#and miri was just happy to be outside

[megane-sama]

Kazuki, Rei and Miri at the Government Office: A Saga.

[denkies]

I know that thematically speaking, Miri is going to go back to Rei and Kazuki. The point of the entire show is found family. But episode 10 SHATTERED my heart into a million pieces and I started crying.

And this is more incentive for Rei to kill his dad. This man is the reason why Miri had to leave, he basically took their daughter from them. Neither Kazuki or Rei are going to just roll over and let that happen. Maybe Rei would have, before Miri, but she changed him. He's going to have the strength to stand up to his dad, because to be loved is to be changed.

[lilyginnyblackv2]

Now that Buddy Daddies is finished, I’m gonna say it: SPOILERS!

Buddy Daddies really is for the aces, aros, queerplatonic partners, and platonic life partners out there. 

I know, 100%  that there are going to be some people out there that are going to say, “See! It really was just queerbait all along” or some who are going to bemoan the fact that there were no declarations of romantic love or kiss or whatever. I’m sure this part right here:

Miri: “Didn’t you slip out yesterday to go drinking with a girl again?” 

Caused some frowns and I do get it. Because of this, the queerbait and Kazuki and Rei are just friends dialogue will continue and follow the series around. But, this episode has made it clear that Kazuki and Rei love not only Miri, but each other as well.

They are a work partners (相棒 - aibou)

They are partners raising a child together. (相方 - aikata).

They��ve moved (I’m pretty sure their diner is in Okinawa for reasons I’ll get to in another post), they’ve opened a business together, one which has a part of Kazuki’s last name in it (来栖 - Kurusu is his last name, the 栖 (su) part of his name means “nest.”), and Rei’s words to his father: Miri, Kazuki, and I share a bond stronger than blood. 

They are a family. They love each other.

Of course, friends can be a part of a family. Friends can love each other, but there are also reasons why people who are in situations like co-parenting, queerplatonic relationships, platonic life partnerships, and etc. don’t refer to their bonds as friendships and the people they are co-parenting or in a partnership with as their friends, but as words that give some space for those grey areas in-between.

Friendships are strong, deep, and beautiful. Platonic love is love and is powerful.

But, there are definitely still different sets of expectations and boundaries that come with friendships vs. other relationship dynamics. 

Kazuki and Rei’s situation falls outside of the usual friendship expectations and boundaries and sits somewhere between that, family and partnership.

I know this topic has been talked to death about. But, I felt like I needed to write about and address it one final time since Buddy Daddies has come to an end (though, who knows about a potential Daughter Daddies!) Especially after Miri’s line to Kazuki. (I feel I could also go into open relationship dynamics, polyamorous relationships, and etc. but that feels like it would be derailing). 

Basically, I just wanted to get one final post out on this. I was very pleased with this ending episode. It made my heart so happy and warm, and I know I’ve said it before, but this series really speaks to me as someone who is aroace. Aroace characters and our relationship dynamics have basically no rep, so even if this series wasn’t intended to be written with a queerplatonic relationship dynamic in mind, they ended up writing a beautiful depiction of one that makes me and what I would want from a relationship of some kind, finally feel seen.

[lovelyyandereaddictionpoint]

are you ever going to continue the buddy daddies series? There’s barely any Yandere buddy daddies content and less platonic Yandere buddy daddies

anyways I got an idea lol so it’s been a couple months and reader is bored and they really want to go outside not essentially escape just go outside and one day is perfect her dads are out on a business trip and they won’t be back till the next day the only problem is Miri it’s the weekend and reader is on baby sitting duty good for reader Miri is a child and the promise of ice cream she’ll keep quiet but the problem comes when readers on her walk she spots a puppy and makes the mistake of staring at it to long so the dog gets attached and follows them back home and to make it worse Miri saw the dog and now she has to figure out how to get rid of the dog before there dads come home but Miri is now obsessed

sorry for this long ass rant and the horrible grammar

You're absolutely fine, Love! 🖤🖤🖤🖤

New Addition | Platonic Yandere Buddy Daddys x Teen Delinquent Reader

I love the idea that you just so happen to have this trait about you that has helplessly weak and clingy little creatures gravitating towards you

And it just sucks that you have this dog constantly following you 

After your elaborate plan to have Miri sleep for just a couple hours

You hate to admit that it’s not so bad living with the weirdos in their fancy condo

ignoring Miri and the occasional smothering

But you can be sure that your fairly peaceful life is going to get a lot more hectic if you come home with this dog

You didn’t mind as you visited some of your old hangout spots and your other runaway buddies you could find

But it is a problem as your four hours of freedom is ending and this dog hasn’t stopped trailing after you

Undeterred by your hopping fences and scaling buildings

The stray pup is incredibly determined

Eventually relenting to sit eagerly on the doorstep of the condo

“Get outta here you crazy mutt!”

“*Yawn* (Y/n) where’d you go I was looking all over for–PUPPY!”

With just enough luck you might be able to convince Miri and the happy pup to get inside and pretend you didn’t leave the house for hours

“Where did you get that?! A Puppy?!”

“Well I–”

“(Y/n) found her and brought her home! Her name is Cupcake!” 

Rei puts it together immediately and is more angry that you left

Kazuki on the other hand is pulling at his hair because the puppy is already chewing at the carpet

Rei-papa is going to try and interrogate you about your little outing

But he’ll be unsuccessful because Kazuki and Miri desperately need your help to bathe and clean this rowdy puppy

When Kazuki and Rei are finally able to get Miri and Cupcake to sleep 

Rei’s finally able to interrogate you but after seeing how helpless they were when the puppy was awake you figure you’ll have some leverage

“Sure you can lock the doors and ban me from leaving…but I hope you’ll be happy living in this place when it’s covered in dog pee.”

“WHAT!?”

“Cupcake is an unpotty-trained puppy, who needs to be walked often to avoid accidents. You two work a majority of the time so it’ll be my job buuutt if you’d rather I stay inside–?”

“No! No! I will not have Cupcake destroy everything in our home!”

“Grrrr.”

You just have to play the game with these two 

And a puppy is a variable that’s plenty confusing 

[thegamingcatmom]

Okay but now I can't get Miri the Tired Studhorse out of my head. 🐎😭

HELP.

Like-

She's literally just made one village lady very happy indeed. Said village lady just left out the door, a noticeable limp to her step that would raise concern, if it wasn´t for that dreamy smile on her face.

And Miranda?

(That´s the look she gives AFTER those girls have left. She´s got a reputation to uphold, after all. Can´t let them think she actually fancies those "meetings".)

Tired, worn-out.

As everyone who "works" day and night to fulfill their duties would be. But needs must when one strives to achieve the unimaginable, the impossible - a true wonder.

Her Eva...

She's about to close the door and get some well-deserved rest, when-

.

Some Village Girl, just so able to prevent the door from smacking her right in the face "Oh! Jesus. M-Mother Miranda?"

Miri, already done af: *ffs*

Also Miri: *opens the door a crack, hardly enough to peek outside*

Some Village Girl: *twirls her hair, bats her eyelashes*

Some Village Girl, thirsty nervous af: "P-Please forgive the late disturbance, holy Mother. I was in the area, collecting herbs for the soup my Papa loves so much. The one I made for you the last time we...well, I mean-"

Miri: "..."

Miri: *eye starts twitching, but remains otherwise still because bish is too worn-out to care*

Some Village Girl, realizing she gotta speed things up if she ever wants to make soup again: "W-Well, it matters not. I was simply wondering if you would like...some?"

Miri: "..."

Some Village Girl: "...S-Some soup, I mean? Considering I am...here. With herbs. Freshly plucked. Ripe for the ta-making! R-Ripe for the...making. Yes."

Miri: "..."

Some Village Girl: *twirls her hair, bats her eyelashes*

Miri: *swallows*

Some Village Girl, starting to panic: "O-Or maybe another time? Of course you are busy, how foolish of me! P-Please accept my most sincere apolo-"

Miri: *lifts one hand to shut the girl up*

Some Village Girl: 🤐

Also Miri: *gives the girl a thorough once-over*

Some Village Girl: *flushed face, sweat starting to coat her skin, heavy breathing from her incessant babbling, bites her lip in worry-*

Miri: *swallows again*

Also Miri: *opens the door and steps aside*

Some Village Girl, on cloud nine already: "...O-Oh, really? I-I mean, if it pleases you, holy Mo-"

Miri, too horny now to NOT give a f: "QUIT your incessant babbling, girl! Either come in and make good on your soup-promise or get OUT of my sight and pray your Papa will not suffer the consequences of your pitiful attempt at courting!"

Some Village Girl, torn between feeling terrified and horny af: "Y-Yes! Of course, holy Mother! At once! I-"

The rest of Some Village Girl's incessant babbling is swallowed as the door is thrown shut behind her.

...It doesn't take long before different sounds start echoing through the night, however.

.

Sigh.

A sheperd's life is no easy feat. One must be prepared to tend to their flock day and night to ensure their utility, so they may continue to provide value to the sheperd´s livelihood in return.

Furthermore, one must always be on the lookout for dangers that could strike at any moment, disrupting the carefully constructed balance that has brought stability and efficiency for decades.

.

.

.

Yes. MC is "dangers." Funny, considering-

Miranda is a wolf in sheperd´s clothing.

[suzukiblu]

I wanted to write something self-indulgent and decided to use that power to also make @miri-tiazan happy by adding to the wet nurse omegaverse. ❤️

"A wet nurse, Father, really?" Damian asks, looking unimpressed. The League of Assassins isn't much for hired wet nurses, Bruce knows–not even loyal servants, but especially not unknown outsiders. If a pup isn't getting nursed by a worthy packmate, then that pup isn't particularly valued or expected to grow up to be of much use to either Ra's or the League. Or grow up at all, in most cases.

And Damian has been dubious about Lor since the day he showed up, unsurprisingly, but also seems to have lumped him in under the same reaction he'd probably have had to Jon having gotten a new pet, so it could be worse, really. Damian typically likes pets, for one thing, so the idea of Lor being nursed by a servant has been less than ideal to him. Bruce will take that over Damian hating the pup any day.

"We did talk about it at breakfast," he reminds him. Damian looks no less unimpressed.

"Yes, and I assumed you would come to your senses and summon Todd back to the manor," he retorts disdainfully. "Not employ the first poorly-dressed stray you picked up off the street simply for lack of the last one you did."

"He's dressed fine, Damian," Tim says, scowling at him.

"Just don't diss the jacket, brat," Carl says with an easy shrug, otherwise ignoring Damian and just peering at Jon curiously. Bruce doesn't comment on the obvious transgression of an unrelated omega insulting one of his pups, given that said pup started it and also he doesn't expect Carl to have traditional pack manners at this point anyway. "Did you want some?"

"Huh?" Jon says, blinking at him.

"Like a snack or whatever," Carl clarifies, adjusting his grip on Lor. "Kiddo's drunk me pretty dry, but I think he's about done for now, so like, if you want any . . ."

Right, Bruce thinks, just barely raising an eyebrow as Travers looks speechlessly mortified. Well, further total lack of pack manners in Carl proven. He didn't even ask Clark before offering that.

"Oh," Jon says, looking a little flustered and not looking at Clark. "Um–but you're here for Chris."

"Yeah, so?" Carl says with a shrug. "I get milked up real quick, I'll have plenty more for him later. Not like I've got anyone else to feed right now anyway, they cleared my whole client list for this."

Bruce narrows his eyes. A client list? How much milk is Carl producing, to have a full list of clients? There's no way an omega his age who isn't on lactation stimulants should have enough milk for multiple clients.

Unless he very, very recently lost a full litter, anyway. That's the only reason Bruce can think of that he'd have that much milk.

Hell. And the agency just sent him out this soon?

Well, it would explain Carl claiming to be disinterested in pups and preferring to pump over doing direct nursing, but also explain the immediate triggering of a feral bond like that when actually directly faced with a distressed pup in need of something he had to offer. And Jon is Lor's brother now, so it's not a surprise that Carl would offer him his milk too. He's got to be sensing some of Lor's developing pack bonds, even a step removed from them; he's probably getting some attachment spillover.

Good sign for how Lor's new bonds are settling in, at least, Bruce supposes.

"Um . . ." Jon says, and keeps not looking at Clark. Bruce carefully doesn't think about exactly how long it's been since the kid had to go cold-turkey weaning on omega milk, mostly because of the circumstances around said weaning.

And Clark . . .

Clark's jaw tightens, just briefly, and then he smiles.

"It's alright if you'd like to, Jon," he says reassuringly, and Jon is a perceptive enough kid to look uncertain about the validity of that statement, but also clearly does want to at least try Carl's milk. Which, well, he did mention Carl smelling good to him. That's probably a good sign too, really, since Jon's got Kryptonian blood himself. Bodes well for Lor's tolerance for Carl's milk if the only other available Kryptonian pup likes the scent of it, hopefully.

But also, Bruce does know the last time Jon nursed it was from Clark, and it didn't end well.

[onyxmilk]

Could you make a headcanon or one shot of Kazuki Kurusu? And it would be of the reader waking up in the morning with Kazuki after ‘nightly activities’ last night. And kazuki would share kisses with the reader and kiss some marks he left behind, and then he’ll go make some breakfast for his family ☺️

I also wanted to say that I love the mini moodboards you have for each of the writing pieces 💜

Kazuki Kurusu x gn!Reader; "Morning After"

notes; i'm so sorry this took SO DAMN LONG!!! I went into writers block and then i got into scott pilgrim, but now im back into Japanese anime :D tw; Reader uses They/Them pronouns!, unedited, implied s3x, wc; 0.4k

The birds softly chirped outside of Kazuki's window, waking up the naturally light sleeper.

He groaned softly, rubbing his eye with his free hand and sighed as he opened his eyes fully.

Beside him was his partner, [YourName], and his heart was warm once more.

Last night wasn't their first time staying the night, but it was their first time going farther than just a heated make out.

He was beyond happy miri was a relatively heavy sleeper and Rei slept in the bathroom.

Realizing [YourName] was still sleeping, Kazuki softly chuckled before moving some hair out of their face.

He leaned over and gently placed a kiss against their cheek.

[YourName]'s face scrunched up at first before smiling softly and yawning.

They then slowly opened their eyes and their soft little smile grew a little bit more.

"Well, good morning." Kazuki would greet.

"Good morning, darling." [YourName] replied.

After staring at each other for a moment, [YourName] and Kazuki both chuckled.

[YourName] sat up, holding the sheet close to their bare ches.

This gave Kazuki a good look at the marks he had left on his partner's shoulders, making him smile but also feel a bit guilty all at once.

[YourName] softly jumped when they felt Kazuki lean up and softly kiss their shoulder, they looked over and gave Kazuki a confused look.

Kazuki then explained how he wanted to kiss every mark he left, as an apology to your body.

[YourName] just chuckled and shook their head, but allowed Kazuki to do as he pleased.

After softly kissing each mark and making sure his partner was ready, the two got up, showered, and then got dressed for the day.

[YourName] went to go wake Miri up while Kazuki went to go start on breakfast.

After about five minutes, [YourName] comes down the stairs with Miri of their hip who was still trying to wake up.

She would get set down on the couch which made Miri fight harder not to fall back to sleep.

Kazuki suggested to his daughter she go wake up Rei and that sent little Miri into excitement mode.

Miri shot up and ran to the bathroom, making both [YourName] and Kazuki laugh.

[YourName] stood at the kitchen island while Kazuki cooked, they watched as he carefully mixed each ingredient together and put it in the pan before moving on the next item.

[YourName] made their way over to their boyfriend, gently pressing a kiss to his cheek.

Kazuki was happier than the word sunshine to have [YourName].

[dk-wren]

Buddy Daddies & “Silent Night”

Happy holidays and Merry Christmas!

I’ve been busy working on other projects, so no time to write a fic for Christmas. However, I still wanted to do something, and thinking about the work I do outside of here, this is what I came up with. So, to celebrate the season, and the anniversary of Miri falling into the lives of Kazuki and Rei, I present a brief history of “Silent Night” and its relevance/connections to Buddy Daddies!

Brief History:

"Silent Night" was first performed in 1818 at the St. Nicholas Church in Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria. The lyrics were written by Father Joseph Mohr, which were originally adapted from a poem he had written two years previously, while the melody was composed by Franz Gruber. The song was originally written in German for two voices and an accompanying guitar, though an organ accompaniment was composed several years later (presumably along with an arrangement for a choir since it is traditionally performed in Austria during Christmas Eve Mass).

In Buddy Daddies, Miri is heard singing the first of six verses, which is probably the most well-known verse. When translated to English (first in 1858), and what I gather as the most common/used translation, or the one I am most familiar, only three verses are translated (verses 1, 6, and 2, in that order). Since its original performance/publication, "Silent Night" has been translated into over 300 languages and dialects.

Connections to Buddy Daddies:

(Just to be upfront, this is more my interpretation. I also want to acknowledge that there are a lot of religious elements in this song, which I do not feel I can adequately address/discuss. Though I may be wrong, I also don't think the religious elements are really at play in Buddy Daddies)

First things first, it is more than a little ironic how the first time "Silent Night" is heard in Buddy Daddies, or when Miri enters the hotel in ep. 1, an instrumental version is heard in the background, and in ep. 12 during Miri's Christmas recital (also kind of in ep. 11 when Miri is practicing), a gunfight precedes or succeeds this song.

That being said, it works since those moments then act like the calm before or after the storm. While there will always be some craziness or hecticness in raising a four/five year old, the moments that Kazuki and Rei spend with Miri, especially after these fights, act as moments of comfort or reassurance that their family is all together and they have each other.

The final line we hear Miri sing, and of the first verse, "Sleep in heavenly peace," arguably represents Kazuki and Rei's wish for Miri: that she is safe, has nothing to truly worry about, and knows she is loved. Their drive and desire to let Miri sleep soundly at the end of every night is what causes them to choose their family over the organization and to fight back knowing that the organization disapproves of such "attachments" or the idea of Rei, Kazuki, and Miri being a family. While this scene is not connected to one of the times "Silent Night" is heard in Buddy Daddies, this comfort of having each other and being able to rest easy because of this feeling is also clearly seen in the ep. 3 after credits scene. The events of ep. 3 is the first time Kazuki, Rei, and Miri all seem to acknowledge that they are a family and will be staying by each other's side in the long run, which may then be why Rei quickly falls asleep as they are all relatively on the same page about their relationships to one another (and everyone he loves, whether or not he fully processes this yet, is safe next to him).

In having Miri sing this song at the end of ep. 12, the lines "All is calm, all is bright" also stand out because that is how Kazuki and Rei are seeing their future now. They've done everything in their power to walk away from the organization for good, and they did it without losing their lives. Now, their sole mission is to look after Miri and raise their daughter to be the best person she can be. The two walking into Miri's concert and standing in the back (not just because they were late, but because of their injuries) may give them some time for reflection about what they did that day and how that provided them the opportunity to successfully go after the future they've dreamed of.

Not directly related to the song, but during my research, I also found that another big accomplishment for lyricist Joseph Mohr was his role in building the first school in one village and setting up a fund that would help to cover the cost of education so that children from poorer families could still attend/be educated. His work as a priest could be interpreted as him having an affinity for providing for or working to better the lives of children. Considering how much Kazuki and Rei do to look after Miri's happiness and well-being, the personal life of the lyricist of "Silent Night" then adds some more depth into this song being featured throughout Buddy Daddies given Mohr's connections to looking after and taking into consideration the needs of growing children.

.

.

.

Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed this quick little exploration into "Silent Night." There were more things I wanted to include in the history section, but I felt it would have been too much or gotten too long. I hope the little bit I included was enough though and not too boring.

Happy holidays, everyone!

-Dakota Wren

(P.S. gonna slide this announcement into the bottom of my post, but you know how I wrote at the top I've been busy working on "other projects?" Well, that's because I am currently planning to do a celebration week leading up to the 1 year anniversary of Buddy Daddies premiere. If all goes according to plan, I will have something posted each day from Jan 1st-Jan 7th. If I need to switch to plan B, then expect a mega-post or multi-posts throughout the day on Jan 7th. So while I don't have any new content for the holiday season, expect some relatively soon with the new year. Thanks for reading and again, happy holidays!)

[head-empty-just-sigma]

is it just me or does Kyu-chan have way too many death flags compared to practically every other character?

1. he’s connected to both Kazuki and Rei on a personal level, to some degree, outside of the organization

2. he might have helped Rei when he ‘left’ the organization, but idk how likely this is since it’s just me speculating

3. he had something to do with Kazuki’s past and has known him for a while, considering Kyu-chan chose to introduce him specifically to Rei because he thought it would be good for them both. he also probably realized it would be beneficial to stick the sunshine ptsd character with the repressed and cold ptsd character together because opposites attract and turn into and they were roommates (this is a joke)

4. he’s currently 2 months into his job to collect and turn in information on the family to the organization, but he still can’t choose if his loyalty to the organization (and possibly his life) is worth more than seeing his friends be happy with their found family

5. he was the one who brought up that people who betray the organization are punished (with death), which means he’s probably seen it happen multiple times considering he’s one of the organization’s most trusted sources of information, meaning he’d have to gather information on future targets (which would explain his reaction to Ogino asking him for info on Miri and her papas). this could be foreshadowing him accepting the punishment for the sake of his friends, but that’s with some heavy speculation

6. on the opposite side of that, he clearly hasn’t told Kazuki or Rei about the request from the organization. if either of them found out during/after one of the worst possible outcomes, i don’t think Kyu-chan would be walking away alive. but i also kind of doubt that either of them would kill Kyu-chan… idk

this could be me just brainrotting a little too much, but i’m honestly the most worried about Kyutaro being the one who might die by the end of the season…

[queenbananya]

So I found this around, can I ask for Kazuki/ Rei?

♥ Send a ship and I'll give you who:

- Gives nose/forehead kisses

- Gets jealous the most

- Picks the other up from the bar when they’re too drunk to drive

- Takes care of on sick days

- Drags the other person out into the water on beach day

- Gives unprompted massages

- Drives/rides shotgun

- Brings the other lunch at work

- Has the better parental relationship

- Tries to start role-playing in bed

- Embarrassingly drunk dancer

- Still cries watching Titanic

- Firmly believes in couples costumes

- Breaks the expensive gift rule during Christmas

- Makes the other eat breakfast

- Remembers anniversaries

- Brings up having kids

This seems fun, I'll give it go.

- Gives nose/forehead kisses: absolutely Kazuki.

- Gets jealous the most: Honestly, neither. Rei doesn't understand when he's getting hit on and Kazuki would be amused and happy with Rei getting attention. Rei might get a bit upset but doesn't care too much and would never vocalize it. So let me change my answer: Rei.

- Picks the other up from the bar when they’re too drunk to drive: None. Rei won't get drunk at the bar. He also won't pick Kazuki up. If Rei was the type to drink Kazuki would definitely pick him up though.

- Takes care of on sick days: Well, Kazuki. Rei doesn't really know what to do but he does worry a bit, or he might forget Kazuki's dying and only remember when Kazuki calls him and tells him to bring him medicine.

- Drags the other person out into the water on beach day: Kazuki

- Gives unprompted massages: Kazuki might try to and get rejected. Rei awkwardly if he's trying to express something or Kazuki asks him to and catches him in a good mood.

- Drives/rides shotgun. Kazuki pretty canonly almost exclusively drives. Rei only when he has to.

- Brings the other lunch at work: Kazuki snuck into a no-parent schooltrip to bring Miri lunch. I think that answers this question xD

- Has the better parental relationship: as much as Kazuki would hate this answer, Rei.

- Tries to start role-playing in bed: I can't picture them randomly roleplaying in bed, but this reminds me of my fic where Kazuki says they roleplay as hitmen to get out of a tricky situation with Miri's daycare xD

- Embarrassingly drunk dancer: Kazuki again. Rei doesn't dance. I'd like to picture a future where he does go out and dance with Kazuki. Maybe Kazuki drags him outside and they slow dance, or Kaz just grinds on him dirtily and Rei's kind of interested.

- Still cries watching Titanic: ofc Kazuki.

- Firmly believes in couples costumes: when he's single, Kazuki mocks the couple costumes but once he's not he'll see a couple with some corny matching shirts and will make Rei wear one with him

- Breaks the expensive gift rule during Christmas: What the hell is the expensive gift rule for christmas lol probably Rei because he'd also have no clue

- Makes the other eat breakfast: easily Kaz

- Remembers anniversaries: both really, though Kazuki would be the only one that makes a big deal about it

- Brings up having kids: if we're talking about a world without Miri, Kazuki. It wouldn't occur to Rei. With Miri, I don't believe either would want more children.

[shut-up-hope]

kazuki and rei not believing theyve both changed just adds to the misery. theyve housed a kid that isnt theirs, grown a genuine attachment to said kid, sacrificed their own happiness for hers so she can have a chance at a normal life..

theyve grown and changed individually, too; rei voluntarily went outside, he additionally attempted to cook for miri; kazuki grew to accept a new family, and im sure miri’s presence helped him heal from his past trauma. kazuki and rei were finally able to emotionally attach themselves to someone, which is a huge change. its so upsetting to see neither of them realize this.

[lilyginnyblackv2]

Dream Star Daycare vs. Blue Sky Daycare

I’ve already talked a bit about the differences between these two and how the first daycare (Dream Star) was colder than the second daycare that Miri actually gets accepted at (Blue Sky). But, I had a bit more commentary that I wanted to add, especially because that post in general wasn’t really about that topic (it was about Kazuki and Rei really accepting the roles of “Fathers” within the larger societal structure of Japan). This post is just going to be about these two different daycares though.

First we have Dream Star Daycare. The name alone, while cute, is a bit colder already. It’s about nighttime, sleeping, and stars (up in cold space). The outside is doesn’t really tell or say much about the daycare:

There are two big smiling flowers at the entrance way, but everything else about the building is pointed and sharp. The color is a dull orange-brown, the pillars are white, large, and intimidating, and the windows are void of any children’s artwork or colors or anything that really says, “Welcome children!” in a nice and kind way. You can barely see the (pretty barren looking) playground in the back there, through the walkway entrance. I can see a pair of exercise bars maybe, and that’s pretty much it.

Blue Sky Daycare really lives up to that warm name. When people think of blue skies, they think of nice days outdoors with their family and friends. Warm memories and experiences. Visually, the building is much more welcoming as well. The entrance way has low arches that are rounded, with small pictures of happy animals welcoming the parents and students in. 

The playground is front and center with lots of different equipment and things for the children to do. The playground is also very colorful, just like the roof, which is a pretty blue, and the walls of the building, which are painted an off-white color that allows all of the colorful images to be seen (like the flying birds and floating hot balloons). There are some sharp shapes, like the roof tops, but they are evened out with smaller and/or rounder windows that are more frequent as well. 

The way the building is structured also allows for the parents to see what is going on inside the classrooms and for the teachers to keep a better eye on the children from the classrooms when they play outside. Dearm Star Daycare didn’t allow for anything like that, because the building was more like a refurbished government building than Blue Sky’s Daycare, which feels more like a home.

The first thing we are greeted to inside Dream Star Daycare is this woman. She likely is a head teacher or manager - someone higher up that doesn’t actually work with the children. The give away for this is how she is dressed. She’s wearing a very business and professional looking suit outfit that doesn’t allow for much mobility, and around her neck is a necklace that could be a choking hazard and just cause a general mess around actual children (like, if one of them pulled on it and it broke and the pearls went everywhere). 

Along with this, we have the stern lines around her lips, which are pulled down in a frown. Her squared jawline, narrowed and smaller shaped eyes, and furrowed brows combined with very bland colored and traditionally shaped glasses makes her come off as displeased, stern, and no funny business right from the start. Her haircut brings this whole look together as well.

In the background we can see some of the pictures the children have drawn...But they don’t look much like drawings the children made to express themselves. Those drawings definitely look more like academic based drawings, focusing on the children learning vocabulary and sight words. Since they are almost all single word images (dog, sushi, rainbow, train, etc.). None of them show true self expression or anything situational that indicates creativity and the children creating them to learn by living and exploring. Seems more rotary, repetition, learn-by-memorizing-sight-words based kind of learning instead.

Someone in the comments of my previous post commented on how big the desk is, and they’re totally right. This desk is huge and places a lot of space between Kazuki, Rei, and the lady interviewing them. Miri is also far off to the side and playing alone with blocks. Blocks can help children learn some good social skills, but that’s only when they are playing with blocks with others.

Otherwise, blocks tend to focus more on helping children learn more conceptual ideas (math, spatial awareness, increase attention span, etc.). Concepts that are more beneficial for academics, rather than social learning and building.

Also, let’s take a look at the dialogue here, “We’re your first choice of daycare, then?” I’m sure, in a scene that we didn’t get to see, that the lady did common pleasantries and greetings, but the show decided that this sentence should be the first one that we hear this woman say to Kazuki and Rei. Before she asked this, she made a sort of disgruntled sound, so that combined with this...unpleasant greeting makes it clear that this woman doesn’t want them at her daycare. She is basically saying, “We were your first choice,” with the implication of “I wish we weren’t.”

After that, she goes on to ask them this:

“And...you’re both fathers?” The “And...” is saying a lot here. Right, that pause before a question indicates some level of uncomfortableness with the question you are going to ask. Implies you find something off or wrong with whatever you are asking about. She also starts off only engaging with Kazuki and Rei. Miri has to literally force herself into the conversation, and then the woman only gives one word replies back to Miri (usually as a question). No true engagement.

In the other post I talked about the look of the room, so I won’t go into details with that here, but you can see how barren and cold it looks and feels.

Now, let’s check back with Blue Sky Daycare:

What a difference our first impression of Blue Sky Daycare is! Cute, warm, and inviting pastel colors are everywhere, as are pictures and children’s crafts. You can see the boxes of toys in the back, but Miri isn’t playing with any of them, because she was brought into the interview itself. 

Miss Anna starts off the interview by talking to her directly, in fact. Asking for her name and age. She has a pretty smile, button nose, rosy cheeks, and big kind eyes. Her hair is done up in a loose ponytail, and she isn’t wearing any jewelry. The older man next to her has a kind smile on his face too, big bushy eyebrows, and wears very soft colors (pastels of green and pink, a muted red color, and white). Nothing about either characters design is sharp or cold like the other women.

There is also a very prominent wooden piano right next to the table they are sitting at (it’s a dark wood color too, which has a “warm” tone to it). Sunlight is shining in form the windowed doorway behind them, and the desk they are all sitting at is big enough, but also allows the two groups to be closer, and is at Miri’s level. 

We also get a nice, full view of Miss Anna’s design here. Her clothes are comfy, she has an apron on with pockets, and she is wearing just socks. All of this indicates that she actually engages with the students. No jewelry anywhere for kids to break and cause a mess or possibly choke on, no stuffy clothes that would be hard to move and play and jump around in, an apron for her to get messy when it is craft time, and pockets to hold materials she might need throughout the day.

When she asks about them being two fathers, she says, “Two fathers, you say?” Things to note: there is no “And” or “...” no pause in asking this question. She also asks it politely. In the Japanese she ends it with “desu ka,” which is a general level of politeness. The English carries this over with the translation of “you say?” This carries over her tone of voice and expression (a nice smile) too, which are far more welcoming than the previous daycare.

Finally, when Miri is talking (and not just introducing herself), Miss Anna bends down and closer to Miri. So she indicates that she is listening closely to what Miri is saying and is doing so more on Miri’s level, rather than Miri having to do so on the adult’s level (like what we see at the previous daycare).

They really do a fantastic job of visually showing why Blue Sky Daycare is not only a perfect fit for this little family of three, but also why it is a good daycare in general.

In a way, Kazuki and Rei really...dodged a bullet.

(Sorry, I’ll end this now, lol).

[chippuyon]

How do you feel about episode 10?

Anon I hope you know I had no idea it was out yet and rushed to open it as soon as I saw this I AM IN SHAMBLES

Ok so as I was going through the op again remember this shot?

A metaphorical barrier between Kazuki and Rei and Miri, which makes a LOT more sense now that we know Misaki is taking Miri back. The act of holding the frame symbolizes kazurei's efforts to give Miri the happy life she has now, but they are outside the frame while Miri is inside. They can look in, Miri can't look out. They can't touch or interact with each other anymore.

On to the actual episode lmfao can we talk about how Misaki made herself look so cool and motherly in the kitchen when it turns out she was just microwaving a convenience store meal in the microwave I laughed so hard.

(Also Kazuki's line about there being nothing worse than somebody else messing around in your kitchen just solidified my ocd hc for him this man is sooo ocd adhd coded)

So this episode we learn that Misaki is about to die which, WOAH, was not expecting that. It adds a lot more gravity to the situation and is a believable motivation to take your daughter back. But, again, this does not mean she should be Miri's mother. Because once she grows up Miri will have to constantly be reminded of the fact that she was abandoned by her mom when she was 4. Kinda fucked up!

I do appreciate that Misaki is willing to spend the rest of her life dedicated to Miri, but, as Rei and Kazuki say, it's still just about her. She's only approaching Miri now because she's about to die and doesn't want any regrets before then. But Misaki is right too, their work is dangerous, and on top of that they're being actively targeted right now. The writers did a good job setting up the moral dilemma. The most important factor here though is Miri's happiness, which to her includes both her Papas and Mama so we'll see how that goes.

(That said, if Misaki does end up taking Miri back for good, isn't that cruel? To abandon your daughter, then take her back and properly care for her, while knowing you're just going to leave her alone again sooner rather than later.)

(Another interesting tidbit is Kazuki telling Misaki not to smoke. We know Rei has given up smoking, at least around Miri. Maybe a hint about who will be the best fit for Miri in the end?)

Then there's the family outing which was so adorable and chock full of references to past eps. Love this silent exchange between Kazuki and Rei what are you guys talking about up there let me into your heads...

AND THIS SHOT WITH THE CHRISTMAS WREATH ABOVE THEM GRAHHHH the final ep is gonna be during Christmas and parallel Kazuki catching Miri in ep 1 I just know it.

This dynamic where Kazuki is all too ready to give up on his happiness because he's already lost it before so many times versus Rei who doesn't want to accept it because *this* is his first happiness is juicy as hell and I'm gonna need all the fanartists and fic writers to step on it cause damn!!!

Kazuki putting his scarf around Miri like the cat :( sobbing ueueue need the cat and Miri to return to them later. And as if this ep wasn't painful enough they really had Kazuki closing it on THIS goddamn line

Like just shoot me in the head at this point it would hurt less.

[i--am--the--sheep]

If I Don't Sleep (I'll Never Dream) [ch 4]

read fic warnings and find other chapters here

Rei’s sleep started dreamless.  He wishes it would have stayed that way.

It starts with memories of the dogs.  Rei always had cared for animals.  It was his father’s first lesson – don’t care for anything but yourself.  He hears them before he sees them, snapping and growling on their chains.  They were raised to fight – aggression sewn into their sinews and soaked into their bones by a life of torture.  They were alive for the same reason as he was: violence.

His father takes him outside, pressing a knife into his palm.  He’s silent, but the look in his eyes is clear.  Only one of you will leave this field.  The dream turns into a flurry of pain, and blood, and gore, before the scene suddenly changes with the loud ringing of a gunshot.  He failed.

Things shift.  He’s staring down at Kazuki’s mutilated, bullet-riddled body.  He’s covered with blood.  The gun is in his hand.  This is his fault, he’s killed the one person he cares about.  He can hear a child crying – Miri?  

“Papa?”  He looks up, sees her cowering in the corner, weeping and spattered in crimson.  He can feel himself reach to her, hold her, comfort her, something, and she yelps.  Her arms are over her head, shielding herself as best she can.  “Please, papa,” is all she can cry out before her form fades and dissolves into dust.  

Things shift again.  He’s trapped, backed into a corner.  His father, his boss, is stalking towards him.  Suddenly, Rei is seventeen again, and he’s just fucked up his first big kill.  He’s certain that this is it.  This is the time the beating goes too far, the knife goes to deep, the blood flows too readily.  And he’s terrified.  He’s back to being some scared kid.  He’s sure everything and everyone is out to hurt him – the world, his father, himself.   

“Rei!”  His father’s voice is overwhelming, an all-encompassing storm of rage and wrath.  He gets close.  “Rei!  Rei!” 

He wakes with a start.  Someone is shaking his shoulders.  “Jesus, are you okay?” 

It’s sheer instinct.  One hand is around his assailant’s throat in a heartbeat, the other reaching for the weapons stowed beneath his pillow.  He doesn’t find one.

“Hey, hey, its me!”  A familiar voice barks at him, and Rei’s eyes focus in, his heart thudding in his chest.  Kazuki.  His hand recoils.

“You’re in my room, remember?  I don’t keep stuff there.”  Kazuki nods to where Rei’s hand is still under the pillow, grasping for some sort of knife or gun.  “They’re usually in the nightstand.  Moved ‘em though, you’re jumpy as all hell.”

Rei’s pulse slows, and he grumbles an apology that Kazuki wasn’t concerned about receiving.  

“Nah, my fault for waking you.  You were shaking pretty badly, wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Rei knows Kazuki doesn’t usually pry unless he needs to.  He could shrug, give absolutely no answer, and the two of them would return to whatever they were doing.  But that seems hurtful, after all Kazuki has done, after what they’ve been through.  Rei doesn’t think he cares about being hurtful.  Maybe he does with Kazuki.

On the other end, talking, sharing, seems daunting.  It makes his stomach churn.  Things like this stir up such a strong reaction from him.  He figures its probably because the other times he brought anything like this up at his father’s house, he’d get beaten within an inch of his life.  His bones ache just thinking about it.  

He ponders for a moment, thinking.  

“Nightmare.”  Just enough information to make Kazuki happy, not so much that Rei would throw up.  Kazuki hummed in acknowledgement.  Silence stretches on for a bit before Kazuki pipes up.

“Can I touch?”  He always asks.  Rei sometimes nods.  Today is one of those sometimes.

Kazuki moves behind him, and Rei expects him to maybe untangle the knots in his hair, or dig his thumbs into the knots in his shoulders.  He’s not expecting to have his partner draped over his back, chin resting on Rei’s shoulder.  Kazuki’s all lean muscle, heavy on his spine, and it feels nice.  Grounding.  

“Kyu said Miri’s been asking for you.  Wants to know when she can come play Mario Kart.”

Rei huffs out half a snicker, bittersweet at the thought of her.  “Does… Does she know?”

“Kyu told her you got hurt in an accident.  That’s all.”  

“...When will she be back?”

Kazuki barks out a laugh.  “What, don’t tell me you miss that little devil?”

Most days, he would have backpedaled.  Taken it back, sworn he didn’t care to keep up appearances.  But its just them, and Kazuki’s weight on his back feels safe.

“Maybe a little.”  Kazuki doesn’t tease or goad, just nods.

“Me too.  Kyu won’t let her stay for too long.  He gets sick of making smoothies and shakes for her.  Just… Just need to make sure everyone is okay first.”

Rei knows that’s mostly about him.  He doesn’t ever feel okay.  Hasn’t for a while.  Doesn’t really feel okay now.  

It does feel a little bit better than usual though, here in Kazuki’s arms.

[thegamingcatmom]

Anon making way through resi8 for miri

Heisenbergs factory looked cool as heck in a creepy dystopian kind of way, like the background design is just so cool

Watched the whole heisenberg showdown and still can't believe Ethan got that...tank not tank? vehicle

Miri showed up and just ripped his heart out wtf? And then she just crushed his heart and sprinkled it over herself like...what???(birb mama just looked extra insane) also her just summoning birbs in front of her???

Also like that can't just be it for Ethan right? He can't be dead??? He...he gotta go save rose!

Now I'm in chris? Pov? Watching what happening next

Yeah, Heisenberg's place is just so grotesque and eerie. Especially when Sturm (his propeller creation) chases you. It gives you chills and I love that. 🥰

He´s creating an army in hopes it would defeat Miranda btw. Seeing this gif - all the bodies and the machinery (that he´s no doubt invented himself) - really makes you wonder how long he´s been planning this for. Like, either he somehow obtained ppl from outside the village, or all of these are villagers from different time periods. Yknow, like-

"Keep the birth rate high, ensure endless supply."

- Heisenberg, at some point (probably)

Miranda "sampled his blood for later," so I think that means she kinda absorbed his DNA/info or smt? Because she was like "bound for eternity in blood" in reference to the bond with her reincarnated daughter. So, maybe, consuming Ethan's blood would ensure that? Maybe that's her way of taking in someone's essence? I mean, she had to get Mia's DNA in order to impersonate her, so I reckon she's done that by consuming her blood too??

The fact that this is Miranda casually slapping Ethan´s hand away like some pesky fly and going like "NUH-UH, hands off, mister" DOES THINGS TO ME LIKE-

PLS COOK FOR ME AND SLAP ME, I BEG YOU. 😭

...Pretty pls? 👉👈

ASDFNALSJDFNSAKSJBF

.

Imma have to read up some stuff again because, as I've also read today, Miranda was actually an actual scientist/biologist before she got infected?? (I´m sure I knew that at some point, lol.) I´m still in the middle of my 2nd playthrough, so that´s probs some info you get at the very end of the game and I would´ve stumbled upon it regardless. But like, all this knowledge and expertise she has didn´t come from the Megamycete. She was already very intelligent and a more than capable scientist/biologist, and the Megamycete took it to the extreme, kinda.

I also remember there being some sick concept art/artwork in the credits that shows her infecting the villagers by injecting the Cadou directly. There was a father with his sick/dying daughter seeking a "cure" and Miranda was only all too happy to "help" ofc. I mean, we all know she gained the villagers´ trust by pretending to be some saint/godsent, but seeing that concept art really puts into perspective just how cunning Miranda is.

Here´s the artwork, btw:

SHE´S SO...UGH. 😭🫠

The birds she summons are actually her own. Like, she frequently turns into a murder of crows for quick travelling or, as we see here, to descent on her enemies. Though, it was less an attack and more a form taunting with Ethan, let´s be honest.

...I mean, yall can´t tell me she isn´t cackling like a hyena on the inside here. 😭😭😭

.

.

.

I saw you´ve sent me another ask, so I´ll leave it at that. 😉

OH, btw:

After you defeat Sal, you get a crank with which you can lower the bridge near the ceremony site. This leads you to a boat which you can use to get some extra stuff (like Lady D´s treasure), and also more info on the mold and Miranda´s agenda. You get to see the cave in which Miranda intended to commit suicide after her daughter´s death. The cave where she accidently discovered the mold. The cave that started it all, basically. And literally.

Like, I´m not just talking about Village, seeing as Umbrella (the pharmaceutical company that specializes in the creation of bioweapons) only exists because Miranda saved Oswell E. Spencer after a skiing accident. This was in the early 1950s and only possible because Miranda had been infected by the mold, making her immortal basically, and-

...ANYWAY-

Should you ever play the game yourself, I highly recommend revisiting some places after you´ve defeated each lord because there might be some new stuff to collect and discover. The map kinda changes a bit each time, you could say. Especially Luiza´s place. 😉

Thanks for your ask! 💋

[ciaossu-imagines]

💕 or 📖 from the get to know me meme (for you)

Oh my…I’m super flattered and honestly a little amazed that I got questions for myself (I figured it would be mostly characters with maybe an ask thrown in here and there for my OC’s). So I’m really happy about that but at the same time, god, did you pick the two hardest questions for me ahaha! Like, these are super, duper tough for me to answer! I’ma try my best though!!

Your two top fave fictional characters?

Impossible to answer. Simply impossible. There are so many really great, nuanced, interesting characters out there in so many different forms of media. There are so many characters I really love and have developed deep bonds with over the years and to pick just two is impossible. It’s also really hard because, as I’ve admitted before, my favourites are always constantly changing. Even for just my fandoms on here, my favourite characters are constantly shifting and changing for the most part. Outside of the fandoms I write for on here, Watson from Sherlock Holmes, Ron Weasley from Harry Potter, Leo from the Heroes of Olympus series, and Frank from Hold Me Closer, Necromancer are some of my favourite literary characters. For video games, it’s Link and Princess Peach all the way for me, because I was raised on a babysitter’s Nintendo and first loves die hard. To try to give a better answer, I’ll also give my current favourite two characters from each of my fandoms, but remember that in like, two months, these will likely have changed:

For KHR, it’s currently Tsuna and Haru.

For K, it’s Fujishima and Shouhei, currently.

For Servamp, it’s Tsurugi and Yumi and Jun. Just all three of them.

For Iruma-kun, it’s Ifrit and Kalego.

For Bungou Stray Dogs, it’s Fukuchi and Fukuzawa.

For Nanbaka, it’s Hajime and Samon.

For Eyeshield 21, it’s Kid and Agon.

For The Vampire Dies in No Time!, it’s Ronaldo and Shot.

For JJK, it’s Panda and Bernard.

For Dogs, it’s Badou and Giovanni.

For Mashle, it’s Dot and Finn.

For A3!, it’s Tsuzuru and Sakyo.

For S8, it’s Shadow and Reki.

For YYH, it’s Kuwabara and Yusuke.

For Demon Slayer, it’s Zenitsu and Rengoku.

For Assassination Classroom, it’s Karma and Rio.

For Black Cat, it’s Sven and Charden.

For Bleach, it’s Renji and Akon.

For Blue Lock, it’s Ego and Bachira.

For Buddy Daddies, it’s Miri and Rei.

For BNHA, it’s Fat Gum and Mirio.

For Chainsaw Man, it’s Power and Hirofumi.

For Deadman Wonderland, it’s Senji and Karako.

For Fairy Tail, it’s Lucy and Rogue.

For Gangsta., it’s Nic and Hausen.

For GetBackers, it’s Emishi and Ginji.

For Gintama, it’s Gintoki and Kagura.

For Golden Kamuy, it’s Asirpa and Ogata.

For Haikyuu, it’s Daichi, Suga, and Asahi – all three are tied in a great big bow like a giant present and they’re where a vast majority of my love is going. And lust…some of that most definitely.

For Hunter x Hunter, it’s Ging and Chrollo.

For High Card, it’s Chris and Vijay.

For Hinomaru Sumo, it’s Hinomaru and Yuma.

For Joker Game, it’s Sakuma and Jitsui.

For Karneval, it’s Gareki and Yogi.

For Kuroko no Basuke, it’s Taiga and Midorima.

For Magi, it’s Jafar and Sinbad.

For Yowamushi Pedal, it’s Makishima and Sakamichi.

For Mob Psycho 100, it’s Shigeo and Dimple.

For Naruto, it’s Sasori and Deidara.

For One Punch Man, it’s Zombieman and King.

For One Piece, it’s Luffy and Smoker.

For Ronin Warriors, it’s Rowen and Kento.

For Ouran, it’s Honey and Haruhi.

For Saiyuki, it’s Gojyo and Goku.

For The Royal Tutor, it’s Heine and Bruno.

For Tokyo Revengers, it’s Mikey and Ken.

For Soul Eater, it’s Maka and Stein.

For Durarara, it’s Celty and Shinra.

For Kekkaishi, it’s Tokine and Shishio.

For 07-Ghost, it’s Frau and Hyuuga.

For Windbreaker, it’s Mitsuki and Tasuku.

For Beyblade, it’s Kenny and Madoka.

For Black Clover, it’s the whole of the Agrippa family because their designs are cool and Zora.

For Mystic Messenger, it’s V and Jumin.

For Ikemen Revolution, it’s Fenrir and Sirius.

For Class of the Titans, it’s Neil and Odie.

For Gravity Falls, it’s Stan and Wendy.

For Ultimate Spider-Man, it’s Danny and Peter.

For The Covenant, it’s Pogue and Tyler.

For The Mighty Ducks, it’s Averman and Fulton.

For The Outsiders, it’s Dally and Pony.

For Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, it’s Frank and Sean.

Fave book?

I have a lot of books that I dearly love. Much like with characters, it’s really impossible to just choose one. The list of them all that I think are fantastic would fill whole pages. I read a lot of different genres though, surprising because it’s a large part of what I write, pure romance remains the only thing I don’t enjoy reading at all. Mostly because I find them either very formulaic with cliched characters or I find the romances they portray to be vaguely (or in some cases, not so vaguely) toxic. There are a few exceptions to that rule as there are a few romances that I did enjoy, but largely because of other factors within the story. There’s a Harlequin series, of all things, underneath their paranormal romance series, called the Bloodrunners and I enjoyed those. I also enjoyed Dante and Aristotle Discover the Secrets of the Universe. I read a lot of biographies (mostly recently read Britney Spears biography), adore cozy mysteries (currently reading the Murder, She Wrote novel series) and not so cozy mysteries (excited to start the second book in the John Ceepak mysteries). I also read a lot of urban fantasy (big fan of the fantastical noir tropes, with Who Censored Roger Rabbit being a fantastic example and I do enjoy the Dresden Files). Horror though? That’s my jam. I’ve been a huge Stephen King fan since I was around eleven and I really love Grady Hendrix. I also am not someone who feels I need to keep myself to reading only adult novels. I love kids books. I recently revisited and read all the classic Goosebumps books for a wave of nostalgia and despite being written for kids, I love the Percy Jackson series and own a lot of both the Nancy Drew and the Hardy boys novels. Of course, the classics are always worth reading. I reread Alice in Wonderland and The Little Prince quite often, along with the Anne of Green Gables novels, Little Women/Little Men, and Frankenstein quite often. Basically, I just really love books and always appreciate any good recommendations for new ones.