more-than-a-princess

[more-than-a-princess]

🐝  *  ―  𝑷𝑰𝑵𝑰𝑵𝑮 / 𝒀𝑬𝑨𝑹𝑵𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑺𝑬𝑵𝑻𝑬𝑵𝑪𝑬 𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑹𝑻𝑬𝑹𝑺.

❛  i can't stop thinking about you even when i try.  ❜ ❛  every time i see you, it's like my heart skips a beat.  ❜ ❛  i never realized how much i needed you until you weren't there.  ❜ ❛  do you ever feel like there's something missing ... like a piece of your heart is somewhere else?  ❜ ❛  i wish i had the courage to tell you how i feel.  ❜ ❛  if only you knew how much you truly mean to me.  ❜ ❛  do you ever wonder what it would be like if things were different between us?  ❜ ❛  sometimes i wonder if you ever think about me the way i think about you.  ❜ ❛  i had a lot of dreams about you recently.  ❜ ❛  somehow, you're always on my mind.  ❜ ❛  i think i've been in love with you since the day we met - scratch that, i know i've been in love with you since the day we met.  ❜ ❛  my biggest wish is to hold you close and never let you go.  ❜ ❛  all my life i've felt like a part of me was missing, but with you i've finally found it.  ❜ ❛  you deserve better than who i am right now, but i'm gonna keep trying to become someone you do deserve.  ❜ ❛  every time you smile at me, i get this flutter in my chest.  ❜ ❛  do you think i'll ever be worthy of your love?  ❜ ❛  i want to be the person to make you happy. the one person you can always come to with whatever you need.  ❜ ❛  will we ever get another chance together?  ❜ ❛  you were the best thing that's ever happened to me.  ❜ ❛  my biggest regret is ever letting you go.  ❜ ❛  i'm still in love with you ... and i honestly never stopped.  ❜ ❛  when i wake up in the morning, you're the first person i want to see.  ❜ ❛  every time i wake up, i check if you wrote me another message.  ❜ ❛  i wish i could be as important to you as you are to me.  ❜ ❛  it hurts when you don't talk to me like you used to.  ❜ ❛  i miss everything about you, your touch, your laugh, your smile. i wish i could have that back.  ❜ ❛  i want to fall asleep wrapped in your arms.  ❜ ❛  hold me closer; i always feel safer when you're with me.  ❜ ❛  there's so much i wish i was able to tell you.  ❜ ❛  i know things aren't easy right now, but i want to remain a fixture in your life. after all, you're one in mine.  ❜ ❛  i miss the way you always made me smile.  ❜ ❛  you're the reason i keep holding on.  ❜ ❛  maybe we're supposed so to remain a case of 'right person, wrong time' forever.  ❜ ❛  if only you knew how i feel about you.  ❜ ❛  i'm yearning to hold your hand in mine.  ❜ ❛  i think you are the one for me, and i hope one day i'll be the one for you, too.  ❜ ❛  do you think i'll ever become more than a friend to you?  ❜ ❛  my heart belongs to you, always and forever.  ❜ ❛  my first instinct is to protect you, no matter the cost.  ❜ ❛  i've been thinking about us a lot lately.  ❜

#more-than-a-princess memes #(Close enough to Fluff Friday + nearly caught up on replies?) #(Feels-driven meme it is!) #(Needed the week to catch up but I'm ready for some new threads) #(So I'll be sharing memes of various types + sending applicable memes as I see them)

[more-than-a-princess]

"That is correct," She confirmed for him, smiling. "Liam is four years younger than I am, and his brother Sam is two years younger than him. But I think it is different, something more than 'not getting along' with his father. Misunderstanding has morphed into loathing, perhaps." It was easier to analyze it with her cousins than her own situation, one made complicated by parents whom, to some degree, she loved. And yet both lacked the parenting she'd always missed and needed as a child, something that needed to be fulfilled by people her family employed, and people she opened her heart and bed to. A psychiatrist's dream to deconstruct, her family. Too bad that hardly ever happened, and if so, only after a litany of NDAs. The royals needed to be above talk therapy, despite publicly acknowledging and supporting it for the Novosonian population.

Royalty first, people second. In her more cynical moods, she once muttered that such a motto would be etched into all of their tombstones one day, a comment that had earned a hearty amount of laughter from Liam and a snicker from Sam. They knew who she really was, in almost all of her entirety: it was, as she was told, safer that way. For as much as she wanted to be a normal girl at a normal school, such a thing was impossible. No matter how she tried.

Somia cast a cursory glance towards Kazuichi: case in point, would he ever treat her like a normal person?

Not that his habits were ones Sonia was familiar with. With widened eyes, she was taken aback by his preferred methods of consuming cereal. "Hot chocolate...is made with water?" She repeated, baffled. "I have never seen it be made, but that sounds rather implausible: particularly when it tastes so rich and creamy, if not a bit bitter. The chantilly cream is necessary to temper a bit of the sweet and bitterness of hot chocolate!" She grinned at the thought: a silver dish, chilly to the touch, piled high with the aforementioned cream. It always accompanied the silver hot chocolate service and the china cups and saucers that bore the official royal pattern. On particularly good days, her mother allowed her a hot chocolate and she was treated to footmen making a show of elaborate pours, the liquid as thick as syrup before she added cream to her liking.

Shit, she thought as her stomach grumbled. She needed to seek out a place in Japan that made hot chocolate.

"You have tried cereal with milk tea? And not separate?" She asked again. This prospect was not nearly as shocking to her, if her smile alone was anything to go by. "I am used to separating the two, but I imagine, perhaps, a plain or sugared corn flake might be appetizing in cold milk tea. I might try it sometime."

They'd left the school building behind and with it, Sonia's insistence to make sure he ate a proper meal. She didn't believe him in that two bags of potato crisps were filling, but she knew better than to push such a notion forward. So she let it be, instead finding his assessment of her homeland far more surprising. "A 'medieval' vibe? We do have modern technology, you know," Sonia chuckled as they entered the cafeteria. "We have ancient buildings and monuments, yes, but Novoselic is a global leader in technology, military technology specifically. We have also made great advancements in agriculture and animal conservation. Much of these advances were made by independent thinkers, so individuality may be to thank."

Taking a tray, Sonia surveyed the Japanese and Western breakfast offerings. But the mention of hot chocolate had made her yearn for home, so she chose the latter, or the best she could manage: hot muesli in milk, topped with bananas and blueberry compote, a hardboiled egg, and a croissant. A glass of cold water was added to her tray, but Sonia nearly dropped the individual-sized teapot of hot water she'd been filling from the beverage station, intending to add a teabag to it to steep.

"Soda-san," She told him firmly, after she'd safely placed the teapot and accompanying cup and saucer on the tray. She took care in balancing everything: carrying her own meals was still something new for her, much less doing so with Kazuichi saying such ridiculous things. "Corporal punishment will not benefit either of us, or anyone at all as far as I am concerned. That is not a fair reaction whenever one of us does something to upset the other."

The cashier gave them both a look from her spot on the stool in front of the register, but Sonia merely gave her a smile, greeted her good morning, and handed her the requisite payment before picking up her tray. "I would much prefer to tell you when you are out of line. Which is something you may also tell me, too: when I have crossed the line of your comfort. Friends should be honest with each other, yes? Now, let us sit: I think the tables by the window are most lovely in the morning."

Lonely in a full house… sounded like a foreign concept to the mechanic. He did understand the need to confide in someone, though, so maybe it was more about being able to be vulnerable than anything else. Someone you don’t have to keep up appearances around. It was still odd, since he wouldn’t categorize that as loneliness, but that’s probably because he didn’t really know what the princess was describing. He’s never been in her shoes before, after all.

The shoes he’d always thought looked pretty, but is just now discovering how hard they are to walk in.

…That was a poetic thing for his mind to think.

“Liam would be one of your younger cousins, right?” he asked, trying to create a mental picture of the other’s family tree. His mind always got lost when someone started talking about family members, since he only had his dad. “Don’t most people not get along with their parents, anyway? ‘cause like, the generation gap kinda gets in the way ‘n stuff… unless uh, unless you mean that they really really don’t get along. Like, they seriously hate each other kind of not getting along…”

He wondered what that would look like, in an important royal family. They’d definitely have to pretend everything was alright for the public, wouldn’t they? He’s never heard of fights between royal family members… but it wasn’t like he kept up with the news, either way.

“It depends on the cereal! If it’s chocolate, hot water makes it almost like hot chocolate. If it’s something else, cold water is okay, you just gotta drink-eat it quickly so it doesn’t lose too much of the crunch!” he explained, feeling somewhat like an expert. “But yeah, that’s only if you don’t have milk. If you do then milk is still better – there was one time where someone gave it to me with… milk tea, I think? That one is definitely the winner. It’s like… a warm, crunchy, sweet heavenly soup…” Just thinking about the memory made him sigh in pure bliss. “It’s just, it’s like if comfort was a food, you know? …All soups are, really.”

At her offer to buy him food, he quickly shook his head. He absolutely can’t have her doing that again, especially if she wouldn’t take his repayment later. It would feel like he was exploiting her kindness… in addition to making him feel like a beggar. That, was a kind of low he seriously didn’t like getting to. “I’m really alright! I snacked on two bags of chips earlier. Thank you for um, offering, though.” He took his can of Fanta and nervously fiddled with it, the ‘I think’ part not lost on him. Was it really okay, for him to sit with her? He was determined to make sure he didn’t make her uncomfortable anymore, but… it felt like making her go through his process of trial and error was unfair.

That thought kept circling around in his mind, even as they arrived at the cafeteria. It’s not that he didn’t listen to what the princess was saying during that time: he did, and attentively at that, but the unease still sat in the back of his mind. “No, no, that actually gave me a better idea about the country. I um, I always thought it was like America, but with a medieval vibe…” he admitted, sheepishly. “A-anyway, I get what you mean, with the individuality thing. We usually think as a group here, instead of as separate people… but I think we’re starting to go into that other mindset, too. At least, some of the younger generations are...” Glancing off at nothing in particular, he scratched his cheek. “…Dunno if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, though.”

He stood in his place awkwardly as he waited for the princess to choose what she’d like to eat, opening his can of carbonated drink just to give his hands something to do. The fuzzy taste on his tongue did nothing to quell his unease from earlier, but it did give him time to think as to how to address it, instead of letting it stay as the elephant in the room. As soon as he could get the princess’ attention, he tried to get to it immediately, before they get sidetracked. “H-hey, Sonia-san?” he called, in a way more stilted of a tone than he meant for it to be. “I… er, I was… thinking about what you said earlier, a-about is trying to be friends, I mean, and…” He toyed with the soda tab. “I-I feel like it’s still… not fair to you, to be the only one that has to put up with, like, the bad part of all this…”

“S-so!” he started again, this time with a nervous kind of determination. “I um, I found a solution! T-to make it fair, I mean. You can… like, when I do something that makes you feel sad or uncomfortable… you can give me a whack or a bonk on the head, or… something like that. To make it fair.” He held up one finger in each hand to demonstrate, though it was hard to see it when he was gripping his drink in one. “A one-for-one kind of thing, y’know? It’ll make me pay more attention to what I say or do around you... I-I know this sounds self-deprecating ‘n stuff, but it’s really not. I uh, I just don’t learn otherwise. You gotta smack the stupid outta my head or it stays there.”

#mechatiqe #Non-Despair AU: Hope's Peak Academy verse #(Sonia hasn't had caffeine yet and she's had to have a Serious Talk with Kaz) #(She is a stronger person than I am)

[more-than-a-princess]

"It truly is the perfect date! Not too hot, not too cold: all you need is a light jacket."

#more-than-a-princess dashcomm #more-than-a-princess crack #(I couldn't not post this today for reasons) #(I believe she'd answer such a question like this) #(That said: Sonia would be an excellent beauty pageant competitor) #(Though she'd struggle most at the talent section) #(Rattling off serial killer facts unfortunately does not count as a talent) #(She'd probably dance tbh)

[more-than-a-princess]

"You think it won't benefit you and your friends, my marriage?" Sonia asked softly, looking away from her ship and back over the water. It had every comfort she could want, parked near a tropical island, and yet it just reminded her of everything she'd sailed thousands of kilometers away from. To ignore, or even forget, just for a little while. "Consider the idea of my marrying one of the more prominent leaders of Japan's future political system. Such a union would permit my voice to be heard, if just a bit more loudly and clearly, in the fates of Japan's citizens. All of those citizens, Yaguchi-san, some of whom are still suffering far away from its shores."

One of the many considerations she needed to make when selecting a husband, she knew, as she exhaled audibly. What didn't factor in that list was her happiness or a mutual love and respect between the couple. The things that, in her opinion, the world fought for when trying to stop despair. The things that made life worth living: at least the rest of the world had a chance. Even the Remnants, maybe with one another if they did not seek it elsewhere.

And then, without thinking, in a fluid movement Sonia glanced down, saw the blood that now covered Shinobu's hand, and reached into her pocket for the handkerchief she knew resided there. At home it would have been tucked in a handbag, ready to be used for a sneeze or to wipe her fingers after a royal 'walk' to greet her people and shake hands. Now, they were mostly used to wipe away sweat from the hot and humid island. Today, it was used to help Shinobu, Sonia not bothering to ask for her permission before reaching for her bloodied finger and tying the handkerchief snugly around it. The pressure would eventually help the bleeding subside and if she detested it, Sonia both understood and didn't care. They wouldn't remember the night it had poured down rain at a charity ball anyway, and how she'd held out a similar piece of cloth to them to wipe the water away from their face. It was presumptuous then and even more so now, but at least there was no friendship to be gained and lost anymore. She wouldn't present a handkerchief and her heart out on a flattened palm, hoping they would take them.

"I hope you are more careful in the future," She told her, standing up before walking the few meters to the shore and kneeling down, dipping her hands in. The seawater, crystal blue and smelling strongly of salt, would at least rid Shinobu's blood from her hands. That was blood, she knew, she couldn't live with: something Masaru Yaguchi had put stake in when he'd asked for permission to visit the Princess of Novoselic on Future Foundation business.

Sonia swished her hands beneath the water for a few moments before standing, satisfied. She couldn't tell her not to harm herself ever again, only express her wish that she didn't. It would be up to Shinobu then, or someone else with more authority over her person, to keep her intact. As much as she could be now, anyway, Sonia thought as she cast a glance over her shoulder: the scars on her face she remembered, but they were joined now by a litany of others. And those were the ones she could see: if she had to guess, there were plenty more beneath her clothes.

A prospect she had no business thinking about, she realized, shaking her head. Not now and not ever: something she wished she could have told her seventeen-year-old self before The Tragedy had happened. "I hope it is one of the few regrets of my life," She admitted, walking back to Shinobu and settling in beside her. "If I can truly do some good in the world, especially after everything that has happened, then let my marriage and family be the one part that isn't changed for the better. I'm not sure I could live with myself, if I didn't do everything in my power to help rebuild everything that was destroyed."

That included everything she could do to help the woman beside her, something she'd needed to keep from her until she couldn't feign ignorance of it. The Shinobu she used to know would've hated being left in the dark about things that impacted them, and for all that had changed in them, at least the current version was no different. "Yes," She admitted, letting the word cut through the silence like a knife, sinking in the reality of her circumstances on Jabberwock Island. "And I was not at liberty to tell you until it became unavoidable. There were circumstances that needed to be put in place, that I needed to agree to, before ever leaving Novoselic. My influence with certain Remnants of Despair is part of that agreement."

"Unlike one Mr. Naegi," Sonia continued, wiggling her toes in the sand. The heat of it had dried her wet feet quickly, now causing the powder white shore to fall away from her skin. "I think there should be a balance between hope and realistic expectations regarding your fates. But, please believe me when I say that your execution is not on the table for discussion: that is a guarantee I can make." Though she'd have to risk her nation's future to do it. Masaru Yaguchi had left her little choice when he'd come to Boudry House to bargain with the Princess of Novoselic. Bargain too was a generous term: deep down, Sonia found it more akin to blackmail. She could only hope he was attempting to keep her home tidy and organized too, and not leave it all for the maids and footmen to rearrange. Her cousins had promised to spend more time there, if just to keep an eye on him. But she had a feeling that 'keeping an eye on the eldest Yaguchi' likely meant playing around.

Still, she thought as she met Shinobu's gaze, even for a brief moment: there was little to feel joy and happiness about these days, could it really hurt if they, for a little while, found some of it? Especially if she could end some of her friend's suffering and bring her home to her family.

"That said," She continued carefully, "I do not wish for you to be sent back here alone, either. Unfortunately, I am not able to divulge everything just yet." If just for the sake of my supposed safety: they all worry you'll throttle me if I explained the full plans for your future.

As they spoke, Shinobu pulled the fishing rod close, turning it over in her hand and replacing the lure. Once that was in her hand, a brightly colored piece of plastic with a dull hook hanging beneath it, Shinobu pressed the underside of her thumb against the point. Lining up, taking a breath, something sharp moving, finding flesh, splitting it, blood, death, repeat. Thousands upon thousands of times, so quiet and routine, to the point of hearing the soft, gentle beat of Junko Enoshima's heart.

As Sonia spoke of the dozen proposals laid out for her consideration, Shinobu felt a pang of guilt - one out of many - for her part in it. Not only had she fantasized about Sonia Nevermind's death in such gory detail on so many countless occasions, it was that obsessive quality that had led to a pure and unspoiled Novoselic. Could it have been different? If Sonia were alive, of course, but her country was as ruined as the rest of them? Perhaps then, she would not have been asked to accept the unacceptable.

Of course, from the way she spoke of her misplaced guilt, the former archer doubted she would have seen that as any preferable outcome. "I don't know that it's worth the comparison," she mumbled, wincing as the hook finally cut through her thumb, and could be sliced down towards her knuckle. "It isn't as though your suffering does anything to benefit our situation. I doubt any of my classmates will ever experience loving, romantic relationships, either."

There had been a number of romantic entanglements among the former Class 77-A, and though Shinobu herself had taken no part in them, she had a hard time imagining that things could simply to return to the way they were. Sakamoto and Ishikawa, as well as Miss Hanasaki and Tsubasa, were all still in comas, and surely Miss Kamiya was in no position to accept anyone's love. Among the rest of them, what chance was there? For herself, it was impossible to imagine. Surely even Ayaka would be repulsed by that sort of relationship, and for good reason.

"Still, it's a regrettable situation." They turned their hand over, palm up, and brought in their thumb so that the blood that was dripping from the cut spilled into their hand. She should have bled more. Sonia herself, or that short girl with red eyes as empty as her own, or even some random, faceless soldier, should have ripped all the blood from her body and left her corpse useless and dry. "Togami is loathsome enough, but nearly a dozen more like him sounds nightmarish." If Sonia had to choose, though, Shinobu would have still suggested the pale imitations over the genuine article.

The opportunity would elude her, though, for as soon as Sonia mentioned that she knew of the tribunal situation, Shinobu's attention snapped to her. It was abrupt, jerky, a swivel of her neck so quick and violent that her bones cracked with the sound of air escaping her joints. To look at Sonia, really look at her, to hold her red eyes steady and not shirk from the sight of Sonia's blue ones, was more difficult than showed, and Shinobu had to fight to resist the immense pressure dragging down her head, imploring her to plant her face in sand.

Instead, she held the gaze for as long as she could, eyes unblinking, face sharp. The piece of her that wanted to position Sonia Nevermind's body in the most beautiful diorama of death would have to endure in silence, as more important things were to be discussed. "You knew. Since before you arrived?" Presumably, if that had been a reason for her trip. "And yet you didn't tell me, Nevermind-san." Rationally, she might have been told not to. Future Foundation controlled information when it came to the remnants, with the belief that they needed to know only as much as they needed to know.

And yet still, even if it was not Sonia's fault, the expression on Shinobu's face was a mix of anger and, far more prominently, pain. Perhaps mercifully, it only lasted for so long as she could maintain eye contact, before her flame burned itself out, and she slumped forward, bleeding hand in the sand, head hanging down as though it were too heavy for her neck. "No, of course you didn't. Future Foundation didn't see a reason to inform me until recently, and after that point, there would have been no reason for you to just repeat what I already knew."

It was an important reminder, though. Sonia was not her friend, nor her ally - she was not a fellow remnant who had been forced back into the bonds of friendship and companionship. She seemed kind, and respectful of others, which meant that she had no business aligning herself with those who had brought to the world so much senseless suffering. She had a duty to fulfill, and she seemed to them the type of person who would fulfill that duty to the best of her ability, with as much personal care as she could, but that was not to be forgotten. Sonia Nevermind seemed a better person than most, and that meant that it was right, or even necessary, to hate her.

"They're going to have me killed there, you know. I hope they told you that much, Nevermind-san." They knew how it sounded. Paranoid, or delusional, but it was obvious, wasn't it? "I don't want you to regret that you could have done more, when they do. They're going to explain how everything was because of me, and how I took control of everything after Junko's death." It wasn't true. Hinata, or that was, Kamukura had been what passed for a leader, then, but who minded the details? "They're going to recount everything I did, especially what happened at the National Diet Building, and then they're going to have me killed, to exonerate my classmates." Did she fault that? Not especially, not when they deserved to live more than she did. "I'm returning home to be executed in front of my country and its people." She swallowed, her mouth feeling dry, her head still downcast. "The alternative, I suppose, is being sent back here alone. I guess death is preferable, especially if it serves a purpose."

#quickdeaths #DespairMirror!AU: Post Neo World Program verse #(Shinobu vc: I'm gonna be killed-) #(Sonia vc: mmm...about that. Nope.)

[more-than-a-princess]

That was odd: in Sonia's opinion, hamburgers were just about everywhere. Even if her homeland didn't have the likes of McDonald's and other popular chains, plenty of cafes and casual restaurants offered burgers on their menus. They were mostly absent in her family's homes to be sure, but as far as she was concerned, her family were the strange ones. She understood the risks, of going to a small bistro with sidewalk seating and ordering a hamburger and frites to savor alongside people-watching. But that didn't mean it wasn't common and she didn't yearn for it, due to its commonness. Where was Zack from, then, where al fresco seats and sandwiches and warm drinks were not the norm?

"There is time for spicy food later, then, and mushrooms," Sonia assured him, giving him a smile. He gobbled up the hamburgers as if they were the last meal he'd ever eat, and she wanted to assure him that he had many more ahead of him. Presumptuous, perhaps: she had no responsibility to him at all, only repaying his kindness with an overabundance of her own. She tended to do that, even when advised not to: but Sonia had so much when so many others had so little. Surely there was no harm in sharing, even if it was just a single meal.

For now though, he seemed to be satiated by the burgers and fries. And comfortable enough with her answers to divulge some of his own, ones that left more questions than answers. At its core, her position in life was one of politics so she was all too familiar with 'non-answers,' so to speak. But even his replies left Sonia a little befuddled: this wasn't a man attempting to gain the upper hand by twisting his words, instead Zack spoke of the implausible, if not impossible.

And she, Sonia remembered as she stared at him, mouth slightly ajar, was someone who believed in ghosts and demons and all other manner of supernatural.

"G-Gaia..." She repeated, exhaling the word in such a way that, perhaps, it might settle her rapidly beating heart. The sort of feeling she experienced alone in a haunted house, or a graveyard, or any sort of place where everything was not what it seemed and adrenaline ran high. "The Ancient Greeks referred to Gaia as the Earth Mother, the Goddess that was the source of all life," She paused, recalling old university courses to study him as he laughed. He wasn't trying to toy with her and her presumed sheltered life. From the way his laughter didn't feel quite so real, he truly meant what he told her. "But that was not what you are referring to, I am guessing."

Another pause. This time, it was for her to listen for the shuffling of feet, the murmur of words, outside all of the various entrances to the kitchen. He knew about one of them, but she knew all of them. And when the silence allowed for a pin drop to be heard, Sonia opened her mouth to continue.

"Zack," She began carefully. She was old enough to know that while she genuinely believed in her inquiry, that those around her would find her ridiculous at best. It went along with her other outlandish hobbies and interests, she supposed, ones that the older she became, the less her family tolerated. "Do you mean to tell me that you are from another planet entirely? And if so, what means of travel did you embark upon to end up here?"

She was much too enticed by other planets supporting life to sympathize with the part of his statement she felt she, to some degree, could understand: the inability to leave one's job and live to tell about it. Even if abdication no longer led to mysterious and unfortunate deaths in the Novoselic Royal Family anymore, it did mean that the royal who did it would be shunned by the nation for the rest of their days and, in her immediate family at least, would be the culprit for plunging her country into an unstable future full of social and economic inequality.

Once food was introduced, it was a hard temptation to fight against. Although, he should be mindful of his behavior, he figured, she seemed to understand enough about his situation that she wouldn't mind if he gave into his instinctual need to eat just this once. In the future, if they were ever in a situation where he had the opportunity to break bread with her again, he would take things slow.

"No, not a luxury, per se. Just not that common." That didn't exactly answer her question. He realized that he really didn't do a whole lot of answering her questions since they arrived at her establishment. That wasn't very fair of him. He knew he had to give a little to pay her back for her kindness. It wasn't that he didn't WANT to, it was.... that it was all too complicated to put out there in a way she would even understand.

And even if she did understand the implications, what then?

"I favor spicy foods--- or mushrooms! Two very different ends of the spectrum, I know." He grinned. "Though I fear if I tried to eat either of those things right now, they wouldn't settle very well." Especially on the spicy side. Hamburgers probably weren't the best option either, but it didn't taste greasy in the least! It would settle just fine, he was sure. And if it didn't, well he would be satisfied for as long as it stayed circulating his system~

He was starving [half sated now], but even he knew to set it all aside in favor of the moment.

He nodded once her initial permission was given to continue. He had made the offer, without qualm, that she might take the reward for his return for herself. He would not fault her for whatever decision she made when going forward. How could he?

"I'm not from this world. At least, not the way you know it. My world is called Gaia. It's in dire straights at the moment, but that's not why I'm here." He laughed, but it was more a laugh at the irony of it all more than anything remotely funny. ".... I'm on the run because I quit my job. I'm on the run because, I'm not allowed to quit my job and live to tell about it."

#fairlybeloved #Non-Despair AU: The Princess of Novoselic #(Sorry about the delay on this! I was away on vacation until a few days ago)

[more-than-a-princess]

Taylor Swift, I hate it here

#more-than-a-princess aesthetics #(Draft replies are going slowly in part to my TTPD listening) #(But this song has major Sonia vibes) #(And of course: some of the tracks have ship vibes too)

[more-than-a-princess]

yeah….. my guy never stood a chance

#more-than-a-princess art #(That's basically what happened) #(Gundham existed and Sonia had eyes for no one else in 77-B)

[more-than-a-princess]

“There’s a difference between loving the idea of someone and loving the person they really are.”

— Unknown

#more-than-a-princess aesthetics #more-than-a-princess shipping #(It works for both Sonia herself and her potential partners) #(Her life isn't a fairytale) #(And she shouldn't expect everyone who fits her desired aesthetics to be good for her) #(She doesn't always succeed here)

[more-than-a-princess]

1-20 odd for the weridly personal questions owo

WEIRDLY SPECIFIC BUT HELPFUL CHARACTER BUILDING QUESTIONS - Accepting!

Thank you for the interest, anon! I've answered some of these already and there's quite a lot of questions, so I'm just going to choose a few from the list:

1. What's the lie your character says most often?

"I'm fine."

It is always some degree of "I'm fine" or "Everything is all right" or "Don't worry about me." Sonia was raised to never complain about her problems because no one would pity her, or feel much in the way of empathy towards her and the challenges she faces as a princess and, one day, as queen. So she tends to bottle them up often to her own detriment. Sometimes she has access and time to speak with a qualified therapist about her issues, but that's never regarded as a priority for her. She's a princess first, person second.

 5. Can they cry on command? If so, what do they have to think about to make it happen?

To a degree, yes. Especially if it's being used to garner support from others, but it's less sobbing/big crocodile tears and more of a very somber, yet persuasive look. Sonia just has to think about her cousins dying, or animal abuse, or how her parents hate each other and she can pull out that expression immediately.

9. Do they give tough love or gentle love most often? Which do they prefer to receive?

Sonia gives gentle love most often, as she does not enjoy being cruel and unfeeling. However, when someone really needs some tough love or she feels the need to exert her boundaries, she will utilize tough love and a commanding tone that's hard to ignore. But for receiving, Sonia appreciates honesty from others. She's so used to people telling her what they think she wants to hear, in order to endear themselves to her and her family. She'd rather hear what someone truly thinks and wishes to tell her rather than attempting to just get on her good side.

11. If someone was impersonating them, what would friends/family ask or do to tell the difference?

Oh, there's several options!

- Ask her to cook something. Anything. If it's edible, she's an impersonator.

- Give her coffee and/or plums and watch her eat/drink them. If she doesn't flinch or worse, says they're delicious, she's an impersonator.

- Ask her what her top five favorite horror movies of the 20th Century are. If she misses one, any one, she's an impersonator. 

- And as a more serious choice: her family would ask her why she had to leave In Utero High School and attend Hope's Peak. If she gets it wrong, she's definitely an impersonator. 

#more-than-a-princess answered #more-than-a-princess headcanons #(Specific but helpful character building questions meme) #(Thank you for the asks anon!) #(I didn't have time to answer all of them but I wanted to get to a few of them)

[more-than-a-princess]

Just a small heads up that I'm home from my honeymoon/vacation! My current queue runs through Sunday, but with both the jet lag and a good amount of threads to reply to, I likely won't get new replies up until Monday. If you've sent me a thread reply in the past two weeks, my responses will continue then. Once I finish those, I'll be more open to dashcomm and new threads.

Thanks for understanding!

#more-than-a-princess musings #(when it's 10 PM but my body feels like it's 4 AM) #(Must. Power. Through!)

[more-than-a-princess]

It was rude and Sonia knew it, to not properly give Yaguchi her full attention as she spoke to her. And yet she buried herself beneath the blankets anyway: mass murder tended to excuse rules of etiquette, she thought. But Sonia sniffled beneath the comforter as they spoke, tugging the fluffy blanket down just enough, just to her chin, when they mentioned something she couldn't ignore.

"Your mentor and your girlfriend," She spoke quietly. She could show Yaguchi her face, but she couldn't meet their eyes. Not when she feared the worst before she even posed the question. "Were their demises my fault?" It was certainly The Tragedy's fault in some way or other, and most often attributed to something related to The Remnants of Despair. What she was asking was if those closest to Yaguchi were killed by her hands or direct order: Sonia had killed so many people, that unless they were blood-related or carried some other importance to her, she could not remember them all by name.

The weight of the bed shifted as Yaguchi rose to their feet, Sonia's side now sinking down a bit more with just her body in it. From the way they spoke favorably of her companionship, maybe she hadn't murdered those closest to them. But it would take a person with stronger moral fortitude than Sonia right now to forgive someone, much less wish to be around someone, who took the lives of someone they loved and respected. "We are not encouraged to talk about our feelings," She replied, still reluctant to show Yaguchi anything besides her face at present. "Unless they have a hopeful tone to them. The Future Foundation wants reassurance that we will be integrated back into society safely, that Naegi's plans were not fruitless or leading to us remaining here on Jabberwock Island, draining Future Foundation resources."

That meant not focusing on anything particularly unpleasant for the long term. Her desire not to return to Novoselic ranked highly on the list of things the Future Foundation did not want to hear from her, with how little she slept or ate, and how much she needed some sort of intoxication to relax ranked just below it.

Sonia gave Yaguchi a wary look from her spot beneath the blankets, watching her as she donned her trousers and socks but left her shirt and jacket alone. Even in the humidity and heat of the island, she didn't seem the type to go without for the sake of comfort. She intended to stay, and listen to whatever Sonia decided to tell her. A departure from how the rest of the Future Foundation treated her and the other Remnants of Despair. "I will not throw you out, if that is what you are asking," Sonia clarified for her, "But I will require my privacy for bathing and dressing." Frankly, her frail limbs, pallid skin, and the litany of scars over her belly were things she didn't wish for any other human to witness. Tsumiki and Kirigiri were the exceptions, the latter having needed to help bathe and dress her after she'd woken up from the simulation and the former, in her spare time, was attempting different methods to see if she could make Sonia's scars fade.

She frowned at the idea of breakfast. Eating in general had lost much of its appeal after the Neo-World Program, and understanding what had really happened before they'd been sent there. "No one likes it when I use the kitchen," She replied matter-of-factly, shifting her weight to sit up against the headboard of her bed, the blankets falling to her waist. "Not even this one. You may cook as you like in it, but I do not have much of an appetite. I hardly ever do." Most of them didn't feel up for eating much, not even Akane anymore. Just as well, as Teruteru had lost all passion for cooking when he'd learned how horribly he'd poisoned others with his food. Sonia did that without being swayed by Despair, so it was determined that prepackaged food was what she would be allowed to keep in her cabin, or items she could eat cold and fresh from the small refrigerator. Unless Yaguchi wanted cold cereal over milk, she'd have her work cut out for her to create a decent meal.

"The hotel meals would probably be more appealing to you, though," Sonia said, her tone dull as she watched her move about her cabin. "My horrible culinary skills aside, they try to encourage us to eat as a group and not in our cabins, so we are not allowed to have much in the way of food here."

Logically, Shinobu knew that there was little she could have done to prevent the tragedy from occurring as it did. Even if she had acted differently, what was done to Sonia and her classmates went beyond some kind of simple, reason-based decision. Junko Enoshima had manipulated them with both torment and subliminal messaging at the most vulnerable period, and that was the source of their descent. It had little to do with personal comfort or happiness - after all, Shinobu had endured quite a difficult life, themselves, and they hadn't fallen. Meanwhile, some of the happiest or most put-together people had been laid low by only a handful of videos. There was nothing that could have been done by a depressed, abused teenager.

And yet, looking at Sonia sobbing, her eyes puffy and her face covered in splotchy red, Shinobu wondered why it had taken her so long to properly contextualize any empathy. She'd felt similarly, in high school - when Sonia looked gloomy, or regretful, when the many, many demands upon her were too much for anyone to bear even as she attempted to manage with a smile, Shinobu had felt the same emotion as she did now. She'd pushed Sonia away, then, carelessly, thoughtlessly, while now all she wished to do was draw her closer into her arms, and soothe her as best she could.

Though she didn't touch her, reasoning that Sonia might have reached her limit on unexpected physical contact, Shinobu still sat near her, not tearing her gaze away. "You've been a friend to me since I arrived here. You've allowed me to spend time with you, and share experiences with you, even when my organization has not treated you fairly or with kindness." Even that word came so much easier now than it had, friend. As though it had been weak to say it, as though showing human emotions or desiring human relationships was wrong, somehow.

"I don't have any friends or family left. The closest thing I had to a mentor, and my girlfriend, are both gone. I am not well-liked among my peers at Future Foundation, and the administration pities me at best, or despises me at worst." Neither was better than the other, truly. They gave a soft sigh as they looked at Sonia. There were so few moments that they had seen her like this, face covered in tears and snot, among the furthest things from the composed and well-mannered girl they'd known. Yet she was Sonia, still, underneath it. Different from how she had been, very different, but still the person Shinobu cared for so deeply.

Standing from the bed, Shinobu decided to give Sonia a bit of space, just in case their presence was making her feel claustrophobic. "So, of course I find comfort in you, and your companionship. I'm happy to talk to you, and watch films together, and I'm happy to listen to you if you're upset and want to tell someone how you're feeling." With the power back on, her cell phone had resumed charging, plugged into an outlet. There were a few messages, and mixed calls, that Shinobu inspected as she picked it up. Well, those were less important in the moment than continuing here with Sonia.

Though she hadn't brought a change of clothes, Shinobu at least dressed in her socks and slacks. That she left her button-up, and her blazer, where they were was perhaps some indication that she wasn't making for a hasty exit. "If you want me to leave, I'll do so. I don't mean to cause trouble for you when you'd prefer to be alone, but please don't read false intent into my actions." Sitting at the edge of the bed, she was careful not to touch Sonia, even as she looked to her with a soft expression. "I don't want to leave. I want to stay here with you, if you'd accept it." If it could give Sonia even the slightest bit of comfort or happiness, she'd spend the rest of her life in this cabin.

From the way Sonia was laying upon the bed, buried beneath the blankets as she was, Shinobu imagined she had no desire to get up, and even the prospect of a trip to the library wouldn't excite her. If she needed time to process her feelings, if the morning was too difficult for her to bear, then the archer had no intention of forcing her to do anything. It was enough just to be near her, in case she needed something. Anything else could wait, including her duties as a Future Foundation agent. If she was still in some standing - not good standing, perhaps, but some standing - after beating Togami's face blue, then a few hours of absence was unlikely to move the needle either way.

"Though, if you want to stay in, you still need to eat." There was a small kitchenette in the cabin, and though it lacked a number of amenities and tools - likely due to concern for Sonia's safety - Shinobu imagined they could work their way through something or other. "So, rather than leave, what I'd like to do is cook a small breakfast for the two of us, and eat it together." Rather than reach beneath the covers for Sonia's hand, she merely rested her own over where she could see the faint outline of it. "You're under no obligation to eat more than you'd like, but would that be agreeable to you?"

#quickdeaths #post neo world program verse #(Sonia is still stubborn and lacking an appetite) #(Sonia logic is: if she stays in the bed long enough they can't make her go home)

[more-than-a-princess]

#more-than-a-princess art #(Kazuichi is trying to interfere) #(But he's too late: Sonia is smitten with Gundham) #(And the devas) #(As life should be)

[more-than-a-princess]

33. How do they greet someone they dislike / hate?

WEIRDLY SPECIFIC BUT HELPFUL CHARACTER BUILDING QUESTIONS - Accepting!

It's with a smile.

It's been ingrained in Sonia to always smile, even when she feels terrible. Appearing as if she's not thoughtful, confident, wise, and compassionate is an insult to both her country and her family. 

That doesn't mean it's a genuine smile. Sonia is a pro at smiling but having the meaning behind her 'cheerful' expression be anything but. Many times, particularly around friends and her partner, she will truly be happy and content with her smile. But others, it's an awkward, uncomfortable smile when she's panicking instead of feeling secure.

But when it's someone she very much doesn't like? That smile is stretched so thin and her eyes are narrowed, as opposed to bright and open, or with a slightly downward slant in the outer corners when she's worried or anxious. The key with reading Sonia's emotions is to look at her eyes rather than her mouth, they tend to convey much more. 

But she will say hello through gritted teeth and make some sort of small talk, as she's been raised to do. Yet she won't show much interest in the person beyond that: for someone who is naturally curious and enjoys learning about the world around her, it's rather telling when she doesn't take an interest in someone. Because she despises them that much and is counting the seconds until she is no longer in their presence.

Sonia would be great at a customer service job due to needing to keep a level head at all times, but she'd ultimately fail in a job like that because she'd insist on making things better/more efficient, even when she's not the one in charge. 

#more-than-a-princess answered #more-than-a-princess headcanons #dcviated #(specific but helpful character building questions meme) #(I wish she could just spit some truths and glare at her enemies) #(But alas she gives the 'I despise everything about you' smile) #(While internally plotting how to get rid of you) #(Thank you for the ask!)

[more-than-a-princess]

In general, Sonia wasn't too difficult to find at Hope's Peak Academy. Outside of the 77-B classroom, she spent the most amount of time in the library, her dorm room, and the student lounge on her dorm's floor. The latter, at least, kept her from feeling terribly lonely. In Novoselic, isolation was common, like having doors opened for her wherever she went and having the service of household staff just a button push away. When she didn't require assistance, she was left alone to her thoughts. Or a movie. Or a book.

That was what lay open in her lap that evening, though it was hardly her preference for enjoyment: instead of her favored steamy gothic romances, she was reading about the history of wars in Europe from the 1700s to the present. A dull but necessary choice: she had an essay due in two weeks focused on why tactics succeeded and failed, and what Novoselic could learn from them.

With that in mind, she hardly minded being interrupted. She hadn't looked up when the door had opened, and when he'd entered. By now, she was attuned to the sound of Gundham's footsteps, and she couldn't stop a small smile from playing at her lips as he sank down into the sofa beside her.

But Sonia was surprised to feel his head upon his shoulder, his hands hovering at her waist, waiting in anticipation to hold her there. Her blonde head raised, eyebrows raised and eyes round, as she turned to look at him settled against her. But the shock was short-lived as she gave a gentle sigh, content, and a nod of her head. The essay could wait, she thought as she closed her book and regarded him with a soft, warm expression.

"You need not apologize for this, Gundham," She replied, setting the tome aside before settling into his side in turn, prompting his hands to clasp her waist. "We all need to feel supported at times. Would you like to share with me what part of life has you so weary as of late? I would be happy to listen, to whatever you wish to say."

@more-than-a-princess liked for a starter! (X)

Physical affection wasn't something Gundham sought out very often, at least that's what most people would assume. It wasn't that he didn't like to be touched, he was simply very choosey in who he allowed to touch him. He was much like a stray cat, knowing how cruel the world could be from living within it's darkest depths firsthand, he was slow to open up until it was proven he could without consequence.

Because of this, it was perhaps a surprise when the rather tired looking breeder had tipped forwards into the princess the moment they were away from prying eyes, his forehead coming to rest on her shoulder with hands just barely at her waist, waiting for permission to touch. "My apologies, She-Cat. I find that life upon this mortal plane has been most taxing to this vessal as of late. May we...stay like this, just for a moment?"

#the-ultimate-muses #Non-Despair AU: Hope's Peak Academy verse #(They're cute your honor) #(The mortal plane is just too stressful for Gundham) #(Relatable content)

[more-than-a-princess]

Here another Graffart collab with Dangan ronpa

This one has a Kimono theme

this one with the Super Danganronpa 2 cast

Dr 1 Cast Drae Cast

#more-than-a-princess art #(Sonia is so cute in her kimono!) #(Someone please take her to a summer festival so she can don a yukata and eat street food)

[more-than-a-princess]

35. What is the smallest, morally questionable choice they’ve made?

WEIRDLY SPECIFIC BUT HELPFUL CHARACTER BUILDING QUESTIONS - Accepting!

The process of recycling just baffles Sonia. She knows it's good for the environment, but for someone who has never had to cook or clean for herself, it makes little sense to her about how and why people sort through their garbage. And that's just in Novoselic: Japanese recycling laws are even more strict! And those living in the Hope's Peak Academy dormitories are supposed to sort their dorm room trash accordingly.

Except Sonia. Every time she's tried to do it, she gets firmly worded, if not angry, emails from the housing organization who runs the dormitory asking her to fix it. But due to the cultural gap and Sonia, quite literally, just forgetting to do it, she just sticks everything she needs to throw out in one bag of trash and puts it out for the waste management system employees to take.

No one has said anything to her about it anymore, but what she doesn't know is that her parents have given the school a substantial bonus, on top of the money they've already donated, that keeps the company that looks after the dorms happy. And someone else properly sorts through her trash for her after signing about a dozen NDAs about what they find in Princess Sonia of Novoselic's garbage.

#more-than-a-princess answered #more-than-a-princess headcanons #mechatiqe #(Specific but helpful character building questions meme) #(Thank you for the ask!) #(Sonia thinks there's too many conflicting categories to sort trash in Japan) #(So she just bags it all up and throws it out) #(Without knowing someone else is paid to sort through it)

[more-than-a-princess]

What was going on? Sonia didn't understand why Shinobu had suddenly turned so cold and bitter at Yuto Okuma's welcome. She'd had no intention of forgoing the seats Shinobu had for the concert in favor of his likely more favorable ones, where view and acoustics were concerned. And Sonia had felt compelled to make that clear to everyone involved. Yet it hadn't seemed to matter, at least to Shinobu: Yuto, to his credit, still smiled warmly and politely at them both.

She frowned in Shinobu's direction instead: she didn't like it, just how cruel she'd become in the span of minutes. Maybe she hadn't explained her family's rules of etiquette clearly enough, or maybe she thought it would have been obvious to her that, in such a situation, it was appropriate for men to help women out of cars when mixed company was present. But beyond that, she knew Yuto had meant no harm: they'd met at a fundraiser devoted to bettering the opportunities of entering elite universities for students in public schools. A topic they both believed in, she'd been attending to represent opportunities abroad where Japanese was spoken plentifully in most institutions of higher education.

Yet, he didn't seem phased by Shinobu's chilly response at all. Instead, his dark eyes lit up at the mutual connection. "Oh, you know Iida-san!" He exclaimed, grinning. "That's excellent! I'm sure she appreciates your support today. You still have about forty-five minutes before the concert begins, plenty of time to give her those roses of yours."

But his grin faded as Shinobu went on, and Sonia's expression turned into one of shock. Even if that were the case, what was her friend doing? Why did she feel compelled to bring up the unsavory conception for a concert meant to do some good in the community? While she didn't know much about her friend, Sonia did have an idea of what the concert meant to the school, to the school board, and Yuto's family. "Maybe we should not discuss this here," She piped up, attempting to diffuse the situation. "Surely this is better conversation to have after the-"

"Iida-san's unlikely participation?" Yuto cut in instead, raising his eyebrows before giving a heavy sigh. Something uncharacteristic of him, at least from how the girls in his nearby vicinity gave him looks of concern in response. "Yes, I know all about that actually. You see, I was part of a student planning committee that suggested we utilize the skills of students here at the university with intent to major in music and to hold multiple concerts to feature them as soloists in order to meet this year's charity goals."

"Unfortunately," He continued with a shake of his head, "It was deemed by the Board of Governors that having a one night only concert with Iida-san as the only soloist would create an atmosphere of exclusivity, and something that would yield higher-priced tickets as well as substantial donations to the school's music department to fund performance opportunities worldwide for Waseda students. The days of individual wealthy patrons in Western countries are dwindling, and students may not be seen by symphonies around the world otherwise."

"Exploiting the talent of a famous student no longer in the discipline in order to yield financial gain," Sonia murmured, pursing her lips into a thin, anguished line. There was no point in continuing to suggest moving the conversation to quieter places, so she might as well comment on it.

Yuto nodded. "Precisely," He confirmed. "And because I am merely both a second-year university student and the second son, I have not earned my seat on the Board. If I had, the opposition would have had a much louder, stronger voice. Curse of being born second in families like mine, I suppose."

"I am sorry you were not able to do more," Sonia told him sincerely. A glance at Shinobu and she doubted she'd have something equally supportive to say. For some reason, she seemed to hate Yuto on sight when he'd given her no reason at all. He'd been kind and welcoming. She didn't understand and yet, there was no polite way she could press Shinobu about it. She wasn't even sure she wanted to: it could lead to a fight, something she wanted to avoid.

"As am I," He agreed with a small, dismissing wave. "I just have to work harder in the future. But I will not take up any more of your time: please, though, speak with my mother sooner rather than later. She's attending a pre-wedding planning event for my older brother today but she will hear about the attendance from today's concert and will badger me about not having you sit in our section."

"I will," Sonia promised him. "I will have my private secretary contact your family's office about arranging a dinner."

"Thank you," He chuckled, giving them both a bashful look. "I'll only get a minor earful about my lack of manners this way. But you should really deliver those flowers, Yaguchi-san. Do you know of the side entrance to the dressing rooms? They'll be the quickest way and as a friend of Iida-san, you should be permitted inside without a fuss."

"I find you easy to talk to as well, Miss Nevermind," Shinobu agreed with a gentle nod. "And no, I don't think you're speaking out of turn, or making unfair assumptions." Anzu was similar, but not entirely the same. She wanted to live up to her family's legacy, and was fighting with everything she had to be part of it. Admirable. It was harder for her, then, to understand Shinobu's position, even if she was supportive. Sonia, though, was perhaps the first person to truly understand that there was no choice at all. Shinobu's own feelings were irrelevant - they needed to inherit the dojo, and that was more important than personal desires.

It was best to leave that conversation to private moments, though, and in Shinobu's case, it quickly became untenable to maintain the same quiet thoughtfulness of the prior moment. It was jarring and almost offensive to her polite sensibilities to be nudged aside - particularly when Shinobu was the sort of person to acknowledge workers and staff members, often taken for granted, as people. The reasoning failed to land, and although the archer held it neither against Sonia nor her security guard, that did little to untie the knot festering in her stomach.

"Right. Of course. There's no explanation necessary." Her hand recoiled as though she'd placed it upon a hot stove, and for a moment, Shinobu wished she'd worn a different suit with better pockets in which to stow it. "Well, let's be off then. I need to deliver these flowers before things begin." It was a minor interaction, the sort of thing that a regular person could awkwardly laugh off, and then move on with their day. There was no reason why it should have been noted at all, let alone dwelt upon.

"Nnnghghgh, it's so frustrating!" Anzu whined as she flopped herself down on her dormitory bed. Her sudden weight on the mattress popped her phone up into the air, flying off the bed, only to be caught by Shinobu's waiting hand. "I hate forms, I hate emails, I hate texts - I'm so much hotsexier and charming in person!" "Be that as it may," Shinobu mumbled, setting the phone back down beside Anzu and sitting on the bed's edge, "they're an important part of adult life. I'm afraid you'll simply need to get accustomed to them, or hire someone to handle that part of things for you."

Anzu let out another groan, muffled against the bed before she rolled over. "I try to fill out the form for the panel, and there's a dropdown box for 'discipline.' I'd pick 'acting,' but there's no acting, it's all specific disciplines, and there's no kabuki, so I send an email asking about it." She sat up, wrapping her arms around Shinobu's middle and resting her chin upon her friend's shoulder. "So they tell me 'this is for a women-in-entertainment event,' and that there are no women in kabuki, and I say, I know, but I'm a kabuki actress, and they tell me that they're looking for professionals, not hobbyists, and I say, I know, I am, and start explaining things."

Shinobu knew better than to interrupt Anzu when she got like this, all tensed up with long, meandering sentences. Rather, they reached up and simply began to run their fingers through her hair. "We go back and forth on it and bunch and now they're just trying to say that they don't think I'm a culture fit. MEANWHILE, I am fighting for my life, getting dragged to hell and back, by half of the boomers in the industry for trying to do new shows based on new properties, or set up unisex training camps for middle-schoolers, because they just see me as some uppity girl trying to ruin all their stuff!"

Her hands tightened around Shinobu's stomach, wrinkling her shirt at the point where they made contact. "It's frustrating!" "Mm." Shinobu nodded with a soft sigh. "I agree." She gave Anzu's head one last small pat, before resting both hands in her lap. "It's as if one is perceived in whichever way is least favorable in the moment, or whichever way is most easily dismissed or vilified. Unwelcome tourists, or dangerous invaders, in one way, or simply 'women in a male-dominated society' in another, with all that comes with it." And they could never complain, either of them, for the predominant opinion was that this was something that they had chosen, and thus, needed to endure the consequences of. Turning around, she brought her friend down into her lap. "Take solace, if you can, in the knowledge that you are far more radiant than any of them, and that anyone who allows any sort of prejudice to color their image of you is doing themselves the greatest disservice."

How hypocritical of her. When it had been Anzu's struggles, she'd been so cold, offering only empty platitudes. Yet now, despite loathing the masculine role she was so often forced into, she equally loathed her own invisibility - the way she'd been pushed aside, ignored, and now supplanted by some gentleman who could take her hand in public and cause no scandal for it. That everyone around them seemed unable to hide their admiration, as well as their excitement for his presence specifically beside Sonia, only twisted the knife further.

Men. How easily they moved through the world, unbothered with what they trampled upon. They were forgiven their flaws, pathetically coddled by a society that held a father above a mother, and a son above a daughter. Men ran the companies, the government, private societies, cultural agencies, universities, and more, yet they blamed all of their problems on the discontent of women, while being so fragile as to fall apart the moment any woman proved their equal, let alone superior. Shinobu remembered reading about the scandal at Tokyo Medical University, and feeling so much rage that she'd nearly blacked out.

And now this man, basking in the fawning of the crowd, practically ignoring her until Sonia had introduced her, and speaking to her as though she required his permission to attend. They were welcome at the event due to Ji-yeon's invitation - the desire of a talented, hardworking, endlessly amazing woman, not some pathetic man resting upon the laurels of a famous ancestor. Truly, Shinobu found herself possessed of a desire to grab this Okuma by his hair and slam his face against the wall of his family's building, again and again and again, until he could write his own name in the blood.

They tightened, setting on their face that sharp, detached expression so beloved by those enamored by the cold prince. Between how she'd handled Hasegawa only a week or so before, and now this, her violent urges were causing trouble. It was better, then, to retreat the safety that was a bitter husk inside the ice. "A pleasure," Shinobu repeated, mirroring the polite bow even as she adopted a standoffish bearing. "And yes, I find it enjoyable, given the right atmosphere and ambience, though that's not my reason for attending this evening."

Faintly, she gestured to the bouquet in her other hand. "I'm a longtime friend of Miss Iida, the featured soloist. She requested that I attend as a sort of moral support." With the slightest tilt in her head, she regarded Okuma. I hate self-important men like you. I'd rather you all died, rather than continue to assault my senses with your wretched existences. "Perhaps you hadn't heard, Okuma-san, but Miss Iida was unfairly coerced into performing, despite her own desires, and her outstanding agreement with the university. I personally find it rather gauche that such an acclaimed institution would sink to that unsavory level, of going back on their word and applying such pressure to a first-year student to cover for their own blunders." Shinobu's lips curled back into a thin smile, lacking entirely in warmth. "Though, I'm sure you wouldn't know anything about that."

#quickdeaths #Non-Despair AU: Hope's Peak Academy verse #(Sonia is so confused as to why Shinobu is being so icy and rude) #(She already declined the offered seats from him)