#and forgiveness and second chances

[t-lostinworlds]

This is such a random train of thought but I came across a comment on a fanfic saying something along the lines of "people don't usually change" / "forgiving them is unrealistic" / "your character is pathetic for giving in" and while valid in some, if not, most cases, thinking that it applies to everyone and everything all the time seems like such an unhealthy mindset to have. In my opinion at least.

Don't get me wrong, I hate it when forgiveness is served on a silver platter where the person apologizes once and then all is suddenly forgiven. But if the person provided an explanation all while not passing it as an excuse, took full accountability of their actions, truly apologized and showed regrets, and then took the time to better themselves, worked hard to improve and then continuously show that they're a much better person now and had grown after years. Is giving a second chance really that criminal? Especially when forgiveness isn't even given right after that and it's still a slow and steady journey of building that trust where everyone's starting on a clean slate rather than jumping right where they left off.

I don't know, maybe this is just me always trying see the good in people, but if you really don't think that a person has the ability to grow and learn from their mistakes, (which everyone will make often) all while constantly showing and proving that they have grown and learn, then that's a bleak way to see things. It's just a sad way of thinking that just because a person made a mistake (obviously depending on the mistake), they're forever branded as a bad person.

It's like, needing people to be perfect and wise right off that bat, putting them on a pedestal where you think they won't ever make mistakes and once they inevitably do, suddenly they're never going to change and learn from it and they're always going to be a horrible person. And that just seems so…toxic.

Obviously, things are much, MUCH more complicated in reality. Some people never do change, some don't deserve forgiveness at all, and some are genuinely just horrible and vile human beings who deserve to rot. But thinking that everyone is like that?

Just, not everything is so black and white you know? Sometimes things are just various shades of grays. Humans are messy and complicated as fuck but that doesn't mean it's a bad thing.

[mooneggtarts]

Hope. The hardest to hold onto

This is the last one I swear ajdbsj love me some symbolisms mmmm good stuff

[serpentface]

Mitlamache and Anaemache mural from a household shrine

[thefrsers]

requested by: @skatingthinandice: 7.02 + 7.08 "don't deserve a second chance" parallel

[fatedroses]

And some days, I just wish you wouldn't look at me at all.

[windcarvedlyre]

I've been following @druidposting's DR2 playthrough on discord and we just had a really good discussion about DR's Closing Arguments. Specifically the way the murderer is depicted as grey and featureless, which until now I found a bit annoying.

In Danganronpa it's repeatedly the case that we don't have the full picture until the talking actually stops- which always goes beyond the end of the trial. We generally vote first and come to understand what the murderer's actual motive was, sometimes filling in important pieces of the timeline in the process, afterwards.

But none of that matters for the killing game because characters' emotions aren't directly relevant to who was the 'blackened'- the only thing that matters to Monokuma- so it comes out afterwards and does nothing to change their execution. It doesn't matter how sympathetic they are (basically everyone) or whether other people share responsibility for the situation (eg. Hanamura, Pekoyama, Momota) or whether they intended to murder at all (Nanami). They objectively pulled the trigger and nothing else matters. Nothing about them as a person matters.

The Closing Argument mechanic might illustrate that problem- literally. They're a dramatic, conclusive summary of the entire case... constructed before the vote even happens, before we know if we're actually right, and they're missing something really important:

The actual perpetrator.

We quite literally don't even begin to see the real person behind the crime, any real exploration of their mental state, anything besides the cold, hard facts of the murder that are necessary to convict them, until the comic finishes and the protagonist makes their final accusation- replacing the grey figure with their real appearance in a shot that's often intensely emotional.

And these comics lack crucial parts of the case's timeline and sometimes important parts of the very scenes they depict that we only find out about afterwards. And those are what we know; characters may die with some pieces of the truth and prevent us from ever learning them. These aren't objective depictions of the murder, they're the protagonist's subjective attempt to connect the facts they have. A join-the-dots portrait of someone with missing dots and no colour.

Even characters' expressions may not match how they truly feel, with the grey placeholder potentially looking way more confident and sinister than they were in reality. Pasting Falter's commentary here since they put it well.

For obvious reasons this could especially be a problem for characters that die before the trial- the ones we never get a post-vote testimony from. DR1 chapter 4 really highlighted that in the way Asahina's huge misinterpretation of Oogami's feelings took up a lot of the post-trial discussion, only for Monokuma to reveal Oogami's real suicide note and recontextualise everything.

It might really be a problem for how Komaeda's depicted in DR2 chapter 5. While he isn't greyed out, we get panel after panel where he's either level-headed or maniacally evil, and even the depictions of his self-torture and death don't humanise him:

But we know that his real feelings were more complicated than that. We have his actual corpse to compare the last page to.

He died afraid.

If we approach the comic as Hinata's mental image of him instead of reality, he died without anyone truly understanding him. He was alarming, very hard to relate to, actively fought against people doing so, ensured even the killer didn't watch him die, and the survivors couldn't begin to understand his motive until a chapter later. The Closing Argument reflects that.

Early in DR1 Togami calls out the rest of his class for judging others by their own standards. However, he, too, is doing this, maybe more so than many other characters; his inability to view other people through anything but the cold, brutal logic of the killing game bites him in the ass in chapter 4. In DR2 chapter 2 voting without a good understanding of Pekoyama's motive or Kuzuryuu's involvement nearly got everyone killed. Komaeda's a walking embodiment of the problems with flattening people into caricatures and not empathising with them, suffered from people doing that back to him, and his case- the Closing Argument for which turned everyone else into grey placeholders- was impossible to solve with objective facts. It was only survivable because the survivors cooperated and one person tried to analyse things the way he would.

The games have always been a critique of the justice system and Japanese society and push us to care about others as individuals, not reduce them to- and judge their right to exist by- something they've done or their net impact on society. There are always consequences when someone neglects to do that, and the above might be yet another way the games explore that theme.

[pineappical]

sometimes for the worse, sometimes for the better

[trrenchertrash]

I was thinking about “I am the dirt under your nails” and first of all I don’t think it can be ignored that the title of e9 is derived from this line. Considering that, this line is evidently not meant to be a cutesy throwaway line between Cait and Vi, it has huge thematic weight and implications. If you think about the title “The Dirt Under Your Nails” in this context, it’s clear that it’s meant to refer to the fact that all of our characters have dirt under their nails. As in, their hands aren’t clean. They’ve all committed wrongs, because they’re all human, which is obviously a major theme of this season/show. The second part of this dialogue is “nothing’s gonna clean me out,” which fits with what Caitlyn says about how no amount of good deeds can undo those wrongs. This line is about accountability.

And there’s a reason why it’s Vi who says this line to Cait. The most obvious is that Caitlyn has wronged her, but it goes deeper than that. In e8, Vi asks Caitlyn who gets to decide who gets a second chance. There are multiple ways to interpret how this idea impacts the narrative. I’ve seen it said that Caitlyn allows Vi to free Jinx because in giving Jinx a second chance she also gives herself one, and that’s an important point for Caitlyn’s character, but I think Vi would’ve found a way to free Jinx no matter what. Cait just made it easy for her. What the narrative shows us is that Vi is the one who gets to decide who gets a second chance by having her decide to give one to both Jinx and Cait. I’ve seen people talk about how’s Vi’s role is that of the witness — to be the constant that observes all the change and corruption that happens around her, and to be burdened with the memory of all that has transpired. And that’s true, but there’s more to it as well. Remember this promotional poster? It has 3 different titles/captions associated with it (that I saw):

1) Horrors I’ve Seen

2) Everyone is Guilty, Vi

3) It’s Too Late to Point the Finger Now

The first one obviously reinforces Vi’s position as the witness. But the second two are about accountability. It always struck me that the second caption brings the collective guilt of our cast to Vi’s attention specifically. Now it makes sense: she is both witness and judge. The character with the “good heart,” the only one who remains largely uncorrupted/unchanged by the end. Who is motivated purely by her desire to protect while the vast majority of the characters around her are twisted by revenge and ambition. It’s absolutely intentional that she is the one who says that line.

[lihhelsing]

Hate That I Loved You

Now complete on AO3!

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 ↓ | Part 5 | Part 6

Despite Eddie's wishes, everything just keeps on moving.

In a way, it's a little comforting to know that no matter how badly Eddie fucks up, life keeps going. It kept going when Lou almost broke him, it kept going every time he dumped someone or got dumped. It kept going when his mom passed away in the middle of the European leg of their tour. 

It kept moving when he and Steve stopped walking in the same direction. 

Eddie sits in his dressing room, waiting for his make-up to be finished. He barely slept during the night, a mix of anxiousness and fear of whatever was to come.

Eddie wants to talk to Steve and clear the air and explain that what he had seen the night before wasn't what he thought it was. There's nothing between him and Lou. Not anymore. 

It's not like he thinks Steve still wants something with him. He's not delusional or anything, knows Steve is doing this only as a favor to him and nothing more. But he's done hurting Steve, needs to put an end to all this once and for all. 

There was no time in between the band finishing up their part of the music video at around 3am and the super early call time they all had for the last day of shooting. When he got there, Eddie got dragged to wardrobe and make-up and had no time to even look for Steve.

He hoped Steve hadn't bailed because of whatever it was that he thought he saw last night, but if he had, they would most likely know by now. Probably. 

But to be completely honest, Eddie doesn't even realize he's holding his breath in anticipation until the moment he lay eyes on Steve again. 

Eddie gets into the studio all ready for the shooting. His clothes are a perfect match to what he used to wear back then, right before Corroded Coffin made it big. A sleeveless CC shirt with ripped skinny jeans. Always black. Chains and rings and a leather jacket on top of everything. 

It feels even weirder once he gets a good look at it. The studio had been completely modified and now he can see a perfect representation of his uncle’s old trailer. The place where he made most of the music for their first album. 

The place where he fell in love with Steve.

But now that Eddie is really looking at it, he can see only half of the trailer. The other half is actually the recording studio where they had made their first album. 

Half and half, torn in the middle, just like Eddie had been back then. Unable to choose between life with Steve and the band. 

Whenever Eddie was with Steve, his brain was thinking music and lyrics and chords. He itched to put his hands on a guitar, to take notes, to write. 

Then, when he was with the band, he kept thinking about Steve, missing him, missing his touch and his kiss and-

“Hey,” Steve’s voice sounds unsure, like he had tried getting Eddie’s attention more than once. 

“Hi. Sorry, it’s… Weird being back here,” Eddie says and Steve gives him a soft smile which… Don't seem like a bad thing.

“Yeah. Brings back a lot of memories,” Steve agrees and motions forward as if he’s going to touch Eddie’s arm. 

But then the director is calling their names and asking if they are ready and Steve drops his hand, turning away from him. 

“Can we, uh, talk? After? I really wanted to explain what you saw yesterday.” 

Steve shakes his head. “You don’t owe me an explanation, Eddie.” 

“No, I know. But I want to. If you… Please?” 

Steve looks over at him and there’s this unreadable thing about his expression that tugs at Eddie’s heart. He needs him to say yes. Needs him to listen to him. He needs to still have a chance. 

“Yeah, ok,” Steve says finally and Eddie can barely react before they are being directed to their places for the shoot. 

They have both the places that tore Eddie apart, and they are separated by a thick glass. Steve is standing on one side, a symbol of Eddie’s past life, the one he left behind when he started to pursue a life in music. 

The other is all his dreams coming true. Everything that he ever wanted becoming real. Back then, Eddie thought Steve didn’t fit in it. Steve didn’t feel he fit in. He never made Eddie choose, but soon it became clear Eddie wouldn’t be able to balance the two things at the same time for long.

He’d be away too much. And Steve needed him near. Wanted him there and Eddie wasn’t there. They fought, screamed at each other out of frustration and heartbreak. 

Eddie wanted to stay and he knew he needed to leave, but he only found courage to do it when Steve told him he didn’t see a future for them, that Eddie should put his chips on something more certain. 

He realized that day he would never be enough for Steve. He was splitting himself in half for him, trying to make everyone happy, and even then he was failing. Couldn't get things right.

The day he walked away, Eddie felt like his heart was going to give in. And he feels that way again as he looks into Steve’s eyes and sings how he hates that he loved him. 

There's this glass in between them and Eddie can't get through. No matter how loud he sings, no matter how much he tries, he can't have it all. He starts to wonder how much different his life would be if he had bet on his relationship with Steve. 

Wonders if he would've been happy with any other job. Maybe he would have become a music teacher somewhere. Have a white picket fence house with three cats and Steve. Maybe that would've been enough for him. 

Or maybe he'd resent Steve, like he always said he would. Every time Eddie missed something related to the band because Steve, he said that. Like Eddie couldn't make his own decisions. 

He knocks on the glass as Steve walks around the trailer with his back to Eddie. He wants to reach him, but he can't, and suddenly there's this suffocating need to tell him everything. To tell Steve how he feels. 

It's not past tense. His feelings for Steve never went anywhere, always there, always alive. He needs him to know. Even if Steve doesn't feel the same anymore, he's sure Steve has moved on from their thing a long time ago. He just needs him to know. 

Maybe back then it wasn't time for him and Steve, but maybe now it can be.

[amyriver]

i have this headcanon that the doctor didn’t even try to find melody, because he knew finding her meant sacrificing river. sort of like the old amy/young amy problem in “the girl who waited”, but this time he chose the older version

for a better headcanon i like to believe he asked river what she wanted, and she told him not to find her. because at least then it’s her choice

[sunshinechay]

Sometimes, forgiveness is more for yourself than the other person. It is needed to move on and move forward, whether that person is involved in your life after that or not.

Joe and Ming choosing to forgive Tong and Ming’s father does not negate what they did or what they may do in the future. They chose to forgive them for themselves. They need to move on and they know the best way to go that is to simply forgive them.

The story of Ming and Joe was always meant to be about forgiveness and second chances. Joe forgave Ming for what he did. This time both Ming and Joe are giving it to Tong and Ming’s father in order to give them what Joe gave Ming, an opportunity to do better. Will it work? Who knows. They might change for the better, they might not. Joe and Ming are willing to give everyone the chance to find out.

Tong still deserved to get pushed in the pool though. I wish someone had.

[astralleywright]

pretty unphased by all the finale hate in the tag bc tbh, it has been obvious that a lot of fans did not realize where c3 was going and would not like its ending since last month. or really august 2024. or really april 2024. or really june 2023,

[valtsv]

had a breakdown and admitted to my parents that i've been struggling with delusions for years and in the shock of the century they were supportive and glad i told them. they don't fully understand how it works or recognize their role in encouraging my paranoia and life ruining anxiety and shame to the point of disconnecting from reality, but they promised to support me and listen if i need to talk, and they've started to be way more honest and open and respectful with me this year and admit that they didn't raise me as well as they could have so i decided i would risk it, and it turned out okay :')

[curiositysavesthecat]

Trigger warning for mention of rape

*This poll was submitted to us and we simply posted it so people could vote and discuss their opinions on the matter. If you’d like for us to ask the internet a question for you, feel free to drop the poll of your choice in our inbox and we’ll post them anonymously (for more info, please check our pinned post).

[shiningforsun]

Before we start this fanfic, this was requested by a user on tiktok

So thank you for the idea/request

This is a work of fiction, so don't take anything too seriously. It has some elements of real life, Sunki situations

So without further ado...

You Broke Me First- A Sunki fanfic

Song: You Broke Me First by Tate Mcrae

_________________________________________

Sunoo stood by the window, watching the rain pour down the glasses panes. It had been weeks since everything went down, but the hurt was still fresh. He could still remember the coldness in Ni-ki’s eyes when they last spoke---no warmth, no apology, just a wall between them that hadn't been there before. They had been inseparable once, but something changed. Slowly, without him even realizing it, they started drifting apart until Ni-ki wasn't the same person anymore.

The song playing on the speakers was one that Sunoo never thought would hit him so hard, but the lyrics felt too close to home:

"You Broke Me First"

Ni-ki had broken his heart, and Sunoo didn't even know if the younger boy cared.

Chapter 1: Once Upon a Friendship

It hadn't always been like this. Sunoo and Ni-ki had been close, practically glued to each other since their training days. Sunoo was the lively, bubbly one, while Ni-ki was more reserved, only opening up to a few people. Sunoo took pride in being one of those people, the one Ni-ki would come to when he was feeling down or overwhelmed.

They spent endless nights together, whether it was dancing in the practice room, playing video games in their dorm, or simply sitting in comfortable silence. Sunoo knew everything about Ni-ki----the way his eyes sparkled when he was passionate about something, the way his smile curved just slightly when he was genuinely happy, and the way his voice softened when he spoke late at night, revealing the vulnerable side he rarely showed.

But somewhere along the way, things began to change. Ni-ki started to pull away. He became distant, not replying to Sunoo’s texts as often, not seeking him out after a hard day. At first, Sunoo brushed it off, thinking that maybe Ni-ki just needed space or was stressed with their busy schedules. But soon, it became clear that something was wrong.

Chapter 2: The Break

It was a rainy evening when everything fell apart. Sunoo had been waiting in their shared dorm for Ni-ki to come home, hoping they could talk---clear the air and figure out what had gone wrong. But when Ni-ki finally arrived, he was cold, distant, like Sunoo was just another person in his life and not his best friend.

"Ni-ki," Sunoo had said softly, trying to keep his voice steady, "we need to talk."

Ni-ki barely glanced at him, throwing his jacket onto the couch and walking toward the kitchen. "What's there to talk about?"

Sunoo's heart sank. He hadn't expected an easy conservation, but Ni-ki's indifference cut deeper than he had anticipated.

"Why are you acting like this? What did I do?" Sunoo's voice wavered as he followed Ni-ki to the kitchen, watching as the younger boy filled a glass with water.

Ni-ki sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. "You didn't do anything, Sunoo. I just... things are different now."

"Different how?" Sunoo pressed, frustration bubbling up inside him. He hated this feeling of being shut out, of not knowing where they stood. "You won't talk to me, you barely look at me anymore. We used to be close, Ni-ki. What happened?"

For a moment, Ni-ki didn't answer, staring down at the water in his glass. Then he shrugged, his voice emotionless. "I guess I just grew out of it. Out of us," referring to their friendship.

The words felt like a punch to the gut. Sunoo stood frozen, his heart pounding in his chest. Out of us. How could Ni-ki be so casual about something that meant everything to Sunoo?

"You don't mean that," Sunoo whispered, his voice barely audible. But deep down, he knew Ni-ki did mean it. The distance, the coldness---it had been building for months, and now it was crashing down around them.

Ni-ki finally looked at him, but there was no apology in his eyes, only resignation. "Sunoo, we're not kids anymore. Things change. People change."

And with that, Ni-ki walked out of the kitchen, leaving Sunoo standing there, shattered.

Chapter 3: Picking Up the Pieces

After that night, things only got worse. Ni-ki didn't make any efforts to fix things between them. In fact, he seemed relieved that the tension had finally been addressed, like it had been weighing on him more than Sunoo ever realized. They still had to work together, still had to smile for the cameras and pretend everything was fine, but behind closed doors, they were strangers again.

Sunoo threw himself into his work, hoping that the busy schedule would distract him from the pain. But no matter how many hours he spent practicing or how many shows they performed, he couldn't shake the emptiness that had taken root in his chest.

Ni-ki, on the other hand, seemed perfectly fine. He laughed with the other members, hung out with friends, and continued living his life as if nothing had happened. Sunoo couldn't understand how Ni-ki could move on from their friendship so easily, how he could break Sunoo’s heart and not even care.

One night, Sunoo was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, when his phone buzzed. It was a text from Ni-ki.

We need to talk

For a moment, Sunoo's heart skipped a beat. Maybe Ni-ki had realized what he had done. Maybe he wanted to apologize, to fix things. But then, reality set in. Ni-ki didn't care enough to make things right. He probably just wanted to clear the air so they could continue working together without awkwardness.

Sunoo hesitated before typing a response.

What's there to talk about?

It was petty, but Sunoo didn't care. He was tired of being the one who always cared too much, the one who always tried to fix things when Ni-ki couldn't be bothered.

Ni-ki's reply came quickly.

Meet me at the park in ten.

Chapter 4: Confrontation

Sunoo didn't want to go, but something inside him couldn't resist the pull. Maybe it was the part of him that still held onto hope, the part that wanted to believe that Ni-ki wasn't as cold-hearted as he seemed.

When Sunoo arrived at the park, Ni-ki was already there, leaning against a tree with his hands in his pockets. The air between them was thick with tension as Sunoo approached.

"You wanted to talk?" Sunoo's voice was clipped, his arms crossed over his chest.

Ni-ki nodded, not meeting his gaze. "Yeah."

There was a long pause before Ni-ki finally spoke again, his voice low. "I didn't mean for things to get so messed up between us. I didn't want to hurt you."

Sunoo scoffed, shaking his head. "Well, you did. You broke me, Ni-ki. You broke me, and you didn't even care."

"I did care," Ni-ki shot back, his voice rising. "I care more than you know."

"Then why didn't you do anything?" Sunoo's voice cracked, the frustration and pain bubbling to the surface. "Why did you let our friendship fall apart?"

Ni-ki finally looked at him, his eyes filled with guilt. "Because I didn't know how to fix it. I didn't know how to tell you I was scared---scared of losing you, scared of getting too close. So I pushed you away."

Sunoo's heart ached at the admission. He had never imagined that Ni-ki had been struggling just as much as he had. But that didn't change the fact that Ni-ki had hurt him, had broken him without a second thought.

"I needed you," Sunoo whispered, tears welling up in his eyes. "I needed you, and you weren't there."

Ni-ki stepped closer, his expression pained. "I'm sorry, Sunoo. I didn't mean to break you. I didn't mean to hurt you. That was never my intention."

But it was too late. The damage had been done, and no amount of apologies could change that.

Sunoo shook his head, stepping back. "You broke me first, Ni-ki. And I don't know if I can forgive you for that."

Chapter 5: Moving On

The days that followed were filled with silence. Ni-ki tried to make amends, but Sunoo kept his distance. He wasn't ready to forgive, wasn't ready to let Ni-ki back into his heart after everything that had happened. The pain was still too raw, too fresh.

Sunoo focused on himself, on healing, on finding happiness again without relying on Ni-ki. It wasn't easy, but slowly, he started to feel lighter. The hurt didn't go away overnight, but with time, it became easier to manage.

And then, one day, Sunoo realized that he didn't need Ni-ki to be happy. He had his own strength, his own worth, and he didn't need someone who had broken him to define his happiness.

Chapter 6: A New Beginning

Months later, Sunoo and Ni-ki stood on the same stage, performing together as if nothing had ever happened. To the outside world, they were still the same: two members of the same group, professional and polished, with perfectly coordinated smiles and synchronized movements. But behind the facade, they knew better.

Sunoo had changed, and so had Ni-ki. Sunoo no longer sought Ni-ki's approval or attention. He had learned to stand on his own, to find joy in himself and the other people in his life who cared about him. And Ni-ki---Ni-ki had learned what it felt like to lose someone he never thought he could lose.

After the performance, the group gathered backstage to celebrate. Sunoo joined in the laughter and chatter, genuinely smiling for the first time in a long time. Ni-ki hung back, watching him from a distance.

When the celebrations started to wind down and the other members scattered to their rooms, Ni-ki hesitated. He wanted to talk to Sunoo to try one last time to fix what he had broken. But did Sunoo even want to hear it? Did he deserve another chance?

Summoning his courage, Ni-ki approached him. Sunoo was sitting alone on the couch, scrolling through his phone. He glanced up when Ni-ki sat down beside him, his expression unreadable.

"What is it?" Sunoo asked, his voice calm but guarded.

Ni-ki fidgeted with the hem of his hoodie. "I know I've said it before, but I need you to hear it again. I'm sorry, Sunoo. For everything."

Sunoo set his phone aside and looked at him, his gaze unsteady. "Ni-ki, I've heard your apology. But saying sorry doesn't erase what happened. It doesn't fix how I felt---or still feel."

"I know," Ni-ki said quickly. "I'm not expecting it to. I just... I don't want to lose you completely. Even if we can't go back to how things were when we were best friends, I want to better. For you. For us. For our friendship"

Sunoo studied him for a moment, his expression softening. "You don't get to say that and expect me to just trust you again, Ni-ki. Trust takes time to rebuild."

"I'll wait," Ni-ki said without hesitation. "As long as it takes. I'll do whatever it takes."

Sunoo let out a small sigh, his lips twitching into a faint smile. "You always were stubborn."

Ni-ki grinned, the first genuine smile Sunoo had seen from him in months. "Guess some things don't change."

For the first time in a long time, the tension between them eased. It wasn't a perfect reconciliation, but it was a start---a fragile, tentative beginning. Sunoo wasn't ready to let Ni-ki back into his heart completely, but he was willing to give him a chance to prove that things could be different.

As they sat there, the distance between them no longer felt insurmountable. It would take time, patience, and effort, but maybe, just maybe, they could find their way back to each other---not as they once were, but as something stronger like they always do.

________________________________________

Author's note: This is my first story, so it's not the best, but I hope you enjoyed the story nonetheless. Again, a big thank you to the person who commented that someone should make a fic based on this song, I never would have had the inspiration to post this if it weren't for you so thank you so much🥰

If you stayed and read until the end: comment, hmm... a duck and a fox!

And a Sunki for everyone who stayed. Love you all, and have a blessed day/afternoon/night, my loves🥹🫂

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[profounddefendorcrusade-blog]

Ceroba ramblings (+ Staroba)

Now listen: Ceroba lied about stuff, but never being with anyone else after Chujin passed? She's too stubborn and too emotional to lie about that + she clearly still cares about him (probably always will and won't remarry or have any more kids with anyone else; she just feels to me like the kind of character who wouldn't lie about how much her family will always mean to her). It wasn't a perfect marriage (he kept really important stuff from her for waaay too long and she let him "work himself to death") but the love was there. Just look at how she talks about Chujin (it pains my heart Star doesn't get this kind of attention but then again, Ceroba shouldn't be judged for finding something special in Chujin and not him):

There are TONS more:

Starlo's physically weaker but emotionally stronger. Ceroba's physically stronger but emotionally weaker. These differences sometimes work really well but other times personalities and viewpoints clash (like with staroba imo, already discussed)

Star's the type of person to quickly bounce back no matter what happens or at least never lose hope/optimism (he's still able to smile even after Clover's passing - although that might have to do with how he copes, but still, he's strong enough to at least pretend to be strong).

Ceroba needs Starlo as a friend because she's emotionally weak. That's why she messed up so badly with Kanako and lied to everybody and manipulated Clover. She did horrible things but the deeper meaning behind them doesn't convince me she's a bad person.

"The end justifies the means" is the motto Ceroba lived by before she realized the error of her ways.

... true, Ceroba injected her daughter, but to anyone who might say she didn't care about her (I'll discuss all this in more detail soon):