sans fanfare

[pmpmyread]

About me minnie // she/her // thirties fanfic writer // fanwork enjoyer // fandom dweller

Find my fanfic masterlists below:

Jujutsu Kaisen masterlist here. -> Nanami Kento also gets his own lists lol here and here. Destiny 2 masterlist here. Demon Slayer masterlist here.

I'm also pmpmyread on ao3, find me here. I occasionally make image/gif sets from media I enjoy, find them: -> here for JJK (Phantom Parade) -> here for Destiny 2

Updated: June 1 2026

[cordia1ly]

«hell if I care.»

[aliasnnmknt]

Pilot nanami

[radish-breath]

Another commission, this time for @rahuratna ! Based on a NaruHoshi fantasy AU she's been working on. This was so so fun to draw!

Commission me here!

[rahuratna]

GUYS.

I commissioned my dear friend Radish to bring my Fantasy AU NaruHoshi vision of Dimensional Sorcerer Narumi and Cursed Swordsman Hoshina to life, a headcanon that's all too special to me.

Some background: Hoshina hails from a renowned clan of swordsman, but is cursed from birth such that he is unable to wield regular swords without experiencing terrible pain and damage to his hands.

Cue his meeting with Sorcerer Narumi, an unconventional genius who is searching for the secrets to his own past. Through the inter-dimensional tattoos Narumi places on his back, Hoshina is finally able to draw and wield a sword the way he desires, and joins Narumi on his journey!

I knew this would be SPECTACULAR, because it's RADISH, and in all of our collabs prior to this, their artistic vision of every scene I've imagined has been utter perfection.

BUT THIS.

Seeing it brought to life like this gives me whole lot of emotions I don't even know what to do with.

Thank you, Radish, for bringing two of our all time favorites to life in such incredible fashion. This is honestly a lifelong treasure for me 😍😍😍 My HoshiNaru dreams shall be realised!

[pmpmyread]

I'd say we are so back, but EYE personally never left so...

[sweetlandspos]

Backstudy closeup

Instagram X

[rahuratna]

Update 2 on my Soshiro Hoshina Monster Hunter playthrough with @pmpmyread :

Damn, playing as the "Vice-Captain" is giving me renewed love for the dual blades. I've played with Great Sword for so long, that I forgot what it means to be a true speed demon, I fear, lol.

Zipping around, flying through the air, beyblading down monster backs, is as satisfying as the first time I played DB.

Also, I cannot WAIT to be in High Rank, so I can start true fashion hunting for Soshiro. Many new outfits for our dashing swordsman await. 😂

For now, here's some low rank screenshots I particularly liked.

When he's battle ready:

That meat does NOT want to see him coming:

I DO like him in the Hirabami armour (and the Odogaron!). They were made for him 😂

Some good times with the squad, and his little protege, Nata.

[pmpmyread]

Ahhh, the dual blades fit him so well! And the armor sets!! Both he and lil no 10 truly make the best hunting companions!! Here's to many many more hunts as a team!! heheheee🩵

[pmpmyread]

Played some more MHWilds with @rahuratna's Soshiro Hoshina, and by played with I really mean carried by LOL. 💀

Together, we hunted the one I now like to call by his govt name, Raymond Dau, and I don't think the levels of SHOOK some of these hunts had me could be better portrayed than by the three after-action reports above, because to the extent that I was 1) contributing much at all, it was either 2) mostly evading hits on my Seikret or 3) chugging down potions and meals to save my life LMAOOO 🤣🤣🤣

But it was SO fun, I'm already committed to mastering its moveset and coming back to give Rey Dau the BIDNESS.

I've also progressed enough to unlock armor upgrades, which already makes a world of difference! Now my hunter can run up on some of these lil monsters alongside the vice-captain with more confidence knowing that she won't be fainting as often anymore LOL.

[pmpmyread]

Nanami Kento & Laughter

Content Warnings: MDNI/18+, fluff with suggestive themes. Summary: Some laughter HCs with Nanami, because God knows he deserves it. Pairing: Nanami Kento x fem!reader Word count: 1.4k

From the moment you first shared a laugh with Nanami Kento, you knew you’d want to do it over and over again.

As a newly graduated Grade 1 sorcerer, you’d hoped your first day would carry at least some of the novelty that the promotion promised. Instead, here you were, leaning against the back wall of a packed Jujutsu High classroom, enduring yet another staff briefing that had dragged on for far too long.

In response to yet another tangent taken by the visibly disorganized support staff member who was presenting, you’d been unable to contain the off-hand comment that slipped from you, in the form of a dry joke muttered under your breath, one you had not expected anyone to hear until you heard a low, barely noticeable chuckle emanating from the sorcerer posted beside you.

You tilted your head up towards the source of the sound, your eyes landing on signature green lenses that did little to conceal the hint of a smile that lingered in the usually stern eyes they covered, even after it had faded from Nanami’s lips. You tried to mask your embarrassment at the idea of being caught by returning a timid smile in a quiet moment of shared intimacy before turning back to face the speaker.

Your attention never fully returned to the meeting.

You grew closer to Nanami, thanks partly to the proximity granted by your new rank but largely to a shared appreciation for quick wit, such as the clever clapback he’d flatly directed at Gojo in response to one of his typical bothersome antics in the break room one afternoon. Between Gojo’s protests and your burst of laughter in response, you’d almost missed the brief, self-satisfied expression that adorned Nanami’s handsome face.

Over time, wherever the two of you found yourselves together became your shared stage.  As you each became acquainted with what made you tick, you found yourselves playfully trading the quips that were forming the alphabet for this new language you were carefully developing together.

Even more than the much-needed levity brought on by these interactions, the rare glimpses into Nanami’s rich, deep chuckles quickly became ones you’d grown to live for.

Nanami is funny when he tries to be and even funnier when he doesn’t. While his candor and frankness are attributes you both admire and love about him, they’ve also made for some hilarious moments.

You’d handled a particularly messy exorcism together one day, consisting of a Grade 1 curse that punched far above its weight and that had tested the limits of both your abilities combined, resulting in a victory that was too narrow for comfort. You caught your breaths for a moment, after which the first thing Nanami did when he finally turned to you with a most serious look on his face, was to express how inconvenient it would be to have to make the trek to two towns over to reach the only dry cleaner who would be able to remove the kind of stain left by the curse on his signature suit.

You’d initially shot him an incredulous look in response, as you processed his surreal fixation on the least of many problems, borne out of none other than his acute sense of practicality, before bursting into a fit of giggles, a display that had you still holding your stomach in laughter days later.

The close bond you’d developed eventually spilled outside the boundaries of the workplace, venturing into the uncharted waters that lie beyond friendship.

Just as you and Nanami parted after being joined in a tender first kiss, a sudden feeling of inadequacy, a monster as internal as it was intrusive, reared its ugly head in the form of nervous laughter that uncontrollably spilled from you.

You lowered your head, eyes fixing the small gap on the ground that separated you two, frustrated both at your mind for ruining an otherwise perfect moment and embarrassed at your body’s unchecked reaction, averting what you’d assumed would be a confused gaze from Nanami, until you heard him mirror you with a light chuckle.

He gently tilted your chin up, and your eyes locked onto an expression, not unlike the one you’d exchanged in the back of that classroom on that fateful day, a reassuring one that said “I get you”. He pulled you back into a gentle embrace, as your eyes tore up and your insecurities began to fade, and it dawned upon you that you were exactly where you belonged.

It was only once you’d gotten together, now joined as partners in both banter and life, that you were introduced to just how truly expansive Kento’s repertoire of repartee was.

As you tested your mind against this untethered version of Nanami, you proved to be a worthy opponent but soon found that even your full professional level of proficiency in banter did not completely match his surprisingly more native level, a slight disparity he exploited only responsibly, as a means to maintain the playful tone of your verbal sparring, which always ensued in hilarity from both your parts, even in its more impassioned moments.

This tacit control he held, illustrative of the healthy polarity that so beautifully ruled your dynamic, made him even more attractive than he already was to you.

The burgeoning excitement stemming from the chain of events that was your elopement, honeymoon, and subsequent holiday at the best beachfront property available in Kuantan had culminated in an untameable spark of passion between you two, which only compounded the effect that the sweet sound of your laughter had had on Nanami who, unbeknownst to you, had been set off like a man possessed.

You were lying beneath Kento, as you came down from your second peak of the evening, blissful giggles muffled by your cupped palms covering your face, not knowing what to otherwise do with yourself in your overstimulated state.

In one swift movement, he used one of his hands to gently remove your hands from your face before firmly pinning them by the bed frame above your head as he leaned down to your face, his slightly parted lips ghosting over yours as though to capture the sweet melody of your now diminishing laughter.

By the time you perceived the greedy glint in his eyes, it was already too late; in an inaugural act that would later settle as a habit on countless future occasions, he used his free hand to tickle you, starting at the base of your neck, letting out a mischievous chuckle of his own as he hit all of the sensitive parts of your bare skin along the way.

You squirmed beneath him, completely at his mercy, crying out in bouts of hysterical laughter that only served to reinvigorate him, his fingers unrelenting in their onslaught as he continued working his way down, inching closer to his intended destination, endeavoring to draw much more than just some laughs out of you, as you gradually went from imploring him to stop to begging him not to.

Nanami’s laughs usually came in the form of low chuckles, amused snickers, and a signature light rumble of his chest, all rarely exceeding a temperate volume. When they exceptionally did, it was a sight nothing short of delightful.

One morning, shortly after breakfast, you were reading off a passage from a Japanese book you were showing him, as you often did, in your efforts to learn the language. You stumbled upon a word that you unknowingly mispronounced, eliciting a chuckle from Kento who asked you to repeat it, and who laughed again as you did, a little louder than usual, this time. Your mock offense turned into amusement as you observed him struggling to maintain that tightly held control of his.

You repeated the word over and over again, now fully determined in your quest to bring him to his undoing, and it wasn’t long until he was bent over, apologizing to you in between fits of unusually raucous laughter and you joyfully saw him as never before.

His laugh grew contagious, and soon enough you joined him, getting so carried away that you inadvertently let out a small audible snort before covering your mouth in horror, after which you you both decidedly lost control, a genuine roar emanating from his chest as you enjoyed an unexpected moment of euphoria.

Rare as those more intense moments were, they did not take away from the fact that every single instance of your playful ribbing that resulted in the scrunching of his nose, the crinkling of his solemn eyes, and the signature twist of the left corner of his mouth as he grinned, that every moment of good-natured teasing that triggered that familiar warm bubbling feeling of exuberance that rose within you served as lovely daily reminders of the foundational impact of laughter on your beautiful relationship.

Thanks for reading! 🩵

[jjkpanelstouseasreactionimages]

[thegrayelephent]

Me when I write for 30 minutes: 1k words

Me when I write for 2 hours: 500 words

Me when I write for 4 hours: -300 words

[aesthetically-dying101]

"This is an H.R violation. "

Inspired by: this! by the amazing @radish-breath

Please do not repost/post elsewhere.

:)

[radish-breath]

oh GREAT HEAVENS

This is stunning! I am honoured to have inspired this

[cozierflyer6509]

Not entirely sure how to word this, but I’ve always loved the entire concept of Ghosts as a way to justify a revive/respawn mechanic.

In pretty much every game I’ve ever played that has a revive/respawn mechanic, it’s never explained as to how it works. Which isn’t really that big of a deal to me; it’s a game mechanic that allows you to keep playing the game, case closed.

And then you have Destiny. Get gunned down by a Cabal turret? Your Ghost will have you up in a hot second. Did another Guardian fire a rocket a bit to close to themselves? Go interact with their Ghost to rez them. Did you finally kill that bastard camping an ammo spawn in Trials? Better make sure their teammates can’t get to their Ghost, or they’ll be back up doming you from halfway across the map in seconds.

Except your Ghost is more than just a flying respawn machine. He can hack stuff, mark things on your tracker/radar thingy, oh and he’s an entire character with a personality who reflects the personality of your Guardian, who barely speaks.

The nonverbal communication and interactions in cutscenes between the two are fuckin immaculate. The way Ghost tilts the parts of his shell to express emotions - annoyance, shock, excitement, curiosity… and your Guardian reacts to him usually with a glance or a look, like… idk they just kinda get each other.

But while he is your Ghost, he’s not YOUR Ghost. By which I mean, Ghost is his own, independent character. He’s not a reflection of you or anyone else, and that’s made clear when his opinions and thoughts don’t align with the actions of you as the Guardian. In a lore thing from Forsaken I believe? there is a list of things he wishes he could say to you. One of those things is how he sees that you’re going on a rampage through the Tangled Shore, and justified by the death of Cayde-6 as it may be, he doesn’t like it; it scares him. But he still loves you - that’s also on the list, and even during Beyond Light we see this when he continues to stay by our side even as we start wielding the Darkness in the form of Stasis.

That’s not to say he can’t be vengeful himself. In the lead up to the final boss battle with Savathun during the Witch Queen campaign, Savathun taunts you and your Ghost. This isn’t anything new - bosses taunt you before and during boss fights all the time in Destiny campaigns - and usually you react by wiping the floor with them, without a word in response. Except this time, Ghost is PISSED, essentially says “how fucking dare you, you killed my friends”, lists a bunch of shit the Hive have done to humanity (most of which you personally have been affected by as a combatant against the Hive), and ends off by telling her that he would rather die than serve the Hive.

Speaking of the Witch Queen, we also get to see that Ghost isn’t perfect; he absolutely despises other Ghosts who joined the Hive, and makes that abundantly clear. He’s also extremely suspicious of Fynch, the Hive Ghost who helps you out in the Throne World. Ghost is kind of an ass to Fynch, because to him, the Ghosts who joined the Hive under Savathun betrayed the Traveller and humanity. But when he realizes that most of the Hive Ghosts like Fynch were coerced into helping the Hive in their search for their Guardians, he outright APOLOGIZES to Fynch. It’s actually a pretty cool moment in the story, and it shows like… yeah, he’s capable of making mistakes, but he’s also capable of at least trying to fix them.

Also he was really funny that one time when the Drifter didn’t show up to run tactical for you in Beyond Light, so he did an impression of him instead lmao

[imonthemoonitsmadeofcheese]

Ghost impersonating Drifter is definitely something I'd put on a highlight reel of favourite stuff from Destiny.

[mirshroom]

a fashionable ☂️ in these trying times

[squidwardscranberryjuice]

@enjinsprettydoll @swiftyangx12 @uninterestedseductress @huniedeux @pmpmyread @kentocalls 💕

[pmpmyread]

Definitely a nice treat for these trying times 😩

[collinnmckinley]

Destiny 2 Gifs [88/∞] - Everything

[pmpmyread]

Viewing this sequence in-game was nothing short of mesmerizing. The cinematics team was in their bag with this one.

[telestoapologist]

I think too that now would be an exceptional time to start delving into and making fan works if you haven't yet, and to just keep creating and engaging with one another. So many people have forged incredible, long-lasting connections with one another through this game, and it doesn't have to end here.

Maybe it won't be the same as playing, but I promise that letting that go and acknowledging what you have and can still make will be precious in the long run. Y'know, the whole "maybe the real Destiny was the friends we made along the way" type of schmaltz. The stuff I've seen people write and draw, too- it's incredible, and I genuinely wish so many of these folks had a hand on the narrative team.

Just remember that these are real people, and to be kind and patient with one another.

[imonthemoonitsmadeofcheese]

This. ^^^

[rahuratna]

Get Jiggy

Synopsis: A mission with Nanami takes an unexpected turn when he's forced to demonstrate his dance moves.

Written for the prompt "Show me how groovy you are" , provided by @pmpmyread from the ShowMeHow writing game.

Contents: Humour, crack, slight Nanami x Reader.

WC: 2729

"Ah, my apologies, I'm a little late."

Slightly breathless, you came to an abrupt halt, straight-backed, prepared for a reprimand.

He turned to you, shadows of the afternoon carving out the severe lines of his profile in sharp relief.

"Three minutes late. It's nothing to apologise for. I haven't been waiting long."

From the way he said it, it seemed that Nanami Kento had been kept waiting on prior occasions, and it hadn't been a pleasant experience.

Grimacing slightly, you nodded.

"So, this is the place?"

"The address is correct. So, yes, this is it."

The building you both stood before was nondescript, three floors high, showing clear signs of disrepair and abandonment.

It would only be a matter of time before it was marked by city officials for re-purposing, albeit, at a slower pace considering its downtown location.

Nanami was already striding ahead of you, the pale coat and trousers stark against the shadowy doors ahead.

He showed no hesitation, or fear.

If you were entirely honest, you envied that aspect of him; unflappable in the extreme, always composed, always prepared for what lay ahead with a quick adjustment of tie or shirt cuff, sleek blonde hair falling just right, the shift of broad shoulders exuding the confidence and charisma of a man about to close a billion yen deal.

All right, you envied him, and you were also attracted to him.

The two ideas could co-exist.

As you both entered the deserted lobby, old debris crunching underfoot, you took a moment to mourn the fact that the only time you ever got to speak with him was on missions like these, on the rare occasion you were teamed up with him.

Not that this was any kind of occasion to get to know him.

You were experienced enough to know that the slightest distraction could spell out death in the world of sorcerers.

It was how quick he was to wrap up after that got to you.

No prolonged goodbyes, no eating together, no chats after the mission, or even sharing of vehicles back to the Tech.

Nanami was efficiency personified, and the speed with which he clocked off amused as much as it chagrined you.

Such would probably be the case today.

Further in, the elevator was long out of commision, and the stairwell was dark and dingy.

Pausing before beginning his ascent, Nanami looked over at you.

"Third floor."

"Yeah. Not picking much up elsewhere, but - "

He waited patiently for you to continue.

"Well, it feels ... odd. Spread out."

"Hmm."

This was all the response you got, but you knew he'd taken your words into account.

He always did.

The stairs seemed to go on forever, the skitter of unmentionable pestilence loud in the silence.

Still, nothing.

On the third floor, where you'd both felt the poisonous bite of cursed energy, there was a marked difference in decor.

Once-plush carpet, now moth-eaten and littered with patches of damp, covered the long hallway to a pair of double doors.

Even on high alert, you took in the faded posters, still within their casements on the walls. There were dim outlines of people, dancers, you guessed, based on the poses and large gilt lettering.

Dance competitions, exhibitions, classes and workshops, advertisements from a time gone by.

You'd reached the double doors at this point.

Nanami reached out and pushed experimentally. The doors yielded under his touch, clearly not locked.

He gave a terse nod, and you both shoved through, shoulders first.

Your left leg caught your weight as you stumbled ever so slightly, eyes widening at the sight which lay beyond.

Disco balls, refracting soft-edged, dream-laden light, mirrors all along the walls, a gleaming wooden floor wholly incongruous with the level of decrepitude you'd seen elsewhere in the building.

Was this -

"Shit!"

The ground beneath you, imbued with your cursed energy, began to crack and heave, but Nanami's hand came down on your shoulder, heavy and warm.

"Hold."

He was asking you to observe, this much you knew.

From the shadows, a voice spoke.

"Welcome! What a fine couple to participate in tonight's show."

Even as the words rang out, clear in the high-ceilinged room, it was evident that they hadn't originated from a human source.

The vague shape that stepped forward, coalescing on the stage up front, possessed the same distortion that hung about their words, clear signs of a cursed presence.

Nanami released you, eyeing it with intimidating composure.

"A show? What are you referring to?"

A sentient curse, one that could communicate, was a sign of danger, but the level varied. The trick was to suss out the nature of their technique, through keeping calm and keen-witted, observing all around you.

There were few better suited to this kind of assignment than Nanami.

The cursed spirit was gaining more clarity by the minute, enough to make out a velvet suit and white gloves, but no identifiable features within the nebulous cloud where a face should be.

"Now, you mean to tell me that you haven't been to one of these before? Surely not!"

Using the distraction Nanami provided, you glanced down at your feet.

The activation of your own technique had revealed something important.

You were now both within this curse's domain, and while it didn't seem to be a particularly strong one, it was complex in a way that was entirely unusual.

It wouldn't be a straightforward matter to break out of here.

The gloved hands smacked together, loud and echoing.

"It's a disco, of course! And I've seen so many great, great dancers in my time! Why, wouldn't it please you to join them?"

The outline of the spirit wavered for a second, as its voice took on a distinctly hungry note, revealing something far less human.

It snapped its fingers and the change was instant. Breath hissed between  your teeth as the dance floor beneath you suddenly transformed to a vice that held you in place. Judging from his heavy frown, Nanami was subject to it too.

Now you could tell why he'd stopped your attack earlier.

Such a head-on approach would have probably resulted in your legs snapping off at the knee.

"First order of business, fair clients! Show me how groovy you are."

It would have been amusing if the situation weren't so dire.

Overhead, speakers began to blare out a familiar tune, somewhat scratchy.

"Do you remember ... "

As the lyrics to 'September' triggered some unseen mechanism of the domain, the disco balls began to glitter and rotate gently, a warm breeze scented faintly with cheap perfume and cigarette smoke permeating the hall.

Tendons straining, you attempted to move, to no avail.

The spirit laughed, cacophony against the music.

"The only way to move is to dance."

Ah, so this was the catch.

Determined not to be caught lacking, you managed a small shuffle, sliding a few feet away from Nanami.

Triumphant, you turned to him.

"It works! Nanami, just dance. You'll be able to move."

Stiff silence was your answer, the furrow in his brow only deepening.

Heels together, you executed a lazy spin.

"It's easy. Like this. Look, I can move. Let's get closer and take that thing out."

"I'm afraid this will take me some time."

Your incredulous look only caused him to avoid your gaze further.

Was he -

"Nanami ... do you not want to dance?"

His jaw pulsed, tension in every line of his frame.

Instead of pushing him, you nodded slowly. Trying to convince him verbally would do no good. You had to be proactive in this instance.

"Okay. Wait here."

First, another twirl, then arms over your head as you clapped, shimmying (not very well) and you managed to move closer to the spirit.

"Hahaha! I know what you're doing! Quite the adaptable sorcerer you are, my dear. Pity your partner won't join you. What a stick in the mud."

You didn't have to look in his direction to know that a positive thundercloud was building on Nanami's brow.

It was fine.

The spirit wasn't strong.

Nanami had covered for your weaknesses on many an occasion, so it almost left you feeling elated that you were the one to help him this time.

As you danced your way closer, you tried to create a rhythm of sorts, spinning, sliding, spinning again, your hands weaving cursed energy into a more familiar and deadly form.

Within striking distance, while the spirit stood with casual indifference, you lunged, the air in contact with the skin of your palms compressing, sliding towards it like an invisible blade.

As soon as you struck, something snatched at you from the floor beneath, wrapping hard around your ankle.

Grunting in agony, you felt something pull taut in your leg, before hobbling a few steps back, returning to your immobile state.

Glancing down, you placed a hand on your lower calf, while the spirit gave an airy laugh.

"As long as you are within my field of vision, there is no escape. Dance, my little prisoner. Dance for your life."

The throbbing had eased somewhat, but you were not out of the woods.

The spirit's domain seemed to be a twisted version of a childhood game, one where you were allowed to make a movement within a time frame until the game-leader screamed out "Stop!".

Wild movements and sudden attacks were suddenly far more dangerous to you than the spirit.

Panting, you mopped a small trickle of sweat from your hairline, attempting to stop, think, and compose yourself.

An interruption came from an unexpected source.

The spirit was suddenly hooting and cheering, cold laughter filling the space.

"So, you've decided to join in then? How sweet of you! All to come to your partner's aid?"

Surprised, you turned to behold quite the sight.

Nanami had come to some momentous decision. Seeing you go up alone again the spirit had obviously triggered some deep-seated abhorrence in him.

He could not allow this to continue, with him on the sidelines as you fought for both your lives.

Thus it was that he ... danced.

The song had now transitioned to "Play that Funky Music" and under other circumstances, you might have laughed.

Your amusement was short-lived.

What on earth had he been shy about when he -

Stiff as he had been initially, Nanami was killing these moves.

First came the flip of his jacket to the sides of his torso for easier movement, and then his hips were rocking in a slow side-to-side as he covered a shocking amount of distance with his footwork.

Your jaw had grown slack as he swayed his shoulders and knees, the easy, sensuous motion wholly incongruous with the wooden set of his features and the clearly building ire visible in every taut line.

"Nanami - "

"You can't fight this alone. Let me assist."

As surreal as the situation was, your sorcerer's instinct kicked in. There was a cursed spirit to be exorcised, and you already had the inklings of a plan.

Nodding firmly, you resumed your own dance, arms rotating slowly overhead as you approached, this time readying a heavy flail of compressed air.

Nanami was now closing in from the other side, his movements faster and more fluid than your own, and he was -

Was that a slow pelvic thrust?

No! You couldn't afford to be distracted by -

Nanami was taking his coat off.

This would probably free up his arms, as indeed, he was now reaching for his blade in its holster on his back.

Somehow, he converted the motion to hands running through his hair, loosening the blonde strands around his temples with hypnotic effect.

Even the spirit had fallen silent, and you took the opportunity to execute a risky attack.

Breath caught tight in your lungs as the ghostly grasp of the floor exerted itself on your legs once more, but in the moment the spirit's attention had passed to you, Nanami struck.

The mottled blade was drawn with lightning speed, sailing with unnerring precision towards some weak spot in the spirit's form that only he could see.

The spirit dodged, but not fast enough.

A discordant screech sounded out over the thump of the music, and a section near the left arm and side wavered in and out of the illusory state.

You could almost hear Nanami's teeth grinding as the floor froze him in place instead, and in an instant, something beneath your feet changed.

Victory was near, but you couldn't rush in blindly like a fool.

You started up a skipping run, your dance breaking you free, before dropping to your knees and sliding towards the spirit, and its attention shifted to you once again as the flail you'd fashioned looped once, twice, thrice and came arcing with devastating force towards it.

It dodged successfully this time, the wooden floor splintering beneath the descending rush, but you still possessed a grim sense of satisfaction.

Nanami would be -

You turned and your eyes nearly bulged from their sockets.

Was he ... breakdancing?

Shirtsleeves rolled up, tie fastened around one fist, Nanami's arms, shoulders and hands were making rapid, shifting contact with the floor as he spun, dropped, somersaulted, and kicked out with both feet at the spirit.

The lighting around you flickered, the music glitching, a signifier of the domain reaching its limits.

Keeping up the ridiculously fast pace of his combat flurry, disguised thinly as high speed breakdancing, Nanami kept the pressure on the spirit as you circled, waiting for the right opening -

Ah, there.

For a while now, you'd been aware that the spirit's cursed dancefloor would not hold you any longer.

In the moment that Nanami had occupied its sole attention, its focus on you had wavered, allowing you to funnel a wafer-thin layer of air between the soles of your shoes and the floor.

You'd kept up the dance, so as to not give yourself away, and now it was your turn to deliver the fatal blow.

Quivering lightly within your grasp, accompanying a slight distortion of light and sound, the air formed an invisible, elongated spear.

In that moment, Nanami lowered himself into another spin, and you lunged forward over his shoulder.

There was some semblance of shock on the spirit's engineered features as it's domain failed to hold you, and the spear plunged right into some vital core that held it tied to this place.

The lights went out, the music snapping away to a heavy silence.

The hall was now revealed in all its fading glory, peeling wallpaper, shattered light fixtures, the once gleaming floor cracked and covered in a thick layer of dust.

Dark trails along the floor, where the grime had been swept away, revealed where you and Nanami had danced through your combat stances.

Breathing hard, you rose to your feet.

"Is it gone?"

"For good."

Nanami straightened, retrieving his coat from the floor.

The blade was returned to its holster, his movements smooth and economical as always. Not a trace remained of the man who'd ... gyrated to disco music just a short while ago.

Remembering the herculean effort it had taken him to swing into motion, you sealed off the questions that had been about to come pouring from you, including demanding to know where he'd learned to breakdance, of all things.

"Yuuji taught me. One of the students at the tech, that is. He insisted on showing me a few times and ... I suppose I picked up some of the fundamentals."

"Ah, I - "

Wait, had you spoken those questions out loud?

His back to you, Namami headed towards the double doors, shoes crunching across the splintered floorboards.

"You didn't need to ask. I know you're curious."

Speeding up until up were right behind him, you considered your next words carefully.

"Uh ... well, you're pretty good. I mean, really good. I wasn't expecting - "

He turned abruptly, and you almost ran face first into his chest.

Nanami cleared his throat, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose. It may have been the lighting, but the tips of his ears seemed to have acquired a slight flush.

"About that. Would you be so kind as to not mention this to anyone? I would certainly not ask that you conceal aspects of the mission in your report, but ... if you could, perhaps, not provide too much detail?"

Oh, he was definitely embarrassed.

Meeting his gaze with determination, you nodded.

"Of course, Nanami. Your groovy secret is safe with me."

If you hadn't been watching so closely, you'd have missed the way his mouth twitched, the small gleam of amusement half-concealed by the shades.

"I suppose I have no choice. I shall treat you to dinner to ensure your silence."

"Is it a dinner and dance?"

"Dont push your luck."

[pmpmyread]

LMFAO. This story absolutely delivered and then some pls I am CACKLING picturing this hellooo 🤣🤣🤣