metri_zin
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Megumi watched him come. Once, Yuuji had been a light show. Dazzling, bouncing every which way, painfully bright. A little too much for Megumi, who didn’t dazzle easily. It had been all too easy to wrap himself up in the boy, to let himself want, to clumsily sew their bones together so he couldn’t leave like his parents and Tsumiki. He still remembered Yuuji’s doubts about staying together during the Culling Games. How Megumi had trampled over them and made a mess even Gojo couldn’t clean up – a mess he’d escaped unscathed but for some scars that made it hard to look in a mirror. Scars Yuuji had traced with his finger the first night Megumi had finally woken and found he could not sleep again without nightmares.
Series
- Part 2 of Long Shadows
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Love and Lack by metri_zin
Fandoms: 怪獣８号 | Kaiju No. 8 (Manga), 怪獣８号 | Kaiju No. 8 (Anime)
04 May 2026
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The cafeteria was packed, echoing with shouts and boos: officers challenging each other to arm wrestles, comparing training scores, boasting kill counts and negging each other.
Kafka nudged her again. “Wanna eat on the roof? Doesn’t look like there’s much space in here.”
Oh god. She was being cornered. “Here is fine. I’m sure we can get someone to budge up.”
Kafka frowned. They played this game every couple of months. Kikoru would tense up, Kafka would probe. Kikoru would rebuff, Kafka would try again. Sometimes she would win and he would back off, let her stew for a bit before she came to him willingly. More often, he would somehow wheedle her thoughts out of her, pushing her to talk about feelings until her nerves were scraped raw. That kind of talk needed a good fight to follow, and Kikoru would track down Narumi and spar until her bones ached.
But she didn’t want to see Narumi right now.
*
Kikoru navigates her grief and her jealousy - which means Narumi has to as well.
Series
- Part 3 of Soft White Underbelly
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Dead Draw (n.): A drawn position in chess in which neither player has any realistic chance of winning, usually due to both players having insufficient pieces or insufficient remaining time
His posture, Isao mused, was as poor as ever, spine curled almost into a circle as he hunched in a chair over his handheld console. He’d kicked his feet up onto the chair next to him, boots sank deep into the velvet. Uncouth, but not worth Isao’s attention. Deep shadows hugged the skin beneath Narumi’s eyes and he was steadily chewing his lip to shreds. His hair was a mess.
Not a proud sight, if Isao were being honest. But he had only one concern worth voicing. “Narumi.”
Narumi grunted in response, eyes still glued to his console.
“How will you compensate for missing afternoon drills?”
“Night practice.”
So the boy was in an agreeable mood. On his more temperamental days he spewed insults, not answers. Perhaps now was a good time, then. Or perhaps you are a lonely, desperate old man seeking companionship and calling it training.
*
Isao teaches Narumi chess. Neither of them feel like they've won in the end.
Series
- Part 2 of Soft White Underbelly
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Summary
"Nogizaka and Itami both suggested you succeed me and have Narumi be your Vice-Captain.” Shinomiya sighed, the first sign of fatigue Hasegawa had seen from him in weeks. “They argued that his tolerable performance in your platoon indicated potential for a tolerable performance as your Vice-Captain. I disagreed. To be perfectly blunt: Narumi trusts you, but he won’t follow you.”
“No.” Hasegawa huffed a laugh, remembering all the times Narumi had ignored orders and done precisely what he wanted to in the field. “He won’t follow anyone but you, Sir.”
“The time has come for him to stop following. But he will need a Vice-Captain he can trust, and Narumi does not trust easily. Hasegawa.” Shinomiya leaned forward across his desk, tone somehow even graver. “Are you willing to turn down a potential captaincy and stunt your career to support his?”
To support him, you mean. “Yes, Sir. Wholeheartedly.”
Series
- Part 1 of Soft White Underbelly
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Growing Pains by metri_zin
Fandoms: 呪術廻戦 | Jujutsu Kaisen (Manga), 呪術廻戦 | Jujutsu Kaisen (Anime)
21 Aug 2025
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“Is she still sleeping?”
“Yeah. Keep your voice down.”
“I don’t want to hear that from you,” Megumi huffed, shuffling forward with a hot chocolate clearly meant for Tsumiki wrapped in his pudgy hands. Satoru held out a hand for it – she wouldn’t know what she’d missed – but Megumi locked eyes with him and took a large, loud gulp.
Brat.
On any other day, Satoru would fight him for it, pull the cup directly into his hand with blue and spill hot chocolate everywhere. It was his damn couch anyway, he’d paid for it, and he’d just get them another one. But today Tsumiki was in pain and asleep, and Megumi was using it against him. Opportunistic bastard. Maybe he really was his father’s son. Or maybe he was starting to take after Satoru.
*
Tsumiki's having her first period. Satoru is having an internal nostalgic crisis. Megumi's having none of it.
Or, a melancholy introspection on what could have been if Satoru had made different choices.
Series
- Part 1 of Long Shadows
Recent series
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Long Shadows by metri_zin
Fandom 呪術廻戦 | Jujutsu Kaisen (Anime & Manga), 呪術廻戦 | Jujutsu Kaisen (Anime), 呪術廻戦 | Jujutsu Kaisen (Manga)
10 May 2026
- Words:
- 4,768
- Works:
- 2
- Bookmarks:
- 1
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Soft White Underbelly by metri_zin
Fandom 怪獣８号 | Kaiju No. 8 (Anime), 怪獣８号 | Kaiju No. 8 (Manga)
04 May 2026
- Words:
- 9,611
- Works:
- 3
- Bookmarks:
- 2
Recent bookmarks
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things i would miss from the other side by hijinks_n_lowjinks
Fandoms: 呪術廻戦 | Jujutsu Kaisen (Manga), 呪術廻戦 | Jujutsu Kaisen (Anime & Manga)
17 Sep 2024
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Megumi can no longer sleep alone. The darkness that comes with the shift from evening to night makes him nauseous, especially if he’s on his own.
His first night back on campus has quickly turned into a disaster. His room, blackened by shadows that turned the walls to ink, felt far too familiar for his taste; a pitch-black void of nothingness to surround him as he remained confined inside his own body.
Itadori found him collapsed on his bedroom floor, trembling.
“I know, I know,” he murmured as he ran a comforting hand down Megumi’s back. “He always makes it too dark.”
Bookmarked by metri_zin
12 Apr 2025
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Summary
In the aftermath of Shiganshina, Levi grieves whilst Hange struggles to feel adequate under the pressure of her new position. Things explode.
“You aren’t my commander!” The words slipped before he could stop himself. It was a terrible thing to say, and he watched as Hange gave him a disgusted look before she started laughing, almost crazed.
“You think I don’t fucking know that?” She yelled. “You think I don’t know that I was leading a military branch of nine people back from Shiganshina and all of them don’t see me as their leader?”
Bookmarked by metri_zin
12 Apr 2025