The Daydreamer's Boulangerie

This js not like the fear of when you went on your first mission and didn’t know what to expect. This is not anxiety of the uncertain—but rather, fear of the certain.

If you can’t get your hands on that demon arm and ask it to break your curse, you no longer have any hope of survival.

Swallowing back the bile building in the back of your throat, you force your shaking legs to move towards your bed. How many more comfortable night sleeps do you have left in you? How much time do you have left before you can’t return to your normal life or stay with your second one? How long until your entire world is turned upside down, again, and nothing is in your control?

Was it ever?

Before you can peel back the bedsheets and slip under the cold covers (which reminds you far too much of a casket), you hear a tap at your window.

You turn wearily, eyes softening when you see Saburo and a concerned Zenji outside. Making your way over, your unlock and open the window, allowing the two of them to slip past the barrier.

“My dear...are you alright?” Zenji asks softly, ghostly hands clasped in front of him as Saburo makes his way over to the bunny doll you received from Hodge and Podge.

You can't lie to him.

“No,” you shake your head, “I’m not okay.”

Zenji’s expression breaks with what can only be described as empathy, as understanding. He floats for a moment before gesturing for you to sit down, brow drawn tightly.

You make your way back over to your bed and sit down on the sheets, feeling more numb than ever.

“Doll...I came here to ask something of you.” he says gently.

You can’t help it—you giggle. The situation is so absurd, how could you not!

It's not long before you burst into laughter—this is so so absurd!

You’re cursed to turned into an anomaly within the month and you’re being asked favors by a ghost! Your laughter begins to choke as the night creeps in through your window, the new moon, alone in a bouquet of stars, staring at you like...like...

Your laughter turns into sobs, choked wails and heaving breaths, screams that the night swallows up because it doesn’t care, it never did, nobody ever cares what you want, it’s always about fitting into someone else’s schedule, what’s convenient for them—

Ghostly arms encase you in a soft chill. You don’t stop crying, you don’t think you can. Whenever your tears wane you remember everything and the pain is just as fresh as it was before. Zenji says nothing, but he holds you in the only way he can and soothes you the only way he knows how.

“Never utter your wish to that demon arm,” he murmurs when your sobs ease, his face worried and so, so caring.

“Zenji, I—” you choke out, eyes brimming with more, unshed tears.

“Do you remember what you said to me?” he asks softly, a wry smile on his face.

It’s almost self pitying.

But you do.

“May I ask you for a favor, my dear?”

“Zenji, I would do anything for you.”

A quiet whispered confession, one you said with complete seriousness.

Because you would. You’d tear down Darkwick brick by brick, you would shoot yourself off into space and bring him to moon, you would tear out your heart for him with your own hands just so he didn’t have to get his hands dirty.

You’d burn the world for Taro Kirisaki.

And he knows it.

“That’s—” you start laughing again, manic as tears stream down your face, “Oh, Zenji, that’s so unfair—”

“I know,” he soothes, still smiling that self deprecating smile, “But it’s the only thing I could think to ask of you.”

You take deep, shudder breaths as he continues.

“I don’t want you having regrets...in death, as well,” he says kindly, and you feel his ghostly hand mimicking stroking your hair, “You are very precious to me, my dear. If you were hurt in any way by that arm, I’d never forgive myself.”

A beat of silence.

“I’m never going to miss a sign from someone I care about ever again.” he murmurs into the crown of your head, and you swear he’s crying too.

“When I said anything, this isn’t what I meant,” you joke, but it’s weak even to you.

Because you know you’re wrong.

You would do this for him.

That’s why he asked something so hard from you in the first place.

Because he loves you enough to rival your devotion.

He won’t let you ruin yourself as he did.

Because he loves you.

“Please,” he squeezes his arms around you until they’re halfway inside your abdomen, “Promise me, my dear.”

“You don’t play fair,” you sniffle, a sense of finality settling in your bones.

But you say it.

“I won’t. I promise.”

Your eyes drift over to the new moon again, and you feel your last hope slipping away from you.

Because if it’s what Zenji wants, you’ll do it.

Character Card: Kingly Adornment(「皇帝の着飾り」  "The Emperor's Dress-Up") Skill: Frostbitten Raiment(「氷の衣装」  "Garment Of Ice") ("raiment" is an archaic word for clothing) Fully Awakened Skill: Crown's Final Breath(「最期の王冠」  "The Crown's Last Moment") Warding Card: The Face Of The Ice Castle(「氷城の顔」  "The Face Of The Ice Castle")

There's a new comic bond as well! Don't know who's in it as usual.

Hearts Locked Away (「心を許し合えぬ者たち」 "People Who Won't Open Their Hearts To Each Other") (may be more like "People Who Can't Let Their Guards Down Around Each Other"?)

And that's it for now e7

Pity for this game is 500 pulls, non-rolling, resetting whenever you get the featured character card for that gacha. That's 99,000 diamonds. You can buy 5000 diamonds for $100USD and you won't be guaranteed to get anything. You can always save up to make a few regular pulls and you can always wait for the returning banner, but don't waste your money gambling on something with such pitiful and unsympathetic returns. If you choose to gamble, gamble responsibly--same with spending your money. Don't let sunk cost convince you you mah as well keep going. You can ease up, you can stop, help is out there, you can endure the discomfort and stress from the fomo, and you can regain control. I promise.

I'm hesvily reliant on my dictionary to read Japanese, I am not a professional, take my translations with a grain of salt.

If you worked hard on something and you love it and you want people to see it again, share it again! Be proud of your efforts! It may even reach new people who hadn't seen it before!

Bonus Danie advice: if you aren't sure if something contains an allergin and neither is the staff, don't buy it! 👎🏾 just buy something else!

Stats for competitive people or something