#I refer to him with both they them and he him because he's just a little guy thing

[strangerexee]

Okay so I was thinking about Bo Chow like usual but like just imagine if you’ve been trying to find husband for years now and nothing has changed, being dumped left and right and ultimately abandoned, because you grew up with the twins and so the few eligible men, don’t want much to do with you, but Bo does and he’s been pursing your forever, always making promises to marry you, but what if you take him serious one day?

ᴍᴇᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴀʀʀʏ ʏᴏᴜ | ʙᴏ ᴄʜᴏᴡ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

Set in Mississippi, 1932

Fem!Reader x Bo chow

(Emotional abandonment | themes of social rejection | longing | unspoken desire | references to past intimacy | slow burn | heavy realism with romantic tension)

ʀᴇQᴜᴇꜱᴛᴇᴅ ʙʏ : ᴀɴᴏɴ…ꜱᴘᴇᴀᴋ ᴜᴘ ɴᴏᴡ!

ᴡᴄ : 1.6ᴋ

You’d been trying to find a husband for years now. It was embarrassing, honestly…

And not just trying. Not flirting here and there or batting your lashes at the Sunday socials. You’d prayed. You’d fasted. You’d begged God, begged the moon, begged your own reflection for someone who’d take you seriously. For someone who’d take you home.

But all you’d gotten was abandonment.

Not once. Not twice. But over and over.

Same story every time — they’d look at you, smile at first, then freeze when they remembered. Remembered that you were the girl who ran wild with The Moore twins. Smoke and Stack. The trouble boys with blood on their boots and hearts that didn’t work right. They’d say your name like it had something dirty attached to it. Like it was too close to theirs.

You didn’t sleep with both of them.

Not at the same time, not even back-to-back.

But what folks thought…was enough.

And so every man who took you out once, never came back for seconds.

Except Bo Chow.

Bo owned the only real grocer in town.

Right off Main, past the post office, across from Grace’s white grocer shop. His store was never quiet — he ran it like clockwork. He knew how much flour was on the shelf before he turned the key in the front door. He had a head for numbers, a body made for lifting sacks of rice and crates of apples, and a voice that made you forget what time it was.

He’d been in town almost his whole life now.

Long enough to earn a grudging respect from the older men and more than a few stares from women who never bought groceries until he was behind the counter. Long enough for everyone to know that when he said he was gonna do something — he did it.

Which made it all the more confusing that for years, Bo Chow had been telling people he was gonna marry you.

“Y’all hear Bo Chow said he gon’ wife that girl?”

“The one that was always at that Moore house?”

“Lord have mercy, he must be lonely.”

It started out as gossip.

Then a punchline.

Then a…rumor with weight.

He’d say it like it was nothing. Casually, while weighing out pecans. While handing you exact change. While handing you your groceries and brushing his thumb over your wrist longer than he needed to.

“Don’t let nobody waste your time,” he’d say with those dark eyes low on you. “Told you I’d marry you, didn’t I?” He’d brush his thumb over your bottom lip.

You’d roll your eyes. Smile like it was a joke.

But it never sounded like one.

One morning, after another man — a preacher’s son — dropped you with no warning, saying his mother “had concerns,” you found yourself standing outside Bo’s store, holding nothing but a paper list and the weight of your own shame.

You’d stayed up all night crying into a pillow you didn’t own. Borrowed sheets. Borrowed hope.

But there you were.

Again.

And when Bo saw you through the storefront window, he came out front like he always did — wiping his hands on his apron, already reaching for the list in your hand.

“Let me guess. Flour. Sugar. You want the good honey or the regular one?”

You just blinked at him.

He didn’t ask why your eyes were red.

Didn’t ask why you were trembling when he brushed your arm with his hand, careful, always careful.

He just took the list and nodded.

“I’ll bag it myself. Come inside, stay cool. Got fresh peaches today.”

You walked in like a ghost.

And then sat behind the counter. And watched him work.

And for some reason, that day…you saw him clearer than you ever had.

His rolled-up sleeves, arms veined and golden from sun.

The subtle way he smiled when an old man thanked him.

The careful way he handled a child’s nickel — didn’t take more than what he had to.

The way he moved. Steady. Strong. Full of intent.

You watched Bo Chow lean down to grab a jar from the bottom shelf, and it hit you mid-breath — he wasn’t playing with you.

He meant every word.

Every promise.

Every time he said you deserve better.

Maybe he’d been waiting.

Maybe you were the one who hadn’t believed him.

Later that afternoon, you didn’t say much when he drove you home with a brown bag on your lap, filled with peaches, ribbon candy, and flour you hadn’t paid for.

When he parked in front of your steps, you didn’t get out right away.

He didn’t rush you.

Bo just rested his arm over the steering wheel, turned to look at you, and said — soft, not shy —

“You ever gon’ take me serious?” He didn’t sound like he was tired of you.

So you didn’t answer right away.

Your heart was thudding like it was afraid to get the words out. Like it was remembering all the other men who’d walked away. All the times you’d been left holding hope with both hands, just for it to slip.

But when you looked at him — really looked —

You didn’t see someone waiting for you to be perfect.

You didn’t see someone measuring your past.

You saw a man who meant to stay.

And right there, in the heat of that car, hands trembling in your lap, you said:

“I might.”

His lips twitched. His hand found yours.

“That’s good enough for me.”

He didn’t press you after that.

Didn’t grin like he’d won. Didn’t lean over and steal a kiss like a man who knew the answer before you gave it. Bo Chow just squeezed your hand — once — and let it fall back into your lap like it was sacred. Like it had done enough.

“You sure you wanna go inside?” he asked, voice low.

You looked at your porch. Looked back at him.

And suddenly, the house you’d been trying to make into a home felt hollow. Not because of its emptiness — but because it wasn’t his.

“Not really.”

Bo reached for the key in the ignition, but didn’t turn it just yet.

He looked at you again — and there was something in his eyes you hadn’t let yourself see before. Not fully. Something slow and rich and full of patience. The kind of look a man gives when he’s already made up his mind about you, and he’s just waiting for you to catch up.

His house wasn’t far. Not that far from your place. Not that far from the store. Tidy. Warm.

The kind of place that had rice in every cabinet and a garden out back that didn’t need much tending. The bed was made. The floor swept. There was a jacket hung over the back of the only armchair. The scent of wood and salt and faint cigarette smoke clung to the walls like it belonged there.

He didn’t lead you in. He just unlocked the door and stepped aside.

“Ain’t fancy,” he muttered. “But you’re always welcome.”

You stepped over the threshold like you’d been there in a dream before.

The inside of Bo Chow’s home looked exactly how you thought it might. Like him. Like someone who doesn’t waste words. Someone who buys quality, not quantity. Someone who meant every damn thing he said when he looked you in the eye and promised you something better than what you’d been given.

And that night — without a single word — you helped him take off his shirt and folded it.

You brushed your hand down his chest like you had every right to.

And when he kissed you — cradling your face ever so gently, like you were fragile and made of glass — it didn’t feel like a beginning.

It felt like you’d arrived.

It wasn’t sex. Not really.

You didn’t even get that far. Just your lips and his hands and the heat of his breath on your neck when he pulled you into his lap like something breakable and precious and his mouth brushed against the hollow behind your ear like a confession.

You didn’t ask what it meant.

Didn’t have to.

It was in the way he held the back of your head when you shifted on top of him.

In the way he looked at your mouth like a holy thing.

In the way he kissed you between the eyes before he whispered—

“I told you I’d take care of you.”

And God help you, you believed him.

You woke up to the sound of him boiling water the next morning.

He was already dressed — a clean shirt, sleeves rolled up, collar slightly askew. He had a lighter in his hand and his back to you, standing in the kitchen with a cigarette on the sill and steam curling through the sunlight. His body filled the doorway.

And in that moment, something in you settled.

Like the ache that had been in your chest for years just quieted.

Because this — he — was not something you’d stumbled into. He had been there.

He had been choosing you longer than you’d been brave enough to notice.

You padded barefoot into the kitchen, pulled your arms around his waist, and pressed your cheek against the middle of his back.

Bo didn’t startle.

He just turned the stove down and reached for your hands.

“Been waiting so long for this,” he said. “Told you I was gon’ marry you.”

You buried your face into his shoulder and whispered—

“I know.” You said. “Sorry for making you wait so long…”

The man only shook his head.

But the way he smiled?

That was the moment you figured it out.

You didn’t need to find a husband.

You just needed to stop running from the man who’d already been one all along.

Mannnnnnn I wouldn’t had that man waiting for YEARS….thats crazy work — imagine making BO CHOW WAIT…nahhhh I would’ve said yes the first time he asked.

[kxsagi]

something kinda funny happened to me recently and i immediately thought about rin and your fics, so i'll send it as a req!! i hope you dont find it uncomfortable.

to sum up: ppl usually perceive me as a "nerdy and smart girl" (as in, "top of the class" kind of smart) bc of my looks but in reality i couldnt care less about paying attention to something if its not abt a topic im interested in lol. WHICH RESULTED IN ME RANKING 20 OUT OF 23 STUDENTS in everything but english. it doesn't bother me at all bc. well. i was expecting it. but my classmates are always shocked somehow.

anyways, i immediately thought about my dear rinnie, bc i think thats the kind of situation that poor boy would experience, since everyone in bllk sees him as an academically smart guy bc hes fluent in english, failingto realizethat my boy does NAWT cate about anything other than eng and soccer. . so! my req is basically just a fic where both rin and reader end up in the bottom of the rankings in everything but english (they were the only ones to ace it) and the others are like "?!?!?!" bc i think it would be rlly funny!! feel free to do it in any way you like! tyy! BTW SORRY FOR ANY TYPOS I HOPE IT DOESNT SOUND CONFUSING

“𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫”

a/n: OMG I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS REQUEST BC i have a male coworker in his 20’s who looks like a geeked out nerd, like kind of skinny, glasses, black hair, asian. and my mom told me to talk to him to potentially gain connections bc i’m academic and i was still in high school at the time so i asked him about college and he said “oh yeah, i dropped out like… 3 times. i just didn’t have the drive because i attended raves instead of lectures” don’t let looks fool you 💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀

for context, all the blue lock characters attend the same high school lol

title is a beabadobee reference bc i love her idc

(art credits go to immmso_ko on twitter)

in a cruel twist of fate, or maybe divine comedy, you and rin itoshi have somehow landed in the bottom tier of your class rankings. 

not just “average.” not “middle of the pack.” no. we're talking rank 21 and 22 out of 23. (it would’ve been 22 and 23, but shoutout to that one guy who never came to class and failed on principle. king.) 

the only subject you both aced? english. 

english was your salvation. your shared pride. your mutual delusion. you’d both walked out of that test with the smug confidence of people who knew the word “juxtaposition” and weren’t afraid to use it. and it paid off with perfect scores. 

but everything else? absolute academic carnage. 

math: rin got bored halfway through and started drawing soccer formations in the margins. 

science: you answered every question based on vague memories of a documentary you half-watched two years ago. 

history: you just… didn’t. rin got distracted by a headline about international players and spiral notebooked into a wikipedia hole mid-exam. 

and when the results were posted, the classroom erupted. 

“WAIT. RIN?! RIN ITOSHI?!” 

someone physically grabbed him by the sleeve. “bro. you’re like. fluent in english. i thought you were smart?!” 

rin stared at them, face completely blank. “i am.” 

“YOU’RE 22ND!!” 

“in english?” 

“NO. OVERALL.” 

“… okay. but in english?” 

he had a point. it was the only thing that mattered. 

you slinked over beside him, matching his blank expression. “hey. i’m 21st.” 

he looked at you. “you’re better at literature than me.” 

“damn right.” 

behind you, chaos brewed. karasu paced like a man discovering the earth was flat. bachira was cry-laughing, gripping isagi like he’d seen a ghost. otoya just kept whispering “no way. no way. no way.” like he was having an existential breakdown over his fantasy of rin being the dark, brooding honor student. 

“this is a scam,” reo muttered from the side. “i thought rin was our secret weapon for test prep. i was gonna ask him to tutor me in math.” 

rin tilted his head. “why would i do that?” 

“you got a 12%.” 

“i don’t need math to score goals.” 

“… you didn’t even attempt question two.” 

“it was too many words.” 

you nodded solemnly beside him. “same. too many triangles. immediate shut down.” 

someone behind you whispered, “this is actually worse than when nagi slept through the finals.” 

but you and rin? unfazed. you were both already planning how to celebrate your dual top scores in english. (you were thinking milk tea. he was thinking silence. compromise: milk tea in silence.) 

you sipped your drink later that afternoon with the confidence of two people who fully accepted their intellectual limitations, so long as they didn’t apply to soccer or essays on animal farm. 

“this doesn’t bother you?” you asked, curious. 

“not really,” he replied. “they’re just shocked because i don’t talk much. so they assume i’m smart.” 

“right?! same! they see glasses and a quiet demeanor and suddenly expect perfect grades.” 

he nodded slowly. “people are stupid.” 

you toasted your drink to that. “cheers to mediocrity, king.” 

and rin, for the first time that day, cracked the smallest smirk. “except in english.” 

“except in english,” you agreed, dead serious. 

the only subject that mattered. 

© 𝐤𝐱𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐢

[snail-day]

Second Male Lead Syndrome

Sum: Maybe you don't got this nerdjo!

Nerd! Gojo x Reader x FWB! Geto

Previous // Next Part // Masterlist

WC: 2.4k

TW: Angst, Yearning, Anxiety, love triangle-ish, alcohol references.

a/n: A bit short...but I promise the next one will be longer and fluffy <3

Second Male Lead Syndrome — a tragic but familiar condition. Occurs when the audience falls hopelessly in love with the second male lead. When he's sweet and thoughtful, perhaps a little bit stupid, and still doesn’t get the girl. Not because he didn’t try hard enough. But because he never stood a chance.

Satoru had always laughed at those characters. Thought why waste all that time on a girl who didn’t have their eyes set on you. It would never work out, plenty of fish in the sea, etc.  

Until now.

When the room is dim. Soft, warm lighting flickers against the walls. The playlist he curated for you hums softly in the background, some gentle acoustic loop he’d replayed twenty times to ensure the instrumentals didn’t overpower the mood, mostly to ensure he could still hear your voice. The dice scattered like different colored fallen stars across the table, and everyone is still buzzing from the final boss fight. The victory. And the drinks.

And you’re giggling.

But not at him. Not like how he imagined tonight would go. 

You’re pressed just a little too close to Suguru, your shoulder brushing his. Your knees angled towards his. The sound of your laugh, light and tipsy, spills like wine from your lips as Suguru leans in - voice low, mouth grazing the shell of your ear as he murmurs something only you get to hear. Something that makes you smile like that, he hung the stars. Soft. Genuine.

And how your body leans into his like it’s instinct. Like he's the male lead in your fairy tale.

Satoru feels the punch to the gut. The anxiety and thoughts spiraling.

Perhaps Satoru had poured your drinks a little too strong. Just enough for you to laugh at Suguru’s jokes without overthinking them. So much that you don’t seem to notice how Satoru hasn’t said anything in a while, since the campaign ended. How his throat’s been dry since he saw Suguru press his hand to the small of your back.

That’s fine. He doesn’t drink. He wanted you to have fun. To loosen up. To look at him the way you’re looking at Suguru now - with stars in your eyes, a lazy smile on your lips hanging onto every little word he speaks. 

When Suguru offers to take you home, Satoru nods too quickly. A weird hiccup of a smile jerks across his face. He can’t even stop himself from asking, “Oh - wait, do you two… know each other?”

You blink. Suguru answers first. “Nope. First time meeting tonight.” His voice is light. Easy. Full of lies.

Then why does it feel like you’ve done this a dozen times?

His broad, firm hand rests on your lower waist, as if it’s the normal placement. His lips brush your ear, and you laugh and Satoru just stands there, watching it all happen like some pitiful side character in the background of a romance anime.

Cool. Awesome. Great. Everything is fine. Everything is wonderful. Amazing actually. 

When he leans in to hug you goodbye, you hesitate. Something breaks in his chest. 

Just for a second. But he feels it. The stiffness in your spine. The polite curve of your arms. The awkward way you both move in the same direction and fumble for an angle. It ends up being a weird, lopsided side hug. Like coworkers. Or strangers who once made small talk in a group chat.

Still, your cheek brushes his chest. And his heart, traitorous and loud, slams against his ribs like it’s trying to get to you. He can’t help it. You’ve captured him, maybe without even knowing it.

He remembers earlier. Just the two of you in the kitchen.

You’d gone to grab more cups. He followed. Said something about helping. Maybe even meant it, but mostly, he just wanted to be near you.

And then you turned. Bumped into him with a soft, surprised “oh!” - the rim of the stacked cups hitting his chest, your body brushing his in a way that sent a spark straight through him. His baby blues went wide, snowy lashes fluttering, before his lips moved into a crooked smile as you looked up at him.

And fuck.

The overhead light hit your features just right, soft eyes sparkling, lips parted, cheeks flushed from laughing in the other room. He could see the curve of your throat, the way your breath caught just slightly from the impact, and he froze. His heart stuttered. Stumbled. Something in his chest bloomed. Warm. Stupid, maybe even a little hopeless.

His pale cheeks flushed, a soft red hue blooming across skin that rarely saw the sun. Embarrassment? Or awe, or maybe just the raw gravity of you standing this close? His mouth parted, but no sound came. Not a joke. Not a clever line. Just this aching silence as he tried to remember how to breathe.

He should’ve stepped back.

But god, you were so close. And you were looking at him like you saw him, just for a second. Like maybe you somehow knew how badly he wanted to lift a hand and cradle your face, just to see if you’d lean into it. To see if you’d soften into his touch.

His fingers twitched at his side. He didn’t touch you. Didn’t dare. What if it made you uncomfortable? Instead, he just stood there, letting himself feel it. The burn in his chest. The ache in his spine from holding himself still. The desperate, idiotic hope that you might say something to break the tension. That this moment could mean something.

Instead, he laughed. A little loud. A bit awkward.

“Oops, sorry,” he said, a bit winded, like you hadn’t just knocked the breath out of his lungs.

And you, god, you just smiled. Brushed past him like nothing had happened, cups hugged to your chest, already back in the living room.

He stayed there. Alone. Staring at the space where you’d been. Swallowed hard and wiped his sweaty palms against his pants like that might make the heat in his body disappear. Moving to slowly fan himself.

He’s been replaying that moment ever since, chest tight, fingers aching, wondering if you even noticed how hard he was trying not to touch you.

You say, “thank you.” Pulling him back from his thoughts. Smile at him, a little flushed, a little tipsy. Your voice soft, barely there, and it hits him harder than anything. Something about it feels... personal. Like you're sharing a moment with him, even if it's fleeting. A moment he plans of selfishly keeping for himself.

He watches you go, watches Suguru’s hand fall to your lower back, slipping a little lower to the curve of your bottom when you think no one’s looking.

Satoru’s heart drops, and it feels like it’s stuck somewhere in his throat, aching to escape. He tries to look away, tries to force himself to move, but he can’t stop watching. He’s breaking, and he knows it.

If it were him…

If it were him, he would be so careful with you. He would be the one bringing you to his guest room, making sure you were comfortable, asking if you needed anything. He would keep his distance, respect it, because you’re tipsy, and you shouldn’t make any decisions right now, but damn it, if he had just a little more time with you... He’d do it right. He wouldn’t rush, wouldn’t make you feel anything you didn’t want to feel. He’d just be there.

Imagining it for a second: You on the plush bed. Him nearby in the armchair, a safe distance but close enough that he could feel the warmth of your presence. He could put on a movie, something silly and light. Keep it all casual. But he would be there, just for you.

And maybe you’d look at him like you did Suguru. Maybe you’d laugh with him the way you laughed with Suguru. But maybe... maybe not. Maybe he’s just fooling himself.

Satoru shakes his head, white hair tumbling, breath shaky. He tries to laugh at his own thoughts. But it’s not funny. It hurts, this stupid ache in his chest that he can’t shake. He can't help the sting in his pretty baby blues.

Suguru glances back at him as you both walk down the hall, with a smile that seems to border smug and something else, like he knows something Satoru doesn’t. Acting like he’s already won the girl. Satoru can't help but wave at him. To call out, get home safe!

A laugh escapes under his breath, a dry, bitter sound. Just shut up, Satoru. But it’s like his mind won’t let him stop. It just keeps playing the same damn scene over and over.

He closes the door quietly, pressing his back against it. Lets out a shaky breath as he sinks down to the cold floor, heart still hammering in his chest, and he wonders if you even noticed him at all tonight.

Of course, you didn’t. You barely know him. You might never look at him that way.

But god, he wishes you would. Just once.

Second Male Lead Syndrome, Yeah.

Yeah, that tracks.

Because you were never going to pick the weird, twitchy nerd who overplans events like this and builds NPC backstories with tragic romances just to feel something. You were never going to pick the guy who practices your character intro alone in his room fifteen times, rehearsing the words in front of a mirror, trying to make it sound casual. Trying to sound like someone who knows what they’re doing. The guy who lit a candle because a Reddit post said vanilla makes people feel comforted, and for a second, he thought it might work. Might make you feel a little more at home.

You were always going to pick the one with the guitar. The one with the voice like honey, deep and effortless, who doesn’t have to try. The one whose touch doesn’t tremble when it’s on your arm, whose hands know exactly where to go without hesitation. The one who stands next to you with a calm that makes it look easy.

Satoru, on the other hand, is all scrambled signals. His heart races whenever you look his way, his mind spirals when he hears your laugh, and yet he can’t seem to say anything that makes sense. All he’s good for is stuttering through words, trying to look cool but always coming across as the awkward guy who thinks too much about the wrong things. His white hair falls into his face, messy strands he constantly pushes out of his eyes with the back of his hand, the motion becoming so habitual now as he feels the back of his hand become damp. His glasses slipping down his nose even though he keeps adjusting them, his thumb swiping over the frames in vain. A perfect image of someone who can never quite get it together.

And his heart? God, his heart is still pounding so hard that it’s all he can hear. Every thump is a reminder that he’s falling for someone who will never fall for him.

Why did nobody warn him this could happen?

Warn that his heart will ache in a place he can’t quite reach.

But it's fine. You both were just simply not meant to be. That's how life works, right?

He starts cleaning up, clumsily, awkwardly, trying to do anything to distract himself from the growing ache in his chest. He grabs the dice first, tossing them a little too forcefully into the velvet bag, the clattering sound loud against the quiet. Then the maps, scrunched and crumpled slightly from too many fingers running over them in nervous gestures. Finally, the snack pile looking more like a sad, squashed dragon than something worthy of a group of excited players. It wasn't worthy for someone like you.

He tries not to think about Suguru’s lack of goodbye. Or the way you didn’t look back when you left. The way your smile seemed to fade the moment you turned away from him. He tries, really tries, but his brain keeps betraying him, whispering that you're already slipping further away.

I just wanted to get to know you.

But no matter how hard he tries to focus on folding the papers, stacking the snacks, all he can hear is the quiet thrum of his own voice whispering in his mind:

I was never the main character, was I?

And it hurts, the pull of his heartbeat, the way it feels like he's running in place while you’re already walking away. Like he’s standing still in a world that keeps turning without him.

So for the first time in a long, long while, after the last chip crumb was swept and the candles were blown out, he didn’t stay up to play League. He didn’t refresh Reddit - not even the post he made about you, about how to win the girl. Didn’t pace around the living room rerunning conversations he wished had gone differently.

Instead, he grabbed his worn white teddy, the one no one knows about, the one he keeps tucked behind his pillows, and curled up in a ball on the far side of his bed. No Twitch stream humming in the background. No playlist lulling him into false peace.

Just silence. And stillness.

And somehow, for the first time in weeks, Satoru fell asleep. Not the jittery kind of rest he was used to, where his thoughts wouldn’t stop spiraling, but real sleep. Deep, heavy, and warm.

He didn’t even hear the chime of your message:

Got home safe! Thank you for today <3 I actually… have had a change of plans for Saturday and I was wondering if we could play a game together? Or we can go outside too! Touch grass as the kids say! :) Let me know! Goodnight Toru

Your name lights up his screen. The little heart. The nickname. The open door.

But he’s already dreaming.

Wrapped around a teddy bear and too heartbroken to know that maybe he was the main character after all.

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[gay-dorito-dust]

random Bob shit because why not.

There was one thing that Bob did that you loved and that was how he casually displays his strength in mundane means, whether that'd be gently moving you to the side as he reached for something, moving furnature with effortless ease so you didn't have to strain yourself in carrying heavy boxes; and or rushing to your aid upon seeing that you were at risk of having something hit you square on the head as he held them at bay with one hand and keeping you protectively against him with the other that laid respectively on your lower back.

His question of 'are you okay?' were enough to have you internally swooning as you intentionally leaned further into him, listening to his calm heart as your brain tried to comprehend that he had traversed from one side of the room to you within miliseconds, just to stop you from getting hurt from something so small as a stray cup from falling on your head.

You often called Bob your golden guardian becuase of it, that and mainly becuase you liked how his eyes would avert from yours just as a shy smile crept across his face, giving away his true feelings towards the nickname.

For a man as powerful as Bob he sure managed to somehow make himself the least physically imposing man you've ever met by being sweet and somewhat awkward at times, so much so that when he does prove that he was the most powerful of your ragtag group was enough to have you question where the strength came from, only to remember that Bob was always the stronger one out of all of you.

Which was silly but you couldn't help it as you didn't want to reduce Bob to his powers and other attributes that came with all that he endured. You even forget that he was completely invincible, immune to all forms of harm when you thought he had gotten hurt once, quickly rushing to his side just to see he was perfectly fine.

'i thought you were hurt.' you tell him when you saw his look of confusion sent your way.

'you've seen me do incredible feets of strength and yet you thought i would get hurt from a papercut?' Bob asks with hints of amusement in his voice as he watched you craddle his unscathed hand to your chest, caressing in means of calming yourself down more then him.

'i wouldn't refer to almost having a knife slice open your palm as a paper cut.' you replied as your thumb moves across his palm that would've been a bloody mess had his healing factor not kicked in, feeling a little silly as you were reminded that Bob was beyond human in every aspect you could possibly think of, a god amongst men if you were to really think about it.

Bob smiles, finding your forgetfulness towards his powers adorable and endearing as this only further told him that you loved him regardless of whether he had powers or not, given how quickly you were to move to see if he was okay in the same manner as he would when he thought you were hurt. It warmed his heart to know that you both reacted in similar circumstances, wanting to keep the other safe to the best of your abilities, to take care of each other while sharing moments that felt reminiscent of a dream domestic life by having a shared living space together.

A dream come true for Bob, not that he needed to admit this to you as he knew his face gave it all away for you to understand his inner workings. He kisses the side of your head, smiling. 'i'll be more careful next time if that makes you feel better.' he says and you couldn't help but softly slap his bicep, pouting.

'god forbid i get worried about you.' you said as Bob held you closer to him, now laughing at your seemingly moppy state.

'i'm not making fun of you for it, if anything i find it really sweet of you being concerned about me. So i'd much rather you do this more constantly if it makes you feel better.' Bob kisses your head once again as he closed his eyes, hoping everyday with you would be like this all the time.

[project-sekai-facts]

This sibling discourse has made me think, have we actually got anything that explicitly says that Toya sees Tsukasa and Saki as siblings or viceversa? I don't recall it, although I think Rui has said something like that about Nene and now the kanamafu 4koma

Yes, there's multiple instances of Tsukasa explicitly calling Toya his younger brother. These screenshots are from Toya's Bond Between Siblings 4*, Nene's Little Squirrel's Invitation 4*, and Rui's Sudden Trial 4* stories, but there's a couple other instances. In the first he says オレの弟のような存在であり, and in Nene's card story he says 冬弥は弟みたい which from what I understand is just a more casual way of phrasing the same statement (弟=younger brother, ような存在 / みたい= like). In Rui's he says オレ達はいわば兄弟のようになってな, which is still the same idea but here he says 兄弟, meaning brothers.

Afaik Saki never does this, probably because she's less close with Toya than Tsukasa is due to being in hospital for a lot of her childhood. Toya never refers to Tsukasa as his brother either (probably a personality thing, Tsukasa is more casual compared to Toya who is quite formal and polite), but appreciates Tsukasa calling him such. In the English version of the game, however, he does call say Tsukasa is like an older brother to him in his Bond Between Siblings 4* (the original text is roughly: "He's a respectable senpai to me. Our parents already knew each other, so we played together as children". Idk why it got changed it so much but early days ensekai TLs were weird like that).

(i don't have a screenshot and sekaibest doesn't have a designated page for mysekai so you're gonna have to take discord text dump)

Rui's mysekai dialogue roughly translates as: "Nene is my childhood friend, we're nextdoor neighbours. We're both only children, so when we were younger, we would play together like siblings. We would make up musicals almost every day, how nostalgic." The word he uses here is きょうだい, which is the same word Tsukasa uses to refer to Toya in the third example I gave, only written in hiragana to be gender-neutral.

It's a bit broader in terms of how it can be interpreted than what Tsukasa says about Toya, probably because they know the Nene/Rui ship is one of the most popular in the fanbase (childhood friend romance is a very popular genre in Japan). While the phrasing is near identical to how Tsukasa talks about Toya, Rui's talking about the past here and there's no indicator anywhere in the game of if they still or even at the time explicitly viewed their relationship as a sibling-like one. You could interpret the sentence as either them having a sibling-like relationship or them playing together because they didn't have siblings to play with.

What Mafuyu says in 4koma #297 is 姉妹がいたらこんな感じ… だったのかな which roughly translates as "I wonder if this is what having sisters would feel like" (姉妹 = sisters). The statement is in reference to how she feels about living with Kanade. Unlike the previous two instances, this one is just Mafuyu speculating about what it would feel like to have a sibling, and doesn't indicate that she actually thinks of Kanade as a sister or that their relationship is actually sibling-like... even if Kanade is the example she comes up with. As I've said previously, while these obviously have to go through approval, as far as I'm aware the scripts for these comics are written by the illustrator instead of the actual story team. Like, the story team definitely know the Kanade/Mafuyu ship is popular it's the 2nd most popular in the fandom based on pixiv numbers, they probably wouldn't pass anything that explicitly describes their relationship as being that of sisters.

Oh yeah Shiho also goes to call Honami おねえちゃん (big sis) in one of the original 1komas but I wouldn't count those as canon since they directly contradict the game's story and are just done for gags.

[shysuccubusstuff]

Loser! Caleb:

Content: Obssessive! Caleb + Manipulative! Caleb; underwear stealing + scent kink + masturbation

Note: I mean, most of the LI are kind of losers if you think about it… (I love it). With this I refer to, the kind of loser who may or may not be able to cum just from putting it in… ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧ Just read that some ppl think infold may take away my sweet yandere trope and I'm about to lose it, fuck you mean you will make me lose this sweet man with a dubious state of mind… #tragic I ACCIDENTALLY PUBLISHED IT BEFORE FINISHING IT--- Does anyone have a request for a next writing? "૮₍ •⤙•˶₊˚ෆ I would love to try and do one!

Loser! Caleb who always had to stay close to you since childhood. The two of you met in the orphanage, and ever since then, he had chosen to follow you anywhere you went. You wanted to go to that park? There he was. Now to the new candy store they had recently opened? Of course he was behind you. You didn't particarly mind, after all, he was your friend, and an extremely shy person, so you believed it was your "duty" to keep him from people who could try to take advantage of him. This situation didn't change a bit, with Caleb even staying close to you during highschool, always giving teary eyes to the teachers every single time they were planning on changing the seats or groups, with him always telling them some sob stories about how you were one of the few people that had always stood by his side ever since his parents suddenly dissappeared without trace.

Loser! Caleb who took advantage of your common situation. By the time the two of you finished highschool, both of you were planning to get into university, after all, the orphanage would pay for half of the tution, together with the money the two of you had been able to save during the years, it would be easy to find a place to stay during the academic year. So by the time you are already looking for places that are close to uni, Caleb had already found one. Who would have guessed that it was just for two people? Not only that, but according to him, the rent was a bit too high for him, so maybe you could move with him? Totally not for him to become even closer to you. And before you realise it, the two of you are already moving to a new flat, with Caleb helping you move all the heavy cardboard boxes, a big smile on his face as his chest puffed up from thinking about how he was finally able to help you. He silently thanked his past self for thinking about getting into the gym after hearing you speak with some friend about how you loved strong men.

Loser! Caleb who no longer has to conceal his affection. As soon as the two of you moved together, you had noticed how Caleb had become much more affectionate towards you. With him always accompanying you to your class before leaving, planting a soft kiss on your forehead with the excuse of how "childhood friends can do this much", which you obviously believe because, why would Caleb lie to you? The fact that you are that naïve is a great help for him, allowing him to kiss your cheek every morning, sometimes even sleeping together with poor excuses such as suffering from nightmares every night... Surely Caleb wasn't actively taking advantage of the fact that he was the closest to you.

Loser! Caleb who starts to become more cocky. He starts slowly, leaving some of his clothes around your room in case any of your "classmates" was able to get into your room. He suddenly opens the door, bringing some refreshments with his warm smile, eyes glistening as he leaves the plate filled with fruit, together with two glasses of fresh orange juice, "accidentally" dropping the whole content of the glass on the pants of the other guy. He looks apologetic, tears swelling up on his eyes as he tells him that he's absolutely sorry for that, how could he be so clumsy? But as soon as he leaves your bedroom, his arms are wrapped around you, his face hidden on the crook of your neck as he gives you kisses all over it. "Why did you invite him without letting me know...? You know I get really anxious with new people..." Caleb's hands clinged onto your clothes, caressing your arms over the cloth and sending currents of electricity through you.

"I'm sorry, Caleb. He kept asking to visit our house since I kept trying to push him off, I thought this would make him stop once and for all." You petted Caleb's hair as if he was a cute puppy, with him smiling happily and leaning towards your touch.

"It's ok, not like he left you any change, right?" Caleb soon got away the second the guy entered the room, leaving the two of you to finish the project as fast as possible, after all, the sooner he left you two, the sooner that ugly man would be away from you.

Loser! Caleb who makes sure to get his revenge. It takes less than a few weeks for the guy to be expelled from the university. According to the gossip that has been running around the class, the guy had been trying to flirt with some of the freshman girls, even trying to force them to spend time with him in fear of creating bad rumours about them. Luckily, some other students had provided screeshots of the different mesages he had sent, and after they had send them to Caleb, the one in charge of all the matters related with the welfare of all the students of the university, it was just a matter of time for him to get expelled. Despite that, he keeps acting oblivious, telling you that he had nothing to do with his expulsion, as he had been too busy with some other matters. Still, you couldn't even imagine just how happy Caleb had been after doing it, taking his sweet time getting to know all the freshman of your grade so he could easily get the proof he needed. Just what would he do for you? ♡

Loser! Caleb who begins to steal some of your underwear. He knows this is quite twisted even for him, I mean, just what kind of man would sneak into the room of his sweet childhood friend to grab a pair of underwear and use it, wrapping it around his hard cock as he imagined your sweet cunt wrapping around it. Gosh, he could barely contain his lewd whimpers as he kept overstimulating himself, always stopping just before he was about to cum. He had to make sure to enjoy it as long as possible, as he then had to rush to the bathroom so he could clean and dry your underwear as if he had never done anything.

Loser! Caleb who takes advantage of each time you leave to hangout with your friends. As soon as he hears your steps getting away from the door he is already rushing to your bedroom, taking one of the pillows in your bed and taking a deep breath, face buried on it as he smelt the sweet mixture between your shampoo and your natural scent. Just this was more than enough for him to let his imagination go wild, his pants starting to press against his hardened cock as he kept sniffing happily. Before he was even able to notice, his hand was already running down his chiseled abs, swiftly lowering his trousers so he could let his erection out, starting to stroke it as he kept imagining your sweet face, that coy smile as you teased him, together with your alluring body and that lovely personality... How could he resist such an enticing woman...? He bites your pillow as he finally cums, his mind drifting on the idea of painting your soft tummy with his thick cum ♡...

[arkaiveofurown]

Hii! How are you

So I'm new here, idk if you take requests, but if you do, could you please write something about katakuri? Like big mom arranges Katakuri's secret lover's marriage with oven or cracker. But katakuri speaks up (for the first time) against his mom.

Braver Than Silence

Pairing: Charlotte Katakuri x Reader

He was raised to hide everything soft and vulnerable—his mouth, his thoughts, his love. But in your light, Katakuri found something he never thought he deserved: freedom. And when Big Mom threatens to take you away, he learns that some truths must be spoken, even if it means defiance.

Word Count: ~2,900 words

tag: fluff, secret relationship, family conflict

my masterlist here ♡

——

a/n: this is such a nice request——thank you so much! it’s my first time writing about katakuri and i really hope i did him justice (⸝⸝╸-╺⸝⸝)

——

Katakuri doesn’t speak much.

He watches. He calculates. He acts only when necessary.

But you know more.

You know how his eyes soften when you smile. How his shoulders relax when you brush his hand. How his scarf sometimes slips when you’re alone and he doesn’t rush to pull it back.

He doesn’t say, I love you.

He doesn’t have to.

Because when you sit together on the cliffs just outside Totto Land’s borders, you rest your head against his shoulder, and he lets the silence hold the meaning.

“Do you think she’ll ever know?” you ask softly, referring to Big Mom.

Katakuri is still. “If she finds out, she’ll take you away.”

You nod.

And neither of you say what you both feel—because even in your secret, the danger is real.

Still, he brushes your pinkie with his, letting it curl around yours.

He’ll protect you.

Even if he never says it.

⸻

It happens at a banquet.

The room is filled with laughter and sweet, dripping wine. Crackers crunch under feet and the table overflows with frosting, pastries, and fresh meat.

You’re helping Smoothie with the seating arrangements when Big Mom’s voice cuts across the room:

“I’ve decided it’s time. You’ll marry into the family officially.”

You freeze.

“I’ve chosen Cracker,” she continues, smiling wide. “He’ll treat you well. You’ve been around long enough to be trusted. This is good for Totto Land.”

The room goes quiet—except for Cracker, who gives you a smug little grin.

You feel Katakuri’s stare before you even look.

But he doesn’t say anything.

Of course he doesn’t.

Of course he will always put the Charlotte Family first. He upholds their pride and status above all else. That’s how he was raised. That’s who he’s always been.

Of course it’s them over anyone else.

Even over you.

Even over himself.

⸻

You don’t cry—not until you’re alone.

When Katakuri finds you that night, he says nothing at first. He just closes the door behind him, the click of the lock soft, heavy.

You face away from him, staring at the cold mirror in your room.

“I can’t marry him,” you whisper. “I can’t even pretend to want it.”

He steps closer, and you feel the heat of his body behind yours.

“It’s not your fault,” he says quietly.

“It’s yours?” you snap. “For not saying anything? For always hiding me like I’m a shameful secret?”

The air thickens.

“If I told her, she’d hurt you,” he says. “You know she would.”

“So what?” Your voice breaks. “I’m just something you visit in the dark while your mother decides my future?”

He flinches—but doesn’t move.

“I love you,” you say finally, trembling. “But I won’t survive this if I’m treated like nothing.”

Silence.

Then, low:

“You’re not nothing,” he says.

You turn your face halfway toward him.

“Then why are you always quiet when it matters?”

He’s quiet for a long time.

Then:

“I wasn’t afraid she’d say no.”

You look at him.

“I was afraid she’d say yes.”

He steps around you slowly, enough for you to see his eyes. Not just shadowed by his scarf, but guarded. Worn.

“I’m afraid of what she’d do if she knew.”

You stare at him.

“To her, love isn’t sacred. It’s… strategy,” he says, voice rough. “Everything personal is a tool. If she knew how much I loved you, you wouldn’t be safe. You wouldn’t be yours anymore. You’d stop being someone I chose—and become someone she controls.”

He looks away, jaw tight.

“She’d use you against me. Or worse—decide to ‘correct’ me by handing you to someone she could command more easily. Someone obedient. Someone like Cracker, just so she could show her dominance.”

You blink hard, something cold crawling down your spine.

“She wouldn’t be giving you a place in the family,” Katakuri says. “She’d be taking you from me.”

You stay quiet.

He lowers his voice even further. “That’s why I never said anything. Not because I’m ashamed. Not because I doubt you. But because the moment you’re exposed, you’re no longer mine. You’re Mama’s… ”

His eyes lift to meet yours again—something raw flickering in them now.

“I didn’t want to lose you to her.”

⸻

Katakuri doesn’t sleep that night.

He stands on the balcony, arms crossed, scarf pushed down. The moon reflects off his sharp features, jaw tight with thought.

Brûlée appears behind him.

“You’re thinking about her.”

He doesn’t deny it.

Brûlée sighs. “You always protected your siblings. Even when you hated them. But this—this is different.”

Katakuri doesn’t answer.

“Are you going to let her go?” she asks softly.

And his jaw clenches.

“No,” he says. “Not this time.”

⸻

It’s rare for Katakuri to speak in front of the family.

Even rarer to challenge Big Mom.

The room is full again—this time for a wedding announcement feast.

You’re standing beside Cracker, your face numb, hands clenched behind your dress. Your heart is pounding in your chest, but the cold weight of the moment makes it hard to breathe.

Katakuri enters late, his scarf half-lowered, his mouth visible.

Gasps echo as he speaks.

“She’s not marrying Cracker.”

Big Mom’s grin falters, eyes narrowing.

“What was that, Katakuri?”

“She’s not marrying anyone,” he repeats, his voice like steel. “She’s mine.”

The room goes dead silent.

Then chaos.

Cracker shouts. Smoothie drops her drink. Perospero starts laughing.

And Big Mom stands, her towering figure looming over the room.

“You went behind my back?” she roars.

“I protected her from you,” Katakuri replies, his voice calm but unwavering. “Because I knew what you’d do if you found out.”

Big Mom’s eyes flare with rage.

“And you thought I wouldn’t control you?” she spits, her voice dripping with venom.

Katakuri takes a step forward, his presence growing more intense. He stands taller now, his usual reserve slipping away for the first time in years.

“I’m not your soldier anymore,” he says, his tone full of finality.

The tension in the room is suffocating—everyone watches, breath held.

Big Mom’s eyes narrow dangerously. “You think you can just defy me? After everything I’ve done for you?”

“I’ve spent my life protecting this family, but this time… I won’t let you control her,” Katakuri says, his voice softer now, but no less fierce. He’s speaking from the heart. “I’m done letting you decide who belongs to who. She isn’t a pawn in your game.”

He pauses, his eyes now searching for yours, as if he draws strength from you.

“And she’s never been a pawn,” he continues, voice thick with emotion. “She’s the one who’s always accepted me—all of me. My flaws, my imperfections, the things I’m not proud of. She loves me for who I am. Not because of the family name, not because of what I represent, but because she sees me. For the first time in my life, someone sees me for who I am, and that is what I won’t let you take from me.”

You stand there, stunned by his words, feeling a warmth spread through your chest despite the storm that rages around you. But it’s the way he looks at you that holds your attention the most—the quiet, raw tenderness beneath all his resolve.

Big Mom’s face contorts with rage and disbelief. “This is the son I raised? A traitor who chooses his love over his family?”

Katakuri doesn’t flinch. “I choose her because she’s made me see something you never let me have—freedom. I choose her because I finally know what it means to be myself, not just the thing you made me into.”

Big Mom’s fists clench, shaking with fury. “You are my son. My right hand. You owe everything to this family. And you—”

Katakuri interrupts her, his voice finally cracking the surface of his usual calm. “I don’t owe everything to you. I owe my loyalty to the family, yes. But I owe my heart to her.”

The silence is deafening now.

Katakuri steps closer to you, his hand reaching out for yours. “Come here,” he says, his voice quieter now but full of an undeniable pull.

You move before you think, your feet carrying you to him instinctively. His hand takes yours, fingers firm and grounding, as though they’re the only solid thing in the room. His grip tells you everything—you’re not a secret. You’re not something to be hidden anymore. He’s done hiding.

And for the first time, you see fear in Big Mom’s eyes.

Because she’s losing control.

Of him.

⸻

You’re sitting beside him in his private quarters, the storm long passed.

He didn’t let go of your hand the entire time.

You rest your head on his shoulder now, feeling the way his heartbeat finally begins to slow.

“Do you regret it?” you whisper.

“No.”

A pause.

“I should have told her long ago,” he murmurs. “But I was afraid.”

“You’re not afraid of anything.”

“I’m afraid of losing you.”

You tilt your face up to him.

“And you didn’t,” you whisper.

He pulls his scarf down completely.

And kisses you.

Not in secret. Not in shadow.

But in light.

Braver.

[kalied0skull]

Draw darry a lot more and I'll give you my soul

you can't just request me to draw darry more and expect me not to ask what you wa–oHGREATHEAVENS!

now playing : B-A-B-Y — Carla Thomas ♪

★ ramble under the cut !

I'd like to thank the anon who requested this outfit, because without them this other ask would've been left in the dust because my ass had NO direction on what to draw of darry here.

in my midst of drawing the curtis brothers, i realized that i drew both cowgirl (transfem pb) & soda in their own drawings with cowboy hats, but i HAVEN'T drawn any of darry with a cowboy hat

so, respectfully, his ass just has a cowboy hat. does it have any purpose other than me just wanting a cowboy hat? nuh,, :3

i got thru a movie and a half making this, went through four different poses, and still settled on the most simplest one but IT'S FINE!!! because i actually am really content with how this turned out!!!

I'm half awake rn (nearly passed out whilst makign this) so my rambling is cutting a bit short here

it's not often i make backgrounds with stickers anymore because... i like the simplicity sometimes but i do them often in other art of mine that isn't fandom related

this one just felt like it needed it though, darry's got the bedazzle for it

I can't tell if i like his hair much in this or not but it was such a pain in general just getting the head part of this drawing to look right i could honestly care less ... he's pretty and that's all that matters ...

officially adds two darry drawings to my gallery now, this one and the ballgown one — both of which i love dearly, he's such a pretty boy

forget about prettyboy soda, look at this handsome boy! he's so gorgeous i love him !!! :D

i think his hands look a bit small but it's fine the reference i used had tiny hands so i kinda winged it ,, i think he still looks very sweet nonetheless

soda who likes cowboys, ponyboy who in other universes is a Cowgirl (transitioning), and darry who's a boy who likes to wear his mama's clothing time to time

you know what i think darry's other job is? mmmmmmmm not dancing, nao nao, it's actually drag. yeah, that boy gets paid for dancing in girl clothes. yeah. that's my headcanon for tonite.

and also i think he just likes to feel a bit pretty sometimes

is this leaning into me believing in transfem darry? maybe... maybe so... but... shhhhh.... /silly

alright I'm headed to bed now goodnight everynyan

[this-is-exorsexism]

My native language (german) only uses gendered pronouns. While I was figuring out my gender I used only they/them for a while and neopronouns in german. I was told they were a hassle to use and too complicated a bunch. It was just dey/dem. It works the same as with any other german pronouns.

When I started using He also, people expressed relief because my neopronouns were too hard to use. If barely anyone bothered using my neopronouns before, even less people did so now. At least I was no longer being misgendered.

I'm not bothered by people not using both He and They for me. Pick one and stick to it if you like, switch between them if you feel like it. I'm bothered because people chose to only use He to refer to me because my other pronouns are "too complicated".

I only use He/Him in german now. I don't even bother including dey in my email signature, even if I'd like to. If I include it, I use "they" because of potential multi-language email conversations.

It really wouldn't have been that hard to be kind...

this is exorsexism.

yeah, dey is one of the least grammatically complex neopronouns in german, and technically only one new word is added, as deren and denen are already existing words. it's not quite like xier which has more complex grammar and took even me as a language enthusiast a long time to fully grasp. dey pronouns are the very bare minimum nonbinary germans ask for.

[watchingblsnowandforever]

Heesu in Class 2: A personal reminder why I watch queer media

As always I am super late to the party

I recently binged Heesu in Class 2, and I've read a lot of posts about it on here, both positive and negative.

All I need to say or will say has probably already been said in the posts I'm going to reference (notes at the end), but I still wanted to make this post because I watched the series on a whim, but it hit really close to home.

Before we go any further, some things that I need to point out: I have not read the webtoon (I started it after watching the show) and this post is going to have personal takes that might not resonate with everyone. Also, this is only my second meta analysis post, and I haven't watched very many BLs to truly comment on the nature of BL or queer media of a particular kind (though I try to maintain diversity in what I watch), so if I say something incorrect, I'm always open to constructive criticism.

Firstly, as a queer person who'd been in high school not so long ago, I could really relate to the characters and the narrative.

I had an unrequited crush on a really close friend. I never confessed. To this day, I think about the what ifs. Using Heesu's words, I had used up all my feelings for her so I got over her, but maybe confessing when I had the chance would have given me the closure too.

So when I saw that the story started with Heesu having feelings for his best friend that might or might not be returned, I was instantly hooked.

Secondly, the narrative is much more than it seems, and every single scene has a purpose, a meaning, a layer that might just go unseen if you don't know to look for it.

The het narratives are important. Did it frustrate me? To no end. Did I actually consider for a short period to put this show on hold? Heck yeah. Did I finally understand why the het narrative was important to highlight the queer one? Yes.

Let us take the het plot lines one by one.

Chan Yeong and Ji Yu. The most important, the most highlighted. This is a very common story in high school. Girl likes boy, boy likes her back, and they date. I had a lot of friends with boyfriends in school (I attended an all girls school) and I see even more het couples in college. Every single time, it reminds me of what I cannot have. I can't be too close with my partner (if I were to have one), I cannot publicly show affection that goes beyond friendship, I cannot sleep on their shoulders, I cannot laugh over lunch together, I cannot go on dates. That was the same for this show. In Class 2 bolds and underlines het privilege, putting it side by side with the internal struggles Heesu has to go through.

Ho Sik. How het people can be open with their affections, but also how beauty standards play out. One girl thought he was ugly even though he worked really hard to make her a whole ass scarf, while another girl found him cute enough to pursue him even from afar.

Hee Sin. Her repeated confessions. I relate from experience when she says that when she has feelings for someone she can't help but confess, and even if she faces rejection, and dramatically mopes around till her next crush, it helps her move forward. Quite a while after I had feelings for them and even gotten over them, I confessed to a few people. Fortunately, all of them took it in stride, one of them told me she used to have a crush on me too, one was really happy and wanted to know more even though I told her my feelings for her were very short-lived, and the third person is still my friend. And confessing to people does make them happy. Unfortunately, not a lot of queer people have the freedom or confidence to do it. There are just so many things that could go wrong. Especially when the person you like is a close friend, it's incredibly hard. But in the end, her confession gets her a boyfriend, one who was in a relationship at that too. Miracles do happen.

Hee Jae. Her arc shows how easily a comfortable relationship can shift into a toxic one. I don't know how to put what I think about this relationship into words, but it's explained really well in @soypim's post (notes, reference #8).

Hee Jeong. Her story tells us to jump, to take the leap, to prioritize one's own self and dreams. Initially she was afraid to go abroad and study even when she wanted to; this fear may have stemmed from worry about her siblings (also an arc about eldest daughters), or fear from going to live in a completely unknown milieu. But Heesu's words act as a catalyst, and she is ready to take this step. Through her relationship, Heesu is also shown how a friendship doesn't have to end when one person confesses, that despite being in a relationship and breaking up and not seeing each other in a long time, Hee Jeong was still friends with her partner/best friend.

And finally, let's talk about the queer narrative.

I loved the conflict resolution. I loved how Heesu got to be angry at Seung Won. I've seen a lot of BLs, especially Thai BLs, where the lead just sort of forgives the romantic lead for playing with their feelings, and I really do not like that. I love that they cleared that, that Seung Won actually confessed, loud and clear.

They might not have kissed, but boy do I love them.

Personally, I think the scene where Heesu confesses to Chan Yeong is very realistic. I have been lucky to have queer or ally classmates, but I have seen when an indirect reference to a person not being heterosexual confused someone, and they didn't really even understand how it could be. Chan Yeong's parental pressures and expectations were also very relatable, as an Asian only child.

When Chan Yeong called Heesu to the tennis court and hit him with balls, I understood where he was coming from. I'm glad he took the time to process what he'd been told and very clearly told his friend his actual thoughts on the matter. I was glad to realize he values their friendship more than Heesu had given him credit for.

How Heesu in Class 2 was a personal reminder why I watch queer media. I feel like after watching all the BLs I have, I developed certain expectations from what I want from a 'BL'. This show reminded me that at the end of the day, I'm just another queer person searching for queer narratives not only for catharsis through fictional characters, but also to hold on to hope about queer stories. This show reminded me of my high school days and every moment was so real. I lived this show, I could see it unfolding in real time, and that made me really giddy. I want to watch more shows like these.

Finally, some moments that stuck with me in no particular order:

When Heesu saw Hee Jeong coming in late and told her to do what she wanted to, that he'd always support her.

When Heesu came out to Hee Sin. Hee Sin was visibly trying to come up with the best reply, but she handled it well.

When Heesu learns Sweong Won has two moms and he thinks "at least he won't hate me for who I am" I almost cried.

The tennis court scene.

The hand holding scene. I absolutely adored it. I want more scenes of boys giggling over holding hands.

Notes and references Posts that inspired this one (so sorry for the long list of tags 😭):

@alien-ally (post)

@bengiyo (post)

@dramalove247 (post 1 & post 2)

@jackandjoker (post)

@lurkingshan (post)

@nabi-unveiled (post)

@neuroticbookworm (post)

@soypim (post)

@wanderlust-in-my-soul (post)

and this critique by @my-rose-tinted-glasses

MY GOD this took me so long (I've been here for almost 3 hours) my eyes are dead my laptop is cursing me out.

Anygays, I really hoped y'all liked and enjoyed this!

If you read all the way till here thank you so much I love you <3

Remember to hydrate and eat properly, and here's a cupcake for you 🧁

[push-and-hold]

Wholeheartedly agree.

He definitely takes pride in his professional self as 'Dr. Doofenshmirtz', and for better of worse his last name is a fundamental part of his identity. It brings him pain and joy, shame sometimes for what he's had to live but an immense amount of validation for what he has accomplished thanks to all the mixed feelings his past brings him, utterly impressive, specially if one takes into account that even amongst other evil scientists that we see are far more malicious he is on the top three OWCA's public enemy list.

It's also true that he's often called 'Heinz' by people that are objectively close to him. He might sense them as hostile, or that they hold some animosity towards him, but it's an undeniable fact that Roger and Charlene do not do it out of malice. It is literally his name. His, and despite the complicated relationship he has with both his brother and his ex-wife they use it without mockery, and while yes we mostly see him be referred as 'Doofenshmirtz' and are used to that, there's some characters on the background calling him Heinz.

Now the important part is — He is fulfilled with both.

There are people on both sides that use his name and last name while looking down at him (See Monogram and Carl for Doofenshmirtz/Doof/Doofy and Dr. Gevaarlijk or Rodney for Heinz) but the important part is that he presents himself as 'Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz' during his monologues. He addresses himself as 'Heinz' and as 'Doofenshmirtz' other times, as well.

It could be argued that he should dislike being a 'Doofenshmirtz', due to his family and all the abuse they put him through. But as questionable as still loving his his parents despite that is, he just doesn't dislike it. He has some Doofenshmirtzs that loved him and that he found cool, and he doesn't mind being called Heinz either. It's just matter of perseption because we are more used to him being called 'Doofenshmirtz'.

Now, I'm not saying being uncomfy with it is wrong either. I used to feel uncomfortable using it too, until I started thinking that Charlene calls him Heinz and Roger calls him Heinz and he wants Perry to call him Heinz, so maybe, he likes it when others call him that.

And, stepping away from an in universe analysis, I can understand. I started thinking how having your name be a mockery can hurt someone. But you know what? We can change that. I started calling him Heinz because while I was never made fun for my name irl I understand how being addressed by your preferred name/nickname can brighten your day and make you feel respected. So, while I still LOVE to call him Doofenshmirtz, I'm of the firm opinion that once you start, it feels even more natural to call him Heinz (and, it helps a lot when writing fanfic lol).

I may be crazy, but I think the only people in Doof's life who call him Heinz are those who look down on him, or at least those he feels looks down on him. Roger, Charlene, his parents, Dr. Gevaarlijk. Probably part of why it feels so wrong to call him Heinz to me is that it's a name I associate with the people who belittle him.

For the most part he goes by Doofensmirtz, and this can partially because we mostly see him in a "professional" context, as an evil scientist. The evil scientists all go by "Dr. Last Name". So that's also the way Monogram and Carl refer to him. And most of what we see of Doof is him in evil scientist circles.

But he DOES usually go by Doofensmirtz even in less formal occasions.

It does get shortened pretty often to Doof (or Doofy) sometimes to make fun of him, so. But also just neutrally. Like it's his name. Sometimes it's what he refers to himself as. I could maybe even argue he uses it like its his given name, after all its what Martin calls him at least once in MML, despite the fact they're both middle aged men.

Dr. D is the other friendly way of referring to him, and is probably the more common of his nicknames. It's more how the kids tend to refer to him. Obviously as kids are younger, they do usually refer to adults as, Honorific+Last name, so "Dr. D" is a natural shortening of that. It's casual, but polite. It's also how Norm refers to him, when he's not calling him "sir". Although generally speaking "Doof" and "Dr. D" get used interchangeably by both adults and kids in MML. Phineas is pretty consistently Dr. D as far as I can tell at least.

Interestingly the most healthy relationships in his life are those that don't use any name at all. Obviously Perry doesn't talk, so he doesn't call him by name. Same probably goes for his ocelot family. And Vanessa of course calls him dad.

[bonniesbluee]

art was excited, to say the least. he somehow managed to get you back into his arms...back to being officially his. now it was time to tell the boys.

granted, you were reluctant. you didnt want to make the boys go through another divorce, the constant crying about wanting their daddy and mommy back, or the silent treatment you received whenever a man so much as flirted with you because you were their 'daddy's girl'. but you ultimately agreed once he got his shit together for you and your children.

you picked your boys up from school early, taking them for ice cream before taking them home where art is. "daddy!" both boys exclaim, jumping into his arms. he effortlessly picks them up, kissing their foreheads. "hey buddies," he chuckles, his eyes lingering on the way your jeans hug your hips before he sets the boys down. you sit down infront of the couch, clearing your throat and gazing up at him expectantly.

right.

gosh he hated confrontation despite how necessary it is.

he sits down beside you, gently pinching the boys cheeks. "samuel, mattew." you scold them gently so that they settle down, and they do almost immediately. "me and your dad need to talk to you both." you give art a soft a smile before staying quiet.

he sighs, rubbing his hand over his face. "look, boys..." he softly grabs your hand, for emotional support. squeezing it tightly. "i know i havent been a good dad, i havent been around, missing your games and overall not being a good father for you two." he smiles softly. "but im back, and im ready, more than ready to be the dad you both need." he glances at you, bringing your closer. "and the husband your mom needs." the boys look at you both, matthew is completely puzzled, and so is samuel but he's the first one to talks.

"does this mean you and mommy are back together?" matthew gasps. "does this mean you're moving back in?!" you giggle softly, looking up at art who nods. "yup. im moving back in." matthew squeals, jumping into his arms. and samuel frowns slightly, which you immediately notice. "what's wrong baby?" you ask softly, bringing him into your arms. gently rubbing his scalp, tugging at his blonde curls.

"i-i just dont want daddy to leave again," he whimpers, burying his face into your chest while clutching at your shirt. art feels his heart break, and he pulls you close with samuel in your arms. "i wont leave again. ever again." he kisses both of the boys foreheads then your lips. "okay?" he looks at the 3 of you while talking.

"the three of you are my life. i was a fool for taking you all for granted, but now i wont leave." his free hand slips to your ass to cradle you more. "i guess i have a lot of time to make up for, hm?" he chuckles dryly, and both of the boys curl up into your chest.

the three of you stay quiet before art kisses your cheek. "you two better get ready to see me and mommy more mushy than we used to." he teases the twins, referring whenever they saw you and art kiss and their tiny faces scrunched up in disgust. the samuel giggles while matthew does a fake gagging noise. art smiles, eyes fluttering as he rests his head ontop of the twins.

this is were he belongs, with his family. he was a complete idiot for ever thinking otherwise.

[eleventhhourfactor]

🙏 - Possession with Mario

Ahahahahahaha...

Oh, have I been waiting for this one. As a bonus/apology, I'm gonna roll your previous prompt ask in with this as well...

..and sneak in a little reference here and there, both to other artists' takes on King Boo Mario and uh, another Kristen Schaal show. Shoutout to @akiiame-blog, @pianokantzart, @tinydragontoonz, and countless others for taking such wonderfully artistic stabs at a Mario possessed. If there's anyone who's slipped my mind, please tell me. There was a lot of art a while back, so I'm a bit fuzzy on who did what.

Here's the ask game for reference. I'll be doing this all weekend, with a big-ass break on Saturday because of comic con.

Without further ado, let's do this.

Mario - Possession🙏

"You just don't give up, do you?"

In any other context, such words would be encouraging, especially with Mario saying them. As things stood right now, with Luigi facing a twin possessed, he knew fully well what his opponent was trying to do.

Like thrice before, King Boo was trying to disarm him.

"You've dispelled our fused form when you slammed us around," the Boo snarled, moving Mario's mouth down into a frown unbecoming of his brother. "You've parted me from my crown. What else were you hoping to accomplish here?"

Luigi said nothing as he tightened his grip. This wasn't Mario, but it was still him—durable and dependable, at least from the outside, but overridden by the most malevolent of spirits within.

"I want you," Luigi demanded, "to let go of my bro."

"Hmm, let me think about it." King Boo moved a hand as though to tap out an idea, his borrowed finger tapping against darkened eyes and purple irises. "I haven't exactly been taking good care of this one, have I? Of course, he wouldn't be so roughed up if it weren't for you…"

Luigi narrowed his eyes.

"I don't think I will." King Boo crossed his vessel's arms. "You're gonna have to tear Mario apart to get rid of me."

"Is that what you think?"

Luigi took a step forward, his finger on the switch as King Boo raised a brow.

"Little note about the human body," Luigi said. "We're not made of pure energy. You might be the king of ghosts, but Mario's been awake for over twenty-four hours."

"S-So what?" King Boo sneered, though Luigi could see the facade begin to crack. "It's not like you've slept, either!"

"True," Luigi noted, "but E. Gadd makes a mean cup of coffee. What do you think's been in my thermos all this time?"

If King Boo had a retort, Luigi didn't care to hear it. With a pop and a flash, the ghost gave up his puppet, ascending up in a daze as Mario crumpled to the floor. Without a moment to lose, Luigi switched the Poltergust over to capture, seizing King Boo by his tail as he gave it all he had.

"NO!" King Boo screeched. "I will NOT be captured again! You can't do this!"

Luigi dug his feet in.

"You can't! I won't let you! This isn't the ennnnnnnd!"

Like thrice before, King Boo vanished into the tube with a squelch and not much more than a shake in protest. Luigi stood still as the Poltergust shuddered on his back, settling down as the room returned to normal, before shouldering it off onto the floor.

"Mario!" He practically slid onto his knees, taking up his brother's weary head in his lap. "Please be okay, oh, please be okay!"

"…Lu?"

Tired blue eyes stared up at him, wavering with wonder and another emotion Luigi couldn't quite place.

"It's okay," Luigi said, pulling him up into a hug. "You're okay."

"You got him?"

"Of course."

"I could've done more…"

"Don't say that," Luigi said with a shush. "You were possessed. I'm just glad you were able to come back."

They sat like that for what seemed like ages, with Mario holding onto him like a lifeline and Luigi reassuring him.

"You're safe now," Luigi kept saying. "I promise you that much. No more ghosts are gonna hurt you."

Mario could only shiver as Luigi kicked open the Pixelator.

"I've got you," Luigi said, collecting his brother in his arms after strapping the Poltergust back on. "Let's go home."

[areyoutheregoditsmejessica]

sorry for not wanting to watch yet another series where even when the black woman lives she’s still “sacrificial” in her love.

i’ll never believe that anyone should come before one’s own kids.

however,

i feel sorry for season 2 athena who watched her involuntarily-high-on-LSD boyfriend stand on the ledge of a firehouse in hopes to be reunited with his family if he just stepped off and died. i feel sorry that athena offered to shoulder the burden with him.

i feel sorry for season 2 athena who was so excited about may’s homecoming dress but once she realized how uncomfortable her boyfriend was, dialed back because she always cautious of the sensitivity surrounding his lost children.

i feel sorry for season 2 athena who asked bobby to move in to her house because she knew that the idea of another family, an instant family scared him but took that leap of faith anyway.

i feel sorry for season 5 athena who noticed her husband had the weight of the world in his shoulders so she decided to hesitantly offer up the idea for them to take the honeymoon they never had only for him to not say yes.

i feel sorry for season 7 athena who had to hear her husband say in what they both thought were their last minutes together on earth that he never deserved her, but he kept building a life with her anyway.

i feel sorry for season 7 athena who verbally expressed to her husband that she was concerned about his odd behavior and how she continues to fear his actions but stays anyway because she hoped she could love him enough to make him want to stay.

i feel sorry for season 8 athena, clueless to the fact that her husband has been dying for hours, would not have gotten a chance to say goodbye to her husband had his firefighter not called her to walk down that tunnel. i feel sorry that athena begged him to stay with her i feel sorry that athena had to be blindsided then watch him die in agony.

bobby’s mental health struggles over the course of the series are understood and are at zero fault of his. and we know that athena never held that against him. she herself has referred to him as perfect.

it doesn’t make sense that them both being first responders that either would leave the decision of their final resting places up to their significant other. i feel sorry that athena had to carry that burden of looking/thinking of something in the first place.

after 8 seasons of this, we know the seasons (er, episodes) are written in a vacuum. but i do wish if we were doing the whole “full-circle moment” we should’ve never been witness to bobby and athena as not only a couple but THE flagship couple of the series.

season 1 deeply anguished suicidal bobby nash who found a new home at the 118, then curated an A1 firehouse, then eventually went out a valiant hero being shipped back to minnesota to be buried with his family would be beautiful. he could’ve even had a new wife in L.A. who was more of a supporting character and was just an extension of the bobby character. it’s not the best writing to make a woman’s character just about a man but in this scenario it would’ve been palatable.

but that’s not what this series has been. we’ve seen athena pick herself up and put herself back together after divorcing michael. we then learn the backstory of her tragically losing her fiancé in her early-mid 20’s. we see her take leap after leap after leap of faith with bobby, and joyfully so. athena is played by NUMBER ONE on the call sheet. she’s not just a supporting character or an extension of bobby. she’s her own character. her sending him back home doesn’t elicit any positive feelings for me. it makes it feel like athena (and her kids) were just a mere pit stop, a rehabilitation, something to bid his time, until he could get back home to his “real” family. not full-circle at all. something geometric, but i’m not sure what. i don’t know what the proper solution would be as for bobby’s final resting place, and i do wish we never had to find out canonically. but seeing that plane and the headstones did not fill me with peace or closure or any warm and cozy feelings.

if anyone is upset by….*gestures around* all of it that’s totally valid. and if it just specifically the handling of the death and the (lack of) funeral it’s also completely valid and not hysterical at all.

[cripplecharacters]

Hi! I have moved onto another project, and I have a couple of questions.

What are your thoughts on whether the reason a character has a disability is good or not? Specifically, this is in the context of a story that heavily references a classic novel, and that includes certain details about characters, including for one character a disability. Other than that, they're incredibly different characters with absolutely nothing in common and it's more a detail than anything else. This is partly because the original book touches on disability but, being written in the nineteenth century, has some questionable messages associated with it.

Do you have any advice on writing interabled relationships? This is my first serious project where it's come up, and I'd like to know what to avoid and what to have more of.

Thank you and once again, so sorry if this is unclear or rambly. I might have other questions regarding this project but honestly I feel good about my research for this one.

To clarify, most of the reason the character is disabled is because I wanted the representation to exist, and have enough knowledge to write it. And there are other disabled characters totally unrelated to the book I'm referencing.

Hi violethunter,

I'll address your first question first.

When it comes to reasons for disability, a cause for disability is "good" when it's just like a real reason treated by the plot as "yep, this is a cause for disability." Something purely plot-driven, used as the reason a character is moral/amoral, nonsensical, or bad writing would be more of a bad reason.

If you're referencing a classical novel, then it seems like your character's reason for being disabled is "the source/reference character was disabled as well." That's a perfectly fine reason for a character to be disabled. As long as you treat the disability like a real, morally-neutral thing, you'll be fine. It doesn't automatically mean that your source material also has 19th-century moral messages, unless the way you write it makes it so.

For example, if you were making a Christmas Carol-based story, and your Tiny Tim-adjacent character was also disabled, that by itself would be fine – but you wouldn't want to make him an object of pity or the story's morality pet just because he's disabled.

Now, on to your second question.

When it comes to interabled relationships in writing and irl, a common pitfall is people tend to assign morality to the people in the relationship just because one's disabled and the other is not.

This can also often take the form of the disabled person being seen as an undue burden on the non-disabled person, as something that is "holding them back", as someone who is selfish for "allowing" or "making" the non-disabled person to be with them instead of with someone non-disabled who is seen as something "more equal." Alternatively, sometimes the disabled person is given the message that No One Else but their current person would ever want to be with them because they're disabled, so they'd better be Thankful and Appreciative and ignore anything in the relationship that could be harmful or bad or need a conversation. To note, both of these forms of ableism can even come from the non-disabled partner to the disabled person. No one is immune to ableism.

This can often take the shape of the non-disabled person being referred to as something like a "saint" or an "angel" or "omg so patient" or anything else that implies that the person is somehow such a Better, Special Kind Of Person for dating someone who is disabled, and that that Special Kind Of Person is the only Kind Of Person who would ever date a disabled person. Or the non-disabled person is pitied, sort of a "poor you" situation, because dating a disabled person is seen as something obviously So Sad and Pitiable and something that can never be Truly Fulfilling in the way that dating a fellow non-disabled person could be. Of course, both of these are in fact ableist towards the disabled person and anyone like them — there is nothing inherently more or less moral, nor more or less fulfilling, about being with a disabled person.

As to things to avoid, I would suggest avoiding the narrative take any of those viewpoints. Characters can, but characters and the narrative don't have to agree. Avoid sensationalizing the relationship, too: this is just a thing that happens. It's not some incredibly extremely rare thing to point and look at, it's ultimately just two (or more) people who have chosen to be together and love and care about each other.

And as to things to have more of, is to mainly treat it like any other relationship that needs respect. The people in it need to have respect for each other, for each other's boundaries and feelings and everything else. Give them quirks, things that annoy each other, things that they just don't get about each other but just live with, ways they show each other love, etc.

It's also important to acknowledge the ways in which their disability interacts with their relationship. All disabilities will do this, major or more minor. Some partners are their partner's caregiver, but some partners just adjust date nights or chores. Some are somewhere in between, where they might help their partner with some but not all ADLs and the partner does others independently, or some days the partner needs much more help than other days.

In some super basic and random examples, a relationship where one of the people is severely allergic to seafood isn't going to have Friday sushi nights, and a relationship where one of the people is a full-time wheelchair user isn't going to casually explore the Paris Catacombs. But in a more specific example, in my relationship, my partner checks in on me often whenever we're somewhere with a lot of walking or a lot of stairs, because I have intermittent knee problems and fatigue issues; he also checks in on me when something is going to be loud and if I even want to go or if I do want to go, for how long I can tolerate it due to sensory issues. He takes the trash out much more often because that's a stairs-related task, but there's no change in who cooks, does dishes, or feeds the cat because those aren't affected by what I can/can't do.

In a way, all relationships have the people in them modify something they do and help their partners in some ways. When one has a disability, this can affect more things or require more modifications or require the partner to need more help. But the basis of an interabled relationship is the same as a relationship with only non-disabled (or only disabled) people in it: it should be people who want to be spend time with each other, respect each other, care about each other, make each other feel valued, and be there for each other.

Hope this helps,

mod sparrow

[miraculousagentsofkrypton]

Tai Xiao Long

Let's talk about the STRQ family because I adore them, but they are a bit of a mess. (inspired by deadbeatbirdmom's magnificent post). Today, I want to focus specifically on the individual relationships Ruby and Yang have to each of the adults. Because this family is far too complicated to be as simple as 'both kids' have a similar relationship to the parents'. (And I love that for us)

Tai has had a very difficult life, full of grief and loss. As someone who has suffered from depression myself, I have nothing but the deepest empathy for him. That being said, he was not the perfect father and was very absent from their lives in their early years.

Something to note is that neither girls mention their father almost ever. They're happy to receive a package from him, but are unsurprised by the eccentric, impulsive, and strange nature of it. Sure, Zwei is adorable, and they love him. However, the show makes it immediately clear that this wasn't the most responsible decision their dad could have made. The girls can't take care of the dog in the middle of their school year while being sent on missions. They received absolutely no warning, and clearly weren't keeping Tai that updated on their lives. Or, worse, they were, but that didn't affect things.

This should have been our first warning that something in the STRQ home wasn't as assumed because this parallels a lot of what we do know about Yang and Ruby's early life. Which is that the adults in their life hoist a lot more responsibility onto the shoulders of children than they should. Not out of malice; Zwei is handed over because Tai wouldn't be able to take care of him at the moment himself, and he trusted his daughters.

Yang's feelings for her dad are extremely complicated. She holds clear resentment for him and doesn't even always refer to him as her father, just Tai. She is perfectly aware that he left more on her shoulders than he should. No small child should be responsible for keeping the house running and raising their sibling. Tai did keep a roof over their heads, but I get the feeling Yang did a lot of the housework and cooking and babysitting for Ruby. After losing a mother and then finding out her first mother abandoned her, she desperately needed comfort, but instead was somewhat abandoned emotionally.

Yang is also very empathetic, and as she has grown older, I think she has come to understand all that her dad was going through. He didn't mean to shut down so hard, and he loves his daughters. At some point, he even started to put the effort in to be better and change his relationships with his daughters. Yang loves him, and it's clear their relationship isn't in complete shambles by Volume 4. However, it's still very distant, and Tai doesn't understand her near as well as he thinks. He falls quite a bit for her ability to mask.

Despite his attempts to be better, Yang and Ruby wouldn't both say Yang raised her if Tai was a significant parental figure for most of their lives. This indicates that Tai, even after coming back from his shutdown, accidentally hoisted a lot onto Yang. We also don't know exactly how long that took.

We know absolutely nothing about Ruby's relationship to her dad. But that in and of itself tells us quite a lot. Ruby considers Yang as the person who primarily raised her. She idolizes her mom, but not her dad. She doesn't have any kind of close relationship with him, but does love him. She just... doesn't talk about him, or to him much.

I don't think she resents him quite the same way as Yang, but I think she understood, even as a young child, some of the weight that had been placed on her sister. The unfairness. She was also somewhat abandoned by him emotionally, just as Yang was, and the avoidance might have even been worse because Ruby looks so much like his late wife.

There's a barrier between Tai and his children that they haven't overcome yet. He hasn't entirely learned from his mistakes, and he hasn't learned to see past the masks he is partially responsible for creating, and I think they know that. They will always love him, especially for being the only family member to physically stay present in their lives, but there's a lot to still work through.

Summer

Raven

Qrow