your touch travelling south. You wrapped your hand around his cock, feeling how he was practically aching.

He inhaled sharply once you squeezed and began stroking. It was taking everything for him not to collapse on top of you as you jerked him off, twisting at his head, watching his reaction to your movements.

“Hard as a rock for you,” he admitted lowly, facial features tense. “Fuck.”

“Can I taste?” You asked tentatively. Your voice didn’t sound like your own in the dim quiet of the room. It was strained, yet eager.

“Mm,” Luke hummed. “Wanna feel your pretty mouth.”

You looked up at him once he sat upright. His long legs were outstretched on the mattress as his arms supported his weight. He watched you, stroking himself a few times while you shifted before him. His dick stood straight and flushed at the tip, enticing.

You laid on your stomach before him, running your tongue along the underside of his shaft, building moisture. You wrapped your lips around his head and sucked harshly, looking up at him beneath your lashes. He winced at the sensitive feeling, his abdomen muscles clenching and jaw tensing. You could tell he wanted to curse but was trying to keep quiet.

You moved your mouth lower down his length, feeling his tip hit the back of your throat as you struggled to take it all. Luke’s hand flew to your head, keeping you there for a moment as he took his bottom lip between his teeth.

“Shit, take it, baby,” He drawled out. His tone was wrecked.

He moved your hair out of your face as you came back up for air and then licked his shaft again. You developed a rhythm, hollowing your cheeks and sucking his tip, stroking what you couldn’t fit. Luke’s head was thrown back in pleasure, his biceps flexing as he moved to lean back on his elbows. He was so lost, so hyperfocused on how you were making him feel.

You moved down to his balls, taking each in your mouth one at a time. You looked at him all the while, seeing how his eyes rolled as you sucked, then released. He was gripping the comforter so hard his knuckles were white. When you moved back to his dick, he shook his head.

“I’m about to come, we have to stop,” He breathed out through gritted teeth. “Okay, fuck.”

You couldn’t help the small prideful smile that toyed at your lips. He sat for a moment, catching his breath before looking to you again. When he met your smirk, you knew that he was enjoying himself clearly. You wondered how many times he truly did think of that moment.

“Wanna be inside you,” Luke muttered. He sat up, pulling you toward him for a kiss. “You want that?”

“Yeah, I do,” You breathed.

Luke turned so that his weight was hovering over you again, his eyes scanning over your body. He was so immersed in the moment, in the chemistry between the two of you, and it made you wonder how long he had been thinking of you. Did he always feel this way? You certainly didn’t, but something changed when he sat down with you on the beach yesterday. It was a new kind of connection. There was the Luke you knew for all of those years, and the Luke that was there before you. It was an intense and lovely combination.

Luke brushed your hair back and out of your face, moving so that he was situated between your legs. There was a brief moment where he met your eyes and you could see that this was different for him. There was a history and there was a present, and he had hoped for that.

Luke lined himself up with your entrance and pushed. Your walls constricted around him, adjusting to his girth, and that familiar pressure resonated inside you again. You and Luke sighed in sync, both in relief and out of pleasure. He bottomed out, slowly, feeling all of you and you feeling every inch of him.

“Fuck, you feel so good,” Luke muttered, his lips at your ear.

You braced yourself when he pulled out, then thrusted forward again, his hips against yours. You reveled in the feeling; the warmth of his body on top of yours, the pressure building in your stomach, the breathless noises Luke was making at your ear. You had never felt such pleasure and peace at once.

You wrapped your legs around Luke’s frame as he started moving into you quicker, deeper. The new angle hit you and you moaned out quietly, making an acute effort to silence yourself as much as possible. Luke lifted his head to look at you as he pushed in and out, in and out. You could only lock eyes as he fucked into you, lulling you into a stage of pleasure.

His brow was furrowed and his mouth was agape as he propped himself up over you. You could tell that he was already far gone, with small beads of sweat gathering around his hairline. Still, although he was immersed in the euphoria of it all, he leaned down, his lips brushing over yours. “Always been so beautiful.”

You moved your hands from his back to his face, cupping his jaw. His pace slowed again with this new position and your lips met, body jolting each time Luke bottomed out. He let his tongue drag over yours slowly. The kiss was sloppy but somehow flawless. The both of you had never been that close to someone, limbs completely intertwined, attached yet separate.

He dropped his lips to the crook of your neck, letting his face stay buried in your skin as he started up his pace again. You laid back, eyes rolling as he fucked into you more pointedly, hitting your g-spot with the thrust of his hips.

“Fuck, Luke, don’t stop,” You breathed out, your hands at each side of your head on the mattress.

“How’s it feel?” Luke mumbled, lifting his head again, eyes low as they watched your face contort into an expression of pleasure.

“So good,” You exhaled, teeth clenching when he thrusted forward abruptly.

You were suddenly surprised when you felt Luke’s hand on top of yours, fingers interlocked as he continued moving inside of you. He held onto you, his light eyes still trained on yours. He looked so pretty like that.

“Gonna come soon,” He told you, lips against your neck again. “You gonna come with me?”

“Mm,” You could only hum in reply.

Luke’s steady pace was building you up, sweat prickling up on your skin. You could feel every inch of him as he fucked in and out, lips dancing over your collarbone, eyes occasionally looking to you curiously. He cared. He wanted you to feel good, to feel like he did in that moment.

A low grunt emitted from his throat told you that he was getting close. The sounds that left him only fueled your arousal, and you held him tight against you as he worked to reach both of your highs. He moved his weight to his elbows, practically laying on top of you as his hips moved forward with every thrust. The new proximity made your body shiver, and soon, you were moaning quietly into Luke’s shoulder, thrown over the edge.

“That’s it,” Luke praised in undertone. His words were slightly broken as he felt you come around his length, your body writhing beneath his.

He leaned up once he felt his orgasm approach. You were panting, a heaving mess of limbs beneath him as he pulled out of you, stroking himself until his come painted your torso. His jaw contracted and his brow furrowed, a short whimper exiting his lips as he came, your name falling from his tongue.

Once his breathing returned to its normal pace, he let himself lay beside you for a moment. His cheeks were flushed, heartbeat erratic in his chest, but he was contented. You could sense this by the way he turned to look at you, tilting your head to look at him with his fingertips.

“I fell in love with you, back then. I never forgot you.” He said. “Things may be different now, but that will always stay the same.”

#wow um 23 pages later i think im crosseyed #also not my best but like hey am i back in the game maybe #oh well here r the tags #luke smut #luke one shot #luke writing #luke hemmings smut #luke hemmings one shot #5sos fic #luke fic #5sos one shot #5sos smut #Smut #one shot #writing

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ignis-scientia-estrogen-brigade · 5 years

Text

~ISEB in Japan: A Photo Journal~

If you’ve been following me on Twitter lately, you’ll know that I’ve been traveling through parts of Japan the last couple of weeks with my Ignis Play Arts Kai figure in tow. I posted a few pictures over there during the duration of my trip, but those barely scratched the surface of everything I got to do while in Japan. So I thought I’d put together a blog post of my journey while it was still fresh in my mind, featuring everyone’s favorite strategist in what I’ve been dubbing my Great Final Fantasy XV Adventure of 2019!

[Image-heavy content + commentary under the cut]

A brief backstory: I’ve wanted to go to Japan my entire adult life. For years, I’ve watched friends make the trek while I’ve been stuck at home with a severe case of FOMO. The only thing that ever stopped me from going was money (or a lack thereof), so I made the decision last summer to buckle down and sock away every dime I made to make it happen. My only concern before hopping on the plane was that I had missed the wave of FFXV popularity by about a year, but I would quickly learn that—other than not getting to eat any of Ignis’ recipes at the Square Enix Cafe—I had little to worry about.

Literally the only reason I brought my Play Arts Kai figure was so I could take this picture of Ignis at the Citadel (a.k.a. the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building), which was the very first place I stopped at on my first full day in Tokyo. The building + the surrounding plaza, while not 100% accurate, is a fairly impressive facsimile of the one in the game. It’s located in Shinjuku, which also boasts a lot of similarities to Insomnia. Having finished Episode Ardyn mere hours before jetting off on my trip, it felt like I had stepped off the plane and right into the game!

There just so happened to be an Animate right near the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, so I popped in to get a feel for what kind of FFXV merch I’d be able to find two years after the game’s release and a year after its height of popularity. Turns out, there was quite a lot of swag to be found! Truth be told, I’ve never been one to chase down official merchandise (unfortunately my job doesn’t really afford that luxury), but I gave myself special permission while on vacation to buy anything I wanted. So I did! Including everything you see above. ^^;;

The next thing I did was take the train to Ginza to meet Lyle/@landscape-gonna (@landscape_gonna on Twitter), and I simply cannot say enough nice things about her. If you don’t know who she is, there’s a 99.9% chance you’ve seen at least one of her Ignis costumes, and they are A. M. A. Z. I. N. G. We had chatted a bit previously on Twitter before I went full-on stan mode, asking her if she'd be willing to meet up with me (a total stranger) to have lunch and talk Ignis and Final Fantasy. Not only did she say yes, but she gifted me with copies of her incredible cosplay zines and was not the least embarrassed when I busted out my Play Kai Arts figure in the middle of a busy Japanese dessert restaurant haha.

See? Zero embarrassment here.

We even did Noct’s ultimate pose! In public!

I can’t begin to articulate how special meeting Lyle was for me—being brought together from opposite sides of the world to share in our love for Ignis/FFXV is a memory I will cherish my entire life. So Lyle, if you are reading this: どうもありがとうございます ! ٩( ᐛ )( ᐖ )۶

Lyle wasn't the only friend I had in Japan. Another friend of mine, Asuka (who happens to be well-versed in anime/video game culture), volunteered to be my guide through Ikebukuro/Otome Road the next day. Quick otaku lesson: Kbooks is a chain of stores that specializes in the resale of licensed merchandise. For example, if you missed out on some of the limited availability items from the Movic and the Square Enix Cafe collaborations, you might be able to find them at a Kbooks. Otome Road in particular has something like seven different Kbook shops in a 3-block radius, each one specializing in different products (sports anime, idols, cosplay, etc). I, of course, beelined for the video game shop...

...which is where I found this fucking thing:

I’m not gonna lie, I almost bought it. I just didn’t know what I would do with it besides scare the living daylights out of people when they least expected it lol.

Yoooo Adam I found ya boi in Ikebukuro

We popped into the cosplay Kbooks shop since it was right across the street and I found an Ignis costume for sale! Please enjoy this picture of me pretending to come up with a new recipeh (since this is likely the closest I’ll ever come to cosplaying as Ignis).

One of the things Asuka introduced me to was Hanami (picnic under the cherry blossoms, basically). I had timed my trip to coincide with the blooming of the sakura, and the experience of being in Japan during that time was indescribable. I took a bajillion pictures of the sakura while I was there and unfortunately none of my photos ever quite captured the beauty and magic of them in person, but here’s a lil’ pic of a tree in bloom at Yoyogi Park (with the Movic Ignis charm I bought at Kbooks earlier that day).

Another item on my Japan checklist was to stay at a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) in Hakone, a town famous for its onsen/hot springs. Nothing in Hakone is cheap (at least, not during peak sakura season), and I had spent an absurd amount of money on a night at one particular ryokan with a private bath (shy husband haha). The private bath could only be reserved in 30-minute increments, and by the time we finally rolled into Hakone the bath we wanted only had one slot available for the rest of the night. So what did I do?

If you said, “Waste the first 15 minutes of your 30-minute, super-expensive onsen experience taking the perfect Ignis-in-a-hot-springs photo” then you would be absolutely correct lol.

I actually wasn’t planning on taking a bunch of photos of my Ignis figure on this trip, but after my husband tucked Ignis into my futon while I was in the bathroom, documenting my trip vicariously through Ignis ended up taking on a life of its own. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I popped back over to Tokyo after my stay in Hakone, which is when I finally got to make the Great Nerd Pilgrimage™ to the Square Enix Cafe! Had the FFXV collab been going on while I was there, I might’ve forked over the cash to eat at the cafe, but I opted to skip out on lunch so I could spend more money in their shop. They still had a small collection of FFXV merch...

...including this acrylic Ignis stand that I wanted but thought I would never own after failing to find it at Kbooks earlier in the week. Huzzah!

Also, I just feel the need to let everyone know that this is what the outside of the Square Enix Cafe in Tokyo looks like lmao.

Our next stop was Kyoto, which we arrived in on Gladio’s birthday (April 2nd). Unfortunately I didn’t have time to draw anything for his b-day, but we did stop for a Nissin Cup Noodle in honor of Gladio!

One of the most memorable moments of my trip was when this boating incident happened, and it requires a little bit of backstory. On my first full day in Kyoto, I attempted to field two of the most popular tourist destinations in Kyoto: the bamboo forest in Arashiyama, and the Fushimi Inari Shrine. Both places have their beauty and historical significance, and I suspect during the off-season are inspiring sites to behold. In my case, both places were absolutely swarming with tourists, which really put a damper on my enjoyment of them. Defeated, I followed a local canal back toward my hotel, which is where I spotted a miniature boat enthusiast controlling a boat that looked eerily similar to the Royal Vessel. I pulled my Ignis figure out with the intention of simply taking a photo of the boat in the background; when the man saw me holding my figure and fumbling with my phone, he flagged me over and gestured for me to put Ignis in the boat. I wish I had documented how it all went down a little better, but as I was literally wheezing with laughter, the above was the best I could capture.

One of the more off-the-cuff decision I made was to dress in kimono for a day while in Gion (Kyoto). As the cherry blossoms were at their height during my stay there, you couldn’t sneeze without hitting someone who was dressed traditionally for the numerous festivals that were taking place throughout the city. As a white foreigner, I initially had reservations about wearing a kimono (for fear of cultural appropriation), but I did everything I could to be as respectful and reverent whilst wearing the garb (and the rental shop was certainly happy for the patronage). It was an amazing experience and I would definitely do it again!

Speaking of being respectful, I made it a point not to take pictures of Ignis while visiting any shrines (because nothing screams ‘douchey American’ quite like whipping out an action figure on sacred grounds), hence why I don’t have pictures of any of the major shrines we visited in this post. I did, however, spot this miniature shrine arch in an alleyway, and thought it would be okay for my equally miniature strategist to pay his respects.

Literally, a tiny shrine in an alleyway. I suppose even alleys have their deities!

Osaka is about 20 minutes away from Kyoto by train, and since I had already traveled all the way out to Kyoto, I went the extra few miles to stop by the Square Enix Cafe in Osaka. They actually had a smaller selection of FFXV merch than the one in Tokyo and I didn’t end up buying anything, but I would’ve never stopped wondering if I had missed out on something if I hadn’t gone and seen it for myself!

My last day in Kyoto was a week into my trip, and I still had five days left to go. After walking ~10 miles every day (no joke, I have the GPS screenshots to prove it!), I was really starting to feel the grind. I’m sure Ignis was also desperate for an Ebony after being lugged around in the bottom of my purse for a week lol.

Back on the Shinkansen (bullet train) to Tokyo!

Weeeeeee (ﾉ^ヮ^)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧

Said hi to Fuji-san!

Stopped for a delicious matcha parfait! (Shout-out to my husband who never once got annoyed with me whenever I busted out my figure in public spaces lol)

This was without a doubt the craziest and most unexpected find of any of my merch runs. I had gone to the video game Kbooks in Ikebukuro earlier in the week and had sifted through all their Ignis merch with a fine-toothed comb. This particular Movic charm was one I had been on the lookout for, but it was a rare pull even when they were readily available a year ago, and the only Ignis charm I came across in my first trip to Kbooks was the normal Ignis one (see my Hanami pic). I had no real reason to return to Ikebukuro after I got back from Kyoto, but on a whim I went one last time and BAM—this guy was hanging out there in his lil’ baggie, just waiting for me to get my grubby little hands on him. Jackpot!

All in all, I spent way too much money and I couldn’t be happier for it. The only thing I couldn’t find for the life of me was the Ignis cologne by Movic, but after searching through several Animates and Kbooks, I began to suspect it might be an online-exclusive item that wasn’t available in stores. (Which was probably a good thing for me cause I was already stretching my budget to the limit by this point haha.)

On my last night in Japan, I went back to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building—only this time I went at night when it was all lit up! I also went up to the observation deck on the 45th floor (something I didn’t know you could do the first time I was there) and enjoyed a fantastic view of nighttime Insomnia Tokyo. It was the perfect bookend to a perfect trip, and my heart is absolutely overflowing right now with love for both Japan and Final Fantasy XV!

#final fantasy xv #ignis scientia #ffxv

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tomahawk-swing · 5 years

Text

Calloused Hands

Maha looked up at the clock. Already 11am, and Dingo still hadn't come downstairs for breakfast. Maha wasn't too worried, as Dingo wasn't working that day. Right. Today is the 15th, Maha recalled. Dingo had asked him for a day off.

Dingo left early, when the air was still fresh. A suffocating heat wave had struck Japan for several days in a row, forcing those who could afford it to stay inside, locked up with their precious AC. Dingo had chosen another strategy that day.

He gathered a few water bottles, several bento boxes and snacks in a backpack, and headed outside the city with the first bus he could catch. It wasn't a long ride to the outskirts, and Dingo wanted to climb as far up in the mountains as he could before the heat became overwhelming.

He reached a great vantage point after a good hour, and stopped on a bench for a drink. A whole half-bottle later, and Dingo reached for his PET to check the time. Already 11am.

"You should at least have left Maha a note." Tomahawkman pointed out, a hint reproachful.

"It's my day off. I do what I want." Dingo retorted. He splashed some water on his face, cursing the heavy heat, and the sweat that rolled down his face. He was on the other side of the planet, but the weather was still the same as that day …

Dingo pocketed his PET again, and headed back on his silent walk, straying away from the paths. He listened to a few songs, but even his ears seemed to sweat from wearing headphones. He didn't meet many travelers on his way, much to his pleasure - such was the point of avoiding the roads. Tourists rarely wandered off, and Dingo wasn't afraid of insects or wild animals. The heat didn't only affect humans, and even the forest's silence felt oppressive. The birds barely chirped, no wind was ruffling the foliage above his head.

Dingo stopped again by noon, this time for a proper meal. He considered sending Maha an email, but even in the world's most technologically advanced country, there were still places where his PET couldn't connect.

His meal devoured, Dingo allowed himself a good nap up in a sturdy tree. He wasn't used to waking up so early on off days, and had taken the habit to nap through the hottest hours of the day. The forest offered a little relief from the insane temperatures, compared to the city's burning streets, but Dingo still needed a break. He had neglected his physical shape over his few weeks of vacation, and it was starting to show.

When he woke up, the heat had reached and passed its highest point. It was still early in the evening, but Dingo felt silly for wasting so much time. He soon realized that this was exactly how he'd intended to spend the day, and tried to be a little more easy on himself. Work, homework, friends, they could all wait until the next day.

Dingo jumped down from his branch, and walked to the final destination of his little trip. He knew the perfect spot to watch the sunset from - the perfect tree, perched on top of a hill, with a breathtaking view on the valleys on both sides. It didn't take him too long to reach that spot, and he was able to devour his dinner long before the sky took on faitn orange hues.

Once more, Dingo made his way up the tree, his backpack cleverly balanced behind his back, his every motion firm and cautious. He acted out of pure instinct, his muscles following his brain's unconscious impulses as he reached for each upper branch, and heaved himself up with a calculated balance of strength. Dingo climbed until the branches could barely just handle his weight, and sat down with his back against the trunk.

His hands were a little sore. Dingo looked down at his palms, slightly reddened by all the effort. It was no big deal, compared to the numerous cuts and scars that covered his hands. They hardly looked like a teenager's hands, their palms calloused and rough, hardened by years of carving wood, climbing up trees, gardening, fighting …

These hands held all of his most precious memories. Dingo finally let these memories pour back in, break through the wall that he so carefully kept standing all year round, until the middle of August came again. That day, he allowed himself to be weak. He let the tears break through the dam, come rolling down his cheeks, mingling with the sweat and dust he had gathered from his long walk.

He wished his father could have seen his hands, and all the history they now carried. He wished his father could try his curry, he wished his father could see the level of detail Dingo could put into his wood carvings, he wished his father could see him go to the gym regularly, and punch bags until all feeling left his knuckles.

He wished his mother could see the stains of ink on his fingers, the dark trail left on the side of his hand by the pencil on his work sheets. He wished his mother could hear him play his dad's harmonica late into the night, when the heat offered the city a short moment of relief.

His parents were nothing more than memories now. Their faces were carved into these palms as well, these palms where tears came crashing down, tears that stung Dingo's eyes, made his throat tighten. Every year passed, but the pain he embraced on that fateful day never decreased.

Dingo knew that Tomahawkman could hear him, but he also knew that the Navi wouldn't say anything. Dingo had run away from the city to avoid running into someone he knew, but he wouldn't even let Maha try to comfort him. There was nothing that could be said, nothing that could be done to lift the pain from his heart. Nothing would bring his parents back.

The sun made its way past the horizon, coloring the skies in bright pink and orange hues. There wasn't a cloud to be seen ; the next day was going to be hot as well.

Dingo made his way out of the forest, and caught the last bus just in time. He didn't exchange a word with his Navi on the way back, but he wasn't surprised to see the light still on at MaHa Ichiban, once he reached the shop's small alley. Surely, Tomahawkman had kept Maha updated on the situation.

Maha was "busy" with some cleaning, but Dingo wasn't fooled. Maha must have been waiting all this time for Dingo to come back, if only to provide a human presence. Neither Maha nor Dingo were good at emotional exchanges, and Dingo rarely sought this kind of support from the man who was, in a way, his father figure.

"Did you have a nice walk ?" Maha asked, as he set down a plate of warm curry in front of Dingo.

"Yeah. 'Twas better than staying here." Dingo replied. He didn't mind the small talk, and he certainly didn't mind eating a whole plate of curry, even at this late hour.

Once the curry was history, Dingo went to clean the plate and spoon by himself. He gave a quick look around to inspect the kitchen, and was only satisfied when he didn't spot any stains.

"Do you need anything else ?" Maha asked. The question sounded like a formality, but the long gaze Maha gave the boy was eloquent. Maha was offering Dingo his support, though he already knew the boy's answer.

"I'm fine." Dingo replied, with a nod in thanks to Maha's gaze.

Tomorrow would be a different day. Maybe, some other year, he would finally accept to share this day with someone else. He would let someone see him at his weakest, let someone try to bandage the wound that reopened every August 15th.

Maybe, someday, the wound would stop bleeding. Until then, Dingo planned to keep his hand pressed on it, releasing the pressure only once a year, letting the tears try and wash away the pain … but there are painful memories that should never be washed away.

#drabble #dingo tag #tomahawkman tag #[[and there's the annual august 15th drabble \o/#a lot of description and 0.5% action x( but i'm feeling melancholic and i don't have time to write anything better #i was going to make this some kind of starter but it didn't feel fitting - so people will have to find another chance to unlock dingo's back #dingo's backstory ^^']]

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makingnewenemies · 5 years

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Hi Hi Hi. Here is a little blurb I wrote off the top of my head about all my friends on this year’s Group Picture Vol. 8. I love them all. I love their songs. And I love that we still keep up this stupid tradition; and somehow the comp keeps getting better and better. Thanks everyone! Merry Christmas / Happy Holidays :) - walt

Sour Guy - All Those Plans Were Wrong

Last summer Kris Schobert (Sour Guy, Walter Etc. / Mitty core member, Ernie…) was admitted to the hospital… and then again… and then again…. I think he spent like a month total in the hospital. It was not chill. But when he got out, the whole experience gave him a bit of clarity and new perspective on his life and the decisions he has made thus far. I won’t speak any further for him, but Kris… hey, nice song! And your quality home recording production and continuation of the WMAHMO slop sound doesn’t not go unnoticed! This song made me tear up in a coffee shop the first time I heard it.

Slaughter Beach, Dog - Big Band

Slaughter Beach, Dog are randomly GP staples by now but also one of my favorite bands and greatest friends. This song is a bit of a sound change for them, swapping mid tempo soft rock John K Sampson vibes for a theatrical late 60’s / 70’s sound that is a bit more light hearted than normal and I LOVE IT. It’s catchy, it makes me laugh, yet its so true. Glad to have these boys back this year.

Teal & Jer - Alphabet

Portland’s dreamiest duo Teal & Jer (Chain, Riled, Loose, lots of projects) bring a quirky alt edge to our otherwise bland and boring comp. Without them, we’d just be us. I personally would like to hear more Teal solo work??? Teal???

Milk Flud - Rodeo

If you don’t fuck with Milk Flud then you can get out.

Chase Hoyt - Health

Chase Hoyt (Ubu Roi, Feed, Chaz and the Minions of Chaz, The Rodeo…) is a GP fixture by now, and important asset to MNE because it’s his classic rock sensibilities that balance out the overload of folk / indie rock that we swim in. This song not only has a comically true message (health is the most important, i agree Chase) but the vibe, especially the chorus, has my head bobbing and me feeling like I’m on a grassy hillside at an outdoor concert in the 70’s, but also one glass of wine deep making homemade pizzas at an Air BNB with a girl I love, and that is a nice combo of feelings. “Let’s wrap it up / I’ve embarrassed us all enough”

Dry Goods - Learnt Nothing

You hear that flawless acoustic finger picking? That masculine story telling voice that sounds somewhere between a suburban Bob Dylan and a cowboy singing to the emptiness of the high desert? Yup, its Russell Park AKA Dry Goods and FKA Weston Bookhouse coming at us with another folk masterpiece, but this year adding in some new elements we aren’t quite used to- namely some cruisey guitar solos! Rumor has it Dry Goods is in the studio recording a new album right now and I would not be bummed out if this song were on it.

Byronius Punk - Beautiful Things

I just spent 3 weeks with Byronius Punk (Ian Farmer of Slaugher Beach, Dog / Modern Baseball) at his studio The Metal Shop in Philadelphia making a record with his beautiful mind and his new drum machine- so this song really hits home for me. I could write an essay on why this is the perfect Group Picture song- my three main points being - 1. It is a song about the act of creating. (“in everything that exists there lies a certain beauty / I want the world to know how much it all means to me”) which is exactly what Group Picture aims to celebrate. 2. It’s a song written and performed by someone who is usually more in the background of his bands (bassist / backup vox / recording engineer) but here has a platform to express his own individual style and skills, which is exactly what Group Picture wants to promote. 3. It has a Milk Flud name drop, which is a classic and classy GP / MNE move. Thank you Ian. You rule.

Dante Elephante - It Bothers Me

Dante Elephante are Santa Barbara legends and their new album “Rare Attractions” shows them evolving their sound into more loungey and ethereal territory. I am so glad they have joined GP this year, because I see singer / songwriter Ruben almost every weekend when he DJ’s at The Tavern in Ventura and I drunkenly annoy him / vaguely fan boy out on him. Dante being on Group Picture is a sign that our friendship extends beyond Saturday nights at the Tavern. Also their album vibes hard. Check out Rare Attractions on Spotify.

Peanut Butter Cups - Highest Quality

Petition for Aaron Kovacs (Peanut Butter cups, Lauren Records CEO, Winter Break and Summer Vacation drummer) to finally put out a full album? This catchy lo-fi pop rock is undeniably infectious. Fun fact: I’ve been hanging with this boy for almost 10 years and I’ve never heard him sing, but then he sends me these recordings and I’m like wtf your voice is so cool! If he makes a full album, MNE will put out the LP and still give him 100% of the digital income. That is how much I like Aaron’s style.

Anika Pyle - Young Love

I once wrote a song with the lyric “I’ll probably see her on tour but she won’t be on Group Picture this year.” I’m so glad I was wrong. Welcome to GP Anika Pyle! Anika (Katie Ellen, Chumped) plays raw emotional pop rock songs and this gem “Young Love” is just the tip of the iceberg. When her vocals max out at the end of the tune and you get a little bit of musical goosebumps, that is the feeling you get for a full 30 minutes of watching her play live. Anika, please come in and stay for a while!

Walter Etc. - This Would Only Happen to Me

Ok ok enough of the soft emotional bullshit. Here’s a song about someone coming to kill me! It’s 100% true. If you’re reading this, help!!!

Jake Lee - Good Run

Jake Lee (Bleeding Gums Murphy) strikes again with a lo-fi indie gem in which we hear Jake Lee reflect on his gaime from last year. Sounds like he made some interesting choices and is coming to terms with them? Or did I miss the mark, Jake? He is and always will be one of my favorite songwriters and his voice in this fuzz effect is not a bad look, I have to admit. The only way my life would be better is if Jake made a full album. Cheers homie.

Babytooth - State Quarters, OR

Technically, this is Babytooth’s official debut on Group Picture, but Portland, OR singer / songwriter Isabel Zacharias had a song on the comp last year that blew me away. It was her vocals and lyrics that hooked me then, and are still yanking me now. Now backed by a full band that gives dynamic range to her songs, it was still that first line “now you know you want a girl without a phone” that had me nodding “yup i love this”. Fingers crossed for Babytooth to become a GP staple.

Trashbike - Weasel

Trashbike is Bread (Blowout, Walter etc., Donkey Lips) and his homie Ru playing the pedals. He told me he wrote this song while stumbling home from the Bye and Bye. Bread is like a sexy emo prince, can’t you hear it? This song rules and I really hope Trashbike is more than just a one and done GP band. I would listen to a few albums of soft songs like this, wouldn’t you?

Banned From Japan - Vegan X

Welcome back to the Socal Valley punk rockers Banned From Japan! If you know that singer / songwriter Matthew Earle has been sober for a few years, this song is hilarious, simultaneously poking fun at vegan straight-edge and himself. The music rips and his vocals are catchy af. Fat Wrecks Chords come and sign Banned From Japan asap!

Walter X - Winter Shy

Ok. This is a bit meta. Walter X (Michael Mahaffie and his WMAHMO / Walter Etc. hardcore chip tune cover project) covers an old Walter GP song as his own GP song. Pretty niche MNE content! This song, in this Lifetime-esque style, his vocals so clear but so gruff, those guitar harmonies, the creative intro and chip-tuney bridge…. this literally gives me chills and is so much better than the original. I encourage anyone reading this to go check out his own original music under the name Jump Cut. It sounds just like this but with Michael’s own songs, shedding the limitations of the musical simpleton Walter songs. Also, check out the full Walter X album on Spotify! What a talented dude…

Curling - Genkai Trip

Curling released their MNE album “Definitely Band” this year and the musical arrangements / song structures absolutely floored me. Genkai Trip is a song that got left off the album, but lives on through GP! Singer / guitarist Bernie Gelman noted “There's some pretty wacky guitar overdubs where Jojo and I each doubled some guitar parts while the other person was playing with the trem on the guitar, so you get this really weird detuning effect.” and yup that is Curling in a nutshell for you. Always excited to play around with gear and recording techniques that are way beyond my level. I think this is an extremely underrated band and highly encourage the world to check out Definitely Band on spotify!

Ali Muhareb - DIY Hell

Ali? What the hell did you even make this song? It’s intriguing in the verses and then when the chorus busts out it sounds like if Dough Martsch were an up and coming artist in Portland in 2018. I actually had to text Ali to ask what these guitar sounds were and, if anyone is interested, he responded, “I compressed two guitars together through a virtual amp. And they’re both running through this sick pedal I got called the Data Corrupter.” For sure Ali! Thanks for a bad ass tune.

Dakota Loesch - Don’t Solve My Mysteries

I’ve been listening to a lot of Dakota’s music (solo, Animal City, Lemp Lungs) recently. I keep coming back to it, and its not a mystery. After hundreds of songs in his pocket, songs like “Don’t Solve My Mysteries” still sound musically and lyrically fresh, like Dakota has never had writer’s block in his life. When I listen to his music, I feel like it vicariously breaks down my own creative barriers. For instance when I first heard this song and he dropped the hook “just don’t solve all mysterious” I had that knee-jerk urge to ditch what I was doing and go write a poem or something. His will to create is just that contagious. Combine that with the Casio-keyboard bedroom drum machine vibe that I love so much about his songs like “The Basmati Rice” and you have a 10/10 GP banger.

Jerbear - Nowhere Girl

Jerbear is Jeremy Murphy (Teal & Jer, Riled, so many) and he is the king of a few things: weird bad guitar tones, asymmetrical organic song structures, rad lyrics that I never understand, and a voice that is universally loved. He stole my heart with Cranberries in the Cosmos on a previous GP, but I think Nowhere Girl takes the cake. Jer- when do we get the full solo album? Please don’t fall into the category of GP lost wonders. You’re not too shabby at this music thing!

Hemingway - Catch My Cool

Catch My Cool is a B-side from Hemingway’s You Will Never Be Happy.

I played drums in Hemingway at this time and I always vibed that Benny didn’t really like the way this song came out int he studio. I don’t get why? That vocal melody, soft sad and surfy guitar leads… it makes me wanna hold hands with a girl on Christmas Eve while walking down some bougie street looking at Christmas Lights. It sounds like a Starflyer 59 worship track and I love it for that. Benny, you made a mistake. This song should have made the album.

Alex Maddox - The Hypocrit’s Dilemma

I’ve heard Alex play this song when we get together to jam, and he always laughs it off as a Walter Mitty rip off song. But honestly, this is what I wish WMAHMO would write about if we made a folk punk record today. If you listen to this song knowing that Alex Maddox was a guy who quit his high paying job to travel Europe in his van, surfing and skating and working on farms, the lyrics to this song are way more wanna-be Walter Mitty. The song depicts a transformation in his paradigm and is completely raw, authentic, and sincere. Alex inspires me to chase a wholesome life that is designed for and by myself, rather than the obvious and sterile template that is provided for us, and this song exemplifies that 1000%.

Uncle Uncle - Nira (I’m Alive)

We played with Uncle Uncle last year in Santa Barbara and I honestly think we should have opened for them. They are actually a good band, both live and recorded. Stylish, friendly, and comically laid back- they might be the quintessential Santa Barbara band. A semi-new band, Uncle Uncle is gaining momentum quickly, and I won’t be surprised when the day comes that Kevin and Dom big time me on State st. Til then, I’m just glad I get to claim that they were on a Group Picture.

Humphrey Orlando - Set U Free

Ah, Humphrey. No, Humphrey accompanied by Toast. Two legends as old as MNE itself. What is there to say? I could listen to their wandering ballads til I fall into the Big Sleep, and still the melodies linger on…

#group picture #group picture volume 8 #making new enemies

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a-robin-among-thorns · 6 years

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Too Old For Your Age

Part 1: Colors

Contains minor spoilers from the manga.

This is the first of the drabbles (although it ended up much longer than I would have thought) I have planned based on this post I made a while back. The tone and content ended up slightly different from that of the original post but I believe I’m mostly happy with how it came out. I can’t really make any promises on when the next one will come but I will try my best.

Word Count: 2,871

“Did you have any fun at Ethan’s party?” Chise asked hopefully as she and Elias entered in the front door.

She was somewhat afraid of what his answer might be. Although they had obviously been present for the party, Ethan’s 11th birthday had provided a prime education opportunity for the human teacher and her oblivious pupil. Elias had in time and practice grown more aware of his own feelings of jealousy and how to act appropriately when they sprung, but he was still no master. He shrugged off his robe and glanced down at his party favor bag sporting a picture of a man in a blue and red costume. “I suppose so, although I can’t say I understood much of it.”

“That’s fine, there’s still a lot I didn’t understand either.” Chise said with a small shrug and a relieved smile.

She made her way to the living room and was about to rest on the couch when she found Elias’ gaze was lingering on her with the clear indication of curiosity etched across his features. She cocked her head in questioning, “What is it?”

“Did you have a good time?” he asked bluntly. Chise frowned. “What makes you say that?”

“You seemed…stiff during most of the party.” Chise was almost surprised he had noticed, but quickly thought better of it. Elias deserved a little more credit than she was giving him. He was growing more perceptive by the day, steadily coming into an ability to read her at the very least and other humans on infrequent occasion.

She thought for a moment. “I think had a good time…” it was true…mostly. When her attention wasn’t focused on the glamoured mage awkwardly meandering around the Barklem Home Chise had enjoyed talking to Stella and meeting a few of Ethan’s younger friends. However, she still had felt…distant. She initially had chocked the feeling up to the difference in age, although that had never before caused any rift between her and the Barklem siblings. Yet when she saw the children engaged in games and stories of colorful characters and playful frivolities, she was almost frustrated at her inability to join along. “I guess…I still don’t really know how friends or children are supposed to enjoy themselves.”

Elias took his turn to cock his head. “Why do you suppose that is?”

That…was a good question. Why indeed?

“I’m not sure…I guess I just I never got a chance to do anything children normally do. Even before…even when I was with my family I couldn’t go to school or play outside.” Her early life in Japan had slowly begun to bleed into her memory over the years. As she remembered more and more she realized that strangely enough her happy memories had been buried alongside the dark ones. Perhaps that was because those few bright moments were only bright in comparison. Anyone in a normal situation would call her earliest days of hiding indoors alongside her mother until her father could ward off hungry assailants terrifying rather than comforting. Not to say there were no truly bright moments. Brief minutes between hiding and running had yielded tumbling over park toys with her father or cooking with her mother. But even so, those few lights were hardly an equal for the seemingly endless night up until a fateful trip across the hemisphere.

Her grip tightened on her own party favor. “I didn’t have much of a childhood when I really think about it.” Why did this cause her heart to sink so much now?

Large gentle fingertips cupped her jaw tenderly urging her gaze upwards. “Did I upset you, Chise? I didn’t mean to pry into something you’d rather not think about.” He said with a hint of worry in his voice as he brushed his thumb across her cheek.

A wave of guilt washed over her. This outing was supposed to help Elias deal with his feelings of envy and here she was getting tangled up in her own. She placed her hand atop of his and made efforts to swallow the knot growing uncomfortably in her throat. It wouldn’t do for a teacher to lose composure in front of her student.

“You didn’t upset me, I just got a bit lost in thought.” Elias hummed in response clearly not convinced by her answer but respecting her desire not to divulge all at once.

The humming continued as he released her jaw placing his hand on his chin in contemplation. “Thinking about it, I don’t suppose I had much of one either.” He said in a somewhat uncertain tone.

“Really? Even when you were traveling with Lindel?” Mention of Echoes brought a grumble out Elias.

“Although that time was formative, I wouldn’t call it a proper childhood. It was mostly spent navigating a very harsh land with more than a few unpleasant encounters.” The hand on his chin slowly dropped to his chest as his eyes fixed on a pattern on the wall. “I wonder…maybe that has something to do with why neither of us could understand much of the party. I believe we may have missed something important in those years.” Although his tone remained neutral a slight wistfulness played on the edge of Elias’ eyes making something in Chise’s chest ache.

Something important…what was it that the other children had that she didn’t that made her so envious? Or maybe it was something they didn’t have? They didn’t have to worry about ravenous other-creatures eagerly waiting to find out if they tasted sweet or bitter. And because of that, they could roam play yards free of invisible assailants.

“If I had to guess I’d say you missed the chance to have fun free of worry. That’s the nice thing about being a kid really. Responsibilities and expectations don’t exist or at least not as great as they do in adulthood. They get to do things for the sake of enjoying them no matter how insignificant they may seem.”

Elias glanced upward in thought, cogs turning in his skull. “Let’s do that then.”

Chise raised an eyebrow “Do what?” “Those ‘insignificant fun things’ children do, let’s do some of them.” “Really? Why?”

“You can teach me what a ‘childhood’ should feel like and you can get to experience some of the things you couldn’t in Japan.” He stated plainly making Chise feel a little sheepish.

“Are you sure? Some of it is definitely pretty silly and don’t we have orders due?”

“If it doesn’t bother you then I don’t mind silly and Silver Lady can take care of anything minor.” He hesitated briefly before adding. “Of course if you would rather not than we do not have to do anything.” Chise didn’t like the idea of dumping work onto Silver although certainly wouldn’t mind…However, Elias was rarely so insistent and eager.

She cracked a cautious smile. “Well, I guess I don’t see why not.” His head bobbed in a happy nod “Now then, how should we begin?”

“Oh! um…” Right…what did children do these days? What had she done, or wanted to do, as a child that Elias would enjoy?

She fidgeted slightly causing the bag in her hands to crinkle. The party favors…She began to rummage lightly through its contents, a few plastic toys, a paper book and- Oh! This was an easy place to start. She pulled out a small yellow cardboard box eyeing it slightly, “Why don’t we start with these? Could you grab some blank paper and meet me at the dining table?”

In a few moments, they were sitting in their respective seats at the dining table, a small stack of cream white stationary and two small boxes of crayons sat in front of them. Chise reached for a box hesitating slightly. Would it be better to leave them in their box or to lay them all out on the table? Probably the table. Elias watched Chise’s motions patiently as she took one of the thin boxes and propped it open. He took the other box and followed her example.

“Have you seen crayons before?” She asked curiously. “Once maybe, although I don’t know what they’re for. They are a writing instrument, yes?” “They’re more of an instrument for drawing…”

She poured the crayons of her box into her hand and placed them on the table, Elias did the same. A faint waxy smell permeated the air. There were ten crayons in all, the boxes had both yielded the same colors; red, green, blue, yellow and black.

“So…there’s really not much to this,” she grabbed a black crayon and a piece of stationery, “you just take one and draw a picture.”

Elias stared at the crayons with a critical eye. “I can only take one?” His hand wavered over the red but retracted, frightened by the commitment of the decision. Chise giggled.

“You can use as many as you’d like, but it’s like a quill, it’s hard to use more than one at a time.”

Elias seemed to relax and picked up the red. “What should I draw?”

“Whatever you’d like, there aren’t any rules. Although you should probably take off your gloves, the crayon could leave a stain, maybe roll up your sleeves too.” Elias nodded and complied placing his gloves on the corner of the table. He picked up the red once again and ran his fingers over it pressing lightly to gauge its strength before positioning it like he would a quill pen. It was almost comically small in his enormous lavender hands. He tentatively placed his crayon against the stationary and slowly dragged it across the surface. “It’s…rougher than a quill.”

Chise smiled, with a creature as old as Elias there were very few new experiences. Watching him work through the kinks of a rare first try was oddly endearing. Until the crayon snapped.

He lifted the fractured halves to his face and sighed. “I’m sorry Chise…”

“It’s ok!” she reassured quickly leaning forward and grabbing his hand that lay on the table, “there’s another red you can use. Besides!” She grabbed the half still bearing a point and scribbled a circle on Elias’ paper. “It still can be used, it’s just a bit smaller.” She smiled at him before releasing his hand and handing him the spare red crayon. He took it cautiously before trying again, making sure to press lighter this time. After a few strokes, he started moving more confidently and eventually switched to the green crayon.

An odd sense of pride welled up in Chise as she watched him grow faster and more assured. She rested her elbow on the table propping her chin against her hand in thought trying to come up with something to draw herself. She glanced out the kitchen window where the early summer wooly bugs drifted through the air, baaing lazily. That seemed easy enough.

She dragged the black crayon lightly in curves creating a puffy cloud body followed by six black legs. The gentle action was calming. She couldn’t recall the last time she had drawn like this aside from little doodles in the margins of her notes.

Hmm, what did their faces look like again? She peered up for the window but caught Elias staring at her intently. He didn’t meet her eyes but held his gaze for a moment before returning to his drawing.

That was…odd.

Deciding that if he didn’t want to explain she shouldn’t pry, she returned to her own drawing.

A comfortable silence settled over them occasionally accompanied by a shift of paper or changing colors. It wasn’t until she had finished coloring in the bug’s face and legs that the silence was broken by a groan from Elias.

“Is there a method for undoing mistakes?” She thought for a moment. “I don’t think so, at least not for crayons and paper.” “Hmm,” he held up his paper eyeing it with scrutiny, “I see.”

Flames bloomed from his fingers swallowing up the stationery in an instant with not a trace of ash left to prove it had ever existed. He took a new slip of paper and nonchalantly resumed drawing.

Chise huffed. “You know these don’t have to be perfect or anything.” “I would still rather start over.” Elias replied with a shrug. She sighed without exasperation and continued onto the bugs wings.

The silence returned as Chise finished her wooly bug. She placed it aside grabbing a new paper and briefly caught Elias staring at her again. She elected to ignore it since he seemed content enough and started drawing a salamander. After finishing rather quickly, during which Elias burned another sheet, Chise excused herself to the washroom briefly which Elias only distractedly acknowledged. When she returned Silver Lady was at the kitchen sink washing vegetables.

“Ack! Silver I’m sorry are we in-” the brownie raised a finger to her lips and smiled brightly before returning to her washing. A half smile found its way to Chise’s lips as she went to sit down before realizing her chair had been moved. It now sat on the side normally reserved for Elias alone who still sat quietly scribbling away.

She could have sworn she heard Silver chuckle.

Very aware of the fluttering in her chest, Chise grabbed a new sheet and sat next to her mage. Elias paused briefly to curl an arm around her shoulders leaning her to his side without a word. Well used to his heedless affections, Chise leaned her cheek against his side. As she did so, she caught a glimpse of his paper. Apparently, he had started over again as it currently only bore two empty black ovals. He gave her a quick side hug before releasing her and returning to the paper once more.

Her eyes lingered on his skull, quietly observing the shadows and contours from the dips and grooves in the bone.

Finally breaking away her gaze, she picked up a black crayon and set to work.

——

Peals of Silver’s bell finally brought the magi out of their concentration after the sun had sunk just below the horizon.

“Dinner time already?” Chise said as she stretched her back and arms.

“It seems to be.” Elias responded, “We should probably wash up before helping set the table.”

Nodding Chise made her way to the washroom. She returned shortly finding Ruth positioned at his seat and the table already clear of their little project.

“Uh, where are-?” Silver with plates in both hands gestured toward the fridge with a small hum.

Held in place by small magnets were their drawings; three by Chise and one by Elias. She Stepped closer to get a better look at the picture Elias had been so finicky about getting correct. Chise felt her cheeks burn.

It was only her head and shoulders but with red hair and green eyes, the drawing was unmistakably her. The drawing had her hair down on her shoulders, a thin line for a smile and wore her red sweater. He had even put in a little blue in the background for a sketchy sky. It wasn’t perfect; the eyes were slightly different sizes, the nose was off center and there were several places where the colors ran together. But either Elias was finally satisfied with the outcome or Silver Lady had seized it before flames could lick it up. Regardless, Chise was…touched it had been spared.

Warmth settled on her shoulder and side.

“I see we had the same idea.” He pointed to her final picture causing Chise’s blush to flare hotter. His skull had proven not as difficult as she would have previously thought, at least from the side, but she had run out of room for all but a little of his horns causing it to look a little funny. She wasn’t sure if proud was the right word for her feelings toward the drawing, there had to be at least three mistakes on her paper for every one on Elias’, but she certainly felt glad she had made it.

She grasped the hand placed on her shoulder giving it a small squeeze. “Your drawing looks very nice.”

He made a satisfied sound. “Thank you, yours does as well.”

“So what do you think of our first childhood activity?”

Elias shifted his head as he methodically analyzed his feelings over the past few hours. “I would say it was enjoyable in its simplicity. Although I did find myself wishing I had more colors to use.”

Chise smiled, “We can pick up a bigger pack next time we’re in town…if you’d ever like to do this again that is.”

He hummed softly as his thumb circled her shoulder blade. “I think I’d like that very much.”

#the ancient magus bride #mahou tsukai no yome #mahoutsukai no yome #elias ainsworth #chise hatori #elias x chise #chise x elias #robinthorn #fan fiction #fan fic #stormy writes #too old for your age #I’m not sure if this classifies as fluff or not #but I had a lot of fun writing it #posting at 3 am cause I’m impatient and an irresponsible student lol #edit: whoops forgot the chapter title #edit 2: fixed the link at the top to not be a horrendous eyesore

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weekendsabo · 3 years

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Journal - Monday, December 10th, 2018

Goals for today. Finish up budget. Get bonus cashed/deposited. Try to finish October writing. Laundry and clean. Stretch before bed. Read some. Play piano a bit. Clean laundry and spare room. That will be good for today. No weed after work to make sure I stay productive. I do want to get some coffee, so maybe I’ll swing up to Mothership and pick up a bag and a coffee. Nah, I’ll wait till the weekend. It’ll be easier. I can live without till then. I should swing by the store and get milk and yogurt. So I can make overnight oats for breakfast and some quinoa and veggies for lunch. I really don’t like the whole skipping lunch think. I like eat more that once a day. but today I will skip lunch cause I’m to lazy to get anything ready. Dinner will be left overs from Friday. I’ll have mashed potatoes all week I’m okay with that. they tasted delicious. Bob wants to make a space rock album together and I’m so down. I would be a lot of fun. Get it written then meet up somewhere and rent a studio for a weekend and get it recorded. It would be awesome! Probably release it under Stocksmile.

Cont on 10/6

I was bad today and went to lunch. but its okay. Got some ramen and It’ll be delicious. Pulled and audible and come here instead of Cafe Zupa. I feel I just wanted soup and this is basically noodle soup. Michi Ramen is pretty tasty. Not quite as good as the place I went to with Luna, but still good. I still forget that I went to Japan/Philippines. It feel so long ago. It’s crazy. I’m definitely passing on the Bali trip and will go to Europe in the summer. Take a couple weeks

Cont on 10/7

off work and travel around or pick a certain place and stay there or maybe just go back to Japan. I wouldn’t be against that. I should start planning it now. January I’ll start looking into Flights and stuff like that and a long weekend to Boston to see Bob and Emily. Probably around Marchish. We’ll see. I know I’m taking the two days to go to the film festival. I’ll pay her the money this weekend. have G-Ma stay with me and go to the festival together. Plus it’ll give Mom and dad a little break from her for a weekend. I have to hit up Marshall and then today and see if I can actually Play the show with them. Give him an easy out just so he doesn’t feel bad if he doesn’t want to do it.

Cont on 10/5

I don’t want to get Dad a coffee maker, but I know if I get a nice one he will appreciate it and probably get Mel something else like a shirt or something. I’ll get that stuff order this week. Find something good for Makayla. I may get her possibly some anime stuff and then influence her to go in that direction in life. Like I have that much influence. there’s Tiff, Trav, Andy, Jake and Nathan. I can swing that ad dget them stuff off amazon and have it gift wrapped. I’m pretty sure I have her address in my maps. I’ll ask her for some gift Ideas. Probably get Travis a new pipe or something like that. I wander if this waitress really talks like that. Maybe its a family trying to make a business out here. Nah. I feel there’s enough people that they could just be from here. Learned the native language first? or they are here with a visa or something? I have no clue. I’ll definitely get this week done plus some more. Finish up these rails and then after work head to Costco. Get some stuff there. See if Gma wants to go. She might be down or I’ll go the store by myself for an easier time.

Cont on 10/4

My quinoa tabbouleh may not turn out so great. I forgot the lemon, but I used some pickle juice in stead. Hopefully it’ll be all right. I’ll start heating up dinner after I get done with this day. I did get some stuff for the over night oats so I’m pretty excited about that. Got some maple syrup and banana and cinnamon! Should be delicious! I did pretty good today. Sucks I have to work Saturday but its a good excuse for taking it easy on Friday. I have to do something about this washer. This is just ridiculous. I need to ask my folks if I can take the set at G-pas. or just find a cheap washer at least then I can wash and dry at the same time. Something has to happen. I may go say hi to Vivian after the Skating Polly show. Would be nice to se her. I know she’ll be busy so maybe I’ll just go home after. I still want to ask Luna, but we’ll see how Friday goes. Maybe I will schmooze someone. I know I know I have a chance with Brittany. I’m just not stoked on her. So I feel that will be a lost cause on my end I’ll end up hurting her.

Cont on 10/3

Leftovers should be good. the pierogies and stuff I’m down for. Cut up a couple slices of cheese. I’m down! I am only disappointing myself when I eat too much or do it do what I should be doing. Like how I’m sitting here watching it’s always sunny in stead of doing what I should. I’ll definitely clean the kitchen before I go to bed. I wonder if everything thinks I’m an alcoholic. Probably cause its right. I’m definitely not drinking a lot anymore. I have to be better. I will be better. I mean. I had 2.5 beers on Friday and and had 5 drinks all of Saturday. I’ll do even better this weekend. Friday I will have very little, I’m even second guessing eve going to the party. Maybe I’ll just stay home. Nah. I will go but I won’t participate in the gift exchange or I will. I’ll get a bottle of booze. Can’t go wrong there or maybe get something off amazon that's cool. We’ll see. I’m going and I’m bringing a gift. No drinking and home early tomorrow. I’ll get the Christmas cars and stamps and start working on the cards. I am excited to get them sent out. It’s going to be great. I’ll get the list of names all done tomorrow and get some addresses.

#journal #december10th2018 #december #2018 #monday

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aion-rsa · 3 years

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How Relic Explores our Most Primal Fears

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All the major releases of 2020 have been postponed or released via streaming and cinemas are holding on by their fingertips, it hasn’t exactly been a stellar year for film. But as is so often the cast, one genre is holding on strong – horror. One of the very best horror movies of the year is Relic, a highly emotional, deeply creepy story of a woman with dementia and the daughter and granddaughter who come to care for her in her dilapidated old home. It’s a haunted house story of sorts where at times it’s the house itself that is doing the haunting.

Japanese-Australian director Natalie Erika James says she was a total scaredy cat as a child but her experience of watching a horror movie on the big screen with friends – which she describes as “The closest that you can get to death without dying” – gave her a thrill that she’s carried into her debut feature. It’s an incredibly personal piece with terrific performances from its triptych of women – Robyn Nevin as Edna, Emily Mortimer as her daughter Kay and Bella Heathcote as her granddaughter Sam.

Relic played FrightFest and The London Film Festival to great acclaim and in any other year it would be one of those buzzy genre movies everyone is piling into cinemas to see (check out our Relic review)

Fortunately, while Relic was released to VOD in the States, in the UK the film is getting a theatrical release so others can share James’ experience of being terrified collectively (albeit wearing masks and socially distanced).

James sat down with Den of Geek (via Zoom) to talk about the beauty of horror, creating a labyrinth and creating an animatronic gran.

You described your experience with horror as “The closest that you can get to death without dying.” That seems to be a very fitting description of where Relic lies…

Right. You can probably tell, it came from a really personal place. My grandmother had Alzheimer’s and she suffered for quite a number of years. And I was intrigued by the changes in her relationship with my mother and the dynamics there shifting, I suppose, where the child has to become the parent to their parents. I started writing the film on a trip that I took to Japan to go see her. And it was quite notable to me because it was the first time she couldn’t remember who I was.

I had a lot of feelings of guilt about that. And at the same time I would spend my summers at her house and it used to always scare me as a kid. Those two things coalesced in my mind.

People with Alzheimer’s, there can be moments of absurdity and levity that come from their condition, but also there can be very scary moments as well. Maybe unsettling is more the word. If they’re talking to people who aren’t there or who have passed. Or they’re convinced there’s someone in the closet or whatever it is. It felt like an appropriate genre to talk about fear in general, fear of mortality, fear of losing yourself, losing a parent, all those things.

The relationship between Sam and her grandmother is very affectionate and very tender and so some of the almost most unsettling moments are when she loses that.

Sometimes it feels like the grandchild-grandparent relationship can be very uncomplicated in a way that child and parent relationship can’t. So it’s, in a way, particularly heartbreaking when someone who’s only ever looked at you with love starts to turn.

You mention the house – production design is super important in Relic. Can you talk a little bit about that location?

We had two house locations. One was the exterior and the decaying grounds and one was the interior, mostly the downstairs. And then we actually built the upstairs bedrooms. We had to rebuild some of the hallways out to link everything together.

And of course it’s a labyrinth. It was almost a modular set in that we could take out areas to feel like there were different parts of it. And in that receding hallway, it’s more narrow. It was certainly a lot of creative problem-solving. And my production designer, Steven James Evans did an awesome job of putting it all together.

Did you have any particular inspirations for the look of the place?

I guess there’s a bit of Asian horror in that, the decaying nature of it. We wanted to stay away from anything that felt too overtly horror-signaling or Gothic with dark walls or anything from The Conjuring Universe. Instead we wanted it to feel like it was taking something familiar and something with a real deep sense of history and turning that on its head. Slowly making that comfort or familiarity unfamiliar over the course of the film in the same way that Edna is someone that you connect with and you feel for and care about and then she starts to really become a questionable presence. I suppose, in a way, it was more the Poltergeist approach of using lighter colors, blushes. Again, a real sense of history, the sense that things had once been really lived in and comfortable but that they were falling into decline and you could feel the neglect of that.

The imagery of Edna crafting the candles is fascinating and it slightly foreshadows what happens at the end, where did that come from?

Hilariously, it was originally an element that was changed because Hereditary came out when we were writing it. Originally Edna was making dollhouse furniture which was inspired by a short I did where the father had Alzheimer’s and it was a proof of concept for Relic. And his chairs were warping over time. So we were planning to just transpose that in Relic but, after Hereditary came out, we were a bit like, “Hm, it’s probably a bit too similar.” So we looked for another craft and we just settled on German candle carving. Certainly the idea of peeling and of layers was one of the reasons why we chose it.

You mention Hereditary and your film has obviously been spoken about in the same terms as that and, of course, The Babadook. How do you feel about that?

I take it as a compliment because I think they’re both wonderful, amazing, talented filmmakers. And I like both of those films so I’m totally happy with that. I wouldn’t necessarily call them direct references. Certainly, it was amazing to have seen the success of The Babadook in particular. Particularly because when I was pitching Relic around, people were really receptive to female-driven horror, it was something that people were looking for. So, timing wise, it couldn’t have been better.

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Your story features three generations of women but would you say it’s a particularly female story or do you think it’s just a coincidence just because you happen to be a female?

I think it’s universal because we all have to deal with death in some way. I think the dynamics between the three women are specific to women, and particularly in the sense that caregiving often falls on women. So, I think it is specific to women in that way.

For me, it did come about naturally because it was my mother’s mother who had Alzheimer’s and those are just the relationships that are interesting to me personally. But I think there’s some specificity in it. I mean, I really liked the idea of three women because there’s a nice unity to seeing your future reflected in your mother and by extension her mother as well. So there’s something in that, that I don’t think would be as potent if it was, say, a mother-mother-son combination.

That final image of the three women holding each other is very specific and was very moving.

The idea of someone giving you life and how that loops around to the end, maybe. Obviously, men have a role in that as well, but something about them birthing is very physical.

Can you tell us a bit about shooting the labyrinth scenes towards the end?

The labyrinth was incredibly tricky. Partly because we were 40% over budget on what we wanted to build so we had to literally slash under half of it. We had to make the set a bit modular so that we could take away areas and make it feel like a different part of the set. And so it was a bit of a logistical nightmare with having to change sets in between set ups, and that kind of thing. But in a lot of ways the space so mirrors the disorientation and, I guess, almost the idea that Sam and Kate are being drawn into Edna’s experience quite physically as well. For me, the labyrinth is particularly key because it was one of the first images of the film that I had.

Relating it back to my grandmother, there was an upstairs area to the house where there were a couple of rooms that were just full of stuff and old furniture and memories and whatever storage space. And there was something really sinister and kind of heartbreaking about these rooms full of memories that just kept going deeper into the house and that you could lose yourself in that space.

And at the same time I’d seen, I think, a YouTube video or a documentary about a man who had Alzheimer’s and was describing feeling lost within his own house and that he’d often go to the kitchen and forget how to get back to the bedroom. So that always really stuck with me.

That’s really tough

It’s hard to shoot scenes like that, which are very high intensity emotionally but also where you have to cover a lot of ground because it’s being cut faster as well, so there’s a lot of coverage that you need to pull it off. There’s things that need to be reset, like wall breakaways as well, that are quite finicky.

It was all pushed to the end of the shoot and it was a very gnarly week. But so fun! I really could never anticipate how much I would fall in love with stunts in particular during this. I’d already had a massive, keen interest in prosthetics and visual effects. I don’t know if it was just the team but there’s something so incredibly exciting about it, especially paired with such wonderful actors and their performances.

Can we talk a little bit about the cast? So how did those guys come on board? And what were you looking for in those three characters?

It was definitely more of a creative discussion, I would say, of what pairings would work as a family because obviously they’re moving pieces. I had the opportunity to meet all three of them in person, which is wonderful, to be able to get a sense of who they were and what they read from the script as well. So I think, from the get-go, it was very clear to me that they all connected with it in their own way and in their own experience of death, I guess.

For Edna’s role I really needed someone who had a lot of charisma and a lot of range and who could, at one point be someone charming who you really were rooting for and who could turn on you the next moment. Robyn is just a force. And she has that intensity that was required but also is the sharpest, funniest person. So I think that combination was particularly striking.

For Kay’s role, interestingly, the feedback we kept getting was that she was very hard and unemotional as a character. And I always felt she was the most sympathetic, that she was caught between everyone. For us, she is the protagonist if you needed to single it down to one person. Someone like Emily softens all those hard edges because she’s just the most gracious and amiable charming person. So I felt like she was a good fit and it really was an ‘aha’ moment when we settled on her and thought of her. I’d long been a fan of her work. She has the most incredible instincts.

And with Bella’s character… I’d also been following Bella’s work for a while so I always knew I wanted to work with her. I guess, in the past she’s often been cast, because she’s so stunning physically, as quite feminine, demure characters. Then you meet her and she’s the most down to earth, cool chick. I really wanted a forthrightness in Sam that I saw in Bella and just a real honesty there and a toughness to her.

Where did the character of Jamie come from?

Jamie I can’t claim. He was actually more of Christian’s character, I have to say. Christian had been working on, I think it was a web series and one of his characters was a teenager who had down syndrome. I think we really wanted to sense that Edna had some support around her until she had driven that away. And I suppose that her loneliness had exacerbated the situation. So that was where Jamie came in.

Sound design is very important in the film as well. And it’s like these waves of echo. How did it work?

I really wanted to take quite a non-orchestral approach for this film and go with something that felt more diegetic and built from the worlds of the film. My composer, Brian Reitzell, was perfect because he does wonderful work of making his own instruments and strange sounds and capturing a feeling rather than focusing on melody or anything like that. He worked really closely with our sound designer, Rob Mackenzie and they each recorded sounds, whether that was made up instruments or them banging around in the house or whatever it was. Quite early they did that and so they had a shared library that they could both pull from. And that was great because it meant that there was a cohesive language to the design and the score.

I felt like I was underwater at points…

Yeah. Yeah. The echoes. Yeah. I mean, the house has such a presence as well. I guess there’s a sense of it really breathing in a way. And so finding those kinds of sounds were really key, like the breathing at the beginning of the film which is a slowed down heartbeat. Those were motifs that we decided on quite early.

Can you tell us a little bit about the final sequence – the peeling of Edna’s skin and how that worked?

Edna’s transformation had about nine stages.Stage one would have been the bruise and stage nine was actually an animatronic puppet.

They sculpted the silicon puppet and the animatronics were rigged so that you can control the smallest muscles in the face. I had two of the animatronics guys sitting next to me at the monitor with these car remote controls. It had a breathing mechanism so you had the movement of the chest too. It was really wonderful. And they sculpted the face off of Robyn’s face as well. So there was supposed to be some familiarity there as well.

In terms of the peeling, it was very difficult to reset, I have to say! Very fiddly, finicky. But Emily was just amazing. I mean, I think there’s such an emotional truth to that scene. It really is about almost helping someone die in a way, or a funeral rite if you want to read it that way. Not dissimilar to washing a loved one’s body after they’ve passed, something very intimate and visceral and very confronting, but ultimately an act of love.

It’s a very emotional film. How did you guys find that on set?

I feel like I maybe had a real, almost reverence for the puppet because it was such a beautiful piece of puppetry, to be fair. And I think it’s very easy to access the real life emotions when it just rings true and so we never really talked about it. We never really talked about it as a horror film. It was more like, “What does this mean? How does this relate to my own love for my parents and my own relationship with death?”

A lot of it feels like you’re trauma bonding with your actors. You have to be very honest with them because they’re so generous with you. It has to go both ways, I think.

Relic is having a theatrical release in the UK, is that important to you?

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I mean, we did have a bit of a drive-in theater run and some local theaters in the U.S. But in Australia, in particular, it’s been a straight to VOD or rather a streaming platform called Stan. And to be fair, that was incredible to have as well because everyone was stuck at home at the time so it was like more people saw it than they ever would have. But I think there’s something about a cinema that maybe it’s a romantic notion, but as a filmmaker you really want people to get together to see it. Particularly for a horror film, you just want people to watch it in the darkness of the cinema and with the right sound levels and all the rest of it. I think there’s such a joy in that, in going through that horrific roller-coaster with people and surviving. I think that’s the beauty of horror.

Relic is released in UK cinemas and digital HD on 30th October.

The post How Relic Explores our Most Primal Fears appeared first on Den of Geek.

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skywardsoul · 6 years

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The Bridge Between You and Me (chapter 5)

It’s here! The fifth chapter of my SucyAkko story! We are nearing the end of this work, with only one planned epilogue chapter in mind! I want to start off by apologizing a bit for such a large time skip, but I want to assure you that this is what I had planned for the start. It's not me trying to wrap this up quickly or anything. I just really wanted to take a crack at grown up Akko and Sucy! Next order of business is to say thank you to everyone who followed this story. It's been a real fun time writing it, and has helped me in writing from a singular perspective a bit. Lastly. Any way, I hope you enjoy, and keep on the lookout for a possible spin-off story, focusing on Akko and Sucy's Summer vacation in Japan.

AO3 Link: http://archiveofourown.org/works/12312885/chapters/28502308

FF.Net Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12682030/5/The-Bridge-Between-You-and-Me

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4.

Sucy lay silently on the blanket she had lain out on the grass, starting at the sky, watching as the clouds drifted by. The sun was shining brightly and a nice breeze was blowing. She supposed many would consider this a perfect day, but Sucy was slightly irked by it. She personally prefered shady days, and didn’t really mind a bit of light rain either. Today wasn’t about what she liked however, it was about something much more important, and in the context of said important thing, she supposed she couldn’t have asked for better weather. The day she met Akko had been particularly sunny, so it seemed only fitting that the day she asked her to marry her would be too.

Sucy let out a content sigh as she fiddled with the small ring box in the pocket of her jacket. She knew that things like this were supposed to make people nervous, yet as she was planning her proposal Sucy had been nothing but calm, if not excited. The thought of a life spent with Akko at her side was simply one that left little room for her to feel apprehensive. She smiled as she slipped the box out of her pocket, and opened it, gazing fondly at the ring inside. Sucy had never been one for fashion per say, but she knew a pretty piece of jewelry when she saw one, and she made sure the ring for her love was the most beautiful ring of all. It was fairly simple by most standards; a gemstone inlaid in the middle of a polished silver band. It was the stone in question that made the ring however. An Eldin ruby, enchanted to always shine, no matter how dark. Just like Akko herself, the stone would never cease to be a source of light.

Of course once she had seen it in the window of the Last Wednesday Society, Sucy knew instantly that it had to be the ring for Akko, no other would suffice. Despite being on relatively good terms with the shopkeeper, it still ended up costing her an arm and leg. She found it hard to mind however, as the purpose she had in mind for it made it more than worth it, and it wasn’t like she was exactly strapped for cash. Having spent almost all of her time at Luna Nova researching various fungi and poisons, it was no question that she was an expert on the topic. That’s why when it came time for her to graduate, the newly appointed headmistress Du Nord made her an offer, one too good to refuse. Continue her research, but in the name of the school, creating new cures and potions for magical maladies. Not only would she be getting paid quite nicely for it (It’s surprising how fast a school budget rises when its students helped save the world), she could live in the old research house near the edge of school grounds. It hadn’t been used in quite awhile, but it was spacious, out of the way of other people, and even came with it’s own expansive laboratory. Perfect for a reclusive mushroom lover like herself. Thanks to help from her friends and her love herself, the house was renovated in no time, and it wasn’t long before she had moved in. Of course, she had planned on asking Akko to move in with her, as the house was more than big enough for two, but with Akko being Akko the brunette girl had already started moving herself in during renovations.

“What? We’ve been together for four years now! I think it’s pretty safe to assume I would wanna live with you,” Sucy remembered her saying with a smile.

The only snag in came in the form of Akko’s schedule. Since the day they met, Akko had made her goal in life clear; become a witch like Shiny Chariot and inspire millions around the world. So, it was to no one surprise when she made good on that promise after she had graduated. She had started off small, doing a few local shows here and there. It wasn’t hard for her to draw crowd. Everyone wanted to see the magic of one of the witches they saw fight a missile live on TV, and it wasn’t long before ‘Shiny Star,’ was an international hit. With a little help from Chariot in the form of setting her up with an old agent she trusted, Akko was off to wow kids and adults alike the world over. This of course, meant long stretches of time away from home. It wasn’t uncommon for Akko to be away for weeks on end, leaving their old house feeling quite empty. It was hard at first, getting used to the days that Akko wasn’t there. After all, she had spent the last four years of her life dorming with the bright, happy girl. Akko was like her own personal sun, warming her house, and her heart. Not having that sun around made even getting out of bed in the morning seem like quite the arduous task. It made her wonder how the Sucy of the past could have ever possible lived the loner life she had, completely devoid of sunny smiles and warm, cuddly hugs.

Things got better, eventually. Sucy found that marking down the exact days Akko would be gone, and when she would return, seemed to make time fly by much faster. She didn’t let Akko in on this little tidbit though, keeping up an air of playful indifference whenever the brunette did return.

“Oh? You back already? Didn’t you just leave?” She would tease, relishing in the pout Akko would give in response.

“No I did not! I know you missed me Sucy! You were going on and on about how the house felt ‘cold and lonely’ without me in your messages!”

“You know what else the house was when you were gone? Quiter.”

“Hey!”

It also helped to focus on just how much traveling meant to Akko and her dream. Just picturing the joy her girlfriend must feel before every show she started made all the waiting more than worth it. Of course it didn’t hurt that when Akko did return and all the jokes were out of their systems, she was extremely cuddly. For most of her first day back, the Japanese woman would do nothing but cling to Sucy’s side, and while she pretended to be annoyed, both of them knew she was more than happy to have her there.

And that was how their life had been going on for past ten years. Sucy, working hard in her lab to develop medicinal potions, and Akko stunning the world as Shiny Star. It was a comfortable life, and one Sucy wouldn’t trade for all the mushrooms in the world. There were some snags, like the time their roof collapsed during a particularly nasty storm. Some unexpected troubles, like the time she had accidentally released a venomous fairy into their house while trying to study it, (Akko gave her quite the earful while she was giving her the anti-venom) They even had their fair share of excitements, like when she was asked to attend an award show by the magic council for a potion she had created. She chuckled to herself as she remembered how Akko had tripped over her own gown during the reception that followed. It was anything but an elegant fall, and the clutsy woman ended up crashing into the refreshment table, splashing everyone in a five foot radius with champagne. Without question, Akko made her life happier than she had ever thought it could be, and now she was hopping the brunette would do it again.

Akko had just gotten back from one of her tours when Sucy had approached her with the idea of a picnic.

“Just the two of us, on a blanket or whatever. You like that kind of junk right?” she had asked.

Akko had beamed at her in response. “Really!? A picnic!? I’d love to!”

Sucy didn’t really have a chance to say much else as her girlfriend had swept her up in a big, bone crushing hug.

“Who are you and what have you done with my Sucy?”

Of course Akko had no way of knowing that she was going to propose to her at said picnic, or at least Sucy hoped she didn’t. The shorter woman was annoyingly perceptive when it came to matters of the heart. Not perceptive enough to see just how important this picnic was however, as she was running late. If there was anything hadn’t changed about Akko since her days as a student, it was her terrible sense of time. She had mentioned earlier that day that she was going to visit Diana. The two hadn’t been able to talk in a long while, what with Akko’s travels, and Diana’s duty as a teacher at Luna Nova. In Akko’s own words, “They had a truckload to catch up on.” Sucy couldn’t bring herself to be annoyed however, although maybe she would act a bit like it to mess with Akko. If need be, she would wait till the end of time for her love.

She ended up not having to wait that long, as she soon spotted her girlfriend running across the grassy hills to her. Sucy stood up, and gave Akko a sly smile as she ground to a halt at the blanket’s edge.

“Hello there little guinea pig. Nice of you to finally join me,” Sucy said teasingly, addressing Akko by her nickname.

“Sorry...I’m...late,” Akko wheezed out in between pants.

Akko was quite the athletic individual, so she must have been running awhile and at a considerable speed to be this winded. Judging by the fact that she was wearing the same outfit Sucy had seen her putting on earlier in the day, a deep blue blouse and a tan skirt, she must have come directly from her lunch with Diana.

“Geez, didn’t even have time to go home and change into something comfy did you, you big dummy?” Sucy thought to herself affectionately.

“I ended up talking so long with Diana that I lost track of time!” Akko said, confirming Sucy’s suspicions. “I pretty much ran directly from her office at the school to here. I didn’t really have time to go back home and change…” Akko finished somewhat embarrassed.

It was like Akko read her mind, repeating exactly what she had been thinking. Maybe it was just a sign of how good Sucy knew her girlfriend by this point.

“That’s alright,” Sucy said with a slight purr. “You look lovely.”

Well there went her idea of pretending to be annoyed. Turns out she was just too in love to bother. Sucy, took her girlfriend's hand in her own, and moved to sit them down on the blanket. Akko narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

“I was making a joke yesterday when I asked, but are you sure you're the Sucy I know?” Akko asked as Sucy opened the basket of food she brought.

“What do you mean?” the lavender haired woman asked innocently.

Akko’s expression didn’t change.

“I mean that not only did you plan this picnic, but you didn’t even give me too much grief about showing up late.” Akko explained matter-o-factly.

“The last time you were this unabashedly sweet was when you accidently turned my skin blue.”

Sucy couldn’t help but chuckle to herself at the memory. She had accidently swapped a potion that Akko had wanted to use for a show with one that she was testing to help cure skin diseases. When Akko threw the bottle, expecting a splash of magical confetti, she instead got a face full of a choking cloud of blue. The Japanese woman was not a fan of her new pigment, and was even less of a fan of how funny Sucy found it. She spent a few nights on the couch for it, and a good amount of time more trying to make to her.

“Hey that totally wasn’t my fault. You grabbed the wrong bottle,” Sucy said through her laughter.

“You labeled them wrong and you know it!” Akko said with another pout. “Besides, you’re defracting-”

“Deflecting, is the word you're looking for,” Sucy corrected teasingly.

“Ugh fine! You’re ‘deflecting’ the question! What are you planning Manbavaran?” Akko questioned.

Sucy gave her another sly smile, holding out a tray of sweets she brought.

“Nothing. I can’t just want to have a nice time with my girlfriend?” she questioned sweetly.

She could see Akko’s resolve melting as the brunette eyed the presented pastries hungrily. Her sweet tooth was beating out her need for an answer.

“Fine,” Akko said, taking a tart from the tray. “But I’m watching you. These better not make my hair fall out or something.

“Never. You’re hair is way too pretty for that,” Sucy said as she leaned over and ran a hand through her girlfriend’s locks.

They sat in comfortable silence for a bit, Sucy watching lovingly as Akko devoured the sweets she had brought her. She relished in the small sounds of delight Akko made as she bit into each one. From the way she was eating, one would think she didn’t just come from lunch with a friend.

“Did you actually do any eating at this lunch visit of yours?” Sucy asked. “You’re scarfing down tarts like a maniac.”

Akko paused to swallow her comically large mouthful of pastry before responding.

“Yeah I had plenty to eat, it’s just that we were talking for so long that by the end I was getting hungry again…” the brunette said bashfully, rubbing the back of her head.

Sucy giggled to herself at this. That was her Akko alright.

“What did you two talk about that took so long anyway? You plotting to kill somebody?”

“What!? No! Of course not!” Akko said, stopping mid bite.

“Because if you are I could whip you up plenty of potions that would do the job silently. Or at the very least melt away any evidence that’s left,” Sucy said as she chuckled darkly.

“Suuuuucccyyy,” Akko said with a whine. “We’re not killing anyone!”

“Fine, fine. What was it that you were actually talking about?” Sucy asked, as moved to sit Akko in her lap.

The Japanese woman didn’t protest, and leaned back against her girlfriend before continuing.

“It’s wasn’t anything important really. Just a lot of stuff about our jobs and day to day lives.”

As she spoke, Sucy wrapped her arms around her waist, and nuzzled her neck. It had been awhile since she had last gotten to hold her close like this.

“Diana was telling a lot about what it’s like bein’ a teacher,” Akko continued. “She was telling me about a girl in her second year classes. She admires her work ethic and her respect for the rules, but is worried she’s being alienated by her classmates as a teacher's pet.”

Sucy snorted in laughter at this.

“Remind you of anyone we knew?” She said slyly.

“I know right?” Akko said as she too started to laugh. “The first thing I did was tell her that she was basically describing 16-year old Diana. She didn’t even try to deny it.”

Sucy smiled as she pictured the younger version of their blonde haired friend, strutting the hall purposefully, stopping to correct anyone who was out of line, usually one of them...or Amanda. Suddenly, Sucy realized that Akko had stopped laughing. She didn’t need to see her face to be able to tell that she probably had her serious face on.

“There was one thing she was telling me that was kinda important though…” Akko started slowly.

“Hmmm? What’s that?” Sucy asked

There was a pause before Akko answered. Sucy could tell that whatever she was getting ready to say was definitely important to her. She prepared herself for a variety of possibilities. No matter what Akko said, Sucy would be ready to support her.

“Sucy, what would you think if Shiny Star took a break for awhile?”

Okay so she had to admit that she definitely wasn’t ready for that question. Leave it to Akko to come up with a question entirely out of the blue. Still, if she was asking it, it must have something to do with what she wanted to talk about, so Sucy thought about it earnestly. What did she mean by ‘take a break’? Did Akko not want to be Shiny Star anymore? Did something happen on her last tour?

“Akko, what do you mean?” Sucy asked carefully. “Are you okay? Is something wrong?”

“No nothing's wrong really,” Akko said quickly, most likely to keep her from worrying. “It’s just that…”

There was another pause, and Sucy waited patiently for Akko to continue.

“Diana was telling me how there is a job opening at Luna Nova, to teach transmutative magic. Nothing is set in stone quite yet, but if I were to interview with Ursula for the job, it’s almost certainly mine,” Akko finally explained.

Sucy thought for a bit before responding. Traveling the world had always been Akko’s dream, but she could tell from her girlfriend’s tone that she really wanted this job as well. It was out of the question for her to try and do both, so she would have to make a choice. A lot of the time, when she was faced with a decision, Akko already knew what she wanted to do. She just needed some help realizing it. Over the years together, Sucy had become a master at getting there.

“Is this something you really want to do?” Sucy asked calmly.

It didn’t take long for Akko to answer.

“Yeah! Of course I do! It’s just that if I do, I’ll have to stop being Shiny Star, at least for awhile…”

“And?” Sucy offered.

“And I don’t want to end up disappointing anybody. Getting to where I am today, it’s all I ever talked about. won’t I be letting people down if I stop?”

Akko’s voice was at a near whisper now. She always had a habit of speaking softly when she was troubled.

“Akko, no one is going be disappointed in you for following your heart. If you really want to be a teacher, than go teach,” Sucy said in a comforting tone. “If anyone raises a stink about it, they’ll have to answer to me.”

She gave one of her signature shark-like grins at this, and judging from Akko’s shudder, she knew it. Still, once again Akko surprised her with her next question.

“You won’t be disappointed in me?” Akko asked quietly, turning in Sucy’s lap to look her in the eye.

Sucy started her answer by moving forward and pressing a light kiss to her girlfriends lips.

“Of course not you dummy,” She said as she pulled back. “I could never be disappointed in you. Besides, if you take the job, I can see my sweet guinea pig more.”

Akko giggled as Sucy moved to kiss her again, this time kissing her all over her face rather than just her lips.

“Touring as Shiny Star was fun, but I got to admit, it got exhausting spending all that time away from you Kinoko,” Akko said sigh.

It wasn’t often that she used Sucy’s nickname, as the alchemist found it quite embarrassing. She’d let it slide this time though.

“You sure you won’t miss being the girlfriend of a star?” Akko asked after another quick kiss.

“You mean having some of your crazy fans track down our house to try and ask you to sign one of those goofy posters? Not in the least.”

“Hey!” Akko said with a laugh, knocking her girlfriend over playfully.

Sucy continued laughing at her jab as the two wrestled around on the blanket, any remaining tarts forgotten. The brief struggle ended with Akko on top of her, her knees holding down her sides, and her arms her wrists. Despite being the shorter of the two, especially after Sucy hit a late growth spurt in their second year, Akko always had been the physically stronger of the two. Even now, Sucy could tell it wasn’t taking her girlfriend much effort to hold her down like this.

“Caught you~” Akko said in a sing song voice as she leaned her face closer to Sucy’s.

Sucy responded with a toothy grin.

“How terrible,” she said in mock fear. “The big scary guinea pig has me cornered…”

“That’s right my Kinoko,” Akko said, her breath brushing against Sucy’s lips. “And now I’m going to eat you up.”

“I don’t think guinea pigs eat mushrooms.”

“You get the point.”

And with that, Akko brought their lips together. The kiss was different from the ones they were sharing earlier. It was deeper, more passionate. Sucy sighed into the kiss, and wrapped her arms around Akko’s waist as she released her wrists. She pulled the brunette closer, relishing in her love. It was Akko that finally broke the kiss, moving back for air. It was a good thing too. Sucy still had something important to do. She couldn’t afford to get lost in Akko’s charms just yet. Ignoring Akko’s whine of protest, Sucy moved the other woman off of her and stood to her feet.

“Hey Akko,” Sucy said, turning to her love. “Come take a walk with me.”

Akko raised an eyebrow in question, but took the hand Sucy extended out to her all the same. She pulled the brunette to her feet, and started to walk towards the river bank. She had purposefully set the blanket near it, knowing way back when her plans were just a passing thought were she needed to propose.

“Where exactly did you want to walk to?” Akko asked as they followed the river.

“Oh, nowhere in particular,” Sucy said slyly, turning to her girlfriend with a smile.

She knew it wouldn’t take long for Akko to realize where they were headed. After all, they had been there many times. It was where they first met, where they shared their first kiss, and where they had stopped on countless of other dates over the years. It was special to them, so it didn’t surprise Sucy when she saw her girlfriend’s eyes light up as they approached the familiar worn cobblestone.

“Aww did you really miss me that much?” Akko said teasingly. “Taking me to such a lovey-dovey spot?”

Sucy’s smile only widened as she started across the bridge, stopping once she hit the middle. Slowly she turned to face Akko.

“Do you remember? It was just like this when we met,” Sucy said calmly. “Well, not exactly. Our places were swapped.”

Akko simply stood still. Sucy could tell she was probably confused. That’s alright. She wouldn’t be for much longer.

“The day we met, you asked me a question, one that ended up changing my life,” Sucy said as Akko slowly walked towards her.

The Japanese girl smiled at this, giggling slightly.

“All I did was ask you your name,” Akko cheerfully.

Sucy simply smiled.

“Yeah, you did. But it ended up being so much more than that. I’m a different person thanks to you Akko, a better one. Thank you.”

Akko blushed at the praise, responding with a quite ‘your welcome’. While she hadn’t been nervous this whole time, Sucy had to admit that as the time grew closer for the her to pop the question, her heart was racing a bit. This was it.

“That day we met, you asked me a question and changed my life,” Sucy repeated. “Now, it’s my turn to ask you one, and I hope you change my life again.”

Akko tilted her head in confusion. She seemed ready to ask Sucy exactly what she meant when the lavender haired woman sank to one one knee. Sucy had to stop herself from giggling as Akko’s eyes widened in surprise, and she covered her mouth with her hands. Her shocked expression was simply adorable.

“Atsuko Kagari, will you marry me?”

Sucy pulled the ring box for her pocket, and slowly opened it, revealing the shining ruby within. Akko didn’t say anything at first, simply standing there stunned. Then she started crying. For a fraction of a second, a small part of her started to worry, but was instantly reassured when she realized Akko was most definitely happy crying. She always blubbered way more when she happy cried. Needless to say, the Japanese woman wasn’t really able to say much through, nodding her head furiously instead. Sucy chuckled as she slipped the ring on Akko’s finger. It certainly wasn’t a very conventional acceptance, but this was Akko. She hardly did anything conventional. Besides, that was one of the the reasons Sucy fell in love with her. The conventional had always bored her. Once the ring was on her finger, Akko pulled Sucy into a big hug, culminating in a big kiss on her lips. Sucy felt her heart soar as she deepened the kiss. That was definitely a ‘yes’.

#little witch academia #sucyakko #akkosucy #suakko #sucy x akko #alec writes #lwa

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idontlikesummer · 7 years

Text

Japan 2017 Trip 1.2 (?)

Yeah, it’s fast, haha. But I had to rush back to Japan because of a family event at the tail-end of July. Buying a plane ticket for a trip the next day is literally the most spontaneous thing I’ve done in my life. This 6-day trip is a lot less exciting than the previous one because we’re not technically there on holiday, but it was still somewhat of an experience. I traveled with my family this time—mainly my brother and mom, since my dad couldn’t make it to Tokyo with us. I won’t be including as much details here as my previous trip, since it really was a rushed trip! But if you’re still interested in some undiscovered parts of Tokyo and my ramblings on childhood, feel free to read on!

This is my first time taking a transit flight! We went on Thai airways for the first time! Stopped at the Bangkok for an hour, hehe.

We sat near the window seat! I was really nervous at first since I’m really bad at enduring turbulence, but this was hands down the BEST ride I ever had. Forget about the turbulence, the plane didn’t even SHAKE. Regardless, my anxiety just wouldn’t allow me a night’s rest, so I didn’t sleep for one night!

I also ate garlic pork rice in the morning! It was really good! The first time I ate in a plane for ten years, I think. After touching down, we rushed to Ueno to take the shinkansen to Sakudaira station, where my paternal family lives.

We always take Asama line to my family’s hometown. It used to be a white bullet train with blue and red lines, but now they changed it to gold and blue ;w;. My brother and I were lamenting since the colours we associated with our childhood is gone.

To those interested, this is how the old train looks!

Chicken bentou at the Ueno station! It seems to be a very child friendly bentou.

View of the countryside where my paternal family stays! It rained a lot the few days we were there, so in spite of it being summer, the weather was very cool and pleasant. There was also a lot of fog! We used to play by a river near this area as kids, but it seems that there are a lot of plants creeping around the area this time and it’s hard to reach the river, so I couldn’t really get a picture of it. I feel a bit wistful and poignant staring at this scenery, since I haven’t been here for years. I hope I can come back more often from now on. It really is a very lovely village.

More pictures! I was fascinated by this signpost because it seems that a lot of people living in this village have the same surname as the words on the post.

Apparently, my aunt told me I was named after this flower! It was in full bloom when we arrived

Some really NICE dinner at the event. Most of the food here was sashimi! We ate sashimi for three straight days

There was a slug in the bathroom HAHA. It didn’t really move so I didn’t mind it much.

We went back to Sakudaira station soon after three days. These boxes of tomatoes were relevant to my interests! One whole box only costs 80 yen which is REALLY cheap!! They are really big too, just in case you’re wondering!

So we took the train all the way back to Tokyo again! And we docked at Shimo-Ochiai station, where we rented AirBnB! THIS PLACE IS SO GOOD. Would highly recommend if you’re staying in Tokyo! It’s a two-storey house with really homey décor! And the host (who is really friendly and professional!) lets you pick one of three rooms. We decided to pick the Japanese style room on the third floor! You can find the link to the AirBnB here!

This is how it looks! You can exit the doors on the right to go to the balcony!

The kitchen and dining area! We sat here to have supper every day while we were in Tokyo!

I caught a sticker of Yayoi Kusama’s pumpkin on the door!!

Naturally, since Shimo-ochiai was a stop away from Takadanobaba, I decided to drag my family to the polar bear’s café!! They are having a different sale right now. It seems that they are having a panda fair atm!

Now they have calendar coasters!

When I found out that they were selling a limited edition cappuccino with coffee art of panda disguising himself as polar bear, of course, I had to go get it

LOOK AT HIM.

I had the salmon stew that Polar Bear made Grizzly in episode 25!! It was REALLY good!! My mom got the same thing, and my brother took the katsu dish!

Now they placed hats on the life sized penguin and panda HAHA

We went to eat at a sukiyaki restaurant with Belle!! (and no we didn’t order what was in the picture because we couldn’t finish that). It's called 木曽路 (Kisoji) and to anyone interested I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT because of the quality of its meat and its generous portions!

THE MEAT IS TO DIE FOR.

In sukiyaki, after cooking the meat, you’re supposed to dip it in raw egg. It sounds intimidating but it’s really delicious!!

VEGETABLES (that my brother refused to eat because he doesn’t eat his veges)

TOMATOES

Lok at all the vegetables sizzling in the pan. The onions were my favourite!

And they served the udon last before the dessert! It’s really quite a lot of food! But it’s all delicious so thank God that we could finish everything

I didn’t manage to get a picture of the sizzling meat in the pan so have a look at it on the restaurant menu.

THE FOOD IS REALLY GOOD. Literally everything here, especially the beef, was melt in your mouth heaven.

NEXT DAY (Harajuku and Shibuya)

We headed straight to Harajuku to eat since we left the house later than planned today. The first vegetable juice I drank in my life is Pokemon vegetable juice!

YUZU RAMEN. This is the craziest ramen I’ve ever eaten! It was not bad!! Apparently, it’s one of the more popular ramen joints in Harajuku. It was already jam packed by the time we arrived!

If you ever get the chance to eat Kakuni (braised pork) in Japan, DO IT. I promise you a slice of heaven

We went to Meiji Jingu just like last time, and we shopped a bit in GAP! Before long, we were hungry, and since my brother and mother couldn’t walk so much, we decided to go to Doutour coffee soon after shopping at GAP.

Don’t let the cheap prices of this joint fool you. Doutor coffee is everywhere in Japan and for GOOD REASON. Honestly this was the best BLACK COFFEE I’ve ever had. I think they roast their beans really well!

We went to Marion crepes after that! It's in the middle of takeshita street, so we had to walk a bit to get there. I also managed to shop at this place called good day! It sells the best clothes in the entire street in my opinion!

Life is good. A toast to marion crepes

We walked quite a bit after that! My brother went to do some shopping in Adidas, and we walked to Shibuya from there. Once again, on the way, I stopped by Alice on Wednesday, a quaint little shop which sells Alice in Wonderland merchandise! My family was really tired from the walk, so I decided to bring them to eat cow tongue rice.

It is as GOOD as ever. By the time we finished, everything in Shibuya was closing, so we had to go home after that. But the adventures of the day don’t end there!

It turns out there was a mini supermarket at the place we were staying. I got really carried away looking at their meat! I MEAN LOOK. All these are perfectly red and they only range from 200 to 800 yen!!

Their bacon and ham are to DIE for. But that’s enough excitement for the day. I bought some roasted pork to eat for breakfast the next day (but sadly I didn’t take a picture of it)!

NEXT DAY (Shibuya)

There was a melon bread shop near the shimochiai station! Apparently they specialize in melon bread with CREAM

This is a mini model of the melon bread. I’m excited already

The REAL THING. This is the best melon bread I have ever eaten HANDS DOWN. I love how you could just randomly walk around in Japan and go to a random shop, and everything you try is delicious.

I want this vending machine in my house

We decided to look around in the Tokyu Shibuya supermarket since my mom always talks about what nice food these supermarkets have. True enough, look at these omg

I REALLY WANTED TO TRY THIS

They didn’t have a price tag on these watermelons so I assume they’re not for sale. Pity!!

I am literally screeching at how fresh these prawns look

From the roof top of Tokyu!

We went to a Tempura restaurant at the top floor! I was really carried away looking at this thing while we were waiting for the food

IT WAS SO GOOD. I ate the set at the bottom! It was really refreshing and thirst quenching, since it’s cold noodles! They also used wild vegetables for the tempura (they didn’t have the typical stuff like sweet potato and pumpkins), so it was a really pleasant surprise! I didn’t know what I ate I just ate them all

I decided to eat kakuni again! I really want to try making this back at home. It’s such a good dish I’m obsessed

Immediately after we went back to the basement to have dumplings. Travelling with family is always about eating

Kimi no na wa posters outside the Tokyu building! It seems that the bluray just got released! We walked around a bit after that and visited the shops my family wanted to go. Including Loft

In the meantime I got carried away taking pictures of graffiti outside the shops lmao. Halfway through, my family decided to take a rest at Starbucks, while I went to Shibuya 109 in the meantime. They had clearance sales all throughout the building so I managed to snag some really good deals from this shop called Ingni!

Before long it was time to eat (AGAIN). If you’re ever in Shibuya Tokyu please eat at this restaurant! It’s called Maisen, and it serves tonkatsu (Fried pork cutlet). I think this is the best tonkatsu I’ve eaten all my life. Usually I only get the air-flown version of the food here, so eating it at the restaurant itself was a GREAT experience!

SO TASTY.

TOPS cake! It’s a chocolate brand in Japan that my entire family adores! I’m not one for chcocolate but even I loved this! It’s really worth a try if you’re in Tokyo! We ate this with our host, and we had a great chat!

Of course I’m a glutton so I ate extra things for dessert.

NEXT DAY (Shinjuku and Shibuya (Don’t we always go back to Shibuya?))

Arrived in Shinjuku! Apparently this shop is a Singaporean brand! Fancy seeing you here!

SHINJUKUUUUUUUU. I came through this exit about five years ago with my father! It really brings me back to the good old days tbh

Remember this guy from my previous trip? I saw this whole stash of Totoros at tokyu hands in takashimaya, so naturally I put my own totoro in the middle of them to snap a shot HAHA.

After this we went to meet up with my cousin who was in Tokyo! We travelled the day with her after that! First, we needed to eat, so we had to take the big lift up to the highest levels in Takashimaya. I had a bad experience with lifts before, so I excused myself and decided to take the escalator.

We ate tempura again! The last tempura was ice cream, if you’re interested! It wasn’t bad! But I did prefer the tempura from yesterday.

After this, we decided to look around in Shinjuku! We went to Tower Records, Don Quijote and Gap! And after a while we decided to go back to Shibuya again (lol)

Now I actually managed to get a proper shot of the Shibuya cityscape! I love this place so much.

We went to the basement of seibu to try out some food! Most of the shops close at 8pm, but the restaurants close later. We went to this Western buffet restaurant, and I took pictures of some of my more presentable salad plates. Lmao. Everything else after these three plates was just chaos.

Some of our mini-main courses!

After this we had to go back home ;w;. We said goodbye to our cousin and went back to Shimo-Ochiai! She was very nice to send us off at the platform despite holding so many things in her hands. I haven’t seen her for 8 years prior to this, so I hope we can see her soon again!

But the day hasn’t ended yet! Our host was very kind to buy us tarts on our last day! These cheese tarts are from a company called BAKE—which is apparently one of the most famous producers of cheese tarts in Japan. The quality of the tarts are REALLY good!!

FINAL DAY Departure

Nothing much to say other than us going back to Singapore! We left the house before peak hours so we didn’t manage to say goodbye to our host for that one last time ;w; The trip to Narita was mostly uneventful and I slept a little on the train..

Last meal in Japan at Narita airport! Porridge is great because I get quite airsick easily, so I can’t swallow too much oily food before a flight!

LOOK AT THE DECORATION. I love all the attention to detail tbh

Half an hour before the flight, I decided to swallow this down. It’s not bad! I wanted to save it for when I touched down in Singapore, but it seems that they don’t allow water on planes

BONUS:

This is just a little tidbit! But my grandma used to make us this thing called Matsutake gohan (it’s basically mushroom rice, but the mushroom they use is a special kind that only grows on mountains in autumn)! My aunt made this for us to bring back to Singapore so I was really happy and touched. She gave us enough to feed my family for three meals!

Also, I managed to eat the cup noodles I got from the cup noodle museum in my previous trip! Look at all the Hiyoko-chan narutos!!! I really hope they sell the original cup noodles in Singapore soon. It is my favourite flavour of Nissin cup noodles!

But yeah, that’s about it for now! This trip was really rushed so there were lots of things I didn’t take pictures of. But thanks for reading all the same!

#other stuffs #japan #food #photography #tokyo #nagano

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