#the characters are so CUUUUUUTE | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

despairforme · 1 year

Text

CHAPTER 5 - Turn up the heat.

[CHAPTER 4]

The Interhigh preliminaries went well. His teammates, rather than being discouraged because he was so much better than him, became inspired to rise higher. The team in general had a major step-up in their performance. There was no way for Tsukinogai to keep flying under the radar. They’d been a school nobody had heard of, but after their dominating performance in the preliminaries - they’d gotten attention. In the past, there had really only been one power-house school from the Akita prefecture. Now people were saying that Tsukinogai was ready to rise above the rest as well. They had completely annihilated the other teams in their block. People were beginning to give them nicknames, like: “the perfect defense”. Nnoitra didn’t mind that. He liked winning, but there wasn’t much pleasure in winning against teams that gave him no challenge. Nnoitra was just waiting for them to get to play Yōsen. Unfortunately, they’d been in different blocks, and wouldn’t face each other until the final league of the preliminaries.

❝We can’t stumble before the finish line.❞ The coach said, snapping Nnoitra back to the present. He hadn’t been paying attention (at all) to what was being said. ❝We’ve made massive steps, but we mustn’t become too sure of ourselves.❞ Nnoitra felt like this was being directed at him.

Tch.

As if he was too sure of himself. He’d worked hard for this confidence. It was well earned.

❝We still lack communication and team-spirit.❞ Now that was definitely directed at him. Shouldn’t the coach be glad they were all even here? Summer-break had just started. Everyone was so fixated on doing well for the team that nobody was skipping practice. Well - nobody except Nnoitra. “For the sake of team-building, I have arranged for us all to take a trip to Oga.” This news brought with it an excited cheer from the team - especially from the first-years.

What’cha all so excited ‘bout? Ya’ll ain’t even starters.

Nnoitra didn’t get it. So they were basically going on a training camp, huh? If the coach wanted to build the team spirit, why was he bringing them to such a boring place? Nnoitra didn’t know much about geography, but even he knew that Oga was not too far away from here.

We’re really on a budget, huh?

Well - so was his happiness. Nnoitra sighed. He didn’t want to go. It was true the mood between him and his teammates was completely different now. Hell, he’d even go as far as to say he tolerated them - and they tolerated him. He even joked around with a couple of them. The first years had stopped looking terrified whenever he spoke to them. All of this was progress, right? However, it didn’t mean he wanted to spend even more time with them. Nnoitra had planned to spend these days outdoors in the warm summer weather (they were having a very good summer so far). Laying in the shade of a tree... Eating candy. Maybe play some basketball by himself. Maybe message Murasakibara. But no - his plans were ruined now. He had half a mind not to go. If he refused to go, there would be a lot of bitching and complaining, and maybe his team would start disliking him again.

What a pain!

Life was hard. He had to go with them.

They left a few days later, early in the morning. Nnoitra looked at the bus with displeasure written all over his face.

❝What a sweet ride.❞ Nnoitra turned towards the voice. The sarcastic remark was coming from Tezuka Chikashi. After Nnoitra, he was the tallest on the team (though Nnoitra towered over him). He was a second year with weird bleached hair. Nnoitra didn’t mind Tezuka, since his jokes were often good, and he had a laid-back sort of attitude. Since he was rather tall, he was actually someone Nnoitra could work with on the pitch as well.

❝If this is ‘da ride, imagine what ‘da hotel is gonna be like.❞

❝What hotel? We’re obviously sleeping on the beach.❞ Nnoitra laughed a little to this, shaking his head. He wouldn’t be surprised.

Oga was a small-ish city on the coast, facing the Sea of Japan. It was located on a peninsula, so a high humidity was expected. The sun was shining when they arrived at the inn where they’d be staying. At least they weren’t actually sleeping under an open sky on the beach. Not that Nnoitra would’ve minded all that much. He brought his bag inside. The team would be sharing two rooms, and no - he wasn’t exactly looking forward to sleeping in a room full of people. He was a light sleeper.

He’d hoped they’d head straight for some sort of exercise regime, but no. The coach seemed to be in no rush to get actual training done. Instead, he let them all “hang out” and explore the inn, as well as the nearby area. Nnoitra followed his teammates. They were supposed to build their bond, right? It meant he had to stick with them. He wouldn’t say they directly excluded him. It was just that nobody spoke directly to him. Were they really that intimidated by him? Or had they just realized that he rarely said anything nice? Some of the ones who at least spoke to him were the captain, Tezuka, and two other guys whose name Nnoitra had only recently begun to remember. The first one was Okutani. He had short, spiky black hair and a darker complection than most. He was a second year, and apparently a first year on the team was his little brother. Nnoitra had been surprised to learn this, because the two didn’t look much like each other, and they were only one year apart. He’d heard some gossip that Okutani’s mother had had an affair, and that Okutani’s brother was a product of that. Another guy who spoke to Nnoitra was a third year named Sumeragi. He too had black hair, and always wore a smug expression, which put Nnoitra off.

Nnoitra looked around the group, trying to remember all the names (and failing). For a basketball team, their average height was not impressive enough. Nnoitra pulled the team up, sure, but there weren’t anyone else on the team who were truly tall. Tezuka was the second tallest, and Nnoitra was easily a head taller than him. They had a couple who Nnoitra thought were too short to play basketball, even by Japanese standards. Mah, they needed substitutes. Not everyone could play a full match, like Nnoitra could. He thought that rather than sitting around here chatting, they should all work on improving their stamina. It would help a ton if the taller guys could stay on the pitch the whole match.

He had tried his best to pay attention to the conversation that was going on, but his focus faded.

I really am anti-social, huh?

What else should he work on while he was here? He had to keep building his stamina, sure. Another thing he should work on was his accuracy. Because he could so easily reach the hoop, he’d never been one for scoring three-pointers. He was not very good at shooting from a distance (it simply wasn’t as satisfying as dunking?). He could probably save a lot of energy if he could score from a distance. It would mean less running and less jumping. What was he sitting here for anyway? He wanted to train already!

❝I’m goin’ ‘fer a run.❞ He announced to the rest of the group, interrupting whatever conversation they’d been having. Everyone looked at him.

❝I’ll join you.❞ Tezuhika said, unexpectedly.

❝M-me too!❞ That was one of the smaller first-years. Nnoitra arched his brows, but

didn’t dismiss either of them. Why they wanted to go with him... He had no idea. He didn’t mind the company while he ran.

The three of them got changed into their training gear. The first year was already waiting in the lobby when Nnoitra came down (seemed like he thought they’d leave him behind).

❝What’s yer name anyway?❞ Nnoitra asked. He knew they’d been introduced but whatever. Not his fault he forgot names so easily.

❝S-sumeragi Reiji.❞

❝Sumeragi?❞ Nnoitra looked at him in confusion. Was this yet another pair of brothers on the team?

❝Y-yes! Natsuhiko is my big brother.❞

❝Really? Ya don’t look alike.❞ Kinda like the Okutani-brothers then.

❝Yes... I get that alot.❞ No wonder. While his big brother practically beamed confidence, this guy... Seemed intimidated.

❝hanks for waiting for me!❞ Tezuka came down into the lobby, having also changed.

❝Let’s go then.❞

It was still sunny out, but thankfully there was a breeze. Nnoitra had put his hair up so that it wouldn’t get in the way when he jogged. It didn’t take long for the three of them to start sweating - especially Reiji. The poor guy was a lot shorter than Nnoitra and Tezuka. Even Tezuka clearly had to jog faster than usual to keep up with Nnoitra’s long strides. While the two of them were jogging, Reiji was running.

❝Are you trying to show off, or is this your actual running pace?❞ Tezuka asked with a breathless laugh. Nnoitra glanced over his shoulder. Yeah, he felt smug about being able to answer -

❝Nah, this is how I always run. Ya’ll just slow.❞ It wasn’t a lie.

❝Oh, it’s on!❞ Tezuka stepped up his speed, so that he was now jogging next to Nnoitra.

They continued on like this for a while. Nnoitra had forgotten Reiji was even there, so when the first-year spoke, it was a bit of a surprise.

❝Gilga-Senpai... Tezuka-Senpai... I’m really sorry, but I can’t go on!❞ They heard him call out from behind. He sounded like he was about to pass out. Both Nnoitra and Tezuka stopped and turned around. Nnoitra almost laughed at how pathetic and half-dead the guy looked.

❝‘Daz yer problem. We’re leavin’ ya behind.❞ Nnoitra felt no pity.

❝Whaaat, you’re gonna leave the poor first-year alone? Gilga you’re heartless!❞ Tezuka said in a fake-dramatic voice and took a few steps back towards Reiji, who was wheezing, resting both hands on his thighs while he hunched over, trying not to puke. ❝Come on, I’ll walk you back.❞

❝Suit yerself. I’mma continue.❞ Nnoitra left them behind.

Even though they hadn’t spoken while they ran, it had still felt nice to have company. He noticed that he’d been more motivated to run when someone was with him. His mind had wandered less (which was always a good thing). He jogged down the street on his own now. It was quiet, hardly any traffic or other people. The loudest sound was his own breathing and heartbeat in his ears. Being alone... Wasn’t better, was it?

Almost like the weird (and misplaced) creeping loneliness had called out -

❝Murasakibara!❞ Nnoitra exclaimed in surprise. The tall (not taller than him) figure turned around. As always, he had his hair down in his face. The chronic look of disinterest he always wore was slightly overshadowed by surprise.

❝Gilga, huh? What are you doing here?❞ Nnoitra was not surprised to see him carry around a bag of crisps.

❝They dragged me off ‘ta trainin’ camp.❞

❝Eh, for real? Me too.❞ They looked at each other for a moment. Nnoitra imagined they were thinking the same. This was one weird coincidence. Why did they keep running into each other? Not that he was complaining. ❝So, where is your team?❞

❝I went for a run by myself. Two others tried ‘ta keep up, but they failed.❞

❝Aren’t you impressive.❞ Murasakibara did not sound impressed. With his permanent flat, slightly sluggish tone, Nnoitra doubted he had the ability to form such an emotion.

❝I’m guessin’ ya didn’t outrun yer team? So where they at?❞

❝Back at the local gym. I told them I was going to get some water. I’m not going back yet. They’ll just make me join their practice. It’s tiring. I don’t want to.❞ He helped himself to some crisps, while watching Nnoitra for his reaction. They had similar stands on practicing with their teammates. Nnoitra didn’t like doing it because he didn’t see the point - he found it boring. Murasakibara clearly also found it boring. Nobody thought fun things were tiring after all. It wasn’t like Nnoitra thought running by himself was fun - and it sure was tiring, but it was a necessity. He had to get stronger, or he might find himself being beaten by this guy and his team. Like hell he was going to let that happen. ❝What’s with that serious look?❞ Murasakibara held out the bag of crisps for him. Nnoitra arched a brow. He didn’t think he’d be that willing to share (Nnoitra himself disliked sharing his snacks). He pushed his hand into the bag and fished out a couple of flakes.

❝Mah, I’m workin’ hard here ‘ta make sure I don’t lose against ya, but ya don’t give a shit.❞ It was an honest statement. He had sort of thought of Murasakibara as his rival, so it shouldn’t be such a shock that he was frustrated when he wasn’t taking it seriously.

❝Doesn’t that just mean you’re insecure?❞

❝Huh!?❞ He had never been called insecure in his entire goddamn life.

❝Doesn’t it mean you think you can’t beat me without improving? Aren’t you underestimating yourself?❞ He hadn’t thought of it like that. It was strange, to have someone talk so directly to him. The fact that he always intimidated people made sure nobody was ever honest with him. He wasn’t sure if he was being insulted or encouraged here. Maybe Murasakibara was doing neither. ❝Is it because you’re so skinny?❞

Don’t fuckin’ mess with me!

❝Shut up! Ya better watch yer fuckin’ mouth!❞ Nnoitra grabbed a forceful hold of the other’s shirt. The sudden movement caused Murasakibara to drop the bag of crisps. It fell on the ground and spilled all over the pavement. Nnoitra’s grip on the other’s collar tightened. He was expecting - as always when he showed aggression towards others - to be met with fear in the other’s eyes. That didn’t happen. Murasakibara wasn’t intimidated by him.

❝Are you mad?❞

❝Of course I’m fuckin’ mad! Ya think ya can insult me like that ‘n get away with it?❞

❝You think it matters to me that you’re so thin?❞ Murasakibara asked. Nnoitra had no idea where the fuck he was going with this. He had half a mind to punch him in the face for once again commenting on his weight.

❝What ‘da hell do ya mean?❞ Murasakibara brought his now free hands up to Nnoitra’s, to try and pry his fingers open and free himself from the hold. His fingers were cold.

❝I’m saying -❞ His voice had switched now, and it no longer carried that bored drag. ❝It pisses me off that you think you need to work hard to beat me. I’m looking forward to playing against you because I can finally go all-out without having to worry about hurting my opponent. So why are you pretending like you’re below me?❞ Nnoitra was so surprised by what the other was saying that his hold on him loosened, and Murasakibara was able to pull Nnoitra’s hand off him. Nnoitra’s palms were sweaty.

Had he really thought himself below Murasakibara? He had, hadn’t he? Just because the other weighed more than him. Just because of the brief 1v1 they had played, where he (for the first time in his life) had gotten some real opposition. He’d been afraid he wasn’t as good as he thought he was. His paranoia about his weight had really gotten to him.

They looked at each other for a long moment. Nnoitra didn’t know what to say. His heart was racing from the flash of anger, and though he didn’t feel all that angry anymore, his heart rate wasn’t settling. He didn’t know if he should glare at Murasakibara or not. In the end, he hadn’t insulted him. He’d called him his equal and that he shouldn’t worry so much about his weight. Exactly how he’d managed to see through him so easily was a mystery, and, frankly - unsettling. It was rare that Nnoitra felt understood.

What ‘da fuck’s up with this guy...

❝Who ‘da hell thinks they’re below ya.❞ Nnoitra finally answered. His tone was lighter now. It looked like Murasakibara was a little relieved to see he wasn’t continuing the argument.

❝Oh, I don’t know. I sure hope it’s not the only person in Japan who’s actually taller than me.❞ He gestured from the top of his head to show the few centimeters that separated him from Nnoitra. Nnoitra breathed out a laugh.

❝Let’s go ‘n get some new crisps.❞

#[ - clenches heart - ]#[ it's so cuuuuuute i cant ]#[ handle ]#[ it ]#knb au tbt.#storytime. ╱ drabble.#despair for me. ╱ in character.#longpost //

5 notes · View notes

ask-the-six-human-souls · 1 year

Note

hoot hoot hour

Amy and Justin dancing

"May I have this dance?"

#;;;u;;;#theyre so cuuuuuute!!!#undertale #undertale blog #undertale askblog #undertale ask blog #undertale soul blog #undertale characters #integrity #justice #amy #justin #mod ask #mod doodles #color palete challenge #ask blog #ask the six human souls #ask the human souls #askblog

16 notes · View notes

twstedbeauty · 2 years

Note

To Riddle: I love how hardworking you are and you are constantly doing your best! I hope that your past won't let you stop living life to the fullest and I hope you have a lot of strawberry tarts!! I like you very much!!!! Also, you're very cute!

"If you're not busy at the moment, would you care to join me for some strawberry tarts back at Heartlsabyul?"

((Character sprites provided by the amazing @ alchemivich!))

#character interactions #riddle rosehearts #disney twisted wonderland #dorm leader riddle #twst #twst riddle #twsted wonderland #heartslabyul #HE'S SO CUUUUUUTE

23 notes · View notes

endarkpb · 4 months

Text

Four art styles for all the main characters I draw.

If you are interested, you can find some small details on the picture. I think you will not want to miss it :-)

I love all the characters, including the spectres and ghouls! The various elements throughout the OFF world really appealed to me!

The Batter.

The Queen.(Vader Eloha)

Zacharie.

Sugar.(Sucre)

Dedan.

Japhet.

Enoch.

Actually I like Enoch(The Big Mister)the most, cause I feel like his personality is a bit like mine.(just kidding)

Elsen.

Gosh i want to eat them,they're as cuuuuuute as cotton candy. I bet that's pretty sweet.(●^\二|二|二|二/^●)

Hugo.

The Judge(Pablo)&Valerie.

BRAIN POWER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! my brain will explode...(that's what i do~~)

I update a little differently, posting lots of big and small pieces at a time. If I don't update for a long time (meaning 10 days or so) then I must have had something else come up, or I'm working on videos and painting big pieces. Anyway I don't take much breaks. Because painting is a form of rest for me… (stop listening to my ramblings plz)

266 notes · View notes

thewulf · 17 days

Note

Hiiii! I read your Paul story and I absolutely loved it!!! I was wondering if maybe you could write about Seth Clearwater? He’s always been one of my comfort characters lol and i’ve had literally the biggest crush on him since I first watched twilight when I was like 12 lmao.

Anyways here’s my request. So basically Y/n is one of Bella’s good friends. Although they’re like really really good friends they could nottttt be any more opposite than they already are. Y/n is an extrovert and leans into more of the cliche popular fun girl type? if that makes sense. anyways so bella was invited to come hang out at the beach(i mean like bonfires and burgers and hotdogs.) with Jacob and basically the entire pack and his family. and bella invites y/n because idk she didn’t wanna go alone? And while bella and jacob are dilly dallying leaving y/n alone she goes to go sit by the bonfire. and embry and the other boys come up to y/n. (because totally hot girl they’ve never met duh ofcourse they’re come up to her and chop it up.) and when y/n looks up at the boys and makes eye contact with seth. botta bing botta boom seth imprinted on y/n and kinda just stands there like a lost puppy and the boys just drag him away. later seth comes back and apologizes for earlier and then they spend the rest of the night just talking and have fun!!!!

idkkk i’ve always loved this idea but i’ve never wrote it out! also i just really love fluff and all that lolll. sorry if my request didn’t make sense i tried putting it all together the best i could lmao. anyways ty for your time!!

Stoppp I love this... and I LOVE cliche even more!! My fav is awkward fluffy so this is quite literally perfect. And Seth is just so cuuuuuute!! Hahaha you got it anon!

22 notes · View notes

cinderella-ish · 23 days

Text

Kyo, Momiji, and the beach trip that changed everything (part 4 of 5)

So, the beach arc is one of the best parts of the beautiful story that is Fruits Basket. Functionally, it's the midpoint, occurring from chapters 54-65 (out of 136) of the manga, and episodes 31-35 (out of 63) of the anime.

What is the midpoint in story structure? From author K.M. Weiland's site Helping Writers Become Authors:

As the centerpiece of the story, the Midpoint in many ways encapsulates the entire point of the story. Plot, character arc, and theme all coincide here (more obviously even than usual) to provide the protagonist with at least the opportunity to see the world in a different and potentially more functional way than previously. Depending on what the character realizes and accepts at the Midpoint, he should be able to use this new knowledge to move onward more effectively toward the plot goal.

In the article I linked above, Weiland talks about the two halves of the story's midpoint: first is the plot revelation, where something key about the external plot is revealed to the protagonist; and second is the moment of truth, where the protagonist uses that new information to change their perspective on the story.

For Tohru, the main protagonist, the plot revelation is when Akito reveals that the cursed Sohmas will all return to her and Kyo will be confined after graduation. The moment of truth is when she decides she wants to break the curse.

For Yuki, second protagonist, the plot revelation is that Tohru was the little girl he saved all those years ago, and the moment of truth is that it's time for him to "open the lid" and accept his feelings for what they are.

Even Hiro experiences his own midpoint shift. His plot revelation is that Tohru, like him, has her own feelings hidden deep in her heart, and that she covers up her pain with a smile. His moment of truth is that he wants to stop taking out his frustration on Tohru.

So, let's look at the beach arc as it pertains to Momiji and Kyo and their character arcs.

First, we have this cute little moment where Momiji comes to let Kyo know about the trip.

Momiji: Kyo! Hey, Kyo. You sick? Kyo: I'm tired. I don't have the energy to talk to you. Get out. Momiji: Got it. *inhales* We're going to the vacation house tomorrow, so get packed! Kyo: (angrily) You don't get it! (calmly) Wait, tomorrow? To the vacation house? Momiji: Yep! Kyo: Don't 'Yep' me! Momiji: Wah! Kyo hit me! But you'll come, right? You won't say no, right? Right? Kyo: Stop bugging me. Momiji: Tohru will be sad if you don't come. We'll play together! We'll swim together! Kyo: I said to stop bugging me! I never said I wouldn't go. Sheesh. I'm so tired. Momiji: You've gotten nicer. Kyo: Huh? Momiji: Nothing! Oh yeah, I'm gonna catch stag beetles! And Hercules beetles! Kyo: You're being serious?

I love that Momiji is consistently the one to invite Kyo to do things. While Yuki is helping Tohru finish her homework, Momiji tells Kyo about the trip in the most obnoxious way possible. Kyo gets annoyed, naturally, and gives Momiji a bonk on the head. Momiji pretends to cry (as usual), but then asks Kyo if he'll come.

Momiji seems genuinely worried that Kyo won't come, and goes right for Kyo's weak spot to manipulate him, saying, "Tohru will be sad if you don't come."

I also love the soft look on Momiji's face when he says to Kyo, "You've gotten nicer." Cuuuuuute.

After they arrive, there are a few cute moments in the first day or so at the beach. When Momiji points out Tohru's swimming and Kyo goes to rescue her (because he knows she's holding her breath), he asks Momiji to teach her how to breathe while swimming. Here, Kyo demonstrates a great deal of trust in Momiji. Tohru's safety is the most important thing to him, and he's trusting Momiji to look out for her safety, too.

I also love Momiji's comment when Yuki baits Kyo into staying in the water to race. "They should just swim like normal people. How childish." Yeah, okay Momiji.

Later (and this may be a change for the anime, as I couldn't find it in the manga), when they're all looking at the beetles, Momiji says Kyo is the person who taught him the sugar water trick.

But soon, Akito arrives, and everything changes.

This is a great scene for understanding how Akito operates as an abuser, but to keep the focus on Kyo, it's when Akito brings up Tohru that Kyo's entire demeanor changes. He'd been crying, begging Akito to stop, at his lowest point both literally and figuratively, when Akito shifts the conversation from Kyo's mother (and, in his mind, Kyoko) to Tohru, and her reaction to his True Form.

He immediately shifts from self-pity to fear and then anger, yelling back at Akito, defending Tohru from Akito's accusations, even when Akito is yelling at him to shut up. Suddenly, he falls quiet, and we hear his internal monologue:

She knew that if she let go of my hand, I would never return. That I might never return to anybody. She didn't take up all my pain. She didn't fill in all the brokenness. But those... those weren't important. The most important thing was that she stayed with me. Finding joy in the smallest things, being happy and smiling so cheerfully... Why? She should think of herself more. Why? Doesn't she think she's getting the short end of the stick? She thinks that she's stupid, or that there's nothing good about her.

And then we see Momiji and hear his voice.

It's a waste of time to think about loss or life getting harder. The traveler never thought about that stuff. Even if other people think that makes her an idiot, I just don't. That's all. Yuki, Kyo, What about you? What do you think when you close your eyes?

We then see Kyo with his hands over his eyes, interspersed with images of Tohru and the sound of her saying his name, as he lowers his hands and looks directly at the camera, articulating exactly how he feels about Tohru.

I love you. I love you so much. Just as you are.

It's a great callback to The Foolish Traveler, and the way Momiji closed his eyes when he was reflecting on how he interpreted the story, opening them when he realized he saw it differently than his classmates.

The sequence where Kyo finally realizes his feelings for Tohru is beautiful, possibly one of the best-done sequences in the anime. It's painful and moving and both Yuma Uchida and Jerry Jewell deliver gorgeous performances as Kyo. This is Kyo's plot revelation.

But most importantly (for the purposes of this series of posts, at least), it's Momiji whose voice Kyo hears at this crucial moment. It's Momiji whose words lead Kyo to realize he's in love with Tohru.

There's a lot that happens between Kyo's revelation that he loves Tohru and when he finds her on the beach that evening, but it's less important to the relationship between Kyo and Momiji, so I won't include it in this post.

What is important, though, is Kyo's moment of truth. The thing he decides is to spend as much time with Tohru as possible while he's still free.

I love you. I don't want to take anything else from you. I don't want to trample you ever again. At some point, I hoped we could always be together somewhere far off, but I won't hope that anymore. I won't hope that I could make you my own anymore. I won't hope that, so please, at least... at least be by my side for the time I have left. I want to be with you. Until we're separated far apart.. until the last moment.

I wonder who put that idea in his head?

In the next episode, we get this conversation between Kyo and Momiji.

Momiji: Kyo, Akito didn't call you in tomorrow, right? Kyo: Nope. Momiji: Really? If I thought, 'Good for you,' would you get mad? Kyo: I wondered why you all abandoned Tohru as you were told like good little kids. But I see. If you prioritized Tohru over Akito, Akito would get mad, huh? That would just make Tohru look bad. You guys, including Yuki, were protecting Tohru from Akito, huh? Momiji: You make it sound like we were doing such a good thing. But that's not it. We've- I've been doing it all wrong. I'm selfish for wanting to make memories with Tohru, despite everything. I'm selfish for loving Tohru so much. Kyo: I'm selfish, too. Momiji: Hmm? Kyo: Never mind. Anyway, weren't you going on about watching something on TV earlier? Tohru: Momiji-kun! Kyo-kun! Momiji: I was so scared! Kyo was trying to mug me! Tohru: What? Kyo: Seriously, you think I'm some delinquent?!

They both display a vulnerability and honesty here that they've really only shown before to Tohru. Kyo's reflecting on his anger at Yuki, and Momiji's being much more straightforward than he usually is, stating his realizations as they're coming to him, rather than using them to manipulate. I also love the detail of Momiji correcting from "We've" to "I've." It really shows the change in his maturity that occurred during this arc.

I see this as Momiji's plot revelation, that fun isn't the most important thing when you love someone.

This is also the first time Kyo verbalizes his feelings for Tohru out loud, if obliquely. When he smiles to himself and says, "I'm selfish, too," he's referencing what Momiji just said, that he's selfish for loving Tohru so much. It's notable that the first time he does this is in front of Momiji, even if he doesn't repeat it when it's clear Momiji didn't hear what he said.

I think, from this point on, Momiji and Kyo are trusted confidants for each other. This will come up more in part 5, but I really just love the way their relationship matures here.

And then, Akito returns.

This is one of the most harrowing sequences in the anime. We know Akito's already in a bad mood, we know she blames Tohru for taking away her Zodiac, and we've seen exactly how she abuses those she serves as god.

Momiji: Akito. What are you doing here so late? Akito: I came to see Honda Tohru-san. I have to return home suddenly, you see. But I haven't seen Honda Tohru-san yet. Momiji: Right now? But Tohru's most likely sleeping. Akito: Wake her. Momiji: No. Akito, you're mad right now, right? You'll take out your anger on her, huh? Akito, what's wrong? Why are you so mad? Did something happen? Akito: Something happen? What? Why do you need to know? You want to get to know me? To understand me? Why? [Akito punches Momiji] Akito: You make me sick! Understand? Understand me? You just want to belittle me! You just want to define me by your twisted logic, to paint me as a villain! Tohru: Stop, please! Momiji: T- Tohru: Sto- stop, please! Akito: Stop? You're giving me an order. Terrible. Terrible. You're not a very nice person. Momiji: Akito! Akito: But Tohru. Honda Tohru, I was kind enough to come see you. I don't care how disrespectful you are to me. There's... there's something I came to tell you. Don't be so full of it, scum. You might think you saved Yuki and Kyo. Better take that arrogance down a notch right now. Let me tell you something. I'll tell you. Kyo, you see, after high school, will be confined. Just like the previous cat, confined for life.

It's here that we see Momiji is no longer there. In the manga, we see Momiji run away. Akito and Tohru's conflict continues, but I want to focus on Momiji's actions here.

When he understands the situation, he starts gently, reasoning that Tohru is probably sleeping. When that doesn't work, he moves to defy his god in order to protect her.

When Tohru shows up and puts herself between Momiji and Akito, Momiji is clearly upset. He'd only wanted to keep her from getting hurt, and now she's trying to protect him. He feels like he's failed, but the danger is still happening. When Akito takes Tohru by the head and starts telling her about Kyo's impending confinement, he runs for help.

Momiji likely blames himself for Tohru getting hurt. It was his idea to go to the beach house, and he angered Akito before Tohru arrived. His moment of truth is that he needs to focus on protecting Tohru and consider her safety in the future.

I wonder where he got that idea.

It's worth noting that this scene happens the same night as his hallway conversation with Kyo. While Kyo was beginning to understand that fighting isn't the only way to protect someone, and that sometimes you need to keep your head down and play the role in which you've been cast in order to protect someone, Momiji was learning the opposite lesson, that sometimes, you need to acknowledge the hard truths about a situation, that fun and pleasure don't erase pain, and that some things are worth fighting for.

Akito and Tohru's conflict ends when Kureno arrives and takes Akito back to the estate. Next, Shigure and Hatori arrive, and when Tohru asks why they're there, Shigure reveals where Momiji ran off to.

Shigure: Momicchi ran to me in terror. I didn't know what was wrong. Tohru: Is Momiji-kun hurt!? Where's Momiji-kun!? Hatori: Don't worry. He's right there. Tohru: Momiji-kun! Momiji-kun, are you all right?

Momiji tries to smile, but he can't, and he breaks down instead.

We've seen Momiji fake cry dozens of times before now. We've seen real tears from him only twice: once when he told Tohru about his mother (and even then, it was only after he transformed that he let himself cry), and once on Kisa's behalf, when he was telling the others about her bullying, and that he imagined how he'd feel if people laughed every time he spoke.

But this is the first time we've seen him break down.

Again, Momiji is blaming himself for what happened. He sees the mark on Tohru's face, and he knows she got hurt even worse after he left. He's upset that she ended up protecting him instead. He believes he's failed in every way. It's a feeling Kyo's incredibly familiar with.

But even though Momiji thinks he's responsible for Tohru getting hurt, everyone acknowledges he did something very difficult and brave.

Shigure: Well, Momicchi really hung in there. Compared to him, look at the other young folk. Hatori: Compared to him, look at us... right?

It's then revealed that Yuki, Kyo, and Haru were watching from just inside, and Haru was physically holding Kyo back from intervening.

Haru: See, Akito left. I told you Momiji would get the older ones. Kyo: I'm so pathetic I could puke.

Kyo is ashamed that he didn't act, even though he knows it wouldn't have helped, and might have gotten Tohru hurt worse.

Momiji and Kyo both feel responsible, but by thinking themselves responsible, they belie the fact that they don't hold the other person responsible. Kyo sees that Momiji actually did something, that he stood up to Akito, while he stood back and let Tohru get hurt. Momiji isn't upset that no one else stood up to Akito beside him. He's not even sure that was the right thing to have done.

But they're both wrong, of course. The only person who's actually responsible for Tohru getting hurt is Akito.

Thankfully, the arc ends with a nice moment of everyone enjoying fireworks together. They've all changed, but some things will always be the same.

Momiji: Let's do some sparklers together! Tohru: Okay! Momiji: Kyo! Come do them with us, Kyo! Kyo: So annoying. Just do them without me!

Yuki then baits Kyo into joining them, and the four sit together and do fireworks.

Even after everything that's happened, Momiji's still the one who invites Kyo to join in the fun.

Momiji and Kyo: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 5

14 notes · View notes

ebanin0 · 2 years

Text

Oh yes. This was my first drawing of girls. They dressing up for work:> Since then, i have thought a lot about their outfits. I love corsets and suspenders so muuuuuuch!!! I don't know if it's good or bad, but they turned out to be absolute OOC for me. I think fem-Miles would have Franziska's character, but more restrained. She won't beat, but humiliate. God, can you imagine an updated autopsy report meme voiced as a sassy bitch with a british accent??? I can. And it makes me horny!

For Phoenix's sake, i think the female version would be more enthusiastic about all of Maya's stupid ideas. More open and honest about her feelings for Miles.

And i was also wondering if there are feminine versions of their names and turned out that Phoenix is originally female name lol and feminine version of Miles is Myla.

MYLA SKHSHHCHHHCASHHCHSHHSHSHHSCHHJCAJKHHKC SO CUUUUUUTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(i drew their outfits, take a look at the pinned post;> )

#ace attorney #miles edgeworth #phoenix wright #narumitsu #wrightworth #genderbend #art #artists on tumblr #traditional art

270 notes · View notes

florbe-triz · 14 hours

Note

Hi! Did You ever hear about get backers? the co protagonist The main character is quite similar to vash in fact that made me think of recommending it to you.

OOOohhhh uuuhu huu,... he's so cuuuuuute,

Where are your manners?, you can't just step in here and throw a cute blonde anime boy at my face, YOU'LL RUIN MY LIFE!!! This guy is just as silly and kindhearted as Vash.... I mean, he cries over a slice of pizza in the first episode!! (yeah, ofc I had to watch a few episodes of Get Backers to confirm it)

And these two seem to have such a wholesome friendship, I liked it a lot! Thank you, you just contributed to my list of blondie boys I care about a little too much

#get backers #it's quite nice btw #I might watch the whole thing #Ginji is this guy's name I guess #And his companion is called Ban #not that combination again #you know me too well lol

14 notes · View notes

a-dauntless-daffodil · 7 months

Text

dang that was cuuuuuute. Spell the Beans my beloved <3

the pairing of Duce slowly (with Frankie's frank observation skills) realizing that his mom glossed over a LOT of bullying in all her triumphant monster high stories, and then seeing Dacula being so worried about his daughter's future, him working to get where he is so Draculaura would have it easier- and how he DIDN'T accept her witchcraft at first! Because he was worried it'd make life HARDER for her!

That was a gooooooooood writing choice. Finding out how one parent did have it hard makes seeing the other one worrying about their kid just, chef's kiss.

(the implication that Mortimer the delivery dragon might have been one of Medusa's only friends at school ;_;)

(her HIDING in his den of missing things bc it was her only safe space there ;A;)

i AWWWWED out loud at the retelling of Lyra and Medusa's meet cute.... someone tripped up Medusa (again) and Lyra was there to catch her! She fell head over heels for Lyra, literally <3

(thank u monster high people for making Lyra SO bird like she got TALONS she got WING ARMS she SING TALKS i LOVE IT)

everyone trying to eat the human dad and Apollo Wolf (now THAT is a name) using.... water skiing metaphors.... to help the head monster with child raising. he's so excited to be there and he helps but oh gosh yes please get him out of there

Frankie was MVM this ep tho.

Between spear heading the search for the next talisman, accidentally helping Duce understand his mom better (and clean his room), AND coming in clutch at the end figuring out an excuse for how Toralei got her hands on witch stuff without any of the current students being a witch- Thank you, big sparkling brain bits, you did good work tonight

also love that it took to the VERY END of the ep for Toralei to stop going after Drac and finally give her and her witchery a pass.

we see what her mom is like. we see how much it's gotta be costing her, to not only "waste" her mom's time but not even have anything to show for it. ayyyyye but the character growth is slowly kicking in! Yes.

i just stared at Drac's face a lot this ep. poor ghoul was going through it most of the time, but that last ending smirk as she fakes a ghost witch was a Treat >:D

#mhg3 #monster high 3 #draculaura #duce gorgon #frankie stein #toralei stripe #this show makes me feel so GOOD #amazing

16 notes · View notes

despairforme · 1 year

Text

CHAPTER 4 - The pull.

[CHAPTER 3]

What was he? A six year old on his first day of school? What was this GIDDY feeling? Why was he so excited just because he’d made a friend? It was not an exaggeration to say that Nnoitra didn’t have any friends. The only people he interacted with on a daily basis were his fellow members of the basketball club. They were his teammates - not his friends. Everyone in class avoided him like the plague. It didn’t make him lonely, since he’d never desired friends in the first place. If you wanted people to like you, you had to pretend to be someone you weren’t. Nnoitra wasn’t about to fake his personality just for popularity. If that meant he was going to be an outcast and a loner? Then so be it.

When Murasakibara (Nnoitra would be damned if he was going to forget the name of his one friend, even though it was a very difficult name) had asked for his email, Nnoitra had been stunned. He could not believe he wanted to be his friend, even after he had literally stolen from him. He might not have been looking for friends, but now that he had one? It was nice.

He was determined to make sure his team did well at the Interhigh. Tsukinogai was a middle-tier team. They weren’t outright bad, but they had no star players. Well - they did now that he was here. He was well aware that if the team was going to have any sort of chance, it would be up to him. He’d have to carry it all. Working hard, having a ‘team spirit’ - that shit became worthless in the face of someone who had both height and talent. He didn’t do much training with the team. Why would he? He was going to do all the work anyway. Offense, defense - he’d do it all by himself. The best thing his teammates could do was stay the fuck out of his way. Nnoitra focused mostly on endurance training, and that was something he could do by himself. No matter how good he was, it would mean nothing if he ran out of steam. Carrying a whole team on his back was going to be physically exhausting, so he had to be prepared.

What he’d been afraid would happen - happened. His biggest (and only) weakness when it came to basketball, was his build. He had noticed it more than ever when he played against Murasakibara. The other had weighed a lot more than him. Nnoitra had a lean build. He’d always been lanky. He had muscles, sure. Long and thin muscles. He was far stronger than he looked, but in terms of weight, he could never compare with someone who was bulky. Doing weight training to build muscles did nothing for him, because he had no fat that he could convert to muscle mass. If he trained excessively - like he had been doing the past few weeks - he ended up losing weight, which meant he was losing muscle. His body burnt calories like a fucking machine on overdrive. No matter how much he ate, it was never enough, and to allow him to keep going, his body had no choice but to take energy from the only place left - his muscles.

Nnoitra watched his weight obsessively, since he was always trying to gain. He noticed straight away when he started losing. He’d been worried it would happen. There was obviously something wrong with his body. His.. What did they call it? Metabolism? He should probably get it tested, but--- What if the results were devastating. What if it meant he couldn’t play anymore? Not like he loved basketball all that much, but it was the one thing he was good at. It was his future career. Without it? He had nothing. Yeah, he knew that if he was ever going to play professionally, he’d have to get medical examinations, and if there was something wrong with him - they’d find out. But he pushed that problem away and onto his future-self. His current-self had enough to deal with.

He didn’t stop his endurance training. He wasn’t going to back down for anything. No matter what happened, he was going to push forward, in true anime style. He ate as much as he could, and every morning he stepped on the scale with his fingers crossed. If his weight was the same as the day before, he’d exhale in relief. If he had dropped, he’d empty the fridge for breakfast. He knew his food-intake was taking a toll on the family’s budget. But what could he do?

April turned to May. His teammates and the coach had been unhappy with him, because of his reluctance to practice with them (they didn’t like him in the first place, and this conflict only made it worse). However, in the beginning of May, the attitude towards him changed.

❝Oi, Gilga! You better be prepared to pull your weight today.❞ That was the captain, another third year named Arinaga. He was not exactly strict - in fact he’d done his best to try to make others get along with Nnoitra. In the end though, he appeared to have given up. Nnoitra couldn’t blame him. Nnoitra sent him a glare, not liking the phrasing.

❝Yeah, no problem. Ya’ll think I can’t play with ya just ‘cause we don’t practice ‘tagether? Don’t make me laugh, moron.❞ He said, and it sounded like he was about two years away from laughing. He knew what they were doing, of course. He’d overheard the coach and the captain talk together about him. The coach seemed to think it was a good idea to put Nnoitra in the upcoming practice match. The coach’s plan was to show Nnoitra that when he didn’t practice with his teammates - it would be impossible for him to sync with them during an actual match. Nnoitra couldn’t wait to rain on his parade.

No matter what sort of match he was playing, Nnoitra always wanted to win. If he didn’t win - then it meant he wasn’t the strongest. He wasn’t going to let the fact that he had a weak-ass team keep him back. The team they were playing didn’t have a reputation for being great either. It was probably why the two schools had agreed to a practice match in the first place. The mid-tier teams not scraping the bottom of the barrel for practice matches, but also not begging the top-teams for scraps. This would be his first game with this team.

Even if it was just a practice match, the other team would’ve done some research. Nnoitra knew that, and yet - he could see the looks the other team was giving him. One thing was reading on paper that they were going to face a guy who was 215. Another thing was seeing him in real life. They couldn’t help but look intimidated.

The teams lined up, and bowed for each other before the match. Nnoitra barely lowered his head. This was one of the Japanese traditions he didn’t like much. Nnoitra was playing center - they’d be fools not to place him in that position. When the referee tossed the ball up to start the game, Nnoitra barely had to jump to beat the other team’s center, and secure the ball for his team. He had almost expected his team to refuse to pass to him, to make a point, but - they actually did give him the ball. As they should - he was in a good position. The pass was sloppy, or maybe it was just difficult to receive because he truly did find it hard to communicate with and read his teammates. No matter. He could deal with difficult passes. Now that he had the ball, nothing was going to stop him from scoring.

Everytime Nnoitra got the ball, he scored. His teammates began to automatically send their passes his way. Over and over again, the ball found his palm, like he’d become some sort of hyper-sensitive ball-magnet. Nnoitra didn’t slack off in defense either. He loved scoring, but it was almost more satisfying to prevent others from scoring. The look of distress on their face when he towered over them. The growing despair in their eyes when they realized they weren’t able to score.

When the final buzz sounded, signaling the end of the match, the scoresheet made everyone quiet. Even though everyone had watched it happen, it was still hard to believe. The other team hadn’t scored a single point.

Nnoitra was dripping sweat, his chest heaving. He was dead-tired. Ugh. Against such a weak team as well? He needed to get stronger. He’d achieved what he had wanted though. He had proved to the team and to the coach that he didn’t need to practice with them. What he hadn’t expected was their reaction. In the end, they all wanted to win. Nnoitra had given them a huge victory. His teammates were excited and in awe. The coach was impressed to the point of being at a loss for words. The mood around him changed, like someone had flipped a switch. Suddenly, he wasn’t the outcast of the team anymore. He was their ace. The man who was going to carry them to victory. Their hope.

❝Hope, huh? What kinda fuckin’ bullshit ‘s that?❞ Nnoitra mumbled to himself as he lay down in bed. He still had homework to do, but he was too damned tired. He was not in a bad mood, but... He had thought he’d feel better about the positive change in his status. After the practice match, the team had went out to celebrate. They’d all gone to a ramen shop, had dinner and chatted. Nnoitra wasn’t used to being this social, so maybe that was part of the reason why he felt tired now. It had been... Nice enough, he supposed. He even remembered a couple of his teammates’ names now. He liked getting credit for his hard work, and having people admire him was not a bad thing. So, what was the problem? He didn’t want to admit it, but - it was the pressure. The pressure was the problem. Now that they had seen what he could do. He had even more to prove now. He had the feeling that this wasn’t going to be some wholesome story where everything went smoothly for him. He was still far, far away from being strong enough. So while his teammates had been convinced of his strength, Nnoitra had been reminded of his shortcomings. His weakness. His team might feel hopeful, but... He did not.

Not this fuckin’ depressive shit again, ‘fer fucks’s sake.

It was always like this. Fucking always. Why couldn’t he enjoy victories? Why couldn’t he enjoy anything? Why was everything always so heavy and why did this feeling of helplessness always come back to haunt him? He sighed.

❝Nnoi-chan?❞ his mother knocked on the door. He groaned in reply. She’d know that that meant ‘ come in ‘. He sat up in bed to look less pathetic. He had the feeling he didn’t fool her. It was one of the nice things about her. She could see his bad mood, but she didn’t press him about it. Didn’t talk to him about it. He didn’t want to talk to anyone about it. ❝How did the practice game go?❞ Oh, she’d been aware he had a game today? He couldn’t remember saying anything about it. Seemed she was paying closer attention to him than he’d thought.

❝We won.❞ He said it with very little enthusiasm. If he had had any, it had been all spent during the ‘ celebration ‘ together with his team.

❝Congratulations.❞ She said with a small smile.

❝Thanks.❞

❝I thought maybe you’d like these?❞ She held out a stack of pocky to him. Where the hell had she been hiding those? Nnoitra recognized the assortment of purple boxes. The ones he had bought that day.

❝Yeah, I would.❞ Nnoitra held out his hand for them. She took a few steps into the room to hand them over. They looked at each other for a moment.

GOD I hope she ain’t gonna say: I’m here if ya wanna talk.

She didn’t say that.

❝There are leftovers in the fridge if you’re still hungry.❞

❝Can I have ‘em ‘fer breakfast? I’m sleepy.❞ He said ‘ sleepy ‘ instead of ‘ tired ‘. She gave another small smile and nodded.

❝I’ll let you rest.❞

Nnoitra opened one of the pocky boxes after she closed the door behind her. The purple reminded him of Murasakibara. They hadn’t texted each other a single time after exchanging contacts. Nnoitra was not one for texting in the first place. He had dyslexia so writing was a challenge. He found Japanese to be a lot easier than Spanish though... The latin alphabet was shit. Maybe he’d give texting a go. He bit down on the pocky stick. The sweet chocolate flavor mixed with almond was nice.

[ to Murasakibara Atsushi ] -

He stared at the screen of his phone, tapping his index finger against the side while he tried to come up with what to write. Texting him out of the blue was kinda random. What did you usually say when you texted a friend? If the two of them could even qualify as that. In the end he just decided he’d tell him about today’s match. Might as well.

[ to Murasakibara Atsushi ] - Had a practice game 2day, didn’t let our opponents score a single point.

He pressed send. Some of the heaviness in him seemed to lift, strangely enough. Like the text was something he’d needed to get off his chest. He ate some more pocky. It didn’t take long for a reply to buzz in. Murasakibara was quite a... Lazy guy. He spoke with disinterest in an almost sluggish way, like he could hardly be bothered to get his words out. He hadn’t expected him to reply so soon (or maybe not at all).

[ from Murasakibara Atsushi ] - Keep that up, I wanna be the first one to score against you in an official match.

Nnoitra breathed out a mute laugh. He stuck another pocky in his mouth as he wrote his reply.

[ to Murasakibara Atsushi ] - Bring it on.

This felt different, Nnoitra decided. The thought of playing against him in an official match didn’t feel like pressure. It felt like motivation. He felt excited. Hyped, one might even call it. He stuffed the rest of the pocky in his mouth. How about those dinner left overs? He was going to eat them and then go for a late-night run. Like hell he could just lay in bed now! It was crazy, how fast his emotions could switch. He’d gone from wanting to just lay down and die, to having something that felt like goddamn butterflies in his stomach.

He changed into his training gear, before he went into the kitchen.

❝I thought you were going to sleep?❞ his mother asked, surprised. Nnoitra opened the fridge and found the leftovers.

❝Nah, I need ‘ta go ‘fer a run first.❞ Yeah, he needed to. He really felt like running right now. He placed the plate down on the table, pulled his chair out and sat down. The leftovers were delicious - his mother was actually a pretty good cook. He ate with eager, almost stuffing himself.

❝Did something happen?❞ she asked. How rare of her to ask something like that. Nnoitra sent her a look.

❝Mah...❞ Nothing had really happened. He had just been reminded of his future very strong opponent who he was going to beat. Anyone would feel the need to train after something like that, right? At least if you actually wanted to prove yourself to be the strongest. “Just feelin’ motivated.” he decided to say. It was not a lie. He rarely spoke of his feelings, and it was even rarer that he even had emotions that could classify as ‘ positive ‘. His mother smiled. She almost looked relieved.

❝I’ll make you some more food you can have for breakfast. You’ll need lots of protein for all that running you’re doing.❞

Ah. It was not often he felt like he was being taken care of. But right now? Yeah. She was being very motherly. Nnoitra didn’t know how to deal with her when she was being like that. Didn’t know how to thank her. Didn’t know how to get his feelings across.

❝Yeah, I’ll need it.❞ he said.

[CHAPTER 5]

#[ me biting my entire fist: it's so cuuuuuute ]#despair for me. ╱ in character.#knb au tbt.#storytime. ╱ drabble.#longpost //

3 notes · View notes