#i understand why i didn't play it for so long but much of it's core theme is laser focused on me lmao. hi

[taupewolfy]

WHAT if i p3 ng+ and speedrun to december in time for december. i will not be doing that but would be funny to play one day per day yeah right like i've got that kinda time ha

#anyway it's on my mind again. lately. can't believe i finally played it earlier this year... #i understand why i didn't play it for so long but much of it's core theme is laser focused on me lmao. hi #i think it's neat :-) #got a hell of a kick out of that battle system too whoo

[xysidhequeen]

The King and his Red Knight

DPxDC crossover fic

Part 1

Really sorry to everyone who suffered through the fact that I didn't know about the existence of readmore. I can't fix the thread now but the individual posts are better? Sorry I have like a very rough idea of how this site works 😭

Check the: The King and his Red Knight tag to find all the parts

"Go here, Danny. Go then, Danny. Go to a random cemetery in the middle of the night for no reason, Danny." A voice grumbled, accompanied by the sound of sneakers rhythmically tapping stone.

Danny Fenton, currently Phantom, sat on a gravestone, his white hair a beacon in the dark night. There were no stars in the sky for him to gaze upon, their light hidden behind swaths of smog and neon lights playing off the gray clouds.

Clockwork had dumped him here, with no explanation for why. Not that he ever really explained much when he sent Danny off on his tasks. He supposed he should be grateful, at least he was in the same when rather than being transported a thousand years into the past.

"Wait here King Phantom. You will understand in time." Danny mimicked his mentor's voice as he let himself float off the grave he'd been dumped on after Clockwork shoved him out of a portal. His body floated higher until he could flip around, his legs crossing. He sat upside down, his chin in his palm as he glared petulantly at the assembled gravestones surrounding him, his toxic green eyes glowing.

"So far all I've seen is a concerning amount of ecotplasm for a city without a ghost portal and some blob ghosts! How long am I supposed to wait here?" Danny asked the air, and the aforementioned blob ghosts who were hanging off his body, soaking in the ambient ecotoplasm he radiated at all times now.

Neither provided him with an answer to his question and Danny let out a frustrated groan as he lowered his still flipped body to look once more on the gravestone he'd been tasked with waiting on.

Jason Todd, the name read. The dates, too close together, made something in Danny squeeze painfully. He'd been young, barely older than Danny when he stepped into the portal. Only for this teenager there had been no ectoplasm to bind to his dying body and repair the damage of death and force him back into a semblance of life.

"Who were you and why did Clockwork send me to you?" Danny asked the gravestone, one clawed finger tracing the words before he pulled back with a sigh when the gravestone gave him no explanation. The dead didn't always speak, not even to their king.

Turning his body Danny looked over the rest of the cemetery. It was empty, as most usually were this time of night, of the living. There were a few shades wandering around, circling closer to him, drawn by his presence. No full ghosts though, but oddly enough there rarely were in cemeteries. This was where the dead came to rest. To remember, if they wanted to. Cemeteries were sacred spaces to the dead, much as a temple or a church would be for the living who were religious. Ghosts who still clung to life, to their obsessions, did not frequent cemeteries, did not dare trespass and disturb those who had already found their peace.

Danny himself was an oddity. He had never shied from cemeteries, enjoying the peace he found in them, the guarantee of safety offered. And perhaps, he mourned that he himself would never have a gravestone for the living to place their flowers and their tears at. Who would make a grave for someone who was both alive and dead? There would never be a body to bury for him. His human half would continue to live on so long as his ghost core remained and could fuel it.

Maybe that was why he found peace in cemeteries, for all his whining that Clockwork had dumped him here. Cemeteries were for the living and the dead, one of the only places both existed in harmony naturally. For someone who was as much dead as he was alive such a place held a certain degree of belonging for him.

Danny straightened out in the air, letting his body lie above the grave as he folded his arms behind his head and looked up at the covered sky. He complained and whined about this task, but he was secretly glad that Clockwork had given him something to do. Even if it was just 'hang out in a random cemetary'.

Ever since he'd graduated high-school, revealed himself to his parents and discovered how deep prejudice and hate could run, and he'd run away to the Infinite Realms for sanctuary while his friends moved forward with their lives, he'd felt unmoored. A ghost with no haunt. Bored was too light a word for the gaping emptiness he felt in his chest, for the loneliness clawing at him. Clockwork, Wulf, Pandora they could help chip at the ache inside of him but not banish it. Not now that his family, his friends, were spread so far apart and so distant from him.

Not that he resented their choices, their distance, in fact he'd fought for them to do just that, to get out of Amity Park, to go to college, to become more than overworked teen superheroes. Still he missed them, even if he could visit them whenever he wanted. It was becoming clear as time moved forward that the world they belonged to and the one he did were two different things.

Danny Fenton couldn't go to college when his parents had declared him dead. Danny Fenton didn't exist as far as the government was concerned. Danny Phantom couldn't return to Amity when those same parents were waiting to capture him and tear him apart 'molecule by molecule'. Danny Phantom couldn't go back when the GIW were crawling over the town like ants.

So neither Danny Fenton or Danny Phantom returned to Amity after that day. And he made sure they couldnt follow him when he ensured the portal that took his life to function never opened again. He didn't need the portal any longer to get in and out of the Infinite Realms, and it was safer for the ghosts, his subjects, if the temptation of the Fenton portal was gone.

The world of the living was not yet ready to accept that the dead didn't always stay dead. And Danny would keep his people safe until they were.

Danny jolted from his lazing state of reverie when a pulse of emotion rocked through him, the strength of it stealing his breath if he had any to take.

Fear/Trapped/Dark/Fear/Help/HELP pounded into him and Danny frantically flipped around, head swiveling, poisonous green eyes wide as he triedf to locate the source. The emotions, the plea for help, burned his core, his Obsession screamed at him.

Help/SomeonePlease/Dark/Trapped/CANTBREATHE/HELP another wave of messages, of emotions pushed themselves at Danny and this time underneath the onslaught he could hear a rhythmic thudding. Danny looked down, horror filling him when he realized the thudding was coming from under the ground. From the grave he'd been hovering over for an hour now.

Danny flew down, sending back a wave of I'mHere/HelpIsComing/I'mComing to the boy trapped in his own coffin, feeling the intense wave of relief and hope sent back before he dived into the earth as if it wasn't there. Danny paused for a moment when he passed the thick wooden coffin, seeing a boy in the dark with wide, panicked blue eyes and fingers tipped with shredded nails and fresh blood.

"Hey, I'm going to get you out of here, okay?" Danny told the boy, keeping his voice gentle, soft. The boy jolted, fixating on the only source of light, Danny's growing green eyes. Danny hoped his smile came off as calming instead of 'freaky AF' as Tucker liked to call it. He grabbed the boy, Jason, as carefully as he could and then let his intangibility wash over the terrified teen as he lifted them both out of the coffin.

When they emerged from the coffin and the ground Danny set the teen down, leaning him against the gravestone, his own gravestone, and pulled back a bit. The boy was gasping in air as if the fetid, polluted air was the sweetest thing he'd ever tasted.

Danny tilted his head as he watched the boy ground himself. Now that the emotions were leveling out and his Obsession was purring in contentment rather than growling in a frenzy, Danny could feel something off about the boy.

Disregarding the fact that he'd just come back from the dead, of course. But that wasn't the oddest thing Danny had seen in his afterlife. No the boy felt... not like a normal, living human. Not even like an Amity Park resident, who all felt more than slightly liminal. No this boy, this Jason Todd, felt closer to liminal than even Jazz, Tucker or Sam, who were three of the most liminal humans Danny had ever been around.

Jason felt almost...like a ghost. But not. Danny could feel the tickle in his throat that proceeded his ghost sense but the tell-tale mist never emerged. It was as if Jason was...like him. But Danny couldn't sense a core either. Even halfas had cores.

"Who are you?" Jason spoke, breaking Danny from his thoughts and examination. Jason was looking at him with a mix of gratitude and suspicion. Which, fair. Danny had just pulled him from his own coffin and there were so many questions that could stem from all of this, disregarding all the weirdness that was just Danny himself.

"I'm Danny, Danny Phantom. Or just Phantom. I go by either. And you're Jason, right?" Danny asked, smiling at the teen and oops, yeah that was definitely his scary smile based on the slight flinch there. It wasn't his fault his teeth were too sharp now and his lips split a bit too wide.

"How did you know that?" Jason asked, blue eyes narrowing. Danny nodded at the gravestone the boy was leaning against with a raised brow. Jason turned and almost toppled over from the movement. Danny frowned as the boy caught himself on his gravestone. His skin was still pale, too pale, and as Danny watched Jason swayed again.

"Shit. You're fading. You didn't form a core and your body isn't stabilizing." Danny cursed, moving towards the boy who scrambled back, only to be stopped by his grave.

"What the hell are you doing?" Jason asked, hands fisting as he tried to rise only to fall back to the ground when his legs refused to hold his weight.

"Saving your life. The dead aren't supposed to come back. There's always a price to pay, a balance that is struck. Currently, as you are, if I don't get enough ectoplasm in you to form your core, you'll fade and turn into a brain-dead husk." Danny told Jason, tone stern and no nonsense as he grabbed him. Jason made an effort to break free, but it was weak, and even at full strength, he wouldn’t have been able to break Danny's hold. Few in this realm could.

If they had the time, Danny would've approached this situation in a far different manner, but this close he could hear Jason's heartbeat, a weak flutter in his chest, skipping beats as it tried to fuel a body that was past saving. Jason didn't have the time for Danny to approach this gently and kindly, to coax trust out of the teen like he would a feral cat.

Jason had minutes left before his ectoplasm starved body consumed itself trying to make a core and failed because while wherever they were had more ambient ectoplasm than most places, it was far from enough to sustain the birth of a halfa. Maybe if Jason had stayed dead for another year, he'd have naturally formed a core and risen as a proper ghost. But that wasn't what happened, somehow he'd gathered enough to fix his body of whatever wounds or illness had put him in that coffin to begin with and come back to 'life' but without a core to sustain his body he'd be dead, again, in minutes. And Danny was not about to watch while a teenager, another teenager, died.

"How do I know I can trust you?" Jason hissed as Danny pushed his arms down and laid his clawed hands on Jason's chest.

"You don't. But you don't have another choice." Danny said with a shrug. "Now are you going to let me save your life or not?" Danny asked, not moving his hands. He'd save Jason either way but this would be easier if Jason worked with him.

"Fine." Jason spat and Danny smirked as his hands began to glow a toxic green that matched his eyes.

Ectoplasm pooled out of his hands and rushed into Jason, filling him until the boy glowed bright enough to rival the neon lights of the city around them. The green light flared around him like an aura, slowly shrinking but getting impossibly brighter as the glow centralized around his chest until a small glowing ball of green, like a trapped star, blazed from his chest.

Jason gasped, back arching as Danny pulled his hands away and the light vanished under Jason's skin. For a moment Jason's blue eyes burned green and his hair flashed snow white before returning to black, with one single lock of unearthly white left above his forehead. Jason collapsed back against his grave, chest heaving. Danny watched, eyes full of a sad understanding.

"What the fuck was that?" Jason panted out.

"Welcome to the world of the half alive, half dead." Danny said with a smile. "Want to get a burger and talk about it?" He asked, standing up and dusting off his hands.

"Make it a chili dog and you've got a deal."

~~~~~

Fixed some typos added some lines

Maybe I'll continue this AU. Maybe not. This scene was in my head for days and I wanted to share

#dc x dp #Clockwork:And the new Fright Knight is born #Danny said im going to adopt kids from cemetaries now its my thing #Clockwork thought Danny needed more friends so he located the teenager closest to Dannys age and most compatible to being a halfa #Dani: Does this make him my brother or an uncle or what? #Bruce isnt getting this one back #not for awhile anyways #Danny has to teach Jason the ways of the halfa #He gets Jason ghost guns and Jason is very content with that #also with all the fighting he gets to do because thats like how ghosts say hello #Jason also takes one look at Fright Knight's sword and says: I want that gimme #Fright Knight and Skulker take to Jason very quickly and enjoy training him #Jason and Skulker shootouts range half the ghost zone and Danny is just amused #Eventually Jason asks Danny if he wants to help him prank his family and Danny is 100% on board #the red hood arrives back in Gotham with 100% less heads in a dufflebag but 1000% more chaos #Jason and Danny legit haunt the mannor for a few months and convince everyone BUT Alfred theyre conventional ghosts #Danny also adopts Tim during this time because Bruce obviously cant take care of this neglected child and Danny said bet this is mine now #danny phantom #jason todd #batfam #dp x dc #danny phantom au #phantom au #danny phantom fic #The King and his Red Knight #The King and his Red Knight AU #TKAHRK AU #Red Knight AU

[hyun0o]

Can I request G!p!Kazuha x sub!reader?

Jealous Girl

[G!P Kazuha x Sub! Fem! Reader] [SMUT]

Kazuha, the fine woman you are (-=-')

—

(•°=°•)

10:48 PM

Your own heart beats were heard while you're laying on your bed, while the air-conditioner in the background buzzed with the sweet remedy of the intro of a k-drama is playing on your tablet. Your body felt sore from hanging out with your best friend Jungwon in the city, running around, eating food, singing in karaoke, and shopping in malls. You needed a distraction for a another boring saturday, another day without your precious idol girlfriend. You understand her schedule of course, it's her career that she's been working on ever since she sacrificed being a ballerina. But distance make the heart grow fonder, you can't help but feel sadness without her presence. And yet, you still act strong, for the sake of both of your relationship.

Your eyes started to grow heavy, noises getting blurred in the background and as sleep was close to take over you, you heard the key pad unlocking as the door creaked open. Shooting up from the bed, you stumble around to get yourself look more presentable, you already know who the person is in your apartment. Combing your hair, you paused the k-drama you were watching and groggily went to the living room where Kazuha stood, dropping her bag on the kitchen counter with a sharp look at on her face. Before you even realize her serious look, you brightly smiled and ran to her. Hugging her with a tight grip, snuggling on her neck. You've missed her hugs where you can just hide in the crook of her neck while she comfortingly hugs you back.

"Baby! I missed you so much, why didn't you text me that you're coming over?" You were on your tiptoes while trying to reach her height, she found you too cute. Her anger immediately disappearing and just embraced you back. Inhaling your addicting scent and gripped on you tight, like you were going to run away from her. "Hm..." You hear her deep sigh, her hands possessively gripping on your waist. You soon realized her mood, getting a little worried. "What's wrong bub?" You asked as you looked at her eyes, seeing how tired and sleepless they are, yet jealousy got the better of Kazuha. Without any warning, Kazuha kissed you. Forcefully opening your mouth, your tongues dancing with each others while the exhange of saliva made you moan in her mouth.

With smooth motions, she started to guide you in your bedroom while still passionately claiming your lips. You knew something was wrong, Kazuha would normally show signs of wanting to have sex or taking it slow with make out sessions but this time, her movements were urgent. She pushed you on the bed, pinning your arms down and pulling away from hour lips for air. You were faced with the scene of her on top of you catching her breath with lustful eyes, you can't help but get aroused by your sexy girlfriend. Going down to your neck, she started biting and sucking on your fresh skin, making you whimper. Your pussy already getting wet from your girlfriends dominant actions. "Baby... mhm... What's wrong please" Your sentence breaking on each word from the moans you can't help but stop. It's not that you don't want to, hell you're already so horny for her. But you still want to listen to your girlfriend from a long day of work to try and ease her stress.

She growled while sucking on your skin, licking your neck and soon went up to your ear. "Of all people... You went with Jungwon?" Her low and shallow voice made you shiver, not helping the wetness in your core. Before you can even answer, you moaned from the feeling of her hands massaging your breast and playing with your hard nipples. "You're mine Y/n... I should be the one taking you shopping, dressing you, and eating out with you" She pulled her sweat pants and underwear down, revealing her rock hard member, veins almost pulsating to be inside of your tight cunt. You can't help but whimper from such a sight, Kazuha lifted your shirt up revealing your stomach, leaving wet kisses to trail down your core.

Slowly pulling down your laced panties, she licked your sensitive clit while looking straight up at you. This woman knows how to make you crazy. "Love... You know we're just friends" Your voice shook with the slow pleasure of your clit getting sucked, you feel her humm, voice vibrating on your pussy. Her kisses trailed back up to your breasts while positioning herself properly to enter inside of you. "Even so he's capable of falling for you" Once again she landed her lips with yours while you moan from the feeling of her hand pinching your nipples while her other hand circled on your clit making you moan louder, letting it be heard in the whole apartment. As she sucked on your tongue, you feel her tip making contact with your entrance, you already feel close from her touching your clit but then she slowly entered you. Your girlfriend is big so you try to grip on something that will help you for some kind of support. Choosing the covers, you closed your eyes while you wait for Kazuhas next moves.

She then stretched you out so beautifully, you can feel her veins on your walls, making you more eager for her to pump in and out of you. You pleaded for your girlfriend, asking for her to move, yet she stayed silent until she flipped you position making you go on all fours . "Say it baby" She hugged you from behind, and soon forced your mouth to open by making you lick on her fingers, moving it up and down on your tongue, you felt so lewd in this position. "Say that you're mine" And with that, she started to move her hips. In a slow pace you can feel her large cock thrusting in you with emphasis, making you feel so full. All while her fingers rubbed on your tongue, making it difficult to pronounce words properly. "I-Im yorsh Zuhha" Your drools dripped down on the white bed sheets, moaning at the fastening pace of Kazuhas veiny dick.

She chuckled, feeling how your pussy kept tightening up on her member. "Use your words properly Y/n" You can basically imagine her smirk on her face, soon whimpering from her sudden harsh spank on your ass. "Zuhha... I'm yours" Panting like a dog you kept licking her fingers with closed eyes, as much as it was embarrassing, you can't help but feel so aroused from your girlfriends dominance. She praised you, saying how much of a good girl you are while going full speed with her thrusts. Hitting your g-spot over and over again, making a knot in your stomach soon going to your limit. "Z-zuha I'm close..." She marked your nape while her fingers went down to touch your clit once more. "Cum baby, cum just for me" and with her last few thrusts, her rythm stuttered signaling she's also close to cumming. You collapsed on the bath with your hips up while moaning your girlfriends name over and over again wishing you could see her face as you went through your high.

And as if Kazuha read your mind she soon went down and kissed you hungrily, while the skin slapping from her hard thrusts echoed throughout the room until one last pump. Both of you came with loud strings of moans, painting your walls with her thick and milky cum. "I love you Y/n... I love you so much" Kazuha confessed while hugging your sore body, your can't help but smile from her cute jealousy and kissed her forehead. "I love you too baby... I'm sorry if I made you jeslous, but I promise, we're just friends" laying on your back to hug kazuha, she whimpered and mumbled a sorry for her jealousy. Soon sleep consumed you two still connected with each other, the comfort of each others presence made you fall asleep soundly.

(~=~)

—

I love cutie patootie zuha wanting Y/n to only give her attention lololol, I imagine her being so dominant in bed but after she'd act all baby for Y/n. Btw my drafts still haven't been cleared 🧍,I feel bad some of these reqs are from 1 month ago🤦 sorry for the wait guys I'm working on all of it Hope you all enjoyed <3

#kpop #girl groups #le sserafim #lesserafim x reader #lesserafim x fem reader #kazuha x reader #nakamura kazuha #kazuha lesserafim #kazuha #smut #lesserafim imagines #jungwon #enhypen

[jeonlicious]

SWEET AND SEXY ; jeongguk

pairing: vampire!jeongguk x human!reader

synopsis: “I'm gonna ruin you tonight baby.”

genre: smut

word count: 🤷‍♀️

warnings: bdsm, food play (kinda? idk?), teasing, VAMPY JK, dom!jk, sub!reader

author’s note: happy valentines day!! heres a little smutty drabble for you 💓 english is not my first language.

“My love, you look so delicious right now,” He whispered in your ear, kissing your trapped figure. His hands went to your handcuffed ones, interviewing his fingers with yours. You whined into the kiss, wishing you could see him right now stupid blindfold. “Don’t worry baby you'll have your fun too,” He kissed his way down your body stopping at your navel. “Wait right here, don’t go anywhere,”

As if you could. It's been 40 minutes, 40 fucking minutes since he handcuffed you to the bed and teased you without mercy. You don't know what got into him, but since the morning he's been super clingy, wanting to taste you every chance he got. He even bit you! Then you had to wear a fucking turtle neck to work, very uncomfortable.

But when you got home, then the monster in him showed up.

You didn't even get the chance to get out of your shoes and he was pinning you to the wall. “I waited for you all day, wanted to taste you so bad,” He growled into your neck kissing the little mark he left in the morning. “Wanted to fuck you, so so much”

And that's how you ended up here, handcuffed to his bed, naked and blindfolded. Moments later you could hear the door open. His footsteps got closer to the bed and he was holding something in his hands. You felt the bed dip next to you and then two fingers in front of your mouth. “Open.” He said and pushed them in, his fingers tasted weird and they were probably covered in something sweet, chocolate.

“Tastes good?” He asked with the biggest smirk on his face. “Okay, stay still for me.” You didn’t understand, why would you stay still if-oh.

You felt something warm and thick on your collar bones, then nipples, your lower belly, and inner thighs. That little shit spread chocolate all over you. “Oh baby, I’m gonna eat you up,” He chuckled and started to lick off the chocolate. Kissing you in the process, fuck, and did it feel good.

His lips were soft and warm, you could feel his fangs nibbling at your skin, mixing the chocolate with your blood. “Fuck baby, you're making me crazy” He whined against your nipples, licking them nice and clean, giving them little bites here and there.

Then he licked the chocolate on your belly and left the best for last. You felt your thighs being lifted. His now long hair tickling you. He licked you up on one side and then the other. You felt his breath against your core “I'm gonna ruin you tonight baby.”

© 𝐉𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒 2023. All rights reserved.

#𝐉𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒 #jeon jungkook #bts jungkook #bts jk #jeon jk #jungkook #jungkook smut #bts smut #jungkook x reader #jungkook fanfic #vampire jungkook #jungkook fic #jungkook drabble #jungkook imagine #bts x reader #bts fanfic #bts x y/n #bts x you

[mirai-e-jump]

Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger Character Book: We're KING!!!!!! Main Cast Member Interviews (translations below, LONG POST)

Taisei Sakai (Gira Husty) Interview

-Have a backbone when facing as Gira-

"When you were first accepted for the role, what did the Director and Producer tell you about Gira's character?"

Sakai: When all the cast members got together for the first time, we were given all our materials, and I spoke with Director (Kazuya) Kamihoriuchi, who told me, "Be yourself when playing Gira." At first, I didn't really understand it, but as filming progressed, I slowly began to understand what he meant. Gira is very genuine with his emotions. When he's mad, he's mad, when he's sad, he's sad, and his facial expressions are distinct, so I interpreted it in my own way, by acting honestly, and even now, I'm still mindful of that when performing.

"Gira's brother and former king of Shugoddam, Racules Husty, thought of his citizens as tools, and while it was meant to oppose him, Gira sometimes called himself, "The evil king." What are your thoughts on this?"

Sakai: I think it's something that comes out unexpectedly, like when my emotions start to overflow, or when I have something I want to hide, but my personality makes me unable to lie. It's also the same for when I want to motivate myself.

"Is it difficult switching between that and regular Gira?"

Sakai: It was difficult. Director Kamihoriuchi gave me detailed instructions on the emotional flow of going from regular to evil, and then from evil to regular, and I'd practice alot even after going home.

"You seem to do alot of preparation before you start filming."

Sakai: Yeah. I think it's important to spend time going over the script in order to get into the role. I imagine everything from, "Why is Gira in this place?," "What types of food did Gira eat growing up?," "What kinds of kids does he spend time with, and how does he play with them?" By doing so, I feel that I can easily get into the role.

"You have a unique way of delivering lines, it's abit literary, isn't it?"

Sakai: I looked up things in the dictionary, like the meaning of, "One tree, one plant"* (laughs). But, while it's important to understand the meaning, I also think it's important to know who Gira's speaking to and with what kind of emotion, so I try to be aware of that. (*Japanese idiom)

"It's been about six months since filming began. Are there any areas where you feel Gira has grown?"

Sakai: Recently, I became more aware that I'm king. As king, Gira struggles with what he should be doing going forward, but I feel that he's grown compared to the first episode. I've learned alot from my conflicts with the other kings, such as with Yanma (Gast) and Hymeno (Ran), and while I haven't changed at my core, I'm gradually becoming more mature.

"Once more, when playing the role, what do you consider to be the most important features of Gira's character?"

Sakai: He's the type of person who's straightforward and expresses his emotions more than the other kings, so that's probably the most important thing I'm conscious of. When I'm happy, I look happy, when I'm mad, I look mad…and so on. I myself am not the type of person to express my emotions very much, so I try to be conscious of raising my "gears" 2-3 times to get as close to Gira as I can.

"As filming progressed, did you feel more comfortable being Gira?"

Sakai: I think so, recently I felt that I'm finally getting used to it. But, I still have a long way to go. I can do "angry" and "sad," with ease, but "happy" is still difficult for me. The way I feel is something I'm still struggling with.

"Conversely, what do you enjoy about performing?"

Sakai: The times when I can act as myself. When I can communicate well with those around me and think, "This scene will definitely turn out good," I feel very fulfilled. When I can absorb myself into a role, I don't feel strange when I watch my performance in the broadcast. However, there are times where I'll already have something to reflect on during filming, and when I see the broadcast I'll think, "I could have expressed myself better there."

"You get so into your role, that we were surprised to hear that you're the type of person who doesn't show much emotion, so were you surprised when you were chosen to play Gira?"

Sakai: Gira's slightly outgoing, innocent, and straightforward personality may have been something I could've identified with, but even so, it still felt like something I wasn't expecting. Everyone around me is so amazing at their performance, that I wondered, "Was I really the right person for this role?" At the time, I really felt this way.

"At the time of this book's publication, episode 26 will have aired, but please tell us about any memorable scenes or lines."

Sakai: The scene with Racules in episode 20. Gira's objective since the first episode has been to defeat Racules, but it was very difficult to maintain that objective throughout those 20 episodes. In this episode, Gira says to Racules, "I'll surrender if you apologize to everybody and become a king who'll work to protect them." When I said that line, I perfected it after thinking back on the events from the first episode, so it's a scene that I'm very attached to. Furthermore, It was also a turning point for us because (Masato) Yano-san, who plays Racules, would be stepping away from filming.

"Do you think that the talent of Yano-san was a big part of the reason for that scene turning out good?"

Sakai: I've really learned alot from him. We've worked together on other productions in the past, he's been a great help to me in my private life, and of course, he's consulted with me alot on set. To me, he's like a big brother I can rely on.

"How's the action in the scenes where you fight without transforming?"

Sakai: About a day before filming, Action Director (Watanabe) Jun-san gives us a chance to practice in the studio. I'm not that good at action, so if I don't practice, I might have a hard time later. The sword is also heavy, so the action scenes were already difficult. I'm going to do my best at improving my sword fighting skills.

"In the movie "Adventure Heaven," which released this past July, there was a scene where you and Shido Nakamura, who played the role of Reiniol, the first king of Shugoddam, had a fight, and so the practicing continued."

Sakai: Once again, by being apart of the Super Sentai series, it's given me the opportunity to experience not only acting, but also action, dubbing, variety and a wide range of other things, I'm very grateful for this. Also, another moment that left an impression on me, was the dialogue with Kuwagon (mechanical lifeform "Shugod" Gira fights alongside) in episode 25. Chatani Kazuyuki-san gave me detailed directions, and through trial and error, shot the scene about 5 or 6 times. At first, I was saying my lines unconventionally, but the Director told me to just perform it from the heart. The Director then encouraged me to add inflection to my lines. By changing my attitude, I was able to really get into the scene, and I felt a good response with this change, so it's a scene I'd like everyone to watch again.

"In episode 26, Gira's line of, "If you make the first move, you're evil, if you win, it's called justice, none of it even matters. All that really matters is….who can apologize first," was also memorable.

Sakai: As of this interview, we haven't shot that scene yet, but it's a scene that I really treasure. I'm currently thinking of a plan for how to act out the scene where I make the sincere apology.

"It shows that Gira is a person truly worthy of being king."

Sakai: It shows the size of Gira's capability, doesn't it? I think Gira's grown in this respect compared to the beginning of the series.

"Also, for a time, Gira often wore disguises to hide the fact he survived, were any of them memorable?"

Sakai: It would have to be the pillbug looking "Pilltaxi" suit I wore in episode 15. As I said in my dialog, it really was super hot to wear (laughs). The filming took place during the time of season where either short sleeves or long sleeves were appropriate, but first, I had to wear yellow tights, 2 down jackets on top, carry a heavy shell on my back, and put on goggles and headphones…..It was very hot and I also had to do action scenes, so while it was alot of fun, it was also pretty difficult (laughs).

-Moving straight ahead to create a "Good Country!-

"Next, please tell us about your impressions of the other kings. Let's start with Yanma."

Sakai: I have the most scenes of conflict with Yanma, but, he's also my partner. Aoto Watanabe (who plays Yanma), also puts his emotions into his performance, which then turns on my "switch," and allows me to give it my all. Gira is usually pretty direct, but I think he's most direct with Yanma. It feels like we're alittle special. When Gira rushes to Yanma's side in episode 17, it made me think that we share a very passionate friendship.

"By the way, how do you think Gira feels when Yanma calls him "Octomush"?"

Sakai: I don't think he has any complaints (laughs). If anything, it makes me think, "Ah! He called for me!" I guess it feels the same as being called "Gira" normally. Currently, being called "Octomush" has become normal. That's why I was alittle surprised when Yanma said "Gira" in episode 17, even though Gira wasn't around.

"Please also tell us about Hymeno."

Sakai: I often clash with Hymeno as well. In episode 14, when Hymeno was about to go down a slightly different path as king, Gira strongly says, "Is this the face you want your people to see?" However, from an objective view, I feel that Gira is treated like a toy by Hymeno (laughs). I'm sure Gira doesn't think anything of it, but from my point of view, it's an interesting relationship.

"What about Rita Kaniska?"

Sakai: I think Rita is the one Gira respects the most. Of course, everyone else also respects them. The scene in episode 5 where they pass judgment saying, "If I say he's not guilty, he's not guilty!," it was so cool that I got goosebumps. They're the opposite of Gira in terms of personality, but from Gira's point of view, they're an elder like figure who looks out for him. We haven't had many one on one scenes together, so I hope there'll be more in the future.

"Continuing on, please tell us about Kaguragi Dybowski."

Sakai: Regarding him, the way Kaguragi was towards the end of episode 15 left a strong impression on me. The concern Kaguragi has for his sister and Toufu makes him choose to side with Racules and, by extension, the Bugnarak, despite his true beliefs. The scene where Gira asks, "Isn't your heart crying?" was really memorable. Kaguragi is often misunderstood because he won't show his true feelings easily, but Gira tries to see the good in him and appears to trust him. The scene in episode 18, where Gira secretly communicated with Kaguragi behind the other king's backs, was also a wonderful one. Not just Kaguragi, but the scenes where each king showed their emotions left a lasting impression on me.

"The powerup item for KuwagataOhger, the Ohger Crown, was stolen from Racules and given to Gira, suggesting that Kaguragi also trusts Gira."

Sakai: That's right. At first glance, the relationship between the kings may seem surface level, but I feel that they've gradually started trusting each other. I thought that although the characters were different, they all faced the same direction. When I think back on it, my impression of everyone might be similar due to how Gira treats everyone the same (laughs). But, the good thing about Gira is that he doesn't change depending on the person. However, I think the way I treat Jeramie (Brasieri) is alittle different from the others. He's got a boyish spirit and is a character loved by everyone around him, so I think we share a similar character, almost like we're, "A couple of bad boys." He's alittle different from the other kings, and I expect that their relationship will become even more heated in the future.

"We'd also like to ask about your feelings towards Racules, who you've been fighting. You must have mixed feelings…."

Sakai: For me, I wasn't told about the kind of relationship they had as children. Gira is said to have little memories of those days, so it would be better if he didn't know. I'm trying to imagine if Gira was told anything by Racules, so I'm looking forward to finding out the answers to these questions in the future.

"Also, you're often able to perform with children, such as Kogane and Boone, who grew up in the same orphanage as Gira, please tell us what you keep in mind with them."

Sakai: I think it's important to have the same point of view as children. I'd make me happy if Gira's attitude was that he wanted to have fun with the children from the same perspective. The stance of wanting to have fun together from the same perspective is something that Director Kamihoriuchi told me from the beginning of the series, so I'd like to push that point further.

"Do you think there's anything about the other 5 cast members that you would actually consider to be kingly?"

Sakai: Watanabe (Yanma) has a manly spirit, which is really similar with Yanma in that respect. When we stop by a convenience store, he'll buy something for me without me knowing, and he'll do it without hesitation. He's the type who takes his acting very seriously, which I also think is really cool. When we watched "All Rush" (pre broadcast screenings) together, he'd sometimes reflect saying, "I wish I did more of this." I think he's a really passionate person. Erika-chan (Hymeno) is someone who pays close attention to her surroundings. I admire her for her thoughtfulness. Her demeanor is beautiful, and I think she's the perfect fit for the role of Hymeno. I think Yuzuki-chan (Rita) is way different from Rita (laughs). She's very approachable and mindful of her surroundings. Both Erika-chan and Yuzuki-chan are very mature, and good at being able to see the whole picture. Yuzuki-chan is also the youngest member of the main cast! Kaku-san (Kaguragi) is accommodating, offers advice, and livens up the scene. He's like a father to us, gently embracing us all with kindness. Finally, Masashi (Jeramie) didn't come off very Jeramie like at first, but lately, he's been smiling all the time and is very charming, similar to the kingly side of Jeramie. I feel that everyone has elements in their personal lives that fit the characters they play.

"Starting in September, we'll finally be entering the new chapter, Sakai-san, please give a yell of support to the current Gira!"

Sakai: Now that he's the king of Shugoddum, I think he'll have a stronger sense of responsibility for the country. I'm looking forward to seeing how Gira will deal with the other king's conflicts and the various situations that the children will face. Gira's idea of a "Good Country" is one where, "The king protects his citizens, and everyone protects those who are important to them." I believe that this goal is an expression of Gira's humanity, and I hope that he'll keep it in mind as he moves straight ahead.

_

Watanabe Aoto (Yanma Gast) Interview

-The name "Hymeno" is a privilege for Yanma only-

"What kind of character did you feel Yanma was when you read the script?"

Watanabe: My first thought was, "This guy, I think he's a really cool man!" I've always admired men who take the initiative and lead others. Yanma shows off his cool side, but is also the type of person who can expose his weaknesses. That's why those around him want to help out. I remember thinking that the role was very appealing.

"Speaking of, Yanma's main characteristic is his pompadour hair style."

Watanabe: Actually, it wasn't going to be a pompadour in the beginning, but the Director, makeup artist and I came up with the decision. At first, I suggested a perm, with a "wet" look, but they wanted something edgier, so, they started trimming my sides more and more, until we ended up with the style you see now (laughs).

"Compared to the start of filming, have you discovered any new aspects of Yanma that you find appealing, or do you feel that you've grown?"

Watanabe: At this point, I really feel that he's trying to keep his cool image. Starting with Gira, he also seems to have a good relationship with Jeramie and Kaguragi, and I think it's because Yanma's willing to open up and talk with them. Don't dismiss your friends, but make sure to express your own opinions. With that kind of attitude, I feel the respect for each and every one of them. I also really like the distance that Yanma gives when interacting with someone.

"At the time of this book's publication, episode 26 will have aired, but, please tell us about any memorable scenes or lines."

Watanabe: There are alot of scenes I like….First, there's episode 2, where I say to the people of N'kosopa, "You guys, just shut up already and follow me. I'm not going to lose to anyone!!," there's also the scene in episode 7, where Hymeno reveals her past to Yanma. The scene in episode 10, where Legend King-Ohger arrives after the passionate exchange with Shiokara (Yanma's retainer), I really liked as well. Also, there's the wacky scene in episode 11, where they discussed how to reveal to the people that Gira, who was supposed to be dead, was actually alive. Ah, also! I liked the scene in episode 14, when Hymeno suspects that Jeramie's the one who caused the "Wrath of God" (disaster from 15 years ago), and Yanma says, "Things'll become clear when you finally meet Jeramie." Instead of being like, "I'll help you," he's more, "I'll throw you a rope, but it's up to you with what you do with it," leaving it up to her to decide, which I thought was very cool and totally like Yanma. I also like the scene in episode 17, where Gira saves Yanma, who's falling apart, and then the whoopie cushion scene in episode 19, where Yanma and Jeramie talk to each other, and they’re both smiling and laughing together, I really liked that one! It was the first time where I felt that he and Jeramie were facing the same direction.

"What do you keep in mind when playing Yanma?"

Watanabe: Before filming, the Director told me about my eyes. He said that if I remained as I was, they wouldn't have any "sharpness" to them. I watched yankii movies by myself, and since Yanma is a character who leads people, I wondered, "What kind of person would people want to follow?" I also read books and biographies written by people who've held leader positions. Through this process, I've slowly developed a sense of, "The coolness of someone who leads others." Now, I'm in the process of putting out what I've been studying.

"Like what for instance?"

Watanabe: Usually when Yanma talks to people, he'll consciously turn his head at an angle to them. He'll look away and stay calm, and only makes eye contact when the moment is right. I'm especially careful of the timing for when I face the person and when I make eye contact. I think this is an important factor in expressing what I consider to be Yanma's, "distance between people".

"What are some of the challenges you face when performing?"

Watanabe: The explanatory lines…there's so many Katakana characters. But, that's pretty much it. At other times, my jacket would fall off my shoulders while I was doing action scenes (laughs). Ah, speaking of the action! Yanma's pretty weak in fights, but I myself want to play the role of a more cool Yanma, so I'm alittle torn. In the movie "Adventure Heaven," which was released in July, there was an action scene between Rita and Yanma. During filming, Yanma was being overtaken by a swarm of Sanagim (Bugnarak soldiers), but, when I looked at Rita, they looked so freaking cool beating them up. Honestly, I was abit jealous.

"So you had a hard time with the explanatory lines, huh? There are many proper nouns unique to the show, so did you struggle with the intonation, especially in the beginning?"

Watanabe: It was difficult! I struggled the most with the accent for "Shugod."

"For Hymeno's name, should it be pronounced with an accent on the "Hy" or should it be pronounced normally?"

Watanabe: Actually, only Yanma's allowed to say it normally. Everyone else is told to put the accent on the "Hy". It's a privilege only I have!

"When do you most enjoy playing Yanma?"

Watanabe: For me, with the more serious scenes, I think I enjoy them more when they're over. As a citizen of N'kosopa, I also become nervous with all the extra cast members, but at the same time, it makes me feel excited. I approached these things with the mindset of, "Yanma's someone who brought these people together," but, when I walked down the red carpet with about 300 people all staring at me, I once again felt excited and the tension started to rise.

-Whatever choice you make, choose the one you won't regret-

"Now, I'd like to know what kind of impressions Watanabe-san has about the characters that surround Yanma. First off is Gira."

Watanabe: This can be said for all the kings, but I feel that he has his own sense of justice. I think that Gira's desire to protect people, even at the cost of his life, is stronger than others. He played the role of an "evil king" to make it happen. Yanma might laugh at Gira's way of doing things, but from my point of view, I think it's very cute. I mean, he's got a cute face, doesn't he? (laughs). There's something sparkly about his moments of "nothingness," and I think it grabs the hearts of both men and women. Even when he's doing something ridiculous, he has an atmosphere that makes the people around him want to support him, which is very much in tune with being a main character.

"What do you think about Hymeno?"

Watanabe: In my opinion, among all the characters in the show, aside from Yanma, I'm fond of Hymeno. For me, I love cool female characters. Furthermore, the selfish ones are the strongest of them all, right?! I also really like the relationship between Yanma and Hymeno. When Hymeno says something like, "you lack elegance," I tend to rebel against her, but I feel like we recognize each other's beliefs. Even when they're fighting, I don't think they feel awkward, I think that they're just enjoying themselves.

"In the beginning, Yanma called her, "Hymeno-chan," but before we knew it, he just calls her "Hymeno."

Watanabe: Actually, he hasn't called her by her name since episode 3, when he called her "Hymeno-chan." He did sometimes call her "Princess," though. So, I kept waiting to see when he would call her by her name next. And then, in episode 17, he said her name for the first time in such a long time, and it was also the first time he called out to her! It was the scene where Yanma relies on Hymeno, and I said to Erika-chan, "It's finally here." I thought it was really passionate that he called out to her for the first time in such a situation. I feel that Hymeno and Yanma are subconsciously acting in a way that'll make them like each other. For instance, in episode 7, I wonder if Yanma's answer to Hymeno's question about her past could've been more heartfelt because it was Hymeno. For Yanma on the other hand, when he asked Hymeno for a favor, I really like how she always smiles and helps me. In the beginning of the story, there were scenes depicted in which it seemed that Yanma had a crush on Hymeno, but I hope that in the end, Hymeno will fall in love with Yanma. That's my wish, but when I told Erika-chan about it, she said, "No, it won't happen that way. Because Hymeno is becoming more mature, in the end, Yanma will fall for Hymeno once again." (laughs).

"(laughs). So, what about Rita?"

Watanabe: For Yanma, Rita is the most distant of the 5. That's why Rita's the only one he hasn't called by name yet. I think for Yanma, it may have to do with Rita's position as chief judge. He has respect for them, so he doesn't want to interfere too much in the decisions they make. However, when dealing with them as a person, I think Yanma's the type of person who says whatever he wants. That's why he said, "So annoying!," when Rita screams in episode 19. I personally think that since Yanma can make friends with anyone, that I'm sure he can make friends with Rita as well. Still, he doesn't know much about Rita's personality, so if he can just break down some of their barriers, then surely…..Well, I do wish Rita would atleast be alittle more honest (laughs). But, Rita just goes at their own pace.

"Next, tell us about Kaguragi."

Watanabe: For me, I think that Kaguragi-san and Racules-san are characters that are most likely popular among adults. When I auditioned for the show, there was the script for the scene in the first episode, where Gira and Racules confront each other. At that time, I very much empathized with Racules. I'm only in my mid twenties, but even I know that you can't live by empty words only. I'm the type of person who has a hard time trusting people 100% right away, so I feel that the way Racules-san and Kaguragi-san go about politics makes the most sense. Among other things, Kaguragi-san's appeal is in that he's willing to dirty his hands to protect his family and his citizens.

"What are your impressions of Kaguragi from Yanma's perspective?"

Watanabe: Even as Yanma, I don't think he'd deny the way that Kaguragi-san does things. In episode 19, When he said to Kaguragi-san, "I guess I can trust you after all," is because he doesn't do things out of self interest, and that he's more concerned with protecting Toufu than the way it appears. I think Yanma can trust him. He was considered a traitor by many of those around him, but his actions are based on his beliefs. I think Yanma recognizes these aspects of Kaguragi.

"What about Jeramie?"

Watanabe: Jeramie's real cute, huh? Although, he's abit too pretentious for my tastes (laughs). In episode 12, Jeramie's origins were revealed. I think Yanma also feels that he's cute in that, even though he's been alive for 2,000 years, he still gets pulled around by everyone around him. Furthermore, there's the scene in episode 19, where Yanma and Jeramie fistbump, and I think that Yanma wanted to have an equal relationship with Jeramie at that time. So, I was mindful of that when I played the part of Yanma getting angry for a moment in response to Jeramie's words. Also, Jeramie's really strong. So, I hope Yanma can be in a position to guide him in using that strength.

"Do you think there's anything about the other 5 cast members that you would actually consider to be kingly?"

Watanabe: They all have their own wonderful qualities. Taisei may seem like an innocent airhead, but he's also got a manly spirit. Erika-chan is someone who always thinks from the perspective of those around her. She's dignified, in a good way, and that's something I want to learn from her. Yuzuki-chan is the same, she has a keen sense of observation. For example, when she sees someone who appears to be in trouble, she tries to move towards that person to help them. It's wonderful that she's not only able to anticipate, but is also able to act properly. Kaku-san is very experienced! He's the ideal adult man. I want to be like Kaku-san someday. Finally, Masashi is very friendly. Before I realized it, we became very close. I seem to have ended up talking about what I like about the 5 of them, rather than what I think is kingly about them (laughs).

"We'd also like to ask about Shiokara, Yanma's retainer."

Watanabe: My relationship with Shiokara is also a heated one. Yanma used to be a loner, but Shiokara accepts him and has stuck around ever since. They've spent alot of time together, so he's someone Yanma trusts the most. For me, I'm very happy and grateful to have someone like Shiokara by my side. He works for me, coordinating our foreign diplomacy. And, Shiokara's someone who can speak up for Yanma, so in a way, he also acts as my "brakes."

"If you think about it, Shiokara seems to have great communication skills…"

Watanabe: That's right. That's why I think his role is to act as a connection between Yanma and other people. For example, if it were just Yanma and his citizens, there would be alot of conflict, but with Shiokara intervening, they can move things in the right direction.

"In the future, are there any situations or scenes that you'd like to play as Yanma?"

Watanabe: I have so many that I've been writing them down in my phone's memo pad (laughs). The first, would be an awakening scene. I think it's okay for someone to lose sight of themselves. If Yanma were to switch places in the scene where he says to Hymeno, "The grief of losing someone, it's a luxury I've never had," he'd probably find himself in a situation where his rationality is thrown out and his eyes are opened. Another scene would be where Shiokara is fighting, and while everyone else is worried about him, only Yanma is watching and laughing. I thought it'd be nice if the person closest to Shiokara believed in him and watches over him, and so something in Shiokara would also awaken…I think that'd be a good scene. Wouldn't it be real passionate if we could draw out Shiokara's strength even more because Yanma believes in him?! I want to try doing it!

"As we enter the new chapter, please give a yell of support for the current Yanma."

Watanabe: I want you to stick to your own style until the end, even if there are many challenges ahead. It's okay if it's different from what Yanma thinks now. For example, right now he’s saying, "I don't flatter or bow down to anyone," but when the time comes that Yanma thinks it would be better to do so, he may lower his head. I think that's just how you grow. Whatever choice you make, I hope it's one you won't regret. From now on, let's show off another new side to Yanma!

_

Murakami Erika (Hymeno Ran) Interview

-I can say, "Thank you," with all my heart-

"At the time of being cast, what kind of character was described to you?"

Murakami: The first thing I was told, was that Hymeno's beloved parents had lost their lives. I was asked to create a role based on this fact. So, I didn't ask about the specifics of her personality, rather, I developed the character of Hymeno while acting. Hymeno's character introduction on the official site states, "Extremely selfish" and, "Has no hesitation in saving someone's life." I think being selfish means to have a strong will and a strong heart that won't be discouraged by anything. With that, I think it comes from the frustration of, "I wasn't able to save my parents." The reason why Hymeno was able to move forward with determination, and not give up no matter what happens, is most likely because she's overcome the sadness of losing her parents by herself. So, when I play Hymeno, I value having that kind of backbone the most, and it became a very important point of reference in my interpretation of Hymeno.

"Compared to the beginning of filming, do you feel that Hymeno has grown in any way?"

Murakami: It would be the fact that she's started to say thank you from the heart. Hymeno has a desire for revenge due to her parents being killed when she was younger, but I think she's lived most of her life while hiding those negative emotions. But, the more I came into contact with kings from other countries, the more I had to face it. For example, in episode 14, after learning that the animation, "Together with Moffun," was created by the people of Ishabana to cheer up Hymeno, who ascended the throne at such a young age, there's a scene where Hymeno says, "Thank you," to a girl, one of her citizens. Of course, as the queen of Ishabana, I'm sure that she had much to thank her people for, but I felt that her "thank you" at that time was a sincere one that brought her back to her original mindset, which she had forgotten. I think that's where Hymeno grew the most. Also, in episode 7, Yanma tells Hymeno that, "The grief of losing someone, it's a luxury I never had," and I think that was a scene where Hymeno realized alot of things. It's discoveries like this, through the other kings, that allow her to move forward again. These kinds of changes wouldn't be possible if Hymeno was all alone. Also, no one believed her when she said that her parents hadn't died from the disaster, but were instead murdered, except for Rita, who was the only one who believed her. Episode 16 proved that the "Wrath of God" was a deliberate act. As the story progresses, Hymeno, who would've never relied on others, came to rely on everyone at important points. At the beginning of filming, I was thinking mainly about how to make Hymeno's character stand out, and how to show the relationship between the kings, but, as Hymeno has grown, I feel that I've come to grasp the role in a deeper way.

"In episode 16, Hymeno gives Rita a "Premium Chibi Moffun" as a thank you present.

Murakami: I think she was just really happy that Rita relied on her to analyze the poison, and that she opened up to them and told them about her past. Hymeno grew up with alot of love from her parents, and I believe that she really wants to interact with alot of different people. That's why her interaction with Rita reminded me of my own childhood and made me feel nostalgic. While she's a strong woman, I feel that Hymeno must have often felt lonely.

"In the film "Adventure Heaven," which was released in July, the kings visited the Kingdom of Death, and Hymeno was reunited with her parents. During filming, did you ever remember your own parents and call them?"

Murakami: I did! I talked alot with my parents before shooting that exact scene. We didn't talk about anything special, we just had a casual conversation. But, I think what Hymeno wants the most, is the daily life she had when her parents were still alive. So, while I can talk to my parents whenever I want, I imagined what it would be like if I couldn't do that anymore, and developed Hymeno's feelings from there. So basically, I tried not to decide too much for each scene in my head, but rather, I tried to decide how I would act by my movements and feeling the atmosphere of the scene.

"Was that the way you approached the role from the beginning?"

Murakami: No, in the beginning, I did things my own way. I would often come up with a plan and then go to the shoot. However, I thought that I could make the performance better if we all worked together on it, as things can change when you're working on it with someone else. I realized this in episode 17, in the scene where Yanma said to me, "I need your help to evacuate the people of N'kosopa. You're not so heartless to leave the wounded behind, are you?" When I read the script alone, I thought that Yanma would say it like he was exhausted from battle. But, in reality, he said it with a very relaxed smile on his face. I thought, "I see. I'm surprised that Yanma would do such a thing here!" I responded to him with a smile of nuance, as if saying, "You know I'm not that kind of a girl, right?" I'm sure that I wouldn't have been able to do that if I had perfected the performance by myself.

"With that, she said that she's now able to perform with more composure than when she first started."

Murakami: That's right. At first, as I read the script, I thought about each line with, "Why am I saying this here?" I would think about each line and write various things into the script. However, I thought that if I kept doing that, I'd have a hard time in the future, and that if I didn't think too much about it, I'd be more flexible if something different from what I had anticipated happened on set. In fact, my stance has changed, and I felt much more at ease when I went to one of the film sites without any script.

"When do you enjoy playing Hymeno the most?"

Murakami: There are many times. For example, in episode 16, where I tell Rita, "Thank you," and I happily hum as I leave was really fun to perform. Also, the scene where Hymeno becomes startled from when Rita screams, "Aaaaah!!," is also funny due to my amusing reaction. I like performances that are dialogue heavy, so I'll read the script, and imagine things that haven't taken form yet as I go to the set, and when I get there I think, "Ah, this person is going to do this here! Well then, I'll try to get in on it." It's really nice seeing new developments happening all the time.

"On the other hand, are there any struggles when playing Hymeno?"

Murakami: Hymeno has dealt with many difficulties in the past, so she's not easily fazed. That's why I've had a very hard time with more emotional scenes. In the film, there's a part in which I had to hold back tears during the scene where I say goodbye to my parents. If it were actually me, I would definitely start to cry, but Hymeno has the strength to endure it. During those times, it's difficult for me to distinguish between the emotions of myself and those of Hymeno.

-I sometimes offer my ideas about Hymeno's makeup-

"Hymeno's elegant behavior is appealing, but is she influenced by Murakami-san as well?"

Murakami: My grandmother was very strict about etiquette, so I was often told that I, "had elegance." In episode 14, I said to Jeramie, "You, just reveal the truth, and nothing more!" But, I've never said "You"* to anyone, so, how was I supposed to say it?! I was really worried. But, I thought that Hymeno could say it, since she's a strong woman. The more I understand Hymeno, the more I realize that she's a stronger person than I thought. My goal was, "Have a strong heart, and be someone who isn't discouraged by the smallest things," and I feel like I'm getting closer to that by playing Hymeno. In the past, when it came to acting, I often felt sad and thought, "I should've done that more like this." But now, even when I'm feeling down, I can think, "Alright, how can I reflect and put it to use next time?" (*she uses an informal way of saying "You")

"I admire women like Hymeno. She's strong, but cute."

Murakami: She really is! Hymeno is selfish, but I think being selfish is wonderful. In this generation, I think there are many people who can't say what they want, because they feel that they have to conform to their surroundings. If those people can gain even alittle bit of strength and courage from watching Hymeno, it would be a true honor for me as an actor.

"Hymeno's costumes, hair and makeup are just like those of a princess. Do the costumes and makeup turn on your "switch" as Hymeno?"

Murakami: Rather than the costumes, I feel that I look the most like a queen when I sit on my throne. There are alot of accessories around me, so I get tips on how to hold a teacup and do other gestures. Also, when it comes to the makeup, I sometimes suggest colors for my lipstick, eye shadow, and blush. I'll sometimes even bring my own cosmetics to the set.

"What are some key points of Hymeno's makeup?"

Murakami: I try to keep a good balance in the use of colors. If the eyes are darker, the lips should be lighter, and so, if the lips are darker, then the eyes should be lighter. What I'm most particular about is always having, "Curled eyelashes." When you draw Hymeno in fan art, I think it looks more like Hymeno if the eyelashes are quickly raised up!

"At the time of this book's publication, episode 26 will have aired, but please tell us about any memorable scenes or lines."

Murakami: The line in episode 21, where I say to Gira, "What's wrong with being selfish?," is catchy, and it's my favorite because it suits Hymeno so well. Also, when I sensed that Scorpi (God Scorpion) had feelings for Kabutan (God Kabuto), she says, "Are you really just friends?," and I liked how Hymeno was sensitive towards a young maiden's heart. Also, in episode 25, where she says, "I always hate it when the flowers fall. But, if I think of it as a way to scatter the seeds so more flowers can bloom, then I can accept it." That line made me happy to see Hymeno grow so much.

"Next, please tell us about your impressions of the other 5 kings. First is Gira."

Murakami: At first, I thought Gira was the type of person who would be very noisy, but when I saw how he behaved himself during the meal scene, I felt that he gave off an aura of someone who was more than just an ordinary person. In the scene where she first meets Gira, Hymeno says, "I'm interested in you," and touches Gira's chin. I remember being surprised because we had only just started filming (laughs).

"Next, tell us about Yanma."

Murakami: Hymeno is a young lady with a rich upbringing, while Yanma is a yankii who's risen up from the streets of poverty. They're complete opposites, but they have a strange relationship in that they can share some things with each other. In episode 7, when Hymeno talks about her past, Yanma doesn't stand by her, instead, he speaks from a completely different angle. But, I believe that Yanma's statement of, "That kind of consolation doesn't help people grow," was said out of kindness.

"What's your impression of Rita?"

Murakami: Rita is a neutral person, someone who attacks everything with logic, so at first, there were scenes where I was made to feel as if, "Someone I don't like very much is here." But, as I got to know them better, I found that they looked directly at Hymeno and took her more seriously than anyone else. Rita is someone who can stand by others. The back to back fight with Hymeno is my favorite scene with Rita.

"How about Kaguragi Dybowski?"

Murakami: For Kaguragi, I got the impression that he was a very hospitable, lively and pleasant guy, but, he's also deceitful and had ulterior motives, so I couldn't trust him. Even in episode 13, there's a line where Hymeno looks annoyed when she sees Kaguragi and says, "Why are you (here)…?" That foreshadowing was beautifully revealed in episode 19! You can't tell people just from looking at the surface….

"Please also tell us about Jeramie Brasieri."

Murakami: I got the impression that he was a, "Strange spider man," who didn't really know what he wanted to do. However, when he finally opened up, I realized that he just wanted to get along with everyone. From Hymeno's point of view, it's like, "Why are you doing things in such a roundabout way?!" (laughs). In episode 14, Hymeno doubted Jeramie, saying, "Are you the one who caused the Wrath of God?!," but he kept saying, "I want you to read between the lines." If you just speak properly, I'll get the message. But, it's probably because he's never been able to engage with other people before. I find his clumsiness abit endearing, so I can't just leave him be.

"Do you think there's anything about the other 5 cast members that you would consider to be kingly?"

Murakami: One day, I was on standby for my scene, but due to time constraints, we didn't film it. I was feeling alittle sad about it, but Taisei-kun encouraged me by saying, "Don't worry!" I thought his casual concern for others was like a king. For Aoto-kun…when we had just started filming, there was a time when I was feeling depressed because I felt that I couldn't act well. When I went to the filming site the next day, Aoto-kun said, "I'll give you some candy." That sort of indirect kindness is both heartwarming and comforting.

"Looking through Murakami-san's SNS, we can see that she and Yuzuki Hirakawa-san, who plays Rita, go out together on their days off and seem to get along well."

Murakami: That's right. There are separate dressing rooms for the men and women, so Yuzuyan (Hirakawa) and I spend all our time together, even when we're not filming. I sometimes call her "YuzuYuzu." She's someone who can honestly and clearly say what she thinks, and I think that's a strength similar to a king.

How about Kaguragi's Kaku So-san, and Jeramie's Masashi Ikeda-san?

Murakami: Kaku-san is the oldest of the cast members, and I can tell that he's looking out for all of us with a sense of responsibility. He plays the kind of king who surrounds everyone. Ikeda-kun is always smiling and laughing at my boring jokes. The same goes for Kaku-san, and their kindness makes me feel like they're kings with a big heart.

"Are there any situations as Hymeno that you'd like to play in the future?"

Murakami: After filming the movie, I felt there were situations where I was like, "Hymeno is strong, so I can't let these things discourage her." I would like to try something like, "(through tears) I don't want to ruin my mascara." (laughs).

"Since we're about to enter the new chapter, please give a yell of support to the current Hymeno!"

Murakami: Hymeno~! You're not only selfish, but you've also got a cute side to you. I don't know what the new chapter will look like yet, but, as long as you stay the way you are and walk the path you believe in, I'm sure you'll be fine!

_

Hirakawa Yuzuki (Rita Kaniska) Interview

-Rita is calm and quiet, but is the opposite of "cold"-

"At the time of being chosen for the role and filming began, how did the staff explain the character to you?"

Hirakawa: Since the time of the audition, I was told that Rita would be, "A character who's calm, quiet, and fazed by nothing." The word, "Immovable," came up while I was reading the script and having discussions with Pilot Director, Kazuya Kamihoriuchi-san. Also, they mentioned that the character doesn't show many emotional highs or lows. As the international chief judge, they always take a step back and look at things objectively, but, this wasn't dictated by the production team, I thought it'd be better to do that if I were Rita, so they adopted it. Even at times when I'm with everyone during filming, I try to keep one step back.

"For your role Hirakawa-san, what kind of character do you think Rita is?"

Hirakawa: Rita has many faces, including the face they show to everyone and the face they show when they're alone. At a glance, they may look like an inhumane and cold person, but, they scream alot and talk with their Moffun plushies to clear their mind, and among the 6 kings, I feel that they're surprisingly humane. But, on the other hand, they also have a role as chief judge, and there are times when they have to stand in front of a crowd as king. Even in our normal lives, there's a sharp contrast between when we're working and when we're having fun. I'm sure that Rita feels that way too. Because Rita has so many sides to them, it's easy for viewers to relate to each side and way of life, and I think that's why we've received so much positive feedback. Furthermore, Rita often confronts people with the harsh truth of their situations, but it's proof that they've seen and dealt with them properly. If there's even abit of doubt, they investigate with their own eyes and legs.

"Compared to when you first started filming, what are some new things you've discovered about Rita recently, and how do you feel they've grown?"

Hirakawa: When we first started filming, we only received the scripts for 2 episodes, so I though, "What's going to happen to Rita?" In episode 5, which is Rita's first main episode, the scene where they talk with Moffun I had already performed during the audition, so I an idea that such a scene would be included. As I read the scripts and acted in episode 5 and so on, my image of Rita finally solidified in my mind. Thinking about it again, I've recently started to show my own personality in front of everyone.

"The scene with Morfonia in episode 10 was particularly memorable."

Hirakawa: That's the scene where, through Moffun, Morfonia said to me, "If the world's going to end, why not ask for someone's help just once? Moffun wants to stay together with Rittan." At that time, I think the feeling of, "I have to tell you what I'm thinking," developed within Rita. As a result of having the courage to show their true feelings to Morfonia, I felt that they had become less of a barrier to those around them. It was a moment where I felt that Rita had grown by taking a step forward on their own.

"You mentioned earlier about your position. What else do you keep in mind when playing Rita?"

Hirakawa: Rita's face is usually covered by the collar, so there's alot that can be conveyed by the way they look at you, the way they blink, and how they open their eyes. For those reasons, I pay extra attention to eye contact. Since the only source of information about facial expressions is through the eyes, even a quick glance at someone conveys information about how you feel towards them. The same goes for the movements of the body as a whole, but I'm still very conscious of the eyes. This is a character whose imagination grows in the minds of viewers, so I want to make sure they don't get the wrong impressions. And, when I'm speaking as chief judge, I also try to make my words sound compelling. I have a naturally low voice, so in order to make my voice more low pitched and stable, especially when making a verdict, I would lower my voice and make it stronger. The trial scenes are the most difficult, because there's alot of difficult lines (laughs). When I read the script and came across a word that I wouldn't normally use, I'll use a handwriting app on my phone to find out how to read it. I think that if you don't understand the meaning of your lines before saying them, it'll be unconvincing, so that's one of the points I'm working on. In addition, Rita, from their position of neutrality, has many loud, impactful lines in which they declare important things for the countries, such as the "Five Kingdom Alliance," and the trials by combat. I'm mindful of closing scenes like that in a cool way.

"Speaking of voice, the tone of their voice when they're alone in their room was also striking."

Hirakawa: The tension in the room when I was speaking to Moffun was like, "No moooore!," as I had been influenced by the script and felt it was much different at first. But, when I was reading the script the day before filming, Director Kamihoriuchi told me that there was a change in direction (laughs). However, I think the fact that the tension was the same as in the actual broadcast made the scene more surreal and cute. Still, just talking to some plushies is quite a contrast, isn't it? I also enjoy the close up shots. The lines that Rita says to Moffun aren't meant to be sweet, but are instead abit of a lesson. By speaking with Moffun, Rita must be trying to clear their mind. Performing those interactions has become a "switch" for me, and I feel as if I have a small Moffun in my head as well.

"It seems to be very difficult to keep the tension the same, in addition to being required to perform in a slow, almost whispering manner."

Hirakawa: That's right. Also, while men's low voices resonate great, it's abit difficult to make women's low voices resonate. Voices change depending on the condition, so I have to pay attention when making adjustments.

"Another scene that's received alot of attention, are those where your character screams in panic."

Hirakawa: The script said, "Aaaaaah!," so I wasn't sure what to do at first… (laughs). I hadn't really screamed much in any of my previous roles, so when we set up for the shoot, the Director gave me the direction of, "More screaming! more!" This happened before we ate lunch, but during the actual performance after eating, the volume of my voice became much louder. I then realized the importance of food. From then on, whenever my voice became low during filming, the Director would ask me, "Want to eat some food for now?" (laughs). Rita does that outburst when they feel like their head is about to explode, so I guess this too is sort of a "switch." It's normal of Rita to make strange noises in order to calm down. In episode 9, when Rita screamed, Yanma responds with, "Stop that! It's so annoying!" That was actually an adlib by Watanabe-kun, who plays Yanma. It made me very happy!

"What are some of the challenges you face when performing?"

Hirakawa: My visibility is poor. When I check my standing position on set, I can't see the right half of my body. As for the difficulty of my movement, I've been doing this for more than half a year now, so I've gotten used to it. Speaking of getting used to it, I wear boots with a heel of about 10 cm.* They're one of my favorites because of how cool they are. (*alittle under 4 inches)

"When are the times where you feel most comfortable playing the role?"

Hirakawa: The setting and worldview are completely different from the environment in which we actually live, so there are many things that we wouldn't normally be able to do. So, everything's alot of fun. It's also the first time for me to play the role of a judge (laughs). As I mentioned earlier, Rita has many sides, so I play them as if I were playing 4 roles at once. The most enjoyable scenes are those in which they can perform comedic movements. For example, in episode 9, they rush forward with the hilt of their Ohger Calibur to stop Gira's outburst, and in the film, they run towards Yanma with their hands raised. I hope you'll pay attention to the way they're slowly making such movements, even in front of their friends.

-They're calm, but, when they're excited, they're excited!-

"At the time of this book's publication, the episode that will have aired is episode 26, which is the end of the battle with the Bugnarak. Please tell us about any memorable scenes or lines from Rita."

Hirakawa: I was really impressed by episode 16, which dove into Rita's past and their childhood when they became a judge. I also liked that Rita's first exchange with Shiron, who they judged, was connected to the main plot of the story. This was the episode where Rita reaffirmed their resolve and responsibility as king, and strongly vowed, "As king, I will absolutely uphold neutrality and order," so it made me feel even more nervous playing the role. Gokkan is a special country whose citizens are current or ex criminals, so it seems alittle different from the other countries.

"You've had a lot of battles, which one has been the most memorable in terms of action?"

Hirakawa: Hachisuka Yuichi-san, the suit actor who plays PapillonOhger, Rita's transformed form, has been carefully teaching me how to swing a sword and move my feet one by one. Even the smallest movements, like how to hold the sword or the angle of the sword towards the camera, are the parts that he's very particular about, as he watches and guides me from the monitor, he says, "If you do it this way, you'll look cool!"

"We'd like to hear Hirakawa-san's impressions of the characters surrounding Rita. First, please start with Gira."

Hirakawa: He's so straightforward, that it makes me worry. It's really cool that he acts for everyone's sake, even at the cost of his life, but, he also has a boyish cute like feel to him that I think makes him a really lovable character. It's also nice to see him switch from his cute face to a cool kingly face. It's wonderful that he always thinks with everyone in mind.

"How about Yanma?"

Hirakawa: Out of the 6, he's the most wild, and has a manly spirit. When he says, "I'll follow the path I believe in!," I like the way it sounds, it's got a strong feel of passion within its roughness. It might be because he grew up in the slums, and has worked his way up the ranks, but he also has abit of a playful and approachable feel to him. Most of all, his cool attitude of "Follow me," makes me think that he'd definitely make any N'kosopa citizen a fan.

"Continuing on, Hymeno Ran."

Hirakawa: I think everything about her is beautiful and cute. I feel the strength of a woman from Hymeno, and she's the kind of hero that girls admire. She acts selfishly, but it's not for personal gain. It's wonderful that she does it for the sake of protecting others. I also feel the power to keep believing in what I once believed in, and to keep moving forward with it. I also think the fact that she enjoys fashion with her hair, makeup, and constantly changing dresses, is also appealing.

"Next is Kaguragi Dybowski."

Hirakawa: I don't know what he's thinking anymore! (laughs). Kaguragi is always up to something, and I think he's the most unpredictable out of the 6 of us. But, as king, he says he'll, "Get his hands dirty to protect his people," so he really does come off like a nice older brother. He's a man who'll take any side for the sake of his own benefit, so I feel that he's the most important person for Rita to watch out for and to always keep an eye on.

"We'd also like to ask about the sixth warrior, Jeramie Brasieri."

Hirakawa: Jeramie is someone who also has alot, if not more, mysterious parts to him as Kaguragi. He's brought to Gokkan every time something happens, so he has alot of scenes with Rita. I personally don't get what, "Between the lines," Jeramie is saying for us to read (laughs). However, I think he's got some similarities with Rita. I think they can relate to his inability to honestly express his thoughts, and his emotional highs and lows. I think he's the talking type, and the fact that he's so mysterious is interesting.

"Finally, one more person. What do you think about Morfonia, Rita's retainer who really understands them?"

Hirakawa: Although she's someone who always says, "Work is too much trouble…," she's a hard worker, who does what Rita asks her to do quickly and efficiently. I don't think their relationship with her was that close until episode 10, but after that conversation, the way they treated Morfonia changed. For her, she's also changed the way she treats and looks at Rita, and I think she's become more interested in Rita as a person. She's a cute, reliable and a beloved character.

"Do you think there's anything about the other 5 cast members that you would consider to be kingly?"

Hirakawa: I was told that it's uncommon, but this time, all 6 main cast members are over 20 years old. So even though everyone is usually pretty calm, when they're excited, they're excited, just like the kings in the show. When one person messes around, another one joins them, and then another will pick up on it…it's a really peaceful and fun scene to witness (laughs). No matter what I do, there are those who will definitely join me, so I'm grateful for that.

"You're all good friends, aren't you? We've heard that you'll sometimes go out to eat together."

Hirakawa: That's right. We often go out to eat together after filming, and we have alot of fun talking not just about filming, but about casual things too. It's currently pretty rare, but since I'm from Kumamoto, sometimes it's hard for me to understand the intonation of some words in standard Japanese. Furthermore, I was nervous about the intonation of some words we don't usually use, like court terms and the explanatory lines, so I had to ask Watanabe-kun and Kaku-san about them. Then, they'd say something random and unintelligible to confuse me, so I'd always laugh and say, "That's definitely not true, right?!" Also, it's very popular to imitate and speak as the characters on set. If you imitating Racules's name calling, or if you speak in a way that takes alot of time, like Kaguragi, you're sometimes called, "Toufu Ruler" (laughs).

"From now on, do you have any hopes for Rita to develop in the future?"

Hirakawa: Someday, I'd like to take off the collar and talk with my face in front of everyone. Right now, they only take it off in scenes where the other kings aren't around or during battle scenes. Scenes for joking around are also good. I think it'd be really interesting if a character who doesn't usually do silly scenes, actually does some, and I think Rita is the right person for that role. On the other hand, I'll have a sense of responsibility to make it funny, but, I'll be sure to give it my all if my wish comes true!

"We're finally entering the new chapter. Hirakawa-san, please give a yell of support to the current Rita!"

Hirakawa: Just as peace has been restored with the creation of the sixth kingdom, I have a feeling that new enemies will also appear. However, if you have faith in what you believe in, and do what you need to do, I'm sure you'll be able to face the challenges. You have wonderful friends now. Please take a quick breather and do your best!

_

Kaku So (Kaguragi Dybowski) Interview

-Being recognized as a liar makes me happy (laughs)-

"We understand that Kaguragi was meant to be more dark hearted, and to be more of a villain in the initial setting."

Kaku: During the time of the audition, I got the feeling that he not only played tricks, but also cheated others with his words. However, I thought that the type of character that's skillful with words but pushes through with power in the end would suit my style, so I tried to play it in that manner. Later, when I got the role of Kaguragi and filming started, the character wasn't as cruel as initially described, he was always smiling, and was able to overcome any situation with force. I think there was a direction to make him more scary, as if you don't know what he's thinking, but, I got emotionally attached to Kaguragi and decided to make him more interesting, somewhere between "amusing" and "cool", I played the role while thinking that it would make his character come to life more, and that's how I ended up with the image of Kaguragi that you see now. Kamejim, the Bugnarak's Prime Minister, is a dark hearted character who's also a trickster, but, unlike Kamejim, Kaguragi is a more refreshing character. Instead of those around him saying, "(with a frown) He's a bad guy…" it's more like, "(with a look that says: I've been robbed) He's a bad guuuy!"

"As the story progresses, what new aspects of Kaguragi have you discovered?"

Kaku: In episode 8, when Gira and Racules were doing trial by combat, Kaguragi was supposed to give Racules an anesthetic disguised as poison, but, when Hymeno asked him if he had switched them, there was a scene where he turned his head and went, "Ho?" Director (Kyohei) Yamaguchi, who directed episode 8, told me to, "Make it easier to understand," and I did just that, and it was unexpectedly popular on set (laughs). I was worried that I might lose the character of Kaguragi, but the response to the broadcast was positive, and I realized that going in this direction was also acceptable. Episodes 1-5 were a period in which the framework of Kaguragi's character was established, and while the framework we created was important, we didn't want to stray too far from it. However, I thought that if I was too concerned about not wanting to change my original image, I wouldn't be able to expand the scope of my role.

"As the story progresses, we find out that he has a little sister named Suzume."

Kaku: I knew early on that I had a younger sister, and that she was being held in Shugoddam as a hostage, but I wasn't told how she ended up there. In episode 15, the scene where he talks to Suzume for the first time was depicted, but, if I had been acting in the image I had up until episode 5, I might have thought, "Is it okay for me to act so silly with my little sister?" I was able to act easily after playing the unusual role of Kaguragi for so long, and (Mami) Kamura-chan, who plays Suzume, is an excellent actor and is good at adlibs, so we can act and joke around with each other in a positive manner. I was led to believe that Suzume was gentle and had a sincere personality, but that's not the case at all, the character is more, "Like brother, like sister." They have the same core beliefs that everything they do is for the sake of their country. They're the perfect siblings for the country of Toufu, don't you think?

"What do you pay special attention to when acting?"

Kaku: In regards to facial expressions, I thought it'd be funny if I smiled during critical scenes, or, if I had a more serious look in a scene, people might think, "Is Kaguragi being cornered?" I try not to bore the audience with my performance. I want to be as funny as possible, but in serious scenes, I just have to go with the flow. I make sure to pay attention to that.

"Kaguragi is always a step ahead and planning strategies, but how far ahead does Kaku-san know?"

Kaku: I don't know anything (laughs). I only knew that Racules would be leaving, and that the new chapter would begin after episode 26. I act after understanding the developments of the story up to 2-3 episodes ahead of the one we're currently filming, then, I would get the script for the next few episodes and continue to work on the story. It's a process I'll repeat. Even in the scene where he and Racules are trying to figure out each other's true intentions, as part of his trickery, Kaguragi pretends not to know, even though he does know alot of things, while I myself don't know anything. Honestly, it's difficult to play the role this way. I wish they'd atleast tell me alittle more…(bitter smile).

"Masato Yano-san, who played the role of Racules, was said to be aware of what was going to happen in the future."

Kaku: He knows what'll happen to Racules, but he doesn't know anything about the other characters. Maybe he does know and is just keeping quiet (laughs).

"The battles between Kaguragi and Racules to find the other person's true intentions were always worth watching. Some fans said, "Just those scenes alone were like a night time drama."

Kaku: (laughs). I had alot of fun interacting with Racules. I knew alittle bit of what was going to happen, so I used my imagination to fill in the blanks, and I discussed the performance with Yano-chan. It was more like a negotiation than a discussion. We didn't talk much about the details, but I would watch Yano-chan's performance on set and think to myself that, "If that's how he's going to do it, then I'll do it too," and, "I see, so that's how it's going to be," and I played my role, thinking it was a good learning experience. It's nice to be called a, "Night time drama." I think it means that we were able to create a world for the 2 of us. Kaguragi has a very serious face for serious scenes, but in the scenes with Racules, he bluffs or makes exaggerated and dramatic facial expressions and movements, and I like these scenes because it gives off a sense of trickery, and expresses Kaguragi's true side.

"The scene in the film, "Adventure Heaven," which was released in July, in which Kaguragi and Iroki, the previous ruler of Toufu, confront each other, is also memorable."

Kaku: Hinagata Akiko-san played the role of Iroki, and I think it turned out to be a very good scene. Also in the film, the confrontation between the kings and their past hardships was the highlight of Kaguragi's performance.

"What do you feel is the most difficult when playing Kaguragi?"

Kaku: In the beginning, I had a hard time with the dubbing. Now, I'm quite used to it, and the other cast members are also getting alot better with their voices, and I'm always impressed at the speed in which they're growing. My comments are somewhat from a father's point of view, but since I'm older than the other main cast members, I can't help but feel this way (laughs).

"Can you name some of the most memorable scenes and lines of Kaguragi up to episode 26, which has aired by the time of this book's publication?"

Kaku: Episode 18 left a lasting impression on me overall. Particularly in the second half, when he and Gira cooperate to defeat the giant robot King-Ohger ZERO, which is piloted by Racules. When asked by Racules, "Was everything you did to take away my power?!," it became clear that Kaguragi himself was acting in a calculated way. The first half's, "He's unfair," is also memorable. When Gira tells me how Suzume is doing, and I ask, "What do you want in exchange for this information?" Gira replies, "Nothing." I was once again drawn in by Gira, who never asked for anything in return….It was a nice scene. Taking place in Toufu, Episode 4 is also very impressive. He's unmoved by Desnarak VIII, and dosen't show his true feelings, but, his expression changes the moment the crop fields are burned. I remember that scene well because it clearly showed Kaguragi's character, someone who values the country of Toufu and its citizens above all else.

"In episode 5, when the 5 kings fight together for the first time, Kaguragi says, "I've always believed that this day would come!," and it's funny to see Gira and the others yell at him with, "Liar!"

Kaku: I was happy that the other kings recognized me as a liar (laughs). Being a liar is one of the characteristics that define Kaguragi.

"If the kings are going to unite to fight against new enemies in the future, we feel like Kaguragi won't be able to showcase his individuality…"

Kaku: My own prediction is that the kings will break up atleast once. I have the impression that the royal Sentai aren't always on good terms. Therefore, I believe that Kaguragi's character will continue to be shown off. Also, if the enemy were to say, "We're going to destroy all the countries, but we'll save only one," Kaguragi will betray the other kings in an instant (laughs).

-Out of the 6 of us, I'm the, "Selfish king," that hogs the air conditioner-

"Now, we'd like to hear your impressions of the other kings surrounding Kaguragi. First, let's start with Gira."

Kaku: In episode 18, it's clear that Kaguragi is drawn towards and approves of him, as evidenced by the "He's unfair" line. However, some may think that he's easier to handle and hold in my grasp as opposed to Racules, so I like him because he's easier to deal with. Personally, I think he's cute (laughs). I think he gives off the strong feeling of a little brother.

"Please tell us about Yanma Gast and Hymeno Ran."

Kaku: There haven't been many opportunities for Kaguragi to interact with Yanma, but, Kaguragi understands that Yanma is smart, so if he wasn't able to manage himself well, he'd probably be thinking carefully when talking to Yanma. On the other hand, I think part of him feels that because Yanma's so smart, it's easier for him to plan ahead, or that his actions are easier to read than Gira's, which are based more on instinct. My impression of him is that he's passionate and cool! I liked the scene in episode 17, when he's falling apart, and says, "Don't you dare lose!," and Gira takes over. I think it's great that he's always so cool. The way he lives, the way he thinks, and even his actions have a certain charm to them that makes him a lovable character. Aoto, who plays the role, is also very cool. He's always on the scene as Yanma, or rather, he's always thinking about how Yanma would act in certain situations.

At one point, I thought that Hymeno and Kaguragi got along, but I think they probably don't like each other since the falling out in episode 8, where he went, "Ho?" (bitter smile). I hope they can talk things out and make up in the future… My impression is that she's simple and cute. She acts like a princess in every way, and even though she's selfish, that by itself is cute. Even still, the way she stands and acts in the battle scenes are powerful and cool. That kind of contrast is also wonderful.

"Next, Rita and Jeramie."

Kaku: Rita is also cool. When they're interacting with Moffun, I think the contrast is rather sly (laughs). I think Hirakawa Yuzuki-san, who plays the role, is very good with action. It must be difficult to move in those boots. From Kaguragi's perspective, they seem like a strict judge, and I think he perceives them as someone he'd like to have on his side somehow. In their relationship, Kaguragi visits Rita and tries to give them a gift. Rita doesn't want to accept it, but Kaguragi says, "Now, now, that just won't do," and forcibly hands it to them, pulling them into his own pace…that's the image I got from it. This is all just my imagination.

In episode 20, Kaguragi and Jeramie worked together to deceive Racules, and as a result, they revealed that Boshimar (Racules's close aide) was really Kamejim, and they've been fighting together ever since then. He also looks over the relationship between Kaguragi and Suzume, so I think they also have a good relationship. I think it's because of his parents unacceptable relationship, being between a human and Bugnarak, that Jeramie has a weakness for separated families, and he wants to support them. From my point of view, isn't he too good looking? I think he is. And that voice…it's really not fair. I'm talking about his actor, Masashi Ikeda-kun, who plays Jeramie, he's also good at soccer and plays the drums. (said earnestly) It's so unfair, isn't it?~…

"(laughs). We'd also like to hear your impressions of Kuroda-san, who's close to Kaguragi."

Kaku: From the beginning, I was told that Kaguragi was served by people dressed in black, but I wasn't told that there was one prominent member among them. From the viewer's point of view, I guess they wouldn't have expected such a person to exist, but gradually, Kuroda-san became more noticeable, and his relationship with Kaguragi began to be depicted. Kuroda-san is more like a family member than an aide. I think he's been by Kaguragi's side for a looong~ time. He's alittle older than me, and I think we've grown up together since we were children. He's capable of saying one word that'll resonate with Kaguragi's heart, and I think he's able to do so because he's always been watching over Kaguragi.

"Among the main cast members playing a king, who does Kaku-san feel is most kingly?"

Kaku: Hmmm, since the show was first announced, I've often been asked questions related to being a king, but I still can't come up with any good answers…If you think of a kingly image, "arrogant" or "selfish," may come to mind, but there's no in this cast that fits those terms. Everyone, they're all such good kids. But, I may have to say that I become selfish when the temperature rises. I'm sensitive to the heat, and since I'm wearing such a costume, I tend to hog all the places where an air conditioner is running, or, I turn the temperature down really low and tell the others not to turn it up, even if they're cold (laughs). If I were to consider the most kingly character as a leader who pulls everyone along, I would say it's Taisei. Calling him charismatic would be abit of an exaggeration, but, even if he's lacking in certain areas, he's good in others, and he has a certain atmosphere to him that brings everyone together. People around him want to support him just like Gira, and maybe even carry him up in a holy palanquin. In that sense, he's like a king.

"What scenes would you like to play in the future?"

Kaku: It would be a scene where I take off my costume and show off my body. Actually, I've already told the staff what I want to do, but if it's going to happen, I'd like to know as soon as possible. I'd like to finish my body first. And then, a twin episode (laughs). Within the Super Sentai series, often times there are episodes where someone who looks exactly like a character appears and swaps places. Since the first part of King-Ohger ended with episode 26, we didn't have room for that kind of story, but, it may be possible now. I have a twin brother who looks exactly like me, so I'd like to make the most of that. He's not an actor, but he says he'd be happy to act in the show if it were to happen (laughs). Also, Taisei himself is a very interesting character, so I hope there'll be a time when we can make use of him. That boy, after all, he shines the brightest when he's just messing around. That's something he's admitted to himself and others. Also, I'd like to see Rita being more expressive. In the film, it was ghosts, and in episode 26, they're depicted as being afraid of the dark, but I think there's another side to them that we don't know about, so I hope we're given a close up. Hirakawa-san herself is frightened easily, and when I tell her a slightly scary story, she screams, "Please stop it!" (laughs).

"Finally, Kaku-san, as episode 26 finishes, please give a yell of support to Kaguragi."

Kaku: I think Toufu will probably be in danger again (laughs), so you may have to deceive your friends in order to protect the country. I also think that Suzume will be entering a difficult time in her life. But, please don't be discouraged and do your best!

_

Ikeda Masashi (Jeramie Brasieri) Interview

-I like talking, but I'm not used to talking to other people-

"In the beginning, what kind of character was Jeramie and how was he explained to you?"

Ikeda: He’s 2,000 years old, so he has foresight and plenty of time to waste, and was born between a human and a Bugnarak. When I asked…I was told that he can manipulate spider webs at will. It was also explained to me at the beginning that he's the storyteller of the world's story and will also narrate the show.

"In episode 11, we got goosebumps hearing, "A man who becomes king, this is my story," in the ending narration.

Ikeda: I was also surprised when I read the script. It was an original concept, so I was looking forward to seeing the end result on screen.

"Based on the description you received, how did you approach the character?"

Ikeda: When I read the script, there were many unique lines and inflections, so the first thing I thought about was how to express them. I'd record different ways of speaking, listen back, and then decided that the stuck up way of saying things were the most interesting. The premise is that Jeramie likes to talk about himself and the stories he's created. So, when I talk to someone, I try to look like I'm having fun and enjoying myself more than anyone else. I think it'll lead to expressions with more composure. I was also conscious of the way I walked, my gestures, and appearance in general so that I could develop a habit of being Jeramie. The most difficult part of the role was that his mother is a Bugnarak, and that his emotions are different from those of a normal human. I wondered, “What would it feel like if my own parents were Bugnarak?” In the beginning, I couldn't comprehend it no matter how much I thought about it, so I just kept imagining memories of my mother that weren't depicted in the show. Even still, it was difficult for me to find feelings for the Bugnarak, or rather, affection for non human beings. I also wondered how he'd seen the world over the past 2,000 years and what he'd been thinking about when he wrote his story. There are many aspects of Jeramie that are not depicted in the show's script, so I had to really think about it. Even now, I still do.

"Did you make any new discoveries while exploring further, or did you have to revise your performance over the course of the episodes?"

Ikeda: When he first made his appearance, he always said the words, "Between the lines" (laughs), and I just felt that he was someone who wasn't used to having conversations with others. But as times went on, I came to realize that Jeramie was truly a genuine and honest person. I felt that this is why he reacts to many things in a more genuine way than anyone else, and shows it most in his facial expressions. As Jeramie gets more involved with the 5 kings, he changes and grows, becoming alot more careful about communicating clearly between the lines. Every time I'm given a new script, a new side of Jeramie's character is depicted, and I feel like he's constantly being updated. Despite being 2,000 years old, he's never socialized before. The first big change was that he took off the mask he'd been wearing in episode 11, and I think we can all agree that he started a new life from that moment on. At that time, if you were to interpret it as Jeramie being reborn, he's still like a baby, so it's only natural that he'll continue to grow everyday. There are new changes every time, and thinking of ways to express them is both fun and a challenge. In that sense, I'm grateful for the role of Jeramie, as it gives me a sense of fulfillment as an actor.

"The symbolic color of Jeramie is white, and Ikeda-san personally loves white, so he wore a white outfit to the audition."

Ikeda: I matched everything in white, which might be hard to imagine (laughs). My shoes, pants, shirt, cardigan, and jacket were all white. I wore a white coat over it all. I like white, but I had never dressed myself up this much. But, I wanted to give it a shot, so I auditioned completely white. And with the role I got, his getup was even whiter than mine. Jeramie's costume is really cool. When I stood in front of the mirror for the first time wearing Jeramie's costume, with my hair and makeup all done, I thought, "Who's this?" (laugh). I'd never had the opportunity to wear such a prince like costume before, and I don't think I ever will again. Every time I go to filming, I'll wear it while thinking about how happy it makes me.

"Do you have any difficulties narrating the show? We've heard that you don't like hearing your own voice…"

Ikeda: Every time I do the narration, it's given the OK for airing, but I've never been satisfied with any of the ones I've recorded. There's alot of trial and error each time I record, but I don't feel like I'm getting a good reaction. I think I still have a long way to go, so I'm going to keep working hard.

"Every time we listen, we think you have a nice voice."

Ikeda: Thank you so much. It's very encouraging to hear you say that. But, being a storyteller means I can see every detail, and that I also know how the story will end, so I can feel the difficulty of it all. Some episodes have a closing narration at the end, and I do like those lines because they're cool. Is it the narration as a storyteller? or is it the voice of Jeramie's heart in that scene…? I think you'll enjoy the show more if you watch it while interpreting things in many different ways.

"As of the publication of this book, episode 26 will have aired, but please tell us about any scenes or lines featuring Jeramie that are memorable."

Ikeda: It would be episodes 24-26. Those 3 episodes were a turning point in Jeramie's life, where he felt the same realization of growth, maybe even more so, than when he took off his mask. All of the scenes and lines are memorable. In episode 24, when Boone discovers that his fear of Bugnarak is based on a legendary story he wrote, Jeramie is stunned, saying, "Common sense, rules, prejudice, discrimination, bigotry…I was the one who created them…" I was just as shocked when I read it in the script. The legend of the royal Sentai doesn't state that the Bugnarak did anything wrong. But, reading the text, "5 heroes and their guardian god King-Ohger defeated the Bugnarak and saved mankind," would make anyone believe that the Bugnarak are bad guys. I was impressed by how well done it was, and Jeramie seemed to enjoy talking about it, that I almost felt like saying, "It's no good!," in a forced way. In episode 25, the conversation with Gerojim was memorable. He says, "What you lack is determination!" Jeramie responds, "Follow me…to the In between Land Bugnarak. You'll be the first citizen." I'll never forget it because it was the moment when Jeramie decided that he was ready to become the king of Bugnarak. From then on, I'd be playing Jeramie as a king, so the scene was a turning point as well. In episode 26, there's the scene where Jeramie is entrusted by Desnarak VIII, saying, "You will be king, and they will accept it. That the Bugnarak, are here…!" In the 3 episodes beginning with episode 24, it's revealed that Desnarak had alot of things on his mind when he was king, and Jeramie inherits that. Now, I have all these feelings regarding Desnarak, that when I first read the script, I cried. And also, there's the narration before the opening of episode 24. It was different from the usual wording, so it's stayed with me.

-I like Kaguragi, as he's someone with alot of space between the lines-

"Now, please tell us about the characters that surround Jeramie. First, let's start with Gira."

Ikeda: From Jeramie's point of view, I think he trusted Gira from the beginning, and for the time after the broadcast of episode 26, I think he genuinely thinks he's a good person, more suitable as the king of Shugoddum than anyone ever was. The impression I have is….he's cute. He's pure, and when I look at him, I often wonder, "What's he up to?" In episode 15, he camouflages himself as a taxi that looks like a pillbug (laughs). But, I think him being straightforward to protect his people is really cool.

"How about Yanma?"

Ikeda: Jeramie understands that, just like Gira, Yanma is a good king. On the other hand, we know that he's abit of a bad boy, and in episode 19, just like a bunch of bad boys, we joined forces to get some payback on Racules, who treated Jeramie and the other kings cruelly in the past. At that time, I think Jeramie went along with Yanma's plan because he trusted him and realized he was his friend. Yanma always reacts when Jeramie says something. It must be nice for Jeramie, a storyteller who wants someone to listen to him. As for me, I have the impression that he's a passionate guy. I think he fits well with the title "President" of the N'kosopa citizens.

"Now then, how about Hymeno Ran. She and Jeramie had abit of a dispute over the issue of the "Wrath of God."

Ikeda: At first, Jeramie called Hymeno, "Young lady," but, in episode 14, when he saw Hymeno promise to the girl in Ishabana that she would keep their country beautiful, he acknowledged her as queen. Jeramie doesn't look down on the other kings just because he's older. He did used to treat Desnarak like a kid and provoked him (laughs), but he sees all of the human kings as equals and trusts them. Of course he trusts Hymeno, and I think that's why he asked for Gerojim's test. And my own impression is that she's just so beautiful. Not only in terms of appearance, such as the costumes and hairstyles, but also in terms of strength, so I think she's beautiful on the inside as well.

"Next, tell us about Rita Kaniska."

Ikeda: I have a feeling that Jeramie trusts Rita like any other king, but also thinks that they're cute. Sometimes Rita screams real loudly. Towards the climax of episode 19, they screamed, and while everyone was surprised, only Jeramie was laughing. He saw a human side of Rita and smiled, knowing that there must be a side of them that they've yet to show everyone. Because they trust him, even if they suspect something from him, Jeramie feels safe when they take him to court. But, then again, Jeramie's put on trial alot, isn't he? (laughs). Also, there are so many things that Rita makes him realize. For example, in episode 14, they explained to him why Hymeno was angry, because he wasn't able to read between the lines. And when he was down, Rita gave him a chance to get back on his feet. For me, I think Rita is just too cool. When they transform, their right eye, which is usually hidden by their hair, is revealed…and it's gray colored. I love situations in manga and anime where a person reveals something that's usually hidden and goes into a stronger mode. So, Rita's eye isn't fair! (laughs), and yet, they also have the cuteness to talk to their plushies…I think they’re a wonderful characters.

"Please also tell us about Kaguragi."

Ikeda: From Jeramie's point of view, I think he has slightly deeper feelings towards him than the other kings. That's because, he knows about his sister. Because of Jeramie's own upbringing, he can't leave people who care about their family alone. In episode 15, when he finds out that his sister is being held hostage in Shugoddam, he takes the lead in helping Kaguragi, and in episode 20, when he hears that he's doing it for his sister, he helps out by disguising himself as Kaguragi. Kaguragi has also relied on Jeramie, and I think they communicate with each other more than with other kings. I think there's something about Kaguragi that I really like about him, and I feel that he has a story that's, "between the lines," more than mine is. That's why I interact with him alittle differently than the other 4. As a viewer, he must be an interesting character to watch. Just when I think I've got him figured out, he outwits me. It's hard to read what he's really thinking. I think he adds a good "spice" that makes the show more interesting.

"At this point in time, Gerojim is probably the closest to Jeramie, so we'd like to ask about him too."

Ikeda: He's the first citizen of the new Bugnarak Empire. While they meet in a different way compared to the other kings and their retainers, Jeramie trusts him, and a sort of friendship formed between them, while also having a strong desire to protect him. In episode 25, Gerojim risks his body to make Jeramie realize that he lacks the determination to be king. In episode 13, Jeramie saves him by pretending to have defeated him and brought him along, but back then, I never thought that he would end up playing such an important role. With such a voice, he says, "What you lack is determination!," and, "If you're going to be king, you must be prepared to risk your life," so I can't believe his way of speaking…

"He's voiced by Seki Tomokazu-san."

Ikeda: During filming, I would act with Seki-san's voice in mind, and when I heard his actual voice in the finished video, it's always better than what I had imagined. We haven't had a dubbing scheduled together, but I'd like for us to perform together someday. Everyone always imitates Gerojim's voice on set. I'm so emotionally attached to Gerojim, that I can no longer look at him objectively, but I'm curious about how everyone else sees him.

"Other than Gerojim, are there any other Bugnarak characters that you really like?"

Ikeda: It would probably be Desnarak. But, I really like Prime Minister Kamejim as well. I changed my mind when I found out that he was disguised as Boshimar, one of Racules's close aides (laughs), but he was a beloved character on the set until half way through filming.

"Among the main cast, Ikeda-san, who do you think is most kingly?"

Ikeda: It would be (Masato) Yano-san, who plays Racules. When he's playing the role of Racules, he's a very cruel king, but when I talk to him inbetween takes, he's calm and has a relaxed way of speaking. Yano-san himself is very kind and will say interesting things to keep everyone upbeat. Furthermore, he has alot of special skills and can do almost anything. For me, Yano-san is a king in the sense that he's perfect and someone who is respected. Racules is a king, but the person playing him is also a king. Not for me, but when the 5 King-Ohger members put on their costumes and prepare for their role on set, the "switch" is flipped and they all become kings. The scenes where they're all lined up is so cool that you can't help but admire them.

"Are there any scenes you'd like to play, or developments you'd like to see happen in the future?"

Ikeda: In episode 19, the hammock that Jeramie was laying in was made from spider webs. I'd like to do more scenes using spider webs even before transforming. Especially for action. While his friends are in danger, he could fly in from off screen while smiling, or he could be standing on a wall. It would be difficult to achieve, but there aren't many roles that can make use of spider webs.

"Finally, for the current Jeramie, Ikeda-san, please give a yell of support to him."

Ikeda: Please build a good country, and work hard to make the world a peaceful one. For Jeramie, the "color" of the country he rules over is different from other kings, and I believe that Jeramie will be the one who determines the future of Chikyu. Please ensure the prosperity of the country of Bugnarak, realize the day we join hands with humanity, and pass it on to future generations. We're all supporting you!

#ohsama sentai kingohger #kingohger #super sentai #gira husty #yanma gast #hymeno ran #rita kaniska #kaguragi dybowski #jeramie brasieri #my scans #my translation #tokusatsu #toku cast #ohsama sentai king ohger #king ohger #gira hastie #yanma gust #himeno ran #we're king #interview #sorry these took so long #I wanted to post yesterday #but this is the most I've ever typed for a translation #so I was hesitating to hit post #I just kept proofreading #well...I think it's fine already so i'll post lol

[neptuneiris]

brooklyn baby (03/?)

look at us, you and i, back at it again

pairing: rockstar!aemond × fem!reader

summary: another party, a group of friends and the spin the bottle game takes you back to aemond.

word count: 9.3k

previous part • next part • series masterlist

here another chapter, long but necessary, I'm really enjoying writing this story and I hope you also like it a lot. I look forward to your comments, thanks for all the support my loves, enjoy!

warnings: alcohol, language, mention of weed.

You let out a huge sigh of frustration and instantly stop typing, close your eyes and bring your hands to the back of your neck, not understanding what the fuck is wrong with you.

Oh but you do know.

Your funny mind tells you, only making you more frustrated and angry with yourself, as it is right because you do know what exactly is wrong with you. And what's wrong with you has a name: Aemond Targaryen.

It's going to be a whole week since that kiss and what a kiss... happened. You haven't seen him again but it's all constantly replaying in your mind, unable to avoid it and unable to stop.

All this week you have been trying to distract yourself with all your college homework, this important project is an example, but you always come back to think about him.

And you don't understand why, rather why that kiss and that moment with him is affecting you so much when it was just a kiss, yes, with a handsome guy who plays in a band, but nothing more than just a kiss happened.

However... you remember perfectly the feeling of his lips against yours, his hands caressing your face and body, also the way he pressed himself against you and sent waves of pleasure to your core.

Stop it!

You scold yourself, not being able to think about it here, in the school library, not when the simple memory of how he felt against you... right now makes you feel things you shouldn't feel in this place, at all.

You grimace, giving yourself a moment, because yes, it all felt great, the kiss was amazing, the feeling, everything... but a deep part of you tells you that you shouldn't have allowed it.

Maybe you didn't fuck with him but still, you've become just another girl who like all of them, fell easily at his feet. Even after seeing him like that with one of his fans, which tells you it's not the first time he's done it and after feeling disappointed, ignoring him and so on, you still reciprocated his kiss.

You get frustrated again, telling yourself that enough is enough and go back to work, no longer wanting to think about him and that kiss, focusing and getting serious about your project.

It takes you all afternoon and a small part of the evening to finally finish and you head back to your apartment, ending another stressful week and having no more worries, so you can rest now.

You let out a long sigh of relief as the warmth of your home envelops you, feeling so good to be back here and have no more worries, as you head to the kitchen and drop your backpack on the small island, thinking about what you can prepare to eat and then go to your room and watch a TV show or movie.

"Hi," says someone suddenly behind you.

You move as fast as your body allows you and completely scared you look at your living room behind you, where very comfortably on one of your sofas sits Baela, with her phone in hand and innocently eating some strawberries, which are in fact yours because you bought them two days ago when you went to the supermarket.

"W-what..." you stare at her blankly, your heart rate being faster than normal, "What are you doing here?"

"I texted you," she says still unconcerned, raising her phone, "I told you I'd be waiting for you here."

"But..." you look at her completely confused, "How did you get in? In fact, how come you and Rhaena can come in here? I have my keys, I-I don't....

"I made them a copy about a month ago," she interrupts you to answer, still unconcerned.

"What?" you snap, confused, "How?"

She shrugs.

"I know someone. And you didn't even notice."

You continue to stare at her completely confused, then let out a long breath and continue to try to control your heart rate, the feeling of being scared still not completely gone.

"God, you almost scared me to death," you look at her serious.

"Oh how dramatic," she rolls her eyes at you, "Anyway, come here."

You continue to watch her seriously, as you reluctantly make your way over to her to take a seat on your single couch, only to have your gaze fall on your bowl of strawberries that she is eating so placidly

"And those strawberries are mine," you snap at her.

She frowns at you.

"I'll buy you more, selfish."

You continue to stare at her for a few more seconds.

"Well? What's going on?" you watch her expectantly.

"There's a frat party tomorrow, the leader is a friend of mine, his name is William."

She starts to tell you and you instantly look away from her, understanding where she's going with this, as you let out a long breath and drop your head back against the back of the couch, closing your eyes.

"I invited Jace, I told him if he wanted he could invite his cousins and he said yes, they'll be there. So go prepare another one of your sexy outfit's."

"I'm not going," you tell her instantly, with resignation.

"What?" she also says instantly with surprise and confusion, "What are you talking about? And now why not?"

"I don't want to go."

She looks at you with her mouth wide open.

"B-but... are you crazy? Your sexy guitarist will be there," she says indignantly, "This is another great opportunity for you to see him again."

"It doesn't matter, I don't want to."

"What do you mean you don't want to!?"

She exclaims to you totally confused and without understanding anything, leaving the bowl with strawberries aside to give you all her attention, while you continue firm with your words and with the decision more than taken, from now on thinking that whatever she tells you, she won't make you change your mind.

What happened with Aemond... you don't want to say it was a mistake but it shouldn't have happened either. You've already become just another one of the crowd and if you see him again, you're afraid you won't be able to stop again and you really don't want that.

You don't want to take things any further... you don't want to 'officially' become another one of the crowd if he and you... get involved in that way.

"I'm not understanding anything," Baela says frustrated, "You don't want to see him again?"

"Baela, I don't want to see him again because I don't want to become another girl in his pile," you say seriously.

"W-what?" she says more confused than before, "Wait, what do you mean? Why do you say that? Did something happen with him that you haven't told me? Because I swear I don't understand anything."

"We kissed at Jason's party," you tell her suddenly, surprising her, "And I let it happen just when earlier at the after party I saw him going into the bathroom with one of his fans."

Baela, still surprised, softens her whole face now in understanding, but still surprised, while you affirm to her with your gaze that it is true, with your disappointed and serious face.

"It just happened. I couldn't help it," you tell her frustrated, bringing your hands back to your face, "But I felt so disappointed and so... stupid," you let out a long breath, "When I saw him like that, I understood that it's not the first time he's done it and I also understood why he gave me so much attention that time in Brooklyn. And I gave him exactly what he wanted at the party and he didn't even make any effort," you place a sour look, "And who could tell him no? Of course no one."

Baela lets out a long breath, watching you sadly.

"Y/N...

"I was so naive. I should have known," you interrupt her, "He's very handsome and plays in a band, it was clear he had thousands of girls after him and now... he only wants me as a one-night stand, then he'll ignore me and I'm really not interested to go back to being just another one of the crowd."

"But..." Baela watches you intently and hopefully, "Are you sure about what you saw? Maybe you misunderstood."

"They went into the men's room together, Baela, just him and that girl," you tell her obviously, "And they didn't go in together to play cards, did they?"

Baela doesn't say anything more, she just lowers her gaze and seems to think, trying to find an explanation, when there is no clear explanation other than that. And just like you... she feels disappointed.

Aegon looks like that kind of guy, in fact he is that kind of guy, but Aemond? Even she didn't expect it, though she knows you're right, both and Rhaena as well should have known since he's absolutely handsome and can easily afford that.

And she has no idea how to defend him, so she totally understands your disappointment and that you now want to keep your distance, being the best thing, because that's what she would do too if she were in your place.

"So your love novel with the sexy guitarist is over?" she asks you sad and disappointed.

"Yeah," you mumble, "As handsome as he is, I'm not interested if things are going to be like this."

She lets out another long breath again, resigned.

"Fine, then we won't mention the sexy guitarist anymore."

You place a sad little smile.

"But at least you and Rhaena got lucky and the thing with Jace and Luke is serious."

"I wouldn't call it serious," she says thoughtfully, with a grimace, "I mean, we're not seeing anyone else but... yeah," she shrugs, "Things are getting there."

You feel happy for them, they know it, so you don't say anything else, neither does Baela and the two of you sink into a comfortable silence that is all over your apartment, while you stare at a specific spot in your living room, thinking about everything and yet nothing, while Baela continues to eat from your strawberries, also thoughtful and still feeling disappointed.

Then you start to think again about what you are going to prepare to eat and also what movies you will decide to watch, whether suspense, science fiction, love or massacre.

"Don't you want grapes?"

Baela asks you suddenly, pulling you out of your thoughts, as you see how the bowl in her lap is already empty.

"I have some in my fridge. I can pay you with them for the strawberries."

You watch her slightly amused for a moment, then let out a small laugh and nod.

Unfortunately for you, your Friday night goes by fast, where all you did was stay in bed watching a movie marathon with Baela of love being the final decision, whether it was Me Before You, Love Rosie, Midnight Sun, Two Feet Apart, also Nerve and the first Maze Runner movie.

Until you wake up, it's Saturday, Baela is gone and you actually read her message telling you that she has returned to her apartment.

You stay in bed all morning, not really doing anything important, until you get up, take a shower, make yourself a meal and go back to bed with a bowl of chips, ready to continue with the next episode of Gossip Girl.

It's the third time you're re-watching the show but you don't care.

Then you fall asleep and when the sound of your phone wakes you up, you see through your windows all the dark sky, while everything inside your room is reflected by the light of the TV and also by the New York buildings that surround you with their light windows and give that so well known nocturnal characteristic of the city.

You let out a yawn, realizing that your nap has gone on too long when you turn on your phone screen and see that it is almost nine o'clock at night

You strain your eyes and watch more closely as Baela has texted you, as have some of your classmates, but it's the weekend and you don't want to worry about anything at school right now, so you read Baela's message.

baela🐬: are you sure you don't want to come?

You frown.

You: where are you?

And she replies back instantly.

baela🐬: at will's party

And she sends you a picture of her with Rhaena and Luke, while you distinguish Jace's figure a bit off in the background, preparing a drink, while there are colored lights and a bunch of other people, so you remember him and you also remember that he must be there too.

You: have fun

But as soon as you send the message, Baela reads it and quickly responds.

baela🐬: he's not here👀

And this immediately catches your attention, frowning again and then answering and waiting for an attentive response.

You: why not?

baela🐬: everyone came except him and daeron. jace said they both decided to stay home.

You watch with your narrowed eyes the message, questioning Baela's words and not quite believing her.

You: are you lying and this is one of your plans to get him and I to see each other?

baela🐬: 🙄

baela🐬: after what you told me do you think I would do that to you?

You press your lips together, as you let out a long breath, since she is right. Baela can be very insistent but when you finally make her understand that no is no, she stops.

You: send me the address

You say finally, having made up your mind, needing to go out and have fun after such a stressful week, as if all your weeks are not the same, and then you leave your phone on the bed and get up to get ready.

You take advantage of the fact that he's not there, because then you won't have to be worrying about being in the same place as him after what happened between the two of you and you can actually have fun.

From your closet you choose an all-black dress that fits your body perfectly, with straps and comes to mid-thigh. You decide to wear it with a pair of boots without a platform since you will get tired if you wear the high platform ones. (click here)

You discard one of your jackets as you know it won't be necessary in a crowd of people so you go on to do your make-up, this time putting on a matte flesh colored lipstick and leaving your hair straight with two strands together in the middle of your head.

Once you're ready, you call for an Uber, since Baela has taken the car and not long after, you find yourself entering the party.

You spot a few of your classmates as you enter the huge house, greeting them, greeting Baela's friends that she introduced you to and even crossing paths with Jason who is with Cregan and Alysanne.

You ask for your cousins and find them near the kitchen, each one talking to their respective boy, while on your way to them you meet Aegon, although he doesn't see you, as he is sticking his tongue down the throat of a blonde girl.

You watch him slightly surprised and amused by such a scene, until you finally reach your cousins.

Rhaena pulls you into a huge hug, instantly telling you that you look amazing with a smile, to which you also say the same, also to Baela, then greeting Jace and Luke, Jace quickly offering to make you a drink.

"Have you guys been here long?" you ask them over the music.

"Not long. About an hour ago," Rhaena answers you.

"So? What's the news?"

"Nothing new, you know," Baela tells you smiling, "We were actually thinking of playing beer pong."

"Oh, great. I want to play the first round," you say instantly, ready to start enjoying the party.

Just then Jace returns with your drink, you thank him and the five of you start setting up for the game, beginning first by playing one-on-one and then two-on-two.

Laughter and excitement invades the five of you every time the ball goes in or out of the red cups, having a good time, forgetting about the outside world for a while and enjoying these moments.

Other people at the party also join in to play, making it all even more fun, Rhaena already starting to get a little drunk, as are you, though not too much.

Then the five of you decide to go dancing along with all the other people, shouting, singing and enjoying all the songs while Rhaena records and takes some pictures, while you already start to feel the alcohol taking effect a bit more, letting you get more into the moment, really enjoying it.

Until you start to get a bit left over among the four of you as Baela starts to dance very close with Jace, both in their own world, also Rhaena with Luke, both still shy but getting more and more confident.

Still it doesn't bother you, you dance alone and even join in with another group of girls dancing nearby, singing with them.

You then accompany Rhaena along with Luke back to the kitchen to hydrate a bit, you also deciding to drink water this time because of how hot the house already feels, and then Baela and Jace join in as well, the five of them taking a break.

They both offer to prepare more drinks, while you go for your fourth beer, staying a moment alone with your cousins.

"So? Has anything happened between you and Luke yet?" you ask her interested, with a small smile.

And of course, Rhaena blushes and smiles shyly.

"We kissed."

"At Jason's party?"

"Yes and also a while ago," she tells you clearly controlling her excitement, "I don't know, I feel like we're going slow but sure."

"Better that than going fast," Baela tells her, nodding in her direction.

"You go fast with Jace," you tell her amused, laughing.

"That's not true," she gets indignant, "We've only kissed."

"Oh so you didn't take him to your apartment when Jason's party was over?" you inquire, expectantly.

Immediately she looks at Rhaena completely serious and more indignant than before.

"You were the gossip?"

"I didn't say anything!" she tells her instantly, "Besides it was obvious. I slept with Y/N because there was no way I was going to sleep on your couch to listen to your sounds."

You let out a huge laugh, as Baela reluctantly takes a sip from her beer bottle.

"Well, it's true, we're going fast but we've both been clear and know what we want."

"Thank God," you nod to her then let out a long breath, putting on your thoughtful face, excited and sad at the same time, "I admired you guys," you mumble, looking out into the beyond, "I would have wanted to have the same luck."

"Oh come on, don't say that," Rhaena tells you instantly with a soft look.

"Yeah, it wasn't like….

Start to say Baela too, but she stops mid-sentence, drawing her sister's attention and yours too, while you see how she stands watching behind you completely static, surprised and a bit fearful.

You exchange confused glances with Rhaena, who stares at her sister as if she is completely mad.

"What? What's wrong?"

She tells her but Baela doesn't react, so Rhaena also looks to where she's watching and her reaction is also the same, instantly looking surprised at who knows what, annoying you because they don't say anything.

"But what the hell is wrong with you guys?"

You inquire them without understanding, confused, to follow the same gaze as both of them, watching behind you and then… now you understand.

You part your lips and watch with your eyes wide open as Daeron and Aemond make their way through the entire party, instantly drawing everyone's attention, but more so the girls specifically, beginning to feel your heart start to beat fast as you watch them.

Incredulous and confused you don't understand anything, seeing how he is here, when he wasn't supposed to come, all the memories of that almost kiss and then the kiss invading your mind instantly, also the memory of his hips pressing against you.

Fuck.

That's all you can think of as you watch him, standing there, walking among all the people in that alluring way of his, as if he owned the whole place, yet with his unconcerned look and deliberately ignoring all the girls watching him interested.

Then you look again at your cousins, who look back at you still surprised.

"What is he doing here?"

You inquire, at that moment realizing the panic that begins to invade your whole body, since you were supposed to come here because he wouldn't be here.

"How should I know?" Baela tells you instantly, looking just as worried as you, "Jace said they weren't coming, that's why I texted you."

Still panicking, you go back to watching him, still being the center of attention along with Daeron, who smiles at everyone and looks more than willing to start having a good time, while you couldn't say the same for Aemond, but still he's here.

You look away, let out a huge sigh and take a huge gulp from your beer bottle, resigned.

Aemond.

Aemond has never felt more tired in his life.

Constantly moving from one side to the other for the tour, having five-hour rehearsals during the week and on weekends attending concerts along with the after party and finishing very late to be the same routine the next day, he doesn't find time to rest properly.

He sees how his brothers and his cousins, actually nephews, do everything, they look happy, like new and he... doesn't. Rather, he feels exhausted.

It's not that he doesn't like what he does, on the contrary, he loves playing guitar and giving a good show, but he wishes that's all it would be.

Criston, his manager, insists that he must spend time with the fans, since after all they are the reason why they are successful and can play their concerts, but he, not that he is ungrateful, in fact he does spend time with them… but to a certain point.

He can take pictures and sign his autograph in a pleased and calm way, also receive gifts like necklaces or bracelets from them, he really appreciates those gestures. But when the girls get too intense and start touching him, also invading his personal space too much… that's when the discomfort begins.

He understands that they feel very excited, but there are limits and many of them do not respect them by wanting to act as if they have known him all their lives and believe they have a certain right over him.

Also social media, if it were up to him, he wouldn't have it, he really doesn't like it and prefers the real world. But Criston insisted that he do it for the band, agreeing to at least have Instagram account.

He got used to it soon after by posting promotional photos, whether it was of a new single, a new music video or a new album, also from the tour. Then he only started posting behind-the-scenes photos of his brothers and nephews, also of the cities he was traveling to, but nothing else.

Also the invasion of his privacy by fans was something he didn't like at all, however, like his brothers and nephews, he had to learn to deal with it.

Sometimes he thinks about what would have happened if he had decided to go to college, definitely another story of his life would be, but honestly… he can't imagine himself not being this, a musician.

However, he didn't think that following Aegon's idea about forming a band would be so heavy and bring so much questioning about his life and what he does.

At least the tour ends in New York after having traveled half the country, where his mother and family live, also where he has his own apartment, just like Aegon.

And the first two concerts are in Queens, then they will play in three different clubs in Brooklyn and finally they will play two more concerts in Manhattan.

There is nothing new, only the public reacts differently when the dates of the last concerts start, Queens actually being very quiet and more pleasant for him, but not for Aegon, who complained about the lack of excitement from the fans and that the girls practically didn't jump on him.

And of course, Jace and Daeron had to agree with him.

Then Brooklyn, the first concert being exactly what Aegon expected, all the girls screaming, lots of energy in the audience and on stage, lots of noise and a whole scandal.

And the second concert is the same, until finally something interesting happens at the after party when he almost makes that fan lose her balance and doesn't jump the second she sees him walk out of that room, being you.

Aemond was so used to any girl practically jumping on him and doing everything to get his attention, but not you. And he knew because you're not really a fan.

But still, you surprised him by the way you are.

He was surprised that you were somehow understandable to him to be hiding from the fans for a while and that you didn't judge him, also that you weren't playing dumb to get his attention, that you didn't instantly react to him after he decided to push you a little, you just were honest at all times and gave him his space.

And you got his attention a lot in just a matter of moments. And Aemond in that instant knew… he wanted, no, he needed to see you again.

He had never given free tickets to anyone before, you just happened to be an exception, in fact he didn't have permission to do that, but he didn't care and luckily no one noticed, least of all Criston.

He really wanted you to take something from the concert back home, so he genuinely didn't make you both go into that room to take advantage of the fact that you were both alone and get something more from you, no, he really did it out of kindness.

But as the seconds passed and the conversation extended, he couldn't help but think what it would feel like to kiss you, to feel you, to touch you. And when he saw that you also began to respond in the same way, that's when he decided to make the move.

It would have happened, had it not been for Aegon, of course.

After you thanked him and left embarrassed, Aegon gave him a friendly tap on the shoulder, telling him that had he known, he wouldn't have interrupted him, but that Criston was going to go mad if he didn't go out and talk to the fans.

In the days that followed he never stopped thinking about you, much less when he found out that Jace and Luke were texting your cousins, so he was looking forward, even if he didn't realize it, to the concert in Manhattan.

But what a great disappointment he felt when he saw your cousins, but not you.

Originally he didn't plan to find out what had happened to you, but when he was at the bar with your cousins, he couldn't contain himself any longer and asked them both where you were.

After that, the stress came back.

With the last concert coming up, the whole band had to rehearse longer hours than usual every day until the day of the concert, Aegon insisting that he wanted everything to be perfect, following Criston's idea, as it had to be unforgettable.

They were going to take a break for a month, then they would play more concerts in New York and in the closest surrounding areas of the state such as Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

Aemond tried not to think about you anymore, because after you didn't go to the concert, he began to understand that he would probably never see you again.

Then the last concert started and all the pressure he had on him he felt more at that moment, knowing perfectly well that he couldn't make a mistake, focusing all the time on his notes and especially on his solos.

He couldn't relax, not even with the cigarette, keeping in mind that after this he would have to focus on the fans, when all he wanted was to finally rest and not worry about more concerts, feeling very tired.

That's why he did what he did.

After spending only a few minutes with the fans, returning to the room, he had to leave almost immediately on Criston's orders, but on his way out he saw a very excited fan already at the door asking him for a picture.

It was enough to observe her from head to toe and then tell her to follow him, going directly to the men's room where the girl did not even ask a question since it was quite clear the intention and she did not say no either.

When was the last time he had done this? At the last concert in Portland, Oregon.

He knew Aegon did it too, but he wasn't more frequent than he was, since he only did it when he felt the need too much due to stress and frustration, as in those moments.

He fucked her from behind, fast and hard, not needing foreplay as she was completely wet. He didn't touch her except from the waist and nothing else, she wanted to kiss him and touch him but he didn't let her. He just needed to release.

Neither of them needed to take off their clothes either, she had a skirt on and that made everything faster, just like he wanted. Then he came out of the bathroom first after cleaning up, telling the girl to get out of here without anyone seeing her, to go back to the center of the pub, where he met Aegon.

When then he saw you.

Surprise came over him completely, definitely not expecting to see you, barely realizing that you had seen the concert and that you had been here the whole time.

And after you made no move to approach him, completely ignoring his gaze on you and also as if he wasn't in the same place as you, he understood that you knew what he had done.

You had seen him and he couldn't help but get more frustrated about it.

The boys had mentioned a party, Jace most of all, saying that Baela, your cousin, had invited them. He had from the beginning thought about not going and in fact wasn't going to, but after seeing you… he decided to join in as well.

Throughout the party it became clearer to him that you had definitely seen him and so you continued to ignore him, which made him frustrated but he also understood you.

However, had he known you were there, the first thing he would have done was to try to get close to you and what he did with that girl he would never have considered.

Until finally things turn out in his favor on that balcony.

From the beginning he told himself that he wasn't going to ruin this opportunity to talk to you by being left alone and that he wasn't going to bring up the subject so as not to make you feel uncomfortable by his actions… unless you decided to talk about it.

And he thought the two of you would just talk and nothing more, but the moment he started testing the waters just out of curiosity and also because he wanted to, of course, you started responding in the same way, just like in Brooklyn and he felt very lucky to finally feel your lips against his.

What came next was not intentional, but his emotions began to make him let himself go and you were very responsive at all times to his touch, only driving him crazier.

He enjoyed the moment and very much, loving every second of it, of feeling your lips, your body, your hands on his face and neck, everything, only leaving him wanting more when the moment was interrupted.

But you looked absolutely beautiful with that look of desire, your red, swollen lips, watching him with that slight glow in your eyes, the lights of the huge buildings illuminating both of them, you.

And Aemond at that moment only felt more the need to see you again.

Unfortunately nothing more happened between you and him that night, both of you couldn't be together anymore because afterwards Luke and Daeron started feeling sick from all the drinking, Daeron especially started throwing up in the bathroom and could barely stand up by himself.

Aemond had to take care of him and they left the party.

Afterwards neither he nor you tried to communicate after what happened, he mostly didn't do it so as not to overwhelm you and not to make you feel pressured, so he preferred to give you your space until you had processed what happened and that you wouldn't consider him an intense for wanting to see you again.

But how he wanted to see you again and he understood that he wouldn't until his nephews and your cousins planned something. However, when Jace told them about a frat party, he told you that Baela didn't mention you when he asked her with whom she was going.

So he decided not to go and went to visit his mother, who has her own apartment also on the Upper East Side and Daeron lives with her, however, because his little brother was grounded after his mother saw him in that state last time, he managed to convince her to lift his grounding.

And now they're both there, in the living room, as their mother prepares to go to a dinner party for her work and Daeron insists that he take him to that party.

"We won't say anything to Mom, she says I'm still too young to go to frat parties."

"And she's right," he replies, disinterested.

"Oh come on, the party last time was a frat party."

"It was in an apartment, not a house," he clarifies.

"But it was still a college party!"

"Then you must not have had too much to drink and that's why I don't want to go to this party if I'm going to have to babysit you afterwards," he tells him seriously.

"Oh, what a bullshit," he tells him indignantly, "We both know and in fact everyone knows that you don't want to go to that party because your girl from the other night won't go."

"Keep messing with me and I'm not taking you to any more parties," he warns him.

"But you don't want to take me to this one!" he tells him again indignantly, "Come on dude, I really want to go."

"Then go," he says confused, "I don't understand why you want me to go with you."

"And how am I supposed to go by myself? Flying?"

He lets out a long breath, starting to get irritated.

"I already told you no, Daeron."

"Please."

"No."

"Please!"

"No."

"But…

"No."

"Dude…

"No."

"Let's go to the party and I won't tell Criston that you gave free tickets to that girl and Jace and Luke's girls."

Then Aemond's gaze immediately refocuses on Daeron, who crosses his arms and watches him expectantly, completely serious and more than willing with his threat.

"The others didn't notice but I did," he lets him know, smiling with superiority, "Those tickets were for some friends of Criston's and he asked me to take them to him. And what a coincidence that they were gone right after you and Aegon left the room."

"It could have been Aegon," he tells her serious.

"Aegon loses his own things because he doesn't remember where he put them and you think he's going to know where those tickets were kept?" he asks her confused.

Aemond lets out a long sigh, as he looks away from him, looking clearly annoyed.

"You fucking little demon."

Reader.

The bottle game and seven minutes in paradise.

That's what everyone wants to play, being Baela's idea mainly, while she insists you to join, telling you it will be fun, while all the participants, Cregan, Jason, Alysanne, Rhaena, Luke and Jace of course, also the leader of the fraternity and Baela's friend William, wait in his room.

But you really don't like that game, the last time you played that, already many months ago also at a party, it wasn't very nice.

"Come on," Baela insists you pleadingly for what you think is the eleventh time.

"I told you, I'll be there with you but I'm not going to play," you tell her tired.

"That's not the point. You have to play, come on," she insists again.

"Baela," you look at her irritated.

"And I promise I won't sneak back into your apartment. Let alone steal food from you again," she says instantly, hopefully.

And at this you raise one of your eyebrows in her direction, expectantly.

"And will you give me the copy you clandestinely took from my key?"

She rolls her eyes.

"Yeah, whatever. It's at my house, I'll give it to you later."

"Are you sure about that?" you inquire with an obvious look.

At this she doesn't say or do anything to you, as you point to her bag with your gaze and then extend your hand, gesturing to her with your fingers, clearly waiting, while Baela is left with no other choice.

She lets out a resigned and irritated sigh, then reluctantly from her purse she pulls out the key to your apartment, handing it to you in the same manner.

"There. Happy?"

You smile pleased, putting it in your purse.

"Yes, very," you tease.

"Okay, now come on," she insists, taking you by the arm.

"Wait, the brownie."

You head over to the island in the huge kitchen, grabbing a brownie from a clear box right there.

"You're really going to eat that?" she asks you curiously, with a small smile, as she crosses her arms.

"It's not for me, it's…

"Hello ladies!"

Three platinum heads approach you, this immediately catching your attention, feeling incredibly nervous the second you see it's Aemond, already watching you.

You bite your lips and avert your gaze instantly, trying not to look nervous and not letting those thoughts from before invade you, focusing on Aegon and Daeron, but Aegon more so since he pretty much always speaks for everyone.

"Y/N!" he exclaims in surprise, with a huge grin, "I hadn't seen you. I thought you hadn't come."

"You were busy when I arrived," you tell him with a nervous little smile.

"I was?" he says confused and you nod, "I don't remember. Anyway, what are you two doing? My little cousins weren't with you?"

"They're upstairs, we're going to play spin the bottle and seven minutes in paradise, do you want to join?"

Baela asks them instantly, turning to the three of them with a smile, while you quickly look at her almost wanting to murder her at that moment, but you stay neutral and wait for him to say no.

"Yeah, sure," Daeron says instantly.

"I'm in," Aegon assures you as well, sliding over to you, pointing his index finger at the brownie in your hand, "Are you going to eat that? Because it's calling me."

"They're of weed," you clarify to him.

"Weed?" he repeats in surprise, "Wow Y/N, I didn't think you were that kind of girl," he tells you as he crosses his arms and watches you with a half smile.

"It's not for me, it's for Cregan, he asked for it," you tell him amused.

"Cregan?" he instantly inquires, "Cregan Stark, my man? He's here too?"

"I thought you saw him when you arrived," Baela tells her confused, "He's up there too, he's going to play with us."

"And why didn't you say that before? Then let's go!" he says instantly, grabbing Daeron by the shoulder and starting to hurry out of the kitchen towards the stairs, when he stops to turn back to you, "Give it to me, I'll give it to him," he takes the brownie from your hand and resumes his walk, "Hurry up," he urges you all, then asks Baela which room exactly everyone is in.

You watch as Aemond nonchalantly follows them, for which you curse internally, since you thought he wouldn't participate in this, he doesn't seem like the type of guy who chooses to play those kinds of games, but you have no choice.

Once you reach William's room, which is gigantic, Baela announces that she has found more players and everyone starts to take a seat on the couches, while you watch as Aegon greets Cregan very happily and he greets him as well, as if the two haven't seen each other in years, handing him the brownie.

Then Rhaena stands in the center, empty bottle in hand, setting it down on top of a small table that is also in the center.

"Well, I think we all know how this is played by now."

"Are there any rules?" asks Jace.

"Of course there are, without them this wouldn't be fun."

You let out a long sigh, looking away, already wanting to get out of here.

"We made a deal," Baela suddenly says to you, instantly, quietly and as if she had read your thoughts.

"I know," you mutter back, watching her irritated.

But she smiles happily and you all turn your attention to Rhaena.

"This will be truth or dare, if you choose dare it will be to go in with someone in the bathroom who will also choose the bottle for seven minutes. If you want to do your dirty things, we will play loud music and turn it off when the seven minutes are up," she makes it clear, "The thing is, you have three lives, so to speak. If you choose true every time the bottle points at you, by the fourth time it will be dare."

"Understood."

"And no one can cheat or refuse," your cousin makes clear.

"This is like the mafia, once you're in, you don't get out," Aegon says.

You stir uncomfortably, avoiding looking at a certain person in front of you, because you perfectly feel his stare on you, making you feel nervous but not only because of that, also because you're both here, playing games.

What are the chances that you will have to fulfill the dare with Aemond?

You probably would have wanted it before, but now that you've made your decision, you continue to stand firm with it, really not wanting such a thing to happen or you won't have the slightest idea what to do.

The circle starts at one corner with Aegon, then Cregan, Alysanne, Rhaena, Aemond, Daeron, Luke, then Jace, Baela, you, Jason, William and then two of William's friends that you don't know.

Then Rhaena spins the bottle and the game begins.

First everyone chooses truth, starting cool, so it's their turn to answer questions such as; "the craziest place you've ever had sex," "your favorite position," "at what age did you lose your virginity," "do you have a fetish or any sexual preference," "have you ever been or had a friend with benefits," "have you ever faked an orgasm, "have you ever participated in a threesome?"

Those and more sexual and uncomfortable questions are asked.

So far, the bottle has not pointed to you, nor to Baela, nor to Aemond nor to Luke.

Until Cregan is the first to dare to say dare, then the bottle points at Alysanne, to the surprise of many who know that there is something more between them than just a friendship, as they always say.

As Rhaena said, William plays music on his Alexa at full volume or at least loud enough for no one to hear anything. And you again try to ignore Aemond's gaze on you as you talk to Jason next to you.

Then the seven minutes are up and when they both come out of the bathroom, they look presentable, but everyone instantly mocks and Alysanne embarrasses herself, giving herself away.

The game goes on and Aegon also dares in saying dare and the bottle is pointed at one of William's friends. And when the seven minutes are up, Aegon doesn't even bother to dissimulate that something definitely happened between them.

When then the bottle points at you, making everyone in the circle watch you and luckily you still have your three lives.

And who will ask you? Unfortunately Aegon.

"Have you ever kissed any of us here?"

Fuck.

You curse internally again, while everyone watches you attentively and more than interested, except Baela, Rhaena and of course him, because they already know.

You sense that Aegon knows too, though maybe Daeron, Jace and Luke don't, but who knows. So there's no point in lying, much less when that person is here.

Inevitably you watch him for a few short seconds, seeing how he watches you intently, bringing the beer bottle to his lips without taking his gaze away from you, looking so sexy.

No, don't think that!

"Yes," you say casually, lowering your gaze.

"Who?" asks Cregan, interested and with a smile.

"Just a question," Baela jumps to your rescue.

"Oh come on, you're just leaving us with the intrigue," he complains indignantly.

The bottle spins again, feeling more of Aemond's gaze on you, but you don't return it, when it's Daeron's turn to do the dare and he enters the bathroom with the same girl who entered with Aegon earlier, only when they both come out, you notice nothing happened.

Then the bottle points at Jace, having to do the dare as well, but the bottle points at Jason and everyone laughs, so with no choice, they both go into the bathroom together and when the seven minutes are up, they both pretend to wipe the saliva off their lips.

It's not until later that it's Baela's turn to meet the challenge and Jace finally gets his wish to go into the bathroom with her. Then it's William's other friend's turn to do the dare and the bottle points at Luke.

It is clear that when they both leave the bathroom, nothing happened and so the game continues, until luck has its way and it is Daeron's turn to go into the bathroom with the same girl Luke went in with, then Luke goes in with Rhaena and then it is William's turn to go in with you.

Nothing happens, they both just talk, not being at all awkward, as he is actually very nice, but still when they both come out, most of them make teasing and he clarifies that nothing happened, while all the time you feel the burning gaze of him.

Then Rhaena spins the bottle again and it finally lands on Aemond, with Alysanne being the one to ask him.

"Which of us here would you kiss?"

You lower your gaze instantly, biting your lips, not daring to look at him, not having the slightest idea why but you don't understand why the questions are precisely about kissing just when he and you have already kissed.

Aemond's answer is not immediately heard and you continue to stare at your lap, while everyone else around you watches him attentively and expectantly, wanting to hear his answer, when you feel his penetrating gaze on you.

Honestly you wouldn't be surprised if he didn't say your name, maybe he would want to save you both embarrassment and you would understand perfectly if he says the name of some of William's friends. Besides, the kiss has already happened, you find no reason why he-.

"Y/N."

In an instant you raise your gaze towards him, your breath catching at that moment, causing the little giggles and looks of surprise from everyone in silence, even from your cousins, definitely not expecting that, while you continue to watch him attentively, not having expected that either.

But he continues to stand firm with his answer, which in fact he said it completely nonchalantly, as if it was no big deal to hide, being honest and direct without any problem.

He takes his last sip from his beer bottle, watching you back, just as attentive as you are, only making you feel more surprised and nervous, not having the slightest idea how to react.

You look away from him, when Aegon says to continue, breaking the moment but still feeling the tension.

As the game continues, no one has a chance to avoid the dare anymore, neither do you and Aemond, where fortunately nothing more happened between the two of you. Until the bottle again points to Aemond, but now he must do the dare.

Rhaena spins the bottle and just as it begins to slow down, everyone sees it point at the girl Daeron had entered with earlier.

With a disinterested and even bored look, Aemond without much emotion gets up and heads to the bathroom, with the girl following him instantly, while Baela gives you a look but you continue as usual, when inside you are very attentive.

You don't know exactly how you feel as the seven minutes begin, but you continue to act normal, feeling Aegon's gaze on you as well.

When the time ends and Aemond opens the door the second William stops the music, walking out of there with the girl walking out behind him, looking a bit… disappointed?

And sure enough, nothing happened between the two of them, causing Baela to give you a gentle, sly nudge, while you continue to act nonchalant, when in fact you occasionally watch Aemond intently.

"This is the last round," Rhaena warns, "We all have to point the bottle and do the dare one last time. Whoever you have already pointed at, will go out of the circle so that the bottle will point at those who have not yet."

"Sounds perfect to me," says Aegon, visibly excited, "I want my turn with Cregan."

"Hey!"

Everyone laughs, as Cregan gives you a friendly tap on the shoulder, as you both laugh and look amused, and then Rhaena spins the bottle and officially starts the last round.

You thought you would have a little more time, however, everyone watches perfectly as the bottle slowly points in your direction, while you let out a long breath and Rhaena excitedly spins it again to see who you will get to enter the bathroom with.

What are the chances that you will have to fulfill the dare with Aemond?

You had wondered before and at that moment you realize that the chances were very high, since the bottle is pointing at him.

The others don't even give you time to react, they quickly insist you get up, as well as him, all looking very excited and unable to wait, so very soon, you already find yourself entering the bathroom while Aemond closes the door behind him.

Holy shit.

You think, feeling completely nervous, as you lean back against the hand wash and he leans against the wall in front of you to hear the music out there playing perfectly.

He watches you, but you don't look back at him, feeling very nervous and also very embarrassed after what happened out there and not only because of the questions you both were asked, but also because of the kiss.

How am I supposed to act with him after that happened?

You wonder, nervous and stirring in your place, feeling the bathroom too small and his gaze on you making you feel hot already and the seven minutes have barely started.

This whole not having anything to do with him thing is definitely not working for you. And just like last time, he's the first to break the silence between the two of you.

"Did I do something wrong?"

And this immediately catches your attention, watching him instantly, while he is already watching you between attentive and curious, trying not to let his gaze make you even more nervous.

"What?" you say confused, "No."

"Then why are you acting like I'm not in the same place as you?"

Shit.

You think, definitely feeling more nervous, unable to help yourself.

"No," you shake your head, "No, I-I don't….

"Is it because of the kiss?"

You look at him slightly surprised, parting your lips, also not expecting him to ask you that with such a naturally and casually, realizing how incredibly direct he is, getting straight to the point.

And you don't know if that terrifies you or you like it more.

But you can't answer, you're too nervous, he makes you too nervous and you don't want to tell him yes, that's why and also because you don't want to be another girl of the crowd, but you can't lie to him either, even if you wanted to you can't think of anything.

Being in these circumstances with him does not help you at all.

When he sees that you don't answer him anything, he takes a step towards you, letting out a sigh and you immediately look at him alert, nervous and try to take more distance between you, feeling like your heart will jump out of your chest at any moment.

And he notices all this, confused by your behavior.

"What? What's wrong?" he asks you softly and attentive, "Are you afraid of me?"

You lower your gaze, biting the inside of your cheek, nervous and thoughtful, wanting to end this once and for all, telling yourself that you better be honest and direct with him, too, now, just as he is being honest and direct with you.

And finally you tell him, in a low voice, without looking at him.

"I don't want to be another one of your girls in the crowd, Aemond."

He looks at you slightly surprised, his lips parted, definitely not expecting that, creating again that silence between the two of you, while you continue with your gaze down and he doesn't know what to say to you, for the first time being at a loss for words.

He understands what you're implying, about him and that girl at the after party, but what he didn't expect was to hear those words from you.

And you, plucking up your courage, watch him and decide to explain further.

"I saw you at the after party of your last concert with that girl," you tell him softly and with a certain disappointed tone, "That's why I didn't try to approach you that night after understanding that that's what you're looking for from me."

He opens his mouth instantly to retort, but you continue speaking, wanting to make everything clear to him.

"Until the balcony thing happened at Jason's party and…. I don't regret it," you clarify, "But I feel like it shouldn't have happened," you look at him nervous, "I-I don't want to be another one-night stand girl that you throw away, ignore and forget about, I… I'm not looking for that," you deny, "It feels awful."

Aemond continues to watch you attentively, without you and him saying anything else, that silence returning, when he lets out another sigh and you are alerted when he moves closer to you again, this time completely shortening the distance between the two of you.

And you watch intently and nervously as he places both hands on your waist, pulling you closer to him, closing his eye and resting his forehead with yours, making you melt under his touch but not enough to allow it.

"Aemond," you call him softly, gently trying to pull away from him.

"Listen to me," he says softly, not pulling away and tightening his grip on your waist.

You stop putting up resistance, watching him completely attentively, as he takes a moment before speaking, enjoying your closeness, which is all he's thought about since that kiss happened.

"I'm sorry you saw me that way," he tells you sincerely, "Had I known you were there, I wouldn't have done it."

You can't help but feel absurd.

"Oh come on."

"I mean it," he tells you instantly, insistent, "I know it's not justification but I thought I'd never see you again, it's not like I do it every day either, I promise," he assures you, "But ever since that kiss happened… I haven't stopped thinking about you Y/N, not for a second," he confesses to you, "Even you were the reason I decided to play this shit, just so I could be close to you."

Oh no, you're already falling.

Your mind says to you, as you give him your full attention.

"But I'm not…

"You won't be," he interrupts you, firm, "You won't be just another one of the crowd. Believe me that was never my intention since I met you."

You swallow hard, still watching him not entirely convinced.

"And how am I supposed to believe that?"

"Let me prove it to you," he tells you instantly, willing, "Stop ignoring me, start talking to me and you'll see."

He says to then raise one of his hands, place it on your cheek gently and lean in to kiss you.

taglist fic:

@melsunshine @fan-goddess @toodlesxcuddles @helaenaluvr @at-a-rax-ia @iloveallmyboys @nockerin @manonmccrory @tsujifreya @persephonerinyes @happinessinthebeing @zenka69 @diannnnsss @mariaelizabeth21-blog1 @gloryekaterina @strangersunghoon @ttkttt

#aemond fanfiction #aemond targaryen #aemond targaryen fanfic #aemond targaryen x reader #aemond targaryen x y/n #aemond targaryen x you #aemond x fem!reader #aemond x oc #aemond x reader #hotd aemond

[ladyluscinia]

Izzy Hands Is Manipulative, But Not That Way

...or I finally finish that long ass meta post about why I love the fucking Navy Plot lol

The Izzy manipulation debate has been really interesting to me pretty much since it started, because I'd see a post arguing he's manipulating Edward and go "No, and he couldn't if he tried" and then the next post would say he sucks at manipulation because he's a blunt fucking instrument and I'd go "Yea- wait. Hmm. No, he can be targeted and tricky as fuck." Which does, on its surface, seem like a contradictory stance, but I swear it works.

Because the thing with Izzy - and this is such a fun thing imo - is there are two core types of manipulation that characters engage in, and Izzy fucking sucks at the one you expect his style of antagonist to focus on. But he's scarily good at the other.

Long meta under the cut, so get comfy.

...

From his role under Edward to the protagonist vs antagonist dynamic setup to his introduction scenes, Izzy is very much invoking the conniving second in command. We know this character from other media. He doesn't have the full power he wants so he's constantly scheming to get it. He can't or won't challenge his boss for some reason, so he settles for being the devil on their shoulder or working behind their back. He's the voice constantly ready to inflame insecurities and turn relationship cracks into chasms, and usually he's lying constantly to do so. His fingerprints are all over his boss's problems up to the moment they show some weakness, and then their loyal second goes right for the backstab. He is THE ambitious manipulator. The shady advisor. The snake.

And then you actually look at Izzy and he is not that guy. In fact, it's a testament to the strength of Edward's character arc how much his evil little henchman is not causing his problems.

So - Izzy and manipulation:

Izzy Can't Convince People To Do Things

Like. He really can't.

This interpersonal struggle is fairly fundamental to his character. And moreover, it's a skill that Izzy is intensely aware that he lacks, so usually he doesn't even try.

In his first episode he walks right up to Buttons and just straight up asks him for the information on his party. He doesn't even resolve to steal the hostages until he realizes that Stede has lost them in the bush already, and Izzy obtains them by buying them. When Stede confronts him they end up splitting the pair in a very above-board negotiation and he pretty much just goes with what Stede suggests.

Then in 1x03, people make a big deal of Izzy "manipulating" Edward by not clarifying that Stede didn't know who he was when he turned down the invite, but kind of importantly he repeats the damning line of the conversation faithfully. If he was going to lie, then why not lie? Why even go see Stede at all? And, if he didn't want Stede dead until after the conversation (understandable, tbh, since "Iggy" was stab-worthy), surely he could invent a better insult to rile Edward up. It makes his omission hit more like being bitchy about Stede not recognizing the obvious - namely that Izzy Hands works for Blackbeard and literally everyone knows this - than a slander campaign to get him killed. And once we properly meet Izzy and Edward in 1x04, Izzy's inability to manipulate becomes his main struggle.

Izzy's a blunt and direct person. He leans on authority bestowed by Blackbeard to take control of situations, playing the role he's supposed to play, and without it he lacks a Plan B. In 1x04 he doesn't have any authority over Edward, so his efforts to get him to take the danger of the Spanish seriously amount to "Well as bored as you might be, if you don't make a decision soon we're gonna fucking die." And this is true! There might be a very subconscious attempt at manipulation in his resignation speech before the "That's Blackbeard. I'm Stede, remember?" line - of the piss him off to get him to get his shit together variety - but Edward literally makes a joke out of it so not exactly effective.

And once Edward stops giving Izzy authority in general, his plan to make Lucius do stuff is still just... brute force. Which works at first when Lucius doesn't realize that Izzy's on his own now, and stops working as soon as Fang breaks ranks. His last ditch blackmail attempt isn't manipulative either - he just plans to tell the truth to Pete and assumes he'll be pissed about it. My guy loses a fight over the pirate equivalent of making an uppity employee clean the coffee maker while the boss is out. Not only does he fail to manipulate the crew in a conniving antagonist way... he doesn't even try.

I mean, the only time he (somewhat) succeeds in talking someone into things is 1x06. Getting Edward to agree to killing Stede isn't really manipulation - Izzy gets Fang and Ivan to back him in a very straightforward way because they all actually do have a stake in this - but he's passably able to push Stede to go through with the fuckery via fake compliments. It's not exactly high level work, though. Stede being vulnerable to ego-stroking / dares is pretty obvious.

So what is Izzy good at?

Well, if you can't make people do anything other than what they were going to do in the first place, you might as well lean into that.

...

Izzy Manipulates Situations, Not People

Situational manipulation is one of those fictional tropes that rarely can happen in real life, but there's not much resemblance because real life rarely gives you all the building blocks for a proper gambit and lets you loose. Too many factors. In narratives, though? It becomes one of my favorite ways of having a character be clever.

And before I get into this too much, a really fun sidenote - I think Izzy does situational manipulation more like the way protagonists do it. See, antagonists are usually emotionally and situationally manipulative (ex: provoking the hero to lash out and using it to frame them for a bigger crime), but it's not a good look when your hero drives the target to do something bad and then punishes them for it. So heroes lean on stuff like Batman Gambits - where the lynchpin of the scheme is the target fucking themselves over by behaving completely in character. They've written Izzy so ineffective at emotional manipulation that he pretty much has to rely on other characters' flaws or histories to cause problems, which has a very similar result. And it's wild.

...

Going back to the 1x03 confrontation in Jackie's bar, Izzy doesn't really do anything abnormal in how he conducts himself, but people are picking up on an agenda for a reason. Namely, the whole damn conversation quickly turns into a trap, and Izzy fully sits back and watches Stede spring it from sheer idiocy.

There's no indication that when Izzy walked up he wasn't going to carry out his task with all the bitchy professionalism expected of him, while probably hoping that Stede would eventually stick his foot in his mouth without Izzy's help (assuming he's the kind of idiot Izzy thinks he is). His first section of this conversation is nearly polite:

Izzy (about the Nose Jar): "I have a few colleagues in there." Stede: "Ugh. You again." Geraldo: "Mr. Hands, welcome. It's been a while." Izzy: "(To Geraldo) Yeah, because I hate this fucking place. (To Stede) But for some inexplicable reason, my boss would like a word with you. Bonnet."

It's not until Stede starts talking that I think Izzy clues in that Stede doesn't actually know who his boss is. He didn't introduce himself until the literal last second of their 1x02 interaction, so it wasn't obvious Stede wasn't literally bolting into the forest in horrified realization.

And Stede? He goes hard on being a bitch right out the gate. Brushes Izzy off, tells him to "get in line", calls him the wrong name, says he doesn't care who Izzy is...

Izzy so far has met Stede in a public place, in front of people who clearly treat Izzy with respect and fear. He doesn't bring up their previous interaction, Stede does. He doesn't even goad Stede beyond existing. He corrects him on his name, and watches it not register in the slightest. The next line is the clincher:

Izzy (slightly incredulous): "So I'll tell my Captain that you're declining then, yeah?"

As Izzy is speaking the conversation becomes a trap - he chooses a reasonable way to refer to Edward that isn't "Blackbeard" and waits to see if Stede will make this worse. The jump from "no I'm busy" to "tell him he has terrible taste in flunkies and he can go suck eggs in Hell" is all Stede, completely ignoring context clues as Geraldo stares on in horror. Hell, Jackie only refrains from later de-nosing Stede on the spot because Geraldo knows what's up, and Stede still doesn't pick up on the fact he should maybe be asking some questions (though I'll give him the knife was distracting).

Izzy returns to the ship, quotes Stede directly for his damning line, and waits to see what Edward will do with it. It's not good behavior on his part (and if he could have seen the future he might have tried worse), but switching mid-conversation to offering Stede an opportunity to fuck himself over is a very different mindset than simply lying to / provoking Stede or Edward to get what he wants. He's mostly being petty.

Stede did insult Edward of his own volition, after all, and just because Izzy fudges the truth to hide he didn't know he was insulting Blackbeard instead of just Izzy and a random stranger doesn't change that. All Izzy did to "escalate" that conversation was give Stede a second opening to do so himself.

But there is a far better example of Izzy masterfully manipulating a situation than this in-the-moment bit of pettiness, so let's move onto my favorite bit... explaining in extensive and slightly awestruck detail why the Navy plot. Fucking. Rules. Because it does. Ready?

...

How to Mastermind the Decisive Removal of One Stupid Fucking Stede Bonnet Over Drinks

Ahem. The Navy plot. Masterclass in intimate betrayal. Izzy's biggest escalation in the total collapse of Edward and Izzy's relationship, but also a completely fucking fascinating glimpse into whatever tangled web of codependency they've got going on, because Edward isn't even mad after 1x09. This wordcount is going to be insane enough without me getting into the Blackhands relationship connotations, so I will... attempt... to stick to breaking down the actual scheme.

And what a scheme it was.

Let's start at the beginning. Jack showing up to lure them into the trap at the start of 1x08? Nope, earlier. Izzy getting kicked off the ship and going to Jackie at the end of 1x06? Further back. Edward proposing the "kill Stede" plan at the end of 1x04, which is the domino that starts all this, right? Closer, but still no.

Izzy's first appearance on screen is in episode 1x02, and that episode is where the seeds of the Navy plot are first planted. See, during Stede's confrontation with Izzy, both of the hostages chime in:

Hostage 1 (Wellington): "Believe him, he's quite insane." Hostage 2 (Hornberry): "He does have the eyes of a madman. Sorry, you do."

Wellington says his line in a tone of voice that clearly indicates a story to tell, and it should also be noted that he is the same one who earlier jumped at the chance to tell the tribe chief about Stede murdering their captain - Nigel. And he's the one that Izzy leaves with, in a sour mood and wanting information about this "Stede Bonnet" character.

When Izzy later reaches out to the Navy, it's no coincidence that he finds Chauncey. He's known since right after their first meeting that Stede was directly responsible for the murder of an Admiral's brother and that the English Navy would know soon enough, since he was literally about to ransom a hostage back to them who would tell the story. And he filed that information away until it was useful or relevant like a clever pirate should.

Moving on to Jackie's bar in 1x03, Izzy gets more potentially useful observations / inspiration. Jackie is actually the first person in the series to make a deal with a naval power. Izzy and crew track the Revenge to the Spanish warship, which means they must see Geraldo sold out Stede to them. Izzy isn't stupid. He knows Geraldo and Spanish Jackie, knows that she's the brains and brawn behind this deal, and has seen enough of Stede that he'd absolutely believe that he did something to get Jackie pissed enough to plot his murder. File away Jackie wants Stede dead and details of how she nearly succeeded in offing him for later.

Izzy spends 1x05 up to the fuckery demonstration observing Stede's crew while waiting for Edward to pull the trigger. I definitely want to note the scene where they interrogate the Frenchman at the beginning of 1x05, because Izzy is staring directly at Stede as he leans away from Edward threatening violence (we know this will later be in his love montage so not actually a turn off, lol, but like... it looked like one). His opinion of the crew is that they like to fuck around without structure (1x05 during the party), probably that they enjoy more standard pirate levels of violence (not shown directly since they are kept out of the 1x05 raid, but fairly obvious), and that they are really easily awestruck by the chance to hear "real pirates" tell charismatic stories (1x06 ghost story).

Any of that sounding like someone we know?

And now to go back to Izzy in 1x06, when he gets sick of Edward being cagey about the plan to kill Stede and decides to "make" him stop stalling, he's straightforward again. Getting Ivan and Fang to back him isn't emotionally manipulative, but it does give him weight in the conversation. They are the ones who bring up the whole "love of a pet makes a man weak" thing, and they do it in the context of calling out hypocrisy. Izzy knows the standards Edward holds his crew to. He lets them convince Edward it's time.

Taking the chance to suggest Stede try a fuckery is a strong blend of situational and emotional manipulation, and later challenging him to a formal duel knowing he'd be overconfident enough to accept is more situational again. Even the terms of the duel are designed to take advantage of the situation. And then Izzy loses in the most comedy way possible, Edward lets him get banished, and Izzy decides that if he was ok with just sending Stede Bonnet on his way to fuck-off before... he's fucking gonna kill him now.

My guy is not a creative thinker, but he's definitely a logistical one. And as he rows away from that ship, all the pieces fall into place.

First, Spanish Jackie. Who listens to him bemoan his relationship woes because she likes him (Izzy gets Jackie in the divorce). Who wants Stede dead and has the clout to summon and deal with a distasteful ally - Chauncey. Together, they concoct an arrangement where a trap will be set and Chauncey gets Stede and only Stede. This isn't a tip-off or a free-for-all. Stede comes from Chauncey's world and they are sending him back. Permanently.

Then it's time for the trap itself, which needs to do two things: get the Revenge somewhere that Chauncey can corner it, and get Edward out of there. And Izzy? Izzy knows Edward. Knows there's one particular person in his past that will have no trouble integrating with the crew, getting Edward to act more like a pirate than a gentleman, and who happens to have a great ambush location on hand.

I've said this before but I'm gonna say it again - I don't think outside characters realize how hard and fast Edward is falling for Stede. The BlackBonnet bonding moments happen almost exclusively when they are alone. The place Izzy dramatically fails to manipulate the situation is not having the evidence he would need to predict Edward going back for Stede. He (and Jack) both think that a precise wedge between BlackBonnet - one that Jack delivers near flawlessly by playing into real issues - will be enough to remind Edward that Stede isn't his people. This isn't a plan to murder the love of Edward's life while his back is turned. It's a plan to get rid of Stede, and remind Edward why he was on board with doing that in the first place. "That's fair," Izzy says about a punch to the face.

Instead, Izzy's plot accidentally backs Edward into a corner and forces him to publicly pull a grand-gesture relationship level-up that he was not emotionally ready for, and the fallout from that explosion is way worse than any of our conspirators were counting on.

Still... you gotta admit. It was a really good plan.

#our flag means death #i still really want to know when fang and ivan showed up to all this #like it's fascinatingly crazy that they looked at allllllll this insanity and were like. this seems like it's between izzy and the boss #did they go with him to find calico jack? did they sit at the table while izzy laid out the whole crew's potential weak points??? #the navy plot #izzy hands ofmd #izzy hands #ofmd meta #my meta #ofmd 1x09 #ofmd 1x02 #ofmd 1x03 #ofmd 1x04 #ofmd 1x06 #ofmd 1x08 #spanish jackie ofmd #chauncey badminton ofmd #calico jack ofmd #stede bonnet ofmd #ladyluscinia

[comicaurora]

I watched Castlevania: Nocturne the otger day and liked it a lot less than you seemed to, so I want to hear a more detailed opinion if you have one. Am I in the wrong to think it was more shounen and less "deep" in some way?

I'd say it's definitely more shounen. Introducing the "Richter can't do magic because unresolved trauma" thing right from the jump meant a Believing In Yourself powerup was pretty much inevitable, but I liked the execution of that scene enough that I didn't mind much.

It doesn't quite have the backbone of the original Castlevania, which was grounded so strongly in Dracula's apocalyptic grief - a motivation the audience is directed to find deeply understandable from minute one - that it gave the characters a solid thematic core to play off of. This let the writing stay pretty tight by letting Trevor serve as a foiling mirror for Dracula in their mutual disgust with the failures of human kindness, Sypha for Lisa in their altruistic use of their knowledge and their vilification for "witchcraft", and Alucard in the middle torn between worlds.

Nocturne is more loose and character-driven, but it still has a core theme - the argument over "the natural order" and how that plays into a fear of change from those currently on top. However, Richter doesn't really have a horse in that race, since his motivation starts and ends at Kill Vampires while everyone around him is more complex, trying to overthrow the aristocracy and free the enslaved and such. I think this makes Richter feel a little less important than Trevor was, narratively, because he sort of stands apart from the core philosophical debate at play. It took me a few episodes to get what his deal was and start caring about his self-actualization, and I think he's definitely got further to go. Possibly Alucard's presence in season 2 will give him more to play off of.

I think Nocturne has several independently interesting villains instead of one really good villain, which is a complaint I also saw about Castlevania season 4 - I liked Death just fine, but he really didn't work for everyone, and the secondary villains like Saint Germaine were much more interesting and complex. Nocturne does, however, pull off something Castlevania didn't as much, which is most of the characters acting on their own internal consistent motivation without cleanly falling into the "good guy" or "bad guy" box, causing them to slide into and out of conflicts and alliances depending on the circumstances.

I feel like Bathory is kind of a weak core villain with almost no human-level motivations or ideas beyond General Villainy, and the extent of her development being a darkest hour shonen villain powerup/frieza transformation doesn't help much, which is why I'm kind of holding out hope that they just bite the bullet and bring back Dracula. He's the nemesis from the Castlevania games, and while they gave him and Lisa a happy ending in Castlevania season 4, I don't think they need to keep him on the bench forever. It's been 300 years, Lisa is almost certainly long dead again and Dracula doesn't need to be full Mad With Vengeance Burn Down The World to still be a credible problem in need of a little Belmonting.

I had fun with season 1 of Nocturne with the understanding that the first four-episode "season" of Castlevania wasn't representative of the final shape of the story either. Sypha's character, for instance, was very flat before she and the gang went on their season 2 bonding adventure, not much more than some banter and infodumps. I think Nocturne did solid setup of the cast and the theme they'll be unpacking, and it has lots of room to explore these characters in interesting ways once they energy-ball-tennis Bathory out of the way first.

#asks #not aurora #media recs

[justafriend-ql]

kanghan's "wake up call" (ep. 2)

hello and welcome to my long-winded post about all the things i love about the 180 degree shift in how kang treats sailom after seeing the debt collectors attack him. the shift from enemies to "friends" (as kang calls them) was abrupt, accompanied by a dramatic shift in kang's behavior. so how does kang go from entering sailom's house intending to point a (hopefully unloaded) gun to sailom's head to rescuing him in the span of seconds?

kang sees sailom as a rival, sailom sees kang as a nuisance

it's no question that sailom and kang have beef. it wouldn't be enemies-to-lovers if they didn't. but in the face of real stakes, their antagonism quickly crumbles. kang has constructed an entire imaginary war with sailom in his head, seeing him as a rebel force he must quell if he is to remain king of the school and preserve his sense of dignity.

but sailom? he has bigger fish to fry.

kang is always the one to initiate attack. sailom doesn't care about kang enough to start a fight, so long as he's not hurting his friends or interfering with his work. sailom is always on the defense, but the feud keeps going because every time kang attacks, sailom outwits him and makes kang look stupid. because sailom doesn't bend easily, kang assumes that sailom cares about their feud as much as he does. but sailom never initiates attack; he just wants to be left alone.

kang's obsessive about the feud, and his feelings toward sailom are increasingly irrational, to the point where he "jokes" about bringing a gun to sailom's house. to which all of kang's friends are like 'dude. it's not that serious.' (note: i am curious as to why kang is so obsessed with this feud and hope we get a bit more insight into that in future episodes, beyond the basic 'rich kid with too much time and power on their hands' explanation).

"get off my friend"

as soon as kang walks into sailom's house, his whole idea of sailom and their feud is shattered. kang's been living in a tit-for-tat, "i'll get him back" game. he's been having fun. but sailom's life leaves no room for games. and as he sees sailom pinned to the floor, kang realizes that.

he cycles back through all his interactions with sailom in his head, seeing them through a new lens. a lens that casts kang in the same role as the reprehensible debt collectors he sees before him now. it's not a good look, and kang knows it. he kept blaming sailom for making him look stupid, but he's been stupid all by himself. and not just stupid - he's been ignorant.

he told sailom he wanted to show him that "money can buy everything" without having any understanding of the hardship of not having enough money to buy anything.

this whole realization takes place in seconds, and in the meantime, kang has pointed his (probably unloaded) gun at the debt collectors. he does it without hesitation, telling them to get off his "friend." his instinct is to protect sailom, which is perhaps surprising given his apparent hatred for sailom. but at his core, kang is good. his hatred for sailom is built on a feud of his own making, and he can tear it down as fast as he built it.

re-writing the relationship

before this moment, kang and sailom have only shown each other their steeliest selves. but in the tumult, they're both out of their depth. the debt collectors call out kang's nerves, noticing how his hands shake as he holds the gun. kang plays tough, but all he knows are schoolyard fights. this is real life, with real stakes. (when the debt collectors leave, he audibly releases a breath he'd been holding for the entire interaction).

kang finally gets to see sailom cowering on the floor, but he finds no satisfaction in the sight. the first step in moving from enemies to lovers is seeing each other as complex human beings instead of simple, stock characters. the confrontation has shown kang sailom's vulnerable side, and kang doesn't want to be the bad guy in this story anymore.

so kang starts to rewrite the narrative. he realized he was ignorant, so he asks questions.

he shows tenderness. (note the contrast between kang icing his own bruise from sailom's punch while plotting revenge at the beginning of part 4 and kang icing sailom's bruises from the debt collectors now)

he checks his own sense of self-importance. (while kang's whole world has circulated around his feud with sailom, sailom didn't even bother to tell his brother about kang)

and he rewrites his relationship with sailom, willingly giving him the position of power this time.

kang has had his "wake up call" and no longer wants to be enemies with sailom. based on the preview for the next episode, kang will be made vulnerable and human in sailom's eyes through their tutoring sessions.

and if their shirts are anything to go by, kang will be the one to kiss sailom next time.

but it won't really be about revenge, will it?

#kang is learning! #dangerous romance #dangerous romance meta #dangerous romance the series #drts #kangsailom #userpetri

[yelenasdiary]

https://at.tumblr.com/yelenasdiary/the-gifs-on-my-last-fic-were-meant-to-be-side-by/zsubaydnvtqc

Well since u asked… 👀 maybe Dom!Nat x fem!reader where nat is a mob boss or powerful CEO, and readers job is just to be a stress relief for her. Like nat Just uses, spanks, and degrades us for her personal pleasure. 🧎🏻‍♀️anyways nat can use me anytime LMAFO. THANK U LOVE 🫶🫶

To Good Use

Pairing: CEO! Natasha Romanoff X Fem! Reader.

Warnings: Dom! Nat, Sub! Reader, Spanking, Degradation Kink, Daddy Kink, Fingering, Strap-On Use, Nipple Play, Overstimulation, Language Warning, Rough Sex Basically. 

1.9K | 18+! Minors DNI! 

Tears filled your eyes as the hand of your boss came down harshly on your backside. Bend over her lap, your skin red with the print of her hand as she took her frustration out on your mistake. "Do you know how late I was?" She spoke in a stern tone before the sound of her hand slapping your right cheek once more filled the room. 

"I asked you a question whore, answer me!" 

You stuffed up her last meeting of the day, it wasn't on purpose it was simply just a misunderstanding between you and her client.

"I-I'm sorry d-daddy" you sobbed in pain, a pain you could never admit that you loved. "I was 45 minutes late because of you! I didn't hire you to fuck me around yet here you are! Do you want my company to fall? Huh? Do you want to see my company gain a bad name?" Another spank on your red behind only made you wetter. Your cunt clenching around nothing with each slap she delivered, your clit throbbing with need to be touched.

"Are you fucking dumb?! Answer me!" Natasha demanded.

"N-no daddy, I'm s-sorry daddy, I deserve to be punished" you replied. You'd lost count of how many times her hand slapped your bare arse, how long you've been bend over her lap listening to her disappointment in you. If only you'd remembered to tell her the meeting was brought forward by an hour. 

 "Of course you do! You know, when I hired you, I knew you'd be the perfect little fuck toy for me to use. I saw the way you couldn't keep your eyes off me in your interview, you're just a brainless little whore and I'm going to make sure you never make this mistake again, do you understand?" Natasha spoke with another slap.

"Yes daddy" 

"Get off me. You're going to ruin my pants with how pathetic and wet you are" she slightly pushed you off her lap but not before seeing the wet patch on your panties as you stumbled to your knees. She looked at you as she made you look up at her by gently lifting your head with her thumb, "do you remember your safe word?" She asked. She always asked this when things were stressful for her, it was the time you knew you were in for a rough time. 

You nodded, "yes, roses" 

"Good. Now, stand up and strip. And wiped those tears, you look pathetic" Natasha lent back in her chair as she watched you begin to remove your clothing. She loved watching you do anything she said, she sent everybody in the office home early just to have this afternoon to ruin you in ways she'd been thinking the time she was in her meeting.

"God, look at you. You want to keep this job so fucking bad you'll do anything I say. Maybe I shouldn't have sent everybody home early, maybe I should've just fucked you in front of them all, let them see how much of a desperate whore you are. Look at your panties, fucking soaked. Why? Did getting your arse spanked turn you on?" 

Shamelessly you nodded, embarrassed that it was true. "Use your words. Tell me exact how you'd liked it" Natasha's tone was harsh but raspy, sending a wave to your core as you clenched once again around nothing.

"I love when you spank me, daddy" you replied standing in front of her completely naked.

"You can't even answer the question correctly. Tell me, did you purposefully fuck my meeting up so I would punish you?"

"No daddy, I'm sorry, I didn't mean too! I promise"

"So you're just a dumb little whore who forgot? Get on the desk and spread your legs. I'm going to play with what's mine, going to show you just how brainless you are" 

Natasha stood from her desk chair and watched you jump up onto her desk and spread your legs, showing her just how wet you truly were. The cool air hardened your nipples and made your cunt clench, making your boss chuckle at your state. "You're so fucking wet for me it's disgusting. I'm your boss!" She spoke as she closed the small space between you and her. Running her fingers through your wet folds as she looked you in the eyes, "say it. Tell me how much of a desperate little slut you are" she said without warning as she slid two fingers inside your pussy. 

A moan escaped your lips as you felt her trust her fingers harshly into you, "I'm just a desperate slut for you d-daddy, just h-here for you to use me like t-the whore I am" you managed to word as she abused your hole with her fingers, her thumb ghosting your clit causing more moans to fill the air. "That's right baby, daddy's little whore. You're so wet and tight, your pussy is sucking me back in. Fuck yourself on my fingers" her free hand pinched your right nipple harshly.

"F-fuck daddy!" You moaned as you bucked into her hand doing your best to grind on her fingers. Natasha shook her head at the sight of you while she continued to tug and twist each on of your nipples before sliding a third finger easily into your clenching pussy, throwing your head back in pleasure as you moaned her name. A few more bumps and Natasha stopped, pulling her fingers out as you whined at the loss of her fingers. 

"Clean them" Natasha instructed, "if you want to cum, you're going to show me you want it. Now open" she added. You did as told, opening your mouth for her to place her fingers against your tongue. Sucking the sweetness of your juices of her fingers while keeping eye contact with her. "You're going to take my new strap today. I brought for times just like this, when you can't do anything right and make me look like a fucking fool in front my clients" she spoke as she pulled her fingers from your mouth and began to unzip her pants. 

This was by far the biggest strap you've seen her have, the dark red color suited her so well like it was custom made just for her to use on you. The length worries you as your eyes were glued to the toy stood proudly. "T-that looks too b-big" you said as you swallowed the lump in your throat. "Did you not hear me? I said you'll be taking it. You might think it's too big but that pussy is screaming for it" Natasha towered over you, the tip of the strap rubbing through your folds, using your slick as a lubricant. 

You couldn't help but moan softly everytime she slapped your clit with the tip, making her chuckle once more. "Such a slut, already moaning and I haven't even entered your tight pussy yet. What we're you just saying huh? It's to big? Let's see" Natasha pinned both of your hands above your head while her free hand guided her thick strap into your cunt, stretching you more with every inch. 

"Look at you, sucking me in like a cheap whore" Nat spoke over your whimpers. "D-daddy p-please it's too big" you whined as she bottomed out inside of you. She smirked as she looked down at how well your pussy looked wrapped around her cock, completely not phased by your whimpers as she began to harshly trust into you. 

Here you were, spread out on her desk as she fucked you hard against the wood, watching as your breast bounced with every thrust, smirking at the way you gripped the edges of the desk as you moaned her title. The loud sounds of skin slapping against one another added to the sounds she pulled from you, making you glad she sent everybody home early. 

"Daddy, f-fuck! P-please!" You moaned when she picked up her speed, fucking all her stress and frustrations into you, making you a whimpering little mess for her. The way she loved you most, begging her to let you cum, wanting her to stop but never wanting her to stop. "Shut up, can you do that? Just shut up and take my cock like the dumb whore you are for me!" She hushed you while pounding deeper. The need to cum was building quickly and you knew she wouldn't be impressed but you couldn't help yourself, "n-need to cum! Please!" You threw your head back once again only for Natasha to pull out.

"Don't give me that look, I told you. If you want to cum you'll work for it" she glared as she sat back down in her chair before patting her lap. You straddled her and let her line the tip of her fake cock with your soaking pussy before sinking slowly down onto her. The new position making you feel even more stretched out, you could feel her deeper than you've ever felt her. Natasha looked up at you, "go on baby, ride daddy's cock" Her hands gripped your hips harshly as you began to slowly ride her the best you could. 

"God! You're fucking pathetic at everything, can't even make yourself cum on my cock can you?" Natasha groaned as she forced your hips to grind faster and harder on her strap, your moans got louder the closer you got to breaking. "Are you make this mistake again? Fuck me around and make me late to important meetings again?" Natasha watched as you were on the edge of falling apart against her. She bucked her hips just to hear you scream her name. 

"No daddy!! P-please!! M'sorry! Won't do it again! Please!!" You begged, doing your best not to cum without her permission. You're eyes rolling back with bliss as her cock hit your favorite spot over and over again. "Next time you fuck up, I'm showing everybody in this office how much of a needy little whore you are! Now cum!" She demanded. 

Your hands gripped her shoulders, nails digging in harshly through her shirt as you came, falling onto her for support while she didn't stop moving her hips and fucking you until you saw stars. Dragging out your orgasm as long as she liked, even when it was too much for you, she had a hold over you. 

"Too much daddy!" You whimpered as she picked you up while still inside you and placed you back on her desk. Natasha didn't say a word as she started to pound into your abused hole once again, her hands holding your waist down to stop you from squirming all over her desk. Every now and then she would harshly draw tight circles around your clit, driving you to the edge once more. Screaming her name as you came for the second time around her. 

Natasha stilled as she looked down at you, out of breath with sweat droplets on her forehead. She brushed your sweaty hair from your face and smiled softly, "you did so well for me, I needed that. Thank you" she kissed you gently as she pulled out. 

"No, thank you daddy" you looked at her with a smirk. "Wait here, I'm just going to go get a wet cloth, I'll clean you up and take you home" she spoke as she removed the harness from her waist. 

Even though she could be rough with you as much as she needed, she never failed to care for you afterwards. Even if you had to spend a few hours in the office while your body recovered, she wouldn't leave and she always made sure you got home safely.

Taglist: @red1culous | @sayah13 | @charl-lally | @when-wolves-howl | @bentleywolf29 | @fxckmiup | @natasha-belova | @blackwidow-3 | @lissaaaa145 | @high--power | @parkerdaramitzzzz | @mmmmokdok | @wackymcstupid | @kiwiana145 | @shin-conan-kun | @nattyolw | @ripofflizzie | @goofy-goonie | @makegoodchoices | @apollo2907 | @wandaroman0ff | @dumb-fawkin-bitch | @lovelyy-moonlight | @santana1437 | @ahintofchaos | @fluffyblanketgecko | @puta1 | @inluvwithfictionalwomen | @tintedrose12 | @jaymieflorissssssss | @tita001 | @youralphawolf72 | @donnietarantino | @randomnessbecausewhynot | @natashamaximoff69 | @hehehehannahthings | @pandaemonium111 | @imnotslouching | @secrettoallofyou | @romantic-slaps-on-the-asss | @marvel-fan-2021 | @mmmmokdok | @riveramorylunar | @ripofflizzie | @marvel-madnessx | @scarsw1fe | @toldthatdevil | @itsmv3 | @natashaswife4125 | @katiemay-025 | @aphrcdtes | @romanoffs-widow | @natsxwife | 

#natasha romanoff #natasha romanoff x reader #fanfiction #black widow #Natasha Romanoff smut

[puffein]

VOWS OF HEARTBREAK | late spring [i.]

summary: wanda's wedding barrens your deepest heartbreak. pairings: wanda maximoff x fem!reader warnings: angst, swear words, sobbing word count: 1125 a/n: i hope the words i have written makes sense. listen to the playlist for more feels ahhaha! enjoy!

series masterlist playlist!

Westview, New Jersey

Mid-November 2023

It shouldn't bother you.

It really shouldn't. 

Seeing her face contorted in pure happiness shouldn't bother you. It should make you feel proud to see her smile so widely that the creases beside her eyes became so prominent, the glistening of her green eyes, and the euphonious laughter her mouth sends out shouldn't bother you.

But it did.

And the fact that it's not only a bother but also causes you a pain striking right in the center of your heart makes it so hard for you to see her in such a glowing light in a glowing white dress. Well, everyone would understand it. When the love of your life is in a pure joy of a cocoon in the arms of another being, another breathing person that is definitely not you. 

Your eyes glances away as her striking green eyes met with your stricken orbs, your eyes betrayed you. Glancing back again in her direction, she gave you a winning smile, mouthing a very specific phrase that only the two of you knew how significant it is.

"You came." 

The corners of your mouth strike up in a tight-lipped smile, the creases beside your eyes not prominent enough in the dim-light hall.

"Yes." you mouth.

Her brows furrow, she glances away and leans into a man taller than her, whispering something, maybe sweet nothings, maybe another set of deep love vows, or just something that you would sacrifice everything just to hear that. 

And just like that, she untangles herself from the man and takes long strides toward you. Her eyes determined, light smile cast her delicate but strong features. 

Time seems to stop in your vision, your heart constricts in an agonizing way that you are sure its buckling and being misshapen in a torturous form. A step you took backward and in swift motions, you turned your body away from her. Walking fast, breathing fast, thinking fast. The big wooden door of Wanda's wedding reception unlatches from its tight position. 

You are sure she looks confused, worried, maybe weirded out, even pained at the thought of her best friend running away from her core moment, once in a lifetime extraordinary wedding. A picture of her face scrunched up in hurt flashes right in front of your mind, playing you into giving up and just turn around and tell her you are happy for her.

You really are happy for her, just not for yourself.

"Why are you out?" an uptight voice comes out beside you, laced with concern and unease.

Your head turns sideways, breathing out, "Just needed air, Nat." 

Natasha's fiery red hair is down with soft curls just at its ends like it's a calm flowing river, her face though is very much different. Warp in full worry, she knew what you knew. She knew what you are feeling, in fact, she was the one to tell you not to attend, to give yourself a rest, to fuck off, and not make yourself be in a full live torture. 

But you didn't want Wanda to be hurt. 

"I told you this was a bad idea," she mumbles, her body leaning sideways on the beige wall. 

You laugh out, sounding like a pained laugh, "I don't need an 'I told you so', Nat. You know that." 

The stairs you're standing on look promising, so you set yourself down, and let yourself feel the coldness of the tiled steps. You look out, and droplets of rain stay in the glass doors, the only border standing between you, the wedding reception, Wanda, and the outside.

If you step out in that pouring rain, you know you will never be looking back. Not even a glance. So, you didn't want it to end, using Nat as an excuse to spend more time with Wanda in the confines of this— of whatever this is. 

She's inside the reception probably dancing with her husband while you're on the other side, outside, but not totally the outside. Still one place. One air. And the low music booming from it reaches your ears.

At least you and her are still listening to the same song.

"You should start driving, while the rain is not pouring that hard," Natasha says, her warmth comes at you as she plops down gently beside you. Shoulders brushing together. 

With those words, everything seems to pour out of your eyes. So hard, your sobs resound at the empty surroundings. The rain might not be pouring hard but your tears are. As it rushes down your cheeks like it's having its own race on who goes first at being dropped to the ground. 

Natasha's breath hitches, and she quickly tangles her one arm on your shoulders, squeezing it tightly, "You will be okay, Pchelka."

"I love her too much." you whimper, eyes closed shut, afraid of what eyes you are gonna see. You suddenly feel every air you are taking and how each one of those hurts right at your chest.

"I know, I know you do." she whispers, "But you have to let go, Y/N. Set yourself free."

She drags those words in a way that sheds a very dark light on Wanda. Like her ignorance of your bottomless feelings is her fault. Like the events that happened between the two of you are her fault. You didn't like it. You were the one who decided to let everything be a secret, you let things be too confusing and hurtful. Nat shouldn't hate Wanda for that. She shouldn't.

"It's my fault." you croak out, tears have slowed down now, having tired of racing down your glistening cheeks.

"It is not."

"You hate her."

"I don't." Natasha's voice uncovers something. She knew she let it slip up with the forced hardened voice. 

"It's just weird how she didn't— wouldn't feel your feelings towards her. She's acting blind and ignorant. And I don't know what happened between the two of you but I knew something was just not right." she finally lets out the thoughts you knew she was hiding.

"I-I should go now." you abruptly pull yourself up, head wobbling slightly from side to side.

"Y/N —"

"Thank you, Nat." you give out a pained smile, "Sorry." 

Because suddenly, you become aware of how you're acting, how embarrassing it is to sob your heart out just a few feet away from where your best friend and her husband are dancing their night away on their wedding day.

You instantaneously feel something creeping up onto your whole being, an all too familiar feeling, the feeling you have been experiencing your whole life. The feeling of being pathetic. Just like how you first felt it strongly in your junior year.

general masterlist ►

#wanda maximoff x reader #wanda maximoff x fem!reader #wanda maximoff x female reader #wanda x you #wanda x reader #wanda maximoff #wanda maximoff angst #wanda maximoff fanfic #wanda maximoff fanfiction #wanda maximoff mcu #wanda maximoff marvel #wanda maximoff x y/n #wanda maximoff x you

[trrsseea]

Lesson for lesson

We agreed to meet at Charles' apartment. When I got there, the apartment was empty. I headed into the living room and walked past Charles' piano. I always loved listening to Charles playing, his focused expression and the smile that played on his face was breathtaking.

I turned on the TV and some show was on, but I wasn't paying attention to it. All I could think about was the piano. Finally, I couldn't help myself and went over to it.

I sat down on the stool by the piano, picked up some sheet music Charles had laid out beside it, and flipped to the beginning, where there were light melodies.

I put my fingers on the keys and tried the first notes. My fingers slid over the keys and the melody seemed disorganized and inharmonious. I tried a few more times, but the result was always the same.

I rubbed my face in frustration and saw movement to my left. I turned my head and saw Charles leaning against the door frame, watching me with a smile.

Wordlessly, he parted to me, sitting down on the piano stool next to me.

“Y/n, will you let me help you?” Charles asked with a kind smile.

I was a little surprised at first, but I nodded. There was something magical about how quickly he took on the role of teacher and his calm attitude.

Charles began to show me how to hold my hands properly, use my fingers and play a chord correctly.

____________________________________

After a few lessons, I began to understand the language of music and why he loves it so much. My movement improved and became smoother. The melody sounded clearer and more harmonious.

At each of our "lessons" Charles seemed happy that I was improving or it was the fact that he could share one of his passions with someone. Although I doubt, I had the musical talent he did.

I love music, and on several occasions Charles and I explored each other's music playlists together and even found common favourites. But the way Charles always relaxed when he sat down at the piano to play was amazing view.

I loved that look, watching and listening to him and several times I fell asleep on the couch while he played.

____________________________________

I got better and better over the next few months. One afternoon, when I arrived a little earlier than Charles, who was late from training, I decided to train.

Last week I found one of our favourite songs and practiced it in secret so I could surprise Charles.

My fingers carefully moved across the keyboard with the grace and delicacy I'd gained from practicing with Charles, filling the apartment with a lovely melody.

The melody penetrated to the core of my bones, and sometimes my hand slipped a little, but I didn't stop and continued to play.

____________________________________

Charles pov:

Today's practice was a bit long, the mechanics needed to make some more adjustments and wanted to know if everything was working as it should. I knew Y/n would be at the apartment waiting for me.

So as soon as I got out of the garage, I headed to the locker room. I took a quick shower packed my stuff and headed to the parking lot where my car was waiting for me.

I got in my Ferrari and pulled out onto the road towards the apartment. I parked in front of the apartment, grabbed my stuff from the trunk and almost ran as I couldn't wait.

I put my keys in the lock, turned it and the lock clicked. The first thing I noticed was the melody from the piano. I walked into the apartment, which was filled with a lovely melody. I carefully closed the door and put my things on the floor. 

Quietly, I walked in the direction the melody was coming from. Y/n played carefully, but with a delicacy that she had lacked before. Her song was full of emotion, and at that moment I realized it was our favourite song. She must have practiced it in secret.

I stood in the doorway and listened to the melody, completely entranced by the moment. I was happy for her, for how much she had improved. Most of all, I appreciate her effort and dedication to the music. It was a beautiful moment and I didn't want to disturb it.

____________________________________

I led Charles to the kitchen where I prepared all the necessary ingredients.

I showed Charles all the ingredients and explained the process, which I printed out just in case so he could look at it as he worked.

Last week I was wondering what I could get Charles for his piano lessons, so I thought I could teach him to bake something. His passion is music and mine is baking.

I was scrolling through internet looking for a simple recipe and came across chocolate cake. So, the plan was clear, I'm going to teach him how to bake a cake. 

After work, I went shopping for everything I needed to make it and I still had to buy a cake pan.

____________________________________

Charles pov:

I stood in the kitchen next to Y/n and listened to everything she said, I loved the look.

After the explanation, we got down to business. I was amazed at the precision and concentration with which Y/n worked.

I watched her every move and learned how to handle everything Y/n showed me, what temperature to heat the oven, how to grease the cake pan properly, and most importantly how to tell if the dough was properly made.

Y/n let me do all the work and checked that I was doing it right.

I was just mixing the last two ingredients together: “You have to be careful that everything is mixed and there are no lumps left."

I slowed down and made sure I was careful with every movement.

The dough was ready, I carefully poured it into the cake pan, and it placed it in the preheated oven and set the alarm.

I walked over to Y/n and pulled her close to me: "I was wondering how we could entertain ourselves in the meantime."

I kissed her and was about to continue, but Y/n broke the kiss and turned me towards the line.

“Who's going to clean this?" She pointed to the counter full of dishes.

“We can clean it up later." I leaned in for another kiss.

“This is part of the process." She smiled at me and started cleaning up.

After a few minutes, we were done and the cake was about to be ready. The cake was successful, just baked and smelling lovely.

We sat together at the table and shared the amazing sweet treat we had created together.

We both laughed while baking and I realized that we had managed to combine our two passions.

And so, we continued our piano and baking lessons together.

#charles leclerc x you #charles leclerc #f1 fanfic #f1 imagine #formula 1 #f1 #charles leclerc fanfic #charles leclerc imagine #charles leclerc x reader #f1 x reader #f1 one shot #f1 x you #charles leclerc one shot #ferrari f1 #cl16 x reader #charles leclerc x female reade #cute #charles leclerc piano #piano

[my-own-walker]

I'm so sorry for being so annoying but could you write another JPM where the reader's family comes to the hotel and maybe they are very loud and kinda criminals and telling stories of little reader hahahaha

I just love you and trying to keep you busy, darling🥰😊😂

How Soon Is Now?

note: heeeeerrreeee we go i'm writing again. also, how fun is this? lol. thanks for the request, darling!

summary: james finds out his sweet angel isn't so innocent after all.

warnings: talk of violence/murder, that’s really it

+++

James had always admired my purity.

I was something of an angel in his eyes. The light had finally entered the Hotel Cortez when I arrived.

Maybe it was the softness of my hair. My voice. The dresses I'd wear. The way I smiled. Maybe it came down to moments like the first time I tried his absinthe. The second the licorice-tasting liquid hit my tongue I was putty in his hands. Doe-eyed and complacent.

I liked to play up the pretty, girly aspects of myself to get his attention. I was his perfect little angel.

He was in love with the idea of a corruptable blank canvas.

I begged him to kill me. I did. Once the secret of the hotel was revealed, I suddenly felt a sense of belonging. Like I was meant to spend eternity in that dark, art-deco haven with the man of my dreams.

His transcontinental accent. The way he dressed. His chivalrous nature. He was a spitting image of my wildest fantasies.

He didn't understand my longing for a fate like his, but as his princess, I got what I wanted.

He made it quick and easy. Drugged, to preserve my beauty. I was to be his damsel in distress forever. His pretty princess living up in the tower.

Being dead, but also alive, came with its challenges. One of them being, namely, my family. They were worriers. They couldn't understand why I would up and leave my life to 'work' at some old hotel in LA.

The constant phone calls and messages became too much for me. I needed them to be able to see me in order for them to understand that I was happy where I was. That I was okay.

Obvious challenges came with that notion. James was all too happy to host them, though. Too happy.

He instructed every entity in the place to leave my family alone. He had Miss Evers prepare dinner and the most extravagant table setting she could muster. He even arranged a gold silk dress for me, topped off with a stunning string of heirloom pearls.

Everything was perfect. Until my family showed.

My parents and my three siblings made their way into the hotel rather…ungracefully. I told them to dress nicely. They did what they could, all things considered.

They, at their core, were rowdy, loud, and frankly insane.

The lineup was as follows: My father, Bruce, my mother, Margaret, or Marge, as she liked to be called, my twin older brothers Logan and Wyatt, and my older sister Ginger.

They couldn't make their way to James' suite without incident, of course. No. They had to walk in already arguing about...something. I'm not sure. It took both of my parents, with the assistance of Iris and Liz to get my brothers separated.

Upon stepping into the suite, I immediately heard a ‘it’s REALLY fuckin dark in here!’ from my sister. They really couldn’t find it within themselves to show a shred of decorum in a nice place.

I sat next to James at the dining room table, awaiting my family’s entrance. He sat at the head of the table, smile on his face. He was so excited to meet them. To understand more about his precious girl. He had his hand rested atop mine, eyes trained expectantly on the doorway.

Miss Evers’ figure appeared, then my father’s.

‘There’s my little girl!’ he shouted opening his arms for a hug.

‘Hi, daddy,’ I greeted with a warm smile, getting up from the table to hug him.

‘Wow, sweets, you look great,’ he said, admiring my outfit. Sweets was his nickname for me. My mother and sister filed in next.

‘What’s this, fuckin Halloween?’ my sister scoffed.

‘Nice to see you too, Ginger,’ I smiled. ‘Hi ma,’ I continued. 

‘Y/N!’ she exclaimed, jumping in the air. ‘There’s my little baby!!!’ She rushed over to me, making a point to pinch my cheeks. Logan and Wyatt made their appearance next, still arguing it seemed.

‘No, you dipshit it’s definitely a knife,’ Wyatt huffed.

‘You would use a fucking knife in that situation? Be serious right now,’ Logan replied, throwing his hands up.

‘Hey guys! Over here!’ I waved, reminding them they were arguing loudly in public.

‘Oh hey, Y/N,’ they replied in unison. That weird twin telepathy stuff.

We all took our seats at the table, my mother making sure she was sitting right next to me. She was the one who was most worried about me, after all. It was only fitting that she’d make sure I was okay by being closest to me all night.

James stood from his seat at the head of the table and the whole room turned their attention to him. He tended to have that effect.

‘Hello, Y/L/N family! Welcome to my hotel,’ he began. ‘I’m so happy to finally have you all here. My name is James Patrick March. And you all are?’

‘Marge,’ my mom smiled.

‘Uh, Bruce,’ my dad said, weirded out at the round-robin introduction James had begun.

‘I’m Ginger,’ my sister continued.

‘And they’re Logan and Wyatt,’ I answered for my brothers. They became embroiled in conversation as soon as my mother began speaking just seconds before. Easily distracted.

‘You all make such a beautiful family,’ James declared, sitting back down in his chair.

‘So uh, just to get this straight,’ my dad began, ‘you own this place?’

‘Mm, yes,’ James affirmed, taking a sip of his drink.

‘And you’re, what, to Y/N?’ my father continued to prod.

I couldn’t help but cut in. ‘We’re together, dad. Romantically.’ I knew James wouldn’t be able to put it into terms my family would get.

‘Her?!’ my sister scoffed.

‘Yeah, I can’t lie, I’m shocked,’ my dad laughed. I shot both of them the deadliest look my face could muster, but they continued.

‘She’s a grade-A psycho,’ Ginger said. ‘Y/N how’d you bag a classy guy like this?’ I hung my head in shame. I could have tried to stop them, but once they got going there was no going back.

‘You know, she’s a nice girl but our family is just, a bit unorthodox,’ my mom explained. ‘It’s just shocking to see her live in a place this…nice. And for her to be with someone, like you.’

‘Unorthodox? How’s that?’ James asked, smile still plastered on his face.

‘She started helping us with the, uh, family business, basically as soon as she was born,’ my mom continued. ‘She was a pretty scary kid.’

‘As she grew up she learned more and sort of, haha, became our little hitman. Didn’t you sweets?’ my dad added. I lifted my head and turned it to look at James. His eyes had lit up in a way I hadn’t seen before.

‘Yeah she’s the youngest but she’s the best at roughing people up,’ Ginger said, monotonously. ‘She killed her first at what? 6?’

‘No no, younger than that,’ my mom answered. ‘I think she was 4. It was that Goldberg guy, remember? Screwed dad out of 4 grand.’

‘Ohhhh, right!’ my dad said, laughing slightly. ‘My little killa.’ He looked at me with such pride. He meant it endearingly, but I was so embarrassed. The fact that they’d willingly offer this information without being asked made me sick to my stomach. What would James think of me?

‘This is news to me…’ James purred, taking my chin in his hand. ‘She’s been quite the angel here. I was entirely unaware of her background.’ He smiled warmly at me. His eyes had a fire behind them. Ideas were brewing.

‘Oh yeah James. She was a little Wednesday Addams,’ my mom laughed. I cringed, knowing he wouldn’t understand that reference. ‘Just a scary little girl.’

‘Come on, Y/N,’ Ginger taunted. ‘You should show your new boyfriend your mad murder skills.’

‘Oh yeah, sure. I’ll slice up a guy’s neck. You want it now?’ I asked, obviously sarcastic. The whole thing was getting on my nerves.

‘How soon is now?’ James chimed in. I turned my head suddenly and looked at him. He was deadly serious about the whole affair. He seemed…ecstatic. ‘Something can be arranged. I would love to see this, hidden talent, my dear.’ His eyes flashed with what I can only describe as lust.

‘James,’ I pleaded.

‘There was a guy in the hall that gave us a funny look earlier,’ Wyatt said, breaking his twin bubble with Logan. ‘You could kill him.’

‘Wyatt, I’m not gonna kill just anyone!’ I protested.

‘I’ll see to it that he’s brought here at once!’ James exclaimed, subsequently taking a large swig of his drink. ‘But first, Miss Evers! We’d like to have our meal now! We have business to attend to afterwards!’

My secret was out, and James was about to take full advantage of it.

+++

Haha! This was fun to write. Hopefully I’m over my horrible writers block now. Requests are back open so send em in!

#evan peters #evan peters fic #evan peters x female reader #ahs #evan peters x reader #james patrick march #evan peters oneshot #james patrick march x reader #james patrick march x you #jpm

[linguist-in-a-blanket]

I saw so many BBC Ghosts fans here trashing the American version that I finally gave up and watched the original.

Well, thanks, I hate it.

Some of the plots were more amusing, yes. I personally liked how the sister story played off. I mean, when in American version we see Jo from Mythic Quest show up with that "nice" smile for one episode, we know what's up from the first second. When it's a seemingly genuine woman who has a couple of episodes to actually earn Alison's and our trust, it's much better. I also liked most of the ones that didn't make it into the remake.

But the core of this premise is characters. And British characters... They're just bad, I'm sorry, they're bad. They are all one note! There is no arc for anybody! Even the most annoying one, Thomas! His whole thing is that he doesn't know what boundaries or consent are, and this goes on for five seasons! Come on, man! Trevor in the American version has charisma, and he comes a long way in just 2 and half seasons we've seen him. This all really makes up for him being a huge jerk: at least he's a lovable jerk, plus he changes. Julian is not lovable at all, Thomas never changes, he's the same since episode 1 till the finale one. Why should we care about two one-note jerks? Flower has a lot about herself aside from being not-all-here: sex-drive, pacifism, commitment issues, basketball, backstories about at least three close people from her life (two boyfriends and brother)... Kitty is just a stupid cutie who is not-all-here, nothing else.

And this drives me to my next point. Such one-note characters without any development simply cannot have a deep connection. Nobody likes each other in this show. I've seen a lot of takes that American ghosts and Sam are friends, while British ghosts and Alison are family. Well, if you mean an abusive family that you can't get away from, that never gives you any good feelings, sure. But do we really need that? Whom of the ghosts does Alison actually like? She hates Thomas and Fanny (never has this realization about her unrealized motherly feelings, and Fanny herself never realizes why she is like she is and how she can change), she doesn't understand Robin (after spending a day with him and learning what he knows, she just gives him to Fanny as a pet), at the very best she pities Kitty. The only one who actually likes Alison as a person is Kitty, but she has her own projections, she is like a duckling who saw the first person near them and said "mommy". She's actually not much better than Thomas in that way, same level of neediness and clinginess, just more lovable than him, and it's not sexual harrassment, more... platonic harrassment? Yay?..

By the way, Alison also doesn't change. Whenever she sees a new ghost in a new place, she is creeped out. This was okay in the beginning, but after living in a house with 9+ ghosts for a couple of years, she is still creeped out by others! Oh, I'm so sorry for your inconvenience, mam, this guy just, you know, didn't have anybody to see him or talk to him in a couple of centuries, but no, no big deal, sure. Sam is fascinated by her gift, she is always happy to explore and talk to new ghosts, Alison just finds it weird and unsettling, even after, what, five years? Girl, you are a fucking superhero! Talk to the invisible people, damn you!

Sure, it could be about not being able to change, especially after you're dead, but then... why? Why should we look at bad people who stay bad, and most importantly, why should we look at them for five seasons?

When Alison weighed pros and cons for staying, she put "ghosts" in both columns. I'm sorry, but why? We almost never see her enjoying their company, almost never see the ghosts helping her (which is petty, but when American ghosts did this for Sam a couple of first times, that's when she warmed up to them)... They are always an incovenience for Alison. Never do they respect any boundaries, all they can do is do one big gesture (song, dance, theater) and move on to being annoying and needy. Never can they hear "no", never can they respect what she asks of them.

Sam says a lot of times she can't leave the ghosts, and I believe her. Even Jay loves the American ghosts! Sam has this whole group of friends and enjoys their company. They all have connections with each other and with the livings. British don't, they move in a pack and look for somebody to annoy, be that Alison or that poor neighbor ghost.

#cbs ghosts #bbc ghosts #ghosts cbs #ghosts bbc

[agentrouka-blog]

Thoughts on Jon Snow as a character? He's my fav so far

I like him!

He didn't start out as a character I felt especially drawn to. I mostly pitied him, especially in ASOS, and he's very dour if that surface level dramatic melancholia and dry resignation isn't your cup of tea. I never hated him, but... he was just sort of there. And every projection for his future plot I found while casually perusing the fandom was bland. Secret Targ, okay. What's the point of that, then? Connecting the Wall plot to the dragons? Grand Tragic Secret Heir and Grand Dramatic Dragon Queen Do Grand Dramatic Tragic Destiny stuff dramatically? Zzzzzzzzz.

After delving into the theory of Jonsa, I obviously engaged more with the character, and I have grown very fond of him. Lots is lurking under the surface that I had never paid attention to in depth.

And what I find the most crucial is that his story is at its heart so small and domestic and emotional. It's relatable for being ordinary at its heart. It's about healing and reconciling after a burdened childhood, finding out what you really want and discovering you can have it. Not in grand gesture but in self-worth and honesty.

The most engaging and the absolute hinge of his characterization is his attachment to his family, his home, and the North. Being a bastard prevents him from living this out and creates The Obstacle he chafes against. It causes him to strike out looking for Importance in adventure and glory, and he fails. And learns. But it is ultimately that deep love and attachment that truly guides him in everything he does. And that makes him actually extremely interesting as a character, because it shifts his arc away from being about Magic and Apocalyptic Drama as some abstract excuse for heroics, toward that of inner conflict. It's a small, very relatable story about longing for home, playing out on a big canvas for background. All Jon does during his adventures away from home, his frustration struggling with his compassion, his understanding of the world being wittled down to questions of basic ethics, it's all based on his understanding of himself as a Stark, serving the duties and values of a member of House Stark. To belong to his family and himself in his own heart, if he cannot belong otherwise. And it highlights why those popular speculations about him are so bland. They don't touch his core. Dragons? What do they have to do with House Stark and Winterfell and his pack? Nothing. They, too, ultimately represent an Obstacle between himself and his deepest desire of truly belonging in his home without reservation, by removing his paternal connection.

Except, it's replaced by the maternal connection. One that matters just as much. That has been nagging at him all this time. It actually cements his identity, rather than dismantling it. Not shameful burden but valued and protected. This, too, takes Jon out of the realm of Bland Male Heroics (Rhaegar's special destiny boy) toward a story of inner healing and equilibrium. It's self-acceptance. Very human. Very ordinary. Very powerful.

And as a special twist - and this is why Jonsa is so brilliant as a theory - his parentage is also the key to actually granting him those impossible secret wishes of replicating his childhood the right way through his own marriage and family. But only if he is worthy of this through his actions and choices, worthy of being loved and recognized as a metaphorical prince. He get's to be a fairytale princess, essentially, raised from humility to fulfillment. Because of who he is. Who he has chosen to be again and again, because of his fundamental love. Everything else, the heroics, the missteps and recoveries, is just window dressing. Exciting ways to tell a simple story.

His story doesn't work with a tragic ending of repeated exile. It's all building toward balance and peace. It's extremely moving.

I'm a big fan.

#rouka queue #jon snow #jonsa

[ngmn2002]

*** Ch: 110***

As always, just side notes...

Who was right to guess the yorishiro is within Mirai? Yep, me.~ would pay to be in Hanako's, Nene's, Teru's place or the owls and watch Tsukasa in action and going -far shore No.6 mode but X1000 COOLER like they were doing. the amount of self confidence he has has always impressed me. my goodness it's limitless… but this chapter is on another whole level. SO SMUG! I love that mood of his. oooooh SO COOL!!!

...

Why the yorsihrio of No.1 had to be a key of all things? ........

What nat did to Mit 2.0 on her order... what a simp. Indeed proved his words in here.

So the 'welcome between us party', the whole big-bro nat facade, the nice gestures he showed together with his lady toward Mit 2.0 were fake all along? How funny. What a shock. I didn't expect they are this sort of people. I'm shocked with nat and his lady. lol

So, I was right in the end? They are plotting things of 'her' own together. No way Tsukasa would plan for Mit 2.0 end up this way.

It's her not being able to wait to have her wish come true no matter who she will hurt. That makes her so happy.~ what a softie. lol

(can't be) Though, if the 2 were plotting to put Mit 2.0 in a situation where he'll be forced to have a yorishiro by having nat do that so they can destroy it later... hmm... judging from Tsukasa's words in here...

What a devious face. 💜 Uh, how cool-looking... Tsukasa amazed me all chapter long. What a force. ✨

Is that what he meant by calling No.3's case a 'done deal' in ch 92? The only yorishrios that are left are him and No.1's. what about old No.3's yorsirhio that's still on the ceiling?

and... I get what nat meant with his words of 2 yorishiors are left. No.1's and No.7's. I see what he meant.

I see... I see...

What happened to granting Mit 2.0's wish btw? Tsukasa, you're going to carry on with that or..... wait... maybe there is no reason... once all yorishrios are destroyed, if what she said is true..... hmm..... things are going way too fast..... if we assumed the world will be rewritten so the living, the dead, supernaturals are equal and can live together... that means Mit 2.0's wish is granted along the way? uh, that's too much thinking

Anyway, don't think Mit 2.0 will end here. We need to have Kou in the picture, don't we? His long-wanted wish coming to play???

Love how he aimed for the sleeve!!! He is not there to harm Tsu, he wants to keep him safe and protect him at all costs!!!! What an emotional moment... oooh!! the position!!! it's always the same!!!

So we have a promise to keep Tsukasa moving... The core to all we have now. It only takes a spark for a fire to start -The promised Neverland keeps echoing in my head. Promises.....

And...

Hmm, did this trigger Hanako's memory to recall a some kind of promise he made to Tsukasa or maybe himself in the past?

This might be related as well...? will Tsu really /disappear/I mean I've always wondered what will happen to him once the seal is gone? hmm... does Amane know of Tsukasa's condition or not? if he does and still see that will happen....

Hmm... what is your duty?!

So? SO?! You broke him sir. Easy on him.

After all he voiced out you went SO? How cruel. Do each of you take turns in acting rude to each other at times? What he said to you next is well deserved, Tsukasa. Even though Amane didn't mean it literally. Understand his aching, feelings, pleading. SO?! .............

on the verge of tears? Is that Amane face close to the one Tsukasa fantasize over from when he *killed* saved/protected him? What does this face of Amane mean to you Tsukasa!!! What kind of emotion do you see held in it!!! CAN YOU SEE THE HUGE LOVE!!!!

AND THIS?!

Awww, it must feel lonely while like that.. let's add it to the family. a little side 'that rejects him' of Tsu he... AkaneAoi interaction got me I will go mad if Tsukasa went Aoi mode and came up with a thing like you don't really need me, I'm disappointing by your side..

Tsukasa got him TALKING about his feelings?! WOOHOHO Finally?! I'm not dreaming?! GOOD JOB TSU!!!!!!

Come on, he actually voiced such sentence out loud?! It was there sleeping inside his heart for soooooo looooong!!!!! He said I "LOVE" you so much?! FINALLY?!

He answered the question with words?! whooohoo we need to celebrate over here!!!

Between question and answer.

Tsukasa!!! LET THAT SINK IN!!!!! in the way intented. please don't take it literally like your little self once assumed it. You see and think differently now, right?

And I was waiting for Nene to confess to him. Look at the move he took. AHAHAHA This arc is full of confessions on their side. WAAAHHH

Ok, now waiting for this next, thank you.

And later on this!

Come on, Amane! You can do it! Just take a step forward! You're almost there! I need you to reach this point, fianlly lose it and shout out all the love you have for him with all your might so Tsukasa will finally understand......

What a nice way of talking he has. Between the 2, some cool development! Keep it up, Amane! I'm cheering for you! Talk more about your feelings!! Voice them out to those you love and love you back!!

It's impressive how he is ready to let Nene go twice and with Tsukasa... that's never an option.

I assume it's within his belief of she will move on someday, and have her dreams achieved and have a nice life, she doesn't really need him there to be happy as he voiced out before. now we have a swap with Tsukasa taking his place as he takes Nene's. tragic.

While with Tsukasa, he knows they can't ever let go of each other, it's never an option for them.

Yet, Tsukasa insists on leaving him, on sacrificing himself! One time, another time, and another time! Give the boy a break!!! His heart won't take it anymore!!!

If there is a thing he won't want to ever happen it's to lose you!!! He is NOT happy without you beside him!!

He does want to be with you, but he needs to be shown you REALLY wants it. That you needs him to be happy. That you needs him beside you. He needs a reason to stay.

Ok, Amane. Give him the reason to stay by your side. Let this 'I hate you' shine. Come on, prove to Tsukasa what he is worth to you! Tell him/show him what you want for real, your real desire, what makes you happy for real. And!!! Tsukasa, accept his wish!

Would having a wish coming true make him happy if he were to lose you?! I mean, if you're not gone Nene is also saved! who cares for her wish, huh?! Amane always comes first to you, right? Your top priority is to keep the promise you made to him and grant his real wish. Didn't you ask him to decide?! He did!!! Consider his decision!!!

You always go saying people should have the chance to do what they want, alright! Between the contrasting wants of your twin AMANE and assistant, which will you choose?! One has to get lost. It's her! Care for those who care for you, not the ones who want you gone to get what they want.

Between the 2 of you... what would keeping that promise mean if he were to lose you in exchange? He doesn't want that.

Boy......

I seriously wonder if Amane knew these… would he react nicely to her? Those who treat his precious ones as if they were nothing… oh… will he be merciless?

Seriously, even though I was trying to give her a chance, even though I was trying to keep in mind she might have had a hard life and just wants to be free, with everything new I see of her I can't help but despise her and her dog more. Sheesh. They piss me off.

The true definition of selfish and hypocrosity, manipulation at its best right there.

Anyway... TSUKASA!!!

TSUKASA!!! THIS!!! THIS!!! RMEMEBR THIS?! MAKE THE CONNECTION!! THIS CONNECTION!!

.......

I can't with these 2.......

Then I remember Nene is fated to die and her life is linked to the yorishiros and I'm......... T.T ......... what is going on?! What's with all the drama?! Easy on ME!!!

I can't with all of them...

........

Uh...

About Amane going for the yorsihrios detruction in the start... so... what was his plan really? Didn't he include Tsukasa in there...?

So in the end, he doesn't want to do this? At least not with Tsukasa...

Hmm...

Uhhh.... he doesn't want to *do it right* after all?

Tsukasa... the seal is there! It is right there on your face! Don't be blind and see what it means, Tsukasa!!! Before we ask for anyone else to see it, it's meant for you!! you're the one who needs to see what beautful meanings it holds! Isn't that obvious?

Talking issues-listening issues. Providing issues-understanding issues. Isn't it the perfect combination for the perfect miscommunication? How cruel.

Hmm, it's easy to stop Tsukasa if both Amane and Nene went: we won't destroy you, how about it?

Hmm... maybe some things naturally, intended by the bad 2 or maybe Tsukasa himself? come to play to force them to?

I'm toally confused. With time I will get a grip, for now... I will leave this here.

.......

They seriously need to talk. One long talk, get over this miscommunication issue between them. Because I can't take it anymore.

........

Things escalated quickly this chapter, wooh.

#with this i feel a little better #i had to let some things out #since again I might not be able to make the chapter review so soon #the twins are playing with my feelings #...........