All-Star Moments In Space Communications And Navigation

       She can’t change him. He thinks she realized that a long time ago. Maybe when they first met and she was forced to shoot him. Or maybe when he murdered Makishima. Or maybe when he ran with his tail between his legs – ran from her love, from her softness, from her.

He doesn’t expect to see her so soon. But she’s there – she’s smiling at him and sweaty and flushed like she came running. And she probably did. There is a chance to push her away, to say no, but he doesn’t try.

With her thin arms, with her pretty smile, she whispers, “Found you.”

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       She’s a force to be reckon with.

Even the men within the base know that. When Akane trains with them, shows them how to take apart a gun and put it back together, wipes sweat off her brow and work from dawn until night. They respect her, Kougami can tell.

He can’t blame them.

She’s also pretty good with the kids. They immediately gravitate towards her, wide smiles and bright eyes. She picks one up and holds the child against her. Before long, she’s pointing a finger over towards where Kougami sits and watches.

He blinks.

The two both smile at him. He can’t help but give a smile back, no matter how tired it may be.

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       He loves her. He loves her so fucking much.

Touching her feels like a sin. Just being in her presence is enough to make him want to drop to his knees.

She says it all the time, “I love you, I love you, I love you.”

And he loves her too. He’s not sure how to respond. He gives her a quick kiss, he offers a smile, he wraps his arms around her. They could stay up all night, it can range from talking to fucking. Sometimes it turns into lovemaking – his hands dragging down her body slowly, testing the softness of her breasts and the firmness of her arms – sometimes it’s desperate ( he feels like he can’t breathe without her, he feels like he’ll drown, like he’s going too fast down a street but he doesn’t want to stop because the thrill of her makes him feel alive. )

He feels her heart race against his as they press together, sweaty and sticky and panting.

“What’re you so afraid of?” She whispers, the sun breaking through the window, highlighting the different colors within her hair.

He swallows ( you, you, us ), “I don’t know.”

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       They both have nightmares.

His are vivid. His always seem real. He’s running. Or he’s chasing someone, he’s not too sure. Other times, he has blood on his hands. Sometimes on his clothes. Other times Makishima is there. And a few times, he remembers seeing Sasayama.

Akane cries sometimes when she wakes up, shaking like a leaf in a storm, arms wrapped around herself and teeth worrying her lip. She tries to keep it in – she’s a lot like him in that regard. But it’s spilling out too fast, and if she doesn’t stop, she’ll overflow.

So he holds her. Not only for her, but himself too.

She’s delicate in his arms. Hot tears soak through his shirt. He knows they’ve done so much to get to where they were, he can’t blame her for letting it out once in awhile.

He wish he could do the same.

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       He has to be strong.

Hell, Kougami has had to be strong his entire life. For his team, for Akane, for his men.

As the war wraps up, as blood is shed and cleaned from hands, he looks onward. There is no turning back – that ship sailed a long time ago.

He looks up, eyes immediately falling onto the graceful curve of her back, her slender neck, and her brown hair matted to her forehead. She was talking with one of the guys - Deshi, he’d lost his arm a couple months ago, but that didn’t seem to stop him from having a smile on his face.

As if feeling his stare, Akane turns her head slightly to the side and offers a smile of her own. It was blinding in its own way, his shoulders relaxing by instinct.

She really had no idea how much he needed her now.

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       She didn’t tell him at first.

To be completely honest, he could understand why.

He paces back and forth across the small space they had. His shin bangs against the side of the end table, but that didn’t break him from his thoughts. Akane watches him with large, amber eyes. Finally, he stops in the middle of the room, arms instinctively crossing over his chest.

“How…How long have you known?”

Akane drops her gaze. There was an ache in his chest, “A month, at least.”

He nods, even though it takes awhile for his brain to process the words. He almost wants to laugh at the irony. God - if there fucking was one, which he seriously doubts - really doesn’t like him. Even though things are calmer now, with not only the chairman but the SEAUn as well, there is still too much danger.

Way too much to even consider – to even think of that.

But this doesn’t stop him. This doesn’t stop him from slowly crossing the room until he’s in front of her. Akane blinks, hands nervously curled in front of her as he crouches down. This doesn’t stop him from leaning towards her, face close to hers for a few seconds.

Finally, he breathes, “I want it to look like you.”

Not like him. Nothing like him.

Akane blinks, and then blinks again. Her lips are parted into an O shape and so he leans in and steals a kiss. Finally, she smiles, “That’s funny. I was thinking the same thing.”

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       He doesn’t tell anyone she’s pregnant. It’s not only no one’s business but their own, but also a dangerous thing to know. What could he possibly do if the word got out? Any enemies would probably jump at a chance to get their hands on Akane.

Kougami grits his teeth at the thought, hands twitching by his sides. He hasn’t had a cigarette in over an hour. One thing he also has to improve on - smoking around a baby was a big, fat no apparently.

When Akane had stopped smoking all-together, she made it look so easy. It was not only frustrating, but something admirable about her. Once she set her mind to something, it was impossible to stop her from achieving it.

From underneath the protection of a small roof, Kougami watches the rain fall.

“Kougami?”

He turns his head towards the voice to see Cho-Sun, watching him curiously. Kougami merely grunts in reply, pushing himself up off the wall.

“Everyone’s inside eating,” the man continues.

Kougami merely nods. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t the least bit annoyed. His hands are twitching so much to delve into his pocket and take out his pack that he’s forced to cross his arms over his chest. “I’m not that hungry.”

Not only was the large group they had short on food, but medicine as well. Kougami could go a couple days without eating - Akane used to do the same thing, but now she didn’t have much of a choice.

“Is that right?”

“Mm.”

“You said the same thing yesterday.”

Kougami feels his lips twitch, “Did I?”

There is silence between them, the rain deafening.

Drip. Drop. Drip.

“You should take a break.”

Kougami glances at him.

“Me and the guys were talking and – well, there’s a temple about a day away from here, farther up the hill. That’d be a nice play for you and Tsunemori to relax. She seems more tired lately.”

Kougami stays quiet, considering it. For the last couple weeks, things had been relatively peaceful. No shootings, no surprise attacks, etc. Still, peace only seems to drive Kougami up the wall even more than violence. But the mere thought of quiet and being alone with Akane is enough to make his shoulders relax.

“Mm. I’ll look into it.”

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       “Be careful.”

“I am being careful, worrywart.”

Kougami snorts, hands deep within his pockets. Now, she was calling him names? “Don’t blame me if you fall.” It isn’t like he won’t be able to catch her.

Akane balances herself on an overturned tree trunk, arms spread out on her sides. She looks as if she is flying - it makes him stare.

“How far away is the temple again?”

This time, he really does laugh, even though it was just a breath of laughter - she’s asked this around three times already. “I did offer to carry you, you know.”

Akane turns her head slightly, an impish grin there, “You would have to catch me first.”

“I’m always up for a good challenge.”

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       This love scares him. He already knows this.

This love makes him reckless. This love makes him frustrated. This love makes him crazy.

Touching her is an addiction in itself. Her soft body molds against his, pliant while his is unyielding. Now, the slight bump in her stomach makes it a bit more difficult to press together, but he doesn’t mind it. In fact, he enjoys it more than he originally thought he would.

As she lays back, hand lazily tracing over his thigh, he presses a warm hand against her stomach. The area is firm and swollen, a slight redness to it. He curves his palm around and she sighs.

There is life here. Something they created together. Something that was meant to be. Kougami wasn’t really one to believe in fate, but he’d also believe he couldn’t be happy either.

For the first time in a long time, he gave her a smile, eyes crinkling at the edges. It reminds them both of better times, simpler times. It reminds them that now - they are no longer Inspector and Enforcer.

They’re just two people in love.

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       For seven more months, he stays by her side. He never leaves her for longer than a couple hours. Her stomach grows big, the women within the base help her around, and she is given full meals every day.

She feels selfish, he can tell. He is quick to reassure her though.

He’s scared again. When his hands slightly shake when they press against her stomach, against the life they created, she smiles softly at him, holding them steady for him - like she does all the time, “I love you, Shinya.”

Deep down, he hopes that is enough.

Things are easier between them. He can kiss her without feeling like his lungs will burst at any second, he can touch her without flinching, he can look at her without glancing away just a second later. There is still that guilt - unrelenting and thick within his stomach. It will not leave him, he knows it won’t leave until the day he dies.

Love stings. Love is frightening. But, fucking hell, he would do anything at this point to stay with her. To build this future with her. For once, there is light at the end of the tunnel and he is climbing towards it desperately.

He wants this. He wants her. He wants them - us.

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       “…What do you think it’ll be?”

He looks up from his book - he’s read it so many times that the pages are worn now. Kougami feels his lips tilt upwards - nowadays, it seems he is unable to control his smile. Something that only happens around her, “You’re asking me.”

She was sitting up, eyes playful and already smiling, hand resting upon her swollen stomach. “Yes, I’m asking you.”

The former Enforcer stares at her - he cannot help it. Simply having her presence beside him, it makes his body feel weightless. As selfish as he is, a part of him wants to understand why he can’t let her go. If things had gone differently, if he’d told her to stay away, would she still have come?

He wants to laugh outloud at the thought. Of course she would.

Her eyes are warm, patient.

Finally, he sits up, “Aren’t you supposed to have a feeling? I’ve heard that before - mothers usually know the gender before they’re born.”

“Maybe I’m an exception.” She is only saying that - she probably had a good feel of what it would be, she just wanted to hear what he was going to say.

Slowly, he moves towards her, and she opens her arms for him, allowing him to press his ear against her stomach quietly.

Here, with her and their child, he feels at peace. Things seem to evaporate around them - while the acute awareness of what happens around them is still there, her presence seems to blanket over him. He does not deserve her, he does not deserve this small sliver of happiness. He knows that, he knows that in some ways, he has ruined her.

As if noticing his change in thoughts, she places a hand on Kougami’s head, smoothing down his hair and fingers touching his cheek. He breathes in deep, her scent causing his stomach to tighten.

“I think it’ll be a girl.”

In reply, Akane gives him her biggest, prettiest smile, “Me, too.”

There is peace within him.

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       It all ends on a sunny day.

The summer is ending - things are dwindling down once again. Kougami hasn’t heard the alarm sound away in what seems like months. Children and women are sometimes allowed to walk around during daylight, allowing the kids to dance and sing and smile as much as they want as they play.

Laughter this free is foreign to Kougami, but he basks in it anyway.

Even so, he does not stop what he is so used to. He trains with his men every day, he eats small meals, he watches the edges of their base for any type of trouble. None comes. Sweating and tense, Kougami glances over, his eyes immediately soughting her out to soothe away the itching feeling.

Akane sits on the steps, eyes bright and smile even brighter. Familiarly, she cups a hand over her stomach, and the other lifts to wave at him. He doesn’t respond, head tilts curiously and a drop of sweat rolling down her temple. She is getting bigger - besides her stomach, Akane hasn’t grown much. Not only is the infant inside her weighing her down, he worries if she will be able to deliver it naturally.

But today is peaceful, he decides. He should not worry about small things that are yet to come.

He hasn’t told her. He probably won’t. When she reaches eight months, he intends for her to leave here. He has a few contacts, fortunately, that’ll be able to help her find somewhere safe to stay and to deliver the baby. Being born on a battlefield - he wouldn’t ever want that.

He knows she will argue, but there won’t be much point to it. She also knows he has a duty, and his burdens isn’t hers to carry. Once things have wrapped up here, he will follow after her. And he will gladly start a new life with her. He wants quiet mornings, wrapped around each other within the blankets. He wants to teach his child all he knows, watching them crawl and then walk. She wants to hold the woman he loves against him, to feel her heart against his as they finally allow their bodies to relax.

He wants happiness. It’s a normal human reaction, he knows. Even though he doesn’t deserve it, he wants it.

His thoughts are broken, however, when the signal for the alarm goes off.

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      Chaos.

It is to be expected.

The women and children are rushing, some screaming and others crying. Fumbling to find their mothers and their sons and daughters. His eyes sweep the area, searching for her, but her image is blocked and swept along with the rest of the crowd.

He curses.

Now he is able to hear it - gunshots. They are a familiar sound, and his instinct kicks in, beats into him. He must never forget - he is a dog, a hound, a wolf. It is his job to survive, no matter what the consequences. His tongue feels heavy within his mouth, but this doesn’t stop him, “Bayani! Chenglei!!”

The two men nod, and take off towards their positions, two groups of soldiers following the two wherever they may go. Guerrillas learn fast, they move fast, and there is no room for error. He follows swiftly - fortunately, it’s probably a rival base that simply want his head. With their clumsy infiltration, hopefully, things will be resolved soon.

The area is mostly clear. He is able to draw his weapon without worries. This is what he trained himself to do, this is how he survives, after all.

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       There is destruction. There is blood. There is sweat.

Vaguely, he hears screaming.

His head is ringing, and he can’t feel his left leg. It takes a moment to realize what happened - a bomb had gone off, apparently. It knocked him off his feet and the air out of his lungs. The men that had been following behind him hadn’t been so lucky.

He is unsure of how long he has been out – but it couldn’t have been more than five to ten minutes. The fires created had yet to burn out, and the bodies were still fresh. Frustrated, he turns his face away the gruesome scene.

His leg is still there - but a fresh gash is embedded into the side. He bleeds profusely, but this doesn’t stop him. Survival sometimes comes easy to him - somehow, he is still alive. There must be a reason for it, and so he stands, ignoring the pain shooting up his leg and moves. His enemies must sometimes get frustrated that he won’t die so easily.

He shoots down whoever he sees. The enemy’s reflexes are slow and clumsy, and he has plenty of time to take them down. Even though running takes a toll on his leg, even though he is forced to see the remains of men, he still moves. And he keeps surviving.

She is at the forefront of his mind. Getting back to her is the only thing that makes sense to him now.

As he breaks through the trees, his eyes fall onto the sight of a young boy. He remembers seeing his face around the base before, he has a younger sister as well ( and her body lays a few feet away ).

His stomach is suddenly filled with ice.

The women and children…!

He sees more bodies thrown around - three women and five children, so far. Some with overwhelming burns, others with bullets within their bodies. His grinds his teeth, pushes himself to move faster.

Panic isn’t something he does normally. Not since–

He rounds the corner - an elder woman is crouched on the ground, praying. He moves past her swiftly. His men are there, armed. Though it is a smaller number than before, they have still successfully kept the grounds safe and he almost falls to his knees at the relief.

It is short-lived, however.

For when they see him, the looks on their faces tell him enough.

Apparently, his world is able to shatter fairly easily.

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        She suffered two bullets to the back - one directly hit her mid-spine and the other made it through her chest.

She didn’t die instantly.

It turns out they were right.

It was a girl.

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       Years pass in a blur.

There are many times where he asks himself - how am I still alive and she is not? Was this punishment - some type of punishment for the many wrongs he’d done? He can’t particularly blame the higher ups for that, then.

No, he blames himself.

He always blames himself.

There are many nights where he lay in bed, unable to sleep. Where he is unable to even force food into his mouth without growing sick at the taste. Where his gaze falls onto the pistol on his bedside and suddenly he has it in his mouth, aiming upwards.

He’s forcing himself to suffer, isn’t he?

He deserves this. I deserve this, I deserve this.

He tries not to think of her often. He isn’t very good at that. He is also unsure whether or not to call the dreams she’s in nightmares. Do they count as nightmares if he strives every night - if only he can get a few minutes of rest - to see her face?

It’s torture.

I deserve this. I deserve this.

He doesn’t even give into the hallucinations anymore. She touches his back, right over where his heart is - it’s still beating, why? She kisses his jaw, feather light and ghostly. She sits on his stomach while he’s laying there, watching her lips move. He doesn’t try to touch her ( she’s not real, she’s not fucking real ).

Slowly, his eyes flicker over to the gun sitting on his bedside table.

I deserve this.

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       He keeps himself busy, because what else is there to do.

A gun in his hand, smoke leaving his mouth, liquor within his stomach. How he has survived this long, he will never know. He is reckless with his life - he even starts fights only to give up in the middle and allow them free reign.

Nothing is as painful. Not even broke ribs and a punctured lung.

They can probably tell he wants death from looking into his eyes. Which is why they won’t give it to him. They’re sadists, they beat him half to death and then leave him. His body will not quit, it won’t give up from any of it.

It does what it knows. It survives.

Whether he likes it or not.

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       Every morning, he remembers her.

He remembers her touch, he remembers her smile, he remembers her eyes.

She was protective. She was determined. She was generous.

She was everything he was not - she could see the beauty in things. Even in him.

She was a girl who wanted to save the world. But not save herself.

He loved ( hated ) that about her.

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       “You’ll die like this. It’s a pity.”

Kougami ignores the voice - for it inside his head. Pointedly, he looks away from the person in front of him, the smile, the familiar slouch of shoulders.

“It’s really a shame.”

His hands tighten into fists between his legs.

Makishima smiles again. “Is this how you want to die? Here?”

In the middle of nowhere. Where no one would find his body. Yeah, it sounded pretty good to him.

“I never thought I’d see something like this. For someone such as yourself to fall here.”

Heh.

Kougami closes his eyes.

A few seconds later, he distinctly hears the Illusion walk away. He will not talk to the dead - he decided that a long time ago.

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       Four years.

When he looks at the calendar for the first time, he realizes it’s been four years.

There is this dull throb that resonates through him. But he’s starting to realize it will always be there.

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       “You look like shit.”

“…I feel like shit.”

His voice is rough, but soft. He has not spoken aloud in so long, it feels foreign. The woman in front of him pushes back her long hair, eyeing him for a few moments, “…Are you sure you’re up for this?”

He can do nothing but stare at her.

She releases a sign, but moves out of the doorway to let him through. There is clear hesitation in his steps, mouth tilted down in a grimace as he steps inside. The apartment is clean, even though the neighborhood wasn’t as good as he would prefer. He was starting to realize - the rest of the world could probably never be as stable as Japan.

He’s glad he will never have to go back there.

She is probably waiting for him to take a seat, but instead, he stays standing, shoving hands within his pockets. He looks a mess - he knows it. Five o’clock shadow, hair strewn every which way across his head, shirt wrinkled. Still, she says nothing about it.

“I’ll go and get her. Don’t worry - she’s quiet. And she loves new people.”

He doesn’t say anything.

She leaves the room and he is left alone.

A few minutes later, the door to the kitchen opens again.

He looks up and stares.

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       Vaguely, he wonders how many times his world can break and restart ( over and over and over and over and over again ).

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       The small girl stares back. Her hair is short, barely reaching her shoulders. She is still wearing pajamas, but her expression is curious and open.

His heart was slamming so hard against his ribcage, he thinks it will bruise.

Slowly, she steps further into the room, the door closing behind her. There is three feet between them, she is small and delicate and he is large and unyielding.

His hand reaches up on its own record and rubs down the expanse of his jaw, the action made out of pure instinct. He felt like he would bolt at any second - he didn’t know the face of his demons would look this way.

His eyes were beginning to sting.

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        He hesitates. There is tension between them. She tilts her head slightly to the side, chin up to look at him fully.

“Aoi-chan, don’t be rude. Say hello,” Says the woman behind her - she’d stepped into the room to watch.

The young girl blinks, as though she was being broken from her thoughts. Quickly, she bows to him, “Hello, my name is Aoi.” Her voice - fuck, her voice is small, words slightly slurred and thick from her age.

This really is torture. His heart felt like it would burst out of his chest any minute. His eyes wouldn’t stop stinging. The impossible weight of the world was holding him down. Scars - new and old - burned on his body.

He opens his mouth to say something - anything - but nothing comes out and he is forced to close it. He’s pretty sure his throat is closed up pretty tightly at this point.

“What’s your name?”

He stares. Her large amber eyes stare up at him. It takes him a few seconds - probably ten. But she waits, patient. “Kougami Shinya.”

Her lips mouth the name a couple times, as though to commit it to memory. He does not move for a long time, but when he does, his knees feel weak and he is forced to crouch in front of her.

He doesn’t touch her. He doesn’t want to ruin something else - not her.

Her eyes are alight with questions, thick lashes fluttering when she blinks. Her hair is messy. They hold eye contact for what seems like hours, her head still tilted slightly to the side as though she was trying to figure him out.

Finally, she smiled.

In that same instant, his breath was stolen away from him.

“Kougami Shinya, it’s nice to meet you.”

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       She looks just like her mom.

Rafayel!!!!!

Link: xhslink.com/uEpFVD

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Please, like or reblog if you save or use.Hope you like it.made with love ♡

Toshokan Sensou Love & War Bessatsu Hen - Index 7

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Ghost Hunt News: Rewrite novels getting paperback editions!!

It was announced today that the Ghost Hunt rewrite novels are getting new paperback editions!

The novels’ official website has a special message from Fuyumi Ono:

Thank you very much.  There are now paperbacks.  They will be easy to carry around and space-saving on top of that.  It is an old work, but it was my starting point, so I am emotionally attached to it.  Please have it be your companion in the summer.  I will be happy if you enjoy it.

So how will it be different from the previous rewrite novels?  Well, these will be smaller, and they have new covers!

Dang, look at the new covers!

Volumes 1 & 2 are releasing on June 12, 2020.

Volume 3 will be released in September 2020.

Volume 4 will be released in December 2020.

Volume 5 will be released in March 2021.

Volumes 6 & 7 will be released in June 2021.

Also, as the website notes, it’s been about 30 years since the start of the series!!  Will there be any more new stuff to mark this occasion?  Who knows!  But at the very least, a new release means new attention brought to the series, and the releases will span at least a year!  I dunno about anyone else, but I’m excited!!

Ghost Hunt Volume 9

 by Lysiithea 

 This is three months after the Agawa investigation. The SPR has been called to investigate strange happenings at a boarding school/orphanage. The case was brought to them first by a mysterious letter claiming to be written from a dead person, then by a councillor representative of the orphanage school. Upon investigating, things are not what they seemed to be. 

This fic does a really fine job capturing the feel of Ghost Hunt, picking up right after the Akumu series. It’s written similarly to the Ghost Hunt novels, with Mai as the narrator, so that it feels a lot like the real deal. 

The author weaves the mystery well with plenty of unsettling and creepy moments involved. Plus they also sneak in some superb (and believable) MaiRu gems in there! The author had gone on hiatus for a while due to their manuscript notes getting lost, but it seems like they finally managed to get everything set up again, so I’m looking forward to more updates in the future! If you’re looking for that good old GH scare, I fully recommend this giving this story a try! And I urge you to leave the author some lovely comments to welcome them back into the fandom!

Art and review by GHHQ member @soulsborne123

My Ghost Hunt Postcard Collection finally arrived today, and I scanned them as promised!!  \o/

I really wish the quality was better, but I think this is the best my scanner can do, sorry.  :(

This was supposed to be a quick sketch before bed but then my brain was like: “Don’t be shy, put some more!” …and now I am even more sleep deprived than usual.

It makes me really sad that the quality of the gif is so bad but oh well, there’s nothing I can do about it

top three favorite scenes from any of the psycho pass seasons/films?

We’re just going to have to go with the ones I’ve seen.

1. Ko and Akane driving back from Saiga’s. There’s something about that scene I love, and while there were more pauses and moments of downtime in the first season than some of the later installments (from what I’ve seen, at least), there’s something about the quietness of it and the peacefulness that stands out. It’s a layered conversation that implies a certain heaviness but still serves as a moment for Ko and Akane to get to know each other.

2. The scene in season 2 where Akane wonders if the scent of cigarette smoke is sticking to her is one of the more underrated ones in my opinion, and I think more than anything that just has to do with the overall quality of season 2. I love it though because we’re continuing to see growth from Akane: how much she’s matured, changed, and how her ability to accept the world around her for what it is has taken on a different (and slightly darker) tone. That small moment when she’s sitting alone in her room in the dark letting the cigarette burn does such a beautiful job of showing her vulnerability and the side of her that hasn’t fully accepted some aspect of her life. There’s something so raw and undeniably human about it that it makes a far greater impact than any of the hallucination scenes (which I don’t particularly like). It’s one of those small moments that brings depth and balance to a series that likes to focus on the theoretical and ideology, and it’s also one where you’re reminded of how strong, deeply rooted, and almost incomprehensible the connection between two people can be. It’s also more painful because that other person isn’t there, and you can see how even though she continues to grow stronger it’s made a substantial impact. At the same time, we have the context as the audience to know how much more damaged she’s become as time has progressed, and we know someone she might have shared that with previously is no longer in the picture. There’s no answer for her in that moment: not in the case, not in the situation she’s in, or anything else. There’s an emptiness to it that’s heartbreaking.

3. We of course have to go back to the scene where Akane has a moment to talk with Ko in the film on the balcony when they can’t sleep. It’s one of the quieter scenes in the film, but in my opinion, it’s one of the scenes where the most is actually happening. The tension’s unbearably thick, and it’s apparent how much is on both of their minds that they want to say. Yet like reality would have it, at that point, there’s almost no way to even begin breaking down those careful barriers. Those barriers are there and they conflict so starkly (and nicely) with the unspoken trust they still have with each other. There’s so much the audience is left wondering too, and we can feel them both trying to read the other, trying to unravel what’s going through the other’s mind until they finally start to peel back those layers themselves. The atmosphere and mood of that scene are incredible–even the setting, lighting, and the arguably more telling nonverbal communication between them that somehow showed through (this is animated–I still can’t fathom how they pulled that off) makes it a standout even if it was terribly rushed towards the end.

Dear writers,

That’s the kind of balance and maturity we want to see.

Honorable mentions:

4. Gino complimenting Akane early on in the first season and sharing Ko’s file with her is one of the things that quickly established him as a flawed and jaded human, not just an asshole. It’s a subtle moment that brilliantly introduces some nuance with his character, and it gives us a sense of his motives that we can understand even if we don’t like how he’s going about them. It gives us reason for his approach and behavior, and it pairs perfectly with the hints they’ve been dropping of his own past with Masaoka/his family.

5. Gino talking to his therapist is another standout for me. By that point we already know he’s on a downward spiral, but there’s an added vulnerability to him that shows through in how he talks about Akane and how she’s inspired him. The writers and animators both did an incredible job balancing the stakes that are clearly being raised with his own psyche and this newfound sense of purpose that conflict in a painfully real way.

Fantastic question! I appreciate you asking.

some people think writers are so eloquent and good with words, but the reality is that we can sit there with our fingers on the keyboard going, “what’s the word for non-sunlight lighting? Like, fake lighting?” and for ten minutes, all our brain will supply is “unofficial”, and we know that’s not the right word, but it’s the only word we can come up with…until finally it’s like our face got smashed into a brick wall and we remember the word we want is “artificial”.