#also I love tohru she’s so kind I wanted to be like her when I was younger first watching

[supnerds]

Yu Ijin: I've only had my sister for a day and a half but if anything happened to her I will destroy everyone in this school and then myself. Fantastic in just the first few chapters, thanks for the recommendation!

oh it’s so good!!! I’m glad you’re enjoying it!!

I need to reread that one again, I binged the whole thing over a few days ago month or so ago and I wanna see ijin and his sister again I love them

[ur-local-demon1]

Rants from a tired writer: Tragic Backstories

Dear writers and readers/viewers (depends on medium), for the love of everything please PLEASE understand how to use tragic backstories for antagonists properly!!!

An antagonist's traumatic past is an EXPLANATION for their poor behaviour, not an excuse!! That kind of backstory is here to show that it's rare for someone to do bad things just for the sake of being bad; a lot of the time, antagonists have a reason for behaving antagonistically (or you could have someone like Emperor Belos who has a reason for behaving antagonistically but also does bad things just for the sake of being bad, which is awesome).

That's why sometimes it rubs me the wrong way when fans of a certain piece of media dislike an antagonist's redemption arc just because they felt like the show was throwing them a pity party. Of course, there are times where writers are guilty of doing that, and I'm criticizing them here as well. The antagonist's traumatic past is here to humanise them, to remind the audience and characters that in spite of it all, they're still a person. In cases where the antagonist is redeemable, this can make the audience and characters sympathise with or even relate to them.

A lot of people hate her but I don't care, I'm going to use her as an example anyway: Akito Sohma is one of those redeemable villains that gets humanised through her and Tohru's shared experience of being ostracised and abandoned.

No, you're not supposed to feel bad for Akito because she cried and said she felt lonely. You're supposed to feel bad for Akito because Tohru is the first person to treat her as a human being and not as a God, as well as validating her fear of being left behind by saying that she feels the same way. + You're supposed to feel bad for Akito because she is denied the right to be herself in every single way possible, including, but not limited to, her gender.

Akito getting redeemed does not take away all the pain and trauma that still affects the members of the zodiac that she hurt. In fact, not all of them forgive Akito, and that is okay. Akito herself states that she would have been fine not being forgiven at all, she just wanted to better herself. Her apology wasn't even done through words, but actions; she could not bring herself to say "I'm sorry" to all of her family because she didn't want them to think she was apologising just to make herself feel better or to gain their forgiveness. Anyway, I love Akito so much and I will write love letters to her in my analyses every time I have the opportunity to do so, you're welcome.

However, there are times where writers really do mess up and just want you to feel bad for their poor little moral scapegoat. I have not made a She-Ra critical post in so long, but who else fits the bill more than Catra? Her traumatic past does explain her resentment and violent tendencies towards Adora, but the show lost me the second they tried to make it into an excuse. Not only that, but making Adora "leaving" Catra a central point of the tension in their relationship when Catra was given multiple chances to leave just made me want to bash my head into the nearest wall.

The big problem with Catra is that she does not change, nor is she held accountable for her actions for longer than one episode. The only thing that did change is that she does not physically abuse Adora anymore, but the verbal and psychological abuse does remain. And lastly, the viewers and characters are considered objectively wrong for not trusting or liking her even though they have legitimate reasons not to. Of course, I'm not saying that the characters are not allowed to forgive her, but forgiveness is earned not owed, and Catra has done nothing to earn it, and it would have been nice for at least one character like Adora, Entrapta, Scorpia or anyone to have said "I'm glad that you're trying to become a better person, but I don't have to be there to witness that. I wish you the best but I don't want you in my life anymore."

Well, I have said my peace. I might start posting more writing takes on here while still talking about my favourite shows/books by using them as examples, let's see how it goes! I love writing so much so I'm very glad to be able to express that on my socials :)

[otakusheep15]

OMG FRUITS BASJET?!

Could you do a kyo x male reader?

I have had the fattest crush on him since elementary school LMAO

Anyways could it be like reader never knew kyo could turn into a cat, so when he sees kyo turn into a cat and just instantly feels his heartstrings tug. He starts cuddling with kyo's cat from till he turns back into his human form, but reader didn't know he becomes naked when he turns back so he starts freaking out about it lol.

I'm sorry if I butcher this shit up and if my English is bad and you don't understand my point. English is my first language but I get very nervous with sending in request so I feel like I butcher shit up lol.

Hi! I am so sorry for how long it took me to answer this!! I'll make it extra long just to make up for it. Thanks for being patient! ^^

Kyo Sohma x Male Reader

Okay, so, I actually love the thought of queer relationships between the zodiac. It's always been very cute to me, plus it would save them from turning into an animal when they want affection.

Also, for these headcanons, let's just say that trans men/transmascs don't have any effect so that it stays inclusive! (I know Fruits Basket isn't the most trans-inclusive, but we're ignoring that)

Anyway, this would most likely take place before you two start dating. I doubt he'd be the type to commit to a relationship before revealing this part of himself. He's not good at this sort of thing.

So, right now, y'all are just friends. Most likely, you met at school. You're in the same class, or you met through one of his cousins/Tohru.

At first, he avoided you. It had nothing to do with you in particular - he just hates being social. Eventually, you do manage to interact with him, and he decides you're chill enough to be around. So you two become friends.

One day, you, Kyo, Tohru, and Yuki are hanging out outside of school. This is the first time you've hung out with them outside of school, so this is new territory for you. Specifically, the four of you went to the library to study for an upcoming test.

You sat in a back corner, away from everyone else. Tohru had gotten up to go grab a book, but she tripped over the leg of the chair. Kyo was sitting next to her, and he's the one she falls into. Suddenly, there's a puff of smoke, and when it clears, you see Tohru holding an orange cat, and Kyo is nowhere to be seen.

Tohru and Yuki look panicked, and you're confused. The two of them scramble to come up with some kind of explanation, but all you can think about is how adorable the cat is. You assume it's Kyo, although you couldn't explain what happened.

Tohru had put Kyo down by this point, and he walks across the table to get to you. His eyes have the same deadpan look they usually do, which is funnier in his cat form. Sensing no hostility from you, Yuki and Tohru are able to calm down a little bit, and Yuki is able to get a proper explanation out. You process only some of his words, too focused on how cute Kyo looks.

Without much thought, you scoop him up in your arms, gently holding him close. Kyo makes a startled noise, but doesn't struggle too much. Yuki looks amused as he ushers Tohru away, intent on giving you two some alone time.

Kyo asks you what you think you're doing, and you're shocked he can still speak in this form. You shyly explain that you just thought he looked cute, and your body kind of just moved on its own. You go to put him down, but he doesn't budge from your arms. It's barely audible, but you swear you heard him say something about him enjoying the embrace. You chuckle at that as you hold him tighter. If you listen closely, you can almost hear him purring softly.

Then, another puff of smoke appears. When it dissipates, you see Kyo standing in front of you, back to his regular human form. Except for the fact that he's completely naked. You turn away, flustered that you saw him in such a state. Kyo also turns around, tripping over himself as he looks for his clothes. Neither of you speak a word, and it's around this time that Yuki and Tohru make their return.

Yuki still looks amused by the situation, choosing to tease Kyo. Tohru is immediately flustered, still not used to seeing the boys after they transform back. As the boys continue fighting, Tohru comes up to you, asking if you're okay. She knows from personal experience that this kind of situation can be startling, so she wants to make sure that you're feeling alright. When you respond in the affirmative, she smiles.

Kyo and Yuki stop bickering, and Kyo is fully dressed once again. He can't quite make eye contact with you, but he does apologize for what happened, if in his own tsundere way. You laugh a bit, explaining that you're fine, just a bit shocked at what just happened. The three nod, as they can all understand how you feel.

By this point, none of you are in the mood for studying anymore, so you decide to pack up for the night. As you walk out of the library, you turn away from them, as your home is in the opposite direction of where they live. However, you feel something grab your hand, and when you turn to look, you see Kyo. He's still not making eye contact, and his face is a little red, but his grip on your hand is strong.

Quietly, he asks if he can walk you home. You're shocked, and you can hear Tohru cheering in the background as Yuki tries to silence her. After a moment to recover from the shock, you smile and him and squeeze his hand, accepting his offer. He makes eye contact with you for the first time since the incident, and you can see a small smile appear on his face. He tells the others that he'll meet them at home, and you're on the way to your house.

As you walk, Kyo explains everything in as much detail as he can. He leaves out all of his family drama, as that's a story for another day, but he does bring up his curse and how it works. You jokingly remark that he wouldn't transform with you, since you're both boys, and he laughs a bit at that. He gestures to your hands, still interlocked, and states that even holding hands with a girl would cause him to transform. That makes you laugh as well.

Soon you're back home, and he drops you off at your door. He squeezes your hand one last time before letting it go, and he asks if you'd like to hang out again, to which your agree. You do make one more sly comment about wanting to see him as a cat again, telling him that he looked oh so adorable. He groans, but it's all in good humor. He leaves, already thinking of plans for next time.

The two of you don't start dating right away. It takes more time, but this is the first major step. Also, he's willing to be more affectionate with you because he knows he won't transform. It's nothing more than hand-holding on leaning against you for right now, but when you do start dating, he gets very clingy, especially in public.

You don't get to see him transform that often since you don't cause any of his transformations, but when you do get to see it, it's always a treat. He gets so flustered when he transforms, and it worsens when he transforms back to human. You've gotten used to the nakedness after the first few times, but he never quite does, especially when you're around. It's cute.

[kaethefangirl]

And I'm back, women in anime are depicted so terribly its wild. I just wanted to come and say, fuck elizabeth (nnt/7ds), fuck orihime (bleach), and fuck hinata (naruto, but fuck her a little less cs i kind of like her)

It makes me angry that in almost every shonen, the main character has a personality and a life and things that they go through and have to overcome... and then theres the love interest. Always airheaded, always soft spoken, always kind, with no willpower at all. In bleach, I would ship rukia with ichigo so hard if she wasn't perfect with renji.

Bleach was actually insane because literally every female character had a personaltity except Orihime. I do like that Fairy tail is set apart from the rest because Lucy is kind of sort of the main character so she gets to have a personality too. Fanservice is like an obvious thing that I hate about anime and it takes away so much. If an anime was a 10 before factoring the fan service, it would be brought down to a 7 or 6 afterward. Orihime sucks over all, 2/10 love interest.

I'm pretty sure most of my hate of Winry (Fullmetal Alchemist) is stemmed from the countless anti-winry fanfiction I've read but she's a great standalone character. The only flaws I see in her is that she does the crying for the male mc thing, which is really out of character for her when I think about it. She has willpower, she's strong and independent, if anything she'd be travelling with them and staying strong for them because she understands that she's a liability if she breaks down crying at every bruise they get. That's more in character to me, but I suppose she is also a teenager so... I can't be too mad at her. All in all, Winry is an amazing female love interest. 9/10 love interst/mc.

Haruhi from Ouran Highschool really breaks the stereotype and gives us a refreshing view on women in anime. She wasn't obsessed with love, she didn't really care too much about anything. She wasn't the typical "yells at you for literally anything" female mc, or the "nice shy and airheaded" female mc. She wasn't even unique and I love that, she's genuinely a regular ass girl, and she was so hilarious. She's probably my favorite girl in anime if I'm being honest. 10/10 female love interest/mc.

Let's talk about Elizabeth. Elizabeth from 7ds is such a disgrace.. She sat and let Meliodas molest her and didn't care at all. You can tell when an anime is written by a man, and not to knock ALL anime written by men because there's some amazing ones out there, but things like that just make it so obvious. Diane and her obsession with Meliodas was weird too, it seemed a bit too much like a harem anime in season 1 and bits of season 2. Elizabeth was the typical soft spoken and overly kind love interest that I hate. Not a drop of personality there and then she has to blush with everything she says.. All in all, 0/10 love interest.

Last but not least, my dear Tohru Honda... Words cannot describe how much I love her. On the outside it looked like she was the typical soft spoken and overly kind female mc but she actually blew my mind. Her willpower is incredible, the fact that she stayed after finding out what Kyo really was and refused to leave. It wasn't a weird kind of moment where she was just blushing and refusing to leave because that's what the writers decided she was gonna do, but it was actually a great scene that showed who she was at her core. I loved how at the end of the series she disagreed with Kyo. "I might be nice but I do stand my ground." God, I love Tohru. It's like her kindness was genuine and real and so was her worry and concern for the Sohmas. All in all, 10/10 female love interest/mc.

[cinnamonest]

No no, because yandere Adachi has so much potential. Like imagine him getting attached to just some convenience store worker he sees daily on his way home. He’d be friendly, kind, and even warn her of being safe on her way home because of the killer loose. Oh? You’re near the end of your shift? Why not just let him take you home? He’s a cop, after all. He’s trustworthy. darling would never see it coming whenever he knocks her out and drags her into his apartment. He’d be so very cruel, too. Never taking her gag off, threatening her for one wrong move. He’d expect her to play right into his fantasies (be too frightened of him to fight back and then act just like a perfect wife/girlfriend, no misbehaving needed) while acting completely insufferable.

I have like an endless amount of ideas/scenarios for this.

(Crazy that I did not even remember what day it is/notice the perfect timing until just now as I was copying this to post, but HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOHRU ADACHI)

YOU get it anon. Also PLEASE share those ideas, same goes to all 2 of my fellow Adachi appreciators here, because I have so much to say about this awful man. I'm just gonna ramble a bit here

//nasty stuff here, the usual but extra dark/intense because this is Adachi we’re talking about so how could it not be

-----

Tohru absolutely utilizes his status as a cop to his advantage. He knows it adds an element of social trust, that you won't be as on-guard with him as you would any other guy. He’s there to protect the general public, to apprehend bad guys — of course he’s a good guy!

He loves that you appreciate it — that adorable little voice, before you got to know him well enough to go by a name-basis, where you'd say ‘thank you officer! Have a great day!’ whenever he stops by the store.

So cute, so pure, so innocent, he thinks.

He wants to ruin you.

The man has some violent, violent thoughts. He doesn't even try to keep things pure and wholesome when he thinks about you, nor even limited to normal perversions. The very day he meets you, he goes home and spends the rest of the day jerking off to imagining your squeals and cries and tears with his hands around your throat. Oh, how he wants to feel you struggle, afraid and confused and the way you'd feel so betrayed when the policeman you trusted to keep you safe is balls deep in every hole you have, holding you down with ease. You look like you'd be weak. God, it would be so easy—

No, it will. It will be so easy, because he will do it.

You're probably not aware of it either. Most girls aren't, he thinks, they have no idea how weak and easily overpowered they are. He of all people would know — even when they're fighting for their lives, they’re so weak.

But you should be weak. It’s cute. Just like how you should be scared, innocent, sweet, obedient… the man definitely is the type to construct an unrealistic idea of darling in his head as perfect, someone who has no flaws in his mind, and he would absolutely have a “purity” fixation… so if that illusion is shattered in any way, he becomes very spiteful.

Canonically, he develops a crush over a woman he doesn’t even know and feels entitled to women on sheer principle of liking them, going to the extent of a woman having her own life as a “betrayal”… you’re not exempt from the exact same thing.

So God forbid he find out you’ve ever had a boyfriend or lover of any kind in the past… or worse… he’s going home one day, expecting to see his adorable beloved and wave to her from the street, only to spot her hugging and holding hands with some other guy? To realize that she's had a boyfriend this whole time?

Oh, he loses it. No outwardly — not yet — but he goes home, punches a wall, seethes and paces around for a while before moping in bed for some time.

It’s like a switch flipped in his head. Ugh. It’s like a betrayal. How could you… and as he mopes, it becomes so very obvious that this was intentional. You led him on on purpose. What were you thinking, being nice to him? You obviously wanted him to like you. It feels malicious, it’s painful.

You’re so stupid, so naive. Dumb little whore. Don’t you realize you’re playing with fire? Didn’t you think about the consequences your actions would have?

Because oh, will they have consequences. No way is he letting you get away with doing this to him. You’ll pay for what you’ve done.

He entertains that idea at the peak of his bitter wallowing — it would be just as easy as before. You probably have a TV set in your home. He could break in and just…

No. Dammit, he’s already too attached to you. He’s known you personally for a while now. He can’t do that. He wants to keep you.

It’s okay… well, no, it’s not okay, but he’s a very generous guy, you know. If you apologize and beg good enough, he’ll even consider forgiving you.

And you do. You squirm and cry and claw at his hands when he holds you up by your throat. It’s not good enough the first time, but when he squeezes down hard and tells you to try harder, asks you if that’s the best you can do, you finally get it right, finally say how sorry you are and properly beg for him to not kill you.

It’s enough to adequately make amends and begin the atonement process, at least. You’ll have the rest of your lives together to complete that process.

He makes good use of you, after bringing you home. Darling is the perfect little squeeze toy to him. He deals with a lot of stress, you know? He spends all day getting yelled at and pushed around by Dojima, and underneath the bumbling airhead act, it makes him seethe. He used to go home and break things, punch walls, throw things… but now he doesn't have to do that. He can just take all that stress out on you and your poor holes.

Holding your head down with a painful grip in your hair with one hand, holding your hips up and jerking your body back against his, nails digging into your flesh with the other, ramming into you over and over until your insides are sore and raw. Or holding your head firmly in place as you gag and cough and try to pull your head away, fucking your throat with not even an ounce of mercy, jerking your head down all the way and holding it there when he cums down your throat.

The stress relief is verbal, too. Oh, he's so, so mean, calls you every degrading term you can think of when he's rutting into you.. but it also comes out outside of those times too. He vents to you, whether you care to really listen or not. Just goes on and on about everything that upsets him, how much he hates this and that, how he wishes this or that person would just die so he wouldn't have to deal with them anymore… you never really know how to respond, but thankfully he doesn't actually seem to be looking for much of a response, more just someone to listen to him. In truth, it almost makes you feel a little bad for him... but you try to stave off such thoughts.

But that's just his default. That's when he's having a decent day, just the natural amount of stress he has. When he's had a bad day, it's much worse.

You learn to tell when he's had a bad day the moment he walks through the door — you hear how harsh each motion is, how he opens and closes the door, his footsteps, even his breathing as he makes his way over to you. The gruff ‘come here’ as he storms over to you, the harshness with which you're dragged over to bed and thrown down.

Those days are more violent — you end up with scratches and bites and bruises all over your body, strands of hair coming out where he pulled so hard, holes twitching and spasming and cum pouring out of you as you lay there exhausted and sore (as for him, though, he's out like a light as soon as it's over, and the grip he keeps on you means you're not getting up again either).

Being a cop also gives him a lot of tools most people wouldn't have access to. He has easy access to handcuffs and weapons. The handcuffs keep you however he wants you positioned, and he'll use some on your ankles too if need be.

He’s used the stun gun on his belt as a threat plenty of times — you used to think he was bluffing, but one day you go too far and it turns out it's not a bluff at all. It's a horrible, horrible sensation… but even worse is the way he laughs while he shocks you, exhilarated by — and probably, honestly, getting off to — the way you squeal and spasm.

Unfortunately, it awakens something — maybe he could use it on you more often, put it right up to your most sensitive places and see how you react… although not without building up dread and anticipation first, pressing it to your skin so that you beg and cry and he taunts you so mercilessly, with that awful awful smile on his face, before pushing the button and hearing you cry.

...But he's not always so awful. He still includes you in his normal life, at least. You almost wish he didn't. It's this oddly domestic vibe, once all the brutality of the day is out and he's tired and bored.

You talk — at first you kept being annoying and pesting him about letting you go, to which — much to your dread, a pit in your stomach every time he says it — he tells you you're never leaving, so shut up about it. But eventually, with no one else to interact with, you talk about all sorts of things, sometimes almost feeling like a normal conversation with a friend. He brings home food for you, and admittedly, you're almost surprised by the fact that he actually does ask what you want and gets you something different from what he gets based on your tastes. You didn't expect that sort of consideration.

You watch TV (he keeps you chained out of actual reach of the TV itself, just in case you get any ideas), the news (only for him to awkwardly change the channel when your disappearance was being discussed on local news), he even takes your request once or twice to pick up a movie to watch (although he's very critical, particularly if it's too ‘girly’ for his tastes).

But he's still so, so mean, such a bully. You have a lot of time to reflect on it all, and one day you confront him with it — tell him that you know that the reason he does all of this to you, the reason he can't just be normal is because he's bitter and spiteful and afraid of rejection. At first, you sound angry — and as you speak, the way his face contorts with disgust and fury makes you think you may just push him over the edge to actually kill you, and frankly, at this point, it's something you're willing to accept.

But then, tears in your eyes, voice growing quieter, you add—

I really liked you… I thought you were a good guy…

That makes him pause. He gets quiet. You see his face fall to an expression you can't quite name, eyes half-lidded and mouth pulled into a taut line.

Finally, he shrugs, giving you a cruel, snide grin.

Not my fault you were so stupid.

That's all the response you get, and remarkably, that last comment seems to make him let go of being infuriated over everything else you said. For a moment, though, you swear you catch him looking down at the ground with a miserable expression, as if those words actually had a profound effect on him… but it lasts only a second — as soon as he catches you looking at him, his eyes fixate on you again, that smile you hate so much comes creeping back, and your heart sinks as he takes agonizingly slow footsteps over to your helpless, shivering little form….

[cinderella-ish]

Why Machi and Yuki just make sense together (but I still love Yukeru and YukiKyo)

(Just look at how Yuki smiles when they're together! Gah!!!!)

So I've written about Yuki pairings before, and I've been pretty open about both my undying love for Yuchi AND my enjoyment of two of the other frequent Yuki pairings, Yukeru and YukiKyo.

As I've been doing more analysis, especially the Enneagram series (which isn't finished btw!), I've started to realize that Yuchi was written and set up almost as well as Kyoru, and the only reason it's harder to see is because Yuki's arc is distinctly non-romantic.

I'm currently working on an analysis of his arc over the course of the story, and romance just isn't really a factor in his arc beyond him rejecting compulsory romance with Tohru. In fact, the people who share the biggest emotional and plot beats with him are Tohru, Kyo, Akito, Haru, and Kakeru (in no particular order). I'll come back to this in a bit.

So if Yuki doesn't really have a romance arc, what makes him and Machi such a good match?

Well, going back to my Enneagram posts about them, Yuki is a SP 4w3, and Machi is a SP 3w4. They're mirrors of each other.

In my intro to the Enneagram post, I shared each type's core fear and core desire. Here are 3 and 4:

Core desire (3): to be loved for who they are, to be valuable and worthwhile

Core fear (3): being worthless, insignificant; failure

Core desire (4): to be seen and loved for who they are

Core fear (4): having no personal identity or significance, being flawed and missing out on some basic aspect of happiness that other people have access to

What Yuki and Machi each want most is for someone to love them for who they truly are. Yuki (largely due to Akito's abuse, but also the erasure of his friends' memories, Ayame's indifference, his mother's coldness, and Kyo's hatred of him) believes people wouldn't want to know him if he showed his true self because of his perceived defects. And Machi (due to the successorship battle, her mother's insults and demands of perfection, and her parents' bad faith reading of her actions) believes she's failed at the role laid out for her and lacks any value or significance.

Because Yuki is a bit further on in his personal growth than Machi when they meet, he sees her struggle and recognizes it, giving Machi the thing she most needs as an achievement-oriented 3 when he praises her simply for being who she is ("You've worked hard to become the Machi you are today.").

And because that moment was so transformative for Machi, she sees and recognizes Yuki's inner kindness, giving him the thing he most needs as an identity-concerned 4 when she tells him it took someone like him to notice someone like her.

I often see people argue that Yuki's relationship with Machi isn't mutual; that he gives and she takes. I also see people argue that Yuki's relationships with Tohru, Haru, and Kakeru aren't mutual; that they give and Yuki takes. I firmly disagree with both of these assessments, but I think Yuki himself would only disagree with the first.

Beginning with Machi, there are the obvious ways she contributes to their relationship, like when she rescued him from the storage room, and there are the moderately obvious ways, like when he overheard her saying that he's not like a prince and he seems lonely (thus showing that she understands him). But Yuki also needed to feel significant to someone the way he felt to Machi. He needed someone to figure out.

This makes sense for him as a 4. Since being seen and loved for himself is the thing Yuki wants most deeply, it's also what he thinks "giving" means in a relationship. Kyo could read Tohru in a way Yuki never could, and that made him feel inferior. He tried "competing" with Kyo for Tohru, because he thought that was what he was expected to do, but it wasn't what he truly wanted. Kakeru and Haru have already been through their most relevant growth by the time the series starts, so Yuki doesn't feel like he has anything to contribute to their relationships (even though he was the impetus for Haru's growth many years ago).

But Yuki did help his friends, and often. He was the one who offered Tohru a room in the house he shared with Shigure. He helped Tohru study. He checked on Haru after he was suspended and independently decided to try and talk to Rin on his behalf. He helped Kakeru be more empathetic and experienced alongside him some of the things they missed out on in their childhoods.

And it needs to be said that his friendship with Tohru, Haru, and Kakeru mattered at least as much to them as it did to him. Tohru was so lonely, and Yuki was the first close friend she made after her mother died. Haru was angry all the time until Yuki challenged some of the family's prejudice about him. Kakeru, like Yuki, didn't really get to have a normal childhood, including the silly shenanigans that kids get up to with their friends.

So, going back to the statement I made above, that Yuki shares his most significant story beats with Kakeru, Akito, Tohru, Kyo, and Haru, this is part of what makes Yukeru and YukiKyo such rich pairings to explore.

You could argue that Yuki has 3 "coming out" scenes in Fruits Basket. There's the one where he tells Kakeru how he really feels about Tohru, taking place at the third plot point. There's the one where he tells Kyo how he really feels about him, which occurs at the climax. And there's the one where he tells Tohru how he really feels about her, in the resolution.

Some of it has to do with the content of these scenes. In Kakeru's and Tohru's, he's admitting he doesn't see Tohru romantically, even though he initially felt like he should.

It's touching that Kakeru is the first person he opens up to about this. It speaks to their closeness and the fact that they're on similar journeys reclaiming some of the childhood that was stolen from them. And it certainly has a gay subtext (is it even subtext if he literally comes out of a closet in this scene?).

And as for Kyo, Yuki's admiration could easily be read as infatuation. The fact that they've been misunderstanding each other this whole time when they really have this huge thing in common would be a great basis for the start of a relationship.

In contrast, Yuki doesn't really have much of an arc with Machi. He's responsible for many (all?) of her most emotional story beats, but the parts of Yuki's actual arc that shine are moments like the ones I mentioned above, or when Haru talks to him at his story midpoint after he finds Rin near the house, or when he and Tohru see the shooting stars and he begins to internally accept his feelings toward her.

So, each of these characters plays a role in Yuki's arc. Tohru is the catalyst, Haru the mentor, Akito the shadow, Kyo the antagonist, Kakeru the sidekick, and Machi the love interest.

Machi sort of exists within Yuki's story as a vehicle for him to show his growth. As he gets more comfortable with himself, he takes her by the hand so she can walk the same path as him.

I've said before that I think his arc would've been satisfying without him ending up in a relationship at the end, and I still think that's true. Romance is not really a part of his trajectory beyond rejecting it with Tohru.

But I really, really love him with Machi, and it was satisfying in a different way to see how all the growing he did throughout the story allowed him to be just who she needed, and how she, in turn, was exactly who he needed, too.

Here are some sweet Yuchi posts, just because I love them so much!

the chalk scene

more chalk

more chalk

cool fanart

more cool fanart!

mangacaps

more mangacaps

Machi learning how to person

anime screencaps

even Mutsuki ships them!

[xo-arcie]

fateful encounter

paring: Ayame Sohma x Kazuma Sohma summary: Kazuma meets someone during the parent-teacher conference that changes everything. warnings: no warnings, just gay pining word count: 2.1k+ author’s note: This is the kind of thing that lives rent free in my head and I thought I would share it. I plan on doing a Fruits Basket au about the two of them, but I have other things I need to finish. Also, I always draw Ayame blushing like a slut and thought I would show Kazuma's reaction (below). Repost from ao3, art by me! 💜

Love cannot be forced, love cannot be coaxed and teased. It comes out of the heaven, unmasked and unsought. -Pearl S. Buck

The day was waning away with the last of the students, and their parents, filtering out of the classrooms after they finished their scheduled parent-teacher conference. Kazuma, always patient, always amiable, stepped forward with his son in tow only to be halted by a storm that barreled through the hallway.

Kazuma remained at Kyo’s side, hugging a little closer to the wall to allow the mother of Yuki Sohma to push past with a sneer carved on her sharp features, the clack of her heels echoing off the linoleum. Yuki was following after her, the remorseful gray of his eyes downcast, a slouched petitance with his steps as if he was weighed down by her rude actions, though Kazuma would never hold the young man accountable for them. 

“The actions of others are never about you,” he had told Kyo years ago when he first brought the boy home. “They are only acting for themselves, never for you.”

He wondered if anyone had ever told this to Yuki. 

The mother and son entered the classroom, taking their time slot, and the door slid shut behind them, leaving Kazuma and Kyo alone to wait once again. He looked down at Kyo and was surprised by the empathy that was twisting into the scowl his son always carried–the red on his nose and cheeks clashing with the mess of his hair. Kyo was vibrating with a struggled composure, his eyes trained through the window slit on the door while every muscle ticked in his features, listening in on the rise and fall of that woman’s voice. 

She was muffled, but her arrogance still cut through, speaking over the teacher and drowning out her son. 

Kazuma followed Kyo’s line of sight to see Yuki seated at his mother’s side, wilting away with each word. The boy was stricken silent, pale and beaten, far too world-weary for someone his age. 

It pulled at his heartstrings. 

“Do you know that boy?” Kazuma asked. 

His question was soft, just a tentative touch to understand the emotions that were playing across Kyo’s face. Kazuma knew who Yuki Sohma was–everyone at the estate knew who Yuki Sohma was–but he also knew of the rivalry between his son and the rat. It was something deep seeded when he found Kyo, a foundation from centuries passed, something that festered a hatred that burned as red as his hair. 

Which was why his son’s sudden rigid posture caught him off guard. He saw how Kyo steeled his jaw and clenched his fists as he watched Yuki, but Kaziuma knew that his visceral response was a different kind of aggravation that unknowingly unearthed itself. 

To anyone else it would just seem like the continued animosity between the cat and the rat, but Kazuma knew his son, knew his kind heart beneath the fusion of guilt and rage. He could decipher the empathy that was lining Kyo’s furrowed brow, bleeding from his crimson eyes and pouring over Yuki. 

This kindness showed more often since his friendship with the girl named Tohru began, a frequency to a freshly compassion that always thrummed beneath. It was a look that called to Kazuma, alighting his savior complex, but instead he paused, wanting to understand the reaction unfolding in front of his eyes. 

He was curious to see if his son truly wished to help the boy. 

So Kazuma waited.

“He clearly does not want her to speak for him, and she does not care about anything he has to say.” Kyo was quiet, careful to knit his words together with his dawning realization, a newfound perspective on his lifelong adversary. “Yuki seems so…” 

Wounded. But Kazuma did not say this out loud; he never wanted to persuade an original thought from his son, but always allowed Kyo to come to his own conclusion and then support whatever he decided on. 

“I see now that he is not as fortunate as me,” Kyo finished, looking up at him. 

Kazuma was not expecting that train of thought and it struck him with a warmth that pooled into his chest, swelling his heart against his ribs. It confirmed the compassion he always knew existed within his son, something blossoming with Tohru, something vibrant albeit fleeting. 

But still, it returned, and it always lingered a little bit longer each time. 

Kazuma said nothing in response, but shifted closer to wrap his arm around Kyo’s shoulders, pulling him for a hug against his side. His son begrudgingly leaned into it, his embarrassment burning bright from the public display of affection despite the hallway being empty save for them. 

“Perhaps Yuki could use some help,” Kazuma offered, tucking his chin down; Kyo nodded in return, his eyes avoiding. 

He smiled as he let go of Kyo with the good intention to step forward, to go help Yuki, only to be halted yet again but this time by the grandiose entrance of a man with silver hair. 

Kazuma felt rooted, captivated by the almost ethereal beauty that the man possessed. His hair was pulled back and flowed with his steps, a determination and a grace with his gate, and the subtle sway of his slender hips that pulled Kazuma’s gaze. The man was lithe and lean, dressed in rich, burgundy fabrics that complemented his figure, his ivory complexion that was flawless and glowing, his exquisite features surely carved from marble. 

His proximity pulled the air from Kazuma’s chest as he breezed past without sparing him a look–it even had Kyo averting his eyes. A floral scent followed after from the bouquet of roses he carried, his delicate fingers wrapped around the bundled stems. 

Kazuma watched as he pulled open the door with flourish, his voice lyrical as he announced himself. 

“Greetings, all! I have finally arrived!” 

The door slid closed behind him and Kazuma mourned the barrier between. He felt in a daze from the vision, propped against the wall by the silence and emptiness the man left behind, settling over like a fog. His abstract gaze fell back to Kyo to see the familiar scowl burrowing back on his features, his eyes boring through the floor at his feet. Kazuma remained quiet, wordless, enraptured; he shifted his weight, daring to peer through the same window to try and catch another glimpse of the silver haired beauty.  

He saw that the man had forced himself between Yuki and his mother–a knight serving, bold and defending. He was squared off towards her, guarding the young man from her hateful stare with a taunting curl to his lips. 

It left Kazuma flustered. 

For as long as Kazuma remembered, romance was never something that came easily for him. He had a sweetheart while he was attending school, someone who just followed after him aimlessly and who always pressed for something more; when he did not reciprocate, they rightly moved onto someone else who would. 

It did not fare better as an adult, but Kazuma still accepted whatever set-up was managed, often encouraged by Kyo. He did not care for the meet-ups, as too often they seemed daunted, almost annoyed with the topic of his son.  

It rarely, if ever, reached a second date. 

Kazuma never minded this, though. Despite his amorous shortcomings, he was still a romantic at heart, and it was encouraged by the books that Shigure would often drop off. It gave a rose tint to his life and beyond those pages, when he noticed the slow burn between his son and Tohru, he tried to tactfully approach the subject.

Kyo scoffed at him, demanding that he keep his focus on finding someone to finally settle down with. 

“‘Love cannot be forced, love cannot be coaxed and teased,’” Kazuma began a quote which had Kyo groaning, rolling his eyes. “‘It comes out of the heaven, unmasked and unsought.’”

Kyo tsked. “What do you even mean by that?” 

“You will understand that when you are older,” he teased. 

In truth, the idea of dating, muchless to fall in love, was something that Kazuma no longer bothered himself with, but that was before this very moment when he watched the moon incarnate waltz in starlight through the school hallways with the subtle sway of his hips. 

Even with the door drawn shit, Kazuma still felt the pull of the man’s proximity through the classroom walls, and it was vibrating his bones beneath, entangling, enrapturing, pulling him out along with the tides.

Kyo noticed the immediate change. “Are you all right?” The concern in his son’s voice broke through his thoughts and Kazuma straightened himself, the blood pouring into his face. “You look…flushed.” 

In truth, his throat felt dry, clawing for the words to reply, but fortunately the door opened once again. This time it was Yuki’s mother rushing from the room, her fury red on her face and her hands shaking to smooth away the wrinkles from her blazer and skirt with her frantic steps to get away. 

Yuki was quick to follow after her, propelled by some epiphany ablaze, something that now held his shoulders higher than before. 

Kyo watched after him for a moment before he looked back up at Kazuma, his worry anew. “You can follow after him and make sure he is all right, if you want,” Kazuma suggested, though he knew that his son was not asking for permission, but for reassurance of what was plainly written on his face. 

Kyo nodded and followed after, but kept a mindful distance, leaving Kazuma alone again in the hallway. Only then did he dare to look through the now open door, his heart pounding. 

Kazuma saw the teacher who seemed drained, but sat up straight once she noticed his gaze, peering through the roses she was gifted. “Oh! I’m so sorry to keep you waiting! We can begin if you’re ready–” she pushed to stand and the silver haired man followed, turning to see who she was speaking to. 

Kazuma fell back into the trance from before, the stars swirling and blurring around him. He swallowed, his blood coursing, and he felt pinned in the doorway by the molten golden eyes that poured over him. 

“Oh my!” the silver haired man’s musical tone began, a touch of pink to his cheeks. “Did my dastardly mother’s inconsideration cause a delay in your scheduled time with this wondrous educator?” –the teacher muted her groan, burying her face back into the bouquet– “I would apologize on that woman’s behalf, but I know that she will surely repeat her ghastly behavior!” 

There was a passion with each syllable that left Kazuma entranced, pulsing with his heartbeat. “It’s all right,” he gave a sheepish smile, his cheeks staining red from the rhythmic bruising of his heart against his chest. He forced himself to look back at the teacher. “We can begin when Kyo comes back.” 

The man brightened with the name, his eyelashes fluttering with an impish smile. “Oh, oh, are you the father of Kyokichi?” 

Kazuma chuckled at the pet name, knowing already how Kyo would hate it. “Yes I am. My name is Kazuma.” 

“What a pleasure it is to meet you finally!” The man pressed closer with the same flowery scent, subtle and sweeping away the air around them. Kazuma felt his head buzzing, relishing in the sight of the pink dust on the man’s cheeks. He looked down to see his hand was offered. “I am Yuki’s brother, Ayame.” 

His touch was a welcomed contrast to the warmth and calluses of Kazuma’s palms, delicate and soft and cool, something that set his nerves alight. The simple gesture shattered whatever contentment he believed to have before meeting Ayame, splintering his insides and rushing to the surface, pushing sharp against his skin. 

Kazuma never wanted to let go of him; he wanted to cradle Ayame’s hand and run his fingertips along the lines that carved into his palm, to interlace his fingers and see how they would fit within his own. 

And Kazuma realized he found something he had not even realized had been missing. 

He surfaced from that thought, jolting back to attention. Ayame had not pulled away but was watching him carefully, coyly from beneath his long silver lashes. 

Relief washed over, hope widening Kazuma’s smile, white against his crimson features. “The pleasure is truly mine, Ayame-sama.”

Ayame’s laughter was just as lovely, just as melodic, trilling up the length of Kazuma’s spine. “None of that! You may call me Aya-chan, if you would prefer. Since your son and my brother are beginning their affinity for one another, I feel we are destined to become,” –his lips ticked upwards in the corner of his mouth– “closer acquaintances.” 

There was nothing Kazuma wanted more. 

arcie's navigation || misc. fandom masterlist

[imagineanime2022]

Zen

Hatsuharu Sohma X Fem!Reader

Word Count: 1069

A/N: First off the song is Zen by Jacob Lee and second I left this kind of open ended because I love him and Rin together but I also love him in general so read this how you like 😘

I hope that sacrifice is worth it Leave my heart inside another person Always knew that I’d find my purpose, living as a servant Taking on the roles they can’t let go

You’d give anything to Haru if he asked for it, you knew that he gave everything for everyone else, that was why you spent every morning you made an extra lunch and brought it with you everyday and why you would spend every lunch looking for him to hand it over with a big smile however today he decided to ask about it.

“Why do you always bring me lunch?” He asked one day as you swapped something with Momiji. “Because you never bring lunch for yourself, you're too busy worrying about everyone else.” You answered honestly. “Do you want me to stop?” “No that’s not what I was saying but surely this causes you trouble.” He frowned. “Not really but even if it did, the sacrifice would be worth it.” You answered with a smile as Momiji watched you both, he didn’t say anything. “Thank you.” He finally said as you graved with the rare sight of a real smile from Haru and it was from then that you promised that you would look after him while he looks after everyone else.

If you knock once or twice I'll invite you to share my design I'll let you visit my thoughts If you stay in your spot And you never try crossing that line If I lend you my hand Would you lend me some time with your mind? I'll write down all that you want 'Cause I learn quite a lot When I live through these lives that aren't mine…

It was a couple of weeks later when you were walking past Haru class that you heard a crash. You glanced in to see that Haru was the one that caused it, he had explained before what happened when he got angry, you reached your hand out towards him “Haru!” You called, he glanced over his shoulder, his eyes softening once he saw you. “What?” He asked. “You wanna punch something? I got something you can punch.” You said wiggling your fingers, he grit his teeth for a moment before walking over to you and taking your hand you lead him to the exit of the school and to the boxing ring that your father owned.

Momiji led Yuki, Tohru and Kyo to the classroom that he had left Haru in, they all frowned at the lack commotion, when they all walked in there was no damage and no Haru “we don’t have time for this you stupid rabbit are you lost again!?” Kyo asked, smacking him in the head. “No I’m not lost, this is where he was!” Momiji answered, hand coming up to his head as he flinched away from another hit. “Excuse me, have you seen Haru?” Yuki turned to one of the girls that had been chatting with her friend. “Oh he was here a while ago, he looked really angry about something and (Y/N) came in said there was somewhere that they could go where he could punch something and he left with her.” The girl explained. “(Y/N)? Who’s that?” Kyo asked. “Oh… Um we meant to tell you about her… Well on our first day here, Haru forgot his lunch, so she gave him hers that day, claimed that she already ate, turned out she didn’t really have many friends so she ended up with us a lot of the time.” Momiji explained. “There’s something else.” Yuki said. “Well, she’s like our Tohru, she grabbed me one day when I was about to fall and she found out, we never told anyone Haru didn’t want Akito to know.” Momiji explained. “So do you know where they are?” Kyo asked. “I think so, she mentioned somewhere her dad runs.” Momiji answered.

You stood behind the punching bag and smiled as you leaned your weight against it “punch it like you mean it.” You encouraged him. “Are you sure you can handle it sweetheart?” He asked with a smirk. “Pretty sure I can Dark.” You winked before tapping the bag again “hit it.” Haru drew his hand back and hit the bag as hard as he could. “You got power, don't know how to put it into your fist though.” “What’d you say?” He asked leaning forward so his face was inches from yours, a wide smirk on his lips, you still had a teasing one on yours. “I said that you don’t punch right.” You informed him coming around the punching bag showing him how to curl finger and twist his fists as he landed the punch. Haru knew how to fight, you both knew that, you were just teasing him but the way that it seemed to distract him led you to teaching him things you were sure he already knew. “Alright… Why would you be out here with me? Why are you missing class to help me?” Haru asked between punches as you held the bag for him. “My grandmother always joked that the females or my family were givers, they found someone who needed them and gave them everything that they could, my grandmother found my grandfather a veteran who needed a home, my mother found my father a delinquent who needed someone to believe in him and me… I found the ox spirit who just needed someone to listen.” You explained, you hadn’t even noticed that he stopped punching. “I know a look of heartbreak when I see one, which is why I’m not going to ask you to return the feelings, I’ll be here friend or more, I promise.” Haru wished that he could hug you but instead he pressed his forehead to yours. “T-thank you.” He said softly, his hand pressing to the back of your head to keep you in place as tears streamed down his face.

Tohru was straight crying as she watched the both of you, Yuki smiled softly and Kyo rolled his eyes. Momiji watched you both without a single word, just happy that both his friends were okay “you ready to go back?” You asked, they were all shocked out of their states as Kyo grabbed Tohru and they all ran out of the boxing ring and back to school before either one of you saw them.

Request Here!!

[third-arch]

The concept Law crushing on Kanna is so cute

I ramble about my OC and Law being in love with her

Whenever I write Law, I keep instinctively writing this very stoic and serious mix of Batman, my mom, and Atticus Finch. It’s a very weird combo, but I really think he encompasses both characters in their own way. Using other characters just really helps as a guide for how I write Law. Obviously there are other inspirations and canonical things that make him up, too, but it’s how I would summarize him. Just black cat energy I guess.

I never really saw him as this scary cynical doctor of bad boy. I think he tries to be cool and might also try to/instinctively have those characteristics, but ultimately, he’s just someone who’s very pragmatic.

He’s a genius. And he doesn’t like silly emotions.

Kanna on the other hand is an Aerith-Tohru Honda mixed with any other cinnamon roll fluffy character, like Madoka Kaname or Raphtalia. She’s warm and gentle, yet cheerful and comforting. There’s this sunshine that she brings to others. She goes from being like more soft and emotional to intuitive, compassionate, and perceptive. She’s brave and resilient, yet still silly and cute.

Both of them are introverted dorks who bring out the best in eachother.

191 cm doctor and his 154 cm MA

Sometimes when I write Kanna as a character, I think like

“Oh she actually too silly or too innocent sometimes with Law”

Or like,

“Law is acting too soft. He wouldn’t smile widely like that.”

But then I realized like well when you’re in love you break character almost. You start acting different. Like more vulnerable.

I’m sure when Law is in love, he tries to act stoic and cool, but unknowingly, the cold ice around his heart is being chipped away, causing him to be more and more vulnerable.

That’s why only the crew in my fanfic notice it. All of the crew is aware LOL. I might even have a segment where he gets advice from Ikkaku specifically.

Law will be self aware once his feelings reach a certain point most likely.

Also, it would be boring if he acted the same all throughout and then suddenly like,

“Law leans over and kisses Kanna.”

Like in my fanfic, I plan to have a very unusual buildup for Law “confessing” to Kanna.

He just starts doing more and more soft things and eventually does something very cute and innocent.

It’s almost like she’s healing his inner child with her kindness. Their love for eachother is tender and sweet.

Law is obviously afraid of this. He doesn’t want her to get hurt. He’s a wanted man. She could potentially be in a lot of danger. Even thought he’s aware of her potential, his overprotectiveness is in full override.

As far as conflict between them, I think the idea of Kanna challenging this overprotective nature is their main issue. Sure, there’s him being bratty at times, but that’s just something that I think Kanna accepts, as what happens with any couple.

Once he learns to trust himself more, I think he can truly learn to properly love.

“Stay close, Kanna-ya. Walk behind me.”

Anyways, that’s all I wanted to say for now. I might come back and add more. I just really like rambling about these two as I work on my fanfic.

[kobayashisdragontypemaid]

Uh... hey there. Ugh, this is weird. ...Why is THIS weird? I've been living with literal dragons and dating one for how long? ... Anyway...

I don't really know why Tohru wants us to do this so bad- especially because you're the one who got us into this mess to begin with, Tohru! (I said I'm sorryyy!! But won't it be fun?) But... I guess I can go along with it for her. I don't think we're leaving this place soon anyways. You can all just call me Kobayashi. Just a regular 25 year old office woman... Well, I was regular anyway...

Until you saved me! (Im still amazed how one of the decisions I made while drunk ended up being one of the best I think I've ever made... Every decision you make is great, Kobayashi ~ Yeah of course you'd say that, you're madly in love with me! ... Fair point.) My name is Tohru! I am a very powerful dragon, and excellent maid to my beloved Kobayashi! (She's also my girlfriend at long last~ I hope we get married soon too~! Hey, don't get ahead of yourself, too soon for that!) And if any of you ever hurt her, upset her, try to take her away from me... I'll burn you all~ (Tohru! You're still not allowed to hurt anyone! Fine... You're safe, for now.) Oh, and I also do not take kindly being compared to this world's dragons! We are not the same huff! Somehow, the passersby still just chalk it up to cosplay... I swear that I'm a real maid AND a real dragon!

I am to believe this here is the Pokémon world! Guessing you saw Takiya playing or something. Wasn't Fafnir, that's for sure. Unfortunately. You still don't like him, do you? Hmph! When we asked locals, they told us we were in 'Sinnoh'. I kind of opened the portal to here on accident... Oops?

We did some looking around on the internet and found this website. I guess communication with locals could be beneficial, if we're gonna be stuck here for a while... We still don't know what we're going to do yet, but we'll figure something out. We'll just keep doing the best we can until then, right? Let's just take it easy! Oh, and if you'd like to hang out with us, or help us, or anything and everything at all (as long as you treat my Kobayashi well!) feel free to! Yeah... Sure, I guess. Can't hurt. Be careful with Tohru though, I love her dearly but she can be a lot sometimes! What's that supposed to mean?! Nothing!

Oh, and you can probably tell, but... we don't have any Pokémon, as of right now. Maybe that can change, but we don't know yet. Like I said, we'll see what happens while we're here. Not much else we can do. If we get one, let's make it be something Kanna would like! We could give it to her when we next see her! That's not a bad idea... But we're making this too long!

That should be everything for now then! Bye-bye~! Bye. [OWNED POKEMON: Kandakoro (Swablu)]

(OOC under cut)

Hi! Welcome to another blog by @/michellekyura! This is a faller blog for Kobayashi and Tohru from MKDM! Now they're here and hanging out in the Pokemon universe! And yes in this interpretation of them, they are dating, because they deserve to be girlfriends prove me wrong. (I chose for them to be in Sinnoh for now because that's where all the time space shenanigans happen lmao. it might not get mentioned a lot but incase it does become relevant)

Full on NSFW will still not be allowed, but suggestive asks are alright since me and both characters involved in RP are adults. Just don't get too crazy with it. Everything and anything else is allowed, you CAN go crazy with that.

All of Kobayashi's text will be pink and all of Tohru's orange! Maybe the other dragons will make appearances eventually too~

This blog in full honesty is me just enjoying crossing over two things I love deeply and as my norm very self indulgent. I'm just here to have fun!

Hope you have fun here hanging out with me and them!

[toomanyfandomsthings]

Hello, this is just ask for fun....

Favorite female character :

Favorite male character :

Favorite animanga :

Animanga you are currently enjoying :

Animanga that exceeded all your expectations :

Unpopular animanga you really love :

Favorite romance :

Favorite action animanga :

Favorite fantasy :

Favorite sci -fi :

Favorite drama :

Favorite comedy :

Favorite anime movie :

Next in your watch list :

Next in your read list :

Favorite antagonist:

Thanks if you want to answer....

Ooo thank you for the ask! :D Some of these are really hard to narrow down to just one, but I'll do my best!

Favorite female character: Hmmm if I had to pick just one, it would be Tohru Honda from Fruits Basket! <3 She's so sweet and genuinely kind and also so strong willed. She sees the best in everyone and wants them to be happy but also rarely puts herself first, and it's nice to see her grow over the course of the series. <3

Favorite male character: Aki Hayakawa from Chainsaw Man, without question <3 I love him so so much, his whole story arc is so well written and he is so kind and caring and such a sensitive soul and I'll spare you my whole rant about him but he's just the best and my favorite character in literally anything <3

Favorite animanga: Hmmm I'd have to say Tokyo Ghoul! I genuinely think that series is a masterpiece and I read it at a time where I really really needed it, so it has a special place in my heart <3 The characters are wonderful and so well written and the story is so gut-wrenching and heartfelt. Also Ken Kaneki is like...right behind Aki in terms of favorite characters out of all things I've read <3 I love that series a lot, I really need to re-read it sometime.

Animanga you are currently enjoying: Ahh I'm not watching too much recently because grad school work is kicking my butt, but I've been catching a few episodes of A Sign of Affection and I'm really enjoying that! (also helped by the fact that Itsuomi's voice in the dub is also Aki's please don't judge me XD) I've also been watching Bucchigiri?! and I....think I like it? Still figuring out my opinions on that one, but I like Marito Jin and he's kinda the only thing keeping me watching XD

Animanga that exceeded all your expectations: Chainsaw Man! I *hated* Chainsaw Man for a good amount of the time I was reading it, I was kinda only in it for Aki's story for the longest time. And without spoiling the manga, there's a big plot reveal at one point that, when it happens, puts a lot of the story in perspective and I genuinely had a moment where I had to put down my phone and be like "......oh my God.....this series is so smart." So once I re-read it with the whole story in mind, I absolutely loved it <3

Unpopular animanga you really love: Rokuhoudou Yotsuiro Biyori! <3 I will sing this show's praises every chance I get! The manga isn't translated in English, so I haven't been able to read it (though I do own up to volume 16) but there is a 12 episode anime on Crunchyroll listed under "Yotsuiro Biyori" and it is one of my comfort shows! It follows four very sweet gentlemen and their cat as they work in a tea shop and help their customers though their problems. It's so so sweet, the characters are so adorable and kind, and it's pretty episodic so you can jump in pretty much anywhere and follow what's going on. Definitely recommend it!

Favorite romance: I don't actually watch a lot of romance anime, so I guess I'll probably have to say A Sign of Affection for right now XD Or Sasaki and Miyano, that series was cute too! :D

Favorite action animanga: Jujutsu Kaisen! The fights in that anime are unmatched <3

Favorite fantasy: Ahhh this one's hard! It's either Yona of the Dawn or The Case Study of Vanitas, but I'm leaning towards Yona purely because I think about it more often! Both of those series are phenomenal! <3

Favorite sci-fi: Psycho-Pass! <3 .....I say having only watched the first 2 seasons and the movie! But the first season of Psycho-Pass IS a masterpiece! And the movie is also really really good! .....We don't talk about season 2 XD

Favorite comedy: Life Lessons with Uramichi-Oniisan XD I love the comedy in that series *so much* XD It does get very dark and pessimistic with it's comedy though, I have very rarely shown it to other people and gotten a reaction other than ".....oh my God" so....be aware of that going in XD

Favorite anime movie: Howl's Moving Castle! <3 I have seen that movie an *unhealthy* amount of times, both in theaters and at home. I....I like that movie a lot haha

Next in your watch list: Metallic Rouge, Ninja Kamui, and Delicious in Dungeon, because friends recommended them to me! :D

Next in your read list: I really wanna catch up with Moriarty the Patriot, I have up to volume 13 and I need to take a day to just catch up with reading it <3 (the anime's great though please watch the anime)

Favorite antagonist: Shogo Makishima from Psycho-Pass <3 I love him so much, what an awful person who also totally makes sense for the world he is living in. He's got such an intimidating presence and also has so much charisma XD VERY good antagonist :D

Thank you so much for asking! :D

[chuthulhu-reads]

[ID: A panel from Fruits Basket. Mine's eyes are hidden behind the sheen of her glasses and her cheeks are flushed as she grips Tohru's hands and says, "Shall we try something on?" With a love heart at the end. Mine is surrounded by sparkles and slightly scratchy "Ha!"s. Tohru looks a little confused. Behind them, Ayame is smiling and explaining, "When Mine sees a cute girl, she has a tendence of wanting to make them change clothes." Yuki has been cropped out of the panel but his wordless exclamation of shock is just visible. End ID.]

She’s just like me fr. Also I know a lot of cis women also do, like, maid dress-up and Lolita fits, but I can’t decide which read on Mine I like more: a femme twink who deeply loves his drag, or a trans woman who is riding a kind of unrestrained gender euphoria that cis people can never fully understand. Either way, while Ayame and Mine are canon, there is no way on this plane that their relationship is a fully cishet one. I also like reading them as polyamorous, because they seem like the kinda people who would be SO enthusiastic about dressing each other up for their dates and gushing about what a catch their partner is and how lucky anyone would be to date them.

[strawberrytalia]

ask game! 🥰💚

top 5 foods? (hard lmao)

top 5 non DC characters?

OOOH LETS GOOOOO

Top 5 foods!

Thai red curry is such a comfort food for me omg. I mean I love Thai food in general (esp shrimp Tom Yum Soup) because it’s like not TOO spicy for my whitewashed Bengali ass, but it’s sooooo good and flavorful

Caprese Salad, or even caprese sandwiches. Summer vibes iykyk, and omg I love basil. Pesto is also my fav condiment (if it counts) so all of that combined is 💯

Aloo samosas! Esp when my grandma makes them homemade. We use flour + water to make the dough, then fill it with spiced potatoes and fry them. Not the healthiest lmao but def my fav cultural food!

Shawarma!!! SUCH a comfort food omg, I have so many good memories tied with it, and also it’s an easy food solution bc it’s always halal lol

Tteokbokki (korean rice cakes)!! I love Korean food, and this is 100x better than ramen I promise 😫 Its SO GOOD

Top 5 non-dc characters!!

1. AANG

HE MEANS EVERYTHING TO ME!!!! 🥺 I love him so so so much!!!! He’s always been my fave in ATLA, he’s so sweet and kind and GOOD, he’s not perfect but he tries his best and he lost everything and he’s been robbed of his loved ones and culture but he doesn’t give up GRAHHHH

2. TOHRU

MY ANGEL. MY DARLING. MY BABY TOHRU. I love her so much!!! I’m not exaggerating when I say Tohru improved my mental health more than therapy ever could. She makes me want to be a better person lol and i know that sounds crazy but fruits basket fans know what I mean 😭🫶 Heartwrenching in the best way possible. She’s so selfless and compassionate.

3. DIANE

UGH Diane is so relatable and real, and she’s probably the fictional character i’m most similar to. I loved her story in the show so much, and I really love how 3-dimensional she feels.

4. Billy Butcher

Okay no more nice characters lmao, we’re going to the opposite of the spectrum. THIS MAN IS SO FUCKED UP 😭😭😭 but he was also my favorite part of The Boys fr. I find him interesting in like a social experiment way lmfao. He’s also so funny in the worst way, and I really love the chaotic element he drives into the show, even if it ends up horribly.

5. Aragorn

I know what you’re thinking, Zaina why are there two white men in your top 5 😭 I was trying to think of a good mix of media or else it would be all anime. Anyways…I love pr much everybody in LoTR, but he’s special to me and he always has been.

[flakytartart]

CONVENTION AUTOGRAPHS!! LET'S GO!!!!

Sarah Wiedenheft, my favorite voice actress for Takagi-san?

Check. She was so sweet when signing my photo, I didn't realize her voice was naturally that high! She has such a beautiful signature and personality.

Keith Silverstein, voice of Mondo-fuckin'-Owada (nice to meet ya)?

Check. I also got him to sign my Trigger Happy Havoc group print, along with Asahina's VA as well (more on her later). He was hella friendly and told me that he just got that Mondo print like 3 conventions ago. God bless him and the artist for that because I didn't have any merch for him to sign. 😭 A real dope guy, he even asked before hand if it was okay for him to swear in order to quote Mondo lol!

Now on to my grails...

TOHRU ADACHI!!

Voiced by the wonderful Johnny Yong Bosch! ✨️

I already spoiled this one with an earlier post but I wanna include it anyway! Despite how awkward the quote sounds (I originally told him to write something about helping me get out of a TV but I backpedaled out of embarassment) I'm quite happy with this. I'm unsure if he realizes how many fans are into Adachi? I can't be the only girl to have admitted that to him.

MORGANA!!!

Voiced by the lovely Cassandra Lee Morris!!! ✨️

AHH she was so nice!!! I was so nervous and had a hard time keeping my cool. I told her I adore Morgana and that he's like a baby to me. I got to show her my ita display, got signatures for my Danganronpa print + an Epic 7 Cecilia print for my bf, then gave her some old (but gold) fanart I drew with a letter on the back. She said I was so sweet for that and I just wanted to scream, it was so-!!! 🥹💞

I gave her my Morg to hold while taking pictures- the second pic is of us button mashing his head. 1000/10 absolute dream come true!!!!! ❤️

AND FINALLY. GIVE IT UP FOR MY FAVORITE COPY CAT KILLER:

MITSUO KUBO!!!!

Voiced by the amazing Kyle Hebert!! ✨️

(Shoutout to @cierv-o-robot-o for this absolutely PERFECT commission!! You're my hero!!!!!! 🥹🙏)

Bro when they announced that Kyle Hebert was coming to Kon I literally jumoed out of my chair and started running around the house like a maniac. I was so fucking excited

When it came to the convention I awkwardly got in line, paid for 2 prints (my Mitsuo + a Kazuichi) and a photo and waited. When I went up I told him I loved him as Kazuichi (pretty sure he drew the heart on there because I said I find him handsome) and that his voice sounds wonderful no matter what role he's playing. After that I kind of geeked out on him - I said I was "the fucking biggest Mitsuo Kubo fan ever, I promise you." 😭 I didn't mean to be that intense about it but I was so excited, I just had to let him know that Mitsuo has fans. A couple. At LEAST one (Mitsuo mutuals I'd never forget about you I was just flipping out).

He signed my print and I gave him a little packet that had fanart by me, a note, and 2 of the Mitsuo charms (game + anime versions). He said I was the first person he's ever seen get excited about Mitsuo before. For some reason I felt really proud about that? 🥲💓 I yapped for a little while after about how I also recognized his voice as the creepy stalker in Persona 4 Dancing in the hopes of letting him know that no matter how minor the role, there are fans. We said our thank yous, then I turned around and literally ran to gush about what just happened to my friends who were waiting close by. Which means...

I ALMOST DIDN'T GET THIS PICTURE. I WAS SO EXCITED THAT I RAN AWAY IN EMBARSSSMENT AND FORGOT TO TAKE A PICTURE. Luckily my friend is a huge Gohan fan and went up to his booth to get an autograph shortly after I was done freaking out. It was only then did I realize that I paid for a picture. x'V I told his assistant that I didn't get a picture, they worked it out, and I shamefully went back up for a pic. 🥹 He was nice about it, I appreciate his patience.

Waaahh it was all so cool, I'm so honored to have been able to talk to all of these incredibly talented voice actors!!! 💞💓💘❤️🥰 I hope to see them again in the future, I'll be sure to be prepared and to come with more gifts. FINAL KAZUICHI FLASHBANG GRAHHHH 💥💥💥

[cinnamonest]

holy crap, that tohru fic. Pleaseeeee I MUST know what happens next. Incel misogynist is actually peak content idek anymore what can top that for me. And your writing is so great. When Tohru warned reader he was about to ask a question she could get the wrong idea about, I was like "yeah, it can't be that bad, since he's being apologetic and all," and then he hit her with it 😭 i was like help 💀. I'm also very curious to know how he got fixated on her. Like he was so quick to go, "im gonna kill u because ur not nice enough," but we all know what those small greetings and smiles from darling did for him

To be fair, the more attached guys get, the more volatile they are towards rejection — it's that if I can't have you, no one can type of mentality, and he has it to a very intense degree.

One of the most interesting and captivating parts of Adachi’s character imo is how in the official P4 anthology manga it shows how he's just so bitter and mad that even when he spends a day with the Dojimas and they're actually so nice to him and appreciate him, he goes home and reflects on the day, and ends up getting mad and throwing things and tearing his apartment up — he's one of those people who just can't be happy, can't accept kindness because he's just that bitter.

There's no winning. He'd get angry if he's rejected or reprimanded, but he also can't emotionally handle kindness and love and will push back against it as a defensive measure.

That's why living with him is such a nightmare — you can't appease or placate him. Once he's “mask-off” towards you, you learn he's incredibly pessimistic and interprets everything with bitterness and paranoia. So even if you go out of your way to try to make him happy, his eyes just narrow, he tilts his head and draws the most negative conclusions—

Oh, you're trying to get me to let my guard down, huh?

—or—

You're being awfully nice today. What did you do that you don't want me finding out about…?

—or—

You think I'll just forget about earlier if you're all sweet now, is that it?

Everything, everything you do is automatically viewed through such lenses of negativity. And when he suspects that you're doing something with deceitful intent, he gets mad, and when he gets mad, he gets violent. Holding you by your throat or hair and manhandling you around like a ragdoll.

So you're punished if you're bad, but you're also punished if you're good. But don't think you can escape by trying to stay quiet and neutral — then he gets pissed off because you're being boring and that's annoying, or he interprets it as you avoiding him, giving him a cold shoulder and silent treatment on purpose. And that is probably the worst thing you could do — as always, he's so incredibly sensitive to any form of perceived rejection.

So there really is no winning. You have to give him attention, but if you do, you're trying to deceive him somehow, and if you say you're not then you're lying and that's especially bad. To say it wears on your psyche is an understatement.

Not that he doesn't have his vulnerable moments, in particular when he has bad days at work — he comes home and takes all the frustration out on you, either making you listen to his whining and complaining the whole night, reaming your holes raw and sore, or, usually, both. And in those moments, you sometimes do get a feeling of tenderness, where you physically feel him lose that near-constant feeling of tension in his body as he melts into your touch, lets you rub your hands through his hair and down his back for a few precious, soft moments… but after a bit too long, of course, he snaps back to self-awareness and embarrassment over the momentary vulnerability, and now you have to pay for making him like that.

[cinderella-ish]

Momiji, Kyo, and the things they each do for love (part 2 of 5)

So, the next time we see Momiji appear with Kyo, we get nearly an entire episode of them together! And it's a hugely significant episode in setting up the way Momiji impact's Kyo's character arc.

Momiji walks home with Tohru after her job. Kyo reacts with his usual annoyance, giving Momiji a noogie. (I love that this is Kyo's go-to whenever Momiji shows up. It's adorable.)

Momiji then announces he's taking Tohru to a Sohma-owned onsen for White Day, but Tohru doesn't seem happy.

Tohru: A hot spring is so expensive... and I'd be going without Mom! Shigure: Whoah, Tohru-kun. It's just a hot spring, okay? It's not Paris or anything! Tohru: B-but... Momiji: He's right! And if you're happy, your Mutti will be happy for you! Or... do you not want to...? Tohru: I do. I'm happy. Momiji: Yuki and Kyo will come, too! Kyo: Where do you get off just deciding that, you brat? Momiji: Aw, don't say that! Let's go! What about you, Yuki? Are you against it, too? Yuki: I'll go. Why not? Momiji: Yuki says he's coming! Kyo: That makes me want to go even less!

Here, Momiji is manipulating Tohru into going with him. When Momiji asks her, "Or... do you not want to...?" we fill in the end of the sentence for him, assuming he's saying, "Do you not want to go?"

But what Tohru hears is "Do you not want to make your mom happy?"

We know not to trust Tohru when she tells us she's happy; we know she's hiding so much pain behind her constant smile. She's even crying when she tells Momiji she's happy. (And I'm sure Kyo feels horribly guilty here when she mentions her mother.)

Momiji may be manipulative, but he's still kind. Wanting to see Tohru smile, he announces that Yuki and Kyo will come, too, to try and make her happy, but Kyo pushes back.

There is so much richness in this single conversation, but what I love most is how it encapsulates the differences between what Kyo and Momiji value most, both for themselves and in their relationship to Tohru.

Momiji uses pleasure to distract from his own pain. In his view, having as much fun as possible is the secret to life, and pain is to be avoided at all costs. When it comes to Tohru, Momiji wants to spend as much time with her as possible and make as many happy memories together as they can. He wants her to smile, even if he has to manipulate people (including Tohru) for it to happen.

Kyo, on the other hand, cherishes agency. He knows he faces a future behind bars, so of course he bristles when other people try to make decisions for him (including relatively innocuous ones, like Momiji saying he'll come to the hot spring). Kyo still believes Tohru needs to be protected (especially from him), so his approach is generally to give her space and scold her when he thinks she's not being cautious enough. He's also extremely aware of the pain Tohru feels over the death of her mother, even if he's suppressing that. Anything that could bring that pain into sharper relief is a huge red flag for him. He wants her to be safe, even if that means he can't enjoy her company.

It's at this point that Shigure mentions Tohru is a month behind on her payments toward her school trip. (Also, look how Momiji is still hugging Kyo! So cute!)

When everyone (except Momiji) figures out it was because of the Valentine's Day chocolates, Kyo barely stops himself from flying into a rage, telling Tohru to go take a bath, now.

She leaves, and when Yuki asks why they didn't catch on, Kyo snaps that it's because she hides her feelings with a smile.

This shows us how well Kyo already understands Tohru. I also suspect his anger is not really at Tohru, but at himself for failing to protect her.

Next, Kyo starts venting about how stupid she is, how she'll end up deep in the hole one day, etc... which is when Momiji calmly speaks up and tells them about a book one of his classmates brought in to school, and we're treated to one of the most memorable sequences in the whole series: The Foolish Traveler.

Momiji's choice to tell that particular story in response to Kyo's complaints shows just how well he understands both Tohru and Kyo, and that his own cheerfulness is a conscious choice. We see that he's someone who believes looking past loss and seeing the good in a situation is a virtue, and he admires the foolish traveler (and Tohru) for it.

I really love the way this sequence was drawn. As Momiji is telling the story, Kyo and Yuki are shown with their eyes obscured, so Momiji's are the only eyes we see, except when he's taking time to reflect on how he interprets the story.

Everyone in class laughed. They called it a dumb story. But I closed my eyes and thought about it. I thought about the traveler who was swindled out of everything but her head, and still cried and said, "Thank you." And what I decided was... what a lovely person. It's a waste of time to think about loss or life getting harder. The traveler never thought about that stuff. Even if other people think that makes her an idiot, I just don't. That's all. Even if other people think it's worth tricking her, I just won't. I'll just want to make her happy for real. Yuki, Kyo, what about you? Do you think she was an idiot after all? What do you think when you close your eyes?

It's telling that the very next scene is Kyo agreeing to go to the onsen with Tohru after all. (This is honestly one of my favorite Kyoru moments and I think of it as the first sheet scene.)

Kyo tries to give himself an out, ("Though maybe you're fine with me not going...") but Tohru is ecstatic. Look how happy she is! And when she smiles and tears up, it's genuine this time.

Kyo naturally melts into a puddle of goo at Tohru's reaction (is this the first time we get the shojo bubbles with them?), and Momiji's the one to call him out on it, loudly pointing out Kyo's "heart eyes" to everyone. This is now the second time Momiji has verbalized Kyo's feelings for Tohru- and I believe he's the only character to have done so at all by this point. (Also, peep Momiji still hugging Kyo after Yuki wakes up! Cuuuuute!)

They arrive at the onsen, and Okami (Ritsu's mother, the proprietress) shows them their rooms.

Kyo: So this means I've gotta share a room with damn Yuki? Okami: I see you two still don't get along. I'll put up screens to partition the room. Please rest easy. Kyo: That's not the issue! Why do I even have to be here with him at- Momiji: I bet you're just saying that 'cause you wanna sleep in Tohru's room! Kyo: Huh!?

Momiji knows exactly how to press Kyo's buttons. But, more importantly, he's stopping Kyo from saying something he'd regret, something that might hurt Tohru's feelings.

After Okami loses her shit at Kyo, Momiji asks to bathe with Tohru, and Kyo immediately tells him off. After Yuki successfully scolds Momiji, he asks to share a room with Tohru, thereby doing exactly the thing he was teasing Kyo about just moments earlier.

I think, to Momiji, wanting to spend as much time as possible with Tohru is just the most obvious thing in the world, so naturally, it must be what Kyo wants, too!

After the baths, when Kyo is about to destroy the ping pong table after failing to score against Yuki, Tohru asks him to battle (probably to defuse the tension between them). Momiji encourages Kyo to play, and right after he does, we cut to Kyo playing with Tohru.

I think this is a small example of how Momiji gets Kyo to spend more time with Tohru. The onsen trip itself is a bigger example, of course, but even little things like encouraging Kyo to play ping pong with her help push them together.

Kyo and Momiji start playing each other while Tohru leaves to check on Yuki, and just look how happy they are! Cuuute!

I also love the chaos of this ending. Okami is using Kyo as a crutch. He complains, but doesn't stop her from doing so. Tohru asks Momiji if he'll be starting middle school and is shocked to learn he's only a year younger than them. Kyo is grouchy when Momiji reveals he and Haru will both be coming to Kaibara, but Kyo softens pretty much immediately, merely expressing surprise that Haru was allowed in with his unique hair.

Kyo almost seems to express affection - to both Momiji AND Tohru - by acting irritated on the surface. (What's extra cute is that Hajime kind of does this, too, always seeming somewhat exasperated at Mutsuki despite the fact that they're obviously in love.)

Anyway, this is among my very favorite episodes of Fruits Basket, and I hope you enjoyed reading this!

Momiji and Kyo: Part 1 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5