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the-starless-sky · 4 years

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BAE x The Cat’s Whiskers / “PRIDE” voice drama track 1

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Mob A: Ahh, that was sooo great! So this is the legendary CLUB paradox's live...!

Mob B: The music was good, but the phantom was amazing, wasn't it!? Aah~ it feels like I'm still in a dream!

Mob C: Hey, which one did you vote for?

Mob D: Honestly, I was so lost! Hey, let's come again next time!

Mob C: For sure! We're not heads if we miss this!

Yohei: Seriously! I can't accept this. What's so good about that nothing but loud bunch?

Saimon: A loss is a loss. We have to accept it with our mind and body.

Yohei: Hah. You don't even think so yourself.

Ryuu: Don't fight, Boss, Master!

Yohei: It ain't a fight!

Ryuu: Master~ your face’s scary!

Yohei: Shut up.

Ryuu: And Shiki, too! Don’t be sad and gloomy [1]!

Shiki: S-sorry...

Ryuu: Muu... no helping it. At times like this... that’s right! Calisthenics, Shiki!

Shiki: Eh!?

Ryuu: Let’s go~! 1, 2, 3, 4... Come now, Shiki, you have to twist it more!

Shiki: Ouch, ouch, ouch! I can’t do more than this, Ryuu-kun!

Ryuu: Hmm...~ That’s weird... Hmm... If this joint bent here, then...!

Shiki: Stop it, Ryuu-kun! That’s...!

(Shiki bends one of Ryuu’s joints.)

Shiki: Ahh!

Yohei: Oi, oi, don’t break Shiki!

Saimon: Ryuu, it’s not good to force Shiki. Stop it right there.

Ryuu: Eeh~!? Even though it’d feel good after this...!

(Someone knocks the door.)

Saimon: Who is it? Please come in.

(Door opens.)

Anne: Good day, Saimon-sensei! Tonight, too, you’re extremely cool! You were wonderful~

Saimon: Faulkner-kun! And Sugasano-kun, and Yeon-kun. You guys came.

Allen: Yes. Today, we came as B.A.E. Well... it’s something like a courtesy call...

Hajun: Inspecting enemy movements, you can say.

Yohei: Hah! You said it. And? How was our stage?

Hajun: Fufu. Behind the times, it was.

Yohei: Ha? Oi, say that once again.

Hajun: Sigh... don’t make me say it numerous times. I said that it was behind the times, you guys’ music.

Allen: Wha－Hajun!

Anne: You don’t say that when you come to greet someone.

Hajun: I’ll say it clearly, Saimon-sensei... no, Kotonoha and God summer-san. I heard that Quadra-X [2] was a team that even got invited by an overseas fest, but... that was just a story of the past, after all, huh. How unfortunate.

Yohei: Bastard...! Just ‘cause I let a brat like you talk...

Saimon: Yohei. Indeed, that was in the past. In reality, Quadra-X has broken up, after all. However, now that we’ve reunited, there’s also Ryuu and Shiki. Our will and style towards music haven’t changed, but please understand that we’re already a different team.

Ryuu: Yeah, yeah! After all, there’s Sparkly Ryuu-kun and Gloomy Shiki now!

Shiki: I’m... gloomy...?

Yohei: And? Dissin’ us being stale, what about you guys? Just jumping at trends and thinking of yourselves as cutting-edge... ain’t that just child’s play?

Allen: Huh!? What’s with that!?

Anne: Wh－ Allen, not you too! Stop it.

Yohei: Hah! Not even having your own figure and style... there’s no meaning in doing rootless hip hop. Well-bred young masters and ladies should just sing ballads and get spoiled by others.

Allen: You said ‘style’, but isn’t saying ‘fuck off’ to bothersome stuff like customs, standards, and common sense’s what hip hop is!? We’re just spinning the sound we think is cool. The vibes that exists here and now... if you can express it, no matter how it is, we don’t care. We’ll just swallow it, drain it, and make it our sound!

Hajun: You say good things sometimes too, don’t you, Allen. If you only adhere to your own style, losing sight of discourses [3] and fear change and evolution, that’s just fossil music. It’s better to put it in a museum, is it not?

Saimon: Good grief... this is pretty harsh. They’ve got us there, didn’t they, Yohei?

Yohei: Tch.

Anne: Jeez... Both Allen and Hajun is so immature.

Ryuu: Sniff, sniff, sniff!

Anne: Ah.

Ryuu: Hmm~? Mm~? Sniff, sniff.

Anne: Whー what!?

Shiki: R-Ryuu-kun! It’s impolite to suddenly smell people like that!

Ryuu: Sniff, sniff, sniff, sniff! You with long hair, and you with spiky red hair...

Allen: Wh-what?

Ryuu: You guys have the same smell.

Allen: Ahh, that’s Anne’s perfume. He always uses so much it’sー

Anne: Grr!

(Anne punches Allen.)

Allen: It hurts!!! Suddenly punching me like that...! I’m against violence!

Anne: It’s because you’re saying rude stuff.

Ryuu: Sniff, sniff... But, you with mushroom head...

Hajun: Hm? What is it?

Ryuu: You’re being left out, aren’t you.

Hajun: Ha?

Ryuu: Ahh, but it’s not like you’re being bullied or anything. The one who left you out... is yourself, after all.

Hajun: What are you sayingー

Ryuu: Sniffsniffsniffsniffsniff!

Hajun: Oof! Could you please get away from me? You’re a bit close...

Ryuu: Sniff, sniff, sniff... That’s weird... I can’t smell ‘true scent’ coming from you.

Hajun: True scent...?

Ryuu: That’s right. You’re always inside a transparent box... Ah! I see! You don’t want to show anyone anything but your ‘clean self’, do you!

Hajun: ...!

Ryuu: Aha! You’re like a mushroom stuffed in packaging! Ahahaha, ehehehe!

Shiki: Sorry!! Ryuu-kun’s a somewhat peculiar child, so...

Hajun: Ah, no...

Shiki: Come on, Ryuu-kun. Get away from him...!

Ryuu: I wonder why~? But, if you don’t come out of there yourself... one day, you’ll rot... and become an unneeded child.

Hajun: ...Stop screwing around...

Ryuu: Hmm?

Hajun: Stop screwing around!

Ryuu: Uwooah!?

Yohei: Bastard, what are you doing suddenly!?

Ryuu: Ou-ou-ouch, ouch, ouch...!

Shiki: Are you okay, Ryuu-kun...?

Hajun: You... take back your words just now. [4]

Shiki: Words...? What do you mean?

Hajun: Don’t play dumb!! You said it, didn’t you!? That I’m a... ugh...

Allen: Stop it, Hajun! What are youー

Hajun: Shut up!!!

Allen: Ha... jun...?

Hajun: Damn it!*

Anne: Hajun!

(Hajun walks out, smashes the door close.)

Allen: He’s...

Anne: Yeah... he was seriously angry just now, wasn’t he?

Saimon: I’m sorry. Even though you guys took the time to come, somehow it turned into something serious.

Anne: Saimon-sensei...

Saimon: Don’t worry about us, go and run after him quickly.

Anne: Yes. We’re going, Allen.

Allen: Yeah...

(Allen and Anne leaves.)

(Ryuu’s stomach growls.)

Ryuu: Aa~aah, Ryuu-kun’s hungry! Heey, let’s eat Raimen-tei’s char siu ramen without the noodles and go home!

Yohei: This one’s carefree, huh? Oi, Ryuu.

Ryuu: Huh?

Yohei: What did you say to him just then?

(Tinging sound of ice in a glass.)

Saimon: Sigh. “Behind the times”... we just received quite a severe preemptive punch, didn’t we.

Yohei: Shit... ‘cause of that, I can’t get drunk at all.

(Yohei pours more drink into his glass.)

Saimon: It’s better to stop there. Trap reactions get more intense if you drink heavily, after all.

Yohei: I know.

Saimon: Shiki... has started, hasn’t he.

Yohei: Yeah. I laid him on the bed at the second floor. Ryuu’s more or less looking after him, but... Honestly, I can’t stand seeing Shiki’s ‘that’.

Saimon: Trap reaction... I wonder, just what is it that Shiki’s fighting?

Yohei: That kinda thing... nobody would want to let anyone touch the wounds in the deepest part of themselves.

Saimon: Yeah... but...

Yohei: Even so, Shiki chose the path to do it [5] with us. It’s his own resolution.

Saimon: Yeah.

Yohei: All of us is like that. If we use our metals, one day we might lose everything and die. Even so, if we don’t do it, we’ll die. Haha, jeez, what unfortunate livin’ beings. [6]

Shiki: Ah, ah...!! Ahh!! I’m sorry, I’m sorry...!! Aah...!! AAAH...!!!

Ryuu: Shiki, today too you seem in max pain...~ ‘Til how many hours left will this continue?

Shiki: Ah... it’s my fault, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry...!!

(Shiki clutches Ryuu’s hand.)

Ryuu: O-o-ouch!! If you grip Ryuu-kun’s hand with such monstrous strength, it’ll fall off!!!

Shiki: Ah...! Ryuu-kun...?

Ryuu: Oh!! You noticed!

Shiki: Ah... I-I’m sorry... I, again... When I saw the nightmare... did you keep holding my hand?

Ryuu: Yeah~! If not, Shiki’ll scream out ‘waah, waah!’ after all~

Shiki: Sorry... I’m always troubling you, don’t I?

Ryuu: It’s okay, ‘cause it’s interesting!

Shiki: Huh? Interesting?

Ryuu: After all, no matter how much Ryuu-kun uses his medal, he’s never had trap reaction, right?

Shiki: You have special constitution, after all. Honestly, I’m a bit jealous...

Ryuu: It’s boring.

Shiki: Eh?

Ryuu: After all, Ryuu-kun’s the only one left out.

Shiki: Ah... that’s not...

Ryuu: Sometimes, Ryuu-kun thinks... not having a trap reaction definitely means I couldn’t build a connection with anyone.

Shiki: Ryuu-kun...

Ryuu: Ah! You still have a fever? You do, right!?

Shiki: Ah, yeah...

Ryuu: Then, here!

Shiki: Ah!! What is it!?

Ryuu: A live octopus! If you put it on your forehead, it’s cold and feels good, right!?

Shiki: W-woah... it felt like it moved just now...!?

Ryuu: Yeah, it’s still alive, after all.

Shiki: Alive...!? Gross, take it off me quickly...!! A-ah, it hurts!

Ryuu: That’s no good, no good! You have to put it on your forehead, or your fever won’t go down~! Even though I bought it for you...

Shiki: But...!! It smells fishy... and it’s slimy... it’s gross...!!

Ryuu: Do your best, Octopus!! Such out Shiki’s fever!! If you can’t do it, I’ll eat you~!! Oh, I’ll still eat you even if you could, though, ahahaha!!

Shiki: Uhh... sobs...

(Yohei plays “Faith” intro on the piano.)

Saimon: That song... in the past, Tsubaki used to play it there a lot, didn’t she?

Yohei: Yeah... for some reason, I wanted to play it in a while.

Saimon: What do you think of B.A.E?

Yohei: They’re cheeky brats.

Saimon: Haha. But when I see them, somehow I’m reminded of the past.

Yohei: Pft.

Saimon: Yohei, Tsubaki, and I... that time when we were young, fearless, and just rushed towards our ideal music.

Yohei: Well, that young lady’s a nice woman.

(Yohei plays “Faith” intro again.)

Yohei: She’s kinda similar to Tsubaki-san, isn’t she? Their appearance’s entirely different, but like... the atmosphere, you know.

Saimon: That’s... true. But, Faulkner-kun’s not a woman, you know?

(Yohei stops playing the piano.)

Yohei: Eh...? He’s... a man?

Saimon: Fufu. Did I disappoint you?

Yohei: No way. As long as I have hip hop, it’s enough.

Saimon: Connecting people with music... do you think we can do that?

Yohei: We have no other choice, for that person who fell midway in chasing after her dream... [7] that’s the only atonement we, the people left behind, could ever do.

Saimon: Atonement... huh. I’m glad you’re here, Yohei.

Yohei: Huh?

Saimon: After I lost Tsubaki and ran to university, Yohei, you stayed in this shop and played the piano whilst waiting for me.

Yohei: It’s just that unlike you, I don’t have anywhere else to go to.

Saimon: Thank you, for doing music with me.

Yohei: W-what are you saying, after such a long time!? Disgusting!

Saimon: That’s my true feelings, though.

Yohei: Plus, there’s Ryuu and Shiki now. Quadra-X’s broke up already. The Cat’s Whiskers are us nowー

Ryuu: Hey, hey!!! Do we have a takoyaki maker!?

Yohei: Are you stupid? We’re a jazz bar! There’s no way we have that in hereー

Saimon: We do.

Yohei: We do!?

Ryuu: Yaaaaay!!! Well then, after Shiki’s fever go down and Boss and Master’s trap reaction ends, let’s have a takoyaki party!! Takoyaki party!!

Yohei: Pft. So bothersome.

Saimon: Haha.

Ryuu: Delicious takoyaki made together with everyone ♪ Run after it ‘till the ends of the takoyaki galaxy, with an aftertaste ♪ Crunchy outside, and fluffy inside, and steam coming out of your mouth ♪ Yeah, it’s done! ♪

Notes

[1] Jimejime also means damp and humid.

[2] クアドラエックス (kuadora ekkusu) - Quadra-X seems to be Yohei and Saimon (and probably also Tsubaki’s) unit in the past. I don’t know the stylization though, so I just go by what I think it is.

[3] Honestly not so sure what he meant, but probably it’s like not wanting to question tradition and stuff like that?

[4] Hajun’s always using the proper and formal ‘anata’, but here he uses the informal and pretty rude ‘omae’!!

[5] ‘Do it’, as in form a unit and perform with a phantometal.

[6] Inga na ikimon - as in living creatures with unfortunate fate/destiny.

[7] Yohei actually didn’t specify who (he just said ‘that person’ and ‘in the middle of dream’), but from the flow of the conversation, feels like it can’t be anyone else but Tsubaki...

*Thank you @spooderhearts22 for the input!

#paradox live #translation #drama cd translation #the cat's whiskers #bae

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cosmicbash · 4 years

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Hey, So I'm having a bad week and would really like an outed Kells and Em fic, it could be as angsty or fluffy as you want, I just need a happy ending. A little joy from a situation like that would be really nice right now, Thanks P.S. I've been reading your writing for a while and I think they're really great!! I hope you keep having Inspiration to do so!!!

Sorry I'm so late replying to this!! Ive had a shitty busy week myself and i feel horrible its taken me so long!!

I feel like instagram would be Em and Kelly's downfall. Just because the younger rapper is constantly on it, posting little snippets to interact with his fans, going Live, and of course posting pictures.

Slip ups are inevitable once he and Marshall start spending more and more time together.

Because Colson can't just cut back, when he does that fans start speculating. Questioning why exactly he's suddenly getting more secretive or searching through what he does share with a fine tooth comb to spot a new mystery girlfriend.

So Colson continues posting away on instagram and filming his lives, even when he and Marshall are together. Ignoring the headshakes and looks the older rapper shoots his way everytime he's on live laughing it up.

At first it's awkward, Marshall and him keep alternating who's going to duck into the bathroom or step out for coffee. But eventually they get used to it and comfortable enough that Colson can walk around their hotel room filming while Marshall naps on the couch.

The blonde even gets cheeky enough to start teasing his partner, like snapping photos of their shared brunches, or taking after sex selfies that always get Marshall hiding under the blankets or kicking him.

Really Colson should have seen it coming. You can only fly so close to the sun before you get burned afterall.

The mistakes start piling up soon enough.

Marshall accidentally yelling to ask him something when he's recording a live, Colson walking a bit too close to the couch and flashing the hoodie clad rappers back, the bottom of Marshall's AA necklace in the back of a breakfast shot, and more minor incidents that branch out from there.

At first Colson can just brush the unfamilar voice and thankfully covered up body as one of his assitants or friends. But as soon as that necklace peek gets out the internet does its thing and speculation over a possible collab strikes up.

The assumption being he gave everyone the glimpse on purpose.

Of course he's relieved the public isn't immediately jumping to the crazy possibility of them banging. Even though thats exactly what theyre doing. But him and Marshall AREN'T actually making any music together, and neither of them has publicly squashed their beef. Afterall, what better cover than pretending to still hate eachother?

But now that's all out the window. Colson's lack of an immediate excuse and rapid deletion of the photo just convincing the media their theories are correct.

Paul is of course furious, reaming both of them out over the phone about how they better get on a track together or figure out some new cover. And Diddy, well Diddy rarely comes off his self made throne to speak to Colson, let alone acknowledge most of his success, but the rapper actually does inquire to him about the whole spectacle. And Colson can't help but find himself wishing he had a guy like Paul who knew about them and could just simply yell at him because he still has no idea what to even say.

They settle on quiet ambiguous statements from their labels about how the two of them are working towards mending their beef and that a collaboration isn't exactly out of the question at this moment.

It works. For about a month or two, mostly due to them being apart yet again. The major hype dies down and Colson avoids any and all questions relating to Marshall in his lives and on twitter. The two of them are able to breathe a sigh of relief as temporary as it may be.

Until the next time they make time to see eachother. Colson's got a small charity event in Detroit that he plans on using as an excuse to linger around the city and steal some much needed time with his secret boyfriend.

Of course all eyes are on them yet again, questioning whether the young rapper might also be stopping in to work in some music with his rival.

With paparazzi tailing him more than ever it's impossible for him to just go to Marshall's place like he'd planned. Instead forcing him into renting a suite and wasting most of the day stressing over just how the hell he's supposed to sneak Marshall in with the bastards sitting outside the building like hawks. The other rapper isn't exactly helping either, just sending his usual cryptic texts telling Colson not worry about it but never expanding on what his plan is either.

By the time the blonde finally finishes his busy day and drags himself back to the room he has fully accepted that their rendezvous is not going to happen. Marshall had stopped texting him more than two hours ago and he wasn't about to act even more like a spoiled child by blowing the man's phone up. Colson's just given up. He can't even muster the energy to give the paparazzi outside his hotel more then an annoyed comment about how his life doesn't revolve around collaborations and the finger before slipping inside.

Marshall's presence in his hotel room, already stripped down to his night tee and briefs almost looks like a mirage. But when he shuts the door and crosses the room to bury his face in the other man's neck he smells like ivory soap and that woodsy beard oil the blonde bought him and Colson can't help but hug him closer.

He's so relieved to see him he doesn't even snark back at Marshall's muffled comment that he looks like shit.

The moment is sweet and Colson honestly should have realized it was just the calm before the storm but he's too caught up in complaining about the media and basking in his partner's soft agreements to care.

Before taking off to take his shower he hands Marshall over his phone, suggesting the brunette look through the mess his instragram comment section has become, all the questions and posts he's been tagged in over that little picture and their statements. Because why not? They would inevitably end up laying against eachother in bed scrolling through them all together anyway, at least this way Marshall can get a headstart.

And Marshall does actually swipe through them for a bit, spending more time admiring some of his partners pretty posts than he does reading the never ending stream of comments. The rapper rarely gets on the app himself except to post the occasional merch drop and promo. Social media isn't his forte, and it's not like he could follow Colson's account anyway. Navigating the app and searching for his boyfriends account was too much work when he could just asks for selfies over text.

Thats why when Marshall finishes his browsing and begins backing out of a post back to Colson's homepage he doesn't even care to pay much attention to what he's tapping. The flash of black and loading wheel that lights up the screen completely missed when he tosses it across the bed in lieu of playing around on his own phone.

The livestream he accidentally starts mainly films a blank ceiling through the rest of Colson's shower. The occasional creak and shift on the bed from Marshall's weight and blare of music from his own phones speakers all anyone tuning in can hear.

It doesn't take a brain surgeon for fans to realize the Live has been started unknowingly, but thats not going to stop any of them from filing in.

Maybe if Colson hadn't set his phone to silent the string of text messages might have alerted Marshall to his mistake. But the older rapper relaxes back on the bed less than a foot away blissfully unaware until Colson finally exits the bathroom.

Neither of them notice the phone when Marshall sits up and scoots to the edge of the bed, his body briefly flickering past the frame. They don't see the explosion of comments flying past the screen while they talk and Colson shoves the other man back onto the bed again. Bouncing the phone high enough to almost flip it if fate didn't decide to just scoot it closer to their tangling bodies.

Colson's whole upper body and face is in frame from then on. His cheeks flushed and smile cocky while he straddles his unseen partner. Marshall's fingertips peeking onto the screen where they're tickling the skin covering his ribs.

Its not until after Marshall's sat back up and begun peppering kisses down the front of his throat that he finally catches sight of his half blanket covered phone. An amused accusation about the other rapper trying to sneakily film them prompting Marshall to scoff and reach out for it.

"Probably just the app, shits always opening up to the camera on my phone-"

The rush of comments speeding past the screen and the unmistakeable red dot next to LIVE has Marshall freezing. His wide eyed face fully on screen for 10 seconds before Colson finally pries the phone from his hands to see whats got him so spooked.

Instead of panic, anger is what rushes through Colson's veins. A slew of curses leaving his mouth, before he finally manages to end the live. Phone promptly flying out of his hand against the wall afterwards.

The blonde wants to scream and thrash around. And thats what he does, fingers tearimg at his hair in frustration.

It takes Marshall's fingers softly prying them down for Colson to finally open his eyes again. The utterly terrified look on his partner's face chasing away his residual rage. "Fuck Colson I'm sorry-" its not the first time he's heard Marshall apologize, but it is the first time the man has ever done it while looking so scared of his response.

All the months he'd spent dreaming about his rival making such an expression have nothing on the real thing. And that smug powerful feeling he'd imagined was completely absent now. Just an uncomfortable knot seizing up his chest in it's place.

"I'm not--" his own voice feels tight. Tears threatening to bubble up in his eyes while the reality of the whole situation continues to wash over him. "I'm not mad at you, alright?"

He's mad at the media, at his fans, the rap industry, everything that makes him feel like this little slip up and intimate moment of theirs going viral will ruin their lives.

Colson's sick of hiding who he is and who he's with. Its utter bullshit. Its 2019 for chrissakes, who gives a shit who's banging who? They both make bad ass music either way and liking dick shouldn't change that.

Pushing up off of Marshall, Colson moves to climb off the bed. His hopefully not smashed phone across the room his current focus. But the older rapper snags his wrist and wont let him take more than one step.

And thats when Colson realizes just why Marshall looks so terrified. The man's worried that this is it, that he's going to just leave.

Run away from their problems and abandon the relationship they've been cultivating. Just go full scorched earth.

And that hurts.

So instead the blonde softens his expression and climbs back into bed, onto the other man's lap to hug him tightly. "Fuck Marsh--" He's not about to let the media ruin another relationship. "I love you."

The responding hug is so tight it hurts but Colson doesn't stop. "I fucking love you."

They're falling back onto the bed, legs tangling and Colson's teeth grinding while he rubs his face along the older rapper's shoulder. "I love you"

He doesn't even know what else to say. Now that the words are out it's all his tongue can shape.

"Colson-" Marshall's warm palms are cupping his face, pulling him back so they can stare at eachother

"I love you-" that one hurts the most, maybe because they're eye to eye and just looking at Marshall's soft expression and the possibility of losing it makes him want to crumble. "Please-"

He chokes back a wet sound in the back of his throat before they kiss. Pressing as close as he can, practically trying to glue their mouths together permanently.

Marshall's afraid to lose him just as much. They're idiots for ever thinking it might be a possibilility.

The media can get blown, and so can the industry and their so called fans. The cats out of the bag now and theirs no turning back. If they don't like them together than tough shit. They've both dragged themselves up out of the pits before, this will be no different.

Except, this time they have eachother to lean on.

"I love you to you cornball."

(((Ffffff this sat in my drafts cuz I got distracted by work and life. Im so fucking sorry anon!!!)))

((Also! Thank you anon! For the compliments! Im glad you enjoy my works!))

#emgk #ehhh i dunno where this went #sorry if its not great #been real distracted and busy with work lately #but i hope you can still enjoy it #prompts #asks #i love asks

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breitzbachbea · 3 years

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(p1) okei, what i think I can gather about you from your art/writing,(bare in mind i haven't read your long fics/most drabbles yet tho). Your 200+ OC's of different nationalities show you want to live in a thousand cultures, have a thousand lives and live in every part of history, but as you cannot, you have 200 OCs which is almost like containing 1000 souls (very relatable tho).... But 200+ OCs and your longest AU's are massive, show yeah 👀👀 And you enjoy ships that bicker... cos....

(pt2) cos the intimacy needed for that is HUGE. You love the 'i love you, i hate you, but i cannot escape from you' -> bonus points if it's history, language or culture that ties your ship together. Additionally: -completed devoted to the one they love (and would suffer for them) is a dynamic that interests you -u think the italian language is hot af -i get the feeling that michele is either how u want to be loved (idyllic love), or michele is how you love, cos that's your comfort ship (sic/ire)

1. That's pretty accurate! I have this fear that I'll never have enough time on this earth to do what I want (but I've been working on getting rid of that fear. There's enough time). I'm so fascinated by the world that we're living in, what used to be and how it relates to what is. The endless multiplicities of identity that a group can contain or even an individual.

So indeed, I make OCs based on what I learn about the world and in turn the OCs give me a good way to interact safely with the knowledge I find. It's a perpetuum mobile of creativity and knowledge.

And history is just the entirety of human experience on this planet, so trying to breathe some more life into it via Historical AUs is one of my favourite ways to engage with it. I love writing term papers as much as trying to apply the scientific findings to actual people. (I think one of my favourite things may be Sexuality in the res publica AUs, the do's & don't's that aren't the same as they are now. I freed Michele & Lovino from their catholic guilt, only to immediately constrain them with the class & gender expectations of the Roman Republic lmao).

2. I never thought about it like that, but yes! I enjoy bickering because it's an admission of closeness! You can't have friendly bickering if you're not close! (Which is why Hugo & Alois Are Like That. I enjoy them constantly mocking each other greatly, but it's never friendly and it always ends in a mess).

My family had and has its shares of problems, but I know that we love each other. Immensely. We're also that kind of family to constantly poke fun at each others, so I think that's why I instinctively resort to this kind of dynamic, with any kind of close relationships. It's not the ONLY one, because that would be boring, there are so many more ways to express love and it naturally doesn't suit every kind of character.

(I just remembered when we were at the lunch table and my dad spotted a magpie on the stable roof.

Mom: " ... why are my curtains pulled back again?"

Dad: "So that I can watch magpies.")

Here are some more non-romantic examples from my work/with my characters:

AA(The last one was a response to a tiktok that was basically "Asking your nice friends for fashion advice vs asking your mean/honest friends for advice")

3. I DO love the "i love you, i hate you, but i cannot escape from you". Maybe also for personal reasons, we're not getting that private on here. It's one of the inherent tragic aspects of Hetalia that has fascinated me for a long time: They're human and they feel like humans, but they lack part of their free will. They somehow have to survive entire lifetimes, loving and hating and remembeand worse, they have to bear decisions they themselves don't necessarily make. The relationships they form with the only other people like them, whether it'd be bonds of platonic, familiar or romantic love, the only solace and stability might have, may be snatched away from them. It can turn to hate or grow cold or another nation can disappear afterall and there is nothing they as individual people could have done about it. It's a double-edged sword - You tie yourself to someone who could be your raft as well as sink you to the bottom of the ocean.

I inevitably ended up keeping this kind of relationship in my "Like Father Like Son" Universe. Now, quick disclaimer - I am not saying they are solely the victim of their circumstances. They're all criminals in my AU and I have zero patience for making excuses for the Organized Crime. I worry greatly about the problematic aspects of my work and am well aware of them. The last thing I ever want to do is actively romanticize the Mafia. I want to add for the following part, too, that I draw as much on the real world as possible, but the structures of the organized crime in LFLS are a little more reminiscent of Monarchy or Aristocrazy.

With that out of the way however, the worldbuilding in LFLS mirrors their existence in Hetalia. Escaping their position would come with great dangers, even though their existence as is will never allow them true happiness. They're different from the people around them and there is a special connection between the Hetalia characters as bosses here - All of them inherited this position. They all basically suffer under the same yoke, they all are faced with the same difficulties. And, like in Hetalia, some of their decisions are out of their control. Business overrides their private life. They have to look out for their own people and families, for their own survival, so they may hurt the ones they love. And yet, and yet, they cling to one another. Try to make it as functional as possible. Take the pain for the relief. It's not pretty, but it's fascinating as an onlooker and fictional tragedies are also a great outlet for one's own emotions.

4. That also kind of ties in with "completed devoted to the one they love (and would suffer for them) is a dynamic that interests you". Hells yeah it does, because two people losing themselves is beautiful. Yes, it can be toxic, yes one should take care of oneself and have boundaries. But unconditional love is something I believe we all yearn for and I hope I one day get to devote myself to someone else again, as much as is healthy.

Again, it's also not just perfect for lovers, but for siblings and guardian figures. Paddy would lay his life down for Harry, Charlie & Soph. ("There's no pain that I won't go through/Even if I have to die for you" - Starset; "I love my children more than anything in this life! I will chose their happiness over mine, every time!" - Slightly changed version of Congratulations from the Hamilton Mixtape).

Gilbert who's so eager to be here for Ludwig and to protect him; to take anything off his brothers shoulder that he can.

And on the romantic side, is there anything better than two people simping head over heels for each other??? Or when a character wants to kiss/fuck another one so bad that it makes him look stupid??? I also love more quiet, more serene relationships, but to appreciate their calm, you have to make a storm to compare them to. All storm or all calm only gets you bored and exhausted.

5. Hell yeah do I think the Italian language is hot af, who'd disagree with me? It also unlocks emotions that were previously unavailable when I listen to Italian music. (German does the same. There is just something to each language that it can express certain feelings in a way like no other). YOU tell me that you listen to Shimmy Shimmy by Takagi & Ketra and aren't hypnotized by Giusy's voice. No other soundtrack for my Sicilians, Greeks and Turks fooling around on a beach and being highly erotic with each other.

6. Hm, this may be tying in with 2 again. I think I'm more of a Harry, personally, to be honest! (Nerdy, got aggression problems, cheeky, hothead, can't really cook). I think SicIre is my comfort ship because it's the type of love my parents had. It's what I am most accustomed to and there's also just a beauty in not caring what the rest of the world has to say and doing your own thing. And Harry isn't the prettiest bloke on the block and will probably never think of himself as beautiful, but that is fine because Michele looks at him like a sky full of stars. And the entire world can tell him Michele's a bastard, Harry won't listen to them. From a hetalia standpoint, these two are islands who had to suffer a lot from foreign occupation and being regarded as backwards & weird. Sicily tries to keep the autonomy it has and makes sure that others know they aren't like the mainland and Ireland fought hard for its independence from the British empire. From a LFLS standpoint, Harry embraces Michele with all of his past baggage and jagged pieces. Harry is the first person Michele never fell out of love with, the only one, and he's here to reassure Harry that he is worth caring for every step of the way.

#beareplies #amber #wow this was LONG lol #about me

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mamoro2202 · 7 years

Text

Stolen Heritage 10

All due thanks to my wonderful beta reader, Animanical! :D

Fandom: Rurouni Kenshin. Rated M. Posted here in its entirety.

Kaoru was redressing herself as he entered and she smiled up at him. "You're in a very good mood."

"That's so," he agreed easily, arranging their dinner and handing her a pair of chopsticks. Kaoru gave him a cheeky grin, and Kenshin just shook his head at her smugness. "Soup?" He offered.

Kenshin walked quietly down the dark street, weaving between houses. During the day, there had been a patrol on the main roads of the village, but at this hour there appeared to be no one. Although the fallow fields and the gardens behind each house provided a nice line of sight anyone on guard, the village itself had no real defenses. The barns and storage sheds were unprotected and no guards were posted despite the repeated raids.

This is utterly foolish. Kenshin frowned and made his way back to the Hanari home before it became too late. He knocked on the front door quietly, and was greeted by the Hanari Iesada, Mayako's husband. They exchanged pleasantries, then Kenshin excused himself to his room. Kaoru was asleep, her dark head peeping out over the thick covers. He smiled at the sight of her, and the sound of her familiar, strangely delicate snoring, before changing into his sleeping robe. Once dressed, he placed the sakabatou at the head of the futon, and slipped under the covers with her.

She hummed and turned towards him. He curled his arms around her, nuzzling the sweetly scented spot behind her ear. "Go back to sleep, Kaoru." Pressing a kiss to his jaw, she then snuggled under his chin. Kenshin settled into a comfortable position, allowing the warm body and even breathing of his wife to lull him to sleep.

The next morning, he and Kaoru waited two hours after full daylight, then, his hat firmly in place over his bright hair, they walked through the village to the home of the headman. Kenshin noted the indolent guards, now out and about in the daylight, as well as noting how Karou was now walking closer to him. He looked carefully at the other women going about their business and saw that they, too, were avoiding those men, eyes cast down and away. Anger began a slow smolder in his gut.

When they left the guards behind, Kenshin gently pulled his wife between two houses and kept his voice low. "Kaoru-dono, you are avoiding those guards, that you are. Why?"

She looked at the ground. "I don't really know. They're louts, I could beat them into the dirt, but something about them…" She shook her head and twisted her fingers together. He nodded and briefly clasped her hand, brushing a thumb across her knuckles.

Per Mayako's directions, the headman's house was at the northernmost point of the village. The house was grander than the others of the village, which to a certain degree one might expect, but here it seemed excessive: although barely budded, the trees to the side and back of the house were clearly ornamental, and there did not appear to be a vegetable garden, which implied very negative things about family's means of support. In response to Kenshin's polite call, a subdued woman in expensive clothing answered the door.

"Pardon me," Kenshin offered a bow, and was careful to keep his tone gentle. "This one would like to speak to the headman, that I would." His request was accompanied by his guileless rurouni smile.

The woman looked up through her lashes and her blue eyes were disturbingly dull. She nodded and gestured them inside without speaking, walking with tiny steps in her silk kimono, like a courtesan, instead of the uninhibited stride of a country woman. She showed them into a room that was grandly decorated, if just on the wrong side of gaudy.

"Please wait here, honored guests." Her voice was an emotionless murmur. "I will tell my honored husband of your arrival." She bowed too low and left.

Kaoru's eyes were huge. "What was that?!" she hissed. "That woman acted like she was fifty years out of date! And timid as a mouse, besides." Kenshin merely frowned, unease settling in his gut. It was several minutes later when the woman shuffled back to the door.

She bowed, again far too low. "Please follow me, if you would." She led the way to a back room. The house itself was beautifully decorated and unusually warm, with several hearths and a fire in each room. Really, the amount of coal being burned here was unpleasant, overwhelming the house's natural design for drawing the smoke away, and creating a quite literal 'unpleasant air' in the home. She opened a door to another slightly gaudy room and seated herself demurely behind and to the left of the man who was presumably both the headman and her husband. The headman was settled on a cushion, dressed expensively and … eating. Eating and drinking sake well after breakfast and well before lunch, at a time of day when any respectable country couple should be working.

Kaoru, with chin tilted forward and shoulders straight, knelt at Kenshin's left, their knees evenly aligned; he suppressed a smile.

"What can I do for you?" The man's words were polite enough.

"This one was passing through-"

"Former samurai, eh?" Kenshin kept the surprise off his face at the interruption. The man gestured and his wife quietly refilled his cup. "What are people like you doing on the mountain?"

Kenshin didn't quite manage to maintain his smile. The man tossed back his sake and gestured for yet more, before Kenshin regained composure and replied, "This one was passing through and heard about the village's recent difficulties-"

"Ah, good!" The man cut Kenshin off again. "Man like you needs some work, eh? You look kinda scrawny, though." He eyed Kenshin with open skepticism; Kenshin saw Kaoru's hands curl into fists. "Think you're up for slaughtering some bandits?"

Kenshin blinked. "This one does not-"

"They're a damned nuisance! We won't make our taxes at this rate!"

...Theft and the rape of village women is a 'nuisance'... "This one would be happy to assist-"

"How much?" The man wiped his mouth. "We don't have much to pay," he added. The man's beady little eyes were gleaming now; no doubt he hoped to dupe a passing warrior into eradicating the bandits for a pittance. Kenshin had no intention of taking money for such a thing, but the stupid man hadn't even let him finish a single sentence yet.

"This one would not require-"

"Good, good! We'll work out payment after, eh?"

Kenshin drew in a slow, deep breath. "Perhaps you could tell this one about the attacks, and what measures your village has taken."

"Ah, well, the raids started this fall, just after the harvest was brought in. A bunch of 'em, maybe six or ten men, came barreling across the fields and hit the storage building just down the road. By the time everybody got dressed and made it down there, the bastards had made off with as much rice and salted fish as they could carry. The next time they stole even more!"

"How often have they returned?"

"Mmm, every three or four weeks. We're almost down to millet. Millet!" The man scowled, and his wife flinched. The anger in Kenshin's gut burned brighter.

"What countermeasures have you taken?"

"A couple of the men have taken up guard around the village. This place is full of cowards, though, so only two or three who will take up arms and patrol."

"Do they patrol at night? Guard the storehouses?"

The man licked his fat lips. "They have to sleep sometime. Not reasonable for a man to work at night."

"But do the bandits not raid at night?"

The man wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. "Not reasonable." His eyes were challenging.

Kenshin gave a sharp nod and changed the subject. "How long has it been since the last raid?"

"Three weeks," the man said sullenly.

"Do they attack from any consistent direction?"

"How would I know? I can't be everywhere!" He pounded a fist on the little side table and the woman sitting behind him jumped.

"...Do you know of any other pertinent information?"

The man glared. "No."

Kenshin bowed. "Then this one shall take my leave."

The fresh, chill air outdoors was a cooling relief. Beside him, Kaoru radiated anger. "What a disgusting man!" Kenshin couldn't help but agree.

They passed through the fields and into the surrounding trees, in the direction that Okabe had indicated yesterday.

"What are we looking for?" Kaoru said, now calm and quiet at his side.

"Any traces of the bandits' passing, old camps or anything of the like," Kenshin replied. Kaoru nodded and turned her eyes toward the ground. They completed a slow, careful circuit of the forest near the village. There were no signs of a large group of men's movement or camps, which implied two things, one, tracking was quite difficult on this mountain, and two, the bandits had at least a semi-permanent camp relatively nearby. Finding such a location would be difficult.

"I haven't seen anything, Kenshin… What should we do?" She tucked a stray hair behind her ear and looked to him with concerned eyes.

He sighed. "We should perhaps ask some of the village men if they have seen any signs. For now, though, we should keep watch at night and sleep during the day, that we should."

"Unlike those idiots?"

"Indeed."

Kaoru shaded her eyes and checked the position of the sun. "Well, we've missed lunch. We could go back to eat and nap and wait."

He smiled. "That would seem to be the best option."

The walk back was pleasant, if uncomfortably windy. "What is going on with the wind in this place? It never stops!"

"This mountain is famous for the wind, so it is. It is worse earlier in the year."

"It gets worse?"

"Aa. They have a memorial each year for the men and women that are killed by the wind capsizing their boats."

Kaoru stopped and stared, radiating disbelief. She looked adorable. "Why does anyone live here?!"

Kenshin just laughed.

The villagers were… different as they walked through town. Kenshin was still wearing his hat, as they'd been tromping around outside for hours, but that didn't matter. He hadn't expected it to. In a village this size, everyone knew everyone else's business, and indeed, Mayako appeared to be an accomplished gossip. Gone were the suspicious side glances. Several people called out greetings. Many more smiled and bowed in passing. Not a single mother called their children away as they passed.

Kaoru's smile was especially bright.

The had indeed missed lunch, by several hours. "Hanari-dono, this one sincerely apologizes. Perhaps you might have something left over…" He said, trying large, sweet eyes.

The woman, who had only ever been the epitome of a kind and polite, if slightly distant, hostess, placed a hand on her hip and pursed her lips. "Kamiya-san, you are both so late that it's nearly dinner! And don't try that face with me, young man, I've helped raise a brood of children."

It was only three o'clock. "Ah, well, Hanari-dono, this one has agreed to help with the bandits, so I have, and my wife and this one spent the afternoon in the woods-"

"The woods! Well then, go wash your hands and faces and come back. I'll warm some soup." She shooed them out of the kitchen like naughty children.

Kaoru muffled a giggle behind her hand, and Kenshin just shook his head. They returned to the kitchen with their faces and hands washed.

"There now!" Mayako dried her hands on her apron and ladled up some soup. "Just the thing for a breezy day, eh?" She patted Kenshin's shoulder as she passed. He and Kaoru exchanged looks.

"So, you're going to take care of those bandits… It's about time someone did! You both carry swords, too." She smiled at Kaoru. "Not that many female warriors these days, more's the shame. Nice to see a young woman what can look after herself. I'd like to see them try to attack a woman like you." Her expression was vicious. "If more women could defend themselves it would give men like that a pause, I say." She cleaned the counter with more vigor than the task truly deserved.

They finished their soup, and Kaoru smiled at the woman. "Thank you very much for lunch, Hanari-san."

"We plan to sleep through dinner, Hanari-dono. If it would not be too much trouble, perhaps you could set back a bit of the evening meal."

"Going to be up and around at night, then? Good! Those idiots Yaganita-san has marching around are as useless as tits on a boar." Kenshin blinked and Kaoru pressed her lips together to avoid grinning.

Kenshin cleared his throat. "This one has noticed that the village women appear to be avoiding those men, that I have."

"Well, they would, wouldn't they? Almost as bad as the bandits, that lot."

"They make my wife uncomfortable." That still chafed him.

"Then she's a smart woman. Those louts take what they want from vendors on market day like it's their due. They say nasty things to the young girls. Cruel men only get meaner when you give them authority; they shouldn't be guards. I wouldn't trust them to guard my laundry on washing day! Only Yaganita-san would give those bullies weapons." Well. That was… forthcoming. "Ah, don't mind me. You two should go get to sleep; just remember not to get caught without your sword, young woman." Again, she shooed them out the kitchen and towards their bedroom.

Kaoru shut the shoji and grinned at her husband. "Well that was different! She was acting like we were her own children."

Kenshin shook his head and smiled, dressing for bed while Kaoru rolled out the futon.

...Every child belonged to the whole village, Okabe-dono did say…

Kaoru loved watching Kenshin sleep. She so rarely got to do so; he fell asleep after her, and usually woke before her, too. If he looked younger than he was while awake, while sleeping, with his face relaxed and hair mussed, he looked no older than she did. He always slept on his back; they started sleeping curled up together on their sides, but he always ended the night sprawled out like this. He was sleeping much more lightly than he did at home, but still… He just looked so cute in his sleep, and so very much like their son.

It was fully dark, and with a quiet sigh, Kaoru decided to go fetch dinner. Very, very carefully she eased out of the covers.

Immediately, violet eyes flew open. "Kaoru?"

Exasperating man! "I'm just going to get dinner, Kenshin. You should rest more if you're tired."

He blinked innocently. "This one is awake now, Kaoru-dono. There is no need-"

"Kenshin! It's only to the kitchen!" She threw her half of the covers over his face. "Just rest!"

His voice was muffled under the blankets. "...Yes, Kaoru."

She rose and dressed, smiling at her husband as he emerged from under the quilts, his red hair messy and full of static.

Mayako was bustling about the kitchen, evidently making tea for her husband. "Ah, Kamiya-san, I've set back some dinner for you." She abandoned her task and took several dishes from the back of the stove, arranging them on a tray. "Here you are. Make sure your man eats, eh? Needs more meat on his bones."

Kaoru smiled and accepted the tray. "Hanari-san. You're being very, um, friendly today."

The woman beamed. "Well, I would be, wouldn't I? I knew your husband as a child, you know. Sweet boy."

Kaoru blinked. "But…"

"Well, only one boy he could be, isn't there? Shinta was always a gentle child, well behaved. A person's basic nature never changes. Mean children grow into hard men. Gentle children grow in easy-going sorts. And he's going to sort out those bandits, so all to the good, eh? And he wears that sword like he was born to it. I'd wager he knows how to use it. Now, off with you before that all gets cold." Kaoru blinked; that woman really knew how to dismiss someone.

Kenshin was brushing his shaggy hair into submission as she let herself back into their room. He looked at the tray of food in surprise as Kaoru set it down near the hearth.

"That is too much for two people, that it is."

"Hanari-san thinks you need fattening up."

"Oro?"

Kaoru laughed.

After eating, they walked quietly through the village to the communal storage shed on the central-east side of the road.

"What now?"

"Now, we wait, that we do."

"Alright… where?"

"Normally this one would suggest the roof, that I would, but the wind is quite cold." Already Kaoru's cheeks were pink and her nose was red. "Kaoru-dono, please conceal yourself here." There was a sheltered place behind the shed behind a truly enormous tree.

"But I can't see!"

"And thus they will be unable to see you, but you will be able to hear them, that you will. This one will make a quick circuit of the village and return." Kaoru began to protest, but Kenshin shook his head. "We will alternate; it will help reduce boredom and keep the blood moving."

In Kaoru's highly considered opinion, it was the most boring night she had ever spent, tempered only by the fact that sometime before dawn, Kenshin allowed her to snuggle into his side and doze. They spent two days doing exactly the same with no results.

Kaoru was ready to revolt; all out mutiny seemed infinitely appealing. Never in her life had she been so sedentary. She'd been practicing kata in the woods each day, but it hadn't helped. She'd re-read her two small books until she could recite every damn poem. And she'd even started her cycle three days ago; at least sex would have been something to do! Kaoru abruptly pushed aside her lunch and shot to her feet. "I can't take it anymore!"

"Oro?"

"How can you stand it?!"

"...Stand what?"

"This!" Kaoru resisted the childish urge to stomp her foot.

He just gave her an infuriatingly calm smile. "This one has stood guard many times before, Kaoru."

"Ugh!" She wanted to pull out her own hair. Or his. Pulling out Kenshin's hair seemed like a good option. "I can't do this, Kenshin!" She dropped back into a kneeling position and began pleading without shame. "Can't we do something different? Anything different?"

Kenshin's eyes softened. "Why don't we go visit Okabe-sensai today? He might need some help, that he might."

Kaoru heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

The town was mostly deserted, with only a few women and a cheerful rabble of very small children out and about. Kaoru smiled at the three toddlers with dark red hair. Looking up, she noticed that there were a lot of people standing in their terraced fields, bent over.

"Kenshin, what are they doing?"

He looked up as well. "Ah, likely just preparing the fields, removing stones and roots and the like. This one has done the task, many times, for room and board. The children too big to be carried and too small to be trusted on the terraces are left here in the village, and everyone else goes out and works together." He smiled at her. "It's hard work, but honest, that it is."

She smiled back, and watched the fields as they walked, imaging her husband out there among the men, working and laughing in the weak sunshine, bundled against the wind, keeping an eye on the older children as they learned to help. It was difficult to image Kenshin without a sword, but if his life had gone differently, he likely would never have touched a katana, never have been a hitokiri - and he would never have met her. The picture was bittersweet in the extreme: Kenshin without his shadows, but she without her husband. She stepped close to his side and tangled his fingers with hers, their joined hands hidden under his sleeve.

"Oro?"

Kaoru gave him a tight smile and shook her head, looking forward. He watched her out of the corner of his eye for a moment, then stroked his thumb across her index finger reassuringly.

"Kenji-chan? Kenji-chan? Kenji-chan, you come out this instant!" Misao stood in the hall, hands on her hips. "Worse than your father, I swear…" Omasu returned from the opposite side of the house.

"Any luck, Misao?"

"No, none. How do Kaoru and Kamiya make this look so easy?! That kid is a tsunami."

Omasu frowned. "Nothing for it, then. He must be outside."

"Oh, when I get my hands on that kid…"

Kenji was outside. In a tree. At two years old. Omasu gasped, hand over her mouth in horror. Misao flinched.

"Kenji-chan," she said, gingerly approaching the boy, not wanting to startle him into falling. "Kenji-chan, Auntie Misao is going to come up and get you, okay?"

"Okay!" The little boy was sitting on a low branch, swinging his legs, a picture of unconcerned innocence. "Auntie likes trees?"

"Trees are nice, Kenji-chan. We shouldn't climb them, though, that's bad." She hopped onto a low branch and began inching around the trunk towards the child.

"K- Kenji's bad?" Immediately his lip began quivering, tears filling his big blue eyes.

Misao internally groaned. "No, no. You're not bad – but you shouldn't climb trees." There! Misao snagged the little boy safely under his arms and hopped down. Kenji regarded her silently for several seconds.

"Okay!" he chirped, and wiggled out of her grasp. "Food?"

Misao felt a headache coming on.