#acting like it's helping kids to be more involved with parents who 'love and support them' THE PROBLEM IS THAT THEY DONT!!! gah

[no-thanks-bro]

Man, fuck living in a conservative province. This fucking sucks

[zahri-melitor]

One of the many tragedies of Jack Drake is that not only was he bad at being a parent, but that he had the perfect person to discuss how hard the experience was for him right there and yet the only conversation they ever have about parenting Tim is conducted at gunpoint.

Because look at Jack Drake. As far as he was concerned, he had everything under control until Janet died and his world fell apart.

Tim was a Good Kid™ as a kid. He was well behaved and polite and not a difficult child and that's obvious from the fact that many of his memories of his parents together are of being taken out in public. Jack and Janet had one kid and they clearly wanted that kid to enjoy the same things they did, so they took him with them to restaurants and museums and art galleries and the opera. And he enjoyed it and enjoyed that time with them.

Jack however clearly saw his role as a father and a husband in the very traditional position as the main provider. It was his job to work and bring in the income that supported their lifestyle (his depressive episode after losing the company and their having to move makes it very clear how much of his self-worth was tied up in that role). He had a son, but his time with Tim was pretty clearly about taking Tim out with him on a Saturday afternoon to watch sport, or play tennis with his friends, or go to the monster trucks, or go fishing: being able to spend a few hours with Tim and show him off to his friends and then return home and someone else took over looking after Tim. And in his mind, he clearly thought he was a good parent! He spent time with his son! His son was a credit who was worth showing off! He could take Tim with him when he and Janet went out for the evening, and Tim could be relied upon to behave. He was winning at being a father!

The part Jack never realised, of course, was that like many men in his position, he'd handed the day to day logistics of raising a kid over to his wife (Janet) and to people he paid to do it for him (Tim's boarding school). He wasn't the disciplinarian parent. He was the 'fun' parent, who got to have the good times with his child.

If Jack was ever actually involved in decisions about discipline and consequences of actions, it was probably at the ultimate stage: the 'wait til your father gets home' sort of threat. The nuclear option. He didn't handle the everyday stuff - he probably never SAW the everyday stuff.

So, Jack thinks he's a great parent. He can brag to his friends about how well behaved HIS child is, unlike those little ruffians you see screaming in public or whose parents can't take them anywhere because they're disruptive.

Then his world falls apart. He's injured and disabled and grieving. He's a single dad. And the kid he's got is suddenly not the child he remembers. Tim frequently acts out, lies, runs away and comes home with bruises and notes from school saying they’re worried something is going on. He also starts dating and possibly trying to have sex ‘too young’ (being caught with Ariana sleeping over and the couch situation, Steph being pregnant even if Tim insisted it wasn't his).

Jack Drake has to suddenly step up to be the main parent of a 14 year old who he's probably never had that dynamic with. He doesn't have the years of experience in how Tim reacts to various forms of boundaries and punishments, because he's never been the one who set them or enforced them. He's probably never sat down and talked to Tim about his feelings in his life. And Tim, I repeat, is fourteen years old, possibly one of the most difficult ages for a kid. Everyone's 14 year olds are suddenly more difficult than usual and pushing boundaries.

On top of that, he's got to learn this all on the fly, in circumstances where he basically has no support. "Help, I'm a new single father to a teenager' isn't really a genre of self help book or parenting group that gets a lot of love - most people who are single parents aren't men, and most people looking for advice on dealing with problems with raising their kids are talking about under-5s, because by the time kids are out of the toddler stage most parents have a reasonable idea of what works and what doesn't, have networks set up, and are usually reaching out for a bit of advice or support about a specific situation, not Dealing With It All.

What Jack really needs is a buddy or two who are also single fathers to teenage boys, who have experience navigating this, maybe who also acquired responsibility for their son in his teen years. Wow. I mean that's a big ask, but funnily enough, there's someone who lives right next door who exactly fits that description...

(The tragedy that Bruce and Jack only ever have the one discussion about parenting Tim, the kid they've been effectively co-parenting since Tim was 13 years old, and that that discussion took place with Jack holding a gun on Bruce).

So of course Jack is terrible at being a parent to Tim. He's inexperienced, he doesn't have any support, he doesn't SEEK support outside of marrying Dana (and Dana clearly while lovely is both ineffective and reluctant to interfere in Jack and Tim's relationship). Now, he fails on very specific axes, in ways that are both understandable and also signs that Jack has a bad handle on his temper.

His go-to threat is sending Tim back to boarding school, because: when Tim was at boarding school, Jack didn't have any discipline issues with Tim! It clearly worked!; Tim doesn't want to go back to boarding school, making it a threat to hold over him; again, Jack's seeing a kid who is sneaking around, lying, running away and he's at his wits end - there's a narrative in the circles he lives in that such kids DO need to be taught to behave and sending them to boarding school is a way to do that.

He runs hot and cold on paying attention to Tim because up until Tim was 14 that was...what he did! And it wasn't such an issue then, as he wasn't a single parent. And when he pays attention, he does tend to be focused (laser focused, in fact), in getting Tim out of No Man's Land, of the dramas at school during Cry of the Huntress when Jack's getting outraged over Tim's bruises and getting into fights, when he's arguing with Ariana's uncle over whether Tim and Ariana's relationship was going too far.

It's just that he never developed the day to day, in between level of parenting and boundary setting and discipline. He's got a temper, and he swings between "it'll be fine, Tim's a smart kid, I trust him" laid back permissiveness, and getting mad and going immediately to the nuclear option: "You are going back to boarding school!" and so on.

He doesn't know how to walk away and calm himself down when he's worked up. He's not particularly good at redirecting his aggression. And he gets easily frustrated, because in his mind everything went smoothly for years...until it was all his responsibility.

And the thing is, there are so many ways Jack could have tried harder to be a good parent, that were available to him. But because of his background and the culture he lived in and the demands of storytelling he never reached out for any of them.

(And Bruce was right there! They knew each other socially! Everyone knew Bruce had worked through having two teenage sons on his own! He could have asked for advice, and he even knew Bruce knew Tim, given Bruce had officially fostered Tim while Jack was in a coma and in hospital. If you were putting together a specific support group you'd kick yourself over how perfect this was)

It's just such a part of the tragedy of Jack Drake.

[luminouslywriting]

Hi there!!!!, I was coming to ask you if you could make some headcanons of BOB, about what the boys would be like as parents, what kind of father would he be, how many children do you think he would have and how he would treat them?, and more things So.

You also add the things you want to add. preferably your children with the reader who was also with the Easy company, thank you.•⁠ᴗ⁠•

Hi Nonny! This is such a darling idea and so I hope you sincerely enjoy it! Reminder that my requests are open and I don't mind spam!

Cut for length, more under the cut, paragraph format:

Dick Winters:

-He's an amazing parent! From the minute he finds out about the pregnancy to the minute the child is born, he's adoring, caring, and just wants the child to be healthy. The type of dad who is just the right amount of invested and involved. He's not overly pushy and has a way of comforting that makes his children want to come and talk to him about anything and everything. He'll come to every dance recital and every sports game, encourage your dreams, and prioritizes eating dinner with the family and hearing about your day. I think he'd want a few kids, anywhere from 3-6. Family is important to him and he wants to make sure that each child feels the personalized and unique love that he has for them.

Lewis Nixon:

-He's a wreck at first. It's mostly because he's nervous and doesn't want to mess anything up. He definitely cried the first time he held his child. He's the type of dad who shows up to everything you have going on. He's the type of dad who literally praises everything you do, even if you consider it to be minute or small. He's an acts of services and gifts sort of dad—so if his kid needs gas in their car or they want a treat, he'll happily do so. I think he'd only want one or two kids so that he can give them his time and attention equally. Also the type of dad to enjoy late-night chats and waits up until you're home—but doesn't worry all that much because he has faith and trust in his kids.

Ronald Speirs:

-Also a great dad! He wants his kids to be the best and to achieve their best and so he pushes them to do that. He's not the type to be overbearing though and genuinely tries to listen to what they want/need/what they're going through. He's the quiet support system and earning a smile and some verbal praise/love from him is a little bit harder for him. But what he lacks verbally, he expresses through actions. He always tries to put the kids first and spends time with each of them individually. He likes going on drives with them and having personal father-child time doing their hobbies. I think as far as number of kids, he pretty much leaves that up to his partner.

Buck Compton:

He's such a fun dad! He's the one that wants to take you to the sports games and tries to help you get better at your hobby/sport/talent. He's willing to try new things and listens to all of your questions. He's the type of dad to go to if you need help with homework or if you have any questions about what's going on in the world. He carries pictures of his kids in his wallet and brags to everyone who asks or will give him five minutes of their time. He'll share fun stories from his youth and is honestly like having a best friend. I think 3-4 kids is a good number for him.

Carwood Lipton:

-This man is such an attentive father. He's soft-spoken and has a quiet air of authority, but he's so caring and loving. He pays attention to the little things and the small things that his kids mention. He follows up with questions and tries to learn more about their interests. He's so good with children—he loves reading them bedtime stories and talking to them about their day. He enjoys the curiosity of kids and loves getting to attend all of their school functions and performances. He's the type to want a few kids and wants them all to be best friends with one another.

Joe Liebgott:

-Also someone who initially panics at the thought of being a father/having kids?? But only because of money and logistical reasons? This man wants kids so bad and a lot of them. He's the fun dad who plays elaborate games with them and helps them build forts when it's a rainy day. He's the type of dad to tell them scary stories at nighttime and comfort them through the bad dreams. He's equally great at helping them learn how to ride bikes or throw around a baseball. He showers his children with love and affection and never really loses his temper.

Donald Malarkey:

-He's a great dad! The type to insist on family bonding time and road trips every summer. The one who wants to go camping as a family and shares the best stories (that may or may not be true) with the kids. He's the one dad who all of your friends like and want to play football with them. He's out here raising the bar for parenthood and the way in which he respects his kids and their choices—and just wants them to be happy and be themselves. He listens attentively and asks questions to understand more. He gives the best hugs and definitely wants at least three or four kids.

Eugene Roe:

-Eugene Roe is a family man whose kids are close with aunts and uncles and grandparents. He likes sitting out on the porch and talking softly with his kids at nighttime and after dinner. He shares music and is a great teacher with anything his children need to know or learn. He's big on quality time and playing games as a family—and the same goes for cooking. He wants minimum three children so that there are some siblings and some good bonds that can develop between the kids. Tells the best ghost stories and has a great friendship with his children. They feel safe coming to him with any secrets or things they're unsure of.

Bill Guarnere:

-The fun dad that everyone in the neighborhood wishes were their dad too. He's a work hard-plays hard kind of dad who teaches the same values to his children. I think a larger family of 4 or 5 kids is good for him. He likes to be busy, likes to work together as a family on different projects, attends every school function or thing for your hobbies. Bill is also really great at calming kids down and talking through any worries or anxieties that they have. He sometimes forgets that he's a full grown man that's missing a leg because he just gets so invested in the kid fun—whether it be a game of football or an elaborate pillow fort that he is much too big for.

Joe Toye:

-He's the quiet dad who is a gentle giant. He's a slight wreck until he gets into his element and when he gets going, he is great at what he does. He'll do the tea parties and the dance recitals while planning out the football plays for his son's youth football games. He wants at least two children (a boy and a girl) so that he can give equal attention and love to both of them. He's not the best at homework help, but he'll sit at the kitchen counter till late into the night to learn the material so he can help his children with it. He's protective and wants to know where his kids are going and who they're going to be with and then waits up until they're home and back in the house.

George Luz:

-The neighborhood dad that holds whole gathering for his kids and counsels all of their friends too. He knows when each kid has secrets and always has a good dad joke in abundance to ease tension. He's great at connecting with the kids, and he wants a whole little horde of them. He's invested in every sports game and knows all of the teachers by first names—knows exactly what's going on in the school systems and with the friends. He's just as invested in the teenage gossip as your children are. He's honestly such a great dad—he gives the best hugs and always has a rallying story to help morale and encourage them to go after their dreams.

[ludwigplayingthetrombone]

After seeing your beautiful new piece with the cute vignettes of team 7+team kakashi, i was wondering — how do you feel about Naruto (the boy)?

o thankyou! ;u; my feelings on narts the boy are so torn tbh so im gonna throw my ramblings under a cut bc idk if i can articulate this correctly

og naruto narts? love him. adore him. i miss that dumb little punk kid i loved him challenging the system and wanting to change it and help people. i /wanted/ him to inspire people like kakashi and gai's gen to do the same and realize how fucked up their childhoods were being weapons of the state at like 6 and 7

shippuden narts? He just rubs me the wrong way. started out good with gaara rescue arc, but then all his pizzaz left and let his obsession of sasuke be the only priority. (This isnt his fault, but kishi writing it so ONLY naruto could kill or defeat most of the enemies with his new op move was so boring to me. none of the secondary cast got to do shit) He also didnt take one second to question if his endgoal is still the same since he turned out to be exactly the opposite of "anyone can be hokage" bc he turns out to have the specialist blood of all and got revealed as a nepo baby and chosen one. He licherally became complicit and changed next to nothing as hokage in the end. the status quo remained the fucking same. Naruto rejecting the hokage position bc he recognizes neji was right is so much more interesting to me

Naruto is at his best when sasuke isnt involved imho. I adore his interactions with everyone else bc he truly loves his friends and family, but him and sakura were so delusional over sasuke but didnt actually Know him and his trauma they just loved the Idea of him. the way they talk about it, they act like sasuke was kidnapped and didnt CHOOSE to leave and even tried to kill them multiple times. shikamaru stronger than me, it'd slap the shit out of both of them

I wish they'd head on addressed the whole "sasuke's whole family was slaughtered in front of him" together and not "you have to come back so we can be a team and things can be normal again like nothing ever happened and fight me!" naruto would be the first one to offer to pull up on itachi with him lets be real lmaoo. I wanted him to offer sasuke support to BOTH tackle the injustices of the leaf. it's kinda like hiruzens passiveness with orochimaru and danzo. never holding certain loved ones accountable he was the same way with obito and even hiruzen himself. (is he even aware of hiruzen's part in the uchiha massacre or obito killing his parents?? then pardoning orochimaru?? HELLO???)

There were moments where i did see our boy shine thru, but then the god powers bullshit hit. in short, bring back my punk little man. his pure intentions were ruined by bad writing

my naruto endgame for him is not stuck at a deskjob he hates with a nuclear family he neglects and more he chooses to give up the hokage job to someone who actually can enact change and who isnt from a prestigious family. travels around helping people hands on and finally gets the peaceful life with found family he never had. advocating better for the next gen.

part one naruto, my baby boy

[pigfacedbitch]

You Like... Who?!

summary : you tell your sister that you're in love with Octavian.

word count : 1.02k

type : headcanons

pairing/s involved : Sibling! Annabeth Chase / Piper McLean / Hazel Levesque / Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano x Reader, Octavian x Reader

warning/s : is Octavian considered a warning?

here is my masterlist!

Note : I find him hot... sometimes. I know, I have a problem. Octavian likes you back, by the way. For those who have no idea what Amokinesis means, it's the ability to control emotions of love and desire.

Annabeth Chase

You are a child of Athena but she will look at you like you're the dumbest idiot she knows.

Just kidding, Annabeth is intelligent and will analyze this situation logically.

Best believe this Wise Girl will interview you. However, instead of an employer to an employee, it's more like a lawyer questioning a witness.

What qualities of Octavian do you like the most? When did you start liking him?...Do you love him? DO. YOU. LOVE. OCTAVIAN? Gods, answer (Y/N)!

After her interrogation, she will want to know what are you going to do about it.

Annabeth will give you the pros and cons of dating Octavian if you want to ask him out. She has long list of cons; he's arrogant, condescending, cruel— and many more.

"And the pros, Annabeth?"

Her face morphs into this 'zoned-out' look as she tries to think of any desirable qualities Octavian has, making you laugh.

"Wow, I can't think of anything."

Whether you like it or not, Annabeth will be there when you tell Octavian about your feelings. She'll be hiding (with the help of her invisibility cap), carefully watching his reaction.

She is flabbergasted when a sweet smile slowly forms on Octavian's lips before takes you in his arms, whispering into your ear promises of love.

She is happy for you but she will not hesitate to put Octavian in an onager catapult and throw him across Camp Jupiter if he screws this up.

Piper McLean

To be honest, Piper will genuinely think that Venus cursed you.

Her initial reaction is this; "What in Jupiter's name is mom planning now? Is she insane?"

Will she call out to your godly parent? Hell yes.

Venus appears right before the two of you with an intrigued look on her face. Being the goddess of love, of course she knows of your feelings towards Camp Jupiter's augur!

"Cure her of whatever curse this is."

"Our darling (Y/N) is not under any enchantment."

"It's Octavian, what is there to like?"

"Even the most dreadful of creatures deserve love, my dear. Besides, apart from me, no one else can control where love grows or where it falters."

This reminds her of Jason, silencing her.

Venus, realizing this, gingerly kisses Piper's forehead before placing a hand on your shoulder, telling you how Octavian feels the same.

"He does?"

"Of course, you're my child! Now, go and get him."

You look at Piper for support, you look unsure.

While she doesn't look as enthusiastic as your mother, she nods in encouragement.

You hug both of them before exiting the cabin. By the window, Piper and Venus sees you approach Octavian.

A few minutes later, you kiss him (something that still makes Piper want to barf) and he eagerly kisses you back.

"I will make his life a living hell if he hurts her." Piper whispers to Venus before your mother disappears into the thin air.

This made Venus proud. No matter how beautiful her children are, they are capable of terrifying things.

She just hopes that day will never come or else Octavian will surely meet his end.

Hazel Levesque

We all know Hazel is a very calm, sweet girl who will do no wrong unless she really has to.

But once you tell her about your feelings, she may act on impulse and confront Octavian immediately.

Why, you ask? Because like Piper, she'll think your under some spell. Except it's his doing.

Octavian has an evident malicious nature, a person who's willing to do catastrophic deeds to get what he wants.

So there's no way that someone like you could ever feel something for that oaf other than hatred and disgust...right?

You try to reason with her but she was determined.

She finds Octavian having a conversation with Reyna at the Garden of Bacchus.

Hazel promptly aims her spatha at his chest, demanding what he had done with you and how she will kill him if he doesn't solve it.

"What is going on?"

"(Y/N) likes him, it must be Amokinesis."

Both Reyna and Octavian's eyes widen as they look at you for further explanation.

Hazel didn't miss the blush on Octavian's cheeks and how the way the corners of his lips quirk into a small grin as he looks down, flustered.

"It's not Amokinesis, Hazel!"

"And I wouldn't do anything like that to (Y/N)."

Octavian replied, looking at you with such sincerity Hazel hasn't seen before.

Reyna looks back and forth between the three of you, delicately thinking of what to do. She settles the issue by getting you checked.

If there were no signs of Amokinesis then your feelings for Octavian are true.

After it was confirmed that it is, he didn't waste time and told you he shares your affections.

As much as Hazel loves you, she can never accept Octavian.

The two of them will remain in a bitter feud, only tolerating each other's presence for you.

And if Octavian hurts you? Let's just say Hazel (+ Nico) will make sure he spends eternity in Tartarus.

Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano

Reyna will say she's happy for you and urge you to speak more about your feelings.

As you ramble about; from when you realized you like Octavian to your daily interactions with him, Reyna will look for anything suspicious.

Octavian may be obnoxious, though no one can doubt he is a brilliant orator that can manipulate and charm people in his favor.

What if he used the same tactic on you?

Once your done, Reyna will just observe. She will take note anything; how Octavian acts, speaks, or talks about you.

After some time, she concludes that Octavian appears softer with you. Despite his reputation, you bring out another side of him; clement, calmer, more humane, and less evil.

I don't think any of them will particularly approve of him, especially Reyna.

Dating you will not completely change him. In fact, this makes her even more wary than ever.

What will she do if Octavian hurts you? Well, nothing really.

She would just smile, sit back, and enjoy the sight as you destroy him. You're a child of Bellona, after all.

[yarameijer]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Could you write a drabble about it.

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

Love you ❣️

Oh boy do I have feelings about this.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tenma has never had a lot of friends.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Anyway.

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

"Tenma!"

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

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

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

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

"Right," the captain agrees easily.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(That's a lie.)

He should be fine, right?

Everything's fine.

It all worked out.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Or, any match, really.

Especially not after-

Well.

After.

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

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

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

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

Seems like they have arrived at Arakumo Academy.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That is…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He hadn't even hesitated.

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

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

Shindou doesn't know what to think.

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

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

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

He approaches Aoi.

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

Tenma mutely shakes his head, eyes downcast.

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

“Do you want to talk about it?”

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

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

“Please.”

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

Knowing is different from seeing.

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

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

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

And catches Tsurugi's gaze once more.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[bp-zb1fics]

Something cute with Zhang Hao where the reader became close with one of the boys (Jiwoong maybe?) and he's jealous because poor boy has the biggest crush on reader :( with a cute lil confession? 🥰

A real kiss~

pairing: jealous zhang hao x long time friend reader ft. jiwoong as the cause of drama (jk)

pronouns: none used

genre: canon au, fluff, humour

tw/tags: introvert things, nicknames, jealousy lol, jiwoong giving hands-on acting lessons (maybe a lil too hands-on for hao but he’s just being nice y’all), woong best wingman (yes he can sense the tension), kdrama mention, flashback, kissing, confessions

wc: 1175

summary: maybe hao’s a teeny little bit jelly of how well you get along with jiwoong. 

a/n if any of you saw this earlier than scheduled, it's because tumblr hates me and likes to confuse me constantly~ anyways thanks for the req anon, this was really cute and i enjoyed writing it very much, a little content note: xiào xiào is a nickname used for kids who are like happy or smiley but hao calls mc that bc they make hao happy shdsd ok if any better mandarin speaker would like to correct me or suggest another nickname, just lmk~

check my pinned for more fics!

Zhang Hao likes to think he’s a fairly laid back person.

Or at least, that’s what he likes to think when you’ve been deep in conversation with Jiwoong for the past hour and not spending time with the person who actually invited you over (him).

Okay maybe he isn’t being fair. You’ve also, over the past hour, checked in on him and tried your best to involve him in your conversation. It’s just that Hao is an introvert and today is one of the days where he doesn’t feel like making it a three way conversation. Also they’ve mostly worked it out but he and Jiwoong still have their awkward moments so there’s that too.

“You alright Hào hào?” Well at least he can enjoy the fact you’re using the nickname that only you call him. (Because absolutely no one else is allowed to call him that ever).

“I’m fine, Xiào xiào.”

You had joined Yuehua around the same time, Zhang Hao as an idol trainee while you were preparing to go into acting. To say you were close would be an understatement. You clicked immediately, the other Yuehua trainees would joke that you were Hao’s co-parent with how often you would come over to their dorm with food. 

Hao spent every free day he had off the program with you if both of you weren’t busy. Sometimes you’d even accompany him to visit his subway ads, obviously sporting a mask and hat and keeping it lowkey so as not to draw attention to yourself. While you’ve been an extra or had a line or two for a few drama gigs, you haven’t exactly made your public debut just yet.

It just so happened that you’d be working with Jiwoong on your first minor supporting role in The Good Bad Mother, alongside your actor sunbaenim in Yuehua who had the starring role. The eldest hyung also happened to have quite a bit of experience in acting and you happened to have questions. While your company sunbaenims and teachers were helpful, they were also quite busy and you didn’t want to bother them too much.

“So for kissing scenes-”

Suddenly, Hao’s full attention is on you as you ask his bandmate how one goes about filming such scenes. He’s not dumb. Hao knows once you start getting bigger roles, you might do scenes like that. But dammit, he wants to be your first kiss, not some actor who’s playing your love interest.

“You’ve never been kissed before?”

It’s one of those moments where you’re too tired from the hours and hours of PR training, Hao preparing for Boys Planet and you for the eventual conferences and public appearance you’ll make once you make your acting debut. 

“It’s not that.” You sink into the sofa of the little room you’ve been in for hours, learning how to avoid getting a bad edit on camera. 

“It’s just that none of them really meant anything, you know? It was for fun, for a dare or some shit like that. To figure out whether I liked boys or girls or both. I just don’t think it’s a real kiss, you know?”

“What’s a real kiss then?”

You’re quiet for a bit and Hao’s about to move on with the conversation when you speak again.

“With someone I like. I’d be nice to kiss someone I like. Someone who likes me too.”

I like you, Hao thinks. I’d like to kiss you. 

He could do it. He could offer. But he’s shy and your friendship is only a few months old and he’s going to get shipped off to this Mnet program soon. So instead he says:

“That sounds nice. I’ve never thought of it that way.”

“Maybe because you’re the type to go around kissing everyone, Mr. Campus prince.”

You tease.

“Hey! I wasn’t like that at all.”

Hao protests. You grin mischievously and your conversation devolves back to light, playful back and forth.

But Hao doesn’t forget.

Maybe that’s the day that he decides to try and become the someone you like.

Jiwoong’s hands are on your shoulders. Zhang Hao’s not sure when that happened but he does know that he doesn’t like it.

“So my hands should go here?” You ask, patting Jiwoong's rib cage. He nods, expression completely placid and wholly focused on teaching you how to manoeuvre yourself.

“You can also put it on their waist, the director will be giving you instructions and you can monitor yourself on camera between takes as well.”

You nod thoughtfully, tentatively placing your hands on him. Zhang Hao’s fingers twitch, just a little. Most of the members who had been filtering in and out of the room seemed to have disappeared. It’s just him, you, and Jiwoong.

Which is why you decide to lean in, your face just about a few inches away from the eldest ZB1 member.

“So I just go like this?”

That’s it. Hao’s had enough. He can’t do this. He can’t watch you anymore.

“Xiào xiào?” 

Hao’s careful not to show how happy he is when you pull away from Jiwoong and look at him. His hyung must have sensed it anyway, standing up and saying he’s supposed to meet Seobin soon. You thank him for the help, he says you can text him anytime (Hao’s not sure how to feel about that one) and then he leaves the two of you alone.

“There goes my acting teacher.” You pout a little and Hao can’t help himself.

“You came here to spend time with me, not take lessons from Jiwoong-hyung.” 

“Awww, is Hào hào jealous?”

“I miss you.” He says instead of answering, hugging your side like he usually does.

You hug him back, and in a small voice, you admit.

“I’ve missed you too, Hào hào.”

There shouldn’t be anything special about the moment. You’ve done this before, hugged like this before, said things like this before. But this time, he just-

Hao pulls away, his arms still wrapped around you loosely. It’s just enough so he can see your eyes, looking at him, he can’t read you too well, he swears his heart’s beating so loudly that you can hear it. But you don’t pull away. He leans in.

His lips are soft against yours, you can feel the slightly sticky sensation of the lip balm he uses, taste a little of the tea he was drinking a while ago. It’s warm and nice and it feels perfect.

His arms slide to your waist and your fingers circle around his shoulders, holding onto the fuzzy knit fabric of his cardigan. You can smell the perfumed lotion he uses, pleasantly floral and addicting. He keeps kissing you. You keep kissing back.

Hao only stops when his heart feels like it’s going to give out, catching his breath and looking at you with your flushed cheeks and swollen lips. He can’t help but ask.

“Was that a real kiss?” I like you so, so much.

“I think it was, Hào hào.” I like you too.

[koras-human-warriors]

Oh great artist whose AU I adore, I come once again to ask a question.

Would it be alright to ask about Firestar and Sandstorm, like how their relationship started and how they act as a couple? I'm assuming he still saves her like in the books but I've been curious on how they act as parents and if leadership affected anything between them. If this is too strange of a question to ask, that's fine to ignore it.

For the most part, their relationship is pretty similar to canon.

Sandy starts as Fire's bully. Firepaw is a scrawny little outsider orphan and Bluestar treats him like her own son, so Sandpaw- who has recently lost her dad- decides to take it personally. This is only worsened by Fireheart becoming a warrior early at only 15 while Sandstorm has to wait until she is 17 like normal. However, they get closer as warriors after Fireheart save her.

They get married shortly after the events of Darkest Hour and share the Leader's cabin. Firestar keeps the cabin clean, but Sandstorm has better things to do. Firsetar is a big sentimental guy and decorates the cabin with little mementos from friends and family. Sandstorm has a giant stuffed boar displayed in the living room that Dustpelt lovingly named "Porkfang the Great". Firestar hates Porkfang the Great.

Firestar's leadership doesn't put too much strain on their relationship overall all. Sandstorm was like a second deputy to Firestar and supported him in any way she could. She understood the workload being a leader entails and is willing to accommodate for that. Luckily, they have a whole clan to support them.

Though, as previously stated, there is some timeline wonk when translating cat to human. The first arc of warrior cats takes place over roughly 3-ish years in which Firestar goes from kitten to young adult. However, this au would take place over 5 years, making Firestar only 17 years old when he becomes a leader - probably the youngest leader there has been. This means that there are a lot of complications with when they have Squirrelfight and Leafpool. Logically, they would probably be born a year after Darkest Hour, with Sandfire both being 18 years old. However, this causes... an uncomfortable.... age gap with Squirrel and Bramble. If any of yall have a solution for the age and timeline issue, I'm all ears.

As for them as parents, most the character are far more involved with their kids than in canon. They were both loving parents but did have some issues.

As the leader, Firstar didn't get to spend as much time with the girls as he wished before they started apprenticeship. He sometimes fell into the "cool dad" trap of leaving the disciplining to Sandstorm. He'd try to make sure he was present for the important things and never missed a family dinner. The girls adored him.

Sandstorm was a pretty good mom but had her hands full. Leafkit was very shy and practically clung to her leg at all times. Squirrelkit was fiercely independent and loved to reek havoc the neighbors. There were times when Sandstorm had to put whatever she was doing on hold because Squirrelkit wondered over to Dustpelt's house and got into a fight with Shrewkit or Spiderkit. She helped the girls a lot when they became moms.

[ravenbloodshot]

Virat Kohli (Cricket Player)- Personality Reading

He's a family man who values and cares for his family deeply. Idk how it works in his culture, but his parents or grandparents (or his wife's relatives) could live with him (or just live really close by). Just very close knit with the his loved ones

I'm getting ladies' man vibes from him. Likes to get female attention, and just attention in general is something he constantly craves. When fans cheer for him, it makes him feel like he's on top of the world, like he can conquer or do anything.

I saw a scene of him pulling his shirt off in slow motion to reveal a pretty toned and muscular body. It was like in the movies when the guy shows off his abs in a cheesy way. So he may have a nice body and work out consistently. But this also makes me think he likes to show off his hard work, maybe even likes the idea of taking his shirt off for his fans so that they go wild.

Yeah, I'm getting a lot of emphasis on his love for women and getting attention from them.

He has A LOT of love for his country and building up his homeland. I'm seeing some type of donating/funding things for poorer kids. You guys know how in less funded schools, things like music and art classes tend to not exist bc of the need to conserve resources for more important subjects. I feel like Virat may donate a lot of money to schools to develop their art/music programs and classes. I'm seeing him doing arts and craft projects with the youth. He's a guy that really cares about how he can make others' lives more enjoyable and free, so it's like he wants to fund things that can help others get in touch more with their creative/artistic side. Things that make people happy.

He may also be an artist himself.

He's very talkative and cheery and can be quite sociable and easy to talk to. Virat's the type of guy to visit bars just to hear others tell stories and speak of their adventures. This guy gives off such youthful, Peter pan vibes. His energy is just very pure and innocent, I really like it.

Just a very giving/self less guy. Type to take the shirt off of his back to give to those who need it more

This man is highly interested and involved in politics. He can become really passionate about fighting against injustice or unlawful acts by the government. He really wishes to support and build his country up.

Has a toxic relationship with a parental figure

Agora Hills by Doja Cat is a song that fits this reading's energy

[citrusandrottefruit]

I love Steve because he seemed like a jerk at first. I thought I would dislike him, after all, he was the typical "bad" guy from usamerican high school movies. The fact that he surprised me softened my heart.

Because his party was just a get-together with his friends, his girlfriend, and even included his girlfriend's friend. Because he was being silly trying to impress her. Because he wasn't making fun of her behind her back or acting like it was a sacrifice to be with her.

He wasn't an idiot making a bet, he was a teenager interested in a girl.

He did some reprehensible things, but he acknowledged it. Do you have any idea how hard it is to look at your own actions, realize they were wrong, and try to do something about it? Even having to get over the feeling of distrust, over the fact that Jonathan did something terrible (those pictures haunt me). He got beaten up, it was so easy to hold on to that and never decide to apologize.

And he came back when there was danger. He could have just been human and run away to survive, but he chose to go back and fight for Jonathan and Nancy's survival too, even though they weren't on the best of terms.

So in season two he won me over completely. Because he's loving and compassionate, willing to forgive and ask for forgiveness, even when he's not the one in the wrong. Because when a kid comes to him for help, even if he has something he needs to do (apologize to Nancy), he goes and helps. He puts his own safety on the line to protect people he barely knows.

I don't even really like Stranger Thinks. I like Steve. I like his dynamic with Dustin, the potential that can be explored about how his relationship with Nancy ended, his dynamic with Robin, with Erica, with Lucas, with Max. With Eddie. I like how he becomes protective of all these people. I like how he's a little goofy, how he supports his friend, how he doesn't hold a grudge against Jonathan. I even like how he's not the "brave" guy who throws himself into danger without thinking: he almost left in season one, he didn't want to leave the Byers house in season two, he would never have gotten involved in Dustin's investigation if, well, it wasn't for Dustin who would have moved on anyway, he didn't want to go after Eddie right away. He hesitates when he has the option, because that's what any normal person would do, but he becomes a shield when danger is imminent, he takes responsibility to protect others.

I really like him.

And honestly, I find it comforting to read about the "big empty house" and the absent parents. Because, despite the family dynamic, he's a sweetheart. AAnd I don't think it's because of Nancy, because from the beginning, even when they were barely involved, he already showed the kind of person he is. What I believe is that the trauma and realizing that the kids needed protection brought out this protective side even more and he decided to take responsibility to be the one the kids were looking for.

[yumedoca]

Hi! How are you?

I was thinking about Urusei Yatsura and I must admit I don’t understand Ataru. The more I think, the less I understand! Would you help?

Why is he so insistent with the womanizing? Why he needs it so bad? He really wants the attention of all of these girls or is that supposed to represent his biggest desire for freedom above all else? It’s sort of messed up that he priorizes his so-called freedom and the skirt-chasing above being with the girl he loves and who loves him back and that he knows he’s hurting said girl with his behavior (both the girl-hunting and by withholding affection) and he keeps doing that anyway 😭 (... Not that Lum is a saint either but that's besides the point). Ataru's unwillingness to compromise and to give up on his habit really gets in the way of him truthfully experiencing "True Love", doesn't it? It seems like he would rather lose Lum than commit to her. Do you think he would have acted differently if it was with Shinobu?

Oh, and I've seen some speculation that explained Ataru's lechery as being the result os his relationship with his mother and the lack of motherly love he received growing up, so he actually goes after all these girls because he's that starved for affection. What do you think?

Hai there, Hope you're doing great!!

Sure, I'll help you out!! Ataru is a complicated individual, after all. But first, I think it would help you a lot if you read my write up on 'Ataru's Love for Lum' first since whatever I've mentioned there is very vital to understanding Ataru as well.

And I haven't even started yet but I have a feeling this will be a sequel to the linked post above since this ask does bring up some questions I don't think I've directly touched in that one.. so...

I hope my fellow UY's are having a great day because today on ‘Yuca Analyzes Silly Things (For No Reason)’, we'll be talking more about Ataru and his relationship with Lum!

And naturally there are spoilers so proceed with caution..

Ok now, let's begin!! Your first question is 'Why does Ataru womanize?' As for the initial reason? Not completely sure. The manga shows that he's just always been like that, even as a kid. It's just never been talked about. And I don't believe in the speculation which you stated btw, because I wouldn't say that Ataru had a lack of motherly love. Yeah, Mrs. Moroboshi can be a bit comedically harsh, but most of that ends up being a one time joke. In fact, she actually really does love Ataru and takes really good care of him (to the point where she waits for him to arrive before eating dinner, says she'll save up money on him so he can go to a good college and other details like that which you can catch here and there), she's just worried about his idiotic tendencies, that's all.

The best theory I have about his womanizing is that ever since he was little he's always seen women in a sort of 'very nice and sweet onee-chan' sort of way. What supports this theory is the fact that Ataru's mom seems to be the most involved in his life compared to his dad (who's either at work or buried deep into his newspapers, he does spend sometime though) and has the most agency in the family. Because of that small Ataru probably had a better view of woman, which probably made him want to meet more and befriend them but since he was small and an idiot, he would just cling onto them which naturally annoyed them to the point of there being rumors about him. And as he grew older (and hormones), this 'liking' eventually became lust. Another theory is that it might be genetics since both of his parents have fallen for someone else during the series' run, but that's like the only thing to support the theory. In the end, I'm still not completely sure. Like to be fair, UY is a gag which wasn't exactly written with much thought (yeah, the character development is unintentional. I'm pretty sure it's a result of RT writing each chapter by going with the natural flow of the story, which is why the characters grow gradually. This isn't something any writer can do btw) so not everything would have an explanation.

Next is 'Why is he still womanizing? why does he want these girls?' Because he's young. He's still a teenager and he likes women and he has for years to the point it's a habit. Habits are hard to break so he can't suddenly be dedicated to someone out of straight up nowhere (especially if she basically got them 'married' instantly when he's still just a teenager). His love for women is just a huge part of his personality, it's just not something he can throw away in an instant and because of that he remains attached. What does not help matters even more is the number of gorgeous girls who're usually around him on a daily basis, girls who are incredibly cute, beautiful, sexy.. tell me, just tell me exactly how easy would it be to break his girl hunting habit when that's the case??

As for Lum, Ataru doesn't emotionally hurt Lum with his womanizing for the most part. Sure, the hope he would stop does linger in her but his infidelity for the most part only makes her mad more than anything else, and she recovers from her anger pretty quickly. Lum getting deeply hurt, is actually quite rare (and has happened very few times in the series) since she's mostly very outgoing. Whenever she's that hurt, we, the readers are made aware of her feelings because unlike a certain idiot, she doesn't keep how she feels to herself. But for the most part, Lum just goes into furious rage rather than any sort of deep feelings when it comes to Ataru's womanizing and yes, Ataru is completely aware of that so he knows he isn't hurting her in any serious way.. and if he did hurt her in that manner, he would probably want to fix things with her..

See how Ataru wanted to talk to her here when he thought she was emotionally hurt? But it was actually buildup for her rage..

The next bit I want to talk about is how both of them love teasing, irking and messing with the other, Ataru likes poking at Lum's temper and Lum likes messing up Ataru's enjoyment with women because to them, their daily antics are like a game which neither wants to lose because of their pride. Like that, their 'he flirts, she zaps, she chases him' thing isn't something they take to an emotional value. It's their game, a game which neither wants to give up.

Now with that done, I want to talk about what you said regarding 'Ataru prioritizing his womanizing over Lum' which has evidently shown to be incorrect. One example is in the 'Electric Jungle' arc, when he left a date with some girl just so he could go on his date with Lum. It's not always a girl accepts Ataru's request; the chances for that is most probably lower than his chances to go on a date with Lum, yet he still left his date with the girl anyways because he knew Lum was waiting for him. Another example is the fact that Ataru won't accept a harem if it doesn't have Lum in it. If Lum isn't in the harem, the harem means nothing to him. Heck, the reason why he wants a harem is because he needs Lum with him, even if there are other girls. Lum is what matters the most to him.

Next is the topic of Ataru and 'true love', Ataru isn't someone who yearns and is desperate for 'true love', but he still does hold it with value. To Ataru, 'true love' doesn't mean flirting, kissing, etc., it means something much deeper, something that comes from the heart. The former can be done even if you don't love someone truly, but the latter is what 'true love' is. There's also a bit more to it but I've already talked about this in the above linked analysis, so I'll just copy-paste that part here instead of writing it from scratch:

Now if he does love her, then why doesn’t he agree to do couple stuff (here I mean stuff like kissing, flirting, saying “I love you”, etc.) with her? That’s because he does all those things with other woman to the point they have lost that specialness. It may still be special to her, but not to him because Lum isn’t any woman, he’s the only one he actually cares about and he doesn’t want to give her the same treatment he gives other women.

So, yeah, it's exactly what I said..

And finally the question 'Would he have acted differently if it was Shinobu?' Of course, we all know that they used to be exes and we do get to see how it was back then as well so we'll just use that info. The womanizing part remains the same for the most part, Ataru would chase skirts if it's either Lum or Shinobu. But the difference would be in whether he shows affection. With Lum, Ataru knows that she'll never leave him and that she will only love him (which is true) but Shinobu isn't like that. Shinobu didn't have any other options and she was already friends with Ataru which is why they started dating. But when she's presented with a better option (temporarily Rei, though only in term of handsomeness, she turned him down because he's an idiot, and later Mendo) her mind immediately wavers and prefers the better option, after all she wants the one who is the match made for her. Because of this, Ataru can't hide his feelings (which he eventually ended up losing anyways) or else it's literally over. It's also easier for Ataru to show affection towards Shinobu since he's always been friendly with her, unlike Lum who he treated terribly at first.

And I think that's it! This ended up being hella long and I ended up spending a lot of time on this (so.. to those reading, please like and even more importantly, reblog! pretty please?) and I hope I was able to clear all your questions anon! Ataru's a tough nut to crack but once you do it you'll see why it is that way. Anyways, that's it, thank you for taking your time reading this and have a great day ahead!!

[moonlit-mystery-writer]

My Oc's Relationships with the Arcobaleno

First and foremost I want to clarify that these are romantic relationships that all formed before the Arcobaleno Curse happened and it's one big polycule. For more information on my Oc, Celeste, here's the link for my KHR Oc Masterlist

I hope you all enjoy!!

Tw: Attempted suicide. I don't go into any graphic details or anything, but it's still there and a pretty pivotal point for one of Celeste's relationships.

@childe-of-saulot @myrmyrtheorca @lixenn

Skull: Why are we starting off with Skull? Why because he's her dearest childhood best friend of course! The two of them met very young at 4 at the circus Skull's parents were apart of. They bonded near instantly with each other. To the point child her was in complete hysterics and inconsolable when she had to leave him for days afterwards. As one of the two potential heiresses for her mafia family, this simply couldn't be allowed. So through events neither child understood at the time (*cough* her family pressuring his parents and the circus to give him up *cough*) Skull started living with his grandparents who lived in walking distance of her. She spend basically every second of every day with him. Her family didn't care too much, seeing her as just the spare in case her older sister failed as the first heiress and seeing Skull as just a plaything or her lackey. (This man can never escape the lackey allegations)

The two of them have been through thick and thin. They've seen each other at their worst and their best. She's why he understood flames pretty well even before joining the Arcobaleno and getting involved with the mafia. Celeste definitely fell for him first, but he fell harder. In their late teens, she even started to plan out their future together; 3 kids, he owns an auto-repair shop, and she's a stay-at-home mom who does mafia stuff on the side. The idea at the time flustered him, but he also loved it so so so much. Things took a turn for them though when her family figured out her sister didn't have strong enough Mist flames or illusions to take the position as boss, but she did.

Her time with him was limited, but he could see how much everything was draining her. Once a brilliant star who swayed with all kinds of music and overflowing with love and kindness was slowly decaying into a bitter rock aimlessly floating in the void of space. As a Cloud, he naturally hates things that bind and clip wings, for himself or for those he holds dear. So when she showed up on his doorstep in the middle of the night begging for help and pleading for him to help her run away before she offically inherits the title of boss; of course he helped her get far away. This leads to the two of them joining a new circus.

Originally, they preformed a trapeze act together. Skull, having mild experience from his childhood, and Celeste, having done gymnastics almost her whole life, easily got used to this and learned everything like fish to water. They even made the hand signals to communicate with each other that Skull now uses to command Oodako! However, after a few months, both quickly got bored doing the same thing nightly. So they decided it was time for a change! Around this time is also when Skull becomes more of a daredevil. Celeste supports it wholeheartedly and does acts to compliment his daring ones, namely tightrope walking or occasional magic performances with her illusion.

A year since they ran away soon pass, Skull is now famous for his stunts and being immortal, both literally to those who know him and figuratively to his fans. Celeste couldn't be happier! Maybe this is finally the life they're meant to have and settle down in! Then one night, he simply disappears. Only leaving a vague note to her about Italy and a man with a checker patterned mask. Devasted and desperate to find Skull again, Celeste contacts her mafia family and takes the boss title to use their resources to locate him.

It takes her another year to find him, but when she does, she rushes to him and instantly tries to get him to come home with her. Something the other Arcobaleno aren't happy with at the time.

Nowadays, post-getting cursed, Celeste and Skull are still super close. She's not actively romantic with him (or any of the Arcos) anymore, because she's not comfortable doing so in his cursed form. However, he's still the one she calls up when she's at her lowest. He's still the one she shares good news with first. She's part of his motivation for getting his curse broken. (We ignore the creepy fact the Arcobaleno don't go back to their real ages in this household. Because what the actual fuck Akira Amano???)

Luce: Onto Luce!! As stated, the other Arcobaleno weren't happy with the fact Celeste just showed up one day and tried to take Skull from them. Namely because he was their Cloud and she was infamous in the mafia world at that point for being a run away heiress. Luce, out of the group, was the least upset about it though. Being the type of person she was, she did her best to understand Celeste's view of the situation. To her, Skull had simply run away, or possibly even taken, to join this group of strangers in the mafia. Of course she'd want him home. Luce understood this. But while she never let Celeste take Skull away, she did do her best to get the others to leave Celeste alone and let her tag along with them. At least for awhile.

However, when a rather nasty spat with Reborn ends with Celeste running away and Skull coming to her in tears and begging for her to help Celeste because she was refusing to listen to him, Luce stepped in fully. Finding where the woman had gone wasn't hard for the Sky in the slightest, the Giglio Nero family is expansive and she holds a lot of power even if she doesn't flex often as a grown woman. Celeste wasn't too upset to be found, having expected it, but was surprised to see it was Luce. She kept her distance, assuming the other woman would've done the same, only for Luce to carefully waltz her away from the roof edge of the restaurant she'd been having her last meal.

Celeste had been burned, figuratively, from her rather shitty Sky. She never thought she'd find a Sky she could fully trust. But Luce, in moments, proved she could and more. In moments, she fell for the woman hard. Luce, for her, was perfect and everything she ever wanted in a Sky and in a partner outside of Skull. For the rest of that night, Luce stayed by her side and even ordered them some wine to drink. Wasn't until months later that Luce learned that Celeste hates red wine. And when Celeste was simply exhausted afterwards, Luce carried her back to the base and let her sleep in her room. And after that night, Luce made it crystal clear to the others they needed to back off of Celeste and stop picking so many fights with her.

Luce didn't fall for Celeste and it was far more gradual than how Celeste fell for her. When they were finally together though, they quickly became an almost cheesily cutesy couple. Both out a genuine love and because it annoyed others in such a way they both found it funny. After two years of dating, they get "married". Legally, they're married to Reborn and Skull, however to anyone close to them and to the mafia world, they're the ones married to each other. It was a beautiful June wedding.

When Luce died, Celeste took it hard. However, she had to pick herself and her pieces up, for the other Arcobaleno and for baby Aria. Even so, all the grief comes right back to her on their anniversary, on Luce's birthday, and the date of Luce's death (September 8th, 11:59 pm).

Nowadays, post-curse, Celeste almost selfishly and greedily hopes that when the curse breaks, that it'll somehow bring Luce back. Don't get her wrong, of course she loves the other Arcobaleno and wishes they had their proper forms back again everyday, but Luce was everything to her. The light of her life. She'd do anything to have her back again. To be able to hug her or be in her arms again.

Viper/Mammon: At first, Viper was one of the Arcobaleno who disliked Celeste the most. They naturally distrust other Mists, especially ones with iffy reputations like Celeste. However, after the night Luce brought her home, the dynamic between the two of them started to change. The two avoid each other for awhile which turned into the two of them quietly hanging around the same room as each other, but never addressing the other. That then became the two of them having small conversations with each other and backing each other up when one of them makes complete lies about being a Mist or Mist flames in general for the sake of messing with the others.

Eventually, Celeste offered to pay Viper to take missions they didn't want to do and who are they to refuse free money? The addition of money to their dynamic together was the biggest game changer for. Viper fell for Celeste first and did not know what to do. At first they tried to pull away from her again, when that didn't work, they tried spending so much time with her that they were sure they'd grow tired of her. Celeste's not stupid and spending more time with them led to her own feelings developing. So, to help Viper with their crisis in a weird way, she asked to pay them so she could love them. This helped Viper settle a little as they were used to conditional agreements that involved payment. So for the first month of their relationship together until Viper fully accepted their feelings, Celeste paid Viper a set amount so she could love them lol.

Nowadays, they remain in as much contact as they can. It's not uncommon for Celeste to surprise visit them at the Varia base. Both tend to refer to the rest of the Varia, especially Bel, as their kids/sons in a kinda teasing and loving manner towards the group.

Fon: Obviously, Fon wasn't one of the ones who'd pick fights with Celeste even if he was iffy with her. However, he did tend to kinda ignore the arguments with her that happened around him. He of course felt extremely bad for doing so after the night Luce brought her home. Yet, the two of them still didn't bond right away. Then one night, he found her almost completely sprawled out on the couch, completely sore after a few hours of practicing her beloved gymnastics. Not only could he relate to the muscle pain, but he also knew just how to help her.

After that, the two of them started bonding over simple things like cooking and occasionally did warm ups together. There was no real specific moment or specific person who fell in love first. It was a sweet, gradual thing between them and they both realized it about the same time.

Nowadays, Celeste is in the most active contact with him. Namely because they have a kid together: I-Pin! As parents, they balance each other perfectly. She spoils their daughter rotten with gifts, food, and as much quality time as she can. Fon meanwhile teaches I-Pin discipline and independence. Also, kind off topic, my headcanon for I-Pin's real name is Yu. Which if Behind the Name is to be trusted means: 玉 Yu - Jade, Precious Stone.

Lal Mirch and Colonnello: Combining these two to make it easier on myself. Lal, even after the night Luce brings her home, doesn't bond with Celeste for awhile. Most of their interactions having been awkward silence between the two of them. Then Colonnello joins the Arcobaleno finally. He and Celeste quickly click together, the two of them bonding over being kinda outcasts in the Arcobaleno because they weren't actually chosen.

Obviously, Lal doesn't care if Colonnello has friends or even female friends specifically, but his tendency to tease her over being tomboyish while Celeste is very feminine does start to breed some insecurity. Then one day he makes the comment to her while Celeste is around them and she very shamelessly responds: "Why should she change one of her hottest traits?? If you don't want Lal as is, I'll take her."

Not only does this comment make Colonnello back track what he said, but also makes both Rains realize Celeste's been way more into Lal Mirch than Colonnello the entire time. Her explanation: "I know like millions more blond haired, blue eyed men with C names who've joined the military than I do pretty women with blue hair and red-brown eyes and L names who also joined the military."

Her bonding with them is a little awkward, especially with the rougher parts of Lal's personality, but she grows to love them nonetheless and they soon enough love her too.

Celeste deeply respects the fact Colonnello took the Rain pacifier for Lal. Part of her wishes she could've done the same for Luce or any of the others.

Nowadays, she doesn't get to talk to them often because they're both busy and rather reclusive for Rains. However a good chunk of the time when she does talk to them, she's either trying to convince Colonnello to get her a free trip to Mafialand for the kids or she's asking Lal to convince her not to kill Iemitsu/Lal's shitty boss. Obviously, this isn't every time, but it's a decent handful of times. She also considers Basil their kid together ever since she met him when visiting Lal at CEDEF one day.

Verde: He never hated her before per say, but he didn't see the point in her hanging around. Then one day, again after the night Luce brought her back, she started poking around his lab. She didn't mess with anything she shouldn't, but she did take a great interest in his animal subjects. Especially Kaiman. In fact she took enough of an interest that she kept going into his lab to play with and take care of his animals even when he wasn't there. On one hand, it annoyed him she just kinda invited herself to do that. On the other, her taking care of them means he has more time to do experiments and such.

Soon enough though, without him realizing right away, her taking care of his animals turned into her taking care of him. Bringing him food and making sure he eats it when he's in his lab all day, having a first aid kit ready for any small lab accidents, coaxing him into his room and bed to sleep rather than taking power naps in front of his computer, and things of that nature. When her actions clicked for him and he calls her out, Celeste just pauses for a long time before reaching up and patting his head while informing him: "You were worrying the others and Kaiman. So, since I was already in there a lot to help, I decided to help you out more."

Not long after Verde lets his minor qualms with her taking care of him go, Celeste find his art. He's Da Vinci reincarnated, of course he does art occasionally! But he hardly sees why she's so amazed by it. He tries to ignore her comments about it, but she soon starts to give him little challenges around it. Like: "Did you really draw these hands? I mean of course a genius scientist can understand how hands work, but draw them?" or "Can you prove that this is your self portrait? It doesn't look like you anymore so I can't tell."

Verde, being the rather cocky and even prideful man he is when it comes to any of his works and talents, of course falls for these challenges hook, line, and sinker. Then one day he realizes she's gotten him out of the lab, with Kaiman following them on a leash as they look for a good background for a painting of them. When he finally questions why she cared so much about his art, Celeste happily tells him how much she liked the "old Da Vinci's" work, both art and science, so of course she wanted to see what the "new Da Vinci" can do in both fields. Then happily informs him she loves his work way better, even if she doesn't fully grasp a lot of the complicated science.

Needless to say, while Celeste did ultimately fall first, Verde fell harder.

Nowadays, they remain in mild contact. Though Verde never gives her any specifics on anything, he keeps in contact purely because he knows she's the type to try to track her loved ones down if they attempt to cut of communication for no reason. However, the last thing they tried to do together was save the Estraneo kids which ended a tragic bust, having been just a little too late to help them. At least the Estraneo in general were dead... This is another reason as to why he limits contact with her. He'll never forget how distressed she was and looked over failing those kids.

Reborn: I was going to jokingly call him the star of this show then realized I wasn't wrong technically. Out of all of them at the start, he was the worst to her. Not only was he naturally protective of the others, but he looked down on the fact she tried to run away from being a boss. At the time, he didn't understand it and didn't understand her. This led to the two of them butting heads a lot. Did he regret being mean to her? A little, especially the argument that led to her running off then being brought back by Luce. Yet, even after that, he struggled bonding with her. Even as the others fell for her, he either avoided her like the plague or still bickered with her here and there.

They did find their way of getting closer though. Namely, hating how the other sounded trying to communicate to them in their native tongue. Celeste couldn't comprehend how Reborn would butcher English and he found her Italian simply atrocious. For the longest time, their middle ground was using French as it was Celeste's second language and Reborn's third. However, the two eventually decided to fix the problem by tutoring the other in their language. It was... So fun and funny on top of actually helping their communication. Lots of pronunciation fuck ups that completely change what a sentence means or makes it complete gibberish, dumb jokes about how certain words sound, and more. By the end of it, they were definitely close.

Neither knew what to label the relationship though. Were they friends? It feels like more, but it's not quite love yet. So, in an attempt to understand the other better, both separately decided to track the other's daily schedules! Totally not stalking. However they both find there's big chunks in the day where they can't find the other. Neither figures out why until Celeste complains about it to Luce and Reborn overhears. That's how they fully fall in love; realizing they have similar habits to each other just in their own ways unique to their personalities.

Nowadays, they have the second most amount of contact. Namely so Reborn could be an active father in Aria's life growing up and now because Celeste deems Tsuna and Dino their sons. While she doesn't act lovey dovey with him currently because of his cursed form, she will still happily rag on him and tease him for things he's done or does in that way couples do. Tsuna and Dino don't know what's scarier, the fact she can get away with things like that or the fact it genuinely flusters Reborn at times.

[sunspotmangafan]

I hear the sunspot and disability representation: agency and respect.

Note I will be talking about ableism in media; if that is uncomfortable, feel free to scroll past.

So the other day I was watching your average media analysis videos on youtube and I came across this video that discussed disability representation, specifically in reference to deafness. I’ll be discussing it and such with how it relates to sunspot but I do recommend you check it out if you’d like.

There was the discussion of how in a fair amount of shows like medical dramas, when they have episodes that focus on a deaf/hard of hearing person and the decision of going with surgeries like cochlear implants that help them hear better, it seems as though the actual disabled persons opinions don’t matter because at the end of the day the kid is gonna get the ‘treatment’ to essentially ‘fix’ them in a way. If the person explicitly states they don’t want the implant, it doesn’t matter, they will ultimately get the implant because the narrative thinks it’s inherently better and will ‘help’/‘fix’ the person.

Like watching a video where they paint the parent who agrees with their disabled kid to not go with cochlear implants as a bad person/in the wrong.

Or shows going out of their way to give deaf characters surgeries like that to ‘fix’ them in a way. Such as deliberately not going to the parent that supports/listens to their disabled kid, or have the narrative change so that will make their child have the surgery that parent by the end as their arc.

It’s constantly giving “disabled people’s opinions and agency doesn’t matter because we as able bodied people know that they’re intently better if they’re more like us. Life will be inherently be better if they gonna conform to our world.”

I understand that ‘it’s better for you if you’re more like us’ mentality as an autistic person. But this so about Kohei and his journey in Limit as a hard of hearing protagonist.

In the Limit trilogy, a part of his arc is heavily considering getting a cochlear implant. The doctor goes over the pros and cons of it, and how even those who get it, they may not use it after the fact because it wasn’t for them or they experienced complications or whatnot, especially with how with many people who were deaf since birth (like ryuu), it’s not exactly gonna be always the best option. And how ultimately it is just a way to fit more into the hearing world.

And the most important thing here is this. KOHEI. GETS. TO. CHOOSE. FOR. HIMSELF!!!!

THEY LET THE DISABLED CHARACTER PONDER AND THINK FOR HIMSELF!! We don’t even get people ushering him to get one. In fact it’s mainly Ryuu who’s just like “dude you don’t need it”.

Ryuu is also great because he provides that push and extra perspective on his own terms using the language he’s most comfortable with to give himself the voice to challenge kohei’s internalised ableism.

(As Kohei said. He still looked down on those who couldn’t hear. He felt weak when he had to ask people to repeat themselves)

Also side note. IHTS really helps essentially destigmatise sign language. As the video says about the stigma around sign language. It’s nice to see people like Chiba, Ryuu and such be respected by the narrative when they talk about how they genuinely love the language. Kohei and Taichi are both endearing characters whose arcs involve learning to sign. Kohei starts to respect Chiba because he’s so good at not just signed Japanese, but actual JSL. It’s really refreshing!!

And you know what. While he did say that because he has late onset hearing loss, he was definitely drawn to the idea.

HE DECIDED NOT TO GET IT. AND THE NARRATIVE FUCKING RESPECTS HIM FOR IT!!!

They show that for Kohei, him getting better isn’t essentially a surgery to make him seem less Hard of Hearing. It’s about knowing he can be understood, and about knowing he can genuinely understand people, and that’s not inherently tied to hearing.

And they never act as though he’s made a grave decision, the narrative never acts like Kohei is in the wrong. It’s actually treating it like a happy ending, because it is, Kohei’s stopping thinking about a past where he may become completely deaf as though it’s inherently something he should try to avoid (a thing Ryuu helped him reconsider his personal feelings on which may have been shrouded in internal ableism) and start living in the present with a person that already respects, understands and cares for him, and who, at least now, he can hear as clear as day.

And we can’t help but be happy that he’s happy.

[lover-of-mine]

No, but seriously, imagine you're Eddie Diaz. You just moved to a different state, you have trauma coming out of your ears between your time in the army and your wife abandoning you and your kid and your parents determined to convince you you're unfit as a parent, and you start your job at this firehouse, whose captain made sure you picked, and in come Evan Buckley, this overgrown frat boy who hates you for absolutely no apparent reason, and you're like whatever, the rest of the house is friendly enough, i won't engage, but then this dude folds like a lawn chair after exactly 1 (one) compliment and sticks to you from then on, then you go through an earthquake and you're rightfully worried about your kid and Buck notices and you're a little guarded when you tell him about Christopher but he just smiles and says he loves kids then proceeds to spend the whole shift assuring you that he's fine even though you can't call him, then he's the one who lets you know that phones are working again and then he drives you to your kid's school. And you're struggling to make sure Chris has the right care and an accident happens with your abuela and Buck doesn't question it, he just goes with you to the hospital and when you need to take Chris to the firehouse, Buck makes sure that it was cleared with your captain before it even occurs to you and then Buck tricks you into going over to his place and introduces you the solution to all your problems without ever once making you feel like you're unfit as a parent, just noticing you need help. This dude you've known for weeks has been more supportive of you than most people in your life ever. I know we joke about Eddie baby trapping Buck but Buck stepped up because he wanted to and Eddie let him because Buck never made him feel unfit, he just makes him feel seen. It's no wonder Eddie is the way he is with Buck.

Sometimes I think it's completely crazy that Eddie would just make Buck Chris legal guardian and not even think to tell him about it but the thing is, Buck has done so much for Eddie and Chris, without Eddie ever having to ask for it, that Eddie definitely never even thought to consider Buck not wanting to. But I also think that Eddie never seriously considered what life would look without Buck until, you know, Buck died on him. And I know we've had the "you act like you're expandable but you're supposed to be invincible" discussion but I think it's a fascinating aspect of the Eddie's character, the way he's calm and logical and objective unless Buck is involved. Dude just can't seem to think clearly when it's about Buck. And that goes back to the beginning. Like when the Buck is trapped under the truck, Eddie is a firefighter not a paramedic, and sure he was an army medic but the logical decision there is to have Eddie helping trying to lift the truck not helping Hen treat Buck, but no, at that moment, he's a medic. When Buck gets struck by lightning, he doesn't attach his own safety harness, he goes up something that basically a wet lightning rod after being thrown off the truck and his first instinct is to try and pull Buck up. Pulling Buck up is not the smart move there. Even more when he realizes Buck is unresponsive, because he would have to get Buck down the ladder and that would really delay Buck's care. Lowering Buck is the right move there but it doesn't occur to him until he fails to lift him up. It's insane. Say what you want but he's attachment to Buck it's something else entirely.

[streets-in-paradise]

Horror Characters Preference - How they celebrate Christmas with you

Happy Holydays! This is a little gift i wrote for you all :)

 I wished I could have added more characters and some escenarios ended up a bit short, but this is the best i got in the few writing time i had in between holyday preparations. 

Fandoms incluided: Chucky, The Walking Dead and Stranger Things.

tags: @losersclubisms @helie-brain ( i added Daryl for you) @richiethedigidestine ( i remember how much you like Carl)

Chucky

Andy Barclay

-Only after growing tired of hearing you sing ' You are a mean one, Mr Grinch' he ends up confessing why he hates Christmas. 

- Andy is the sort of person who would give speeches about consumerism and children being brainwashed by commercials. It is a very important topic for him because it ruined his life, over the years he blamed himself a lot about wanting a Good Guy for his birthday when he was 6 and manipulative advertisement played a big role on that. 

- He is the least materialistic person you have ever met. Although he has a hard time expressing what he wants or needs you have clear that he prefers people over things. 

- If it would depend on him, he would spend Christmas like a regular day, but he has you and Kyle getting him out to get things and do holiday stuff. 

- Decorating the tree was easier to convince him about, you made the cabin look like a home and he couldn't complain of that. 

- It made him feel a bit fuzzy inside. His place would not be a prison or an Isolation spot anymore. You wanted to stay with him and turn it into a home, your home. 

Junior Wheeler

- Christmas is Bree's favorite holiday and she is your favorite of your boyfriend's parents, so you are there to celebrate. 

- You also want to support Junior because you know Logan has a way of always ruining his mood somehow. He would never let him be happy, not at least in his own way. 

- For so, you were there to do it. Perfectly aware of his musical inclinations, you encouraged him to sing Christmas songs with you for the little kids in the party. Junior knows that you like that and only you could have convinced him of joining.

 - People are shocked, Logan receives tons of compliments and advice coming even from some of his friends regarding the unexpectedly discovered talent of his son. 

- You casually mention that you play piano, a subtle act of support in that context. 

- Junior is so happy that, if there weren't formal appearances to keep, he would have kissed you ríght there.

Jake Wheeler

-Christmas is a hard time for him. He used to love it as a kid but since his mom died nothing is the same. The season reminds him so much of her and his father is not a good source of support. Lucas gets even worse around the holydays and Jake has to either avoid him or babysit his drunk ass.

 - One of his saddest memories involves him having to decorate the tree alone, feeling the loose even harder' because the season makes him feel like he is alone in the world. 

- That's precisely why it meant so much to see you at his doorstep visiting to help him with the decorations. You even brought some yourself along with some other Christmas plans. 

- He almost cried while eating your gingerbread cookies, that's how strongly emotional you got him with such simple acts. 

- Lucas gave you the side eye as he was passing by. He knows who you are and he is not supportive of your relationship, but that time you didn't mind in the slightest. 

- In fact, you previously fought the urge of bringing a mistletoe just to not get Jake in trouble. 

- You love your boyfriend and wouldn't let the assholeness of his father get in between your chances to give him happiness.

Bonus

Chucky

- He is the gift for one of the kids on your family gathering.

-Switched the original gift for a box containing him, actually. 

- Good luck surviving his holyday fun.

The Walking Dead

Daryl Dixon

- Celebrating anything is complicated in the world you live in, almost impossible for most people. When you were freshly arrived the Alexandria people were trying to push parties down your throats and Daryl had the worse reactions to that. 

- He hates to be pushed into anything, even more when it is about a celebration he wasn't a fan of before the apocalypse. 

- One thing was for sure, his reactions of discomfort were quite adorable to you. At some point of the party he got tired of giving deathly stares so he wouldn't be bothered and he stayed outside. He was out in the front not only refusing to participate, but to even be present.

- Of course, you followed to make him company and make sure he wouldn't freeze. After all, If both of you wanted, that party could be just the two of you.

Carl Grimes

- If he gets the chance to celebrate, he wants to make it nice for his little sister. Carl feels he was fortunate because he got to experience a real Christmas and she will never have that. 

- Even if she is too little to remember, he wants to make it special for her and you help with whatever you can. Sacavange for things, arts and crafts, whatever necessary to get some nice decorations and presents.  

- Your determination on the topic ends up convincing Rick of accepting the idea. As soon as he heard your reasons, even Daryl was up to participate. He has a soft spot for the little girl and Carl is doing so much for her. 

- When the time comes, all the people you consider family are there. It's your first truly felt Christmas since the end of the world.

Stranger Things

Steve Harrington

- He doesn't get much comfort and family at home, but since he has you and his little friends he found a family where he belongs and that manifests on his attitude around the holidays. 

- His gifts are super thoughtful. Everyone knows he is gonna surprise and that makes you nervous. You fear he would give you the most perfect gift and yours for him wouldn't be as good enough in comparison. 

- Meanwhile, Steve stresses more about what to get for Dustin, considering how far he is from his peculiar likes and interests, than what he planned for you. 

- For Christmas Eve he gets invited to dinner by the Hendersons and that means you also got invited. Dustin loves you both and wants you to be there with him and his mom. 

- When you arrive the boy is watching ' Silent Night, Deathly Night'. 

- " No horror movies tonight." You commented to him. " It's our first Christmas together. We have to make it nice. " 

" But it counts as a Christmas movie!" He playfully complained. " It's an open film subgenre." 

- Steve laughed and messed with his hair, loving to hear him being himself and you trying to make things the normal way. 

- You both in your different ways make him insanely happy.

Eddie Munson

-I get the feeling that his celebrations are the closest to how It's used to celebrate where i live. 

- Loudest Christmas ever, it's 6 pm of Christmas Eve and Eddie is already blasting music. He is a happy and unapologetical dude and that's how cheer hits him.

- You are neighbors, so you are constantly crossing over trailers to see how each other is going as you await for the night. You have to get reminded to get back whenever someone needs any of you for something on your preparations. 

- Eddie and Wayne end up joining you. Your family is on good terms with them and getting all together is better than having to stand how you and Eddie leave out of sudden to see each other. 

- At some point of the night, once you have enough time to dedicate to your families, you follow him into the next step of your celebrations. 

- Surprisingly crashing late at Dustin's and pumping up the party. 

- Steve mocked you for showing up late, he and Eddie have a secret war going on over who amazes Dustin the most.

Bonus

Billy Hargrove

- You have been dating for a while and your mom suggested you could invite him to your Christmas party. 

- Everything goes fine when you are introducing him to your parents but, as soon as he saw him, your little brother reacted as if he would have seen the reaper. He clumsily tried to dissimulate, but you know him well enough to notice he is terrified. 

- That’s how you find out that the dude you were seeing was also your brother’s bully, the nameless guy he would always complain about everytime he came back home made a scared mess. 

- You dump his ass without hesitation. He may be charming and super hot, but he showed his true colours messing with a little boy, with your family.

- Nothing can excuse that. 

[cryptidsnackpack]

okay this discussion is going to be SO LATE but i’m playing dream daddy (again) and i have ~thoughts~ about our friendly neighborhood youth pastor and his family.

so i’m going on dates with all the dad’s i haven’t in previous playthroughs. (i saw mat and damien and was like good day i do not need to peruse ANY other fathers today).

i’d never done joseph’s route before, bc he’s married duh and i have religious trauma. and he looks like every white man that is a problem. but this time around i wanted to watch the world burn and break that man. ANYWAY. he is- actually… delightful? and i love his dates?? i though that with (potential spoilers ahead i guess but this game is old af) his affair with Robert he would immediately start laying it on thick. but he just invites you to very fucking domestic events, and gets frazzled with basic intimacy.

so i GET that joseph cheated. i understand that a large part of mary’s drinking may be due to that. and i know the “good” ending is not really good at all, and pulls a weird moral gotcha on you. i am all for making players face the consequences of their actions in games but this one falls flat for a few reasons.

1. Joseph objectively isn’t a bad person. Yes he’s had an affair, yes he’s a youth pastor (okay only a little joking). BUT Joseph has his shit together for his 4 kids and i admire the FUCK out of him for it. As someone who was raised by alcoholic parents, seeing Mary’s attitude at her kids’ well being REALLY struck a chord with me. the game wants me to believe Joseph is the bad guy, but i’m watching his wife chug five bottles of wine while her toddler is missing AND SUPPOSED TO BE IN HER CARE. and then i see this dad who is trying, who is involved in community outreach, and keeps a stable home. also i see a lot of “well Joseph puts on an act to make Mary look bad in front of the neighbors”. I’m sorry??? he does not have to make Mary look bad, she does bad all on her own. the “wine mom” and “type a dad” schtick is so fucking heteronormative and played out, even for 2017 when the game was released. and hey maybe that was the point! but if it was, it wasn’t done well.

2. The worst parts of Mary’s character get glossed over in lieu of her being a “wine mom” stereotype. Maybe it’s because i’m an ex alcoholic myself, but i don’t have a lot of patience for the character and i know that. objectively i like Mary, i think she’s funny and tough. but she is a deadbeat fucking mom, and the game WHICH IS CENTERED LARGELY AROUND BEING A GOOD PARENT puts Mary on a pedestal that she doesn’t deserve to be on. would i get dinner with mary? hang out? go shopping?? fuck yeah. would i think, “this person who goes out every single night and flirts outrageously with everyone, ignoring their children and household responsibility for their husband” is a “good” person?? fucking hell no. i would not let that woman look after a hamster. let alone four children.

3. DIVORCE IS A VALID AND HEALTHY OPTION THAT SHOULD BE SHOWN MORE IN MEDIA. i cannot tell you how many nights i lay awake listening to my parents drunk and fighting and prayed (when i believed in prayer) that they would divorce. i WANTED my parents to divorce, because i, at the ripe age of 12 could see what apparently the adults could not. that these two people did not, and should not, be together. now that’s not saying that your “good” ending in joseph’s route should end in a typical romance. i don’t. what i mean is that two people should have come to the conclusion that they are doing irreparable damage to their family by staying together. and your character could have helped and supported in that decision. it is obvious that Mary is living a life she doesn’t want, and i do feel for her. BUT GET A DIVORCE THEN. I know the characters are married and staying together largely in part because of religion… but…. Joseph’s not “that” kind of christian? because i grew up in the church, i know the type. this guy ain’t it. So the “well divorce is a sin” for the character doesn’t work for me.

i love the game grumps and i LOVE this game, but this was an area where i feel like the characterization and “message” was a like clunky and more than hard to follow. i really felt like they missed the mark with this one, i mean hell just make the non-canon ending canon at this point. at least that would make more sense.

also this is not me saying that Mary should be responsible for all household duty bc she’s a woman or blah blah blah. but whether you wanted those kids or not, whether you want to be in that marriage or not, YOU made decisions. your kids didn’t choose to be born YOU did, so you need to step up and idk?? maybe not spend every night out at a bar with the local loner who boned your husband? also maybe your husband sought comfort in the arms of a relative stranger… for… a reason? not a morally sound or correct reason but we can maybe follow the dots.