#I loved it. How it's mostly his insecurity what plays against him and he isn't even all that ugly

[taragreenfield]

The old gargoyle and the missing opportunities

Baghra's "reveal" of Aleksander as a "villain" doesn't make any sense and ctually makes the plot worse. I suppose the intention was: a young protagonist is charmed by an attractive and powerful man, believes that he is a brave revolutionary and a justice fighter with noble goals, and gets entangled in a relationship with him only to find out that his motives are much more sinister and he actually uses her as a pawn, tricking her with talks about "greater good". She feels betrayed, devastated, heartbroken, and disillusioned with the man she thought she knew and runs away to take revenge on him and ultimately stop him. Except it falls apart right from the start. The narrative tries to retroactively gaslight you by including Alina's lamenting about "how long she lived with his lies", but, considering that we still remember what actually happened, it makes her sound delusional or outright dishonest.

The Darkling is not charming. He's not that typical abuser who plays the role of a sociable, likeable, caring, and upstanding guy who secretly beats up unsuspecting women in his dungeon. He has a dark reputation, a dark image, and a whole swarm of semi-mythical gossip surrounding him. And he doesn't seem to mind. That's not how a charming manipulator acts - he doesn't cultivate a socially popular image. Nobody is charmed. Alina isn't charmed either: she initially recoils from his powers and believes he is going to torture her when he simply asks how her day was.

They actually barely interact. They have 5-6 brief conversations, mostly about her powers and amplifiers. Alina herself mentions he's barely present in the palace, and even when he is, he's not in a hurry to meet her. That's not enough to manipulate someone. It's not enough to build trust. It's not even enough to say that you know something about each other.

He interacts with her for political purposes. He doesn't manipulate her to enjoy the power he has over her and her feelings, like an abuser and manipulator does. He doesn't love-bomb Alina or try to convince her that he picked her for her delightful personality. He needs her power; that much is absolutely clear from the start. He doesn't try to humanize himself to her or get her to feel sorry for him; there is no moment of shared vulnerability between them. When they kiss, he seems almost annoyed with the fact he couldn't separate his business from unnecessary feelings. Playing on Alina's insecurities? No, he only encourages her and even defends her against Baghra's attack. Isolation? Also no, she has a full palace of Grisha and non-Grisha to talk to.

Moreover, Alina doesn't act like a victim of manipulation either. The danger of a skillful manipulation is that it's notoriously difficult to get through to the victim, even for their closest friends. The manipulated person is inclined to dismiss any warnings, get defensive, believe that it's just a misunderstanding, find excuses for their manipulator, and get angry at the person who tries to warn them for meddling with their relationship. Alina does none of that. She immediately believes the old abusive hag with no evidence and runs away.

If Aleksander is manipulative, why not continue manipulating her when he captures her after her escape? Baghra didn't provide any evidence; it would be easy to say she is just a demented old liar whose brain was damaged by the wasting sickness. He could also tell her that Baghra abused him as a child to make Alina feel guilty for trusting her over him. All the opportunities were there.

So Baghra's reveal works to the detriment of the plot because:

Alina is basically told that a guy she and everyone else assumed was evil is actually evil. There is no reason to gasp or feel betrayed; the act of a wronged wife who found out her husband is a serial cheater after 20 years of marriage is completely out of place.

The fact that Baghra delivers all the gossip in one go makes Alina's outrage against the Darkling's methods forced and performative. A day ago, Alina was happily swanning around the palace, not questioning Aleksander's goals and strategy once, not even asking questions about him, and as soon as Bahra told her, she suddenly became a staunch opponent of his "tyranny"? Sounds fake. If her discomfort with his actions was a result of her own moral reflection, that would be at least more honest and gave her a more believable conflict.

It robs Alina of any agency, as she doesn't discover information about the Darkling herself, doesn't start noticing disturbing signs and discrepancies in his behavior, and is getting infodumped by a Baghra-shaped deus ex machina instead. Once again, the conflict would be much more meaningful and impactful if Alina actually put some effort into discovering the Darkling's "true nature".

If Baghra truly believed Aleksander was going to manipulate Alina, why wait for months to warn her? It makes more sense to do it straight away, before the alleged manipulative tactics take effect.

Baghra shouldn't have even been there. If Aleksander was truly such a brilliant strategist and manipulator, he should have known that his mother, the only person knowing his Black heretic identity, could betray him. It's not like she ever made it a secret she didn't support him. So he should have made sure his mother didn't meet the Sun Summoner. Instead, he sends Alina to Baghra for training himself. Not very mastermindful of him.

If you think about it, Baghra works as a big bad manipulator much better. She has a more suitable role—that of a wise, grumpy, but well-meaning senior mentor. Who's going to suspect an old lady of plotting devious plans? Besides, Alina has already been brainwashed by a similar old abusive hag - Ana Kuya—so for her, Baghra's attitude seems familiar. Baghra does play on Alina's insecurities: rubbing in her face her humble orphanage upbringing, shaming her for her attraction to the Darkling (the idea that it's unbecoming for a young virtuous lady to lust over a man is probably already hammered into her by Ana Kuya), belittling her for her poor command over her power, and instilling the belief that Alina is stupid, foolish, naive, and can't make any decisions for herself. She also redirects any possible accusations of manipulation onto Aleksander: he is a centuries-old manipulator who knows how to fool naive young girls, apparently, not her. And if shifting the suspicion onto the person you try to discredit is not the most popular manipulative technique, I don't know what is.

[mara-xx217]

could I please ask for some yandere pav NSFW and sfw head canons?

As always, NSFW will be under the cut~

Warnings: Yandere, Dubcon, Face Fucking, Marking, Gun Play, Overstimulation

SFW Headcanons

He opens all doors for you, and pulls out/pushes in your seat whenever you use one.

You have so many nicknames: sweetheart, darling, radiant one, enchanting one, lovely, love...

Always, always, always has a hand on your body. On your shoulder, on your hip- he loves holding you by your hip...

Pav likes to play with your hair, mostly to just tease you a bit. He twirls it around his finger(s), pulls on it a little... maybe a little more under different circumstances...

He does the same with your collar, or with any necklaces that you wear.

Pav basically loves to tease you as much as possible, especially in front of others.

You are his, after all... If he isn't allowed to touch you, to run his fingers through your hair... Well, Pav is, and you better be damned sure no one else is allowed to do so. How else will he show that you are his and his alone?

Well, he has his ways...

NSFW

He's not different behind closed doors, but he loses the facade that he has crafted exclusively for pubic viewing.

You will either be naked the entire time you are behind closed doors or dressed in one of his shirts (unbuttoned, of course), there's no room for arguments.

So, so incredibly jealous, and more insecure than he'll ever admit. Any perceived kindness to another person will be seen as a threat to your relationship (if you could even call it that) and you will be punished for any transgressions against your bond or him.

Face slapping, spitting, spanking- oh yes, Pav loves to bend you over his knee and slap your rear until your cheeks are red-raw and you are covered in tears and snot (and arousal-).

If you aren't covered in tears and saliva and cum- Well, you always are, if Pav has any say in the matter.

He could face fuck you for hours. Maybe he has, you always lose track of time, having to focus solely on him and his cock, face stinging and burning from all the slaps you take, from keeping your mouth open so obediently for him as he chokes you with his dick...

Making you squirm is what he loves doing the most, be it from fucking you until you scream and beg for him to stop (even for just a moment, for fuck's sake!) or pointing a loaded gun in your face during the act, or even shoving it inside of you and 'pleasuring' you with it (even if you're screaming and begging him not to hurt you...).

Every sensitive place you have is often covered in bruises and bitemarks. You aren't allowed to hide any of them, especially when you are in public. What, are you ashamed of him and his love for you?! Who are you worried about seeing his love marks!? Does he need to remind you what real love looks like?! Feels like-?!

Pav cannot get enough of you... Fucking you is like a dream come true... He's done it in every position one could possibly conceive, for hours every single day, until you are coated in his seed and it is spilling out of nearly every hole that you have...

Makes you beg for it, even when you physically cannot take it anymore...

@prettycutebunny, @infinitewhore, @kennbb, @cherrysodalite, @space-arsonist, @pink-soft-shadow, @sinlessdesire, @hoemine, @memoryofheather @horny-3

[desired-fantasy-writings]

Dru Gru Romantic Headcanons

Requested by: Nobody Warnings: None Readers Gender: Gender Neutral Fanfic Type: Headcanons Fanfic Genre: Fluff Word Count: 869

A/N: I know Dru is a old man but gosh he's such a cutie I cant help but love this character- hear me out-

• Due to how Dru grew up with his father always reminding him of being a failure for every second of his life, he grew overly clingy to people who ever remotely liked him platonically or romantically. Was often left alone having no friends and all. He was homeschooled, so he did his own thing by himself as a kid since his father didn't allow anyone into the mansion without his say so. Let's just say his father was very distrusting with people, only person he could trust was Fritz.

• Dru is not really experienced in romance, but he does his best to learn how to be a perfect partner! Romantic encounters were always very rare for Dru, if you could even call them that… The so called few who were interested were only interested in money, you know, those type of toxic people. Those encounters still stick with Dru… often making him feel insecure and paranoid, since he gave his heart, mind, and soul to the people “interested” in him, seeing their interest in him as genuine.. He didn't read the room in time and got hurt in the end emotionally. Falls for people too quickly, an absolute hopeless romantic.

• Speaking of emotional, he's very emotional, more so then Gru who isn't really. Being emotional doesn't mean it's always a negative of course, but it definitely makes certain situations a bit more challenging for Dru.

• Persuading Dru romantically would be a challenge, since he's quite dense when it comes to love, and due to his past experiences with it as I explained - as friendly and sweet as he may seem, he keeps a lot of his true self tucked away, afraid of being hurt again, so I’ll be definitely a slow process before anything romantic would come about.

• Dru’s always down to be anyone's friend, but being romantically pursued or romantically seeking someone? Help the poor lad he doesn't know what to do or how to respond.

• Like he does with people he cares about, he also rubs his face against his lover…. way more often, and afterwards kisses. Continuous hugs, he’s needy and lonely. If his S/O isn't the physically affectionate type, well they better adapt. Dru’s a total cuddle bug. 100% his love language.

• Also gift giving too. He would go way overboard often. If he sees something his S/O likes he’ll look for anything else like it and buy it for them as a surprise. Always has treats he gives his S/O too making sure they're properly fed and loved. Being a gift giver Christmas and birthdays is his favourite times of the year.

• Dru started a tradition of dressing up as “evil” Santa and cause mischief around the neighbourhood for fun a week before Christmas. His nieces, mostly Edith, drag Dru’s S/O into their “festivities” causing mayham. Pretty innocent pranks and mischief.

• Dru may be considered a villan despite his villainous nature, but gosh he's so loving and protective. Pure and true and would never truly hurt anyone unless provoked to do so. Dru is just a thief with only some morals, well, close to morally grey but not really. If anyone hurt Dru’s family or S/O, though usually a coward, turns into a knight of shining armour. That's were his skills really come into play, usually holding himself back due to low confidence outside of that, he doesn't when it comes to protecting his loved ones.

• Still learning boundaries. If he has a not so physically affectionate partner, he can completely miss the boundaries quite a lot in the moment, oblivious to his partner's discomfort. Always profusely apologises after and making up for it by giving them space. He just can't help himself to be close to his S/O… he loves their touch.

• Same thing if his partner doesn't want to talk about something that's bothering them. Sometimes he can read the room of the tense vibes, so he often accidentally pressures his partner to share what's going on, not out of anything malicious he has good intentions even if it's not the best decision to choose at the moment, so communication is key for being in a relationship with Dru as he often misses social cues. Doesn't do it on purpose that's just how he is.

• If his S/O is sad, bothered, any uncomfy feeling, as Dru has done many times before, wallow in silence while eating ice cream in bed with them, or whatever his partner may like that's a comfort food for them.

• Supppperrr affectionate and sweet, very wholesome, obviously, also obnoxiously affectionate, but he always means well. Wants a family of his own one day. If his S/O doesn't he's fine with accepting that fact… yet it doesn't take away the fact that he’s a family man at heart, but would rather make his S/O happy if it meant not having one.

• Loves loves LOVES taking his S/O on dates. His favourites are when they're at the beach… or when they're doing a heist together as they're running for their lives with loads of loot with the help of minions. He sees it as a "romantic date” what a goober.

[puttersmile]

Why I like Dogday x Bobby Bearhug

Working off of my last Crittertember post, posting the shipping manifesto for the four of you who are just dying to know, lol.

Part 1 of Post: Here. Just a lot of pictures.

I guess I should start with how I started liking the ship in the first place. As best as I can remember it started with a mildly intense obsession with the Smiling Critters after seeing them in Poppy Playtime Chapter 3. Their carboard soundboards specifically intrigued me. As a fandom we really had ziltch to work with so maybe I was hyper-analyzing their phrases to see if anything could be gleamed from them.

There isn't much unless we are meant to believe Picky is literally a cannibal. I don't think so? I think the voice lines have been corrupted by the metric ton of death that happened within the factory. Be it as it may, what little we fanon-ize about the critters, a lot of it is probably coming from those soundboards.

A post about this already exists on tumblr but at some random point I thought, "Weird Bobby Bearhug and Dogday's cut outs sound like they are talking to one another." Not sure how my brain jumped to that conclusion but it did. As seen in this post with some old oogly art I drew.

And then @meowcola made my dream come true by editing the two voices together. Yhaass! For this I am forever grateful to my fellow shipper.

I don't think any of the other critter's voice lines bounce off of each other as well as these two do (admittedly with slight editing), or even at all. But Bobby and Dogday's cutouts almost seem to have a conversation that don't work played against any of the others. Dogday trying to push someone away that he cares for and Bobby desperately trying to stay with someone she cares for.

Dogday's fall is he cares too much.

Bobby's fall is she doesn't care enough. For herself.

Obviously they are talking to the player actually but my fanon ship brain interpreted it differently. I guess from there, albeit a doomed one, I shipped this ship fairly hard.

The rest of this rambling essay under the cut:

Why I think they work:

Dogday and Bobby’s relationship is mostly about balance. While Dogday’s the brave and daring leader of the group (except when there's a thunderstorm—he tries), Bobby’s the physically strong yet practical one. She’s a total powerhouse,(literal mama bear energy) ready to protect when needed, but only as a last resort. Dogday loves how protective she is, and Bobby really appreciates his loyalty, especially since it helps with her self-worth issues.

One of Bobby’s biggest insecurities is that she believes she’s annoying to her friends. Even though it’s clear she’s not, in the back of her mind, she constantly second-guesses her actions. She’ll wonder if hugging someone is the right move in the moment or if she’s overstepping. Dogday, on the other hand, is someone who thrives on affection and would never get tired of Bobby’s hugs, making him the perfect counter to her uncertainty.

Both of them would share a strong sense of humor, which helps them face life’s challenges with optimism. Dogday is especially good at this.  They know how to lighten the mood and bring joy to each other’s lives, even when the weight of everything starts to creep in.

Bobby’s also got a knack for stepping in when Dogday forgets to take care of himself. She’s nurturing, and in return, Dogday reminds her she’s worth it, which she sometimes forgets. Though Bobby’s not Dogday’s second-in-command (that’s usually Bubba Bubbaphant), she’s the one Dogday confides in emotionally when leadership wears him down.

Over time, Bobby finds herself leaning on Dogday, too, sharing her deepest insecurities and struggles with him.

What really makes them work is how much everyone trusts Bobby. She’s the keeper of everyone’s secrets because they just naturally open up to her. And eventually, Dogday becomes her rock, giving them this deep emotional connection where they’re both vulnerable and open with each other.

Bobby’s practicality also helps balance out Dogday’s crazier ideas. She rarely says “no” outright, but she’s good at restructuring them to make things safer or less chaotic. If safety’s not the issue, then they’re often the ones mediating when their friends have disagreements. They’ve both learned the importance of compromise and work together to bring peace to any tense situation.

I feel like their brief character descriptions show how good they would both be at this.

They’re known as the “mom and dad” of the group, always looking out for everyone’s physical and emotional well-being.

It’s funny how differently they approach things, like planning events—Dogday’s spontaneous energy versus Bobby’s structured organization—but they still make a great team.

In public, they’ve got this super cute Barbie/Ken - Mickey&Minnie vibe, showing their love for each other without hesitation. It’s strong, proud, and they never shy away from letting everyone know how much they mean to each other!

Character flaws/dark side of the ship:

At their darkest, Bobby and Dogday have some pretty complex flaws. Bobby, when she’s at her worst, can be manipulative. She’s got this way of playing on people’s emotions, sometimes twisting things to suit her needs, all while wearing a caring face. It’s like she knows people trust her and she uses that to her advantage, especially if she’s feeling insecure or threatened.

On the flip side, Dogday’s biggest weakness is his fear of hurting others. He’ll go to great lengths to avoid conflict, even if it means letting himself be hurt. He’s so afraid of causing pain or upsetting someone that he’ll bottle up his own feelings or allow himself to be taken advantage of.

This combination can be dangerous when their issues align, with Bobby’s manipulation and Dogday’s passive acceptance creating a pretty toxic dynamic in their worst moments. Thankfully this outcome is incredibly hard for me to see happening. It is still a possibility though.

(In some messed up but interesting fanfiction)

Other Stuff:

On the wiki I saw something incredibly minute but decided to go ahead and make something of it.  There is the idea, at least, that Dogday is named after “Dogstar” aka Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. If you think about Dogday being associated with Sirius, the Dog Star, and Bobby representing Ursa Major aka The Big Dipper, in my mind it symbolizes how their relationship works.

Sirius is the brightest star, leading the way, just like Dogday, who's bold, full of energy, and always guiding others. Bobby, on the other hand, is like Ursa Major—steady, reliable, and always there to support.

Their relationship reflects that balance: Dogday’s light and leadership are complemented by Bobby’s protective, grounding nature. Together, they’re like two guiding forces—he lights the way, and she provides the strength and stability needed to stay on course.

It’s almost like he can shine brighter because he knows she’s there, holding things together.

And for Bobby, Dogday is the spark that keeps her moving forward, even when she feels uncertain.

It’s also cool how Ursa Major is used for navigation, like Bobby helps Dogday find his way emotionally. Meanwhile, Sirius has been a marker of important times like the "dog days" of summer or the flooding of the Nile river, (The flooding of the Nile is celebrated btw, it's a good thing) just as Dogday marks big changes in Bobby’s life.

They balance each other out like the constellations they represent: one a guiding light, the other a steady, protective force in the background.

I think about the cardboard cutout order. Bobby and Dogday are among the last supposedly, holding out even longer than the athletic Hoppy. I interpret that to mean Bobby on her own has a strong will and some amount of bravery.

Not to throw shade at the others who fell before, as it could have all come down to bad luck.(or bad platforming skills--burn.)  But I bring the “possible” death order up as some might say Bobby’s sweet and caring nature means she is weak or useless. I don’t think so.

This is also why I characterize Bobby as sort of a lady-like yet cute bruiser. Dogday is brave but not the strongest critter by far.  Dogday is  Zelda and Bobby is Link lol.  Bobby Bearhug is his knight in fluffy armor, and Dogday is Bobby’s warm home.

There is a tragedy to this. If Bobby was one of the last two  with Dogday in the game. (Going by the order the cardboard cutouts are seen.) I imagine she was doing her best to support him, only for Dogday to abandon Bobby near the end. As the leader, Dogday did what he thought was best and it broke her, ultimately ending them both.

How the relationship Helps them grow:

Not wanting to end this on a down note I’ll speak a bit more on how the relationship enhances both of them.

Bobby’s practical, more thoughtful approach doesn’t just temper Dogday’s adventurous spirit as what may be expected from a dynamic like this. In fact it enhances his daring. 

Yes, it'll ease him off riskier behavior but it enables him to be a more successful leader with her providing safety nets and or foundations for him to be confident. It's not just him willing confidence from within, there's another external pillar to  bolster his confidence. That pillar being her secret knowledge of their friends. While Bobby won't be spilling secrets, she'd certainly know how to guide Dogday in the right direction when it comes to helping the others.

She helps ensure that his ideas are successful and safe, so he'll not only be able to focus his energy on particulars but he'll have the confidence to be the best leader he can be, knowing he won't just come crashing down to earth.  

In turn Dogday's boundless energy, brings joy and spontaneity to Bobby’s more grounded maybe reserved, structured world.  Though she is strong she likely tends to fall back to what's familiar, to what's safe. There is strength in the familiar in the sense of you know for sure you are strong here, but out there things may be more uncertain. 

Out there you can feel weak. At least that's the perception for some with issues of self worth. But now with his energy, his enthusiasm, his optimism, and his light, she'll have the freedom to step out of her usual comfort zones and perhaps be more than she may have imagined. 

Sooo yeah. This ship is not bad. Nor is it boring. I'll never understand how this sentiment came about. Opposites attract isn't the only way a relationship can be interesting. Okay people?

 And that is all that I have to say! Thanks for listening to my CritterTalk.

[loopy777]

do you think mai ever felt replaceable or insecure about her position in zuko's life? i would think she would since he is royalty and a lot of suitors would be vying for his attention. but it's not like that at all. he dumped her in a letter but she's the one who re-started the relationship after that. if anything zuko is surprised and hopeful that she would want him back. i was surprised by that. though on the plus side, i think it could be taken for proof of how obvious Zuko's love for her must be. the comics actually showed it by having him pursue her so. it's refreshing to see a female character not constantly questioning her worth and feeling unwanted. even after all the conflict maiko has this isn't one of them. funny how atla surprises you, zuko might be the royal one but mai seems to be more of a catch 😆

Part of the problem with trying to figure this out is that no one vies for Zuko's attention. In fact, we mostly see people trying to avoid it. XD The big exception, of course, are his fangirls in 'The Beach' and 'Nightmares & Daydreams,' but I really do have to wonder if any of them have ever actually spent time with him. Zuko is a very anti-social dude.

So to answer the question, I don't think Mai is insecure at all because she knows Zuko too well. He doesn't socialize, he doesn't play nice with people, and he doesn't make friends except against his will. They've literally known each other their whole lives, and Mai strikes me as quite observant. I've always thought that it's quite telling that Zuko has to hang out with little his sister's friends, and even picked one of them as the love of his life. It's like he met some people when he was four and decided that's enough for him forever. XD

And as we've seen, Zuko is very loyal to the people he loves. He wanted to return home to Ozai after the whole face-burning incident! He kicked Iroh to the curb a few times and in every case later begged for him back. Once Zuko likes you, you're in his life to stay. Even when he dumped Mai via the letter, it was for her sake, and he did not act like he was looking to replace her at all (despite Toph's best efforts), even if we got frustratingly little insight into how he was feeling about the whole thing.

The closest we've seen to Zuko eyeing another girl is the date with Jin, where for most of it he was actively hostile to being involved, and the second it started working and he got a kiss, he ran away from Jin forever. I think it's very telling that in the Nickelodeon Magazine comic which featured the return of Jin, Mai's only reaction is active delight she has something to tease Zuko over to the point of laughing out loud and skipping through the streets. Based on that, it's possible she has never experienced a moment of jealousy in her life and thinks it's something made up for fiction.

So yeah, I think Mai is quite secure that she could have Zuko whenever she wants, and sometimes in the post-finale era she even wishes he would figure out that the world contains more women than just her and his relatives. It is indeed a lovely turnaround from what we usually see in romantic fiction, but I've always felt that this is where AtLA shines- doing fairly standard overall story arcs but really shining with innovative smaller details and good execution.

[dn-hc]

What's your personal headcanons for them? Like personality, appearance, hobbies, etc

L Lawliet

Aspergers

Honestly a deeply emotional person, he just allows himself to feel what he's feeling, but remains self aware.

It isn't that he doesn't have emotions, he just feels the need to hide them so they can't be used against him.

Also never learned how to properly express emotion.

So he often got in trouble for it as a child. 

Which taught him to keep them to himself and view them as a negative thing.

Thus why he can become agitated when others are overly emotional because he doesn’t understand not everyone grew up being punished for their feelings.

Was HEAVILY abused as a child.

Speaks in monotone, but it’s not because he’s cold—it’s just effortful for him to perform socially.

Secretly craves affection, but has no idea how to accept it if offered.

Honestly, very strong.

Takes Einstein's approach to clothing. It's not worth wasting thought on deciding what to wear.

Lowkey loves emotional TV scenes or songs or books, so he can feel intense emotion rather than his usual numbness and emptiness. 

Incredibly lonely and depressed, but would never admit it.

Secretly loves animals. Has fed dozens of strays and birds over the years.

A cat person.

Wants to fit in more than he lets on. 

Would dye a strand of hair blue, especially if Misa encouraged it.

Light Yagami

During his Kira phase, a bit of a bigot

Deeply lonely even before the Death Note—he’s been performing for people all his life.

If he hadn't became Kira, he would've decided to become a lawyer instead, deeming police work as low paying and low class.

Irons his clothes.

Debate clubs, chess, mock trials. Loved being the smartest in the room.

Pretended to read philosophy but mostly skimmed for quotes to sound deep.

Lowkey misogynistic, both before, during, and after Kira.

Would have the 2000's 'cool guy' attitude towards gays. "I don't agree with it, but as long as you keep it to yourself I don't care."

Even if he hadn't become Kira, if he got with a woman he deemed not as intelligent and therefore lesser than him, he would be lowkey abusive, raising her voice at her, belittling and drgrading her, eventually escalating to full on yelling and punching holes in walls before he decides it's time for a divorce.

Despite claiming he wants the connection of a woman on his level, he would much rather have the control of being with someone 'inferior'.

Honestly, he had something dark in him WELL before Ryuk and that book came along.

Mihael Keehl

Honestly, a big ass flirt.

Despite his passionate nature, he can be chill when with friends.

If you don't think him and Matt are getting drunk and high, playing video games, and eating pizza every saturday night, ya dumb.

Lowkey depression and anxiety.

Deeply insecure.

Would dye his hair in a heartbeat.

Obsessed with war history

Used to be obsessed with Napoleon.

Lowkey a party boy.

Goes to clubs and parties AT LEAST every other weekend.

Was actually kinda popular in the orphanage.

Definitely played sports during his youth, mainly competitive sports like track.

Loves bowling

Sucks at bowling

A dog person.

But should a cat show him love, he'd pretend to hate it but first of all, that's his baby.

Girl dad vibes.

Momma was a druggy.

Dad abused his mom.

Mello would try to protect his mom and siblings.

Mail Jeevas

Playful and flirty with most people, but shy and reserved if he actually likes a girl. Has to take a shot or a hit to feel confident enough to approach her.

Hella chill.

A bit of a loner.

Very observant but rarely lets on how much he notices.

Struggles with anxiety but hides it under nonchalance.

Always has a little bedhead.

Into vintage game collecting.

Mello's introverted friend who he has to drag out to parties.

Sits in the corner with his hand held and joint waiting for Mello to leave.

Prefers small get togethers over big parties.

Lowkey amazing cook but never admits it unless bribed.

Weirdly good with pets and kids.

The guy who THINKS he's a dog person, but cats TELL him he's a cat person.

WOULD have a cat.

Not on purpose, he was found eating pizza in a dumpster.

Lowkey a bird and rodent person too.

Thalassophobia

There ARE deep sea monsters

And he doesn't want to meet them.

Fucking LOVES bugs and dinosaurs.

Bugs and dinosaurs are fucking sick man.

Goes to museum to see dinosaurs.

Hates bowling.

Honestly great at bowling.

Chill dad vibes.

Nate River

Despite seeming detached, he is deeply empathetic.

Has a weirdly dry sense of humor that you only catch if you’re paying close attention.

Hates being underestimated but doesn’t correct people—it’s more useful that way.

Dresses for comfort, not style—sweaters, oversized shirts, barefoot when he can.

His expressions are subtle: a raised eyebrow is a full reaction for him.

Lowkey lazy and spoiled af expecting others to cater to him and becoming annoyed when they do not.

Would want a submissive girlfriend.

Who's a super smart and sneaky underneath the innocent appearance.

Sucker for doe eyes and round cheeks.

Collects and customizes toys—not just for fidgeting but as visual metaphors for thought.

Loves chess and rubiks cubes.

Misa Amane

Extroverted, emotionally intense, but way smarter than people give her credit for.

Deeply traumatized underneath the happy face.

Feels her parents don't love her.

Despite being surrounded by others all the time, she's lonely. Feeling no one actually likes her or wants her around, they just tolerate her.

Weaponizes the fact that people underestimate her.

Naturally blonde, but changes her hair often depending on mood and trends.

She carries grief under all the sparkle.

Knows how to draw her own fashion designs and sew her own clothes.

Writes poetry in a private journal—dark, raw, and beautiful, but she’d never show it.

[dramalove247]

Growth, change and patterns

Love reading other perspectives and they often inspire us to think deeper about our own feelings. We really enjoyed this Business As Usual post by @miss0atae for this very reason, even if we came to a different conclusion.

Thinking about this is making us want to rewatch it... and we still might... so it's possible we could gain a new perspective. But our impression was that Min Jun has changed through his experiences, though not always for the better.

I feel the need to start by saying that we get to see VERY little of who these people have been for the last 8 years. And even now, we only see them as they react to each other, within this relationship and this situation, with all their baggage of the past and how it impacts where they are now at this point in time. Their existence and personality outside this relationship is mostly unknown to us. And honestly, it doesn't matter because we can have epic growth individually and still be stuck in old habits and patterns within established relationships. Sometimes it is hard to free ourselves from who we were to make space for who we are or are becoming. For this reason, it can be much harder to break a pattern than to just start over with someone new where there is no history that needs to be overcome.

We totally agree with @miss0atae that Min Jun seems tired to his core. Depression seems like a possibility, but it's hard to know if this is his "normal" or just where he is at in this particular moment. If I had someone suddenly show up in my life that had hurt me the way Min Jun had been hurt (misunderstanding or not), my emotional state and behaviors would have little to do with how I am managing life on a regular basis. So we aren't convinced that Min Jun's current state as we see him is representative of how he has spent the last 8 years.

The series made a point to say that both had been more submissive in the past, both changed themselves to fit the other, both were insecure and afraid, and both had grown and changed from who they were in the past, and continue to grow as they navigate their current relationship. But for the sake of this post, we are here to focus on Min Jun's growth. I've already written a book, so I'm going to try to keep this short and only make a couple of points. 🤣

One of the big things we noticed is that Min Jun is a lot less passive. Does he still have more work to do in this area? Yes. They even made a point of this with him staying silent at work and taking on too much. But even Jin Hwan says he's changed and is more outspoken. And we see Min Jun frequently push back against Jin Hwan, rejecting him and speaking up about his feelings. He believed he let himself be used last time, and he won't let it happen again. Even when he realizes it was a misunderstanding, he isn't silent when he perceived he's being played with.

And we see this growth again after the wedding when he declines the invitation to go out to dinner. In the past, we saw him cave when Jin Hwan pushed his invitation to join him with his friends. So Min Jun seems a lot more willing to say what he is feeling and prioritize his own desires over those of someone he likes.

We also feel he has grown more protective of himself. He's experienced a deep wound that left serious scars. Even knowing it was a misunderstanding does not change that experience. He can intellectually understand he cut himself, but the wound still existed. Yes, Min Jun had been afraid to admit his feelings in the past, fearing the pain of rejection. But he is even more afraid of that pain now that he has experienced it. This is the change that has not been for the better.

Also, this self preservation fuels his fear as soon as he recognized himself returning to old patterns. He likes Jin Hwan and that scares him. That fear of being vulnerable and opening up to this man to risk being hurt again is clear on his face when they sleep together for the second time. It was devastating to see them repeat the pattern of experiencing the same event so differently. But even with bigger walls this time, with epic levels of reassurance from Jin Hwan, Min Jun ignores his fear enough to let himself surrender to his emotions in this moment, just like he did last time.

But this is short lived. With his growing feelings for Jin Hwan, Min Jun also recognizes himself returning to those old patterns. The increased hope comes with increased fear, and the pain he experienced in the past gives his fear much bigger teeth. So as soon as he finds himself back in a familiar place, watching his phone, waiting for a text, something to prove to Min Jun that he's important, that he isn't being used by Jin Hwan (this time to resist his father), and when that text doesn't come, his need for answers causes him to start searching, while also being afraid of what those answers could be. And when he finds Jin Hwan, the need he feels is too much and the pain too familiar. It's too scary. He knows this isn't healthy and he doesn't want to be back here living these same patterns over again. So he runs away, just like last time. Only now he will tell Jin Hwan to his face, communicating clearly what he wants with devastating impact. And Jin Hwan, having been as clear as he can possibly be, knows there is nothing else he can do, will close the door because it wasn't enough. AH! It's so sad! Having feels!

ANYWAY! By the end, Min Jun grows again. Realizing he is repeating another pattern, making the same mistakes he made last time (thanks to the best wingman EVER!), Min Jun is finally willing to face his fears and stop running. ABOUT FREAKING TIME! He knows he might get hurt, but he won't hold back. And Jin Hwan finally got what he deserved, someone who chooses him back and is willing to fight for him.

We spent the entire show being mad at Min Jun and we weren't ready to forgive him. Honestly, not sure we have. But we will call this ending good enough for Jin Hwan and good enough for us. It told a story we can respect and Min Jun owned his mistakes, grew, and gave us hope he will do better.

Thank you @miss0atae for sharing your perspective and inspiring this post! Please don't think we are picking on you because we had a different opinion. We just wanted to give you credit for making us think deeper about this character. ❤

[yarameijer]

Hi again 👋,I am here after reading chapter 42 of accidental reverse and it's epic,it was definitely worth the long wait,I am a sucker for tenma&shuu and tenma& shindou friendship,so,I can't wait for the next one, How's recovery going,well I hope. love from Hana

So,one thing that really bothers me about inazuma eleven is that they gloss over relationships that are important.I get this anime mostly focuses on soccer,but still,I thought about and tenma got betrayed 4 times in the series,4 Times,That's insane

First,shuu: I don't like that they completely glossed over this in the movie,I get that they didn't know each other for long,but tenma trusted him and shuu clearly knew they'd be playing against each other,being part of the team that beat raimon up, completely disregarding tenma's reaction,not patting an eye at tenma's best friend being locked in a cage like an animal.no matter how you look at it, that's a betrayal,I know the "fixed things"at the end of the movie,bit, tenma must've been hurt that someone he trusted betrayed him from the very beginning but shuu didn't apologize and I hate that.

Next, taiyou :I talked about this one in my previous post,What Taiyou did even without telling gouenji about anything interesting tenma told him(because that's not canon),what he did is a huge betrayal,Not telling tenma when he knew of his involvement in the revolution,acting cold and rude during their match,lying to his friend's face, completely disregarding his friend's feelings.That's a huge betrayal and I wish they payed attention to it,it was overshadowed by shindou breaking his leg and again tenma must've been hurt.

Next,Fei: this one's self explanatory,He apologized and I guess he betrayed all of raimon,but again,He and tenma were definitely the closest and he was hurt.

Next,The one that hurt him the most, tsurugi:I don't think I have to explain this and my hand's tired.

Not to mention that tge team treated him horribly in the beginning,like,shindou literally beat a junior up and I know he was upset,I know he was angry,but that doesn't excuse it,He's older and he should've taken it easy on a newbie who helped them before.and he never apologized.

Kurama was definitely the worst,He was rude,cold and blamed tenma for literally everything wrong in the club which is ridiculous and he never apologized.

The rest of the team, basically stood by and watched,The only ones on tenma's side from the very beginning are shinsuke and Aoi,which is why I love this trio and I think it should get more love.

So,my point is that everyone treated tenma horribly,no one apologized except for Fei and those betrayals must've hurt.

I want these guys to realize they messed up when they see tenma being hesitant to tell them something or see him more comfortably sharing things with, let's say,earth eleven more than them, specifically Taiyou and shuu.

Could you write a drabble about it.

Sorry,this is so long.I read A.R chapter 42 and came to vent.

Love you ❣️

Oh boy do I have feelings about this.

Through the years of writing stories, as I grew older, I started looking deeper into the characters' mindsets, to try and give them a more realistic and individual representation. This means it isn't always in line with what is shown in the anime, but I don't really mind. Tenma's character is pretty interesting to me because of three reasons: his cheerful attitude, his insecurities, and being allowed to move miles away from home at age eight.

The first two are quite well known in the fandom already and more people have experimented with it, but it's the third one I rarely see. Someone even told me it wasn't a big deal.

Is it really, though? What would such a thing do to a child? What kind of family situation would it be for parents to allow their eight-year-old kid to move several hundred miles away, for years? I get that he wanted to play at Raimon and that they were supporting him - but he started that school at age 12/13, so why would he be sent to Inazuma Town four years before he could even attend Raimon? It doesn't mean Tenma's parents are bad or abusive, but it does imply there's a more complicated situation, one that could actually explain quite a lot of Tenma's insecurities. It's just something that's been keeping my mind occupied lately, and I'm planning to use it in my stories more. 

All in all, I feel like Tenma's character can be quite complicated, without a ridiculously complicated and tragic backstory. It just doesn't fit, y'know? And it's a bit too cliché for me. Putting that aside for now, there's also one more specific characteristic I've given the Tenma in my stories: he has a hard time opening up, which means I'm not sure whether the issues you mentioned are ones he would just talk about. The Tenma I'm writing is much more likely to try to deflect a topic so I don't think I can fully 'finish' this? The issue won't be resolved by the end of the drabble because healing takes time, and I think I might build on this idea in future chapters more. I'll try my best though! And I didn't include Earth Eleven cuz they didn't seem right for this role. Instead Aoi gets some more love XD

So, just a warning, I have an idea for the start of this drabble but beyond that, my mind is blank. I have no idea what I'm about to write so bear with me here, and let's hope it's not too messy.

------------

Tenma has never had a lot of friends.

He told his yearmates, once, when they were hanging out at his house. Kariya and Hikaru had been talking about the team, about how much fun every day was, about how they weren't used to it. Tenma, relaxed and content and safe, agreed.

They'd been surprised, a little disbelieving. They were nice about it! But Kariya's, "For real? Could've fooled me!" had stuck with him, no matter how teasing it had sounded.

It's the truth, though. Before Raimon he'd had Aoi, and one or two people he would sit with during lunch at school, but that was about it.

He loves Inazuma Town, now more than ever - but making the switch from his relatively small seaside hometown to this busy Tokyo district was hard, harder than he'd admitted to anyone but himself. It's not that he didn't want to, but... Aki always got so sad when Tenma was sad and he could see her brightening whenever he said he was happy (and he was!) and okay. He didn't understand it fully back then, but he thinks he's starting to. Aki had been so young.

(Sometimes he's guilty, for putting more weight on her shoulders. For making her look after him when she was barely in her twenties.

Sometimes he's angry at his parents for putting such a burden on her. For ever getting it in their minds to ask their young cousin to be responsible for an eight-year-old child.

Sometimes he's angry at them for allowing him to go in the first place.

Most often, though, he's angry at them for making him want to.)

Tenma was in a new town, living with a relative he barely knew, and painfully shy. His soccer obsession didn't exactly help - everyone likes soccer, of course, how could they not when seeing all those hissatsu? But they don't live and breathe it like he does, like his teammates do. When the kids in his neighborhood found out that soccer was all he ever focused on, they lost interest in him pretty quickly.

(Most of them, at least, and the ones who didn’t - well, their interest wasn’t exactly a good thing.)

Aoi was an exception. But, Tenma has long since realized, Aoi is absolutely crazy in her own, hidden way (she'd have to be, to put up with their team's shenanigans).

Anyway.

Tenma isn't very experienced in the friends department, as surprising as many people seem to find it. He's never really cared, to be honest. He'd had Aoi and Aki and Sasuke and he found out early on that a lot of people just don't care. Fighting that never worked out for him, so why bother?

"Tenma!"

The sudden call has him looking up, brought back to the present.

Shindou has twisted around in his seat. He looks vaguely annoyed. "Finally. What's got you so distracted?"

Tenma blinks. "I'm sorry, senpai," he responds automatically, surprised by his own absentmindedness. He didn't expect to be so caught up in his daydreams with his entire team around him - the noise level in the bus is, as usual with them, high, and the air is filled with a familiar excitement at the prospect of a match, especially after so long.

"It's fine," the strategist sighs, a smile finally pulling at his lips that Tenma would almost call fond. "Just don't zone out all day, alright? We can't afford that when facing Arakumo Academy."

"Right," the captain agrees easily.

He expects that to be the end of it because Shindou is turning around in his seat again, leaving Tenma to his thoughts once more - but it isn’t.

"This is the second time you're distracted when we're playing against Arakumo," someone else drawls - Tsurugi, who's seated on the opposite side of the bus aisle, arms crossed and lounging in his chair like a king. "I'm starting to suspect a pattern."

Tenma, for lack of a better reaction, smiles and shrugs. He doesn't know what to say to that, because it's true.

Their last, and first, match against Arakumo wasn't his finest moment, he’ll readily admit.

Thankfully Tsurugi doesn't care much for his lack of reaction, focusing once more on the book he was reading. Tenma watches him for a moment, and then looks out of the window again.

He knows it's bound to get his mind wandering again, and he's not in the mood for another scolding, but there's not much else to do. Shinsuke next to him is playing a game on his phone, Hayami and Hamano in the row in front of him are discussing homework. Everyone else is either caught up in their own conversations or seated too far away to comfortably converse with.

Tenma starts tapping a mindless rhythm on his knee to keep himself in the present. He's restless. Hopefully the match will get him out of his head - he's not even sure why he's so distracted.

(That's a lie.)

He should be fine, right?

Everything's fine.

It all worked out.

School has started again after the summer holidays - of which he spent the first half in space. It still feels unreal to him, despite over a month having passed.

Not much else happened during the holidays. He'd caught a plane to Okinawa and stayed there pretty much until school started again, only returning to Tokyo a day and a half before. It had been nice to be back home, spending most of his time on the beach or exploring the familiar streets or practicing soccer by himself. He’s gotten sufficiently tanned, as well, and it was pretty funny to see Tsurugi’s annoyance at that once he got back.

This is their first match after the break - school's been in for only a week - and beneath the excitement, there's some nervous energy too. Arakumo is one of their most challenging opponents and they all know it.

At least it's only a friendly match instead of anything tournament-related, so the usual pressure of winning (especially when trying to lead a revolution against a deluded tyrant organization) is absent. Maybe, Tenma muses, that's why he's so distracted.

The fact that this is the first time he'll be playing against Taiyou since their argument doesn't exactly help. They've talked about it at length, and they've tentatively been texting and even hung out once over the summer, but there's a sense of discomfort that they're still trying to get past. Tenma, if only in his own mind, can admit he's worried about how any competitive interaction will affect them.

He doesn't want to lose Taiyou's friendship, but…

The brunet sighs and shakes his head. At this rate he's just going to keep on being distracted, and inevitably disappoint his team. He doesn't want to take that risk for their first match after such a long break.

Or, any match, really.

Especially not after-

Well.

After.

(He still cannot help but feel a bit jumpy, after all the arguments with Shindou during the Grand Celesta Galaxy, after Tsurugi’s kidnapping, after, after, after.

It had felt like he'd been on thin ice when he first joined the team, but that sensation had slowly but surely faded as he found his place.

Now, after, he hates that he's once more double-checking his every action. Hates that he's lost the sense of security in where he stands that had been near unshakable before the Grand Celesta Galaxy.)

Tenma is, once again, brought back to the present, this time because their bus is slowing to a stop. A glance out of the window tells him all he needs to know, and he hides a grimace.

Seems like they have arrived at Arakumo Academy.

------------

Raimon reaches their destination right on schedule, Shindou is glad to note. They'd left early so they'd have enough time to get ready and go over their strategy before the game starts, as they usually do, but Arakumo is a challenging enough opponent that any extra time is welcome.

They're guided over the campus in the direction of the soccer stadium and Shindou takes in the sights with mild interest. It's been a while since he's visited Arakumo - their previous match had been in one of Fifth Sector's stadiums. The prestigious academy hasn't changed much. It certainly lives up to its reputation, not quite as large as Teikoku's buildings, but nothing to look down on either. It's got a more serious appearance than Raimon, with red-toned walls and roofs with cloud patterns.

However, Raimon is here for a match, not to play tourist, and soon they find themselves in their assigned dressing room to get ready for the match. It's as the team is entering the room, getting ready to change out of their training suits, that a ringtone disrupts the usual chatter.

It's uncommon enough that Shindou finds himself glancing up, involuntarily raising his eyebrows as Tenma scrambles for his phone. He catches the captain's gaze and Tenma shoots him an apologetic look while he answers the call. “Hello?”

Shindou turns away and smiles at Kirino on his other side as he reaches for his bag, but despite his wish to give his captain some privacy, they’re right next to each other. It’s impossible not to overhear the one-sided conversation.

“I apologize, this isn't really the right time,” he hears Tenma say, sounding genuinely sorry and surprisingly formal. “I'm playing a match in-”

The brunet falls silent for several moments after the, assumed, interruption. Shindou unzips the jacket of his training suit and shrugs it off his shoulders. He's already wearing his uniform underneath the track suit, so he won't take long changing.

Next to him, Tenma starts talking again. “I understand, but I,” and falls silent yet again. Shindou frowns.

Something about the way his captain keeps on halting in the middle of his sentences seems a little odd. Shindou finds himself halting his movements, unable to keep himself from looking over at his young friend. It's not on purpose, but he's always believed in the worth of information, and something about the increasing tension in Tenma's voice raises his guard.

‘’Yes, I do understand, but is it really not possible?’’ The brunet in question is clutching his phone, lips pulled into a frown while his other hand holds on tightly to the edge of the bench. Whatever he's being told clearly affects him, and whatever reply he receives has his shoulders drooping visibly as he says, ‘’I know, but it was scheduled months ago…’’

It takes Shindou a second to classify the tone in Tenma's voice - not disappointed, but… resigned?

Whatever this conversation is that Tenma is now being forced to share with the entire team, it doesn't reassure Shindou in the slightest.

And it's clear he's not the only one. Although they're trying to hide it, the strategist notices several of his friends shooting worried glances at their captain, and the usual rambunctious chatter is muted. It’s by accident that Shindou and Tsurugi lock eyes over Tenma’s head, but it’s clear to both - they’re equally confused.

Tenma hasn’t hinted at any issue to either of them, and Shindou doesn’t quite know how to feel about that realization. He doesn’t mean to assume, but… well, as far as he knows, the brunet is an open book.

Especially to him and Tsurugi, or so Shindou had thought.

(Tenma respects him, he knows. It's clear the young brunet values his opinion, but he's also comfortable enough to approach Shindou with his issues and insecurities. To ask for help. To let himself be vulnerable.

Shindou appreciates that, could even say he's honored by the faith the brunet puts in him.

So to find out there's apparently something - a situation that seems to be the norm rather than the exception, based on Tenma's reaction - that has such an impact on the brunet, which he hasn't even hinted at towards Shindou nor Tsurugi…

Well, it throws him off more than he thought it would.)

The captain doesn't seem to have noticed the slowly increasing attention on him, too focused on whatever conversation he's having. One that's clearly not going well. “Are you certain?” he asks, sounding dull, and Shindou grimaces. That sounds very different from the Tenma he's used to, and it feels wrong.

‘’I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to complain.’’

That is…

Shindou has to look away from Tenma then. He can’t stand the sight of him so muted, so wrong, and he gets the feeling he is intruding on something he has no right to know about.

Instead he exchanges a look with Kirino next to him, the defender appearing just as startled as the strategist imagines he himself looks.

‘’Alright. I understand.’’ The words are mumbles but where they would otherwise have gone unheard, now the team has become silent enough for it to be picked up. ‘’Right. Goodbye, then.”

Tenma hangs up and drops his phone carelessly in his bag. Then he sighs softly, staring at the ground for several seconds before getting to his feet with the intent to get changed.

Shindou debates saying something, thoroughly unsettled because he's seen Tenma worried, sad and even angry a few times, but this… this is somehow worse. Clearly upset about something and yet shrugging it off completely at the same time. He's got no idea how to handle this new side of his friend, and he doesn't like it one bit.

He doesn’t seem to be the only one doubting themselves, something hesitant in the air as the team waits - for what, Shindou can’t quite tell. For Tenma to explain? The captain doesn’t even seem to notice their focus on him as he pulls off his suit jacket, but the strategist can’t help but wonder if that’s really the case. Either the brunet is so lost in his own thoughts he doesn’t notice the unusual quiet in the changing room, or he’s pretending.

It’s Tsurugi who breaks first, and Shindou feels a little relieved. Whatever issue Tenma may be facing, his guess is that he'll most easily open up to either Shinsuke, Tsurugi, or Shindou himself. He's never asked for the details but he knows Tenma and Tsurugi share a lot - Tsurugi about his brother and his time as a Seed, and Tenma about his insecurities.

“What was that all about?” the striker mumbles from the brunet’s other side, a quiet offer to talk about it.

Tenma stills in the midst of securing the captain's band around his arm.

He doesn't even look at his best friend and there's a sudden, horrid feeling of dread in the pit of Shindou's stomach that he doesn't know the origin of.

“Nothing to concern yourself with,” Tenma says evenly, and that's it. He goes back to changing like nothing happened. Like his team didn't just watch him act more cautious and restrained than he did while they traveled to the future.

He hadn't even hesitated.

Hadn't even seemed to consider talking to his team - and sure, that might not be considered odd if it were anyone else, but this is Raimon. They are arguably closer than any other team, after everything they've faced together. It's their whole thing, their never ending support of each other and their strong bonds, the reason they've made it this far, and if there's anyone who enforces that stereotype, it's Tenma.

And yet he hadn't even spared Tsurugi a single glance as he'd answered.

Shindou doesn't know what to think.

With the sudden, painful, and most importantly unusual sense of awkwardness in the air, Raimon finishes getting changed. Coach Endou shows up not long after, as bright and enthusiastic as he always is, and at least that manages to lighten the mood a little. He repeats their strategy once more, supported by Haruna refreshing the most important data on the Arakumo team, and the boys listen intently to his advice until he dismisses them with a few minutes to spare.

There's chatter in the changing room again, the excitement at the prospect of a match against a team as challenging as Arakumo resurfacing, and yet Shindou still finds himself watching his captain.

The brunet doesn't join in on any conversations, lips thin and shoulders still a bit tense.

He approaches Aoi.

The girl looks up from where she's preparing towels for the boys for later, her smile fading the moment she catches sight of him in favor of a frown. “Are you okay?” she asks.

Tenma mutely shakes his head, eyes downcast.

Aoi reaches out for him, catching him by the shoulder. She seems worried, but there's something in the way she approaches the brunet that seems to speak of experience.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Tenma, finally, cracks a smile. “Later,” he tells her. “Wanna join Aki-nee and I for dinner?”

The girl immediately brightens, both at the offer and the prospect of supporting her childhood friend. “I'd love to. I'll let my parents know, do I need to text Aki-san for you?”

“Please.”

The whole interaction speaks of familiarity and care. Shindou, objectively, knew they were friends, childhood friends. Knew they live in the same neighborhood, knew they hang out together often.

Knowing is different from seeing.

The way Aoi had immediately seen something was up, the way she'd known exactly how to react. How Tenma talks to her so easily when he'd seemed painfully uncomfortable with the team, had, in fact, approached her himself because he wanted to talk. The easy invitation for dinner, something they're apparently both so used to that they hadn't even considered that either Aoi's parents or Tenma's guardian could have any problem with the sudden change of plans.

There's a trust there. A trust that, until ten minutes ago, Shindou had believed to extend to the rest of the team.

As the two first-years keep talking, Tenma smiling once more, the strategist is suddenly struck with the feeling he just intruded on something private yet again. He turns away sharply.

And catches Tsurugi's gaze once more.

Seems like he wasn't the only one keeping an eye on Raimon's wayward captain - and from the frown pulling at Tsurugi's lips, it's clear the striker recognized the same thing he did.

Tsurugi is far too good at masking his emotions, but for once Shindou can make out the confusion - and dare he say the hurt - in his eyes.

Though neither of them says a word, there's a quiet understanding between them.

For all that Tenma seems to depend on them, in the span of a single phone call it has become painfully clear that there’s a boundary that neither of them had been aware of before.

And Shindou can’t help but wonder why that doesn’t surprise him as much as he thought it would.

------------

Okay, so I tried to include Taiyou like you asked, but he didn’t want to be written. Neither did Raimon really realize they ‘messed up’, as you said, rather it’s a slow suspicion creeping up on them. This is sort of the start of the process in which Raimon realizes, ‘oh, wait, something isn’t exactly right here’.

That’s also because I’ve got some more things planned for them. Tenma has issues, but he’s also not the person to acknowledge them, or blame Raimon for their actions - but it still bothers him unconsciously and I’m hoping to build on that. Rather than outright telling Raimon, or even showing there’s a problem, he’d prefer to ignore his own feelings on the matter. He’s just not the type of person to keep grudges or blame others.

And then there's the rest of the team to consider - there's other people who still have opinions on what happened at the start of the year, but simply haven't brought it up while they were dealing with evil organizations and time traveling. Midori, for example, won't stay silent forever, and she's certainly no fan of how Tenma and Shinsuke were treated in the beginning.

Also, that phone call is actually important, but in the AR timeline is also something Tenma only faces during the third-year, AKA two years from this point in time. Very slow-going, basically, which is again why this drabble doesn't really solve anything.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed (despite the long wait, sorry about that)!

[gaku-maruko]

WHAT I THINK OF EACH CHARACTER

Basically the title, obviously only the ones we know so far, here we gooo!

Alright so Takumi, he's most likely gonna be one of my favs, I have protagonist brainrot, Hajima Hinata is one of my fav protagonists ever and Takumi is giving strong Hinata energy but perhaps less insecure and more indecisive, I like him a ton!

Okay so Hiruko, I was expecting to not like her much since characters like her ALWAYS bore me but she seems to be fairly entertaining at least, although I could see myself being annoyed by her depending on how far they push her bloodlust stuff, idk the only thing I like about her rn is that her name reminds me of Heavenly Delusion

Darumi! Wow I thought I was gonna HATE you and I do not hate you at all! These words could totally backfire but despite all her psycho stuff I just can't shake the feeling that she's a sweetheart, I'm placing all my bets on her being a Power (Chainsaw Man) type character where she's chaotic and crazy but genuinely cares

In regards to Eito I have an overwhelming urge to keep him alive at all costs, I don't even like him that much, I just don't want anything bad to happen to him! Strangely when I played Danganronpa 2 I hated Kazuichi but desperately wanted him to survive, now I like Eito but it's a similar thing for whatever reason

I love you so much, normal character, I LOVE NORMAL CHARACTERS!! (except Hina from DR1, I have a weird vendetta against her) I don't have much to say about Tsubasa I just really love her, she's probably my best girl at the moment?

Gaku's my favorite, that will not be changing, I will be taking no questions.

Ima fascinates me the most of any character we know right now, and like, yes incest is bad, obviously incest is bad, BUT it doesn't stop me from being interested in his character and why he's so fixated on his sister, I find it especially fascinating because Kako doesn't seem to reciprocate meaning this isn't just for the "anime being anime" stuff, there's a genuine arc here!

First time I read about her I thought she was so boring, but now I have a positive bias towards her because my first Tumblr experience is with a Kako account so Kako's not boring anymore she's so pretty and cute and nice! :D

I just have so many questions, that being said, girlboss? I'm mostly neutral on her by Hundred Line standards but I'm so endeared to all of these characters so she would be on the lower end but I'd still have positive feelings towards her, she's above Hiruko

This MAY be best girl, she's so silly I love her, idk between her and Tsubasa it's a real race for who I like more but GOD she's likable, I definitely want to keep her alive more than I want to keep Tsubasa alive but as I established with Eito that doesn't mean much, it's just a weird vibes thing for me

the vibes are RANCID, absolutely RANCID, I don't want him NEAR me!! I don't want to talk about or look at him any longer!

idk, nothing about Sirei stands out to me, I have no opinion, which maybe is worse than having negative opinions like I do on Hiruko and ESPECIALLY THAT RANCID, RANCID MAN

I hope this isn't controversial, can I be flamed for character opinions on a game that hasn't been released..

[brian-kinney-apologist]

non book reader speaking here and it wasn't as bad as i expected it to be based on reviews calling what happens in this ep horrific. the more poignant part for me and potentially triggering was armand fishing through daniel's memories and landing on moments that clearly mortified daniel while he thought well this is all mundane, it isn't enough to warrant being called fascinating. just fishing for his own edification because he's that insecure he can't let go of that one comment. (we could talk about how that sent him spiraling but louis weaponizing his trauma against him is apparently totally ok, which judging by that "are you asking maitre?" and louis responding with his deadname has been going on for centuries on and off. that just makes the "does he want to lick my boots" jab from louis particularly stomach churning to me)

this post was mostly about people who didn't read the books and hope for the best (aka want to purify and sanitize the whole show (lol))

for me personally it too wasn't horrific per se BUT I was gagged, jaw dropped to the floor, both louis and armand said things I wasn't expecting them to say but thankfully for us iwtv writer's motto is play big or go home. the dynemics between ALL of the characters in this episode alone are something essays can be written about, to see loumand saying all that and acting that away towards each other AND daniel was crazy!!!!! (and i obviously LOVED it tho I'm pretty sure some non book readers will be upset bc i personally mostly see these people reacting out of proportion to this fictional form of media)

[jils-things]

OHHH DOMESTIC ASKS YESS PLEASE

🛌 & 💐 for Constabell

🪺 & 🃏 for Stevaide

HAIII GIRLLL YESYES THANK YOUUU HEHEHEH

constabell :

🛌 - do you and your f/o sleep in the same bed? if you do, do you have a favorite and least favorite thing about sleeping together?

YES FOR SUREEEE!!! i said this somewhere before i think, but it took norto.n a LOT of time to really feel comfortable sleeping with her (he also has a preference to sleep shirtless, but he feels opposed to this if irene is there because he's very insecure about his burn :C) but with enough time, they do sleep together <3 i think BOTH of their favorite things sleeping together is knowing they're sleeping with assurance that they're content and safe with the person they love (as we know from both backgrounds, they're not so content where they were initially, until now)

no.rton's only least favorite thing when sleeping with her is how her hair will PROBABLY tangle him and im sure she's the type to turn a lot... irene isn't picky :) she's just happy to be with him :3

💐 - do you have a garden? what does it look like? do you instead keep flowers in your home? what kind?

EEEEKKK OMG i love how you pulled the flower ask here HEHEHEH okay okay so irene's family home most definitely have a huge garden, the kind of garden with hedges/walls of grass, archways and all that and it has a variety of flowers :3 but if irene and nor.ton lived in a home together, she would have a little garden of chamomile! it's her favorite flower because it's also her favorite tea flavor :3 so she'd want some easy access to it <3

stevaide :

🪺 - what does your dream back/front yard look like?

OH OH this could work for either a back or front yard, but!! i imagine the place looks like a patio that has some little rock and plant combo decorations all around. the rocks are polished by steven, and the plants are actually apricorn since jaide makes aprijuice. again, like irene - she makes homemade drinks too :3 (mostly for her pokemon and for business ^^) there's a table with an umbrella stand where steven normally goes to just lounge and indulge in his hobby there! i think ruby would also rehearse for his pokemon contests there, and would treat it like a stage (bonus, steven and jaide are his audience to practice too!)

🃏 - if you and your f/o were to be snowed in for several days with no power, what would you two do to keep away boredom?

OMG THEM STUCK IN THE VILLA IN THE RESORT AREA IN SINNOH HEHEHEEH i remember steven previously owned a small villa in gen 4 and this perfectly aligns with the question omg HEHEHE

oh honey you dont even wanna know what these lovebirds are doing when they aren't always busy with their personal endeavors /silly steven to me is such a ROMANTIC at heart that when he's stuck in the same room as his wifey he's going to do everything to make the most of their day together <3 he initiates EVERYTHING... he's the type to just play nice, sweet music and invite her to just do a little dance in the living room (she was initially against it, being the mature-minded lady she is, but she couldn't deny such an offer tho :3)

and then they'd just. be super cuddly. (its his fault again <3), he just loves her that much that he's super physical ;-;

hes like if you locked your favorite person in the same room as you. hes not worried at all hes like YAY WIFE TIME WIFE TIME (<- hes a very busy man he cannot Wife Time all the time you know :c )

[kasunex]

Hello! I found you in the TCOAAL tag, hope it doesn't bother you lol, I just enjoyed reading your opinions on this game.

Since I saw you questioning Andrew in the Decay route, I wanted to offer you my two cents about it, and why Andrew is so snappy at Ashley there: you can enter the Decay route in two ways, if either of the siblings fails to commit to the other and don't break away from their unhealthy coping mechanism.

If Ashley refuses to let Andrew watch over their parents, she is giving in to her own paranoia and mistrust. Her controlling tendencies towards Andrew stem from her fear that he doesn't really love her (because she is fundamentally impossible to love, that's what everyone told her), and if he has a choice he'll always pick the other choice. No matter how much Andrew commits to her, she is always scared - this is what causes the big fight in the room 302. So her solution is to simply cut out the other choice. She let Nina die, she harassed Julia into breaking up with Andrew, and now, she won't let him talk with their parents. This is the same "Leyley orders Andy around" dynamic that Andrew wants to desperately break free of, and the very reason he despises the nickname Andy - which Ashley keeps using in this route to exercise control: "I love you, Andy. I love you, I love you, I love you". If you choose this option, Ashley ruins their relationship further by caving in to her insecurity, the fear that Andrew would lie to her, abandon her for anyone, and that he really gives her nothing (read: not the all-encompassing love she craves, since she's "no pretty lady he can fuck"... also, sidenote, Ashley's obsession with sex and what it says about her selfworth is fascinating). Of course Andrew would be mad that no matter what he does, it's never enough for his sister, and she will always try every dirty trick in the book to keep him under her thumb.

If Ashley trusts Andrew with the parents, but Andrew accepts their offer to leave Ashley behind and live a normal life, Andrew sinks once again into denial. He is a normal person, really! He could live a normal life! But he is stuck with Ashley. It's all Ashley's fault for pushing him around. It's all Ashley's fault for ruining his life. Andrew is her doormat, and nothing more. Like this, Andrew builds up resentment and resentment, choosing to put all the blame on Ashley's shoulders instead of admitting to himself, like he does if he refuses, that he's just as fucked up as Ashley is. Case in point: in the Decay route he's disgusted when chopping up his parents, a normal reaction which makes Ashley smile, while in the Burial route he's completely detatched, which worries Ashley because this isn't the weak Andy she knows and loves.

So it's not that Andrew in the Decay route is OOC, I think. You, player, simply choose to exarcerbate the issues between the two siblings, whose relationship was already strained by that point, mostly by Ashley still calling Andrew "Andy" which symbolizes her not wanting to move on from the relationship they had as children. The Burial route allows them to say "fuck it, it's us against the world" in their own way: Ashley by accepting that she can slightly let go the leash she put on Andrew because he's her ally, and Andrew by stopping pretending he's just a victim of circumstances.

Sorry for the long rant lol. Have a nice day ^^

No worries at all - in fact I'm posting this publicly so it can be seen by more eyes. It's very well put and does a good job of explaining.

I had my concerns about the route splitting, but I am curious to see how the different routes ultimately play out. Especially because, to be honest, I don't know what the best path forward for these two is.

The part of me that is playing as them, empathizing, thinks they should just embrace their degeneracy and enjoy burning in Hell together - a la Burial - and the part of me that is watching and judging thinks they deserve to drag each other to the grave for all the awful sins they have committed - a la Decay.

Sans the "less incestous" Burial route. That one seems passable.

[turtlesocksv2]

Liveblogging DFF episode 9

last time we checked in, Non was having just the Worst Time Possible, everyone was trying to cover their asses and Phi was entering into Murder/Detective Mode.

i know i've said it before but god the opening credits are SO GOOD. i don't think we appreciate them enough.

We're back in the present day! it's been so long! Tan is fucking brave to fight Fluke for the gun.

IT'S WHITE WITH THE STEEL CHAIR TRIPOD! BAH GOD THAT MAN HAD A FAMILY! love you white you're doing amazing sweetie.

...there was just a water bottle there at the shrine? and it looked opened? are you actually going to drink that? at least you smelled it first??? Ahhhh but notice Phi doesn't drink it! he lets Jin drink it but doesn't do it himself! my sus king.

"Why are you being so nice to me" i mean, dude is at least nominally your friend and you dislocated your shoulder or whatever and there's a killer out there after you guys? i think that'd be cause enough for Phi to be nice lmao. I get it though, Jin, i get it.

Aha, so we've got some timeline stuff. PhiJin absolutely happened POST PhiNon, which i had seen some intriguing theories that maybe PhiJin was actually first but this is confirmation otherwise. also that Jin very much had feelings for Phi but Phi was the one pushing the friends agenda, which we mostly knew.

Jin on that "you like Tan!" shit again, no wonder Phi didn't want to be in a relationship with your insecure self lmao. Tan is just his Bestie who helps with his Plucky Girl Detectiving, no big deal.

Once again, Jin sees things that Phi doesn't. shortly after the water. Hallucinogen maybe? guilty conscience definitely.

well that's one way to snap him out of the panic

slight detour inspired by the blood splatter everywhere in this shrine is that if the Janta Cult isn't real/doesn't play a part in this somehow, I'm going to be so upset. why bring up perfectly good murder cults if you're not going to give us the payoff? BOC? Dr Sammon I just have questions! (that said, the theory that the mafia is using the cult rumors as a front for a body dumping ground is intriguing.)

Oh ho, Phi's gonna confess everything to Jin! but will it really be everything? 👀

poor Phi is so conflicted. he's hurt, but he loves Non but he doesn't want to see him but he doesn't want to end up like his divorced parents, he can't stop thinking about it, he regrets what he said, but he still so hurt.

Non's dad got transferred. interesting.

Ooooh Phi found the picture! and the real script!

Non's mom knows Phi. I wonder if she knew they were boyfriends of if she thought they were just friends. lmao at her Ring The Doorbell You Shady Shit, Were You Raised In A Barn?

New contacting Phi as the news breaks...the drama. i love it.

Tan is New confirmed!

OOOF. major oof. "aren't you sad i'm going to England?" "Whether you're here or not doesn't make a difference" just ouch.

He may have been a Not Great brother in your life, Non, but in your death New/Tan is going to Get Answers and Get Justice! giving up a scholarship in England, lying to his parents about it...Tan is going to Fuck Shit Up.

Jin, get your 'there's a cute boy around!!!!" face under control.

Tan just dives right in to asking questions and these bitches are so fucking sus from the word 'go'. yeah, they clearly have something to do with Non disappearing.

lmao Jin does not stand a fucking chance against Phi's seduction.

i am dying at Tan's "You didn't study, dumbass" on his ankle. Top's face is Too Funny.

Aww, White waiting for Tee after school and the group roasting them is really cute.

Phi how dare you take Jin to your and Non's spot! so rude! can't trust men at all, the second you disappear he's taking another man to the place you became boyfriends.😂 Jin awkwardly trying to figure out of this means Phi likes him back is cute.

Why Jin, how bold! asking Phi to stay the night!

oh damn this is full on full on, okay. Ta's ass just out there bare. "don't worry, i won't be too harsh i don't want to dislocate your shoulder" "who fucks so hard they dislocate a shoulder?" somewhere else in Bangkok VegasPete's ears are burning. Anyway, Phi was like 'don't test me, i'm being gentle for YOUR sake.' and that's the Minor Family Theerapanyakul in Ta. i was absolutely waiting for that astronaut dog figurine to fall lmao.

Tan going for the kill with that Did You Cheat On My Brother. Tan i'm sorry but not only is your brother most likely dead but Phi and Non are actually very broken upright now, no matter how much Phi wishes neither of those were true. Phi is in the clear here re: Cheating. He is not in the clear for manipulating Jin into sleeping with him, but like, Jin's into it so whatever for now.

"Fuck him however much you want but don't fall in love. He's with those assholes so he's also an asshole" i mean! He's not wrong! Jin is a good looking nice boy he could absolutely find other friends. the fact that he stays with these fuckheads......

poor Non's parents.

these teenage boys have better skincare routines than I do and I'm

Jin just pass Phi a note in class: Do U Like Me Check Yes Or No

Ah, Jin has such bad timing. Everything about this is brutal. but lol this makes the 2nd boy in a row that Jin likes that doesn't like him back.

Tan doing chemistry shit. he's gonna be drugging everyone i just know it. also, never ever have your cellphone out in a lab and never answer it with your gloves on! Lab Safety 101!!!!

damn, Tan, you could have at least made up a part time job in england or something so that your parents didn't have to sell their house. this entire family's been ripped apart by all this shit.

and now Tan is alone. all he has is his investigation into Non and Phi his sort of brother-in-law.

oh shit, was it Tan's cigarette smoke that was causing hallucinations???! or are they the antidote to whatever Tan drugged the others with or both?

confirmation that Tan was drugging everyone!

lol Tan's face at he very end as he takes in the chaos

[jeanie-g]

Jamie and Trevor "cold hands #50 :)

(im determined to keep that pairng alive lol)

me too!!! they are so insane and adorable - i love writing them.

here ya go ;)

[#50] - cold hands

They're only a few stops into their Duck Tour but Jamie already wishes he brought his gloves.

It's a bus tour, Trevor said when he booked the tickets on a whim after their win against the Bruins last night. It goes to city hall and they talk about Sam Adams and shit. It's fun. He perked up, eyes bright. Oh, and it swims!

Expecting a closed (and at least semi-heated) bus, Jamie thought he'd be fine leaving behind his wool gloves at the hotel. The bus is more like a trolley though, with big, plastic sheet "windows" being their only barrier from the elements.

After about 30 minutes of winding through the biting, winding streets of Boston, Jamie's hands are freezing. He's pretty sure they're going a bit numb, which is...concerning. The coat he grabbed only has one pocket over the stomach, and Jamie alternates slipping his left and right hand inside every few minutes, silently praying that he doesn't get frostbite and have to amputate or something. Would the NHL still let him play with four fingers on one hand?

It's during one of these changes when Trevor catches sight of them. "Jesus, Jimmy! Your hands!" he cries.

And just like that, Trevor sweeps them into his lap, sandwiching them with his own two, gloved hands. "They're ice cubes!"

Jamie feels himself blush, but he could blame the wind if pressed. "I'm fine."

He tries to pull his hands away but Trevor's grip is tight, and Jamie's only working with so much strength at present.

Trevor frantically rubs his hands over Jamie's to warm them up, the itchy cotton of his gloves scratching Jamie's cracking skin. He winces, but not after long, the feeling starts to come back in his palms and fingers. Soon, his skin is tingling with warmth from the friction, and Jamie feels a nice sense of relief. No amputation, then.

Jamie glances up at Trevor, who's got his tongue poking out in concentration, and Jamie really has to separate all this from the unbelievable fact that Trevor is holding both his hands—if for his own fragile sanity. Because he's just helping him out—doing what any normal friend would do. Nothing more.

"Better?" Trevor asks, and Jamie nods. He is.

Trevor chuckles, a little puff of condensation dancing in the air in front of him. "The Canadian forgets his gloves. Amateur shit."

Jamie rolls his eyes and pulls his hands away, however reluctantly, stuffing one back into his pocket.

The trolley's passing through Science Park now, and Jamie turns his attention to the large statue of a T-rex standing on the lawn outside the science museum. Besides the weather, the tour itself is quite nice. Jamie hasn't explored Boston the way he's wanted to—the way Trevor did during his stint at BU (though that exploration was, according to Trevor, mostly centered around the frat houses in the depths of Allston). It's a nice, if completely disorganized, city—not small but not big either. It's cool getting to ride around and listen to the history of different neighborhoods and landmarks.

Trevor seems to be having fun too, though he probably knows all the history stuff already (They taught us about the American Revolution, like, every year in school). He's enthralled in the spoken tour, though, eyes to the front of the trolley. Jamie takes the chance to look over at him, eyes roaming his profile.

It's really not fair how beautiful Trevor is, from the way his eyes crinkle when he smiles, to his high-set cheekbones and straight, Greek nose (that he's stupidly insecure about), down to his small, plush lips—ballerina pink with a just-there cupid's bow.

It isn't fair, really, because he has a beautiful personality, too. He's kind and thoughtful, determined and playful—smart and sarcastic and funny. He brings Jamie out of his shell but never crosses a line; he pushes him to be his best on the ice and off of it. Jamie wants to be with him every single day. If only he had the guts to actually tell him.

Jamie hasn't been paying attention to whatever the tour guide was saying, but maybe he should have, because the trolley starts driving down a ramp off the road, heading right for the river and—unless Jamie is losing his mind already—trolleys shouldn't be doing that.

His eyes grow. "Trev, what the fuck is happening?"

Jamie's too young to die, and he doesn't even wanna think about how humiliating it'd be to do so in a trolley themed like a duck full of noisy Bostonians and smelling of Dunkin' Donuts.

But Trevor just laughs. "I told you: it swims."

And before Jamie knows it, the trolley is tipping forward into the Charles River, there are some loud hydraulic noises, and people are whooping around him.

Without thinking, he grabs Trevor's hand where it rests on the seat between them. Trevor laughs again but, to his surprise, squeezes it. He rubs his thumb in circles on Jamie's, but he only has half a mind not in panic mode to recognize it.

The trolley finally uprights itself and...glides through the water? Jamie's still confused, but they're not sinking, so he counts that as a win. The whoops begin to die down and the tour guide is on the intercom again, and Trevor is still laughing.

"Dude, your face was priceless," he gets out between breaths.

Jamie blushes scarlet (again). This must be a common occurrence then—a swimming bus. If no one clocked him as a tourist before, he might as well be wearing a sign now that says, Don't mind me - I'm just a dumb Canadian.

"Shut up," Jamie says. "It just took me off guard."

"Have you never heard of FDR's amphibious car?"

Jamie quirks a brow. "Who's FDR?"

Trevor rolls his eyes, but his look remains fond. "Never mind."

Jamie turns and looks out at the wind-whipped water. Clouds of steam hover just above the crests and breaks of the boat(?)'s wake.

"It's about to get a hell of a lot colder," he muses miserably.

Trevor squeezes his hand again, and only then does Jamie realize they're still joined. He turns to face Trevor, blushing harder if possible, and Trevor smiles, eyes twinkling.

"Don't worry, Jim. I'll keep you warm."

Jamie can't help the smile that bubbles up at that. He also can't help the semi-intrusive thought that he should forget his gloves more often.

*

[rebo-chan]

3, 8, 19, and 21 for Reborn

6 and 9 for Tsuna

Hello anon, thank you for sending in an ask!!! you're sweet<333

Reborn:

3. Least favorite canon thing about this character?

nonnie ^^" why are you choosing violence against the guy who is both my name and my pfp??? don't you think thats a little mean.... UGHH My least favorite canon thing about Reborn... that he didn't convince Amano Akira to make more content. That I don't get to see him live his life outside of the curse. Many such similar cases.. I ACTUALLY... DONT HAVE ANYTHING.. I LOVE HIM?? EVERY ASPECT??? HE NARRATIVELY DID HIS PURPOSE AND WENT AND BEYOND MY EXPECTATIONS IN EVERY CATEGORY I COULD DOCK HIM FOR.. and hes a funny bitch ontop of it??? im so fucking sorry anon there just isnt anything.

8. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise?

ANOTHER VIOLENCE QUESTION???? NONNIE WHY ARE YOU INCITING VIOLENCE???? I guess I don't prefer when his relationship with Tsuna is diminished within the fandom.. I think it's the pinnacle of the series and they're the face of it for a reason. Acting like they're somehow wrong for each other or that their relationship isn't as close as we act like? You don't have to prefer it, it doesn't have to be your thing, but I think time and time again its shown that Reborn understands Tsuna deeply and Tsuna appreciates that he's here with him. I get why he has ppl who dislike him, slapstick comedy hasn't translated well into modern day fandom, and hes generally a bit of a cocky mf but I think hes loveable and he shines the best around the Vongola kids when he's mentoring them.

19. How about a relationship they have in canon that you don't like?

NONNIE. ?????????? WHY ARE YOU TESTING MEEEEE. UMM. I.. I think I generally like all of Reborn's relationships in canon?? Everyone seems good to me??? I'm so sorry I JUSTT CANT ANSWER THIS QUESTION??? WHO WOULD YOU PICK????? COME OFF ANON AND DM IT LIKE WHO AM I MEANT TO DISLIKE HERE........

21. If you're a fic writer and have written for this character, what's your favorite thing to do when you're writing for this character? What's something you don't like?

I really like to play with his descriptions (he's got a lot of motifs to his character that are fun to put into writing as a symbol!) and physical comedy humor. He's a funny guy to write, he just does things and you don't have to explain it, he just wouldve. I also love doing character studies on him, where I explore his thoughts about whatever event. It's!! really fun!!! As for what I don't like, mostly my own insecurity coming through here but dialogue... I have tricks I do in my own writing to try and get character voice down, when it comes to actual writing. But, HES JUST SUCH A SPECIFIC GUY.. HE DOES RANDOM SHIT, BUT HE CAN'T **SAY** RANDOM SHIT. I hope you know what I mean nonnie.

Tsuna:

6. What's something you have in common with this character?

Oh, the self esteem. . . . . YEAH ILL LEAVE THAT ONE AT THAT KWAJENGKAJN

9. Could you be roommates with this character?

I would!! I think he'd be really nice to mess with and hang out with. We could play video games and shit talk ppl bringing beans for lunch. Plus, his friends are cool too >.> ... added bonus to getting to know him. The 'my friends are coming over' will be always 100% acceptable.

[laconchadetumadre]

ohh i love this take! i actually kinda had some meta about this back in 2023 when i first got into the South Park fandom.

In short, I think Cartman is mostly intimidated by Kyle because of the parental role Kyle plays sometimes.

One of Cartman's biggest insecurities, as we all know, is not having a father. He may act delusional about it, but his actions speak for themselves. Cartman is clearly attracted to the power the role of a "father" holds, but he lacks the ability to handle the responsibility that comes along (probably because he doesn't have a dad to instruct him). And, on some level, he must know this. He must sense, at the very least, that he isn't the authorative parental figure that he wants to become. But Kyle is.

In contrast to Cartman, Kyle does have a father, a father so present in his life he is Kyle's main source of advice and stability (both financially and emotionally), which has heavily aided Kyle's ability to emulate a paternal figure (regardless of Geralds... uhm... "shortcomings", lol). For example: Kyle literally parents Ike. He can tell when the needs of other kids aren't being met, like with Blanket, and looks out for the safety of others like Tweek, the new kid and the kindergartners. He also feels a sense of responsibility over others when they act immorally and tries to correct them, etc.

Since Cartman cannot find a quick way to learn how to perform this role like Kyle does, and with no way to relieve his envy, his only other option is to sabotage Kyle to prevent him from fully becoming a paternal role model before Cartman can (or ever for that matter).

One of the many tactics Cartman uses to accomplish this is by demasculizing Kyle. Cartman continuously pushes the agenda that Kyle acts "feminine" by associating him with stereotypes often linked to women, like when he jokingly implies Kyle acts angry because of a period or when he downplays Kyle's emotions by saying he is paranoic, negative, bitter, jealous, etc. (it should be telling Cartman thinks so little of women despite being the only kid being raised by a single mother, but that's besides the point right now).

One final example I'd like to bring up is the covid specials.

Cartman often fails as a leader, not because of his intelligence or because somebody else has sabotaged him (which is what he usually likes to think happened), but because he fails to care and therefore protect others; the main characteristics of a good parent. And this is exactly what happens in the covid specials. 

Cartman obviously utilized his judaism as a weapon against Kyle, but he used his own family in a similar fashion. After Cartman and Kyle reunite, Cartman cannot help but use his family to bring down Kyle by rubbing it in his face. Take, for example, Cartman having loud sex with his wife so Kyle will hear them (while also fetishizing judaism), encouraging his kids to insult Kyle, etc. This is all extremely petty of Cartman who, in his own warped perception of reality, has already beaten Kyle by being a "better" jew and getting the family that Kyle always wanted. But Cartman cannot be satisfied with just that. Instead, he chooses to "compete" with Kyle, who isn't even a threat to Cartman or his family in any way. Kyle is no longer the kid who used to bully Cartman; he hasn't been that kid in ages (this is true for both post-covid and present-day Kyle). I'd go as far as to say Kyle has already redeemed himself by helping Cartman out countless times and believing Cartman might change one day. Kyle has no ill intent or power over Cartman, but Cartman can't see that. He won't let go of the past and that will always cause his downfall.

Cartman ends up convincing himself and his family that risking their lives is better than "being like Kyle" and, in the fixed timeline, he winds up homeless and alone, without even his friends to put up with him anymore, because without the purpose of one-upping Kyle, Cartman has nothing.

Cartman intimidated by Kyle? Please explain.

Kyle is the only other guy who consistently stands up to Cartman not just vocally but physically. He's intelligent and a natural leader.

Kyle genuinely gives a shit about morality more than other of the kids that we've seen on screen.

Kyle has a complete family who tend to give a shit about him and his overall wellbeing. He's a good big brother.

Cartman even seems to genuinely like/respect Ike. In fact, one of Cartman's kids (Moisha) was named after Ike! Moisha is Ike's middle name.

Kyle's Stan's best friend. Stan is the only person (that I recall) Cartman showing genuine empathy for.

Kyle's got every thing Eric really wants deep down. Of course Eric resents him.