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linalilia · 1 year

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[meet the prisoners!] prisoner 010: himura reina

my last prisoner oc LET'S GO. tbh it was really hard for me to come up with a design for her but now her design is definitely one of my favorites! idk i just really like how she looks :)

as i said this is my last prisoner oc and that means i'm gonna post my guard ocs after her! very excited, hehe..

General info:

Name: Himura Reina (緋村伶永) (Her last name means "scarlet" and "town" and her first name means "actor, performer" and "eternity")

Age: 20 y/o

Gender: Female

Birthday: February 7 (Aquarius)

Blood type: AB

Height: 163 cm

Image color: #9AB2C8

Occupation: Unemployed

Personality: Reina is.. a very strange young woman. Unpredictable and chaotic, it's hard to say what her true intentions and motives are. It feels like she's plotting something, but at the same time it feels like she's only pretending and she's just messing around. She proudly claims to be the most dangerous prisoner here, she even confessed that she's actually a serial killer.. But for some reason, guards refuse to believe her. It's just so weird, almost all prisoners think that they did nothing wrong and they want to be voted innocent, meanwhile Reina is so desperate, she's basically begging Eiji and Miki to vote her guilty. Why would anyone do something like that? And they doubt that Reina is the type of person to hate herself for her crimes. What's even more interesting is that Reina actually wants to see if the whole "prisoners can't lie" thing is true and she wants to intentionally mislead Eiji and Miki with her MV. Why? Oh, she just wants them to know how "evil" she really is, like, she would really go that far to hide her crimes!.. But then why did she even say that she's a serial killer? Or maybe her crime is actually different and she just doesn't want the guards to see it? Maybe it's easier for her to say that she's a dangerous serial killer than confess to her real crime?

MV info.

Which canon Milgram song she would cover: MeMe. Honestly, this is one of my favorite covers to imagine because I just know that it would sound amazing and also it just.. man, I think it would fit her character so well, but not because she's similar to Mikoto in any way, it's because Reina wants people to believe that she's more dangerous than she really is. It's like she actually wants to do the same thing Mikoto did with his song and go "haha you guys thought i was the most normal one here but y'all were so wrong :D", so of course, she would sing MeMe to make people believe there's more to her crime! Also as a bonus, I like to imagine her singing the "Why am I here, it must be a mistake" parts in, like, this "mocking" way, like she doesn't actually believe her own words and she knows well that all of this is just an act.. but hey, maybe people will actually find her scary now.

Which DECO*27 song she would cover: To be honest, it was a bit hard to find a song for her. Maybe I should've picked Liar Dance for her and not Naomi, but even though it definitely has her vibes, I don't think the voice that I imagine her to have would be good for that song. So I decided to go with Seigi no Turret! I think it's very Reinacore, especially when you read the lyrics ("Good lies and bad lies are all jumbled up", "Come on, be happy—it’s what you wished for", "I find myself wanting to hide my sadness", "Darkness was better") Though I have to admit that some lyrics sound a lot like Asahi, for example, "You want to throw away your things, but strangely start wanting other people's things" or "That's selfish, where's your mama? Inconvenience leaves you bawling like a baby" or "The stuff everyone else has is exactly what I don't have" 👀

If she could cover a song by a different Vocaloid producer, which one would it be: Again, I had to think a lot about this and I think I'll go with Shirokuro Reversi by shitoo. It's so fun to imagine her changing her voice a bit to sound like two different people and also yeah, Reina's moral complex is.. something and it really does feel like there are two different people fighting inside of her. Reina claims that she doesn't feel any guilt and that she's even proud of her crimes, but also.. sometimes it feels like she's this close to snapping because of how much she actually hates herself.

Her MV description:

Her MV would mostly have only black, gray and white colors, but it would become brighter closer to the end. Reina's image color also appears in some scenes.

The video starts with Reina and her friends going somewhere together. They're laughing, smiling and simply having a great time and enjoying each other's company. Suddenly, one of Reina's friends points at a girl standing there looking lost and confused. Reina's friends start whispering about something and she nods and agrees with them. The girl turns around and sees all of them standing right in front of her. She looks relieved and she starts explaining her situation, they agree to help her. The girl goes with them, but she starts noticing that the colors are becoming even darker and that there's something wrong about the way Reina and her friends smile. Right when she's about to leave, Reina's friends stop her and look at their leader, waiting for her orders. Reina simply nods again. All of them run away with the girl's bag and they leave her lying on the ground. It doesn't look like they killed her, but they definitely beat her up.

We can see that Reina and her friends did the same thing to many other people and they enjoyed it every time, especially Reina. The lyrics mention that Reina doesn't have a motive for doing all of this, she just likes spending time with her friends and they see her as their leader, so.. she can't really say no to them. We can also see them buying things with those people's money, like jewelry or clothes. And again, the lyrics say that Reina is actually doing great, it's not like she has problems with money or anything like that, she just thinks it's fun. Maybe she just likes making people suffer, haha..

Later we can see Reina getting a call from her friend. She gets really excited and right when she's about to leave the house, someone stops her. She just rolls her eyes and tries to come up with an excuse, but eventually this turns into a heated argument and Reina ends up running away in tears. But while she's running, she suddenly notices something. She sees footprints that are the exact same color as her image color. She slowly becomes more and more nervous and she decides to follow the footprints. The video also starts "getting its colors back" and it's not so monochrome anymore. Black, white and gray are completely gone when Reina finds her friends and sees that they beat someone up again, but this time it actually looks like that person is almost dead and you can see blood under them and it's also Reina's image color.

Before we can see how Reina feels about this, everything goes black and a second later the colors are back again and we can see Reina laughing with her friends and pointing at their victim. But then, her friends realize something and they look at Reina and they look at the victim again. Their face expressions change completely and they look so shocked, it even looks like they regret what they've done. They try to calm Reina down, but she only starts laughing louder and then she falls on the ground. Now she's crying and laughing at the same time. We can't actually see the victim, but we can see that person's sneakers covered in something that is most likely supposed to be blood, but again, it's not red and it's Reina's image color. The lyrics just keep repeating "I did it, I did it, I did it, I did it.." until the MV ends, but we can hear Reina saying "And I had fun" even though it's obvious that it's painful for her to say it and she's not being honest with herself.

Trailer 1 Voicelines:

"Hi, hi! Himura Reina here! I'm 20 years old and my occupation is.. um, being the cutest serial killer, hehe~ Just kidding.. or maybe what I'm saying is true. Who knows? You two will have to find that out, that's, like, your job here. But hey, you know what to do if I turn out to be the most dangerous criminal here, right? So do your best~"

"Come on, dad, it's not that serious! Those people deserved it anyway! And it's not like I'm a murderer or anything, I just.. you know, punch them one or two times, but that's it!"

Trivia:

You want to know more about her crimes? Well, she literally said that you'll have to find that out yourself, so.. but yes, she will tell you that she had more than 50 victims. Do you believe her though?

Of course, someone like her deserves a guilty verdict, right? That's what she thinks, at least.

She's very close with Yurika and she likes her a lot and thinks they're actually really similar. She also gets along with Aimi, but I wouldn't say that they're very close. She doesn't like Eiko that much though.. And just like Yurika, she's not that close with the male prisoners, but she likes to tease Akio and Asahi. She also thinks that the way Shun forgets everything so easily and says whatever comes to his mind is funny.

Riku and Reina's theme is "Guilt" or "Blame-shifting". Riku likes to say that what he did was for everyone's good and also, people actually encouraged him to do it. They wanted him to commit that crime, so he had no other choice. However, Riku's friends don't do anything like that in his MV, actually, the worst thing they've done in his MV is calling someone talented and accidentally making Riku have a breakdown because of that. Meanwhile Reina's friends do so many horrible things in her MV.. but she never actually mentions them. It's all about her being dangerous, it's all about her being this insane murderer, her friends don't have anything to do with it. So.. who is actually the guilty one here?

#i love her a lot she's so chaotic also something about her being the last prisoner feels so satisfying #like yes this is how the list ends. with a girl who wants everyone to believe that she killed more than 50 people #but who did she actually kill? who knows #milgram #milgram oc #linagram

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saikos-pleb · 3 years

Note

this request is sponsored by: my dumbassery

so a day ago a sis broke their arm-

how you may be wondering? simple, i was climbing a tree and got dared to let go off the branch and i did so, with both hands-

TO BE FAIR MY FRIEND NEVER SPECIFIED-

so can i get headcannons of aiura, saiki, aren, metori and hairo reacting to their s/o breaking their arm in the same way-

thank you my dear :) <3

you breaking your arm

mikoto, saiki, kuboyasu, saiko, hairo

gender neutral

[notes]: fun fact, i am the most clumsy person ever. but i’ve never broken a bone 0:, so on that note if anything is inaccurate i’m sorry idk anything abt broken

- also i added my own little scenarios but they all have to do with tree climbing

————————

mikoto

- she was with you when it happened

- you were climbing up a tree and went to grab a bigger branch to climb onto and it snapped

- you screamed so fucking loud

- but bet your ass airua screamed louder

- “OH MY FUCKING GOD [NAME] ARE YOU OKAY?”

- “OF COURSE NOT”

- she almost calls the ambulance but you had to convince her that you’re not dying

- “i think i broke it it’s not that serious”

- ding ding you were right

- got a *your favorite color* cast

- airua was the first and only person to sign it

- she wrote all over it

- it went from ‘i love you’ to drawings of penis’s

saiki

- the one timeout weren’t in his 200 meter radius you managed to break your arm

- you and your friend were climbing a tree to try and get a little girls cat

- well you reach up to get the cat, you hand her to your friend that was on a branch below you

-and not even 5 seconds after the cat was safely the whole way down your branch snaps off

- kusuo has another sense just for you, so if somethings wrong he normally can tell

- he feels like something is wrong, so he uses clairvoyance to see what you are doing

- when he sees rhat you are in the er he teleports without thinking

- doesn’t even rlly care if people saw he’ll erase their minds later

- when you see him you give him a slight smile

- “what did you do”

- “well…”

- you explain everything

- he doesn’t even look surprised

- he sits next to you and is rubbing your hand (not the one that’s broken)

- you let him pick out the color of your cast

- he picks pink

- he signs “idiot” on it and that’s it, he refuses to write anything else

kuboyasu

- he left you alone for 5 minutes so he can get you a drink

- and he comes back to crowd of people surrounding someone crying

- his heart drops ‘that’s their cry’

- he pushes through the crowed to get to you

- “baby what happened are you alright?”

- you can’t even stop crying to explain

- he looks down to see your arm..

- he picks you up and runs to his motorcycle

- y’all get to the er

- you calmed down and explained what happened

- “well i saw a really cute squirrel and it was in the tree so i wanted to climb up and pet it”

- he chuckles at your cutness

- after you get an x-ray it is determined you broke your arm

- you pick a white cast

- aren puts a whole bunch of cute little notes on the cast

- ‘get better’ ‘i love you’ ‘*insert your preferred compliment* person alive’

saiko

- you guys were having a picnic in his backyard

- a napkin of yours flew into a tree

- “i’ll go get it”

- “no [name] i’ll have the groundskeeper get it, you’re gonna hurt yourself”

- “no i won’t”

- yes you did

- you fell out of the tree straight onto your arm

- you scream out in pain

- metori and few guards rush to you

- you are lifted into a helicopter and rushed to the highest rated hospital in town

- metori has your head rested on his shoulder the entire time

- when you guys get to the hospital he has them take you to a vip section (pretend there is one 😒) of the hospital

- you are treated and brought in for x-rays right away

- your cast is a light purple

- metori doesn’t sign it at first because “it’s a waste of time”

- but he saw your friends at school sign it the next day so he eventually gives in and does it too

hairo

- it was technically his fault

- he wanted to have a little competition with you

- and the last part of it was who could climb up and down the tree the fastest

- well long story short you missed a branch coming down and you fell

- you screamed so fucking loud

- when he heard your scream he jumped down from the tree he was on and rushed over to you

- the hospital was only a few minutes from his house so he put you on his back and ran there

- you got there pretty fast and you were taken it very fast

- x-rays came back boom broken arm

- he is constantly apologizing

- like doesn’t go a single sentence without apologizing

- “i love you so much, i’m so sorry” “wanna go get food after this. i’m so sorry?” “did you hear about the neighbor that moved in across from me, i’m sorry again”

- when you get your cast he writes all over it right away

- “i love you so much! get better soon- your kineshi”

#anime #saiki x reader #saiki k #the disaster of psi kusuo saiki #the disasterous life of saiki k #headcannon #saiki #shun kaido #metori saiko #saiko x reader #hairo x reader #hairo kineshi #airua mikoto #mikoto x reader #aren kuboyasu #aren kuboyasu x reader

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itsuki-minamy · 3 years

Text

“SIX IDOLS”

CHAPTER 4: “THE PROBLEM OF KUSANAGI IZUMO WITH WOMEN” (Complete)

* K - Six Idols (List of Chapters) * Projects & Chapters

Translation: Naru-kun Raws: Ridia

At that time, Izumo Kusanagi had just returned from shopping for the bar HOMRA.

Bar HOMRA is like an idol lounge in "Homura Entertainment Office". It is a place of relaxation for the idols belonging to the group with strong horizontal connections and at the same time it is also a place for the staff to enjoy the drink. In particular, Kusanagi's skill as a bartender was highlighted and there were many enthusiasts in the industry.

A hideaway-like resting place for the same liquor lovers Kusanagi meets at the bar HOMRA.

Then, the moment he entered the bar, Kusanagi noticed the atmosphere.

"Guys, what's wrong with you?"

It seemed that several idols were near the couch seats in a corner of the bar and were discussing something. They looked at Kusanagi when he entered the bar, then they looked back and started secretly talking about something.

Kusanagi frowned.

In the world of entertainment, the hierarchical relationship between seniors and juniors is absolute, and it is impossible to make eye contact but not say hello. No matter how long they are in the office, tolerating their current attitude is even worse for them. He had to make things clear here.

Kusanagi put the shopping bag on the counter and shrugged angrily and approached them. When he clenched his fist, Misaki Yata, one of the idols, suddenly stood up and looked at Kusanagi.

"Kusanagi-san, I have something I want to ask."

Kusanagi was embarrassed by the angry voice. Yata is a loyal and sincere person. He had never seen him get so mad at himself.

Looking closely, the idols behind him, Rikio Kamamoto, Eric Surt, and Yo Chitose, looked at Kusanagi with guilty eyes.

"What?"

"This that is written, is it true?"

Taking the magazine spread out on the table, Yata placed it in front of Kusanagi.

In the magazine he says:

"Homura Performing Arts Office" staff. Izumo Kusanagi midnight orgy! Sexual harassment is insanity against underage idols!"

Kusanagi's mouth fell open.

Meanwhile, Yata approaches the magazine with an indignant expression.

"What are you doing? Is that true? If so, I can't stand it! I knew Kusanagi-san loved women, but more than anything, you're an idol! I never thought you were that kind of person?!"

After hitting Yata's head with his fist, Kusanagi took the magazine. It was a weekly magazine with a reputation for scandal articles from animators. He turned the pages as he felt cold sweat running down his cheeks.

That day…

About a month ago, the day the movie where Kusanagi appeared was released. At the commemorative party that brought the people involved together, Kusanagi had a drink, sexually harassed all the actresses and female staff in line, then took an underage idol he liked and went to the bar next to the stairs, and he finally disappeared into a city hotel with the girl.

"It is a hoax!"

Kusanagi threw the weekly magazine on the ground.

As he rubs his beaten head, Yata looked at Kusanagi.

"Are you sure?"

"Obviously! Do you think I'm such a person?"

"You are a lover of women."

"You are a healthy person."

"You are kind to everyone."

Kamamoto, Eric, and Chitose responded.

"You guys…"

Kusanagi spoke desperately. Yata took the magazine and hit him. He couldn't find the color of the joke in his eyes.

"At first, we thought that Kusanagi-san couldn't do this, but when I thought about it, it was true that Kusanagi-san was drunk and he came back like that about a month ago."

"Kusanagi-san, you are normally calm, but when you get drunk, I think you can become a conqueror. So I wondered if it was something like that."

The eyes of the youths pierced Kusanagi. Kusanagi was full of words and looked at each of them.

"Please remember. Do you really remember?"

"Well, wait. Let's remember for a moment."

Kusanagi opened his PDA and active the calendar application.

One month ago. Certainly, there was a record of attendance at the commemorative kick-off party. That said, he had gone to parties three times that week alone. In the current situation where President Suoh is not, Kusanagi is the actual leader of "Homura Entertainment Office" and also plays the role of manager of his idols. There were more relationships within the natural industry and more opportunities to drink.

That's right, if you get drunk, you'll be in a good mood. Not that he has never lost his memory. There is no doubt that he likes women who value themselves and others, and if he sees a beautiful woman at a party, he is the type to speak positively. However, no matter how drunk he is, sexual harassment is serious business.

"Kusanagi-san? Did you?"

Yata proclaimed holding the magazine looking like a prosecutor. Kusanagi had been exhibiting for a while, but when he opened his eyes, he seemed to be ready.

"If it's just a light body touch, maybe..."

"After all, you did!"

"It's the worst! Kusanagi-san, you are the worst!"

"It's the name 'Homura'! Clear your head now and hold an apology press conference."

Kusanagi was quick to contain the young people who denounce him.

"Okay, wait! Guys, listen to the story to the end! It's true, I made friends with a grown actress, but I would never date a minor idol!"

"I cannot believe it!"

"You are a liar, Kusanagi-san!"

"Womanizer!"

"Sex stalker!"

He hits Yata's head again. Kusanagi yelled, ignoring the protest "Why am I the only one?"

"I'm not lying! I have that kind of sense! Anyway, if you're an actress, you shake hands with idols! Have they never done that?"

"I don't know about Kusanagi-san's female itinerary!"

"Really! Trust me! We are friends!"

The words were sucked into the air of the bar with an eerie sound.

Yata muttered as he clenched his fist.

"That's right. We are friends. If you can't believe what your friends say, you're done."

"Sorry, Kusanagi-san. We only have blood on our heads."

"I want to get close to a beautiful woman, and any man can do it."

"No, I think it's just Chitose and Kusanagi-san."

Through Eric's calm plunge, Kusanagi shuddered.

"Did you get it?"

"However, if so, this magazine is joking. It wrote a rumor that has no roots or foundations like this! Kusanagi-san, let's go to the editorial department to complain!"

Yata was outraged and threw the magazine on the table. Kusanagi had to stop him this time.

"So you want them to say what they want?"

Kusanagi shakes his head at Kamamoto's words.

"Of course, I will protest. But it will take the form of an official announcement from the office. The pen is mightier than the sword."

"Well, if Kusanagi-san says so, it can't be helped."

Yata appeared to be dissatisfied. Injustice cannot be forgiven. Kusanagi laughed as if he was impressive, as his righteousness was like Yata's.

"But why did this article appear?"

Kusanagi shook his head as he took the magazine.

It is an exaggeration to say that there are no roots or foundations, but it is true that he does not remember it. If so, is it someone's conspiracy? The first thing that came to mind was the face of the "Green Idol King", but he immediately denied it. That guy would be a little more elaborate and aim for "Blue" or "Gold" first.

No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't come to a conclusion. Kusanagi stopped shaking his head and tried to put the magazine back on the table.

It was then that the bar bell rang.

"Oh, Totsuka-san! Anna!"

Yata greeted happily. At the entrance to the bar, he saw all the faces he knew.

Totsuka Tatara and Anna Kushina.

Like Kusanagi, Totsuka is the oldest member of "Homura Entertainment Office". A light-skinned boy who always smiles, but was born into extreme poverty to the level of eating wild grass, and was shot with a pistol by an avid fan and wandered between life and death.

Anna is the only girl idol in "Homura". Although she is only 12 years old, her singing ability is outstanding and she is in charge of the voice of the group "No Blood".

For some reason, she has been in the position of president since the former president, Mikoto Suoh, moved to the United States, but of course, Kusanagi is doing most of the work because it parallels her studies.

When they saw Kusanagi, they made the strongest faces for some reason.

"Izumo."

Anna spoke to him. She had something to say, but she didn't know how to say it. Anna, who usually does not express her emotions, was looking at him sadly somewhere.

"Don't do it, Anna."

"Anna. I'll ask him around here, so go over there, okay?"

Totsuka ignored Kusanagi and made a soft voice. Anna had been comparing the two to a funny face for a while, but she finally ran off to the bar.

Totsuka approached Kusanagi. His kind face unusually was not laughing. When he reached Kusanagi's eyes, he muttered with eyes lowered in pain.

"Oh, Kusanagi-san, I knew you love girls, but I never thought you would get close to minors."

"You too?"

Kusanagi involuntarily pushed him away. Totsuka was orderly. Kamamoto explained with a bitter smile.

"Well, we get it wrong. It's an entertainment magazine scandal, right? But Kusanagi-san's mouth tells me it's a complete hoax."

"Hey, are you making noise in the entertainment magazines?"

Totsuka said anxiously, but Kusanagi felt a hundred times more anxious.

"But…" What was wrong?

"Are you making noise elsewhere?"

Chitose spoke for everyone's ideas. When Totsuka looked at the others in turn, he made a small face and took the PDA out of his pocket.

"Yes. You are doing it right now."

Then, Totsuka projected the image of the PDA.

It was a video of a press conference. In a place like a hotel lobby, people who appear to be related are swaying in a row. In the center is a female idol who, of course, is underage and looks embarrassed.

"So when did you start dating Izumo Kusanagi?"

A sharp question flew out of the reporter.

The female idol was silent for a moment, but when she blushed and turned her eyes slightly, she made a good voice.

"Oh, yeah, I've been dating him since last month."

So is.

Kusanagi felt that the sensitive temperature of the bar had dropped below freezing.

++++++++++

He really doesn't hate being seen by women with cold eyes.

Of course he has always liked to be seen with hot eyes, but cold eyes are not so bad. It is often said that the opposite of love is indifference, and cold disgust and contempt are a type of "interest." You can repaint it with a different color. It is better than indifference.

However, that also has limits.

That day, Seri Awashima turned to Kusanagi, piercing him with the cold and staring at him at absolute zero.

"Good morning, Seri-chan."

At the regular theater studio, Awashima had a meeting with the staff. Until then, she should have responded calmly, but the moment she saw Kusanagi, all of her emotions were lost from Awashima.

"Good morning, Kusanagi-san."

As if drawing a sword, Awashima averted her eyes from Kusanagi. The expression on her profile is like ice, but Kusanagi, who has seen many women, read the phrase "Don't ever talk to me again, lolicon." hidden under the thin skin.

There was a crack in his heart.

However, Kusanagi swallowed it and went one step further. If she throws him away with that degree of rejection (although it's terrible), a loving woman's name will be broken.

Above all, this problem cannot be solved by pulling him here.

"Oh, can't I have some time? There's something I want to talk about."

"I'm sorry, but I'm about to record, so I'm sorry."

It was a line that flowed unhindered. Although somewhere in his heart he was impressed that she was the actress of the current generation, the relentless one that she does not stop treading.

"Isn't filming finished? I checked. It's just a little while."

"Did you check it?"

Awashima made an expression as if he had touched the kitchen waste. His heart was about to shatter with a screech.

However, Kusanagi was forced to smile.

"Oh, I looked it up. After all, Seri-chan is the right person to solve my problem now."

It was a lithe smile, but Awashima only frowned. Or it may have been a manifestation of anger against the background of cold contempt.

"Problem? No way, it's not the scandal with that girl, is it?"

He had to answer carefully. If he gave a bad answer, Awashima would get rid of Kusanagi and never turn around again.

After thinking about it for a second, Kusanagi replied.

"Trust me, Seri-chan. They framed me."

Awashima looked at Kusanagi.

Kusanagi stares into his eyes. The smile has already disappeared. Now is the time to show the "real blow".

If he gets rid of it, even for a moment, Awashima will instantly see him.

Finally, Awashima turned her back on Kusanagi and started walking.

"……"

Kusanagi closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. As long as he couldn't get Awashima's cooperation, he thought there was no way he could.

"What are you doing?"

"Eh?"

When he looked up, Awashima looked back a few steps away. From the terrible facial expression, the aforementioned contempt faded and the expression that seemed astonished returned.

"I don't want to get caught up in the scandal. Let's go somewhere hidden."

For the first time in a few days, Kusanagi's expression glowed again.

++++++++++

"Hanazono Kaon, 16 years old. A female idol belonging to "Alaha Productions". At first, she seems like she was an underground idol, but she made her big debut a year ago and she seems to be very active."

As she manipulated her PDA, Awashima said that clearly.

In terms of information processing capacity, there is no office that exceeds "Promotion Center 4". Perhaps it is the intention of the president, Reisi Munakata, to take over every corner of the entertainment world like a labyrinth. Kusatsu is also familiar with the situation, but if he wants information about the "enemy", it is natural for him to be more precise.

Kusanagi repeated Awashima's words.

"Alaha Productions."

"Needless to say, it is unofficial. Currently, there are only four government-approved offices in the industry."

As she cleaned the PDA, Awashima looked at Kusanagi.

"The unofficial offices are cobbled. Of course, there are many idol offices that may be small, but 'Alaha' is more like a stone. People come and go, and some financial problems happen. It's an office I don't want to have too close."

"Well, that's correct."

"Kusanagi-kun? Once again, you have nothing to do with this office, do you?"

Kusanagi shook his head slowly at Awashima's serious gaze.

"I remember hearing the name 'Alaha Productions'. I certainly knew this girl."

Kusanagi quickly excused himself when he saw Awashima's expression turn steep.

"No, no, don't get me wrong. But surely, I was greeted by this girl and the manager of 'Alaha Productions'."

A month ago, at a commemorative movie party.

The film in which Kusanagi appeared is a series that enjoys a considerable degree of popularity among Japanese films, and naturally many people from the industry gathered at the commemorative party.

Kusanagi played a central role in the party. Originally a sociable person with many connections. He brought the actors the producer was watching, spoke peacefully with the presidents of the investment companies, and discussed the work with the director.

"Did you meet this girl?"

"Oh. I was with the manager, and a newcomer who just debuted, so he told me to cheer her up."

"Well, from your point of view, there are a lot of people like that."

Kusanagi vaguely occupies the image of a famous idol with many connections. There are many people who are willing to participate in the title and they are swept away. Hanazono Kaon and "Alaha Productions", he didn't remember them and when he tried to do it, his head hurt.

Awashima crossed her arms to think.

"So it's easy to talk about it. A publicity stunt scandal is something a bad agency might think of. You can think of many ways to deal with it."

"That's correct, but…"

"Homura Entertainment Office" is one of only four official offices in this country. Its status, honor and power distinguish it from unauthorized offices (so it can be involved in such disasters). Regardless of what's wrong with this, there is no gamble on wielding its power to dispel the falling sparks.

Still, something was trapped in Kusanagi's heart.

Awashima saw it precisely. Mysteriously she looked at him and said.

"What are you wondering? If you are the usual person, you will act immediately."

"……"

Kusanagi closed his eyes and tried to remember.

About a girl named Hanazono Kaon who came to see him with her manager at the party venue.

"That girl couldn't speak at all."

"What?"

"Even in front of me, she was nervous and she made her face bright red. It was just what the manager said and she couldn't say much of anything. All she could say was a greeting."

"I don't think so, but you…"

Awashima said that, in a tone that made him wonder from the bottom of his heart.

"Isn't it said that you caught the attention of Hanazono Kaon?"

Instead of answering, Kusanagi scratched his cheek and looked away from her.

Awashima sighed deeply.

"Do you know who the other person is? Someone tries to take advantage of you, either with a scandal or a fire. If you give affection to such a person, you will be unilaterally hurt."

Awashima's words are correct. Kusanagi knows better than anyone that he can be eaten by showing a breach in the devilish world of the entertainment world.

But still…

"Idols are what light people's hearts."

Kusanagi said that in a low voice.

"I'm not saying there should be a norm for people, but in front of Kokujoji. For us, a simple story, it makes someone smile. It makes someone brilliant. I think, if I could do that, I would be older."

"……"

"I'm sure she wanted to be like that too. I want to be an idol, and I want to become an idol and give energy to all the fans. I think I thought so."

"But now Hanazono Kaon is betraying her fans. Anyone who wants to lie and lift her name is not qualified to be an idol."

Awashima was always calm. Kusanagi also has no intention of putting it there.

"That's why I want to know. Hanazono Kaon, the true heart of that girl."

Awashima opened her eyes slightly and looked at Kusanagi.

She then she shook her head as it was hopeless.

"I thought you were a bit more rational, but apparently you were just pretending."

"I'm also a "Homura Entertainment Office" idol."

Kusanagi jokingly saying that, Awashima shrugged and returned the gesture.

"Well, it's your problem, so you can do whatever you want. At best, behave however you want. But don't fly here."

"Of course. Thank you, Seri-chan."

Instead of answering, Awashima shook his hand and left.

"Well, now…"

Kusanagi looked at the PDA, handled it lightly, and requested her contact information.

++++++++++

"No! I'm glad you had a press conference, Kaon-chan."

Hanazono Kaon felt a reflection of disgust for the manager who was smiling on the room couch.

On the one hand, she was grateful to him. She uploaded song and dance videos on the internet, and she was so happy and excited with the number of views and the number of people registered, that she made her big debut. She has never doubted that skill or policy.

Up to now.

"That's why you have been interviewed by several performing arts magazines, but can I accept all of them? I also posted information that I had not published before, so I'm sure it will be a great promotion."

"That…"

Intercepting the manager's words that he is good at it, Hanazono Kaon squeezed her skirt tightly.

"Yes?" Hanazono Kaon caught the manager's gaze. She was not good at seeing someone's eyes and speaking. She can sing and dance in front of a lot of people, but when she goes out in front of people, she hangs out. Hanazono Kaon was such a girl.

Finally, as usual, the manager read what the phrase meant and shrugged as if he was in awe.

"What? Maybe you still feel bad? Kusanagi Izumo asked for it."

"Okay."

Hanazono Kaon barely replied, the manager giggled. He took the cigarette out of his pocket and lit it.

"Kaon-chan, you're also a professional, so let's be a little more illustrious. It's fine, but since he's a celebrity there, he's used to this scandal."

"So is."

"Isn't that the case? So what? Betrayal of the fans?"

Kaon's voice was violently dominated. Like using Kusanagi, what hurts the most is that some fans feel hurt by her love reports.

But even at that, the manager laughed.

"Ahahahahaha! Do you care about that? Okay, because if you become famous, they will follow you! Rather, the fans so far are just a burden to Kaon-chan who will be great in the future. I'm thankful that you were."

It wasn't from the cigarette smoke that she suddenly felt congested, it was from anger.

He laughed at the fans who have supported her so far and cut off her efforts to do so without fear. She felt angry at her manager as if she had been stomped on the back of her chest.

The more the muscles in her hands stretched, the tighter she held her skirt with a noise. When he realized that, the smile on the manager's face faded.

"What is that face? I'll tell you."

The manager stood up. That only made him sound terrifying and she backed away. The adults were scary and the men were even more scary. The manager sighed as he approached Kaon with her back against the wall.

"Kaon-chan, you are also an accomplice, right?"

With just that word, she felt her entire body weaken.

"No, I can say that I am the main culprit. You read the script that I wrote on my own initiative. Whether I betray the fans or use Izumo Kusanagi, Kaon-chan said, "I want to do that.", do you blame everything on me?"

"Ah, uh..."

"What's the difference? You said you wanted to be more famous and shine more, right, Kaon-chan. I just set it up to be able to do that."

The manager laughed deeply, putting his hands on both of Kaon's shoulders that she couldn't say anything.

"It's natural, isn't it? Because I'm Kaon-chan's manager. That's why."

His eyes narrowed and housed a beast light.

"You just have to listen to me."

The sound slipped into place. She looked down with a scared look, the manager said to Kaon.

"So, I'll take all the interviews. Read the script correctly. If you can act well, it can be treated like a drama, and it will be a hit."

After that, the manager left the room.

The manager's points are all correct from one to ten.

She wanted to be famous. It's been a year since she made her debut, and she has done jobs like singles and mini-lives, but she couldn't get any results. If the title of "Rookie Idol" disappears, it will become even more severe. When the manager said that, she felt impatient as if she was on fire. What was far scarier than losing a job or going unsold was losing the dream that had been shining within her.

But was that dream only possible in this way?

Was the shine she wanted so dirty?

Kaon no longer knew what was right. She killed her voice and began to cry, burying her face between her knees.

At that moment, the PDA sounded a dial tone.

She could answer later, and now she didn't want to talk. The moment she saw the name of the caller with a blurry vision, that idea disappeared.

It was shown as "Izumo Kusanagi".

++++++++++

Seating on the balcony of a cafe facing the main street.

He was reading a paperback in a shady seat where the breeze was nice, and he giggled when he noticed Kaon had arrived.

"Hello, sorry to call suddenly."

Kaon remained in place and couldn't even make a voice.

Kusanagi Izumo, that person. Even if he is in disguise, it is not just about being aware that there is an idol as famous as him. Also, Kusanagi is in the middle of a scandal, yes, the scandal created by Kaon.

The moment she thought about it, Kaon was fragile and she wanted to apologize.

She barely stopped because she thought she would hurt him even more. She hardly notice it now, but if she attracts attention, Izumo Kusanagi will be here. If Hanazono Kaon was there with him, her scandal would be difficult to handle.

Kusanagi smiles as if to calm Kaon who is not moving, he said...

"Sit down for now. If you stay standing, we won't be able to speak calmly."

"Ok."

Kaon sat on the seat, guided by a soft voice.

Still, Kaon couldn't see Kusanagi's face properly. She lowered her head like a defendant brought out in front of a judge, or in a weak voice.

"Sorry." Kaon said.

She could only say that. She didn't expect him to forgive her. But unless she apologized, she couldn't be in front of Kusanagi again.

After a moment of silence, Kusanagi said in a low voice.

"Raise your face."

Kaon trembled as if struck and raised her face.

The form of anger she had imagined was not there.

Kusanagi had a serious expression. He looked at Kaon with a direct gaze that has never been seen in any drama in which he has appeared.

"It doesn't matter if the idol is down. The idol must always be facing forward."

Kaon forgot to breathe and looked back at Kusanagi's face.

Kusanagi smiled to ease her feelings.

"Idols cheer on their fans with their own brilliance. It's a shame that I can only cloud the brilliance of myself."

Kaon gritted her teeth and held back the tears she was about to shed.

Don't shed tears. She was not qualified to do such a thing.

Kusanagi said what an idol is. He is a person who encourages people with his own brilliance.

So she can't afford to break. No matter how boring or dirty she is, Kaon is still an idol. She couldn't have shed tears of self-pity for an apology.

With her eyes closed and the signs of suppressed tears, Kaon opened her mouth.

"I'll tell you everything."

She wanted to be an idol. She didn't want to lose the dream that she finally had. She then tried to use Kusanagi while she was impatient. She spills a scandal without foundation, and even neglecting the fans, she was the shallow girl trying to climb.

After hearing everything, Kusanagi calmly said.

"You told me all that. Thank you, Hanazono-san."

Kaon shook her head. She has done nothing to make him grateful. She was just doing something harmful to Kusanagi. She cannot complain even if she has no questions and she is excluded.

She thought a lot and suddenly it hit her.

Why did Kusanagi do that?

"Um. Why did you listen to me?"

"Eh?"

"Kusanagi-san, you must have a scandal that you don't remember. I think you should have taken a 'countermeasure' without asking about my circumstances."

Kaon looked around at the audience.

There are many customers on the open terrace. Why did he listen to her even at the risk of meeting her alone in public?

When she asked him, Kusanagi laughed lightly and...

"Well, I'm sorry. I don't want to pay for the sparks that fall on me. I will do it in formal protests with this in mind."

With that said, he stared at Kaon.

"Hanazono-san, at the party, my fans told me."

"I didn't talk much about it, maybe it's lip service. It's against my belief to eliminate fans without asking questions. Be it an idol or Izumo Kusanagi."

Kaon clenched her fist in her lap and murmured that.

"Belief…"

"Wow. My 'Homura Entertainment Office' colleagues and I, we move based on our beliefs. Of course, risk management is important. Still, there is a trade-off."

Kusanagi's gaze, looking into her heart, did not take his gaze away from Kaon. After swallowing just once, she opened her mouth.

"Even me, can I do that?"

"You can."

There was no hesitation in Kusanagi's answer.

"If you are an idol, you can always do it. You can fight for what you think is right because of your beliefs. That is the brilliance of idols."

Kusanagi said that was his belief.

Kaon saw the glow of the idol named Izumo Kusanagi there. He trusts idols and Kaon. Even though she used Kusanagi, she still hasn't lost the brilliance of the Hanazono Kaon idol, and says it based on his belief.

When she realized it, Kaon blinked.

There was no longer a trace of tears. A clear sight spread out in front of him. Izumo Kusanagi glowing, seemed to indicate to Kaon what he should do from now on.

Kaon stood up and thanked Kusanagi deeply.

"Thank you, Kusanagi-san. I already know what to do."

"You are going to do it?"

"I will speak to my manager. I will act for what I think is correct."

After resolutely stretching her back and saying it, Hanazono Kaon smiled for the first time in a long time.

"Because I am an idol."

Seeing that, Kusanagi also smiled and took control.

"Oh, yeah. Go ahead."

"Yes. Thank you. And I'm sorry for the inconvenience!"

After saying that and bowing again, Kaon left.

She no longer turned around to Kusanagi.

++++++++++

One month after Kusanagi Izumo's lover scandal.

The usual routine has returned to the bar HOMRA.

"Oh, Kusanagi-san, hello!"

Kusanagi casually replies "Hello." while he cleans a glass, Yata and Kamamoto ring the bell and enter. Joining Akagi and Bando, who were lounging on the couch, he began spreading the manga and entertainment magazines that he bought from the store while he came. Kusanagi knocked on the refrigerator door in an attempt to prepare the ingredients as he glanced at the everyday scenes.

At that moment, Yata made a strong voice.

"Oh! Kusanagi-san, there is an article about that girl!"

Kusanagi raised his face, and approached the juniors who were making noise around the couch. Akagi and Bando looked at each other and made a mysterious voice.

"Who is this girl?"

"She is Hanazono Kaon-chan."

"Hanazono...? I remember hearing somewhere..."

"A girl who became a scandal with me."

Yata handed the entertainment magazine to Kusanagi, who looked down at the table. It's a small black and white page with no photos, but it had her name on it.

"The first mini-live after breaking free from her idol office, the idol called Hanazono Kaon."

"Is she a fiery idol? This is another tough headline."

Kusanagi says with a bitter smile. Kamamoto crossed his arms with a difficult expression

"Well, it can't be helped. After that, there was a lot of noise."

Hanazono Kaon conspired with the office and invented a love scandal for the purpose of selling.

The public already knew that. None other than Hanazono Kaon herself confessed everything in the interview she received.

Thanks to that, the stigma of Kusanagi dissipated, but the wrath of the world turned to "Alaha Productions". Hanazono Kaon has announced that she will be leaving the office and continuing her activities as an independent underground idol. Criticism focused on her, but she never said that she would stop being an idol.

Then a week later, and two weeks later, new news broke out in the entertainment world and her name was no longer remembered.

"But, I'm not convinced. According to Kusanagi-san, that girl isn't bad, right?"

"No, that's not true. Even if the office told her, it doesn't change the fact that that girl used Kusanagi-san for her own convenience. It's her own business."

"Yata-san, you're too strict! She couldn't help herself, if the office told her."

"Huh?! So, if your office tells you to die, will you die?"

"Please stop, that way of speaking is like that of an elementary school student!"

"Who is an elementary school student?"

Yata puts a key on Kamamoto's head. Akagi and Bando rush to stop him. Kusanagi thinks as he reads the article with such fuss.

Could she act on his own beliefs?

Kusanagi has not been in contact with Hanazono Kaon since they met at the cafe. So he doesn't know exactly what kind of interaction she had with the manager or the office. At least from what he saw in the interview article, Hanazono Kaon clearly acknowledged her responsibility. She said that she used Kusanagi of her own free will, rather than blaming the manager or the office.

Idols inspire their fans with their brilliance. What Hanazono Kaon did was, in that sense, betray the fans.

But at the same time, the idol is a human being. She may get lost or discouraged. Kusanagi thinks that how to act in those moments determines the value of the idol.

Hopefully she's lucky, Kusanagi thought.

So that she doesn't regret her actions.

The doorbell rang again. When he looked back at the door, he was about to see Totsuka enter.

He had an envelope in one hand. Totsuka shook him while he laughed softly.

"Kusanagi-san. The letter has arrived."

When he received it and turned it over, he couldn't find the signature.

Anonymous letters, etc. should not be opened. However, he had a premonition at the time. When he opened the inside, it was written with a fine brush.

Izumo Kusanagi:

Please forgive me for the sudden letter. I thought that I shouldn't talk to Kusanagi-san because I had done such a thing in some way, so I refrained from contacting you, but now that my personal situation has calmed down, I would like to apologize and report back, so I am thanking you in writing.

After telling the truth and leaving the office, I disappointed many fans. Most of the fans have abandoned me. Looking at the disappointed faces of the fans, I once wondered if I could stay as an idol or if I should retire.

Still, some fans said that they still wanted to see me as an idol. They told me not to stop as an idol because they would keep supporting me no matter what.

Kusanagi-san said that idols can fight for what they think is right, and that belief makes them shine.

Now I think the right thing for me is to do everything possible for the fans. As long as there is at least one person who supports me, I will not stop being an idol.

Then I will continue to be an idol. I want to reach as many people as possible with my previously dull brilliance. Like Kusanagi-san said, never look down, look ahead.

Thanks for telling me that. And I am very sorry for the inconvenience.

Hanazono Kaon.

"Hey, I'm not a good boy."

Totsuka, who was watching from the side, said such a thing. Kusanagi put the letter in his pocket and poked his head out.

"Letters from people, you are stealing."

"Ah, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Kusanagi-san, so I wonder what happened."

Kusanagi smiles bitterly when Totsuka's fluffy smile catches him. Totsuka took the entertainment magazine and said as a soliloquy.

"Is it a mini-live? I'm a bit worried too. Let's see it."

"Oh, go ahead. Better to have as many clients as possible."

"Won't you go, Kusanagi-san?"

Kusanagi laughs a little and shakes his head.

"When I went, I made her worry more. I'll do it without being stingy at first."

Kusanagi remembered the text of the letter, shrugged slightly and said.

"I already know the brilliance of that girl."

#K #k project #k fan clan #k six idols #six idols #izumo kusanagi #k

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milgrammer · 4 years

Text

[ENG] 弱者の螺動 Voice Drama

Es: [ominous footsteps]

Haruka: [scared noises]

Es: Now, let’s begin the interrogation, prisoner number 1, Haruka.

Haruka: O-okay… I-I’m sorry…

Es: Huh? Do you have something to apologise for?

Haruka: U-uh, no… I’m sorry.

Es: Hmm… Milgram exists to reveal the sins of you, prisoners, and to hand down the appropriate judgement. For that reason, talk to me for a bit.

Haruka: Oh…

Es: What? Even if it is an interrogation, I don’t plan on using violence, so rest assured. By the way, I’ll acknowledge both any falsehood or reticence(1)

Haruka: False—hood? Reti—cence?

Es: You don’t have to say anything you don’t want to, and even if you tell lies, I don’t mind.

Haruka: Is that so?

Es: Yeah. Because Milgram produces songs directly from your memories. I look at that and judge your sins.

Haruka: H-hm…

Es: In short, whatever you try to claim isn’t a big deal. Rather, if you remain silent, tell lies, that by itself shows what you feel guilty about.

Haruka: Ah…

Es: If I want to base my judgement on whether or not you’ve reflected on your sins in the first place, that’s up to me to decide, so… You understand, right?

Haruka: U-uh… I don’t understand.

Es: Huh?

Haruka: Eh?

Es: Hm?

Haruka: Ah, uh, um… I didn’t understand whatever it was you were saying. It was difficult.

Es: Huh?

Haruka: Uh, um… I’m sorry. I’m not that bright.

Es: Haruka. What age are you?

Haruka: Um… 17 years old, I think.

Es: You think?

Haruka: Uh, well… I have no interest in my age… I’m sorry.

Es: I’m gonna go crazy. [clears throat] Shall we continue? How’s life in Milgram?

Haruka: Uh… At the beginning, it didn’t make any sense at all and it was a bit scary, but everybody was nice, so it was okay.

Es: By ‘everybody’, do you mean the other fellow inmates?

Haruka: Uh... yeah. Like Yuno and Mahiru, they treat me kindly.

Es: My interest has piqued a bit. Haruka, how are the other prisoners in your eyes?

Haruka: A-Ah. Huh? Well… I-It’s bad for someone like me to talk about everyone else.

Es: Rest assured. Whatever is said in this room won’t be leaked to other prisoners.

Haruka: Um… Okay. [stutters] W-what should I talk about?

Es: Let’s see… Who do you often speak with?

Haruka: The ones who often talk to me are Yuno and Mahiru and, uh, Mikoto. Also, Futa. He’s a little scary, but pays attention to me. I sometimes speak to Mu as well.

Es: How about Kazui and Shido?

Haruka: Ah, uh… They’re adults, so it’s a bit scary, but they’re both kind people, I think.

Es: How about Kotoko?

Haruka: Uh… S-she’s a bit scary.

Es: Well, that’s as expected. The only name left that hasn’t been said is Amane.

Haruka: A-amane.

Es: What’s wrong?

Haruka: I-I’m not good with them. Children at that age. A-amane is a good girl, but she brings back b-bad memories.

Es: Are you alright? You’re looking pale, you know.

Haruka: I shouldn’t get too i-involved with people in the first place. Even with all the prisoners, they might misunderstand. It’s no good.

Es: Why is that? Just do as you please. ‘The bonds we share with other people’ is the very thing which shows our human nature, that’s what I believe.

Haruka: It’s something I can’t even tell you, prison guard!

Es: Even to me?

Haruka: You shouldn’t get so close to me. Bringing misfortune to people is the only thing I’m naturally good at. The more you know about me, I’m sure I’ll bring misfortune onto you as well, prison guard.

Es: Haruka.

Haruka: Because! Because… Ah, I’m sorry… for just talking by myself.

Es: Continue.

Haruka: It’ll happen sometime. I… I…Even though I try to be normal, everything gets ruined.You, everyone, if you knew me… If you knew everything that I did… I’m… gonna be abandoned, that’s bound to happen. Because I’m a selfish killer.

Es: Haruka.

Haruka: Yes?

Es: Lift your head.

Haruka: Okay

Es: [slaps]

Haruka: It hurts. What are you doing?!

Es: I’m the prison guard. That just now is how I’ll educate you prisoners. I'm allowed to do so. [grabs Haruka] Got that? Listen carefully, prisoner number one. I’ll say it any number of times. I’m the prison guard. Understanding your true nature is my job. No matter what you are or whatever nasty work you’ve done, I’ll see all of it. Making judgments is my job. To say something like that... “You’ll be abandoned”? Don’t take me so lightly. Until I know your sins and complete my judgement as to whether they’re forgivable or unforgivable, you're objects for me to govern(2) Don’t think I’ll let you escape.

Haruka: Prison guard…

Es: Wait a second, Haruka. What are you smirking for?

Haruka: Ah, I’m sorry. It must be creepy, right?

Es: It does creep me out. [throws Haruka]

Haruka: Ah, you’ve got it wrong... This is a strange thing to say, but it made me a bit happy.

Es: Happy?

Haruka: Yeah.

Es: What an odd thing to say, even if I’m the one saying that. Being imprisoned, being restrained, even being interrogated like this too, isn’t it natural to get angry in these kinds of situations? Hm… Now you mention it, you were always like that from the beginning. There’s a gloominess about you, but you’re immune to the chaos of Milgram itself. The point is, reacting like Futa and Mu would have made more sense.

Haruka: That’s right. Futa got really angry. Scary—Ah, no, I mean, this is Milgram, isn’t it? I don’t really know what it's for. But, having you, the prison guard, take some interest in me, listening to the various things I say... For some reason, it made me happy and such.

Es: Hm..

Haruka: Even if that is your job. Even if it’s just to reveal the wrong things I’ve done.

[both sigh]

Es: A strange one, aren’t you?

Haruka: Ah… yeah.

Es: You’re too good at lowering your gaze. You should have at least been the seventh person. I now clearly understand how difficult this job is.

Haruka: I’m sorry.

Es: Well, it’s fine. In comparison to a rebellious prisoner, you're slightly more preferable.

Haruka: [sighs]

Es: However!

Haruka: [scared noise]

Es: Don’t get the wrong idea, Haruka. Befriending you is not the reason why I listen to you talk. My aim, to the bitter end, is to know what your sin is. In order to know what you did, why you stopped killing, and so on.

Haruka: Um.. Okay.

Es: You’re still grinning.

Haruka: Ah, I’m—[covers mouth] I’m sorry.

Es: A guy with no sense of tension... If I just deem you as “unforgivable”, I wonder, what will betide you?

Haruka: What…tides?(3)

Es: [irritated noise]

Haruka: Um...

Es: Who knows? You don’t need to think too deeply about it—I’m sure that goes for me too.

Haruka: Uh…

Es: That’s right. There’s still one more thing I want to say. “Since you’re a selfish killer, you shouldn’t involve yourself with other people,” that's what you said yourself, right?

Haruka: Yeah.

Es: All of those prisoners are killers! What is there to hold back? At least with that lot, you should behave as you like.

Haruka: Um…

Es: Should I word it so that it’d be easy for even you to understand? The whole lot of you are hopeless human beings! That’s why… You shouldn’t worry.

Haruka: I guess that’s true.

Es: [smiles]

[bell rings, mechanical sounds in the back]

Haruka: Eh?

Es: Looks like our time for talking has ended. It’s nothing to be afraid of. But, I’m just going to have a peek at your memories.

Haruka: Huh?

Es: Prisoner number 1, Haruka. Come now, sing your sins!

Closely translates to ‘’silence’, however the register of “黙秘”word in Japanese is far higher than ‘silence’ would be in English. The implication is that Haruka is unfamiliar with advanced vocabulary.

“物” isn’t normally used to refer to humans and the implication is that they’re being dehumanised. To translate it literally: “Objects of management”

An exchange impossible to translate neatly into English. Haruka misunderstands the contextual usage of the verb “起きる”. Within the construction Es uses, the verb would mean “to happen/occur”, whereas Haruka comprehends it as “to wake/get up”, which is its more common usage. Of course, ‘betide’ and ‘tide’ aren’t homonyms and aren’t even in the same word class; that’s the compromise I chose to make. I tried recreating in it English, but to get an idea of how jarring it is, this is how a literal translation would sound:

“I wonder, what will happen to you?”

“What’s... gonna wake up?”

#translation #haruka sakurai #milgram #ミルグラム #桜井遙 #es #ハルカ #エス #弱肉共食 #ドラマcd #deco*27 #堀江瞬 #drama cd #voice drama

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ga-yuu · 3 years

Text

“Cherry Blossom colored love” Part 2~ Yoritomo Story

*Shogunate hallway background* (Yuno POV)

One spring night---

(I have to hurry....!!)

I was walking fast as I could in the hallway.

It was only a while ago when I heard Yoritomo-sama’s return.

(I also heard that some bandits attacked him and got injured on the way...)

I happened to hear some vassals talking about this incident, so I quickly headed to his room with my medicine box.

..........

*Yoritomo’s room background*

Yuno: “Yoritomo-sama, are you alright!?”

I forgot to knock in a hurry and instantly opened the sliding doors to Yoritomo-sama’s room.

He was sitting at the back of his room, looked up when I called his name.

Yoritomo: “What’s wrong? What’s with that pale face? Did you want to see me so badly?”

(Eh?)

While resting his elbow on the armrest, Yoritomo-sama looked at me with what looked like a teasing smile.

Morinaga-san who was sitting opposite him also looks at me with slight confusion.

Morinaga: “What’s wrong? Yuno.”

Yuno: “I’m sorry to disturb you. I heard Yoritomo-sama was attacked by some bandits and got injured....”

After hearing my words, Morinaga-san looked at me with a surprised face but then smiled.

Morinaga: “Well, what you heard is true. But do you actually think Yoritomo-sama would be injured?”

Yuno: “So he’s not?”

Yoritomo: “I’m completely fine, as you can see.”

Morinaga: “There is a small mistake in what you heard. The one who got injured is the other party.”

Yuno: “Oh....”

Morinaga: “Apparently the attack was out of blue.”

Yoritomo: “That guy tried to lay hands on me while Morinaga was around. Too bad he didn’t make it alive.”

Morinaga: “I was with him as an escort, but I didn’t think I’d get a chance to play a part at the end.”

While listening to their conversation, I remembered what I heard from the vassals before I came here.

---FLASHBACK---

*Shogunate hallway background*

Vassal 1: “Did you hear that Yoritomo-sama has returned? Also, there was an attack and he got severely injured.”

Vassal 2: “That’s right, I feel bad for him...”

---FLASHBACK ENDS---

(So the one who was killed was the attacker....!!)

(I know, normally these two guys couldn’t be beaten that easily.)

When I realized my mistake, I instantly blushed from embarrassment and opened the sliding door without waiting for their reply.

Yuno: “Sorry, my mistake. Please excuse me.”

Yoritomo: “Wait.”

Yoritomo-sama instantly stops me, when I quickly tried to leave.

Yoritomo:(with the most lecherous face) “Since you’re already here, come closer.”

He gives me his nasty smile and I started to have a bad premonition.

Morinaga: “Okay. Since I finished my report, I have no reason to stay here. See you tomorrow, Yuno. That is if you survive his teasing. Good luck anyway.”

Yuno: “Ah Morinaga-san!”

(He’s gone....)

He closed the sliding doors mercilessly and left me here to die.

Yoritomo: “Yuno. How long are you going to stand there?”

Feeling prompted, I had no choice but to sit next to him.

Yuno: “Okay. Look I got worried when I got the news about someone being injured and came here running without confirming.”

Yoritomo: “That’s what I’m asking you. Why did you make such a mistake? Were you feeling lonely when I was away for few days?”

Yuno: “Hmm...It's not like that. But it can’t be helped because you can’t avoid your work.”

Yoritomo: “Heh.”

Yoritomo-sama, then hugged me tightly as he smiled amusingly.

Yoritomo: “You’re not being truthful.”

On contrary to his teasing tone, his gesture seemed a little cute and that ached the back of my chest.

Yuno: “I’m relieved that you came back safely.”

Yoritomo: “Yeah.”

Yoritomo-sama smiled and finally stroked my head.

Yoritomo: “It's too early to go to bed. I’ll take you somewhere nice as a reward for answering honestly.”

Yuno: “What? Now?”

He reaches out for me when I looked confused.

Yoritomo: “It's not that far. Come, let’s go.”

Yuno: “Okay.”

(I’m curious as to where you’re taking me.)

At the same time, I was excited to go out with him after he came back from his work.

......

*Cherry blossom tree background*

Yoritomo-sama brought me to a hill, not far from the Imperial Palace. There was a big beautiful cherry blossom tree shining under the moonlight.

Yuno: “Woah, how pretty.”

Yoritomo: “Yeah, but it's beginning to fall.”

The pale red petals reflected the moonlight and stand out white in the night. At the same time when I felt the wind brushing my cheeks, the petals also fluttered down.

Yuno: “I had no idea, this place was nearby.”

Yoritomo: “I don’t blame you. Even I happened to find it while taking a different road back to Kamakura.”

(And he wanted to show me this view....)

A heat of joy gradually spreads my chest and I looked back at the cherry blossoms next to Yoritomo-sama.

Then a mysterious feeling welled up in me as I saw the petals falling one by one.

Yuno: “It’s beautiful, but I feel scared at the same time.”

When I made that sudden remark, I started to wonder about my own words.

Yuno: “I wonder why I’m scared when it's so beautiful.”

Yoritomo: “You’re not wrong. The cherry blossoms at the end of the fall have long been a symbol of death.”

Yuno: “Really?”

Yoritomo: “It’s in the ‘Nihon Shoki’(book written and published in 720 AD which comprises oldest official history of Japan and myths.). The story of Ninigi no Mikoto and Konohanasakuyahime. Ninigi no Mikoto chose Konohanasakuyahime, the incarnation of cherry blossoms, as his marriage partner. But the life of every human being on earth, even those of God’s blood, is equally doomed to be scattered.” (If you still don’t understand the story check this link.) That’s the story.”

(....So cherry blossom tree is a symbol of human’s limited life...)

The reason why my heart was tightened was that the profile of Yoritomo-sama, who was talking about the myth, looked somewhat lonely.

Before I could feel anxious, Yoritomo-sama suddenly hugged me.

Yuno: “Yoritomo-sama?”

Yoritomo: “Why do you look so sad?”

Yuno: “No...I...”

(Yoritomo-sama really understands me very well.)

While completely being consumed by his warmth, my heart starts to pound. However, I was feeling reluctant to accept the kindness of being ahead of me, and I smiled in a hurry.

Yuno: “I just thought it was surprising. I didn’t know that Yoritomo-sama was familiar with myths.”

Yoritomo: “Well, I just remembered the story that was taught to me when I was a kid. If you want more, I’ll tell you something more interesting.”

Yuno: “?”

Yoritomo: “I heard this from Tamamo.”

Yoritomo-sama apparently started talking about ghosts that haunt the cherry blossom trees.

Yoritomo: “It seems that a ghost occasionally appears under the cherry blossom tree and grants human wishes.”

Yuno: “Really, that’s it?”

(I expected it to take a scary turn but it didn’t.)

Yoritomo-sama smiled mischievously as if he had seen through my heart.

Yoritomo: “But if it doesn’t like the human, it will devour him from head to toe.”

Yuno: “Wh-Why would it do that...?”

Yoritomo: “Who knows. They are fickle and follow their own desires. There’s no point in trying to make sense of them in the way humans can understand.”

(That may be very well true...)

I felt the wind was getting colder, so I looked up at the cherry blossoms and rubbed my arms.

In the past, I might have heard this story and thought that it wasn’t real. But now that I know about the existence of monsters, I feel like the ghost under the cherry blossom tree might appear too.

Yoritomo: “It has started to get cold. Do you want to go back?”

Yuno: “Yeah, let’s go.”

I tried not to show how I was a little scared and went back home.

.......

*Shogunate hallway background*

Yuno: “Thanks for showing me that beautiful view.”

Yoritomo: “Yeah, but it's a shame that it's all going to scatter in few days.”

As we walked down the hallway, while remembering the sight, one of Yoritomo-sama’s retainers walked from the other side.

Vassal: “Ah Yoritomo-sama, you have arrived. Sorry to trouble you at night, but in fact, there is a report I have for you.”

After listening to his vassal’s words, Yoritomo-sama thinks about something for a moment.

Yoritomo: “Okey I get it. You can wait for me in the hall.”

Yoritomo urged his vassals to the hall first before turning to me.

(ah....)

His face comes closer to my ear as if to whisper a secret. When his feint breath touches my ear, I start to blush.

Yoritomo: “You just heard a ghost story. Are you sure you’ll be alright alone? If you’re scared, you’re always welcomed to sneak into my room.”

His low voice makes my cheeks even hotter.

Yuno: “No thanks. I’m not scared and I’m already an adult.”

(And I also don’t want to disturb Yoritomo-sama’s sleep since he has been busy these days.)

Seeing my rebellious attitude, Yoritomo-sama smiles.

Yoritomo: “Fine then. Come whenever you change your mind.”

In the end, he left for the hall leaving a tempting whisper behind.

.......

After few minutes....

I was standing in front of Yoritomo-sama’s room.

Yuno: ‘Yoritomo-sama, are you back yet?”

When I called out his name, there was no reply from inside.

(Hmmm... I wonder if he’s still in the hall.)

----FLASHBACK----

Yoritomo: “If you’re scared, you’re always welcomed to sneak into my room.”

----FLASHBACK ENDS----

(I’m no afraid of the cherry blossom ghost, but----)

When I remember the face of Yoritomo-sama I saw at that time, I felt uncomfortable.

After a small hesitation, I gently opened the door.

Yuno: “....I’m coming in.”

*Yoritomo’s room background*

When I entered the room, I saw Yoritomo-sama lying on his bed, asleep.

(He’s already asleep...)

(It’s not like Yoritomo-sama to not know if someone comes in.)

I was a little worried but managed not to make a sound and slowly walked upto his bed.

(Maybe he’s really sleeping...)

I knelt at his bedside and stared at his sleeping face. Immediately after that, the back of my chest buzzed again, and my anxiety revived.

---FLASHBACK---

Yoritomo: “The cherry blossoms at the end of the fall have long been a symbol of death.”

---FLASHBACK ENDS---

His sad expression was stuck in my head since then.

Yoritomo-sama is a man who is willing to take the initiative in the war for the sake of the role he has to fulfil.

(I thought I was already prepared to be by his side.)

(But I’m scared when I think about what would happen to him.)

Perhaps today’s misunderstanding was due to that fear that might come in the future.

I had been pretending to be oblivious to the fact that my timid heart was exposed by the night cherry blossoms and I really wanted to see Yoritomo-sama’s face before I went to sleep.

(One day, even if something like an irresistible destiny takes him away from us, then---)

(I’m not strong as Morinaga-san to protect him physically.)

Driven by the anxiety on my heart, I quietly laid next to him and made sure not to wake him up. I gently cradle his head against my chest.

(Let me stay by your side as long as I have a life.)

Yuno: “.....Please.”

When I whispered like I was praying---

Yuno: “!”

I felt his hand going around my waist and pulling me closer.

Yuno: “Yo-Yoritomo-sama....are awake?”

Yoritomo: “.............”

Yoritomo-sama, who I assumed was still sleeping, sighs softly.

When I tried to quietly get up, I realized the hand which was holding me had to be taken off in order for me to get up, which would definitely wake him up.

(He looks really tired. He has another inspection tomorrow and was also busy for the past few days.)

(Let me sleep with you tonight.)

I decided to think of an excuse when he wakes up in the morning and snuggled on his chest. Feeling his body heat and listening to his heartbeat calmed me down.

.......

*Inspection Site background* (Yoritomo POV)

The next day, Yoritomo came to visit the land near Kamakura.

Yoritomo:” ..........”

Yoritomo looks like he is thinking about something, even though he is doing what he is supposed to do.

Morinaga: “You have received many gifts this time.”

Morinaga accompanied me for this inspection as well.

Morinaga: “Are you not going to wear that glittering cloak today?”

Yoritomo: “I’ll wear that later. Anyway, I’m going back to Kamakura.”

I looked at the elegant cloak, which I usually don’t wear. Then for some reason, Morinaga smiled and sat in front of me.

Morinaga: “Now, tell me what’s wrong with you?”

Yoritomo: “What do you mean?”

Morinaga: “You’re doing your job, but there seems to be something you’re worried about.”

Perhaps he has known me for quite a long time, he could easily see through me. Then I opened my mouth while thinking about Yuno last night.

Yoritomo: “Have you heard Yuno’s wish?”

Morinaga: “Wish....? What is it?”

Yoritomo: “I don’t know. Yuno came to my room last night when I fell asleep---”

I remembered the sound of Yuno’s earnest voice as she prayed ‘Please’ and explained it to Morinaga.

Morinaga: “I see. Now I’m curious too. But Yuno fell asleep with you after that, right? Did you ask her today morning?”

Yoritomo: “Sure enough, I did ask her in the morning.”

---FLASHBACK---

Yuno: “Go-Good Morning.”

Yoritomo: “Oh Good morning. So are you going to tell me why you secretly sneaked into my room last night?”

Yuno: “..............I got scared after listening to your ghost story.”

Yoritomo: “What’s with that pause?”

Yuno: “Oh, by the way, I have to make the medicine you asked me for. Also, Yoritomo-sama is planning to leave early, right? I’m sorry to disturb you. Excuse me!”

Yoritomo: “Hey! And she’s gone.”

---FLASHBACK ENDS---

A faint smile appears on my lips as I recall Yuno’s appearance this morning.

Yoritomo: “She is a real pain in the ass, you know that?”

Morinaga: “I like the face you’re making now.”

Yoritomo: “Now now, don’t make fun of me like that.”

I smiled as I continued to read the rest of the documents.

The day after Yoritomo went for the inspection....

*Shogunate hallway background* (Yuno POV)

I was working hard as a pharmacist as usual.

Vassal: “Thank you, Yuno-san.”

Yuno: “No more bruise right.? Please take good care of yourself.”

(Okay.....today’s work is over.)

Today is the day when Yoritomo-sama returns from the inspection, but I heard that he will arrive at night.

(I was told to show up when he comes back, but what will I do until then.)

After cleaning up my tools, I remembered the cherry blossom tree I saw with Yoritomo-sama.

(.....I was a little worried that night, but I’m fine now.)

(Let’s go see it again before it scatters.)

.......

*Cherry Blossom tree background*

By the time I reached the view, it was almost twilight.

(After all, it's beautiful...)

When I was staring at the petals that were scattered around---

I suddenly heard someone’s footsteps behind me.

???: “What are you doing here?”

When I suddenly heard someone’s voice behind me, closer than I expected, I turned around.

It was a man wearing a gorgeous light red haori coat while hiding his face with an open fan. It was a breathtaking sight to see.

(Maybe...)

Yuno: “The cherry blossom ghost?”

As I asked that, I remembered the story Yoritomo-sama told me.

(No that’s impossible, right?)

A sneaky grin under the fan confirming my doubts caught my eye.

???: “Do you have any wish you’d like me to grant?”

For some reason, I was terribly attracted to his quiet voice.

The man gently reaches out to me, when I was standing still without being alert---

???: “I like you. So I’ll make a special exception for you.”

Yoritomo-sama was the first person that came to my mind when he touched me.

(My wish is----)

Premium End // Epilogue

#ikemen series #ikemen genjiden #ikemen genjiden yoritomo #ikemen series spoilers #ikemen series story event #cybird otome #cybird

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danganronpasurvivoraskblog · 3 years

Text

Weapons to wield.

*Mikoto and Mitsunari wait on a ledge above the government building where the officials are being held hostage. They stay to supervise the movements and check that no one moves.

...

“Hey, Mikoto. How much longer do we need to stay here and supervise?”

Five more minutes...

“You said that 5 minutes ago!”

10 more minutes then!

“Daddy, is putting off movements like this normal for you guys?”

Well...not really, but I do agree with her...

...!

Maybe we should-MPH!

*Mikoto suddenly covers Mitsunari’s mouth with her hand.

“What’s going on Mikoto?”

Oh for crying out...why’d I bother covering your mouth when you can talk without moving it?

In any case, shut up...someone’s here...

What?

Above us-!

*SLAM!*

EEP!

*Mikoto moves Mitsunari out of the way and the slash of a sword suddenly comes down on them.

Hooo!

Phew...glad we stuck that landing...!

It’s the Kuzuryu’s!

...!

*Mikito backs up in a fighting position and unstraps a walkie talkie from her belt.

You...shouldn’t be here...

Neither should you.

*Fuyuhiko takes a step forward.

Mikoto. Mitsunari. Just...stop this...

...

Look, I get it, ok? You’re just trying to give these guys a taste of their own medicine...

But even if taking them hostage was justified, what isn’t is bringing their family and their kids into this.

I understand if this was Ayumu’s idea, but it has to stop.

I don’t think you really understand the position that you’re in. We have the cards.

Take one step further or attempt to engage us in battle, and I’ll activate this walkie talkie. It’ll send out a distress signal to all the armed men in that building, and they’ll fire on those people.

Do you want that?

I think the real question is...

do you?

...!

Itsuki. I notice there’s an unnatural bruise on your face...and Koga, there are fresh handmarks on your neck...

Did Fujimori do that to you?

...

I understand you care about him, but he has no right to treat you this way...

And what do you think will happen to us if we don’t follow command! He’ll kill us!

And that’s how you know that he’s not your friend!

“He is our friend!”

“We’ll fight and die for his sake!”

That’s not the right mindset you should have!

Why not?

*Mikoto steps forward.

Ayumu is the true soldier in this fight. With so few people fighting for his cause, he has to fend for himself.

From the outset, I promised something to Ayumu...That I would be his sword, his shield, and his spear.

In other words...his tool.

Exactly...

...You fool...

Pardon?

The worst days of my life were the days in which I thought just like you did...

I had a young master in the Yakuza who from birth, I was raised and trained to protect. No matter the cost.

I was a tool that he could wield at his disposal, and I took out assassins, hitmen and many other people in his name. All because I thought it was what he desired of me...

That man is now my husband...and I am the mother of his child.

Because in the end I found out that I was wrong...He did not want me as a tool...He wanted me as a friend...He wanted me as a person...

...Heh...

Does Ayumu want you as a person? Or does he want you as a tool?

Either way, you are a living breathing being Mikoto Itsuki. You are your own person, not someone else’s!

Spare me your stories! Even if you once thought like me, you can’t understand what it is that I’ve been through, or what I must do!

This is a duty! A way of life!

...And for a while I thought so of my life too...But you’re wrong...

Living in someone else’s shadow...Living as nothing more than an inanimate object given orders, is NOT a life...

So I wonder...Without Ayumu here...

Are you capable of defending yourself...?

*Peko unsheathes her sword and gets into battle stance.

Tch!

*Mikoto’s hand holding the walkie talkie trembles.

(I...I have to...activate the movement...But my hands are shaking...Why? WHY!? Why can’t I move!)

(I’ve no say in this! I WANT no say in this! F-For a world with no walls, I shouldn’t even be hesitating...I...! NGH!)

*Mikoto’s whole body trembles. And eventually...

...!

*She drops the walkie talkie...!

Mikoto...!

...

...Good girl...

D-Don’t misunderstand...! I...I can’t risk this walkie talkie getting broken when I fight you...!

...So you intend to fight?

You’re a problem...I-I need you out of the way...!

Mitsunari!

Yeah!?

I know it’s hard, but keep that walkie talkie! If things start going south, activate the distress call!

R-Right!

*sigh* Looks like it’s not going to be that easy...

It’s fine...This is something I’ve been looking forward to...

*Peko weilds her sword expertly.

Mikoto Itsuki...Do your worst...

//Peko Kuzuryu VS Mikoto Itsuki//

#danganronpa survivor #danganronpa #danganronpa 2 #dr2 #danganrebirth voices #peko pekoyama #mikoto itsuki #fuyuhiko kuzuryu #mitsunari koga #misfortunes revenge arc

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pain-somnia · 5 years

Text

Konoha TV Cryptid

Rating: T (for some language) Disclaimer Day’s Notes: I wrote a little one-shot based on a twitter thread started by @thatshipcat and I recommend reading it to see what inspired this one-shot, it’s pretty funny. This fic is Uchiha-centric and it has mentions of SasuSaku, SasoObi, KakaRin, and I guess it implies some ShiItaIzu. I hope this fic makes you laugh.

“Sasuke, turn off the television! Guests will be arriving soon.”

Sasuke did as his mother requested and powered off the television in the living room, but he didn’t move from his spot on the floor by the coffee table. A night of gaming had him forgetting to complete his homework assignment for his Civics class. He had only remembered about fifteen minutes ago when he was supposed to be dusting the living room and plumping the throw pillows as his mother had asked.

Every Sunday his mother hosted brunch and invited all of their relatives that lived in the area. Some of them were tolerable, like Izumi who wasn’t that close of a cousin━her mother, Hazuki, was his father’s like fourth cousin or something, he didn’t care for the details━but was somewhere in the family tree that had her sharing their family name. Then there was an older cousin, Obito, who unfortunately was a direct relation. He was clingy and babied him and just downright weird. Sasuke wished he would spend his Sundays with his friends or boyfriend, but Obito was always the first one to arrive, ready for a free meal.

Usually Sasuke would eat his meal and try to excuse himself as soon as possible, but today he had a reason to stay put in his seat at the dining table.

A cry of “Auntie Mikoto!” followed the loud bang of the front door that signaled Obito’s arrival.

“He’s buying us a new door one of these days, Mikoto,” Fugaku muttered as he helped bring in toast from the kitchen to the table.

“I don’t know how you do it, but you look more and more radiant each week, Auntie.” Obito presented Mikoto with a bouquet of pink carnations. She had a vase at the ready as he always brought her flowers whenever he came over to eat.

Sasuke attempted to sneak away, but he barely had his foot on the first step when Obito wrapped an arm around his neck and brought him in for a hug.

“Sasuke!”

“Too tight, you ape!” The more he struggled to be freed, the tighter Obito held onto him. “Get off of me.”

“You break my child and I’ll break your neck,” Fugaku warned. Obito instantly released Sasuke and backed a foot away from him. “Where’s Itachi? He was just here helping with the food.”

Itachi had made his escape earlier and Sasuke cursed his brother’s knack for saving himself and leaving Sasuke behind to deal with the adults cooing over him.

The doorbell rang, interrupting Sasuke’s thoughts about his traitor older brother. His father nodded his head toward the front door, sending him to answer it.

“Good morning, Uncle Madara.” Sasuke looked at his great uncle impassively and waited for the insult the elderly man was likely to dole out.

“Why is your voice doing that?” He asked, tossing Sasuke his trilby hat.

“It’s puberty, Uncle Madara.” Sasuke turned around to hide the rolling of his eyes. He stowed his uncle’s trilby hat and shoes in the front hall closet. “I can’t help it.”

“You sound like one of those rubber chicken toys.”

Sighing, Sasuke escorted his uncle to his seat at the table. The door opened again and was followed by hurried stomps up the staircase in the foyer. Shisui and Izumi had arrived and just like every Sunday they headed straight up to Itachi’s room.

“Hello, Uncle.” Mikoto wiped her hands on her apron and greeted her uncle with a hug and kisses on both sides of his cheeks. Madara gave his niece the closest thing he could muster to a smile. The corners of his mouth twitched up and then settled into a tight line at the sight of Obito carrying plates into the dining room.

“Are the mimosas ready?” Madara grunted, setting his cane against the table. He snapped his fingers and held a hand out. Obito rushed over to him with a champagne flute and the pitcher.

Mikoto ushered Sasuke up the stairs to get his brother and cousins. He took his time, shuffling his feet, wanting to drag out as much time as possible before he had to rejoin the adults in the dining room.

“Itachi?”

Sasuke rolled his eyes at the picture his brother and cousins made. The three of them were going over their character sheets and getting ready to start a campaign.

“You guys can play Dungeons and Dragons after we eat.”

The older teens organized everything, careful not to knock anything over as they collected themselves. Sasuke scanned the teens, something was off about the group.

Itachi was as he always looked. Silky hair, pin straight and tied in a neat low ponytail. Stress lines still prominent under his eyes behind his black rimmed glasses. Izumi was bright, dressed neatly like she always did for family events.

And then there was Shisui. His curly mop of hair was even more disheveled than usual and he had bags under his eyes. Sasuke looked down at Shisui’s clothes and took in their rumpled state, as if Shisui had slept in his jeans and t-shirt.

“Dork.” Shisi ruffled Sasuke’s hair as he shuffled past him. Sasuke slapped his hand away and narrowed his eyes at the taller of the three teens walking down the stairs.

“Rough night, Shisui?”

Shisui stiffened and slipped on a step. He caught himself on the banister. Sasuke crossed his arms in front of his chest and watched as Itachi and Izumi checked on their older friend.

Huh.

The brat knew.

Shisui took his seat right across from Madara, Sasuke, and Obito. The smallest Uchiha sat nestled between his great uncle and his older cousin and he kept staring at him. There was something about that blank look on his face that was unnerving.

“So how is school, Sasuke?” Obito asked cheerfully, reaching across the table for the pitcher of orange juice.

Shisui had wanted the juice as well, but the minors were stuck drinking water in order to successfully convince Madara that he was drinking a “mimosa.” He wasn’t allowed any alcohol at brunch anymore, but it was easier to pretend than convince him to lay off the sauce during family meals.

“He’s been studying a lot,” Itachi answered before Sasuke could tell their cousin to mind his own business. Under his breath he muttered, “At least he says they’re studying.”

Sasuke shot his brother a glare, his lower lip jutting out in a pout. He looked older than most kids his age, but he was still passably cute. But Shisui wasn’t going to let that fool him.

“Yeah,” Sasuke responded to his brother’s statement. “I was actually doing some homework before everyone came over. Watching the news.”

“It’s ‘I was watching the news’,” Madara hissed, as he cut his omelette. “Speak properly, boy.”

Sasuke rolled his eyes and continued to spread the diced tomatoes on top of his omelette. He couldn’t use ketchup like a normal kid, Auntie Mikoto had to prepare chopped tomatoes for him.

Spoiled brat.

Shisui narrowed his eyes at Sasuke, but tucked into his Eggs Benedict.

“Well, I was watching the news and they were reporting something weird. Something about televisions.”

Shisui coughed, choking on a piece of the English muffin. Itachi thumped lightly on his back, asking him softly he was okay.

“I’m fine,” Shisui coughed out, “it just went down the wrong pipe.”

“What was that about televisions, sweetie?” Auntie Mikoto asked, casting Shisui one last look of concern before shifting her attention to the youngest member of the family.

“Someone wearing a TV on his head dropped off a bunch of old TVs at different houses in the suburb near the college Obito and Shisui attend. It happened last—“

“Isn’t that just an Internet hoax?” Shisui interrupted him, chuckling nervously.

“Don’t interrupt,” Uncle Fugaku reprimanded him. “What were you saying, Sasuke?”

“You know they spoil him,” Itachi muttered under his breath. “Just let him finish his story.”

“Yeah, it happened last night. The person was caught waving at one of the doorbell cameras.”

“I wonder what kind of idiot would do that?” Shisui asked loudly, making a big show of serving himself some bacon and turkey sausage.

“Well I think it’s genius.” Obito munched happily on a poached egg. “You think it’s cool, right Sasuke?”

Obito beamed at Sasuke, desperate for approval. His fondness for his younger cousin was going to give them away and Shisui couldn’t have that.

“Hey can you pass the orange juice, Obito?” Shisui asked before Sasuke could open his mouth to say anything.

“Orange juice? I knew I couldn’t taste any champagne!” Uncle Madara was furious. He started accusing the adults of taking advantage of an old man’s trust while Mikoto tried to assure him that the pitcher held the ingredients for mimosas.

In the midst of the chaos, Uncle Fugaku walked out of the dining room muttering something about needing a stronger drink.

“It’s amazing that it got on the local news,” Obito carried on with the conversation. “I’ve already seen some of it online and there are a lot of people wondering about it, asking where the guy came from and if he━”

“Or she or they, you can’t assume,” Shisui cut him, no longer able to control his nervous laughter. “It’s just a person with a TV head and━”

“And overalls,” Sasuke interrupted him. He was looking straight at him, a blank look on his face. “The kind of overalls mechanics wear. Where do you work part-time again, Obito?”

“My friend Kakashi’s dad has an auto body shop remember?” Obito brightened up at the attention. Shisui cursed him mentally. Obito had no sense of self preservation.

“Interesting.” Sasuke nodded his head and turned his attention back to Shisui. “I have my own theories about the TV incident. There’s no way only one person could have dropped off sixty TVs in one night all by themselves. It had to be a group effort.”

“Sasuke has a girlfriend!” Shisui shouted. Uncle Fugaku who was joining them in the dining room again, choked on the brandy he had been drinking.

“Who is dating?” Uncle Fugaku, cheeks red from his coughing fit. He looked back and forth between Shisui and Sasuke, expecting one of them to answer. Auntie Mikoto was cooing in the background, squealing about her baby growing up.

“Really, asshole?” Sasuke glared at Shisui, ears turning pink in embarrassment.

“Language!” Auntie Mikoto snapped at him, no longer smiling.

Fugaku and Mikoto were scolding Sasuke, words being thrown back and forth on two different subjects. Obito slumped in his seat, pouting, now that they were no longer discussing the theatrics of the TV dumping person. Madara took advantage of the argument and snuck away from the dining room to search for real alcohol.

“You ever wonder why we even bother to show up for brunch?” Izumi asked Itachi. “They don’t even notice we’re here.”

Itachi only shrugged and served himself some orange juice now that they were no longer contributing to the mimosa charade.

After a long lecture and cleaning up the remains of brunch, Sasuke was sent to his room to finish up his homework assignment. He divided his time in looking up articles on what was now being called the Konoha TV Cryptid and messaging his friends.

Naruto kept sending jokes about the TV Cryptid in the groupchat and even though it wasn’t his intention, Naruto was surprisingly helpful.

Sakura: That’s your cousin isn’t it, Sasuke?

Naruto: Wait WHAT??

Sakura had cropped one of the pictures Naruto had sent and zoomed in to a blurry image of a logo on the overalls the person was wearing. It was really fuzzy but it was clear enough to see the important O and U of Obito’s first and last names under a blurry dog logo. It was all the evidence Sasuke needed to know that it was his cousin.

But Obito couldn’t have worked alone. It was a lot of houses and a lot of TVs and he would have had to have carried them all in some way. It had to be a car or a truck. But Obito, while he worked at a shop with his friend, didn’t have a license or a car of his own.

Sasuke narrowed down the possible candidates for Obito’s partner. It couldn’t be his boyfriend, Sasori, because there was no way he would do any of that and he was out of state. Kakashi, Obito’s best friend, would have kicked his ass for even suggesting the prank and Rin, Obito’s other best friend, couldn’t have helped because she would have been home with Kakashi and noticeably absent.

Not even Gai, another one of their friend group, was a likely candidate. There was no way he could keep it a secret, at least not from Kakashi.

Shisui was the one Sasuke suspected the most. He was attending the university near where the TVs were found and he had recently obtained his license after finally taking the driving test. The only issue with Sasuke’s suspicion was that Shisui didn’t own a car. But the outbursts during brunch gave Shisui away.

Knocking on his brother’s bedroom door, Sasuke opened the door and found the three older teens watching a slasher movie.

“Did you want to watch a movie with us, Sasuke?” Itachi asked, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose. He was sitting at the foot of his bed between Izumi’s legs while she braided his hair.

“No. I just needed to speak to Shisui. Alone.”

“That’s, uh, unprecedented.” Itachi blinked at his brother in confusion.

Shisui groaned from his spot on the bed next to Izumi but dragged his feet as he followed Sasuke back to his bedroom.

“Alright, what do you want?”

“I know the TV Cryptid is Obito.”

“The TV what?” Shisui gaped at him. “What the hell is that?”

“It’s what they’re calling Obito online.” Sasuke watched the color drain from Shisui’s face. “And I know you helped him.”

“You can’t prove that.”

“You know all I need to do is ask Obito and he’ll tell me everything.”

Sasuke knew he had him trapped there. Obito was annoyingly doting when it came to him. All he needed to do was spend enough time in his older cousin’s presence and Obito would tell him whatever he needed. Hell, if Sasuke brought over Sakura and Naruto, Obito would spill his secret even faster just so he could show off.

Shisui sighed in defeat. The sooner he gave in to Sasuke’s demands the better. “Alright, what do you want?”

“Sakura wants to see that movie that just came out on Friday.”

“Okay, what does━?”

“You’re going to take us and buy our tickets. And our popcorn and drinks. Sakura likes those candy rope things too.”

“Aha, so she is your girlfriend.”

Heat crawled up Sasuke’s neck. Shisui was wrong, Sakura wasn’t his girlfriend. Yes, she was a girl and she was a friend and yeah, she was kind of cute…

“Alright, whatever.” Shisui shrugged. “I wanted to see that movie anyway.”

“You can’t sit with us.”

“Right.” Shisui rolled his eyes. “Is that all of your demands?” He asked sarcastically.

Taking him seriously, Sasuke furrowed his brows and scrunched up his face as he contemplated. He let out a big sigh and said, “You gotta take Naruto out on a ramen date.”

“Ramen date?”

“Yeah, he has a weird crush on you. I don’t get it.”

“Watch it, brat.” Shisui had to hold back the urge to pull Sasuke into a headlock. “He knows I’m not single, right? And he’s a child.”

Sasuke shrugged and replied, “The kid can dream.”

“I’m not doing that.”

“Uncle Madara’s truck is the only vehicle that could have carried all of those TVs and you’re not old enough to rent a truck and Obito who is old enough, doesn’t have a license.” Sasuke crossed his arms in front of his chest and shot Shisui a smug grin. “And Uncle Madara would kill you before letting you near his truck, so I’m sure he doesn’t know that you ‘borrowed’ it.”

“Shit.”

“I’ll text you later with the date and time for the movie and your date with Naruto.” Sasuke opened his bedroom door and jerked his head in the direction of the hallway. “Now leave. I have calls to make.”

Shisui left as asked, completely bemused about what had just happened. He made his way back to Itachi’s room and sat back on his usual spot.

“What did Sasuke want?” Itachi asked, not bothering to look away from the TV.

Shisui groaned and threw himself backward onto Itachi’s bed.

“Your brother is the devil.”

#uchiha family #sasusaku #day!fics

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teddystrap · 5 years

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[神なる君と] Spirit duo - Rei

なんかちょっとラストスパートな感じですけど…

Rei is the friendly spirit that Sakuya and co. met when they were investigating rumours about hauntings in the old school building. He’s arguably the most ‘mysterious’ character, since nothing is known about his former life, and I was super curious what his deal is. Not to mention he’s the final obstacle standing between me and Mikoto!! Ψ(￣∀￣)Ψケケケ

Truth be told he’s not really my type, though - since I’m not 15 anymore. I mean he’s a ghost but looks more like a forest elf / Mori Boy circa. 2001, and his voice sounds like it’s breaking. Compared to the other characters also he has a personality (or lack thereof) that is blander than konnyaku. In fact I found myself opening all the Yuzuru options in his common route first before going back and redoing them for Rei, because senpai saranghae I only wanna be wit u <3...

Aaanyway.

-Mizuniwa Rei-

Rei-kun’s common route was actually quite revealing and interesting - in two of his ema, Mikoto actually asked to tag along, so it seemed like there might be some important information there idk.

In his second ema, Mikoto tells Sakuya that she has the power to push people who are on the brink between Life and Death into one world or another, depending on what kind of guidance she gives.

Which in retrospect seemed like heavy foreshadowing for what’s about to come.

Fuu-san’s backstory was also revealed here:

Around 10 years ago, Fuu-san and his bff, a boy named Kawashina Yuuya, were students at Mikagurayama High School. One day they found a hidden basement storage room in the old school building, and turned it into their hang-out spot.

The basement used to be a bomb shelter, and had some books left over on occult spells and curses, that were used during the war to protect the townspeople. Fuu-san found a book with a spell to summon the powers of the Great Demon, and wanted to try it out of fun/boredom, but Yuuya was against it.

So Fuu-san did it by himself anyway. He got the sealed cursed box from the magical cave and took it back to the basement to perform the spell. Halfway through he passed out... and when he came to, he realised that Yuuya saved him by transferring the spell onto himself.

Yuuya never woke up again, despite a lot of medical attention and whatnot. After half a year, Fuu-san decided to quit school and skip town to learn exorcism so that he can save his friend. But when he finally returned a few years later, Yuuya had already died...

Fuu-san lived with guilt all these years and thought that Yuuya died hating him. But when he went down to the basement with Sakuya to liberate his spirit, Yuuya’s spirit communicated through Sakuya that he doesn’t ever regret saving Fuu-san, and he hopes Fuu-san can stop blaming himself and go forward in life, smiling... By this point I was pretty much crying like a baby... ｡･ﾟ･(ﾉД｀)･ﾟ･｡

Oh how I wish there was a Su-sa-no-o in my neighbourhood, with a sexy store-owner like Fuu-san...

But we’re not here to court Fuu-san (I wish we could, mang. I wish we could), so let’s get back to Rei. In his route Sakuya tries to help him to find out about his family and his past. She asks Aki for help ofc, and Aki reports back that she couldn’t find anyone matching Rei’s description in the database of deaths, nor the missing persons list...

And the mystery deepens dun-dun-DUN. This would’ve made for an interesting story development,... except the writers totally abandon it and instead opt for Rei and Sakuya frolicking around in the forest, true to his Mori Boy style (wholesomely tho, since they are both underage XD). Then Rei realises that he’s not long for this world, and he tries to put some distance between them - but Sakuya eventually convinces him that they should spend his last remaining time on earth together and make lots of beautiful (wholesome) memories.

There were a lot of group events in his route, which was nice since I got to see Yuzuru-senpai mucho. (Although he’s not an option here obvsly T_T)

You know I will happily choke on a fish bone for you, senpai <3.

So hoshimatsuri night, Rei undergoes the ceremony to pass into the other world. Sakuya stays home, because she’s not strong enough to go and say goodbye to him. Is this like deja vu from the Yorihito/Nisei story arc or what?? ...After that, Sakuya goes to the old school building one day after school, and finds a note from Rei. SURPRISE - he’s still here.

...

It turns out that Sakuya’s, uhh, clinginess is keeping him from successfully departing. At this rate he’s going to grow weaker and weaker and become trapped in the interstitial space between two worlds - forever. They keep communicating through notes, and through voice chatting over radio, while Sakuya grows enough balls to finally let him go.

Eventually she does. Because let’s face it - Otomate can’t afford to pay their seiyuu to carry on a story for like two gajillion chapters.

In his final moment of departure, he appears to Sakuya in a dream, but they can’t hear each other’s voice. Just as Sakuya is freaking out, he pulls her in and kisses her, then disappears into the ether. (*ฅ́˘ฅ̀*)♡

...I guess Yuzuru and Rei’s routes don’t work the same way as Narumi and Yakumo’s, bc you don’t get the alternative ending by choosing the ‘wrong’ option for the last couple of choices. I wasn’t strong enough for senpai’s bad end, but I was actually pretty curious about Rei’s, although all the same I wasn’t able to unlock it. Either way I hope he didn’t get stuck in between worlds forever, poor kid has been through enough.

1. Good end: Fast forward 10 years, Sakuya becomes a teacher at Mikagurayama High School, just as Rei had hoped. She still goes to the garden every day to take care of Rei’s flowers. The old school building is about to be torn down because it’s too old and might be a safety hazard. She’s on her way there one last time... when she gets a call from Aki, who finally found out what happened with Rei’s past-life investigation 10 years ago. Unfortunately Aki trips on something and the line cuts off before we get to hear it. _(:3」∠)_

So Sakuya is there happily watering her flowers, when guess who appears - ahem *Rei*, now all grown up. He tells her that this time he’s not a spirit anymore... and the scene just ends there. I’ve seen a lot of abrupt endings but this has gotta take the cake. Although I’ll admit adult Rei is kinda sorta smoking hot, so less talk more making out!

[Thoughts] What can I say? This route really didn’t explain as much as I thought it would, although there were some good bits. For one, the Fuu-san backstory really got to me. Fuu-san was always the side character that I was most curious about, since he seems kind of... shady, and like he might’ve had a colourful past. His arc really delivered, and it’s my favourite out of all the four side stories, although I loved them all in their own way.

I was expecting to find out about Rei’s past here, but I guess the writers are saving it for Mikoto’s route / wrap-up, which almost certainly means there’s going to be a surprise revelation. So I am looking forward to that and I hope they don’t fuck it up.

The route itself actually felt like it was mostly stuff that belongs in a fandisk, rather than an individual character route. All the group hangouts, and scenarios that reveal idiosyncrasies about the other characters (e.g. everyone’s drawings in the Fuu-san arc. I finally got to see Yuzuru-senpai’s kawaii creations! :3).

Senpai’s art totally unleashes his inner otome...

As expected, Rei failed to give me any doki-doki feels... except at the end, where we saw grown-up Rei and got to hear Iguchi Yuuichi’s normal voice for like 2 seconds. (I wish this game had a fandisk bc I *definitely* need more of that!!) From the other character routes I got the sense that he’s an iyashi-kei type of guy, and he’s probably the most consistent out of all of them, because he continues being selfless and caring about Sakuya before himself throughout - e.g. helping her to find her future path despite not having one himself.

Still I gotta admit, when he confessed that he liked Sakuya, I did a silent fist-pump in the air, because FINALLY here’s a guy who said it first. I’m so tired of always having to make the first move >;(

Also the thing that Narumi said really touched me here: that Rei would rather choose a lonely existence as a spirit trapped between two worlds for the rest of eternity, than force Sakuya to let him go. Even when he was weakening, he never said anything to Sakuya. In a way he was perhaps the most adult-like one out of all of them. Admittedly I didn’t like Sakuya very much in this route. She seemed very self-absorbed and immature, refusing to face the truth. But eventually Narumi kind of slapped some sense into her (figuratively ofc, I mean Narumi would never actually slap her XD) and she did choose to do the right thing.

...I guess Narumi is determined to be the guy that has a crush on her and ‘saves her’ one way or another in every route. Kudos to him but he’s still only, like, my third or fourth favourite lols.

Lastly, I felt that this route was actually the most poetic + metaphorical one so far. (Maybe the other ones were, too, and I just wasn’t paying attention?) ...The metaphor of flowers bearing seeds that blossom into new flowers, bearing witness to their relationship and carrying on their legacy. When they first met the flowers were newly planted, and when they said goodbye they were just about to wither.

Also Sakuya and Rei always met after class at sunset, the time between day and night - like the space between Life and Death. Idk mang but that’s, like, really beautiful or sumshit.

But this is the most poetic thing of them all~!

#otome #otome game #idea factory #otomate #psp #visual novel #kami naru kimi to #wafuu #supernatural #iguchi yuuichi #sakurai takahiro

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ridiasfangirlings · 2 years

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Hi again, it's me, the random Anon who sent the Pokemon AU with Fushimi's shiny Sylveon!

What if one of the guys in the squad gets a treatment of Legends Arceus. I mean, it could either be Llama God once again yeeting random people in the past, or the Time Travel Strain deciding to mess around again. Though, they did get thrown back 300 years in the past, they didn't get amnesia like Ingo did (which is a good thing, amnesiac Ingo makes me sad :'V). There, they meet surprisingly similar people to the ones they know. I imagine some Munakata ancestor who's a total opposite of present day Munakata like how Cyllene and Cyrus are so different from each other. Imagine them also meeting some of the PLA characters too (ambitious, I know), and maybe almost getting robbed by Charm, Coin and Clover. I said almost, because I'm sure that even if the guys get yeeted into the past, they're skilled Pokemon trainers, and they have swords :D

Imagine Fushimi gets yeeted into the past where all the pokemon who normally kill people on sight still love him (even the Paras leave him alone) and he gets to meet the Munakata ancestor, who is a lazy sleepy barbarian sort of guy, and also the Mikoto ancestor, who wears glasses and says 'oya' a lot XD Like say Fushimi gets sucked into the past – thankfully he still has his PDA, even if Arceus turned it into a weird tracking device thing – and while he's trying to figure out where he is he runs into a white-haired professor who wonders if Fushimi fell from the sky. Fushimi feels like this guy seems oddly familiar, it turns out the guy's name is like Hiedame or something similar and he's a professor studying pokemon. Fushimi's taken back to Shizume Village, where he's introduced to the village head who's this tall guy with a bunch of Buneary who likes to stand around watching people and not doing anything himself. Most of the real work in the village is done by the survey corps of the Scepter team, headed by a bespectacled genius. When Fushimi hears the description of the Captain he's immediately like 'don't tell me...', fully expecting the Munakata ancestor who will doubtless look just like Munakata Reisi...only to walk into Captain Suoh's office where a red-haired man with gold eyes adjusts his glasses and notes that this new recruit seems promising.

Fushimi can't believe this guy is really Mikoto's ancestor, like clearly something got messed up in their DNA, maybe Fushimi accidentally stepped on a butterfly when he landed in the past and screwed up something. Professor Hiedame takes Fushimi to have something to eat at the town's most well-known sushi place, run by a lazy barbarian of a man known as Munakata. When they get to the store there's a man with swishy bangs fast asleep next to a pot of rice, Fushimi's just like this is so wrong. Imagine him running into various other ancestors of people he knows too, like at one point he's asked by a recruit with very silky smooth hair and a lot of pet Glameow to help find his missing partner, who has fluffy bangs that cover one eye completely, or he has to get ingredients so a long-haired divorced chef who helps out at the sushi place can make pickles. At one point he runs into a hot-tempered member of the survey corps who has red hair and always wears a hat and who also happens to be very very tall, Fushimi's like so this really is opposite world huh. Imagine the leader of the Pearl clan is like Anna's ancestor and she looks a lot like older Anna, while the Diamond clan is run by Hisui's ancestor who is pushed around in his wheelchair by an old man wearing Shinto priest robes.

In order to earn his keep Fushimi has to go help out with studying pokemon, he's told this is a dangerous mission but Fushimi isn't particularly worried. He heads out into the field lands and immediately he's swarmed by interested pokemon, the professor can't believe that Fushimi has tamed them so easily. Though maybe it's not all fun and games, like imagine Fushimi's just minding his own business and a giant Alpha Rapidash comes galloping full speed at him because it wants a hug. Fushimi also nearly gets robbed the Miss Fortunes, until he pulls out his sword and a few more alpha pokemon that he picked up while walking around and who are like towering over everyone, he may be the new guy in this world but he's definitely not an easy mark.

#Fushimi Saruhiko #Talking K #the first time Captain Mikoto says 'oya' Fushimi almost turns and walks right out #yes Munakata's ancestor has the same 'second job' as the restaurant owner in the game :3c #of course he does he's still a Munakata at heart #imagine Fushimi running into so many familiar faces #he's told the protector of Kleavor is a shortie and goes in expecting Yata ancestor only to be met with a tiny excitable Hidaka ancestor #while Doumyouji from the Gingko Guild is very mature and stoic

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gascon-en-exil · 6 years

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I Liked Fates Before It Was Cool!: The Opening

Prologue

Here begins my run of Fates, in which I react to things that I believe merit either praise or criticism and that hopefully haven’t been thoroughly picked over yet hundreds of times by everyone else in the fandom. I’ll be doing each route in the sequence I used last time, with gameplay details to follow as they come up. To answer @damoselcastel, I’ll be doing an all-male run, and it does indeed suck that the game screws this over a bit at the very beginning by forcing me to take Felicia over Jakob first. Breeding will come when I feel like it, more to have extra chapters to play through than anything.

Prologue

In what I assume will continue to be a series trend going forward, all of the 3DS FEs open somewhat in the abstract, including a flash forward to a future event. Fates’s particular take is both the most surreal and the least dependent on shock value, as the events it depicts are only several chapters away rather than near endgame. Azura picks up her Lady of the Lake associations right from the start, there’s a very early glimpse at what will be eventually revealed to be Valla, and Ryoma and Xander and Xander’s ludicrously acrobatic horse square off to set up this setting’s central conflict. The chapter proper is (fittingly) dreamlike, with surreal music and a high-energy scenario that begins in medias res and doesn’t entirely follow the normal rhythms of FE combat. I have absolutely no idea how this would come across to a newcomer to the series - I got my hand held through Lyn Normal Mode, cut me some slack - but I imagine it would be disorienting.

Chapter 1

That’s apparently official concept art of Nohr. Reasonable worldbuilding, what’s that?

The in-game presentation starts off rather less absurd. Hell, if it weren’t for the ominous castle rooftop setting of Xander’s training session one could almost find Corrin’s slice-of-life interactions with their servants and their Nohrian family quaint. Xander is just a drama queen like that. This fight calls back to Path of Radiance and New Mystery, which also start off with training sessions against significantly more powerful named characters. For Birthright it also forms a narrative bookend, but I’ll get to that in due time. I have Feelings about the presentation of Xander...and not just because he’s my husbando either.

I like that Corrin’s retainers are domestics first and combatants second unlike those of the other royals, because it stresses that they’ve been isolated in a non-combat role during their upbringing, their exposure to Nohr’s allegedly spartan military culture limited to sparring with Gunter and Xander. I have no idea how that would be enough for them to survive when they evidently live in Mordor, but then Nohr is the source of the most consistently sloppy worldbuilding in Fates so at least we get that established right away.

Oh, and Lilith is here. There’s never a point anywhere in this game where Lilith’s character is competently handled, so I have a tendency to forget she exists unless she’s on-screen. Here she’s just an unassuming stable girl with an unusual design, and Elise makes an incestuous insinuation in her direction that’s only funny if you played the appropriate DLC.

Chapter 2

Structural contrast with the towering Hoshidan royal palace aside, I don’t entirely get how Krakenberg works. A dragon did it?

Anyway, Corrin gets an under-explained and clearly evil magical sword from his shamelessly homicidal father only to balk at the thought of killing anyone with it. Leo salvaging this faux pas isn’t the silliest example of Corrin not understanding the basic concept of lying - it’s presumably easier to fake someone’s death with magic than with a giant sword - but it’s definitely up there. The Nohrian royals on the other hand have no trouble with such things based on their traumatic but mostly implied experiences at court. Important to note that everyone here up to and including the prisoners of war calls out Corrin for their sheltered worldview; their development from here on out really is dependent on the player’s choice of route. I vastly prefer this approach to Awakening’s for explaining why the Avatar is such a relatively blank slate - almost no amnesia necessary this time.

And while they appear in most chapters, I want to praise Dragon Veins here for being a really cool concept that doesn’t get as much love as it should. Draconic or otherwise superhuman bloodlines in FE are usually expressed in gameplay with the ability to wield certain legendary weapons, and while that also makes an appearance in Fates Dragon Veins represent more dramatically visible utility. They really make a difference in some chapters, and I’d like to see them reuse the concept in future games where it would be a logical addition (which would be most of them since humans with dragon blood pop up all over this series).

Chapter 3

I chose this image because I want everyone to appreciate as I do that Hans dresses like the world’s most tasteless leatherman. A harness and straps that show off all the wrong bits, and it’s in purple. Not even the overall weirdly fetishistic look of this game’s berserkers can excuse that.

But aside from that, Hans sucks. Iago also sucks. Less characters than plot devices that pop up whenever there’s a need for someone to act completely despicable to move the conflict along, there’s no way to spin them in a way that sounds like they contribute anything positive to the narrative. Case in point: in this chapter Hans single-handedly reignites hostilities between Nohr and Hoshido by Leeroy Jenkins-ing his way through the chapter and later (possibly) killing Gunter, with the only interesting caveat that he claims to have done so at Garon’s behest. And sure, Garon is also flat over-the-top villainy incarnate, but he at least has gravitas and a master playing a long game that arguably succeeds in two of the routes. Hans and Iago are just two more in the line of FE villains with flat motivations and personalities who lack even the good grace to be attractive, but unlike Desaix and Darin and Chagall and others like them they stick around in the story long after they’ve worn out their welcome. Did Nohr really need not one but three flat antagonists in its ranks around for most of the game?

I haven’t even gotten into the first appearance of Camilla’s...issues surrounding Corrin or whatever the dimension-hopping hell Lilith pulls with her invocations to presumably deceased dragon “gods” now that she reveals her true form. This is really the first chapter to offer a hint of how disjointed and frequently contrived Fates’s stories are going to end up, saved only by the very end when Rinkah puts this game’s new blunt weapon category to its logical use. Not like the game wants us to feel bad for Corrin....

Chapter 4

...because Hoshido is paradise. And also Takumi.

Everyone knows the story, both as it’s explicitly told and as can be read through the lines. The writers weren’t afraid to let their biases show, the localizers and the Western fandom did a fair amount to mitigate that with some bias of our own, and the final product is one big mess that fails to make logical sense in-universe and teeters on the edge of real-world two-way racism. Here we’re introduced to Castle Shirasagi, glimmering and verdant and awash in cherry blossoms, as well as Azura, Corrin’s foil in Stockholm Syndrome. But it’s all good, because Mikoto is tranquil and peace-loving and enforces her tranquility through a plot contrivance magical barrier that is just one of many examples in Fates of magic not working the way it does in the rest of the series (or at least I can’t think of anything else like this, correct me if I’m wrong). We don’t learn just why Nohr is so hellbent on invading Hoshido that they’d resort to summoning soulless monsters to do so until much later (and only in Birthright of all routes!). For now they just sound like unprovoked aggressors, and the Hoshidan royals Corrin’s true and loving family.

However, what I really wanted to bring up for this chapter is how oddly it’s structured, such that it never fails to throw me off a bit. It opens in an unnamed Fire Tribe village in a snowy area of Hoshido, which might I mention is the only point in the game we see anything of the Fire Tribe other than Rinkah herself. Considering all the time we spend in multiple routes with the Wind and Ice Tribes, that lack of detail strikes me as peculiar. Kaze then brings Corrin to the Hoshidan palace where Ryoma and Mikoto reveal the truth, then it’s immediately back to the snowy north to rescue Hinoka and Sakura from Faceless before returning to the palace to meet Azura. Was there any reason the Faceless fight couldn’t have happened before Corrin left the village, and the reveal and trip to Shirasagi left for after the chapter map and partially in response to Hinoka’s OOC crying fit?

I also hate maps where high-powered NPCs go around stealing kills. Kaze barely got to see any action this chapter, poor guy.

Chapter 5

Props to this manakete design, which is unlike anything else in the series and manages to work in elements of Anankos and Corrin’s weird outfit. No props to the scripting of the thing, as after this chapter Corrin may as well not even be a mankete except for gameplay purposes (which are minimal anyway unless you need them to tank something). You’d think learning that you can turn into a dragon would leave more of an impact on...anyone really, but nope. I guess it technically becomes relevant again in Kana’s paralogue, but that’s as tangential and ultimately irrelevant as everything else involving the kids.

There’s a lot else going on in this chapter, but I’m sorry to say that neither Mikoto’s death nor the obliteration of a large chunk of Hoshido’s capital lands as powerfully as they were meant to considering Corrin and the audience have spent all of 1.5 chapters with these people. This isn’t anything like Elbert or Greil’s death scene or even remake!Rudolf’s for that matter - at least that one came with a shocking twist that was responded to appropriately. It’s hard to even appreciate these events from the perspectives of the Hoshidan royals because they’re still pretty new characters in the player’s mind, though with the hindsight of Conquest I can maybe sympathize with Takumi here at the beginning of his downward spiral.

Corrin also picks up their legendary sword in a way that feels extremely random. I guess the Yato was inside the statue that got blown up? Weird place to keep a divine peace-bringing relic, that’s all I’m saying.

Branch of Fate

Despite some early warning signs and a few slight missteps, I’m happy to say that this story moment works. It’s a good thing that it does too, as this is the defining moment of FE14 in everything from its marketing to its game design to its core themes. The setup is rushed and tense and allows only Corrin, i.e. the intended player self-insert, full knowledge of the weight of the choice put before them, as none of the other royals are aware that they are all in a way family to the person they’re now abruptly forcing to pick a side. Familial connections (biological or otherwise) may not be a narrative hook that grabs me personally, but nonetheless this scene sticks with you. There is no easy choice, and the consequences of any of them immediately define the direction of the story.

This is not to say that all three of the iterations of Chapter 6 that follow succeed equally well, but that’s for other posts...including the next one, which will kick off Birthright.

Next time: Birthright Chapter 6 - 11

#Fire Emblem #Fire Emblem Fates #FE14

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roleplay-abiogenesis2 · 3 years

Text

RP Log || The Other Side of the Mirror

Continues from Chapter 19.

Chapter 20

Had Misaki just… actually called him monkey? Not like in the timeline he had come from his best friend hadn’t noticed the cruel meaning behind his given name, but Saruhiko couldn’t think of a single time Misaki had actually laughed at him for it or actually used it as an insult. He knew very well who used to do that, why would he ever dare…?

Those words, said with that tone especially, struck Saruhiko so hard and directly, his body shook slightly in tension. It wasn’t any lighter than a punch in the guts. His lips twisted into a scowl, though his brows instead furrowed upwards betraying his pain.

His head shook slightly at the accusations from the louder man before him. “No- Misaki… I’m not that one.”

He was confused and staggered by the treatment he was receiving. He lacked too much information. He had been told his leave from Homra would be with Mikoto-san’s blessings. Of course he figured Yata wouldn’t take it well, but this was just…

Realizing that the redhead’s eyes looked also tired and pained like they hadn’t experienced any joy in a long time, he felt an unbearable tug at his stomach. He hadn’t seen Misaki really sad ever since that time he had almost died at the hand of Jungle in front of this very bar.

As he thought, Misaki had to be alone, and the isolation was wrecking him. He had been right! Why didn’t he get it, the he who belonged to this time?

The hand he had raised in placating defense went down to run along the length of the counter, while he moved automatic, but cautious steps to leave the bar’s aisle and come in full view. His blue orbs remained alert and fixed on the skater still, ready to react in case Misaki got threatening again.

“You are not ready for him.”

Well, he hoped that Saruhiko would be wrong about this too.

“…I’m not playing any game, you’ve got it wrong.” He mumbled, shaking his head again.

Everything felt wrong. Yata’d been waiting for the sneer, for his face to transform into one of amusement. Anything normal.

The last thing he’d been expecting was for Saruhiko to look hurt by the words he’d tossed at him so many times in the past. It had never bothered him before.

His own expression shifted into one of confusion. He didn’t know how to take that. ‘Not that one.’ Did Saruhiko think he had him confused for someone else somehow? How many people did he think he called monkey?

Still, he couldn’t shake the strangeness of all the inconsistencies. It was making his head spin.

His grip on his bat had loosened to a more relaxed one, no longer preparing to strike as he eyed him.

“What do you mean? What’re you even doing here anyway? We’re not open.” He asked him, skeptical of this whole situation.

“… I can’t tell.” Still a bit on edge, the boy’s eyes lingered on the broken snow globe and shelves he had gone through just past Yata’s shoulder. Thinking over other possibilities, he remembered the voiced he had heard before, and it clicked.

“I need Totsuka-san’s tapes. The ones he took with his camera. They’re here, right?”

That didn’t do anything to put him at ease, it only made him prickle up more. What did he want with those? He couldn’t think of any kind of use that he could have for them.

“The hell would you need those for?” He asked, feeling protective of the only thing he had left of the cameraman and deceased red king.

If this guy was gonna come in here breaking and asking for things, then he was at least gonna get some questions of his answered.

He was still as hardheaded as he remembered. That was for sure. Saruhiko’s tongue clicked in obvious annoyance at the more familiar situation.

“Just hand them over. And maybe if it’s not a total waste of time, I can do something to fix this whole mess. You’d like them to come back, wouldn’t you?”

He realized his own words only when they were already out of his mouth. It was immediate regret. It had been his irritation to make him speak. To see Misaki be so … possessive of his precious red clan. It had instantly brought back his grievances with the situation back to his own timeline. Of all times to let his mouth run loose, he had picked the worst time.

If there was a mental remedy to his concern other than the boy’s return, Fushimi would take it at a swing of second. The information room was filled with silence. Most of the clansmen had gone out for their next meal, leaving about very few in the remaining corners along with the third in command.

A few memory keys rested onto the desk, marked with a green X across the back, a marker of the identical color right next to them. His mouse raced friction, constant tapping and scrolling as his azure orbs scanned the screen; he’d managed to fetch a fine amount of records by now, but the more he examined the area, the more at loss he became.

He was confident that he’d known the area he was searching, the pictures that were sent to him were enough to locate him! But by now, it seemed as if he had almost no memories of ever stumbling into that street.

Something was off, as if a tiny fragment of his memory or concentration was tossed into the bin. But he couldn’t blame anything but his overworked mind and nerves over the teen, which speaking of..

His gaze averted back to the map, the dot has been constantly blinking in the same area for a while now, which caused his dark brows to furrow in suspicion. It was one of the three;

One, the teen was roaming the bar for far too long, which he doubted. If anything, he’d know more about it than his current self.

Two, the PDA was dropped there, which was immediately disqualified; even when younger, he wasn’t that careless.

And the third, which is most expected: Yata Misaki.

The thought of it alone drove the third in command to switch his scrolling into nail tapping unconsciously. Yata Misaki is bound to react and speak, his younger self is clueless as to what had happened. Any false information or going into the topic might change the past events, including his past and current self.

Fushimi couldn’t notice the intense twist of his lips in displeasure until he felt a slight pinch of a faint bruse on his bottom lip, which alerted him back to the reality he lived in.

The bar was far away, but if he could rush his way out right now, perhaps he could at least prevent one of many outcomes; he’d wasted an ocean of time just swimming through stress and concern.

Hurriedly, the young adult locked his screen after shutting all tabs down, his azure glued on to the map for a while before doing so.

He grabbed his handful of memory keys and stuffed them into one of his drawers, locking it and tossing the key into one of the inner coat pockets where he trusted they wouldn’t get lost or fall.

Fushimi wasn’t the most energetic, Yata had always bested him in that aspect, yet despite that it didn’t take him long to find his way to the gates.

Slight panting couldn’t cease his tense movements as he reached for his own PDA. He wasn’t the best at driving the heavy armored vans of Scepter 4, not that he couldn’t. But the traffic lines seemed to beat red into his eyes, screaming for him to skip the trouble and head to the subway instead. ~~

Hazel eyes flew wide open. Yata knew what he heard was crazy, impossible. There was nothing that he’d be able to do to fix this. They were dead. That didn’t stop the painful jolt of hope.

Before he’d realized it, he’d lunged forward, barely noticing the sound of the metal bat clattering to the ground as his hand fisted in the collar of his rival’s sweatshirt.

“Don’t…Don’t joke around about that..!” he snarled out between clenched teeth, hands quivering slightly.

That was too low for even Saruhiko to joke about.

Bringing them back wouldn’t be that simple. The only way to do that would be to turn back time and that just wasn’t possible.

Don’t make me do this. Please, don’t make me-

“I’m not…” Saruhiko’s hand had been ghosting the edge of the back of his sweater to reach for the weapons hidden underneath. The closer Misaki got, the heavier in his chest he could feel the impending need to defend himself in ways he didn’t want to use against his best friend. He and Misaki had fought from time to time, but it had hardly ever got beyond verbal.

He wanted to stop him and explain.. Or try to explain. But could he even? Misaki had always been a horrible listener from the very first day they had met. When he had told him to leave him alone, to get lost, he hadn’t. He’d always do as he wanted, follow his guts. Talking to him was, 90% of times, as good as doing so while he was asleep.

…. Asleep!

He suddenly remembered the chloroform in his pocket. Saruhiko wasn’t confident in how to use it, but if he could somehow get Misaki to inhale it, maybe he could knock him out and make an escape? Maybe Misaki would think this was all a dream-

But he had barely the time to picture that possibility before he was grabbed and pulled to stare into those glossy, bloodshot hazel eyes. Just how much had Misaki been crying? Even now he almost looked like he could cry any minute.

The motion made his neck hurt and he felt a slight rip come from the hoodie. His collar had opened a little more than the lining intended, revealing his Homra mark on the left collarbone. But Saruhiko glanced down only for a second.

His attention was focused on reaching for the pocket on the front of his green hoodie to find the bottle inside, while he kept his eyes fixated into the other’s. Which, he noticed, were at an uncomfortable eye level now. Misaki had grown up a bit, too.

“… I can’t explain. I don’t know what happened with you yet.” He mumbled under his breath, twisting his mouth and frowning in discomfort.

Yata was dense, to say the least. It usually took a while for things to get through to him and he struggled to understand things unless they were told to him plainly.

When his gaze flickered down to see that painfully marred mark that had once matched his own, even the gears in his dense brain starting to turn. For where there should have been three burns cutting diagonally through the HOMRA insigna –which Yata had to his dismay realized had disappeared from any and all clansmen with the death of Mikoto-san– there was completely unbroken skin. The “H” stylized in the shape of a flame was visible and pristine, as perfect as the day it had appeared.

A missing puzzle piece in his head finally started to click into place. Sort of.

The sudden shrinkage in height (because as much as he’d have loved to believe it was his own height that had changed, he knew that it wasn’t the case), the hair and expressions that were distantly familiar, the unsullied mark on his chest.

“I’m not that one.”

Not that one. Not, not him. He hadn’t been saying he wasn’t Saruhiko, had he? It hadn’t been some weird attempt to play with him.

“You’re… really not my Saruhiko, are you?”

The grip on his sweatshirt loosened slightly, not dropping away completely but no longer straining the fabric.

Some things still didn’t make sense, such as how was this not the Saruhiko he knew or why he was here, but at least he’d now realized that this wasn’t the guy that he was used to dealing with.

Honestly, it had probably taken him longer than he should have to put two and two together, but he’d managed to finally get four.

The boy’s right hand had found its way inside the pocket, fingers groping around the bottle shape and finding the cap. It was secured, a bit difficult to open blindly like that.

The cap came loose just as the grip on his collar had loosened and Misaki seemed to understand the situation. Saruhiko was stiff and in shock, blinking and trying to swallow his own nervousness down. When was the last time it had been so hard for him to keep his cool? He could feel his own emotions dwindle between panic and relief, for what had just happened, for what could happen, for seeing and feeling his friend in a way that he hadn’t in months, even without counting the jump through time. A Misaki that truly looked at him and saw him, not blinded by the cool light of Mikoto Suoh, not distracted by other clansmen, too engrossed in pride to notice him.

He heard the sound of the redhead’s words and guilt and regret swarmed in his chest. And he felt bloody furious at himself.

“I’m sorry… Misaki.”

For whatever he had done to him in this time.

“… I’m sorry.”

For what he’d do to him right now.

Gritting teeth and a sorrowful choke in the back of his throat, Saruhiko pulled out his hand, gripping on the green sleeve soaked with chloroform, and lifted it over his shoulder, seeking to press it against the skater’s nose and mouth while the other hand pulled him in what would have otherwise been the closest thing to a hug that the bespectacled boy had ever given to anyone in his life.

Continues to Chapter 21.

#V01 || K Project #K01 || Tch! [IC: Fushimi Saruhiko]#AU05 || The Other Side of the Mirror [K Project]

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sumigakure · 6 years

Text

Well Then

To: @arrowsbane

From: @pwnie3

Title: Well Then

Rating: M

Wordcount: 8520

Prompt: In an AU where Orochimaru never took Danzo up on his offer for labs, Sarutobi dumps a trio of genetically-altered brats on him and hands him a ‘Teaching for Dummies’ book, which is not appreciated. Turns out, Orochimaru is pretty good with kids, but thinks he isn’t. Nobody else is buying that lie though.

Warning/Notes: I never thought I would have to tag a six-year-old for suicidal ideation but here I am. Friendly reminder that I love Kakashi and I wish my fingers didn’t know how to type independent of my will.

“Think about it,” Danzo says, then shunshins out of Orochimaru’s front garden.

The old man’s offer is tempting. A set of labs all to himself, all materials provided, not on paper anywhere. Sarutobi, ever Orochimaru’s moral compass in the absence of Jiraiya and Tsunade, has vetoed almost all of his ideas without even reading the full hypothesis. And he knows as well as Orochimaru does that if he had labs and materials, he would go ahead with his projects whether the Hokage gave him permission or not.

It’s one of the things Sakumo always said was the mark of a good shinobi– not following unjust orders, although he probably didn’t mean it to be used quite in this context.

Orochimaru traces the snake curled around his neck absently and his eyes remain fixed on the wall just to the side of where Danzo had been when he made the proposal two weeks ago. Sakumo, now three months dead by his own foolish, selfish hand, wouldn’t approve of this. Orochimaru may not know Danzo very well personally, but he knows enough about the man to figure out that the kind of experiments Danzo wants him to do won’t be the experiments Sakumo could be proud of.

When did this happen? When did he stop thinking in terms of what benefitted him and start using Sakumo’s approval as a benchmark for right and wrong?

There’s a knock on the door. Orochimaru snaps back to reality and gently reaches out with his chakra. He’s no sensor, he can’t track someone’s chakra footprint a hundred miles, but he can recognize a familiar signature ten feet away.

“Oro?” Kakashi’s voice is muffled, both by the door and his scarf. “You home?”

In a flash, Orochimaru opens the door. Kakashi is there, and judging by his clothes it’s a hot morning. His short sleeves show off the tattoos on his arms, and what’s visible of his face is flushed. Orochimaru makes a note to buy something thinner so Kakashi doesn’t pass out from the heat.

The boy doesn’t tell Orochimaru where he wants to go, but it’s easy enough to guess. Where else would he want to go with Orochimaru than Sakumo’s grave?

The majority of their walk to the cemetery is silent, punctuated only by a brief stop at a flower stand. Orochimaru picks spider lilies. Kakashi picks asters.

It is, perhaps, too late for Orochimaru to remember how terrible he is with children. When Sakumo was alive, it was easy to think of Kakashi as a small, grumpy version of his father, but with the man gone all Orochimaru can see is the five-year-old who’s lost his father.

Orochimaru clears his throat and hopes it doesn’t sound as awkward as he thinks it does. “How have you been, Kakashi?” It takes all of his willpower not to call him ‘Cub’, seeing as how, along with many other things in Kakashi’s life, the nickname likely died with Sakumo.

Kakashi makes a quiet noise. Orochimaru assumes it means something along the lines of ‘I’ve been okay’, as that has always been his answer to the question.

“How is your aunt?” Ah yes, the fifteen-year-old aunt Kakashi has been living with because Orochimaru doesn’t trust himself around children. “Is her team doing well?”

Kakashi grunts. “I guess. I think Mikoto is engaged now, but I’m not sure anyone else is supposed to know about that.”

With a faint sound of acknowledgement, Orochimaru files the information away. He can’t think of any occasion where the marital arrangements of the Uchiha clan will ever be of use, but intel is intel.

Just as the pair is about to enter the graveyard, there’s a shout from behind them. “Hey, Orochimaru!”

“That’s the guy Auntie has a crush on,” Kakashi supplies, murmuring. “Minato.”

Minato comes to a stop a respectful distance from Orochimaru. He pants a little from the exertion of, presumably, running around doing D-ranks all day. “Lord Sarutobi wants to talk to you.”

Orochimaru looks back at Kakashi, who’s eyeing Minato with something like scrutiny. “Is it urgent?” he asks like he doesn’t already know the answer.

Minato nods. Orochimaru is disappointed, no, angry. Angry at himself for not being able to put aside even this small amount of time for the boy who, for all his ineptitude, he loves with every ounce of his being.

Another glance at Kakashi. The boy shrugs. “It’s okay, Oro. I’ll be fine.”

He lays the bouquet of lilies in Kakashi’s arms with the asters. As Orochimaru is walking away, he hisses quietly at Minato. “If you wish to remain in Kushina’s good graces, you’ll keep an eye on Kakashi.”

Minato, who is most certainly recognizable as the ‘pretty boy’ Kushina referred to him as the last time Orochimaru found time to sit down with her, stands stock-straight and meets Orochimaru’s gaze– but only for a moment. Still, it’s better than most people manage. “Of course, Lord Yashagoro!” Then he runs over to walk behind Kakashi.

It takes little more than two minutes to get to the Hokage’s office, and inside Sarutobi has the audacity to be leaning back behind his desk and puffing on his pipe like he didn’t just take away precious time to be spent with the last part of Sakumo Orochimaru has.

Orochimaru stands in front of his old teacher and waits. After a few seconds, Sarutobi opens his eyes and sits up. “Ah, Orochimaru. I didn’t expect you here so soon. I hope I wasn’t interrupting anything?”

It’s been a long time since he wanted to punch something, as it’s never been his strong point, but in this moment there’s nothing he wants more than to break Sarutobi’s nose. Besides, why else would he have come in through the window, if not because he was annoyed? Even if it’s not Orochimaru’s preferred method of entry, it does happen to be one of Sarutobi’s biggest pet peeves.

“Of course not, sensei. Your messenger told me it was urgent?” Orochimaru asks, hiding his anger behind a thin smile.

“Not nearly as urgent as Minato made it out to be, but it is somewhat time sensitive.” Sarutobi pushes a file across his desk. “These are your new orders, effective tomorrow.”

Orochimaru takes the file and opens it, expecting some kind of long-term information gathering mission having to with the war effort, and his eyes widen when the papers enclosed are the ones given out to prospective jounin teachers.

“Sensei, is this–”

“I am not mistaken. That is the correct file. I am assigning three children to your tutelage and, if you’ll be willing, your care.”

The assignment hits Orochimaru like a fist to the face. “I’m not sure if you recall, sensei, but while I have many and impressive talents, handling children is not one of them.”

Sarutobi smiles. “Orochimaru, believe me when I tell you that you are uniquely suited to this team over any other mission I could offer you. Do you recall the organization Root?”

Why yes, in fact your long-time friend recently offered me a very nice position within that very organization. “Yes. You disbanded it when you took office.”

The smoke from Sarutobi’s pipe circles the ceiling. “We discovered Root to very much be alive and kicking last week, under the coordination of Danzo Shimura. After a raid on their various locations, we found four children in a lab there. One killed himself when we tried to remove him from the laboratory, but the other three are currently in rehabilitation in the hospital. They are being entrusted to you, as several experts have assured me that putting them into the Academy would be counterproductive.”

Briefly skimming the mission file, Orochimaru finds it giving him that exact information under about five more layers of official jargon and emotionlessness than Sarutobi normally uses during these briefings.

“Until further notice, you will be off the active duty roster. Your first and foremost priority is acclimatizing these children to life outside of a laboratory.” Orochimaru nods along with Sarutobi as he translates the purple prose of the file. “Oh, and you’ll probably need this.”

Without thinking, Orochimaru takes the thing his teacher passes him and when he looks at the title, in a move he must have learned from Sakumo because he’d never done it before they started dating, he absolutely bristles with fury.

Well, if there was one thing being best friends with Jiraiya has taught Orochimaru, it’s self-control, and it happens to take every last ounce of that carefully-honed control not to put Teaching for Dummies through Sarutobi’s skull.

Sarutobi, for all his old man-ish airs, is no fool and does not have the memory of a goldfish, so he must recognize the calm detachment in Orochimaru’s face as the kind of thing he used to wear just before Jiraiya became best friends with the business end of Kusanagi.

“Meet me back here tomorrow at eight. You are dismissed.”

Kakashi is already out with his team by the time Sarutobi releases Orochimaru to his own devices– Kakashi’s fourth team in as many months, if Orochimaru’s impeccable memory serves him correctly– so he returns to the graveyard alone.

As much as he loves the boy, Orochimaru is glad to have the opportunity to visit Sakumo’s grave alone, and something tells him that maybe Kakashi feels the same. The grass is pressed down tight against the ground in front of Sakumo’s uniform headstone, and a few yards back there’s another spot where the ground is just as disturbed. The flowers have been rested carefully below the deep lines that form Sakumo’s name.

Orochimaru sinks to his knees fluidly. “I had an important meeting yesterday. I wore the blue yukata, the one you always said compliments my eyes.”

It’s a common enough practice for shinobi to talk to their dead loved ones, even if not quite the healthiest. Any passing civilian won’t question Orochimaru talking to the departed quite as much as they’ll question his choice of Sakumo Hatake, and it’s not the kind of thing any coincidentally present ANBU will feel the need to report.

But Orochimaru’s reluctantly-assigned Yamanaka psychiatrist says it’s a good way to grieve (and while she doesn’t outright say ‘I know you’re still mourning the absence of Jiraiya and Tsunade’, he hears it all the same) and he knows that ANBU Panther has been told under no uncertain terms that he’s to make sure Orochimaru talks to Sakumo a little bit. Though as with all things unfamiliar, the Snake Sannin takes to it with a fair bit of caution.

“Sarutobi has assigned me a group of children to train.” He shakes his head. “I suppose my only relief in this is that Jiraiya isn’t here to see it.” A pause, the kind he used to leave for Sakumo to say his piece. “It’s summer now, he’s been gone nearly nine months.”

Orochimaru has never believed that the dead linger, but when he closes his eyes he’s willing to pretend the wind playing with his hair is a tanned, scarred, calloused hand with the most gentle touch in the world.

He stands and brushes a few blades of grass from his clothing. He walks home in silence.

When Orochimaru sits down in his kitchen with a cup of tea in hand, he finally looks over the file Sarutobi gave him.

The first student, Akira Senju, age eleven, was kidnapped when small and her eyes were replaced with a set of stolen Sharingan. She was then pumped full of bijuu chakra siphoned off Lady Mito Uzumaki to see if the Sharingan could control bijuu as easily from within as well as without.

Orochimaru’s second pupil, Akane Uchiha, age twelve, is a half Inuzuka who was tattooed with some beautifully– the report on her doesn’t say it quite like that, but art is art no matter the canvas– elaborate seals that, according to the file, give her the ability to use the Mokuton.

The final child is Hikaru, age eight, was grown in a surrogate, and is the finest example of what happens when an Uchiha member of Root and a Senju member of Root both give over DNA for identification purposes and the DNA is instead used to make a baby. Heavily tested, very intelligent, not very emotionally stable, the boy is implied to be the “problem child” of the three.

Orochimaru puts down the file. From what he can tell, both the people giving the order and the researchers who worked on these children were clumsy. It seems like multiple, independent projects were being run of each child without regard for how the effects of the other experiments would skew their results. What’s Tsunade’s favorite saying? Too many cooks in the kitchen?

What’s done though, is done, and Orochimaru can’t do a thing to remedy the errors of fools. He stands from his chair.

The house is older than even Orochimaru’s parents, and it takes ridiculous effort to keep it in good condition, but if it has anything going for it then it has to be its sheer size. The Yashagoro clan has never been large, definitely not large enough to warrant a house so big, and for the last twenty years Orochimaru has lived here alone. He has no wandering relatives who drop in on a whim to see how well he’s grown up, no drunk friends taking over his house at ungodly hours, no quiet bedmates who wake him up with fluttering kisses and a laugh like rolling thunder. Not anymore.

There are spare futons tucked away in a closet, and while it’s hardly the kind of thing his mother would approve of using his abilities for, Orochimaru is pressed for time and hardly hesitates in using– this is the kind of play on words both his father and Jiraiya would find amusing– a fuuton jutsu to air out the bedding. Perhaps, if Sarutobi doesn’t come to his senses and reassign the children, Orochimaru will find sturdier, more permanent bedframes for them.

He doesn’t sleep. Instead, he wanders the many halls of the house and tries to memorize the silence, the solitude, the way this is the one place where he lets his footsteps echo into the night. He listens for the faint memory of his father’s laugh, his mother’s admonishments, and his old grandmother’s refusal to avoid the nightingale floors when she wandered in the middle of the night.

He wonders if these children will know any better.

Orochimaru shows up early to his old teacher’s office, and is not disappointed. Sarutobi is already waiting for him, sharing a cup of tea with three children who probably shouldn’t be as small as they are.

“Ah, Orochimaru!” Sarutobi exclaims. The three children turn around sharply, even the tiny little boy.

The files hadn’t included photographs. There hadn’t been time to get the photographer out to see them, nor would he have had clearance to do so if he’d tried. But aside from the activated Sharingan, the extensive tattoos, and the multitude of poorly-hidden scars, the children don’t look like anything special. The Senju girl looks like how he would expect a little Senju girl to look. The Uchiha-Inuzuka girl looks like how he would expect an Uchiha-Inuzuka to look. The Senju-Uchiha boy looks like how he would expect a Senju-Uchiha to look.

This is good, he thinks. The tattoos and scars are normal enough, not the kind of thing most people would glance twice at. The Sharingan will be easily hidden. At least they won’t have to grow up with the look of a half-dead pixie with too much purple eyeliner and a frankly unrealistically dark head of hair and all the stares that come with.

“These are your students,” Sarutobi continues. “Akira, Akane, and Hikaru. Children, this is to be your guardian.”

The half-Inuzuka girl, Akane, stands. The other two follow her lead. Though Orochimaru knows that these children have been kept apart until now, as per ANBU policy about test subjects, they have easily fallen into something like a pack formation with Akane at the head.

Orochimaru bows his head slightly, not breaking eye contact with Akane for a second. After a long pause, she does it back. Again, Akira and Hikaru follow her lead.

Sarutobi looks between the four of them and nods. “It seems my work here is done. Orochimaru, I’ll be by later with some paperwork.”

He takes this to mean that he’s been dismissed, and so Orochimaru gestures for the children to follow him. The whole way back to his house– on foot, using the not-yet-crowded streets to travel because he hardly remembers trusting himself on rooftops when he was their age and most certainly won’t put that faith in three strangers– they trail behind him at a respectful and regular distance. Though they haven’t spoken a word to each other, the three of them instinctively fell into a standard, if rough, team formation. Akira is at the center, keeping a careful eye on Orochimaru, and on either side she is flanked by Akane and Hikaru in some kind of bodyguard position.

The first two steps inside Orochimaru’s home are nightingale flooring, and while he treads lightly and with a certain kind of speed born of practice and watching snakes go across the boards silently, the children don’t know the house. As soon as Hikaru hears the first tremulous chirp of the floorboards, he jumps back and pulls the girls with him.

“Come now. It’s just a noise the floors make. Nothing to be scared of,” Orochimaru says in what he hopes is a teasing voice. “They’re not going to hurt you any more than the grass out there will.” Though, thinking about it, the grass (or rather, what the grass hides) will actually hurt them more than the floors.

Eventually, Orochimaru gets them into the kitchen, and only then does it occur to him that he only owns one chair and his table is too small for four people. He also owns a meager set of dishes that can only hold enough food for one, maybe two people if they have appetites as small as Orochimaru and Kakashi (how old is the food in his fridge? And come to think of it, is bread supposed to be blue-grey?). Well, those bowls are probably small enough to count as cups, right?

“Perhaps,” Orochimaru starts slowly, “a trip to the market is in order.”

Orochimaru hasn’t been a child in a long time, so he doesn’t know what they like to eat. When he went out shopping with Sakumo, it always fell to Orochimaru to keep Kakashi occupied, and thus he was never really sure of what Sakumo bought for Kakashi– not to mention that Kakashi is significantly younger than Orochimaru’s students and also likely has very different preferences.

Orochimaru himself is a simple man. He buys spices when he runs out and a dozen eggs every week, ham when he can get it, and everything else comes from his mother’s garden. His parents raised him to eat what was put in front of him without complaint and that mostly carried over into his adult life.

So what do children like to eat?

“What would you like?” he asks them. All three heads jerk towards him simultaneously. “To eat.”

For a long moment, there’s silence from the three of them, but then it’s Akira who answers first. “One of the researchers in charge of me used to bring dango when I was cooperative.”

“One time someone brought me pretzels,” Akane says.

“They let me have strawberries once.” Hikaru rounds out the bunch.

The bakery sells five kinds of pretzels and strawberries are in season, and by the time the four of them make it to the dango shop Hikaru has eaten almost half the container and Orochimaru has reminded him three times that eating the strawberry hulls isn’t something people generally do.

As soon as they enter the shop– which is abuzz with people as always, seeing as how Shouta Mitarashi makes the best dango in the village and everyone knows it– the place hushes significantly. Civilians are always put off by Orochimaru’s presence no matter where he goes, and while it’s a trifling matter to be invisible in a crowded marketplace that same innocuity becomes impossible in a small, enclosed space.

Akira, Akane, and Hikaru fall into battle stance at the attention. Their shoulders square, their limbs relax, and Akane has two fingers on the kunai in her belt. Orochimaru says nothing; he just strides forward– the crowd shies away from him like he’s diseased– picks up a few boxes of sweets, and hands the money over to the owner without speaking a word.

He, and the children too, are silent the whole way home. They do not step on the nightingale floors a second time.

His three students eat their food quietly, and Orochimaru makes himself a pot of tea. When he has finished his first cup, he speaks.

“The first thing you will learn in this village is that no-one is going to be kind to you. I do not know what conditions you were in before or how they treated you there, but it will be different and worse out here. You will be feared, and that fear manifests as anger, and you may have to deal with the outlet of that anger. Strangers will hate you for no other reason than your association with me. If you wish for me to find you a different caretaker, tell me and I will do so.”

Akane crunches on another pretzel. Hikaru carefully separates the hull from the rest of his strawberry and sets it on a paper towel. Akira puts a whole skewer’s worth of dango in her mouth at once. They say nothing.

Orochimaru pours himself a second cup of tea. “Very well then,” he sighs. “It is my job to teach you how to interact with other people. I will not be lenient with your training. Starting tomorrow, you will wake at dawn and training will last until I say it stops. Do you understand?”

They nod, and if Orochimaru has the barest hint of a smile on his face, then no-one has to know.

The next morning, though waking the children by way of snake messenger was fun and he’ll never let himself forget Akira’s screams, Orochimaru faces a certain problem. After watching the children make a mess of training ground 6, he decides to pit them against each other and quickly finds that watching Akane and Akira go at it is something like how he imagines a timid Tsunade would approach Jiraiya if Jiraiya didn’t know how to control his temper and also thought he could take on Tsunade at full strength.

In short, it’s giving him a headache.

Akira has a certain kind of inhuman strength that tends to show itself in anyone with more than a drop of Uzumaki blood, and Orochimaru is quickly realizing that there’s no way she’s not at least one quarter Uzumaki– maybe it’s a byproduct of Lady Mito’s jinchuuriki chakra?– but the Senju in her negates the red hot Uzumaki blood in her.

Similarly, Akane has exactly the temper Orochimaru would expect from the offspring produced by an Uchiha and an Inuzuka and the control over her anger to match. Like most Uchiha her age she has all the musculature of a finely-carved twig, but more than enough dramatics to make up for it.

“Come on, I can take it!” Akane shouts from the proper battle stance Orochimaru just corrected her on. “Come at me already!”

Akira looks to Orochimaru with something he thinks is a question on her face. He nods minutely at her. “But…” she trails off.

The other girl makes a very loud, very frustrated noise that only reinforces Orochimaru’s belief that Jiraiya is dead and his soul now exists in the body of a twelve-year-old girl. “Come on!”

Akira flexes her hands and curls them into fists. She pulls back one arm, then throws an undercut–

Which connects just under Akane’s ribs and throws her against a tree twenty feet away. She collides with a sickening crunch which sounds suspiciously like bones breaking and it takes everything in Orochimaru’s power not to flinch at it.

Ah yes. Definitely reminiscent of Jiraiya and Tsunade’s earliest interactions.

Hikaru crunches down on a strawberry flavored biscuit stick louder than necessary and shoots Orochimaru a look he can catch out of the corner of his eye. With a sigh, Orochimaru stands and walks over to check on Akane.

She coughs, then lets out a long, painful groan. “Sensei, am I dead?” She whines.

He hums. “Not yet.”

“Can you make me dead?”

To his own surprise, Orochimaru laughs. It’s small, barely more than a chuckle, but it’s there and it surprises Akane just as much as it does Orochimaru himself. “Only if you want me to.”

For two full seconds, she’s quiet, then she reaches up with one arm and lets slip a thready “please”.

The next morning, if it can even be called that yet, Orochimaru wakes to the incessant tapping on his window. The hawk sitting on his sill has a message tied to it’s leg. He lets the bird in and takes the scroll from the leather tube, letting the hawk back out as soon as he does.

It’s a summons for tea from the Hokage. Orochimaru huffs out a breath and briefly considers whether or not he could get away with killing Sarutobi, and when he figures that now probably isn’t the best time to contemplate murder he decides to just get ready for the day. He sets out breakfast for the children– all three still asleep in their rooms– and sets one of his summons by each bedside to keep watch.

Sarutobi is waiting for him in his office with a pot of Orochimaru’s favorite tea already sitting out. It burns Orochimaru in places he can’t describe to think that after ignoring him for so long and then dumping three children even more socially stunted than Orochimaru himself, all Sarutobi can do is set out tea and play

“Ah, Orochimaru. Sit down, I’m glad–”

Orochimaru does not sit. “Spare me your pleasantries. Why have I been summoned here?”

Sarutobi sets down his cup with a sigh. “How are the children?”

“They are making progress. Considering how long I’ve had them, they’ve adjusted well, though I’m certain that they would do better under a different teacher who knows better how to deal with children. Given time, I believe they will become a strong team for almost any kind of mission.”

The Hokage nods. “Very well. If there is nothing else to discuss…” he trails off to give Orochimaru space to say something more. When he doesn’t, Sarutobi continues. “Then I believe you are dismissed.”

Orochimaru leaves.

As soon as he’s out of earshot, Sarutobi looks down at the reports on his desk from Panther and Bear.

Subject’s methods are unorthodox, but effective. Advise that the team remain in his care and assign the Subject a second team upon current team’s graduation.

Subject interacts well with charges. Likely extenuating circumstances contributing to camaraderie. Advise not to assign a second team to the Subject.

Fox drops down from the rafters silently. “Sounds like he doesn’t know himself too well, huh?” she says.

Sarutobi steeples his fingers. “Perhaps it is because he knows himself too well, and it is blinding him to his own strengths.”

“Perhaps it is because he’s never had to interact with children.” Crow quips.

Goose hesitates. “…Perhaps it’s because no-one has ever trusted him with children before.”

“Sakumo did,” Fox mumbles after a moment. “Sakumo trusted him and Kakashi loves Orochimaru to death.”

“I think we can all agree that Sakumo Hatake is a special case in many respects, and his son follows closely in his footsteps,” Sarutobi says. “But in this, I too will follow Sakumo. Orochimaru is better with those children than he thinks he is.”

Crow hums, disinterested. ‘They day Orochimaru realizes that children follow him like lost puppies is the day I retire.”

Hikaru, Orochimaru finds, is like Kakashi. He rarely smiles, but when he does it’s all the more precious for it. He likes to disappear at odd hours, but can always be found napping peacefully in the grass by the Naka with empty cartons of fresh fruit stacked neatly next to his head.

Akane is happiest when curled up by a window on a rainy day. She prefers hot tea and a thick blanket and a good book over training in the cold any day, and every last one of Orochimaru’s summons agrees with her (he finds them sleeping once, in front of the fireplace and curled close under the blanket to Akane, though to protect her or for her body heat is unclear). But on the hot days where the sun is too bright to look at she can’t be pulled away from the fields for anything.

Akira is the outlier. She wants to be good, wants to be better. She has bright ambitions but hardly has the means to do so. She trains with Kakashi, who outstrips her in talent at every turn but is no match for her spirit. She is the one who asks to learn the obscure jutsus, the one who practices seals a thousand times before even trying to pump the chakra through them.

They have been in Orochimaru’s care for five months, and have not mentioned leaving once.

He finds himself stopping by the dango shop every three days, it seems, and the longer he shows up regularly the wider Mitarashi smiles at him. He has a regular order and everything. More and more, Mitarashi’s little daughter Anko– who can’t be much more than three years old, but Orochimaru’s never been good at pinpointing the ages of children– decides to talks to him about his day. In twelve years or so, she’ll be an excellent saleswoman if she doesn’t follow through with her interest in the poisonous flowers Hikaru likes to braid into Orochimaru’s hair.

It’s not just Mitarashi and his daughter that have taken a shining to Orochimaru. Vendors in the marketplace have gotten increasingly familiar with his larger purchases of meat, bread, and most importantly, fresh fruit, romance novels, and pretty yet practical clothing for a six feet tall fourteen-year-old girl.

It all comes to a head the day jounin start coming to him to ask if their teams can train together. The first one, Sabe Tachibana, is a large man, taller than Akira and twice as broad, who looks like he could crush Orochimaru’s head between two fingers if given the chance.

“My team is made up of three strong-willed boys that just graduated from the Academy on their first try,” he says. “They think they’re all that and a bag of sealing scrolls. I think they need to be put in their place before I can teach them anything, but for the life of me, I can’t get them to listen. They’ve been like this for all three weeks since graduation.”

Orochimaru smirks. “Oh, don’t worry, Tachibana. They’ll be at your beck and call before tomorrow is done.”

He pretends that he doesn’t notice the five other jounin watching the inter-team practice, where all three of Tachibana’s genin show up late while complaining loudly about the hour and not giving one whit of attention to the other team on the training field.

“Sensei, are those girls?” one of them asks, his tone about as demeaning as it can get. “I thought you said we’re gonna train with the best genin team in the village, not that you wanted to get in their teacher’s pants.”

“And we are, Koushi. This is the best genin team in the village,” Tachibana responds evenly. He doesn’t acknowledge the boy’s second statement.

Orochimaru makes sure his hair swishes as he turns to face the three boys and hopes he looks more male and less androgynous than usual today. “And I thought I was pitting my team against worthy opponents. I look forward to you trying to prove me wrong.”

Tachibana gently resumes control of the conversation. He gestures to Orochimaru. “Boys, this is Orochimaru Yashagoro. He’s got the finest first-year genin I’ve seen in a long time, so keep your guard up.”

“Don’t go too hard on them, you three. Leave at least some of their dignity intact,’ Orochimaru instructs as he turns to his team.

One of the boys scoffs. “Like we need them to. What harm can two girls and a baby do to us?”

Orochimaru sees the immediate shift in the way Akane, Akira, and Hikaru are assessing the situation.

“Sensei, are you sure we have to hold back?” Akane asks, sickeningly sweet. “I would hate for them to think we’re not giving our all.”

“Dignity is useless. All that matters is skill. If they have it, then we don’t need to go easy.” Hikaru looks up at Orochimaru. “Right, sensei?”

At Tachibana’s direction, the two teams settle themselves at opposite ends of the training field. Orochimaru’s team falls easily into battle formation and move away from each other. From his place at one edge of the field, Orochimaru can see Hikaru reaffirm his grip on the hilt of his sword, Akira flex her fists, and Akane finger a tagged kunai. Conversely, Tachibana’s boys are too relaxed and hold their kunai like toys– and they’re all only wielding kunai.

“It’s a miracle they graduated, with form like that,” Orochimaru mumbles to his fellow teacher. “What kind of test did you give them?”

“I put an apple on my head and had them throw kunai at me to get it off.”

“Were you at least moving?”

Tachibana’s flush is answer enough. He clears his throat. “You fight until incapacitation or surrender. On my mark!” he shouts, raising one hand. The instant his arm drops, the three boys are off towards Orochimaru’s stationary team.

The first one to get in range is closest to Akira. She throws a punch. The instant it connects, the boy realizes his mistake, but by then it’s too late. He flies fifty feet before he hits the ground and then skids another ten before coming to a stop.

She sucks in a breath through her teeth. “Sorry!” she calls after him.

The second one thinks it’s a good idea to go after Akane, who is, admittedly, tiny for her age and looks like an easy target. But the moment he steps into a three-meter radius, he freezes in place and all Akane has to do is walk up to him and push him over.

The third is perhaps the most foolish, because under any circumstances it’s a bad idea to approach a child holding a sword, but Hikaru is especially dangerous. It takes all of a second for Hikaru to strike out with his lead hand, drawing a thin red line across his opponent’s face and sending strands of his hair fluttering to the ground. The boy’s hand shoots up to cradle his cheek, but before he can even get it high enough Hikaru drops down low and sweeps the boy’s legs out from under him.

His head meets the hard-packed earth with a crack. With that, Tachibana steps out onto the field and ends the match.

“I hope that you remember this day as the day you got your collective asses beat by two girls and a baby. Got it?” Akane sneers. “And next time you assume our teacher needs to use his team to get access to dick, I’ll make sure you won’t have to worry about yours anymore.”

Other fresh jounin teachers almost start lining up with their teams.

The childrens’ first mission is small. He gives the missions room a collective heart attack when he enters and requests a C-rank with his team in tow. They must strike quite the image, he thinks. The Hidden Leaf’s own double-edged sword, accompanied by the unholy offspring of an Uchiha and an Inuzuka, an eight-year-old who carries himself like the most weathered of jounin, and an otherwise nondescript girl with brown hair and a set of blazing Sharingan.

The terrified chuunin behind the deck passes Orochimaru an assignment for a message run to the Fire Country capital.

“We have hawks for messages,” Hikaru states, but in the month since he came into Orochimaru’s care he’s learned to read between the lines with Hikaru.

“A hawk is faster than most shinobi, that’s true. But hawks are easier to intercept than we are. If time is of the essence, the village will send a hawk. When security is valued over speed, they send shinobi,” Orochimaru says.

Two steps out of the gate, Akane trips over thin air and nearly sprains her ankle. This is the worst injury of the mission.

Orochimaru himself has been to the capital a scant few times, and the children have never left Konoha’s walls so while it’s always a treat for the Snake Sannin to see the city it’s nothing quite like the identical look of amazement that crosses all three of his charges’ faces.

The buildings in the capital are by far taller than anything in Konoha but the trees, of which there are few here. The marketplaces are more bountiful, full of all manner of things that just don’t make it to Konoha in large enough quantities– expensive teas imported from across the sea, delicate sheer fabrics that have no place in a shinobi village, household items imbued with seals that draw chakra from the environment to cook food faster or heat beds in the winter. The fresh flowers Konoha prides herself on can’t be found so easily here, replaced commonly by shining metal or fine Suna-blown glass replicas. The sturdy weapons the children know from their home are almost nonexistent, though Orochimaru does know where to get them if the need arises. Instead, tiny shops sell decorative knockoffs that won’t hold up for half a second in the field but look nice and shiny hanging on a wall.

“Can we come back someday?” Akira asks, once they’ve delivered their message and set off back to Konoha. She has three new shawls and a set of beautiful emerald jewelry in her bag, among other baubles.

“I certainly hope so!” the other girl exclaims. Akane’s found no less than five Uzushio fuuinjutsu scrolls sitting in a secondhand store and paid less than a quarter of what they’re worth.

Orochimaru smiles despite himself, looking at Hikaru. The boy is happily munching on some blackberries and has more cartons of fruit sealed away than Orochimaru cares to count.

“I don’t see why not.”

The next time Orochimaru has the opportunity to see Kakashi is on the boy’s birthday. He is six, and after the small celebration at Kushina’s apartment– complete with gifts Hikaru, Akane, and Akira had bought in the capital, because after their first meeting with the younger boy they had all become rather attached– Orochimaru takes Kakashi to visit Sakumo’s grave.

It’s not something he would ever do with his team, simply because they wouldn’t know the significance of it and he’s not in the mood to explain why his single best bonding activity with his kind of stepson is visiting Orochimaru’s ex-boyfriend’s grave.

Dust has formed on the headstone, so Orochimaru carefully brushes it away with one blessedly pale grey sleeve before setting down the bouquet he brought today. Orochimaru’s yellow camellias look nice with Kakashi’s white roses, and they look even prettier against the grey stone.

Neither one of them says anything until halfway back to Kushina and Mikoto’s apartment.

“I miss him,” Kakashi says, his voice painfully small and muffled by the mask Orochimaru just gave him. “Sometimes I wish he took me with him.”

Orochimaru’s blood runs cold. His heart stops beating for several seconds. His mouth is hanging open, and when he gathers the brainpower to realize he isn’t breathing, his next inhale shudders in his throat. Before he knows what he’s doing, Orochimaru drops to his knees and pulls the boy to him. There are tears leaking from his face into Kakashi’s silver hair.

He can’t say he hasn’t had the same thought. He wasn’t much younger than Kakashi when he lost his own parents, and both when they died– his father from sickness while his mother was on a mission she never came back from– and only a few months ago when Sakumo took his own life, the same idea plagued his every waking moment. Why didn’t I die from the epidemic too? Why didn’t Sakumo kill me as well as, instead of, himself?

“Kakashi, I’m sorry,” Orochimaru whispers. “I’m sorry the world had made you think that way.”

He remembers being six and being left alone in that big dark house because there was no-one to care for him. He remembers being thirty-one and watching as Kakashi was left alone in his own big dark house because his clan laws– the precious clan laws the village had to accommodate for fear of clans rioting– wouldn’t allow anyone outside his clan to do it. He remembers going to visit Kakashi every day for a month and getting turned away by ANBU at the door every single time until Kakashi finally told Orochimaru to stop coming.

Kakashi’s hands clench in Orochimaru’s hair. “Sometimes I wish I had died with Mom.” He’s quiet for a few moments. “You told me once that Dad killed himself because he was ashamed of how his choices were affecting me. So he would still be alive if I had died in the Massacre, right?”

Orochimaru had told Kakashi that about Sakumo so that he wouldn’t think that Sakumo hadn’t loved his son. What possessed the gods to twist Kakashi’s mind to misinterpret it so badly?

“Oh cub, I never meant for you to take it like that. I miss him too, but I never, ever wanted you to think like that.

“What your father did was foolish and wrong, and every day I wish that someone had been there to talk some sense into him. I wish that I hadn’t been out of the village that day. I was too kind the last time I spoke of your father. He thought that by taking himself out of the equation, the village wouldn’t project their hate elsewhere and that you wouldn’t be affected. In his haste to right what the village perceived as wrongs, he forgot that he was all you had. His actions were selfish and shallow, no matter how honorable his intentions happened to be. Don’t let yourself be dragged down by the choices of kind-hearted fools.”

Kakashi sniffs, then pulls away and wipes his eyes with one overly long sleeve. “Okay. That means to stop listening to Aunt Kushina then, right?”

Orochimaru chuckles low in his chest and ruffles Kakashi’s hair. “Don’t you go twisting my words, little one.”

“Then don’t give me words to twist,” the boy shoots back, a gentle smile in his tone. Orochimaru is sorry he can’t see it.

As with all things, it comes crashing down around his ears eventually.

It is either late at night or early in the morning depending on which child Orochimaru asks for the time, and all four of them have been summoned to the Hokage’s office.

“You asked for us, sensei.” Orochimaru states as he rises from the crouch he landed in. His children straighten up too behind him.

“Danzo has escaped captivity,” Sarutobi says. It’s unlike him to be so short, to use four words where he could make it boring with twenty. “I am confident in both your abilities and those of your team, but until Danzo is captured I am placing ANBU outside your house. It is likely he will come after the children and try to leave the village with them.”

Behind him, the air goes deathly still, and for one horrifying moment Orochimaru thinks that the children have scattered just from hearing Danzo’s name. If any of the reports he’s read– many of which he didn’t technically have permission to know about– are true, it’s a wonder they didn’t run for the hills.

“You are dismissed. ANBU Crow, Fox, and Goose will meet you at your home.” Sarutobi goes silent, looking down into his telescope jutsu’d crystal ball. Orochimaru stiffens at the names.

“Sensei, is there any significance to those three ANBU being assigned to our case?” Hikaru asks halfway back to the house in his attempt to break the tense silence– something he’s gotten better at in the past months.

Orochimaru nods gravely. “ANBU Crow, Fox, and Goose are the Hokage’s personal guards. That he’s reassigning them means Danzo is more dangerous now than he was before.”

“What was lesson fifty-one again? A desperate man is a dangerous man?” Akira supplies.

“And a dangerous, desperate man is a cornered man and cornered man is unpredictable,” Akane finishes, uncharacteristically somber.

“Sarutobi-sensei never told us stories about Danzo from his youth, but I think we all know there’s a reason why he of all people was the leader of Root. Be cautious,” Orochimaru warns. He feels like he’s being watched and he hates nothing more than being watched.

The instant he sets foot on the property, a shiver runs down his spine and he drops lower to the ground. He draws Kusanagi from its sheath. When he enters the house, he does it slowly and deliberately. The children follow his footsteps exactly.

The nightingale floor shrieks. Instantly, Orochimaru extends an arm and pulls his children behind him and brandishes Kusanagi.

Danzo looks worse for wear, like he’s probably been tortured. Whoever helped him escape T&I– because there’s no way he got out on his own, not on Itsue Morino’s watch– must have had some kind of medical knowledge, because the aging man’s injuries look half-healed.

“Don’t cause a fuss now, Orochimaru. Just give me the experiments and I’ll disappear,” Danzo says, just as calmly as if he was ordering lunch, but there’s a low hum of killer intent in the air. “This doesn’t have to be messy.”

Orochimaru bristles and bares his teeth. If there’s one thing he’s good at, it’s killer intent, and Danzo just doesn’t have the same dark, oily chakra that makes people shiver when they face Orochimaru on the battlefield. “Over my dead body.”

The elder scowls, but he draws a bloodied kunai from one tattered sleeve and leaps forward.

Orochimaru catches the blade with his own, and it doesn’t take much to force Danzo back. He may be older and more experienced, and the chuunin guarding his cell may have been weak, but Danzo’s been atrophying in a cell for six months while Orochimaru’s been training three energetic kids in how to fight and kill.

“I will be dead and buried before you lay another finger on my children. Do you hear me, Shimura?” Orochimaru snarls. He parries away the kunai again. “But don’t you worry–” a quick slice and a dull thump– “you’ll be gone before you get the chance.”

It’s a gentler death than a man like Danzo Shimura deserves, but Orochimaru is in no mood to play with delusional old men. He has no energy to call the Hokage and tell him of events. But if the three ANBU arrive not two minutes later and find nothing of the old man, well Orochimaru can’t control his snakes all the time. They are among the more fickle of summons, after all.

As if to show just how shitty his life is, Jiraiya gets mugged a scant two miles from Konoha.

He’s been away for three years, and before he can get home to his favorite bath house– full of his favorite patrons who he used to swear could smell him coming from a mile away and still hit him dead-on with their shoes– he gets jumped. And not just jumped, but jumped by three kids.

That’s it. He’s done. He just flops down on his face and pretends to be dead. Maybe all they’ll take is his money.

But the kids climb off him and don’t even go rummaging through his things.

“Are you sure this is him, Hika?” says a decidedly female voice. “Because he doesn’t exactly strike me as Sannin material.”

“Yes. He matches the photograph in the Hokage’s office perfectly,” a child replies. “I would also like to make you aware that I am hurt by you questioning the information I gave you.”

A second girl groans. “Hikaru, when Dad told you to be more apparent with your feelings this isn’t what he meant.”

“If Dad was displeased with my actions he would tell me so himself,” the child says.

“He didn’t want to hurt your feelings,” the first girl speaks again. “He knows you’ve been working hard at opening up to other people and just because Akane can’t appreciate that doesn’t mean that the rest of us can’t.”

“Thank you, Akira,” Hikaru says with a smile in his voice.

“Can we get back to the old geezer on the ground? I think he might be dead.” Akane’s voice is closer now. Did she kneel?

“You’re the medic. And I should remind you that if you call this man an old geezer, you’re saying the same of Dad,” Hikaru snarks.

Akane snarls again. “I swear to every god above and below, Hikaru, if you don’t shut up–”

“Children!” comes a harsh cry. A harsh cry that Jiraiya recognizes. His head jerks up and one of the three– Akane, probably– trips backward and falls.

“Hikaru, Akane, Akira, what are you doing?” Orochimaru demands, his hands firmly placed on his hips.

The taller girl stands stock-straight and seems to shrink under Orochimaru’s piercing golden gaze. “Nothing, Dad.”

He rounds on the other two. “Hikaru? Akane?”

Akane points an accusing finger at the ten-ish-year-old next to her. “It was his idea.”

Orochimaru hums. “Was it now?”

“I heard through secure channels that the Sannin Jiraiya would be returning to the village via this path today and, given the emotional shambles you were reportedly left in when he disappeared in Ame three years ago we decided to wait for him and make sure he wouldn’t hurt you again,” Hikaru rattles off. “Was this not appropriate?” For a moment, Orochimaru says nothing and Jiraiya prays for the kid’s safe passage into the Pure Lands. Then, he huffs out a sigh and smiles.

“Go home, all three of you. We’ll talk later.” The children– though two of them look to be fifteen and up– make off towards the village, Akane muttering about stupid gossipy gate guards with the wrong loyalties. Once they’re out of sight, Orochimaru looks to Jiraiya and his smile wanes. “So you’re back.”

“So you have kids,” Jiraiya retorts as he stands. “Who decided to give you kids? I haven’t been gone that long.”

Orochimaru extends one arm towards the village. “A lot has happened. I’ll explain on the way to tea.”

If you enjoyed this piece, why not take a look at other pieces written by the same author on AO3.

#rated: M #Sumigakure Winter Wishes 2017 #rank: a #submission #sumigakure #pwnie3

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