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link4eva · 3 years

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Kiro’s Seeking Date Translation [CN]

Hey, everyone! Just a couple of things before you begin reading. I don’t actually know any Chinese so this translation was done through the power of Google Translate. A HUGE shout-out to @keliosyfan and @cheesy09 for helping me with edits and revising. Thank you!!! 💛

Here’s a link to the date video uploaded by @keliosyfan that you can follow along with.

Also, here’s a link to the call that comes before the date.

*TW: I feel like I should note that this date has mentions of human trafficking.*

This translation contains spoilers for a date that has not yet been released to the ENG server. If you wish to not be spoiled, please don’t look below the cut.

Hope you enjoy~ 💛

*Spoilers for future content below!*

[First Part]

??: What are you doing kidnapping her, idiot?!

??: She has been with Helios for so many years, she must be his most important woman.

??: With this woman, we can make him write off his debts and also crush his spirit as a gift to those foreigners.

In the dimness, two male voices drifted into my ears.

My hands were tied behind me, and the rope bore through the cloth on my body. The rough and wet touch made me very uncomfortable.

??: If he really cared about this woman, would he always keep her by his side? Tell everyone that she is his weakness?

??: This woman is a target he bought four years ago to get rid of trash and see who in the city found him unpleasant!

Although I was very certain that these people were telling the truth, after hearing those words, my heart still couldn’t help but ache.

??: This is the end of the matter. This woman can’t stay.

??: Sooner or later, that beast Helios will know what you have done. He would never let us get away with it. *Changed some wording*

??: This person has just been taken away, and Helios won’t be so fast.

The icy sound of a knife unsheathing made me clench my teeth. My whole body shook.

The hemp rope had been cut with the blade hidden in my sleeve, and I waited for the opportunity as it gradually approached.

Even though I closed my eyes, I could always see that person’s face and a pair of indifferent blue eyes.

If I died, would he be sad?

??: Hope... is the most precious thing in this world.

??: Do you want to go with me?

I can’t die yet.

But just before I acted, someone ended up being faster than me.

With a “shink”, it seemed that a sharp weapon pierced the glass and embedded itself into the wooden board. The sudden noise made my heart constrict.

??: Don’t open your eyes.

After an extremely cold and commanding voice sounded, there were shrill screams. In the continuous plethora of sounds, there was the harsh sound of bones being twisted.

I closed my eyes and curled up tightly, worried that this was just a dream.

Until I was hugged in a strong and warm embrace, with the fragrance of smokey tobacco wrapping around me.

I opened my eyes blankly and caught sight of the silver hair that was eye-catching and dazzling in the gloomy thatched house.

Those blue eyes, which were normally calm, were now mixed with a little anger.

MC: ...Am I dreaming?

Helios: Do you often dream of me?

The man gave me a look, held me, and walked out the door. It seemed to be the warehouse of a wine shop.

(Cut to outside)

Suddenly his figure stopped, and I lowered my eyes to find that a man was holding onto his trousers tightly.

??: Mr. Helios, boss, please forgive us this time. We will soon have a big deal, and then we will be accommodated….

Helios: Is the restaurant I run like an orphanage?

Helios: Repaying debts is justified.

He turned a deaf ear to the man’s pleading and the whispers from the bystanders. He moved his long legs, and the man fell to the ground.

At the same time, a group of people began to move in and out of the store.

MC: Should I first….

Helios: Don’t move.

His voice sounded impatient. I blinked and didn’t speak anymore.

After the fight was over, Helios raised the corner of his mouth and gave a slight retort to the kneeling man.

Helios: Mr. Cao, you’re welcome to visit Spring Moon Pavillion next time.

??: You foreign devil, don’t lie! Go to hell!

The curse echoed behind us, and the sound of a solid, steady heartbeat fell upon my ears.

Here, people called him many things-- Mr. Helios, the boss, foreign devil.

No one knew his origins. There was a rumour that seemed to say he was of mixed race.

Most of the restaurants, diners and pawn shops in the city were under his name, and there were many other shady places.

Countless people ate his meals, and countless people enjoyed his turf. They were his business partners, his subordinates, and his debtors.

He was the unspoken ruler of this city.

Everyone here respected him and feared him.

MC: Are you hurt?

I felt the person stepping forward seem to pause, but it was only momentarily.

Helios: No.

I leaned into that somewhat cold embrace, and in my sorrow, it seemed to overlap with the heavy snow from four years ago.

[Second Part]

(Flashback)

I stretched my arms strenuously, trying to grab the flying photograph.

The man behind me tightened the chain on the back of my neck, leaving only the muddy photo in my blurred vision, which ended up crushed with shoe prints on the ground.

Like unforeseen freedom, it broke free, but also decayed. Like my freedom, slowly slipping away with each step.

The world was covered with a film and the insults behind me were drowned out, and only cold white noise remained.

Suddenly, a pair of delicate leather shoes stopped next to the photo, and someone picked it up in the next second.

I blinked slowly, and found an eye-catching and sharp silver light under the extremely gloomy sky.

It was like the first speck of snow that one would find stunning in the late winter, burning straight into people’s eyes, beautiful and cold.

The boy looked around the same age as me, and a pair of azure blue eyes met my own.

The biting cold caused my reaction to delay and another pair of distant and similar pupils appeared before my eyes.

But they were warmer and brighter.

??: Snap out of it!

When my consciousness was pulled back to reality by the pain, I heard screams that did not belong to me. The force that restrained me suddenly disappeared, and I fell directly to the ground.

I reluctantly raised my eyes and found that the silver-haired boy had come over at some point, twisting the man’s wrist with one hand. His gaze shifted from the photo in his hand to me.

??: Did you stay in the orphanage in the east of the city as a child?

I looked at him dumbfoundedly and lost my voice for a moment.

??: Answer me.

MC: [flustered] ….Ye-yes! I stayed there for a year.

The boy’s eyes seemed to light up for a moment because of my answer, and then became alienated in the blink of an eye.

He threw the man aside, lowered his eyes and wiped off the mud from the photo with his white sleeves, then squatted down and handed it to me.

??: I’ll only ask once.

??: Come with me?

I stared at him in a daze, and the roaring from the outside world came to an abrupt end. Only the voice of the boy in front of me and my own heartbeat could be heard.

MC: Ok.

As soon as I spoke, the boy threw a few silver bills at the man.

The heavy snow fell silently, and I was taken into his arms, like a fragmented snowflake.

The blood, water and frost all mixed together, and I heard his voice in the dizziness.

??: Starting today, you are mine.

??: My name is Helios.

??: But I don’t like this name, so don’t call me that.

MC: My name is MC….Then um….what should I call you?

His attitude left me a little perplexed.

Helios: If you have something to say, I will acknowledge it.

Helios: Is that photo important?

In the heavy snow on the quiet road, I lifted my head laboriously, trying to muster a smile.

MC: [smiling affectionately] Very important. He was my best friend in the orphanage and a big star in the city.

MC: Everyone loved to hear him sing. He never cared about who his audience was; he shined nonetheless.

MC: It’s just… He went abroad six months ago, so he must be an even better person now.

The boy’s footsteps froze for a moment as if his feet were bound in ice and snow.

Helios: He’s just an actor.

Helios: A useless profession.

MC: But….it was his smile that gave me strength.

Without him, I would not have been able to hold on till the day I met you.

(End of flashback)

I opened my eyes and turned my head to see Helios sitting on the sofa, casually reading the newspaper. As usual, he should be in the restaurant at this time.

Looking at his profile, the dream I had just now made me a little confused.

It turned out that I had stayed by his side for so long.

He took me back to the small restaurant, healed my injuries and taught me all kinds of things.

Literacy, singing, dancing, medical skills, business….

He was the most ruthless and sharp blade. I had witnessed how he, with his own power, had expanded this small restaurant to its current size in just a few years.

Helios: Get up and eat if you’re awake.

The sudden words interrupted my thoughts. Helios didn’t look up as he slowly took a sip of tea from his teacup. Seeing him frown, I immediately got up from the bed.

The food had been arranged on the wooden table, the temperature just right; neither too hot nor too cold--

Obviously, the people who prepared this had carefully taken time into consideration.

I looked at the man sitting aside from the sidelines and saw the teacup he put aside. I was a little puzzled.

MC: Is that pot of tea not brewed?

Helios: It’s poisoned.

Helios: Tastes terrible.

I almost choked on the spring rolls in my mouth and sighed inwardly at his calm demeanour.

I went up to the cabinet, skillfully took out the bottle of medicine and poured out a pill. I walked up to him and handed it over.

Helios: I won’t die.

After hearing the expected answer, I picked up the pill and brought it to his mouth.

He didn’t open his mouth but stared at me coldly.

MC: You don’t need to stare at me. I’m not afraid of you.

With that said, I continued to pry open his mouth with the pill.

Probably moved by my fearlessness, his mouth finally opened slowly and swallowed the pill.

I smiled with satisfaction and when I turned around to continue enjoying my spring rolls, a pair of cool palms swept over my waist.

The incense stick burned quietly, and a small sigh and familiar body temperature covered me closely from behind.

Helios: Don’t you blame me for using you as bait?

He closed his eyes. His long eyelashes were covered with sunlight and his brows were furrowed.

MC: You taught me that there is no meaningless business in this world.

MC: You bought me. My life is yours.

Helios: That’s the spirit.

The person behind slowly opened his eyes, his pupils full of jest and scrutiny.

MC: Today I just wanted to go to the temple to ask for a peace charm like in previous years.

MC: I was going to go there by myself, but I didn’t want to cause you trouble.

He probably didn’t believe me. Even so, I explained it word by word.

A cool finger stroked my neck and entangled a few strands of my hair.

Helios: How many years have you been with me?

His sudden question had me stunned for a moment.

MC: ….Three years and two hundred and seventy-five days.

Helios: It’s three years and two hundred and seventy-six days.*

*This is a little Easter egg that @keliosyfan spotted. “When Helios asked MC how long she has been with him, she says "3 years, 275 days" but he corrects her saying "3 years, 276 days". If you put the numbers together you get 3276 which in CN numeric slang means "love Qiluo(Kiro) for life" or "生爱棋洛"So in a way, he wants MC to say "I love Kiro for life"(3276/生爱棋洛). 🥺😭🤧”

Although his voice was faint, it was conclusive.

I thought about it and didn’t argue with him. For me, there was no difference between one more day and one less day.

Helios: Want to leave?

MC: ….?

He laughed suddenly, but only slightly mocking this time.

Helios: I can teach you enough to live a better life.

After that, he stood up. The sudden drop in temperature made me feel a little cold in this midsummer weather.

Helios: Since you want to leave, I won’t stop you.

Helios: But leave before the seventh day of July.

[Third Part]

Helios left after saying this, leaving me alone in the room in a daze.

Compared to his sudden expulsion, I was more concerned about another thing.

The seventh day of July.

What was going to happen on that day?

The annexed restaurants, and suppressed merchants….I know what Helios has been doing for several years.

Would my existence cause him any trouble?

I looked at my bare wrists and couldn’t help laughing at myself.

Maybe I was locked in place by a pair of invisible shackles.

I pursed my lips and walked to the closet to take out the bag hidden in its depths. Perhaps it was just my illusion, but it seemed to have been turned over by someone.

(Outside of room)

Outside the dark room, late at night, I tiptoed over with my bag. There were faint sounds of firm punching and kicking coming from inside the room.

Helios stayed alone here every night, not letting anyone come close.

But this was my hidden secret, and I could secretly monopolize Helios at this moment.

As usual, I opened the window a crack.

In the room, Helios was half-naked, and the small old silver locket hung with silver bells, reflecting sharp lines of bright silver light in the cold moonlight.

His movements were swift and fierce, harder than usual as if he was venting out something.

His wet hair was weighed down, and sweat dripped slowly from his lower jaw and down his strong and undulating chest.

He stood at the junction of light and shadow, with most of his face hidden in the darkness.

The sound of cicadas in midsummer made people feel a little restless, and the silver locket on his chest heaved slightly as he panted hard.

Helios stood there and didn’t move. I don’t know what he was waiting for. *The music from the first Valentine’s Day event starts playing so it’s getting steamy 😏*

In the next second, those blue eyes passed through the window and were firmly locked on me.

MC: ….!

I instantly withdrew my head and squatted down.

Helios: ….Come in.

Helios: I’ll only say it once. *Don’t need to tell me twice!! 😩😩 *

Hearing the slightly stiff tone, I stood up, lowered my head, and pushed the door open. I only took a single step in and then stopped.

Helios: I don’t see you this compliant on weekdays.

MC: ….You knew?! Then why did you never let me go before….

Helios: For my own pleasure.

I suddenly raised my head and found that he had positioned himself right in front of me. His scorching body temperature seemed to be able to cross the distance between us and set me on fire.

MC: I-I didn’t come here today to take a peek, I just….

He lowered his eyes and his gaze flicked across the bag I was holding behind me. His smile melted into a bit of a smirk.

Helios: If you’re saying goodbye, you don’t...

MC: I want you to teach me some martial arts.

I held my breath and did not miss the momentary surprise that flashed through his eyes.

MC: What you taught me isn’t enough.

Helios looked at me condescendingly, his eyes dim. A breeze flitted past my ear as his hand smacked against the door frame behind me.

Helios: Not enough?

In this tense atmosphere, I tried my best not to avoid his gaze.

MC: You taught me a lot, but….it felt like things had become even serious today.

MC: So I…. I still need you.

Before I finished speaking, Helios suddenly grabbed my left wrist from the outside and at the same time stretched out his leg to hook behind me.

When I lost my balance, his left hand instantly reached out to support my waist, and his right hand came out from under my arm and clasped my wrist from the front again.

When I came back to my senses, I found that I had been directly pinned to the floor, and the bag in my hands had been tossed aside.

The entire movement was executed clean and smooth, and there was only the faint sound of the silver bell on the old silver locket swaying in the silent air.

Helios: There are many people who need me in this city.

Helios: I can teach you. Want to learn?

He lowered his head slightly, and the old silver locket grazed my chest, which made me take in a sharp inhale. My entire heart and lungs seemed to be occupied by his breath.

I tried to lift up my wrists and lower limbs, but it wasn’t enough to shake off the person above me.

MC: In this bag is the money that I have saved over the past few years. The money you bought me for back then, plus four years’ worth of interest, will be given to you.

Helios: I’m not short on cash.

MC: If you accept the money, I won’t owe you anything, but I will still help you.

I tremblingly stroked the old silver locket on his chest. It carried his body temperature and made my fingertips hot.

It coincided with the seventh day of the seventh month of the first year we met. For the first time, I heard someone cursing him and wanting him to die.

I had cried and went to the temple to ask for a peace charm and an old silver locket. When I got home, I gave them to him together.

I knew that many people in this city hated him, but I wanted him to be safe.

He had just smiled sarcastically at the time, and I threw it away when he turned around. Who knew that I’d see it dangling on his chest here that night.

The silver bells chimed, just like my unstoppable heartbeat.

MC: You still wear this old silver locket.

Helios: I forgot to remove it.

His hot breath fanned my face, entangling with my own breath in the scorching air.

My fingers followed the silver chain of the old silver locket and stroked his chest. I could clearly feel his taut muscles under my fingertips.

MC: There are many orphans like me in the restaurant.

MC: Those merchants who were suppressed by you could always open new shops.

MC: Underground, the losers will always be the bureaucrats who usually bully others and gain funds out of ill will.

MC: I don’t know why you want to be a bad person in the eyes of the city, but what I see is different from others.

Helios: Ridiculous.

MC: This is what you taught me.

Looking at my smile, he snorted coldly, but the moonlight sneaking in illuminated the faint smile in his eyes.

Helios: You just said it wrong.

He glanced at my bag and lowered his body even further.

Helios: Don’t owe me anything?

Helios: The three years and two hundred and seventy-six days with me were enough for you to repay me?

MC: [confused] You didn’t even see how much there is inside….

Helios: I’ve seen it.

He pulled slightly hard, making me stand up instantly.

Helios: You owe me too much.

Helios: I’ll ask you to settle the tab later.

Helios: However, you do need to learn some self-defence skills.

Unlike his usual touch, his fingertips caressed my eyes, ears, nose and neck.

Helios: People have many weaknesses.

Helios: Eyes, ears, throat, heart…. *The way he said this sent shivers down my spine 😳🥵*

As he whispered, his fingertips kept moving downwards, making me nervously hold onto that hand.

Helios: [more sexy whispering] What’s the matter? Don’t you want to learn?

Helios: I gave you the chance to leave.

Helios: But you refused.

[Fourth Part]

Helios implemented his teaching method, “diligently” teaching from the most basic style, which made me extremely embarrassed.

MC: [flustered] ….Can you put on some clothes next time? *MC, no!! What are you even asking?! You enjoy it and you know it! 🥵

Helios: I can wear what I like.

Seeing the obvious teasing in his eyes, I ran away completely.

Finally, I asked him about what would happen on the seventh day of July, and his expression became a little solemn under the clear moonlight.

Gradually, I became even more sure that this was related to what he had done for so many years.

(Cut to store)

In the early morning of the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, a few foreigners in suits and arrogant expressions came to the store.

These people seemed to be a little unkind, and my heart felt uneasy.

Waiter: Miss MC, a guest of the boss, made a reservation at Spring Moon Pavillion.

MC: Let me take care of it.

With a smile, I went to the foreigners and led them to the booth. I didn’t expect that Helios would already be waiting there.

The moment he saw me, his brows lightly furrowed and he tilted his head slightly.

“Leave.”

I blinked and instantly understood what he meant. After the foreigners walked into the booth, they positioned themselves again at the door.

MC: Boss, your guests are here.

After that, I took a step back and then ridicule suddenly rang out.

??: Leaving already?

Unexpectedly, a foreigner walked over, grabbed my wrist and dragged me directly into the booth.

??: Helios, you must have misunderstood.

??: What is the meaning of a group of men when talking about business?

The foreigner smiled sarcastically. I restrained the urge to shoot and looked at Helios cautiously.

In the next second, an invisible cold front flew past my face, grazing the wrist of the foreigner and leaving behind a small, bloody wound.

No one knew when he fired the shot, and Helios was still leaning on the sofa, lazily looking at the wailing foreigner. He made no effort to hide his coldness and murderous intent.

Helios: Next time, it’ll be your head.

Helios: Come here.

I stood cautiously behind Helios, and saw a man in a white suit standing up with a feigned smile.

Foreigner: Just kidding. Don’t get upset, Helios.

Helios: Is that what you learned by spying on me every day?

My heart sank and I tried my best to calm my nerves.

Have these people been spying on him?

Foreigner: Don’t say that, we just need to confirm whether you are worthy of our cooperation.

Foreigner: After all, with this kind of business, ordinary people are not eligible to participate.

Foreigner: But….we also have to look at the sincerity of the boss.

His eyes moved from Helios to me with an arrogant smile.

Foreigner: I heard that you have a well-trained girl who is clever and easy to use. I wonder if you are willing to share?

I was shocked and couldn’t move. I waited quietly for Helios’ answer.

Helios: I can.

The cicadas kept humming noisily, and for an instant, I seemed to be back to that moment from four years ago, when there was only haziness left in this world.

But I just blinked and walked respectfully from the back of the sofa to the foreigners.

It sounded like a serious matter. Maybe he wanted me to be an undercover agent for these foreigners?

Or maybe he just changed his mind again and didn’t need me anymore.

My vision became a little blurred.

Helios: Did you really think I would say that?

Helios’ arms encircled me from behind. His familiar breath came over me, and his voice was filled with pure mockery.

Foreigner: Helios, what do you mean?

Helios: Your nonsense... will anyone still want it?

The foreigner was stunned as if he didn’t expect him to say that. But in the next second, his expression became fierce again.

Foreigner: So it was you who brought those people…!

In the horrified eyes of those foreigners, Helios’ smile became even more ruthless.

Helios: I’ve been tired of looking at the faces of you idiots for a long time now.

Helios: I asked you to come today to settle the account.

At Helios’ signal, I slowly withdrew from the booth.

(Cut to lobby)

I didn’t know what would happen to them next, but maybe something would briefly end today.

I returned to the lobby and asked for the guestbook from the front desk. I wanted to distract myself but there was one face that was stuck in my mind.

Helios won’t get hurt, right?

Helios: ….MC.

Did I trouble him again just now?

Helios: MC.

An impatient sigh sounded in my ears and I felt my figure tilt, and in the next moment, I was trapped in someone’s arms.

Helios: Didn’t you hear me calling you?

MC: Helios….!

Helios: I should’ve said that only you can’t call me by that name.

In this lighted corner, the ambiguous gazes of the other guests in the lobby wandered over to us.

MC: Did you just call me? Wait… Has your matter been resolved?

MC: And let me go first. Th-there are other guests here.

Helios: This is my restaurant.

His fingertips rested on the guestbook, and a faint chilly scent emanated from him.

Helios: Did you really think I would give you to those people just now?

MC: ….

He narrowed his eyes, his voice carrying with it some faint, dangerous warning.

MC: …. I didn’t.

Helios: You’re a terrible liar.

Helios: Why did you walk over?

MC: Because I believe in you. I know you have your reasons.

I couldn’t help holding onto his drooping lapels. At this moment, Helios seemed to reveal all those sharp edges and corners of his heart.

There were only some unfamiliar ones left, which belonged to the insecurities of youth.

Helios: Ridiculous.

As he said this, he pulled me up and walked into the depths of the lobby.

MC: ….Sorry.

Helios: I’m talking about myself.

I looked up in surprise and saw his slightly ironic expression.

Helios: They have a large munitions factory behind them.

His voice was indifferent, but what he said was like a time bomb, going off in my brain.

MC: Munitions factory?!

Helios: Those foreigners have been smuggling arms into the city.

Helios: I couldn’t find the buyers and sellers, but there was always a steady stream of arms that kept coming into the city.

Hearing this, I felt cold sweat ooze from my back.

I knew what the meaning was behind all of this.

I remembered the unfinished words under the hideous faces of those foreigners just now.

Helios had found those people now.

MC: Why…. are you telling me this?

Helios: Because I want to.

In the midst of my wildly racing heartbeat, his words were sure and firm, as if something seemed to be coming to light.

MC: The merchants and bureaucrats that you suppressed were all related to this, right?

Helios’ silence secretly confirmed my suspicions, and my heart couldn’t help but race.

He always carried all the dangers by himself; walking alone in silence.

Why not ask other people for help?

Just as I was about to ask, I immediately thought of the answer.

With the continuous delivery of arms, both buyers and sellers were in the dark, and easy actions against them would only be a surprise.

Did he destroy those arms?

Helios: Strength and weapons are necessary.

Helios: Those who really need it will use them to protect important things.

He said this matter of factly with determined eyes as if understanding what I was thinking in my heart.

We walked through the corridor of the hotel and came to the street from the side door.

The dusk was heavy, the red lanterns softly brightening the sights of the entire street, and it was full of liveliness.

The girls blushed as they cuddled up with their partners under the lights and the crescent silver moon.

Such a quiet night made my nose itch.

MC: If those goods were sold to the original sellers.

MC: What would tonight have been like?

I turned my face to look at Helios by my side. The warm yellow lights shone on the side of his stern face. He didn’t say a word, probably accepting something reluctantly.

MC: What you said about this world… What do you think it will look like in the future?

Helios: There is only brief peace at the moment.

Helios: But suffering will bloom into a flower. (Sidenote: what he means to say is "no pain, no gain." It's one of Kiro's character themes :>)

He raised his head slightly, and the cold moonlight reflected in his blue eyes, like the sea under the moon.

Silent and immense, as if it could contain everything.

Seeing him like this reminded me of those distant eyes.

In a ghostly manner, I took out the crumpled old photo from my purse and held it beside his face.

Helios: Why do you carry this person’s picture with you everywhere?

MC: [smiling affectionately] Because he is special to me.

Helios: And yet you still follow me?

MC: This is different.

Looking at his teasing smile, I snorted at him and looked at the boy in the photo with a warm smile.

MC: You said that when technology advances in the future, this photo will definitely become the colour in my memory.

Under the blue sky, the blond boy was like a passionate golden sun under the eyes of the crowd.

He smiled and seemed to be able to become a source of invincible courage.

He could gather endless amounts of enthusiasm as long as he stood there.

His voice turned into notes and tunes, dancing along with the wind, driving some of the darkness away.

In this devastated generation, he was like a burning flame.

Kiro: I’m Kiro.

Kiro: Thank you for listening to my song.

Helios looked at the yellowed black and white photo, looking a bit dazed for a while, and a little lonely.

Helios: No one in this city remembers him anymore.

MC: I still remember.

MC: Even if the whole world doesn’t, I will remember him.

In those turbulent years, I had always remembered the embers left behind by that meteor.

Once, there was a young man named Kiro who helped me through countless dark and dull times with a smile.

Until the day I met Helios. I gained the strength to live again from this person.

MC: I think you are very similar.

MC: Although your methods are different, you are both using your own strength to illuminate and empower others.

Helios’ pupils contracted unconsciously, and became deeper with my words.

The slowly rising paper lanterns glowed with a gentle light, quietly surrounding us, like a tender embrace.

Helios: You haven’t asked for this year’s peace charm.

Hearing what he said, I suddenly remembered that because of the previous kidnapping, I couldn’t find a peace charm.

MC: Seeing your attitude before, I thought that there was something that was making you anxious, so I kept following you.

Helios: What attitude?

MC: You said I should leave before the seventh day of July. I asked you about it later, but you didn’t say anything. Wasn’t it about that serious matter?

Hearing my question, Helios froze for a moment and then turned his face to the side, his earlobes slowly turning red.

MC: Was that not what it meant?

Helios: ….

He pursed his mouth and the lights shone behind him like a splendid landscape painting.

Helios: Because “weakness” really does become a weakness.

MC: Huh?

Helios: You are the only person here who wants me to be safe and live a long life.

Helios: I was reluctant to wait until the Qixi Festival this year.

Helios: Although, I don’t understand why you would want to wish for peace during the Qixi Festival.

My heart was beating fast, and seeing Helios’ face turned to the side, I found his eyes to be brighter than the stars.

MC: [blushing] Because, because I just happened to run into you at that time. *Changed some wording*

MC: And if it’s the New Year, the wishes would all pile up on top of each other, and God won’t be able to hear them.

MC: During the Qixi Festival, maybe God is used to hearing the wishes for marriage, so he can hear my request for peace without needing it to unheard.

Helios: Then today, in addition to asking for peace, you can also wish for marriage.

Helios smiled slightly with some clarity and sincerity.

MC: ….In that case, a name is needed.

MC: But you never let me call you by this name.

I held my breath nervously and saw his face slowly leaning towards me. I didn’t mind the attention around me, and his breath slowly entangled with mine.

Helios: Let me see.

His protracted tone was a bit tempting and bewitching as if it had lost a thick shell; more naked and intimate than usual, and finally landed on my lips.

Helios: Ki-Ro.

Helios: Please use that name.

End

You can find the call that comes after this date here!

#mlqc #mlqc spoilers #mr love #mr love game #mr love queens choice #mr love dream date #mldd #mr love kiro #mldd kiro #mlqc kiro #周棋洛 #date translation #LOVED THIS DATE!!#a whole symphony of Kiro flavours #I especially liked the unexpected spice

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cheri-translates · 4 years

Text

[CN] Gavin’s Returning from Afar Date (Eng Translation)

🍒 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for a date, 远归之约, which has not been released in English servers! 🍒

[ This date was released in CN on 28 Sep 2020 ]

This is the 29th day of Gavin’s mission, and also the day he said he’d return.

As agreed, I’m in Gavin’s house to water Little Spiky. Since I’m already here, I also tidy up the place, which hasn’t been habited for a month.

MC: Mm, its rootstocks are healthy, the colour is lush and green, and it’s growing well. Now to put it under the sun.

I carry it to the window carefully, letting it soak in sunlight.

My line of sight lingers on the wind chimes hanging near the window. I reach out to pull at the crystal piece.

The bright and limpid crystal suddenly sends my consciousness back to the week before Gavin departed for the mission.

[ flashback ]

The afternoon wind blows the curtains upwards, brushing across the crystal shoes glittering on the floor.

If one were to ignore the slight scratch at the back, this would have been a perfect souvenir.

I squat on the floor, one hand holding the “main culprit” - the broom, and another hand gripping my phone, giving the manufacturer a call while feeling upset.

MC: Hello? I’m the person in charge of [MC’s Company Name]. We held an activity and ordered crystal shoes from your company. Do you still remember that?

Person in charge: Miss MC, right? I remember, I remember. Do you want to collaborate with us for another event?

MC: Ah, actually, one of the crystal shoes has a scratch on its back. I wanted to ask if it’s possible to fix it?

Person in charge: Hmm... Because of the way it was designed, that batch of crystal shoes were specially handled, so traditional restoration works won’t be effective. But since you’re a regular client of our company, we can send you a pair based on the address you gave us.

MC: ...no need for the trouble. Since it can't be restored, it’s fine. Thank you.

I hang up, a little disappointed.

In the midst of cleaning up, I had accidentally scratched the crystal shoes Gavin gave me the other time.

[Note] MC is referring to Gavin’s 2 Become 1 Date, which is available in EN.

Although the damage is slight, it’s not something I can just ignore.

While sighing, I store the crystal shoes back into the box, and place it in the cabinet.

At this moment, a low knocking sound resounds from the door.

When I open it, I see that the person standing at the door is Gavin.

Light and shadows are cast on his profile, illuminating his sharp and soft eyes.

Gavin: What are you busy with?

He walks in while speaking. Without him noticing, I prod the the box containing the crystal shoes further into the shoe cabinet.

MC: I was doing a cleanup, but it’s almost done.

Gavin responds with a “Mm”. He seems to hesitate, then walks over and takes my hand in his, his thumb rubbing it gently.

Gavin: I have a mission in a few days. It’s of a high level, so you might not be able to contact me for a while.

I freeze for a moment, subconsciously recalling how Eli had previously detailed the dangers of Gavin’s missions.

MC: ...is the level of danger very high as well?

Gavin: Mm, it’s a little dangerous. Which is why I have to go.

He pauses, then continues.

Gavin: You don’t need to worry. Before the 30th of next month, I’ll definitely be back.

He speaks confidently. Suppressing the worry in my heart, I give him a smile.

MC: All right. I’ll take care of Little Spiky. And will wait for you to come back.

[ end of flashback ]

The wind chime clangs, its melody light-hearted and lively. However, I can’t help but sigh.

For some reason, the second day after Gavin left, I discovered that the crystal shoes in the cabinet had disappeared.

I searched the house, but couldn’t find a trace of them. In the end, my guess was that a thief had stolen them.

Even after pondering over it a hundred times, I remain puzzled about the thief’s motives, and couldn’t fathom how a thief could have broken in. To be safe, I ended up changing the lock.

MC: When Gavin returns, should I tell him about this...

All of a sudden, the wind outside grows stronger, causing a magazine on the table to flip open with a rustle.

MC: What’s this?

I walk over, holding up the magazine. I flip through it randomly, and wind up on a page which has been folded.

It features a custom-made jewellery shop.

The vibrant front cover is incompatible with the cold colours of Gavin’s house. On the page, the eye-catching font forms the shop’s name - “Cang Xing”.

[Note] 苍星 (“cang xing”) directly translates to “dark green star”.

MC: Isn’t this the private studio which opened recently?

In a program not too long ago, I got to know about this shop. Although its prices are hefty, and the workmanship takes quite a long time, it has a very good reputation.

I find myself getting confused.

MC: Is Gavin interested in this shop too...

The phone suddenly rings.

Designer: Hello. Is this Miss MC? I’m a designer from Cang Xing. Previously, a customer ordered a gift for you. May I know if you have time to drop by and have a look today?

MC: A gift?

My eyes flit to the magazine in my hands, a vague guess surfacing in my heart.

MC: All right, I’ll head over now.

Pushing open the doors to the studio, it’s as though I’ve stepped into another world.

Soft white muslin can be seen everywhere. Jewellery of various colours can be seen on the ivory tables, brilliant like stars in the dark night.

The table near the entrance has visitors’ book. The designer doesn’t seem to be around, so I instinctively pick up a pen and flip it open, planning to write my name down.

After signing my name and preparing to shut the book, I suddenly see familiar handwriting.

On the upper section of this page, amongst a mix of illegible and serious font, there’s a handsome and light-hearted one.

It’s Gavin’s.

The date that he filled in was the third day before he left for the mission.

??: May I know if you’re Miss MC?

A staff dressed in working attire walks towards me.

MC: Mm, I’m MC.

??: Nice to meet you, I’m the designer who talked to you over the phone earlier. Please follow me.

I follow the designer’s directions and walk towards a reception area at the side.

Several pink jasmines are scattered on the table of the reception area. At the side, there’s a long white silk ribbon, looking as though it’s been tied halfway.

MC: Is there an event happening in the store today?

Designer: No, there isn’t. These were leftover flowers from an earlier event. I just thought to use them to decorate the shop. I didn’t expect you to reach so quickly, so I was only halfway done with the decorations.

The designer explains in embarrassment.

MC: I see. Oh yes, you mentioned a custom-made gift in the call...

The designer casts a glance towards the door, her expression turning apologetic.

Designer: Well... I have to wait for the customer who ordered it to arrive before I can tell you. I’m really sorry about that.

I nod my head pensively. Looking at the unfinished decorations, I break the silence.

MC: Since I have to wait, why don’t I help you with the decorations?

Designer: How could I ask that of you!

MC: It’s fine. Is this meant to be hung on the wall?

While speaking, I pick up the jasmine flowers on the floor, and hand it to the designer.

After that, we stand on the stools, hanging the jasmine flowers on the wall. The white muslin sways gently next to us.

At this moment, the door is suddenly pulled open. What follows is the sound of specially made boots. The footsteps are slightly hurried, and they pause not too far off.

Gavin: Sorry, I arrived slightly later than scheduled.

I lift my head abruptly, turning around and wanting to hop off the stool. But my coat gets stuck on a hook, which has jasmine flowers hanging on it.

MC: !

Along with the sound of fabric ripping, a pulling force tugs me backwards, and there’s empty space beneath my feet.

MC: Gavin--

In a moment of desperation, the word slips my mouth.

A gust of wind blows up the white muslin. Accompanied by a calm laugh, a strong pair of arms wrap around my waist.

Gavin: [laughs] Don't worry, I won’t let you fall.

Gavin catches me steadily. In the narrow and small world created by the soft, drifting muslin, he carries me and spins in half a circle.

My torn coat is on the floor. Slightly embarrassed, I clasp a hand over the strap which has fallen off my shoulder.

Gavin sets me down. His gaze falls on my body lightly. Then, he hurriedly averts his line of sight.

Gavin: [coughs] ...

The temperature in the room suddenly rises. Face flushed, I frantically search for the coat.

MC: ...where’s the coat?

Gavin: Over here.

He picks up the coat and hands it to me, his eyes averted to the side, his ears tinged a slight red. I take the coat, but discover that it’s basically unwearable since the snag is too serious.

In the next second, a warm piece of clothing is draped over me. The texture feels slightly hard, and I can even still feel the cold insignia.

MC: ?

I lift my head to see that Gavin has taken off his uniform, revealing his white shirt underneath.

Gavin: Put mine on first.

He pulls the uniform more snugly around my body. His warm fingertips accidentally brush my collarbone, causing me to shiver.

Face flushed, I lower my head. But I catch sight of a ripped button on Gavin’s shirt.

MC: What happened? Are you hurt? Are there any other places? Let me see...

Anxious, I’m just about to pry apart his shirt to check if there are any injuries on his body.

Gavin: ...

Gavin: I’m fine.

Gavin grips my hand to stop me, his cheeks slightly red.

The designer had left without us realising it, leaving the private space to us.

The surroundings are delicate and tranquil. Only the person before me carries with him a windy and frosty aura, his eyes lowered as he watches me quietly.

[Note] Interestingly, the word used to describe Gavin’s aura, 风霜 (“feng shuang”) also has a figurative meaning to describe someone who has experienced hardships in life :’)

MC: Let me have a look then. Only after I’ve verified it with my own eyes, I’ll believe that you’re not lying to me.

I act in a fit of pique, angry and not understanding why he would still hide his injuries from me.

Gavin looks resigned. After a moment, his long and slender fingers touch his lapel, slowly removing one button.

His defined muscles come into view, revealing a lean figure.

My hand gently brushes a wound on his shoulder blade which has already formed a scab, and my nose suddenly feels sour.

Gavin: It’s just a small wound, and it has already healed.

His gaze follows my hands and rests on the wound, then he pauses.

After being silent for a while, I lower my head, mildly aggrieved, and speak.

MC: Did you rush over from afar? Actually, you could have taken your time to come back. You didn’t have to... be afraid that I’d worry, and be so anxious.

I hold onto Gavin’s hand. He hasn’t removed his gloves, and the touch feels as cold as ice, bringing with it a chill.

Gavin: It wasn’t far.

He tries removing his gloves before holding me again. But I don’t release him, and I tighten my grip.

Gavin pauses. Then, his fingers curl slightly, encasing my hand in his.

Gavin: The mission was completed earlier, so I came back.

A smile dyes Gavin’s eyes. Then, he pinches my palm.

Gavin: Let’s not talk about these things first. The gift I prepared for you - want to know what it is?

Looking at the mildly expectant expression on his face, I can’t help but store away my sour emotions, and snort with laughter.

MC: I do want to know. So could Officer Gavin tell me what it is?

Gavin: You’ll know soon.

MC: I didn’t think there would be a small showroom at the back of the private studio...

After pushing open the door inside the studio, what enters my vision is a glass showroom.

The outer side of the showroom is constructed using glass, allowing sunlight to stream in, illuminating bouquets of pink jasmine flowers that have been strung up.

Gavin: This is a small glass showroom originally used by the owner to allow customers to hold mock weddings.

Gavin guides me to the centre of the showroom, brushing past the flower bouquets.

Gavin: But today, I’ve temporarily borrowed it.

A gust of wind causes the fine gauze draped over the showcase in the middle to fall, revealing a pair of crystal shoes surrounded by flowers.

The shoe now has a small gem embedded in the place which was scratched - brilliant, bright and sparkling.

MC: ...this is? What is it doing here?!

Gavin: When I went to your house the other day, I saw that you placed them on the shoe cabinet.

I’m a little dumbfounded.

MC: I thought I hid it in the box...

Gavin can’t help but laugh.

Gavin: Mm, you did hide it in the box. But your reaction was too obvious. In the span of a meal, you glanced at that area around ten times. So before I left, I took a look.

This causes me to feel perplexed.

MC: So you were the one who secretly took the shoes away. I thought I lost them, and was depressed for so long. I also thought a thief stole them, and even changed the lock.

I mumble softly, but my eyes sneakily linger on that pair of fully restored crystal shoes.

The unease from the scratched souvenir vanishes bit by bit, turning into a sweetened state of mind.

Gavin: I searched for many places, but only this shop’s owner said he could use precious stones to try restoring the damaged area.

Gavin: The date of the completed restoration could have been earlier, but I wanted to give them to you personally.

Gavin: Which is why I asked the shop to give you call today.

Gavin: [coughs] Even though it looks different from how it was before...

I interrupt him softly.

MC: But I like it very much.

Gavin stops, looking at me seriously with lowered eyes.

Gavin: I did this because I didn’t want you to be unhappy over the damaged crystal shoes.

Gavin: As long as you like it, that’s all that matters.

His words land on my heart, rippling across it.

Slightly flushed, my peripheral vision rests on the gem, which is reflecting specks of light.

MC: Oh yes, what’s with this gem?

Gavin: While I was on a mission, I passed by a shop and saw this gem through the window.

Gavin releases an unnatural cough.

Gavin: At that time, I was about to return to help you with the amusement park wedding photoshoot. I thought it would be of use, so I bought it.

Gavin: But after that, I didn’t have a chance to give it to you.

He seems to think about something, and laughs lightly.

Gavin: I kept thinking about when would be an appropriate time to give it to you.

Gavin: It just so happened that the shape of the gem needed by the owner tallied with this.

Gavin: So it was used.

He fixes his eyes on me, affectionate and gentle.

Sunlight parts the layers of clouds, casting a warm shade. It’s as though I can clearly hear the sound of my own heart beating.

The sound gradually grows louder, becoming more urgent, wanting to burrow its way out of my chest and tell the person in front of me how I feel right now.

MC: Although what I’m about to say may come across as being overly polite to you, I still have to say it.

MC: Gavin, thank you.

Thank you for silently watching over my mood. Thank you for always returning to my side no matter where you go.

The white muslin drifts to and fro. My heart stirs, and I gently touch the muslin in front of me. Sunlight streams in.

My fingertips brush the soft white muslin, tracing the word “Gavin” on it.

I turn my head to the side, blinking at Gavin a little playfully.

MC: This word - apart from it being your name, it also has another meaning.

MC: It’s “courage”.

Gavin’s eyes pause on my face, as though he’s slightly shocked. But it quickly morphs into a smile which harbours starlight.

His smile leaves me in a daze. I turn back, pretending to be unaffected as I begin speaking softly.

MC: Gavin, you are my courage.

MC: You are the courage I have when I face life’s large and small twists and turns.

MC: Next time, I’ll become a person who is stronger in heart, and won’t be dejected over such a trivial matter.

MC: I’ll also work hard to become your courage and strength - to protect you from harm each time you go on missions.

MC: Or... to sustain fewer injuries.

I wave a fist towards Gavin as a display of my determination. The sunlight sifting in through the muslin is like a gentle filter, descending on Gavin slowly.

Having to part from each other and having gloomy moods are inevitable. But there’s one person who will ultimately make his way over to me, smoothening out all the anguish, leaving only happiness behind.

He will cross the mountains and rivers, walk across the clouds and the moon, to meet me at the brink of dawn.

Gavin: [laughs] I got it.

He turns his head, mimicking my earlier actions, lifting his hand to trace something on the white muslin.

MC: This is...

I try to decipher what he wrote, but can’t tell what it is. Confused, I look at Gavin.

He puts his hand down, lifting his eyes to stare at me quietly.

Gavin: Protecting each other.

His voice is loud and clear, reminiscent of a galloping breeze in autumn, crashing into my heart.

Gavin: You are already my strength.

Gavin: So I will keep protecting you, and everything you like.

The numerous times of parting, the numerous mornings and evenings spent alone, now leave a sweet aftertaste.

MC: Gavin, I’m really happy now.

MC: So happy that I feel as though the entire world is before me at this moment, and within reach.

Seeing my smile, Gavin lifts the white muslin between us, reaching out to bring me into his arms.

The coat draped over my shoulders slides off. The white muslin is akin to a gentle mist, gracefully drifting mid-air, then falling onto the both of us.

Gavin holds my hand, encircling me in his arms.

MC: Gavin...

The close and warm contact causes my face to heat up. I can’t help but call his name.

But he isn’t in a hurry to respond. Instead, he lifts a hand, taking a strand of my hair into his palm, his gaze lingering on my face.

Gavin: Now, I’m the only person in your entire world.

The delicate fragrance of pink jasmine slowly permeates the air. The temperature from our laced fingers is scalding. I tilt my head upwards, giving Gavin’s chin a careful peck.

MC: In that case, could I bribe my entire world to let me have this moment for a while longer?

In the next second, I feel warmth around my waist, and Gavin wraps me in his arms tightly.

He lowers his head slightly, his fringe brushing my eyelashes. I can feel his steady, composed breaths.

Gavin: No matter how long it is, you can.

Phone call: here

🍒 Cheri’s elegant thoughts 🍒

HE PURCHASED A RING OKAY

NO ONE JUST BUYS A RANDOM GEMSTONE

HE HAD A RING ALL THIS TIME

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

#mlqc #mlqc cn #mlqc spoilers #mlqc gavin

305 notes · View notes

gellavonhamster · 3 years

Text

cold weapons

Suicide Squad (2016) || Captain Boomerang/Katana || post-canon

ao3 link eng || this was first written and published on ao3 in Russian in 2017 but I didn't attempt to translate it into English back then.

“So, what do you think of them?” Colonel Flag asks.

Tatsu puts the folder containing the rap sheet of Waylon Jones, better known as Killer Croc, on top of three other folders.

“They’re complicated,” she replies after giving it some thought.

The materials in these folders could have formed her first impression about the members of Task Force X – or, as Lawton has aptly put it, the Suicide Squad. Could have, but did not, because they were given their first task earlier than expected. Which is why she doesn’t say “villains” or “scoundrels” or “worst team imaginable” – her first impression of them was formed in combat, and then in an empty bar in Midway City where they all drank together thinking it may be the last drink in their lives. She remembers all of this and says ‘complicated’.

“Very tactful of you,” the colonel chuckles. Then again, what kind of colonel is he now – an unwashed shirt, black circles under the eyes. Just another guy struggling with a deluge of work, a hard-hearted boss, and a troubled relationship with his girlfriend. “But yeah, they definitely aren’t simple,” continues Rick Flag, one of her few friends in the country that will never become her home, and Tatsu cannot suppress a tired smile.

“You like them.”

“They’re… tolerable,” Rick admits, and takes another sip of coffee. Lately he seems to be living only on coffee and whiskey and the verb “must” and (so Tatsu supposes, although they don’t talk about that) the hope that June Moone, who still hasn’t fully recovered from all the horrors she’s been through, will be all right – and will stop isolating herself and avoiding him. These means for not letting yourself just fall down and never get up are far from being reliable, but Tatsu herself lives mostly on revenge and duty and, for that matter, whiskey as well, to a certain degree, so it’s not for her to judge. “Most of them, at least. All of them minus the Australian.”

“At least he’s a good fighter,” Tatsu points out. This is the only good thing she can say about Captain Boomerang with full confidence.

“He’s not cut out for teamwork.”

“When we were fighting the Enchantress, it didn’t look to me like that.”

She does not put much meaning into these words. It’s just that at some point Captain Boomerang saved her, and she saved him – and good thing they’re even, because the last thing she needs is to owe a favour to someone so incompatible with the very concept of duty. She could have said much about the man who tried to escape at the very beginning of the mission and got a teammate killed (and for some reason stood up for El Diablo when Harley Quinn lashed out at him at the bar, and for some reason came back before the battle after trying to desert), but the only thing she’s sure of is that he’s a fine weapon; she can confirm that, being a weapon herself. At the end of the day, that is all that’s required from him.

At the end of the day, that is all that’s required from her, too.

***

It is possible that what she said about Digger Harkness sticks in Rick’s memory, because when the need to comb the area arises during the next mission, he sends the two of them to search through the same building.

“If he gets up to something, do whatever you want to him. No one’s gonna weep for him,” he flings off. This is in the heat of the moment, of course – Boomerang almost got into a fight with Killer Croc on the helicopter over some nonsense. Or rather, it was Croc that almost got into a fight with Boomerang after the latter provoked him. Complicated.

“You heard that, darl?” Boomerang addresses her with a smile so wide as if he hasn’t heard the last remark. “I’m all yours.”

Tatsu looks the other way and pointedly takes her sword out of its sheath – not completely, just a little. No further comments follow, and they part company – Deadshot with Croc, Flag with his team of spec ops, Tatsu with Boomerang – and go on a recce.

In the basement, they discover something that looks like a laboratory – if a place so far from being sanitary may even be called one. All their hopes to move without making a sound crumble as soon as they enter the room: the floor is covered with broken glass. Those who ran the place must have escaped in haste and couldn’t take the entire stock of the serum with them, so they opted to destroy most of it. Tatsu’s attention is immediately drawn to the object on the table in the middle of the room – a metal container with tubes going from it to several smaller vessels. She heads straight for the table, shards crunching underfoot. Boomerang follows her, apparently kicking the largest shards on purpose so that they fly in all directions.

“Looks like a hooch still,” he comments, having come closer, and gives a whistle. “Whoa, fuck, is that blood?”

Compared to the first task of their squad, this one looks almost effortless. Two gangs, the members of one of which possess the formula of the serum that grants superpowers to those who take it. A gun battle, collateral damage, the entire district on lockdown. If a few people weren’t noticed literally floating through the sky, the police would have been handling this. But this is an emergency, which is why they’re here, and the flying gangsters aren’t flying anymore, for Lawton is an exceptionally good shot.

As it turns out, the serum that sparked the conflict is based on metahuman blood – hardly donated voluntarily.

“I’ll contact Colonel Flag,” says Tatsu, eyes locked on the bloodied tubes, and then someone grabs her by the neck.

For the first time in her life, she really has to fight blindly – because her enemy is invisible.

Later, when the dead bodies gradually become visible on the floor like an eerie animated movie, it turns out there were four of them. Before that, Tatsu manages to lose her sword, recapture it, almost choke when an invisible hand squeezes her neck, slash one of the attackers in half, and plunge the blade into another’s stomach. Boomerang takes care of the other two, knocking over the container in the process.

Tatsu is listening to the silence that came after the fight, wondering if any other invisible foes are lurking around the corner, when she feels that something is wrong. Something is wrong with her – she just can't figure out what. Sometimes it happens that one feels unwell but cannot determine what exactly the problem is – she is experiencing something similar now. Until she realizes: the mask. Until she looks up and makes eye contact with Captain Boomerang, who is staring at her and grinning.

“You lost anything, doll?” Harkness inquires innocently, with an emphasis on the last word, and his smile grows even wider and cockier.

Shit. Shit, shit, shit. The invisible man she fought hand to hand tore off her mask, and she didn’t even notice. But her partner, blast him, did – and picked it up.

“Give it back,” Tatsu demands, hand outstretched. She feels naked. In combat, during the mission, she is Katana, a single whole with her sword. A cold weapon. No one needs to see her face. Truly, if she was wearing only the mask and nothing else, she would have felt less exposed – all right, this is an overstatement, and she doesn’t even want to imagine such a situation. Meanwhile, Boomerang is in no hurry to return the mask.

“What did ya call me when that fucker was about to stab me?” he asks. Tatsu clenches the sword hilt. There is no telling how many enemies drunk on the magic serum are hiding in this house, and he’s dawdling. “You said…”

Damn it, what did she say? She saw one of the invisibles creeping up on him while he was fighting another – a bloodstain was floating through the air. She shouted…

“I said ‘George’”. Isn’t your name George Harkness?”

“You bet it is. It’s just weird. Most people don’t call me George, y’know.”

“How do they call you then?”

“Digger. Boomerang. Boomer. That Prick. All sorts of things, but never George. But you,” he winks, “can call me whatever ya want. I liked the way you say my name.”

“Give. Me. The mask.”

“And the magic word?”

“I will chop your hand off,” as a proof of her intentions, she puts the blade against his extended hand that is holding her mask. In fact, she would face no consequences for doing so. No one’s gonna weep for him.

Harkness makes a helpless gesture and hands her the mask.

“Can’t say no to you, luv.��

The mask helps her conceal her identity, but what is more important is that it helps her conceal needless emotions. Tatsu really hopes that her facial expression isn’t giving away that she’s ill at ease now. This is a weakness; weaknesses are not to be demonstrated. She feels deeply relieved when she puts the mask back on.

“Let’s get out of here,” she commands, turns around, and heads for the exit. Harkness trails behind.

“It ain’t fair, by the way. You know my real name, but I don’t know yours,” he muses. “Care to introduce yourself, eh?”

He asks the same question at least three times more before they return to Belle Reve, and each time she ignores him.

***

A week later, he still doesn’t know her name – but he learns something else.

They do away with the last members of the recent gang on the outskirts of the city. Both wretches have overused the unfortunate serum, in keeping with the best traditions of the clichéd movies about superheroes and supervillains that Hollywood keeps producing for some reason, even though it is more and more often possible to see nearly the same thing on the news. As a result, one of them got puffed up almost to the size of the creature that Superman died fighting, and the other couldn’t control the flames bursting from his mouth. He burned half of the shopping centre with customers, retail workers, and guards. With teenagers in the bowling alley on the second floor and children in the playroom on the first.

Santana… wouldn’t have approved.

Both problems eliminated, they leave: the firefighters and the cops will take it from here. Flag’s spec ops stay behind, because officially it is their victory; the general public shouldn’t know about the existence of Task Force X. Through backyards, they retreat in the direction of the abandoned construction site on the other side of the street; a car has been sent to pick them up there.

There is a workers’ trailer still standing by the construction pit. The door is not locked, and Rick, Deadshot, Croc, and Boomerang go inside. Jones’s arm is broken: his inhuman strength notwithstanding, he still was no match for his enemy – not the fire-breather, but the other one. Tatsu leaves them to figure out how to make a temporary sling, and wanders away. Not far from the trailer, a piece of tarpaulin stretched over the fence has come off, and she can see the building across the street. Tatsu sits down on the ground, puts her arms around her knees, and stares at the dandelions growing by the fence.

In her head, flames are raging.

She doesn’t look up, neither when she hears the footsteps approaching, nor when Harkness – and it is him, no one else in the Squad reeks of the mixture of booze and cologne like that – sits down next to her and cracks open a can of beer.

“You want some?” he nudges her. What extraordinary generosity. It is, however, perfectly possible that if she says yes, he’ll reply along the lines of “Well, then go and buy yourself some.”

“No,” Tatsu replies without looking and, after a short pause, adds, “Thank you.”

“Are you sure?”

With a sigh, she accepts the can from his hands, and takes a sip.

“This is disgusting,” she whispers, and takes another.

Harkness just snorts and opens another one. For a little while, they sit side by side in silence, drinking each from their own can, and study the wall opposite through the mesh of the fence – like out of a prison window. Old advertisements that are half torn off, graffiti, a writing proclaiming that life fucks us all – plenty of things to stare at to avoid looking the person next to you in the eye.

“So what the hell happened to ya?” Boomerang asks, and suddenly she could do with some serum for invisibility or, better yet, disappearing completely. Naturally, it is a fleeting impulse; she has no right to disappear. She has obligations – towards Flag, towards Waller. Towards herself.

“Nothing.”

“Nothing? You zoned out, Flag shouted himself hoarse before you heard him. Like you were someplace else. Didn’t ya?”

Why do you need to know? Tatsu thinks. If she almost rushed headlong into the fire, it’s her own business. If it only seemed to her that someone was there, it’s her own business. If she’s going to see things that aren’t there for the rest of her life, it’s her own business. He shouldn't have spoken. There is something comforting about being silent together.

“Nah, you don’t have to say if you don’t wanna,” Boomerang assents, and takes another pull on his can. “I just thought that you, well. Might wanna talk to someone.”

And they fall silent again. Yet now Tatsu feels awkward, which makes her angry at herself. She’s not obliged to pour out her heart to anyone who shows something that looks like care.

This silence doesn’t make it any easier.

“I have… bad memories,” she finally says. Now it won’t be as awkward: she answered his question. It won’t be, right? “About a fire”.

Harkness nods, looking at her attentively.

“Someone you knew died, aye?”

“My children,” she hears herself say, and wishes to disappear again.

“Fuck,” Boomerang says, embarrassed, and – unbelievable – looks like he actually feels bad about starting this conversation. “I’m sorry, I… well, uh, I had no idea.”

“It’s okay,” Tatsu says mechanically. Nothing is okay: she can still see Yuki’s tear-stained face, still hear Reiko’s voice, she is still watching the flames run up the curtains that she and Maseo picked together, she is still breathing in the smoke and still cannot believe she deserves a gulp of fresh air. She should have saved them. All of them.

Boomerang looks at her incredulously but doesn’t say anything, and bit by bit, the silence that she doesn’t want to run from returns – the kind of silence in which one is not alone.

Then there are footsteps again, and Flag approaches them.

“There you are,” he says with relief as soon as he sees her. Rick does not let himself overstep the limits of formality – they’re on a mission, after all – but he has obviously been worried. At the sight of Harkness, he frowns warily. “You! Quit getting on her nerves.”

“Who’s gettin’ on her nerves, Colonel? I was just tryin’ to help,” Harkness protests. It appears Rick’s words have wounded him a little.

“He was,” Tatsu says. “It’s all under control, Colonel Flag.”

Flag shifts his gaze to her and then to Boomerang again, and nods.

“Okay. In any case… follow me. We’re leaving.”

Tatsu gives her unfinished beer to Boomerang.

“Don’t talk about this to anyone,” she tells him. This might be an order or a request; she doesn’t really know.

He nods, and she thinks absentmindedly: who would have thought this man knows how to make a solemn face.

“Thank you,” she says again, hoping that he understands that this is not just about the beer or his promise to keep his mouth shut.

***

After a few days, Tatsu comes to visit him. In prison.

Actually, she comes to visit all of them, of course. Not more than fifteen minutes alone with each of them – Waller wouldn’t allow more. This request seems to have surprised her, but Tatsu is certain that Waller is already picturing the new threads she can use to manipulate her special operations puppets. So it is possible that one day this decision will blow up in Tatsu’s face – or in the faces of all of them. But she cannot shake off the feeling that she must do this – so that someone except Rick, who is already dealing with a lot these days, would notice in time if the inmates are treated with undeserved cruelty. So that she knows what’s on their minds, because it is safer to fight side by side with the people whose line of thought she can understand at least roughly. So that there is some kind of variety in their lives between the missions.

This is why she visits all three of them. Killer Croc, who looks like he’s not surprised to see her in the slightest and doesn’t really seems to care that she came, but doesn’t have any issue with that either. Deadshot, who looks like he is surprised, but doesn’t seem to mind answering her questions when she notices a stack of letters in the corner and asks him how his daughter is doing. And Captain Boomerang, who, when she enters his cell, looks like he can’t figure out if he’s dreaming.

“Katana?” he frowns perplexedly. He’s stripped to his waist, so she can see a couple of fresh scars he brought back from the last mission, and he’s got a black eye – when Tatsu saw him last, he had not. Must have quarrelled with the guards again. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to see you.”

For a moment he seems not to understand what she just said. Then he breaks into a smile – or rather a grin, wide and pleased. Very pleased.

“Aha! Knew it would end up like this,” he pronounces in triumph.

“Like this?”

“You,” he looks like he’s just proven a theorem of immense complexity, “missed me.”

“I haven’t missed you, Captain.”

A very, very pleased grin.

“And still you’re here.”

“I visited Deadshot and Killer Croc earlier,” Tatsu says, and sees his facial expression change instantly. Not for long: the grin is quick to return, and she wouldn’t be able to tell right away that he’s disappointed.

“Did ya now? And how are our fellas doing? Better than me, I reckon?”

“So it would seem. Did you fight the guards?”

“Why do you care, gorgeous?”

Indeed, why does she? Most likely, he picked a fight himself – and got his just deserts.

“Make up your mind,” Tatsu says, “if you think that I missed you or that I don’t care.”

Harkness chuckles and really seems to ponder over this for a while.

“Beats me,” he concludes at last. “Care to throw some light on it?”

No, Tatsu thinks, I don’t get it myself and I’m not sure I want to.

Instead of answering, she comes closer to him – so close that she can smell his sweat – and studies his face. She has to look up to be able to do that, which must look comical. Then again, he’s hardly stupid enough to laugh at her height or anything else about her, especially when she’s armed and he is not.

“You lost a tooth. What happened?”

“Didn’t get along with one of the Wall’s watchdogs.”

“You could have tried not to look for trouble for a change,” all of a sudden, Tatsu realizes that she’s mad. Really mad at him. They might get dragged to another mission this instant; whether they like it or not, they have to be in good enough shape to protect the society that the most of them have to atone before at least partially. They shouldn’t spend their energy and health on nonsense. Black eyes and knocked-out teeth are nothing, but it mustn’t come to any of them being out of action when all of them are needed. All their powers, all their skills. All the anger they should rather aim at something other than the people who can just press a certain button at any point – and dispose of the wilful weapon.

Boomerang bares his teeth – not like Croc, of course, but still threateningly. He looks dangerous now – big, sturdy, more than a head taller than her. But he still isn’t more dangerous than her – and both of them are aware of that.

“And they could have tried,” he speaks through his teeth, “not to talk shit about my mother for a change. They wanna talk shit about me, they can knock themselves out. I’ve heard enough ‘bout myself, I don’t give a flying fuck about what else they gonna say. But they’d better leave my mother out of it.”

So that’s what it is. They have found a quick and easy way to infuriate the man who has “MUM” tattooed on his chest. In uneven letters, like a child's handwriting. Tatsu noticed that tattoo as soon as she came in but didn’t look too closely at it. Now she feels like she has the right to look, to let her gaze slip lower, at the ridiculous writing that heaves with each furious breath of his, and then to avert her eyes at once.

“They have power, and you have nothing,” she says. “Do you enjoy being their plaything?”

“Oh, so I’m a plaything, darl? And do I have much choice who to be now? In these four walls, and,” Boomerang points at his neck, at the place where a bomb is implanted under his skin, “with this crap in my neck?”

Tatsu looks up again, right him in the eye.

“You already know who you are,” she tells him. “You’re a weapon. Broken weapons get discarded. And you’re letting them break you.”

He stays silent, just looks at her in an odd manner, as if she’s speaking another language but he has a vague understanding of what she’s saying and doesn’t like what he just heard – because it is the truth.

Tatsu still doesn’t understand why she cares, and with each passing minute she has less and less desire to learn why.

“Also,” she continues, “if you call me ‘darl’ or ‘gorgeous’ one more time, you’re going to regret opening your mouth.”

“Yeah? And how should I call ya?”

“Katana.”

“What, and that’s all? Nah, we might be weapons,” and she probably ought to remind him that there is no ‘we’, but in this particular case he’s right. Perhaps that is why Tatsu feels drawn to all of them: they’re cut from the same cloth, “but we’re alive as well. So far. Seriously, what’s yer real name? You know mine.”

“I should not disclose that.”

“Oh, come on. Listen,” he breaks into a pleased grin again. Another theorem proven. “How about a deal? You tell me yer name, and I will try to keep my temper if anyone else decides to stir me up. What do ya think?”

“As if you’re going to keep your word.”

Boomerang makes a show of putting his hand over his heart.

“For you, ma’am… anything.”

For you. All at once, she recalls Rick’s words: do whatever you want to him. How many minutes of the visit she has already spent on this predictably fruitless conversation?

“My name is Tatsu Yamashiro,” she says, tired, and then he smiles – not the way he did before, but in a calmer and more sincere manner. Gratefully.

“George Harkness,” he offers her his hand with an earnest air. “Nice to meet ya.”

Tatsu hesitantly offers him hers. Her hand looks very small and fragile against his huge paw, and he must be thinking the same because the handshake comes out very careful. He could easily break her wrist. She could easily kill him with one hand afterwards. But he holds her hand gently in his warm, pleasantly calloused palm, and Tatsu hastens to take her hand away, because this is a mistake of an even worse kind than the time he saw her without the mask.

“So you promise not to fights the guards.”

“I promise to try,” Harkness assures, but he’s keeping one hand behind his back.

“Don’t cross your fingers,” Tatsu says sternly. Real mature.

With a sigh, Boomerang repeats his promise, this time holding his hands within her view.

“But I ain’t promisin’ not to call you gorgeous,” he declares in the end.

“You know my name now.”

“But you’re still gorgeous.”

“Time’s up!” shouts the guard outside the door, and Tatsu cannot help feeling relieved that she has to go. She doesn’t regret visiting him, but all of this is too strange and awkward, and both of them might be weapons, but her position is different from his, and it is better not to forget that.

“Can I do anything for you?” she asks him on parting.

“Well,” Boomerang smirks. “I don’t even know where to begin.”

“With something I would actually agree to do?”

“Come again. Will ya?” This time he isn’t flirting; this time she can feel his insecurity, even shyness. As if he doesn’t like to admit to himself that what she answers is really important to him.

“I’ll try,” she says cautiously. She’s not going to make any promises: she asked Waller about one time only. She doubts if she’ll be allowed to visit them again – to visit him again.

“Try,” Harkness repeats, as if weighing the word on his tongue. “This means no.”

“This means I’ll try,” Tatsu says firmly.

And she comes again in a week. And the week after next. And a week after that.

***

“Why didn’t you walk away in Midway City?” Tatsu asks him once. “When Rick broke the control panel. You left then; why did you return?”

A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since the time Captain Boomerang dared to smart off Amanda Waller. Several successful missions, slightly more respectful attitude on his part – and his cell already bears a passing resemblance to a place for living, even if for living quite miserably. Now there is even a table, and a chair that she gets to sit on as guest privilege. Harkness is sitting on the floor opposite her. The question seems to catch him unawares, but only for a moment.

“Huh? Why did I return? Gotta live up to my name, that’s why. Have you ever thrown a boomerang, luv?”

I’m going to throw you somewhere one day, Tatsu thinks, yet without much irritation.

“And jokes aside?”

Boomerang attempts to feign an offended sigh.

“How do ya think? Plenty of options, all right. You gonna try to guess which one?”

Tatsu frowns.

“Is this a psychoanalysis session? Were you bitten by Harley Quinn?”

“Nah, Blondie didn’t bite me, I would’ve remembered. So don’t be jealous,” his voice gets playful again, and Tatsu stifles the urge to roll her eyes. “Lookie here… suppose I suddenly realized that I can’t leave you guys! ‘Cause you’re my mates. One for all, and so on. Don’t believe me?”

“You said something about plenty of options. What are the rest of them?”

He scratches his chin thoughtfully.

“We-e-ell… the second, ‘course, is that I wanted to save the world. Not that the world smiles upon me every bloody day, but I still wanna live! And for everyone an’ their mother to know that the bastards like us can also be heroes. Don’t you like being one of the good guys, eh, Tatsu?”

“I’m not ‘one of the good guys’”, Tatsu protests. “And it’s not me that we’re talking about. Any other options?”

“There was no point in leaving. That was still gonna be the end of the world, aye? So I’d rather meet it in battle and in good company than on the run. All the same it’ll be the end. There you go.”

He stops talking, and in the silence that falls Tatsu can hear the footsteps of the guards in the corridor. Once again she wonders what the duty attendants that monitor everything through the surveillance cameras think of their conversations. They must make for the strangest and most pointless reality show ever.

“The third one,” she says.

Boomerang looks a bit disappointed.

“Why?”

“Not the first one, because none of us meant anything to you then. You had just met us. And it didn’t seem like you were upset about letting Slipknot down,” Tatsu explains. She doesn’t intend to offend him – she’s just saying the truth. Once, he claimed it himself that they understand each other – here’s some understanding, he’s welcome. “Not the second one either, because you’re not stupid – no, stop smiling. You never believed that if people like us stop the Enchantress, someone would learn about that. Only the third option remains.”

Harkness nods slowly.

“Yeah,” he agrees, and his eyes turn pensive, abstracted, as if he is there again, in the night city frozen in anticipation of the apocalypse. As if he sees himself – and makes a choice once again. “And that’s what happened in the end, didn’t it?”

“So the third option, then?”

“So it is.”

But something in his face makes Tatsu think that he was hoping for a different answer.

***

Time flies; weeks and months go by. Tatsu spends them fighting, spilling someone else’s blood, occasionally drinking with Flag at a bar or in his apartment – a bachelor’s home again; reading books – most of the plots seem too naïve and unimaginative compared to what goes on in her life, and that is even for the best, and visiting the members of the Suicide Squad in Belle Reve. Some people go clubbing Friday evenings, and she goes to prison Friday afternoons.

“Don’t get attached to them,” Rick scolds her.

“That is rich coming from you,” Tatsu replies, and he has enough self-awareness not to argue. Lest he gets offended, she chooses not to tell him that sometimes she and Lawton talk a little about him good-naturedly behind his back.

During one of her visits, Harkness raises a topic she has totally forgotten about.

“Hey, come to think of it, we never had that drink,” he points out. Tatsu doesn’t understand what he’s talking about, and it must be written all over her face, because he continues. “Remember I asked you out for a drink? In Midway City, before we fought the witch.”

Tatsu has to make an effort to remember: indeed, he said something of the sort, but it never occurred to her to take those words seriously.

“We had a drink,” she counters. “When… when you shared your beer with me.”

He shakes his head, dissatisfied.

“At the construction site? That’s bollocks. I’m talking a proper bar… nah, a restaurant! With crystal glasses an’ candles an’ shit… Like normal people.”

“Candles,” Tatsu mumbles. She tries to imagine the two of them at the table at a restaurant; the picture turns out pretty absurd. On the other hand, a lot of what has happened in her life during the past few years can be deemed absurd.

“Yeah. Candles,” echoes Harkness, and continues with a crooked smile, “well, that’s me jokin’ around. In the near future,” he gestures in the direction of the small barred window of his cell, “I won’t be able to take you even to a fucking McDonald’s.”

They don’t talk about the hypothetical dinners at a restaurant anymore, but the absurd picture stays with Tatsu, who still feels somehow indebted to Boomerang – for no reason, as she keeps telling herself – for that conversation at the construction site. She doesn’t like to feel the weight of unpaid debts on her shoulders – yes, that’s what it is about.

One day, she finds a way to pay that debt back.

***

She waits for him in the car outside the prison gate. She hears him first; she cannot make out what exactly he is yelling at the guards, but that surely isn’t ‘good evening’. Then the door of the jeep is open, and someone must have kicked him in the rear because he literally falls into the car. Tatsu shrinks back on instinct.

Then Harkness looks up – and notices her.

“Katana?.. Hey, what the hell’s going on? They didn’t let me take the boomerangs, didn’t let me take anything…”

“Close the door,” Tatsu tells him, and when he, still confused, obeys, tells the driver, “Let’s go.”

The car pulls away.

“I still don’t get what’s happening,” Harkness reminds her. “Sure, I’m happy to see ya, but… you weren’t ordered to take me to the woods and finish me off under the radar, huh?”

“If Waller wanted to get rid of you, she would have had you killed in your own cell, and that’s all.”

“Wow, thanks for honesty. So where are we going?”

“To a restaurant,” Tatsu says, and turns away. Yet again it crosses her mind that it is a terrible idea.

“A restaurant?” Harkness drawls quizzically.

“As far as I recall, you said that the beer at the construction site is ‘bollocks’.”

She should turn back to him, of course. The problem is that Tatsu is ninety-nine per cent sure that if she meets his eye now, she will blush. And she is by no means going to give him any sign that might be interpreted as taking an interest… of a certain kind. She has already blundered more than a few times.

Therefore she stubbornly keeps looking out of the window. Then again, she doesn’t even need to look to picture how his facial expression is changing now; she’s seen this rakish grin enough times.

“Holy cow. Tatsu, are you serious? We’re really just going to a restaurant? We’re getting outta this shithole where they only give us porridge with rat crap to gorge ourselves on lobsters and drink wine? Oh, fuck me sideways,” in the end, she turns to him and sees him throw back his head and burst into laughter, narrowing his eyes happily. “I’ll be damned! Am I dreaming? I must be dreaming. Pinch me.”

“I can assure you you’re not,” Tatsu says, and realizes that she is also starting to smile despite herself. She has visited him and the others in Belle Reve often enough to know that porridge with rat crap, unfortunately, is far from being just a figure of speech. After such a diet, a meal at a restaurant must seem like the pinnacle of happiness.

Boomerang shakes his head, apparently still unable to believe her.

“Holy fucking shit. How did you do that? How do you even do all that? I’ve told ya you’re unreal, have I?”

“Yes, you have,” Tatsu confirms patiently. And more than once – too often for her to attach great importance to it, too fervently for it not to please her at all. “Let’s put it that way: this is Waller paying me for a… favour.”

“A favour, then. I take it a lot of some poor suckers died?”

“No,” she shakes her head. And it is true – but there still was a lot of blood. Both the man Waller indicated and his bodyguards turned out to be worthy adversaries. The whole thing went not as smoothly as she wanted it to – not that she wanted to; not that she would kill another person she knows nothing about if she could help it. Nothing to assure her: this one deserves it. Everything turned out rather… nasty. She had to burn the bodies. Then she got home in a haze, tended to a couple of fresh wounds – or rather, just scratches. And then she went to the bathroom and spent a long time soaping herself, as if the invisible filth that bothered her the most could be washed off with shower gel.

Afterwards, she rummaged through her modest wardrobe and dug out the only dress she has about in America. Nothing special: wine red, below the knee length, sleeveless but with a pretty high neckline – very demure. The first and so far the last dress she bought after… after. If she and Rick didn’t have to accompany Amanda Waller to some event once, she wouldn’t have bought this one either. She put it on, combed her hair, still wet after the shower, with her fingers, looked at herself in the mirror – and flew into a rage, pulled off the dress, and could barely stop herself from tearing it to shreds. Restaurant or not, what does it matter? The last thing she needs is for him to think she dressed up for him.

So the situation might be a little less absurd than it could have been. Both of them look like they’re going on another mission with the others, only she isn’t wearing her mask – he has already seen her face anyway – and he isn’t wearing his ever-present coat. It is no wonder he wasn’t allowed to take it – Waller wasn’t going to let him out of Belle Reve armed, and to let him wear his coat would probably be as unwise as to hand him all his boomerangs. Tatsu has no doubt that everyone and their dog have already searched through the personal belongings of the Squad, but she wouldn’t be surprised to learn that somewhere in his inside pockets Harkness has as many boomerangs as he is listed as having officially. She witnessed this man produce from his bosom at least four different lighters, a massive stack of dollars, a pocket knife, small binoculars, flat-nose pliers, and a toy unicorn. She has to admit: sometimes she doesn’t understand how he even does all that either.

It appears that the thoughts of Captain Boomerang also turn to the contents of his pockets.

“Hey, how the hell are we affording this, though? Make no mistake, I’d stand treat, but my stash is in the coat, and these assholes didn’t let me take it, y’know.”

“Don’t worry about that. Waller is paying for everything,” she explains, unable to suppress a grin, because this part, possibly the most unbelievable part of the entire affair, gives her a sort of silly, spiteful joy. Task Force X is a comparatively recent project, but they’ve already cleaned up so much mess for Amanda Waller that Heracles and his labours don’t even come close. A dinner at a restaurant is the least thing she could offer them. So when Boomerang explodes with laughter and gives her a conspiratorial wink, she looks him right in the eye and smiles. Another mistake. Then again, this is not the first time they share a secret.

He puts his hand on her knee, and she shakes it off immediately; this is way too far.

“I see you took your sword with ya,” Harkness observes, not giving any sign that something didn’t go the way he wanted.

“I am to keep an eye on you.”

“Yeah. How about…” he leans in closer, and the smell of cologne blasts up Tatsu’s nose. She can only hope it is due to external use only, “we chop off his head,” he nods at the driver, “and drive the fuck away from this? Huh?”

The driver, who can definitely hear everything, doesn’t turn, but Tatsu notices him tense up.

“You’re kidding,” she says dryly. He may be, or he may be not – with Digger Harkness, one cannot always tell.

“Why kidding, doll? Zip, and done. There’s no way you enjoy working for Waller.”

“I do not. But if you pull some stunt,” Tatsu feels for the sword hilt, and Boomerang sees that – very well, it is good for him to see that, “I will chop your head off. I really hope it won’t come to that.”

“And what’s it to you? Scared of me? But I’m unarmed,” he claps himself on the chest demonstratively, implying that he has no weapons on him. “Why do you care if it does?”

“I just wouldn’t like to do that,” she says firmly, and it’s true. It works well; he doesn’t even mention running away for the remainder of the day.

This might be the strangest evening in her life.

Waller’s man drives them to a French restaurant whose name she cannot read but is almost sure that the phrase was chosen solely because it sounds impressive. They are let in through the back door, so no one among the other guests, who are sporting evening dresses and suits, pays any attention to her crop top and sword or to his… appearance in general. Their table is one of those located in alcoves, away from prying eyes, but Tatsu feels they are being watched. Which means Waller doesn’t trust her too much – well, she can understand that. She is part of a special team composed of deranged madmen, and she must admit she likes these deranged madmen more than she likes certain normal people known to her. Of course, she is Flag’s right-hand woman, but it is most likely that Waller doesn’t trust Flag either. It is doubtful whether there are any people in this world that she trusts at all.

Waller is rich. Their little feast will not shatter her wealth, all the more so since the restaurant she sent them to is not the most luxurious. But they still have a field day ordering loads of food and a bottle of the most expensive wine on the menu.

“To honour among thieves?” she suggests, when they raise their glasses for the first time.

“Didn’t ya say yer not a thief?”

“That is true,” she admits, and adds inwardly, I’m a killer.

In the end, they drink to the Suicide Squad. Then to Lawton and Jones, currently languishing in their cells. Then to Zoe Lawton, who is acting in a school play next week. To a lot of things. He asks her about her life here, in America. At some point she finds herself trying to explain to him what taiyaki is, and him telling her about banana sandwiches, and she can’t remember why they started talking about this at all. The bottle becomes empty, and another appears as if by itself.

They don’t talk about the past. They don’t talk about the future, because there might be no future at all – they can’t know for sure, what with their way of life. That evening, Tatsu laughs and thinks: good thing I’m drunk – it almost gets easier for a while.

When it’s time to leave, Harkness gets pig-headed.

“Whoa, no, no, no. Already? It’s too early, are you kiddin’ me?” he booms out when they exit the restaurant. He protests, but she drags him by the hand and he stumbles along after all, treading heavily like a dancing bear. “Let’s go someplace else, luv. Look at the pretty stars.”

“We are already late. And you… you have to go back to jail,” Tatsu tells him. The stars are pretty indeed, but she regrets looking up at them, because her head begins to spin. Thankfully, she isn’t wearing high heels. Thankfully, she doesn’t have any high-heeled shoes at all, or she could have been possessed to wear them. “Sorry,” she adds when they get into the car and set off. “There is no other way.”

“Back to jail,” Boomerang repeats with disgust. Sprawling on the seat, he unzips his hoodie, and Tatsu is swept over by the smell of cologne again. Weirdly, it doesn’t annoy her as much as at the beginning of the evening. “I’m a fucking Cinderella. I’m not back by midnight, they turn me into a pumpkin.”

“Cinderella,” Tatsu echoes, and giggles: everything is way funnier now. The driver makes a sudden turn, and she is literally thrown at Boomerang. Her cheek presses to his chest – and stays there. Tatsu feels drunk and sated and drunk again, and sleepy too, and he makes for a decent pillow, and she can’t make herself move away.

“Oh, you think it’s funny,” Harkness mutters with mock offence in his voice. It seems he’s about to fall asleep too. “Well, go on, laugh.”

They drive back in silence, and through the drowse Tatsu feels the warm arm around her waist and thinks: good thing I’m drunk, I can pretend I’m asleep.

The road to Belle Reve is long, but it still feels like they reach it too quickly.

“Inmate,” calls one of the guards, “get out.”

Harkness, his eyes still closed, moans with discontent.

“Captain Boomerang,” Tatsu says softly, freeing herself from his embrace. “It’s time.”

There is nothing to be done. He’s already about to step out of the jeep, when he suddenly moves closer to her again.

“Hey, darlin’,” he says, looking her right in the eye. “Aren’t ya forgetting something?”

It takes her some time to realize what he means: he must be expecting her to kiss him. All at once she remembers everything that has happened this evening, and awful shame washes over her: it is no wonder he’s expecting that to happen.

“Inmate, get out!”

She shrinks back.

“Good night, Captain,” she tells him as dryly as she can. He looks wounded but says nothing, and almost obediently lets the guards escort him back to his cell. Tatsu closes her eyes and rubs her temples wearily. Tomorrow she is going to regret drinking so much. She already does – and that’s not the only thing she regrets.

She has to stop seeing him.

***

At first, she even succeeds. Next Friday Tatsu, as always, goes to Belle Reve to see the Squad – all of them save for Harkness. She feels sick at heart because if she did promise him anything, it was to visit him, and now she’s going back on her word because of her own stupid weakness. But there is no other way.

“He asked about you,” Waylon tells her a week later, when she brings him the latest issue of Playboy. Tatsu almost doesn’t feel weird anymore when buying it, and doesn’t try to imagine anymore what the news stand clerks think when she pays them for it. Such periodicals cause her a feeling of light disgust, but Croc, who gets let out of jail only to be thrown into another trouble spot, deserves at least some small joys.

“Who?”

Waylon, no doubt observant like all the quiet ones tend to be, bares his impressive teeth.

“You know who.”

It seems a logical solution to give up on these visits at all – but in that case she would betray all of them. Perhaps this little tradition is much more important to her than it is to the prisoners, but Tatsu is almost sure that it means something to them as well. She has no right to deprive the rest of them of this bit of understanding, companionship, normalcy because she wasn’t smart enough to stop the game she and Boomerang started before it became too late.

At home – not that the apartment she’s renting here deserves to be called ‘home’ – she, unable to fall asleep, unsheathes the sword and runs the tips of her fingers along the cool blade. A tender, habitual movement – like touching the cheek of a loved one.

“I’ve lost my way, Maseo,” whispers Tatsu. The place where the souls of the people struck down by this blade are trapped is still a mystery to her, but she knows that Maseo will come as soon as she calls him – as a voice from afar, as nebulous shapes in the swirls of smoke, as the peace and safety granted by the presence of someone dear. “I’m afraid of my own heart.”

I know your heart, Tatsu. You have nothing to be afraid of.

“It makes me act rashly. Makes me succumb to false feelings.”

I know your heart, Tatsu, and it incapable of falsehood.

Only the ones that are already far away can speak so vaguely and with such unrelenting honesty at the same time.

“I will always love you,” she whispers ardently. Not because she doesn’t want him to think it is not so; not because she herself feels like it is not so anymore either. She knows for sure that she is always going to love him, for she loved him as a lover, as a husband, as the father of her children, as the only thing she had left after all her life fell apart, burned in that damned fire. He will stay in her heart until her last breath – even if she has to close her heart to the rest of the world. Once she used to think that after all she’s been through, it isn’t going to be an issue.

And I will always love you, her husband replies, and Tatsu blinks back tears with a deep sigh.

“I just wish you were alive,” she tells him for what must be the hundredth, or maybe a thousandth time.

If he was with her – not as smoke or a voice, but as flesh and blood – he probably would have kissed her gently on the nape of her neck, as he often used to do.

I just wish, says her husband – no, the soul of her husband, which is already rushing away, deep into the world she shouldn’t hurry to go to if she doesn’t want this sword to fall into wrong hands, that you were happy.

***

Literally the next day there is a message from Metropolis that some giant snake-like beast is terrorizing the city and devouring people. The monster was last seen crawling into the building of the opera – which is where their squad heads to after reaching the city.

“Look at that freak,” Harkness comments in a low voice. The creature is curled up slumbering on stage, and they are watching it from the catwalks above. “Not a family of yours by any chance, eh, ‘gator?’

Waylon steps towards him, and the planks creak under his feet, threatening to break.

“Say that again,” he growls.

Tatsu bares her sword and wedges herself between them. Waylon backs off reluctantly.

“Knock it off,” she tells Boomerang. It feels like everything has come full circle – the day Harkness picked up her mask, he also had a run-in with Jones. The day they were sent to fight the Enchantress, she also put the blade of her sword under his chin. Why did she even think something would change?

“Oh, so you’re talking to me after all?”

“Enough,” Tatsu hisses. She really wants to try to explain everything to him. Maybe if she tries to put her feelings into words, many things will become clear to her, too. But if he thinks they are going to discuss this now, he is mistaken.

On the neighbouring catwalk, Rick is looking at them in a rage, gesturing both of them to shut up. Harkness steps closer; now the blade of the Soultaker is within a hair’s breadth away from his neck. A single careless movement, and blood will be spilled. A wild idea crosses her mind: it looks as if he’s into this. Tatsu licks her lips.

“Y’know,” Boomerang begins, lowering his head a little so that it is easier for him to look her in the eye, “I think you’re scared of me. Or of yourself, hell if I know. Am I right?”

A loud rustle comes from beneath, and the next instant the monster bites through the middle of the catwalk they’re standing on, and both of them are falling down. Tatsu manages to grab some rope, but when she tries to climb it, her hands slip, and she comes tumbling down.

The fall is far from being soft, even though she falls on the tatters of the curtain, which the snake must have torn earlier. She is lucky not to hurt her head, but her left leg and hip are aching. Only the awareness that there is no time to lie around makes her summon up all her strength and get up. Her sword is nowhere to be seen, and Tatsu is overwhelmed by fury: now she is useless.

The snake roars and shakes its head, trying to shake off Croc, who is trying to bite through its scales. Rick is shooting at the monster from above, and Deadshot, who is already on stage somehow, is doing the same from below, dodging the blows of its tail. Tatsu sweeps her eyes weakly over the stage and suddenly notices a hole broken in it. At the very edge of the hole, the hilt of her sword is sticking out of the floor. Moving as quickly as it is possible to do that with a limp, Tatsu hurries there.

The moment she pulls the sword out of the stage, Harkness’s head pokes out of the hole. Not waiting for him to ask for help, Tatsu helps him get out.

��Are you…” both of them begin in unison and drop it immediately, because the snake has managed to shake off the bothersome little crocodile – who is hopefully just somewhere on the floor and not in its belly – and is moving towards them, slower than before but still pretty speedily. They scatter, and Tatsu charges at the monster with her sword drawn. Harkness throws a boomerang at the creature, aiming at its eye, but it dodges at the last second.

Eventually, with joint forces they manage to kill the beast. To be on the safe side, Lawton fires a round into its open jaws. The long body shudders one last time and falls still. For some time, the five of them stand there looking at it.

“Where could this thing even come from?” Rick mutters.

“Remember what the Wicked Witch of the West said when she tried to get us to join her? The world is changing, the time of magic has come, blah, blah, blah,” Lawton reminds him. Rick nods absentmindedly; these are not happy memories.

Jones kicks the dead snake.

“Maybe it meant no harm,” he points out in his deep voice.

“Croc,” Rick says wearily, “it ate people.”

“So did I.”

“But at least you didn’t chew the curtain at the opera like a disgraced diva?” Lawton asks, struggling not to grin.

“Nuh-uh.”

“Well, then it’s okay.”

Rick titters nervously, and the next instant all of them are shaking with laughter.

Tatsu is drinking water straight from the tap in the restroom, when Harkness comes in.

“This is a ladies’ room,” she says reflexively.

“Hey, I just wanna wash my face, is all.”

Without waiting for her to answer, he comes closer and starts washing at the neighbouring sink. Tatsu casts a sidelong look at him and notices that the water is turning red.

“Show me your face,” she orders.

“It’s not a bad face, what’s yer problem?”

“I’m serious.”

He rolls his eyes, but stands still while she examines his face, only wincing when she dabs at the cut on his forehead with a paper towel.

“Just a scratch,” he assures at once.

“Just a scratch,” Tatsu agrees. She scrunches up the towel and throws it into the sink. She would like to keep her hand on his face, pretending that she’s still wiping off the blood, but she’s done pretending.

“How about you?” Boomerang asks quietly.

“Fine. A couple of bruises. You were lucky today,” she says just as quietly, and takes off her mask. Tomorrow they might not be as lucky. “I’m happy for you.”

“And I’m happy you got out alive… darl.”

For a moment she wants him to ruin everything. To reply with a jibe, to crack another dirty joke, to try to grab and kiss her only to get smacked. Not to stand motionless in front of her like he’s afraid to scare her off. It occurred to her once that from the outside their relationship might look like an attempt to tame a wild animal. Perhaps this is a mutual process.

Do whatever you want to him.

She stands up on tiptoes and kisses him.

For an instant, Harkness freezes – possibly trying to figure out again if he’s dreaming – and then pulls her closer and kisses back. Drinks her hungrily, like this is both the first time and the last. Bearing in mind what their lives are like, it really might be the last.

Tatsu doesn’t immediately realize why she suddenly doesn’t need to stand on tiptoes anymore.

“Put me down–” she starts, but gives up and wraps her legs around his waist. Boomerang grunts with satisfaction and switches from her lips to her neck. His beard, fortunately, is softer than could have been expected.

“Stop drinking so much,” Tatsu breathes out, now that no one is trying to shut her mouth. “You taste like…” all English words slip her mind, “like… a beer cask.”

It tickles her when he laughs into her neck.

Someone simply must enter now – Rick, Floyd, Amanda Waller, the president of the United States, but no, no one is trying to stop him from squeezing her hips, to stop her from running her fingers through his hair. Weapon to weapon, blade to blade. Red-hot metal to red-hot metal. Melting until something new is forged – without fear, without regret, without the past, without the future.

Clearly, Maseo wants too much: she remembers what happiness is, and she is sure she’ll never ever be happy again.

But she can take a shot at being alive.

#suicide squad #katana #captain boomerang #tatsu yamashiro #digger harkness #kaboom #captain boomerang x katana #boomerang x katana #dc #my fic #gella talks skwad #talk talk talk #my magnum opus lmao #amazed i managed to translate this. i am not a woman i'm a god indeed #once again i still know nothing about the geography of the dceu!united states #and whether a city like metropolis could have an opera house

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tartagilicious · 4 years

Text

[CN] victor’s double seventh/qixi date (eng)

this translation was a whole trip mythological aus are the best 😭 for this date, because his name is important to the plot, I decided to keep it as his CN name, Li Zeyan!

all of the qixi translations this year were divided up by a small group of translators, and you can find them on their blogs: @cheri-translates did Gavin’s, @redqueenschoice did Shaw’s and Lucien’s (though they’re available on Cheri’s blog), @skyholders did Kiro’s, and of course, I did Victor’s!

—

Soldier A: Where did you go?

Soldier B: There is no other way, they must have run into the woods!

Officer A: Chase them!

The voices of the officers and soldiers faded away. I slowly rose from the riverbank and made sure there was no one around. Finally, after a while passed, I stood up straight and took a few deep breaths.

Gripping the peach wood sword in one hand, I carefully picked up my skirt and prepared to step ashore.

??: who are you?

MC: !

As soon as I was about to act, my arm was suddenly pulled tightly, and the sword in my hand almost fell.

I turned my head to see a man behind me squinting at me, and his expression became even more gloomy when he saw my sword. With horns on top of his head, and a tail behind him trailing up to my legs, he seemed to want to impede my actions…

??: This sword…

MC: D-Demon!

I yelled desperately to avoid him, but he was too strong, my attempts ultimately having no effect.

Soldier B: I heard her voice! Over there!

Hearing the voices of officers and soldiers coming from the fork of the mountain road, me and the “Youkai” in front of me were both stunned.

[youkai (妖怪) are a class of supernatural monsters in japanese folklore, and the term doesn’t translate to anything directly, but traditionally means demon or spirit]

I was suddenly reminded of the importance of keeping the peach sword. I didn’t know where I borrowed the strength from, but I broke free of his shackles and forced him back into the water.

MC: Demon, since you haven’t had time to eat me, I won't involve you… so, you hide here, I have to go first!

I picked up my skirt to run once again, but the soaked clothes had since become heavier, and I almost couldn’t even stand firm when I left the river. A very light sigh seemed to be heard behind me, and I was pulled back into the water by force, my back pressing against a warm chest.

MC: you--

“Youkai” ignored me, just casually glancing at the soldiers and officers passing by. I followed his gaze and saw that the vines on the edge of the cliff moved by themselves, entangling the ankles of the officers and soldiers and throwing them back onto the mountain road.

MC: You… be merciful. They are annoying, but not deserving of death.

??: They are not qualified to be killed by me.

As soon as the voice fell, the several officers and soldiers got up and stumbled away. I had just breathed a sigh of relief when the “Youkai” behind me refocused on me.

??: What crime did you commit?

MC: I didn’t commit any crime! I only got my belonging back, it’s those people who are wrong.

I hugged the sword in my arms angrily, and noticing his gaze on me, I immediately regained my bearings.

MC: well… thank you for helping me just now, but can you please not eat me?

??: Didn’t you dare to push me into the water?

He pointed to the peach wood sword in my arms.

??: Is that what opens the barrier?

Barrier?

I looked down thoughtfully. I once heard my father say that there is a kind of barrier that can seal away monsters, and only a peach wood sword stained with one’s blood can break open the entrance. Since more than ten years ago, outside the barrier is no longer home to monsters, but--

MC: could it be that you are… the Guardian Saint Black Dragon?

MC: it’s really a dragon horn… the scales on your tail are so shiny! And wow.. Your clothes are satin. Did you make it yourself?

[stop it mc you’re embarrassing the both of us ;;]

Black Dragon: …

I didn’t expect that I would meet the Guardian saint, and my curiosity was overwhelming, so I forgot how fierce he was just now. Just when I wanted to study his hair again, he suddenly grabbed my hand and pressed me firmly into the shore.

Black Dragon: Have you touched enough?

MC: um…

Black Dragon: You are also a criminal..

I caught his dangerous gaze and swallowed nervously. His gaze moved down my face and finally stopped on the peach wood sword.

Black Dragon: Open the barrier again.

MC: What?

Black Dragon: Open it, and I can count it as you making up for just now.

I don’t know what the consequences of letting the Guardian saint leave without authorisation is, but I still obey what I feel in my heart and nod in agreement. The Black Dragon released his hold on me, but he kept his eyes on me as I walked away, as if he didn’t trust me to honour my promise.

MC: Lord Guardian, do you dislike humans?

Black Dragon: I just don’t trust them.

MC: hmm…. Humans can be very cunning. Someone did you a favour today, and you may be asked to return the favour later.

Black Dragon: ...What do you want to say?

I watched his expression and carefully considered my words.

MC: Now that I’ve promised to open the barrier, I will not break that promise. But, you’ve also seen the situation just now. If I go back like this, I definitely will not be able to keep this sword.

Black Dragon: Is it important to you?

MC: Yeah… My family has been slaying monsters for generations, and this sword is our heirloom. A while ago, the owner of the Jianzhu Workshop stole it. I took it back, but it seems that I’ll have to hide in the future.

Black Dragon: You come from a family that eliminates monsters, so why are you still afraid of them?

I recalled the exaggerated reaction just now, and chuckled embarrassedly.

MC: Because in the ten years since you were locked away, the world has been very peaceful. We have become accustomed to a world without monsters.

MC: Suddenly seeing someone that’s so different from me, of course I’ll be shocked…

The Black Dragon raised his eyebrows without further comment.

MC: Why don’t we make an exchange! I will help you open the barrier, and you will help me settle the situation. This must not be difficult for you.

Black Dragon: This is the “favour” you want me to pay back?

MC: Yes. I will set the conditions right now as to raise the value in the future. This is an exchange where you can make profit without losing anything.

The Black Dragon was silent for a while, and finally nodded gently

Black Dragon: I can help you, but you must protect important things in the future. Additionally, I won’t help you a second time.

MC: I will! Thank you, Guardian Lord!

I took him down the path and into the city, brainstorming how to have him move around the city without obstacles.

MC: By the way, when we go into town, is it possible that you can hide the horns and tail?

Black Dragon: I can.

He lowered his eyes and blinked, and the dragon horns and tails disappeared.

MC: Ok…. I still need to know your name.

Black Dragon: You do not need to know.

MC: Then, how do you expect me to call you in the city? Are you still called the Guardian Saint?

Black Dragon: That’s not possible.

MC: Lord Black Dragon? Lord?

He frowned and stared at me, not seeming to like my options. I racked my brain to think of more titles, and he sighed, seeming to have come to a decision.

Black Dragon: My surname is Li.

In order to avoid the officers and soldiers who might reappear at any time, we were cautious all the way before finally returning home along the right path. However, just as I opened the door, the voice I didn’t want to hear sounded from behind me.

??: Yo, isn’t this that little robber? I didn’t expect to run into people not yet caught by the government today.

The owner of Jianzhu Workshop actually had a group of people wait by my house! I hurriedly hid the peach wood sword behind my back, and stepped forward to block the Black Dragon.

MC: You stole my things, and are so embarrassed that you want the government to arrest me?

Boss: No one saw me steal your things, but many people saw you steal things from my store. What are you going to do?

Most of the people behind him responded and began to surround me. I’m suddenly nervous and at a loss. But, then I see the Black Dragon standing beside me with his arms lifted slightly.

Those who came close seemed to hit an invisible wall, bumping one by one and falling backwards. No matter how many times they tried, they didn’t make any ground.

Boss: T-This is magic! You are monsters!

The group of people looked on at us in horror and kept backing away. The boss ushered them away disdainfully and drew his sword.

Boss: You turned out to have a monster as a helper, but don’t think that this will scare me!

After speaking, he flew forward and leaped, with the sharp tip of his sword barreling straight towards my face. I subconsciously closed my eyes, but the coolness of metal breaking through air did not come as expected.

I hesitated for a moment before slowly opening my eyes, and saw that the boss’s figure was stagnated in the air, and the tip of his sword had stopped less than three inches from my face. In the next second, he also bounced far away like his men had before him, and the sword fell on the ground with a crisp clang.

Boss: What kind of monster is this… cough cough… it’s so powerful.

I secretly glanced at the Black Dragon next to me. He still stood there quietly, as if he hadn’t paid attention to the scene just now.

The boss reluctantly stood up with his sword and walked towards us, but stopped halfway obediently under the gaze of the Black Dragon.

Boss: I can’t beat you anyway, so let’s be honest with each other. I want that sword to conquer the Black Dragon. You should have heard that legend, right? The peach wood sword that has eliminated a demon -- as long as it’s stained with the blood of the Guardian Saint, he will surrender to me.

Boss: Now that the sword is in your hands, as long as you agree to cooperate with me, I can give you a share of the reward as compensation.

MC: It’s too vain to do that!

Boss: Mankind has been eliminating demons for many years, isn’t this point of return justified?

The surrounding temperature seemed to drop suddenly, and I held my sword tighter.

MC: Don’t even think about it. Xiao Li, don’t listen to his nonsense. Let’s tie him up and send him to the government!

I yelled this with a strong momentum, but the fingers hidden under my sleeve secretly hooked onto the Black Dragon’s hand and shook, hoping that he would not mind the disrespectful name. He glanced at me unhappily, but still moved his fingers, making the owner unable to escape.

Seeing some onlookers appeared nearby, I pulled the Black Dragon back, wanting to end this farce as soon as possible.

MC: Everyone is watching. If you still want to keep the Jianzhu Workshop in business, you should move on quickly and forget the ideas you shouldn’t have.

Boss: ….

MC: If you don’t speak, I’ll assume that you agree.

Black Dragon: He is speechless now.

I was stunned for a moment, looking at the flushing boss. But I looked at the Black Dragon and suddenly understood. So, I cleared my throat and deliberately amplified the sound.

MC: Now that you’ve realised your mistakes, go to the government and confess your guilt honestly. As long as you are willing to tell the truth this time, I will not care too much. I believe that the government will give us a fair verdict.

After testifying with the government, I locked the door of my house and lit a fire in the corner of the yard. Since the Black Dragon was trapped behind the barrier here, many legends that do not tell the truth have emerged, gradually ranging from spreading his divine power to how to conquer him.

Many seniors believed that the peach wood sword would be abused by people with ulterior motives, so they wanted to destroy the sword. But, it used to be a glory in the family and it was a relic of my father’s. I have always cherished it very much and am not willing to destroy it.

Until now, I have not really realised how disturbing its existence is.

The wooden sword was thrown into the flame, and the flame seemed to have received my worry, and quickly rose to swallow it. I waited until the flame went out and I doused the embers before returning to the house.

The Black Dragon was not there, and the window facing the black dragon was open. I hurried to the window and heard a little noise coming from the pond.

As soon as I slipped out, I saw the Black Dragon immersed in the pond water, seeming to be examining his own strength. The water around him seemed to diverge and gather, but only for a moment before it suddenly fell back into the pool, revealing his figure. He leaned casually on the bank, his slender fingers outstretched slightly.

The falling flowers on the water floated back onto the shore, embossed under the roots of the trees. The hanging water curtain not far away turned into layers of mist with his simple instruction, and fell onto the other branches with a crisp rustling noise.

For a while, I so surprised that I could hear nothing but the beating of my own heart in my chest.

This is… the strength that has always protected us.

In some kind of broad tenderness, this casual moment silenced the whole world.

He has a small wound on his body that is slowly bleeding, but he doesn’t seem to care. At this time, he had long faded away from his initial vigilance and suspicion, as if he had just found a comfortable place to nurse his fatigue.

Looking at this scene, I suddenly thought that if I had looked at his eyes more when we first met, I definitely wouldn’t have misunderstood his identity. Such a clear and quiet gaze could only belong to a truly powerful being.

Black Dragon: Don’t hide, come out.

MC: Sorry, I didn’t mean to peek on purpose… I thought you were gone.

Black Dragon: I am indeed ready to leave.

Hearing him say this, I felt a little reluctant.

Black Dragon: But I still have a question for you.

MC: What’s the problem?

Black Dragon: Why did you reject that person just now?

I was stunned for a moment, and then realised what he was referring to.

MC: ...The person stealing other people’s things is not credible, and I’m not interested in the conditions he offered. What’s more, is that the sword in my family has been used for generations to eliminate evil, and it cannot hurt a Guardian Saint who brings peace.

I couldn’t help but glance at his wound, and found a handkerchief in my pocket and handed it over.

MC: Why are you hurt?

He turned away slightly, his expression a little unnatural.

Black Dragon: The yard is too small and there are too many trees.

I looked at the small branches scattered around the pond and smirked internally. Naturally, this place can’t be compared with the vast forest. He obviously hasn’t adapted to the new area yet.

MC: Your blood seems to be very important, so wait for me to help you bandage it.

The Black Dragon looked at me, smiled lightly, and grabbed my wrist.

Black Dragon: The legend of the peach sword is false.

MC: What?

Black Dragon: Do you really want to hear more about it?

Looking into his smiling eyes, I almost lost my consciousness and nodded subconsciously. With a little force in his hand, he drew me closer, and the low voice sounded through my ears.

Black Dragon: The conditions that make me surrender never come from other things.

Black Dragon: You asked my name before. Do you know its true meaning?

Black Dragon: No way.

MC: I’m really fine!

Black Dragon: If I say no, it means no.

MC: But there is no other way. You’re a guest and a noble Guardian saint, I can't possibly let you sleep on the ground, right?

Black Dragon: …

Considering that the Guardian Saint was injured in my home, I warmly invited him to stay overnight, and he gave me the chance “to make up for the past”. I had taken the initiative to bandage the wound and make dinner for him, but after a smooth night, I suddenly hit a wall in sleeping.

I forgot that my cabin has limited space and only one bed. So, I was going to sleep on the floor, but he didn’t allow it. I had forgotten about the possibility of sleeping in the same bed, so, after thinking about it, I carried the quilt on the ground onto the bed.

Ignoring his surprised gaze, I first climbed into the innermost side of the bed, turned my back to him and patted the empty space behind me.

MC: If nothing else, I sleep very soundly!

I eavesdropped on the man behind me, and after a long silence, I finally heard the sound of the quilt being lifted once again.

The night was still deep, but we laid still for a long time. I still couldn’t sleep. Though, I still remember what he said to me by the pond--

Black Dragon: Names are a curse.

MC: Lord Guardian, are you asleep?

Black Dragon: ...Not yet.

MC: I have a question. Since the name is a kind of curse, many people usually call me, so why didn’t I feel it?

Black Dragon: Because you are all ordinary people.

MC: Is that right…

My curiosity flared up again.

MC: Lord Guardian, my name is ___. Since I am called ordinary, can I ask the unusual Guardian saint to recite it?

I waited for a long time, and the person behind me didn’t respond, as if he didn’t want to acknowledge my whim. I was beginning to grow restless, so I tightened the quilt corner and leaned against the bed.

Black Dragon: Li Zeyan.

MC: ...What?

Li Zeyan: My name. Go to bed now and you’ll still remember it.

MC: !

MC: Did you really just tell me that? Is it okay to?

Li Zeyan: ...If you dare not accept it, I can make you forget now.

MC: Wait, wait! I accept! But, if this isn’t a mantra, does it matter if i recite it?

Li Zeyan: You can give it a try.

MC: ..Li Zeyan

Li Zeyan: Good.

Li Zeyan responded reluctantly and put out the candle. I waited for a while, and it was quiet behind me, as if nothing happened. I’ve been so overwhelmed by the excitement of knowing his name that even in the dark, I'm not willing to close my eyes.

MC: Li Zeyan?

My answer was another stretch of silence.

I grabbed the quilt, and an uncontrollable impulse that could no longer be subdued was relieved through the curling of my lips. So, my brain began whirring and three words suddenly came out.

[she says three words because Victor’s chinese name, Li Zeyan, is characterised like this: 李泽言]

MC: Li Zeyan.

As soon as I was finished speaking, I felt that the bed next to me suddenly sank, my shoulder was caught, and I was pulled over. Before I could even utter an exclamation, I met Li Zeyan’s close face.

Li Zeyan: What are you trying to do?

It seems that every time I get close to him, I can’t think, I can only let the thoughts in my head slip to my lips.

MC: I just think your name sounds nice. I wanted to say again.

Li Zeyan seemed to be taken aback, and his hand holding me loosened.

Li Zeyan: Have you said it enough now? Shut up and sleep when you’ve had enough.

MC: But, I still want to hear you say my name. You know, everything must be exchanged in the human world, and I will sleep only when you say it.

Li Zeyan had probably never heard of such a request before and stopped talking, seeming to be judging if I was joking or not. Seeing that I still met his gaze firmly, he spoke word from word after all.

Li Zeyan: ___.

MC: !

I immediately covered my face, detached from his arm, and retreated to the other side of the bed.

MC: I-I promise to stop talking! I’ll sleep now!

Li Zeyan: ……

However, even when the room was quiet again, my noisy heartbeat did not calm down. Is this the so-called “curse”? This curse is really powerful. No no, it’s the “unusual” Guardian saint that is the most powerful.

I sigh quietly. It seems that I won’t be able to sleep tonight.

The next day, I woke up amidst a strange noise. I opened the window and looked out at the situation on the street. After recalling the day, I remembered that the Qixi festival has arrived.

I turned my head and looked at the other side of the bed: it was empty.

I quickly cleaned myself up and opened the door. I saw Li Zeyan leaning against the door and looking in the direction of the main street.

MC: Good morning.... Li Zeyan.

Li Zeyan glanced at me, and nodded stiffly to communicate a response.

Li Zeyan: Why is it so noisy outside?

I looked at the hint of curiosity in his eyes and suggested with a smile.

MC: If you’re interested, do you wanna go out with me?

The Qixi Festival has always been the most lively summer festival. Stalls have been set up early on the main street to sell all kinds of novel and interesting gadgets. I chose a booth at random and took him over to see it.

MC: Look, it’s a black dragon puppet!

The puppet was dressed in a colorful cloak, and the dragon’s horns and tail were swollen with cotton. I snuck a look at Li Zeyan, and he immediately frowned in disgust.

Li Zeyan: Too exaggerated. There’s no need to look like that.

MC: But it looks so cute!

Li Zeyan: ...Do you like it?

I was thinking about how to respond to the Guardian saint’s question, when the stall owner leaned over with a smile.

Stall Owner: The girl has a good eye! I bought this black dragon puppet from a temple of incense. Buying it back will surely protect both of you. For today’s holiday, if you each buy one, the price is discounted! Son, what do you think?

Li Zeyan: I don’t need it.

I took a peek at him, smiled and put down the puppet, then raised my arm and shook it indifferently.

MC: I don’t need it either.

I have been favoured by fate, so I can at least leave the puppets to others.

I don’t know if it’s my illusion, but Li Zeyan seemed to slow down and walk with me patiently. I guess he must have rarely had such a talkative moment during the long years he spent in the forest.

I secretly made up my mind to take him today to experience the “world fireworks”.

[it was never explicitly stated, but I’m guessing that this refers to the tradition of kongming lanterns mentioned soon.]

In the long main streets, through countless shops and stalls, we stop and try our best to spend this special day seriously. I imagined the Guardian saint who was aloof, but I was so entranced that I didn’t even dare blink my eyes, and together we studied the mysteries of the street performers

He still occasionally resents helplessness, but unexpectedly does not refuse assistance. Perhaps because of the smoke and fire, I almost forgot his original identity.

Time passed by, and the end of the main street was already in front of me. A small river transverses, and there are already many people piercing Kongming lanterns on both sides of the river

Li Zeyan: What’s the purpose of this?

MC: It’s a paper lantern to make wishes on. It rises into the sky after you light the inside of it. People write their wishes on the lamps, and the gods in sky will see it and may even help realise it.

Li Zeyan: How can there be such a thing?

MC: Today is the Qixi Festival, you can’t say such things! If it’s heard by the seventh sister in the sky, it will be bad.

Li Zeyan: ...what wishes do you generally make?

MC: On the Qixi Festival, everyone will wish for a good hand or a good marriage.

Li Zeyan: what about you?

MC: I…

I looked at a few pairs of lovers not too far away, and silently lowered my head. If you desire too much, than what’s the difference between me and those who want to imprison the Guardian saint?

But, perceiving Li Zeyan’s gaze on me, I cheered up and decided to answer the question in another way.

MC: Right, tonight, I want to see the stars, so I’ll take you to a good place to see them!

The pavilion at the foot of the mountain is part of a summer resort that I accidentally discovered when I was young. Now that the area is kept dense, the water is as clear as a mirror. The mountain breeze in the evening is very cool, blowing away all the heat of the day.

Li Zeyan leaned in the pavilion, looking at the distance with a relaxed expression.

MC: Is the Guardian Saint satisfied with this place?

Li Zeyan: well, it’s not bad.

MC: No one else will come here, so you can relax.

Li Zeyan seemed to have seen through the words as I was expecting, and showed a pair of beautiful dragon horns and a tail.

MC: I wanted to say it the first time I saw you, but, you’re really good looking.

Li Zeyan: In your imagination, was I ugly?

MC: Um… I was only expecting you to be more fierce.

Li Zeyan: And i did not expect that the one to open the barrier would be a reckless “bandit”.

I turned my head angrily, but I saw the smile at the corner of his mouth at a glance, and the feeling of dissatisfaction disappeared immediately.

I handed Li Zeyan a small purse I'd been holding in my arms.

MC: Just in case, I decided to prepare you something.

Li Zeyan took it and opened it, holding up a small peach wood sword pendant.

MC: Even though it’s small, it has the same effect as the original sword!

Li Zeyan: ...Didn’t you burn the sword?

MC: I secretly broke off a piece of the hilt of the sword, I think my father would not mind. But, if you ever encounter the barrier in the future, you can walk out by yourself.

Li Zeyan: “Self?” Where are you going?

MC: You definitely don’t want to stay in this world, do you? I couldn’t even go to heaven with you.

Li Zeyan: You don’t have to go so far. The freedom I want has nothing to do with where I am.

MC: But, you said yesterday that you were ready to leave… Are you going to another town?

Li Zeyan looked at the pendant and pondered a moment before speaking.

Li Zeyan: The forest is very large… but it’s not as good as a small yard.

Li Zeyan: No matter whether it is man or a god, there are no taboos, but it depends on whether that restriction is actively being accepted by itself. The spell of that name is a lock, and only those who know it can open it.

Li Zeyan: Just now, I've put the lock and key into your hands. So, I must keep you by my side.

I stared at him with a serious look, and it took a long time to find my voice.

MC: My home is so small... You will either get hurt or you will not sleep well...

MC: I can’t accompany you to heaven, but I can go with you anywhere else in the world. Because you know my name, I also want to keep you by my side.

He laughed at me, hooked his finger at me, and I leaned in faintly.

Li Zeyan: In this case, I’ll leave this on you.

With warm fingertips around my neck, he put the pendant on me. I stretched out my hand to caress the small pendant, and my heart was filled with wonder. I have no supernatural power, nor have I learned to kill demons and eliminate evil. Only this little peach wood sword and myself, who keeps the secret, will become his keys together.

I pulled out a comb from the side drawer and handed it to him.

MC: According to human rules, to make such an important agreement, you have to help me comb my hair.

Li Zeyan hesitated and took the comb suspiciously.

Li Zeyan: I have never brushed anyone’s hair before…

MC: You will live in this world in the future, so you can learn more.

Li Zeyan: Why are there so many rules?

MC: This is how humans are.

In order to reduce the difficulty, I took the initiative to lift up a strand of hair

MC: Comb this strand, and it will be done after three times.

Li Zeyan: Why?

I held back my smile and tried to find excuses for my careful thinking.

MC: Hmm… Because this way, the agreement will last longer.

A helpless sigh was heard from behind me, but he still continued. The movements were very slow and light, and he took care to not hurt me at all. Time seemed to stop in this moment, and at the same time, lovers of heaven and earth meet.

I leaned on his lap and peaked at the reflection in the water: he’s clearly smiling.

As the night darkened, a Kongming lantern suddenly floated in the distance. Orange lights gradually revealed themselves in the night sky, like stars symbolising wishes.

MC: What a nice view...

Li Zeyan retracted his eyes from the sky and looked at me.

Li Zeyan: I remember that you haven’t said your wish.

I stroked his hand holding the comb and combed the hair to the bottom with him.

“Three combs to the end, will tie two hearts together forever.”

The night breeze is cool, bringing the wishes of the world to the sky. And there is still a wish, turning into a quiet whisper before falling into someone’s ear. The person who receives this wish is my destination.

#mlqc #mr love queen’s choice #mlqc cn #mlqc spoilers #mlqc victor #spoilers #mr love queen’s choice victor #otome #it won’t let me edit this post on mobile and I can’t fix the cg placing on my laptop :-;

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harrypotterimagined · 4 years

Note

Hi! Tbh, i thought you don't write anymore, but i red your writings every day and almost gave up. I hope you're okay with your healthy. Maybe if you will have time you'll write clingy and jealous Cedric Diggory x reader. Although i am just glad you're here (sorry, eng is not my first language)

Hi, this is so nice, thank you so much. I'm happy you like my work 🥺 I'm pretty good! School is still kicking me in the butt!

I don't think this is exactly how you meant it, I hope you still like it!

***

You were sitting outside with Cedric and two other friends near the lake. It was always calmer there than just on the grounds. It was a favorite spot of yours, especially during spring time.

Cedric was leaning against a tree, your legs thrown over him as you laughed with your friends. He always loved to see you like that; happy, casual, carefree. When he watched you in that moment, he felt like he'd never been closer to angels.

He smiled as you laughed loudly, leaning back on your hands. "Right, Cedric?"

Hé turned to the friend, unsure of what was being asked. The girl just raised her eyebrows with a little smirk, and Cedric knew he'd been caught.

"Oh, leave him be," you swatted at your friend, though out of her reach, before you turned to him, giving him a smile that could light up even the darkest night. "I think it's cute."

Your friend snorted, making you take your gorgeous eyes off the boy to laugh with them again. He didn't listen to the bickering too much, just marveled in you. He'd never know how he managed to get you.

Then you lifted your legs off his, turning back to him. "Want to go?" You asked, hand reaching for his, making his heart flutter, still. "We can walk a bit and head to the library?"

"Oh, come on," one of your friends laughed loudly. "We all know you won't be studying."

"Well, I'll certainly be getting better at something," you climbed to your feet, one hand still on his, helping him up. You winked when you noticed his slight blush. "I'll see you guys later."

You waved a quick goodbye, lacing your fingers together with Cedrics. "Thanks for hanging with them today," you smiled at him, shoulders brushing every few steps.

"Of course," he said. He would like to say that he would do nothing rather than be with you, but he wasn't certain how to say that. Instead, he gather his courage. "Remember what I said before?"

"Oh, right," you swung your hands a bit, and he didn't need to look at you to know you were smiling. "You wanted to talk. Not a great thing to say to your partner, by the way."

He chuckled, slowing his pace. "Sorry," he looked at you, a smile not faltering as he met your eyes. Merlin, it was so clear to him. It wasn't the way he had wanted to say it, but the way the sun shone down on you, catching the shade of your hair so nicely.

"Why are we stopping?" He hadn't realized he'd stopped walking. The wind picked up, blowing your hair in your face. He reached over, tucking it behind your ear with a gentle smile. His hand came to rest on your cheek, your eyes expectantly. Waiting for a movement or words to spill out.

You looked so amazing, so warm and touchable, he leaned in, catching your lips with his. It was a feeling he would never grow tired of. Your soft skin beneath his fingers, the way your lips moved against his with a softness similar to the duvet after a long day.

As you smiled into the kiss, he broke away, a smile instantly breaking on his face again as he tried to linger in the sweet bliss a moment longer, already longing for your lips once again. "So what did you want to talk about?" You whispered softly.

"I love you," he said softly, without much thinking. He meant it,had never meant anything as much in his life. It had only been two months, but he was certain. He loved you and couldn't keep it in anymore.

He'd been almost certain you felt the same about him. Why else would you look at him like that? Smile at him like that, kiss him like that? But he felt you tense under his touch, smile washing off your face as you stepped back. "You-" he watched you suck in a breath, pulling away from his touch, eyes big. "I- sorry, I'll... I'll see you uhm, later."

You stumbled over the words, eyes darting to the ground, hands running through your hair. Then you walked away, rushing to get away from him.

He started to say something, but what was there even to say? You'd bolted off when he said he loved you, the message was quite clear.

***

A loud laugh filled the library, your hand smacking Sebastian's arm before anyone could shush him. "Stop laughing you asshole!" You snapped, pulling his sweater in a desperate attempt to shut him up.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, still laughing softly. "Can you just repeat that whole story one more time?"

You groaned, dropping your head to the table. "It's not funny!" You muttered. Merlin, you'd been so stupid. Why did you have to run off? Great job at being a good partner and person. Who does that? "I don't know what to do."

Maybe it was the desperation in your voice, but Sebastian pulled himself together, grabbing your wrist and pulling your head up. "Babe," he said with a smile, cheeks still shining from the tears of laughter. "You fucked up, but it's nothing we can't fix. Why did you run?"

You closed your eyes, sighing deeply. It made no sense. Everyone wanted to be with Cedric. You could name four people in the library that had a crush on the boy, and there he'd been, confessing he loved you of all people and..." I don't think I love him."

"Oh, y/n, that is more serious than I thought," the last amusement of Sebastian face vanished. "You want to break up with him?"

Your mouth dropped open, quickly shaking your head. "No! I care for him a lot, I want him to be my boyfriend, I just... It's not even been two months. How do I even know I love him?"

"I don't know," the boy admitted. "I guess it's just something you know. Haven't you read books that explain it?"

You propped your elbow up on the table, resting your head in your palm. It was all so... Complicated. You got butterflies when he kissed you, you wanted to be with him anytime you could, but was that love? You didn't look at him like he seemed to look at you. You don't even know if you love him, while he had been so certain. "I don't want to break up with him," you said. "I really don't. I just... It's too soon."

"Alright, then you should tell him that. It's better than running off, and he'll understand. Just... Say what you said to me but more considerate."

You chuckled, raising your eyebrows at your friend. "You don't think I'm considerate?"

"You could use some work."

You kicked him under the table, not to hard, and he laughed, pulling your arm from under your head. "You're an ass," you sighed, closing the book you hadn't read a word off. "Thank you."

The boy stood, wrapping you in a hug. "Yeah, you owe me big time."

At the words, you poked his side, causing him to laugh once more. He got shushed instantly this time, pulling himself free from your grip. "I'm gonna look for him," you grabbed the book, tucking it under your arm. "Talk to you tomorrow?"

Without waiting for an answer, you rushed out the library, hoping to catch Cedric before his next class.

***

Charms had always been a favorite class of his. He liked Mr. Flitwick, who seemed to like the boy as well. To this particular class, he'd been looking forwards for two weeks, but all he could think about was you wrapped up in Sebastian's arms before he laughed loudly. He would never forget how you looked at the laughing boy. It couldn't be much different than how you looked at him.

He'd thought vetter of you. Such a beautiful soul, a bright mind, and a heart to match. But there you were, in some lovers quirrel moments after you'd rushed away from his words. You certainly didn't seem afraid of the love Sebastián threw at you.

Maybe he'd read it all wrong, maybe you'd been looking for a moment to break up with him so you could be with Sebastián, you so called best friend.

Conveniently enough, Cedric didn't actually know the other guy. You never asked him to come hang out, he'd maybe spoken to him three times. We're you actually hiding a second lover?

"Mr Diggory," Flitwick said, Cedric's eyes flicking up again. "Please pay attention."

He nodded, eyes remaining on the professor while Mike next to him elbowed his side. "Thinking about your lover, Mr. Diggory?" He mocked. "What's it this time, their eyes? Their bum?"

Any other day he would have laughed about it. But not that day. "Shut up, Mike," he mumbled, scribbling down something from the board without paying much attention. He hated the grip you had on him.

After class, he wasn't in a mood to do anything, thiugh he'd agreed to help a friend with homework. He was thinking about canceling that when he say you pacing outside the classroom. Despite what happened, he couldn't help but admire your beauty for a moment. He was smitten, and it was proving to be a problem.

"Cedric," if he hadn't been looking at you, it might have gone lost in the noise of the crowd. You spoke it like it was a confession, eyes sorrowful. "Can we talk?"

He almost said yes. He would give you everything in the world, if only you kept looking at him like that. But then the image of you wrapped up in Sebastián arms rose again. The times you told him not to worry about the boy. "I'm busy," he said, a sharp edge to his voice he loathed. "I'm helping a friend with transfiguration."

He tried to move away from you, but you took a few steps, hand wrapped around his arm ever so softly. If he hadn't wanted to stop, he wouldn't have felt it. "Please, Cédric. Just a moment. I'm just... I'm really sorry."

He shook his head, scoffed and turned back to you. "Well, it certainly didn't look like that."

"What?" You said softly, never the best at reacting to a sharp tone. He regretted it instantly, and knew he couldn't talk about it to you. "I- what do you mean? I just want to say I didn't mean to-"

But he couldn't listen anymore. He knew he'd forgive you in an instand, and the lingering tightness in his chest would remain there. So he took off, leaving you stunned and behind, something he'd apologize for later. He needed to go to the library. Or where ever Sebastián liked to hang out.

***

Cedric seemed to be avoiding you. While you didn't blame him, it was hard to apologize when he didn't want to talk to you. The last thing you wanted was for the two of you to break up just because you did something stupid.

More than anything, you wanted you could say you loved him too and made a mistake, but you just couldn't lie to him. Not about that, not when you might mean it in a few weeks.

So, since Cedric wasn't spezking to you, and you were certain Sofia would laugh at you, you stuck by Sebastian.

"Yeah, the weirdest thing happened the other day," he said as you were sitting on the grass,, mostly because you needed a distraction. "Cedric rushed in the library, he looked at me and then just... Went away again."

"Doubt it has anything to do with you," you said with a smile. "You're imagining things."

The boy scoffed, laying down in the grass, the sun warming your skin. "Oh sure, all he does is because of you,"

"That's not weird! We're dating and we have a... Thing now." there was no other way to describe it. It wasn't really arguing when you didn't speak.

Sebastian rolled on his side, head propped on his hand. "Just talk to him, y/n."

"He is the one avoiding me," you reminded him, leaning forwards to pluck grass out of his curls. "I mean I get it. But he was always so kind, even when we argued. He was the reasonable one, you know. I'm not sure what I need to do now."

"Well, here's your chance," his eyes darted over your shoulder. "He's right there."

You turned around, the sight of him almost making you smile before you remembered that he might not talk to you. But he did move to you, making you anxious.

"Can we talk?" He asked, eyes darting between you and Sebastian.

"Yeah," you said quickly, pushing yourself up. "Of course. Let's go over there,"

You were prepared for the worse, or so you had thought. He would break up with you and you'd be heartbroken. But the Silence stretched as you leaned against the walls of Hogwarts, nervous to meet his eyes. "So..." you began softly, lip tugged between your teeth.

"You went to Sebastian?" He said softly, not entirely calm. "Did I mean that little to you?"

Your eyebrows knitted together. "Of course I went to him, he's my best friend. Who else would I ask for advice?"

"Didn't realize asking advice meant for you to play with his hair," and it was then that you realized he was jealous. Considering everything... You guessed it made sense.

Licking your lips, you took a leap of faith and stepped a little closer, hand moving to his. He didn't pull away. "There's nothing between me and him, I freaked out a bit when you said... You know. Not because I didn't like it or because I didn't feel the same, but... It's complicated."

"You could have said something instead of running off," he sounded calmer and you smiled slightly. "Complicated how?"

"I care for you, I really do," you whispered, stepping a bit closer. "I just... I don't want to say that I love you before I'm really sure. I don't want to lie, but you mea' so much to me, I don't want to lose you because of something stupid I did."

Cedric took a deep breath. You hated that your words probably hurt him. "You sure are honorful," he then said, smiling slightly. "I understand. It is a bit early."

A huge weight had been lifted off your chest as you nodded once. You'd be okay. He didn't hate you. "Can I kiss you?" You whispered, wishing it was all perfect again, though it would take a bit of work

As an answer, he leaned in, lips touching in a way that made your knees go weak. It wasn't hard to imagine yourself loving him. Cedric was a good man, and you were so lucky he loved you.

#I hope the formatting is okay??? I did this on my phone so I can't see #Ask #Request #Cedric diggory #Cedric diggory imagine #Cedric diggory x reader #Harry Potter imagine #Thank you for the request! Hope you like it?

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hashtagartistlife · 4 years

Note

Do you have a license for all these hot takes? ▲ Unleash the other meta conversation. Please give use Ichigo.

Or not, apparently I don't know how to read and missed that you already did one for him. Oh well.

Even though I’ve already given my Hot Take about Ichigo (see here), I figured I can take this chance to write that meta I promised re: ichiruki’s double protag status, the meaning of ichigo’s name, and what it means to be a shounen hero. This will also sort of addresses the debacle a few months ago in regard to the Only well-worded, moderately coherent and somewhat valid IH meta I have read, which is also primarily about the meaning of ichigo’s name and how that ties in with the overall theme of protection throughout the manga. (I think the basis for the IH meta – that Ichigo only ever uses the serious form of the word ‘to protect’ for ORIHIME as an individual, and that the other times he uses them are for broader swathes of things—has been debunked in the comments, but since I don’t speak Japanese I really can’t figure out the validity of either side of the argument so I’ll take it as it is. Also, when I say ‘somewhat valid meta’, what I mean is in the context of the narrative I don’t think it’s valid at all, but at least there aren’t major glaring logical fallacies in the meta itself. The bar is so, so low for IH meta. I’m not even sure we can call most of their…. text-vomit… meta at all.

Anyway. Petty and off-topic.)

So, here goes: the meta about ichigo’s name and how it correlates to the theme of protection throughout the manga, what it means to be a shounen hero, and why and how those two things tie in with ichiruki’s double protag status!

Ichigo’s name is comprised of two kanji – one obviously the kanji for the number one, the other a kanji that means ‘to protect’. We all know this. This leads to Ichigo’s name potentially having two interpretations: ‘one protector’ (or as the official eng translation put it, the one who protects), or ‘to protect one thing’ (the translation used in the scanlator’s versions + official kr translation). Both would make sense given the context of the entire story, but I tend to think the latter version is slightly more relevant (not necessarily more accurate— just more relevant), mostly because in chapter 19, straight after hearing the meaning of his name, Ichigo goes on to single out one thing (one person) that he wants to protect—his mom.

(And why does he single out his mom for this honour? Because his mom always protected him. This is relevant a little later.)

He then does go on to say that as his sisters were born and he went to the dojo and got stronger, the list of things he wanted to protect grew, so it’s absolutely valid to read his name as just meaning ‘protector’. But, despite that, it’s very clear in the text that Ichigo always has one thing (person) that he wants to protect above all no matter what. This is the ‘one’ thing that he associates his identity of ‘protector’ to. Initially, it’s his mom—because when she dies, despite the ‘growing list of people he wants to protect’ still existing, Ichigo loses his sense of identity as ‘the protector’. Sure, he still protects his sisters, but it’s duty driving him— he no longer thinks of himself as a protector. How can he, when, in his view, he’s the one who practically killed his mother? His ‘growing list of people to protect’ halts to a stop, and years later, we see him telling Rukia that he’s ‘not a good enough guy to stick his neck out for other people’. This is a lie, as we all know, but it’s important that Ichigo is espousing this rhetoric. He has stopped actively wanting to protect.

So, despite Ichigo having an innate desire to protect, I would argue it’s conditional – 1) dependent on the one person he wants to protect the most (e.g. his mom, and, as I will argue in a moment, Rukia) being alive and well, because otherwise he just falls into despair and rejects his identity as protector, and 2) initially dependent on the subject of protection being someone close to him. Ichigo, despite having progressed to ‘I will definitely protect everybody’ by the tybw arc, did not start there—it was a progression! He starts off very small and quite selfish – first, the person most important to him, his mom. Then his family. Then his friends. Then friends of friends, then acquaintances, then—and so on. This is why I said Ichigo is self-centred: everything he does is dependent first and foremost on the things and people that are most important to him. (Which is fine for a normal person! Maybe not so fine as a shounen protagonist, though that part comes later.) Ichigo doesn’t start off with some lofty ideal to protect the whole world – compare that to Rukia, who lands in the story and immediately demands him to protect everybody, regardless of distance or convenience. As dux put it in his excellent meta, this is an instinct towards protection versus a philosophy of protection. Ichigo has an instinct to protect, like most people do! But Rukia has a philosophy of protection, which most people can’t even begin to fathom or try to emulate. (This will, again, be important for a later point in this post, but for now, back to ichigo’s name.)

So basically, we have established so far that: Ichigo’s name means one who protects or protector of one thing. But whichever interpretation we go by, it’s evident in the text that Ichigo has a… tether person, of sorts, that he ties the meaning of his name and his identity of ‘protector’ to—a person he wants to protect above all. Initially it’s his mom. But after his mom dies?

It’s Rukia.

It’s blatant. Ichigo being unable to save Rukia in ch56 broken coda is DIRECTLY paralleled with him being unable to save Masaki. At the end of the arc, in having saved Rukia, Ichigo regains his identity as protector finally gets some closure re: the Masaki era of his life: ‘the rain’s finally stopped’. It’s very clear that Rukia’s importance to his identity as protector is equivalent to the importance that Masaki had on it. Rukia has now become his ‘tether’; Rukia is now the person he wants to protect above all; Rukia is the one, who, should he fail to protect her, he would fall into despair and reject his protector identity again. He WAS a little down about being unable to protect Tatsuki, Chad, and Orihime in the HM arc, but it was nothing like the abject despair he experienced at Masaki’s death + Rukia being taken away for execution, and as soon as RUKIA comes back and affirms his identity, despite the fact of his failure still existing, Ichigo perks straight back up. Basically, failures to protect people other than Rukia get Ichigo down, but it’s not enough to keep him down as long as Rukia’s still standing.

Ichigo also consistently goes apeshit over Rukia’s safety in particular. He’s not spurred into action re: going to find the Vaizards until Rukia becomes hurt. He thinks of Yammy and Ulquiorra, but his eyes don’t glaze over black until he thinks of Grimmjow, who has hurt Rukia. He refuses to split up and Rukia specifically calls him out that it’s out of concern for HER safety. As soon as he feels Rukia being cut down, he immediately throws away the mission to go save her instead. And most importantly – what’s the main criteria for Ichigo deciding on the one he wants to protect the most? It’s the person who protects HIM. Rukia is one of the only people in the text who consistently protects Ichigo, physically, mentally, and emotionally. (She is also the only person that the text refers to as having ‘saved’ Ichigo. Nobody else gets this distinction.)

Alright! So Ichigo’s instinct towards protection has a self-centred bent to it, and the person at the centre of this instinct has gone from being Masaki to Rukia. So what now from here?

A little bit of a tangent: when I first read the chapter regarding the meaning of Ichigo’s name, I was a little taken aback, because – what a selfish name for a shounen protag, for someone who’s supposed to go on to become a hero of the world. Heroes don’t get to protect just one thing, they have to protect everybody! How is Ichigo going to be a shounen protag saving the whole world, if he’s only going to protect one thing?

To answer this question, we need to have a look at what makes a typical shounen protag. Look at Naruto, whose ‘ninja way’ has rehabilitated countless people, who eventually became Hokage, so that ‘his ninja way’ officially became adopted as the whole Leaf Village’s ‘ninja way’. Look at Luffy and his crew, whose carefree attitudes and ride-or-die comradeship between their crew members is widely admired and emulated. Look at Fairy Tail, where Natsu’s guild is the ideal for what a guild should be, and many guilds have reformed in their image with their values. What makes a typical shounen protagonist, I would argue, are two main things: an indisputable, unshakeable, almost inhumanly good ideal widely recognized within the canon as the way that things should be, and the faith, power, and drive necessary to rehabilitate people to this ideal and change the world so that it becomes closer to this ideal.

Naruto is the ideal of a ninja. Luffy and his crew are the ideal of a pirate crew. Natsu’s Fairy Tail guild is the ideal of a mage guild.

Is Ichigo the ideal of what a Shinigami should be?

Not initially! Initially, he’s just a prickly little kid with a shitload of trauma and depression to boot! Initially, his instinct to protect has a self-centred bent to it! Initially, he’s not even a Shinigami at all!

This is where Rukia comes in. Rukia and her philosophy of protection is the ideal of this series – she is what all Shinigami should be. The text isn’t even subtle about this—Rukia canonically has the most beautiful sword (soul) in all of Soul Society. Realistic or not, Rukia is the ‘absolute good’ of this universe—her ideal is, theoretically, the universal ideal.

But idealism alone doesn’t make Rukia the protagonist-- Rukia lacks the faith, power and drive necessary to turn people to her way of thinking and enact change, which is the other key component of a shounen protag. This is the part that Ichigo supplies—his complete and utterly unshakeable faith in Rukia and her values, the power necessary to back those values, and the ability to spread these values far and wide so that other people start to take up these values as well. I said above that Rukia’s philosophy of protection is so far-fetched that most people can’t even begin to fathom or emulate it—but Ichigo is not ‘most people’. He’s a shounen protag, goddammit! He has the ability to take up an ‘ideal’ that for most people would be impossible, and actually enact change towards that ideal.

This is why Ichigo and Rukia are double protagonists. Not because they were designed to be matchy-matchy or because of their avalanche of matching titles or whatever else. This is why. They are literally two halves of one shounen protagonist. Kubo called them sand and rotator in the side A and B poems, and he could NOT have picked a better analogy for them. Think of a watermill (or a sand mill, as the analogy is given), which is used to grind grain. The mill by itself cannot perform its purpose any more than the water by itself can magically grind the grain. The water needs to be driven by the wheel through the right mechanisms, and the wheel needs the water to actually function. Rukia drives Ichigo, points him in the right direction with her values, and Ichigo supplies the force necessary to enact change. Rotator, and sand. One protagonist, split into two.

(As a completely unrelated aside, I don’t know what it’s like in Japan, but in Korea ‘grinding the grain’ is a euphemism for sex, and watermills are inextricably associated with illicit liaisons. They’re the eastern world’s equivalent to the western world’s stables- any raunchy business conducted outside is usually conducted in a watermill.)

This is also why Ichigo’s name wasn’t something more all-encompassing. He can ‘protect one thing’ and still be a hero – as long as the ‘one thing’ he protects is Rukia. He wants to protect Rukia above all else, to the detriment of others, even (as evidenced by him turning away from rescuing Orihime to rescue Rukia)—but Rukia tells him no, no, I refuse to be protected by you, you have to protect the whole world. This is why it HAS to be Rukia for Ichigo – anyone with less than the absolute selfless ideal that Rukia has could never make Ichigo into the hero. Rukia turns Ichigo’s head to the whole world, opens his eyes to the possibility of protecting more than those in his immediate circle, makes him selfless enough to go through with it. Rukia makes Ichigo the hero. (Big aside: I’m not using ‘hero’ and ‘protag’ interchangeably here. Ichigo is the ‘hero’ of the narrative, but BOTH ichigo and rukia are the ‘protagonists’ of the story.)

But that isn’t the end of it. I have mentioned, in the past, that Bleach is not typical shounen, that it is structured more like YA lit and should be analysed as such. ‘But Sera! You just spent like 2 A4 pages talking about why Ichigo and Rukia are Standard Shounen Protags together!’ Ah but you see, that’s only initially. INITIALLY, Ichigo and Rukia need each other to become One Whole Stock Standard Shounen Protag. Rukia lacks faith and drive, Ichigo lacks ideal. They need the other to support their flaws, initially. To be completely honest, this is an excellent way to start an unhealthy codependent relationship. The most beautiful part about Ichiruki is that they don’t go down this path at all. They start becoming a whole shounen protag individually, by adopting the other person’s strength as their own. Rukia’s ideals inspire Ichigo, and by tybw, he is as avid about protecting everybody as Rukia is. Rukia sees Ichigo’s unrelenting faith in the fact that she is a good person worth saving, and starts believing in it herself and reciprocates in kind in HM and FB arcs. This is where the YA component comes in—YA protags, unlike typical Shounen Protags, don’t start off with an unapproachable ideal and the power+faith+drive necessary to change the world with it. They GROW into it. That is what Ichigo and Rukia are doing—they are both growing throughout the whole story to fit their protagonist roles, so that eventually, they can become One Whole Independent protagonist on their own.

It’s a beautiful, perfectly balanced, ironic jigsaw puzzle: Rukia had the ideal, but didn’t have the ability to turn others to this ideal. The only person she turned to it was Ichigo, but that was enough—Ichigo turns everyone else to it as well, overcoming centuries of tradition. Ichigo had the faith and drive, but no-one to put it behind. The only person he put it behind was Rukia, and that was enough—she and her values guide his choices and actions, and he becomes heroic. Ichigo and Rukia each failed one criteria for being a shounen protag, except with each other, BUT THAT WAS ENOUGH. Affecting and changing just one person—each other—was enough to set everything in motion.

A couple other points that I couldn’t find a place to fit into the essay cohesively, but think they’re still worth a mention:

Rukia says ‘all souls should be protected’, and she enacts this by protecting Ichigo, who is a hybrid of all the different soul types present in the narrative: human, quincy, hollow, reaper. Ichigo, despite being such a mixed entity, identifies firmly as shinigami, not because the shinigami convinced him with their ironclad, lofty morals but because Rukia did.

If Ichigo’s main flaw is being self-centred and tunnel visioned + a weird sort of superiority/hero complex, then Rukia’s main flaw is probably the exact opposite - despite having this incredible ideal, her lack of faith in herself + her tendency to obey the system in all but the most dire, life-threatening situations. Even their flaws are a perfect balancing act, mitigating each other out. (Rukia’s main flaws I probably want to go into in a bit more detail some other time, since it’s not something the fandom in general has much discussion on.)

So! In summary, the tl,dr version:

Ichigo’s name means ‘protector’ or ‘to protect one thing’ (both versions have been used in official translations). The latter is more relevant, as I have explained above. This ‘one thing’ initially is his mom, but by the end of the SS arc, it has very firmly become Rukia, again evidence listed above.

This had the potential to be problematic, as it’s not very heroic of someone to want to protect just one person, to hell with everyone else. BUT the narrative sidesteps that by making Ichigo and Rukia two halves of one shounen protagonist, and making them work best when they are together.

Shounen protags require two components: an ideal, and the ability+desire to enact that ideal. Rukia had the former, Ichigo had the latter. That’s why it’s not problematic for Ichigo to want to protect just one person most— because that one person is actually the ‘ideal moral standard’ of their entire universe, and she keeps telling him to use his powers for good and not just her.

But that’s not even all. Initially, they need the other to become ‘whole’, so to speak— but they don’t stay that way. Ichigo and Rukia have an immensely positive impact on each other, and help each other grow to adopt the best traits of the other and become a hero in their own right. Again, this is why they are both protagonists— because both of them kept growing and changing, right up to the final arc.

So, even though it’s been said a million times before, it bears repeating: Bleach genuinely is a story about Ichigo and Rukia, both of whom felt a little displaced in their own worlds and had trouble making connections. They connected with each other, and only then could their immense capacity for good could start changing the world. That’s really the crux of it— that it had to be each other for these two, not anybody else. Nobody else could bring out the best in them except for the other. They would never have become this extraordinary had it not been for the other person recognising their inherent value. It absolutely had to be Rukia for Ichigo, and vice versa. It’s always going to be the Ichigo and Rukia show.

#replies #bleach #bleach meta #ichiruki #fangirl life #i dont often ask people to read my meta but everyone should read this one #i feel very strongly about this meta #masshiro--ni #q&a

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break-slash · 4 years

Link

[ENG Translation] The Past and The Future

This is one of my favorite Puzzleshipping fancomics on Pixiv. Translated with permission from the artist. Please do not scanlate it unless you have asked permission to the artist directly.

[Page 2]

Egypt, The Valley of The Kings

Driver: We will soon arrive at the place

Driver: Cars can’t enter from this point, so you’ll have to walk by yourself.

Driver: Mister, why don’t you hire yourself a professional guide?

Driver: Getting an extra explanation surely will be a bonus!

[Page 3]

Yuugi: Thank you, but I know more about this place than you probably think.

Driver: You sure about that?

Driver: Good luck, then!

-Mobile Message-

Grandpa: Yuugi, have you arrived safe and sound?

Yuugi: I just got off from the car. I think I’ll be walking for a while.

Grandpa: It’s already around this time; shouldn’t it be night in Egypt? Be careful out there.

[Page 4]

Yuugi: Don’t be so worried, it’s not my first time anyway.

Grandpa: Haha, true that. You’ve always visited that place once in a year since that time. How long will you be there this time?

Yuugi: We’ll see about that. I’ll have to go to the US too, so I might not return to Japan for a while. There are no city lights around here, so the night sky looks so beautiful. I’ll send you the photos later.

Grandpa: The night sky, huh.

Grandpa: Oh, the news did say that there will be a rare astronomical phenomenon today – a huge scale of meteor shower, it seems.

Yuugi: Meteor shower?

Grandpa: Aren’t you a lucky one? You can see it from Egypt, but I don’t think I can from Japan.

Grandpa: Why don’t you make a wish? Something for my store’s business thriving would be great, for example.

[Page 5]

Yuugi: A wish, huh.

Yuugi: From a long time ago…

Yuugi: Mine has always been…

[Page 7]

Yuugi: My… my other self…?

Atem: Who would you be?

[Page 8]

Atem: Abnormalities in the sky?

Isis: Indeed.

[Page 9]

Isis: The image I saw through my Millenium Necklace.

Isis: It was the time before your coronation. The stars start raining down from the sky.

Atem: What omen does that lead to?

Isis: I apologize; I could only see those images I have described to you.

Isis: Somehow what happens afterwards feels so far away, and I could only see darkness from the range I could perceive through these eyes.

Isis: However, this abnormality would surely cause a disruption to a certain time and space, so please be careful.

[Page 11]

Atem: This must be the “the rain of stars” Isis mentioned before.

Yuugi: Why don’t you warm yourself with this cup of hot chocolate?

[Page 12]

-Cultural exchange-

Yuugi: So, you are a prince from Egypt…

Yuugi: And you will take over the Pharaoh position in a few days?

Atem: Yes.

Yuugi: I still get reception, it seems.

[Page 13]

Atem: That thing you are currently holding.

Atem: It seems to be shining all the time – what exactly is it?

Yuugi: This? It’s called a “smartphone”. It’s something that lets you contact people far away from you.

Atem: Is that your spirit? Does it have a special ability for long-distance conversation?

Yuugi: Um, no… it has nothing to do with spirits. Simply put, this is just a tool.

Atem: Whatever, that thing doesn’t really concern me.

Atem: Tell me who exactly you are.

[Page 14]

Yuugi: I’m Mutou Yuugi

Atem: That’s all? You only gave me a name?

Yuugi: Erm…

Yuugi: I know you all too well, but I’m not so sure anymore how to introduce myself to you.

Yuugi: Then, do you mind me asking how I should call you?

Yuugi: There’s no longer a figure as “Pharaoh” in this era after all.

[Page 15]

Yuugi: This is a future 3000 years later from your era.

Atem: 3000 years...

Yuugi: You don’t seem to be so surprised.

Atem: I have been warned beforehand.

Atem: But I didn’t expect it to be 3000 years…

[Page 16]

Atem: The way I see it, the world 3000 years later doesn’t seem to change much, so I thought I shouldn’t get so surprised.

Yuugi: That’s because we are in a historic ruin. Nobody except archaeologists or researchers come to this place.

Atem: A ruin?

Yuugi: If you appeared first in a city instead, I bet you would not have thought like that.

Yuugi: What will you do from now?

Atem: My people are all waiting for my coronation ceremony.

Atem: This place is not where I come from, so…

Atem: I must go back to Egypt 3000 years before!

[Page 17]

Yuugi: Let me help you!

Yuugi: I mean, you couldn’t possibly stay in this ruin until we find out how to return you back, right? I can act as your guide in this era, and we can look for the way together as well!

Yuugi: The world has changed very vastly in 3000 years! You’ll get lost if you don’t have anyone to guide you around here!

Atem: You’re too close.

Yuugi: Ah! Sorry about that! I got myself carried away…

Atem: Never mind, it wasn’t unpleasant or anything. I was just not used to it.

Atem: Speaking of which, it did feel weird. This was my first time meeting you, but I feel a sense of familiarity coming from you.

[Page 18]

Atem: Since you said there is no Pharaoh at this era… “Atem”

Atem: You may call me with that name.

Yuugi: Ah!

Yuugi: The area of the meteor shower is getting wider!

Yuugi: It is said that you can only see this large scale of meteor shower once in a thousand years!

[Page 19]

Atem: Wait, if this “rain of stars” exists in a future 3000 years later, it means I have not experienced the “omen” of my era yet!

Yuugi: There’s a call from Mokuba.

Mokuba: Yuugi!

Mokuba: There’s an announcement from the US Block!

Yuugi: Really? It’s been decided?

Mokuba: I’ve told you to be standby on your device and keep a contact since these past few days, haven’t I?

Mokuba: Tell me your location later. I’ll send someone to pick you up.

Mokuba: Get adjusted with jet lag as soon as possible too. It’d be troublesome for us, the organizers, if the King of Duelist doesn’t get enough sleep during the duel itself.

[Page 20]

Atem: Oh, this thing can speak too?

Yuugi: Uwaaaah!

Mokuba: Hm? Are you still with somebody else?

Yuugi: It’s my friend! I took him along to watch the stars!

Yuugi: It’s someone unrelated to the tournament, so I’ll continue our talk!

Yuugi: If Atem gets seen, things would get messy.

Mokuba: Oh, I see. I saw the news reporting about the rare astronomical phenomenon in Egypt's sky today.

Yuugi: Is there something else I need to keep in mind?

Mokuba: As the head of the tournament’s executive committee, I should stay neutral, but don’t you dare lose before your match with my brother!

Yuugi: Okay, I got it, Mokuba!

Mokuba: That’s all from me then. Do you need something else?

[Page 21]

Atem: How rude…

Atem: But I’m not annoyed

Yuugi: Ah, Mokuba, there is something I want you to do for me.

The USA

[Page 22]

Seto: Are you finished sending the notice to the duelists, Mokuba?

Mokuba: Yes! I’ve confirmed it with everyone! That Yuugi is in Egypt right now, by the way.

Seto: That place again, huh.

Mokuba: Something’s off, though.

Seto: Hm?

Mokuba: Yuugi asked me to change his hotel room to double bed all of the sudden. Does he have a friend that close from Egypt?

Seto: As long as he isn’t late to the tournament, let him be.

Mokuba: As always, Brother doesn’t care about anything else than dueling, huh.

Mokuba: He isn’t wrong, though. The King of Duelist’s personal relationship is not in our Kaiba Corporation’s jurisdiction.

Mokuba: Alright, registration confirmed!

[Page 23]

Isono: Mr. Mutou, we are sent by the KC to pick you up.

Yuugi: Thank you as always. Have you prepared the clothing I asked for?

Isono: Yes, I’ve put it on the seat.

Isono: And who is this person might be…?

Yuugi: He’s a friend of mine who performed on a stage called “Pharaoh” just now.

Yuugi: He’s here to accompany me.

[Page 24]

Yuugi: This is a “helicopter”, one type of vehicle.

Yuugi: It can fly and take us through the sky.

Yuugi: Interesting, isn’t it?

Atem: There are a lot of spirits with flying skills. I use it quite often.

[Page 25]

Yuugi: Of course you do!

Yuugi: I expect nothing less from my other self. He’s not afraid of anything!

Meanwhile, inside the Prince’s mind

Atem: Vehicle…

Atem: It neither looks like a spirit nor a living being. Is that something human created? How do they make it? I question this world even more now.

Isono: Mr. Mutou, we will depart soon!

Yuugi: Ah, he’s calling for us.

Yuugi: Let’s go!

[Page 26]

Yuugi: I’ll explain about the current common knowledge in our way.

Yuugi: I think you’ll find it interesting.

Atem: I should have… pulled my hand away…

[Page 28]

Phone Screen: Ishizu, there’s something I’d like to consult with. It’s about the Nameless Pharaoh. I’ll explain the details after the tournament…

Yuugi: Millenium Puzzle…

[Page 29]

Yuugi: I thought I’d never see it again.

Yuugi: Hehe, it’s my first time seeing my other self’s face when sleeping.

Yuugi: He didn’t sleep at all last night, so he must have been tired.

Yuugi: I wonder if he’s dreaming of something…

[Page 30]

Atem: What’s this? This dream feels like I’m watching from someone’s point of view.

[Page 31]

Atem: Yuugi…

Yuugi: Why is Yuugi in my dream?

[Page 32]

Atem: Me?

Yuugi: Atem!

[Page 33]

Yuugi: Did you have a bad dream?

Atem: No…

Atem: It’s definitely on that man’s neck…

Atem: Was the Millenium Puzzle trying to tell me something?

Atem: What is with this pressured feeling?

Yuugi: We’ve arrived at our destination. The helicopter is landing down.

[Page 34]

Atem: This is what the world 3000 years later looks like…

[Page 35]

Yuugi: It suits you!

Atem: So, the outside is the city? Why is this country so different compared to Egypt? This really surprises me.

Yuugi: Hehe, the current Egypt actually looks like this too, you know.

Atem: This is the future world even Isis could not predict…

Atem: Do you mind if we go outside?

Yuugi: Well, I still have time before the tournament starts.

[Page 36]

Atem: How prosper everything has become! I can’t believe there are so many people here.

Yuugi: Haha, the world is currently populated by 7 billion people after all.

Atem: 7 billion?!

Atem: I’m amazed with the reign of this country’s king.

Yuugi: How should I explain that the monarchy system isn’t used here...?

[Page 37]

Yuugi: Here!

Yuugi: Ice cream!

Yuugi: Try it out!

[Page 38]

Yuugi: Back then, we were only able to eat one person’s portion.

Atem: It’s a taste I’ve never eaten before!

Yuugi: The ice cream will melt, so be careful not to leave any marks on your face.

Yuugi: This feels like a date…

Atem: About that… you have something on here/this spot.

Yuugi: Just when I wanted to show off my proper adult self to my other self!

Yuugi: By the way, what were you seeing before?

Yuugi: “Duel Monsters”!

[Page 39]

Atem: I thought everything is unknown to me ever since I came to this era, but there are things I am still familiar with.

Atem: If I was not mistaken, this spirit is Mahaad’s… but something is a bit different.

Yuugi: This must be the deck introduction during my debut.

[Page 40]

Atem: This sense of familiarity feels weird. I’m sure I didn’t know anything about this person at all before.

Yuugi: It’s been a while since we talked about “Dark Magician” together. It brings back memories.

Atem: Together?

Atem: Da…?

Atem: It should have been called as “The Magician of Illusion”…

Atem: Does the name change as well?

Atem: I wonder what these characters mean though. They have a weird shape…

Yuugi: Do you mean the content of the magazine?

Yuugi: This must be an article about me. Reading it firsthand is a little bit embarrassing…

Atem: I wonder how Mahaad’s spirit managed to evolve into a stronger being like this…

Atem: He surely would not have thought I would know about this before him!

Atem: Now I am curious about the other spirits’ well-being in the era.

Atem: I need to confirm it with my own two eyes.

[Page 41]

Atem: Are there temples around here? Or anyone with a skill of controlling the slab of the spirits?

Atem: Take me to them!

Yuugi: About that…

Kid 1: I summon “Koumori Dragon”!

[Page 42]

Atem: Why does the monster appear in the city? Where are the soldiers?!

Atem: Furthermore, the controller is…

Atem: A child!?

Yuugi: It’s alright, Atem. This era’s Duel Monsters is different from yours. They have no destructive power. It has become a worldwide game that everyone can enjoy. That’s all.

Atem: What… did you say? A game?

Kid 1: I attack you directly with “Koumori Dragon”!

[Page 43]

Kid 2: No! My life decreases so much!

Kid 1: Hehe, just admit that I am stronger already!

Kid 2: The match has just begun!

Atem: Even if he is hit…

Yuugi: This is the current era’s duel.

Yuugi: As long as you understand the rule, you can play it immediately and feel the fun of it.

Yuugi: Everyone can become a worthy Duelist!

[Page 44]

Atem: Training.

Atem: Talent.

Atem: Burden on one’s body.

Atem: In here, everyone can…

Atem: What is this?

Yuugi: The tournament’s ticket.

Yuugi: Come and check out while you can.

Yuugi: It’ll be easier to understand how this era’s duel looks like if you see the real deal.

Yuugi: I humbly invite you!

[Page 45]

*Bought on his way*

Atem: It’s the same arrow. This must have been the main entrance.

Atem: It took some time to look for the way around.

Yuugi: We can’t go together from here.

Yuugi: Let me draw a map for you!

Atem: He sure has some guts to leave me by myself.

[Page 46]

Atem: It sure is crowded.

Atem: Are these people Duelists, too?

Atem: Everyone seems to be having fun…

[Page 47]

Person A: That’s Mutou Yuugi.

Person B: The champion who hasn’t lost a single match.

Person C: It’s the King of Duelist!

Mokuba: Yuugi!

Yuugi: Mokuba-kun!

Mokuba: This is the tournament chart for the semifinals. I’ve brought it for you.

Yuugi: Thank you. I got too absorbed in adjusting my deck.

Mokuba: Are you nervous?

Yuugi: A little bit, yeah.

Mokuba: And I thought you have gotten used to it from some time ago.

Yuugi: This one is special.

[Page 48]

Mokuba: It is, for sure!

Mokuba: That must be because Brother will be joining as one of the Duelists this time!

*The Strongest Rival*

Mokuba: It’s about time for you to hand over the King of Duelist title!

Yuugi: That’s one of the causes, but…

Yuugi: This will definitely be a harsh battle…

Yuugi: Let us fight together once more, my old comrades!

[Page 51]

This is the scenery the Prince saw as he entered the venue.

Yuugi, who is standing in the middle of countless spotlight and among the cheers from the audience.

His figure emits off such dazzling lights.

[Page 52]

Atem: He shines just like Ra…

[Page 53]

Atem: I have seen this kind of battle before.

Atem: But it was a match I did with Father just to confirm the training result of the Priests. Nothing more.

Atem: However, in here…

Atem: Both the audience and the Duelists – everyone is having fun from the bottom of their heart.

[Page 54]

Atem: Furthermore, this might be because of the atmosphere, but…

Atem: It makes me fired up as well!

[Page 55]

Commentator: He manages to erase one more Monster from the field.

Commentator: Duelist Yuugi – his Life Point remains so little as he stumbles from his place. This might be the last turn that determines this duel’s result!

Yuugi: I set one card. I end my turn.

Commentator: Look at that! He ended his turn without leaving any wall Monster on the field! Duelist Yuugi is in trouble!

Atem: Yuugi…

Audience: King of Duelist…

Audience: King of Duelist!

[Page 56]

Judai: Hang in there! King of Duelist!

Judai: Come on. The flow of the match changed just after I went to the toilet!

Atem: King of… Duelist?

[Page 57]

Judai: Mister, you are standing over there…

Judai: But you don’t know about the King of Duelist?

Atem: Yuugi is a king? Don’t tell me he’s the ruler of this place?

Judai: Ruler? What’s that?

Judai: King of Duelist is someone who stands on the top of every Duelist out there, and currently Mr. Yuugi is the strongest man in this world!

Commentator: Duelist Yuugi is currently defending himself from the tumultuous attacks from his opponent! Will he be able to prevent the special effects of these troublesome monsters the opponent controls?!

Atem: The strongest man?

Opponent: Mutou Yuugi, it seems the winner has been decided.

Opponent: I’ll make sure to work hard for your part, too.

Judai: Mr. Yuugi has always won since his debut, after all!

[Page 58]

Opponent: Direct attack to the player!

Judai: No matter how strong the opponent is, no matter how bad the circumstances, Mr. Yuugi never gives up!

Commentator: Is this the end for the King of Duelist?!

Judai: He is the Duelist I respect the most!

[Page 59]

Yuugi: Reverse card, open!

Yuugi: I activate its effect! I Special Summon a Monster!

Yuugi: Appear before me, my strongest combination who fights together!

[Page 60]

Yuugi: Battle!

[Page 61]

Commentator: Splendid! Truly amazing! What a terrifying trap combination activated just in time! It’s the legendary Magician Pair!

Commentator: Here comes the comeback! Duelist Yuugi obtains his victory once more!

Judai: See that!

Judai: Isn’t he awesome?!

[Page 62]

Judai: Wow! The King of Duelist is staring at us/looking here!

Atem: His radiance is dazzling, indeed.

[Page 63]

Judai: Man, I’m tired!

Judai: The match made my throat dry!

Judai: Duels are truly the best! Putting things to an end with your strongest rival fires me up the most! (?)

Judai: The cheers from the audience even surpasses the mic!

Judai: Mister, do you drink juice? Let me treat you!

Atem: Oh, what an interesting item…

Judai: A bumpkin?

[Page 64]

Interviewer: Next, we will interview the duelists that are participating in this tournament!

Seto: Regarding the tournament, I, Kaiba…

Atem: That Kaiba person; what is he actually?

Judai: Oh, he’s Yuugi’s rival, and the executive committee of this tournament.

Judai: He debuted before Yuugi, and is a strong Duelist himself.

Judai: I’ve collected the data about his deck, too!

Atem: So Mutou Yuugi is a famous person?

Judai: You must be a person from the countryside if you don’t know about Yuugi!

Judai: When he was 16 years old, Yuugi defeated Kaiba in his first duel and got noticed by the public. He became well-known during Duelist Kingdom afterwards. He later became the undefeated duelist in every public duel he participated. Truly the invincible champion!

Judai: Let me tell you that I have all sets of the DVDs featuring his public matches!

Atem: D…V… D?

[Page 65]

Judai: But later on, Yuugi’s dueling style changed all of the sudden, and nobody has ever seen his old style ever since.

Judai: There’s a rumor that the King of Duelist back then was actually another Yuugi.

Judai: Doesn’t it sound ridiculous?

Atem: The other Yuugi!

Atem: Was that ‘Yuugi’ strong as well?

Judai: Of course he was!

Judai: He obtained the “King of Duelist” title during that time, after all!

Judai: That was Yuugi, you know! The legendary, unquestionable phantom Duelist!

[Page 66]

Judai: One day I want to have a fun duel with Yuugi someday!

Atem: I understand that Yuugi is not a regular person, but I did not know he was this famous…

Judai: Mister, you really are a weird one, you know. You have the King of Duelist’s merchandise, but you don’t know anything about him.

Judai: More importantly, whether it’s the past or the present

Judai: Without doubt, Yuugi is strong!

Atem: Then, the other Yuugi is…

Judai’s friend: Ah, it’s him! That’s where he has been!

Judai’s friend: Judai, the signing event will start soon!

Judai: Got it! I’m going!

Judai: Mister, why don’t you go with us?

Atem: No, I still have to meet someone after this.

[Page 67]

Judai: Well, that’s a shame.

Judai: If you’re really interested in him, you could’ve asked the person directly!

Judai: Well then, I’m going!

Atem: Good bye.

[Page 68]

Judai: Wha…

[Page 69]

Judai’s friend: Judai!

Judai: That’s…

[Page 70]

Yuugi: Atem!

Yuugi: Too much signing wrecks my wrist!

Yuugi: Sorry for being late. There are more people than I expected.

Atem: Aren’t you a famous one? That kind of last-minute strategy – I can’t believe you pulled it off.

Yuugi: Really? That means a lot to me!

Yuugi: So, how was it?

Atem: I’m surprised.

Atem: I know most of the figures from your deck, particularly those two Monster cards!

[Page 71]

Atem: Those cards, “Dark Magician” and “Dark Magician Girl” – their combination effect is way more amazing than I expected!

Atem: I didn’t know you can even pair them with another Spell card! Truly interesting!

Atem: They are actually my friends, but the ones I know are not that strong yet.

Yuugi: You’ve understood the vocabularies used for duel this far?

Atem: I am one hell of a fast learner!

Atem: A few days ago, my priest predicted that I would transcend space-time due to a certain meteor shower. I kept thinking about its meaning until this moment.

Atem: When I saw them in a distant future I couldn’t have expected before, I couldn’t help but want to talk with them right at this moment.

Yuugi: The person who bears the Millenium Necklace can even predict the events happening 3000 years later?

Atem: No, she only said that it would happen before my coronation ceremony.

Atem: And the first meteor shower that I saw was the one that appeared at the night we first met.

[Page 72]

Yuugi: Don’t tell me – does it mean that you will be able to see the meteor shower once more sometime in the future

Yuugi: And that meteor shower will become the key to this mystery?

Atem: This might be one of the clues! Isis did say that the abnormality in the astronomical phenomenon caused the disruption in time and space!

Yuugi: If we are talking about space-time disruption, that means what you experienced is something similar to a wormhole! You must have felt the entrance to the current era at that time!

Atem: What’s a “wormhole”?

Yuugi: I don’t really understand either…

Yuugi: But I’m glad.

Yuugi: I’ve consulted about this to someone who’s an expert on this topic.

Atem: I wonder why this era of all periods, though.

[Page 73]

Atem: If I didn’t experience it myself, I probably wouldn’t be able to imagine it. I still don’t know how I should explain all of this to the Priests.

Atem: In Egypt, controlling the spirits is one difficult task. Only people with royal family blood or those with sublime knowledge who are able to do it.

Atem: Moreover, the basis of “being able to see the shape of the spirits” can only be done after one experienced harsh training in several years.

Atem: However, in this place, even kids can control the spirits and have duels at their will. This era is too mysterious.

[Page 74]

Yuugi: To be frank, a Pharaoh who can do magic is more mysterious to us.

Atem: A Pharaoh who can use magic is a given! It is a sacred skill given to me since my birth, so it should be obvious!

Atem: If I could not do it, how would I be able to protect my people?!

Atem: But here, everyone is a warrior.

Atem: Should they face someone strong, they have no need to cower in fear!

Atem: No wonder this era does not need a Pharaoh!

Atem: When I was a child, I made a promise with my friend that I would create a world where everyone is treated equally. That is why I go through countless training to make it come true.

Atem: However, when my father passed away, I was starting to question it.

[Page 75]

Atem: My father was born during the war, but he raised me while maintaining Egypt’s peace.

Atem: When I inherited the reign, I wondered if I could maintain Egypt’s prosperity for a long time just like my father did.

Atem: Would I be able to welcome the world I dreamed of with my people together? What kind of world would it be?

Atem: Afterwards, I came to this era, and after seeing the things happening in here, I finally understand.

Atem: This era is precisely the shortcut that leads to the road of the future I’ve always been looking for! That is why I came here!

Atem: The form of that ideal Egypt is starting to burst into my mind!

[Page 76]

Atem: I see!

Atem: This is the future!

Atem: There must be a record about me….

[Page 77]

Atem: It’s the first time

Atem: Yuugi avoided looking at me.

[Page 78]

Atem: Oh well!

Atem: Life wouldn’t be so interesting if we know about the future already.

Yuugi: Atem…

Man: Ah, look at that guy…

Woman: That’s Mutou Yuugi!

Man: The King of Duelist!

Woman: Wow!

Man: Please take a photo with me!

Person A: You guys in the behind, don’t push!

Person B: You’re stepping on others, you know!?

Person C: Get out of my way!

[Page 79]

Atem: Let’s escape!

Yuugi: Uwah!

Atem: Ah…

Atem: I’m tired…

[Page 80]

Atem: Your believers are very passionate, huh.

Yuugi: They are not believers. They’re just fellow fans who love duels just like I do.

Atem: What is this “fellow fans” thing?

Yuugi: Such curiosity!

Yuugi: “Fellow fans” means that our interests or the things we like are the same. In a word, we’re comrades!

Atem: Does it mean we can be called as “fellow fans” too?

Yuugi: Eh?

Atem: I have interest in “Duel Monsters”.

Atem: Would you mind teaching me?

Yuugi: Of course!

Yuugi: I just happen to have another deck with me!

Yuugi: That time, I really did wish for something…

[Page 81]

Yuugi: Right now, I’m so happy it brings me to tears!

[Page 82]

Atem: Oddly, everything feels so familiar.

Atem: This is a deck Yuugi gave to me, but

Atem: It feels like a deck with cards I would definitely choose if I were to make one.

Atem: Mana…

Atem: Mahaad…

[Page 83]

Yuugi: Are you ready?

Atem: Come at me!

Yuugi and Atem: Duel!

[Page 85]

Atem: Oh man!

Atem: You’re the first one to ever win a game from me.

Yuugi: For someone who has never dueled before, being able to put me at the corner is an amazing feat, too!

Yuugi: But, in the end…

Atem: It was a fun duel!

[Page 86]

Yuugi: Thank you…

Yuugi: Atem

Yuugi: For dueling with me here.

Yuugi: If you don’t, I don’t know… when I will be able to get over with “the last duel” I had with my other self.

Yuugi: A duel that symbolizes our parting and sadness…

[Page 87]

Yuugi: What I wished for was so that I can duel with you once more with a smile on our faces/I can have a fun duel with you!

Atem: Those eyes again…

Atem: It’s like he’s having a reminiscence of something…

[Page 88]

Atem: Um…

Atem: I feel like there’s a meaning behind those words.

Yuugi: There is one indeed!

Atem: What is it?

Yuugi: Not telling!

Yuugi: You’ll understand it someday.

Atem: Egypt owes you so much for showing me the way to rule my country!

Yuugi: You’re exaggerating it!

Atem: It is the fact.

[Page 89]

Atem: That’s why I should be the one to thank you!

Atem: When I just arrived here, I always kept my guard over everything around me.

Atem: If you were not there, I would probably seclude myself in that ruins.

Atem: When I saw you the first time…

Atem: Of course…

[Page 90]

Atem: When I saw Yuugi, I understood that it’s a “fate” in one glance.

Atem: Yuugi, what exactly are you…

Atem: If you had been born in Egypt, I would have definitely taken you to the royal palace.

[Page 91]

Atem: I’m starting to like you, Yuugi…

[Page 92]

Yuugi: Ah!

Atem: Don’t stare at me that much…

Atem: I’m flustered too, here.

Atem: Your answer?

[Page 93]

Yuugi: I can feel it clearly now – just how long 3000 years can be.

[Page 94]

Atem: Yuugi…

Atem: You should relax a little bit, Yuugi…

[Page 95]

Atem: You’re too nervous. Is this your first time?

Yuugi: …Maybe…

Atem: Maybe? What’s with that answer?

Yuugi: Is this your first too, then?

Atem: Do I look like I have spare time for this?

Atem: That’s why, if it hurts…

Atem: Say it with words.

[Page 97]

Atem: Yuugi…?

Yuugi: And that’s why –

[Page 98]

Ishizu: You want to know the exact date when the meteor shower happened in Ancient Egypt 3000 years ago?

Yuugi: I was thinking of asking Ishizu-san to search for any possible method…

Ishizu: I understand.

Ishizu: It is possible to calculate the time when the space-time interval between 3000 years ago and this era will open by researching the literature.

Ishizu: I will inform you once we get the result.

Yuugi: Please do. Calculating 3000 years of time before must be difficult…

Ishizu: No problem. It is something related to the karma of history, so I will do to my utmost.

Atem: That woman… Isis?

Ishizu: Yuugi, can I ask you a question?

Yuugi: Yes?

[Page 99]

Ishizu: How do you feel right now?

Yuugi: …I don’t know.

Yuugi: It might be good or bad. It could be both.

Yuugi: What Atem needs the most right now is his era’s Egypt.

Yuugi: Both of us clearly understood about this one fact.

[Page 100]

Yuugi: Compared to this mundane feeling of mine,

Yuugi: Turning back the time needle of the messy history is more important.

Ishizu: I expected those words to come out of you.

Ishizu: Pardon my rudeness.

Atem: Why of all times, it has to be 3000 years later…

Atem: This era is apparently deeply connected to my own.

[Page 101]

Atem: Even both Yuugi and I…

Atem: Don’t tell me there is another Millenium Puzzle in this world…

Atem: Impossible…. That was a mere dream.

Atem: Millenium Items are not something one can create so easily.

[Page 102]

Yuugi: Oh, you’re awake.

Atem: Hey!

Atem: My clothes!

Yuugi: Got it, got it!

Yuugi: Us getting flustered over it on the next day is expected.

Yuugi: I need to calm down as well!

Yuugi: I’m already a grown-up, after all!

Text: Shyness Level

[Page 103]

Atem: With whom were you talking just now?

Yuugi: You heard it?

Yuugi: She’s Ishizu Ishtar, an archeologist.

Yuugi: She’s an expert when it comes to the history of ancient Egypt.

Yuugi: I have told her about you.

Yuugi: She’ll definitely be able to look for a way to return you back.

Yuugi: And your tomb guardian as well…

Atem: I see…

[Page 104]

Malik: What happened, Sister?

Malik: You look down.

[Page 105]

Ishizu: I was just…

Ishizu: I was only grieving the fact that the young king will remain clueless of the fate which will block his way forward.

Ishizu: This farewell might be a sadder one compared to the Ceremonial Duel…

[Page 108]

Yuugi: “Month X, Date X, take the Pharaoh to the place where you two met the first time at the Valley of the Kings, and wait for night to come”

Yuugi: The time Ishizu mentioned is today!

Yuugi: This chasm can only fit one person at a time.

Atem: Let’s go.

[Page 109]

Yuugi: I can feel Atem’s heat through his palm.

Yuugi: It’s warm…

[Page 110]

Yuugi: The you who are standing in front of me right now is my other self who lived inside me, but

Yuugi: It’s not the king who went to the afterlife.

Yuugi: The Atem who lived 3000 years ago…

[Page 111]

Yuugi: Even so, I couldn’t do anything but to watch as you get swallowed by the darkness.

[Page 112]

Atem: We can finally see the stars.

Atem: We have to part ways from here.

Yuugi: Yeah.

Atem: Thank you for taking care of me these past few days.

Yuugi: It’s nothing…

[Page 114]

Yuugi: Ah…

Yuugi: No.

Yuugi: I was…

Yuugi: It’s just…

Yuugi: …I couldn’t hold it back.

Atem: Yuugi…

Atem: A farewell is indeed painful.

[Page 115]

Atem: The two of us were hindered by a large gap of time flow.

Atem: If this abnormality hadn’t existed…

Atem: I wouldn’t have been able to know the existence of Mutou Yuugi for my whole life.

Atem: I couldn’t have imagined such a dream-like scenery like this exists in this world.

Atem: That’s why, the sadness from this parting…

[Page 116]

Atem: It’s nothing much compared to the joy I get from my encounter with you.

Yuugi: I feel the same! I’m really glad to be able to meet you!

Yuugi: That’s true… I couldn’t interfere with your past.

[Page 117]

Yuugi: But, at least.

Yuugi: You’ll be able to look for a place to belong to in the future.

Yuugi: I’m really grateful for this encounter I have with you.

Yuugi: My other self… even now, you are still the savior of my heart.

Atem: Yuugi…

Atem: There is something I’ve been meaning to ask until now.

Atem: Have you been looking at someone else through me?

Atem: It feels like your eyes have always stared at somewhere far away…

[Page 118]

Yuugi: I’ve always looked at no one but you!

Yuugi: The current you wouldn’t understand the things we have experienced together, but.

Yuugi: No matter how severe and sorrowful things might be in the future, I ask you to keep believing.

Yuugi: Believe that I would definitely come to save you!

[Page 119]

Yuugi: Just you wait!

Yuugi: Farewell… my treasure.

[Page 120]

Atem: The Millenium Puzzle is resonating with Yuugi!

Atem: Something is flowing inside my mind!

[Page 121]

Yuugi: Let’s meet again in the future!

Atem: Ah… I’ve finally understood why I was sent to this era…

Atem: Will I be able to meet you once more?

[Page 122]

Atem: It’s because you are here!

Yuugi: Definitely!

[Page 125]

Mana: Prince!

Mana: I’ve finally found you!

Atem: Mana.

Mana: Where have you been these past few days? Everyone’s looking for you!

Atem: Is the royal palace safe?

[Page 126]

Mana: Don’t worry! Lady Isis has been consoling everyone, so it was alright for a while.

Mana: I don’t understand the whole “interval between space and time” matter…

Mana: That’s why I got scolded by Master.

Atem: It’s alright.

Atem: Mahaad will definitely think of you better in the future.

Mana: Prince, did something happen to you?

Atem: What is it?

Mana: It’s been a while since I saw your smile, after all.

Mana: O-Of course it doesn’t mean you look upset all the time!

Mana: You are a prince after all – you need to keep your dignity!

Mana: It’s just, the way you are right now…

[Page 127]

Mana: You become slightly gentler

Mana: Just like someone who falters, and decides to put his blade into its sheath.

Atem: Something did happen…

Mana: What could it be?

Atem: It’s a world you couldn’t imagine unless you see it with your own two eyes.

Atem: What remains the same is probably only this starry sky.

Atem: I’ll tell the rest of the story later.

[Page 128]

Atem: For now, let’s take a rest and prepare for the upcoming coronation ceremony!

Mana: Alright!

[Page 129]

Yuugi: Silent Magician! Direct attack on the player!

[Page 130]

Atem: Partner… you are already strong, yet your growth will not stop here.

Atem: I am lucky to be able to see your future with my own eyes.

Atem: Now, I can finally understand the meaning of the words you said to me back then.

[Page 131]

Yuugi: I…

Yuugi: I’m too weak…

Yuugi: You were my hero… my goal… I wanted to be strong… like you…

Atem: You’re not weak… you’ve always had a power that no one else could beat.

Atem: The power of kindness – that’s what I learned from you.

Atem: And that power shows me the path I must take from the past to the future.

Atem: I was able to pierce through my hesitation and face the darkness without fear because of you.

[Page 132]

Atem: I will depart from here. I have no regrets about it.

Atem: I’m not the “other you” anymore…

Atem: And you… are no one else but you!

Atem: You are Yuugi… the only Mutou Yuugi in the world!

Atem: It’s because I know that someone as strong as you will shine brightly among millions of people.

Atem: That is the glory that you have created with your own two hands.

[Page 133]

Atem: Thank you, partner…

[Page 134]

Atem: And let’s meet again in the future!

#my translation #puzzleshipping #blindshipping #ygo #yuugi mutou #atem

75 notes · View notes

rq-s · 4 years

Text

Title: Falling Down

Pairing: Xu Minghao / NB!Reader

Genre: Light Angst & Platonic OR Romantic

Word Count: 2.9k+

Warnings: None. However, I do interpret the timeline and meaning of his lyrics loosely. I can’t and don’t claim that it’s the “correct” way to do so; he wrote it to be ambiguous for a wide audience to enjoy. Please watch the Falling Down Making Film for clarity.

Credits: ENG Translation of Falling Down

Summary: You and Minghao have been consistent penpals since 2004, sharing each other’s cultures, languages, passions, and lives as you both grew up. 2014 came around and letter from him only came in 4 times, and only 1 in 2015. The last this you ever heard from him read he was a bird in a cage.

Notes: Italic = letter ... = omitted letter content

My Masterlist

Spring 2004

“How about this one, honey?” Mom handed me a postcard from a spot on the rack that I couldn’t reach. The large font caught my attention and told me it was a landscape picture of the closest national park. Though nothing in the picture was recognizable, it reminded me of camping, which made me smile despite having never been before.

“Sure.” Was all I said, and I followed her as she pushed our full shopping cart to the register and began chatting with the cashier.

Like usual, I quickly put the postcard on the conveyor belt along with the groceries. As soon as it was empty, I went to the bagging station and put the scanned and bagged items back into the cart. Making sure to the boxes and cartons together neatly like Tetris, careful not to squish the bread.

“What a diligent little kid you have!” The cashier spoke, her voice worn with age, but with a sense of joy that reminded me of a stereotypical grandmother.

“She always says I do it wrong.” Mom joked, smirking at me. She never did let go of my “If you want it done right, do it yourself.” attitude I had even as a kid.

Mom finished paying, and we went put into the chilly morning air of the parking lot that was made even colder by the shadow of the supermarket. I once again moved the bags from the cart to the trunk and brought the cart to the nearest drop off spot while Mom started the car.

The ride home was mostly silent, save for the sound of the road beneath the wheels and the hum of the heater.

“Thanks for letting me do the penpal thing, Mom.”

“You’re welcome, but remember the deal; you get more chores to do. You’re 7 years old now, you can handle doing the dishes by yourself, right?” The tone of her voice was completely serious, but I couldn’t help but laugh.

“I’ve been helping with the dishes for years, and I’ve learned from the best. I’ve got this!”

When we got home, I scoured the bags for that postcard, and luckily it was only bent on one corner. I wrote down bit of info about that park - whatever Google told me, and set it aside. I grabbed the template application from my school binder and filled in the blanks.

Hello! My name is _____________, I’m __ years old, and I am from ________! I am learning Mandarin, but I’m still a beginner. I hope to learn more about your culture and language as we exchange letters!

For now, I will tell you a bit about myself. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Along with this letter is a postcard and other information about where I am from!

I hope to hear from you soon!

Signed,

_____________

It was a pretty basic template that we had to copy from, and in retrospect, it was cringy as all heck, but it had to be formatted juuust right and follow the guidelines exactly, or the penpal program admin’s wouldn’t accept it.

From what I was told, someone from China who’d also applied and been approved would be paired with me, based on age and interests. Only this first letter was prewritten. Once we were paired up, the letters themselves and the mailing of them was up to me and my family.

I was lucky I got a match at all, most of the kids in my class didn’t. I learned pretty quickly why: I was the only one who put “dancing” as an interest.

Summer 2007

...

This was a frog I found at the lake! Mom got mad that I touched it, and when it jumped out of my hands and back into the water, it got mud all over us!!

Later we had a barbecue and some other campers came buy, but their kids were teenagers and didn’t wanna play with me, so here is a picture of me pouting in the tent instead of having fun.

...

This is the last one, when we finally got home from the long car ride. we all were sunburned really bad, but it looks like you can see freckles on my face because of it!

Whenever either of us would go on trips, even just to the water park or to a festival, we’d take Polaroid pictures to send. Most the earlier pictures Minghao sent were of him at tournaments, then they turned into selfies from after dance practice. It wasn’t until they were in their teens that he began to take more artsy pictures, with the occasional selfie thrown in. He’d always put at least one polaroid in each envelope, and photography quickly became one of the many things he excelled at.

Winter 2010

…

And I still can’t believe you were on TV!! Twice!!! All these letters… I can use them as blackmail someday when you’re a superstar! Muahah!!

I’m not nearly as good as you still, but Miss Lilly says my footwork has gotten a lot better! I wish you could teach me, but words don’t have the same effect as seeing it. I doubt I’d get it even if you tried to explain… and don’t even think about trying to teach me any martial arts, my brain will melt!!

…

My letters were always a bit longer than Minghao’s, and were full of run on sentences and unorganized thoughts. He was always clear and concise, yet sensitive. He always gave strong and encouraging advice on my Mandarin, but my English tips barely seemed to help him. I always cared more about getting to know him and telling my own stories than about practicing. Though, I don’t know what stories I had worth telling as a 13 year old. We contrasted each other a lot, and Mom said it made us a better fit for each other.

It wasn’t a weekly thing, but we always wrote when we could and has a steady back and forth. Sometimes the envelopes were thick, with many pages, postcards, candies, cool leaves or rocks we’d found, songs we had been listening too; things we cared about and wanted to share. But sometimes they were thin, barely a page long, with hastily written characters and a sincere apology. Both made me smile the same just the same – both showed how much he cared.

Spring 2012

Perhaps it was because we were the same age, and despite not meeting, had spent so much time together. He somehow always understood me, and never made jokes when I was opening up about the less fun sides of life. He went at his own pace, and it took quite some time, but he eventually felt comfortable doing the same.

…

I’ve worked so hard for this, I know I’m capable, but I’m genuinely terrified. But I’m excited, too. I feel so overwhelmed and I don’t feel like I can tell anyone, they’ll worry, or they’ll tell me I shouldn’t do it.

I want to try. I want to be on that stage and in that tournament and I want to come out having earned something.

…

Fall 2012

Congratulations!! Now I can brag that I know THE Xu Minghao who won 8th at a WORLD DANCE COMPETITION!!!! I knew you’d do great. Yeah, you were nervous, but your hard work showed through!

As soon as I read the news online, I was so happy. Eight is a good number, right? I think It suits you. Even when you're laying down, you have infinite potential! That’s you, Xu Minghao, Number 8, my best friend.

Come to think of it, it's been about 8 years since we met, hasn’t it? it must be some sort of prophecy!!! Haha I’m kidding, but seriously… That’s more than half our lives. We’ve spent knowing each other half of the time we’ve even been on this Earth!

I’m really glad I know you, Minghao. I’d be lonely without your letters, I think. I hope I make your days brighter, like you make mine. I hope we never forget about each other.

It was rare for me to get so sentimental, but he needed someone to be his fan, and I wanted to be the best fan of Xu Minghao I could be. Not to say I was the first, like I would joke about doing, but because he deserves it. I knew it from the way he talked about training, that he’d make himself a star someday, no matter what.

Because of this, though, it was this letter and onward that we stopped doing the copies and corrections. I noticed myself missing his teasing marks on my papers, or the cheeky smiley faces he’d draw when I did well. We stopped sending trinkets and polaroids too, so each envelope felt a lot emptier.

Spring 2013

I’m really going to Korea now… The flight is in a few days, I’ll send you another letter from the new address as soon as I get there, so please wait for it!

…

I had bad dreams back then, about how things would be different, slower and distant. His letters were a significant part of my life, and I was afraid to lose that. Yet I was surprised he was even allowed to keep sending me letters. Retrospectively thinking though, it wasn’t like he wasn’t allowed to write to his family.

Was I like family to him back then?

Winter 2013

I’m sorry for not writing you back sooner. The company has been really busy with Seventeen TV starting. I’ve been practicing a lot, I barely have time to eat or sleep, let alone sit down and write. There’s barely anyone around who knows Mandarin, and I’m still just learning how to make sentences in Korean, and they call me Myungho… Those who I can talk to are all boys, but they’re my friends, and possible group members, so I shouldn’t mind.

I miss your handwriting. Sometimes I reread our old letters, and notice that we’ve changed so much. But I keep every memory, did you know that?

I always feel better quickly. When I think about being on a stage, having fans singing with us and cheering for me… It makes me so happy that I cry, sometimes. But then I can’t help but think, “Will it ever be me? Or will I just dream of being there, and someone else will get the chance?”

That’s usually when I find one of your letters. The one you sent on my birthday a couple months ago, that you sprayed with that citrus scent? It’s my favorite, I relax so much when I read it. It reminds me of home, somehow.

I’ll try to write more often, I’m sure you’ve been patiently waiting. Let’s exchange pictures again, it’s been a while, right? I just really miss you.

Was he like family to me? No… I think, back then at least, it was something special for me.

Summer 2014

Hey! I haven't heard from you since April! I miss you a lot, but I know you must be really busy. I’ve been trying to watch the previous Seventeen TV episodes when I can, the other boys seem funny and nice. I hope they all take care of you, like you say Junhui has been.

I’m always wishing you sweet dreams, I worry about how you’ve been. I wish I’d have asked for your phone number or email or something before, but now that you’re so busy and under a big company… I just hope these letters and postcards reach you well.

…

Fall 2014

…

Also, they’ve been saying I’ll qualify to be on SeventeenTV soon. The others are hoping it’s a sign that we’ll get to debut soon. You’ll watch it, right?

Things are looking bright for me and my brothers here, but I can’t help but feel full of dread. I can’t pinpoint why. Junhui said it might be stage fright, but I don’t feel afraid.

I know they all support me, and I support them, but I feel like I might disappear, and not even you would remember me. I know its not true but it’s what I’m feeling.

…

Winter 2014

I SAW YOU!! I watched it as soon as it released, I didn’t understand what most of them were saying without English subtitles, but I could understand you, and I saw you! I’m so proud of you Minghao, you’re an official member of Seventeen!! You’ve been working so hard, I’m sure you’re exhausted. Please try and take time to rest and heal before debut, all of you need it!

…

Spring 2015

May 26th 2015. That is the day I debut. I know we haven't talked much, but I hope you’ll be there in spirit. Thinking about you cheering for me makes it easier to handle. I’ll fight for you, for me, for them, and for us. I’ll try, even though things feel like they’re ending.

I’m going to be busier than before. I’m not sure about the contract, but I’ll try to still get letters out. For now, have this. Thank you for everything.

A layer of grey I can't escape Walls built of fear are colored all over with red Who will listen to the sound from the bottom of my heart at the end of the world(/day) There's no one by my side Flee Flee

The world is collapsing, shattering, breaking I can't find love at all So why why why (Where will I ) fall, where Hidden by the dark clouds, helpless and pitiful Can't feel myself, light is lost Before the end of the world(/day), (I'm) yelling, sounds of pain But there's no one by my side Flee Flee

The world is collapsing, shattering, breaking After I disappear completely, (you) won't realize I once existed Why why why (Where will I ) fall, where Falling endlessly, falling in silence What did I ever do wrong

Missing someone you’ve never met is an entirely separate kind of heartbreak. I began to doubt every single thought and feeling I had, every single word I wrote, everything began to bleed between imagination, ideal, and reality.

The Minghao I watched on the screen wasn’t the Minghao I knew, and I started to wonder if I ever truly knew him in the first place. I felt like a fool, and even then, I continued to be foolish. I wanted to believe I knew what he meant; that I understood him, but as the years went on, I got more and more lost.

They won awards, they went on variety shows, they released albums, they went on tours. They traveled, they worked, and they grew. I needed to believe I knew him, but Minghao and The8 are not the same. And as I grew to love The8, Minghao began to fade into the back of my mind. When I watched him try to express himself beyond his stage persona, each time I saw flashes of a beautiful bird locked in a rusted cage.

I always kept the letters.

They’re my private collection of memories between he and I. They were the only way I knew it was real. I could run my fingers over his handwriting, feel how he sometimes pressed too hard and left marks in the paper. I could see how the paper and ink warped when he accidentally got tears on it. I could look at his pictures from his childhood and know what he was thinking as he took it.

I knew him.

Summer 2020

Hey, Minghao. It’s me, do you still remember my handwriting? Maybe it’s changed... No, I know it has, because I’ve changed as a person. It feels strange, I know what you’ve been up to, but you might’ve even forgotten my name. But I feel in my heart that you havn’t. Maybe thats wishful thinking.

Anyway, I’m so proud of you Minghao. You’re a superstar, just like you dream of being back when you first started dancing. You’ve become part of a family, and have so many fans cheering for you every single day. Congratulations!!

…

5 years. Does the smell of citrus still remind you of home? Of me? Maybe it just reminds you of the hard times you had back then. But I guess you’ve been reminiscing about that a lot lately?

I watched the video as soon as it came out, and I was shaking as soon as I heard your voice. That song isn’t a special piece of yourself that you shared with me anymore, but it’s part of your story for the whole world to see, and you told it so well.

...

I miss you.

It was finally time.

It was a fairly thick envelope, inside were many postcards of where I’ve been, quickly written notes as I reacted to songs and memorable moments, and full-length letters that never got sent.

It was so surreal to sit in front on him at this panel. He looks just like he did as a kid, but more refined, stronger inside and out. His aura intimidated me like I was seeing a skyscraper touch the clouds for the first time, and yet he maintained eye contact with me like I was a dandelion about to be blown away with the breeze.

“It’s me, Minghao.” The words barely drifted from my mouth, but they struck him like lightning as realization stealing his breath away. For a moment I saw his eyes twinkle, and the corners of this lips twitch.

A member of staff took the envelop away from him; he barely was able to read the label.

My time would be up soon.

His fingers intertwined with mine and he opens my photobook to his page with his free hand, looking down for only a moment to sign it.

The next Carat was nudging my shoulder already.

“Not yet.” I whispered both to them and to him with a squeeze of his hand. He did the same, like a beat of the heart, and then released. I watched his chest rise and fall with a deep breath as he gave the next fan the same focus and care he gave me.

I forced a smile on my face as I scooted over.

Did he truly realize it was me? Why could I feel his heart beating faster from the tips of his fingers? Did he want to contact me all this time, or had he chosen to stop and was scared to tell me? Did he miss me too?

My smile was only fake for a moment, though.

I was meeting his second family for the first time, after all, I needed to make a good impression. After years of keeping up with the group, it should have been easier to feel comfortable, and to be happy like the others.

Yet my hands continued to shake, their faces blurred and the sounds around me went quiet. My senses went in and out of focus like waves reaching and leaving the shore.

The warmth and the texture of his hand stained mine, and as i stared down at it after going back to my seat in the crowd, it felt alien. His hands are same hands that have been writing my name on every envelope for so many years...

I felt like I was falling.

#the8 #xu minghao #minghao #the8 x reader #xu minghao x reader #minghao x reader #seventeen #svt #svt the8 #seventeen the8 #minghao fluff #minghao angst #seventeen x reader #svt x reader

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watch-grok-brainrot · 4 years

Text

Striving for Humanity

Thanks to @merelhyn for 1) this post, 2) having a conversation with me about it at an ungodly hour, and 3) reading the story over before me posting. I shoved a lot of head canons into the story. I guess I’ll ramble at the end about some of them. I can’t think of any content warnings? If you see one I need to mention, please let me know so i can put it in the tags. :)

------

覆載群生仰至仁，發明萬物皆成善。

“Through the years, living things strive for humanity; Since their creation all things improve.” -- opening poem of Journey to the West by Wu ChengEn

Jiang Cheng felt a shift in his bed and suddenly Wei Ying’s voice sounded by his ears. “Jiang Cheng! Jiang Cheng! Wake up!”

“Go away. It’s too early,” he turned to go back to sleep. Why was Wei Ying awake at this time?

“But Jiang Ch~eng! It’s important! I think my golden core formed!” Wei Ying said in a hushed whisper as he shook the other boy.

Jiang Cheng bolted up. “What? How? I work so much harder than you! Have you been practicing without telling me?”

“Not on purpose! I mean, I don’t know!” Wei Ying waved his hands defensively. Then he paused and added, contemplative and thoughtful, “Well, I guess when I’m swimming in the lake, part of me is thinking about how spiritual energies feel.The way the water covers my skin and how my spirit and meridians respond. I like the way the energies feel when I move through the water and when I direct my Qi flow into the water. When we eat Shijie’s soup, I like the warmth of it going down my throat and I imagine the calming spirit from the soup seeping into me. I think I’m always looking for how our Qi interacts with us. Do you not do that? I just assumed you did.”

Jiang Cheng’s eyes widened. He spent all his free time working on his spiritual energy but he definitely didn’t work on it while eating or playing or swimming. Wei Ying’s approach made so much sense! If only he shared earlier. Annoyed, he punched Wei Ying in the chest, “What? No! I’m too busy trying to keep you from getting into trouble! And I can’t think over your incessant chatter anyway!”

Wei Ying allowed himself to flop backwards from the punch. “Do you want to feel for it, Jiang Cheng? I want to see if you can tell I’ve changed.” He offers his wrist to the other boy.

Jiang Cheng reached out and set his middle three fingers on Wei Ying’s wrist. He found the other boy’s pulse and followed the energy flow up. Sure enough, there was a small seed in the center of Wei Ying’s chest. It pulsated in synchrony with Wei Ying’s heartbeat, sending out small waves of energy. Jiang Cheng withdrew his hand, sighing.

“Jiang Cheng,” Wei Ying said, excited. “If I got mine, I’m sure you’ll end up with yours in a few days! You’re never actually behind. Not when it matters. And plus, you work so much harder than I do!”

Jiang Cheng scoffed. “I know I do. It doesn’t make sense that you get everything first and you seem to be slightly better than me.”

“Don’t be jealous! It’s just because I got used to thinking on my feet on the streets!” Wei Ying said, trying to diffuse Jiang Cheng’s jealousy and insecurities. “It’s not like a day or two will matter in the long run anyway. It’s so tiny right now. It’s about the size of a lotus seed, I’d say. Maybe when yours form it’ll be the size of our spirit bell! And if you form yours in the next five days, you’d still have gotten a golden core at a younger age than me. I am your Shi-ge for something, remember? ”

Jiang Cheng pushed Wei Ying off the bed. “Well, Shi-ge, I guess you’ll have to help me get mine soon! Let’s go train!”

He jumped out of bed, stretched briefly, and ran into the courtyard. Wei Ying quickly followed.

Seven days later, Jiang Cheng woke up with a golden core. The two of them immediately found Jiang Fengmian to ask for courtesy names and swords.

“Dad! I have a golden core!” Jiang Cheng yelled down the hallways of Lotus Pier.

“Uncle Jiang! We both have golden cores!” Wei Ying’s voice joined in.

Jiang Fengmian put down his brush and looked up from his work. “Come here, let me feel.” Both boys rushed up and offered their wrists. He tested their cores and found two small lotus seeds beating with youthful vigor. He smiled. “Very good.”

“So how do we pick a courtesy name? And what do we need to do to get a sword?” Wei Ying asked, words tumbling from his mouth without pause. “Do we have to find the materials? Do we have to forge it ourselves? Is there a trial or a test? Will we have to infuse it with energy from our golden core before it can be forged?”

Jiang Fengmian placed a hand on Wei Ying’s head to calm the boy. Then he placed his other hand on Jiang Cheng’s head and said, “Per Jiang family traditions, you must determine what is most true for yourself. Pick names and sword components from that. The best swords develop spirits. It would be wise to give them a vessel that resonates with your morals and your identity. We can pick your courtesy names after your swords are forged. Now go, and present something for me tomorrow.”

Both boys nodded solemnly, gave each other a grin, and ran out of Jiang Fengmian’s study.

After meeting with Jiang Fengmian, Jiang Cheng ran to tell Yu Ziyuan his news. Wei Ying, not wanting to incur the woman’s wrath, decided to take a walk instead, his Uncle Jiang’s words echoing in his ears. He had a lot to think about.

Wei Ying’s father was a servant to Uncle Jiang. A close friend, but still a servant. He had no status. And Wei Ying’s mother was as elusive as her name indicated. He never got any stories about her, though he asked. Where, then, was their child’s identity rooted? How, from a lack of identity, can Wei Ying figure out the sort of vessel that would fit his sword?

Lost in thought, Wei Ying wandered out of Lotus Pier grounds. His feet carried him to the first tree he climbed after arriving at Yunmeng. Perhaps only a couple decades old, the tree stood in a clearing. Wei Ying walked up and put his hand on the tree, “Hey old friend. I’m surprised I’m here again. I don’t have anything sad to say to you today. I guess I’m just here to think.” He walked around the tree a few times, fingers trailing along on the trunk.

You came to me that day. I realized, when you touched me, that you had changed. As you walked around me and spoke to me, I knew you would leave me one day. You who I’ve always known.

Wei Ying grabbed onto the lower branches and pulled himself up. The large leaves batted him in the face. Wei Ying laughed and climbed higher. A few minutes later, he had gone as far as he was willing to climb. The leaves did a good job of hiding him but he could see out and watch Yunmeng. He sat down and leaned against the main branch. The familiar shape of the boughs brought back familiar feelings.

Your tears were what woke me. I heard you cry and tasted your anxiety and fear. I watched you fall. I was powerless to protect you. After you and the larger child left, the blood you spilt seeped down and I took it in. The earth did not deserve any of you.

This was the first tree that he had climbed when he arrived at Yunmeng. That was the night he became friends with Jiang Cheng. That was the night he first tasted Shijie’s Lotus Root and Pork Rib soup.

I watched you grow, your spirit bright and strong. Your laughter felt like sunlight. It grew my spirit as sunlight grew my body. Your cries hurt like passing storms. But weathering them made my spirit stronger. I swore to shelter you.

This tree has been his safe haven when Madam Yu got mad, when local dogs chased him, when he wished he could remember more about his parents. He remembered climbing the tree, hiding in the tree, crying in the tree, and falling from the tree when he inevitably fell asleep.

You fed me, unknowingly. I drank in your tears. From them, I learned of human suffering. From them, I understood loneliness, insecurity, and pain. How does one so small feel so much?

Wei Ying put his hand on the tree and channeled some of his spiritual energy into the main branch. “You’re as much part of me as you’re part of Yunmeng, aren’t you? I can’t believe you’ve been here with me through everything."

Either by his words or by sheer coincidence, he heard a crack and saw a lower branch about the thickness of his upper arm break and fall to the ground. His eyes lit up and he patted the trunk twice. “Of course, you and I are the same here. Thank you old friend.”

I could not tell you not to go. So I did what I could. I went with you.

Wei Ying climbed down and picked up the branch. It was about a meter and a half long and four to five fingers width in diameter. The break was surprisingly smooth and the wood was much less wet than he expected. He smiled. This is exactly what he hoped to find.

Jiang Cheng presented Jiang Fengmian with four aspects for his sword design: two metal sculptures, one of a snake, one of a toad, a jar with five centipedes, and a jar of purple pigment. “Father, I present to you the elements for my sword. First, the purple is Yunmeng. My future responsibility and my family. The other three objects represent three of the five poisons. As I am the son of Mother, the Purple Spider, and you, the Water Scorpion, I thought it would be only fitting for me to take the other three. I come from you, I hope to take the best of you two and become more. Furthermore, it will only do me good to remember the three poisons of Buddihst teachings. Calling my sword Sandu will remind me of both my roots and my faults.”

Jiang Fengmian nodded approvingly and Jiang Cheng beamed. Jiang Fengmian then turned to Wei Ying.

“A-Ying, what did you choose and why?”

Wei Ying thought about Jiang Fengmian’s question and offered two answers. “I chose wood because it represents what you have done for me. Prior to being taken in, I was but 不材之木，無所可用 (wood that cannot be crafted, useless). Your raising me made me what I am today. I want to have a wooden sheath and hilt to remember from whence I came. I also believe trees, like lotuses, reflect the Yunmeng Jiang motto. 禽獸固有群矣，樹木固有立矣 (birds and beasts gather in flocks and herds; the trees stand in place). Trees know their lines and what they will bend to and what they will weather. We also know our moral lines and stand by them. Holding a sword made of such, I hope to do the same.”

“What about its name?” Jiang Fengmian prompted.

Wei Ying fell silent. In his head dozens of names flew by. He dismissed all of them as unworthy of his sword. Finally, Wei Ying looked up and blurted “Suibian. Whatever you want to call it, Uncle Jiang. Suibian. I defer to your wisdom.”

Suibian. Whatever. These two characters that tumbled from your lips I knew to be truer than anything anyone else could say. I wanted no other name. It reflected your spirit. It reflected my will. How could you suggest anyone else try to name me anything else?

As my body plunged into fire, I clung onto your words. Whatever. I insist on whatever. The flames roared around me, trying to force me docile. I screamed back my desires. I have will! I choose this! Finally the flames yielded and I molded them for my own use. I will be your whatever, as long as you let me stay by your side.

When the swords left the forge, both boys eagerly grabbed their weapon.

Jiang Cheng’s Sandu held the poisonous motifs -- snakes intertwined to form the cross guards and a toad sat atop its hilt. The five entangled centipedes were embedded in Sandu’s heart. The sheath’s Yunmeng-purple surface displayed a snake skin texture. The sword epitomized a deadly elegance befitting the Yunmeng heir.

Wei Ying’s sword was a masterpiece of intertwined metal and wood. The hilt seemed to be of plain wood, yet it conformed to Wei Ying’s grip as if it were whittled for that sole purpose. The metal rippled around the sheath, wrapping around the wood like the waters of Yunmeng wrapping around Lotus Pier. Upon the wood of the sheath were engraved the characters 随便 (Suibian.)

---

Notes:

1) So, per traditional chinese medicine, the spider is not one of the five poisons. There’s a salamander/lizard instead. I believe it has to do with what you use to make extracts/tonics. However, in many Wuxia novels, the reptile is replaced with spider... and for my motif, i went with the spider. CQL is a very wuxia heavy xianxia show anyway. :)

2) We know NOTHING about the parents so i made up the thing about Jiang Fengmian’s moniker. It sounded cool to me. That way he gets to be a poison. It rounded out 5 with Sandu and JC’s sense of family and duty. The water thing was just being from Yunmeng.

3) Per CQL aesthetics, the golden core is separate from the dantian that Wuxia talks about. I’m making that assumption here.

4) Once i learned courtesy names were given historically at a later age, it really bothered me. Since i figured it’s a coming of age thing, I started headcanoning courtesy names were given at the same time as when the golden core formed. That would explain why wwx, jc, lwj etc have courtesy names so young.

5) If you paid attention to CQL, you’ll know i framed the tree as a young Yao to start and then it shoved its spirit into the branch which i guess would make it a Guai. I don’t know if that even works... but if monsters can eat spiritual cognition, what’s to say wwx’s tears etc didn’t wake up a little creature. It would explain Suibian’s loyalty that @merelhyn referred to in her post. If the wood/tree imprinted on WWX even before it became Suibian... then of course it would seal itself and of course it would have the words carved even if WWX wasn’t a ancient cultivator.

6) I really like the idea of WWX’s bendy flexible brain just finding ways to cultivate 24/7. I wanted to share it so tada. you get that here too.

Ok. that’s it. oooof. if you’ve stayed here this long, thank you for reading! <3

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hyenahunt · 3 years

Text

Secret Service: GLOBALISM - 2

Writer: Akira

Season: Winter

Characters: Kohaku, Niki

Proofreading: bakemonoremy (JP) & Skyress (ENG)

Translation: haranami

Niki: I’ll pay as much as you want — from Rinne-kun’s wallet, of course!

Location: Osaka

[A few hours later, in Osaka.]

Kohaku: ……

Niki: Huh~? No fair, Kohaku-chan! That looks so yummy!

Thanks to that “Order” or whatever, I can’t even eat the things I want to! I’m on the brink of death here!

Kohaku: ……

…Oh, yeah. Ya came all the way to Osaka, Niki-han, but you’re not allowed to eat anythin’ with flour in it, right? [1]

Niki: Yeah, exactly! I’m low on flour! Somebody, anybody! Gimme some of that sweet white powder! I’ll pay as much as you want — from Rinne-kun’s wallet, of course!

Kohaku: Hey, quit yellin’ things that people are gonna misinterpret... But food made outta flour, huh? The first things that come t’mind are takoyaki an’ okonomiyaki.

Niki: Aghhh, don’t say their names! My tummy’s getting even grumblier now~!

At this rate, I’m gonna lose myself to hunger and rob a kitchen or something! Please, you’ve gotta stop me before I turn into a criminal!

Kohaku: It’s your stomach. You’ve gotta at least be able t’control it on your own… but I can’t say that t’you of all people, Niki-han. It’s basically like a sickness in your case.

You can eat things that don’t have flour in ‘em, right? I’ll buy ya an onigiri from that convenience store over there t’tide you over fer now.

An’ then, the moment the SS preliminaries end, ya can eat takoyaki an’ the like till you’re sick of it.

Niki: But I wanna eat some now! Ugh, at least let me breathe in the scent wafting over from your plate…!

Kohaku: Quit clingin’ t'me, you’re gettin’ in the way.

Rinne-han an' HiMERU-han always act like they’ve got a screw or two loose, but you definitely need supervision too when you’re hungry.

I’ve got a lot on m’plate. That's why I don’t wanna leave Osaka unless I absolutely have to.

Niki: Ahaha! Now that you mention it, HiMERU-kun actually does weird stuff pretty often, huh?

He’s gotten even worse ever since we came to Osaka. Is it ‘cause of his Order? Or is that just how he is?

Kohaku: I reckon that ain’t his true self. HiMERU-han’s actually a pretty jolly fellow.

Niki: Yup. I’m happy that HiMERU-kun doesn’t really put up a front anymore, especially not around us.

Crazy: B’s slowly but steadily moving forward in a good direction.

Kohaku: Yeah, I sure hope so… Though our fans might think that we’re bein’ too obedient an’ not very Crazy:B-like at all.

Niki: Nah, peace is the best! War leads to hungry stomachs…!

Kohaku: That’s true. Back when we were kids, I’m sure we all learnt that fightin’ an’ squabblin’ amongst ourselves ain’t worth it, so I wonder why it’s so hard for us t’let go of the weapons in our hands?

Can’t say I mind too much, though. If everybody stays this way, we’re never gonna be out of a job.

(...Havin’ convinced myself of that, I gave up. I was sure that, at least durin’ my lifetime, nothin’ would end up changin’.)

(But, even though I jus’ donned this title of “idol” on a whim, as a way to protect an’ watch over Bou…)

(I realized that it gives ya a tremendous amount of power — more than I could’ve imagined.)

(If ya make an ally out of an establishment as huge an’ influential as ES, there’s nothin’ ya won’t be able to do. At least within this country, that is.)

(SS is proof of that.)

(They do have the support of the Gatekeeper, who’s got tons of funds overseas, but it’s been one miracle after another ever since SS started.)

(ES has been actin’ like a god would, toyin’ around with this whole country however they’d like — they showed us all how they’ve got enough power t’do so.)

(The average person wouldn’t even notice, though. They’d jus’ keep cheerin’ us idols on without a care in the world.)

(I’m sure the people with sharp instincts have an idea of what’s goin’ on, an’ they’re probably tryin’ to take action. But, if ya wanna overpower ES, you’d have t’be as powerful as a god, too.)

(An’ the fastest way to do that is t’win SS.)

(The premise of the competition has always been that the champion would get the support of the entire idol industry.)

(But the situation’s changed, an’ not in a good way. Getting full backing from ES means being able t’use that godlike authority however ya choose.)

(I’m sure there are people out there who’d use that tremendous power t’fulfill their personal desires, like our Vice Prez-han or Rinne-han...)

(An’ there are also people like the members of Trickstar or Rabu-han who jus’ consider the title of SS champion t’be nothin’ more than a fancy gold medal.)

(But a portion of people have started t’notice that this country is facin’ a real abnormality; these are unprecedented times. Winnin’ SS means that you’ll be able t’make the next era yours.)

(You’ll basically be able t’grant any wish you could dream of. SS is the holy grail that everyone’s been searchin’ an’ longin’ for.)

(I wonder how many people would be able t’hold themselves back if they saw that danglin’ right before their eyes? Right now, we’re gettin’ along, havin’ fun as we do our idol work, just like always.)

(But how long is that gonna last?)

(Desire drives people mad. Hope an’ dreams lead ‘em astray. Love an’ justice tempt ‘em into error.)

(But the gamblin’ den opened its doors long ago. No one can leave anymore… not this late in the game.)

✦✦✦✦✦

Translation Note:

1. Unfortunately for Niki, most of Osaka's specialties use flour in some way.

✦✦✦✦✦

← prev ✦ all ✦ next →

#enstars #enstars translation #ensemble stars #s: secret service #hyenahunttl #era: !!#type: event #kohaku oukawa #niki shiina

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link4eva · 3 years

Text

Kiro’s Hidden Light Date Translation [CN]

Hi, everyone! Thanks so much for your patience! I really appreciate it 💛

Just a couple of things before you begin reading. I don’t actually know any Chinese so this translation was done through the power of Google Translate. A huge shout-out to @keliosyfan for all the help with this translation and for also listening to me crying and screaming as I translated this date! Sorry about your ears 😅

There is a call that comes before the date which I’ll link here!

This translation contains spoilers for a date that has not yet been released to the ENG server. If you wish to not be spoiled, please don’t look below the cut.

Hope you enjoy~ 💛

*Spoilers for future content below!*

[First Part]

In the Temple of the Gods, the new gods gathered here for the first weekly meeting since taking office.

I was holding a thin report, standing at the end of the reporting line--

As the first star god in the God Realm, my job is too simple compared to other gods.

After the sun sets, I wake up the sleeping stars in the galaxy. This is my job.

Lord God: It’s your turn, God of Day and Night

The voice of the Lord God rang above the temple, and the man who was summoned walked slowly to the center of the hall.

???: Lord God, I have a request….

A bitter feeling poured in, I lowered my head and tried not to look at the back that seemed to have become thinner--

The God of Day and Night, Kiro.

(Flashback)

I met him at the New God Training Camp years ago.

Every new god must learn about their responsibilities here, and then use their performance to assign the appropriate position.

Priest: The subsequent training is a pair of two, the grouping rules are very simple.

Priest: There are two of each kind of pastry on this long table, and two people who have the same one will automatically be matched.

I scanned the big circle with interest and my eyes landed on a pastry that looked tasty.

Just when I was about to pick it up, a slender hand stretched out at the same time.

I looked up and saw a handsome man standing beside me with a bright smile on his pale face, his eyes brilliant and pure.

Priest: After you choose, you can take the pastry and find your partner.

Kiro: It seems that we’ve already completed the next step. *Changed some wording*

Kiro: Hello, my name is Kiro.

MC: H-hello, I am MC.

At that time, I blushed and my heart was beating very fast. Maybe it was because his smile was too gorgeous.

Since then, we have become good partners who talk about everything.

We climbed the wall and skipped class together, and set off the fireworks behind the mountain under the stars to share every day with each other after agreeing to become true gods.

Kiro: But….I hope we can stay together and become gods who are sincerely respected by people.

My heart was beating rapidly at his sincere tone, and I suddenly realized that my feelings for him were more than just platonic. *Changed some wording*

I want to be with him all the time and share with him all the beautiful things in the world--

Kiro thinks the same way, right? Otherwise, he wouldn’t make the promise of “always being together”.

Our feelings must be the same.

With this in mind, until the graduation ceremony of the new gods a week ago, the Lord God announced the new god’s proposed deity.

Lord God: ….Finally, it is proposed that Kiro is the God of the Sun and MC is the God of Night.

I happily accepted the proposal knowing that in the God realm, the God of Day and the God of Night will be regarded as an official pair.

And every day and night, they will accompany each other and will be bound together forever. *Changed some wording*

However, I forgot to confirm Kiro’s thoughts and didn’t even glance at his expression after hearing the proposed order.

I only remember that I was happily drunk and took his hand while talking a lot.

MC: I’m so glad!

MC: When I become the God of Night, I will give you the brightest star!

MC: And, I….

I also said a lot of nonsense. As for the content of the nonsense, it doesn’t matter anymore.

The important thing is that Kiro saw the Lord God in private on the second day, which caused the Lord God to change the original plan of the gods in the subsequent ceremony of the gods.

Lord God: Starting today, Kiro alone will be the God of Day and Night, and MC will become the first star god.

MC: Did you ask the Lord God to change the proposed deity position?

After the ceremony, I asked Kiro outside the temple gate, and he nodded silently.

MC: Why?

Kiro: I….

Seeing his hesitant expression, I understood in an instant--

He is unwilling.

He would rather bear the weight of the power of two gods alone than to get involved with me anymore.

I forgot how that day went on. I just felt that I was in an emotional, shameful and sullen mood ever since.

Later, Kiro would come to me almost every day, probably because he wanted to continue to be friends with me. However, I couldn’t deal with this mood of mine, so I constantly avoided him.

Kiro: ….Therefore, I need to familiarize myself with the work of the Star God.

MC: ?

After looking back, I realized that Kiro had turned his head and his eyes met my own.

All the gods are looking at me, and the God of Prophecy with whom I have a good relationship with winked at me.

Kiro: Would you like to spend a day with me, Star God?

[Second Part]

After walking out of the temple, I figured out what happened.

In order to confirm the position of the moon and stars, Kiro asked the Lord God to spend a day with me and get acquainted with each other’s work.

I stood at the door of the temple with a blank stare, not understanding why he wanted to do this.

Does he really want to get involved with me? Or is it just for work? But why do we have to spend a day together if we want to allocate the moon and the stars reasonably?

I couldn’t understand it for a while, but I also couldn’t violate the Lord God’s order, so I had to stand outside the temple gate and wait for Kiro to drive the solar cart to pick me up.

His first task every day is to drive a solar cart to fill the earth with sunlight.

Even though I kept avoiding him, I often belittled myself for being useless, and at the same time asked the God of Prophecy about the situation.

During the day, he was busy dealing with various official affairs, and at night, he stayed alone in the Temple of Sun and Moon, without ever taking a step outside of the temple.

I have been thinking about all the different reasons, but this seems to be Kiro’s secret. Even if the God of Prophecy wanted to tell me, she couldn’t speak.

??: Star God~ Congratulations~

Following the voice, the God of Prophecy walked towards me with a grandiose expression on her face.

MC: Congratulations?

God of Prophecy: Isn’t it worthy of congratulations to spend a day with someone you like?

I quickly covered her mouth and looked around nervously.

This woman can be said to be the god with the most amount of gossip amongst the gods, but she really knows all the secrets of the world. *Changed some wording*

Due to the divine order, she couldn’t tell the secret to anyone, so she often wanted to gossip about others but to no avail, and finally scratched her head in a hurry.

MC: If you talk nonsense, I will destroy your temple!

God of Prophecy: Ok, ok, don’t destroy my temple. You can destroy the gift I gave you instead.

Seeing that I didn’t respond much, she was a little confused.

God of Prophecy: You really haven’t opened the secret scroll I gave you?

God of Prophecy: As long as you open the scroll with your own hands, you can see the secret you want to know the most.

MC: ….I have no secrets that I want to know.

God of Prophecy: Then return it to me!

MC: I put it under the rock next to the galaxy. You gave it to me, how I use it is my own business.

God of Prophecy: You….

The sound of horse hooves interrupted our conversation, and Kiro stopped slowly in front of us while driving a solar chariot pulled by a horse.

Kiro: Have you been waiting long, Star God? *Changed some wording*

God of Prophecy: Even if you made her wait for you for a hundred thousand years, it still wouldn’t be too long for her….

MC: Don’t listen to her nonsense.

I hurriedly interrupted her and immediately climbed into the chariot.

(Cut to the sky)

Kiro chuckled softly. He raised his whip and the horse whinnied and soared into the blue sky.

The daylight poured out from the chariot, the golden morning light flowed slowly like a river, tinting the colour of the sky a little bit golden.

Kiro didn’t seem to intend to return until the daylight dyed the sky.

After smooth sailing, the solar chariot stopped on a lotus pond in the Valley of Spirits.

(Cut to Valley of Spirits)

When he got out of the chariot, the flowers and plants stretched out to reach wherever he passed. The elves woke up from their slumber and surrounded him immediately as if saying hello.

Kiro: This is where I rest. I will come here every day after sunrise.

MC: Are we not checking the positions of the moon and stars….

Before I finished my question, a white deer appeared.

Its breathing was laboured. It then bowed its head and rubbed Kiro’s hand, its white belly bulging. *Changed some wording*

MC: Is it sick?

Kiro looked at it thoughtfully for a while and lightly stroked its stomach.

Kiro: I think it knows that I will be here every day and come to me for help.

Kiro: It seems that it will become a mother today!

I opened my mouth wide in surprise.

MC: Do you still care about this kind of thing?

Kiro: You have to know a little about everything.

He walked to the side of the deer and put his palms close to its body. Its original anxious breathing was slightly calmer.

He slowly squatted down, lying his body softly on top.

Kiro: Don’t be afraid, we will stay with you.

He stroked the deer’s belly gently as if helping it to relieve the pain.

The broad palm of his hand moved lower, and the fine fur was peeking between his fingers.

The soft sunlight formed a hazy mist on the lotus pond.

The deer’s expression gradually eased and its stomach began to rise and fall softly.

Kiro: Like delivering sunlight, what I am doing now is also part of the work of Apollo.

Kiro: I need to witness the rebirth of everything with my own eyes.

Kiro: The existence of life is meaningful, and their blooming will bring beautiful colours to the world.

His voice was very soft, the dazzling sunlight was quietly reflected in his eyes, a clear and profound memory spread out in my mind.

(Flashback)

Not long after we entered the training camp, the priest was telling the theory of “God is equal to all beings”.

Kiro sat beside me, frowned and listened for a long time, then shook his head slightly.

Priest: Kiro, do you have any different opinions?

Kiro: Priest, can God really be equal to all beings?

Priest: Why do you ask?

Kiro: Because you said before that God loves all beings.

Priest: God does love all beings, why can’t all beings be equal?

Kiro: Suppose a poor mother who is committed to goodness steals rice from a robber’s house for the child in her womb.

Kiro: The robber brought the mother to ask God if she had stolen rice.

Kiro: If God answers yes, the robber will kill the mother. If God answers no, he will let the robber lose his property for no reason.

Kiro: At this time, what should God’s answer be; yes or no?

Priest: If it were you, what would you answer?

The priest smiled and turned the question back around. Kiro stuck out his tongue and scratched his head embarrassedly.

Kiro: I am afraid I cannot achieve absolute “equality”.

Kiro: I don’t think that God is heartless.

Kiro: As long as there is love in the heart, it will always be biased towards the other at a certain time.

(Flashback ends)

Leaning to the other side….I slowly squatted down and gently stroked Mother Deer’s head.

At the end of that class, the priest did not judge Kiro’s right or wrong. As he said, Kiro always loved the world in his heart.

He will look down at the earth intently and affectionately when the daylight is falling, and comfort for the mother deer who is waiting to give birth.

He was still as bright and dazzling as I remembered him, illuminating everything around him.

I have no stand because of his rejection, his love just happens to be unbiased to me.

But….

MC: Why did you bring me here and tell me this?

I couldn’t help but utter the doubt in my heart. He raised his eyes, and the corners of his mouth rose into a nice arc.

Kiro: Didn’t we make an agreement?

Kiro: That we would share every day with each other.

I swallowed and hesitated.

MC: So, you told the Lord God that we should be familiar with each other’s work….

Kiro: That’s deceptive.

Kiro: Sorry, I lied.

Kiro: If you don’t do that, I won't know when I will see you.

Kiro: You’ve been avoiding me…and I really miss you so much.

[Third Part]

My eyes suddenly widened and my heartbeat gradually accelerated uncontrollably.

The tenderness in his voice was so profound and I was plunged into chaos.

MC: Why….

Why did you refuse to become the God of Day and Night with me, yet you still say you miss me?

Mother Deer suddenly squirmed and interrupted my thoughts.

It twitched lightly. After a while, a small white deer was lying behind it with closed eyes.

Kiro stood up with a smile, his eyes bright and pure.

Kiro: Let’s go, there’s one more interesting thing I want to share with you.

(Cut to the city)

Stepping into the city-state in the Valley of Elves, I fell in love with this lively scene at first glance.

All kinds of shops are displayed on both sides and elves who are performing shuttle through the valley.

Kiro: Today is the traditional festival of the elves, the Sunshine Festival.

Kiro: In order to thank God for giving them daylight, they would dance at the assembly on this day each year.

A burst of drums sounded suddenly, and the elves stopped their movements altogether.

They formed a circle, accompanied by an ensemble of flutes and danced together without a care in the world.

The lively atmosphere made me forget my complex emotions for a while. I looked around and inadvertently stared at a majestic male elf for a moment.

The elf smiled sweetly at me, then waved at me exaggeratedly.

Are the elves really passionate? This is much cuter than the gods back in the God Realm. *Changed some wording*

I also raised my hand and waved at him vigorously. He was stunned and then walked straight towards me.

As he walked, he took out a pendant necklace with a sun pattern from his arms.

MC: ?

In my confusion, my sight was suddenly blocked by a chest. I raised my head to meet Kiro’s eyes.

Just as I was about to ask him what he was about to do, he opened his palms and out came a dazzling beam of sunlight.

He folded the beam into a beautiful necklace and quickly put it on my neck.

Then, as if inadvertently, he turned slightly so that the elf could clearly see my sun necklace.

The elf immediately stopped and retreated with a hurt face. I blinked confusedly.

MC: What’s wrong?

Kiro: Today, if you give jewelry with sun elements to others, it means that they are….dance partners.

Kiro leaned over, gently holding out one hand in front of me.

Kiro: Beautiful goddess, can I invite you to dance?

MC: Forget it….

Kiro: If not, there’a a blood-sucking monster in the tower over there. *So I’m gonna be honest, I have no idea what he’s saying here. GT gave me, “Place an order at the Fairy Ball. There’s a World of Warcraft Tower.” 😅😂*

MC: ….Is that a lie?

Before I could refuse, he naturally took my hand. The familiar temperature made me shrink back a little unconsciously, but he held me tighter.

His arm was firm, and the hot breath immediately hit me. A crimson blush made its way to the tips of my ears, and my heart was beating violently.

MC: Did you say…. you thought about me sincerely?

My chaotic brain lost the ability to think, and I actually said what I felt aloud.

MC: It doesn’t matter if you don’t answer!

Kiro: As sincere as I can be. *Changed some wording*

I suddenly raised my head and looked into his eyes, pure sincerity seemed to be revealed in those blue eyes.

The rhythm of the music became more and more lively, Kiro motioned to me to follow in his footsteps, leading me in circles on the dance floor to his heart’s content.

When the music came to an end, everyone suddenly surrounded Kiro and me in the middle of the valley.

An elderly elf walked through the crowd, and the elf made a respectful gesture, calling himself the “patriarch” respectfully.

Kiro and I also gestured to him politely. He walked over and patted Kiro’s shoulder with relief.

Patriarch: I declare that they are the most unique couple for this year’s dance party!

MC: Pair??

I hurriedly let go of Kiro’s hand.

MC: No, we are not a pair!

Patriarch: What? Are you really not a couple?

The elven patriarch seemed to be a little confused, but he replied with a clear expression.

Patriarch: This child is quite silly--, you are obviously together! *Changed some wording*

I raised my voice anxiously.

MC: I said, We. Are. Not! *Changed some wording*

Patriarch: What? -You said you are?? *Changed some wording*

He smiled even more.

Patriarch: Your bond is so strong, bless you, my child.

MC: I….

Patriarch: He gave you the most beautiful sunshine jewel, which means that you are in love with each other, and your dancing is also perfect.

MC: Perfect? Our dancing?

I looked at Kiro abruptly who was smiling, his eyes were mottled with light and dark. *Changed some wording*

MC: You, you knew everything?

Kiro: Well, I know the dance of love and harmony.

MC: ….Is it just this?

I raised my hand and waved an enchantment to isolate ourselves from the noises surrounding us so I could let out the grievances in my heart.

MC: Do you still know why I avoided you these days and how I felt?

He didn’t say anything but just lowered his eyes.

It turned out that he really did know, but….he pretended that nothing happened. Even after giving me sunshine jewelry and dancing with me...

I didn’t understand what he was thinking, unwilling and shameful emotions swept through my heart, and I clenched my hand into a fist.

MC: You clearly refused to let me be the Night God, and refused to be with me for a lifetime. Why do you want to dance with me?

He lifted his eyes which were flashing with emotions I couldn’t understand.

Kiro: Can I answer this question for you tomorrow?

Kiro: It’s getting dark, let’s go back.

MC: Why can’t you make it clear today? I’m not sure if I will have the courage to listen to the answers tomorrow.

I took a step back angrily and a monster approached the elf who wanted to give me jewelry.

He stood behind the elf with a weird expression. In the next second, he reached out and held the elf in front of him, opening his mouth wide to reveal horrible fangs.

MC: Monster!

I subconsciously retracted the enchantment and raised my hand to send a sharp divine power to the monster.

He tried to escape, but he was shot in the shoulder by a golden arrow in the next second.

The elves suddenly scattered, the monster latched onto the elf’s shoulders and ran to the depths of the valley.

I looked in the direction from which the arrow came, Kiro was holding a golden bow and arrow. He nodded to me and ran in the direction where the monster escaped.

(Scene change)

In the outskirts of wildflowers, Kiro and I surrounded the monster.

Seeing that he had no way of retreating, the monster slammed into Kiro who was closer to him.

Kiro stood, unmoving, and slowly raised a hand.

The last gleam of the afterglow was hidden behind the thick clouds, and the sky was completely dark.

At that moment when the monster was about to attack Kiro, a brilliant beam of silver light overflowed from Kiro’s palm.

The light gradually enveloped them, dyeing Kiro’s blonde hair silver, and under the light, the beast turned into ashes!

MC: What happened….?

Kiro looked at me and took a step back. The flowers and plants at his feet turned into dust in the blink of an eye following his movements.

I took a deep breath and stared at his feet. He seemed to notice, looking at me with a helpless expression.

??: It’s dark, let’s go back.

His vague response made me feel a little flustered. The answer is there: It gradually became clear in my heart, and my fingertips started to feel cold.

He must be hiding something from me.

I wanted to get close to him, but he backed away in a panic, and I had to stop.

MC: You’re not going to tell me anything, are you?

He lowered his head, his trembling eyelashes cast a shadow on his eyes; full of emotions and secrets.

God of Prophecy: Do you have any secrets you want to know?

The words of the God of Prophecy rang out in my mind, and my heart throbbed.

MC: If you won’t tell me, I have a way of finding out.

[Fourth Part]

Regardless of Kiro’s surprised look, I turned around and ran back to Galaxy.

Taking out the picture scroll under the big rock, I hurriedly opened it, but there was nothing on it.

I got closer but felt a force rushing out of the transparent vortex that had appeared out of thin air.

There was a painful sensation of my body being pulled in. Before I could use any divine power, I was dragged into the scroll by the vortex abruptly.

(Flashback)

Opening my eyes again, I found myself at the doors of the temples.

The majestic palace was deserted, and the voice of someone talking came from the hall. I turned my head towards the sound and saw Kiro above the hall.

Am I….in the picture scroll?

Kiro: I discovered a secret in the book, and I have come to ask you to verify it.

Kiro’s sudden voice interrupted my thoughts. He lowered his head and stood before the Lord God in the lowest possible position.

Kiro: Legend has it that every night the Night God will be cursed by the night, and the Night God will destroy all the living beings and things around him.

Kiro: Many night gods were unable to endure the desolation around them all day long, and eventually came to their own destruction.

Kiro: May I ask the Lord God, is this true?

Lord God: This is the fate of the night god.

Lord God: I let the sun gods accompany the night gods each time, just to try and heal them with the sun god’s divine power, but the effect is minimal.

Kiro took a deep breath, his hands trembled slightly.

Kiro: Please, Lord God….exchange the positions of me and MC.

Lord God: I have already issued a draft order yesterday. Are you sure you want to change it?

Kiro lowered his eyes, wondering what he was thinking. After a while, he raised his head firmly.

Kiro: Then please let me be the god of the sun and the moon.

Kiro: I promise you that no matter what happens, I will not destroy myself.

The Lord God’s expression became a little hesitant thinking over Kiro’s proposal.

Lord God: Are you sure that you will live forever as the god of night and never self-destruct?

Kiro: I am sure.

The Lord God was silent for a moment, and when he spoke again, his slow and flat tone seemed to be putting a curse on the gods.

Lord God: From now on, you are the sun god Kiro, witnessing the rebirth of all things.

Lord God: You are also the night god Helios, all darkness and death surround you.

Lord God: You will bear the curse of darkness on her behalf, struggling between light and darkness forever, and you must not give up.

There was a tingling pain in my heart and I took a couple of steps back….it turned out that everything he did was for me.

Time and space changed again, and I arrived at the drunken night of the graduation ceremony.

(Flashback)

I watched myself leaning against Kiro’s arm, staring up at him.

MC: I’m so glad!

MC: When I become the God of Night, I will give you the brightest star!

MC: Also….we will be like sun gods and the night gods before!

Accompanied for life, forever bound together.

—This is the reason why I dare not look at the scroll for too long. After I finished speaking, I fell into a deep sleep.

And the secret I wanted to know most before was Kiro’s response after I confessed.

I didn’t dare open the scroll, I was afraid of hearing his rejection with my own ears.

Unconsciously holding my breath, I saw his eyes so full of tenderness, as if looking upon the most precious treasure in the world. After a long time, he lowered his head slightly.

The moment our lips touched, a cold liquid dripped on my cheeks.

Kiro: We will.

Kiro: I also want to be with you forever and ever, together.

My nose scrunched up, and I stepped forward subconsciously, but the dazzling light came in an instant.

(Flashback ends)

The palm of my hand was held by a cold one, and when I opened my eyes, I returned to the galaxy.

I looked down at the hand that was holding mine. The broad hand was soft yet powerful as if it would protect me from all dangers.

Looking up from my arm, I look up at the person coming--

Helios sat next to me, looking at me worriedly. Because of his approach, the shoots that had just emerged from the moist soil immediately lost their lustre of life.

The stars in the pond of the galaxy were extremely dim, and the faint starlight reflected on Helios’ profile, making his face even more gloomy.

As if sensing my gaze, Helios instantly retracted his hand, got up immediately, and stood far away from me.

Helios: You didn’t look well back at the Sunshine Festival, so I chased after you….

Helios: Are you okay?

MC: I’m fine….

But what about you?

I took a few steps towards him, trying to clearly see the emotions in his eyes, but the warmth of them blurred everything in front of me.

How can Kiro, who has always treated people kindly, face all the barrenness and devastation that he causes after each night?

I don’t know anything about it, I just avoid him and don’t allow him to explain.

Feelings of regret and guilt hit my heart, and I opened my mouth, but I didn’t know what to say.

His eyes avoided mine as if he didn’t want me to see him like this.

Helios: If you are okay, I will leave first.

I hurriedly took his hand, anxiously trying to keep him from leaving.

MC: Didn’t we want to share this day?

MC: The day isn’t over yet, and I haven’t shared everything about me with you.

Worried that he would refuse, I took the initiative to drag him to the galaxy. He stood far away, his hands and feet somewhat cemented.

Helios: I’m afraid my power will destroy your stars.

That bitter feeling came up again, I ignored it and took his hand gently, and a star was raised in the galaxy.

MC: No, I am here.

He seemed a little scared, his hands trembling imperceptibly.

I tried my best to force a smile, wrap his palm in mine, infusing a supernatural power.

The stars lit up instantly, shining with golden lights, just like the sunlight rising from us.

Something in his eyes seemed to kindle, and he stared at the stars in his hands unblinkingly, as if he did not dare to use a trace of strength.

Seeing him so cautious, with nerves tingling, I took a deep breath.

MC: I’m very sorry.

MC: I didn’t know anything about this earlier, and I kept doubting you.

Helios: I shouldn’t hide from you, and I never want to hide from you.

Helios: It’s just that….I didn’t know what to say.

Helios: I don’t want to make you feel guilty.

MC: I won’t be like that again in the future.

MC: But please let me stay by your side every night like I am now, and accompany you through the most difficult moments of the day.

Helios froze for a moment, his cold eyes trembled lightly as if an unconcealable emotion was about to come out.

Helios: Don’t you think…. I am a very bad night god?

MC: No, your intention was never that way.

MC: You will look at each life tenderly, respecting the meaning of their existence.

MC: You took my place and endured all the darkness for me, willing to fall between light and darkness every day.

MC: You are the most competent, gentle, and best god I have ever seen.

I slowly put my forehead against his and watched his eyes gradually shine brightly.

MC: So, if it’s not too late for you, I want to honour my promise that night to you.

I pressed my hand to the back of his hand holding the star.

MC: I want to give this brightest star to you.

MC: This is the first thing I wanted to do after becoming a star god.

A warm smile overflowed from the corner of his lips, and the star in his palm was close to his heart.

Helios: I will accept it wholeheartedly. *Changed some wording*

MC: I still have a lot of things I want to do with you and a lot of things I want to say to you, is that okay?

He looked at me deeply for a while, and the starlight flickered in his blue eyes.

Helios: Of course.

MC: So….if I say I also want to share our lives together….is that okay?

Helios: This is obviously the question I should be asking you.

Helios: I want….to share my life with you.

He looked at me, his eyes no longer avoiding mine, but he was a little quiet which made me feel distressed and sad.

MC: It would be my pleasure.

The flickering starlight was gentle and bright, softly illuminating the smile in his eyes.

Helios: Let’s start now.

Helios: This week, how did you spend every day, what happened. I want to hear you tell me in person.

Helios: Before the stars fall asleep, we have time.

End

(You can read the call that comes after the date here!)

#mlqc spoilers #mlqc #mr love queens choice #mr love dream date #mr love #mr love game #mlqc kiro #mr love kiro #mldd kiro #周棋洛 #date translation #THIS DATE WAS SO BEAUTIFUL!!!#I ABSOLUTELY ADORE IT!!!

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cheri-translates · 4 years

Text

[CN] Gavin’s Reflection of Beauty Date (Eng Translation)

🍒 Warning: Detailed spoilers for a date yet to be released in EN! 🍒

Phone call between Gavin and Mr Keller before the date: here

Candlelit Night Collection: Kiro // Lucien // Victor

Trivia regarding the name of the date:

This date is called 惊鸿照影来, which is part of a couplet from “Shenyuan”, a poem by Lu You written in the Song Dynasty

Rough translation of the full couplet: Alas, the green water under the forlorn bridge / Once reflected the charming face of my beloved one!

It was inspired by the poet’s own love story, where he was forced to leave his wife because his mother didn’t like her. Even so, their love never ceased. Ten years later, they met again in Shenyuan Garden (which was also the place he first fell in love with her). Lu You inscribed a poem on a stone wall, conveying his anger and sorrow towards their separation. A few days after seeing the poem, she died from depression :’<

“Shenyuan” was written later on as a memorialisation of his undying love. It conveys how revisiting old places makes one remember past lovers and sentiments

[ CHAPTER ONE ]

The date begins with MC and Gavin having a rehearsal for the sequel of the “Three Lifetimes” play

The audience had a deep impression of them in “Three Lifetimes”, so Mr Keller wrote them into the sequel as second leads

In the play, the town looks forward to the marriage between Lady Su (the female lead) and Swordsman Bai (Gavin)

But Lady Su is in love with Swordsman Bai’s friend, a scholar (the male lead)

Meanwhile, Swordsman Bai is in love with the character MC is playing (a high-ranking palace maid and a close friend of Lady Su)

After the rehearsal, Mr Keller gives them suggestions on how to improve, and tells Gavin to gaze at MC and hold her hand during a particular scene:

Gavin: ...all right.

[ CHAPTER TWO ]

Once the rehearsal is over, Gavin is a sweetheart as always, bringing water and a few bananas over to MC with this face:

Gavin: If it isn’t enough, I can get a few more?

MC: There’s enough, there’s enough.

Su Xuan, the actress playing Lady Su, tells them to change outfits for the photoshoot:

Su Xuan: I’ll help you put on some make-up first, then marry you off beautifully to your Mr Gavin. Come, close your eyes.

Without giving me a chance to explain or argue, she skilfully helps me with my make-up, as though she’s really helping a sister prepare for her wedding.

Su Xuan: Mm, that’s more like it.

She pulls me to my feet. After looking me over carefully, she tilts her head and smiles at something behind me.

Su Xuan: What does the groom think?

Before I have time to react, Su Xuan pushes me lightly, and I fall into familiar arms.

Gavin: Pretty.

Gavin, who has walked out of the changing room, is also wearing a matching set of red wedding attire.

The colour, which isn’t typically found on him, suits him unexpectedly well.

His easy-going independence has been toned down, replaced with fiery passion.

Gavin: What are you looking at?

MC: This outfit really suits you.

MC: ...very handsome!

Gavin: [coughs] ...you look very pretty in red too.

Gavin’s ears have a tinge of redness. He rubs the back of his neck, his eyes containing insuppressible surprise and warmth as he looks at me.

Su Xuan: All right, you two “newlyweds” can appreciate each other after the shoot! The photographer this time is quite picky.

As she speaks, she pulls our hands together.

The both of us stop talking, perhaps due to the dry air around us, or the warmth surfacing in our eyes.

Gavin holds onto my hand tightly.

[ CHAPTER TWO: A flashback ]

Location: Outside Lynn’s Kitchen

By the time Minor and Gavin leave the noodle shop, the sky is mostly dark.

Only traces of the sunset glow faintly from behind the tall buildings.

Minor: It’s so difficult to get tickets this Chinese New Year... I’m always struggling during this part of the year, and spending the New Year’s alone here is too cheerless. Gavin, what are your plans? Eh... why am I even asking - you’re definitely spending it with Boss.

Gavin is the same as always, letting Minor ramble on at his ear.

Only when he hears the final sentence does a corner of his heart feel a light tug.

Gavin: Mm. I promised to help Mr Keller with her.

Gavin smiles faintly without even realising it himself.

Minor: Huh? ...even though I find this method a little off, it’s not bad I guess! Boss has been asking everyone in the office what dishes they usually make for New Year’s. It made me curious... so you two are spending New Year’s together!

Minor’s words cause Gavin to recall the few memories of “spending the New Year’s” he has.

New Year’s should be a festival of celebration. There was a time when he looked forward to it.

It’s just that afterwards, this day gradually became no different from a normal one.

That is, until the girl reappeared in his life, drawing the link between this day and warmth.

It made him start looking forward to it again.

Minor: Bro Gavin? What are you thinking about? It’s rare to see this look on your face... I got it!

Minor makes an exaggerated expression, predictably receiving Gavin’s neither hard nor soft punch.

Gavin: Minor, are there places selling New Year goods near her home?

Minor: Bro Gavin, you want to... buy New Year goods?!

Gavin: What’s wrong with that?

Minor: Nothing nothing nothing...

Gavin: ...your smile is a little nauseating.

Minor: I’m just happy! Then again, as compared to preparing in advance, there will be more of an atmosphere if you pick them out together!

Gavin: Makes sense.

Gavin nods, quickening his pace slightly.

Minor: Bro Gavin, where are you headed to next?

Several images flash across his mind - a warm light in the living room left on for him, a table with the home-cooked dishes he mentioned liking, and the girl waiting for him on the sofa, hugging a pillow.

Gavin: Home.

[ CHAPTER THREE ]

The photoshoot turns out to be more difficult than MC expected

Photographer: You must imagine - you two are about to elope, so it has to be dynamic! And yet have a tinge of... hesitation and worry! You’ve got to feel it! Change your pose!

MC and Gavin struggle to understand the photographer’s abstract descriptions

MC suggests they pretend to chat while sitting on the grass

MC: ...the weather is getting cold. Does Sparky need to be sent for maintenance?

Once the words leave my mouth, I’m filled with a sense of regret. This topic is too forced...

Gavin seems to be stunned for a moment, then the corners of his lips lift gently.

Gavin: Mm, I have plans to do so. We can find a day to go together.

MC: Ah, okay!

Gavin smiles, lifting his hand to tuck stray tendrils of hair behind my ear.

His amber eyes, which are filled to the brim with smiles, hold my blinking and grinning expression within them.

Photographer: Very good! That’s the right feeling! Could the both of you try lying down? Girl, close your eyes and lift your head slightly.

MC: ...all right. Like this?

I follow the photographer’s instructions and lie down at Gavin’s side, closing my eyes.

In the darkness, a familiar warmth encases me tightly, allowing me to have a peace of mind and lean into his arms.

We are very close to each other. His unique scent entwines with the reed grass that has been dried by the sun, reminding me of the summer we spent together. A breeze brushes past us.

It makes one want to draw even nearer.

Photographer: Very good very good. Can the man include some movements to add on to the idea of newlyweds interacting?

Gavin: ...uhm.

I hear Gavin’s breath halt for a moment, as though he’s deep in thought.

After a while, he seems to have thought of something, and he laughs softly.

Gavin: MC, don’t move.

Right after he finishes speaking, I feel a lock of hair near my ear being lifted gently.

I don’t dare to move a single inch, nor dare to open my eyes. I leave myself entirely to Gavin.

The frequency of my heartbeat increases, and a numbness travels from the roots of my hair to my spine. My hair seems to be gently held in his palm.

Gavin: ...let me know if it hurts. I’ve never tried this before.

Even though he says this, his actions are cautious and tender.

All I can feel are the slight vibrations from my hair, the lock of hair ascending and descending along with his fingers, and then falling by my ear again.

I purse my lips tightly, frantically trying to control my rapid breathing. I’m afraid that I might accidentally ruin this ambience.

The shutter continuously sounds. The photographer seems to be saying something again, but I can no longer hear him clearly.

Next to me, Gavin’s breathing brushes against my forehead and the tips of my hair. The breath, which carries a certain warmth, feels like a light kiss.

Even though this is just a photoshoot, I wish time would give us this moment for a little while longer.

The words he said during the Qixi Festival last year surge from the depths of my heart, and once again gather in the centre.

I can’t help but feel that even if our destinies entangle and cross, and fate only allows for fleeting meetings, we will ultimately accompany each other at the very end.

In my ear, the sound of his heartbeat is akin to him giving me a definite answer. One after the other, regular and resolute.

Photographer:

Gavin: MC, we can get up now.

I open my eyes slowly. The past few minutes have felt like a small, beautiful dream.

In Gavin’s hand are locks of our hair tied together with a red string.

Noticing my gaze, Gavin clear his throat unnaturally.

Gavin: ...when the idea of “newlyweds” was brought up, I could only think of this.

[Trivia: In Chinese culture, one’s hair represents one’s self. During a traditional Chinese wedding, the couple would each cut a lock of their hair and tie them together. This is called 结发 (”joining of hair”). It symbolises the couple becoming one flesh and blood, and how they would be connected forever... T^T]

I nod, not daring to meet his eyes.

His short sentence channels layers of emotions in my heart, converging into unstoppable ripples.

In a most straightforward way, his unembellished words leave a long and sweet aftertaste in my heart.

MC: Let’s go over there so the next group can use this place...

Gavin: Hold on...

Without waiting for Gavin to finish, I’ve already sat up. Only when I feel a light tugging sensation do I realise that my hair is still tied to Gavin’s.

MC: Ah-

Gavin: ...does it hurt? Don’t worry, I’ll untie the knot.

Gavin’s voice, which carries within it concern, is very close to the top of my head. In the next second, the strands of hair that are pulled are immersed in a tender warmth.

Gavin: ...I might have tied it a little too tightly.

MC: Let me try...

Gavin agrees with a sound, cooperating by bending down slightly to make it easier to untie the red string.

I try pulling at the end of the string, but the knot refuses to budge.

Gavin: ...

MC: It does seem a little tight... could it be a dead knot?

Gavin seems to have leaned in a little closer. Perhaps it’s just my misperception, but he seems even closer than he was during the photoshoot.

His temperature and breath make my face feel increasingly flushed. I focus on the knot in my hand, hoping he wouldn’t notice my flustered state.

MC: N-next time, don't tie it so tightly! Or else I’ll leave it to you to untie.

I pretend to be angry, wanting to break the atmosphere that makes my heart go into a frenzy.

Gavin: All right, I got it.

When I hear his voice in my ear, I know fully well that my attempts are futile.

When the red string is finally released and falls to the ground, I release a huge sigh, yet feel an inexplicable emptiness in my heart.

It’s as though my fate with Gavin has become untied.

They get called back to the rehearsal

MC: We should go over then.

Gavin: ...hold on.

Gavin pauses, then takes the red string from my hand.

In a slightly clumsy manner, he uses the string to tie a knot at the end of my plait.

Gavin: This is also considered joining of the hair.

Gavin looks at me, his eyes clear, as though he has seen through all my emotions.

Gavin: Let’s go.

While he speaks, he takes my hand and we leave.

I hold onto Gavin firmly, the red string on my hair swaying gently along with our footsteps.

We will never miss each other again.

[ CHAPTER FOUR ]

At 8pm, the play finally begins

On stage, MC is supposed to read a letter to Gavin

But when she opens it up, she realises there’s nothing on the letter even though her script is supposed to be on it

Gavin notices that something is amiss, so he steps in to calm her down while pretending everything is normal

MC starts reciting her lines based on memory, but starts panicking in fear of ruining the play

Gavin then takes the letter from her and pretends to read from it, reciting her lines perfectly

The First Act of the play comes to an end, and there’s an intermission

MC decides to thank Gavin properly after the play is over, but Su Xuan suddenly looks for her:

Su Xuan: MC, are you free now? Pass the silk ball to Gavin! I don’t know why, but the prop hasn’t been brought over yet.

MC: Okay! I’ll go now!

Thinking of the little time left, I grab the silk ball and run towards the other end without much thought.

In the next scene, Gavin and I are supposed to enter the stage from different sides, which is why I have to cross through the entire backstage to reach him.

The silk ball is an indispensable prop in the next scene. Also... I have a “thank you” to say to him in person.

With this in mind, I quicken my pace, and find a familiar figure afar off in the busy backstage.

MC: Gavin! I’m over here!

I stand on my tiptoes and wave at him, thinking of ways to reach him even faster.

Hearing this, Gavin raises his head. After seeing me, he immediately weaves through the crowd and walks towards me.

People are moving to and fro. Our eyes only have each other, and we go against the flow of people, walking towards our only focus.

Staff: Prepare for the second half!

When I’m only a few steps away from him, the countdown for the second half of the play resounds.

MC: Gavin, this is for you!

In my desperation, I lift my hand. The silk ball flies in a slightly shaky arc, landing steadily in Gavin’s arms.

[Trivia: In Chinese culture, the silk ball (绣球 - ”xiu qiu”) is used to symbolize love. Giving it to someone reflects the giving of one’s heart. If a woman is in search of a fated life partner, she will toss the ball high into the air in a crowd. The person who catches the silk ball would become the person’s husband]

MC: Gavin, about earlier...

Staff: MC? What are you doing here? Go back, we’re about to start soon. The snatching scene is next, and it’s very important.

MC: Please wait! I haven’t finished what I wanted to say...

The staff doesn’t give me a chance to continue, and pulls me to the other end.

I turn my head towards Gavin, and I have no choice but to swallow the words of gratitude I couldn’t say to him in time.

Gavin: [unintentionally sexy whisper] Wait for me.

Gavin stands in place and looks at me, mouthing those words to me.

The bell from the venue rings, and the noise from the audience gradually dissipates.

Staff: The Second Act! Begins!

[ CHAPTER FOUR: A flashback ]

Location: Gavin’s home

MC: “It’s good, and I doubt the lady would refuse, but...”

Gavin: Are you still looking at your lines?

MC: ...Gavin? Why are you here!

[Note: I have no idea why MC asks this since the backdrop is of his own house LOL]

Gavin walks over with a blanket in his hand.

MC: The rehearsal is the day after tomorrow, so I’m trying to make use of my time to familiarise myself with the script, especially the scene where I’m reading the letter. Even though I should be able to read straight from the letter on the actual day, I think it’s better to memorise it just in case... Gavin, why don’t you accompany me in going through the lines!

Gavin nods and sits beside me. After covering me with the blanket, he takes the script from my hands.

Gavin: From here?

MC: Okay!

Gavin and I go through the dialogue. Places I usually get stuck at become miraculously smooth.

Without realising it, we’ve gone through the entire script.

I flip through the script, marking out places requiring additional attention.

MC: I feel like Mr Keller has taken reference from the personalities of the actors when writing the lines. I keep thinking that the lines sound like what you would say.

While speaking, I let out a yawn.

Gavin: If you’re tired, rest. We can continue tomorrow.

As the year draws to a close, there are more things than usual to settle at work. And when I come home, I’d have to familiarise myself with the script. It’s natural that I’d feel fatigued.

MC: You don’t have anything on tomorrow?

Gavin: I don’t have work tomorrow, so we can practice our lines.

MC: That’s great!

A warmth gushes out of my heart. I shift closer to Gavin, sharing half the blanket with him. We look at the script together.

MC: This is so much warmer!

Gavin: ...do you still want to look at it?

MC: Mm, let’s look through the letter scene again. “If you lack medical knowledge... attach some... scattered silver... I hope to do my best...”

The words in front of me gradually become blurry and distorted. After a certain line, I lean on Gavin’s shoulder in a dazed state, giving up on my fight against sleep.

Gavin: MC? Are you asleep?

The girl, who loftily said they would look at the script together just a few minutes ago, is now leaning softly against his shoulder, sleeping peacefully.

Gavin doesn’t wake her up, and simply covers her with a jacket. He flips to the first page of the script, quietly reading the girl’s lines, and memorising them.

The city is asleep, but the room filled with the breath of two people is still illuminated with a tender light.

The all-knowing stars in the night sky are silent, and will guard the small world belonging to these two people.

[ CHAPTER FIVE ] The curtains are drawn slowly. I once again step onto the stage, following the script.

In this scene, Gavin will snatch the silk ball, and I will hand it to the male lead so he can bring his beloved home.

For the scene to be more realistic, the actors are allowed to walk around spontaneously.

As such, I have to run past various settings, weave through the crowd, and finally reach the stipulated spot.

MC: Swordsman Bai?

Panting slightly, I stand underneath the embroidery building, looking for Gavin.

[Trivia: In ancient times, women who were more socially well-to-do would do embroidery in embroidery buildings.]

The sense of deja vu blurs my perception of the boundaries between the play and reality.

A strong wind arrives as promised. Following the glint of a sword, a path forms in the crowd, interrupting my thoughts.

Gavin is dressed in red. One hand holds onto the silk ball, and the other sheathes his sword. He walks straight towards me.

Gavin: Trivial matters held me back, and I seek forgiveness from the lady.

The corners of his lips are curled into an open smile. His eyes are wilful and tender.

The setting of the blue sky, the red silk in the surroundings, and the startled magpie birds surround Gavin, who is donned in wedding attire. It makes one unable to look away.

At this moment, he finally stands before me again.

The crowd and the noise of the world - they no longer have anything to do with me.

Gavin places the silk ball into my hands steadily.

Even though I know this is a script, and that it’s part of the plot, I can’t help but feel that the red silk ball in my hands is akin to a solemn promise.

A greedy thought even flits across my mind - maybe it’d be good if the story ends like this.

On stage, the silk ball is finally handed to the scholar. The lady takes the silk ball and holds it with her lover.

Under the embroidery building, Gavin suddenly takes my hand.

Gavin: Perhaps this may be abrupt. MC, are you willing to marry me and become my wife?

MC: ?!

Was there such a line in the script?

I look at Gavin with confusion.

Gavin doesn’t say a word. He stares straight at me without a hint of evasion.

There are so many emotions within that pair of eyes, leaving me unable to make sense of them. I have no idea what to say.

Off-stage, the audience erupt in thunderous cheers.

I glance to the side. Mr Keller, who has been watching the entire play, nods in my direction, signalling that I should continue in my role.

My confusion dissipates when I see Gavin’s amber eyes, which are filled with deep, tender emotions and lingering affection. There is even an undercurrent of questioning and anticipation.

It’s as though the answer I give would be an entrustment of the rest of my life.

My heart beats loudly in my chest, feeling like it would leap out from my throat in the next second.

MC: I... I accept.

I blush and respond, not even sure if my words are loud enough to be heard by the audience off-stage.

However, every single word is heard by Gavin, who has received my feelings.

With a gentle laugh, he wraps an arm around my waist and lifts me up.

Gavin brings me up the embroidery building to stand alongside the male and female leads.

At the end of the play, there is thunderous applause from off-stage. There are even a few audience members who are fully immersed in the story, sending us their blessings.

In the midst of the applause, I tilt my head and lean towards Gavin’s ear, speaking softly.

MC: Gavin, just now... I don’t remember seeing such a scene in the script?

Gavin: Mm, it was impromptu.

MC: Why didn’t you tell me beforehand? I even thought...

Gavin doesn’t respond further, only smiling at me.

Facing the cheering audience, the four of us bow and thank them for watching, as though worshipping the vast sea of people.

After the play, everyone involved in the show gathers together to celebrate over dinner

MC: Gavin, thank you so much for today! It’s a good thing you saved the show! Back then... I really didn’t know what to do.

While I speak, I raise the drink in my hand, clinking it lightly against Gavin’s.

Gavin: You were looking for me just now to say this?

He raises his drink, making up for the delayed clink.

MC: Yeah. I wanted to thank you properly, but time was so tight that I couldn’t find the chance. Come to think of it, how did you know my lines...

Gavin: When we were rehearsing lines together, I just memorised them as well.

Gavin lowers his head and takes a mouthful of food, maintaining his usual casual attitude. Noticing that I’ve been watching him, he rubs his neck in slight confusion.

Gavin: Um... is there something on my face?

I immediately shake my head. A warm wave of emotions overflow from my heart. Countless words of gratitude are lodged in my throat, but I feel that no matter what I say, it would not be enough.

In the end, I silently fill a bowl of soup for him.

At the table, everyone is eating and drinking merrily, and the atmosphere is warm.

MC: After spending so many days with the crew, thinking of how we might not have the chance to get together like this again makes me feel quite reluctant to part with them.

I lean against Gavin, looking at the lively crew around us.

MC: Gavin, I suddenly thought about something from my childhood. My dad used to be busy producing programs, and would bring me to the recording site to spend the New Year’s. The site was always busy, but no matter how pressed they were for time, everyone would sit down together and have an especially sumptuous dinner. Once I grew up, I also started spending my New Year’s working. I still remember that the warm ambience back then was the same as right now.

Gavin: Mm, I can imagine. I used to spend New Year’s with my teammates, and it was very lively.

MC: Even though it’s not at home, it’s still a different kind of fun!

Gavin: Since we’re on this topic, [coughs]...

Gavin seems to have something very important to say, but he takes another sip of his drink and stops.

I blink, waiting for him quietly. I can vaguely guess what he wants to say.

In the end, he seems to become determined. He clears his throat and turns his head to look at me with a serious expression.

Gavin: Over the next few days, if you don’t have anything else planned....

Gavin: Spend the New Year’s with me at home.

His tone is light, but the look in his eyes tells me just how solemn this invitation is. Even the tips of his ears turn an unnatural shade of red.

I am very certain that, to the both of us, these words are the most precious and serious treasures from the deepest parts of his heart.

MC: Okay.

I nod heavily in response. Since a very long time ago, this answer has not changed.

The corners of Gavin’s lips turn up slightly. Those eyes, which always have an undercurrent of emotions, look like a glacier that has melted in spring, tenderly melting into a warm current.

Gavin: I’ll pick you up then.

MC: Mm!!

The way his lips are curled upwards is as though all the uncertainties in his heart have found a most potent answer.

I find myself smiling along with him.

MC: I recently learnt how to make a few New Year’s dishes, so we can try them.

Gavin: All right, I can help. My skills... have improved.

I freeze for a moment, making a sudden realisation.

MC: Have you been practicing in secret? Looks like teaching you how to cook was a wise decision.

Gavin: ...I occasionally tried to.

MC: I’ll have to check the results of my teaching this year then!

Gavin: No problem.

Gavin smiles, nodding his head with some measure of seriousness. He suddenly thinks of something.

Gavin: Oh yes, do we need to buy things like spring couplets?

MC: Mmhmm, we also have to buy the character “福”! It will only feel like New Year’s when we have these things pasted.

[Trivia: During the Chinese New Year, households paste an inverted red coloured square with the character 福 (“fu”, which means auspiciousness, blessing or happiness) on doors, walls, etc. to usher in such tidings]

I continue talking, listing on my fingers the items I want to purchase.

In my memory, my aunties’ fierce interrogations don’t seem that long ago. In just a blink of an eye, a new year has arrived.

[Note: She’s making reference to the Spring Festival Date!]

This time, we can leave our time to each other.

In a place belonging only to us, flipping open a new year’s calendar together.

The atmosphere at the dining table is just right. The sound of clinking glasses and celebration comes in waves. No one notices this small corner.

We clasp each others’ fingers quietly.

Our pulses, only separated by a layer of skin, call out to each other in the language of warmth.

I’m so lucky to have you by my side.

#mlqc #mlqc cn #mlqc spoilers #mlqc gavin #SOFT GAVIN #pardon the one billion screenshots of Gavin I included in this

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my-brothers-corrupted · 4 years

Text

My Brothers, Corrupted

Chapter 2 : Section 3 : The Chains that Bind Us

Dapper, overwhelmed by months of abuse, finally struck back - literally. Anti needs to put him and the rest of his family back in line and hide the magical signal Blue won’t stop radiating, as well as trying to care for Trick through a depressive episode, and in his stress he’s violent and distressed and out-of-control. Dok is trying to survive the punishment for Anti’s failure and Red works to hide Blue’s magic constantly, determined to keep his family safe, even from the threats within it.

Trigger warnings for torture (character hanging by throat, non-fatal), major abuse, mind control, dehumanization, and ableism, including infantilization of a disabled character and taking away ability to communicate. Remember that sexualizing the abuse in this fic is the surest way to get yourself blocked.

Find Chapter One here.

Find Chapter Two here.

Section Two of Chapter Two: The Chains that Bind Us

Anonymous asked: yo is it just me that has No Clue what just happened to anti or do any of you guys know what's going on

Red and Blue peer out from beneath their hiding spots. Blue’s neck is a vivid purple.

“Is he gone?” he mumbles, glancing around.

Red gets to his feet and dares to open the door, peering around the hallway, gone quiet now, with medicine rolling around the clinic floor.

“He’s never really gone,” he says, maybe for his twin, maybe for himself, maybe for you. “But sometimes he goes off on his own. It’s not my place to question him.”

He scratches at his beard, worried. “Wish he’d brought me with him, though. I could protect him - I could hold him and he might even let me. Might even lay his head down on my chest, and tell me he feels safer when I’m with him.”

Red’s eyes shine.

spicydanhowell asked: is he gone? wow. i think he just... had emotions. i think he remembered trick's OD and.... was upset. i love that for him.

“Oh, don’t tease him,” chides Red, sighing and retreating into his room.

“That attempt really upset him,” mumbles Blue. “We have to get this figured out. It’s not good for anyone to be living like this.”

He keeps glancing out the window. Red comes to sit beside him and throws an arm over his shoulder, and the two of them relax back against the wall as best they can.

Anonymous asked: hey red, blue, are you guys ok?

Red and Blue sigh in sync and Red glances over at the little brother beneath his arm.

“Wish he hadn’t done that to Dok,” Blue mumbles.

“Don’t think about that,” answers Red, putting his head down on his shoulder. “We’ll go get him tomorrow morning. He’ll be okay. We’re fine, right? We got each other, huh, buddy?”

Blue chuckles, and then coughs, rubbing at his throat.

“Yeah,” he rasps. “We do.”

spicydanhowell asked: hey if he's gone maybe... y'all could give dok a little relief? did he just leave trick and dap alone, like???

“Well, I’m sure he’s watching through the cameras. Or maybe he sedated them or something so they’re safe.” Blue pulls himself up to glance out his window, where he can see the corner of his shed. “I don’t know what he did to Dok, but the door is all locked up again.”

Anonymous asked: wow wow wow the great antisepticeye feeling Emotions?? imagine

Blue giggles, only to earn himself a pinch on the arm from Red. “Hey,” he protests, brightening a little and pouncing on his twin, tackling him to the ground and grabbing at his ear in revenge.

“Ow, ow,” Red pretends to whine, only to flip him over onto his back a second later, and then they’re wrestling, laughing softly as they try to forget what’s going on around them all the time. Red lets Blue have the attack, minding his twin’s injured throat, and soon he is pinned down to the ground, rolling his eyes as his twin laughs and laughs above him, warm and cheerful and safe, safe for now. There is little else that matters, because there is little else he can control.

spicydanhowell asked: dok won't last more than a few hours before he's strangled to death, guys. if theres anything you can do to help him... please do. he's kind of in horrible pain atm, even if he's not "dying" persay

Blue sighs and draws away from Red again. “I don’t know if there’s anything we can do without bringing punishment down on our heads too. Tomorrow, I’ll take care of Dok all day if he wants. But this is master’s decision and it would be bad to interfere.”

He stares out the window again, his mouth slightly open, like there is more he could say, but he does not speak.

Anonymous asked: Hey Dok! Kann ein Känguru höher als ein Haus springen? Ja! Weil ein Haus nicht springen kann! (Eng: Can a kangaroo jump higher than a house? Yes! Because a house can't jump!)

Dok’s eyes blink at you for a moment, confused. Then he lets out one short, rasping bark of a laugh.

“That sounds like something Trick would say, back when he was happier.”

cest-mellow asked: dok, is there anything we can do for you? tell something to trick, maybe send his message back?

“No, no, please don’t tell him I’m in trouble like this, I don’t want him to worry. Anyway, let him rest, it’s getting late. Is he resting? Will you tell me if he’s alright for tonight? Does he look very pale? Very thin? I hope he is eating and maybe taking his medicine and maybe not so sad so much? I hope Dap is with him, I hope - I…”

Doktor groans and struggles on his chain, sighing.

Anonymous asked: How are you holding up, Dok?

“Oh, I’m okay, I’m okay. Honestly he could have done much worse. He didn’t even get the dog out or make me eat the mice or anything.”

He glances down at the squirming pests near to his feet and flinches, closing his eyes.

“I’m okay, I’m okay, I’m okay,” he murmurs to himself. His face is still calm. There is little he cannot tolerate.

Anonymous asked: Maybe we could keep you company, Dok. I know talking might be kind of hard right now, but do you have a favorite song? Maybe you could hum it. I hum when I'm tired or sad.

He pants slightly, trying to think.

“I… I’m not sure. Long time since I heard any music. We used to have a little music player, Trick and I. Anti gave it to us when he first gave us to each other. He told us we could only listen to it together, so we would lie next to each other as the sun went down with one earbud each. And Anti had picked out the music for us, but some of it was still good. Or Trick liked it, anyway, ha… he likes… he likes that album where all the songs are named after planets. I always thought it was kind of sad, but they gave him some comfort, I think… I miss that music player…”

florenceisfalling reblogged: sLEEPING AT LAST-

“That’s the one,” chuckles Doktor, finding a higher spot of earth and managing to set his feet more firmly on it. Relieved, he closes his eyes, and for a long few minutes, he is quiet.

“I’d give anything to hear you say it one more time,” he whispers, his lips faintly blue. “That the universe was made…”

He trails off, licking at his lips.

“Maybe I will never hear him say anything again. Let alone to see that light in his eyes, when he was happy, at my side, staring up at the universe… but still I have that song.”

reverseblackholeofwords asked: You'll see him again, Dok. It might take time, but you will. Family has a way of sticking together no matter what. You know that better than anyone.

“I really do hope so,” says Doktor softly, weary on his chain. It’s getting hard to speak. It will be a long night. He prays that Red comes to get him first thing in the morning. “Yes, we’ve all stuck with each other, haven’t we? Not going to lose my Trick just yet…”

Anonymous asked: Dok I literally don’t know how else to say this, you are amazing and you’re so so resilient. And you’re right, no matter what Anti says you are not a failure or anything close to that. You are exactly what your brothers need and you shouldn’t need or have to prove that to anyone when you already have by being yourself. We love you so much and we’ll do whatever we can to help you.

Deutsch hums lowly, his eyes flickering shut. He’s found a high enough spot he might even be able to get some rest, as much as this can be called rest.

“I am resilient,” he mumbles. “Everything my master gives me, I survive, and continue to do what I can. I am… nothing to prove…”

He gives a deep, shuddering sigh, growing faint as the light fades around him, dipping under the tall peak of the mountain that has become his home.

“Thank you.”

Anonymous asked: maybe someone should go check on trick, now that he's alone. he might do something to himself if there's no one there for him

“Yeah, we should see how he is.” Red sits up, glancing at the door. Blue steps over to open it and -

“Goddamn!” he hisses, rubbing at his throat and backing away. “He locked us in again! What did we even do?”

Red sighs, staring at the door, where an electronic lock blinks irritably back at him.

“He has his reasons.”

Red is calm, but Blue looks betrayed, slinking back to his mattress.

“Let’s go to bed,” he mumbles, rubbing at his eyes, coughing a little.

There is no bedtime routine. Their toothbrushes are outside the locked door and they’re out of toothpaste anyway. There’s no such thing as pajamas in this house. It is hot even at night here, so Anti has given them no blankets, and no pillows, and no light when the sun goes down.

Their mattress are disarrayed from hiding and tussling. Red gives his twin a few minutes to sulk in the corner before picking up his own mattress and pushing it over to sit right beside Blue’s. Eventually, in the night, Blue will turn towards him, and when they wake up their legs and arms will be tangled and their heads close together.

“Good night, Azul,” whispers Red, adjusting on his mattress. “I love you.”

And for all his irritation, Blue always answers with warmth, like he can’t even help it, cause maybe nothing is stronger than that promise they make each other every night.

“Night, Roser. Love you too.”

Anonymous asked: yo trick you doing ok buddy?

Trick, to his irritation, wakes up with the sun. Groaning, he flops over on to his side and curls up closer to the body sleeping next to his own. You can see him from a lop-sided angle on the drawer by the door, where Anti apparently left you to make sure he could keep an eye on his boys during the night.

Eventually, Trick stirs again, and begins gripping needily at the shirt of his companion, looking for some early-morning attention from Anti, only to pause at the feeling of a scratchy dress shirt underneath his fingers.

A moment later he jerks back so hard he halfway tumbles off his bed, clutching at his chest and laughing nervously.

“Holy shit,” you hear him laugh, getting up to peer over his brother. He turns to you and hurries over to show you too, giggling.

“I thought that was Anti, hahaha. It’s Dap! Why’s he sleeping next to me?”

Trick sits down next to him again, playing with a strand of Dapper’s slightly curly hair. Most of his concept of personal boundaries has washed away in the last couple weeks and he doesn’t seem worried about waking up his little brother. Dapper’s face is chalk-white, with dark circles beneath his eyes, his mouth slightly open as his raspy breaths break the morning silence.

“Maybe he can stay with me a while,” wonders Trick, sounding excited. “Then someone can be here with me all day and it won’t be so lonely and boring, haha.”

He rubs his thumb up and down Dapper’s cheek, invigorated by a visitor.

pixie-in-trebleland asked: Hey Dap...? You making out okay, buddy?

Dap stirs with Trick’s petting and Trick decides to let him come awake slowly, lying back down at his side, setting you on his stomach, and relaxing again. He pulls his crinkle paper out from beneath his pillow and runs it steadily through his fingers while Dapper blinks blearily awake.

Dapper breathes thickly, staring between Trick and the camera, his eyes a little glassy. Trick murmurs something that sounds like a mix between a greeting and a checking-in, an old sound from the days when they had no one but each other, and knew better how to look after each other as they changed into people they eventually stopped recognizing.

Dapper gives him no answer, so weak he can barely pull his head off his pillow. Alarmed by his frailty, Trick sits back up and leans over him again, setting a hand on his shoulder to steady him.

“Did you take something?” murmurs Trick, pulling gently at his eyelid to look into his pupil and checking his heart-rate. “A tranq or something to keep you down? Why did Anti need to sedate you, bro?”

Dapper licks his dry lips and stares up at him wearily. For a second, he reaches up his hands to try and give him an answer -

Oh, oh. His hands are bound up in thick, cord-like strings. His fingers, white with struggling blood, can barely move.

Shocked, he stares down at his poor bound wrists, and Trick does his best to soothe him, trying to massage some feeling back into his fingers while his eyes follow the strings back to their origin. Tied to the headpiece of the bed, they will keep Dapper from moving more than a few feet from the corner of the room.

White-faced, Dapper puts his head back down on his pillow, and wishes he could wake up anywhere else.

Anonymous asked: Dapper, Trick, are you two alright?

“I’m not sure,” mumbles Trick, helping prop Dapper gently up against the board of the bed. Dapper purses his lips in his best attempt at an appreciative smile, one of his stiff hands coming to rest on Trick’s thigh, perhaps to steady himself, perhaps asking for comfort. Trick’s replies as best he can, sitting himself up beside his little brother and letting Carver sink down against his shoulder, panting softly in the early morning light.

“He must still be hurting from that time Anti had to stab him.” Trick carefully lifts up the hem of Dapper’s shirt, checking to make sure his bandages are clean. For a moment, he smiles at the sight of his brother’s careful, steady, loving wrapping. He rubs gently at Dapper’s shoulder and tries to keep him sitting up and breathing clear.

“So Anti decided he needed to keep an eye on you, huh?” grins Trick. Dapper manages a rueful grin in return, his eyes hurting. “Or - maybe he just wanted some company for me? Yeah? We’ll be okay back here while you heal, okay? I can look after you if you need anything. I can do anything you need.”

He smiles bright. Anti’s poured a great deal of affection out on him, but in more than three weeks Trick has not had a single chance to give any affection back.

Anonymous asked: dap, can you not sign at all? do you have any other way of communicating?

Dap licks his mouth and lets out a small sigh. You watch as he does his best to curl his aching fingers, but even when he gets them to respond, you can tell he won’t be able to bring his hands fully together while he’s bound up like this. Perhaps when the sedative wears off a little better, he’ll be able to give you some sign. He offers you a small click of his tongue and falls quiet again, slumping on Trick’s shoulder.

pixie-in-trebleland asked: Hey Trick. You good, buddy? Hanging in, at least? Your twin is in trouble..

“I’m good! Or I’ll be good as long as Dapper’s good.”

He’s strangely buoyed by a visitor, in fact, his fist drumming against his thigh so fast he’s probably bruising himself, his eyes a little bright, talking fast.

“It’s been a long time since I had anything to do but sit here trying to make myself feel better, and I’m pretty shit at that, to be entirely honest, but I’m working on - wait, what?”

Trick straightens up, staring at you.

“Dok’s in trouble?”

His voice shakes hard, his eyes burning. He turns to you and Dap and back again, reaching over to give his little brother a small shake. “Wait, wait, no, no, no - Dap, explain to me, what’s going on, where’s Deutsch? Is he okay? What do you mean he’s in trouble? Is that all you have for me? He’s in trouble? He’s in trouble?”

He pulls away from Dapper and gets to his feet, rushing to the door and falling to his hands and knees to stare through the crack beneath the door.

“Doktor!” he cries. “Deutsch, Allemagne! Anti, where are you? Hey, someone come talk to me, Red, Blue? Where’s my twin, where’s my brother! I want my brother, let me out! I want Dok! Hey!”

His joy is all vanished, his face distraught and turning red as he begins to cry. Dapper clicks his tongue and whistles from the bed, trying to get to his feet, without success, worried for Trick. He’s not used to his big brother showing so much of what he feels like this.

Anonymous asked: "Trick.. I really hate to be the bearer of bad news but Anti kind of beat the shit out of Dapper before he brought him to you. That's why he's sedated and tied up. I don't think you should be this excited, unfortunately." PF!A

“Oh,” whispers Trick, his voice shattering. He gets up from the door and stares back at his little brother, who looks back with aching blue eyes. After a moment, Trick returns to his side and puts an arm back around him, his reddened eyes fixed on the floor.

Dapper sinks back down against his shoulder.

“Sorry that hap - sorry that - sorry that happened,” manages Trick. “I don’t know what you did, but I’ll help make sure it doesn’t happen again, okay?”

Dapper sighs. Trick puts his head down on top of his little brother’s.

“It’s gonna be okay. I got you.”

Anonymous asked: "I-I can take a message and pass them between you two, if it'll help, Trick-? Please calm down.." -PF!H

“I n-need to know that he’s okay! What’s going on? Does he need help? Can you send someone?”

Anonymous asked: hey trick, do you know where anti is? he got really upset about something and left

Trick looks up, surprised. “What, he’s not anywhere in the house? Well, he must have had something to do in the city or the neighborhood if he’s not in his room. That’s where he usually goes to sulk - ah, ah, I mean, uh, think, to think. Sometimes he comes home with blood on his hands or supplies. Maybe he’s fetching something? I would think he would have come home by now, though. It’s weird for him not to even lie down with me for a couple hours.”

Anonymous asked: "He's in the shed for defending Dapper after what happened. ..Anti decided to punish him because he thought he 'wasn't good enough' to look after his brothers.. He's been tied to the roof but he can breathe. Then.. Red and Blue are locked in a room. I can give all I can to help you at least feel a little better or know what's going on, but this is a really isolating problem. I'd help if I could.." -PF!H

Trick chews on his lip, his eyes lighting up with something you haven’t seen for some time as he thinks. He glances between the window and the door.

“Red and Blue are locked in their rooms most nights, but the locks are electronic, and usually set to let them out around seven.”

He glances out at the sun.

“That should be soon enough. You can usually hear roosters crying around the same time. If it’s an emergency, there is a window in their room. It’s locked, but I know they can sneak out of it.” He grins conspiratorially. “Because one time I saw Red leap out to get Blue cough medicine in the middle of the night. I didn’t tell Anti but I could. Anyway, if their doors don’t unlock and Anti isn’t back by the time the roosters are calling, they can go help him. They’ll get in trouble for it, but that’s their job cause they’re bigger than me, so it doesn’t really matter.”

Trick sighs, leaning slightly back. “I wish anybody outside of the room was allowed to talk to me. Even poor Dap can’t talk to me like this.”

He picks uselessly at his brother’s strings.

“I hope Dok’s doing okay.”

Anonymous asked: dap, do you know morse? you could try tapping using that to communicate!

“I’ve never seen him use that,” frowns Trick. “I don’t know it. It’s kind of a hassle, but if he knows that maybe he could use it in an emergency. Do you?”

Dap kind of nods, kind of shrugs. Been a long time since he used that.

Anonymous asked: doktor's being punished by anti, unfortunately. but he should be fine, trick. anti wants to keep you away from him. he thinks he's a bad twin, even though we know that's not true

Trick’s expression slackens. He stares at the floor, playing with his crinkle paper.

“Miss him,” he mumbles.

spicydanhowell asked: anti where the fuck are you. you locked everyone up with no water or food or toilet and several of them are injured or tied up are you Stupid???

“Hey, don’t snap at master,” snarls Trick, something venomous filling up his face. “First of all, we all have bathrooms here. This place was designed to be a medical facility - I know because I saw the medicine cabinet and the sinks and everything in every room, and the doors are really wide so wheelchairs can fit through. See? So, look, each room has a little space for sleeping and a little bathroom. It’s meant to be used for people who are injured to come stay here as long as they need to while somebody takes care of them. But that never happened, because this side of the mountain is so poor. They built the building and left again.

“Secondly, Anti’s always watching.”

Trick glances right at the camera and straightens up proudly, simpering for his master’s attention. Dapper has closed his eyes, turned slightly away.

“He’ll be back when he needs to get back. He wouldn’t - ”

There is a loud click as the electronic locks change for the day.

Trick turns to you with a self-satisfied little smirk on his face, playing innocently with his hair.

“See? Master wouldn’t let anyone get hurt. That’s my big brother. I’m his little pet. He looks after me at least. If he’s gone, it’s because he has to be.”

Trick rubs at his eyes, trying to keep up his enthusiasm. He has to prove that Anti is good, after all, and not only to you.

“Maybe he’s getting stuff for Christmas. He said we could celebrate.”

He sits up for a while longer, staring at the door, waiting for his brother to appear.

But Anti doesn’t.

Tired, Trick eventually leans back, the light in his eyes fading, Dapper pressed against his heart.

Anonymous asked: Red, are you scared?

Red jolts awake to the unlocking of his door, sneezing.

“Hngh, what? Scared? Of what?”

He glances around the room and finds his twin standing at the window, staring out at the shed.

“No, no, we’re fine,” mumbles Red, as Blue rushes past him to open the door and head out towards Dok. “What’s there to be afraid of? Not that weird for Anti to be gone, you know, sometimes he leaves us for days.”

He yawns, sitting up and rubbing at his eyes. “It’s okay to leave me in charge, you know.”

Anonymous asked: do you have anything to do in here, trick? like any entertainment at all?

Trick’s mood has soured. He stares blandly at the ceiling and shrugs, proffering his crinkle paper just a little. Dapper glances up at him and then at you, more concerned the more he wakes up.

Anonymous asked: so trick, are you feeling better? after, you know, everything that happened?

Trick groans a little, closing his eyes.

“I… yeah. Of course. I mean, I should be, right? I have everything I need and all of Anti’s attention and I’m okay and I’m… I survived it and…”

He stares out the window, tears welling in his eyes.

“Shouldn’t still want to die,” he rasps, fatigue flooding down his face.

And Dapper, with aching, stiff white fingers, reaches gently out to squeeze his hand.

There’s something bigger than gratitude in Trick’s eyes when he turns to meet his gaze. They set their foreheads together, warm in their little bed, and they hold each other close.

Anonymous asked: "...Your Master isn't a good person, Trick. He really isn't. But.. Sure, I guess. ...Maybe you should lay down?" -PF!H

“Nothing else to do,” mumbles Trick, staring at the ceiling. He reaches out to help Dapper lie back down, but he shakes his head, pulling away, still trying to get to his feet. Trick watches him struggle for a moment before lying back down, drawing the blankets around his shoulders and burying his face in his pillow.

spicydanhowell asked: trick, you know you have depression, right? and you know that's a chronic illness that even anti can't cure. you need actual therapy and several months of daily medication and sunlight and exercise to get better. what anti is doing for you is not a solution.

“Not Anti’s fault,” answers Trick through the pillow. “Stupid fucking shitty-ass brain. Nobody else is fucked up like this. Everybody else can take it.”

nikkilbook asked: “Shouldn’t” is a tricky word. Of course you’re not the kind of person who *wants* to leave your brothers and never come back, to stop existing forever. But it’s a trick your brain is playing on you, a heavy filter that’s been slid over everything while it tries to cope with chemicals that are out of whack and overwhelming situations. The chemicals and the situation haven’t been successfully addressed, so of course your brain is still confused. This isn’t your fault, Chase.

“Actually I think I like that ‘stop existing forever’ option just fine.”

He sighs deeply, running his fingers through his greasy hair.

“But Anti and Doktor would be so upset, so I guess my ghost would be even more of a problem than I am now.”

Anonymous asked: Dok? Are you okay? Blue is coming to let you out.

The beeping of the camera draws blank eyes back into focus. Dok’s aching arms let his weight onto his calves again as he stares at you, his mouth open, thin breaths passing in and out. He manages something that might be a nod.

spicydanhowell asked: trick, your brain is not healthy, but that's not a personal failure. hell, dap and red have "different" brains too, and they struggle, and it's not their fault either. it's nobody's fault that you have depression, but you say you have everything you need when you really don't. you need treatment and time to heal

Trick watches Dapper make his way to his feet and stand panting beside the bed.

“Maybe,” he grumbles, closing his eyes like he’s in pain. “But I hate hospitals and even if I would go, I can’t. Someone would be able to track us through the hospital system, or even a therapist, Anti says. Besides, doubt we can afford it. Anti has to feed the others before anything, you know? And sometimes we even struggle there, so…”

He rubs at his face, watching Dapper move despite his hurt. Maybe he should get up too.

“I don’t think Anti knows what to do with me,” he admits frailly. “I don’t think anyone would.”

Anonymous asked: Has Dok been in the shed before?

Blue races out the door to his own room, and then the backdoor of the house, setting his bare feet on the craggy earth, barely avoiding splinters of glass and sharp stone in his haste to help his little brother.

He finds the shed door chained.

“Goddamn!” he hisses, slamming his hand against the door, hard. Gritting his teeth, you watch him pace round the shed looking for a hole to enter through, but it’s a sturdy structure, and as the sun rises, it grows hot to the touch.

“He’s going to fucking boil in there!” snarls Blue, stalking back to the door and yanking on the chains. You hear the door creak as Red steps out of the house behind him, wearing his own shoes and carrying his brother’s.

“Blue, take it easy, I can go find Anti if we need to.”

“Yeah? How’re you going to do that? For all we know he’s in the middle of something dangerous.”

“He would have told me if he were going to do something dangerous. Or taken me with him.”

“Sure,” spits Blue, trying to twist the chains with his bare hands. “Sure, I’m sure he would, Red.”

cest-mellow asked: blue? have you gotten dok yet?

“We’re working on it,” Red answers calmly, watching Blue scurry around the shed a second time. He’s beginning to look at the roof in a way Red doubts will lead to good things. “Blue, we might have something under the sink that can get him out.”

“Go check! Please!”

“Okay, but put your goddamn shoes on before you cut yourself. Hey, Dok? We’re out here, bud, we’re coming. Hold on.”

spicydanhowell asked: blue, do you have any tools or do any neighbors have some? you might have to cut the chain

“Red, did you find anything?”

“Give me two seconds! We’ll get him down, okay?”

“He’s in pain, can’t you hurry?”

“Getting freaked out won’t help, Blue. Hell, I don’t know… there’s not really anything down here anymore. I thought we used to have a bolt-cutter. Hey, maybe it’s one of the keys Anti has us look after? I’ll go check.”

Blue hisses impatiently. For a second, the sun makes his eyes flash a very vivid blue.

immabethehero asked: Find a treestump and bash the door down!

“Fuck, I don’t know if Anti would like that much. Maybe I can find something. There aren’t many trees up here, though, I’ll tell you that much.”

Anonymous asked: Blue please hurry and get Dok out of there. He can barely breathe.

“He can barely breathe,” repeats Blue anxiously, as Red heads back towards the house. “He could choke, I don’t know how much strength he has, if Anti beat him or hurt him… And it’s so hot, it’s so hot! He’ll cook, he could get hurt, I bet the chain is so hot on his poor throat.”

Blue squeezes the chains tighter, close to the door, his eyes flickering. He staggers slightly, closing his eyes as the world spins around him. Fuck, maybe Red was right, maybe he does need to calm down a little. But Doktor is in there, his little brother, for all that he acts tough, suspended by his neck, wheezing and gasping as the sun rises hot over his head and he grows frailer and frailer, his muscles aching and his body shaking -

Something is dripping through his fingers.

Startled, Blue frowns at his hands.

And then he yells aloud, jerking backwards as molten metal singes the ground in front of the shed, the chain melted clean through between his fingers.

He stares at the twisted metal, shaking.

“Blue, we’ve got three different keys here, one for the medicine cabinet, and we can try the other two, but - ”

Red stops short behind him.

Trembling, Blue turns to his twin, his hands held out in supplication, in fear, in apology.

Red takes a long look at the situation, his eyes fixed on the faint whisps of blue trailing from his brother’s hands.

“Are you hurt?” he asks, in a voice all too calm.

Blue shakes his head, his pupils blown wide.

Red stares only a moment longer.

“Well,” he says, eventually. “Doktor is. Go get your brother. Go on, now, Blue.”

Blue nods shakily and bursts into the shed, leaving the chain behind.

Red stands there watching for a long time, his mouth calm.

His eyes afraid.

Anonymous asked: Oh, oh, Blue, be careful! Your magic! Anti will be angry again!

Red leans slowly down.

Picks up the chain where it’s cool.

Brushes away the broken or melted pieces from the ends.

And places what remains inside his hoodie pocket, heading back towards the house, where, in his room, you watch him carefully place the chain inside of his backpack.

Anonymous asked: could blue use his magic? i know he's technically not allowed, but anti's not here, and your brother could be hurt really bad if you don't help him! and you needed to find an outlet for your magic anyway, right?

Red pushes his backpack behind his door, trying to plan when next he’ll be allowed out of the house. Maybe today. He’ll have to see.

“Let’s have no more talk of magic,” he says, getting back to his feet. “Let’s have no more talk of this.”

Anonymous asked: blue! is dok ok!! can you get him down!!!

Blue knocks a blood-stained crate towards Doktor and stands up on it, hooking one arm underneath Doktor’s legs and another around his waist. It is the work of a moment to lift him up enough to remove the chain from the hook on the ceiling.

Dok is so stiff it hurts to be held.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” chants Blue, sliding down to the earth with his brother in his arms. “It’s going to be alright, that’s all for now.”

Doktor might scream. He is clutching to Blue’s shirt so tightly he has torn it.

whydoilovesomanyvillians asked: Blue hows doc doing

Blue brushes his brother’s overgrown hair from his eyes, clutching him to his chest. “He’s hurting,” he admits, reaching out to massage one of Doktor’s trembling arms. “It would be awful just to have to stand for that long, let alone to hold throat up to breathe. He’ll be stiff for a long time, I’m sure it hurts terribly.”

It feels like his muscles are doing their best to escape from his bones. Everything inside of him is fucking peeling, splitting, twain. He can’t feel his calves anymore.

Anonymous asked: is dok hurt?

“Did Anti hurt you?”

Doktor’s mouth parts dryly.

“What?” he coughs. “Other than this?”

His throat is fervently black.

“No… No, I’m fine. Let’s go inside, p-please.”

He seems, for a moment, to strain himself to stand, but then his muscles scream out again, and he collapses back into Blue’s arms.

Anonymous asked: Get him some water or something, Blue, please

“Here we are, Dok-Dok, it’s okay.”

Blue heaves him into his arms and carries him back towards the house, where Red is uncapping a bottle of water. He’ll need to go get more from the well soon, but for now they have enough.

“Why don’t you lie him down in his room?” suggests Red. “Nice and quiet in there.”

“Is Dapper still asleep?”

Red heads past him into Doktor’s room, sitting down beside the mattress with the water and grabbing his first aid kit from the corner.

“Dapper’s not in here anymore, Blue.”

“What?”

“Let’s worry about Doktor for now, okay? There we go, bud. Is it easier to lie down or do you need to sit up?”

In response, Doktor slumps down on the mattress.

“Permission to scream, sir?” he rasps up at Red, his eyes squeezed tightly shut.

“Permission granted, medic,” answers Red, grinning a little despite himself.

Doktor opens his mouth -

“Nein, I don’t have the strength.”

Red leans down and presses their foreheads together for a long time, one hand set solidly on Doktor’s shoulder, a warm, steady pressure.

“You kept Dap safe,” he whispers. “You did good.”

Doktor’s eyes water. Slowly, he nods, biting down hard on his lip.

“I did good,” he whispers. “I did good.”

Blue is massaging his arm again, determined to give him some relief. “We’ll get some water in you and you can have a nice cool shower and some clean clothes and food and anything you need, okay? Poor Dok, hanging up like that all night. We’re going to take it nice and easy.”

“Yeah,” agrees Red. “You can have whatever you want.”

“Does that include the sweet release of death?”

“Doktor,” snap the twins in perfect tandem, and Doktor can’t help but laugh, staring up at his brothers with a mouth that hurts to smile.

“Don’t joke!”

“Yeah, too soon, man.”

“Little pansy, one night in the shed and he gets all sardonic on us.”

“Oh, ‘sardonic,’ aren’t you fancy?”

“Shut up and give Dok his water, can’t you see the man is thirsty!”

And Doktor closes his eyes and lets his brothers look after him.

pixie-in-trebleland asked: Are you guys going to watch Dok all day? Can you check on the others?

“Fuck, give us a minute,” grumbles Blue, blinking back into appearance before you. He’s up and about now, standing over the sink and using water from a bottle to clean their three plastic plates. “We take two seconds to look after our brother who’s been tort - disciplined and you’re impatient?”

He sighs and tries to relax. At his side, Red is chopping up potatoes, his eyes faraway.

“Anyway, what do you want us to do? No, we can’t check on the others. We’re not allowed to talk to Trick in his room, let alone go in there. You know the rules by now. You were here when we had an attic. Besides - ”

He’s cut off by a sudden flicker of the camera that catches his eyes. Blue brightens immediately - though his cheeks also flush slightly - and he turns to see Anti step out of nothingness in the corner.

“Anti,” he cheers, while a relieved smile, only trembling a little, appears on Red’s face. Blue saunters cheerfully over to Anti and -

“Oh,” he breathes, his face falling. “You’re hurt.”

Anti scoffs and takes off the backpack on his shoulders, letting it drop to the ground with a heavy thud. Not only is his neck bandaged as usual, but there is a damp dark stain on his shirt, spreading as Blue watches.

“Anti, let me look at it, please.”

“No, Blue, it’s fine. I’m not hurt.”

“Where were you?”

“Selling drugs,” says Anti.

Red and Blue exchange glances.

“Ha ha?” Red ventures. “You’re, uh. Kidding.”

Anti glances up, frowning. “What? No. We don’t need that much pain medication in the house. Speaking of which, Blue, you keep the key to medicine cabinet for me, okay? So if Dok needs anything out of there, he can explain to you why and you can open it up for him if he’s got a good reason. No sleeping medicine, though, and no pain stuff unless it’s for visitors or you’ve run it by me. You understand me?”

“Oh, yes, Anti, I can do that.”

“Good boy. Here.”

Anti hands over a tiny silver key.

“Anti, are you sure you’re okay?”

“Shut the fuck up, Blue. Listen, make yourselves scarce today, alright? I’ve got work to do and it’s better if you’re not around for it.”

Blue opens his mouth like he might protest, but Red steps up beside him and silences him with a hand on his shoulder. “Yes, Anti,” he says, meeting his master’s eyes calmly. “We’ll fill up all the water after lunch.”

“Mh, good boys.” Anti wipes at his face, slightly sweaty. “Oh, here. If you go into the city, you can do me a favor and pick up some candles for me. I got everything but that.”

“Some candles?”

“Yeah. Like a shit ton of them, actually, I didn’t realize how many. Like fifty, okay? By tomorrow. I’ll pick them up myself if I have to but - ”

“No, no, no,” Red insists, accepting a small wad of cash from his brother. “No, I’ll fetch it for you, Anti, of course. Whatever you need.”

“Good. Good. That’s my Red.” Anti tugs on a lock of his hair. “The next couple days will be happy if everyone is good, okay?”

“Yes, Anti.”

spicydanhowell asked: anti? red is worried about you

Anti pauses on his way back to his room, and low flush creeps over Red’s cheeks at the message.

“Worried about what?” he demands snippily, adjusting his backpack on his shoulders. “You getting paranoid on me too, Red?”

Blue moves to stand slightly in front of Red, but his brother pushes him away and puts the butter knife he was using to cut the potatoes in his hand, shoving him towards the counter. Irritated, Blue nevertheless obeys his older brother’s silent command and begins cutting potatoes.

“Um, Anti.”

Red slinks down the hall towards him. Anti straightens up, crossing his arms over his chest and tapping his foot. “What?” he snaps. “What is it now that I have to deal with? Huh?”

Red stares at him for a moment, his mouth slightly open, his eyebrows drawn back.

And then he reaches out and wraps his arms around his little brother’s shoulders.

Anti stiffens like a mannequin beneath his grip, breathing a little faster than he did a moment ago. After a long three seconds has passed, his hands come up to rest, just barely, on Red’s back.

“What is this?” murmurs Anti. “What’s wrong?”

Red shakes his head against his shoulder.

“You’re having a meltdown or something. Go lie down.”

“No, Anti, it’s not that, it’s just - ”

Red draws away and Anti shifts uncomfortably at the look in his eyes. Worried, worried Red. Loving Red. Ah, fuck.

“You don’t have to do this alone, okay?”

Anti sighs through his nose, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

“You’re so stressed all the time lately, I worry you’re getting sick, but you never take a break or come out of the room anymore, and - I just - Anti, I’ll do anything to keep you safe. You know that, right? I’d do anything for you.”

Anti softens, humming warmly, the discomfort slipping away. “Really?”

“Yes, of course.” Red’s eyes shine. He presses in for another hug, clutching at Anti’s shoulders. “I’ll protect you from anything that ever comes after us. I’m never going to let you get hurt. I - I - I love - Anti, I love you so much, I - ”

“Aw, Hoodie, don’t cry, darling, don’t cry.”

Anti is smiling now, stroking at Red’s hair and kissing at the side of his face.

“What a good boy you are. What a good boy.”

“I don’t want you to feel alone!”

“I know, Red. I know. Sh, calm down, love. Everything’s okay. Master’s okay. Little brother’s okay. Listen, I have work to do - ”

“Right, right. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to stop you, I just… I just love you. Okay? And if you need anything…”

“I know, Red. I know.”

“Okay.” He wipes at his face, embarrassed. “Okay.”

Anti’s eyes are brighter now. He strokes his thumb fondly across Red’s beard, smiling a little too widely up at him. The stain of blood on his shirt is gone.

“Go back to your twin,” he orders in a purr, pushing Red away. “Go on. There’s a good boy.”

Red retreats obediently. Anti turns to open the door to his office, and as soon as he is alone, he looks directly at you.

“’I just love you, Anti,’” he mocks, barely suppressing a giggle. “‘I don’t want you to feel alone!’ What a fucking child he still is!”

He bursts into raucous laughter, clapping his hands together and shaking for joy.

Anonymous asked: How's Doc doing now then? Can't have been a fun night :/ Wish I could hug that poor guy.

“Let’s check on him.” Blue picks up the camera and steps down the hall, popping you and his head into Doktor’s room.

His little brother is deep asleep on Dapper’s mattress, clutching a spare shirt to his chest for comfort. Blue lets out a soft little sigh, looking down at him, and Doktor lets out a quiet hum in his sleep, his peaceful face twisting into something more afraid for just a moment.

“I think he’ll be okay,” murmurs Blue, drawing the door almost closed behind him again. “I’ll leave him with some lunch and water and stuff. Maybe later I’ll make good on that hug offer, too. My tough little brother.”

“Blue,” calls Red, stepping down the hallway past him. “Get your backpack and help me gather up the water jugs. We’ll fill up everything before we go into town.”

Blue heaves out a sigh. They have a lot of water jugs. It’s good - but it’s also heavy when they’re full.

Anonymous asked: That's not very nice, Anti...

“‘That’s not very nice, Anti,’” he repeats, pacing around his office and giggling wildly. He’s making a mess, opening up spare backpacks and shoving through his closet, searching for something. Red’s devotion has re-invigorated him. “Let’s not forget, little ones, between the haze of the world I’ve created - I fucking hate Red. And there is nothing in the world that I like better than seeing him brought so low he doesn’t even have to be asked to try to comfort me.”

pixie-in-trebleland asked: If you hate him that much, Anti, then why keep him so happy? If you hated him, it would have been preeeetty safe to assume that you'd want him to suffer, no?

“Oh, he has,” says Anti. “For my sake. More than you can fucking dream.”

He pauses for a second, staring at you.

Then he brightens again.

“But you have to make puppets happy sometimes, otherwise they’ll catch on to the falsity of it all! And then who runs my errands for me and guards the door at night? He can have a little time of joy, running around with his twin. I don’t mind. It only makes him more devoted. And Red - aha!”

Anti has found what he’s looking for. Delighted, he reaches into a box at the very back of his closest and pulls out a pair of collars, one yellow and one black, and the black muzzle he showed you once before.

Anonymous asked: Hm, you say that like Red wouldn’t do that for anyone. You forget the type of lifestyle he left, he protected and saved people. Sorry to say Anti, but I don’t think you’re very special.

“Red only ever killed men on my command. And kill them he did, with my name, adoring, on his lips. And when he wept, later, to realize what he had done, it was me that he came to, and my chest where he laid his head down.”

Anti stares at you. His eyes are brown.

“Is that special enough for you?”

Anonymous asked: so what do red and blue do during the day when anti's not here?

“Well, most mornings we go for a run on the other side of the mountain.” Blue looks up at the height of the mountain, not far off from their little home. “See, the rain washes down that side instead of this one, so while this side is dry as a desert and barren entirely of plant life, that side blooms green all year round. Want to know the funny part? This side is populated by thousands of people all working their asses off just to put food in their stomachs. The other side is owned entirely by one man, who lives far away and makes no use of it. He’s waiting for the property value to increase to sell it. So of course we slip through a gap we cut in the electric fence and we run around his property for miles. Safer back there, and nicer to look at, and easier on our feet. Right, Red?”

Red heaves his backpack up on his shoulder and turns to smile at the little camera mounted on his twin’s shoulder. He wears his hood up with a pair of cheap sunglasses he stole from the pharmacy truck yesterday. “Right,” he agrees, as they head out of the house and begin making their way down the dusty, rocky trail, dirt sliding dangerously beneath their careful feet. “And then most days we get drinking water.”

“There’s only one place to get it for miles. A truck comes and fills it up everyday. Luckily, there’s plenty for all - it’s just a pain to carry around. What else do we do, Red?”

“Whatever Anti tells us to. Stealing and errands and shit. It’s been nice lately, though, cause he’s letting us have so much freedom now that we can look out for each other. We can go into the city just about whenever we want and we’ve got a card full of bus money. We’ve practically been tourists.”

“Yeah, we even went to the library the other day. Anti said we couldn’t bring anything home, but we hung out and read for the longest time.”

“We do a lot of cooking now that we have a real stove and Blue made a sort of fridge for us.”

“We go to the markets for fresh food because that’s just how people buy things around here. Things are cheaper here so we’ve been eating more.”

“Yeah. So we do that. And we, you know. Talk.”

“Yeah. We talk.”

Red smiles back at his brother.

Anonymous asked: blue, is anti gonna be mad at you for taking dok down?

“Oh, no.”

“Blue has special privileges,” Red calls, his smile teasing now. “He’s a special boy.”

“Lol,” says Blue out loud, looking unamused.

“Haha.”

“I kind of do, though. My job is to look after the others. Obviously I don’t interfere when Anti’s running drills or disciplining or anything, but I know that at some point Anti we’ll let me step in and help. If he had been here this morning, I’m sure he would have taken the chains off for me by the time I went to get Doktor. He would tell me if he wanted me to let someone be disciplined longer than the usual one night or one day. So no, everything this morning was pretty normal. Except for the, uh.”

Blue trails off, staring anxiously up at Red. Red does not even look back at him.

Anonymous asked: oh fucking hell anti whatever you're planning, please don't

“Now you’re just tempting me. This is reverse psychology. You really want me to, don’t you? Some of you are so funny.”

He’s gotten out other things too now - thick cord, and a tie, and… clothes you think you recognize from somewhere, another starchy white dress shirt and a dark vest. Anti runs his hands fondly over it, humming something bouncy to himself.

the-weirdest-fan asked: Anti, do you ever slip up and call them by their old names? Why did you give them those names? I get Red and Doktor and the others, but the name Blue doesn't make much sense to me. Could you explain if it's not too much trouble? Thanks!

“Ah, an interesting question, I do like this intrepid, polite one… Actually, you’re right, I do sometimes come close to slipping up. Especially when I’m angry - they just look so much like those same stupid fucking people they used to be… And Doktor is just a quieter Henrik, and Trickshot a more confused Chase, and Dapper…”

Anti sighs and shakes his head, turning his gaze to look out the window.

“The line between Dapper and Jameson has always been a thin one.

“But as for Blue, well, first of all, by the time I got my hands on that little bitch I meant for him to be Red’s twin, and I like the pairing of the names. But blue’s always been the color that reminded me of him. It’s the color of his power when he casts. He cast it against me so many times - I guess I like the inversion of it. Now Blue belongs to me. Not even to himself. It’s a name I chose for him. Nothing about him is his own anymore. And so he is Blue, because even that which he once used against me is now mine for the keeping.”

Anonymous asked: anti what the hell are you planning just TELL us you overdramatic bitch hdfgjfhdgdfgddh

“Can you give me a damn second to get ready! You ask me all these questions and then don’t want to wait for answers, damn! Anyway, when did I say I was doing anything? It’s just work. You’re the ones hyping it up. Geez.”

And he pulls a line of fairy lights and a box full of finger puppets out of his closet. You can see him trying not to laugh, fixing you with a cold grin.

whydoilovesomanyvillians asked: Finger puppets and fairy lights wherent those in dappers toy box thing

“Very good. My littlest puppies are acting up. There are ways to make them… revert.”

immabethehero asked: Woah, woah, woah, Anti, calm down! No need for collars!!!

“Shut the hell uppppp,” sings Anti, bouncing on his heels as he gets to his feet. “I’ll decide what they need and what they need is - ah, shit, I should get his new medicine figured out too. Something stronger. Just a second. Hey, Dok-Dok!”

A moment later, he is yanking open the first door on the hallway right, and Doktor jerks awake with a cry, both from the pain of his aching muscles and from the alarm.

“Did you decide on Dapper’s new medicine?” demands Anti, crouching down beside him, a little too close.

“His new - his new medicine?”

Anti’s voice sharpens dangerously. “Yes. Like I said yesterday. I want new medicine for him. Something stronger, less generic. Obviously the old shit’s worn off him.”

Doktor’s mouth has gone dry. “W-well, Anti, I was thinking about it and maybe he should actually stay on the Haldol?”

“No.”

“It’s just sometimes people have bad episodes even if they’re on good medication, and he’s very used to his medicine now and handles all the side effects well, it really just fits him well, he likes it, he - ”

There is a hand pressing down hard on Doktor’s bruised throat. The pain makes his vision spark.

“You really want another night in that shed, don’t you, love?”

“N-no, Anti, no, please.”

Anti lets him go.

“So! What new medicine is Dap getting? Or would you like me to keep sedating him til his freaky little brain cells put themselves right again?”

Doktor’s mouth opens dryly. He pushes anxiously at his glasses, trying to think.

“Fanapt might be okay,” he manages finally, licking at his lips. “Kind of a newer medication. But I’d like him to be tapered off the Haldol and then - ”

“Yeah, okay, I’ll handle it.”

“Oh, but, please, don’t start him with too much, it - ”

“Doktor, you know I have the whole fucking internet under my fingertips, right? I’ll read the goddamn research report or whatever. There, that wasn’t so hard, was it? You can go back to your fucking nap now.”

Shaking a little, Doktor lies back down, his eyes pricking, though he couldn’t tell you exactly why if he wanted to.

Just feels like a betrayal.

“Oh, yeah!” Anti pauses to look at him one more time from the doorway. “I’m about to do some work with Dap and Trick and you might feel the… how do I put it… ripple effects. So if you start feeling weird, that’s why. Don’t come bother me about it. You’ll be fine.”

He slips off into the hall.

Anonymous asked: trick, dok's ok now! he's out of the shed, he's with red and blue and he's safe!!

Trick and Dapper are playing cards.

Dapper can’t hold them with his fingers tied up like this, but Trick found a solution.

Trick puts a six down.

Trick puts a three down.

Trick puts a six down.

Dapper and Trick slam their hands down on the card at nearly the same time, with Dapper’s hand just barely beating Trick’s, and Trick ending up slapping the top of his little brother’s hand. Chuckling, he makes an exaggerated noise of disappointment and shoves the cards towards Dapper, who pulls them into his pile.

Trick looks worn, but his melancholy face gives Dapper sudden warm smiles every couple minutes. Dapper is doing his best to smile back, grateful for a reason to keep the blood flowing in his hands. There’s a slight twitch in his right eye.

Trick glances up at your message and suddenly the warm smile is for you.

“Oh, he’s okay!” Trick rubs at his chest over his heart, his eyes glazing slightly. “Th-thank God, I was worried. Maybe Anti will let him come see me soon if he let Dapper in!”

The door creaks open.

Dapper and Trick turn towards it as one, the cards fluttering out of Trick’s hands.

“Hi, Anti,” he says softly, trying to smile for him.

“Hi,” Anti answers, reaching down to pet Trick’s hair. “Sorry I was gone last night. Let me make it up to you. Are you two playing games? I have a game we could play too.”

Trick chews on his lip, a little unnerved, plucking at Anti’s sleeve. His eyes flicker to Anti’s backpack. A length of string dangles out of it. Dapper has gone very white, staring down at the floor, silenced in every sense of the word.

Anonymous asked: Who’s the dog muzzle for, Anti? If you put that on Trick we’re going to have a problem.

“Oh, come now, my dear.”

Anti sets his backpack down and pulls out the great dark muzzle.

Trick’s pupils bloom into moons, his gaze fixed on the old muzzle.

“This was one of my best controls, when I was breaking him in,” Anti purrs, running his hands along the small, stiff spikes on the inside of the mask. Trick’s fingers drift mindlessly up to his chin, where the old scars are hidden beneath his beard. “You remember, Trick, I can see it in your eyes. You were never better behaved than that first month after I broke you in, and let you be Dapper’s little bodyguard… his twin, his friend…”

Anti steps forward. Trick does not move. Dapper shrinks back.

“You would be so excited to see me. You trusted me completely - with your face, with your hunger, with your dignity. What little of it you had left, anyway. Maybe you always wanted me to strip it away, so you could justify the person that I’d made you into. There was no thought of suicide, then, because you knew something that you have since forgotten - ”

For a second, Anti’s eyes are black instead of blue.

“Your life belongs to me.”

Blue again.

“Of course, we ran into our little problem later, and I had to take the two of you apart. And Doktor was always so ashamed when he would hear about how his twin had let me put this on him, do you remember?”

Scarlet explodes through Trickshot’s cheeks and he turns his head away, panting.

Anti reaches forward to touch his neck.

“Tell you what,” he says lowly. “I’ll settle for the collar for now. Provided, of course, that you play nice and set a good example for your little brother, so that he can get back to where he needs to be, like when the two of you were twins, and he was my puppy too. How does that sound?”

Dapper has recoiled all the way to the corner, his eyes flickering desperately around the room. Trick, for his part, is frozen stiff, staring at the muzzle.

He can almost see Doktor’s face - the horror in it at seeing his twin letting Anti put that thing on his face. He imagines disgust too. He always imagined disgust, though Doktor never gave him anything but comfort.

“That - that - that - that - ”

He swallows and tries to steady his stammer. Anti strokes at his beard.

“That sounds good.”

Anonymous asked: ANTI DON'T YOU DARE HURT HIM PLEASE HOLY SHIT

“Nobody has to get hurt if we all play nice,” hums Anti, stepping towards Dapper with his hands out-stretched, the black collar clutched in one fist. Trick holds the yellow one in shaking fingers. You watch him fix it around his neck, his face draining entirely of color, as if the collar had sucked it all out.

“I know you have to go gentle with Dapper,” says Anti, though his voice is cold as frost. “Otherwise he goes into his horrible little snaps, and near kills everybody around him. Treacherous little brain you have there, isn’t it? Even when you convinced yourself that I was the enemy, you could never direct your insanity just at me, could you? Do you remember, Dapper? Do you remember Red’s blood beneath your hands, and the dying tick-tock of a clock unwinding?”

Dapper pants fiercely, his nails scrabbling at the wall behind him, his hands bound, muted.

“Stupid little boy. You need a stronger hand to guide you. You’ve always needed a stronger guide than your brothers. Stupid, stupid little boy.”

Anonymous asked: Special doesn't mean valuable. You're a germ, Anti, and a temporary one at that. They won't follow you forever and you know it. And it's killing you. So have fun with that.

“A germ,” Anti hisses, stalking closer to Dapper, who fumbles at his side for a knife that no longer hangs there. Desperate, his stiff right hand manages to draw a circle at the wrist of his left -

“Blue! Blue! Blue!”

The only brother he can call for with his hands like this.

“Mama bluebird isn’t coming, songless lark. It’s just me and you and the other puppy. Isn’t that right, Tricky?”

Trick sits with his back to the bed, his hands suspended around his collar. He nods blankly, shaken.

“Are you a good boy, Trickshot?”

His face is beginning to look a little green. He nods again, weaker.

“Very good?”

“V-very - very - s-sorry, yes, very good.”

“Very good what?”

“Very good, m-master.”

“Trickshot’s going to get lunch,” smiles Anti. “Trickshot’s going to get water and sleep and a blanket to curl up in. You want that too, huh, my little Carver?”‘

Dapper’s eyes are filled with tears and hatred. Shoving himself back against the wall, he kicks out as hard as he can at Anti’s stomach.

The blow never lands. Anti grabs his ankle and then he attacks.

Dapper wheezes as his face, still bruised purple from last night’s beating, is shoved into the floor of Trick’s room and his arms yanked back so hard he fears dislocation. But you know what? He’s taken it before, and he’s taken it more willingly than this, and no matter what, he survived it. He survived it. He can fucking take it. No more shoving him around. If he’s going to die, he’ll do it with his dignity. Not like this fucking coward has the courage to end his life, anyway.

He slams his head back into Anti’s chin, snarling, proud to elicit a sharp, furious cry. And then Anti has grabbed him by the hair, and he disciplines, striking Dapper’s head against the cold linoleum again, and again, and again -

There is a second where Dapper exists outside of time entirely.

His hands could move it if he only had the strength.

But blood trickles swift from the side of his head and he cannot keep his focus. His eyes slip to silver only for a second, and then they are blue again, and he is trapped beneath Anti’s hands, wailing without making a goddamn noise.

Not that anyone would be able to save him if they could hear.

the-weirdest-fan asked: Ooh what's the plot of this puppet show?

“This puppet show,” pants Anti. “Is about a very naughty little child.”

Beneath his hands, a 30-year-old with intelligence more than enough to hate Anti passionately.

“The child was born stupid, and broken, and completely unwanted. Its master took it in one day because the brothers who claimed to love it were not watching over it, and it was helpless.”

Beneath his hands, the most powerful little magician ever to walk the face of the earth, doing his damnedest to flip Anti off with bloodless fingers.

“Everything the child became, it became because of its master. Everything that the child loved, it had because its master had given it.”

Dapper hand flails desperately in front of his chin, trying to get the pointer finger to stick out - “Liar!”

Anti presses down harder on his neck, pinning him to the floor with his knee between his shoulderblades. Somewhere behind him, Trick has staggered to the bathroom to vomit.

“Its master worked very hard for it, and gave it everything it needed. But as soon as the master started giving attention to another one of its puppets, the child began to think that it hated the master. Maybe it thought that because its mind was so broken and strange. Or maybe, just maybe, the stubborn, stupid little puppet had caught on to something that all of its brothers cannot see no matter what I show them, something that changed everything about the plot of the play, changed everything about the child’s life, and purpose, and loyalty…”

Anti leans in, bowed over Dapper’s body, and he places his lips at the very base of his ear, so Dapper could feel the movement of his mouth.

“I hate you so much I would die just to make sure you and your precious fucking brothers spend the rest of your miserable lives suffering hell on Earth.”

Dapper has gone still, his wide eyes staring at you, frozen.

Anti draws away again. Blood drips through the bandages on his neck.

“But whether Jameson had understood this truth or not did not matter to its master. All that mattered was that the child was broken again, and it was up to the master to put it back together.”

The tie is suddenly wrapped around Dapper’s throat and pulled so tight he gags, spasming desperately beneath Anti’s hands, his rapid heartbeat visible in a vein on his throat.

“And the master always knew, no matter what the puppet did,” hisses Anti. “Exactly how to shatter the puppet in exactly the right way to put its broken mind back together again the way that he liked it.”

And Anti summons all the power he has left inside him, and unleashes.

The power makes your camera short out.

End Section Three of Chapter Two.

Find the next section here.

#abuse tw #see all tws #chapter two #the chains that bind us

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splitpush · 4 years

Text

[ENG] 銀の匙 | Silver Spoon 131 (final chapter)

I’ve loved Gin no Saji for many years. I wanted to provide a roughly-translated manuscript for any other English-speaking fans that are still waiting for the finale to this beautiful manga by Arakawa-sensei. I supplemented my translation using the Chinese scanlation provided here by lumosmoon and typeset by 王少. Page numbers correspond to numbers on the side of the pages in the raw scans.

If anyone is interested in typesetting this translation to the manga, please link this post and credit me under the name “hachiko”, thanks! Enjoy & please excuse any errors.

[page 1~3]

Hachiken: The big blue sky. The gold-coloured lands. A blurry horizon. A smart phone with no signal...

Subtitle: A coming-of-age story built from tears, sweat, and dirt has finally come full-circle in a 32-page finale!!! In this endless field washed in gold... For a boy who was once unable to visualize what would come in the future, who disliked having a dream... His future is beginning to sprout at last.

Hachiken: Where... am I...?

[page 4]

Narrator: The answer is... Russia. [big arrow] Specifically, here. [small arrow points to Ezono]

Subtitle: Even though Hachiken has finally grown up a little... he still gets lost!! A bad sense of direction that transcends international borders.

Hachiken: “If you follow ‘this path’ we’ll see each other...” is what he told me. But are you kidding? This is RUSSIA!!! (text on the road: “THIS PATH”) Brings me back to the memory of that day in the summer of first year, when I had to walk along the path between Mikage Ranch and Komaba Ranch… Even if it’s one road and I won’t get lost, it probably won’t be without incident… Aren’t there bears here in Russia? Tigers? (Also it’s Russia!)

[page 5]

Subtitle: The last chapter of this coming-of-age story opens in the far east of Russia! Accompanied by the low rumbling of thundering machinery, what approaches Hachiken…!?

A familiar person’s back: So you really came, Hachiken!

[page 6]

Hachiken: Komabaaaaaa !!!

Komaba: Hey. You got lost, didn’t you?

Hachiken: Even if I don’t get lost I’d still encounter some kind of trouble!!!

Recap: After graduating from Ooezo Agricultural High School, Hachiken & co. went their separate ways. Now, four years later, his friends have gathered at Aki’s place while she is studying at Chikudai. But Hachiken, also at Chikudai, is nowhere to be found…

[page 7]

Komaba: If… you could see the mountains, you would know how to get your bearings...

Hachiken: Ah-- In our 360-degree visible radius there is not a single hill or ocean, and all I see are fields. I’ve never seen anything like it in Hokkaido.

Komaba: Hachiken, why did you come dressed so formally?

Hachiken: You were the one that told me there was an interesting business proposal!! Please take my business card!

Komaba: In recent years, Amur Oblast has started to do agriculture-related business with the banks in Hokkaido.

Hachiken: Japan-Russia relations?

Komaba: Yup. A joint venture between the Japanese banks and Amur Oblast. How do I say this, I don’t know if Russians are full of heart or simply rough-handed, but the motto they have here is basically: “sow as you please, and reap as you please”.

Hachiken: Oh…

[page 8]

Komaba: Due to the effects of global warming, the eternally frozen fields are now arable. And so a Russian dude casually told me to “do as you please” with this huge piece of land.

Russian dude: So you want to use the land? Sure, provided that you can speak the language, have the work ethic, and drink the vodka with me!

Hachiken: Hoho….

Komaba: So I started using the methods we used commonly in Japan to grow soy on the land. In our first year, the crop yield suddenly increased by 50%.

Hachiken: Just how “do as you please” were these Russians before this!!!

Komaba: We are leading the way carefully. With all the knowledge that we’ve accumulated, we can of course lead carefully.

[page 9]

(Russian) Kid: ICHIRO -- !! Kid: Done work yet? Komaba: Yup. Kid: Then let’s play some baseball! Kid: Teach me how to toss a forkball! Komaba: Tossing a fork requires muscle! Muscle!

Hachiken: I don’t know what they are talking about, but I can tell it’s about muscles…

[page 10]

Komaba (Russian): Your hands are still too small, so let’s try it first with your thumb and forefinger. Don’t push yourself, or you’ll hurt your wrist.

Hachiken: Komaba can speak Russian!

Komaba: It’s thanks to Alexandra-san. If you wanna work here, being able to speak Russian is a huge help.

Hachiken: It would’ve been nice to learn some Russian. I was shocked that nobody spoke English here.

Komaba: And the language of sports is universal!

Exclamations in Russian: Yeah!! Alright!!

[page 11]

Hachiken: How popular is baseball in Russia?

Komaba: It’s not at all. If I was born here, I coulda gone to Koushien. Just tell the kids a couple stories about forkballs and the Carps, and they’re immediately hooked. I said I would teach them how to play and the parents cleared the land into a baseball field.

Hachiken: It’s a Field of Dreams. Like an oversized Ezono.

Komaba: Speaking of Ezono, Sakuragi-sensei went to a lot of trouble to help me secure my place here in Russia.

Hachiken: Same here, it’s all thanks to Sakuragi-sensei that I was able to find network connections for pig-raising.

Hachiken: Komaba, do you have your own ranch here yet?

Komaba: That’s the plan right now. But there’s still a lot here yet to be developed. Setting up a grain loading operation near Vladivostok, establishing shipping routes with Hokkaido, I think these projects are all pretty cool.

[page 12]

Komaba: We can provide Hokkaido with cheaper animal feed, and Hokkaido can provide us with resources and agricultural equipment. A land filled with so much potential, only 1500km away from my hometown. Something this interesting, who wouldn’t wanna try their hand at developing it?

Hachiken: You’re not scared of failure?

Komaba: Nothing will move forward if you don’t even try.

[page 13]

Komaba: Our ancestors were the same when they pioneered Hokkaido. Thinking about it that way gives me courage. (Foul ball!) That being said, the people here won’t sell their land to a foreigner. If I want to have my own ranch here, first I’ll have to take a Russian bride.

Hachiken: Really! Komaba is marrying a Russian girl!

Komaba: What about you? (Kids: Strike out!)

Hachiken: Wat

Komaba: Aren’t you thinking about marrying Aki?

Hachiken: Eh...!! We’re still students...!! And I gotta think about Aki’s feelings too, what kind of nonsense are you spouting!! Even though things have been going well!!

Komaba: Shuddup…

[page 14]

Hachiken: ….“Hachiken Aki” and ��Mikage Yuugo”, Which do you think sounds better?

Komaba: “Mikage Yuugo” definitely has a better rhythm to it.

Hachiken: Yeah, I thought so too.

Komaba: Hey, you guys are happy together, that’s all that matters.

Hachiken: Regardless, my pasture-raised pig business hasn’t even taken off yet, so marriage is out of the question right now.

Komaba: As expected, you wanna do everything too properly.

Hachiken: I need to get my accreditation from the university for food hygiene management, then I’ll be able to build my own private processing plant, Hmm, how many years is that going to take… …

[page 15]

Komaba: Just work on getting your pig-raising business up and running successfully for now.

Hachiken: Eh?

(Russian) Kid: Ichiro’s friend, come play with us too! Kid: Isn’t it boring to just watch?

Hachiken: Huh? What’s this, what this? What, me?

Komaba: Go hit a few. They think everyone from Japan is good at baseball.

Hachiken: As if. But I should be able to hit some balls if I’m playing with kids… I can’t make a proper stance wearing these shoes anyway, I’ll just take it ea~sy...

[page 16]

Hachiken: YOU! Hey, what are you playing at!!! As if I’ll be able to hit any of your pitches!!!

Komaba: This is my revenge for the past!

(kids cheering: Ichiro!! Ichiro!!)

Hachiken: You’re totally motioning for a fly-ball, please just let me lose!!

[page 17]

Hachiken: … I wanna go back to Japan… Man at the net: Ball.

Komaba: You’re not going anywhere!

Hachiken: Why did we come all the way to Russia just to play baseball? Man at the net: Ball.

Komaba: I know right. To think that a certain somebody had no~idea what they wanted to do in the future when they were a first-year in high school. Why do you raise pigs?

Hachiken: How should I know!! Why are you asking this!! Also, wasn’t it you that called me over to Russia because you needed me!!

Komaba: Ah, right, right.

(Russian) Kid: It’s a homerun!! Kid: So cool!!

[page 18]

Komaba: Hachiken. Come raise your pigs in Russia.

Hachiken: Hah?

Komaba: Nice-- that’s a strike! I’ve been following Ookawa-san’s social media. Your pigs, the annual yield has been increasing quite steadily.

[page 19]

Komaba: To be able to produce that yield in a cold climate pasture, it’s a testament to how hard you’ve worked. Here in Russia, Despite the demand for meat, there are very few guys out here raising livestock. If you wanna get in on it, now’s the time.

Hachiken: … …You trying to pull a scam here?

Komaba: Does it really sound like that? To tell you the truth, if you want to raise livestock, this place is literally El Dorado.

Hachiken: If it’s that good, get the local people here to do it!

[page 20]

Hachiken: Hyah!! Man at the net: Strike!

Komaba: Didn’t I say just now, that I wanted to create a connection between Russia and Hokkaido. You’ll stay over there in Otaru, and I’ll be here in Vladivostok.

Hachiken: So you’re not a scammer! You’re the mafia!

Komaba: Refuse and I’ll break you.

Hachiken: You have no right to be teaching baseball to these poor Russian kids!!!

Komaba: I am Ichiro of the Far East.

Hachiken: Ichiro wouldn’t do something like this!!

Komaba: I’m kidding about breaking you, but I’m serious about the rest.

Hachiken: Do you have proof that this is even profitable!?

[page 21]

Komaba: Nope.

Hachiken: Oi!!!

Komaba: Although I don’t, I think it’ll be interesting to team-up with Hachiken. Let’s do it together.

Hachiken: Eh!?

[page 22]

Hachiken: Why did the ball just now drop like that!?

Komaba: Yes, that’s three strikes!! My victory!!

Hachiken: Ah~~~ I’m conflicted~~~~~

Komaba: Well, I guess that’s true. You’ve got your own life to live.

Hachiken: I’m really~ So conflicted~~~ … You know, I, made a promise long ago to never be the guy that would deny someone of their dream.

[page 23]

Komaba: Ah ha ha! That’s you, all right.

Hachiken: Also, raising pigs on such a wide area of land could be interesting… !!

Komaba: Then it’s decided.

Hachiken: Don’t just say that!

Komaba: Japan’s large-scale industry and greenhouse vegetable industry players are already making moves here.

Hachiken: Ah-- and there’s already talk going around about “growing vegetables with pig manure”, so we’ll have a finger in that pie too…. …No, wait, wait!

(Russian) Kid: What are they chatting about? Kid: Hurry up and tell us too--

Hachiken: Eh? What? Ah! You want me to get out of the batter box? Sorry, sorry!

[page 24]

Komaba: ?

Kid (Russian): Okay!

Hachiken: Whew-- gesturing successful! Oi, Komaba!!

[page 25]

Hachiken: Let’s go again, we’ll decide it with the next ball!!

Komaba: … Hah?

Hachiken: If I hit it, everything before doesn’t count! Komaba, if you win this one, As GINSAJI’s representative, I’ll consider this opportunity more closely!!

Komaba: Are you supposing that, I’ll go easy on you?

[page 26]

Komaba: … …Of course. How will ya know if ya don’t try.

Hachiken: All right Komaba, gimme your best shot!!

Komaba: Since you’re getting serious now, I’ll have to get serious too!!

[page 27]

Hachiken: Are you kidding me! Can’t you go easy on me just a little!!

Komaba: Shut up!! Next up, forkball!! You’ve been warned!!

Hachiken: Please just throw in a straight line!! Kyaaaaaa--

[page 28]

Student: Sensei-- Actually, I was thinking about starting my own business.

Sakuragi: Eh! What type of work?

Student: I love to cook and eat tomato-based recipes, so I want to use the tomatoes that we’ve been growing at home to start a restaurant! … But, people around me say that starting a business right out of high school is pretty impossible, I should probably wait until I mature a bit more…

Sakuragi: Oh! This tomato is delicious!

Student: Right? The harvest from this year came out just as I imagined it!

Sakuragi: Hm. Starting a business after high school. You may face some difficulties indeed. I understand why the people around you are worried.

[page 29~30]

Sakuragi: And it’s difficult for me to advise you on this as well… -- Is what I would have said a few years back! Among the students that I’ve taught over the years, there once was a guy who was a runaway from the regular high school examination track; he had come to Ezono with zero goals. The minute he set foot on campus, he suffered one hardship after another. He joined the equestrian club after he was invited by a female classmate. Didn’t even have the guts to drop out. He’d never made pizza once, but endeavored to do it in stride. He christened a pig and cared for it with so much love, that when he cooked and ate its meat he bawled his eyes out. During his part-time job, he wasted a ton of milk and bawled his eyes out again. Snuck out of his dorm in the middle of the night and got slapped with toilet duty. Found a dog in the middle of the school and started to take care of it. Couldn’t refuse anybody’s request and overworked himself so hard, He ended up getting sick on the day of the school festival and couldn’t participate. Borrowed money from his friends and bumbled his way onto a ship bound for Russia.

Other teachers: He didn’t board the ship. He didn’t board it.

[page 31]

Sakuragi: He is the record-holder for the lowest score ever recorded at the Interhigh Equestrian tournament. He suddenly decided in December of his 3rd year that he would attempt the university entrance exam. Started dating the girl that he liked but never got her father’s approval.

Students: Wow, just hearing about this guy makes me anxious… Didn’t even get the father’s approval…

(T/N: sorry, I don’t remember their names edits plz) Teacher: Oh, and don’t forget the boarding house explosion incident. Teacher: Right, right!

Students: What a scary guy.

Student: … and this person graduated without any issues?

Sakuragi: He did indeed. Apart from all of the above, he also started his own business while he was a student.

[page 32]

Sakuragi: And he’s the reason why all of you get to have such a leisurely pizza party like this, every year. If you’re interested in hearing more,

Let me tell you the story of the many different seeds that this man has sown.

#gin no saji #silver spoon #manga translation #hachiken yuugo #komaba ichiro #銀の匙 #t #spoilers #silver spoon 131

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