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[takusan-no-ai]

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[takusan-no-ai]

Man & Machine; Tadhana

PAIRING: Banyue x Female Reader (Romantic) (Fluff)

SUMMARY: Banyue falls for the filipino street food vendor outside his school.

Since his recent run of trials and tribulations, Banyue decided to spend the rest of his time peacefully within his school. Teaching his students and aiding in keeping the streets safe for everyone, even though he now worked alongside Krampus.

He clapped his hands as his students finished their evening session, each one groaning as their muscles clamped together. “Good work everyone. Take a short stretch and then eat your lunch before we continue training.” He commanded.

“Yes Shifu!” They exclaimed with exuberance. Each student cleaned their stations and ran for the door with their wallets in hand. Banyue watched as they left one by one, eventually leaving the studio empty as the bustling noise of their voices echoed outside.

His curiosity was piqued; it had been for a while. Banyue knew his students were frequenting the same place for their lunch. But what shocked him was the sheer amount of them eating from there. Even students who used to bring their own lunch stopped for their purchased meals instead.

And they’d sing constant praises about it. The nutritional value, the taste, texture, everything. Banyue wanted to learn more about it; not just because he’d never seen such foods before, but because it was a chance to get closer to his students—closer to humanity.

But it wasn’t until a day where he was free of work from TOPS that Banyue could finally set aside the time to click with his students. As Banyue left his school, having ended class early, he made his way towards the old shopping center; a common part of Waifei that was often overlooked for its rare finds in favor of the more tourist friendly areas.

“Oh? So this is where they’ve been going to,” Banyue concluded as he strode into a large crowd. Many people of different backgrounds gathered around, each lining up to enjoy the food being served by a woman. “Excuse me,” he said as he made his way further into the center.

“(Y/N), one Kamote Q please!” An elderly woman asked excitedly as she waited for her food. (Y/N) went straight to work, creating a dish unique to Banyue. “I always look forward to your cooking, (Y/N). You have to share the recipe with me later.” She kept egging on compliment after compliment to her.

She smiled, “Maraming salamat po! Miss Sòng, pinagkakaabalahan mo now?” The language was something he’d never heard of, but that barrier didn’t stop the conversation being had between the two women. “Come by next time and I’ll have a special surprise on the menu~”

Banyue was entranced by the scenery before him. His students had spent the past few weeks enjoying the taste of a different culture, having fun partaking in the language barrier even though (Y/N) could clearly speak and understand english. Her stall was colorful with dishes stacked one after another.

A community was formed by something as simple as a stall with food. Logically it made sense; humans are naturally attracted to unique things that are also essential needs. But Banyue had spent enough time with humans after becoming a citizen to finally understand guilt, love, hope, and change; they weren’t here just because it was something new.

Everyone was here because it felt like a warming embrace. Different yet familiar—loving and open.

Banyue was certain he had to spend more time here. Not just for his students but for himself as well.

Still, he didn’t want to disturb her, so Banyue sat down on a nearby bench and fiddled with his baoding balls. “It would seem that many of my students ate more than they should’ve for their nutrition. I should up the training regimen.” His mumbled words sent a shiver down the spine of (Y/N)’s last customer, whom was one of his newest students.

Said student slowly turned around, gulping at the direction of his Shifu. “Ah! I’ve been on a diet lately so-so this isn’t that bad!” Banyue and (Y/N) tilted their heads in unison as the young man continued to plead his case, leaving them all unaware of the figure stalking up from behind.

In a flash of sudden movement a thug ran up and snatched the ordered meal, making a swift run for it. “Ah! Hey! Stop it! Ano bang ginagawa mo?!” (Y/N) cried out as she hook off her heels and made ready to run after the criminal.

Yet before her or anyone else could act, a strike like a bullet was heard, and the man fell alongside a silver ball next to him. Banyue made a quick step towards his student and (Y/N). “Are you two alright?” He asked with the same tone he always used. But his student felt differently, quickly bowing down to his Shifu.

“I’m so sorry, Shifu!” He apologized as his hands shook, “I failed to act and couldn’t stop him sooner.” Banyue was silent as he stared down at him, leaving an awkward silence in the air. Banyue’s hands lightly gripped his pants as he looked around, seemingly trying to think up a way to solve the mess.

(Y/N) stepped forward, “If I may, I don’t think he’s angry with you.” She spoke softly and lifted the young man’s back upright with a smile. “Your teacher seems more worried for you than upset.”

As his student made eye contact with him, Banyue quickly cleared his throat. “Yes. I was simply checking on your wellbeing. Please do not be sorry about this; it wasn’t your fault.” Whilst they conversed (Y/N) made her way towards the man who was now stirring after being knocked unconscious. She knelt down to him, helping the man up as he gave her a quizzical look, nerves on end in apprehension.

The duo soon joined her as the crowd that had gathered from the commotion began to disperse. “Firstly…,” she started with a stern glare, “I want you to apologize to us. You stole and could’ve caused someone else harm.”

The older man could barely hold himself upright, and Banyue’s student was quick to help him situate himself. With thin arms, the man clasped his hands together. “Sorry. I–you…I just was hungry.” Banyue could feel his core sting like it was prickling from within. “I’m sorry.” He repeated.

(Y/N) smiled again as she stood up and walked back to her stall. They all watched as she washed her hands and grabbed a lunchbox, filling it with rice and other foods that Banyue couldn’t figure out. She came back and handed it to the man alongside a bottle of water, saying, “On the house. And here.” She handed him a piece of paper. “Directions to a nearby homeless shelter. It provided shelter, teaches essential life skills, and even offers jobs to help people like you get back on their feet.”

Everyone gawked at her. The homeless man fought back tears as he thanked her profusely for her kindness. Even Banyue was shocked by her compassion.

Even more than that—Banyue was moved by it. She had no obligation to show him such love. And yet she did. His own “heart” lit ablaze by her actions, Banyue stepped towards him as well. “If you ever find that you would like to learn some basic self defense, my school doors are always open. And my students are more than happy to have a new classmate.”

Said student shifted to whisper into the man’s ear, “Careful. Run while you still can. He’s a ruthless instructor!”

Nonetheless the atmosphere was nothing like moments before, now filled with fun and laughter as the young man escorted the elder to the shelter, leaving Banyue with (Y/N). She turned to him with sudden shock as she urgently ran over to her stall, “I’m sorry! You must’ve been waiting for something to eat, right?”

Banyue quickly turned her down with a raised hand as he pointed towards the colorful posters surrounding her. “My apologies but I would like to ask more about yourself and your stall. My students often come here after class for lunch…and I’ve been wanting to understand some things; so I was hoping you could help educate me on this topic.”

In an instant (Y/N)’s face lit up like fireworks as she rushed for two chairs, setting them down and grinning from ear to ear. “I’d LOVE to tell you all about my dishes and culture!” Banyue followed her eager movement and calmly sat down as she grabbed some spare posters.

“This one is Isaw, basically chicken intestines. My grandma loves to rub abana or guyabano leaves to it before boiling; definitely one of my favorites. Buko Padan is soooo goood and refreshing! My yaya used to make them for me when I was little.”

Banyue listened tentatively as she went on about her menu; kamote q, large bowls of rice, kwek-kwek, and more. She then had began to explain her fish balls which promptly caught Banyue’s attention the most.

“‘Finely minced fish meat mixed with starches and seasonings served on a tusok-tusok’? Interesting. I’d actually like to see you make them someday. What kind of sauces do you usually serve them with?”

“Oh?” (Y/N) leaned forward, “Forgive my intrusiveness, but you seem most interested in my tusok-tusok fishballs; not even the kwek-kwek or kikiam got that much excitement from you.” She kept poking and prodding till Banyue bashfully nodded.

Pulling out his prayer beads, he said, “I have a fondness for balls. I find them calming and find it easier to remain at peace with them. I guess that led to me liking them in multiple aspects, including food.” She nodded at his words in understanding.

“That’s like me with dennies! I’ve loved them so much since I was little. It’s why I’m even pursing a career as an entrepreneur to begin with.”

Banyue tilted his head, “How come you’re working at such a young age? Most people focus on finding themselves while they work part-time.”

The shifting sun left an overcast above them as (Y/N) fiddled with her phone, scrolling through her camera roll and landing on her scholarship photo. A serene smile graced her face for a moment before the sky seemed to light up with her newfound enthusiasm. “I’m making some more money to cover my living expenses while I study for my masters on business here in Failume Heights.”

He applauded her, “That’s incredible. I would imagine it’s not easy being a foreigner and having to get accustomed to living here for schooling. How have you been adjusting?”

She shrugged, leaning back in her chair and kicking her feet. “It’s been so and so. Hindi ko alam why but sometimes people here think I’m a local, alam mo that usually means they’ll start speaking the local dialect here which made it difficult to understand them. So now I’ve been busy learning the language here as well.” She briefly clutched her forehead as if a migraine was coming just from thinking back on it.

An unruly wind blew past them, causing a chill to run down (Y/N)’s spine. Banyue moved his chair in front of the wind, sitting down now next to her and blocking the breeze from being a further disturbance. “You have an incredible work ethic. But it is important to remember to take care of your health and not overdo it; if you ever need a break, know that there is no shame in that.”

She waved off his worries with a laugh and smile, saying, “Yeah ang pamilya ko tells me that all the time. Apparently I’m a busybody.” She then lifted up her leg and pointed towards the ankle bracelet hanging from it. “Lola gave me this as a lucky charm for good health and a prosperous life because of that. And I always wear it as a reminder.”

A chuckle emitted from Banyue as he felt his core warming inside. Together they continued their conversation till dusk and before they knew it the streets were empty with nobody but the two of them. Banyue offered to walk her home, not wanting to end their conversation just yet; a small voice mocking him in his head about how he once again wanted to avoid the inevitable.

“You know,” (Y/N) started as they were now outside her apartment room, “I had such a great time talking with you Banyue. It’s not often people around here ask me about my culture like that. We should exchange numbers! I’m online like all day, every day.”

“Uh sure. But…how do I add you?”

“Oh, you’re a noob.”

It was after his walk home that Banyue laid down on his bed. He technically didn’t need to sleep, but for some reason his inner workings felt more tiresome than possible. Lowering a hand towards his chest, Banyue asked himself, “If I were just a machine would I feel this confused?” Perhaps he hadn’t realized how good of a time he had with (Y/N), but ever since they parted ways, the sudden separation left him feeling downcast.

…

After exchanging contacts they continued to text each other almost every day, especially when they were too busy to meet in person. She’d often use slang when texting, which was something he had to keep asking his students to translate for him.

Sometimes Banyue would help (Y/N) with her chores so she could focus on studying. And (Y/N) occasionally took classes at Banyue’s school on her days off as an excuse to hang out.

And despite not having much interest in eating, Banyue still always came to her stall when he could to eat and show his support. He’d even let (Y/N) take pictures of him, which she loved to do, so she could make frequent posts promoting her business on social media with him. Taking pictures wasn’t the end though, as (Y/N) would always gush over them and debate on making posters, saying, “You’re just so photogenic! Mahal k—err, I mean mahal ko mukha mo!” She quickly corrected herself with a flushed face.

“I’m sorry? I am still learning your phrases, (Y/N).” She waved off his curiosity and urged the conversation back to complimenting Banyue’s appearance. Truthfully Banyue wanted to conversation to shift to anything else; he always got a little flustered whenever his appearance or state of being was complimented. Yet it felt especially awkward whenever (Y/N) was the one to compliment him; he could feel his core growing hotter and his joints stiffening as she babbled on and on about him.

It wasn’t easy for him, especially since his students were so teasing. Whenever they’d overhear him having a social blunder while conversing with or about her, it would take only seconds for them to lay on the embarrassing questions. “Are you dating?” “When’s the wedding?” “What do you love about her most?”

Those moments were as exhausting as they were exhilarating; Banyue had never felt so “alive” before in a long time. It made him question why he kept going to (Y/N)’s stall, wondering if it was for the food or something else. Perhaps even her?

“No.” He pushed away the thought. “A machine like me is not capable of love, let alone romance.”

But still Banyue continued to visit her. It brought him immense joy just being with her, as well as made him increasingly anxious; Banyue was more self conscious of his anatomy as an intelligence construct every time (Y/N) made his core burn. Whether it was through sweet words or affectionate gestures, it made him feel; and that was something Banyue didn’t want to acknowledge.

“You okay, irog?” She asked with a slightly flushed smile. Over the weeks they’d grown so close that casual touch was practically second nature for them. “You’ve been quiet a lot more lately.”

Banyue was lost in thought as he doze off at her caring gaze. She was always so overbearingly sweet to a point he wondered if it was genetic. “It’s just getting harder to ignore is all.” His words left her feeling confused as she rummaged around her stall for a special box.

The sun shone out behind her as (Y/N) stood in front of Banyue, hiding the box behind her back. “Well I don’t know if it’ll make you feel any less conflicted, but I have a gift for you!” She presented him with a box of calamansi chocolate, “I made it myself. Consider it a celebration of…us.” That last word she hesitated to say, her smile creeping up her face without her even realizing it.

“…Brighter,” Banyue muttered to himself as he gazed at her, feeling like her smile was more dazzling and more eye carrying than the sun. “It should be impossible, and yet every time I deny it, the feeling comes back even stronger.”

For once in weeks Banyue felt at peace. He didn’t feel confused or anxious anymore because he finally accepted it.

Banyue, a machine, fell in love with (Y/N), a human.

He graciously accepted her gift, feeling the sudden need to eat all her homemade chocolates as soon as possible, eager to show his appreciation. “Whoa there! It’s not going anywhere!” She tried to usher him to slow down but he simply couldn’t; if Banyue stopped to settle in his feelings for even a moment he might risk shutting down from an overheated core.

“I’d love to make some more with you. If you’d be willing to teach me…irog.”

She gasped with both a flushed face and giant smile, “You HAVE been studying!”

- Fin

[takusan-no-ai]

Blazewood Teddy Bear

PAIRING: Caesar/Lighter/Burnice/Piper/Luciana x Male Reader (Familia) (Fluff)

SUMMARY: The Sons of Calydon come together to raise a troubled youth.

Despite being the usual one to give into impulse it was actually Lighter who had found you, a young boy, no older than seven, clinging to his leg. At first Caesar was ready to treat you just like any other in the Outer Ring, insisting on finding your parents. But then she noticed how your grip tightened on Lighter’s leg, and the small yet stark marks all over your frail body.

It wasn’t the first time Caesar had to babysit a kid, so she went into mom mode immediately and tried to befriend you. Unfortunately her first few attempts weren’t successful; you were a boy who just got through a tough situation, so naturally you weren’t all that trusting to most. Still Caesar wouldn’t give up, determined to form a secure and loving bond with you.

Caesar hadn’t always been the best with words or flowery expressions. Yet she always managed to make everyone smile; it was one of her best qualities as the Overlord. She took notice of how malnourished you were, and so Caesar made sure to keep you well fed, eventually getting you to be comfortable eating around her. It was a small step that showed your heart was still willing to trust.

Lighter found you not far from a small town. He knew you were from there; a boy your age would have had no chance of survival otherwise. And yet he could tell from how hyper vigilant you were that whatever that place was to you wasn’t a home. He approached you cautiously with a smile, having asked you if you needed somewhere safe to sleep the night; he didn’t want to make the choice seem permanent and further stress you out.

He knew exactly why he wanted to help you, not just because you were a little kid, but because Lighter saw himself in you. Scared, alone, and unsure of the future. Hell you could hardly even remember your name. Just saying it seemed to make you shiver. Your emotions were out of control; one moment sad the next kicking and screaming, and then afterwards you’d just get quiet. Lighter couldn’t pinpoint why you seemed to cling to him but he was happy you did.

Overtime your anxiety seemed to drown out in the positive environment that was the Son’s of Calydon. With the help of Lighter you went from a frail buck to a healthy boy, experiencing sudden growth spurts that almost made you as tall as Piper. And despite occasionally needing comfort from the nightmares of your past, you were growing stronger everyday. In a way Lighter was healing too. It was as if the young man in him was finally saved from the ring.

When you were initially more closed off from others, a person like Burnice seemed to be your worst nightmare. She was genuinely nice to you and truly meant no harm, but to a kid burnt too many times from love bombing, she was a walking red flag. It took a while with the others to realize that Burnice was just like that naturally.

The main reason she wanted to hang out with you so much was due to your own social withdrawal. You didn’t talk much, often leaning too much on Lighter to speak for you. Burnice wasn’t a psychologist; she didn’t know the in’s and out’s of the human mind. But she did know that bad social skills would negatively impact anyone.

Unfortunately you were somewhat forced to learn social skills with Burnice around. The others did keep her in check whenever she got too crazy, but you had to set some boundaries or else she’d try to get you to party till dawn. For instance, it took reminding her you were a little boy for her to stop offering you nitro fuel. Although her attitude was rather lackluster, Burnice would certainly be a much better adult in your life once you’re old enough to hang with her.

Piper had her experience with youthful souls before, so a boy as jaded as you wasn’t anything new. She could tell from how silent and distant you were that trust would be difficult to build. Eventually you did come around to talking more, sometimes with her, and most responses were kept simple. But Piper knew you were just testing boundaries.

Everything seemed too good to be true when everyone treated you so much better. It was a foreign experience compared to where you came from. So much so that you were certain it wouldn’t last if you were to act up; so to save yourself you began doing just that, seeing if they would abandon and punish you the moment you became a headache. Yet shockingly they didn’t. In fact if any of them did get annoyed they’d just bring you over to Piper, whom you were sure would be the one to discipline you.

Yet instead she just sat down with you in silence, no pressure for you to speak at all. She could tell you were on high alert; a little boy going through the worst and suddenly the best would be suspicious to anyone. But Piper already knew it’d eventually come down to your heart simply being scarred; you hoarded food, freaked out at even calm corrections, and struggled to sleep. Yet you were still a sweet boy that clung to them in need and loved being loved. So even though it was going to be a slow process, Piper wasn’t worried. She would wait.

You didn’t stay with them at first, already planning on having to leave the moment dawn set in. However old habits died hard, as you barely left Blazewood, hiding in a local area. Luciana volunteered to bring you back and found you within hours. You were curled up in a corner, overwhelmed and shaking. She related to that about you. Running away from home wasn’t easy, and she used to often struggle with even leaving the block before turning right back.

A boy like you needed help verbally expressing yourself or else you’d bottle everything up and be a doormat for the rest of the world. Luciana decided right then and there that she would make sure you had a stable and consistent life; one that would allow you to develop and grow. She also taught you how to be independent, so that if you did still want to leave them you wouldn’t have to overly depend on others to survive.

Luciana was harsh at times, but she never raised her voice or hands, nor did she threaten you. Instead Luciana made sure she was predictable and that her actions were too. This meant less affection though; Luciana wasn’t the most overtly loving person. Yet when there were times when you felt cold and alone, she’d walk up to you with a slight awkwardness as she held you tight. Because to Luciana everyone deserved to feel loved at their weakest.

- Fin

[takusan-no-ai]

A New Chapter

PAIRING: Tiana/Cinderella/Belle/Mulan x Male Reader (Romantic) (Separate)

SUMMARY: They have a child with their husband, (Y/N).

Tiana always wanted to have everything: her dream job, her friends forever, and a happy family. And she’d forever be grateful to have all of those. That said her mother wasn’t kidding about those restless nights; Tiana could probably count on her hand the amount of times you got up in the night just to coddle the baby back to sleep. She never felt more happy for having such an attentive husband; helping her get a good nights rest for her job.

She loved making her own meals for the baby and was eager for the day her child would grow up enough so that you both could teach them how to cook. Until then she’d have to make do with cooking toy sets. And she’d absolutely have a photo album of each and every moment spent together, from the kids first steps to you dressing them up for their first day of school.

Charlotte and Tiana definitely set up play dates for their respective kids, all of them alongside you playing dress up and whatever games come to mind. Sometimes it gets rough having more than one identity: mother, daughter, entrepreneur, wife. But Tiana would never regret her choices. Her mother and father gave her the best childhood, her friend the best company, and now you, her husband, giving Tiana her best love. And together you both were going to do the same for your child.

The child will be spoiled sweet; not with material things but rather love. Cinderella would have every outfit made by hand for the child, each made with the help of her little animal friends. She’d have all the time in the world during her pregnancy thanks to her diligent husband, you, helping with the chores and allowing her to relax; peace with you was something she needed after her upbringing. And it was something Cinderella valued dearly.

Despite her upbringing Cinderella still would want to have many kids, even if some of them weren’t related to either of you. The love of a sibling was something she had always wanted to experience; and though it was late for her, it was better than never. Of course a big family is no easy task, but a hard worker never quits! She’d be more than delighted to manage a schedule with you everyday to properly handle each other’s workloads.

Still Cinderella was a more reserved type, and as a result, she would have to step out of her comfort zone for her children’s sake. That’s when she loved to have you by her side, even if you were the quiet type as well. Whether it was watching the kids meet new friends from every corner or teaching them how to navigate the outside world, Cinderella wanted to do it all; she wanted to experience a world shut off from her with all her children, her husband, and her rekindled family.

Belle couldn’t wait to have another reading buddy; though even if her child didn’t want to spend all day reading, she’d still use it as an opportunity to instill knowledge or incite fantasy and wonder. She especially wouldn’t want her child to grow up anything like a certain pest. So she’d count on her husband to help her set a great example.

As a confident young woman herself, Belle wasn’t all that nervous about starting a family with you. She trusted in you and herself to be ready for the new responsibility you’d both dutifully nurture together. She’d be lying if she didn’t admit she was slightly hoping for a girl, if only because she’d find it easier to relate; regardless she’d love her child, male or female, and would care for them all the same.

Still Belle was a romantic at heart and wouldn’t put her relationship with you on hold just for the baby; instead she’d make them both work. After you’d put the kid to sleep is when you both would have your own date set up. Or a romantic picnic as your toddler ran around the yard. Belle is determined if nothing else, both to be a good mother and to continue expressing her love with you, her equally doting husband.

Her way of parenting with you would be very traditional yet unconventional. Mulan still respected her traditions and her family’s values, so she wouldn’t completely abandon her upbringing. But she would allow for change. Her child could be a soldier, a poet, an entertainer, or a teacher; either way she’d raise them to be themself in the most earnest and respectful of ways.

You’d live very close by to each other’s families. And the get togethers would be quite often, celebrating even the smallest achievements. Mulan’s own parents were different after all; respecting and loving her as she was, even though showing that openly would mean public ridicule and isolation. And though their grip was fierce their palm was tender; They accepted her husband with open arms, and that same grasp would help Mulan and you raise your child like a village.

Unless you end up being good at feminine beauty there will be a struggle raising a feminine daughter. Mulan would clumsily stumble along to relate and interact with her daughter. And even though a son would easier for her on the surface, Mulan would still struggle with showing her son the strength in a woman due to their environment away from home; but together with you, her lover, best friend, and husband, she’d connect with her children by simply being her truest self, never shying away from letting the “her” inside reflect on the outside; yes, the child will believe her to be the coolest mom in all of China.

- Fin

[takusan-no-ai]

When Magus Was There

PAIRING: Orpheus x Female Reader (Platonic) (Angst)

SUMMARY: Orpheus helps a struggling medic girl who can’t forgive herself.

“To Captain Magus! For being here in our war against the hollows, and for helping protect New Eridu.”

A large group of military officers, nurses, and soldiers surrounded the tent. Shot glasses were clinked as everyone cheered on Captain Magus for her squad’s recent success in Waifei Peninsula.

“Here Captain,” Orphie said as she wrapped a bow around her boss, “It’s the one you were eying when we window shopped. I asked Seed Jr. to purchase it for me so it’d be a surprise.” Magus stared with eyes blown wide at the scene before her.

Comrades, both old and new, stood beside her. They all congratulated her. They all welcomed her despite her circumstances.

It was hard not to blush.

Small flames sparked from her mouth; not out of anger—but rather love. “I suppose we could stay up a little later tonight, Orphie.” The rookie cheered happily as her captain fought back the urge to let loose.

Yet despite being engulfed in a ball of light, it was the darkness creeping from the shadows that continued to hold Magus’ breath. Orphie couldn’t deny it: she saw it too; the way her captain would look into the lonesome corner at a nurse wasn’t subtle.

There she sat, chugging her alcohol despite the clear reflux. (Y/N), she’d been around for a while. Long enough to earn some respect. And yet nobody could say when they last saw her in action.

“Staring at (Y/N). Curious are ya?” An old timer cut into Orphie’s focus, words drawing her away from the room brimming with excitement.

She sat down slowly next to him, not wanting to disrupt her captain’s fun. “Is there something about her? Why is she all alone over there?” She asked with a distressed voice, her face frozen on the back of the nurse.

He chuckled before his face slowly dissolved into a frown. With a sigh he recalled back those days, “The glory days,” he called them.

…

“To Colonel Isolde! To a feast before hell on earth!” Multiple soldiers cheered as they marched to their stations, preparing their equipment for the battle ahead. Each one rushing towards Eridu.

(Y/N) ran up to Orpheus and Isolde with a strained smile. Her hands gripped her uniform, knuckles burning from the tension. “Colonel, Magus, please be safe. They say the hollow is growing stronger than ever before seen.” Her eyes nearly wavered under the pressure of her seniors gaze, tears from the fear of the possible consequences welling up. “Please…come back safe.”

Isolde patted her on the head, “Don’t worry (Y/N). You’re an officer, the top nurse in the Defense Force’s Agamemnon Squad. It’s just like Orpheus; if I didn’t think you were qualified then you wouldn’t be here. I trust you to be there when we need you.”

Isolde strode off to her quarters to prepare herself. Those reassuring words lifted up (Y/N)’s spirits. Orpheus stared as her captain walked off, “We’re going to protect all those civilians. So we’ll need you to be prepared; I’m counting on you (Y/N).”

The old man coughed and cleared his throat, taking a quick sip of his whiskey as he recounted the past to Orphie. “If only things had gone like they were supposed to. If only Lucro and Lorenz didn’t…or if help had arrived sooner…maybe things would be different.”

Orphie’s gaze shifted from the nurse to Magus. “If things were different…,” she trailed off.

“Ah—sorry I shouldn’t have said that!” The old man quickly retracted his statement with a waved hand, “That was rude of me. Regardless of the outcome, none of us regret having you here Orphie.”

She nodded in understanding, “Please continue sir.” He sat down his bottle and began scratching his neck with a huff.

“…She couldn’t handle it.”

“MAGUS! MAGUS!” Pained screams echoed from the isolated roadside. It had been thirty six hours since Agamemnon Squad was sent off and no word was heard from them.

All they learned was from a panicked soldier crying for help.

“They’re here! There’s too many of them! We won’t make it like this. Send reinforcements now!” All while the growling of the Ethereals blocked out every other noise.

But (Y/N) heard it. She heard that blood curling scream. That wail of pain as ribs cracked and gore spilled.

She was too busy to mourn a body she hadn’t seen. She had to work; if not for herself than at least for those injured, those destined to die from injuries too severe. The families she’d have to console, the bodies they’d have to bury.

And yet she herself would get no solace.

Eventually Isolde returned with a heavily injured Orpheus. (Y/N) immediately got to work on helping them both. Isolde wasn’t badly hurt, just some stitches here and there.

But Orpheus wasn’t even responding. Her color was going out, and the warm was leaving her. (Y/N) did the best she could. Tears, blood, and sweat, yet it was a fruitless endeavor. So many sleepless nights wasted being on standby for Orpheus twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

“Magus…Orpheus…I’m sorry.” Her voiced, strained and quiet, barely uttered those words.

Orphie’s ears perked. The contrite laced in that soft goodbye echoed louder than everyone else; not just to her, but to Magus.

“Captain! Sorry…were you listening?” Orphie asked her with a dejected expression, “I didn’t mean to pry.”

Magus shook her head, “No, it’s okay. I was hoping she’d heal past it by now. But…,” she trailed off, looking at (Y/N) again. A spark flew from her ignition as she huffed angrily. “It was hard on all of us. I was so…furious when I woke up in this vessel. I still ache in anger; not just from those ethereals, but the officers that lied to us. That cost me everything.”

“And yet…,” the old man started, “…(Y/N) still can’t function to this day. Her abilities have rusted. Her confidence left soon after. The guilt ate her away, and so she spend’s most days drinking away here when off duty. Only reason she hasn’t been let go is because Magus here keeps management off her back.”

Suddenly the table shook as Orphie shot up and marched towards the nurse. “Huh?! Orphie stop!” Magus flailed about as she tried to stop her companion from pushing forward.

“Captain, please excuse my actions. But you haven’t really talked to her since, have you? Surely you want to.” Orphie finally stopped just steps behind the drunken nurse. “Your actions, words, and thoughts are clear as a full moon in the night sky: you care too much to watch her suffer like this. And I care too.”

Magus finally conceded, showing no more hesitation as Orphie supported the passed out (Y/N) and helped her get some fresh air outside on a bench.

She laid down on Orphie’s shoulder to her left with Magus on her right, both patiently waiting for her to wake up.

“Hmm?” (Y/N) slowly opened her eyes, immediately clutching her stomach to fight back a hurl. “Ugh…too much. My head hurts.” She analyzed her surroundings. “Wait how did I…?—”

Orphie smiled at her. “Hey.”

Slowly (Y/N) raised her hand and reached out for Orphie’s face. “Orpheus? No…I’m too drunk. Sorry, you’re Orphie, right?” She nodded, causing the nurse to turn her head. “Which means you’re?”

“…Hey, (Y/N).” Magus said dejectedly.

She shifted around, avoiding eye contact with both of them. Her face was burning from the alcohol and her mind from the memories. Each gaze at either of them made her hands twitch, her breathing uneven.

Orphie tried to quickly comfort her, but it was Magus who beat her to the punch, shifting close enough to (Y/N) so she could rest on her shoulder.

“(Y/N)—” Magus started but was quickly cut off by said nurse.

“I’m sorry!” She said through a muffled voice as she fought back tears. “I failed you. I let them hurt you; imprison you. And now both yourself and your clone are just seen as objects to our leaders. I couldn’t say it before, so I just had to now: I’m sorry.” Her words were laced with venom, something Magus initially thought was aimed at the world.

But Orphie thought otherwise. “Who are those words meant for?”

Both of them looked at her in confusion.

“Are you yelling at everyone else? Or is it someone in particular you hate?” She gently grasped the nurse’s hand, a soft smile gracing her face once more. “I know why I was created, and for a long time it bothered me. But I also know that I have close allies, friends even, that see me past my reason for being; and shortly, overtime, that reason changed for me too.”

(Y/N) contemplated her thoughts but shook her head shortly after, “It was still my fault either way. If I could’ve done something—anything, then maybe…,” she took a deep breath.

Magus huffed in frustration, “Ugh! Do I look that pathetic to you?! It was hard on me too but I moved on. If it was that difficult for you then why did you stay?!”

“Captain!” Orphie tried to shush her but the words were already spoken.

“It should’ve been me.” The conjoined duo stopped fighting to turn at the nurse. “I’m a soldier too. Magus was too good to be relegated to a escort mission; she should’ve been somewhere else. I could’ve been there helping the supposed wounded, yet instead I stayed at base like a coward.”

“How can you say that?!” Both of them almost yelled too loudly at her, but the shock was just too much for their volume to be controlled. “Your life is worth living (Y/N). Why can’t you just get that?!” Magus grew more and more frustrated, flames rising from her mouth.

“I have nothing. We all lost so much to the fall of the Old Capital. How can an empty shell of a former life be worth trying?” Her voice died out in the quiet.

“I don’t know.” Orphie said honestly. Magus glared at her at first but then shortly calmed down.

“…I actually don’t know either.” Magus admitted.

“I don’t know, but,” Orphie stood up and crouched in front of (Y/N), lifting her face to meet her eyes, “no matter how hard it gets it’s never worth being alone, even in your final moments; you’d know that better than anyone, right?”

(Y/N) froze in shock, a distant memory she had long since blocked out finally coming back to her.

…

“Magus…,” the younger nurse mumbled to the lonely patient, her wounds too severe to bear on much longer. “I’m—umm, I had a great day today.” She quickly changed her tune, deciding to mask her sadness with a happier expression.

She parted the hair covering Orpheus’ eyes, finding them staring back at her. They were gentle as ever despite the circumstance. “What happened?” She asked weakly.

A mountain of tears fell from her face as she forced a smile, all her emotions laid bare for her dying friend. “We found a baby in the hollow. His mother shielded him from danger. We were able to save him thanks to that. He only suffered minor ether corruption so he should be fine with proper care.”

Orpheus smiled. “That is great. She lived a good life.”

(Y/N) stared at Orpheus with slightly widened eyes. “What do you mean? She’ll never see her baby grow up.” She checked Orpheus’ temperature, worried she was going delirious from the drugs administered.

She used what little strength she had to shake her head, saying, “She gave her life for the person most important to her; she protected her son. It may not be ideal, but to those of us with the strength to protect, doing so is worth it.” Slowly she tapped (Y/N)’s badge of honor, a smile gracing her face.

“Just like you. You protect us more than you think. It’s why we’re so confident and headstrong: because we have you to rely on. And I’m proud of you, regardless of the outcome.”

She couldn’t reply to her dear friend. She was too shocked to speak.

“(Y/N). Thank you for protecting me one last time.”

She was crying both then and now.

Surrounded by her captain.

And her new friend.

- Fin

[takusan-no-ai]

★·.·`¯´·.Hybrid Protocol.·`¯´·.·★

Monster

Social Experiment

[takusan-no-ai]

Social Experiment

PAIRING: Dialyn/Harumasa/Soldier 11 x Reader (Platonic) (Male & Female Reader)

SUMMARY: (Y/N), a human and ethereal hybrid, becomes more known within New Eridu’s government.

TOPS gathered intel of a further out hollow; abnormal behavior resulting in a large amount of fissures were detected. Dialyn was sent to investigate and it was there that she found you, a hybrid of human and ethereal. You weren’t her initial target, for as the moment Dialyn entered the hollow she heard the pleas of people close to death. Through a hardened heart she located the fleeting survivors and found you, something she thought to be a monster, comforting them in their last moments to the best of your abilities. She was then ordered to figure out if you were “guilty” or not; another headache another dollar to her.

After painstakingly thinking it over, Dialyn decided the best option was to have you work alongside her in order for her to accurately determine your morality; though she wouldn’t admit that a small part of herself already had a good hunch about you. She found your capacity for making fissures convenient both in and out of hollows. Especially when she needed to catch a target off guard. But Dialyn noticed how much it took a toll on your energy, so she decided to rely on you less as a tool and more as a person, finding alternatives to help you better adjust.

With her recommendation Dialyn landed you a job in TOPS; she came to that conclusion after a routine checkup in a hollow; you took a hit for her, one that would’ve been lethal, from an ethereal at her blind spot. Dialyn was worried you would die, just to suddenly feel immense relief as your organs regenerated due to the high ether radiation. Naturally she couldn’t find any reason to judge you as anything other than innocent.

The clock ticked as Dialyn tapped her foot on her desk, not a single word said amongst herself and her companion. (Y/N) doodled on a scrap of paper with crayons sprawled over Dialyn’s desk.

Occasionally she had to make sure her hybrid friend didn’t try to eat the crayons, but overall it was a simple evening managing the customer service line.

Ring! Ring! Ring! “Hellooooo! You’ve reached Dialyn of TOPS. How can I be of assitance—”

“You guys are a bunch of scammers! How can you sell something so broken and make it cost so much?!” An angered man shouted from the other line, his voice cracking from the constant screaming. “STOP directing me to different service providers and REFUND me the money I’m OWED!”

She covered the phone with her hand, already rolling her eyes. Dialyn looked at the clock, “I really can’t take five more hours of this.” Then she made eye contact with (Y/N), whom was confused over the loud chatter; “Brilliant idea, me. Oh, why you’re welcome of course, Dialyn~” she thanked herself as she handed (Y/N) the phone.

“Have fun! I’m going on lunch break.”

(Y/N) looked at the phone while munching on a purple crayon. The man went silent for a moment before firing back up. “I know you’re not eating right now! Is this how all TOPS customer service is handled?! Why are you eating?!”

(Y/N) paused in thought for a moment. “Because bread tastes better than key.”

Dialyn walked off with a smile on her face as (Y/N) yammered on in the background, certain that she’d return to her voice mail maxed out.

Harumasa obviously knew you through Yanagi. He heard your story and felt a connection instantly; two people seen as monsters with nothing but the loneliness to cast a shadow. He knew all too well how suffocating that feeling could be, and so Harumasa wanted to make sure you were well taken cared of, that no one was harassing you; he wanted to help you “fit in” like he had to, but without the struggle of doing it alone.

Once on a routine mission Harumasa got trapped in a hollow. His corruption was spreading badly, and just when he thought it was over a fissure appeared, and out you emerged, bringing him to safety outside. Even though his eyes were clouded, Harumasa could still make out your corrupted hand cutting into your human one, your blood dripping onto his wounds and rapidly curing his corruption. He quized you about it later, grateful yet worried, only to learn your blood and tears could permanently boost ether immunity; he knew he had to keep that a secret to protect you.

Although he was usually lazy, Harumasa had put in a larger amount of effort than before to keep you safe. Besides his close allies within Section 6, he didn’t trust others to be alone with you. He also often volunteered to help Yanagi with monitoring your playdates with Soukaku. Sometimes Harumasa would wonder if he was being too pushy; sometimes he was worried you’d grow tired of his company. But every time those thoughts would quickly be forgotten as you hugged him, thankful for all that he did.

(Y/N) gnawed on the metal desk with sunken eyes. Each word that was spoken by Yanagi going in one ear and out the other. Today just wasn’t a good day for tutoring.

“What does ‘retreat’ mean?” She asked the hybrid.

“Leave.”

“Exactly. So…,” Yanagi took four steps forward, her heels progressively getting louder with each step, “…why did you not retreat when ordered to?” Her gaze held clear disappointment within it as she arched her brow and frowned.

(Y/N) simply groaned in response.

Eventually Yanagi gave in, “Okay, it’s time for a short break. I’ll be back in fifteen minutes; do not run off anywhere, got it?” As soon as (Y/N) nodded along she left to go have a coffee break.

The ethereal spent the next few minutes looking up at the ceiling before a shadow clouded (Y/N)’s vision.

“Hey there bud.” Harumasa smiled, his eyes shining with a glint of mischief. “Wanna go slack of—I mean take a much needed mental break?” His new procrastination buddy immediately shot up, dragging Harumasa away with one large claw to the backyard of H.A.N.D.

Together they relaxed in the sun as (Y/N) ran around chasing butterflies. Harumasa sat under a tree and watched from a distance, his face blank; an expression he promised to never show (Y/N).

“I see a version of myself in (Y/N),” he said to the figure standing behind him. He looked up at Yanagi, whom had a serene smile as she watched her little friend.

“You can relate to (Y/N)?”

He shook his head. “Less than that, actually. I see a version of myself that never got to exist; that childhood innocence would’ve been a luxury for me.”

The hybrid finally turned around after eating the butterfly, face grimacing as the others chuckled.

“So I hope I can protect that innocence; not of the world, but rather what it would think of (Y/N).”

Yanagi’s eyes widened at her colleague’s words. Her gaze softened, “I didn’t know you were capable of such responsibility.”

“Oh yeah speaking of that, I’m gonna need the next week off.”

Eleven believed you to be a formidable ally as well as a great sparing partner. With Trigger training you, it became increasingly obvious how necessary it would be for you to prove your worth to the higher ups; so she considered training alongside you. But what had shocked her was that during a session, Eleven had sliced your skin; you bled ether, something the scientists definitely hadn’t caught on to yet.

She was harder on you than others due to your ethereal side. And she was more empathetic of your situation, due to a part of herself she couldn’t quite comprehend, feeling similar to you. Eleven decided upon herself to keep anything new she learned about you away from the scientists, that same part of herself worried about what they’d do if they knew of your stronger capabilities. Whenever you were still hungry after eating ethereal cores, Eleven would invite you for explosive noodles as a way to get to know you better.

Most of all, Eleven appreciated having you as an ally during battle. Especially after you were officially deployed on your first mission. Your quick response, despite having a simple mind, made a great effort in fixing any mistakes their squad made during battle. Later on she came up with “Naive Mauve Gorilla” as a nickname for you after seeing you in action; though it did seem to change quite often afterwards.

“Captain Magus, do you copy?” Eleven called out into her comms as she ran, breathing steady and eyes focused. Her movement was swift and precise as she narrowly evaded a large boulder hurled at her, footing slipping while she picked herself back up.

“Captain Magus, Orphie, (Y/N), do you read me?” Eleven called out again. She glanced down at her ankle, the pain settling in; but she had to ignore it. Eleven ducked behind the bulwark of a rundown building.

She got separated on the mission from the others. A highly dangerous hollow, one believed to become the next Hollow Zero if left unchecked. They were only sent to confirm the dangers; a checkup for if the top dog void hunters would have to assist.

“Yet all it took was me getting ambushed by some high risk ethereals for things to go south.” Eleven chastised herself, “I still have to grow stronger.”

Gravelly huffs grew louder as each stomp from those behemoth ethereals drew ever closer.

“Sold—do you—backup!” Her communicator finally picked up a signal, though it was muffled by the expanding ether within the hollow.

Eleven breathed easy, her nerves gone. “Backup huh? Then I better stay out of the way.”

Moments later a fissure materialized in front of her, appearing from it (Y/N). The hybrid checked her over, gently brushing Eleven’s bruised and swollen ankle.

(Y/N) showed no hesitation and charged into the battle, catching the attention of the ethereal’s surrounding Eleven. She expected her ally to handle the enemies with ease; but it was much more than that.

Raising an enlarged claw, (Y/N)’s eyes glowed purple as one ethereal charged forward in a blind rage. It was then forced to a sudden stop as the energy drained from the lone ethereal. The other behemoths trembled in fear of the apex predator before them as their own had shriveled like a dried wineskin in the smoke.

It took one slash each for the problems to be dealt with. While (Y/N)’s claw shrunk back to its original form, Eleven leaned on the hybrids shoulder for support.

“Thanks for the quick save Frosty Tangerine; I’ll repay you later with some spicy noodles.”

(Y/N) smiled despite having a raised brow and squinted eyes. “Why do I have a better memory than you?”

- Fin

[takusan-no-ai]

Compartmentalized

PAIRING: Layla/Skirk/Navia x Male Reader (Romantic) (Separate)

SUMMARY: Their sweet boyfriend has two sides.

From the moment her sleep deprived eyes met yours, Layla was certain she felt a kindred spirit from deep within. Just a boy in her class, yet she felt herself gravitating towards you each and everyday. It was fairly obvious to everyone else, even the professors, that the sleepy girl with dewy eyes was crushing on her classmate; so it was to the shock of no one but Layla when you started dating as boyfriend and girlfriend.

What Layla didn’t know about her sweet crush was that the other “Layla” was making moves on him. One moment she’s shyly explaining the constellations to you, and the next she’s confidently asking you out to stargaze later that night; yet Layla didn’t complain at all about it. In fact she felt as if an unknown aplomb awakened within her whenever she wanted to be with you, and she liked it.

Of course the second Layla knew of your other side; she’d seen it first hand from the moment you “first” met. Typically sweet and caring to Layla, her other self was slightly less defensive with you. But when a posse of reporters appeared, intent on pressuring Layla to do their work since she was so “gifted” due to their jealousy, you stepped in immediately.

The air was cold, your gaze turned ruthless, and you simply said, “Do it your damn selves bi—,” before Layla quickly interrupted you. But that didn’t stop you. You grabbed them one at a time and nearly beat them to a pulp; it wasn’t till they finally got free and ran off that you passed out. Layla, freaked out of her mind, tried to wake you up. The whiplash from you suddenly going back to being sweet was an understatement.

You hadn’t remembered any of it, but despite going back to your usual sweet self, Layla could tell something was off; you were less enthusiastic and more sour. It was like your mood and self-esteem had suddenly depleted. She wondered how aware you were of your “other side”. But one thing was for sure: “calm Layla” would have to leave “anxious Layla” a letter about your split identities or else the poor girl would hyperventilate.

Skirk didn’t acknowledge your existence at first. You were just a sweet guy that so happened to be friend’s with Ajax. She did notice during her training sessions however that you…changed. It was a clear emotional imbalance of one side sweet and the other sour. Your strength was unmatched whenever you saw Ajax in “danger”, unaware that it was simply training for him set by Skirk herself.

But as impressive as that was it wasn’t what piqued Skirk’s interest in you, nor what led to start of something she never thought she’d get to experience: romance. Your sweet side naturally didn’t know her, and if you ever saw her you’d forget her. But your cruel, heartless, imposing side? It remembered every detail down to her tone of voice. It wasn’t a first for her, but it was still shocking considering you weren’t supposed to remember her.

She did feel bad for your emotional state. Even once you became her boyfriend, seeing you go from pure happiness to a halfhearted smile wasn’t easy. Skirk had long tried to shut off that part of her heart, but it seemed she was still too human despite her training; she couldn’t help but try to make you smile again.

Unsure of how much you really knew about your condition, Skirk made it a point to avoid getting in danger when around you. Even just showing up slightly injured would be enough to set off your other side. But of course it wasn’t that easy; the abyss made sure of that. Stabbed through the chest whilst on a walk with you outside the skirts of Liyue wasn’t on her to-do list.

It wasn’t anything she couldn’t recover from, so seeing you go absolutely frenzied like a savage animal over a mere scratch was insane. Sure, she’d seen you in action in the past, but that was before you started dating; you were moving at record speeds she’d never thought were possible for Teyvat’s humans. Perhaps she’d have to start training alongside you?

At first you were just a sweet guy that Navia occasionally did business with. The Spina di Rosula had recognized you as a seasoned regular to their services. Yet what most of them, including yourself, didn’t know was that Navia had a crush on you for a long while. She actually knew you since childhood, but never interacted with you until she grew up.

She’d never forget the day traffickers tried to abduct her, mistaking her for a defenseless target; little had they known that a young boy as small as her jumped in with a rage unconfined like a forest fire. A burst of a tide was an understatement to your power, the anger in your eyes and the strength of each punch echoing in everyone’s minds. Navia was scared at first, but then that sweet melancholy smile turned to her, bruised hands hidden behind your back.

Since then she sought you out, yet that fiery rage never resurfaced; and a large part of her was glad of that. Navia didn’t like the way you seemed so unsure after saving her. She wondered if you regretted it, or if it somehow harmed you in someway. She never wanted to see that false smile again, and so she perished the thought of regret and settled on progress; she’d become strong enough not just to protect herself, her loved ones, and Fontaine, but also your happiness.

It was a delight to finally get the ache off her chest and confess her love. It was even better when you became her boyfriend. And yet despite that promise she made to herself, danger had a way of finding Navia. Most she could easily deal with. But even she herself struggled when a gang as large as a colosseum decided to bait herself and her backup into a corner.

It seemed like you’d gotten stronger. Like every one the enemies was an ant in comparison. All she got was a twisted ankle, all from tripping over a rock while seeking cover, and you went animalistic. She watched as you turned back to her, small tears falling down as you smiled calmly at her. “You’re okay, right?” Navia wasn’t sure if you or she herself had asked that question.

- Fin

[takusan-no-ai]

Push & Pull

PAIRING: Alice/Astra/Zhao/Pulchra x Male Reader (Romantic) (Separate)

SUMMARY: Their boyfriend, though usually nice, can get quite cocky when using his electro-magnetism due to his high proficiency.

Alice was always fascinated by your unique composition; your ability to manipulate electro-magnetism made your capabilities near infinite, whereas others were finite. It actually gave you quite the ego boost, something that Alice believed would be your downfall if you didn’t stop to think strategically; of course she couldn’t complain with how often she needed her boyfriend to erase her memories of Yuzuha’s ghost stories so she could have a peaceful sleep.

Sometimes her need for perfect symmetry really gave her headaches. It left her feeling anxious to no end, like if she didn’t make everything perfect that it would somehow end in the worst possible scenario. The intrusive thoughts were horrific for her, so being near her lover was always calming; you could force her mind to not think about anything at all and it made her less worrisome about symmetry overall. Knowing she had you was a constant reminder that Alice didn’t have to be on alert all the time.

Naturally Alice’s quick witted rapier movement made combat a breeze. But sometimes her exhaustion would overwhelm her courageous effort to remain strong. That’s when you’d jump in and just cause a nuclear explosion through tearing an atom for the enemy to either wither away or run with a new lease on life. Alice just wished you’d rub that smug smirk off your face.

After a busy day of working on her album, one of Astra’s favorite events was being visited by you, her boyfriend. Sometimes during a starry night she’d watch as you reached up at the sky and induce a star into a supernova. The sky would get so bright it was blinding; as if it hadn’t been night time at all. Despite how dangerous your power was, watching you use it to show her such beautiful, once-in-a-lifetime shots, was incredible.

Because of how good you were at using your ability you had an attitude; even worse, a cheeky side. Not that Astra minded since it usually led to something fun happening! But sometimes you would use it against her. One time Astra almost burnt your kitchen down trying to make you breakfast, and though a sweet thought, the bill left it rather bitter. So you controlled her nerve signals so she’d never be late to practice for a week; Evelyn was very thankful.

Despite the occasional butting of heads, Astra was more grateful to have such a strong boyfriend. Evelyn wasn’t always able to be there, and whenever a overly zealous fan got too close to Astra, all it would take was a blink and boom—they’d feel their heart stop for a fraction of a second. Of course you never told Astra that was your doing, but she’s not incompetent. Eventually you’d have to just stick to making them walk away so she can escape.

Zhao loved having such a reliable boyfriend. You basically became her unofficial right-hand man whenever she had a job to do. Never again would Zhao waste time having to bypass security to collect valuable information; not when she had an incredibly accurate EMP to help her move without even appearing on the CCTV.

She actually often felt guilty in her mind looking back at when you first started dating. It’s not that Zhao didn’t love you, because she did with all her heart, but rather that she certainly felt not “using” you would be a waste. Your electro-magnetism control meant you could operate any electronic device easier than a proxy; how couldn’t she make use of that?! Though she does tone it down overtime, since she wants to appreciate you off duty as well.

What Zhao didn’t realize however was that you actually enjoyed using your powers in battle and during everyday life. Sometimes in your cocky mood you’d intercept radio comms to prank Dialyn. And other times you’d turn invisible to avoid work whenever TOPS came knocking. Zhao held no qualms about covering for you, but since it often meant extra work for her, she’d expect a nice reward to make up for it. And don’t try to hide from her; she’s one of TOPS best for a reason.

Being constantly on the move for another paycheck wasn’t easy. Especially when for Pulchra it often meant going against back breaking enemies. With the road being the heart and soul of the Outer Ring, having a boyfriend capable of manipulating electronic-magnetism was a major stress reliever; whenever a target would try to start their car and drive off, all it took was a look from you and boom—their engine died and the vehicle went to a halt.

Goodbye to car repairs! Pulchra loved having you fix up her bike; that old spark plug? Brand new in seconds. Compared to her interactions with others, Pulchra had no problem gassing up her boyfriend. So it was to no one’s surprise when you got an ego as big as hollow zero every time you helped her out. It got to the point where you’d show off in front of kids, walking through walls and making air solid; pretty soon you became a “must see” spectacle.

Sometimes Pulchra would get just a teeny tiny bit jealous of that attention; she’d never admit how much she just wanted your attention at times, so it required a bit of foresight to pick up on. Nothing prepared her for your jealousy though; another guy trying to even slightly wrap his hand around her would be enough for him to end up in an invisible cage for the next few hours. Pulchra would get mad at your methods if she didn’t find the action endearing; especially when you use it on Burnice trying to touch her tail.

- Fin

[takusan-no-ai]

Skip a Beat

PAIRING: Oguri Cap/Special Week/Symboli Rudolf/Mejiro McQueen x Male Reader (Romantic) (Separate)

SUMMARY: (Y/N), the boy they are crushing on and courting, is so shy he becomes easily flustered by them.

A simple boy from her hometown, Oguri spent every day with you, her childhood best friend. She had a weird way of showing it, but she loved spending time with you. Your shyness wasn’t a problem for her at all as she could read your intentions easily; it was Oguri who often struggled with expressing herself clearly. It wasn’t much of a crush at first, but she really enjoyed your mere presence.

Just having you there at all of her races back home was the most fun thing she anticipated. Despite her coolheaded demeanor, she couldn’t resist tripping over her two feet to see you shyly cheering her on; her ears were able to single you out from everyone in the crowd, even with your meek voice. Her best memories were seeing you smile with a blush as she hovered around you. She was partly upset at having to leave the countryside to pursue Tracen Academy, so she promised to make you proud and win every race.

Cue Oguri’s shock when you appear at her debut race in the stands. Though unknown and still developing her skill, the most anxious, most timid guy she ever knew and loved showed up; he appeared at her most unremarkable point in her career: the beginning. Before she came to debuted, before Tracen, it was at home where her heart was. That was when even as air headed as she was, Oguri was certain the feeling in her chest was love. And it was more than one intended for friends.

She knew going for you directly was the most logical way to win you over, so she did exactly that; Oguri confessed her intentions directly to you. Yes, she was embarrassed, but she knew herself better than anyone; playing the long game of winning you over discreetly would be too overt and take too long. This way, she could ensure you’d know her intentions whenever she made a move and be able to express herself more freely.

“A swimming class? That’s too bad.” (Y/N) said as he chewed on his bowl of rice. “You always hated that.” Oguri nodded with a glum expression.

Together they sat under the parasol of an outdoor cafe. Oguri invited him out on a whim, which (Y/N) accepted. He had been more calm as of late.

“Oh!” Oguri finished her cake and motioned to fetch another, her hand softly colliding with (Y/N)’s. The latter flinched and yanked his hand away, his hand burning hot to the touch from their brief encounter.

Oguri huffed. “You’re so shy.” She slid her chair closer to his and flipped her tail around, using her flexibility to wrap it around his waist.

He held back a squeak as he avoided eye contact with Oguri.

She smiled. “I can’t very well call this a date if we don’t get close.” She gripped his hand as she brought her plate closer to his. “You can have a bite…if you want.”

(Y/N) sighed, his face finally relaxing. “Oguri.” He spoke plainly, “You’re drooling. You should eat it.” He grabbed a napkin and wiped her face clean as the blank staring uma ate the cake in one bite.

“Thank you for the meal.” Oguri said with a content smile. She leaned her head on (Y/N)’s shoulder, enjoying the way he stiffened from nerves.

“Umm…Oguri?”

Her ears flicked.

“Why didn’t you just confess to me? Why try to court me so forthright?”

Oguri finally sat straight, her face close to (Y/N)’s as she took another cake to bite.

“Becauseiloveyoutoomuchtowait...”

He blushed, his heart feeling like a heavy weight.

She finished eating and gulped, “…every time I race I’d think of your face. And every time I thought of you dating someone else, I lost my appetite.”

She gave him a small peck on his cheek, finally letting the guy peel away to calm down his heart. “Forgive me for being so forward; being straightforward is the only way I know to win.”

As much as she disliked it, Special Week had to use her train pass occasionally. But there was one perk to it: you. A young guy who took the train everyday. On her first day moving from Hokkaido, Special Week couldn’t find a spot to sit on the train. Her shoes weren’t made for all the running around she did, and her feet were hurting as a result. You offered Special Week your seat, and got off at the next stop.

Since then she’d see you shrink away in the corner, trying your best to avoid everyone. Yet the moment someone sat next to you it was like your nerves stood on end. It was a subtle thing that Special Week noticed. She wanted to thank you, but that would mean making you uncomfortable. Clearly you enjoyed your personal space; so she decided to write you a letter. Special Week gave it to you and left as fast she appeared.

Her tail continued to flick back and forth the next couple of days as she waited to see you again. She was shocked when you sat next to her; most of the guys in her hometown were outgoing, so seeing you trip over your own words was a pleasant experience. You admitted to being a fan of hers, that her running always seemed to carried a pure hearted drive to victory; each stride determined to pass her opponent. Slowly your shyness melted away, and instead Special Week saw the same sparkle in her eyes shine from yours as you rambled about random racing facts.

She had developed a crush on you rather fast. She didn’t know much about you and she wanted to know more. So she exchanged numbers with shaky hands of her own. Her bright and cheery smile was plastered on her face as she texted you for the rest of the day. She wasn’t sure how you felt about her, but she was determined to win you over. Because if there was one thing true to her, it was that her hard working nature would shine through.

With a quick spurt Suzuka surged to the finish, leaving Special Week in the dust. Their partner training was going on the way side despite the latter suggesting it just yesterday with a fevered attitude. Suzuka glanced at her roommate with clear concern written on her face. “Spe…,” her voice drifted off.

She huffed in exhaustion, her knees ready to give out. “Ha ha. Guess I must’ve used up too much energy too soon. Sorry for wasting your time Suzuka.” Special Week said dejectedly as her hands clutched into fists. She couldn’t meet her best friend’s gaze, too disappointed in her result.

“What was that! Spe, how could you let down the great old ones with such a race. Now we’ll never reach nirvana!” Gold Ship exclaimed loudly into their ears. She spun in a circle and pointed towards the sun. “The sky is the limit; whenever the light blinds your eyes, just put on shades.”

“…o-ok? Um, so, yeah sorry Suzuka.” Special Week walked off, less dejected and more so confused; both from Gold Ship and her own feelings. She trotted off to the water fountain, trying her best to force a smile as her reflection rippled.

A sudden ding from her phone shook the umamusume out of her own head. “A text from…(Y/N)?!” She bounced up instantly, her eyes sparkling as she replied back; an invite to a carrot buffet! She rushed immediately to get ready, the sudden emptiness in her stomach overpowering her previous glum.

It only took her fifteen minutes to get ready and another to make it there. Perhaps her enthusiasm was showing too much, but Special Week had been wanting to spend some time with (Y/N) for a while now; it had been a whole week since they exchanged numbers and she was getting anxious waiting to see him.

“Ahh! If mama and mom were seeing me like this…I hope he doesn’t think I’m too early.” Her worries were quickly snuffed out as (Y/N) rounded the corner, adjusting his shirt as he looked around cautiously for her.

“!”

When their eyes landed on each other Special Week could feel her heart pounding against her chest. “He always makes me so excited. Like I want to run—oh…running.” Her thoughts turned sour as she began to recall her last race at the Japanese Derby. “No! I should be happy right now.”

She ran up to him, the young man backing up subconsciously as she inched closer. The pair, as similar as they were, couldn’t be more different in how they fawned for one another; (Y/N) was too shy to make a direct move, whilst Special Week was eager to hold his hand despite her own sweating profusely.

And yet neither wanted to inconvenience the other, so they settled for walking side by side.

“I’m supposed to be making a move on him. Instead he’s the one making plans before me.”

“Special Week, um,” (Y/N) mumbled.

She turned towards him and raised her ears, “Huh? Sorry, can you speak up?”

He cleared his throat, stopping next to her and pointing meekly to the left, “…we’re here.” His eyes were squinted, a clear hint of hesitation in his tone. Special Week followed him inside, curious to what he really meant to say.

Together they enjoyed a quiet meal, yet she couldn’t relax; not just from her own thoughts but also (Y/N)’s piercing gaze.

She followed it towards her foot, where she tried to hide the clear bandage wrapped around her ankle. She giggled, “It’s nothing serious. Just a small sprain; it’s already mostly healed.” She tried her to best to be reassuring. But to who? she couldn’t answer.

“It was during your last race…so-sorry sorry, I shouldn’t bring it up. It’s not my place.” (Y/N) quickly backpedaled from the discussion, searching the table frantically for something else to talk about.

Special Week grasped his hand from across the table, his hand suddenly burning hot from the contact. “It’s okay. I just…haven’t been in it since. It’s like…I look at my foot and I see my whole career ending. My moms wouldn’t care either way so long as I was okay, but I still bothers me; I just really want to race.” Her eye’s were welling up with tears that Special Week tried to force back down.

(Y/N) gulped and leaned forward, wiping away her tears. “One loss isn’t the end. Even some of the greatest didn’t have a perfect track record. What matters—what we’d love to see for you is—that um…you just keep smiling…because your smile is beau–pretty-umm…,” his words jumbled at the end as (Y/N) progressively got more and more flustered.

Special Week watched him in astonishment as her tears dried completely.

“I’m so happy…,”

“…to be in love with you.”

A trainer shadowing another. Rudolf watched from her office window as each veteran passed down their legacy to the next generation of trainers. However you were the main one she had set her sights on. From the first time you crossed paths, Rudolf knew she was going to wish to see you again; color her surprised when she learned you passed your trainer trials and got approved as the new leader of her team.

She’d never forget the face you made when she told a pun. It was a moment of passing, nothing of significance as she merely wished to cheer up a young man who was stressing over his career path; yet despite clearly shying away from the conversation at first, your belly churning laughter was burned into her memory. And despite yourself being socially awkward, you tried to tell a pun back; her ears kept twitching as she came up with more in her head, determined to get another laugh out of you; Rudolf hadn’t realized how much she was already drawn to you.

Overtime she helped you around campus, giving advice and offering some company whenever she could. Her workaholic tendencies made it difficult for Rudolf to find the time to spare, but lately she had felt more compelled to make that time possible for you. Despite disliking small talk, just being able to have it over a game of chess felt more relaxing than any amount of sleep could be; she really just wanted to spend more time with you. Naturally Rudolf understood her feelings after a while, and her first instinct was to win you over!

The reigning emperor herself would use her confidence and charm to win you over. Watching you stumble over the simplest compliment made her chuckle, and every time you admired her from a crowd as she gave a speech to her underclassmen made her hairs on her tail feel electric. Rudolf brought you souvenir’s from school trips that were aimed at couples, hoping you would get a hint; yet it would seem playing coy only fueled your timidity. So she opted for the next best choice…

“A d-date?”

“Yes. A picture to me is like a date; a sweet memory that gets better over time. Though the only memory I want is a date with you.”

He coughed violently, “Like-like the f-fruit, right?!” (Y/N)’s grip on his packet of paperwork tightened as he stared down Rudolf.

She chuckled at his flustered expression with a bright smile gracing her face. “Yes. But perhaps we could experiment with the homonym and entertain ourselves?” She could practically see the cogs turning in his head as (Y/N)’s eyes progressively widened.

He quickly recovered from the momentary shock, stacking his papers on the desk as the clock ticked away.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

“Well?” Rudolf asked him again. “I may be an occasional jokester, but I assure you that my intentions are quite clear; I’m intrigued about you in ways that I can’t quite explain.”

(Y/N) sighed as he fanned his face and opened his phone, immediately launching his calendar app. “You’re very forward, Rudolf—”

“Only because I like you,” she interrupted.

He blushed, “Y-yes…so when are you free?” Rudolf pulled out her own phone like it was routine at that point. Her face froze for a second before morphing into a heartfelt smile.

“I’m free on Monday.” She said without even opening her phone. Instead she stared at her lock screen, a picture of (Y/N) studying over books for his trainer; books recommended to him by Rudolf after a chance encounter in the hallway. It was a simple photo taken on impulse from her office window.

And yet to her it was a memory that got sweeter over time.

“I hope to make many more memories with you, (Y/N).”

He visibly shook, “Huh?”

A servant boy to the Mejiro family, your legacy would be built on generations of ancestors that served them. It was a good, cushy, and beautiful job; one that garnered, even if small, recognition and favor from others due to a job well done with assisting the Mejiros. You grew up together with their family; though the one always closest to you was McQueen.

She had a crush on you from early on and she knew it; every time you made her cake, or watched her run around the backyard, helping her study overnight, it was a small moment in her world where McQueen was alone with you. Her whole family was ecstatic when she enrolled into Tracen Academy, yet it was your congratulations that excited her the most; McQueen was determined to bring home countless trophies not just for her name, but for you, someone she considered family.

But your timid attitude towards her races often meant you missing the big race and showing up after she won. Despite trying to constantly uphold the image of a proper young lady, McQueen couldn’t deny the frustration in your shyness. She just had to fall for a guy who gets flustered from a simple hug or smile.

However there was some fun to be had in a shy crush. Courting you meant having to take a calmer approach that didn’t frighten you away like a rabbit. An invitation to tea and sweets was an opportunity to feed each other (though you almost chickened out). It also meant her cousins giggling from the sidelines as McQueen practiced her ballroom dancing with you; even though there would be no party for months. Loving you was a delicate process that McQueen took great joy in playing slow.

Her ears flicked as she pinched his arm. “Honestly, (Y/N), why are you getting so embarrassed?” McQueen could feel her brows knit the longer he continued hesitating. “It’s just ballroom dancing.”

He cleared his throat, “Yes, but you’re not just trying to dance.” Though his ears were burning his face was clear as day accusatory. “I-I know your true intentions!”

McQueen avoided direct eye contact, instead grabbing his hands and resuming their positions. “My face barely got any closer to yours!” She could feel herself getting flustered, both from embarrassment and annoyance.

“I just get nervous is all…,” he deflated.

“…but not when Ryan get’s close to you huh…,” McQueen mumbled. It was quiet but he heard it, and it caused (Y/N) to stop dead in his tracks. McQueen almost stumbled upon him at the sudden stop in momentum, regret eating away. “I didn’t mean it like that. Sorry.”

“I’m not tha-that brave. I know my limits. But—” he gazed at her with shaky eyes…

…and spoke with a shaky voice, “I only go this far past my comfort for you!”

McQueen’s eyes widened, her voice hitched as she thought over his words.

“He only goes past his comfort for me.”

“He doesn’t feel uncomfortable with others.”

“…I make you uneasy?” She finally asked as a smirk formed on her lips. The glint in her eyes, a dangerous one that (Y/N) remembered all too well throughout their childhood; it always led to her making his heart beat too fast.

“…uhm no-no, yeah, no.” He stuttered over his words as his hand slipped from hers, yet it was swiftly encompassed by McQueen’s again.

She pulled him closer, their faces centimeters apart as she held his gaze.

“Now, now. We still have some practice to do. It would be unbecoming of the Mejiro family servant to give up halfway, now wouldn’t it?”

- Fin

[takusan-no-ai]

Boyfriend Tamer

PAIRING: Mahiru x Male Reader (Romantic) (Fluff)

SUMMARY: Mahiru’s boyfriend loves to rage bait her for her reactions because she’s cute.

Mahiru didn’t except herself to fall so in love with a guy. Something about you was just so much more bearable than most guys; you were actually dependable. And you didn’t act rudely to her or anyone else without reason.

Your genuine love of her photography touched her soul. And you would certainly be a better husband than her father ever was. Yet there was one thing that she couldn’t for the life of her understand: why were you so damn frustrating to her?!

In fact from the moment she saw your stupid face in the hallway, you smiled like a goof as she scolded you for walking around with a uncouth uniform. You even giggled happily as she fixed your overcoat for you. The even weirder part to Mahiru was that she didn’t find it creepy at all.

You helped her out often whenever you crossed paths; holding the door, helping her lift heavy equipment, and other things she needed assistance with. But sometimes you’d do something nonsensical, like mixing up sugar with salt while making a cup of coffee. It made no sense why you did it, and when she scolded you once again, that stupid smile appeared on your face.

It was like a switch had set off within you. A bulb of light at the brilliant idea to constantly fawn over the beautiful photographer at Hope’s Peak. You’d annoy her with simple things to get a reaction. It was so frustrating and that she’d constantly go on and on about you to her friends.

While Hiyoko wasn’t happy with it, even she had to agree with Mikan and Ibuki that Mahiru totally had a thing for you; most guys that pissed her off didn’t get the benefit of the doubt like you did. She denied it with a face red like her hair.

But she was truly too sweet with you. Even when you made her mad, she still helped you without having to be asked. It ticked her off. She felt like a complete stranger when around you. So she asked you why you constantly did what you did.

Mahiru didn’t know any guys who found her personality attractive. Most, if not all, find her obnoxious, annoying, cruel and just disrespectful. She couldn’t help being more critical of guys when she had to give up her dream to look after a grown man, but man did it hinder her male friend circle.

So for you to say such a thing well…Mahiru’s heart wasn’t ready. She didn’t want to admit it, but her friends were most definitely right: she had a thing for you and she kind of liked it. Eventually she confessed to you. But even after getting together, your love for teasing her didn’t stop. You couldn’t quite pinpoint it, but something about your girlfriend’s reactions whenever you did the simplest thing to get on her nerves, or make her act stern, just set your heart ablaze.

Her face would get all red, eyebrows crooked as Mahiru put one hand on her hip and the other up high to wag her finger around. Despite how upset she looked, Mahiru’s lips always were slightly upturned at the corners. And her voice never got too loud; it was more playful than anything. Perhaps she just couldn’t get too mad at your antics; not because you did them on purpose, but because you always showed your reliability everywhere else, so she knew it was just a game to you.

Some of your friends questioned why you’d date a girl as pushy as her. Mahiru wasn’t clueless to those whispers. She knew her reputation was flimsy depending on who you talked to. Yet every time you would say she was just too cute with her reaction, and it’d always make her shyly skedaddle and vent her friends. You were a headache and a heartache and Mahiru couldn’t handle the merge of such emotions.

To even her own friends they thought Mahiru was more annoyed than happy with her boyfriend. It was an easy mistake to make, but what they didn’t realize was how much she enjoyed the back and forth. Sometimes she would actually get upset, and that usually resorted in making you do chores for her to make it up. But most times she’d just scold you with a pinch or poke to the face.

Normally Mahiru wouldn’t deny something like that. However all it took was one comment from Ibuki about how Mahiru’s a total “brat tamer” and that she “likes it” for her to quickly go down the denial river. She would never, EVER, admit how she actually liked the power imbalance. She would never, EVER, admit that she found your attitude attractive. But she would ALWAYS admit how much she loved you to anyone who was willing to listen.

- Fin

[takusan-no-ai]

Thick as Blood; Clear as Water

PAIRING: Daiwa Scarlet/Smart Falcon/Rice Shower/Mejiro McQueen/Agnes Tachyon x Reader (Familia) (Male & Female Reader)

SUMMARY: (Y/N), their stoic yet caring elder sibling, is their trainer.

Between you and her mother, Daiwa saw both of you as examples to live by. Growing up she was obsessed with being like you. She’d follow you around, imitate you, and try to help you in any way possible; a large part of that admiration came from her seeking approval. Daiwa wanted to show everyone that she was number one.

So when she raced for the very first time, and she saw her stoic elder sibling gazing at her in shock as she crossed the finish line in first place…that was when Daiwa knew she had be a racer. You, who was studying to be a trainer, would be her ally in her dream towards being number one; you called her egotistical to her face when she declared such, which led to her stubbornly throwing a tantrum and ignoring you; but she never gave up on that dream.

She set the path to Tracen Academy and when accepted, Daiwa wasted no time demanding you be her trainer when she enrolled. The scene would seem like an alternate reality to anyone who knew Daiwa as the honor student she pretended to be; but you knew her better. She had a fire in her that burned brightly. One that if watered down would just grow into an even brighter flame; ignoring her would mean risking her getting hurt, and you loved your little sister too much to risk that. So you begrudgingly gave in.

Daiwa grew up admiring you, but she also grew an attitude towards being nice to you; she secretly loved it every time you praised her for a good day of training. But letting you know that meant showing a nicer side to her “bully” (in her mind) of an older sibling. Her ears always betrayed her though, showing her happiness from praise and her sadness from a scolding, usually whenever she tried to sneak in extra training.

Helping her everyday was another way of showing you cared. You never showed much emotion, but you always kept track of what Daiwa liked and disliked, her health, her emotions, even her hobbies ever since she was little. Plus she was so clingy that it became routine for you to help her get ready for school; you could tell she was aching to relive those memories after you had moved onto Tracen Academy, so you helped her brush her hair and tail, maintain her running shoes, and help her with studying every day; what you didn’t know is that Daiwa wrote about how happy those actions made her in her diary whenever she had the chance.

“Alright Daiwa, ready for the Oka Sho?” (Y/N) asked her, looking over the training regimen planned for the next few months.

Daiwa huffed, puffing out her chest, “Obviously! You’ve been training me for this race for forever. I, Daiwa Scarlet, will take home the crown and pave my way towards being a Triple Tiara record holder~”. She proudly boasted, waiting for her siblings approval, ears twitching wildly.

“Mhm. Second place is first place for losers by the way.”

They flattened. “HUH?! YOU’VE GOT SOME NERVE!” Daiwa shouted from the top of her lungs, eyes daring to prickle with tears as she crossed her arms. “You’re always so mean before I race.”

(Y/N) patted her head, eyes softer than usual. “Because you’re always the hardest on yourself.”

“Huh?” Daiwa froze.

“Every night you study to be the top student. And every day you train to be the best runner. You never break the regime, you never allow yourself to falter, and you never compromise; it’s endearing…but I don’t want you to shoulder that responsibility alone, both as your family and trainer.”

Daiwa stared at her sibling, tears drying away as she fiddled with her hands.

“I want you to let me be the harsher one as your trainer, so that you can be kinder to yourself. Because I love you and your dream.”

Now she was getting whiplash from that. “But you made fun of me for it all those years ago!”

(Y/N) held Daiwa’s hand with a firm grip, a smile so bright, brighter than the one she saw after winning her first race.

“I’ve devoted more time into being a trainer just so that you could live that dream. The day you told me you wanted me to be your trainer, I was so happy I couldn’t contain myself. Your statement was arrogant, but it was because your passion was too bright to filter itself; and it was that passion that has driven me to being the trainer standing before you now.“

“Then…,” Daiwa cleared her throat, striking her signature pose, “walk behind me. And watch me as I take first place. For us.”

Falcon had wanted to be an umadol for as long as she could remember. Dancing on that stage as her adoring fans would cheer her on. It was her biggest dream. Even before she could race, Falcon would dance even when there was no crowd to cheer. And the reason she never gave up was thanks to you, her number one supporter; the one face she could easily spot from a mile away.

Despite always having the same blank face, you cheered her on every single one of Falcon’s “concerts”. Waving light sticks, doing the same dance routine she stayed up late practicing till her feet hurt. She honestly wished you were born an umamusume so you could both perform together on the big stage; but seeing you cheer her on in the crowd was good enough.

Another bonus was having a sibling that was also a trainer. You understood her wants and needs on a level only family could understand; Falcon thought this meant not having to worry about studying as much so she could focus on good publicity and looking cute, but she was quickly reminded of why you always had better grades than her; your strictness was worse than Eishin’s. She had to memorize all her studies, and if she failed? No screen time for the whole day!

As tortuous as the training was for her, Falcon knew you were just as deeply passionate about her racing as she was. From the moment she debuted and had merch, you would buy each one. A whole shelf in your room aligned with her merch, newspaper clippings of her newest achievements. Every time she snuck a peek at it, Falcon felt like trying even harder. She was desperate to prove not just to her fans, but to you, that she was an amazing umadol worth cheering on.

Sometimes she’d get in a petty disagreement with you and skip practice to dance by the riverbank. Yet the next day when she’d see you, still working on her schedule, fixing her shoes and race outfit, Falcon would run up immediately and hug you; she always felt bad about causing more trouble for you, yet never once did you blame her for it. It was moments like those that made Falcon wish you weren’t stoic; that you’d just get angry so she wouldn’t feel as guilty for making you work so much more.

“Falcon?…,” (Y/N) called out into the dance studio. There she sat, leaned up against the wall and fast asleep. She snored softly as drool dripped down her lips. (Y/N) sighed and pulled out a handkerchief, wiping away her drool.

Falcon stirred at the movement, opening one eye slowly as she yawned. “Ah, (Y/N)?” She lazily grabbed her phone, the flashing light temporarily blinding her as the time reflected on her eyes.

Two whole hours late for their meeting.

She shot up instantly, “I’m so sorry! I was practicing my dancing one moment, and then I got tired so I thought a short nap would be good…,” Falcon said while avoiding eye contact.

A soft flick to her ear knocked her out of it. “Ouch! I already said sorry!”

(Y/N) took out a packet with clear wear and tear, each page annotated to the brim. Falcon glanced at it, her eyes lighting up as she perused each word. Documents on her physique, current health, as well as a list of the best venues for her to perform at in her free time.

“You…,” her sentence was left unfinished as she gazed at her elder sibling; (Y/N)’s eyes had clear bags underneath, yet it was as if there was no exhaustion anywhere else. “…I’ll try harder. I promise.”

(Y/N) smirked, followed by an audible chuckle. “I know. Let’s try again tomorrow, okay?”

Falcon watched as her sibling left the room, her phone background catching her attention; a photo of (Y/N) and Falcon celebrating her second place victory. “I’ll win next time…,”

“I promise,” She said with a clenched fist.

Ever since she was little Rice just wanted to make people smile. She was the happiest child her family had ever seen; that was until she began to associate herself with misfortune. She believed herself to be the reason you were late to a job interview, or why mom got sick, dad got injured, etcetera. It was her darkest moments growing up. For so long she wanted to be surrounded by friends, yet the thought of bringing harm weighed down a heavy guilt for such a young child.

She even blamed herself for the reason you never smiled. You always cared for your younger sister, reading Rice her favorite book as a bedtime story, drawing with her, and protecting her from the “ghosts” in the hallways at night. But Rice always felt like there was a wall between you two; you were strict with her at times, and it wasn’t easy on her already believing herself to be the cause of everyone’s pain; even when you said you loved her, Rice’s ears would droop. How could someone love a mistake?

It was hard on you to be expressive. You weren’t used to having to show so much emotion just to get a point across, but you weren’t ignorant to how Rice’s mood was. You tried to make it as plainly obvious as possible that she never caused you, or anyone, any misfortune. But it always fell on deaf ears. She was extra timid around you, as Rice didn’t want to risk losing you in her life; as selfish as she felt for thinking it, she didn’t want you to ever leave her side as her older sibling.

Rice could still remember the days when she was younger, clinging to your side like a leech. Your love and warmth was unparalleled. She was determined to fix the problems she believed her jinx caused. If she could be a hero that brought happiness like the blue rose…then maybe she could finally earn your love again; maybe she could finally make you smile.

And so Rice sought out Tracen Academy and she passed with flying colors. She worked extra hard, training more than others just to get scouted. Never would she had thought her own sibling would seek her out. It made her heart jump with joy. Maybe you didn’t resent her? Maybe she was already making progress on ridding herself of her misfortune? She fought back tears as she accepted your help.

Loud sniffles echoed from behind the school. They got louder down the trail into the woods. Clear choking and gasps for air as the wailing grew more severe. (Y/N) ran faster down the trail, only stopping moments before in front of her.

Rice, hunched over under a tree, gripping a single blue rose so tightly her knuckles were white. Her tears steamed down her face like waterfalls. And her eyes turned puffy, red around the edges, from all the crying.

Her tail slowly swayed from side to side, like it was too much effort just to move even slightly.

(Y/N) trotted over, kneeling down in front of her. Her tears were too thick, blocking her vision and making everything blurred. “Tra-trainer…,” her voice was strained, words drawn out and muddled.

“Rice.” (Y/N) handed her a bread roll, encouraging her to eat it. “You’ll feel better. You haven’t had breakfast, right?”

She nodded her head, gently grabbing the roll and eating it. She took bigger bites than usual, the clear frustration seeping out of her.

“I…,” she started as her tears welled up again, crumbs hanging on the sides of her mouth, “I just wanted to make you happy! I won…but I still lost! I’m such a failure! I hate myself!”

(Y/N) fought back tears, instead opting to move next to Rice and hold her tightly.

“It’s because of my jinx. I always bring bad things around…,” she wiped away her tears, “If I was never born—”

“Stop.” (Y/N)’s own voice was hoarse. Rice looked up at her elder sibling in shock. She’d never heard such a clear sign of discomfort from (Y/N) before. She saw her own reflection in those glossy eyes, her own voice growing weaker as she gazed further.

“Bourbon congratulated you. Mom and dad were so proud of you. Seeing you win that race was the most exciting moment of my life.”

Rice fiddled with the rose in her hand. “I’m happy my misfortune let up just once so you could all be happy. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.” She forced out a smile. The intent was true, but the pain behind it made it vile.

“Rice,” (Y/N) grabbed her by the shoulders tightly, forcing Rice to pay attention, “never once in my life have I ever regretted loving you. Not before. Not now. Not ever.”

She fought back more tears. “That’s not fair….”

“I don’t care what I have to do, say, or achieve to make you see it; Rice. You are the most beautiful painting I have ever seen. And I’m so happy to be here with you, helping you reach ever further, and becoming even brighter.”

“(Y/N),” she said breathlessly.

“Life was so dull to me before our parents gave me the greatest gift of all: you. Rice…you are my hero, and I want you to start seeing that in yourself too.”

(Y/N) held out a pinky, waiting for her to follow suit. After she did, they both slowly smiled at one another, the sun shining down on them.

“Together. I want us to learn to love ourselves, and each other, all over again. Together.”

She wiped away her last tear.

“Okay!”

A renowned trainer was the common occupation for any member of the Mejiro family that didn’t, or couldn’t, race at Tracen. Your parents were ready to accept a trainer as their only child until they later decided to have Mcqueen. Their reason was for you to train her as the next pride of the Mejiro family name. Your schooling, which was already grueling enough work, became even more so after McQueen’s birth.

McQueen always felt exhilarated at the thought of you being her trainer. She worked hard, studying race history, strategy, and even nutrition to be as helpful as possible. There was a part of her that worried your path in life of being her step towards glory for the family made you resentful. Yet despite your stoic attitude, you never treated McQueen with disdain; in fact it took her a while to realize you actually spoiled her.

She hadn’t paid much mind to it until she realized how strict you could be with others. Yes, you were with her as well. But you let McQueen get away with more. You let her have the occasional sweet treat despite being on a diet. And she didn’t have to tense her ears constantly standing straight around you. She could talk to you over tea, day, afternoon, or night about sports as much as she wanted.

However even with your strict nature, due to your lack of enthusiasm about all other things Mejiro, you were seriously lacking in proper decorum. Thus McQueen felt it was her own responsibility to help train you to be a proper face for the family; because long after she graduates from training, you’d still be a trainer. And with her as your first proper trainee, you’d have an incredible head start in the world of training.

So in the end you both took care of each other. She taught you things like table manners, walking form etiquette, and proper grammar. Meanwhile you did all the things McQueen was too embarrassed to even let her cousins know about; checking her temperature before races because she always managed to overheat from nerves, making sure she got enough sleep after constantly waking herself up from sleep talking, and helping her keep an eye on her weight when her usual outfit becomes slightly too tight. Just promise to keep her safe from Gold Ship’s teasing and you’re fine to see all her “unladylike” sides.

Together they sat in (Y/N)’s office, revising over McQueen’s summer training for her upcoming race. McQueen took another sip of her tea, the smell so sweet it made her tail swish.

(Y/N) looked at the measurements again and again, sneaking glances at McQueen every so often. Eventually the stares started to tick her off, a tap of her finger on the table signaling such.

“Uhm…sis.”

“Yes, (Y/N)?” She had a picture perfect smile, but her nerves weren’t as calm as they seemed. Her training had been great. And with the Tenno Sho on the way there wasn’t any room for error. “Is there a problem?” Her ears drooped at even mentioning the possibility.

(Y/N) took a large sip from a soda can, face blank yet sweating all over.

“…have you…been stress eating?”

…

…

“I gained weight again?!” McQueen shouted, her legs kicking and stomping as she grabbed at her stomach.

(Y/N) strode up and gave her a supportive pat on the shoulder. “It’s nothing bad, but it might make it harder to maintain your current strategy; we’ll need to accommodate for how easy your body gains weight if you’re going to win.”

McQueen didn’t cry, she wasn’t that upset after all. But it did frustrate her. She had gotten comfortable with (Y/N)’s training; they hadn’t lost a single race since her debut. And winning the Tenno Sho was her absolute dream. She shouldn’t have eaten so many celebratory carrot cupcakes.

McQueen took a deep breath, her posture straightened as she smiled with her eyes.

“Don’t worry (Y/N). I trust you completely, so let’s work towards our victory together.”

(Y/N) smiled back, “Sure thing, Mackie.”

Your stoicism was rather dormant for a while. That didn’t mean you were chipper, but you also at least reacted more to the things around you; that changed after Tachyon was born. She was exceptionally bright for a toddler. So bright in fact that when you were tasked with brushing her hair and accidentally grazed her ear that she bit you. Hard. When you screamed in pain she laughed and mimicked you for hours. That was also the last day she ever referred to you as (Y/N); you were now her “guinea pig”.

Tachyon took great joy is researching you; and she hated it whenever anyone interrupted that research. She’d spend days studying the simplest things about you and your reactions, so when you started to become more stoic, Tachyon nearly went through a mental breakdown. How would she satisfy her hunger for knowledge now? That led to her journey towards the study of umamusume and their max potential. Her room became a cave and she barely left it. As a trainer and her older sibling, even with Tachyon’s eccentricities you still felt personally responsible for her well being.

You decided to force her to keep her room clean, eat properly, get good sleep, and everything else. She threatened to bite you. You decided to keep her room clean, make her meals, and everything else necessary. Though you did occasionally get your revenge by giving her bitter tea and candy. This gave Tachyon to brilliant idea to become your trainee once she entered Tracen Academy. You’d be her easy out of school work so that she could get a up close and personal study on the other umamusume. Naturally you told her without doing proper work or racing that she’d be expelled, so she begrudgingly agreed to do some racing to avoid the trouble.

Her legs, while capable, were more delicate than others. It made training her for races more complicated, so you had to resort to the long game; making sure she could preserve enough stamina to unleash a full throttle sprint at the end. Tachyon didn’t mind the plan since it allowed her to spend more energy on her research. In fact she could get away with all nighters if it meant keeping up with the regime. Unfortunately she overestimated her mental strength and collapsed before her debut race.

After that Tachyon had to deal with your strictness at an all time high. No screens at night left her lying awake, and no sweets whenever she broke that rule made her suffer from “withdrawals”. It was easier to give in and so she did. Tachyon did enjoy the pandering after she finally let you take care of her though. She never ran out of sweets with her tea, and her clothes were always the right size. Since you were her sibling she allowed you to cut her hair whenever it got too long, something she now no longer had to stress about on her already packed schedule.

Muffled chattering echoed from the other side of her door. Tachyon ignored it, her tail hairs standing as kept getting idea after idea from her recent work.

“Too much sodium chloride (“Tachyon”) and the medicine becomes stale…” the corners of her eyes tinged red from the lack of sleep. She was really giving into her bad habits due to her injured leg.

It all happened after her victory in the Satsuki Sho. (Y/N) noticed her running pattern and style was lacking. She was more out of breath than usual and kept leaning on one side at a given time.

Her leg was injured, a pulled tendon, and it left her unable to race the Japanese Derby. It was unfortunate, but her sibling’s swift response avoided an otherwise permanent suspension from racing.

(“Tachyon!!!”)

Tachyon wouldn’t have minded much; she certainly didn’t care for racing. But it would still have been an undesirable outcome. She was having fun, even if she wouldn’t admit it outright.

“…Ah. All these thoughts (“TACHYON!”) are distracting me. I need a recharge—guinea pig! I’m hungry!” It was until she finally turned away from her lab table that she realized a buzzing bee had been at her door for a while. “Oh.”

She unlocked the door, and in fell (Y/N), who had been waiting impatiently for her to open up.

“It’s time for your physical therapy—”

“Feed me.”

Tachyon stared at (Y/N), mouth open as she pointed towards the makeshift kitchen.

A blood vessel nearly popped from (Y/N)’s head.

“Ugh, fine. But don’t lock the door again or else it’s bitter food for the rest of the month.”

Tachyon shivered as a cold sweat ran down her back. She curled into the nearby couch, clutching the pillows as she massaged her ankle. “I can’t believe I have such an evil guinea pig.”

…

“….This is literally my room.”

- Fin

[takusan-no-ai]

★·.·`¯´·.Shinobi No Mono.·`¯´·.·★

Rappa-Jitsu!

Nin Nin Interview

[takusan-no-ai]

Nin Nin Interview

PAIRING: Yelan x Male Reader (Romantic) (Fluff)

SUMMARY: Yelan investigates (Y/N), a ninja she believes to be a spy, only for them to start dating.

The work life in Inazuma was pretty cruel. Things were better now, but you still remember the countless hungry nights and deadly mission you went on just to get some mora. Being a ninja was a thankless job most of time, and for good reason; you wouldn’t want your enemies knowing your identity after all.

As a young bachelor just looking to go through life one step at a time as a ninja, all it took was waking up with a single gray hair one day for you to put the nail in the coffin; no more tireless effort! You counted your savings, made some deals with Beidou, and set sail for Liyue. It sure seemed to be a hotspot for vacation! (Natlan was too expensive)

The spice in the air grabbed at your stomach the moment you walked off the port. The sweet aroma of food controlling your feet and leading you towards Wanmin Restaurant. Your stomach growled furiously as you got close; it had been weeks since you last ate anything, and though it didn’t bother you before, being suddenly surrounded by the rich delicacies of Liyue awakened your appetite.

“Wow! It’s been a long time since we’ve had such a hungry customer.” Xiangling cheered as she brought over a large bowl of Bamboo Shoot Soup. The table was already filled with a large quantity of food, most of which was wolfed down; and yet he kept eating more.

“Yeah. I’ve been meaning to vacay for a while now, and I’m gonna make the most of it here in Liyue.” (Y/N) said as he leaned back in his chair, already preparing to scarf down the last dish. “After this I’ll probably explore some.”

Xiangling placed down the bowl as she thought for a moment. “I know some people who could give you a decent tour of Liyue! I especially know a friend who also devours food as much as you do.” She wrote down the traveler and Paimon’s name on a piece of paper, handing it to (Y/N). “I’m sure you’ve probably heard of them before; they’re real nice so don’t be afraid to hit them up!”

(Y/N) looked over the names. Sure enough, he recognized them; traveler and Paimon, two old friends from back when he used to hang with the Arataki Gang. “Hm. I think I will.”

As he said that, (Y/N) felt a presence. It was stalking him; it had been since he got off the port. Their intentions were unknown to him, but the determination to keep watch was evident.

Hiding behind a corner stood Yelan. She pulled out her hand mirror, opening it and using the reflection to spy on (Y/N). “Nefer, are you really that bold?” She closed the mirror and fled the scene, taking mental notes of (Y/N).

“You really think you can just infiltrate Liyue so casually? This will be fun.”

You could’ve spent more time binge eating at restaurants around Liyue, but there were so many sights to see! It’d be a waste to spend too much time eating. Being a ninja often meant having to survive through grueling conditions, so your gut was strong like iron and your metabolism high as the mountains; doing extensive physical labor after a hearty meal was a regular afternoon for you.

Yelan spent the next few days tailing you and it was an understatement to say she was…confused. You definitely were a criminal at the least; leaving graffiti everywhere you went, even the mountains, while swiftly avoiding the millelith and the adepti. Normally Yelan would intervene and have you arrested, but this would be the first time Nefer sent a ninja; she couldn’t risk losing the valuable information you carried.

Though over the days she watched you, Yelan could feel herself wanting that same fun too. Your free spirited personality certainly added a charm to her day, even if she was going to arrest you; perhaps in another life you’d be her friend. Maybe even her boyfriend. Until then, she’d continue to subconsciously enjoy watching you rock out with Xinyan as she studied your daily routine.

Another day, another hour spent watching that ninja eat.

“And here I thought you were going to explore Liyue, yet you still haven’t made it to Chenyu Vale.” Yelan remarked to herself as she watched (Y/N). He seemed to be strangely patient today. He didn’t eat his food nearly as fast, and was in fact willing to wait longer to order. “Who are you waiting for?”

“Probably us?” Paimon chimed in. Yelan turned around, not at all fazed by the sudden appearance of her friends. Rather, it was what they said that intrigued her.

“Oh, he’s waiting for you? Then perhaps you could introduce us?” Yelan smiled. Her eyes didn’t seem all that bright though, something the traveler and Paimon noted.

“Uh, (Y/N)’s not caught up in some trouble, is he?” The traveler asked, looking about as skeptical as Paimon.

Yelan’s smile shifted into a smirk, “We’ll see,” Yelan said as she walked ahead, not waiting for their response. Together they strolled up to (Y/N), each sitting down at the table. His smile turned into one of confusion as he stared at Yelan.

“There’s no doubt in my mind: his ninja identity is an act. I’ll get the traveler to break that ruse and then arrest him.” Yelan thought, her mind clear as she toyed with the dice in her hand.

The discussion finally came into her mind as the topic shifted to herself and (Y/N).

“And this is Yelan. She’s a friend of ours.“ Paimon introduced her whilst Yelan took notice in how (Y/N)’s mood never shifted from the carefree attitude he would previously display.

“Oh. Well it’s nice to meet ya! Though I’d say this probably wasn’t our first meeting.” (Y/N) said as he scratched the back of his head, offering Yelan his menu. “Want something sweet? You’re looking a little tired.”

Pushing aside the confused faces from the duo at their supposed first meeting, Yelan’s ears perked at his remark.

“I was aware he knew he was being watched, but not that he knew it was me specifically.” She cleared her throat, opening her hand mirror as she shook her head. “No thank you. I prefer spice over sweets. Anything you can recommend?”

No wonder he asked if she was tired; those bags under her eyes weren’t exactly subtle. She’ll have to make sure to get more sleep later.

“On that note,” Yelan started as (Y/N) glanced through the spicy section, “you’re lucky I don’t rat you out right now; graffiti is still considered vandalism, you know.” She provoked him, causing (Y/N) gulp.

He looked away sheepishly. First, at his friends for some backup, though they just shook their heads in disapproval. Then at Yelan with pleading eyes. “Ah—well—ya know…hahaha. I was just trying to let loose. I haven’t been on vaca in a while and I guess I got a little overexcited; I’ll pay for any damages!”

…well that was dull. “He’s actually…somewhat normal?” Yelan couldn’t let him get away without finding out something. Anything.

Perhaps it was time to go all out.

“Do you know Nefer?” That caught traveler and Paimon’s attention, both of whom quickly read the room and decided to make themselves scarce. Yelan felt bad for scaring them away, but work came first; she’d make it up to them later though.

“Who?”

“Ugh.” Yelan let slip her frustration, having to fight back the urge to cover her face. Her eyes were aching from exhaustion, and now she was going to have to face the fact that the guy she’d been tailing for the almost a week might’ve been a regular ninja and not a spy for Nefer. “Well that’s it I guess. If there’s one thing I’m always certain of, it’s my ability to read people. And those eyes of yours tells me everything I need to know; you’re innocent.”

She prepared to get up, but was quickly stopped by (Y/N) himself. He gently grasped her hand, kindly guiding her to sit back down. “You really are tired.” He said. “I don’t really know exactly what you’re talking about, but it can’t be worth putting your health at that much of a risk.”

Yelan chuckled. “Trust me. If your work is anything like mine, you’ll understand.” She rubbed her temple, her head still throbbing.

He once again gently held her hand, this time offering to help her stand. “Then how about you take a short break. I know the perfect spot for a quick nap.”

Yelan starred at him in slight surprise. In her short time of studying him, she’d never seen (Y/N) act so soft before. It took her a second to register his kind offer, and with her head currently in shambles, she reluctantly accepted his offer.

“Sure. I could use a nap.”

That was the start of your relationship with Yelan. It was just a simple, yet intense, first meeting. And yet it led to you growing attached to her. You followed her around more often ever since she stopped tailing you. Mostly to have a quick chat, but often times Yelan would just let you prattle on and on as she watched you with a smile.

She felt closer to you than most other people she knew. Perhaps it was due to your persistence in becoming friendly with her; Yelan didn’t mind however, instead finding your presence to be calming. A shock to anyone who knew you both considered how loud your personality was. But what they didn’t know was how on her off days, just relaxing and being carefree by your side was the best thing to look forward to. You took the stress out of places she didn’t even know it existed; and that’s what led to you dating each other.

Work life didn’t wait for romance though. Yelan still had to work often, spending countless hours operating in the shadows. Her condition made it to where she was forced to take things at a slower, more precise pace. But that only made the work longer. And you, her loving boyfriend, missed her more and more; so you popped up during her missions to hang out; offering her snacks, books, games, or even just idle chatter.

She was never offended by your clinginess; in fact Yelan found it to be very endearing. But work was important. Especially when it often put the safety of Liyue on the line. So against her heart, Yelan would shoo you away whenever she was too busy to relax with you. But that didn’t stop you. Because if finishing the job was so important, then why not simply interfere and finish it up for her?

“C’mon man! Hurry it up before that damn chick finds us.” One treasure hunter said to his fellow conman. A large group of goons they were, stacking up piles upon piles of counterfeit mora onto a wagon.

The bigger man gritted his teeth. “Yeah, yeah! I’ve heard enough of your yapping already! Just keep a look out like you’re supposed to and boss just might give you a promotion.”

The two continued to bicker as the others planned their route and cleaned up their hideout. None were wise to the figure lurking in the shadows.

He moved swiftly, crawling on the roof of the small room like a spider. His existence drowned out by the commotion of the two men scuffling.

Like a fox he swiped away their documents, maps, and actual mora; the last he begrudgingly decided to turn in as “evidence” after changing his mind on pocketing it.

He left as if he was never there to begin with.

“And like that those no-good-doers went mad as they realized they had no funds, identification, or guidance to get to their boss’s new hideout!” (Y/N) happily recounted his escapade to Yelan. She looked over the evidence and information he brought her, eyes wide before she regained composure.

Slowly she grasped her beloved’s face before smiling abashedly. “I have to admit…this is a first; I’ve never had a guy go so far for me. And all this just so we could—what was it again?”

(Y/N) grinned cheekily.

“So I could go on a date with my Lany!”

- Fin

[takusan-no-ai]

Her Bestest Love

PAIRING: Haru Urara x Male Reader (Romantic) (Fluff)

SUMMARY: (Y/N), the youngest trainer ever, always supports his trainee, Haru.

“Eh, so that’s him, huh?” One trainer whispered to another. The clique watched as the young boy gazed at the races on track. His eyes bright and full of wonder as the wind brushed past him, the gust nearly blowing him away. The sheer speed at which the girls ran was enough to make even light jealous.

“He must be here scout out some trainees for later; considering he’s a prodigy, any uma lucky enough to catch his glance and hold it will be unstoppable.” The trainers hovered around the boy, (Y/N), watching him with heavy hearts; some feared that his genius would make it impossible for their own trainees to win, whilst others felt the challenge would elevate their own careers if they remained on top.

A larger gust of wind interrupted their conversation, the intensity causing a hanafubuki to cloud everyone’s vision.

Further away a pair of pink ears twitched in the wind. “Wow! King! Look at the sky, it’s so pretty.” Haru cheered as the sakura petals danced in the breeze, some falling down and tickling her nose.

Yet Haru’s words fell on deaf ears.

“Hmm? King, what are you looking at?” Haru questioned her, bobbing in place as she eagerly awaited her roommate’s response. The young lady snapped out of it, finally returning her attention to Haru.

“Ah, nothing. I was curious about that trainer over there. He’s a real hot shot around here lately.” King answered with a flip to her hair as she smiled. “This is your chance to get scouted by someone Haru, so make sure to try your best. Okay?” King encouraged her.

Haru nodded, boxing the air. “Yeah! I’m gonna punch out the competition and win this time!” She paused for a moment, hand scratching her hair as her smile morphed into a goofy grin. “Maybe that trainer will scout me!” She cheered as she walked off to her starting gate.

King hummed with a curious expression. “Well he is the youngest trainer to ever be admitted into Tracen Academy. I can only wonder what his expectations are,” she twirled her hair, letting out a haughty laugh as she strode towards the viewing stands, “but nonetheless, my dear Haru Urara is a first-rate uma like me!”

Within the stands stood (Y/N) as he peered at each and every racer. “So many…I hope one will accept my partnership…,” his voice drowned out in the sea of chatter as the announcer spoke.

Off they ran, each girl getting into position as the lead set the pace. Yet in the far back was Haru Urara.

“Hm?” As the mile continued on the sure victors became more certain, yet there was one girl who ran further ahead by an even larger margin: Smart Falcon. Agnes Digital was hot on her tail, but the girl didn’t give up, keeping the lead. (Y/N) watched with baited breath as the race came to a finish, each runner slowing down as they passed the line.

He immediately made his move, walking towards the track. As other trainers were already running over to Falcon and Digital, some stayed back in confusion. “Who is he running to? All the best racers have already been surrounded.”

Haru hunched over, hands on her knees as she huffed from exhaustion. Trying to keep up with the pack was difficult, but the race was just so…

“…Fun! It sucks to lose, but at least I had fun.” Haru smiled, content with her placing dead last. A small shadow blocked the sun shining down on her. “Huh? You’re…,”

“Excuse me,” he smiled, extending out his hand to the young racer, eyes sparkling like stars as he blushed, “your smile as you ran, the sheer determination; that indomitable will. Haru Urara, may you please be my trainee?” (Y/N) asked her.

“Huh?” Everyone said in unison. Even the other racers were shocked. The youngest trainer ever wanted to recruit the trainee with the least wins ever?

“He’ll learn someday.”

“Poor guy is setting them both up for failure.”

“At the end of the day he’s still too green.”

Yet those words drowned out. The pair stared at one another, each own eyes glowing brighter by the second. Haru grasped his hand, shaking it excitedly as she jumped up and down.

“Yeah! Let’s race together and win a bunch!”

(Y/N) chuckled, “Technically you’d be the one racing, Haru.”

She blanked. “Oh yeah. Well then I’ll just race lots so we that can both win together!”

…

Sparks of dust trampled the air, the smell suffocating yet fresh. Haru ran around the track as fast as she could. The dirt stuck to her face, the ground tired her legs, yet she kept running. In the flash of an eye she unleashed her final spurt of strength, crossing the finish.

(Y/N) ran up to her, water bottle and stopwatch in hand. “Great job out there Haru,” he said while handing her the bottle, “you even beat your best time. You’ll be winning before you know it!”

Haru stopped sipping down her water, staring blankly at (Y/N)’s smiling face. For some reason she’d get this nervous feeling every time he smiled at her; it was especially weird since she never felt that way when they first met. And yet since completing her junior year, Haru can’t help feeling that way.

(Y/N)’s eyes widen as he rummaged through his shirt pocket. He pulled out a small pin, handing it to Haru. “It’s matching with mine. Think of it as good luck! I’ll be cheering you on in your next race Haru!” She looked down at the pin; it was a Hello Kitty design, giving her a thumbs up.

She jumped around happily, her tail spinning fast. “I love it! Thank you so much trainer.” Haru gave him a hug, her smile starting to hurt her face. She’d been smiling so much more than usual lately.

…

The day of her race came; her first grade three, the Unicorn Stakes. She was pretty nervous, sweating from her hair as her hands shook. The crowd wasn’t that large, but it was enough to still be daunting. Haru never felt this way before a race; she was usually super-duper excited!

A tap on her shoulder brought Haru back to her senses. King Halo, Rice Shower, and (Y/N) surrounded her, each giving her encouraging grins.

“You’ve got this Haru!” Rice said.

“We’ll all be cheering you on, so be sure to listen for us.” King said.

(Y/N) walked up, encompassing Haru’s hands in his. She could feel her heart beating wildly in anticipation. But of what? The race, or his words?

“No matter what we’ll always be proud of you, so make sure to have fun.”

Her ears perked up, determination filling her. Haru knew they wanted her to just have fun, to not worry about the results. Not because they doubted her, but because they knew what she cared about most.

But her feelings were changing. Just running didn’t feel fulfilling enough. The words of her friends trying to motivate her were nice, but just running didn’t feel like she was giving enough back.

Haru’s trainer stayed up day and night to come up with the perfect plan for her. He found ways to turn her short attention span into a routine; he took her out for carrot ice cream after every milestone.

And he never stopped believing in her.

And now Haru was going to make the most of that belief.

…

“Five lengths in the lead is Smart Falcon! Smart Falcon is in the lead as they round the final corner. Oguri Cap is putting on the pressure with a surprising surge to the front!”

The announcer’s voice echoed in Haru’s ears. Her legs were shaking, the dirt track was nearly blinding her vision, and her breathing was giving out. She wasn’t dead last, but the lead was growing larger by the second.

“I can’t lose. I promised them…I promised trainer—”

“Hmm? Haru? You’re still out here running?” (Y/N) questioned his trainee. “I hope you’re not overworking yourself.” Haru stopped in her tracks, ears flattening on her head.

“It’s not that,” she started, her gaze turning to the sky as she smiled, “I just want to make all the people believing in me proud. My friends, my family, …and you.”

(Y/N) held back a gasp as Haru turned to him, her face turning pink. “For you, that’s a promise (Y/N)! I’ll take first place no matter what!”

He smiled back, “Then for you, Haru, I promise to always celebrate every victory; because to me, you’ll always be number one.”

With tears in her eyes, Haru kept fighting to surge forward.

“Smart Falcon is losing speed, falling into third. Oguri Cap takes the lead with two lengths. Followed by Taiki Shuttle in second!”

“I can’t…I can’t do it. I’m going to lose again.” Her voice became muffled and coarse, tears streaming down her face. “I failed—”

“HARU!” Their voices rang out. But the one she heard most was his. “HARU URARA! YOU’VE GOT THIS! WE BELIEVE IN YOU!”

Not just him. King, Rice, her classmates, her family, the folks she always helped at the market. All of them were there cheering her on.

“your smile as you ran, the sheer determination; that indomitable will.”

She scrunched her face, strength reignited in her legs.

“Haru Urara, may you please be my trainee?”

“AHHHH!” Haru screamed as she ran ahead, zooming past the others. The final stretch drew close, each runner’s place finally cemented in stone.

“I’ll never give up!”

“Taiki Shuttle falls in third! Haru Urara surges forward, leaving a dust of wind! Oguri Cap puts on the pressure! The final push is coming! Oguri Cap stays in the lead, but Haru Urara is right behind her! Can she overtake her?!”

“I want to win…because—!”

“Haru Urara takes the lead! The finish is almost there! Haru Urara keeps going forward, by one length, two lengths, three lengths! It’s Haru Urara! Haru Urara is in the lead!”

“Because I love you!”

She crossed the finish line in first place.

The cheers from the crowd were overwhelming. Her senses were overstimulated. But she still stood, searching the crowd for his smile.

Their eyes locked onto each other, both still in disbelief at her victory.

(Y/N) smiled once again, shouting his congrats to her.

“I knew you could do it!”

Haru’s face was tired, and her legs were ready to give out. Her eyes were red and puffy. Yet she still mustered the strength to smile back, her face flushing from both exhaustion and happiness.

“I kept my promise!”

- Fin

[takusan-no-ai]

Power-Fluff Girls

PAIRING: Zhao x Female Reader (Familia) (Fluff)

SUMMARY: (Y/N) is one of Zhao’s many identical sisters within Krampus.

Zhao had many siblings growing up, many who were and weren’t related to her. Most were sisters, whom Zhao wasn’t all that close to despite largely working with in Krampus. Though there was one sister she loved: (Y/N). You were her best friend since birth. Being identical meant it was easy to get each other in trouble for your own benefit, yet you never did that to any of your sisters; and you always defended Zhao when she was falsely accused.

Trust wasn’t something easy to come by in her line of work. When she was a child, Zhao didn’t trust you even, despite loving you dearly; she’d been hurt enough times by others. Kicked to the curb, left starving, always trying to prove her worth so she wouldn’t be abandoned. It often led to time being spent appeasing others rather than bonding with you; something she regretted as she matured.

Yet when everyone else would discard Zhao the moment she was no longer needed, you never left. Her favorite sister and her best friend, wherever Zhao went—you went. You fed each other, kept each other warm during the cold nights, and basked in the sweet aroma of greenery to recharge. Having such devoted kindness from her sister, someone she abandoned, and being expected of nothing in return sent Zhao spiraling.

Having so many identical sisters often meant taking on jobs for each other when someone was preoccupied; you mostly worked alongside Zhao, taking on jobs that required being in two places at once. She thought of it as a fun game of who could be the most like “Zhao”. It added a fun element to an otherwise boring and predictable workload.

Things weren’t always bad with her other sisters though, and so that meant family gatherings at least once a year. You’d rent out a private room in Yum Cha Sin, a dinner party acting as a smoke screen for what was really an intel gathering; sharing info with each other to further help on the job. Because despite most of your sisters putting themselves first, they all needed to work together to get a good paycheck.

Having someone so similar to her is nice. Whenever Zhao wants to try a new look out she’d have you model for her; and naturally she’d do the same for you if you asked. However you’d have to shop for clothes separately as everyone within Failume Heights is aware of Zhao, and seeing two in one place would be a big problem.

Sometimes Zhao gets a bit snippy, especially during the summer and winter; the changing seasons really affected both of your coats and sinuses, causing loads of shedding and sneezing. It was during those moments that Zhao would jump between not wanting to be near you and needing a snuggle pile just to sleep.

She can’t help but keep up appearances even on her days off. It’s fairly often that Zhao will order a hearty meal of meat, just for you to order her a meal of veggies and eat the meat dish yourself. Unfortunately your love for eating meat often leads to those Zhao has connections with offering her meat whenever exchanging intel; she supposed it was a natural consequence of having an identical sister in all ways besides tastebuds.

At the end of it all Zhao would easily say you were her favorite sister. The person she confided in most; one of the few people who she actually felt excited to talk to. You may wonder why she liked you so much with the way Zhao believed life was all about give and take. And she’d always say that despite her fear of being abandoned, of being useless to everyone else, that she could always know the fear would never reside when with you. Because to Zhao your existence wasn’t one that needed reasoning to love.

- Fin

[takusan-no-ai]

A Violent Finisher

PAIRING: Frieren/Fern/Stark x Male Reader (Platonic) (Fluff)

SUMMARY: A warrior mage with a streak for violence shows his strength in a fist fight.

Having some help while traversing the north was a nice change of pace. It was by mere chance that Frieren and her party met you; (Y/N), a wandering warrior always looking for a fight. The man, myth, and legend yourself. She found your ability to defeat demons and monsters alike with just your bare fists, despite having the option to be a mage, impressive.

Though she will admit that seeing you in action was rather frightening. You were even more terrifying than the monsters. Normally, like any warrior, you’d fight with a weapon; yours being a massive wooden club. Unconventional, but it got the job done. However whenever it broke, you’d get…excited. Frieren had lived a long life, yet it was rare she ever saw a man have his eyes bulging out of the sockets with pupils small as a grain.

Somehow your fists did more damage than any of your weapons ever could. She almost felt bad for the monster. Your strength was useful, but Frieren didn’t want Fern and Stark to become stale with the lack of fighting; you were killing everything because it always died “too soon”. Eventually she would have to put you in timeout and limit your fighting to once a day.

Freaky. That’s how Fern saw you. Every time you started fighting something she’d cower behind Stark. Not because of any fear, but because she found your barbaric way of killing to be too uncontrolled. She preferred methods that were simple and quick, effectively getting the job done without exhausting her mana.

Yet you, a man who was both a warrior and a mage, didn’t fight like either. You were violent and when the enemy died too fast you’d become even more irritable than Frieren during a tantrum. She never saw someone get more into a fight the moment their weapon broke. She almost believed you were a demon in disguise. But Fern overtime would grow use to your antics.

Though she’d always prefer the way Stark and Frieren took out demons, your way was okay. She certainly treated it like an opportunity to learn after the initial shock. Fern wouldn’t ever get as a passionate about the battle as you, but she would seldomly admit the feeling of getting even with them was nice; she won’t ever get used to seeing you pull a chunk out of a tree to make it a club though.

Oh. Wow. That’s a different style of fighting alright. Stark knew he could get a bit reckless while in battle, but that was due to him being determined to get the job done and defend his friends. Your style though was more than reckless, it was bloody awful. But Stark didn’t find it as off putting as the others; he’d been around plenty of other guys who were just as aggressive in battle growing up.

He actually wanted to train with you. Sure, your violence was certainly more wild than his, but he would love to have another training buddy who could keep up. Plus it was easier to ignore Fern’s comments on his “monstrous” strength with someone else taking the brunt of the banter.

Though he never fought with a massive club before, Stark found that he quickly adjusted to it. And it was surprisingly durable. It made the amount of times it broke in your own hands all the more impressive. Especially when you’d switch to fist fighting. Your knuckles weren’t even red from the punching, but rather from the blood of the enemy. The fact your body could withstand such intense pressure only fueled Stark on his quest to be a stronger, braver man like his brother, Eisen, and you.

- Fin