#and his arc + relationship with hinata are both so close to my heart

[let-me-call-myself-olga]

Why I don't like the self-proclaimed-SHSL-Hope trope that Danganronpa has going on[SPOILERS]:

Something that Danganronpa does and that genuinely annoys me is the trope where someone from the killing game takes the role of SHSL Hope as a way of self-love[Naegi Makoto for THH, Komaeda Nagito for GD and K1-B0 for KH], so I decided to make a commentary on my dislike of it.

The main reason why I generally don't like it is because of the route it takes when it comes to the motive behind:

The problem that these characters have in common is their lack of self-worth that ultimately leads them into taking leadership as a form of giving themselves any kind of value.

It all started with Makoto that, unlike his counterparts, is given the suggestion of becoming SHSL Hope by Kirigiri Kyoko as she believes the reason why he came to Hope's Peak is to put an end to the SHSL Despair. The decision of taking on the title has it's roots from his first title of SHSL Luck which he was given after winning the lottery. His negative view of himself further develops as he finds himself 'surpassed' by his classmates as well as 'guilty of their deaths' [the Danganronpa 3 anime verifies this statement in the despair arc]. The true reason why he takes the title of SHSL Hope is to prove to himself that he is able to 'make up' for his classmates deaths[by taking full responsability of his class and all that happened during the killing game], rather then to bring everyone hope(which is still a motive of his, but in this case he is FORCED to show everyone hope).

In Nagito's case, the motives behind his actions are easy to point out. His self-hatred first occurs with the title of SHSL Luck[as both he and Naegi question the logic behind it, making both feel like frauds] as well as when we are presented with the fact that his life is expected to end in less than a year[stated in his FTE's]. This makes Nagito think that he is worthless and that he should be used by the others as a stepping stool, making him 'take the title' of SHSL Hope as a way of giving himself a reason to believe he is worthy of something.

With K1-B0 the lack of self-worth comes from his title of SHSL Robot, as he feels dehumanized, feeling which, unlike his counterparts[which would supress/agree with it], he tries to adress by helping the masses learn about 'robophobia'. In chapter 6 K1-B0 is willing to take on the burdens of SHSL Hope and destroy himself and the academy just so that he can feel as if he did something of worth, unlike the other chapters.

It is heart-breaking to see these characters in such a light, but I shall move forward and tell you who I think embodies the title of SHSL Hope best out of the three protagonists left: Hinata Hajime, Akamatsu Kaede, Saihara Shuichi.

In my opinion, Saihara Shuichi is the one that is able to seize the title, for I find him and Kamukura Izuru closest to a Yin-Yang relationship, their opposing tropes being united by their complementary personality types.

The reason why I think that the other two aren't able to reach the title is because of Kaede's selfish reasoning[forcing Shuichi into a promise he can't keep in a attempt to free everyone] and Hajime's intent of becoming SHSL Hope as a coping mechanism against self-hatred[same case as Makoto, Nagito and K1-B0].

After Kaede's death, Saihara takes on the role of a bledding heart hero, opposing to Kamukura's emotionless anti-hero status, in order to help everyone get out of the killing game. As Saihara tries to create the perfect path, Kamukura destroys in order to find it, Saihara's seemingly selfish act proving itself as selfless and Kamukura's seemingly selfless act proving itself as selfish. It is all a battle of Hope and Despair, a battle between a man from which everything was taken and a man to which everything was give, the one thing that Saihara is able to achieve and that Kamukura isn't being happiness.

Despite the differences, the two of them find common grounds, both being introverted men whose lives are purely controlled by the wishes of certain people close to them[Kaede and Junko]. Both are expected to take burdens too hard to carry and lead everyone to a brighter future, point from which their paths part, trying to reach for opposite ends of the spectrum untill they converge at the middle into the final answer: hope and despair have to coexist in equal amounts so that humanity can truly thrive.

In conclusion, I dislike this trope because of the fact that it doesn't evolve the characters in any way, only leaving them in a miserable light even if that isn't needed, which is proven by the(possible, but sadly not cannon) dynamic between Shuichi and Izuru.

[enashinonome]

WE WATCHED FIVE EPS OF S2 i will react to youuu (only after tho)

yachiiii so cute i love her. epitome of do it scared!!

and i love how shimizu is talking more!! she’s so lovely omg. i understand tanaka and noya tbh bc every time she smiles 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

kageyama and hinata r so cute i want to squish both of them. the academic victim arc 💀💀

KENMAAAAA i love kenma. he is so small and so smart. gamer kid lol. i like his friendship with hinata a lot, like he looks for him when karasuno arrives. i feel like it’s kind of like myself, i’m very quiet and reserved irl but occasionally an extrovert will get in, and then i’ll search for them in every crowd. “he’s finally talking to someone without being shy” 😭😭 they’re actually so everything. i wish i could see more of the kuroken dynamic tho. but it’s nice to see nekoma again!

kagehina breakup 😭😭😭😭😭 bro. i actually can’t do this.

it’s interesting that kageyama cares more for the team balance now, whereas hinata is arguably pulling the “i wanna do what i wanna do” thing that kageyama did before…but i also get where he’s coming from, like helplessly dependent on the setter. i want him to grow too :(( i want the whole team to improve. anyway. i’m sure when they get back together it’ll be life changing

I love season two :’) it’s so good. We get introduced to Yachi, who is oh so precious. You’re right! She is the epitome of ‘do it scared’! And I think Kiyoko and Yachi’s relationship is really sweet. Very wholesome guidance and mentorship ;v;

Academic victim arc is SO FUNNY. They did not have that academic comeback 😭

Kenma’s my favorite character for many a reason…He’s sharp, strategic, and observant, which are traits I tend to like in characters. And I’m with you; I adore his friendship with Hinata! I love a good rivalry. As for Kuroken, there are a few chapters I’d call the “Kuroken blessings” as they delve into their relationship as kids, but I couldn’t name which numbers they are off the top of my head. But if you pay close attention to them and drink up every drop of screentime—which I did—they’re really cute, and there are some details that show how much Kuroo cares about Kenma that you’d miss if you weren’t paying attention otherwise. Then there’s the movie, which gave me ten million heart attacks. Kuroken is so sweet…I think about them every day.

The iconic Kagehina breakup…Aghhh. How do you feel independent as a player if your worth is intrinsically tied to and dependent on another player? I think they both have points, but Kageyama ends up learning some meaningful lessons at this point in the series. I don’t know if you’re at that point yet, but he makes efforts to grow as a setter and it’s really lovely to see.

I cannot wait for you to get to the Tokyo training camp arc!!!!! So summery and ensemble-focused; I feel like everyone in Karasuno gets their moment, and Nekoma and Fukurodani features are always fun. It’s a lot of people’s “comfort arc” in the sense that many rewatch it when they’re feeling down. That’s something I should do more, for sure! I think as an arc it highlights how precious everyone is. I’m excited for you to watch it.

[jellyluchi]

Thank you for the tag Sofi 💕💕 I'd been meaning to do this meme but didn't get around to it until now!!

Tagging: Anyone! I have a lot of friends with a lot of OCs

1. if you're my friend 2. You have an OC 3. you want to do this THEN DO IT!

Focaccia's character inspirations:

Pesci (JJBA): Out of all the female characters in this grid, it's funny that Pesci actually has the most influence on Focaccai's character than the rest. I would have overlooked him at first, but his dynamic with Prosciutto and his eventual character growth is what pulled me in. Other than identifying heavily with his self doubt, I also loved his resilience that came out from seeing his loved one die. And I could see Focaccia having a similar strength for those she cares about. But most importantly I wanted Focaccia's dynamic with Prosciutto to parallel Pesci's. They have a similar but remixed relationship with him.

Hinata Hyuuga (Naruto): Hinata is a great example of an underrated female character who has gone through so much hardship but doesn't let it define her. Most of Focaccia's family troubles is inspired from her. Despite all the hardship, Hinata remains kind and understanding of others, something I wanted to incorporate into Focaccia's character. Though not as intense as Hinata's family, Focaccia was still shaped by the relationship she had with her parents. And much like Hinata, despite the turbulent past she still chooses to care for them.

Me: I'm not sure if this counts but I thought it was important to mention myself because a majority of Focaccia's life experiences were inspired by my own. When forming a backstory for her, something otherworldly or grand or tragic didn't fit her because I wanted her to be a simple, ordinary woman. And since I view myself as such and wanted her to be as close to myself as possible, I gave her a backstory from my interpretations from my own memories. It was the only way it would make sense for her to be a self-insert.

Trish Una: This is one of the inspirations that is more on the visual side than character. When looking into female characters for Part 5, Trish is usually the most noticeable. And I wanted to give Focaccia an outfit that both fit the jojo fashion and part 5's art style while still being close to Prosciutto's design. Trish's two piece and blocky math skirt were great places to start and it was partially how Focaccia's pattern became blocky hearts. I was looking for characters in jojo that wore skirts and Trish happened to be one of them too. Though they're very different in personality, I think they would compliment each other's styles well.

Aurora (Sleeping Beauty): Aurora not only is a namesake for Focaccia's daughter but I also thought it would be appropriate to take inspiration from her character for Foca's personality. Since she's one of my favorite princesses and I've read countless analyses on her character, it felt right to take some of her core personality traits such as her naivety, and also some of her elegant mannerisms. I do imagine Prosciutto calls Focaccia princess in some moments and I wanted her to act the part too. It happens to be Focaccia's favorite fairytale as well so I imagine she herself has taken a lot of inspiration from Aurora (hence naming her child)

Yona (Akatsuki no Yona): Yona is another princess whom I've loved but unlike Aurora who wasn't allowed a character arc, Yona's is one of the most empowering and drastic. She starts as an extremely sheltered princess then turns into a symbol of strength for her people through a transformation that results from her journey. It's the type of character arc I wanted for Focaccia once she decides to leave her home where she feels unsafe (much like Yona) and has to fend for herself and actually learn life skills that she had neglected before. Yona and Hak's dynamic and relationship also inspired much of Prosciutto and Focaccia's as he mirrors Hak's tough body guard and protective instincts towards her.

Madison's Character Inspiration

where I pick 6 characters to yoink their storyline and personality with and glue it onto my OC 🤓 (half-joking there, but, they did serve as my core inspiration for Madison in a number of aspects)

Tagging the friends who also did theirs in the Discord server, as well as some other folks to do this with their beloved OC(s) and S/I(s) as well! No pressure by the way, do it if you want to! 💖 @emproleon (the OG!! Thank you for sharing this in the server ❤️) @amberswords @anikasenkujo @funnyvalentineswife @hand-domain @jellyluchi @papersirens @shaylistic @sweetsparklerain @trashbabyart @uminozerol @werewuffgoth @white-cherries @whitespirit91 @zizalovesyou

Empty template + Character inspo blurbs under the cut

Ruby Rose (RWBY) - In the very early days of RWBY coming out I fell in love with the young female lead who had a strong sense of moral justice. We've all had our fair share of young protagonists who aim to do a lot for the world they live in and that especially rubbed onto Madison especially in her younger teenage years.

Steven Universe - Steven is described to be optimistic, outgoing, and soft-hearted but also naive and socially oblivious. His journey of maturing throughout the series was something that I got a huge chunk of inspiration from when I was writing down Madison's backstory from birth to the various stages of her life. Madison does go through a similar matter like Steven where she carries heavy burdens at a young age and struggles to keep up with the demands made of her due to her inexperience with life and lack of emotional control.

Nana (Elfen Lied) - If you see art of Madi with horns on her head similar to Nana then I'm sure you can piece two and two together to see that they're of the same species (and personality too ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡ – ✧)). Madison is exactly like Nana in the sense that her empathy for other people's pains is what keeps her from conceding to the part of her genetics that desires to be homicidal. You've also got that bit of lore where Madison has gone through a part of her childhood where she was raised as a test subject in a research institute which I'll share more in the future.

Nancy Drew - The inspiration I got from Nancy and put into Madison's character is her ability to stay determined and help others when she can provide such assistance. I adore how resourceful and independent Nancy is and so I try to emulate that onto Madison especially in her older years. A fun fact is that Madison has a love for books in the mystery genre and reading the Nancy Drew series lead her to be more curious and critical of the world, mentally solving puzzles in her head that she can apply when situations call for a solution.

Akane Tsunemori (Psychopass) - Fun fact here is that Akane's VA Kana Hanazawa is my voiceclaim for Madison and I just love love looovveee Akane so much that I had to put her here as one of Madison's main inspirations! You've got that naïve to callous pipeline characters go through when they soon face the horrific realities of the world which definitely happens to Madison in her late teen and young adult years. Generally polite and respectful thanks to several etiquette classes she took up in high school, Madison earns the respect of fellow peers when they find that she is also intelligent, insightful, and compassionate. Despite having the means to enforce violence with her Stand or her vectors from being a Diclonius, Madison does what she can to deescalate a situation and employ less destructive actions, just like Akane in her former years as an Inspector.

Misaka Mikoto (A Certain Scientific Railgun) - Along with Mikoto and most of these characters, I think I really like the trope of "Friendly and easygoing character with great powers has keen sense of justice and wishes to keep the world safe, but wants to do so with peaceful/harmless means as much as possible….But then gets cold and unfeeling in the process 🙃" way too much that you can see the similarities in all of these characters' backstories and how I'll be incorporating that with Madison too sdkjbsjkd but! the same can be said for Mikoto too with how she does her best to help others to the point where she sacrifices her own wellbeeing for their safety.

[theheightofdishonor]

there’s this trope in atsu/hina and oi/hina fics where hinata’s like “wow, you’re the first setter who i don’t have to beg to set to me” and it really rubs me the wrong way because it’s always a dig at Kageyama. 

Like fuck off with that bullshit, acting like Kageyama doesn’t want to set for Hinata. As if Atsumu and Oikawa didn’t both figure out in minutes that Hinata’s his go-to spiker. As if Kageyama doesn’t want to give Hinata the ball, even when it’s smarter to use someone else. As if he didn’t go out of his way to learn the falling set just so he can give Hinata the toss he wanted. 

He’s only refused to set for Hinata (2) times in the entire series and both of those times, he ended up setting to him anyway,  of his own violation without Hinata pleading. 

I just find it the most uncharitable interpretation of the freak duo’s dynamic. Kageyama didn’t set to Hinata at Youth Camp (when Hinata wasn’t even there) for yall to act like that’s not his favourite spiker, his best friend, the person he always wants to toss to. Plus, Hinata is too perceptive to ever hold anything like that as some mark against him or whatever. Even when they’re not in a romantic relationship, they’re still bffs, they still get each other like no one else and more importantly, they’re always on each other’s side and it’s petty and in poor taste to diminish the strength of their relationship for the sake of another 

[madara-fate]

So I was scrolling through Twitter (honestly i shouldn't be wasting my time on there), and came across a post about how Hinata is the most loyal partner, and that it was for the best that Naruto didn't end up with Sakura as she wasn't even faithful to Sasuke.

For evidence they referenced manga panels of her "flirting with Naruto" (asking him how she looked in the beginning of shippuden, offering to feed him when his hand was injured, hugging him) and accepting his offer to go on a date provided that he paid.

I think the post was utterly ridiculous, because Sakura and Sasuke weren't in a relationship at that point, so she couldn't "cheat on him/be faithful to him" in the first place. Heck they weren't even comrades.

Secondly most of NS moments in the initial part of shippuden were red herrings. Later it was reiterated multiple times that the one she loved was Sasuke and there was never any explicit moment that suggested that she had any romantic feelings for Naruto.

They said that Sakura's love language is "care and affection" and how she did the same things for Naruto in shippuden that she did for Sasuke.

But a person showing kindness to someone else does not mean that they have romantic feelings for them. She was caring towards Rock Lee as well in part 1 but that in no way implies that she held romantic feelings for him.

Also sakura has always been the person to speak her feelings out loud, and not just show them through subtle actions.

I wonder what you think about what they wrote and how you interpret Sakura going on a date with Naruto and asking him whether she looked more womanly.

I personally think whatever happened between characters before they got in an official relationship with their SO is irrelevant. Every character is loyal to their respective partner. It is a bit funny how the authors try to insert a third character in SS's relationship though, like that infidelity angle in Gaiden and Gigi in Sasuke Retsuden lol.

Also, this is offtopic, but have you seen Spy x Family? Only 3 episodes have aired so far but i love it. Anya is very cute and i really like the interactions between Loid and Yor. I also watched a couple episodes of Rising of the shield hero and it's great too, i expected it to be like all other generic harem isekais but it exceeded my expectations.

Regarding the Sakura being "unfaithful" to Sasuke bullshit.

She never flirted with Naruto, asking how you look, isn't flirting.

Offering to feed someone who has a busted hand, isn't flirting.

Hugging someone, isn't flirting. It's like they think that people can't hug both their romantic partners and their close friends.

She had absolutely no romantic incentives whatsoever behind being willing to go on a "date" if Naruto paid, she just wanted to drop the subject because it was exasperating.

The whole "love language" point is among the more stupid ones. Care and affection isn't even an actual love language, as that applies to all of them. What is a love language, are words of affirmation, and as you rightfully highlighted, Sakura has always been one to wear her heart on her sleeve and verbablise her feelings. Did Sakura ever confess her love to Naruto (and mean it)? Nope. But she did for Sasuke, twice.

Despite the fact that they weren't in a relationship, these people are claiming that Sakura was unfaithful because her feelings apparently wavered, but they didn't. Her heart, always belonged to Sasuke.

Regarding Spy x Family and The Rising of the Shield Hero.

I love Spy x Family, still by far my No.1 new show this season. They're all so quirky, and that makes for some very, very entertaining family dynamics.

I guess you're referring to the first season of Shield Hero then? Yes, it's among my favourite Isekai shows. From what I've heard from light novel readers, the second season is currently adapting a poorly received arc so it's been a little slow so far, but they said it gets a lot better afterwards, so I'm looking forward to that.

[bushcloverprincess]

Let me explain Sai and Ino's love life to everyone who is still saying "I don't know how they ended up together": 💜

People really be jumping to Boruto series without knowing what has happened in the Naruto series after the war arc. So here is Sai and Ino's relationship throughout the entire Naruto canon timeline.

NARUTO SHIPPUDEN MANGA

First and foremost, Sai and Ino met in the very early episodes of Naruto Shippuden. Ino immediately had a crush on him because he was handsome, also noting that he looked like Sasuke. That is basically Ino, the flirty girl as we know. Having a crush and falling in love are two very different things.

Sai was introduced as a character with no emotions and feelings whatsoever. The reason why he thought Ino is "ugly" in their first interaction was because he didn't know what a real beauty is. He had no emotions/feelings, how do u expect him to understand beauty? Ironically, despite this, he called the opposite of what he thought at her, "Mrs. Beautiful" - building the foundation of SaiIno (Also Ino being the only person who didnt get insulted by Sai's nicknames.)

So, here Sai thought Ino was ugly and Ino had a crush on Sai solely because he was handsome. Two flaws, alright. Most of the fans know their relationship up to here. But that's not even close to the end of Sai and Ino's relationship before their marriage.

Moving on. As Sai and Ino are both side characters, they had almost no interactions on-screen afterwards in the manga, until the Fourth Shinobi War Arc. In the war, both Ino and Sai had each other in their Infinite Tsukyomi dreams. Ino dreamed of Sasuke and Sai fighting over her and Sai dreamed of Ino, along with his other close friends acknowledging his smile. (Sai's dream was in anime-only).

This proves that both have had interactions off-screen to the point that they were already very close friends before the war began. Morever, their Inifinte Tsukuyomi dreams reveal that by the war arc, Ino likes Sai as much as Sasuke (as she did not choose Sasuke over Sai in her ideal life/dream), and Sai likes Ino complimenting him.

During the long timeskip after the war Ino and Sai eventually starts dating. This was revealed in a spin-off manga chapter written in Akamaru's point of view by Kishimoto, where he spotted Sai and Ino together on a date and described them as "A couple totally on fire".

Around a decade later, in the very last chapter of the Naruto Shippuden manga (Chapter 700), they were shown married with a son together.

That's the end of Naruto manga contents for Sai and Ino's relationship, as expected not much because Naruto manga is NOT a romance manga.

BLANK PERIOD

Now, for those who wanted to know more about Sai and Ino's romance and the ship's further build up during the timeskip between the end of war and Boruto (Blank Period), there was a Novel series called Hiden. (Note: All Blank Period Hiden Novels are approved canon, illustrated and proof-read by Masashi Kishimoto, the author of the Manga himself). The Blank period is a part of the official canon timeline.

As mentioned above Novels are the stories of all the important events that took place during this blank period, including the romance between the characters. Get ready to hear one of the cutest love stories of Naruto series.

1- SHIKAMARU HIDEN NOVEL

Ino lost her crush on Sasuke long back and is pretty much not into any relationship. This was until in Shikamaru Hiden events, Ino read a letter which describes Sai's tragic life. Since then Ino wanted to know even more about him than she already does. Ino was sent on a mission with her fellow ninjas to help Shikamaru and save Sai, who has been caught in a very strong enslaving genjutsu by some enemies. Her top priority after reading the letter was nothing but to save Sai.

As they confronted the genjutsu-controlled Sai, for some reason Ino believed that she is the only person who could save Sai. Ino risked her life and used her Mind Transfer Jutsu on Sai, in other words, Ino's soul entered Sai's body. Ino dived deep into his mind but all she could see was darkness. She didn't give up and tried to find his soul by diving even deeper into his mind despite the fact that it could be a threat to her own soul too. Ino finally found Sai's soul crying deep inside, covered with his memories and darkness. Ino learnt about him (in the novel it says "She knew all about him so much that it hurt her"). Ino called out for him and showed his soul the path out of the darkness. Ino cleared his mind hence saving him from the genjutsu, also giving colors to his colorless soul. Ino's soul then hugged Sai's soul with a heartfelt smile ~ A hug between two souls.

This is the point where both of them fell deeply in love. The point Sai achieved his dream, the point where he got his emotions and feelings completely back. This is the first time he felt this much kindness from someone and learned what a true beauty is. When Sai is successfully saved by her, the two wake from Ino's jutsu and Sai finds himself resting on Ino's laps. Sai instinctively reaches for Ino's hands and he expresses his gratefulness to her, as her eyes begin to tear up, by affectionately calling her "Thankyou, Miss Beautiful". This time, he truly meaning this unlike the first time he called her beautiful. "Idiot" - replied Ino. And this time, Ino fell in love with Sai, not because he resembles Sasuke unlike the first time they met. This interaction was the complete opposite of the first time they met. This is how their love story began ladies and gentlemen. *Tears because how beautiful this is*

2- SAKURA HIDEN NOVEL

Later, while Ino and Sakura was on their way to Sand village to participate in an international Medical Ninja Conference, Ino reveals her love for Sai to Sakura after what happened. She was thinking of confessing her love to him properly but was unsure which flower to give him: Flower Dogwood or Lavender. Ino, the botanist explains that in Flower language, Dogwood means "Accept my feelings" while Lavender means "I'm waiting". Sakura tells that Ino was more of Flower Dogwood type, as she wants a direct answer from Sai. Whilst for Sakura herself, Lavender will be the best because she is willing to wait for Sasuke.

When they returned back to Konoha after the conference, Ino finds out Kakashi has sent Sai alone on a dangerous mission. Ino gets worried and questions his safety, and is angry that Kakashi let him go alone. After Sai returned and Sakura got kidnapped, Ino ran to Sai's place to inform him about Sakura's disappearance. When she arrives, she becomes flustered to see Sai only in his underwear, as he was taking a shower right before she came.

Following the crisis, Sai and Ino together goes on a mission alone to save Sakura upon Hokage's orders. They are the only couple besides Sakura and Sasuke who did a mission together alone in canon. Sai and Ino flew on a Choju Giga Bird, and Sai comforted Ino as she was afraid flying and had a difficulty maintaining the balance, causing her to feel a sweet warm sensation well up within her heart. They both together infiltrated a hideout. The Saiino duo's teamwork was amazing and flawless.

After Sakura is saved, they had to fight the enemies. Ino, who has been usually positioned near the back lines during close ranged combat situations was now instead supporting Sai with her taijutsu and healing Sai's injuries with her medical ninjutsu. Sai and Ino confronted a very powerful enemy, Magire who was drugged with Tailed Beast chakra, but their flawless teamwork and bond strength lead to their victory. Sakura, and Sai himself compliments Ino on how well she works together as a duo with Sai, getting Ino blush even more. Later Sakura prompted Ino and Sai to have a date dinner together, where Ino possibly confessed him with flower Dogwood and that is when they started dating.

3- KONOHA HIDEN NOVEL

As usual, Sakura and Ino keeps on fighting and competing, and now Ino takes a lot of pride with her blossoming relationship with Sai, claiming she has better love life than Sakura and that she will get married before her, much to Sakura's infuriation. After some days, Sai and Ino attended Naruto and Hinata's wedding ceremony as a dating couple holding hands, with everyone around them admiring their relationship. (Bonus: SaiIno is the only couple that was featured in The last opening of Naruto, Opening 20 (Karano Koroko).)

4- SASUKE SHINDEN: BOOK OF SUNRISE NOVEL

Later, after Ino was hospitalized due to the injuries she had after stopping an invasion, Sai was with her at the hospital all the time. Shikamaru and Chōji decide to visit Ino at the hospital and find that Sai is watching over her whilst she sleeps as he sketches a flower that Ino's mother brought her. Shikamaru and Chōji asks Sai to come with them for some investigation, but Sai remains, claiming that he will leave as soon as he has completed his drawing, however, Shikamaru notices several of Sai's already near-completed sketches in the trash as he exits. Sai intentionally made many half-complete drawings and discarded them before completion because he doesn't want to leave Ino. Shikamaru and Chōji realize that Sai did not want to leave Ino's side and begin discussing how much he has changed from the emotionless man he used to be after he met Ino.

Ino and Sai then got married, and had a wonderful wedding ceremony where Shikamaru and Choji were both so happy for Ino that they cried and wished their sensei, Asuma was there to see Ino. Sai and Ino's wedding ceremony is the only ceremony to have been mentioned after Hinata and Naruto's wedding. Well, that's the end of their relationship's details in the Blank Period Novels. Sweet, right?

NEW ERA: BORUTO ANIME, MANGA AND NOVELS

Sai, now married to Ino is the only male known to have taken his spouse's surname upon marriage, being now a part of the great Yamanaka Clan, finally having a family of his own. This family confronted gossips and prejudice from the villagers, and Ino's relationship with Sai was not well received by the Yamanaka Clan, all due to Sai's dark past in the currently disbanded Anbu Root. Despite all this, they managed to be as happy as ever. It is when he married to Ino and got to hold Inojin in his arms, Sai finally felt free and got control over his own life after years of being a puppet to Danzo.

As Boruto series is the story of the new generation, it's main focus from the Yamanaka Family is obviously Ino and Sai's son, Inojin Yamanaka. (Trivia: It is believed that Inojin's name is a mixture of Yamanaka Clan's customary name prefix "Ino" and the suffix "jin" is reference to Sai's late brother Shin). Sai has already told his son Inojin how his mother, Ino saved him with her shintenshin and how they fell in love, and Sai uses the same method (a hug or an affection) to calm Ino down when she gets upset or angry now. Boruto notes that Sai's only weakness is when it comes to Aunt Ino. According to Ino, Sai has never forgotten their anniversary throughout more than a decade they have been together. Although Ino remains as boisterous as ever, Sai is the sole person that gets Ino to fluster despite how angry or upset she is since beginning and even now.

According to Kakashi, Sai and Ino is the most beautiful couple he could imagine, and they both are so close that it seems they are glued to each other, noting that they are like a peculiar picture. Sai and Ino also often gets teased by their friends because how close and affectionate they are even in the public. Ino takes pride in Sai's ninja abilities and Sai takes pride and is proud of Ino's abilities. Ino is thankful that she moved on from Sasuke (Her childhood crush), because according to Boruto Manga, Ino now she feels bad for Sakura, whose husband, Sasuke visits her only very rarely, noting that she has been living such a perfect love-life that she cannot even imagine having a husband who is hardly at home. She is thankful for Sai, so is Sai for Ino. In one of the Boruto Novel it is stated about Ino:

"Because her husband was the one she knew was the best in the world" ~ 💜

SO,

I do not think this much of content, especially for a side-couple is less at all. It's more than enough, It's explained perfectly well. Only people who aren't having an idea on Naruto complete series will question or doubt SaiIno's relationship. So "Random couple", "Ino likes Sasuke because he looks like Sasuke", "Sai is a Sasuke rebound", "Ino lost to Sakura in love-life becuase she couldn't marry Sasuke" arguments are all total crap ~ 💕

AND FOR THOSE WHO SAYS SAI AND INO DOESN'T HAVE CHEMISTRY...

Sai was an emotionless and socially awkward boy who worked for the Root Section, meanwhile Ino was an emotional and lively sociable girl who works at a flower Shop, what else do you see other than the raging chemistry between this root and flower? The flower that baths in sunlight and the roots that grow in the dark! It has everything. They perfectly fits into the Yin (Sai) and Yang (Ino) philosophy Kishimoto seems to have considered when making the couples and friendships. As mentioned above Sai is the only man who can make Ino blush since beginning and even now! Ino had no problem with glomping on Sasuke and hugging him, but Sai calling her "Beautiful" makes her blush - See the difference? They both are perfect for each other. Ino gave colours to Sai's black & white life. Ino was a rainbow when Sai was colour blind. Not to mention they both wear crop-tops with exposed midriff. In addition Sai and Ino is the most affectionate couple who has shown most PDA (Public Display of Affection) content and closest moments together so far. I'd argue they have the most chemistry and couple symbolisms.

There, its done.

I hope its clear how they ended up together now 💕 So again, saying SaiIno is forced or random / Calling Sai a Sasuke Rebound / Saying Ino settled for Sai because she didn't get Sasuke as a plan B / Ino lost to Sakura in love life / Sai and Ino don't have chemistry- is making yourself a huge 🤡, actually an entire 🎪

Thankyou 💜

[alumort]

@lotus-baby @depressedhatakekakashi

Today I offer you, the fix-it au of sorts i have regarding shippuden/boruto and that, because i keep forgetting to write it down:

- this is kinda self indulgent and is the general canon(?) of some of my fics so this is for reference, too xd (though i don't focus on more detailed aspects so this is for that). i can't focus on all characters but there's mostly stuff for; naruto, hinata, sakura, team gai and kakashi.

long post ahead:

Naruto

(trans, bi & poly)

he always wanted to be hokage, but it was more about the respect the hokage gets– few people treated him well. but if he became the leader of the village, he would be finally respected by civilians and ninjas alike.

they would stop being so mean with him without apparent reason. and after the pain arc, he becomes a hero and they all finally start treating him with the respect he had wanted for so long. so i think he would be satisfied with that and become a jounin instead. maybe even an anbu.

he still gets married with hinata and the last happens, though neither of them feel like it's... genuine. they're friends and all, they still have himawari and boruto– but they're not really happy?

naruto still likes sasuke, and had been hanging out with gaara since he came back from his trip with jiraiya. hinata realizes that the kind of love he feels with sasuke is stronger than the one they both have.

the next time sasuke comes to the village, naruto and hinata separate– but they're both alright with that. Neither naruto nor sasuke have many ties with the village and naruto started kinda crushing on gaara after a while, so they both move to Suna with him and are very happy together(sasuke sometimes goes nomadic for his missions but always sends letters to his boyfriends).

without the responsibilities of naruto being hokage, he in turn becomes a more present dad with himawari and boruto and they're very happy :) they see each other on weekends and naruto doesn't miss any important dates anymore.

gaara still adopts shinki, who loves his siblings very much and is very protective of them.

Hinata

(non binary, grayro & bi)

They're known for doing very good medicinal balms since the first Chunin exam. i think she could just.. Straight up sell some, if she needs to. i think they like gardening so maybe she grows her own herbs and plants, and starts a mini store of natural remedies that are very good. and shampoos and soaps and they becomes actually popular with their crafts.

this started becoming more occurrent when she and naruto were about to go on their own ways. They move back to the hyuga compound with her kids for a while and works more on that, with boruto helping her on this and him finding out that's actually very relaxing. it becomes their shared hobby and they bond with that, too. himawari just likes drawing but helps from time to time too.

Hinata became friends with tenten because she was interested on the spiritual side of the plants, as she likes fortune-telling. i think tenten does witchcraft too, more as a family tradition thing but still being very passionate about it.

after a while hinata kind of started having a crush on tenten because, well. naruto was someone that always did his best to get what he wanted, and tenten is like that too– with her weapons shop and that.

so they just... told her. but tenten didn't like her that way, or anyone. still holds hinata very closely in her heart, but not in a romantic/sexual way– they move together some months before boruto's seventh birthday, and they may not be dating but they still make it work.

later, when they have been together for years and years and people still wonder the nature of their relationship, they discover the term 'queerplatonic' and they feel like that's the word for what they have.

Tenten

(trans, non sam aro)

she is very happy with her weapons shop. started getting closer to hinata, though it wasn't romantic love what she felt– it was stronger than friendship, but. didn't had a name.

after hinata confesses, tenten is very confused and turns her down. she doesn't feel the same way, but... the thought of living with them was really nice. they end up moving together after a while, and enjoy each other's company a lot.

tenten still does her fortune-telling and ends up teaching hinata, boruto and himawari too. its a thing from her family, so it made sense for her to teach to her partner and kids.

Sakura

(demiromantic)

in part one, she was considered the best one out of her team. even sasuke said she was better than him, on genjutsu. she was smart until misogyny from kishimoto acted up, so we'll use the original concept without the misogyny.

smart, even better than an uchiha who even said to her that she was better... it's no wonder that she ended up being the hokage after kakashi. she was trained by a sannin, who was also hokage before kakashi... it makes sense if you really think of it!

well. she's the hokage and is living with ino, they have two kids- sarada, which sasuke helped conceive, and inojin. inojin was an orphan from the yamanaka clan that ino took in.

(sai is a father figure for him, and inojin even calls him dad– nobody minds, sai even smiles when that happens.)

back with sakura. she is a very strong and lovely woman, and is organized though she gets irritated easily so everyone knows to not mess stuff on purpose.

she has a long time as the leader of konoha, and is very loved and missed on the time of her retirement.

Kakashi

(trans, gay)

He pretty much spends most days with his husband after retirement– always made up excuses to cuddle with him instead of going to work when he was Hokage. Is more clingy than he lets show publicly.

He is very happy now than before. Takes a lot of photos as Suikea, and so far only Gai noticed it was him, but doesn't really mind.

Gai

(genderfluid, demisexual)

He moved in with kakashi after he recovered from the war. they were planning it since pain's invasion but life happens™ and they couldn't, then war started...

after everything is over, he makes sure to stay on contact with his team- they're his kids and he loves them with all his heart. makes sure to send them letters when they can't meet for a while for reasons. sometimes they all have dinner together and are very happy :)

Neji

(non binary, reciproro ace)

Neji almost dies in the war, but sakura managed to save him and that kind of started a friendship between the two. They get chronic pain because of all the injuries he suffered, but it's getting manageable with medicine and physical therapy. though sometimes its too bad to get up, but they go walking with hinata almost daily- she goes to his house and usually realizes something is wrong. either her, metal or lee realize and help him on the really bad days.

neji also has some birds and they all have silly names/names that rhyme– the older ones are called feather and heather, for example. they really love them.

Lee

(bi ace, sometime i write him as trans too)

He's still a jounin here and is very good at it. Sometimes he has to leave the village for entire months, but he always send his family and team stuff so they know he's alright.

Neji and him at first weren't going to have kids at all, but lee just saw metal and grew attached to him. They end up adopting him and the three are really happy, even if at first its complicated to adapt™ the two love their kid with all of their heart.

[kageyahma-remade]

Whisper of the Heart and Haikyuu!!, both being feel-good stories about personal growth with a foundation of interpersonal support and self-care, how very special places in my heart. Whisper of the Heart’s storyline of two people inspiring each other to pursue and improve in their crafts and Haikyuu!!’s focus on human connection and relationships, specifically revolving around Hinata and Kageyama’s relationship, led me to realize that there are A LOT of parallels between Shizuku & Hinata, and Seiji & Kageyama.

Shizuku and Hinata are the protagonists of their respective stories and therefore undergo the most growth. Shizuku sets a goal for herself to finish her novel by the time Seiji returns from Italy, and Hinata aspires to be good enough to beat Kageyama, the “King of the Court”, declaring that even if it takes ten or twenty years, he will do it.

Seiji is very good at making violins and has high aspirations that will take him elsewhere on the globe to improve. Kageyama is hailed as being a prodigy setter and has a strong drive to become the best there is. (I think the moment these parallels clicked for me was when I realized that their aspirations brought the both of them to Italy: Seiji to be an apprentice violin maker in Cremona, Kageyama playing for Ali Roma). They have worked hard for what they love and their goals have been set for a long time, in contrast to Shizuku and Hinata. Shizuku and Hinata acknowledge they need to catch up; Shizuku says “it must be nice to know what you want to do with your life. Me, I just go from one day to the next” and Hinata, having started playing volleyball later than Kageyama (and playing in a proper team even later), learns along the way what he wants to do and HOW best to do it

Seiji and Kageyama start farther ahead in their personal progress but give Shizuku and Hinata the inspiration and the means to start theirs. They create a place for them to use their talents -- Kageyama using his precise setting to make use of Hinata’s incredible speed/jump height/overall natural athleticism, Seiji being a part of Shizuku’s connection to Baron and part of her inspiration to write. They open up their viewpoints to a world they could have never seen without them.

And these relationships spark passion and drive and inspiration between every individual. Kageyama makes Hinata promise that he will meet him at the world stage one day. Long before Shizuku even noticed him, Seiji admired her talents and checked out dozens of library books hoping she would see his name on the cards. They excel on their own but with Shizuku and Hinata there, they can become even greater.

These relationships are about having someone around who makes you want to be better, who makes you want to dig deep and learn about yourself and go through the hard work of improving without the glamour and glory. I got into it briefly with this post but there’s a whole lot more i want to talk about (especially after seeing this beautiful piece of fanart by hazwqste !)

i got carried away and this got super long so i’ll be going into this in more depth (and including haikyuu manga spoilers!) under the cut:

First of all, they meet and get off on the wrong foot, and don’t get along very well.

They get to know each other and are soon able to fully express themselves around each other and allow each other to excel at what they love. Seiji shows Shizuku Baron’s eyes twinkling in the light and the violin he made, Shizuku excitedly tells him about things feeling like they came from magic or a storybook and even sings the lyrics she wrote when Seiji plays Take Me Home, Country Roads on the violin. Hinata and Kageyama have a love for volleyball in common and once they figure out how to put their skills and abilities together to make their freak quick attack work, they practically glow with excitement and become almost inseparable. 

An event separating these two pairs act as catalysts to their growth (Seiji to Italy and Kageyama to the week-long All-Japan Youth Camp in Tokyo), because Shizuku and Hinata realize how far behind they are and how much they have to work to catch up. They even have similar running sequences that express their fear of being left behind.

Shizuku and Hinata both express the desire throughout their stories to be at an equal level to Seiji and Kageyama. Shizuku tells Yuko, “He wants to find out if he’s talented enough. Well, so will I! ... if he can do it, so can I!”.

One example of this with Hinata is that he wishes to complete the new quick attack during the Tokyo training camp arc so he and Kageyama could be on equal footing: during the Inter-high preliminaries, Hinata an Kageyama’s freak quick attack was something that was uniquely theirs, but it was something that Kageyama controlled. Heck, even Coach Washijo tells Hinata, “Without Kageyama as your setter, I can’t say I see any worth in you.” Hinata expresses a desire to evolve, to be able to pick his shots and stop closing his eyes, to learn from the best in the prefecture and work on everything he needs to improve on.

Shizuku and Hinata set off to go on journeys of their own to improve: Shizuku writing her novel with only Yuko and Nishi knowing, and Hinata in the ball boy arc and Brazil arc. They work hard, but realistically go through periods of doubt.

Here I noticed even more parallels between Shizuku and Hinata: Shizuku ends up skipping dinner, staying up late, and letting her grades slip while she works on her novel. Hinata has a history of not taking the best care of his body -- he practices all the time and needs to be reminded to take a break. He doesn’t start fully paying attention to the food that he’s nourishing himself with until he’s denied food at the Miyagi select rookie training camp. And he has a bad habit of not changing out of sweaty clothing and not wearing a jacket when he should, which leads to -- you know.

They feel discouraged and alone and end up thinking about Seiji and Kageyama’s hard work.

But they learn the importance of balance and self-care and soon feel okay again with wonderful scenes where a mentor figure brings them food to comfort them.

Most of Whisper of the Heart and Haikyuu!! are told from Shizuku’s and Hinata’s perspectives. However, the inspiration taken from Seiji and Kageyama does not go unreciprocated. In fact, even before they met, it’s like Seiji and Kageyama had been waiting for Shizuku and Hinata. Kageyama’s grandfather tells him at a young age that if he gets really good, someone even better will come find him. And it’s not until he gets to high school that Hinata tells him, “I’m here!”. It’s not until 6 years after that that Hinata is able to match/surpass his skill level and they have their fateful rematch to decide who will stay on the court the longest. Seiji hopes Shizuku will notice him a long time before they properly meet, and he waits right by Shizuku’s window right when he returns from Italy. They work hard because of Shizuku and Hinata, too. It’s almost like fate brought them together and keeps them together even when they’re apart.

For as long as they have known each other, these relationships have made them want to work hard in their respective crafts and really think about how to best nurture their growth -- whether the reasons are to become the best of the best, to beat the other at the world stage, to prove their worth in something they choose to pursue, or to follow their aspirations to the other side of the world

until finally,

they meet each other again

after a period of being apart,

ceaselessly waiting for each other and inspiring each other

and becoming better people because of it.

[ssatoritendou]

Backup | ii.

Backup | i.

Pairing: Bokuto/reader Atsumu /reader

Miya Atsumu, Bokuto Koutarou

Word count: 5k 

+ summary: (time skip) You have a one-sided crush on your close friend, best friend Bokuto Koutarou however you’re are being strung along after he suffers heartbreak after heartbreak with his loving heart. Atsumu is both of your friends and sees the clear problems with the situation so he plans to help you to get over Bokuto.

Genre: angst fluff

Warning: vulgar language, 18+ scenarios

It had been 1 month since you and Atsumu have been dating. It was still new and the two of you were still testing waters. 

He made sure to keep you comfortable in public and front of your friends.

As soon as you two started dating that fleeting crush on Bokuto was gone. Atsumu filled your heart with new things every day. Looking at him, being with him brought you excitement. 

Soon Bokuto was watching the two of you closely when you were around them. You understand what Atsumu said about his body language around you. He was jealous of your boyfriend. You still wanted to be friends with him but just friends. Even when his girlfriend was around he was watching the two of you like a hawk. But you wouldn’t let his jealously or his crush on you inferiority with your relationship with Atsumu. 

“Hey, Babe! You home?” Atsumu called from your front door.

You came running from your room to the door and hopped into his arms. 

“Hi, Baby!” You squealed and kissed his cheek. “How was your day?”

“Hard. I went running this morning, met Sakusa at the gym for about 4 hours. Then we had practice from 4-8. But all of it is worth it if I get to cuddle with you all night.” 

He snuggles into you. “I can’t believe you are letting me touch you after I was sweating all day.”

You shrugged. “Doesn’t matter to me.” 

“I’m going to shower. I think I left some clothes here.”

You snorted. Left some? He leaves his old clothes here all the time. You started washing his clothes and put them in a drawer in your dresser. 

“Ok. Your clothes are in the top left drawer of my dresser. Before you go in what do you want to do for dinner?”

“Let’s order in tonight. Teriyaki chicken and vegetables.”

“Ok, I’ll call.” 

Atsumu went into your room after taking a long shower. He went to the drawer you said expecting to just find a shirt and sweatpants on top of your stuff. But he found a drawer full of his clothes. 

He laughed to himself. He came out dressed leaning on the doorframe watching you look at your sketchbook and tablet, reading over paperwork on the couch.  

He loved that you loved your job just as passionately as he loved volleyball. He moved from the doorframe to behind you on the couch his head falling into your neck. 

“Hi.” 

“How do you feel Sweetie?” You asked. 

“Much better. Nice to know I have a drawer here.” You felt him smile against your skin. “How is your work going?”

“Very well. In 2 weeks the first chapter will be out in Jump. But we are working on this arc for about 5 months. Chapters will come out weekly. But the planning process for this arc has been finished. We draw them out and we hand them in next week. And then we start the next arc and plan that out.”

“Sounds hard. But I know you can do it.”

“Yeah, I’m almost done with my share of the work.” 

He hummed against you, your body vibrating with him. He was clinging to you like a baby animal. 

Your buzzer rang for the food. “Atsumu I have to get up.” 

“Nah you stay.” He unraveled himself from you and buzzed in the food delivery. 

You removed yourself from work and moved to the counter. Atsumu was setting up the food and making your plate. 

“So I have an away game in 2 weeks on the weekend. We are playing against the Alders.”

“Is that Kageyama’s team?”

“Yeah and Ushijima.” He took a bite out of his food. “Would you like to come to the game? Samu and Akaashi are coming.”

“It’s a weekend game, right? You would be staying at a hotel?”

“Yeah. I was going to talk to the coach to see if we could share a room.”

“If it’s ok with your coach then I would love to come and watch you play. Especially if you are playing against Kageyama. I want to see his face when you do your quick attack with Hinata.” 

He laughed. “I’m sure coach will be ok with it he said yes to Bokuto.” 

You hummed never thinking about the owl. You hadn’t really spoken to him in weeks. You were so busy working and the free time you did have you were with Atsumu. 

You felt a little guilty you didn’t want to become one of those girls that were consumed by her boyfriend. Did this make you a bad friend?

It was the day before your jump chapters were being released. Atsumu was working really hard all week for his competition this weekend. You decided to treat yourself to homemade onigiri. 

“Hey, Osamu!” You cheered at the younger twin. 

“___, what are you doing here?” 

“I have a day off and I was craving your famous onigiri.” You sat at the counter. “I’m glad you aren’t coming to me because Atsumu did something bad.” 

“Trust me if Atsumu did something bad you would have to find his body.” 

The two of you laughed. 

Atsumu took you to meet his brother the second week of your dating. You saw similarities in their looks almost. But to you Atsumu was more handsome, overall he was more to you. You saw the competitive and trash talk they served each other. Osamu was way better. Atsumu was better at throwing hands. 

“Atsumu told me a series for the jump of yours comes out tomorrow. Are you nervous?”

“A little. I just hope it succeeds well. Usually, I fill in for another artist when they are on break or on maternity leave. But this is a full-time project that I get to be apart of.” You were blushing thinking about it. It wasn’t something you told Atsumu. “Can you not tell Atsumu that? I haven’t told him that detail.” 

“Why not?” He asked making you the onigiri that you liked. 

“I just know that he would blow it out of proportion during his weekend. He’s been training really hard to go up against Kageyama. You know how he feels about him.” 

“Do I ever. He would watch Karasuno games and just stare and make comments saying we could do those moves. But we couldn’t.” 

“But you guys can do that switch up to move. That is pretty amazing. He says he been working on that with Sakusa. You are going to come to the game right?”

“Yeah, I said I would be there. Atsumu said he wanted me to watch him beat Kageyama. They are friends off the court but when it comes to the court he is so competitive with him.” 

“My friend Akaashi is going to be there too.” 

“Akaashi from Fukurodani?” 

“Yeah. He doesn’t play anymore though he works as an editor at Jump with me.” You were happy to be hear that Osamu was going to be there. You were nervous to sit on the bleachers with Bokuto’s girlfriend by yourself. Since Akaashi was coming you were sure Bokuto was going to force her on him so you wouldn’t get to be with him. Osamu would be your bleacher buddy hopefully. 

“You seem eager to want me there?” 

“Bokuto who is a close friend of mine. He is dating someone new and I haven’t really spent alone time with her. He basically doesn’t let me spend any time with his new girlfriends. And when I do they always act so hostile.” 

“You have me don’t worry. I’ll even teach you about volleyball terms if you want.” 

“Yeah, that would be cool Osamu.” 

You and Atsumu arrived to the bus after you finished your dinner date. You would be driving at night and arriving late at night. 

“Atsumu what are you getting from the trunk of your car?” You said getting your bags from the back seat. 

“Just a gift for everyone and then I have a special gift for you.” He called from the back of the car. He had a bag in one hand and a box in another. “The box is for you. Open it up in the bus.” 

You looked at him suspiciously. “You are acting weird. But I’m going to assume everything is fine. And you aren’t going to be theatrical.” 

“I’m never theatrical!” He shouted. “Just very open about my emotions.” 

You hummed. “Come let's board the bus before they leave without us.”

You brought the bags to the coach underneath the bus. Atsumu was waiting patiently to lead you onto the bus. 

“Wait, kids.” The coach called you over to him. “I had this conversation with Bokuto and his girlfriend. Though I am letting you on the trip ___ I want to make it very clear that is to be no funny business in your room.” 

“Oh, the coach we haven’t um.” “We only just started dating.” You both stumble on your words together. 

“I’m sorry kids but I had to make that rule. Your excused.” 

The two of you were walking to the bus door both with red faces. “Atsumu…” 

“___ it doesn’t bother me. We haven’t reached that level of intimacy. I can wait.” He kissed the side of your face.  “Come on we have to go on the bus. Got a surprise for everyone.” 

Atsumu held your hand and brought you on the bus. “Listen up everyone!” He shouted at his teammates. 

“What’s up Tsumu-Tsumu?” Bokuto said. “And ___? I didn’t know you were coming to the game this weekend.” 

“Oh, I thought Atsumu told everyone.” You eyed Atsumu. 

“I did. 2 weeks ago when the coach told us. But that is not what this is about. Today ___’s first official full-time manga series she will be a permanent team member on. And I bought everyone a copy.” 

“Atsumu!” You hit his arm and shouted at him. “You didn’t have to do that.” 

“Uh yeah, I did. Everyone pass around the bag. Sakusa you will start because I know how you feel about dead skin cells.” Atsumu handed the neat freak the bag. “Page 247,” Atsumu said. “M’lady.” He leads you to the back of the bus. 

You sat down with the box on your lap. “Atsumu you couldn’t give it to them earlier.” You were a mess face in your hands. “I’m so embarrassed.”

“I know but I want you to be proud of your work. I know this is the first project that you get to be permanently on. I wish you would have told me that. I would have had a party or something.” 

“Again here we go with the theatrics.”

“All I’m saying is yes I would’ve liked to be that as it may I got you this gift instead.” He tapped the box. “Why don’t you open it?” 

You peaked from your hands and looked at him grinning like the sly fox he was. You removed the ribbon and bow from the box abs lifted the lid to see... “Your Jackels jacket?”

“Correction this is your jacket. It’s a spare of mine. I thought you would like it. And you could wear it to the game tomorrow.” 

He was sweet. Why did he always have to be this sweet? 

“Thank you Atsumu.” You kissed the side of his cheek. “I love it very much. I love-” you caught yourself before you said it. “I love it a lot.” You said hoping to cover it up, he noticed though. 

“Let’s watch a movie on the way there.” He said pulling out his iPad and headphones. 

“Sure.” You agreed. 

The two of you sat in silence on the way to the hotel watching a movie. 

It’s not like you didn’t want to say it. You didn’t want to say it here in front of everyone. You didn’t want them to say something about you expressing your love for Atsumu for the first time. It would spoil it between you. Another thing was that you weren’t sure if Atsumu would say it back. You didn’t want to pressure him into saying it if he didn’t mean it. Or if he even knew if he felt that way about you. You wanted that moment to be private and special to you. You didn’t want to get hurt or made fun of because of your feelings. 

You know that feeling all too well and it was suffocating. Words and sobs getting stuck in your chest bad. Not knowing when to breathe. Worst of all someone on this bus has caused that feeling over and over. You didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of seeing you like that.

Your coach gave you your room keys. You were all on the same floor. You were leaning on Atsumu to stay standing up. 

Atsumu sat you down on a suitcase and wheeled you to your shared room. 

You rubbed your eyes and changed from the clothes you were wearing to pajamas. You got into bed. Soon Atsumu joined you being the big spoon. 

With the lights off and one thing on your mind, you said what needed to be said. “Atsumu on the bus I wanted to say something. But I didn’t want to say it there.”

“Which was?”

“I love you. I do love you. I didn’t want to say it there because I wanted it to be a private moment for us. I didn’t want you to be embarrassed in front of our friends. I also didn’t want to pressure you into saying it back.” You felt yourself heating up and sweat a little. “I love you and everything you do and have done for me.” 

He exhaled hard. He rolled you flat on the bed with himself hovering over you. 

“Hey ___?”

You couldn’t speak you just nodded your head. 

“I love you too.” He leaned down and started to kiss you heavily. 

This lead to a pretty heavy make-out session between you two. By the time the two of you pulled away from each other, he had left hickies all over your neck. 

“I might have left hickies all over you.” 

“Mmmm. I should be mad at you expect well you have a few on your neck.” You laughed. He hummed against you. “I’m going to get some water.” You said getting up from the bed. 

“Hurry back. I want cuddles.” He whined.  

How can someone be so whiney like a baby after making out the way you just did. 

You went down the vending machines to get a water to see Bokuto standing there getting a bunch of snacks. 

“Hey, Bo.” You said. 

“Hey, whatcha doing?”

“Getting Tsumu and I water. We are a little bit thirsty.” You chuckled. 

Bokuto was looking you up and down, you were wearing a long shirt with shorts. “I thought coach said no funny business.” He said in a low tone almost pissed. 

“We were just making out and now we are going cuddle.” You smiled happily. 

“___ I want you, to be honest, are you happy? Is he good to you?”

“Yes, Bokuto. Atsumu treats me well. He makes me happy. I love h-him.” You blushed to look at the machine. You bent down and got the waters. “I’m going back to our room. Goodnight Bo hope you do well at the game tomorrow.” 

“Akaashi!” You and Bokuto yelled at the same time. Running towards the male. 

“Who’s Akaashi?” Bokuto’s girlfriend asked. 

“He’s Bokuto’s best friend. And __’s. He is the brain, Bokuto the brawn and ___ the beauty.” Atsumu saying swooning over you. 

“Stop starring at her like she is beef hanging in the window,” Sakusa said looking at him in disgust. “It’s enough you practically branded her with your mouth and your filthily germs.” That sent chills down the germaphobes back. 

Atsumu rolled his eyes. “You think she is a sweet innocent angel when she did the exact same thing,” Atsumu argued. 

“Yeah I know that is also vile. But she tricked by her love for you so she can be excused you on the hand are vile.”

Atsumu groaned and walked away towards the gym. That’s when he noticed his twin brother Osamu walking up next to Akaashi. He noticed how you hugged his brother. He hates to say it but he felt a tinge of jealously. He always felt that way when it came to his. Brother when outsiders were viewing in they always compared the two. Forgot who was who. That is why they changed their hair color so as not to get confused. But still, people forgot. 

However, when he shared his worries that you would find Osamu more attractive or better than him you eased his mind by getting all flustered saying how you felt that Atsumu was the better brother in your eyes. He still remembers your pink cheeks and how you were fidgeting not even looking him in the eyes.  He thought it was so cute. 

“Atsumu!”  Osamu yelled to his brother to come over. 

Atsumu jogged his way over to you and him. He pulled you away from his brother. Hugging you tight to his body, head in your shoulder.

“You called brother?” He said kissing your cheek. 

“Yeah, I did. Why did you brand ___?” Osamu said pointing to your neck. 

Atsumu rolled his eyes at him using the same phrasing as Omi.

You turned around and stuffed your face into his chest. “I don’t see the problem with it. She is my girl.” Atsumu was smiling proudly. “Besides my pretty girl did the same to me.” He unzipped the top of his jacket to show off the hickies. 

They weren’t as deep a shade of red as yours were. 

“You didn’t need to brand her.” Osamu pulled you from his brother's arms. 

Atsumu pulled you back. “We’re in love.”

“Do you two mind not tearing me in half. I’m not a toy.” 

Osamu let go of you and Atsumu pulled you close to him. “Sorry baby.” Sticking his tongue to his brother. Atsumu turned his head towards the team his coach calling him over. “I gotta go guys. Love you.” He kissed you goodbye jogging to the team.   

“Are you sure you are ok? Your neck is bruised a lot.” 

Your face grew red. “Shut it Samu!”

It was already the second set, halfway through. Alders took the first set. Right now it was 19-20 Jackels. 

Right now Atsumu was intensely focused and sweating profusely. 

God when he was like this you couldn’t look away from the game. 

His love for volleyball was hot. 

Akaashi was sitting next to you and Osamu was on your other side. They were talking two each other about the game. 

“Omi said he, Bo, and Atsumu have nearly perfected them setting to Atsumu. Atsumu has been working on his spiking. It almost scary.” You added not even looking at them.

“What are the chances of them doing it?” 

“I love Bo but if Atsumu had to choose he would choose Omi. They have a bond.”

“She is right. In high school, Sakusa called him a parasitic leech of a friend. In the sense that Atsumu was always around at his side and he was afraid he was going to catch a disease from him.” 

Akaashi took this information in. “Why do say no to Bokuto.” 

You knew why he wouldn’t toss him the ball. Atsumu was mad at Bokuto. At practice Atsumu could put it aside, most of the time Atsumu put his problem with Bokuto aside. But when he was this focused he couldn’t ignore who he knew he could trust and who he couldn’t.

“Maybe he just trusts Omi more.” You said quickly looking at Akaashi. 

Akaashi could see you were lying. 

And you were. Atsumu was mad at the way Bokuto was treating you. He was mad that you put effort into your friendship. He was mad that when you were with Atsumu and Bokuto would stare at you and make faces whenever you touched Atsumu. 

20-21 Adlers. 

“Shit Kageyama is up to serve again.” You said. 

“He serves like Oikawa. We are so screwed.” Akaashi agreed.

“Waka told me that he trained with Iwaizumi.” 

“You know Ushijima?” You asked. 

“He eats too. All the Alders do.” 

Kageyama served the ball. You watch it come up and he hit it with such force. It hit the gym floor just as fast.

22-20.

“come on guys.” You said under your breath. 

Kageyama did the served again. Shion went for the ball he was able to get it up. Atsumu was nowhere near where he set the ball but Sakusa was. They were going to do it. You could tell by Sakusa was looking at Atsumu. 

You felt yourself get excited standing up taller to see them do it. 

Sakusa set the ball towards Atsumu. He smashed it down over the net. 

They did it. You jumped up and down. Sakusa and Atsumu high fived. 

Sadly with valiant efforts trying to tie the matches, the Alders pulled through and won. 

As soon as the game was over you went to Atsumu. You hugged him. “You played well. You played the best you could against a hard team. I’m proud of you.” 

You knew how he gets after a game. Wanting to do better a lot better thinking he wasn’t enough for his team. 

He hugged you back and patted the back of your head. 

He whispered in your ear. “I love you and thank you.”

You had your eyes softly closed during your hug. You let go and opened your eyes noticing Bokuto starring at you. 

He quickly looked away focusing on drinking his water his cheeks burning red. 

Atsumu pulled you away from what you noticed by saying, “I think we are going to go to a bar/ arcade with the Alders. Shoyo told us he was talking with Kageyama to do it after the game no matter who won.” 

“That sounds fun. We are gonna clean upright?” 

“Yes. I can’t go out looking like this.” 

You laughed at him. “Come on pretty boy.” 

“Atsumu are you finished getting ready? Bokuto asked me to meet him in the lobby.” 

“Uh, I still have to do my hair. You can go I’ll be there in 5 minutes.” 

“Ok.” 

You walked down the hallway to the lobby. Bokuto was sitting on a bench drinking a coke. His hair was gelled up.  

“Hey, Bo. I didn’t get to tell you this today but you played well today.” 

“I and ___ broke up.”

“Oh, Bo I’m sorry. That was cruel of her to do after you lost today. Did she say why?” 

Bokuto looked at you. Usually, after he told you he broke up with someone you would be holding him and rubbing his head tell him it would be ok. But now you weren’t even touching him. 

He pouted. “I don’t want to talk about it.” 

“Ok, Bo. But don’t let this get you down tonight we are going to have fun.” You smiled at him. 

Atsumu and the rest of the team came out soon. You were at the bar. Atsumu took you to play some games. 

“Why did Bokuto asked you to come out early?”

“Apparently he and ____ broke up. I didn’t console him like I usually do.” 

“Aww, I’m proud of you baby.” 

“Atsumu I also didn’t console him because I don’t want him to think that I can ever be his. I only want to be yours.” 

“And I only want to be yours.” He said he threw a ball into 10 points. “Gonna win you all that big bear over there.”

“Oh, you better because why what type of boyfriend would you be if you didn’t?” 

“A bad one.” He laughed. 

“I’m gonna get drinks what do you want?” 

“Coke tonight not in the mood to drink.” 

You nodded you went to the bar to order drinks. You noticed Kageyama and Hinata competing at a car racing game. 

Waka, Omi, and Osamu were at the bar talking. 

 Bokuto and Akaashi were playing a shooter game 

“I don’t get it Akaashi, she didn’t comfort me as she used to.”

“Bokuto, it’s not her job to make you feel better after every single break up.”

“This was different. ____ broke up with me because of ___. She said she saw the way I looked at her, the way I talked about her. She said it’s not unfair to her that she has to be second to her.”

“Ironic,” Akaashi stated. 

“What does that mean?”

“Oh come on you can’t be that thick.” Bokuto still questioned what he was talking about. “___ has liked you from the moment she met you. But like a routine, you have a new girlfriend and then they break up with you. She comforts you you get her hopes upstart to spend time with her again. Make her feel important and just like that” Akaashi snapped his fingers. “new girlfriend. ___ gets pushed aside. You were saving her for when you got bored of that routine. That wasn’t fair to her it wasn’t healthy for her to wait for you to choose her. She was tired of being put second. Miya asked her out and she happy Bokuto. So happy. It’s nice seeing her like that.”

“Do you really think I put her second?”

“You do it to everyone. It doesn’t t bother me. Did you even know about the first official manga she gets to be apart of?”

He was silent. He felt guilty. He felt like he didn’t know you. What else have you been keeping from him? 

He saw you waiting at the bar for your drinks he needed to talk to you. He stopped his game dropping his gun walking up to you. Akaashi realizes what he did but now there was no way to calm down the irrational owl. 

“___ can we talk?” 

“Sure Bo.” 

“Ok come with me.” He leads you outside of the bar. “Did you have a crush on me?”

“Uh....yeah I did for a time being. It was pretty obvious.” You said looking down moving rocks with your foot. “Why are you asking Bokuto?”

“I like you too.”

“I know you do. But you can’t say that now. I don’t feel that way anymore. It took time but Atsumu helped me.” You smiled at the thought of the bottle blonde. “You put me second a lot and you expected me to pick up your shatter the heart. I was your second girlfriend but without being your girlfriend that shattered my heart. It made me hard for me to breathe around you.”

“___ I didn’t know.”

“I know you didn’t. I soon realized you didn’t. But I couldn’t wait for you. It wasn’t fair to me I needed to live.”

“___ would you-”

“No Bokuto. You might think Atsumu is my rebound for you and I would drop him in a second, he isn’t. I love him so much. He makes me feel like I’m the only person in the room. He puts my needs before his. He knows that I care about him without me even having to say it. He respects me. I love him.” You started looking at him. “I know for a fact that he would never hurt me. Because you have hurt me. I need you to know I want to still be friends with you but you and I need space you need to figure out a way to get over your feelings for me.” 

You walked over to Bokuto and hugged him. “You mean a lot to me Bokuto. It would be hard for me not to have you in my life. But Atsumu means more to me because I love him love him.”

You had tears in your eyes and walked back to the door and saw Atsumu standing there. He wasn’t looking at you instead he was starring down Bokuto. He wanted him to know that you were his and he couldn’t get between the two of you.

He put his hand out for you to take and he brought you back inside. The door closed behind you. 

“How much did you hear?”

“Enough. I’m going to make his life a living hell at practice. But not too much. If he can be just your friend I would be fine with that. I love you so much and I shouldn’t say thank you for choosing me over him.”

“I’m sorry he even tried to ask. I love you and only you.” 

He leaned down and you wrapped your arms around his neck. You had a passion for him. A loving kiss. 

Bokuto watched from outside. Atsumu did make you happy he should forget his feelings for you because his friendship with you meant more than this. 

2 months have blown by you were at practice with the boys. Bokuto and you had a more civil talk 2 weeks ago. He said the time away from you had put your friendship into perspective. He realized when he was dating someone you were on the back burner. He didn’t talk to you. He realized he needed in his life to helping him from making really dumb decisions. But he realized if you were really happy with Atsumu and he noticed when he thought about the times you were together and you were with him you had this big smile that only Atsumu could make you that happy. He said maybe he got caught up in this fantasy with you. But he said he has moved on. You as a friend were more important than whatever fantasy. 

You were thankful that he was understanding and that he put the friendship first. 

You could gladly say that you didn’t like Bokuto anymore. You were completely consumed with love with Atsumu. 

“Hey, Hey! Atsumu, ___ let’s get sushi and then play Mario cart at your place.”

“Yeah let’s do it.” You said excitedly. 

“You two better prepared to be in the last place.” Atsumu jeered. 

“Uh Huh yeah who was crying last night when I came in 1st 3 times.” You said throwing it in his face. 

The 3 of you laughed really hard and walked to your apartment together. 

[mira--mira]

One obvious for the ask game. The main protagonist; Naruto Uzumaki and Izuku Midoriya.

@shiryusamarkanda it’s so nice to hear from you again! <3 

I totally didn’t forget to post this and had it fully finished in my drafts for days...totally. 

Naruto

What I love about them:

Naruto's a bratty kid who’s not afraid to speak up and challenge something he thinks is "wrong". This, of course, is part 1 Naruto. I actually like when he's a bit insensitive without being explicitly malicious bc its very fitting for his background/how he grew up but also gives him a clear path forward as he learns how to work as a team/starts to grow. It wasn’t exactly a smart move, but I really liked how he continued to challenge Zabuza in the Wave Arc saying “he’s still my enemy” after Kakashi told him to back off. This is all good and strong characterization that, to me, was more often endearing than it wasn’t. Naruto had goals and a purpose and in early Naruto that was still clear.

What I hate about them:

Part 2 (Shippuden) Naruto. There’s a lot that goes into this but the core deviation is getting away from the underdog story. In Shippuden Naruto is the son of the 4th, the Child of Prophecy, a reincarnation of the Sage of Six Path’s kid, makes friends with Kurama, and has the most OP power of the them all: Talk no Jutsu. What makes all of this even worse is Naruto went from a loveable bratty kid to an insufferable messiah figure. To be “perfect” his natural personality is shorn down until he’s only allowed occasional “stupid” mistakes rather than mistakes that emerge from his characterization. This also makes his ideological “wins” with villains...completely meaningless. Shippuden Naruto doesn’t really...have beliefs. He wants to be hokage and bring Sasuke back to the village. “Being hokage” was fine as a kid but I expected the progression into shippuden to be “what kind of hokage do I want to be?” This seemed natural bc we get in the Wave arc Naruto pushing against “what a shinobi is supposed to be: a tool” from Haku and declaring he’d make his own ninja way. Flashforward to the chunin arcs: hates Orochimaru for messing with Sasuke (esp when he eventually leaves to join him) and Neji for treating Hinata the way he did until he learned more about the Hyuga before declaring it wasn’t fair and you had to fight against fate and destiny. Tsunade’s arc was more about reemphasizing the village was something worth protecting and the Sasuke retrieval arc, while focused on Sasuke, at least kept up this theme. But these moments of growth are only alluded to in shippuden and by the time the war arc and ending come around...nothing changes. Naruto didn’t upset the status quo, he only maintained it. And once that ending was established it was a lot easier to go back and pick out exactly when his characterization started to fall through and the weird messiah figure took over instead. Part of this, imo, is the focus of his ultimate goal being “bring Sasuke back to the village” rather than understand what Sasuke is doing/why he’s doing it and then deciding to help him or stop him. 

Favorite Moment/Quote:

“You’re cute when you’re chubby” [in reference to the frog purse] 

I really love the quiet moments Naruto has and watching him live out his daily life. The frog purse is absolutely adorable and I love seeing it crop up time and time again. A close second is when Gai kicks Jiraiya in the face and, a short time later, offers Naruto the green tracksuit which he’s appreciative of. 

What I would like to see more focus on:

In Part 2 Naruto having a long-term goal alongside bringing Sasuke back to the village or trying to seriously think about why Sasuke does what he does and how that would potentially affect the plot. If I could go back to the very start, keeping the actual heart and intent of an underdog ninja story rather than everything turning into superpowered mecha/kaiju battles and aliens from space this is the big point that I’d want to address. In general, I really like fics that focus on training and give him a range of jutsu besides spamming shadow clones and rasengan variants. I’ve said this before, but if Naruto really wants to keep the “number 1 unpredictable ninja” moniker, learning a variety of small, diverse jutsu and using them in interesting/creative ways would be the way to go rather than spamming the aforementioned two. I also really like fics that buckle down and just go ham and create their own variety of jutsu, especially if it’s small practical jutsu rather than the latest and greatest OP Power #839281 kind of jutsu. 

What I would like to see less focus on:

The messiah figure. Talk no Jutsu. The obsession with having a morally pure hero in a world that routinely employed child soldiers and put them in war. I understand Naruto was a shonen manga first and foremost but like...this was the setting/world Kishimoto decided on having. However, I will say some fics take it to far on the other extreme for my taste, creating a edgy nihilistic Naruto that hates everyone and everything. 

Favorite pairing with:

Uhh...I don’t actually have a strong feeling for this one LOL. The most I’ve read has been SasuNaru (Sasuke x Naruto) because I’ve found really interesting set-ups. I like the ship and it does have a decent amount of backing in canon but it’s the little moments (or my ability to see possible little moments) that really make or break a ship for me. SasuNaru is all Big Declarations and I struggle to see how they’d actually settle down post Shippuden time into something sustainable. My favorite iterations of the ship is focused when they’re genin age and have a better relationship...but then I recognize that this is getting closer and closer to Hashimada. The other big things I run into with shipping Naruto with Sasuke is 1. Sasuke needs a shit ton of therapy/willingness to process his family related trauma and 2. Naruto needs a good support network/family outside of a romantic partner because it personally makes me uncomfortable to read ‘you’re my one and only’ (here being: I have no other friends, family, loved ones outside of you). It’s a ship that can work but it’s not my personal OTP.  

Favorite friendship:

Canon/OoT - Naruto & Sakura

I do have a softspot for fics where Naruto realizes his crush on Sakura is actually a desire to have friends/someone to care about him and then they do become close. In canon Sasuke was clearly the favorite of Kakashi (if chunin arc is kept the same/similar and he takes him away for the month to train) I really like Naruto and Sakura sticking together and trying to help each other. They’re both loud and can wind each other up but Naruto can help Sakura relax a bit from her rigid view of herself and she can help keep him on track/encourage him. 

NOTP:

Again, no real strong opinions here. Probably harems? I remember seeing a lot of those a couple years ago and I fundamentally dislike the harem so it will never be ‘done well’ to my personal taste. 

Favorite headcanon:

Naruto is smart, he just needs things to be explained in a way he can understand. 

I’m not a fan of ‘he’s the smartest person in the entire world’ trope but Naruto is creative, he created the oiroke jutsu before he graduated to genin and has a lot of stubborn determination. He’s just really bad at typical ‘book learning’ and traditional testing and he’s not a genius/prodigy like Sasuke or Neji.

.

.

Read line for BNHA manga spoilers

Izuku

What I love about them:

He’s such a smart kid and while he’s unsure/insecure about himself he still does his best. Honestly the premise of BNHA is amazing and I was so excited to watch this little quirky (heh) boy do his best and outthink heroes, utilizing his intelligence and knowledge of quirks. I really love early Izuku and how he has to approach situations from a different angle bc he grew up quirkless/can’t properly handle OFA. The sports festival arc remains one of my personal favorites and really showed his ingenuity. I also really love that Izuku is openly emotional, he cries, he gets super happy about things, he’s angry, he’s sad, etc.  

What I hate about them:

Why do stories insist on calling themselves “underdogs” when for a majority of the time, they’re not? Or not as much as they would be from the original premise? Look, TDP came about exactly bc BNHA was billed as ‘quirkless boy becomes number 1 hero’ it changed rapidly into ‘Izuku gets the strongest quirk but can’t control it’ and while I was...disappointed with that, it happened so quickly I wasn’t really upset. Fast forward to apparently OFA has...what seven(?) quirks inside it and I just...it’s frustrating. Even more the longer we go the more Izuku strays away from a character that is forced to use his intelligence and creatively outthink his opponents and instead becomes...I just have to hit him harder! The Muscular fight already inched towards this but the Overhaul fight just felt like Super Shonen Smack-down 728329. Which, isn’t an inherent problem, it just doesn’t match up to the expectations I had about BNHA I had at the start and how I hoped the series would go. For a character trait that I hate: Izuku is stupidly self-sacrificing. It makes sense with his character but he shoots beyond what is safe and reasonable and I wish there would be more internal emphasis on the question “is it better to save one person today if it meant I couldn’t save ten people tomorrow?” I think he’d choose the former or forsake the question altogether (we touched briefly on this during the overhaul arc with Eri) but I think it’s a serious question needs to be touched on (or I just need to go back and rewatch things again LOL) 

Favorite Moment/Quote:

See entire sports festival arc. I don’t really have a favorite moment because I love the entire arc and we get so much out of it. 

What I would like to see more focus on:

Quirkless Izuku. There’s already a lot of fics, but I really do love them. It deviates a bit, but I do like the creativity of giving Izuku his own unique quirk and then exploring what he can do with that/how it changes canon. Really I want Izuku to keep his original characterization and not trade his smarts for more punching power or deus ex machinas for quirks hidden inside of OFA. If OFA!Izuku is kept, I like story ideas where he still has to rely on means outside of his quirk. Preferably this is isn’t because he injuries himself so much, but I like toying with the idea that Izuku never gets OFA to All Might’s level so he really does have to make the quirk his own and still rely heavily on his intelligence and quirk journals to become the number 1. 

What I would like to see less focus on:

Quirks hidden inside OFA. Strength should have been enough, it was already billed as the most powerful quirk of all. I know this is a common theme for shonen stories, and I don’t mean to harp specifically on Izuku, but again the premise of BNHA was an underdog story. 

Favorite pairing with:

Tododeku (Todoroki Shouto x Midoriya Izuku) 

Friends to lover and battle couples lads, I am weak to them. I like the contrast between their personalities as well as origins (Shouto being the number 2′s (now 1) kid and Izuku from a quiet civilian background). At the end of the sports festival arc both of them are extremely well characterized and it’s easy for me to imagine how their relationship progresses from there and how they can support each other and help each other grow. It’s a very sweet and wholesome ship the way I write and read it and it’s v cute.

Favorite friendship:

Canon- Midoriya Izuku & Uraraka Ochaco & Iida Tenya

I really like the core trio and think their interactions are really sweet. They balance each other out well and their friendship was immediately believable to me. I also like later when Tsuyu and Shouto start to get included in the group and out of the “main” core friends I’m endlessly entertained whenever Izuku and Tokoyami interact with one another. (This is also because I love my bird son, but you know.)

TDP - Midoriya Izuku & Ashido Mina or Midoriya Izuku & Hatsume Mei

Really, I love all of TDP’s kiddos interactions. Their chemistry is one of my favorite things about the fic and all the villain school kiddos meshed really well and had hilarious interactions. Mina and Mei are my faves but just barely. Mina came out of left field for the fic but she plays a similar role that Ochaco does in canon as a usual source of positivity (but unlike Ochaco with additional chaos). She’s Izuku’s first real friend even before starting HIVVE and wouldn’t hesitate to call Izuku her cousin as she views him as family. In return, Mina’s someone Izuku can completely count and depend on if necessary. Mei is...Mei. Izuku is her best “useful customer” and it’s actually terrifying how similar their thoughts are, just Mei has an (un)healthy dose of Hazmat’s insanity and her own business acumen added into the mix. They have slightly different fields of interest but are intellectual equals that work well together and that’s something new to both of them.

NOTP:

Bakudeku (Bakugo Katsuki x Midoriya Izuku)

It’s unhealthy. Unless it’s an AU that changes what the start of their relationship is like, Bakugo and Izuku will always have a toxic friendship to me and I can’t ever see them in a healthy relationship. Both of them have a lot to learn and I am of the opinion that Bakugo should get the opportunity to grow and become a good person and leave behind his past as a bully. However, I’m also of the opinion that no matter how good of a person a bully becomes their victim is never required to absolve them of past wrongdoings. Izuku and Bakugo were friends once, their relationship turned toxic, and now it’s in the interest of both of them to grow apart from one another. I even hesitate to really say they’ll be friends again because the early characterization of their relationship was so imbalanced to me, but for the right author and the right work I may see them being on good terms. It’s still a romantic relationship that I dislike. 

Favorite headcanon:

Crack headcanon? Izuku does have a natural quirk, the force of his tears is clearly superpowered 😂 Regular headcanon, (that is canon in TDP and kindaaa in regular canon(?)) when Izuku gets really engrossed in a super stressful fight he focuses on what will work rather than what is moral. It has...mixed results. 

.

For the ask game. 

[vannahfanfics]

Rainshowers

Category: Romantic Fluff

Fandom: Naruto

Characters: Sakura Haruno, Shikamaru Nara

Good day, everyone! Here’s my story for ShikaSaku Week Hanami’s Day Six prompt, “Like Air in My Lungs (I Need You).” Enjoy!

“Ino. Have you ever loved someone so much that it hurts?”

Sakura’s eyes were lidded as she gazed forlornly out of the café window. Her hand was curled around a cup of black tea that was long since cold, over half full of the dark brew. The rain was pounding against the glass beside her; the glass looked as if it were frosted with the pumping streams that were cascading down the smooth, clear surface like a steady waterfall. For the thousandth time that morning, she sighed deeply and looked out the corners of her eyes at her friend, lips pursed in a self-pitiful pout.

“Sakura.” The click in her tongue indicated that she was in for a chiding. She closed her blue eyes as she set down her cup of green tea with a shake of her head. “Shikamaru has been broken up with Temari for three weeks now! Why are you here moping to me when you could be making your move?” Sakura groaned loudly and slammed her forehead down onto the table, making the cups rattle and silverware jump.

“It’s too soon! Shouldn’t I wait at least a month?”

“Girl! You waited six months before he even started dating her! It’s not like they were together for a super long time; they went on three dates,” the blonde scolded her critically. Sakura groaned into the finished wood of the small café table. “Hey. Look at me, will ya?” Obediently, Sakura lifted her head to peer at her with big green eyes; Ino was leaning her cheek in her hand and smiling sympathetically. “I know how hard it is for you to reconcile with your feelings after the whole Sasuke thing petered out, but if you never take any risks, Sakura, you’re gonna live your life full of regret.” Ugh. I hate it when she’s right, the kunoichi thought with a dour pout as she sat herself up and ran a hand over her wearied face.

“I know,” she grumbled in agreement. She turned to glance out of the window once more. The wind whisked up the rain to all but throw it against the glass in furious pitter-patters. The perfect parallel to her tumultuous mood. I just… Don’t want to ruin the status quo, she continued silently as her eyes drifted halfway shut. The rain continued to pour.

~~~~~~~~~~

Sakura had bid Ino a good evening and begun the wet, rainy trek home. The rain pounding continuously on the rubbery layer of the red umbrella she was holding over her head like a shower of bullets. The dirt street was flooded with numerous, deep puddles of dirty rainwater that splashed up the sides of her bare calves with every squelching step. Sakura tilted the edge of the umbrella up for a moment to peek up at the sky; it was choked with ashy gray clouds that rolled with quiet thunder and flashes of bright white lightning deep within their bellies. No doubt, it would be a long time before the rain let up. With a small sigh, she dropped her head back down, chin striking her chest. In such dismal weather, it was nearly impossible not to brood. Her hand curled up around her heart as it clenched tightly in her chest. She had asked Ino if she had ever loved someone so deeply that it hurt, because all Sakura felt these days was a dull aching beneath her sternum- the low, throbbing pulse of insurmountable longing. It was a painfully familiar feeling, one she had lived with for several years, and sometimes she wondered if her love for Sasuke had diminished at all, if maybe she were confusing her little crush on Shikamaru with these deep feelings of hers.

Then she would see him- just like right then, as he trotted out of the door of a small convenience store with one hand in his pants pocket and the other tossing a small plastic bag of canned coffees over his shoulder. Sakura stopped in her tracks, green eyes wide as they beheld him grimacing up at the stormy heavens.

“Man, what a drag… I should’ve checked the weather forecast today. This is getting old,” he muttered. His legs were splashed up the side with mud and Sakura could clearly see dark spots littering his clothes, evident of still-drying rain spatters. Had he walked there in the pouring rain? He apparently didn’t notice her, as he hopped down the store’s steps to land with a light splash in the muddied street below and start walking in the opposite direction. Sakura flushed and dipped her umbrella down to cover her face. She didn’t want him to notice her, and yet her heart was screaming in agony, wishing dearly to be greeted. She clenched her teeth as it constricted angrily within her chest; her ears rang with the rush of blood and Shikamaru’s soft, splashing footsteps. Her eyes flickered as the toes of his boots appeared just under the rim of the umbrella, passing her left side. She could go unnoticed. She could.

But did she want to?

“Sh-shikamaru!” she cried before her mind could stop her. Water jumped around her feet in a wide, curving arc as she whirled on her heel, and she accidentally threw the umbrella up too high, cause a sudden burst of raindrops to crash down into her face. Startled, she wiped at it quickly with her sleeve before blinking the water away to see Shikamaru staring at her with widened eyes. A mortified blush blazed across her cheeks, but she had already called out to him, so she had no choice but to stand her ground. “D-do you want me to walk you home? It’s pouring… You could catch cold.” She wished more than anything that her voice came out more confident. Hinata could run circles around her.

“You live in the opposite direction, though,” he frowned and rubbed at the back of his neck awkwardly. The coffee cans jingled with the movement. Sakura stared slack-jawed at him for a second. How stupid she must look! Of course it would be weird offering to walk him home when they lived on completely different sides of time.

“U-um, I’m just out for a walk. I’m not going anywhere in particular, so, it doesn’t matter to me,” she recovered lamely. His black eyes met hers for a moment, calculating. She wondered if he could see the nervousness blooming in her spring green depths.

“Well, you gonna bring the umbrella over here or you gonna just let me stand out in the rain?” With a squeak, she scampered over to him, hoisting the umbrella up to accommodate his tall frame. He slipped his hand back in his pocket as he turned to begin walking in step with her. Her legs were significantly shorter, so she had to set her pace almost twice as much as his to keep up. The umbrella bobbed up and down over their heads as she scuttled along beside him. “So what brings you out for a walk in this ugly weather?”

“O-oh, um, I met Ino for lunch at a café earlier, but I just wasn’t in the mood to go home yet.” At least it wasn’t a total lie.

“What, do you two get together once a week to exchange gossip or something?” he sniffed teasingly. Sakura’s face turned the color of her hair; yeah, basically, that was what they were doing. Shikamaru blinked at her stunned silence, then began chuckling. “Sounds about right. Lemme guess- Ino just had to spill that me ‘n Temari aren’t a thing anymore, right? Can’t tell her anything.” She couldn’t tell by the tone of his voice if he was actually angry that the blonde was spreading his business around or if he was just mildly amused; it was blank, void of much emotion at all, and when Sakura peeked up at him she saw that his face was pretty much the same. He stared straight onward with slightly lidded eyes. He looked deep in contemplation.

“… Did you really like her?” she asked quietly. If he was sad, she wanted to be there to comfort him, as his friend. However, part of her was terrified for him to answer that he had possessed strong feelings for the girl. That would just drive the nail into the coffin that contained her own feelings.

“No,” he answered, almost a little too easily. Sakura’s heart skipped with hope. She then flushed with shame. Why should she be happy that his relationship with Temari hadn’t worked out? That was a terrible thing! His eyes shifted to bore into hers again, making her wince slightly. Was she supposed to say something? What should she say? Sakura was just brutally honest; it was especially hard with Shikamaru to act all unperturbed.

“S-so… You’re the one who called it off?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?” The question burned like fire on her tongue. Temari was smart and capable; honestly, Shikamaru would be lucky to have her. Of course, the answer could be as simple as he wasn’t feeling it. That was a perfectly reasonable answer, but doubt poked at the back of Sakura’s mind. The two had always had great chemistry, even to the point that people had assumed they were dating. It was almost certain that they would hit it off. So why…?

Shikamaru suddenly stopped, and she followed suit, looking at him in bewilderment. His hand slowly came up to wrap around hers that was holding the handle of the umbrella; blush shot up her arm to creep up her neck and face, and had Shikamaru not been gripping the handle tightly, the umbrella would be shaking from the quiver that had gripped her body. His dark eyes glittered with something that Sakura couldn’t place- amusement? Glee? Maybe a faint bit of derision? It was an intense stare that had a pleasurable shiver propagating from her head to her toes and back. She felt it, again, that suffocating constriction in her chest that made her lungs burn. The love that hurt. Electrified, she could only gawk up at him and wait for him to speak.

“Because I was just trying to kid myself out of the fact that I was already in love with somebody else.” His words were but ghosts, drifting over Sakura’s blush-stained face in feather-light wisps. She was so enraptured by them that she didn’t even react when the bag of coffee cans clattered loudly to the ground, nor when both his hands rose to gently cup her face. For some reason, only one thing and one thing only was on her mind.

“Have you ever loved someone so much that it hurt?”

“Every damn day.”

The seconds between his answer and what happened next were forever a blank period in her memory. Like a record skipping, she was suddenly just there, umbrella discarded and arms around his neck and lips furiously smashing against his in a desperate, heated kiss. The cool rain cascading down her skin foiled the burning sensation of lust flourishing through her insides like fire; everywhere his hands landed- her neck, her hips, her back- there bloomed fiery pleasure as her nerves short-circuited. Sakura hadn’t realized up until then how short of breath she was. As soon as his lips met hers, it felt like pure oxygen flooded her lungs, swelling them to maximum capacity. It was like he breathed life into her; she couldn’t breathe without him, she loved and needed him that much, and so she refused to part her mouth from his even as her head began to dizzy with lack of breath. When his tongue dipped into her mouth to eagerly tangle with her own, her knees buckled and she slumped against him, mind foggy as she began to slowly spin into suffocation. It felt so good. It felt like a part of her was made whole again.

She was panting hard when he forced himself away from her. Despite her gasping breaths, her face still chased his as it left, her mouth lamenting the loss of the taste of him, like bitter coffee and green tea and spices. He supported her limp frame with his sturdy arms as she slowly came down from the impossible high. She blinked as her mind came back to her. The rain had picked up considerably and they were both now dripping wet, beaded raindrops falling from their chins and elbows and seeping into their clothes to darken the fabric. Sakura laughed lightly as she swept a few of the pink strands that had plastered to her face.

“I let go of the umbrella,” she mused bashfully and looked down the street to see it rolling like a tumbleweed far down the street. She turned back to see that they had been standing in front of his house the entire time. Now I have to walk all the way home in the rain… Sakura didn’t mind it, really. With the gentle, bubbling heat pulsing through her body at the moment, she doubted the chill of the rain would be able to reach her at all. Shikamaru seemed to have other ideas, though.

“What a pity. Guess you’re not going anywhere until the rain lets up.” Her face turned beet-red at the sultry growl in his voice. She squealed in surprise as he suddenly hoisted her up, and her legs snapped closed around his hips on instinct.

“Shi-! Shika-!” she stammered uselessly. Her brain was far too fried to form coherent words. He gave her a twisted, mischievous smirk as he whirled on his heel to march up the path leading to his residence, while Sakura’s nails dug down into his shoulder in a white-knuckled grip. “Have you lost your mind?!”

“I’m quite lucid, thank you,” he purred as he kicked the garden gate latch up and opened it with a foot. He kicked it shut behind him, not seeming to care at all that it only bounced back open to begin flapping back and forth in the wind. “What, do you really wanna go on your ‘walk’ that bad?” Her face continued to flush at his teasing words. Of course she didn’t want to go on a damn walk! Mortified and shamefully excited, she leaned forward to bury her face into his shoulder as he carried her into the empty house.

It was certainly not how she expected to spend the rainy day, but boy, did she have some gossip for Ino for their next café meet-up…

Enjoy this oneshot? Feel free to peruse my Table of Contents!

Tag List: @deliathedork @searchfortheonepiece @shikasaku-week

[suckishima]

suckishima’s hq!! 30 day gif challenge masterpost

I’m doing the 30 Day Haikyu!! Gif/GFX challenge! But I’m slightly modifying the rules so it’s more fun for myself.

Link to the prompts here!

I’m skipping a few prompts because I felt like it lol. So I’m doing 22 of the 30 *shrugs*

I’m not allowed to repeat any characters, because if I did, well, basically the whole challenge would just be Tsukki gifsets and as much as I love him, that wouldn’t be much fun for me or for anyone else lol. This also works out for me because I’m generally bad at choosing definitive favorites, and now most everyone gets a turn.

I’m only choosing moments from the anime and therefore doing gifs only, because it would have just taken me too long to add colorings into the mix. Maybe one day I’ll do the challenge again but with only gfx/manga edits. That does sound fun lol, especially since a lot of my favorite moments haven’t actually been animated yet.

If I’ve done my math/timing right (and I stay on schedule) there should be one set every day from today until the second cour of Season 4 airs on October 2! So it’s kinda like a countdown event? idk lol

See which ones I’ve done so far here!

I’ve listed why I chose what I chose for each day under the cut if you wanna see me ramble on some more!

(I’ll update each prompt with a link to its post when it’s uploaded)

Favorite character: Yamaguchi Tadashi. Tsukki is probably more of my actual favorite, but he fits better for the character development category for me. So, I went with my second favorite, Yamaguchi! I love him so much, he’s such a sweetheart and I really like how we get to see him slowly grow more into his own. His big moments are some of my favorites of the entire series and I just really relate to his drive to just get to play with the rest of the first years.

Character first fell in love with: Hinata Shoyo. This one was easy peasy lol. Hinata is the light and love of my life and I’d honestly be surprised if anyone picked anyone other than Hinata for this prompt. He’s just so *clenches fist* good. Hard working, fun, determined, a little dumb, and so so caring and compassionate. And I’m so proud of him too tbh. I don’t care how cliche and overrated it is to say this, he is a ray of sunshine and I love him.

Character gradually warmed up to: Tendou Satori. Again, this could easily be Tsukki lmao since I didn’t like him at allll at first until he slowly began to grow on me in s2. Anyway, Tendou also grew on me. I tend not to like characters that feel chaotic just for the sake of it, and that’s how I felt about him at first. But as the Shiratorizawa match goes on, and especially in the Ball Boy arc as we see him interact with his teammates more I realized he just wants to have a good time and shame on me for wanting to be down on that. He’s funny, fun, doesn’t give a fuck what people think, and is a supportive friend. Nothing not to like tbh.

Favorite karasuno ship: Tsukkiyama. I mean, it’s my two favorite characters together lmao, it was bound to happen. Especially since a lot of the reasons they’re my favorites is because of their interactions together. I feel like each significant interaction between them isn’t just development for them together, but for them individually and I love that. There’s like this silent building each other up. They’re both there for each other without having to say anything, but then when they do voice it, it makes it that much more powerful. I just love how strong their friendship feels by the end of nationals arc, it feels so earned and genuine. I love that Tsukki is proud of how far Yamaguchi has grown, and that Yamaguchi is proud of not just Tsukki with volleyball, but Tsukki’s relationship with Akiteru. They’re both just so proud. I’m cool with all ships being just platonic too, but if we’re talking non-canonically, them being together just makes me happy. I’m a big ol’ sucker for friends to lovers.

Favorite episode/chapter: Illusionary Hero. Sensing a pattern yet? ha ha haaaa. The relationship between the Tsukishima brothers is one of my favorite in the series (i still cry over the peace signs), and this episode is where I really began to not only fall in love with Tsukki but the writing of the show. I too had been wondering “what IS the point of them working so hard,” and I loooooved how Furudate addresses that question through Tsukki’s backstory. Great stuff. (favorite manga chapter is 298 when yams and tsukki do their successful serve and block for the first time, if you were interested lol).

Favorite team: Karasuno. This was another easy choice. I love every single team in the series, truly. But I can’t just abandon my boys lmao. Karasuno is the heart and soul of the show, and they are also now my heart and soul.

Favorite position: Setter. “The setter is the information tower of the team” is the “the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell” of volleyball. Okay, not really, that quote was just repeating in my head while I made this set. I don’t have any cool meaningful reasons for this one. Setters are just cool.

Favorite wing spiker: Ushijima Wakatoshi. Ohhhh how I love Ushijima. At first you think he’s just big huge muscle baddie (and, like, he kinda is) BUT he’s also some of my absolute favorite comic relief in the whole series. He is so frickn earnest and blunt and doesn’t give a Fuck what people think and I love him.

Favorite middle blocker: Kuroo Tetsuro. This was a hard choice lol, because my top three favorite characters (tsukki, yamaguchi, and hinata) are all MBs, so I was like uhh which one do I choose? Aone was a close second to Kuroo too.

Favorite libero: Nishinoya Yuu. He’s just so dang cool.

Favorite setter: Kageyama Tobio. My boyyyyyy. God I love Kageyama. I’m not sure I can put into words how much he means to me. His character arc of shedding the King mantle only to pick it back up again with a new context is one of my favorite character developments of all time. His arc is all about learning to communicate and not only relying on others but learning to be relied on and I just ah - and the stuff about self care??? i love him.

Favorite captain: Sawamura Daichi. He just, is The Captain ya know. He’s got the vibe down pat. We love a good solid foundation for our team. He’s integral and Karasuno would have never made it as far as they do without him.

Favorite manager: Yachi Hitoka. I love Shimizu too, I do, but Yachi’s very unique brand of crazy is just too much fun lol. The first season feels so empty without her, and she brings so much joy to the team and to the show.

Favorite match: Shiratorizawa. Of the whole series, my favorites in order are actually, Nekoma, Inarizaki, Kamomedai and then Shiratorizawa, then Aoba Johsai 2. But since most of those aren’t animated yet, we get to focus on Shiratorizawa. Which I do still love, the hype is SO real the entire match, I still get chills at the end and during Tsukki’s Block.

Favorite non-match scene: BAR-BE-QUE!! Lmao tbh it was a close one between the fun of the bbq and heartwrench of the meal after the lose to Aoba Johsai in s1. Furudate said let them eat.

Favorite arc: Tokyo Training Camp. I love to see them improving and practicing and growing and ah it just makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.

Favorite underrated character: Tanaka Ryuunosuke. I LOVE HIM. HE IS SO FULL OF LOVE. And he’s so slept on I feel like. He is one of the most supportive characters in the show. He is always positive and is a great morale booster and is just an overall Good Boy. Yeah yeah he’s a bit intense with his crush, but he’s always respectful and I’ll fight anyone who thinks he’d do anything that makes Shimizu uncomfortable.

Favorite character development: Tsukishima Kei. Ah, we’re finally here lol. The top two reasons Tsukki is my favorite character is 1 because I relate to him sooo so much and I’ve never seen a character written in a way that feels so much like just how I personally think about and see things. 2, because of just how amazingly earned and cathartic his development is. I could ramble about this forever so I won’t. But when I found out he was still playing volleyball after the time-skip, I actually cried. Like, after everything, he’s still playing? He WANTS to play?? godddd.

Favorite non-player: Tsukishima Akiteru. Ah, I gotta say I relate to his struggle. Plus I love how expressive he is lmao, crying over like every little thing.

Favorite friendship(s): The Tsukishima Brothers. They are so important to me okay. The admiration, the falling out, the chasm for years that affects how they both interact and even see the world, the slowly piecing things back together, and then the reversal of the peace signs in the Kamomedai match, wow. (kageyama/hinata is a VERY close second, i’m bad at favorites)

Favorite pairing(s): Kageyama/Hinata, Bokuto/Akaashi, Shimizu/Yachi, Ushijima/Tendou. There’s so so many more tbh, but I had to narrow it down.

Favorite rare pair: skipped

1st, 2nd, or 3rd years: First Years. They’re my babies. I love them all and they way they all interact and I need them to be friends forever thanks.

Girls: skipped

Most relatable: skipped

Most like to be friends with: skipped

Most heartbreaking moment: skipped

Most heartwarming moment: skipped

Stage play day: skipped

Your choice: skipped

[magioftheseas]

The Hinata/Kamukura Files - Recent Patients’ Thoughts

Written for @the-hinata-project

Day 6: Heterochromia/Hope Arc Hinata/Kamukura -or- Boats/BBQ/Friendship

Rating: PG

Warnings: There’s some references to past despair but it’s mild.

Notes: I was going to do all the sdr2 kids but decided to stop with all the ones who died in the simulation. The survivors will get their day tomorrow. For now, I didn’t want this one significantly longer than the others. It’s still pretty long though. It’s really hard to write in all the different voices but I did my best and I hope this counts for something.

***Alternate Ao3 Link***

Commission? Donate?

It’s funny, for a boy who thought nothing of himself to mean the world to everyone else. You don’t believe me? I’m not terribly good at words, so I’ll pass on the torch in this case.

--

Hinata Hajime is someone who I suppose I envied. A person who accepted himself even after desiring to be someone else for so long.

“It’s because what I have is more precious than talent,” he said. When he had supposedly been chasing talent all his life.

I envied that—perhaps I also sensed it. He’s definitely a person that can be trusted in spite of his mysteries. His identity not quite being as set in stone as it should be.

I understand that, likely better than anyone. That’s why I—well.

It’s why we are friends, I suppose.

--

Hinata-kun’s perfect and delectable in many, many ways! Fine personality, fine face, finer a—

Cough. Cough. It seems I’ve been struck.

More seriously I suppose, Hinata-kun is a kind and adorable sort of person. He’s been through a lot but he’s still innocent. He’s someone that I’m sure Mama would adore me bringing back home.

He’s rough around the edges, but as sweet and homely as red bean paste. Truly wonderful.

--

Hinata’s super unreliable, but he’s motivated and considerate if nothing else. It’s honestly a little embarrassing to praise the guy, but... I do remember a bit more about him.

He was classmates with Satou. And even Kuzuryuu’s sister. I heard—that he was friends with her. With that sister. And yet, I remember Satou mentioning that he’s not the worst offhandedly when I had asked back then. I hear he blames himself for what happened. Back then.

It makes me so angry I want to cry. I’m still fighting off the urge to tell him off! But, the realization that he saw an entirely different side to that conflict—I’ve been thinking about that.

I don’t hate him. I like him a lot, actually. He’s described my photographs in a way that warmed my heart.

He may be unreliable, but I still have places I need to improve, too. So, I think the two of us are fine as long as we keep trying.

--

We don’t have much of a relationship but it goes without saying that I’m aware he’s a kind person. He’s close to someone I—care very much about, as well.

Truth be told, I’ve been drawn as of late to that other presence. The one called Kamukura Izuru. Someone who is very different and yet very similar to myself.

It is not very often I wonder what would have happened to myself if I was never taken in by the Kuzuryuu family. I sincerely do not believe it would have been a normal life regardless. Even now the idea of seeing myself as normal is incomprehensible.

“It is how you lived,” Kamukura would say oh so dully.

“We’re all struggling to be normal,” Hinata would hurriedly add, smile strained.

And both are true, aren’t they? I am aware—that both of them are right.

And I am grateful for many reasons that go beyond expected.

--

They’re both wimps and cowards, but that’s why they need to be protected. That’s what I definitely think—even though I definitely want to mess with them until they keel.

Hinata-nii in particular is still so easy to mess with. Kamukura-nii is less so, but that just makes me more determined. It’s a welcome distraction from all the bullshit we deal with beyond ourselves.

...

We really shouldn’t be alive, y’know? We’ve done way too many fucked up shit to ever make up for it, so I don’t even see the point. But, because of those two, we’re all here anyway. Because of those two, the others are trying to live. Mahiru-nee and all those idiots—even...her.

That might count for something. It might not. I don’t know. I don’t really care.

I’m too stubborn to fall behind at this point. And I might struggle, and I might have to bite the hands that get offered to me by Hinata-nii, but I—

I think we’ll manage somehow, even after we inevitably fall back down.

--

The person you are takes a lot to nurture and blossom, you know?! Hajime-chan has made that much clear! He’s always struggling, sometimes his arms are all wobbly like noodles! And yet, he keeps on beating that drum I got him!

We’re all struggling but making noise—and I think the louder, the prouder!

There are still days where we scream our hearts out, even to the point it blows out our throats. It’s a good thing, then, that Izuru-chan has the talents to deal with that. Him and—even Mikan-chan can help a lot. We’ve all gotten really good at supporting each other!

But, I’m also sure a day will come when we go our separate ways. It’s heartbreaking, maybe even despairing, but despite that, I won’t be alone even when on my own.

It’s fun—how we’re all so different and yet glued together by our experiences. And we have Hajime-chan to thank for that, don’t we?

--

It’s, um, difficult to figure out the words to say. And it’s also so...so difficult to get on your own feet. I still struggle a lot more than I probably should. It’s hard. Even now I have to remind myself where I am—who I’ve become with everything that happened.

It’s horrible, but—I still miss her. I miss Nanami-san too, of course, but—it’s horrible that I miss a terrible person, too.

“It is expected,” Kamukura-san had said. “Regardless of the circumstances, your feelings had ran deep.”

“You’re not a bad person, Tsumiki,” Hinata-san reassured me. Hinata-san reassured me, and Kamukura-san had nodded as well—even though they both hated her so much. Even though they couldn’t understand at all.

They really were so...so kind...

It’s so...difficult but...it’s worth living for.

--

It’s important to live and work hard every day, despite the failures along the way.

That’s always been clear but with Hinata, it’s been even clearer.

He’s the kind of guy who takes on a lot—a real athlete, even discounting Kamukura’s obvious advantages in strength. Kamukura was supposed to be unmotivated—but like hell I’d allow that!

They both need to work hard! Run until they’re high on fumes! Beginning to end!

But it’s our duty to support them. It’s my duty to guide them, since I’m supposed to be acting as a coach right?!

In the past—I may have let a lot of people down. I may have even pushed them to the brink. I won’t lie, waking up was hell, but training from hell is just par for the course, isn’t it? Gyahaha!

I’ll support them, and they’ll support us in return—we’re all a team after all.

--

There are few titles befitting of such a being. However, he is and always shall be the singularity. The singularity of our realm who had crawled his way out of an imprisonment of his own design. Someone who voided their existence—only to return.

Something like that could be called almost godly, but Hinata Hajime, the singularity, is as mortal as can be. He is still weak to humanity’s faults. He can be meek. He can be hesitant. He can be cowardly.

However, he still pushed through—and he is ultimately the reason that our world and our own reason was restored. To call that a feat would be inarguable.

There is—much to be grappled with. Even someone such as I can confront difficulty, but there is no greater privilege than to live and live I shall. Death is a mere afterthought—I have already died twice, fufufu.

But, I live again because of him.

For that, I...will not forget.

--

Ahaha, wait, it’s my turn again? Hasn’t this been dragging on for too long already? I’ve already had my moment before, too.

That doesn’t count? What are you even saying? Someone like me shouldn’t count in the first place.

I chose to die within the simulation. But, so did Kamukura-kun. Hinata-kun also chose to die when he accepted the terms for that wretched project all those years ago.

I suppose it’s only to be expected that we all remain, wretched beings that we are alongside everyone else.

...

It’s because of both of them that we turned out the way we did. I hate them, but I love them, too. I’m not like everyone else, who are all irrevocably kind and appreciative.

There’s still one other ‘victim’ that deserves to speak but she’s no longer here. Expected. But still—unfortunate, I suppose. She was quite cared about.

In her stead, I’ll make sure those two don’t falter. That their future is seized with no chance of escape. It’s not because of my own gratitude. I’m not that selfish.

Hinata-kun...and Kamukura-kun...

I do want to see how you two will shape that future.

It looks bright already.

[raeynbowboi]

The Other Ships in My Fleet

So, I’ve already made a post talking about how I feel about certain ships in My Hero Academia, and another post about some of my other fandoms. Both posts got a lot of likes and reblogs, so I figured I’d talk about my ships from other fandoms. If this post also gets a lot of positive feedback, I’ll consider starting a second page to post my fan content for all of my fandoms, while still maintaining this one almost exclusively for My Hero Academia and Kiribaku specifically.

Klance (Keith x Lance) Voltron: Legendary Defender

I’m fully aware that this ship is probably not going to happen, but it’s really the only ship in the series that speaks to me. I will not lie, I am a big fan of dark and moody dating happy-go-lucky, and the rivals to friends to lovers element is just icing on the cake. It’s only further helped by Lance being Keith’s second-in-command. They help each other grow, and the trust that forms between them is cute and endearing. They also shared a major element to their characters. Both of them feel out of place, Keith because of his Galra heritage, and Lance because he doesn’t have a niche role.

Rabies/Rae x BB (Raven x Beast Boy) Teen Titans (2003)

While there wasn’t a lot of shipping fodder for these two in the 2003 iteration, the two are a canon couple in most versions of the teen titans, having been married in the comics (more than once, I think) so this is sort of a unique ship in that I ship it across every version of the two characters. Sporting a snarky moody goth and a lovable goofball, their dynamic was like that of an old married couple, or a moody teenager and her annoying little brother. Still, the two were good friends, and even though their personalities were polar opposites of each other, they had a lot of quiet, emotional moments together in the series. Whether you want to read them as friends or potential lovers, I think it’s hard to deny that there was a genuinely nice bond between the pair.

Garnet/Rupphire (Ruby x Sapphire) Steven Universe

As the show’s literal physical manifestation of love and a perfect relationship, it’s hard not to like the relationship between these two adorable lesbians. With the show sometimes being edited to remove the queer elements, it’s absolutely hysterical that they had the two get married in an episode very important to the plot, and put Ruby in the dress so that absolutely nobody could misinterpret her as a male. Editing it would only confuse viewers as to why everybody is in wedding attire, thus taking a very satisfying stance against censors and bigotry. Garnet also marks a first in children’s programming as the first same-sex wedding in a children’s animated show, at least as far as I’m aware.

Pearl x Mystery Girl Steven Unieverse

Although only featured in a single episode and having no dialogue, Mystery Girl (possibly named Sabina) is a very important element to Pearl’s character, being her first step toward moving on from Rose Quartz. There were fans that hoped that Mystery Girl would come back, but even if she doesn’t, she’s still important to Pearl’s character development.

Amedot (Amethyst x Peridot) Steven Universe

I know a lot of people prefer Lapidot, but frankly I find Lapis too selfish and cold-hearted to be ready for a relationship as she currently stands. I find Amethyst to be a better fit for Peridot, since they both share issues with their height. That, and the way the show frames them has romantic comedy tropes interwoven into their scenes. But even if they’re just friends, Amethyst’s approval means so much to Peridot.

Stevonnie (Steven Universe x Connie Maheswaren) Steven Universe

I’m not usually a fan of lead boy dates lead girl ships, as they tend to be very poorly done, and many feel forced, or are just boring and predictable. However, the bond between these two feels very genuine. They don’t feel like a lead boy and lead girl forced into a relationship at all. They come together very naturally, and the show takes its time to build their friendship up slowly. The show remembers that they’re kids first, friends second, jam buds third, and love interests last.

Tomstar (Tom Lucitor x Star Butterfly) Star Vs the Forces of Evil

Considering the show’s themes of monsters, racism, and not judging evil at face value, this ship serves as the most thematically poignant to the narrative that the show is setting up. It also makes Star a stronger parallel to her “evil” great great something grandmother, Eclipsa. Both are monster sympathizers with monster boyfriends. While the blood moon bonds complicate things, I see this ship as the most relevant to the themes and messages the show seems to want to send.

Tomco (Tom Lucitor x Marco Diaz) Star Vs the Forces of Evil

More of a joke/crack ship, I know it’s unlikely, but the entire episode of Friendenemies had romantic comedy written all over it. Between the literal in-universe break-up song to the show’s promotional art being inspired by dime store pulp romance novels fuel the fire that keeps this ship afloat.

Bumblebee/Bumbleby (Blake Belladonna x Yang Xiao Long) RWBY

Partners, teammates, and close friends, the ship really took off starting in season 2 during the episode “Burning the Candle”, as Blake spiraled into self-destructive habits due to obsessing over her problems. Nobody is able to get through to her until Yang comes in to talk to her. She doesn’t lecture her or beg her to stop. She instead forms a bridge of trust by first opening up about a similar situation she’s been in, and how she knows first hand that this sort of spiraling can only have negative impacts. They are shown to be parallels, as both girls are negatively effected by a loved one no longer in their life, and the trust issues that spring from that loved one’s actions. Yang was abandoned by her mother, a problem which she mentions Blake repeated. For Blake, it was the uncertainty of trusting someone’s character, and being afraid of someone slowly turning into someone else. She explicitly states in season 3 that her ex started off a nice guy, like Yang. The first time he hurt someone, there was a reason. There was always an excuse. Until eventually, she became the pardoner. The one excusing his actions. And, she expresses the fear that Yang could be following a similar path. Both girls have been hurt by someone in the past, and both girls are afraid of being hurt the same way again, and inadvertently hurt each other the same way as someone else has. It’s also known that RWBY characters tend to represent or be based on fairy tale characters. Yang is Goldilocks, and Blake is Beauty from Beauty and the Beast. However, based on the lyrics from Red Like Roses “Black the Beast descends from shadows, Yellow Beauty burns gold”, there seems to be an implication that Yang is the Beauty to Blake’s Beast. This is interestingly supported by Blake’s name. Blake is a Celtic name meaning both Black and White, and Belladonna literally means Beautiful Woman in Italian, but is also the name of a very poisonous plant often mistaken for the harmless blueberry. The duality of her name could be pointing to how she plays the dual role of both Beauty and Beast.

Seamonkeys (Sun Wukong x Neptune Vasilias) RWBY

A bit more of a crack ship, these two lovable idiots are far less likely to be canon, but since Sun is Yang’s main competition for Blake’s heart, I have no problem shipping him off elsewhere with his goofy best friend. Although they act more like usual best friends in the canon show, their relationship does have a much gayer tone in the less canon comedy show RWBY Chibi, where Neptune almost seems to act like a jealous clingy girlfriend a lot of the times. I doubt the ship would ever sail, but I mostly ship it because they’re cute together. Although, with season 6 just starting, I got the vibe that Sun was stepping aside to let Bumblebee sail uninhibited. Sun doesn’t really have a third popular ship, it’s just Black Sun and Seamonkeys, so this ship may be gaining validity in the future.

Gumlee (Marshall Lee x Prince Gumball) Adventure Time with Fiona and Cake

The male counterpart to Bubbline (Princess Bubblegum x Marceline), there’s no real difference between the two pairs other than their genders, and Gumball preferring baking while Bubblegum prefers science. Because they are effectively just gender-swapped clones of the canon ship, anything canonical between the girls is also technically canon with these two. It’s not that I don’t like Bubbline, but when given the choice between gay or lesbian versions of a couple, I’m going to be naturally inclined to lean toward the gay version.

Sasunaru/Narusasu (Sasuke Uchiha x Naruto Uzumaki) Naruto

Maybe there’s a cultural aspect I’m unaware of, but it’s a bit of a running gag in the Naruto fanbase at this point that Naruto is obsessed with Sasuke. So much so that he seems to care about him way beyond normal friendship. With how much these two obsess over one another, it’s no surprise why this became such a popular pairing. Their dynamic even dwarfed Hinata’s heartfelt confession of her love during the Pain Invasion Arc, because as soon as that ended, did Naruto go talk to Hinata? No, he immediately started thinking about Sasuke. Hinata definitely got the shaft in part II, which is a shame because I really loved her character.

Bob and Linda Belcher Bob’s Burgers

More of an honorable mention than a full on ship, I wanted to highlight them as one of adult animation’s only married couples that actually still like each other. In the wake of the popularity of the Simpsons, and the cementing of the genre with Family Guy, the stock dynamic of idiot husband and enraged but supportive wife became a recurring trope. Before long, every single animated sitcom-esque family fell into this very annoying cliche. So, finding a couple in adult animation that are not only married but still manage to show they love each other is amazing. Their marriage isn’t on the rocks, they find time to at least try and be romantic, and even when they have bets or are on opposing sides of something, the show never forgets that these two love each other at the end of the day.

Captain Swan (Killian “Hook” Jones x Emma Swan) Once Upon A Time

This relationship between Captain Hook and the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming might sound odd on paper, but this couple is by far one of the healthiest relationships in the series. Both Hook and Emma come from broken lives, and together build themselves up to something stronger. In a melodrama surrounding fairy tales, both characters are surprisingly grounded, realistic, and skeptical cynics, a very stark contrast from the usual wide-eyed lovey-dovey couples Disney is known for. Emma’s tendency to put up walls and Killian’s tendency to always put himself first are both slowly broken down over time as Killian tries to tear down Emma’s walls and get to know her while she works on building a foundation of trust between them. The pairing feels very organic, and they definitely feel like the most realistic couple in the series as they both take turns stumbling and working toward being good for each other.

Rumbelle (Rumplestiltskin x Belle) Once Upon A Time

In the early seasons, this couple was beautiful to watch. I truly loved their chemistry and dynamic, as both of them were given such strong characteristics without simplifying either of them. However, as the show went on, it started to lose that power. The couple started to feel toxic as Belle kept waiting for Rumple to change, and he kept on lying and lying. It even reached a stopping point. A perfect one. Rumple was redeemed. He was a good man again. He could be the man Belle deserved. But instead, he slipped right back into his old ways. It was then that I fell off the band wagon for this ship. I loved it once, until I got sick of watching him hurt her over and over.

Daenerys Targaryen x Khal Drogo Game of Thrones

Although together only for a short while, this power couple won audiences over very quickly, as Drogo’s gruff but passionate affection mixed with Danny’s growing confidence and rise to power made these two iconic.

Renly Baratheon x Ser Loras Tyrell Game of Thrones

Another short-lived relationship, the remarkable thing is that Renly was literally the only character vying for the throne with fully good intentions for the realm. He was concerned with the needs of the people, and was the only morally good candidate in the War of Five Kings. Sadly, the ydidn’t get much screen time, but they were still a strong couple.

Peraltiago (Jake Peralta x Amy Santiago) Brooklyn 99

A rare exception to the don’t force the leads to date rule, the show let them form a bond over time that went from a friendly childish rivalry to a friendly dating rivalry. While each character experiences change and growth, it is not at the expense of their personalities, and the progression feels like it was meant to happen.

[theshinobiway]

Mobile FAQ

Welcome to the Blog!

Before you submit a request, please keep in mind the following:

✫Who are the Mods?

This Blog is managed by one mod (Pumpkin) as of right now. Headcanons will not take very long, but scenarios might! I try to have things done within a few weeks of their submission, but if life happens I’ll post about it on the blog to keep you updated.

✫Do you do Reader-Insert?

Reader insert HCs and Scenarios allowed! Please specify pronouns/race when submitting a request if you desire, otherwise HCs/Scenarios will be Gender Neutral. If I ever use a specific pronoun (Usually because it makes the prose flow better) always feel free to request a different version utilizing a new pronoun.

✫Are LGBT Requests Allowed?

Very LGBTQ+ Friendly! I am Bisexual myself and use She/Her pronouns. If I am not informed enough to feel comfortable writing a specific paring/identity, I will make a post requesting more information. Additionally, my messages are always open. If you want to offer your assistance with your request, simply send me a message and I’ll work through it with you. If your request is anonymous, I will make sure to keep your blog’s identity private.

✫Do you do Shipping Requests?

I do not do character x character HCs and scenarios. I don’t personally ship any of team Gai with any other character, and I don’t want to delve into the Tumblr shipping community. Please do not send me requests for ships, I will delete them.

✫Are Pre-Shippuden/Kid requests allowed?

I will do Genin/Academy team Gai! Crushes allowed for this age, but all true romance HCs will be reserved for Shippuden-aged Team Gai. (Might Gai is obviously exempt from this rule.)

✫Do you allow NSFW content?

NSFW is allowed, but keep in mind that characters for these will always be 18+.

Please do not submit NSFW requests unless you are 18+.

✫Can I request a character doing x/y/z unsavory thing?

It’s officially canon™ that none of the members of team Gai engage in pedophilia, non-con, abuse, neglect, etc. I won’t write scenarios that include them doing these!

Part I Neji’s calloused treatment of Hinata and early cold demeanor towards his team which was shown in brief in the anime, but Pre-Exams Neji would not engage in the systematic abuse of any other character. Genin!Neji would verbally put down other characters, threaten/belittle them if they pressed on his insecurities, or give them a swift but impersonal beat-down if they challenged him. His murderous anger would only be reserved for the main branch (or enemy-nin), and only exuded in situations that are within the rules and guidelines. Instances of his anger outside of this would be shut down by Gai or by having his curse seal activated. Remember that Genin!Neji is still a 13/14 year old boy with anger issues and trauma. He is, at worst, a teenage bully who might take things a little too far.

✫Can I request scenarios that involve abuse/disorders/violence?

Yes, but keep in mind all HCs/Scenarios that involve readers coping with abuse/disorders/unsavory events will be summarily labeled, excessively tagged, and hidden beneath cuts. These requests may be pushed back in favor of others because they will take longer to write.

✫Why do “High-Risk” content requests take so much longer?

HCs/Scenarios that involve characters/readers coping with abuse/disorders/violence will take much longer. I will not write about something I have not done research on, so please be patient! I want to be sure that I avoid harmful portrayals or stereotypes. I know fictional HCs/Scenarios can be therapeutic and provide escapism, so I want to handle these requests with care to keep the environment of this blog welcoming and friendly for everyone who loves team Gai.

Helpful Tip: Send me a second ask/DM that mentions your request and some pointers or specific things you would like me to touch on/avoid in your request. This will be very informative for me and will speed up the time it takes for me to write! Plus, it’ll be anonymous!

About Me:

Name: Pumpkin (She/Her)

Age: 24 (I’m an adult, so minors please keep this in mind!)

Loves: Pumpkins, Coffee, Team Gai.

Dislikes: OLIVES.

Favorite Character: Neji. I always go for characters with emotional depth and he has so much of it. Also, Hyuga politics are incredibly compelling and should have had their own arc in the series. I am not a fan of how his arc ended overall and I have complaints about Naruto’s talk-no-jutsu in the chunin arc (because it didn’t actually address Neji’s major problems), but overall I find that Neji is a character with the perfect balance of strengths, flaws, motivations, and his stoicism is balanced by his good heart. 

Lee is a very close second, followed by Tenten and Gai who are tied for a close third.

Least Favorite Character: Sasuke. While not technically my “least” favorite, I find the Uchiha as a whole to be extremely…boring. Sasuke’s character and motivations weren’t very compelling or consistent (and while inconsistency is pretty human he isn’t humanized well) and the last arc did not do him justice and did not fully redeem him. 

I’m also not a fan of how he turned out in the epilogue. In general, he wasn’t handled well as a character. As a main character for the series, I felt like I was always expecting more. I dislike him because of the inconsistent writing, but I do believe he had potential.

Favorite Ships: Naruhina. Naruto has someone who literally only wishes for his happiness and success, Hinata has the support and affirmation she’s always looked for. They have a very sweet and fluffy dynamic, and their characters are almost perfect compliments for one another.

While the series failed to do them justice, “The Last” as a standalone arc for them was lovely and should have been inserted in the actual series, preferably sometime before the last war arc. I really wish they had more in the series to further their relationship.

Least Favorite Ships: Oh boy. I do not ship NejiTen or LeeTen and I oppose both ships. 

I ship Tenten only with herself. In the shinden novels it’s mentioned that Tenten has never had any romantic goals. A major character development piece is her finally coming to terms with the fact that she’s fine being as she is without the societal pressure of having to marry or pursue romance. Shipping her with anyone is a huge disservice to her character and a core part of her identity, and disregards a major part of her personality. Also read: it’s OOC.

Tenten’s bro-ship with her teammates is golden and a wonderful portrayal of how guy/girl friendships can be extremely deep and comfortable while still being platonic. That needs representation!

Additionally, neither ship has a real foundation. With the exception of Chouji/Karui, all romantic connections were stated explicitly in the anime/manga OR in the Gaiden novels (Chouji/Karui was alluded to in Sakura Hiden.) Tenten, when she IS in Konoha Gaiden, explicitly mentions she is disinterested in romance. This is consistent with her character and a perfectly acceptable choice for her narrative, which is why I support it.

Neji and Tenten only bond over being too mature for Gai/Lee shenanigans and training together when Lee/Gai are off. In the Chunin arc she comments that both Sasuke and Kakashi are cute, but makes no mention of Neji aside from her admiration of his abilities. Neji comments on her abilities as well during her fight with Temari, but Lee is the one who gives her open support. Their relationship is shown as friendly, but is strictly a Nakama bond. Most of their interaction in the Chunin exams is related to, or entirely revolves around the absence of Lee. There are no allusions to their relationship, even as a joke. In a shounen anime, romance is almost always explicitly mentioned or alluded to. In Naruto, this was also true for virtually all pairings and love triangles. Neji and Tenten never had this. Any development is purely-fan made or fan-imagined.

I especially dislike this pairing because from a narrative/storytelling standpoint and the way they are characterized, they do not (and would not) contribute to the other's personal development in any significant fashion. Tenten trained with Neji in the Chunin exams for two reasons; her abilities were most suited for training Kaiten, and she was his teammate--therefore the only reasonable choice to secretly practice a technique that Neji was not supposed to learn. She was his primary supporter in the stands because she trained with him and Lee/Gai were both absent to also comment on Neji. Even though Kishi made a lot of questionable choices when it came to romance, not having Neji and Tenten together was not one of them. It made perfect sense for both characters to work together when necessary, but they have zero shared themes or development arcs. The only one, "Getting stronger," is a Team Gai-wide theme.

Even if Tenten was given more personal development in the series, her development would have revolved around herself and the development of her own abilities as a shinobi. She was never a character that was meant for romance. And it's perfectly fine for her to be that way.

Lee and Tenten have more personal interactions and far more relationship building moments in both canon and fillers, but they especially don’t have romantic chemistry--more brother/sister. They are confirmed as not together in Boruto for this very reason. They are fiercely supportive of one another and a fantastic duo. This does not mean they need a romance, either.

Feel free to ship who you like, but please do not request character x character on this blog, the request will be summarily deleted. This is not a shipping blog, but there are others out there that can cater to your needs. Thank you!

[hyuuchiha-a]

     [ Okay, so...I’ve been a little too busy / sick to really be considering this blog like I wanted (great timing on my part), but I thought I’d give a very honest rundown of ALL the muses on this blog, how I view shipping them, and both IC and OOC ship biases. I’ll warn you now: there’s very little wiggle room. That’s both because I really don’t see many of them as someone to ship, but also mostly because these muses come from an established verse I wrote before Tumblr, which has been heavily plotted. Sorry not sorry, but it’s the only canon verse I feel like writing them in. I’ve also plotted a lot in regards to my AUs. It’s just how I do things. If you want canons who aren’t so rigidly written...find another blog!

     Under a cut for length. Also please bear in mind these are all my opinions about the characters - it’s not gospel, it’s preference.

     First, however, a few general rules:

Respect the headcanons I have for my characters genders, and sexual / romantic orientations. If a character is written as straight, they WILL NOT ship with a character of the same gender. Same for any other conflictions.

In general, I do not ship anything a generation gap or more. No sensei / student relations, and no parents with those their kids’ age, even as adults. It’s just a personal squick. 

In addition, NO incestuous ships, and NO ships between someone over eighteen, and someone under. Agebending is fine - I just can’t do those kinds of ships.

     To avoid having to list a LOT of nOTPs, any that breach these rules won’t be listed. If it says N/A, odds are there ARE some, they’re just covered by default by these rules, so I won’t list them. Some of these rules do have grey areas - feel free to ask, but also respect my decisions when I make them. Thank you~ ]

     [ CANON MUSES ]

[ Uchiha Itachi ]

     Ship biases: None      nOTPs: N/A      Info: Cis male, demisexual / heteroromantic      Established ships: Suigin Ryū (kusunokihime) (singleship)      In regards to canon, I don’t ship Itachi with anyone, really - he’s just too closed off, and his personality just...doesn’t really mesh with anyone’s in a romantic way. In regards to his most popular ships: Kisame feels much more like a friend to me; Izumi I don’t regard as canon due to being implemented after the manga ended; Deidara...hates him? Admires him sure, but doesn’t want anything to do with him. And anyone else...I just can’t see. His personality (which again, is just my opinion) makes him a very picky guy. The only canonxcanon ship I’ve ever written him in was Ita///Hina, but I don’t really enjoy that ship any longer...and again, I write him as singleship.      And no, my ship isn’t out of nowhere - it came from literally hundreds of pages of RP from before Tumblr. Just because no one here wrote it doesn’t mean it’s an asspull =P This also plays into his own bias - he’s been written in this ship for about seven years. He’s a lil dedicated.

[ Uchiha Sasuke ]

     Ship biases: Sasu///Hina      nOTPs: Sasu///Saku      Info: Cis male, greysexual / heteroromantic      Established ships: My Hinata, tentative with gentlegracefulandfatal’s Hinata in ALAS, plotted with quietkunoichi’s Kimiko in OMaM (highly selectively multiship)      Sasuke is by far one of the hardest to ship (don’t let the two ships fool you). The way I write Sasuke is exceedingly mistrustful: of both others, and himself. He’s obsessive about his family after all he lost. And everyone he had connections to pre-defection? He’s either neutral, or negative with. Those like Sakura and Ino who fawned over him shallowly he has a negative connotation with. Naruto, too - his teammates are by far his biggest obstacle due to their treatment of him after he left. He considers their insensitivities to his decisions and struggles - even AFTER learning what Konoha did to him, and STILL trying to drag him back - a huge offense. To start, he has a very negative view of any Sakura or Naruto muses, just as a warning. Most others are either lightly negative, or neutral. That doesn’t mean he can’t come to get along with them, it just takes work. And ships a LOT more so. Partly due to his impressions of other characters, but also heavily due to his own nature and view of himself.      Due to my own bias, I pair him by default with my Hinata, BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN he’ll get along with EVERY Hinata besides my own. He’s had one make him the angriest I’ve seen him in RP, and I’ve RPed him for seven years. It’s NOT a guarantee. Even so, the other Hinata he’s written with now has taken a lot of development. Bias =/= autoship.

[ Uchiha Shisui ]

     Ship biases: None      nOTPs: N/A      Info: Cis male, heterosexual / heteroromantic      Established ships: arranged marriage AU with wanderingmelodies’ Rin (highly selectively multiship)      Shisui, despite his flirty nature, is actually really hard to pin down in a relationship. He’s personable, and that might show as him being playful or flirty. But he rarely has any intentions behind it. In ALAS, he spent a decade completely alone. His social skills beyond his family are a combination of how he was as a kid, and mimicry as he adjusts. For the moment, he’s not really interested in actually BEING with someone. He’s got too much to think about in his canon: both in regards to threats against his family, and his own psychological well-being. He might LOOK functional, but he’s got work to do on himself before he’s anywhere near ready to approach someone romantically.      Rin is a special case, as she’s written in a VERY rarely used non-mass AU, where Shisui lacks these attributes. Personally I don’t like to use the verse much, but this was an exception.

[ Hyūga Hinata ]

     Ship biases: Sasu///Hina, Naru///Hina      nOTPs: N/A      Info: Cis female, biromantic / demisexual      Established ships: My Sasuke, but none in RP yet (selectively multiship)      Hinata, while not as psychologically impaired as the previous two, still has her share of traumas. In ALAS canon, Naruto does not acknowledge her love for him. At first this is quite painful, especially after her fight with Pein and Naruto’s subsequent silence. It leaves her feeling both unlovable, and like a fool who then shuts herself off from others romantically to keep from being hurt again.      But post 699, Hinata has grown exponentially in regards to her emotions, and no longer pines after him. That said, I do still enjoy Naru///Hina, just...with more outside-canon development. It’s really the only other ship I’d say has a very good chance of happening.      In ALAS, Hinata is paired with my Sasuke by default after a lengthy epilogue arc development. That doesn’t mean she’ll ship with any Sasuke, just like my Sasuke won’t ship with just any Hinata. It’s just a bias I have, but it - again - does not equate to autoshipping.      While I don’t have any nOTPs with her that don’t fall under aforementioned rules, I don’t really actively ship her in anything else, either. I used to ship Ita///Hina, but...not so much anymore. It could happen, but it’s not a bias.

[ Hyūga Neji ]

     Ship biases: Neji///Ten      nOTPs: N/A      Info: Cis male, demisexual / heteroromantic      Established ships: NPC Tenten, but none in RP yet (highly selectively multiship)      Neji isn’t one I’ve thought about shipping much beyond with Tenten due to his role in ALAS, and their creating Hinode, their son. That’s not to say he’s completely cut off from shipping, but Tenten makes the most narrative sense for the verse. That being said, he’s a very prudish / conservative fellow - he values tradition highly, and it’s not easy to get with him. He wants to do things right, and slow. And his personality is, admittedly, a bit hard to get on with: he’s prideful, snobby, and stubborn to a fault. People he finds superfluous or risque might rub him the wrong way due to these values / traits.      That said, I don’t have any nOTPs for him that aren’t covered by the above mentioned rules.

[ Hyūga Hanabi ]

     Ship biases: Kono///Hana      nOTPs: N/A      Info: Cis female, heteroromantic / heterosexual      Established ships: None (selectively multiship)      Hanabi isn’t one that’s actually shipped in ALAS - while the story runs until she’s about 32, her romance hasn’t been established yet in the plot, but I do have a bias for shipping her with Konohamaru. There aren’t a lot of established characters her age, so canon options are a bit limited.      My Hanabi is a bit precocious and maybe a little flirty, but also takes her role as Hyūga heiress very seriously. She won’t actually date anyone too easily - Konohamaru is from a notable clan, and has a very good reputation as both a shinobi and person. So if she’s to ship with someone, it’d have to be up to her own standards. Doesn’t mean she’s above being playful, but playful doesn’t equate to serious.

[ Uchiha Obito ]

     Ship biases: Obi///Rin (as kids)      nOTPs: N/A      Info: Cis male, heteroromantic / greysexual      Established ships: None (probably unshippable)      Obito might actually be first in how difficult I view a muse to be shipped. Admittedly, I write very little Obito in ALAS, and he’s pretty much strictly canon. And as in canon, he’s entirely dedicated to his plan. Any notion of romance or bonds is pretty much dead in him up until his change of heart in the war: and he dies as in canon, so...not exactly shippable in those few hours. It would take an an astronomical event to shake him out of his dedication and determination enough to both take that risk, and break that feeling of numbness and isolation. I really don’t know if it would be possible the way I write him.

[ Uchiha Mikoto ]

     Ship biases: Fuga///Miko, Kushi///Miko      nOTPs: N/A      Info: Cis female, bicurious (but claiming to be heterosexual / heteroromantic)      Established ships: My Fugaku (selectively multiship)      By default, I write Mikoto as pretty happy in her marriage to Fugaku. A little strained as he favors Itachi and she favors Sasuke, but she does still very much love him, though also finds him overly strict.      That said, I do like the idea of her having a confused crush on Kushina that she very much denies due to personal and clan-related bias of heteronormativity. In an AU where she develops this before her marriage, I could see the ship working with chemistry. Otherwise, I really don’t ship her beyond that, and she’s married by default and would NOT be interested in infidelity. 

[ Uchiha Fugaku ]

     Ship biases: Fuga///Miko      nOTPs: N/A      Info: Cis male, heterosexual / heteroromantic      Established ships: My Mikoto (highly selectively multiship)      As with Mikoto, I write Fugaku by default in his marriage with her, and really don’t have any other ships for him. MAYBE an AU where his arranged marriage to Manami pans out, but...that would change a LOT as it would mean no Itachi, Sasuke, or Shisui. So it’d be a major AU, but maybe one to pair with a Kushi///Miko ship. Otherwise, he’s a taken man by default.

[ Uchiha Madara ]

     Ship biases: None      nOTPs: N/A      Info: Cis male, heterosexual / greyromantic      Established ships: None (unshippable)      Madara is the only muse I write strictly in AUs: NOTHING canon, as I just...don’t really feel any pull to writing him in those verses. While he IS a character in ALAS, I don’t want to RP him in that verse.      So far he’s only been written in two AUs: Divine Light, and Of Monsters and Men. In the former, he’s an antagonist with no intention to be romantically involved with anyone. There’s really no narrative room for him to be in a relationship of any kind. In the latter, he’s also a bit of an antagonist. Though not as against being involved with someone, it’s hardly ever for romance. He’ll have flings, but only shallowly to get what he wants: he doesn’t have any intention to have relationships beyond the briefly physical. He has a habit of keeping interesting women around until he gets bored. A bit hard to spice life up when you’re been alive for as long as he has: his attention span has only diminished.      Otherwise, he’s mostly a background villain: the equivalent to Giovanni in the Pokémon verse; to Sozin in AtLA; etc. etc. So again...not really the type to have any real kind of ship.

     [ ORIGINAL CHARACTERS ]

[ Uchiha Tenkai (Sasu///Hina son)

     Ship biases: Uzumaki Akane (kusunokihime)      nOTPs: N/A      Info: Cis male, panromantic / pansexual      Established ships: None (selectively multiship)      Tenkai has been written very little yet, but has hints of a future relationship with Akane in arc three of ALAS. The story only runs until they’re about 14, so no real room for a full-fledged ship. He’s part of the so-called “golden generation” (aka Boruto’s class), so anyone of that age range could have crushes, but...not much point in full ships with kids.      That said, as a disclaimer: I don’t read / watch Boruto. But I don’t mind interacting with characters from it. Just know I know almost nothing about the story / characters. My muses will have to get to know yours from scratch. And as he exists in an AU ship, kids from ships that would “break” his parents can’t be written with him (aka Boruto, Himawari, or Sarada).

[ Uchiha Chikyū (Sasu///Hina daughter) ]

     Ship biases: N/A      nOTPs: N/A      Info: Cis female, biromantic / demisexual      Established ships: None (selectively multiship)      Chikyū has no established ship in ALAS, and only reaches age 12 by default. So again, mostly just for crushes unless aged up. She’s a little...difficult to get along with, but it’s entirely possible to ship with chemistry.

[ Hyūga Higure ]

     Ship biases: Uchiha Fugaku II (kusunokihime)      nOTPs: N/A      Info: Cis female, greysexual / heteroromantic      Established ships: Fuga////Higu (kusunokihime) (selectively multiship)      Higure is a very...special case. She’s by default paired with Fu II, and given her mental health, getting through to her isn’t easy, but...possible. She’s the same age as Mirai, but there’s very few characters in her age range.

[ Hyūga Hinode ]

     Ship biases: Uchiha Reika (kusunokihime)      nOTPs: N/A      Info: Cis male, heterosexual / heteroromantic      Established ships: HinoReika (kusunokihime) (selectively multiship)      Hinode has an established ship in the verse, but honestly is very open to be shipped with otherwise. He’s a kind-hearted kid and I think would get along with most others pretty easily. He’s in the same year as Tenkai, aka Boruto’s year.

[ Uchiha Manami ]

     Ship biases: OC NPC Uchiha Junichi, Fuga///Mana      nOTPs: N/A      Info: Cis female, biromantic / bisexual      Established ships: Juni///Mana (selectively multiship)      Manami, unlike her sister, was entirely accepting about her orientation, but also discreet about it due to clan politics. Though canonly slated to marry Fugaku, she broke it off to let her younger sister (who was in love with him) have her chance instead. Otherwise, she ends up with Shisui’s father, Junichi (Kagami’s son). But she’s honestly very shippable beyond that: could do an AU where she DOES marry Fugaku, or dates other people before / after / instead of her canon marriage to Junichi.

[ Hyūga Hanako ]

     Ship biases: Hia///Hana      nOTPs: N/A      Info: Cis female, biromantic / demisexual      Established ships: Hia///Hana (selectively multiship)      Though married to Hiashi in canon, Hanako could be otherwise shipped...but it would mean either having no marriage and therefore no Hinata and Hanabi, or possibly just Hinata and being disgraced after divorcing Hiashi. Otherwise by default she’s married (and dies a few weeks after having Hanabi due to postpartum complications).

[ Hyūga Hotaru ]      Ship biases: Hiza///Hota      nOTPs: N/A      Info: Cis female, heterosexual / heteroromantic      Established ships: Hiza///Hota (highly selectively multiship)      Honestly shipping with Hotaru would be VERY difficult. Though her marriage was mostly unhappy, it DOES end with Hizashi’s death. But I have a hard time seeing her marry anyone outside the Hyūga bloodline - she’s too traditional / proud to do so. It’d take a LOT to change her mind on that.

     [ And that’s it! ALL the muses on this blog. Major props to anyone who read it all: honestly that’s amazing and I really appreciate it. But yeah, this is the rundown of all the muses and how I feel they can / can’t be shipped. I know this probably comes off as really picky, but again: the verses I write are very heavily plotted, and just...between that, and my views of these characters, it’s not an easy thing to ship them. I know that’s disappointing cuz shipping’s a big deal in RP, but...I won’t write something I myself can’t enjoy.

     THAT BEING SAID, some DO still have wiggle room! And of course other kinds of bonds - family, platonic, enemies - are possibilities, too. I’d love to write something other than romance to see how these muses interact with others. Romance is just...a difficult thing for a lot of them. 

     Either way, thank you to anyone who respects these interpretations of these characters. To those who can’t...I hope you find other blog(s) who can give you what you want. But this is how THIS blog will be run. ]