prompt taken from side blog,

@adonischosen​ said: Whiskey , shadow, soft 

would this night affect both of them?

would this night hazed by alcohol, the stench of whiskey and sex in the air, empty bottles scattered across the room, piles of clothing hastily torn aside, make her hesitate when administering her sense of justice upon him when the time comes?

he doesn't truly know, for her case --- for him, emotions were easy to detach when it came to his end game, end goal. he didn't exist. his emotions didn't exist. yuzuru saeki didn't exist. he says all of this, yet a foreign feeling drumming in his chest forms as he sees her body illuminated by the moonlight, clinging onto his own tightly enough as if he'd escape her grasp if she hesitated a mere second.

her unconsciousness wouldn't be wrong, there, in the long run, he mused. he found himself combing stray locks of her hair with his fingers, lightly brushing his lips against the top of her head as he cradled her closer to his heart, the steady sound of his heartbeat merely luring her to a deeper sleep.

whatever 'this' was... it has an undeniable ending. one way or another, there was no way to scavenge or even consider a future between the two of them; it'd be impossible, justice first and foremost in his mind, even if he ends up being stopped by the very person sleeping peacefully in his arms. she would be his salvation, even if she goes against his ideals, his beliefs, him as an entity in the end.

he finally finished making the collar, the judgement tool, with rei --- the details were fleshed out, his grand scheme of a plan for december striking down the days until x-day were formed. the pawns on the chessboard were ready to sacrifice their humanity for their king, the clear suffering screaming in each of their hearts sated for their utmost loyalty. he shall cleanse malice in japan, starting with shinjuku. preferably with hoshino's help, of course. she was the only one that... saw him.

his face was passive as he lightly brushed a thumb against ichika's throat, exactly at the place where the collar will be later on. it'd be a shame to see it covered, he thought. she had such soft skin...

he found himself slowly pulling her away from him, watching the way her smile twitched to a frown, eyes darting behind her closed eyes as if desperately searching for someone.

he let out a deep breath as he angled his upper body on top of her, brushing his lips against her neck with love bites and leaving the trail of his tongue to null the brief amount of pain. soon, he would no longer be able to do this.

a soft moan escaped her lips and filled the darkened room, saeki's eyes narrowing just silently, need surging in his stomach.

soon, he would merely think about their night together like this as fond memories --- all memories he has had with her he used as a base to understand how it felt to have happiness taken away from someone, to understand suffering and sadness. with his mother, he did, at one point, care for her; however, not in the magnitude in which he found himself fond of hoshino. his mother never saw him as yuzuru. hoshino, on the other hand,

a large hand cradled her cheek, thumb rubbing against her lips, eyes following the move as if he was an outsider, a puppet tied with strings,

perhaps in another life he'd be able to supply the relationship she desired. the looks she sent his way, the adoration aimed at the police officer she has thought she's grown to know during police academy training, the way her features immediately brightened when she saw him, unafraid to pour her heart out to him with or without alcohol to let out her stress, frustrations, happiness...

he couldn't supply her that. the yuzuru she's in love with doesn't exist, after all.

however, moments like this, moments where she whispers 'i need you' unconsciously in her sleep causing his eyes to widen just briefly, a part of him, as undeserving as he was, as anything that welcomed him in the afterlife was the flaming pits of hell, fancied the thought of being exactly whom she thought he truly was.

would he be happy, he thought? would these fabricated emotions lodged in his chest when he was not playing as zero, the savior, but as saeki, the police officer, be genuine? would this... relationship with hoshino be different?

his ideals, views, plans would not deteriorate from these thoughts. he planned out his desires to rid the world of malice years ago, planned out the individuals he'd use to accomplish this goal, reformed adonis, all before he met her. a tingle of happiness in his darkened soul would not be enough to sway him to give up everything he has ever accomplished. the crying, suffering hearts of the people walking among japan, seeking someone to administer justice for them wouldn't allow it. his beliefs wouldn't allow it. he did not deserve to feel this brief moment of tranquility, but hoshino wasn’t aware of that just yet.

he watched the way her eyes scrunched up just slightly, lips parted --- signs she was slowly waking up, he mused. also a sign he should drop these thoughts for the meantime, to live in the moment, be the saeki that she thought him to be. he found himself leaning in, lips within proximity of her own, watched the way she woke up with heavy lids, looking at saeki's sudden appearance with confusion, observed the way her lips unknowingly moved against his own as if she wanted to voice out a question.

his eyes smiled as he angled his head to fully capture her lips with his own, the taste emitting from her lips addictive, almost as if she was his own aphrodisiac. or perhaps that was the whiskey he still felt in his system, dulling his senses, making her seem more alluring in the moonlight than ever before, making her skin feel as if it was the softest surface he has ever touched.

nonetheless, the way she reciprocated his lip movements lazily, as if disconnected from her sleep-filled thoughts made his heart flutter with those same emotions he toyed with earlier.

he doesn't love her. not in the sense that was so commonly known in romance. but, he couldn't deny the necessity of hoshino's presence in his life, in understanding him, uncovering the truths behind x-day in december, in her bond with him.

he doesn't love her, but perhaps in another life these emotions stemming from his chest when he pulled away, watching her lazy smile as she cradled his face with one of her own hands, the soft touch from her fingers dominating his senses,

perhaps in another life these emotions surging in his chest would be those of 'love'. for now, however, the mask that is yuzuru saeki was all hers until dawn.

black pean (rating 13.7%)

Medical dramas and crime solving dramas are the 2 genres that dominate Japanese TV. In the last few years, however, the medical dramas have been either ridiculously bordering on comically hyperbolic (Doctors and Doctor X), or feel-good reflective dramas like Ume-chan sensei and Kounodori. It may be that the audience's tastes are primed by the over-the-top smooth-sailing events in Doctor X or what they've come to expect from the team behind similarly "good always wins against evil" type stories of Riku Ou and Chiisana Kyoujin. This is probably reflected in the respectable but somewhat less than expected rating. What Black Pean gives in the first episode is a far less straightforward story, a complex power play where patient's lives and well-being are used as stakes, led by a main character that currently is neither clearly heroic nor villainous. In fact, most of the major players in this story remain unclear in their allegiances. There is clearly something going on between Tokai and Saeki in relation to Tokai's father (was he framed for an operation that went wrong? But why is Tokai helping Saeki out...and clearly not happy with it?) In a cast stuffed with characters with ulterior political or personal motives, Takeuchi Ryoma's character turns out to be a breath of fresh air. What would have been a boring trope in something like Code Blue, Sera's fresh-faced earnestness injects a much needed humanity and warmth into a story where the senior doctors treat patients like objects to be bartered. I know Takeuchi is the next big thing, but I'm honestly impressed with how he's done Sera's character - speaking from Code Blue 3, it's so easy to make naive helpless interns annoying (although the script for Code Blue 3 was mostly to blame than the actors), but Sera's helplessness combined with his compassion makes the audience sympathise with him and the patient. Moving onto Tokai - I feel like this will be one of the few interesting main characters to come out of Japanese medical dramas in recent years. The first episode paints him with ambivalence and promises a complex back story and motivation, which many recent medical dramas lack. I feel, in an odd way, that many actors could have done this role, but also that no one would be the same Tokai as Nino has brought out. It calls for a lot of dramatic close-ups and theatrical line deliveries, but Nino also adds his iconic relatability to it. It's an unusual role for him, but one I feel that's a long time coming. His small stature and boyish face has relegated him to a lot of tragic everyman roles, which he's obviously great at and won many accolades and awards, but as he proves here, he's more than capable of commanding the camera with an intensity that we more often associate with MatsuJun. Apparently that scene where he pats Sera on the shoulder with a bloody hand was adlibbed, and it's amazing how it adds to the tension in that scene and the frightfulness of Tokai's presence. Nino's line deliveries have always been something that marks him out over his peers and they're used to the full potential here - gliding from a bored monotone to a dangerous purr to a shout that cracks like a whip. The problem with Tokai is, when following up on the heels of the impishly likeable Miyama in 99.9 and the hot-blooded heroism in Riku Ou, it does beg the audience to be patient and persistent. He is not immediately likeable and in fact, Nino loyally sets out to be make him dislikeable. It may be that the ratings will flag because of this (Japanese audiences seem to have a thing these days for easy dramas where the heros win every game without any true obstacles), but I'm still optimistic it will have a character depth rarely seen in recent medical dramas. Besides, Nino's suturing speed is much more impressive than Daimon-Sensei's huge staring eyes when she operates.

Bookshelf Briefs 6/25/18

Astra: Lost in Space, Vol. 3 | By Kenta Shinohara | Viz Media – Two things are the most notable about this volume of Astra, which otherwise sees our heroes going to more alien worlds and slowly firming up into the obvious romantic couples. The first is the big reveal that Luca is intersex, which comes out after a confrontation with Ulgar over Luca’s father, the senator. We’ve seen intersex characters in manga before, but it doesn’t usually hit Jump titles. The other reveal is back with the parents discussing their kids, who have now been missing for a month. It’s clear that there is some sort of big conspiracy going on here. That said, I’m not sure I’d really be continuing with this if I didn’t know the next volume was the last. I look forward to it ending, but also want to see the end. – Sean Gaffney

Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle, Vol. 2 | By Yukito Kishiro | Kodansha Comics – Having recently started reading and enjoying the original Battle Angel Alita, I was naturally curious about Mars Chronicle. While the first volume of Mars Chronicle served as a prequel to Battle Angel Alita, taking place during Alita’s childhood as a war orphan on Mars, the second volume is a sequel set after the events of the Last Order series. Tying the volumes together are the characters and the Martian landscape. Alita finds herself caught up in a dramatic battle with Erica, her childhood friend and another expert martial artist, while larger efforts to establish a unified Mars are in danger of collapsing, Alita herself framed for an assassination attempt of the emerging leader. For the most part, Mars Chronicle is a fairly accessible series even for those who haven’t read the earlier manga, although some basic familiarity with the franchise can still be useful. – Ash Brown

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 24 | By Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki | Viz Media – One of the more iconic things about Food Wars! are the images that are drawn by the artist summing up the preparation of food. Sometimes, when it involves the judges eating, it’s pure fanservice, but not always. There’s two terrific portraits here of the different types of cooking that two of the teams do—the one with Gin, Takumi and Megumi is shown as a sort of cocktail jazz band, while the one with Soma, his dad and Erina is shown to be avant-garde Jackson-Pollock style painters. It’s great stuff, and helps get us into the big final matches, which start with Soma immediately having rotten luck destroy him, as he’s challenging a soba expert and the meal they’re doing is soba. Ah well, he’s the hero, I’m sure he’ll come up with something. – Sean Gaffney

Ghost in the Shell README: 1995-2017 | By Takuma Shindo | Kodansha Comics – Despite being subtitled 1995-2017, the recent Hollywood live-action Ghost in the Shell film is oddly the first incarnation of Shirow Masamune’s manga to be addressed by the README guide and artbook. The rest of the volume is devoted to the various anime films and series by Mamoru Oshii, Kenji Kamiyama and, most recently, Kazuchika Kise. Each of the adaptations is given a chapter of its own which includes general information, story summaries, character, mechanical, and landscape designs, an abundance of full-color artwork, and more. For me the most interesting parts of README were the essays, the interview with Atsuko Tanaka and Maaya Sakamoto (the voices of “The Major,” Motoko Kusanagi), and the roundtable featuring all of the Ghost in the Shell anime directors in conversation with one another. README will likely appeal most to established fans of the franchise, but it provides a terrific overview and general introduction, too. – Ash Brown

Horimiya, Vol. 11 | By Hero and Daisuke Hagiwara | Yen Press – It really is impressive how the author of Horimiya is just not letting go of the fact that Hori really gets turned on by being dominated/struck, and that this really seems to bother Miyamura. It’s one reason, perhaps, why the volume ends with a short chapter that shows that, though they love each other, they still have tremendous difficulty figuring out how the other thinks. And there’s also Hori’s rage issues, which they at least acknowledge but don’t really deal with. As for the other couples, well, Ishikawa and Yoshikawa (Ishiyoshi?) are still struggling a bit, mostly due to embarrassment and embarrassing family. Horimiya isn’t as fantastic as it once was, but it’s still fun. – Sean Gaffney

Kuroko’s Basketball, Vols. 23-24 | By Tadatoshi Fujimaki | VIZ Media – We begin with the conclusion of the Winter Cup semifinal game, during which Seirin manages to defeat Kaijo by a one-point margin. It’s tense and exciting and there is a lot of manly crying. Rather than move right into the finals, however, the story diverges into flashback mode, with Kuroko telling the story of his time at Teiko Middle. This arc is fabulous and I’m a little bummed we didn’t have it earlier, as it would’ve informed so many of Kuroko’s interactions with his former teammates. However, putting it before his big matchup against Akashi makes sense, since Akashi was the one who sensed his potential to develop a unique style in the first place. In particular, I wasn’t expecting to come out of the arc loving Aomine so much. It’s nice knowing he finally did find someone who could defeat him. One of the best volumes in a while! – Michelle Smith

Kuroko’s Basketball, Vols. 23-24 | By Tadatoshi Fujimaki | Viz Media – As you might expect, Kuroko solves things, and is even allowed to make the winning shot—something that stuns him a bit. We’re clearly getting near to the end of the series, which means it’s now time for a biiiig flashback showing how the Generation of Miracles actually came to be. As you might imagine given everyone we’ve seen, it was not free and easy. Kuroko is almost put off the team a few times and the others barely work together at all. (It’s also cute seeing a middle-school, pre-sexy knockout Momoi falling for Kuroko.) I’m glad that this flashback is coming now, as we’ve come to know all the leads, and it also gives us a break from the tournament while still being filled with basketball. – Sean Gaffney

Mushroom Girls in Love | By Kei Murayama | Seven Seas – If it weren’t for the length, this could easily have fit right into the middle of A Centaur’s Life, a series that seems to enjoy randomly wandering off into whatever the hell for a few chapters on end. Instead of animal-human hybrids, this time it’s fungi-human hybrids, as our heroines try to stay married and in love despite root rot, royalty trying to break them up, and evading gunfire and the world seemingly being against them. As with A Centaur’s Life, this is not so much comedic or dramatic as just plain weird. And then there’s the girls riding tarantulas like horses… I guess what I mean to say is that if you like A Centaur’s Life and wish that the lesbians were the main characters, give this a shot. – Sean Gaffney

Princess Jellyfish, Vol. 9 | By Akiko Higashimura | Kodansha Comics – In many respects, this is a satisfying finale. Jelly Fish is back in business and it’s great to see the girls, particularly Jiji, finally able to don fancy clothes without hesitation in order to help Tsukimi’s visions become reality. In fact, I pretty much cried straight through from that point on. Reveals and reunions occur, but when one looks closer, one sees that several things remain unsettled. Amamizukan is still owned by Kai Fish, we don’t know whether Jelly Fish will actually be a success, and we don’t know how Tsukimi feels about Kuranosuke being in love with her (though I do love that he recognizes she doesn’t need a man right now). The feeling is all very optimistic, though, and perhaps it’s for the best that we just imagine a happy outcome without worrying about the details. It’s hard to believe it’s over! – Michelle Smith

Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku, Vol. 2 | By Fujita | Kodansha Comics – If you enjoyed the first volume of Wotakoi, this second one gives you more of what you enjoyed. The four leads are still all otaku types, but realistic and not caricatured. We get to see how Hanako and Taro met, which temporarily turns Wotakoi into Haikyu!! for a bit, and also see the couples accidentally getting swapped thanks to a haunted roller coaster. And there’s a new character, introduced (I thought) to be a gay love interest to Naoya, but no, she’s just a shy girl who dresses like a schlub. Still, there’s some comedy to be mined from hiding this from Naoya for the time being. As an anime and manga geek, reading Wotakoi is both fun and heartwarming, and I like it a lot. – Sean Gaffney

Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku, Vol. 2 | By Fujita | Kodansha Comics – I really liked the first Wotakoi omnibus, but I flatout loved this one. All of the characters are so great and so vivid, and there was an interesting structure to the two volumes included here. In the first, the continuing story of Hirotaka and Narumi’s first real date is interspersed with short vignettes and the story of how Naoya makes a friend. I came away with a much stronger idea of why Hirotaka loves Narumi, and how he feels like an inferior adult compared to her. In the second volume, the continuing story is an amazing flashback to Kabakura and Koyanagi in high school, with all the tsundere goodness one could wish for. Ordinarily, characters who bicker this much would bother me, but these two are the exception. This is a fabulous series that everyone should be reading. Get on it! – Michelle Smith

Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs, Vol. 2 | By Tadahiro Miura | Seven Seas – If nothing else, Yuuna is proving to be a slightly better ecchi Jump title than To-Love-Ru has, possibly as there’s slightly less emphasis on falling into everyone’s breasts all the time. Only slightly, though, and Yuuna still positions itself for one type of reader and one alone—the horny teenage boy. But if I were a horny teenage boy, I’d like this—Kogarashi is a bit less hapless than the typical ecchi protagonist, the girls are for the most part fun (I was amused that the drunken Kitsune wannabe is a manga artist), and there is the occasional sweet romantic tease. Still, if you’re expecting romance, read Nisekoi. If you want boobs, this is the book for you. – Sean Gaffney

By: Michelle Smith