Put a word in my ask and I will write a headcanon about it for my muse!
pretense: an attempt to make something that is not the case appear true.
To many strangers Tamashi can come off as a sociable and charasmatic person, the perfect image of an extrovert. This is actually just a way he's learned to behave thanks to his aunt, in actuality he's not fond of social situations and would much rather be an observer rather than an active participant in a conversation. He manages to mask it easily enough but it tends to slip sometimes, especially during parties.
A hand ran absentmindedly through his loose hair, hovering for a moment before it lowered to turn the page of the book he was reading. A feeling alerted him to the weight of someone’s gaze resting on him and, glancing up, Tamashi met the curious stare of his daughter who had up until that moment, been absorbed in a book of her own. Cocking his head slightly, a smile played on his lips. “Yes, Akane?” The young girl started and a faint blush rose to her face from embarrassment as she realized she’d been caught staring. “N-nothing, I was just wondering, Daddy... Why is your hair so long?”
Tamashi stared at her for a moment before a small laugh slipped out. “Is that what you wanted to ask? May I ask where this question suddenly came from?” Akane’s lips pursed into a small pout at her father’s laugh as her fingers toyed with the pages of her book. “It didn’t come from anywhere, it’s just that I noticed both you and Mommy have pretty hair but I don’t know why you let yours grow so long.” The male took a strand of his hair between his fingers, eyes glancing down for a brief second as he let the piece slip through. “Personally, I think Mommy’s hair is a lot prettier than mine. But I guess there isn’t much of a reason I let it grow out, I just like it long.”
“Really? So what about Ko? What if he wants to grow his hair long?”
“Well, when he’s old enough to take care of it properly, he could grow it too if he wants to.”
The girl’s fingers wandered to her hair, brushing against the tips that fell just past her ears. “I’m gonna let my hair grow too until it’s super-long and just as pretty as you and Mommy’s.” A look of determination filled her eyes and she gave a small nod to herself, as if she was confirming the decision she just made. Laughing again at her seriousness, Tamashi leaned over and proceeded to give a warm ruffle to the girl’s hair, despite her protests that he was messing it up.
✺: my muse protecting yours from a sleaze at the club
Sounds and bright lights surrounded him as he moved through the crowd, expertly slipping through the masses with practiced ease. How did he keep ending up at noisy parties like this? Well, the more important question would be why did he keep accepting invitations to noisy parties like this? Not that he really wanted to accept. Despite all of this there was one bright side in that Scarlett was there to make the whole ordeal slightly more bearable., yet, unfortunately, the person who had invited him to the party in the first place had somehow managed to drag him away for a bit and Tamashi was unable to slip away and meet back up with Scarlett for some time. Finally though, his chance came and he seized it eagerly, he’d left Scarlett alone for far too long. A glimpse of her streaked hair caught his eyes and, feeling a smile grow on his face, Tamashi moved towards her. As he drew closer, he caught sight of the look on her face and the man standing entirely too close to her, speaking to the girl with a grin that Tamashi was not quite sure he liked.
It was when he saw that stranger’s hands begin to slip closer towards her that the boy moved into action. He couldn’t help but remember the first night they’d met and what had almost happened to her then. Crossing the remaining distance between them in what seemed like an instant, Tamashi placed himself between them, a fist forming as his arm reeled back. Letting it fly forward, his fist connected right above the male’s eye with a satisfying amount of force behind it and not suspecting Tamashi’s sudden appearance or the attack, the man held no hope of protecting himself as he went down in a heap, groaning and clutching a hand to where his fist connected. Ignoring the small crowd that was now staring at them, Tamashi threw a protective arm around Scarlett as he glared down at the man with ice cold eyes and rage lacing his words. “Don’t.Touch. Her.”
His arm remained around Scarlett as he pulled her away from the crowd and out of the club, the male’s sole focus being on getting her out of there. Once they left the club behind and the cool night air hit him, Tamashi slowed his brisk pace and tightened his arm around Scarlett. “I’m sorry for leaving you alone like that, are you okay?”
Covering his eyes with her hands, scarlett leaned over Tamashi's shoulder and whispered "happy Valentine's my love!" 💗🌹😘
A smile lit his face at the familiar voice, a laugh sounding out as he pulled her hand away from his eyes and clasped them in his own. Turning his head to meet her gaze, Tamashi pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Happy Valentine’s Day to you too.”
Send in “💌 reverse” for my muse’s reaction to your muse asking mine to be their Valentine
Had he heard correctly? Feeling a light heat grow in his cheeks, Tamashi gave a quick nod before a smile formed on his lips. “Of course I will, Scarlett. You don’t even have to ask.”
10. My muse is having a vivid nightmare and is crying out in their sleep.
It was some time after that final argument that Tamashi found himself wandering the streets outside. His apartment now felt too cold and lonely and the boy always dreaded returning there. Even though Scarlett never lived there, it seemed her presence alone brought a certain warmth and happiness to the place and when she left, it left with her. Ignoring the stab of pain that inevitably rose at the thought of her, the male let out a small sigh. Just before he was pulled into his thoughts again, he ran into something– or someone. Before he even got a clear look at the person he had run into, Tamashi was already apologizing as his head bowed. “Please forgive me, I was lost in thought and didn’t pay attention to where–” As he glanced up, the words died in his throat, blue eyes widening in shock. There, in front of him, stood Scarlett with an equally surprised look on her face.
“I…ah…” Any attempt to formulate a sentence died as his mind scrambled for some sort of foothold. He never expected to see her so soon, if at all, and the boy was inwardly reeling. Suddenly, Scarlett lips curved upwards, giving him the most beautiful smile, making Tamashi’s heart skip a beat. However, her next words caused ice to flow through his veins.
“You broke my heart.” The sweet smile remained fixed on her lips as she spoke, devoid of any emotion and completely at odds with the words she spoke. “You made that deal without a single regard for my feelings. How despicable. And what, you reasoned that it would be better to have a small bit of happiness then none at all? What a selfish thought, you brought me into this relationship knowing that it couldn’t last.You couldn’t even stand up to your aunt for a chance to be happy, you’re pathetic. Did you think it would be better in the end? That I could somehow move on and find someone who could make me happier? Not to mention I haven’t received a single call from you since then, not to apologize or try to win me back. I bet you thought a clean break would hurt less, huh. But that’s okay…”
Tamashi, who had remained silent, all too aware that she spoke the truth, could only watch helplessly as another man walked up to Scarlett, putting his arm around her waist as she laid a hand on his chest. “You were right, Tamashi. Thanks to your mistake, I did find someone better. Someone who makes me truly happy. I’m so glad I left you.”
He wanted to run but couldn’t seem to lift his own legs. The words burrowed into his heart, stinging as the boy realized his own foolishness. He thought only of himself, made a selfish deal, and ended up losing the one person who made him happy. Shaking his head, Tamashi could only mumble quietly under his breath. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”
Send me “black bird” for a darker memory of my muse’s past
Tamashi couldn’t understand why when the nice neighbor who had been babysitting him answered the phone, she broke down crying. Nor could he understand the look she gave him when he asked what time his parents would be coming back. All he received was some answer about them being “gone” and once he asked when they would return from that, the boy learned they would never come home.
Things passed in a whirlwind after that. From the whispers he heard, it was decided that he would stay with the kind neighbor until “she” arrived to take care of him, there was no other family to take the young boy in. Tamashi wasn’t sure who they were referring to but amidst the feelings of loneliness and homesickness, he didn’t really care. The day before the funeral she arrived and the boy was brought to the hotel she was staying at to meet her. As he caught sight of her face and the features that looked remarkably like his mother’s, a tentative smile started to grow on his lips, only to freeze and falter when she didn’t smile in return. The woman was supposedly his mother’s sister but she looked too cold and too scary and the boy found himself hanging back.
He stood next to her during the funeral, solemn and dressed in itchy black clothing as the smell of incense tickled his nose. A deep layer of sadness covered the room and the boy couldn’t help but glance up. Despite how everyone else was crying, his aunt’s face held little emotion, as if it were carved from ice and the boy felt a small shiver pass through him.
Just the next day he found himself at an airport standing next to his aunt, packed with everything he owned. When he asked where he was going, she simply replied, “You’re living with me from now on.” He didn’t ask any more questions after that. The plane ride was long and he slept most of it, awakening only once they landed. Suddenly, he couldn’t understand what anyone was saying. Frightened at the babbling voices of the crowds surrounding him, the boy clung to his aunt’s hand despite himself, asking why everyone was talking funny. As she explained, he learned that they were now in America and that the boy would have to learn their language. At that, he merely nodded, eyes downcast as he thought about how much he missed his parents.
The next few months were busy, filled with both English and Japanese lessons, during which he rarely saw his aunt who he learned was in charge of running some sort of business. The house he now lived in, which at first seemed spacious and luxurious, was now simply empty and lonely.The only people he interacted with were the housekeepers, who seemed too scared of his aunt to talk with him, and his tutors, whose only job was to teach him and nothing more. The only people who visited were stern-faced men and women in business suits and the boy sorely missed all of the friends he left back in Japan. At home, he could go outside and be as loud as he wanted while he played but here, Tamashi was expected to keep quiet and study the entire time. The boy grew more withdrawn and quiet, keeping his thoughts to himself rather than voicing them aloud.
Sometimes his aunt stopped by during a lesson to briefly check on his progress. She never stayed long and didn’t say much to Tamashi other than to comment on his work. However, years later, one visit was different. She watched him more closely and seemed to take more of an interest, making more remarks than every and, just before she left, she informed him that it would be his last lesson with his tutor. She had decided to enroll the boy in a nearby prestigious private school and ordered him to represent her well and become well acquainted to his new classmates. Surprised, Tamashi could only nod and say, “Yes ma’am.”
Send me a “Hold” and I’ll write a drabble about one character just wanting to hug the other
Physical contact wasn’t something that Tamashi grew up with. It wasn’t surprising, Tamashi didn’t see his aunt as the type of woman known to give hugs, in all honesty, the thought of someone as intimidating as her giving hugs was a bit disconcerting. So, if this was such a new concept to him, why did hugging Scarlett feel so natural? She was so warm and soft and it felt like she fit perfectly in his arms. The scent of pastries always hovered around her and Tamashi didn’t even mind whenever her hair tickled his nose. Snapping out of his reverie, Tamashi fought against the small blush rising to his face as he attempted to pay attention to the meeting. …Ah, it was no use, he couldn’t focus. All he wanted to do right now was find Scarlett and wrap his arms around her. When would this meeting end?
