#and run away together from the Fujiwara
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Yorozu and Takako making out could've fixed all their problems
#help Takako find individuality and Yorozu to get over Sukuna#and run away together from the Fujiwara#perfect world#jujutsu kaisen#uro takako#yorozu
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CORE Pro #125
11/23/23
Thanksgiving Tussle '23
Cawood Elementary School Trojan Dome - Harlan, Kentucky
Attendance: 511
Match #1
4-on-4 Strive To Survive
Stephanie Vaquer, La Catalina, Sayaka, and Sayaka Obihiro vs. Charli Evans, Jessica Troy, Jetta, and Charlie Morgan
- Sayaka tried for a russian legsweep but it was blocked by Charli Evans. Sayaka reached down, hooked her arms around both of Charli's legs at the knee, and bridged backwards into a rollup and got the three count. Charli Evans has been eliminated.
- Sayaka Obihiro connected with a series of forearms to the chest of Jetta, but when she hit the ropes to follow up Jetta followed Obihiro in and landed a lariat and a pin. Sayaka Obihiro has been eliminated.
- La Catalina hit Jetta with the pedigree, but Jetta managed to roll her shoulder up at two. Catalina followed up with a big splash off the top rope and the pin. Jetta has been eliminated.
- Charlie Morgan landed with her full weight with a swanton bomb on La Catalina and made the cover. La Catalina has been eliminated.
- Stephanie Vaquer off the top rope with a legdrop on Charlie Morgan and picked up a three count. Charlie Morgan has been eliminated.
- Jessica Troy wrenched away at a Fujiwara armbar until Sayaka was forced to tap out. Sayaka has been eliminated.
- Jessica Troy had the Fujiwara armbar locked in on Stephanie Vaquer, but Vaquer was able to roll forward and counter into the cross armbreaker which Troy could not escape. Jessica Troy has been eliminated.
Sole Survivor: Stephanie Vaquer
Match #2
Special Guest Enforcer Dan "The Beast" Severn
Shaw Mason vs. Tim Bosby
- Tim Bosby tried for the ripcord lariat on Shaw Mason, but Mason ducked under the strike and into a waistlock. Mason tried to drop his hips and muscle Bosby over into a german suplex, but Bosby was able to escape by throwing himself through the middle rope and to the floor with Mason's arms still locked around his waist. Mason got the worst of the fall, and when he got to his feet Bosby went for the double leg takedown on Mason and again the two men were propelled through the apron and underneath the ring. Special enforcer Dan Severn reached under the apron and pulled Bosby out by the ankles. It was then that Severn noticed the brass knuckles on Bosby's fist. Bosby plead his case to Severn and referee Scarlette Donovan, but Mason clipped Bosby's knee from behind. Shaw Mason rolled Bosby back into the ring and applied the ankle lock. Bosby struggled but ultimately cried uncle.
Winner: Shaw Mason
- After the match Hunter Holdcraft came to ringside to congratulate and apologize to Shaw Mason for doubting his story about Bosby cheating in their previous match. Bosby got on the microphone and insisted that while they were under the ring Shaw Mason put the brass knuckles on Bosby's hand to frame him. The fans shouted him down and Mason and Holdcraft walked off together.
Match #3
5-on-5 Strive To Survive
The TrustBusters (Sonny Kiss/Slim J/JeeVeS Kay) & The TrustBusters Reserve (Big Dan Champion and Joshua Bishop) vs. The Trust (Invictus Khash/Hyan/Kylie Paige/Giant Baba Yaga/Fuego Del Sol)
- Fuego Del Sol spiked JeeVeS Kay with the tornado DDT and made the cover. JeeVeS Kay has been eliminated.
- Slim J springboarded off the top rope and connected with his diving inverted DDT on Invictus Khash. Invictus Khash has been eliminated.
- Slim J rebounded off the second rope and tried for a spinning kick, but he was swatted away by Giant Baba Yaga. Baba hit the running neckbreaker on Slim J and got the pin. Slim J has been eliminated.
- Sonny Kiss tried for the standing moonsault on Hyan, but Hyan got her knees up. Hyan hit Sonny with the Beauty Sleep and pinned the captain of The TrustBusters. Sonny Kiss has been eliminated.
- With only the TrustBusters Reserve remaining, Champion and Bishop tried to rally by isolating Kylie Paige before finally finishing her off with a Bishop Bomb. Kylie Paige has been eliminated.
- Big Dan Champion whipped Fuego Del Sol into the corner, but when he charged in for the big avalanche splash he was instead met by a Baba Boot from the apron. Big Dan staggered back and Fuego Del Sol hit the tornado DDT. Big Dan Champion has been eliminated.
- Now down to a three-on-one, it wasn't long before Joshua Bishop was on the receiving end of a running neckbreaker from Giant Baba Yaga and pinned. Joshua Bishop has been eliminated.
Survivors: Hyan, Giant Baba Yaga, and Fuego Del Sol
- After the match Big Dan Champion was helping Joshua Bishop to his feet when Sonny Kiss returned to ringside with Slim J, JeeVeS Kay, and Trench. Sonny said that The TrustBusters Reserve have disappointed the TrustBusters for the very last time. Sonny declared that Trench is now officially a member of the TrustBusters and the TrustBusters Reserve has been liquidated effective immediately. And with that Sonny, Slim J, JeeVeS, and Trench all attacked Bishop and Big Dan. Slim J choked Bishop out with one of his designer undershirts while Trench bent Big Dan backwards with his inverted full nelson. With them both subdued, the TrustBusters put the boots to Champion and Bishop. Surprisingly it was Hyan, Kylie, Khash, Baba, and Fuego that returned to chase the TrustBusters off and make the save.
Match #4
4-on-4 Strive To Survive
Athena's Minions (Athena/Billie Starkz/Queen Aminata/Raychell Rose) vs. DIAMOND EGOIST (MICHIKO/Janai Kai/Risa Sera/Aoi)
- Queen Aminata landed a running hip attack on Aoi before applying the Juicy Lock. Aoi has been eliminated.
- Refusing to go down two members, DIAMOND EGOIST isolated Queen Aminata before finishing her off with a tombstone from MICHIKO. Queen Aminata has been eliminated.
- Billie Starkz went for the swanton bomb on Risa Sera, but Janai Kai pulled Sera out of the way. Risa Sera connected with a second rope knee drop and got the pinfall. Billie Starkz has been eliminated.
- Athena hoisted Risa Sera on her shoulders and hit the Despicable Knee. Risa Sera has been eliminated.
- Raychell Rose ducked under a roundhouse kick from Janai Kai and countered with the spear. Janai got back to a seated position but was met with the Off With Her Head shining wizard and pinned. Janai Kai has been eliminated.
- Athena came off the top rope and hit the O-Face on MICHIKO to close out the match. MICHIKO has been eliminated.
Survivors: Athena and Raychell Rose
Match #5
6-on-6 Strive To Survive
The Southern 6 (Kerry Morton/Silas Mason/Alex Taylor/Kenzie Paige) & Starboy Charlie and Marcus Mathers vs. Black Generation International (Kaito Ishida/Flamita/Keiichi Sato/Kotaro Suzuki/Black Andromeda/Action Jackson)
- Alex Taylor lifted Action Jackson into fireman's carry position and hit the Green Whistle. Action Jackson has been eliminated.
.- Keiichi Sato connected flush to the jaw with a superkick on Alex Taylor for the flash KO. Alex Taylor has been eliminated.
- Starboy Charlie planted Kotaro Suzuki with a piledriver and made the cover. Kotaro Suzuki has been eliminated.
- Black Andromeda climbed to the top rope and called on Flamita and Ishida to lift Andromeda into the air for an assisted Vader Bomb on Kenzie Paige. Kenzie Paige has been eliminated.
- Silas Mason sent Keiichi Sato into the ropes and hit The Thrillride in the center of the ring. Keiichi Sato has been eliminated.
- Marcus Mathers tried for a springboard cutter on Flamita, but Flamita countered with a lungblower. Flamita hit a 450 Splash and got the pinfall. Marcus Mathers has been eliminated.
- Kaito Ishida hooked Silas Mason's left arm and hit a single arm tiger suplex. Silas Mason has been eliminated.
- Kerry Morton landed a jumping knee strike on Black Andromeda and followed with The Showstopper. Black Andromeda has been eliminated.
- Starboy Charlie tried for a piledriver on Flamita, but Flamita countered with a rana. Flamita leapt off the top rope with a 450 Splash and scored a pin. Starboy Charlie has been eliminated.
- Flamita and Kaito Ishida worked over Kerry Morton before finishing him off with a Chaos Theory into a single arm tiger suplex from Ishida. Kerry Morton has been eliminated.
Survivors: Kaito Ishida and Flamita
- Black Generation International celebrated their victory after the match. But as they made their way backstage someone jumped the railing and headed to the ring. It's Eddie Kingston!
- Kingston got on the microphone and told the members of Black Generation International to get a message to Titus Alexander. Kingston said that Titus Alexander has been crying about a rematch for months, he's been targeting the handful of people in this business that Eddie considers friends. But he couldn't respond because he had made commitments to New Japan Pro-Wrestling and AEW. Well, Eddie said he relinquished the Ring Of Honor world championship. Kingston also relinquished the New Japan Strong Openweight championship. And people have asked him why he'd agree to do that after fighting so hard and sacrificing so much to become a double champion. Eddie said he did it because on Christmas night in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, it will be Eddie Kingston versus Titus Alexander in a Coal Miner's Glove Match.
Upcoming Shows:
CORE debuts in Cincinnati, Ohio at the WCPO TV Studios for a television taping.
11/25/23
Television taping for The Great Pro-Wrestling Adventure Hour as seen on Defy TV.
Including the opening rounds for the SHIMMER Tag Team Championship Tournament!
Your Participants Are
01. Stephanie Vaquer and La Catalina
02. Sayaka and Sayaka Obihiro
03. Blue Nation (Charli Evans and Jessica Troy)
04. The Royal Aces (Jetta and Charlie Morgan)
05. Hyan and Kylie Paige
06. Queen Aminata and Raychell Rose
07. DIAMOND EGOIST (MICHIKO and Janai Kai)
08. DIAMOND EGOIST (Risa Sera and Aoi)
CORE Pro #126
12/25/23
…if only in my dreams
Wind Creek Event Center - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
01. Finals of the SHIMMER Tag Team Championship Tournament
02. Coal Miner's Glove Match: Eddie Kingston vs. Titus Alexander
CORE Pro #1??
02/03/24
Regional Pro-Wrestling Day 2024
LuLu Temple - Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania
CORE presents The Co-Op 2024
04/03/24 - 04/07/24
23rd Street Armory - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Currently Untitled Family Story
by SaraT
One day, Yuko sends the Briefs & the Sons, to Tokyo, Japan in an entirely different universe—the universe of Tokyo Mew Mew. Fai, Kurogane, & several others have also been sent to the worlds of Tokyo Mew Mew. Someone from each family is in the hospital for different reasons, and that’s where everyone meets. New connections are made. Love & friendships are formed. Of course, there’s also drama—family drama—& cheating.
I DO NOT OWN TOKYO MEW MEW, DRAGON BALL Z, ANYTHING BY CLAMP, OR ANY OF THEIR CHARACTERS! I ONLY CLAIM THE STORY & CHARACTERS I COME UP WITH!
Words: 7515, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English
Fandoms: Tokyo Mew Mew, Dragon Ball, CLAMP - Works
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Categories: F/F, F/M, M/M
Characters: Mokona Modoki, Yuko, Watanuki Kimihiro
Relationships: Shirogane Ryou/Miku (OC)/Akasaka Keiichirou, Bulma Briefs/Vegeta, Chi-Chi/Son Goku (Dragon Ball), Aizawa Mint/Fujiwara Zakuro, Midorikawa Lettuce/Pie, Fong Pudding/Tart, Meguro Tasuku/Shirayuki Berry, Koda (OC)/Momiji (OC), Neji (OC)/Sumire (OC), Aoyama Masaya/Momomiya Ichigo, Momomiya Ichigo/Quiche, Dr. Shirogane/Mrs. Shirogane, Momomiya Sakura/Momomiya Shintarou, Fay D. Fluorite/Kurogane (Later on), Trunks Briefs/Shirogane Koharu (OC) (Later on), Videl Satan/Son Gohan, Knickers Briefs (OC)/Zen (OC) (Later on), Shirogane Natsu (OC)/Ayame (OC) (Later on), Bra | Bulla Briefs/Son Goten (Later on), Shirogane Toshiro (OC)/Kairi (OC) (Later on), Kobe (OC)/Son Chihiro (OC) (Later on)
Additional Tags: Romance, Family, Drama, Loss of Virginity, Making Love, Making Out, Age Difference, Dimension Travel, Hospitalization, Sex, Falling In Love, Love, Love Confessions, Divorce, Moving On, Moving In Together, Moving Out, Running Away, Kidnapping, Royalty, Princesses, Reincarnation
source https://archiveofourown.org/works/46651060
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Beheading the Snake - Symbolic Actions of Liberation in “The Handmaiden”
Ritual is a tool we can use to change ourselves: to heal ourselves, cleanse ourselves, and birth ourselves into a new life.
.. from "RitualCraft: Creating Rites for Transformation and Celebration" by Amber K & Azrael Arynn K
"The Handmaiden" is one masterpiece of a film and I feel I've only just begun to appreciate the excellent craft of the storytelling, the gorgeous design of the visuals, and, especially, the mysterious depth of the symbols. This is my attempt at understanding the story through its symbolic actions specifically. Enjoy :)
spoilers ahead!
One of the first symbolic objects were introduced to are Hideko's gloves. She wears them to protect the books as her uncle Kouzuki wants her to, the books of sadistic pornography he forced her to read since she was a child, and so, they are part of a web of symbols for her oppression. I think Hideko wearing the gloves might also hint at her trying to protect herself from the books, out of repulsion. She continues to wear them after she escapes the mansion with Sook-hee - Kouzuki's demands have been internalized, and the dark spell of abuse stays in Hideko’s life. But when Sook-hee and Hideko are on the boat to Shanghai, Sook-hee takes off Hideko’s gloves to throw them out to the sea, together with the fake moustache and the wedding ring, all different symbols of past pain (and what they did to escape it), signifying their new-found freedom. The two women look at each other and laugh with glee.
"Count Fujiwara" offers Hideko a phial of opium that she receives once they're married, so she could escape via suicide should Kouzuki catch her after running away (which would mean being tortured and killed in the basement like her aunt was). His offering really just represents escape - not the freedom Hideko will find with Sook-hee. And he doesn’t offer it freely either, first Hideko has to do what he wants, get him rich through their marriage. So it felt really fitting to have Hideko use the phial of opium against Fujiwara, by putting it in his wine and “feeding” it to him through kisses, effectively using sexual means as well as the opium against him - giving him a taste of his own poison.
The snake sculpture “guarding” the library, marking the “bounds of knowledge”, obviously hints at phallus symbolism. Once Sook-hee finds out about the sexual abuse Hideko endured, she starts to destroy the books and paintings in the library. Sook-hee’s rage on Hideko’s behalf is palpable as she goes full righteous destructress, attacking pages of pornographic imagery with a knife until she accidentally cuts herself. Hideko watches, wide-eyed, as “[her] Sook-hee, the savior who came to tear [her] life apart” beheads the snake with a sword. It’s the most cathartically powerful scene of the movie, in my opinion.
Kouzuki uses metal balls to abuse Hideko as a child, brutally beating her hands with them. I think the silver bells look quite similar to the metal balls. They are first brought up in an erotic text read by Hideko - she thinks of Sook-hee as the power goes out, sitting in the shadows with eyes closed, that authentic lust in her voice heard for the first and only time during the readings. In the final scene of the film, Sook-hee and Hideko play with the bells for sexual pleasure, the way described in the text. Their sighs of pleasure remain as the images change to the boat on the ocean, full moon above. The luminous moon in the sky becomes the painted moon on Hideko’s screen door, the handmaiden’s bed visible in front of it. The painted moon slowly fades as the credits roll until it disappears completely, as if the light is leaving Hideko's horrible house of upbringing, now glowing as the real moon in the sky above her and Sook-hee.
All these objects of trauma are disempowered in their function as tools of oppression - through destruction, by being experienced in a new context, being used as means of, ultimately, freeing oneself. Through the framework of ritual, these actions can be understood as symbolic - and very powerful in that symbolism, and consequently their expression of the story as Hideko and Sook-hee progress towards freedom. They are acts of alchemy, making pain into joy, oppression into liberation, acts of saying about the traumatic past: my abusers hold no power over my present and future. I have transformed the pain.
#the handmaiden (2016)#the handmaiden#meta#the handmaiden meta#my posts#spoilers for the handmaiden#spoilers
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so what happened with nana and shamal? are they a less intense version of gin and hisana? 🤔
The first time Shamal sets eyes on Nana Fujiwara, he is convinced he’s seen an angel. He takes in the warmth of her eyes, the silkiness of her hair, the way she smells like white tea and jasmine, and he leaps at her with welcoming arms, ready to embrace her and press himself against those soft, inviting curves.
He’s promptly enveloped in an enormous cloud of pepper spray. That basically sets the tone for the next two years of their relationship.
In general, Nana likes to think of herself as someone who gets along pretty well with people. She knows she has a bit of a temper, but she tries her best to keep it under control and to remain patient, calm, and understanding.
That all goes out the window when it comes to Trident Shamal.
There are a lot of things about Shamal that she hates. She hates the way he leers at and chases after every girl he finds attractive. She hates his stupid, perverted grin and she hates the stupid, dopey look he gets on his face every time she sees him, and she hates his stupid, fucking ridiculous rule about ‘not treating men.’
Most of all though, she hates how he gets away with it. How every single member of the administration simply laughs it off, telling her it’s “just some harmless flirting, don’t worry about it.” One professor tells her she should be flattered and she almost commits homicide right then and there.
Then to top everything off, she can’t even avoid him because as the top two members of their class, they always end up getting paired together for projects, which was...just typical.
Honestly, Nana thinks the fact that she hasn’t killed him yet is an enormous testament to her self control. She could probably put that on her resume under ‘special skills’-- has refrained from murdering classmate (was there a word for that? Classmate-cide? Peer-tricide?) despite being given literally hundreds of reasons to do so.
Not to say she hasn’t imagined doing so. Vividly. She ended up doodling so many scenarios that she had to get a second notebook.
~~
Any other day, and Shamal would have been thrilled to have Nana Fujiwara, the loveliest, prettiest, most adorable girl in his class, knocking on his door. Any other day and he would’ve been more than happy to wax poetic about her beautiful smile, her fiery personality, her large, doe-like eyes, the soft curve to those plump, inviting lips, the-- well, the list goes on.
Right now however, he hadn’t showered in three (or was it four?) days, he was drenched in his own sweat, he was running a fever of 39.5 C, his head was throbbing painfully, everything hurt, and to top everything off, the room smelled strongly of vomit.
“Shamal, I know you’re in there! Open up!” Shamal groaned miserably, covering his eyes with one arm as the pounding at the door caused his headache to go from ‘someone trying to drive an iron spike through my head’ to ‘iron spike is now on fire and accompanied by a hundred tiny hammers, please kill me now.’
“Goddammit Shamal, you were supposed to send me the draft of your half of the project three days ago! Open the door!” Nana continued to shout through the door. “I swear to god, if you don’t open up, I will kick your door down, don’t think I won’t--oh.”
Nana blinked, irritated scowl melting away at the sight of his appearance. She frowned, a touch of concern creeping into her expression.
“Are you...okay?” She asked hesitantly. It was the first time he’d heard Nana Fujiwara sound hesitant and Shamal hated it.
Summoning up whatever last reserves of strength he had left, Shamal put on his best flirtatious grin, eyes curving up into crescents.
“Aww, you don’t have to be worried about me, beautiful!” He cooed, then clenched his teeth as he felt his stomach swoop nauseatingly. “I’ll be fine, just had a lil’ too much to drink last night.” He leaned casually against the doorframe, which had the added benefit of keeping him mostly upright. “I just need to sleep it off and then--”
“Yeah no, you’re clearly not okay. Stupid question,” Nana murmured, clearly ignoring everything he’d just said. She stepped closer, placing a hand against his forehead. “Jesus, you’re burning up. Come on, I’m taking you to the hospital.”
“No!” He shouted. Nana flinched, startled, and Shamal cursed under his breath. He hadn’t meant to do that.
“No,” he repeated, calmer this time. “No hospitals. I’ll be fine.”
“Shamal--” Nana began.
“They won’t be able to do anything,” he interrupted. “I’ve been through this before, I know how it goes. I just need to wait it out.” He swallowed. “Going to a hospital won’t help. Please, Nana, I--”
He suddenly doubled over, retching violently the rest of his words disappearing under a river of vomit. Shamal had just enough time to see Nana’s eyes widen before he slipped into blissful unconsciousness.
~~
Shamal woke up to gentle hands dabbing at his face with a cool washcloth, the pleasant scent of white tea and jasmine, a familiar voice murmuring soft reassurances in his ear.
“Shhh, you’re okay. It’s just me,” the voice whispered. “Go back to sleep.”
“Nana?” Shamal asked, fighting to stay awake. “You stayed.”
There was a pause.
“Yeah,” she said finally. “Yeah. I stayed.”
~~
Honestly, Nana had no idea what possessed her to actually listen to her obviously sick, half-delirious, idiot classmate instead of doing the reasonable thing, which would’ve been to dump him at the nearest hospital.
Maybe it was the fact that he’d actually called her by her name for once, instead of some stupid pet name. Maybe it was the fact that she knew firsthand how miserable hospitals could be and could sympathize with his desire to avoid them at all cost. Or maybe it was the fact that she recognized the tone of voice he’d used when he’d told her that there was nothing the doctors could do to help him-- the kind of resigned certainty that could only come from experience, of having your hopes dashed over and over. It was a tone of voice she was well acquainted with.
(“I’m sorry Christina, there’s nothing more we can do.”)
It could have been any one of those reasons, or all three of them. She tried not to think too much about it.
It took another two days before Shamal’s fever started coming down and three before he started sounding halfway coherent again. On the fourth, she found him sitting in bed with his breakfast untouched on the nightstand next to him.
“Is something wrong?” Nana asked, frowning. “Are you feeling nauseous again?” When he shook his head, she continued, “I can make something else if you don’t like--”
“Why?” Shamal interrupted.
“Why what?” Nana asked, puzzled. “Why did I make eggs? I was looking up things that are good to eat when you’re sick and I came across a recipe for Chinese steamed eggs. I wish I knew about this before, I mean like it provides protein but it’s soft like a custard so you don’t have to chew much and--”
“No, why-- why do all this? Why go to this much trouble for me?” Shamal demanded, gesturing wildly with his hands. “The cooking, and the-- the washing, and you even cleaned up my apartment, and I don’t-- I don’t understand why--”
“Well, what was I supposed to do, just leave your unconscious body lying there on Death’s front doorstep?” Nana asked uncomprehendingly.
“I threw up on you!” Shamal snapped, sounding mortified.
“Yeah, you aren’t the first person to throw up on me, and you won’t be the last,” she responded dryly. “I’d be in the wrong line of work if I let a little vomit get to me.”
When he still refused to meet her eyes, she sighed.
“Look Shamal, I may not like you-- actually, I can’t stand you-- but that doesn’t mean I want you to suffer like this. You don’t deserve that, no one deserves that.”
No one deserved to feel like their body was failing them. Nana swallowed, forcing her voice to remain steady.
“I was in a position to help, and so I did,” she said quietly. “It’s as simple as that.”
“...as simple as that,” Shamal echoed. “You truly mean that, don’t you? No favors, no debts, just--” He laughed, a little disbelievingly. “You’d go above and beyond the call of duty even for those you hate, just because it was the right thing to do.” He shook his head, a faint smile on his lips. “You really are something else, Nana Fujiwara.”
Nana glanced away, suddenly unable to meet his eyes. She wasn’t sure if he was just acting weird due to the lingering fever, or-- or dizziness from missing breakfast, but something about the way he was looking at her in that moment--
“I should take your temperature again, it’s been over eight hours since I last checked it,” she said abruptly. “I think I left the thermometer in the other room, wait here.” She marched off and tried to ignore how it felt like running away. “Eat your eggs.”
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I would like to hear about ocs!! Who would you say is the one currently occupying the most space in your head rent free?
!!!! Ohh thank you for the ask!!!!
Right now it's a tie between former samurai, now outlaw Itaru and the blind shape-shifter horse Sugar!!
So Itaru's from a project where I tried to reinvent some of my fav characters in a setting that combines and interest in Japan thanks to anime and the culture that I grew up with, Romania. It's currently being reworked since the first iteration(s) was rather shallow and not accurate enough since I would like this to be a historical fantasy similar to Princess Mononoke and Vagabond.
He's got a fair bit of art, most of it with his love interest. But Itaru was raised as part of the five regent families of the former Fujiwara clan and was pushed by his father to pursue the military talent he showed after performing superbly in a child Yabusame contest at age 11. He's mostly unwilling and defiant about it and because of other clan's political machinations, they didn't allow him to earn his Samurai name ever by the age of 19, when on suspicion of treason his family is threatened with exile or death. I still need to rework some of the details here but in broad strokes Itaru's father choses death by suicide, his 2 brothers run away and he's left with little to nothing and decided to take on a doomed mission against a group of outlaws that are believed to have tapped into the supernatural. Instead of killing them he decided to join, charmed and slowly falling in love with one of the leaders.
He's a hard-headed, impulsive, suspicious young man with some truly atrocious coping mechanisms, but a lot of love and dedication to give and I have waaay too many thoughts about the way he starts the story wanting to throw himself away, aware only of his place as a cog in the system, a pawn for the other clans to toss around and how his love of nature and horses and the gentler things in life only unleashes after he decides that no, he should in fact live, and put his knowledge of clans and nobility and political games to good use, aiding these outlaws, mostly peasants, to push for a better life.
As for Sugar: His name isn't actually Sugar but that's what he's called the most and not necessarily bc he chose that name for himself. His primary shapeshift is a Giganotosaurus and in this world dinosaurs and horses are both sapient and have built civilizations together. Shapeshifting into a dinosaur as a horse is pretty damn morally wrong. And of course you can't possibly be like this without being aware of what's going on, and while he was rather forced into this role by his mother he does rather enjoy it. He's a villain, he's a weapon, loyal to his mother maybe to a fault and maybe only half the 'person' that he's ought to be. There's no way out of being morally reprehensible in the eyes of the law, at least, so after his mother's death, anti-government radicalism is the only way forward.
The story's rather wack, but he's the half-brother of the protagonist, Iwoblu, and should represent an antithesis to her as both of them have a rocky relationship with their mother figures and their place within the system as well as the symbols they represent within those systems. They both have their own ways of reinventing what that means.
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Infamous
As always, this story is dedicated to the memory of Oiwa, thank you for letting me tell your story, and may you find the peace you deserve.
And, a big thank you to @mlmdarkfiction and @doodleferp who are always willing to lend me their ears and ideas. Without your constant encouragement, this story wouldn't continue.
Previous/Next
Pairing: Kayako Saeki x WOC Reader
Warnings: Mentions of Blood.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The warmth of the tea seeps into your fingers. The tingling runs up your hands and stops just below your wrists. Detective Tanaka is back in your home, sitting across from you once again. Fujiwara is by his side, ever present notebook in hand, writing furiously. The child you stowed away in the closet sits next to you, his tea untouched, clinging to you as though his life depends on it. “This is...very strange Mrs. Kubo,” Tanaka tells you.
“I’m aware,” Your voice shakes, you’re close to tears. You just killed a man, and the authorities weren’t exactly on your side despite the overwhelming evidence. “There are signs of forceful entry,” Fujiwara states, nose stuck in his stupid little notebook, “and one of the officers found evidence of someone living in the abandoned house next door. It looks as though he stayed there for a few days, weeks even, watching and waiting for the right time to strike.” You wince at the discovery while Tanaka shoots Fujiwara a warning glance.
“Is this going to be a recurring problem?” You ask, trying to keep your shit together. “Mrs. Kubo,” Tanaka begins, gentle, always so gentle in the way he treats you. “You do live in a very infamous house. The legends that surround it...well there are too many to count really. You do realize you and your daughter are an anomaly when it comes to this place, don’t you?” You nod slowly. “We’re the only ones that have lived for this long,” You whisper, your eyes flitting towards a window. Kayako is there, watching you intently.
“Didn’t you notice anything strange?” Fujiwara asks you, “Seeing the same man over and over again, the same car on the street? In the grocery store? Didn’t you feel like someone was watching you this entire time?” Tanka sends another glare to his partner, meanwhile you scoff. “This isn’t a movie Detective,” You spit, “I spend my days just trying to survive, for the sake of my daughter. I’m an American living in the heart of Japan, so everyone is staring at me no matter where I go. So no, I didn’t notice anything strange, I didn’t notice anything different. So sorry to disappoint.”
Fujiwara is going to say something snippy, you can tell, but Tanaka cuts him off. “You must be tired Mrs. Kubo, we’re sorry for all the questions. Once the team is done, we’ll leave.” You nod, thankful someone had a good head on their shoulders. You hear sniffling and look down at the boy next to you. “What about him?” You ask, “What’s going to happen to him?” Everyone stares at the little boy, he only buries himself in you further, trying to shy away from being the center of attention. “A social worker will come to collect him tomorrow.” Tanaka says. “Until then, you must keep him safe.” You nod silently and go back to your tea.
*
“Why do you keep defending her?” Fujiwara snaps, “This is the second person she’s killed and you’re going to let her get away with it, aren’t you?” Tanaka glares at him, but the young detective is undeterred. “We still don’t know if she killed her husband,” Tanaka points out, “But-”
“And tonight’s case was a case of self defense. He broke into her house, tried to kill her.” Fujiwara scoffs. “A case of a lover’s quarrel gone deadly.” He mutters. Tanaka simply shakes his head. His partner was young, yet. He’d eventually learn that not everything was as it seemed.
The car is tense and silent. Fujiwara is too wrapped up in his own bigotry of foreigners to think straight, Tanaka, well, he had to admit he was wrapped up in his own hero complex to admit Mrs. Kubo might really be guilty. He felt bad for her, she was a new mother, young and pretty. Her famous husband, the source of her income, had been killed by an unknown assailant, leaving her all alone. And tonight, she’d been attacked by some madman that believed in the curse.
Tanaka grips the steering wheel tightly. His resolve to do something about that damnable house is even stronger than before. He’s been keeping a close watch on those that have entered it months ago, but so far, nothing has happened. No mysterious deaths, no unexpected suicides. Everything had been quiet. This just made him more nervous. He has a bad feeling that the house is gearing up from something really terrible.
*
You find out the hard way that blood does not like coming out of tile, not completely anyway. You throw the sponge into the bucket, growling with frustration. The house is deathly quiet once again. The boy sits on the counter, eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and drinking milk, watching you struggle. You haven’t been able to get one word out of him since last night. You expected as much, though. You simply can’t imagine what hell he’s been through.
You pick up the bucket and dump the blood water in the sink. You fill it up once more, wiping your forehead of sweat. A little nudge on your arm gets your attention. You look towards the boy, he’s handing you a paper towel. “Thank you,” You say, smiling gently at him. You take off your gloves and dab at your forehead. “So,” You say, shutting off the water and filling it with bleach once more. “What should I call you, hm?” You set the bucket on the ground and replace your gloves.
You smile encouragingly up at the kid, hoping he’ll at least say something. He simply finishes his sandwich and watches you scrub the tile. You decide not to pester him. Rather, you begin to hum a lullaby to yourself to fill the silence of your home.
You work at the stain for another thirty minutes or so before deciding you’re done with it. It’s just going to remain a permanent mark on your kitchen floor as long as you’re concerned. You pour the water down the drain once more, then begin to wash the bucket. “Koji,”
“Hm?” You look over to the little boy, smiling. “Koji,” He says again. “Koji? Is that your name?” He nods. “I like that name, very fitting for such a brave boy.” He gives you a small smile, which you return with one of your own and a ruffle of his hair.
The color drains out of his face as he looks wide-eyed and terrified behind you. You whip around to find Kayako and Toshio looking at you. You let out a surprised yelp. Clutching your chest you glare at them both, “Listen, I understand this is your house, but please, can you make noise before you enter a room? I’m tired of all the jump scares.” They simply look at you as you gather the boy in your arms. He wraps around you tightly, too terrified to look at the ghosts.
Before you can say anything else, a knock is heard at the door. “None of your funny business,” You say to both of them. They move out of your way as you walk towards the door. You stop for a moment to check on your sleeping daughter. You see the rise and fall of her chest, then move on. You open the door, blinking in the sunlight.
“Hello!” A cheery girl greets you. She has a badge stuck neatly to her shirt pocket, you read her name easily. “Ms. Fujiwara,” You say, with a smile and a small bow. “No relation to Detective Fujiwara, I suppose?” The girl giggles. “Yes!” She says, “He’s my older brother.”
“Ah,” You say noncommittally. Normally, you would move out of the way and let her in, ask her if she wanted tea, but not everyone that came into your home could be spared from Kayako’s curse, not that you’d ask her to. You think it would be highly unfair of you to ask such a thing of her. As such, both of you stood awkwardly for a few moments, not really knowing what to say.
“Is this the boy?” she finally asks, looking at Koji. You follow her gaze. “Yes,” You say, setting him down with some difficulty, he didn’t seem to want to let you go. He still clings to your legs when you straighten. “My name is Fumiko,” The young girl says, squatting down to his level. “I’ve come to-”
“No!” he says, interrupting her. She blinks in shock, but then smiles gently at him. “It’s ok, you can trust me,” she reaches out to him, “No!” He says louder this time. You hear a faint rumbling in the background. “Koji,” You say, also kneeling. “I know you don’t want to go, but you have to, this nice lady will find your parents.” He shakes his head and throws himself at you. “No! No, no, no!” Your heart breaks as you hug him back. “Koji,” You say, trying not to tear up, “I’m not allowed to keep you.” You have to tell him the truth, as much as it hurt, you didn’t think lying to him would help matters. Besides, kids like Koji could read through an adult’s lies in seconds.
You pull back from him, giving him a sad smile. “Believe me, I would if I could. You’re such a cute and brave little boy, but you have to go with Ms. Fumiko, ok? She’s going to help you.” The boy sniffles. “I’ll come visit.” You find yourself blurting out. “Tomorrow.” You nod. “Ok?” Koji looks at you, and, seeing that you mean to keep your promise, returns the nod. “Here, I’ll help you get your shoes on.” You turn behind you. Kayako hands you his shoes, you smile at her, then help Koji put them on. “Visiting hours are from noon to three.” Fumiko informs you. “This is our card.” You take it from her after straightening. “Thank you,” You mutter tonelessly. Fumiko takes Koji’s hand after he gives you one last hug. “You’ll be ok, Koji,” You call after him, “Just be brave, like you were last night.”
You watch them walk out of your yard, and let a blustering man with an arm full of papers in. He bows to Fumiko, muttering a quick ‘hello’ then waddles up your sidewalk. “Professor Sato?” You walk out to help him with all the papers. “Mrs. Kubo!” He says, huffing. The glasses on his face askew. “I’ve done it!” He says, smiling at you, “I’ve found a way to get rid of Kayako for good!”
You help him straighten all the papers in his arms. “Um, I’m sorry Professor, but, I don’t think I’ll be getting rid of Kayako anytime soon.” You look at him sheepishly as his happy features turn to one of confusion. “Eh? What? Why? You were so adamant the last time-”
“Perhaps we should go to brunch?” You say, “I...I have a lot to tell you.” He nods slowly, “Oh, brunch, yes, ok. I know a place around here. It’s small, but private.” You smile at him. “Let me go get ready, I’ll be right out. Please, don’t enter the house.” He nods, watching after you as you slip into the house. He drops his papers, not noticing Kayako watching him from the window, wary as always.
*
You watch as Professor Ibuki Sato bounces your baby on his knee, talking about his crazy theories for ghosts and goblins. She’s giggling, happy and engaged. You smile softly at them. This is what you’d hoped Haru would be like. You shake your head, that was the past, this was the present, you had nothing but the future to look forward to. “So, you decided not to get rid of her.” Sato says, You grunt in affirmation. “Because a man broke into your house last night and tried to get rid of her on his own.”
“I can’t explain it,” You tell him, “It’s like the dynamic has shifted or something.”
“Perhaps you have feelings for her too?” Sato teases. You glare at him. You answer him honestly, “I don’t know.”
“Oh wow,” He says, sitting back in his chair, letting Sakura grab at his plate of food, “You must really like her then, if you’re confused about it.” You shrug. “She was so terrified last night,” You tell him, “You could see it in her eyes, her and Toshio both. I...I don’t think I could live through that again.”
Sato studies you for a long moment. “What?” You ask, a little irritated. He shakes his head. “It is possible that you’ve come to care for Kayako in your own way. It may not be love, but perhaps companionship?”
“Perhaps,” You mutter, unsure of anything anymore. Your life has been turned upside down so many times you couldn’t even figure out which way was up. You just wished for some stability. “Are you going to publish your husband’s papers posthumously?” Sato asks out of the blue. “What?” You frown, looking at him. “Your husband’s book. Wasn’t he going to publish one on the house? Are you going to complete it for him? Surely you need the money.” You huff. He has a point, you do need money, or rather, you will need the money, eventually. You have no plans to go back to the states soon, not that you thought Kayako would let you. “I’ve never written anything before.” you told him, “I don’t think I could imitate him.”
“Well, write for yourself,” he suggests. “I’m sure people would love to read what you have to say about the house.” You worry at your lip. For a long time you stare off into space, wondering about what sort of job you could have. “Tell you what,” Sato says, feeding your daughter a noodle. “You can be my assistant.”
“Your what?” You mutter. You didn’t much like the idea of becoming his assistant, but there was little else that was open to you. “Yes,” Sato says, nodding. “My assistant. There’s a lot of research that goes into my job, believe it or not. I could use the help. Someone to read over things for me. It wouldn’t pay much, but I highly doubt your rent is that high to begin with.”
You sit back and look at him, wondering if he’s serious. Deciding that he is, you simply shrug. “I’ll get back to you.” is the only answer you give.
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dark sun. (ryoumen sukuna x fem! vessel! reader x oc.)
iii. yugen.
— a profound awareness of the universe that triggers feelings too deep and mysterious for words.
rating: mature.
warnings: mentions of forced child bearing, violence.
YOUR NEW HOME was small, but much larger than the tiny closet that you had been sleeping in for the past several years. A bed with a mattress lay in the center of the room, the headboard pushed against the wall, and a desk and nightstand were the only other furniture to occupy it. It was much more modern than you had expected, but still kept to the traditional layout that most of the campus had to begin with. It smelled of wood polish, cleaner, and a faint incense that was making your stomach roll unpleasantly.
“They burned sage here,” Sayaka explained quietly. She stood behind you right before the threshold of the door, holding your bag while you scoped out your new abode. The rest of the ten minute walk had been silent between the both of you, filled with Ama-no-Kagaseo’s malice, Sayaka’s worry, and your disturbing apathy at the event. She kept running her fingers over the rope handles of your bag, working at each stray strand until it fell apart. “The previous tenant passed away violently and had lingering energy in the room.”
It was a convenient lie. Sorcerers didn’t ‘haunt’ in the same way that humans would haunt their homes, families, or killers; they did not remain behind at all. Wherever they went, there was no trace of them left behind. You knew that much from a book you’d snuck from Yaga when you were younger, before you were ever a vessel. Sayaka likely didn’t know that you were aware of that fact, nor would you allow her to be. You had to be clever now; you weren’t going to lose your freedom so easily now that you had it. And if that meant hiding things from Sayaka for now, then so be it.
“I see.” Ama-no-Kagaseo’s energy swept through the room and extinguished the incense burning in a corner. The smoke dissipated as quickly as it had appeared, floating up between the slats in the ceiling and encouraged to vanish by an incorporeal hand. You would have a headache later because of the smell, but you already felt better because it was gone. You, like Ama-no-Kagaseo, had an extreme sensitivity to anything purifying or cleansing in nature—although it couldn’t kill you, it could severely cripple your senses enough to the point where you would black out. Whether or not Ama-no-Kagaseo took over was his choice after that. You had discovered that little factoid after accidentally touching a blessed object in an elder’s office. “What am I to do here? I know they wouldn’t just let me stay here without some caveat in return.”
Sayaka followed you inside and set your bag beside the door. “There were whispers of having you keep an eye on Gojou and Itadori Yuuji, but I don’t know if they ever came to an actual decision over it.”
Oh, it was too convenient—in the off chance that Gojou would wield Yuuji to take down the elders and crooked system of clans and power, you would be there to keep them in check, to counterbalance the scales into neutrality’s favor. It was a good plan, a smart one, but you highly doubted they had factored in one thing: Ama-no-Kagaseo did not follow orders.
“Right. Of course not.” You pressed your fingers into the mattress, testing the softness. Beneath the fabric, your fingertips gave way to springs, hard and slightly broken in from where someone else had slept in a specific position. It groaned beneath your slight weight and you pulled back, eyes darting around the room to search for a futon—that would be infinitely more comfortable than this bed. “So, if I’m not going to do that, then what am I going to do? Sit here and rot until they call for me?”
You were bitter, and understandably so. Your freedom was on the leash of the elders who held the other end, usually with an iron fist and heavy hand. You were always raised to never bite the hand that feeds, but it was looking far too tempting right now. You could understand Gojou, just a little bit, and his frustration with the way things worked among the sorcerer society, but it did not make you feel guilty for what Ama-no-Kagaseo did to him. Not quite.
“Just…” Sayaka sighed and sat down on a cushion at the foot of your bed. She hid her hands in her pockets, fiddling with something that sounded vaguely like a chain or chain links clinking together like windchimes. She didn’t seem nervous, for once, but more exhausted—lethargic, even. The dark circles under her eyes were more pronounced than usual, her cheeks sunken and a little wan in the light. You hadn’t paid much mind to the changes in her appearance, but when she let her guard down it was apparent that she was tired. “Be careful. The president of the Kyoto campus is coming soon for the events—no, I didn’t ask—and he’ll want to see you, presumably.”
For just a moment, you had thought she would open up to you. Your gut tumbled with disappointment.
“When am I ever not careful?” With a slight scoff and a roll of your eyes, you evaded the cushion next to her and opted for sitting at the windowsill instead. It offered a perfect view of the courtyard and a small garden out behind it, flowers just barely peeking out over the stone paths. The wood was rough and unsanded, but you tolerated it just to maintain distance between yourself and Sayaka. “My entire life has been nothing but ‘careful’. You don’t have to tell me that, Fujiwara-san.”
You could feel her flinch at the sound of her last name. You never used her last name, at least not in private, much in the same way she only ever used your last name and never your first. It was new, bizarre, and foreign, because she knew, just like you knew, that the tiny chasm that Sayaka herself had made was starting to fissure into something bigger, something that wouldn’t just close on its own.
“Right. What was I thinking?” The sorcerer rubbed her face and exhaled a long breath. With a second glance at you, she got to her feet, shrugging off the vulnerability she had shown and replacing it with the Sayaka you knew. “I’ll leave you to unpack. Dinner is at five; you can join Gojou, Itadori-san and I if you’d like.”
With that offer lingering in the air, she stepped outside your room and shut the door behind her with a quiet ‘snick’ of the lock. It wasn’t locked, but the idea was there—after all, there were no tumblers on the inside of the knob.
“Indecisive.” Ama-no-Kagaseo manifested before you in a bright spurt of black flames, stars writhing inside each individual lick of heat. You reached up to allow him to hover over your palms to which he did so gladly, the fire oddly cold against your skin in comparison to the heat in the air around him. “She knows not what she wants.”
You huffed a breath. “I know. It’s her choice to make, though.”
“Mm.” A brief flash of fire and he was reaching for his human vessel against your chest. He lingered close to it for a moment, but you could feel his thoughts churning in the connection you shared, ponderous and curious. “Interesting.”
“What is?” You inquired, watching as he allowed his human body’s eyes to slide open for the first time in decades. They were completely black and enveloped with stars, much like you had been told how you appeared, and a single blue dot appeared beneath his eye.
“Nothing. For now.” The eyes slid shut and the flame retreated back into your open palms. “Hungry?”
Your stomach was rumbling, but a glance at the clock on your new desk revealed it was just four-thirty. You wondered if you could get away with eating early and retreating to your room again without ever having to run into Gojou or Itadori, although that was highly unlikely. Avoiding anyone here was as impossible as the moon rising before the sun.
“It’s a bit early,” you said instead, leaning against the windowsill and tucking your knees to your chest. You rested your hands on your knees, watching Ama-no-Kagaseo flicker curiously at your denial for food. “It’s okay, I’m not that hungry.”
A quick rush of flames indicated he didn’t believe you, but he went incorporeal afterwards, reverting back to a cool breeze that lingered in the air around you. He likely had nothing else to say or nothing on his mind that was important; he had a habit of doing such lately, though you could never pinpoint why. You supposed that it was not important for him to retain some physical manifestation while he was thinking, or that it was not his priority if he was too deeply in thought.
With a sigh, you sat back and stretched out your legs. You weren’t sure what to do now; years without freedom had put limits on your movements and hobbies. To now be handed that freedom on a silver platter, probably with later conditions, you almost wanted to go back to being stuck in that closet room all day and night. But you couldn’t do that, not when opportunity was already in your grasp.
What did people your age do? You stared outside the window at the stone path, eyebrows furrowed in thought. You were certain they didn’t have a Curse, that’s for sure, and they definitely weren’t a vessel for the world’s most evil being in creation. They also dressed differently from you—you, who looked like you had stepped out of a mystical, traditional Japanese fantasy novel—even when they were required to wear uniforms. Their sense of style and overall mood, just from meeting Itadori Yuuji, was different from yours. You wouldn’t fit in in modern society, or even the sorcerer’s carefully monitored one.
You were stuck, in a sense, in an era that you weren’t born in.
Ama-no-Kagaseo lifted a strand of your hair with an invisible hand in comfort. He was not quick to offer a solution and merely left you to ponder on all of the possibilities within your combined power. After all, they had to be your decisions to count to the council, not his. Any hint that he was persuading you in any way would force them to lock you up in a sealed room and execute you on sight.
But that was the issue, wasn’t it? There weren’t any other female descendants. You were the last remaining female Shiraishi. The men in your clan, while unrelated to you and having married in, were too old or uninterested in obeying the whims of the elders, as was their right. You had no choice in the matter. If you wouldn’t produce an heir willingly, they would make you do it by force—you had been told that they would sweep the women away to a clinic in Tokyo and create a child artificially, guaranteeing a female offspring. You weren’t, but your father was nonexistent in your life and may as well be as dead as your mother.
“Then I’ll just have to end it,” you mumbled to yourself. It was the only right conclusion. You would stop subjecting innocent girls to being vessels and you would simultaneously release Ama-no-Kagaseo in the process. But to do that, you would need help and information from Ryoumen Sukuna. He was, after all, the one who developed the technique to seal Ama-no-Kagaseo into a human body in the first place. He would be gone as soon as all twenty fingers were found, anyway, so there was no risk for him to be resealed again. You would just have to bide your time and wait carefully until the time was right. “What do you think, Ama-no-Kagaseo?”
In your connection, you felt him full heartedly agree—but there was also reluctance there, hesitation.
“What is it?” You inquired softly. He surprised you by completely manifesting—a childlike version of his personal form, indicative of his tumultuous emotions because, even though he was a god, he experienced emotions on a childlike level, experiencing them for the first time—and pushing himself into your arms, uncaring of his actual physical form against your chest. “Amatsumikaboshi?”
His white hair, turning a dark blue and then black towards the ends, brushed against your arms as he further wormed his way against your side, just small enough to fit on the window seat with you. He wore a drastically oversized yukata decorated with a dragon scale design, expensive, and of the same fabric as your kimono. A golden eye, as gold as doubloons, peered at you from behind a fringe of snowy white strands, and atop his head sat two sharp horns, each as white as his hair and darkening to blue towards the points. He was not as intimidating like this, but you still held the same respect for him, and he you.
“No.”
Amused, you raised an eyebrow and rested a hand on his head, combing through the strands soothingly much in the way he would yours when you were tired. “‘No’, what?”
Amatsumikaboshi—not Ama-no-Kagaseo, for this was no normal representation of a false identity—fixed you with a determined stare. He was of so few words that you only understood him through his emotions, new and unexplored as they were, and he was keeping them from you for some reason, fixed on the idea that he was going to tell you himself.
“No separation.” He frowned, then, and reached for your heart, and traced it back to his. “No split.”
“Oh.” You blinked at him, then, tilting your head to further meet his eyes. His pupils were unusual slits now, some link to a dragonic form you didn’t know of. “But we will part some day, Amatsumikaboshi. I’m only human.”
He seemed angry at that fact, eyebrows furrowing at being reminded of it. He never liked being reminded of your very finite life, at risk every time you got sick or ate something that could have been laced with poison. He glared—glared at his human form—and all at once, seemed to come to a conclusion. Some invisible future began playing out in his head, all of his own creation, and whatever it was, it made a smile appear on his face. It was the first time you’d ever seen him smile out of happiness, at least in a physical body you could see. You’d felt the others against your skin or hair, but seeing it was a different thing entirely.
“Do not worry,” he said after a few moments of silence, meeting your concerned gaze once more with disturbing intensity. “I can fix it.”
“Fix it?” You echoed. You reached forward and adjusted a fold of his yukata that threatened to crease, usually out of habit of doing it to your own. He grabbed your hand and placed it back on his head instead, waiting patiently for you to resume petting him. “What do you mean?”
“Nothing. Yet.” He rested his head against the juncture of your shoulder and chest, a hand creeping up to rest against your heart and feel the gentle beat against his fingers. “For now.”
Blinking, you were about to question him further when your stomach interrupted you. A loud growl tore through the momentary silence and Amatsumikaboshi snickered, sitting upright, all questions and thoughts forgotten—or at least ignored.
“Eat,” he said, a hint of a smile still on his face, and leaning forward, brushed a kiss against your cheek. And then he was gone in a rush of blue, black, and white sparks, as incorporeal as he was before.
You sat on the windowsill, a blush creeping up your neck, and touched the tingling skin on your cheek in slight shock. You knew he was watching you, amusement rushing through your connection, and something else—so fast you couldn’t even guess as to what it was—and probably laughing to himself.
Embarrassed, you got to your feet and slipped on your shoes, heading down the hall towards the room where Sayaka had invited you to eat with her, Gojou, and Itadori Yuuji. Hopefully they didn’t mind you being a little late.
Before you could even turn a corner, a man was staring at you—dressed entirely in black and wielding a dagger in his right hand.
“Who are you?” You demanded. He didn’t answer.
Instead, your vision went white, and before you knew it, you were back inside your consciousness, inside Ama-no-Kagaseo’s domain, except you were keenly aware of your physical body hitting the floor and Ama-no-Kagaseo’s true form standing right beside you.
“Ama-no-Kagaseo,” you whispered, shock weaving into your voice as he carefully enveloped you into his arms, much like you had earlier. He was two heads taller than you in this personal representation of himself, warm, and lean. “What happened? Why am I here?”
He hummed against your head thoughtfully, dark and insidious. “Someone is trying to break my connection to you.”
“What?” You pulled back to stare him in the face, watching those golden eyes flicker over your face as if memorizing a dream. “What do you mean ‘break’ it?”
“Don’t worry.” Ama-no-Kagaseo smiled indulgently and pulled you closer again, your ear pressed against his chest—and to your shock, the steady beat of a heart sounding against your ear. “No power in this universe will ever separate us.”
And for once, you didn’t really believe him.
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first draft wip yeeee
Nozomi's most vivid memory was when she was seven years old, sweaty hands clasped together tightly, crushing wisteria flowers between her fingers. Her family, the Fujiwaras, were known for cultivating the field of flowers that surrounded Yokotori village and she felt no guilt in plucking a few from the best field for the offerings at the local shrine.
Their shrine, as the locals would say, was a modest thing - an aspect of social niceties, hemming and hawing, dismissing the admiration of pilgrims even though deep within, they preened at the thought that their shrine was so noticed.
After all, those who could take care of the dwellings of the gods were bound to earn favour in return.
dark evergreen and forestry surrounded the area, interrupted by the vibrancy of the torii’s vermilion-painted pillars and black upper lintel that led deeper into nature, the frequently-swept cobblestone stairways worn by frequent usage being a path to the sandō. It was difficult to not rush up the stairs, the slap of her waraji loud against cobblestone and the protest of her twin, Ichizo, even louder, but somehow, every visit to the shrine, Nozomi always forgot.
“‘Zomi, Fusa-san said she was gonna get mad if she caught us running again,” Ichizo whines loudly, startling a flock of starlings into flight. Yet for all of his complaints, and as Nozomi knew it, her brother was her brother no matter what anyone said, he didn’t yank his hand out of her grip. “No-Zo-Mi.” he hisses again, voice rounding out in an effort to be heard, a slight stammer in between syllables.
She rolls her eyes, stops at a step higher than his, whirling around to plant her fists ( and wilting flowers ) on her hips - posture that was far too reminiscent of their mother scolding them. “Don’t tell me you’re scaaaaared of Fusa-san, Izo,” it was a not-quite taunt, bold for someone who secretly feared the miko, especially since Fusa was a no-nonsense woman and came from the Senju, a powerful shinobi no mono clan that lived further up North in Hi No Kuni.
There were rumours among the villagers that Fusa-san had to run away from the Senjus because she had told secrets to the Uchiha clan, and was forced to hide away as a shrine maiden or else they would’ve killed her.
Or that she was disowned by her entire clan for a crime like failing a mission, or that she had deserted the clan
Which made no sense because Fusa-san never hid the fact that she was a Senju, but not really advertising it either.
Ichizo gnaws on his bottom lip, feline eyes darting to the side then to the ground. “N-no… i’m not. She’s not scary! At all!” Her twin had an interesting tell when he was lying, his nose scrunched up like a rabbit’s, twitching. He fisted the hem of his haori before grabbing her hand again and running up the stairs, this time: dragging her up instead of the other way around.
They didn’t make it far, faintly hearing the rhythmic zsh of the broom halting and the angry rasp of Fusa-san demanding to know just who was running within such sacred spaces, but instead of pausing, they shrieked loudly - in faux-fear, in surprise, in devilish amusement, and ran faster, the ink-black of their hair banners in the wind.
When the twins make it to the top, they duck behind one of the komainu, the guardian lion-dogs draped with faint speckles of stubborn moss, hands clapped over their mouth to quiet down their pants and giggles. They strained their ears to see if Fusa had followed them up, brandishing her bamboo broom like a threat, but upon hearing nothing, they emerge from their hiding place.
“You were so fast,” Nozomi says shrilly, grabbing Ichizo’s dark-blue sleeve, yanking it to emphasized just how delighted she was by that, “you were as fast as … as fast as Fūjin-sama, Izo!”
Ichizo blushed hotly, ducking his head to hide his eyes behind his bangs. Out of the kids in the village, Ichizo was the fastest runner - he even managed to beat some of the older kids too and that was an achievement. “Th-thanks, ‘zomi.” He waits a beat before tugging her insistently towards the shrine, “c’mon, let’s go leave our offerings again!”
Before they even approach the shrine, the twins go to the space designated to wash their hands before rushing over to the offering box filled with coin before dumping the flowers and a small drawing that Ichizo had drawn. “I see that the two kittens are back with their hunt.” Nozomi and Ichizo leap in the air, turning to stare at the old shrinekeeper tasked with the overall maintenance of the shrine. “Come to pay your respects to the gods?”
Atsunari was a wandering hermit that traveled more often than not, but no matter where the winds of travel took him, he always managed to come back home to Yokotori village - even if Fusa-san always got annoyed with his frequent absences. He smiles, yellow teeth bared in its crooked glory, eyes squinting, exhaling white smoke through his nose like a dragon.
Ichizo was too polite, even as a seven year old, to hold his breath against the pungent scent of tobacco, but Nozomi had no compulsions in doing so. She pinches her nose with distaste, the slit-pupil of her eyes narrowing even further. “M-mhm! We didn’t have enough m-money, so maybe we thought these things were good? They’re cool and has a lot of thought.” Ichizo realized that Nozomi wasn’t going to respond to the yamabushi, too preoccupied with plugging her nose close.
The yamabushi smiles even wider, posture lazy as he lounged against a towering tree, one leg outstretched and the other pulled close. He cradles his pipe with elegant fingers, the little opening at the end glowing red-orange from heat and smoking with little curls. Atsunari studies them for a few seconds; one dark eye and the other milky with cataracts, “the gods appreciate it,” he eventually replies, a sort of knowingness that completely flew over the children’s heads.
#my writing#aku writing#aku oc: nozomi#aku oc: ichizo#aku oc: atsunari#IT WAS SO NICE THINKING ABOUT NOZOMI'S TWIN#hes so cute and shy and god i love him#fun fact: he's trans & knew from a fairly young age!#there HAS been some microaggressions about it#however; noz & the family were super accepting and helped ichizo transition thru out his life
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TRANSLATEAPP 11.29.202
Part 1
Itsuki Fujiwara's interview at HINT-POT
The 16-member dance and vocal group "THE RAMPAGE from EXILE TRIBE", which is the younger brother of "EXILE", is very popular among teens and 20s. Among them, performer Itsuki Fujiwara (23) is popular not only for his good dance, but also for his cool handsomeness. Mr. Fujiwara is also known as the group's number one cat lover, and lives with the Munchkin breed "Mars". We asked Mr. Fujiwara about his smiley daily life with Mars.
Encounter with Mars is New Year 2019 "Cute !! I definitely want to live with this child!"
Mars is a child born between the father's cat "Mairu" and the mother's cat "Piercing" that he keeps at his parents' house. We named it Mars after the names of both dad and mom cats. 2 years old on November 29th. When I returned home on New Year's Day the year after I was born (2019), I met for the first time and thought, "Cute !! I definitely want to live with this child!" At that time, I was still living in a dormitory, and Mars was young, so when I started living alone, I had my mother bring me Mars.
All of Mars is healing! The personality is insanely sweet. When I get home, I will meet you at the front door first. Then, when I said "I'm home" or "Is it lonely?", He replied "Nyaa" and walked alongside me all the time. To the washroom, toilet, and bath. As expected, the toilet and bath do not go in together, so I waited outside the door until I came out, and the toilet with a little gap under the door feels like "get out early" from that gap. I'm going to put in.
When going to bed, Mars also climbed up to bed and slept with him. Mars's home position is always my left leg for some reason. I sleep with my shin as a pillow and my upper body on it. Is the height just right (laughs)? I'm sleeping with my left leg out of the futon so that Mars isn't buried in the futon, so it's getting colder at this time (laughs).
Cats are often said to be tsundere, but Mars gets on his lap when I'm sitting on the couch and watching TV, and I remember his hands and refills! It's not like a cat, it's like a dog (laughs). Even when strangers come, many cats don't show up to people they meet for the first time, but Mars doesn't know anyone and doesn't run away at all. Therefore, when I leave home for a long time on a tour, my friends can see it with confidence.
A new sofa is worn out in 3 months, but it will be spoiled again soon
It is also a glutton. Some cats eat food at any time if they put it in the food container for one day, but if you leave a large amount of our mars, you will eat all at once, so put it on the plate twice in the morning and at night. I put it in and feed it. I give it at 8 o'clock in the evening, but from about 7 o'clock, I stare at my face from a close distance and appeal to me, "It's about time for rice." The pressure is amazing (laughs). You can also stand on your hind legs and shake your front legs up and down to say, "Give me, give me."
In the morning, I woke up around 6 o'clock and tried to lick my face on my chest with the feeling of "give me a meal". The day before, the day I was late was sleepy and sleepy. The hardest thing to take care of is the fight against this drowsiness. Also, smash your nails on the wall or sofa of your house. The new sofa was worn out in three months, and the walls ... I don't think the deposit will come back when I leave the room (laughs). Of course, he scolds me for saying "Kora!", So at that time, Mars wouldn't come near me because he was a little scared, but ... he would spoil him again soon.
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In My Eyes: an Impact Blue fanfic
@initialdsecretsanta
This is my secret santa gift for @cynanan!
Some SayuMako for the soul, I hope you like it! I love these ladies. Thankful to have gotten the push needed to finally write about them hehe
Also posted on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28432179
"What do you say? Do you accept?"
The night on Usui was warm, which wasn't unusual for this time of the year, and a small group of hotshot drivers were currently leering at the "angels of Usui", which was just as common of a sight. Of course, that did not mean it was welcome.
"Or are you afraid that I'll be too rough? Don't worry, ladies, I'm a real gentleman."
Sayuki rolled her eyes at the rambunctious laughter that followed the taunt made by the cocky guy who was apparently their leader. She had heard this kind of taunt at least four times… this summer. Idiot racers were remarkably uncreative, if one could even call this laughing stock "racers." As far as Sayuki knew, they had no reason to be haughty: They had lost against pretty much all other drivers on Usui so far. It was ridiculous that they seemed to believe they had even the sliver of a chance against her and Mako, but of course, they were definitely the kind that thought women didn't make good racers.
"I've had enough," Mako said with that slight edge to her usually soft voice that she got every time she was truly annoyed. Sayuki loved her for it. She loved the rigid, steely Mako that sat behind the wheel and scared the crap out of any stupid little hotshot daring to challenge them on Usui. Obviously, she also loved the soft and shy Mako that she liked to tease for being such a romantic all the time, but right now it was that other side to her best friend that she got to admire.
She had long decided that men who were repelled by Mako's iron will and the confidence she hid under her soft demeanour were immature dumbasses. Also blind. And cowards.
All the better for her, she decided – she couldn't deny the way her mood soured every time Mako got approached by some guy. She chastised herself for thinking like that, knowing how much it affected her best friend, and trying not to be mean about it even though she was a little jealous.
"Yeah," she agreed quickly, noticing that she might have been looking for a moment too long, "Let's show them who the real rulers of this mountain are." The stupid lowlifes that had challenged them started actually laughing at that, but Sayuki felt like laughing herself. They truly thought they could defeat them on their home mountain? Defeat Mako? No way, not as long as the planet was still spinning.
And spin was exactly what it continued doing, the planet; and before Sayuki knew it, autumn had arrived along with it. They had still not lost against anyone else but Fujiwara (who at least was a decent guy and cute to boot – not as cute as Mako, of course, but still) and Mako still retained her passion, which was great news to Sayuki after the slump she had been in for the two months or so before that.
On this day, they had decided to leave the prefecture and watch the already-mentioned Fujiwara race alongside Project D. Sayuki honestly still wasn't feeling that enthusiastic about Mako being anywhere in the vicinity of Takahashi Ryousuke (the old annoying jealousy was rearing its head again), but the point was that she got to spend time with Mako, and who was she to deny that? She was also interested in the races, but it wasn't like she would have gone there on her own.
It was drizzling a little by the end of it, the kind of rain that didn't really deserve to be called "rain". The spectators on the galleries dissipated only slowly, not letting the weather stop them from discussing the races. Likewise, Sayuki wouldn't have minded staying and catching up with one or the other familiar face she spotted in the crowd, but she could also see that her best friend was already getting tired. "Let's go home before the rain gets any heavier," she said and noted the relief that briefly crossed Mako's face.
"Yeah, let's leave," Mako said, knowing that Sayuki knew that she wasn't crazy for late-night conversations with acquaintances. She did also like her sleep; but so did Sayuki, despite the insomniac hobby that they both shared. Occasionally, they had slept in the car together: On nights when Mako refused to stop training until she perfected that one line or when they simply had too much fun to be driving all the way home and falling into their respective beds, separately. Sayuki couldn't say that she minded those occasions, even though sleeping in the passenger seat was everything but refreshing.
They were already at the car by the time the rain started coming down harder and the crowd began dispersing in earnest. "Hurry, hurry," Sayuki implored, trying to shield her hair with her hands somehow while Mako fished the car keys out of her purse. As soon as the doors were unlocked, neither of them wasted any time getting inside. Sayuki narrowly avoided bumping her head on the doorframe in her hurry to get out of the rain.
"Jeez!"
Both of them watched the raindrops running down the windshield for a moment. Outside, people were running to their respective cars to escape the sudden downpour. Mako let out a quiet laugh. "Well, that was close."
"Would have been a bit less close if you kept your keys somewhere else than the bottom of your purse," Sayuki commented and grinned when Mako shot her a look, pouting a little. Sayuki let her gaze linger for a moment: Tiny droplets of water had caught in Mako's long brown hair and were glittering like little diamonds in the warm yellow light overhead. Sayuki found it difficult to tear her eyes away from her best friend in that moment. One droplet made its way down her forehead, and Sayuki didn't think for long before reaching over and brushing it away before it could reach Mako's eyes.
Mako laughed. "I must be looking like a drowned poodle. You do, at least."
"Hey!" It was Sayuki's turn to pout this time. For the record, she didn't think Mako was looking like a drowned poodle at all. She was cute as always, especially with those gemstone droplets in her hair. Sayuki sort of wished that she could take a picture right now, but of course she hadn't brought her camera. It was a real shame.
Mako smiled brilliantly at her, which made the sight even more worthy of being preserved for the ages. "What do you say? Should we get some takeout and then go to my place to dry off?"
"That sounds amazing," Sayuki sighed, already dreaming of a warm midnight snack and of hopefully spending the rest of the night at Mako's place. She would never demand her best friend to drive her home in the middle of the night, after all. "Sounds like a sleepover, actually."
She tried not to sound too hopeful.
"It's been a while since we last had one," Mako mused as she started the engine. Sayuki stared, transfixed, at her thoughtful expression. The latter noticed, and her fingers lingered on the brake lever as she turned to face Sayuki again for a moment. "I'd love to," she said, smiling, and leaned over. Sayuki understood the insinuation and moved in to meet her lips. The kiss they shared was brief, but it held a promise for more so that Sayuki failed to feel disappointed when Mako pulled away.
"The ramen shop at the corner of my street?" her best friend and simultaneously girlfriend asked as she loosened the hand brake and pulled out of their parking spot. The heavy rain still drummed on the car's roof, but Sayuki quite liked that now that she was looking forward to soup, a hot shower, and sleeping next to Mako.
"Please, yes. Just what I need today."
"And more kisses?" Mako asked sweetly, with a hint of mischief sparkling in her eyes.
"And more kisses," Sayuki agreed.
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March 5, 2021: The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013) (Part Two)
Am I going to watch Kaguya-sama again after this?
It is a funny show, so I’m probably gonna watch a compilation or something. Anyway, where was I? OH RIGHT! The Tale of Princess Kaguya, Recap Part Two! This movie is beautiful so far, and I’m enjoying this adaptation of the classic story reinterpreted. Told the girlfriend about this, and she mentioned one of her favorite games: Okami.
It’s based quite heavily on Japanese mythology, and also has a similar aesthetic to this movie. Rumors persist that they’ll be rebooting this, so fingers crossed! Anyway, let’s get back to the movie! First part of the Recap is right here!
Recap (2/3)
After the dream/return to the palace, Hime seems to accept her fate as Princess Kaguya, and is no longer the rebellious and rambunctious kid she was before. And yes, I’ll be referring to her as Kaguya from now on...until the time is right. She studies (and suffers) in silence, clearly unhappy and depressed.
Miyatsuki either doesn’t understand it, or is completely ignorant of her suffering. He brings her a pet bird to keep, which she somewhat brushes off. However, she lets the bird go, as if wishing she could fly away with it.
But time once again passes, and Kaguya grows more beautiful, and the rumors of this beauty spread. People gather outside to palace to get a glimpse of her, and Miyatsuki has made sure to never show her face publicly. Her servant, Me no Warawa (Hynden Walch) is accosted outside of the palace, with a pile of messages and letters for her. She also brings cherry blossoms to the essentially captive Kaguya, for which she is thankful.
Words of her beauty and bamboo-based origins are also spread by Akita to a group of five suitors, all of whom are completely entranced. These five suitors are a classic part of the story, and are also represented in the recent anime based upon it (Kaguya-sama: Love is War).
The five suitors LITERALLY race there, spurred on by Akita’s...really horny speech,not gonna lie, dude says that this (13-year old) girl got his “juices flowing”, real fuckin’ quote there. Guuuh. Anyway, Miyatsuki and Sagami are overjoyed, as marrying any of these dudes is a guarantee for a happy and prosperous life. But Kaguya...is honestly surprised that she’s supposed to be happy. FUCK, MAN.
She’s SUPER not interested in these guys, but they are ridiculously interested in her. She meets them in honor of her father, but not on her own behalf. They present their proposals to her, and I’ll introduce them in order! First up, Prince Kuramochi (Beau Bridges), an older man of great wealth who basically compares her to a jeweled tree branch on the mountain of Hourai. Cool? In the anime, he’s translated into the best character in the series, game and ramen lover Fujiwara Chika.
Second is Prince Ishidzukuri no Miko (James Marsden), who’s already completely fucked because James Marsden is voicing him, and he basically only plays characters destined to be cucked. Check out my recap of The Notebook for more on that. He pledges to worship her, and compares her to the Stone Begging Bowl of Buddha. In the anime, he’s translated into uptight rules-follower Miko Iino.
Ishidzukuri’s comparison is mocked by number three, Abe no Miushi, Lord Minister of the Right (Oliver Platt), a corpulent man that compares her to...a robe of fire-rat fur. You’re comparing her...to rat hair clothes? Um...wow, dude, that’s legit insulting. No wonder you don’t have a counterpart in the anime yet.
Suitor number four, Grand Counselor Ootomo no Miyuki (Daniel Dae Kim) agrees with me that that’s a SHITTY comparison, and instead compares her to the Five-Colored Jewel around a Dragon’s Neck. His counterpart in the anime is the main love interest, Miyuki Shirogane. Yeah, sort of rigged in his favor in the show. It’s based on it, not a true adaptation.
And lastly is the sullen Middle Counselor Isonokami no Maro (John Cho), who compares her to a cowry shell from a swallow’s nest, which ensures safety in childbirth. And his counterpart is the equally sullen and video-game loving Yu Ishigami, another one of the best characters in the series.
OK, enough about the anime, yeah? Sorry, I just...I just really like it. Anyway, the suitors’ comparisons give Kaguya an idea. She plays the koto for the men, which entrances them (and me, it’s a gorgeous sound), and she thanks them for the sentiment. However, for her hand in marriage, they will need to bring her each of the treasures they compared her to. After all, they compared her to rare treasures, meaning that she is also not easy to obtain. By doing this, they show that they are worthy of that treasure. NICE.
The men leave, noting that it was quite impossible to get these treasures, and that Kaguya is a rare jewel that no one will capture. Objectifying, but OK. When they leave, everybody around the castle leaves as well. Which, to be fair, was exactly what Hime wanted.
Sagami is PIIIIIIIIIIISED, and quits. Miyatsuki’s not exactly chuffed either. But Hime’s finally free, and goes out of the palace with her mother and Warawa to see the city and the cherry blossom trees. Good for her. ‘Bout time she had some fun and joy in her life.
It’s cut off VERY fast, however, when she encounters a family of commoners, who only recognize her as nobility and nothing further. Realizing how separate she now is from them as they bow to her, she breaks a little. And they leave to go back to the city. While getting back there, though, who should she run into but Sutemaru, who’s just stolen a chicken. She calls to him, and he stops and recognize her...but they leave and he’s caught. And Hime cries.
Time passes. Three years, to be specific, as they actually tell us this time. Hime’s still close to her mother, as they still garden together in the back. However, relationships with her father are less great. He comes in and tells her that the first suitor, Kuramochi, has come back with the jeweled branch after all this time. Hime can’t believe it.
Kuramochi comes in with the jeweled branch, which dazzles brilliantly. Kaguya asks how he found it. He weaves a dramatic tale of happening upon the mountain and the branch. As this takes place, though, a local craftsman comes by to collect his fee for...making the branch. And now that he’s made, the cheap-ass Prince takes the fuck off.
Next up is Abe, the rat skin guy, with fire-rat robe in hand. Kaguya calls his bluff, though, and tells him to drop that shit in the fire. If it’s real, then it won’t burn, and the two will marry forthwith. And that shit BURNS. Which sucks, because dude thought it was real, and spent literally ALL of his money on it.
Afterwards, in a conversation between Hime and Waraka, it’s revealed that Miyuki’s actually going to get the Dragon Pearl, and we see that in a gorgeous sequence. It doesn’t go well.
Meanwhile, Ishidzukuri drops by, having brought something for Kaguya. It’s not the bowl promised to her, but is instead a sweet little flower. He admits that he went searching for the bowl, filled with love for Kaguya. Instead, he found a treasure of nature, the flower, and was meant to represent his devotion and the depth of his feelings for her.
And that’s actually very sweet. But he’s James Marsden, so he’s FUCKED. But she definitely seems entranced by his offer to take her some place natural and beautiful and far away. Impassioned and full of love, he lifts open the blinds and sees...his wife. GODDAMN IT JAMES MARSDEN. The cuckee becomes the cucker.
Which sucks, because she actually did fall for him there for a second. We next hear of the Counselor, sent to fetch the cowry shell. However, he tragically dies in the attempt. This knowledge shatters Hime, who rips up her private garden in absolute sorrow. Her mom, who’s genuinely the best mom, tells her not to blame herself.
Meanwhile, as all of this is happening, Princess Kaguya has the ear of the Emperor, the Mikado (Dean Cain). He wishes for Kaguya to become one of his brides, and will make her father a member of the court. Miyatsuki, ever tone-deaf to his daughter’s desires, is thrilled. But Hime refuses, to which her father says that refusal of the Emperor’s wishes is impossible. And Hime says that she will do it to make her father happy, and then she’ll kill herself immediately after the wedding.
Um...fuck. I...I think I’m giving this one a Part Three. See you there!
#the tale of the princess kaguya#the tale of bamboo cutter#studio ghibli#studioghibli#isao takahata#princess kaguya#kaguya#Chloë Grace Moretz#darren criss#james caan#mary steenburgen#lucy liu#hynden walch#james marsden#oliver platt#daniel dae kim#dean cain#fantasy march#user365#365 movie challenge#365 movies 365 days#365 Days 365 Movies#365 movies a year
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Eyes on Fire | Chapter 7
A/N: Happy Friday! Have this new chapter, as a treat. This is a lil bit of a filler because I wanted to build OC’s bending abilities and past together. Enjoy and reblog. :)
Warnings: anxiety, panic attacks, and death mentioned.
Chapter 7 - Dreams
Heat. Cold. Flashing lights. Running and running to find him. Where’s my Dad? Dad? Another flash.
I woke up in a sweat. I sensed something moving out of the corner of my eye, and ran out the door of my bedroom, breathing heavily. I leaned against the wall to steady myself, but the wall is moving, I can’t calm down, I can’t stop breathing rapidly, I feel like I’m going to faint. I fell down onto the ground.
“Sayuri,”I heard a familiar voice behind me. “It’s okay. It’s me, your grandfather. You are safe. You are at home.” He turns my head to face him. He took his hand and warmed it with his bending and placed it right over my chest. The warm sensation of his hand revived my memory, and I looked around, recognizing the familiar walls and ceiling of the hallway in our home.
“Look at me, Sayuri. Take a deep breath. Catch your breath,” Pop said. I started to focus my attention on my breathing, until slowly, my lungs calmed and I began breathing normally.
“You had another palpitation episode,” Pop said.
“Oh,” I responded, still catching my breath.
“Did you have another bad dream?”
“Yes.”
His face fell. “Would you like some tea?”
I nodded.
Pop helped me to my feet, and I walked over to the couch to sit. I sat on the couch for a few minutes and tried to remember and make sense of my dream. Pop came over and handed me a yunomi filled with tea. I held it in my hands, even though it was burning hot. The sensation of being enveloped in heat was soothing to my cold skin. Tears began to flow from my eyes and my grandfather pulled me in for a hug. We sipped tea together wordlessly until I laid down on the couch and eventually drifted back to sleep.
I woke up to birds chirping outside the window. Judging by the sun, it seemed to be midmorning. I decided it was time to talk to the Fire Sages. I had been having nightmares increasing in frequency, since just before the Fire Lord had asked me to be his girlfriend. I’d felt immense joy at his invitation, but I’d also become increasingly anxious. I quickly got dressed and splashed a bit of rice water on my face. As I looked in the mirror, I saw how puffy and baggy my eyes were.
“Maybe I should wear a bag over my head, in case I see the Fire Lord,” I mused to myself. I walked down the street to the Chen family to borrow an ostrich-horse for the day. The Fire Sages Temple is in the Royal Caldera, which would take me ages to walk up by myself. I made a stop by the Tavern to tell Tatsuo he’d be by himself today, and then I started to make my way up the twisty mountain. There are guard posts at every turn of the switchbacks, but no one asked me what I was doing until I was stopped at the very top of the mountain by a guard who demanded to know why I was there.
“What’s your business here, girl?” the guard asked.
“I’m here to see the Fire Sages, sir,” I replied.
“Do they know you’re coming?”
“No, sir.”
“I’m not allowed to let just anyone into the Royal Caldera.”
I sighed and began to turn around when I heard a voice.
“Wait! I know her! That’s the Fire Lord’s girl!” the voice belonged to a Kyoshi Warrior. She cartwheeled over to where the guard and I were standing.
“My name is Ty Lee! Zuko and I go way back,” she said with a bright smile.
“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Sayuri,” I said.
“Of course, you are! I will say you are prettier than he described. And your aura is way less dark than his last girlfriend, Mai.”
“Thank you?” I said, cautiously. Zuko had never mentioned a previous girlfriend. I filed it away as something to ask him about later.
“In that case, I can let you through, miss,” the guard said.
“Thank you,” I said. I glanced back over at Ty Lee. “If you wouldn’t mind, I’d rather not have Zuko know I’m here, if that’s alright with you.”
“Sure! I’m great at keeping secrets,” she piped. She flipped back over on her hands and carried on.
I walked through the gate on my ostrich-horse before leaving him at a watering spot near the palace and continuing on foot. The Fire Sages Temple is right behind the palace, so I had to walk around as inconspicuously as possible to avoid being noticed by the guards. The Temple is built into the side of the Caldera, making it appear dark and heavy. I arrived at the door and was greeted by a Fire Sage.
“Hello, young lady,” he said. “What brings you to the temple?”
“Hello,” I said as I greeted him with a bow. “I was wondering if Fire Sage Ren Yamamoto was around.”
“Yes, of course. Let me go find him. Come in!” he said, motioning me to follow him. He led me into a wide hallway to wait for Fire Sage Ren. Fire Sage Ren is Kira’s uncle and has known me since I was very young. He’s been a friend of our family for a long time.
“Sayuri?” a voice called out.
I turned around to see Kira’s uncle standing behind me.
“Hello, Fire Sage Ren. It’s good to see you again,” I said, greeting him with a bow.
“Oh, Sayuri. You can just call me Uncle. You know that,” he said.
“Hi, Uncle,” I said with a half-smile.
“Ah, I see now. You look troubled. Come, let’s sit. I’ll make you some spice tea.” I followed him to a side corridor that revealed a kitchen. He heated up water for tea. I sat down at a small table and chair set up in the corner. I fidgeted for a bit until he handed me a yunomi to keep my hands occupied.
“Come, this is no place to chat,” Uncle Ren said. I followed him once again to a side door that revealed a garden area with a full view of the palace gardens. I could see the tall tree Zuko and I had napped under. We sat on a rock carved bench that appeared to be a part of the mountain, molded into a seating area.
“What’s on your mind, Sayuri?” he asked.
“I haven’t been sleeping well recently, and I’ve been having nightmares and what my grandfather calls “palpitations”. I just haven’t been able to have good sleep,” I said.
“What do you usually have the nightmares about?”
“My dad. It’s always the same thing. I need to find him. But I can’t. It causes me to panic when I can’t find him in the dream and then again in real life. And then I get the terror palpitations.”
“Do you think this has anything to do with your recent change in life in regard to the Fire Lord?” he said with a smile.
“Ugh,” I said, burying my forehead in my hands. “Does the whole Fire Nation know?”
“Good news travels fast, I’m afraid,” he chuckled.
“I guess it’s just a dream. But I can’t help but feel like my dad is trying to tell me something.”
“It’s not uncommon for the spirits to try to communicate with their loved ones. It usually happens near a solstice, when the bridge between the spirit world blurs. I don’t think it is coincidental that you started having these dreams when you became closer to the Fire Lord.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that you are a strong bender. Your duality of two elements means you have a strong destiny. I think it’s time you resume your training.”
“I quit for a reason, Uncle. I don’t want to bend unless I have to.”
“Sayuri, your abilities are rare and valuable. Which is why you hid them away for so long. The only way to find balance in yourself is to train yourself in the disciplines of both elements and satisfy the duality.”
“Hmm, maybe you are right.”
“I am right,” he said, taking a sip of tea. “But I know this isn’t the only thing on your mind.”
“Ah, yeah,” I said slightly embarrassed. “So, I’m dating Fire Lord Zuko, officially. Which is weird but also amazing. I don’t know where to put myself here. I’m not a member of the nobility or any one special.”
“Don’t let labels of class keep you from loving him, Sayuri. It is obvious he likes you. Your duality wants to fight with everything, so it has to reject the love you cannot control. But love cannot be controlled, and that is not a weakness. The Fire Lord needs you just as much as you need him.”
“He needs me?” I questioned.
“Yes, he does. He needs someone with a good strong head on her shoulders and the biggest heart in the Four Nations. I’ve never met anyone with more fire in their eyes than you. I might be biased, but I was filled with joy when Kira told me you had a date with him.”
“Ah, so it was Kira.” I rolled my eyes.
“My niece is a chatterbox.”
“I think it’s time to have a talk with Zuko,” I said. “Thank you for the tea and the insight.”
“You are welcome here anytime, Sayuri.”
I stood up to give him a hug. He squeezed me tightly.
“Keep asking your dad for guidance, Sayuri,” he whispered.
He walked me out of the Temple and I went to the watering spot where I’d left the ostrich-horse, and rode it back to the palace. I hopped off the horse in front of the massive gates where I was greeted by a familiar face.
“Sayuri!” Suki said with a smile. “It’s good to see you again. What brings you by?”
“Oh, I was in the neighborhood and I decided I wanted to stop by and see my, um, boyfriend,” I said.
“I think he’s in meetings all day, but I’m sure he’ll make time for you,” she said. She turned her face toward the guardpost and yelled “Let her in!” The gates creaked open and I handed my ostrich-horse off to Suki, who took it to the Palace stable. I walked up to the main doors of the palace and pushed the doors open with shaking hands. An attendant greeted me.
“Ah, Sayuri Fujiwara. We did not expect to see you today. How can I assist you?” she asked.
“I would like to see my boyfriend, please,” I asked.
“I’m sorry, he is busy in a meeting with his advisors. Perhaps you can wait until he is free?”
I swallowed and took a deep breath. “Please, I don’t mean to be a pain, but I really need to see him.” Her eyes grew soft with pity.
“Follow me,” she said.
I followed her through the maze of palace corridors until she led me to the outside of a cloth-covered doorway.
“I dare not go inside and interrupt, but he is right through the curtain,” she said.
When I passed through the curtain, I saw a group of advisors crowding around a map of the Four Nations. The Fire Lord sat on a raised platform. He was sitting slumped over with his hand propping up his head. The clump of advisors turned their heads in surprise at my appearance.
I walked closer to where the Fire Lord was sitting, and he quickly sat up straight. I went down on my knees to bow.
“I’m so sorry to bother you, Your Grace,” I said pulling myself up from my bow.
“Sayuri, you are never a bother,” he said, smiling. “I think we are done for today.” He motioned for his advisors and guards to go. He then waved for me to join him on the platform. As I was climbing the step he stood up and immediately pulled me in for a kiss.
“I really am sorry to barge in like this,” I said burrowing my face in his robes. “I just had to see you.”
“I’m glad you did. That meeting was putting me to sleep anyway.”
“I need to ask you something,” I said looking up at him. He wrapped his arms around my waist.
“Anything.”
“I want you to help me finish my fire-bending training.”
He cocked his head to the side in confusion. “You want me to train you? I thought you completed most of your training.”
“I quit.”
He narrowed his eyes to further illustrate his confusion.
“I need a fire-bending teacher, and I don’t trust anyone more than you. I know it’s a lot to ask, seeing as you’re the Fire Lord and all, but-”
“I’d love to do it,” he said.
“Great!” I exclaimed. “Also, I need a water-bending teacher. Do you know anyone that would be willing to teach me?”
“I know just the person,” he said.
I grinned widely in response.
“So you finally admit you’re both a water bender and a fire bender, huh?” he said with an eyebrow raised. “The sages must’ve really gotten through to you.”
“How did you know I went to see the sages?” I asked.
“Ty Lee can’t keep any secrets, just so you know.”
I rolled my eyes.
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#avatar: the last airbender#atla#avatar the last airbender#avatar the last Airbender fanfiction#zuko#prince zuko#fire lord zuko#Zuko x OC#prince Zuko fanfic#fire lord Zuko fanfic#fire lord Zuko x oc#eyes on fire | after the war
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Anime i’ve Watched
That begin with a P!
Yep this is how i’m going to bring over all the anime and manga i’ve watched and posted about on the old blog. It’s not so detailed but it will have to do. Anything new I watch or read from this point on will have their own posts.
Prince of Stride: Alternative:
Genres: Sports, Drama, School
Synopsis: "Stride"—an extreme sport that combines parkour, free running, relay, and sprinting—is what made first year high school student Nana Sakurai enroll in Honan Academy, after being captivated by the school's stride team. Sharing the mutual intention of joining the team is fellow first year and stride maniac, Takeru Fujiwara, and together they request to join. Much to their dismay, however, the stride club is no longer active due to lack of members, and they are now operating under the shogi club.
In order to revive the stride club, Nana and Takeru recruit first year Riku Yagami—a fast runner who is interested in almost every sport. With this new team, the club now aims high at a new goal: to win the prestigious End of Summer competition, and bring the Honan stride team back to their prime.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
My Rating: 6/10
Finished airing in 2016 with a total of 12 episodes.
My Thoughts: Not awful but really not worth the time it takes to watch the entire series... or even an episode really.
Psycho-Pass:
Genres: Action, Sci-fi, Police, Psychological
Synopsis: Justice, and the enforcement of it, has changed. In the 22nd century, Japan enforces the Sibyl System, an objective means of determining the threat level of each citizen by examining their mental state for signs of criminal intent, known as their Psycho-Pass. Inspectors uphold the law by subjugating, often with lethal force, anyone harboring the slightest ill-will; alongside them are Enforcers, jaded Inspectors that have become latent criminals, granted relative freedom in exchange for carrying out the Inspectors' dirty work.
Into this world steps Akane Tsunemori, a young woman with an honest desire to uphold justice. However, as she works alongside veteran Enforcer Shinya Kougami, she soon learns that the Sibyl System's judgments are not as perfect as her fellow Inspectors assume. With everything she has known turned on its head, Akane wrestles with the question of what justice truly is, and whether it can be upheld through the use of a system that may already be corrupt.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
My Rating: 9/10
Finished airing in 2013 with a total of 22 episodes.
My Thoughts: Like Death Note, I feel like Psycho Pass is just one of those animes that nearly everyone has heard about. It’s one of those titles that even folks that don’t really enjoy anime seem to like. This first season really is excellent and I highly recommend watching it at least once in your life time.
Psycho-Pass 2:
Genres: Action, Sci-fi, Police, Psychological
Synopsis: A year and a half after the events of the original sci-fi psychological thriller, Akane Tsunemori continues her work as an inspector—enforcing the Sibyl System's judgments. Joining her are new enforcers and junior inspector Mika Shimotsuki, a young woman blindly and inflexibly loyal to Sibyl. As Akane ponders both the nature of her job and the legitimacy of Sibyl's verdicts, a disturbing new menace emerges.
A mysterious figure has discovered a way to control the Crime Coefficient—a number compiled from mental scans that allows Sibyl to gauge psychological health and identify potential criminals. Through these means, he is able to murder an enforcer, leaving behind a cryptic clue: "WC?" scrawled in blood on a wall.
Akane and the rest of Division 1 soon find themselves playing a deadly game against their new foe, coming face-to-face with a conspiracy threatening not only the authority of the Sibyl System, but the very foundation of Akane's own convictions.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
My Rating: 7.5/10
Finished airing in 2014 with a total of 11 episodes.
My Thoughts: Not as great as the first season... Still not horrible though.
Psycho-Pass Movie:
Genres: Action, Military, Police, Sci-fi
Synopsis: Due to the incredible success of the Sibyl System, Japan has begun exporting the technology to other countries with the hope that it will one day be used all around the world. In order to test its effectiveness in a foreign location, the war-torn state of the South East Asian Union (SEAUn) decides to implement the system, hoping to bring peace and stability to the town of Shambala Float and keep the population in check.
However, a group of anti-Sibyl terrorists arrive in Japan, and the Ministry of Welfare's Public Safety Bureau discovers significant evidence that the invaders are being aided by Shinya Kougami, a former Enforcer who went rogue. Because of their past relationship, Akane Tsunemori is sent to SEAUn to bring him back, but with their last meeting years in the past, their reunion might not go quite as planned.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
My Rating: 7/10
A film released in 2015.
My Thoughts: It will forever annoy me when animes use English speakers who aren’t native English speakers to play side characters that are clearly meant to be characters with English as their first language. This doesn’t make or break the film obviously but it’s one of those things that make me twitch. Overall the film just wasn’t great. The artwork/ animation was top notch for sure but the story and all that jazz just didn’t blow me away.
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Dragon Dancer IV: In Custody
A chilly fog descended from the steep mountains surrounding the Tibetan village and obscured their view until they looked like little more than dim giant shadows in the distance.
My husband and our two friends -- Lu Mingfei and Uesugi Erii -- met for the final time in the open courtyard of the temple that had played host to us.
“The spoofing of the tracking signal was successful. As far as Cassell College knows, all of you sunk somewhere in the South China Sea.” Erii wrote on her tablet computer.
Mingfei put his one remaining arm around Erii and gave her a light kiss on the cheek. He’d adjusted surprisingly well to his disability, as far as I could tell. But Mingfei always took heavy emotional blows and buried their after effects deep in his heart. That humble nervousness was the only emotion he tended to show so it was hard to tell when something truly rattled him.
Usually, the first sign that he was losing his grip was his drinking habit. But there wasn’t a beer can in sight. Perhaps he was waiting for me to leave.
Zihang had reprogrammed the tracker that had once been in his tooth to transmit to his phone on command. No more steady pings that might be picked up or predictable. He then made a small incision in the thick scar tissue striping my back and inserted the tracker, stitching the wound himself.
That was our final preparation. The mission was to begin.
Ru’Yi was strapped to my back fast asleep, full of milk from the morning. Her head rested on the back of my neck and she was drooling, soaking through my shirt.
“Don’t worry about anything.” Zihang stroked my cheek and we stared into each other’s eyes for a moment.
I had my mission assignment: Infiltrate the Gattusos by turning myself in and get in touch with Caesar. I wasn’t sure how I was going to do that or where I would end up. I thought of them taking Ru’Yi from me and my heart quaked. I took a deep breath.
They thought Mingfei and Zihang were dead. So their guard would be down. Now was the time to strike back at them for killing Susie, for killing Crow. For making my life a living hell.
“I’ll see you soon.” I said, backing away. “Teleporting to Paris.”
I closed my eyes and focused my mind on the gilded hotel I’d stayed in one spring over two years ago.
In a moment, I was enveloped in darkness and cold. I couldn’t feel my heartbeat or hear my own breath. But the emotions sparked by the adrenaline told me that there was no going back.
Nepal was several hours ahead, so I reappeared in the predawn hours in Paris. The empty streets were well lit however and with the ubiquitous cameras around the French city, EVA would no doubt track me down within minutes.
I settled Ru’Yi in my arms and sat down on a bench under the leaves of a street oak. I took a shaking breath, feeling my nerves. I tried to sing softly.
“The trees they grow high and the leaves they do grow green...” My voice was wispy and trembling. “Many is the time my true love I’ve seen. Many an hour I’ve watch her all alone...”
A shadow moved on the corner of the street. They were fast. A man in a trench coat stood, not approaching, just watching us. I rocked her back and forth, as much to comfort myself as her.
“She’s young but she’s daily growing...” I glanced down the other side of the street. One by one, the street lamps began to go out.
I felt a chill go down my spine. The French branch was one of the oldest and largest branches in the Secret Society of Dragonslayers. This place was crawling with agents. There was probably a sniper on the roof aiming at us right now.
I didn’t move, making it clear that I wasn’t going to run away. At least the night was warm. The time ticked by and more agents appeared to block off any hope of escape. Without the street lamps around, the darkness closed in on Ru’Yi and I, like we were in an open air cave.
A dark colored car drove up, without headlights. Two men, also in black coats stepped out. One stayed behind, the other approached me.
My throat closed and I looked away, instinctively turning my back to shield Ru’Yi. I listened to his footsteps come closer and then felt the bench shift and creak as he sat next to us.
“I’m... turning myself in.” I said quietly.
“I know.”
My eyes flew open at the familiarity of the voice! I turned and looked into the face of Lancelot. He was nothing like I remembered. The easy going young man looked like he’d aged a decade. His skin was pale and dark circles ringed his eyes. He looked down at the sleeping Ru’Yi, his face a mask of numbness.
I didn’t know what to say. Susie was my friend. She and Zihang and Lancelot were close. How is he the one who’s here to arrest me?
“Lancelot... I’m so sorry.” I whispered.
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his blond hair slipping over his shoulder. Then, he lifted one hand and removed the commlink over his ear, shutting it off. “Thank you,” he said. “But I don’t blame you.”
We sat in silence a few seconds longer. My mind went back to that horrible day, when Susie, having fought and lost to Chu Zihang and I, in the end, took a bullet for him. Her body bobbed out to sea with the rest of the debris from the sinking ship.
Lancelot sighed, wringing his hands. “I want you to tell me one thing. Who was that guy?”
I looked from Ru’Yi to Lancelot. He raised his eyes to meet mine.
“I told her not to fight him. I knew he was very strong and ... Dragon Kings tend to surround themselves with powerful people. When I saw how he used Royal Fire... I told her to run. But she was drawn to him. I could tell. She turned off her comm and I watched what he did to her.”
“I wanted to kill him.” His jaw tightened with anger and he hung his head. “When she... told me not to give the order to shoot though... I was confused but... I trusted her. Something in her eyes. She was happy.”
“Then... why did the sniper fire?” I asked softly, confused.
“I canceled the sniper order. But I was overruled.” A shadow seemed to come over him. “The voice the sniper heard was not mine... but ... Agent Shinnosuke.”
I gasped. The man who killed Crow. The man who likely attacked and left Anjou in a coma... was responsible for Susie’s death as well!
“He is the one ... who has given me orders to arrest you and take you back to Italy to face the Gattusos.” His eyes watched me. I was sure I was visibly trembling now. “Before I do... I just want to know. Who was it? Who did Susie give her life for?”
I chewed my lip. Anything I said now had a high chance of tipping Fujiwara Shinnosuke that Zihang and Mingfei were still alive. “It doesn’t matter. He’s dead.”
He suddenly grabbed my shoulders, his face pressed close to mine. I whimpered in fear. “Tell me!” He hissed. “Ever since, I can’t get his face out of my head! I feel like I should know him. Susie knew him! Please! Carli! Please tell me!”
Tears tracked their way down my cheek. “You’re right. She did know him. But like you, she didn’t recognize him. Not at first. If I told you, then... maybe you could reason it away... like she did.” I forced my eyes to look at him, at the torment in his face. “But if you remember on your own? There will be no doubt in your mind.”
“This might be the last time we talk.” He whispered. “I... I really don’t blame you. I don’t know who to believe any more. Susie she...” His voice caught.
“Do you trust her?”
He nodded, almost imperceptibly.
I swallowed hard. There was so much I wanted to say, but I couldn’t do that without jeopardizing everything. “Then... ... stay alive.”
I held my hand out to him to take.
“But... you’re Susie’s friend.” His voice cracked. This had to be torture for him and for Shinnosuke to send him of all people to arrest me -- this had to be a calculated move on his part.
“Just do it.” I stared at him, willing him to listen. “I can’t escape now anyway.”
Lancelot took my hand and put his commlink back in his ear and stood up.
We walked together to the car and he let me get in first in the back seat. He took the passenger side. He put his hand to his ear. “Returning to the airport.”
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a28+41 | yuuki tetsuya
ao3 | 1,789 words | female reader
28 - “I care about you.”
41 - “Don’t be afraid.”
When you first entered Seidou, the baseball team was honestly the last thing on your mind. You couldn’t understand how those boys dedicated their entire childhood and teen years to something they might get to do for a living. The uncertainty of it was honestly a little terrifying.
Then, you got to know one of your classmates, Fujiwara Takako, who had signed up to be their manager. You ended up stopping by in the middle of practice one day after the two of you had accidentally switched workbooks during class, and you saw the team in action for the first time. You figured practice had to be pretty solid for how revered the program was, but actually seeing it was an experience.
“Is there something I can help you with?” You were brought back into focus by a familiar voice.
You turned and saw one of your teachers, and the current coach. “Mr. Kataoka! I’m sorry to disrupt, but Fujiwara and I got our books mixed up during dismissal, and I don’t know where she lives, so this was the only place I knew I could get it to her.”
He grunted, and motioned for you to follow him.
The situation was cleared up without any hassle, and on your way back through the dorm buildings, you saw some of the boys doing their own drills. You recognized a few of them as your classmates, and could guess that the others were first years as well. One of them noticed you, and you recognized him as Yuuki Tetsuya. He only stopped just long enough to return the wave you sent him, then he was back to business. Feeling your face heating up, you decided to leave as quickly as you could before you disturbed practice.
It didn’t take long after your first encounter to ask Fujiwara about joining the team as a manager.
-
The two years you spent on the team seemed to go by faster than you could have ever imagined. It was slow at first as you learned your responsibilities and got to know the team, but just when you got comfortable, Koshien would come and go without Seidou.
In your first year, you and Takako knew there was nothing you could do for them on the field, so you made sure they would have nothing to worry about during practice. You both managed to make more rice balls than you’d ever made before within the first few weeks, making sure the boys never swung themselves to empty and went to bed hungry.
In return, they made sure the two of you never had to go home in the dark alone. You both lived close enough to walk to and from school together, but there were a few blocks where you parted ways. Yuuki volunteered to walk you home, saying he didn’t live far. There really wasn’t much conversation between the two of you, other than normal pleasantries or the occasional question about something one of you didn’t quite understand in class. It was never awkward though, even in the moments where you were walking in silence, it was nice to have the company. He’d always walk you to your door and say goodnight before heading home himself.
You heard later from Takako that he lived a few streets away from her.
The first loss hit the hardest. You watched your seniors strike out and end their summer with your year-mates, none of them even getting the chance to step on the field.
-
In your second year, everyone got even closer. You’d all felt what it was like to lose your chance before you even had it, and the boys all began to work even harder. You couldn’t deny to yourself how much you adored the first baseman, and seeing him struggle was hard. There was a moment where it began to actually effect you as your grades began to slip, so you went to Takako and told her you needed a brief reprise from the more extensive managerial duties to get your grip back. There was no way you’d let your academic record down for a cute boy.
It was lonely, walking home alone. But you knew that if you ever gave yourself a chance with Tetsuya, it was going to be with both of you standing steady on your own so you didn’t topple each other over. When you finally fell back into the routine you’d come to love, you found yourself walking just a little closer to him, enough that sometimes your arms would brush. And he never brought it up.
-
In your third year, you could tell Tetsuya was finally feeling the full pressure of playing baseball at Seidou. He’d been unanimously decided to become captain, while taking up the mantle of clean-up as well. He ended up practicing that much harder, and there were nights you did your assignments while keeping half an eye out on him before he tried to swing eight-hundred times. It didn’t seem that hard to you to keep track of how many times you swing a bat, but you never really tried more than fifteen in a row.
One night, he came up to sit beside you without a word, just leaning his head against your shoulder for a moment. You picked up the small towel next to you and dabbed against his face and neck, smiling as he turned his head for you. He stayed there without a word, catching his breath and watching you write until Jun returned with drinks for the three of you.
Moments like that you wouldn’t consider regular occurrences, but they happened frequently enough that you began to wonder if there was anything deeper behind them. You’d never seen interactions between any of the other members like that, even from Tetsuya himself, so it began to feel like something special between the two of you. You’d always felt closer to him than anyone else on the team, but it was just recently that things were getting more… intimate? Even in a platonic sense. It was almost enough for you to try holding his hand on your walk home. Almost.
-
Summer was drawing closer and closer, not waiting a single moment for the boys to get their footing. They were doing well, but it was hard to get back into the groove of things with Tanba and Miyuki’s strained partnership and Chris still being off the bench. The final first string players for your third year were decided, and you could see the toll it took on Tetsuya.
“Are you okay?” You asked, hesitantly placing your hand against his back.
He was hunched over in the dugout, arms braced against the wall leading to the field. He didn’t let out more than a frustrated sigh, so you rubbed his back before letting your hand drop and leaning beside him, giving him the time he needed.
“We never get a moment to breathe,” he said. “We practice, we play, then we either win or lose.”
He turned around and slid down the wall to sit on the dugout floor.
“Do you need anything?” You asked, resting your hand on his shoulder.
His hand came up to lay over yours before gently tugging for you to sit down. You settled in next to him, shoulders and thighs pressed together as he pressed into you.
“Just… a moment.”
The two of you stayed like that until you heard the team filling the field.
-
Things seemed to be going well for Seidou’s new team. Especially since that fresh-faced pitcher helped reach Chris in a way none of you ever seemed to be able to. It hurt to think you’d never be able to watch him play with the rest of your year-mates again, but holding onto that dream was probably how he fell so hard in the first place. It was definitely nice to be seeing more of him as a manager, though you definitely had different expectations and responsibilities.
One afternoon, you were getting some late-night snacks prepared for the boys, when you were called out by Takako to help her with something in the storage room. Yui stayed behind to finish the food while you followed her across the courtyard.
“Don’t you normally have Masuko help you with this stuff? You know I’m not good with heavy lifting,” you glanced off to the field, where some of the boys had started some extra, light, training on their day off.
You caught Takako’s gaze as you turned back to her, her expression amused. “Looking for anyone in particular?”
“Uhm… Coach.”
She giggled, and the rest of your brief walk was in silence.
“Here,” she said, pulling the door open.
You stepped into the rather immaculate storage room, wondering what she needed help with.
“So what did you- oh!” You turned to her and jumped back as you were suddenly facing Tetsuya, Takako waving over his shoulder as she slid the door shut.
“Oh?”
“Sorry,” Tetsuya said. “There aren’t many places we can talk alone anymore, and I didn’t want to be stopped on my way to get you.”
You laughed, leaning against the table set up behind you. “You couldn’t have, I don’t know, texted?”
Tetsuya hummed for a moment before saying, “I asked Jun what I should do.”
“Ah, that makes sense.” You patted the table next to you.
He took your cue and leaned next to you, a little closer than he had to be, but a welcome distance.
“What did you want to talk to me about?”
“Don’t be afraid,” he started.
“That’s reassuring,” you said, turning slightly to face him.
As he followed your lead and faced you, you saw how his expression was much more intense than usual when off the field. You knew your time at Seidou was running out, the summer tournament getting closer and closer, but you could never tell if it was worth it to change everything on a whim, especially when you thought of the consequences.
Tetsuya leaned in, guiding your hand to press against his chest as he rested his forehead against your shoulder. “I care about you.”
You felt your chest grow cold as that careful line you kept for the past three years was finally crossed. Your words failed to come out, so you brought your free hand up to rest on his head before he could pull away.
“I had to tell you before it was too late,” he mumbled against your shirt.
“Tetsuya… I like you. A lot.”
His free arm came up around you to pull you closer by your waist.
“Will you cheer me on? Until we make it to Koshien?”
“And beyond.”
#daiya no ace#ace of diamond imagine#yuuki tetsuya#yuuki tetsuya x reader#female reader#my work#reader-insert
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