Part 1 l Part 2 l Part 3 l Part 4 l Part 5 l Part 6 l Part 7 l Part 8 l Part 9 l Part 10…
Surprise!!
I had to cut this chapter into two cause I felt it was too big to do in one go lmaooo so Arc 2 has just grown by one chapter😭😭😭
Anyways we finally see the return of MK, he is trying his best to find a way back home but research is definitely not his strongest skill, meanwhile Nezha wants to throw hands lmaoo
(Page 5(*) this is a reference to a throwaway line I made in my 3am AU about how children of celestial/demons are kept a secret for most of their childhood until they debut into society, and this is true for Nezha in TTM, so he’s surprised that someone outside of the royal court and inner circle knows about him)
Voici ma participation pour le Fluffy July 2025 pour le prompt : Soigner jusqu’au rétablissement.
J’espère que ça vous plaira.
Résumé : Senku entra en silence dans l’infirmerie et s’approcha du lit de Kohaku. Elle avait été malade toute la journée, et il voulait s’assurer qu’elle allait mieux. Elle dormait profondément. Plus tôt, il lui avait administré des médicaments qui avaient fait baisser sa fièvre. Et à en juger par son sommeil paisible, ils avaient fait effet.
Disclaimer : Dr. Stone appartient à Riichiro Inagaki et Boichi.
@fluffyjuly
AO3 / FF.NET
Senku entra en silence dans l’infirmerie et s’approcha du lit de Kohaku. Elle avait été malade toute la journée, et il voulait s’assurer qu’elle allait mieux. Elle dormait profondément. Plus tôt, il lui avait administré des médicaments qui avaient fait baisser sa fièvre. Et à en juger par son sommeil paisible, ils avaient fait effet.
Apparemment, cela faisait plusieurs jours qu’elle ne se sentait pas bien. Mais fidèle à elle-même, elle n’avait rien dit à personne et avait forcé jusqu’à l’épuisement pour ne pas retarder la construction du Perseus. Et même si Kohaku était l’une des personnes les plus fortes qu’il connaissait, elle avait fini par faire un malaise. Elle était littéralement tombée dans ses bras sans que Senku puisse faire quoi que se soit. Elle était brûlante et il s’en voulait de ne pas avoir remarqué plus tôt à quel point elle allait mal. Il l’avait crue lorsqu’elle lui avait assuré qu’elle n’était que fatiguée et qu’une bonne nuit de sommeil suffirait.
Il n’avait pas insisté davantage, désireux d’avancer sur la construction du bateau, tout comme Kohaku, à qui ce projet tenait particulièrement à cœur. C’est pour cela qu’elle avait minimisé son état. S’il avait été plus attentif, elle ne serait pas dans ce lit à présent.
Il s’assit sur la chaise que Kokuyo avait occupée quelques heures plus tôt. Dès qu’il avait appris ce qui s’était passé, il s’était précipité au chevet de sa fille. Il était en larmes, se souvenant des années de souffrance que Ruri avait vécu à cause de sa maladie. Senku lui avait promis de veiller sur Kohaku jusqu’à ce qu’elle soit tirée d’affaire, promesse qui avait apaisé Kokuyo.
Mais Senku ne pouvait s’empêcher de penser qu’il aurait dû voir qu’elle n’allait pas bien. Certains signes ne trompent pas, et il était passé à côté. Heureusement, ils étaient assez avancés dans leurs connaissances scientifiques pour fabriquer quelques médicaments, mais cela ne remplaçait ni les hôpitaux ni la médecine moderne, surtout en cas de maladie grave.
« Ne fronce pas autant les sourcils. Minami dit que ça donne des rides. »
Senku sortit de ses pensées. Kohaku venait de parler. Sa voix, teintée de malice, était rauque, ses yeux mi-clos, mais elle souriait faiblement.
« Comment te sens-tu ? Demanda-t-il.
-Mieux. Et je suis sûre que c’est grâce à toi. »
L’ironie de la situation ne lui échappa pas. Elle le remerciait de l’avoir soignée, alors qu’il s’en voulait de ne pas avoir agi plus tôt.
« Je suis désolée, reprit-elle. Je ne voulais pas te causer de soucis ni retarder la construction du Perseus. »
Le cœur de Senku se serra. C’était la première fois qu’il la voyait aussi vulnérable.
« Ne t’inquiète pas pour ça. Tout le monde sait ce qu’il a à faire. Taiju s’est proposé pour te remplacer le temps que tu récupères. Et j’ai promis à ton père que je m’occuperais de toi. »
Même sans cette promesse, il se serait quand même occupé d’elle.
« Je sais à quel point aller en Amérique est important pour toi. Ça l’est pour moi aussi. J’irai où tu iras, Senku. »
Senku esquissa un sourire. Il savait que les habitants du royaume de la science étaient prêts à le suivre. Mais entendre ces mots de la bouche de Kohaku, qu’elle le dise avec une telle sincérité, fit battre son cœur un peu plus fort. Alors il fit quelque chose qu’il ne faisait presque jamais. Avec personne. Il lui prit la main et la serra.
« Repose-toi, la lionne. On a besoin de toi et de ta force.
-Ne m’appelle pas comme ça, murmura-t-elle avec un sourire. »
Sa voix faiblit. Elle ferma les yeux pour sombrer de nouveau dans le sommeil. Il voulut retirer sa main, mais Kohaku la serra plus fort dans la sienne, même endormie. Il eut un léger rire. Ce n’est pas grave, pensa-t-il. Je peux bien rester encore un peu.
Il resterait près d’elle jusqu’à ce qu’elle soit complètement rétablie.
Hello everyone! Here is my Senhaku fic for this month's trope! Hope you like it!
Title: debate
Trope: age-gap
summary:
“Hmn..does age matter when it comes to romance?”
Everyone fell silent; they expected the question to be something easy to answer or something that science could explain—but they didn't expect it to be something philosophical.
Hi! Tenshi here—I'm excited to share my #senhaku52challenge entry titled "Bound by a Deal." I'll be posting it on AO3, since I find the platform easy to use.
Also, if you're planning to post your own entries on AO3, please make sure to add them to the "Senhaku 52 Fanfic Challenge (senhakuchallenge)" collection. Thanks!
Here are the list of tropes that my friend Echo_Amano (Who wrote "balance act", "Steps towards the future" and other more senhaku fics) for our senhaku challenge!
I just feel like my girl does not get enough love in the DCST/Dr. Stone fandom. To be fair, it is a shonen series and it has a killer male cast, but Kohaku is the heroine and you cannot convince me otherwise.
I mean, LOOK AT HER.
(Long, image heavy, and spoilers underneath the cut. Thank you @yumiiixo for all your input!)
She's fierce, formidable, and confident. She faces off against both Tsukasa and Moz despite knowing they're stronger because it's something she believes she needs to do.
Loyal. Kohaku is the first person to trust Senku in the stone world, and her trust in him never wavers. She continues to support him until the end (even when she thought his decision to free Whyman was strange and he said "please," she followed through). This applies to all her friends and Ruri, whom she would do anything within her power to help and keep safe.
(I do think you see her loyalty to Senku the most--he is the protagonist, after all. She has never been his enemy and follows through with his decisions despite not understanding all the science behind it.)
Strong and resilient. Kohaku is strong physically, mentally, and emotionally. Physically, she's the most versatile warrior; she has strength, agility, eye sight, and nimbleness. It allows her to come in clutch on several occasions. Mentally, she's disciplined with training, as well as with how she carried the hot springs water to Ruri daily. This also ties in with emotionally in how she accepts her father's scorn and becomes the "troublemaker" of the village just to improve Ruri's chances of surviving (more on this later since I think it mirrors Byakuya). She is never the victim of her situation; she makes a choice and sticks by it. She does what needs to be done.
Empathetic and emotionally intelligent. Between understanding Chrome's feelings towards Ruri and Senku's feelings towards his dad, she has shown a lot of awareness to how people really feel.
Self-reliant and selfless to a fault. She doesn't asked to be saved and will risk herself to save others without a thought. It's the reason Senku or Gen have to stop her (or fail to) when she runs off to save someone against better judgment (Chome when kidnapped, Treasure Island arc when everyone was petrified, Suika on multiple occasions). She intends to help others regardless if anyone intends to help her.
Open-minded and firm on her beliefs. This was also shown earlier with how she stands her ground to sustain Ruri's motivation/will to live. In addition, though she doesn't understand the intricacies of science, she's still able to believe in it and defend it. She's also not willing to risk sacrificing anyone, which we see when she goes to look for Suika during the grand bout.
Alright, back to how Kohaku is similar to Byakuya. Byakuya is acclaimed to be best anime dad (and he absolutely is; no shade there) for spending decades collecting platinum for Senku.
(Chapter 115)
See that face Senku makes there? You know where he also makes a similar face? Chapter 17.
As in, Kohaku makes a similar sacrifice with the hot springs water and becoming the "troublemaker." Kohaku is very willing to sacrifice herself for someone she loves (not needlessly; she keeps her wits on her). She may look like Lillian, but she has Byakuya's heart. (And yes, what she does is not to the same extent or scale as Byakuya, but she is/was a child and does not have the same kind of knowledge. I do think she has the same almost unfounding belief in Senku and saving Ruri.)
Piggybacking off of what she chose to become, here's a Q&A that states Kohaku can be both solitary or social.
Which means she has more depth than what is usually portrayed in the manga/anime likely secondary to it being a shonen series with an outstanding male cast (yes, I've said this twice because wow, what a cast), but also because we only really see her post-meeting Senku. Kohaku brought him to the village and gave him the manpower he needed, but he, in return, gave her companionship (and yeah, a cure for Ruri). It's easy to forget that she was mostly alone prior to this.
Anyway, just wanted to show my love for my Queen. If there was a spin-off just based on her, I would totally read and support it. I don't want to dive into shipping too much (I will in another post, I promise), but she's often written off or overlooked as a love interest for Senku when she actually has a lot of great points that compliments him (and yeah, preeettty sure they're canon). People seem to simplify her as the gorilla but there is so much more to her.
We are launching the greatest, most brain-blasting, heart-smashing, Senhaku-powered fanfic challenge of ALL TIME. That’s right. It’s called:
“52 Weeks, 52 Tropes: A Year of Senhaku”
(AKA: The One Where We Totally Lose Our Minds in the Name of Science and Romance.)
Here’s the mission:
Each week, you write a one-shot, drabble, scene, or experimental chaos piece featuring our favorite science gremlin and jungle queen, based on a specific trope. One fic. Every week. For a year. 52 tropes. 52 Senhaku moments. That’s 52 chances to make us cry, swoon, and scream into the void.
Examples of Tropes to get your BRAIN ENGINEERING:
🌑Enemies to Lovers (classic)
🌑Fake Dating (yes please)
🌑Only One Bed (you know this one's a banger)
🌑Time Travel
🌑Soulmates with a Twist
🌑Accidental Love Confession
🌑Hurt/Comfort but Make it Science
🌑“Oh no, they’re HOT”
You can go canon, AU, modern, prehistoric, SPACE? Go nuts. Build a timeline. Or don’t. Tie them together or keep ‘em separate. You do you, boo.
Want extra chaos?
🌑Shuffle your playlist and use the first lyric you hear as the title.
🌑Make it ✨seasonal✨. Senhaku Halloween? I dare you.
There are no losers. Only fanfic heroes. And I believe in you.
Let’s fill the fandom with serotonin and suffering—the good kind.
#Senhaku52Challenge
LET’S. DO. THIS.
*mic drop, Peralta-style cartwheel, probably crashes into a filing cabinet*
I would like to ask what’s a good way to start my book? I’ve been making my story board but I just can’t think of any ways to get started on my book and plan out the entire plot. That’s what I’ve been having trouble with.
Thankies~
Hi there! Thanks for dropping an ask. I’m so glad you enjoy the writing tips!
My first recommendation is going to be very simple, probably more simple than you’d like — just write. Don’t worry about the perfect way to open your story because, truthfully, you’ll probably change it by the time you’re done editing anyway. You can start writing in the middle of the plot or just start writing random scenes. The more you write, the more details will come to you, and the more you’ll figure out what you want your layout to be.
Of course, I’ll give you some more ideas than that because that’s not very helpful to your direct question. But it’s something to consider. You don’t have to write your story in order. Your writing process is your own. Nonetheless, here are some ways to start your story!
✧
Writing Tips
Story Openings
➸ danger: drop the readers right into action with something dangerous; don’t worry if they don’t understand what’s happening yet because the whole point is to get them hooked
➸ dialogue: drop your readers right into an important conversation
➸ flashback: give the readers a glimpse into the character’s past, especially if it’s something that will heavily affect the character development; it’ll build the readers intrigue
➸ foreshadowing: let the readers in on what’s about to happen; something as simple as “if only he knew…” will add suspense and intrigue
➸ historical context: tell a story of the culture or some historical turning point to jump into world building
➸ mystery: have your character do something unexplained; it’ll make the readers want backstory
➸ normal day: start with a normal day… until it’s not; write your characters daily commitments (something to show who they are) and then have it all suddenly change; this can be a good way to express the main character’s lifestyle, introduce side characters early on, and world build — but be careful because it can also be rather boring
➸ onomatopoeia: start with a sound that moves into an action for a quick way to hook the reader (boom! crack! crash!)
➸ perspective: give a point of view from a side character (this can be especially intriguing if your main character is an unreliable narrator)
➸ prophecy: start with a compelling prophecy to keep the readers wondering how it will connect later on
➸ question: start with an important question and let the rest of the scene answer it
➸ secret: give your readers something only they know or something only one character knows; it’ll initiate suspense
✧
Tips
➸ avoid info-dumping: you spent all this time building this world and you want your readers to know it… I get it… but they’ll figure it out as the story goes; don’t throw a bunch of information at them right away or they won’t retain it and they’ll get bored
➸ don’t overdo descriptions: readers have an amazing ability to fill in gaps; they don’t need to know every detail of your setting or character appearance; give a prominent detail or two and let them fill in the rest
➸ don’t tell everything at once: your readers need to wonder what will happen or they won’t want to read more
➸ establish the character’s voice: your readers should have a decent idea of who the main character is by the end of the first chapter
➸ keep it moving: the plot should always move forward, even in the start; even though this is an ‘introduction’ chapter, it should flow into the second chapter with ease
➸ know what you want your readers to know: list the details you want established from the very beginning and brainstorm the best way to describe a majority of these while still moving the plot forward
A list of blogs that I've seen here on Tumblr that are out there creating prompts, helping out with advice and overall encouraging and inspiring everyone who wants to write. If you'd like to be added or to be taken off, please send me a message!
Writing Prompts
@a-u-prompts
@creativepromptsforwriting
@deepwaterwritingprompts
@gingerly-writing
@givethispromptatry
@just-plenty-of-prompts
@livi-the-writer
@love-me-a-good-prompt
@lyralit
@mangocherri
@myeekyoban
@notyouraveragepromptpage
@pianowritesstuff
@pettyprompts
@promptsforthestrugglingauthor
@prompts-in-a-barrel
@screnwriter
@seaside-writings
@theworldofprompts
@wordsforyourwip
@writer-aspirantus
@writing-challenges-and-prompts
@writing-prompt-s
@writing-prompts-re
@writingprompts
@writingprompts365
@writingraven
@writintheprompts
@writingpromptsandjunk
Writing Advice and Resources
@asparklerwhowrites
@bluebxlle-writer
@coffeebeanwriting
@coffeewritesfiction
@creativepromptsforwriting
@deardragonbook
@heywriters
@howtofightwrite
@inky-duchess
@just-plenty-of-prompts
@livi-the-writer
@lyralit
@myeekyoban
@pianowritesstuff
@skylerchase29
@wordsnstuff
@writer-aspirantus
@writingraven
@writerthreads
@writingquestionsanswered
@writingwithcolor
The Script Family in general
Writing Encouragement
@coffeewritesfiction
@creativepromptsforwriting
@dailywritingpositivity
@screnwriter
@sourpatch-encouragement
OC Prompts
@characterbabble
@develop-your-oc
@ocmagazine
@ocresourcecenter
@some-ocs
@some-oc-ask-blog
@some-oc-questions
Give all of these blogs your love and get inspired!
➸ “This is a sentence with a dialogue tag at the end,” she said.
➸ “This,” he said, “is a sentence split by a dialogue tag.”
➸ “This is a sentence,” she said. “This is a new sentence. New sentences are capitalized.”
➸ “This is a sentence followed by an action.” He stood. “They are separate sentences because he did not speak by standing.”
➸ She said, “Use a comma to introduce dialogue. The quote is capitalized when the dialogue tag is at the beginning.”
➸ “Use a comma when a dialogue tag follows a quote,” he said.
“Unless there is a question mark?” she asked.
“Or an exclamation point!” he answered. “The dialogue tag still remains uncapitalized because it’s not truly the end of the sentence.”
➸ “Periods and commas should be inside closing quotations.”
➸ “Hey!” she shouted, “Sometimes exclamation points are inside quotations.”
However, if it’s not dialogue exclamation points can also be “outside”!
➸ “Does this apply to question marks too?” he asked.
If it’s not dialogue, can question marks be “outside”? (Yes, they can.)
➸ “This applies to dashes too. Inside quotations dashes typically express—“
“Interruption” — but there are situations dashes may be outside.
➸ “You’ll notice that exclamation marks, question marks, and dashes do not have a comma after them. Ellipses don’t have a comma after them either…” she said.
➸ “My teacher said, ‘Use single quotation marks when quoting within dialogue.’”
➸ “Use paragraph breaks to indicate a new speaker,” he said.
“The readers will know it’s someone else speaking.”
➸ “If it’s the same speaker but different paragraph, keep the closing quotation off.
“This shows it’s the same character continuing to speak.”
➸ —Esta es una oración con la voz del narrador al final —dijo ella.
➸ —Esta —dijo él— es una oración interrumpida por la voz del narrador.
➸ —Esta es una oración —dijo ella—. Esta es otra oración. El punto se ubica luego de la voz del narrador.
➸ —Esta es una oración seguida de una acción. —Se paró—. Son dos oraciones diferentes, porque no habló mediante pararse. Nótese el uso doble del punto, antes y después de la voz del narrador.
➸ —Un diálogo no puede comenzar luego de la voz del narrador, si se encuentra una raya de diálogo en medio de un párrafo, pero no en el principio, se trata de un inciso, nunca como indicación de la alternancia entre las voces del narrador y del personaje —dijo ella—. Continuando con el tema de incisos, si hay incisos dentro del diálogo se los reemplaza con paréntesis (que son estos signos tan simpáticos).
➸ —No use un punto cuando el diálogo no continúa luego de la voz del narrador —dijo él.
—¿A menos que haya signos de interrogación? —preguntó ella.
—¡O de exclamación! —Respondió él—. Y se pone un punto luego de la voz del narrador si el diálogo continúa.
➸ —Los puntos deben estar fuera de los diálogos, luego de la voz del narrador.
➸ —¡Hey! —gritó ella—. A excepción los signos de interrogación y exclamación, que van dentro.
—A menos que éstos no pertenezcan a la voz del personaje, sino al narrador —¡Los signos de exclamación— pueden también ir fuera—!
➸ —¿Aplica también a los de interrogación? —preguntó él.
—Si no es diálogo —¿Los signos de interrogación—, van afuera—? (¡Sí, así es!)
➸ —Mi profesor me dijo: “Use comillas para las citas dentro de un diálogo”.
➸ —Use diferentes párrafos para cada cambio de personaje que habla —dijo él.
—Los lectores comprenderán que se trata de otra persona hablando.
➸ —Si el mismo personaje sigue hablando en otro párrafo, abra el siguiente párrafo con comillas españolas.
»Así se deja claro que continúa hablando el mismo personaje.
»A veces sucede que queremos volver a introducir la voz del narrador, para esto se vuelve a emplear rayas de diálogo, ya que las comillas españolas solo indican la continuidad del parlamento —dijo mi compañera.
»También puede ocurrir que queramos introducir parlamento dentro de un parlamento —continúa explicando ella.
—Para ilustrar esto último imagínese que usted está contando una anécdota.
»—Esto es algo que dijo la señora en frente tuyo —dijo ella.
»—Esto es algo que le respondió su hermano —respondió él.
»Si desea dejar de introducir diálogos dentro del diálogo del personaje, pero este continúa hablando, omita la raya luego de la comilla española —dice ella, finalizando su explicación.
➸ —Existen signos similares que no deben confundirse con la raya de diálogo —dijo él—. Está el guion (-) y el signo de resta (−) que es el doble de largo que el guion, pero sigue siendo más corto que la raya.
➸ —Otras cosas a tener en cuenta cuando se usa la raya: se usa siempre la sangría; incluso en parlamentos que se extienden más de un párrafo; no va espacio entre la raya que abre el parlamento y la primera palabra; va espacio entre la última palabra del diálogo y la raya que indica el cambio a la voz del narrador, pero cuando se cambia de voz de narrador a nuevamente la del personaje, entonces corresponde que la raya esté pegada a la última palabra del narrador y un espacio luego de esta, justo antes del diálogo.
A list of resources to help you describe different colors in your writing.
The Color Thesaurus A collection of infographics that show various shades of different colors, each shade/color labeled by name.
Color Reference Chart Another collection of infographics that show various shades of different colors, each shade/color labeled by name.
Hair Color Reference Chart A collection of infographics that show various shades of different hair colors, each shade/color labeled by name.
Eye Color Reference Chart A collection of infographics that show various shades of blue, brown, and green eye colors, each shade/color labeled by name.
Different Ways to Describe Hazel Eyes A list of ideas and suggestions for describing hazel eyes. Can be used as prompts or for brainstorming.
Different Ways to Describe Green Eyes A list of ideas and suggestions for describing green eyes. Can be used as prompts or for brainstorming.
Different Ways to Describe Blue Eyes A list of ideas and suggestions for describing blue eyes. Can be used as prompts or for brainstorming.
Different Ways to Describe Brown Eyes A list of ideas and suggestions for describing brown eyes. Can be used as prompts or for brainstorming.
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Chapter 1 of "Transmigrated in a Novel" is out now!
Story summary: Amber was an Olympic gold medalist. Then, she got injured, became a secretary, and somehow ended up transmigrating into a footnote in a novel—”Kohaku” which has never been mentioned in the Novel. Fantastic. Now, instead of relaxing (since she’s a footnote), she has to dodge death flags and political drama. Oh, and did she mention the mad Wizard who won’t stop staring at her? Yeah. She needs a nap.
“And to think I’d come back to you with a girlfriend,” she murmurs out loud.
He laughs quietly, holding her hips steady and craning his neck up to look at her. “What? Jealous?”
Fandom: Dr. Stone
Pairing: Kohaku x Senku
Rating: M
Word Count: 2,320
Warning: Mature themes but nothing too explicit. Also no beta-read. Minor spoilers for the upcoming arc (if you are anime-only).
A/N: This originally was supposed to be a small portion of a longer one-shot that referenced the fic a mix up by @glycenings (wonderful fic—please go read if you haven't already!). However, I got a bit carried away so it ended up being longer than intended, and so I referenced multiple parts of their story! It will still be in the one-shot, albeit a slightly shorter version.
--
It’s been several weeks since she’s seen Senku and within those weeks, he has managed to get shot, somehow recover from it enough to rig a plane, and has welcomed new people onto their crew. Then comes and picks up the enemy scientist that apparently used to be his mentor. Yes, it’s a lot.
He seems to be moving fine so Kohaku doesn’t fret about it. What she finds peculiar is Luna, the pink-haired girl that seems to have an affinity for, well, Senku. It’s a strange sight to see him being so actively pursued. The closest would be Amaryllis during their first meeting, but she had quickly realized he didn’t have a lick of interest in that kind of romance. Regardless, Kohaku does find Luna to be a sweet person. After all, she works hard and helped save Senku’s life.
Kohaku can’t help but take pity on Luna once she hears the whole story though. It’s just like Senku to use relationships as a political alliance, even if it means leaving the other party confused. No harm, no foul, she supposes, but…
What am I supposed to do now?
Luna comes up to ask her about Senku, or rather, Kohaku’s relationship with Senku specifically. Kohaku answers the questions as honestly as she can while simultaneously dodging the crux of the questions themselves.
That doesn’t feel odd to you? Working with your sister’s ex?
No, it could hardly be called a marriage. She really does often forget that it actually happened.
Is it true that you kissed Senku?
For a moment, she thinks Luna is talking about one of the many times she and Senku have, indeed, kissed, but quickly realizes that can’t be the case. Only one person could have told her such a thing, and Gen would only have shared something that is public knowledge.
That kiss was nothing, Kohaku ends up saying. And it hadn’t been, at that time. It was also nothing compared to all the ones that followed.
She realizes that she isn’t used to being questioned about her involvement with him—their friends having been long accustomed to their closeness. It’s odd trying to put words to it; nothing really fits. Lovers seem too serious, friends too shallow. Perhaps just partners on a quest to save humanity.
She also doesn’t know how to explain the restlessness she currently feels. Is it due to the time apart? Or simply that they are now on the run from Stanley? The days are exciting and the nights unbearably stressful. She isn’t used to being hunted, usually being the one to do the hunting.
Kohaku rolls her eyes at herself. If Senku could hear her thoughts, he’s call her a—
“Lioness.”
“Not a lioness!” she hisses as Senku comes up beside her. They’re trudging through a marsh in their nearly acquired rubber boots, fatigue marring all their faces.
“That was a nasty scare out there earlier with Suika. How are you holding up?”
“Hah. Did I make you worry?” She puts on a brave face, but then it softens immediately. “We have a good team and we’re safe.”
He doesn’t say anything for several minutes, but his shoulder brushes against hers as they walk. It’s all they’ve been able to do since meeting back up, these small comforts. She’s starting to become acutely aware that it isn’t enough.
“We should be able to make camp tonight,” he finally says, “and take a bit more time to ourselves.”
She doubts anyone can hear them above the slushing of the water but she doesn’t blame him for being extra safe.
A bit of relief floods her. Briefly, she tangles her fingers with his before pulling away just as quickly to sweep her hair behind her ear.
“That will be a welcomed change.”
The sun sets and they all dine and make merry. Kohaku takes the first shift of the night watch as the fire’s embers dim to a soft glow. Most of the team goes to sleep at a decent time whereas Dr. Xeno, Ryusui, and Gen hang out by Senku’s tent near the river. The only thing she can tell is that they’re hashing out some plans, swarming around something Senku had drawn out. She’s surprised Chrome hadn’t joined in on the party.
Eventually, it’s just Senku right outside his tent adding some final touches to what looks to be a road map of his latest idea. It’s not until the moon, full and bright, reaches its peak in the sky does he glance at her and disappear into his tent.
Not long after that, Tsukasa joins her and she passes the proverbial mantle to him. He pretends to look the other way as she heads towards the river.
Or rather, to the tent by the river, where she finds Senku laying out his bedroll. Kohaku wastes no time, straddling him and sliding off his tunic in one fluid movement. The weather is warm and the night has settled and she realizes she really is just impatient after being away from him for so long.
But she stops when she sees his wound, the one he had gotten from Stanley. It makes her blood run cold despite the humidity of the Amazonian forest.
“So you’re concerned after all?” Senku smirks as he looks up at her. “I was second guessing myself when you made no mention of it.”
“Oh please. I knew you’d be fine.”
Even so, her fingers quiver as she traces the outline of the gnarled skin near his chest. Its location is just so close to his heart, she shudders just thinking about how he only narrowly avoided death. With their Medusa out of commission, they wouldn’t have been able to mend him through petrification.
One of his hands finds her thigh, eyes soft as his thumb strokes calming circles into her skin. The tension in her shoulders deflates a level.
“Does it still hurt?”
He shrugs. “A little sore if I move certain ways, but I’m managing just fine.”
She nods, allowing her fingers to glide up his chest and over his shoulders. “Does that mean I should be extra gentle with you tonight?”
“I think,” he starts, lips grazing her collarbone and working up her throat, “you can take me however you want.”
Another shudder runs down her spine, but for different reasons this time. He looks annoyingly pleased at himself.
He works at her dress, untying the rope beneath her bodice and slipping the blue fabric over her head. They’re skin to skin as she leans down for a kiss, purposefully slow to let him acclimate. He responds by pressing into her, hands running up her back to undo the bonds in her hair and letting her golden locks cascade past her shoulders. She melts into him and he hums appreciatively, fingers strumming across her skin as if to reacquaint him with her body.
Her hips move in small circles. She feels more than she hears the way his breath quickens with how his face is buried into her neck. This must be her favorite part of their union, the way the ever-composed Ishigami Senku unravels under her touch. In terms of affection, his actions always spoke louder than his words, and his actions during their private nights sing of devotion.
“And to think I’d come back to you with a girlfriend,” she murmurs out loud.
He laughs quietly, holding her hips steady and craning his neck up to look at her. “What? Jealous?”
His cheeks are flushed and he’s so warm beneath her. She knows no one else ever sees him in such a state.
“Not at all.”
“Good.”
He says it so smugly that she doesn’t miss his implicit trust in her and her ability to read the situation. And she’d have to agree. Doubt is not something she has ever associated with in terms of her feelings for him.
She knows him well, and he, her. When she feels the tremors in his body from holding up their weight, she coaxes him down until his back hits the sleeping mat.
Ah, but I don’t intend to let you sleep much, she thinks.
“I expect nothing less from a ravenous lioness.”
She makes a face but he just laughs again, pulling her down with him.
Senku has never been one to say something as mushy as I love you, but when he kisses her behind the ear, she thinks it sounds quite similar.
They do sleep—after she tires him out. It’s been a long time since she’s been able to wake up next to him. It’s only been a few hours but the sun's rays have begun to peak over the horizon. The diffused glow splashes across his face, highlighting the slope of his nose and the angle of his jaw. He looks peaceful and serene.
He stirs when she moves, turning to bury his face into whatever part of her he can find. It’s so endearing she can’t resist planting a kiss on his forehead.
“I’m going to go rinse off in the river,” she says quietly, feeling as if she spoke any louder, it would break the tranquility. He mumbles something into her skin, and then rolls her on top.
“You need more sleep,” she insists, though makes no effort to resist. He’s mumbling again, something along the lines of whose fault is that.
His fingers skim along the side of her body, starting at her thighs and wandering up until he’s lazily drawing figures in the space between her spine and shoulder blade. More likely than not, he’s doing some sort of calculation and using her flesh as a makeshift canvas.
Already, this early in the morning.
She rolls her eyes, and then drags the tip of her nose along the column of his throat. Finding the spot where his pulse throbs visibly, she nips at his skin, sucking gently at the spot until it blooms into a lovely shade of red. She doesn’t miss the stutter in his fingers nor the hastening of his heart rate.
“Sleep,” she insists again, then pushes off of him. He follows abruptly, glaring at her as he sits up, sheets pooling around his waist.
Instead of throwing on her dress, she steals his tunic, and he almost convinces her to stay a bit longer.
Perhaps not staying was a mistake, however. She exits the tent and nearly jolts when she feels someone watching her. She turns to see Luna wide-eyed with a water flask in hand.
Ah, trust Senku to rub his bad luck on her.
“Good morning,” Kohaku says as sunnyly as possible, very much ignoring the obvious. Luna tries to smile back but it comes out more like a grimace, the question or accusation at the tip of her tongue barely contained. Kohaku has no desire to explain anything; she’s sure doing so will cause the very distractions she and Senku are trying to avoid. So she pushes on with small talk, keeping her face and tone neutral even as the conversation inevitably turns into one about the scientist behind the tent flaps.
Maybe I can double check him, Luna persists. Actual confirmation of his health, or to see if Kohaku in Senku’s clothes is truly indicative of what she suspects? They both know the answer.
But Senku is surely listening in on the whole conversation, so she trusts him to prepare accordingly and steps aside.
At least her luck is better than Senku’s, for she is saved by Ryusui intervening with a snarky remark and a rather knowing look. Though he could have been more subtle, she is ultimately grateful.
(And to be fair, wearing Senku’s tunic is not very subtle either.)
She takes her time in the river to prevent any more run-ins, and returns to Senku’s tent only after she sees Luna return to hers.
He’s still awake, with a very annoyed look and bags under his eyes, when she walks in.
She raises a brow. “What did Ryusui say?”
“Tch. Just called me out with the biggest shit-eating grin on his face.” He then sighs, running a hand through his hair. “And offers his sympathies for Luna.”
She winces. “I guess wearing your clothes was a bad idea.”
“Ten billion percent,” he grumbles, but a sly smile tugs at the corner of his lips. “So I am going to ask Yuzuriha to make me a lab coat, and then I’m going to need you to wear that, and only that.”
“Hah, that sounds counterproductive.”
“I’d argue that you can make me quite productive on occasion.” She rolls her eyes, sitting next to him just to shove him lightly in the shoulder. His easy smile doesn’t falter. “Let them talk. People will always say things when they don’t understand what they see. Trying to deflect will only garner more attention.”
She hums in agreement, leaning her head against him. Glancing up, she notices the mark she left behind had begun shifting from a rich red to a deep purple.
“You’re going to need to cover that up.”
“Then I’m going to need my clothes back. Your dress doesn’t cover much.”
She laughs at him, removing his tunic and tossing it at his face. She then throws on her dress and straddles him, much like how she did just several hours prior. But instead of kissing him, she pushes him back down, pulling the sheets up to his chin. “You still need more sleep.”
It’s his turn to roll his eyes but he doesn’t deny it. “Fine, fine.”
She helps him put on his tunic then leaves after one last fleeting kiss. Ryusui is talking to Tsukasa when his eyes catch hers again. And he grins.
Very good morning to you, Ryusui had said to her earlier. She nods back a greeting and smirks inwardly in agreement. Despite some minor mishaps, it is a very good morning indeed.
