#and they let makoto RECIPROCATE

[ontosgold]

12/1 true ending

[ts4ritsa]

༊*·˚ cold + unapproachable s/o who has a soft side for them

ft. makoto naegi, hajime hinata, shuichi saihara, & kaede akamatsu from danganronpa * ˚ ✦

tags / cw ✎ male!reader in mind but is pretty much gn, established relationship, fluff, reader is easily angered and quick to defend s/o, headcanons, not proofread, may be ooc, requested

MAKOTO NAEGI ✰

a lot of people say you and makoto are the grumpy and sunshine trope — and they would be right. you, someone who is closed off and unapologetically cold towards others, with someone as upbeat and kind-hearted as makoto? your classmates would say they’d like to be surprised, but that kind of pairing isn’t uncommon nowadays

makoto thinks their opinions are funny, taking them lightheartedly. he knows you are indifferent about them, but he enjoys mentioning it every once in a while, enjoying the little smirk he might elicit from you instead of the scoff you give other people when they make such comments

besides that, makoto couldn’t be more happy to be in a relationship with you. he considers himself extraordinarily lucky, being able to attract a guy like you. whenever you get affectionate with him behind closed doors, he’s just can’t help but become a blushing and giggly mess. yes, he appreciates everything you do for him and reciprocates in full

he doesn’t ramble that much about stuff and usually enjoys hearing you talk instead; also is really interested in trying out the foods you enjoy

in the event that someone is disrespecting and being blatantly rude to makoto, he tries to not let it get to him but it does hurt — though he immediately snaps out of his thoughts because he realizes he has to de-escalate the situation since you are always dead set on defending him and returning the insults to the other person

makoto appreciates your… commitment towards him, promise! but he tells you he’d rather you use a more peaceful approach while chuckling awkwardly

HAJIME HINATA ✰

hajime’s personality paired with yours is quite the dynamic, but you compliment each other well. both of you are relatively reserved, perceived as aloof and kooky, and although hajime isn’t an expert with people he certainly seems like he is when you both are together in public

honestly, hajime finds it very surprising — how uncaring and standoffish you are with other people but how warm and attentive you are with him and only him. in a way it boosts his pride

tries to keep up with your affectionate gestures as much as he can, but he can be left quite speechless at just how much love you can give him. still he accepts it in full

you can both just talk for hours on end, secretly it’s hajime’s favorite thing to do with you

for dates he enjoys going to what’s been recently popular since exploring and reviewing is fun with you around and he can give you his honest thoughts while also being curious on what you have to say

when getting into an argument with another person and they get heated, he gets easily irritated but remains level-headed. though when you insert yourself and defend him like your life depends on it he secretly finds that delightful and helpful

you and him pretty much always win whatever quarrels you find yourselves in since he’s quick to prove them wrong and you’re quick with your comebacks

though hajime will thank you he’ll probably tell you it’s better to not openly show them that they hit a nerve with their words

SHUICHI SAIHARA ✰

shuichi can’t believe he pulled someone like you. despite the both of you having a more withdrawn nature, you’re practically different in almost every other aspect. but he isn’t one to complain — after all, shuichi’s feelings for you are just as strong as yours are for him

finds it really endearing that you show him a more gentle and kind side of you. he tries to hide how much it makes him feel all warm inside but the tint of red on his cheeks along with a silly smile give it all away

actually really loves that you let him ramble about what’s on his mind. well, even if he doesn’t technically ramble, he is a very thoughtful person deep down and it’s refreshing to be able to talk freely without being judged

appreciates each and every gift that you give him, though every time you do get him something he insists you you’re spoiling him and he usually finds a way to gift you something right back

shuichi couldn’t be more happy with you, really, you make him feel like he’s won the lottery, and in return he wants to show his love for you in any way he can, any way that you’ll let him. he tries to hide how strong his feelings are to his classmates but they can see right through him, it’s pretty funny

though sometimes shuichi feels low-key intimidated by you, especially when you get into fights with other people. he is fully aware that you do not hold back with your insults, and tries to calm you down, yet it doesn’t really do anything to stop the argument. usually he just lets you settle it in your own way and lets you cool off with him after, complimenting your stubbornness but suggesting you try to avoid getting into trouble

KAEDE AKAMATSU ✰

another sun and moon! all of your classmates and kaede’s friends like to joke about the contrasts between you two, and while kaede herself thinks it is pretty amusing, she brushes them off since they can be a bit of a handful and she doesn’t want them to bother you about it since she knows how you are

kaede really adores your personality, more specifically the way you treat her so special compared to regular people. she gives you special treatment in return, unabashedly too. does not care who sees her pouring her heart out on you, she’d rather focus on the guy of her dreams that’s right in front of her!!!

definitely takes advantage of you listening to whatever she has to say. she likes to bring up trivial matters and silly topics that have been on her mind and just go on small but passionate rants about them. definitely asks you questions too and feels more enabled when you simply nod and agree

oh and kaede just melts whenever you give her gifts! it’s the cutest thing to her. she’ll shower you with affection again and again, praising you for your kindness

kaede may come off as simple and non-serious with her affection, but it really comes from the heart. behind closed doors she really loves having quiet intimate moments with you. ex. cuddling while mumbling sweet nothings as you both are on the verge of falling asleep

if someone ever insults kaede, she usually just returns the energy and laughs it off. but when you both first started dating she found it hard to just dismiss things since you were quick to bite back even harder — which she found interesting. it kind of sparked something in her to be more openly taunting when people tried to start something with her. however she does still prefer to remain composed and not make much of it after

©2024 ts4ritsa | req by anon

[thatanimewriter]

HIDE 'N' SEEK CHASEY.

➳ request: Can i request hc for free! asahi, rin, sousuke, natsuya, haru, where reader is actually their crush and suddenly confess to them but reader expect them to reject her anyway and just run away after confessing. What are they gonna do about the situation Thank you

➳ character/s: nanase haruka, matsuoka rin, yamazaki sousuke, shiina asahi, kirishima natsuya

➳ warnings: confessions, various states of confusion

➳ notes: this just sounds like something i would do and yet, i haven't somehow

𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬 / 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭  / 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 / 𝐰𝐢𝐩 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

── 𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐔𝐊𝐀.

he would actually die on the hill of not telling you he likes you

but at least you reciprocate and you told him instead

he didn't get to respond though, cause you ran away as soon as you were done telling him

and you left him standing there like ._. and then made him nervous because now he has to find you to tell you (nod at you)

he mopes in the bath that night because he doesn't wanna tell you but he also really likes you

makoto has to be a wingman for a bit and guide him to you to tell you he likes you too

"i like you, too..." he mumbled, averting his gaze to look anywhere but at your face. you blinked owlishly at him before breaking out into a large grin. "oh, that's a relief, i was scared you'd reject me so i just ran." haru cracked a small smile in return, sending you into a spiral because it was such a rare sight and it's directed at you. he nodded his head to the school gates and held a pinky out for you to link your own with as you head home. "thanks for telling me. i wouldn't have said anything otherwise," he said flatly. "typical," you joked, opting to hold his hand properly instead of holding pinkies.

── 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐒𝐔𝐎𝐊𝐀 𝐑𝐈𝐍.

bright red shark man after you confess your love and make a run for it

probably chases after you but gives you a solid 30 second head start cause he's in shock

will eventually find you and hug you to stop you but probably ends up pushing both of you to the ground

he'll yell his confession to you and not get off the floor just to make sure you won't run away again

sousuke probably has this on film and will play it if you ever marry because he thinks its hysterical

rin wants him to delete it and will be asking until the end of the world

"wait!" he yelled breathlessly, sprinting after you as fast as his legs could take him. "you didn't let me respond!" you turned around with a frown. you thought you'd managed to escape in time... "what- AGH!" his body slammed into yours and knocked you to the ground. your book bag spilled your school supplies all over the path and you secretly prayed no one would step on them. "i like you, too!" "don't yell at me, i can hear you when you're in my face," you pouted.

── 𝐘𝐀𝐌𝐀��𝐀𝐊𝐈 𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐔𝐊𝐄.

that audio with the loud ass "huh??" over and over again is what's goin on in this man's head

he will stand there like a minecraft man waiting for everything to load properly

you're long gone by the time he registers what happened and he'll lay awake at night thinking about it

will come find you in secret because he doesn't want samezuka swim team to bully him

also he wants to gatekeep you-

he wants you all to himself when he finally finds you again to tell you he likes you as well

"hey." you turned from your locker to see sousuke standing beside you, leaning on the wall. "hi," you responded, about to sling your bag over your shoulder until he offered his hand to take it for you. "you don't have to." "i want to." "if you insist..." you mumbled, letting him take your bag and walk you out of school. "i like you, too, by the way," he added nonchalantly. "start with that next time," you said, nudging him in the side with your elbow.

── 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐈𝐍𝐀 𝐀𝐒𝐀𝐇𝐈.

screams after you've run away and chases after you relatively fast

the whole school thinks you guys are insane because why is he chasing you like you're in primary school??

will also scream his feelings for you in front of everyone which is probably part of why you ran in the first place-

he's so hype, he's gonna take you on a date RIGHT NOW

and his family are happy that y'all are finally together because he wouldn't shut up about you

but also he might talk about you even more ._.

"stop, come back!" he cries, ditching his bag to lessen the weight as he sprints after you. you don't look back as you keep running, hoping to avoid public embarrassment. "i like you back!" he yells. "don't yell it for everyone to hear!" you whined, slowly coming to a stop and sitting on a bench to catch your breath. "but it got you to stop," he reasoned, sitting beside you and putting his hands behind his head. "i thought you were gonna reject me, i wanted to escape that shame but now you've embarrassed both of us," you huffed, crossing your arms over your chest. "oh."

── 𝐊𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐌𝐀 𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐒𝐔𝐘𝐀.

he would catch your wrist before you could run away, man's got fast reflexes

cut to that boyish ass grin he had in the high speed movie because dude is so happy

but a little bit mad cause he wanted to say it first

will tease you a bit for trying to run though, so you should stay far away from him after he's said his piece

he won't let you forget that you tried to run before he could say anything

has this day documented to remind you of your mistakes

"oi, where do you think you're going, huh?" his hand encased your wrist as you turned to run. "didn't even let me respond, damn." you sheepishly turned around and your gaze fixed onto his hand that refused to release your wrist. "just reject me and get it over with," you sighed. "what? nah, i like you, too. why would i reject you?" he wondered, ruffling his fluffy hair. "i don't know, i thought you didn't like me," you mumbled. "was gonna avoid the embarrassment." "you were gonna avoid a boyfriend," he teased, turning you around so he could sling an arm over your shoulders.

[pixelatedraindrops]

Overindulgence on Valentine's Day Chocolate~ 🍫💦

This was a very silly little idea I had in my head for Valentine's Day. It was originally going to just be a one-shot fanfiction I write but you should all know by now... xD

I don't know the definition of a one-shot fanfiction

My first ever stomach issue related themed sickfic~ :3

Here is the story (bc archive direct link doesn't wanna work)

Now as for the art, it's pretty self explanatory; our favorite silly little CEO received a lot of appreciation chocolate from some of the citizens of Kanai Ward. Touched by the gesture and finally receiving love reciprocated by the city he loved so much, he didn't leave a single sweet treat given to him untouched or uneaten.

This would later lead to disaster ;w;

Thankfully Yuma is there to lend him a helping hand :3

Spoilers for the Story's Outcome below~ (another drawing +further rambling as always lol I always say too much haha... ^^;)

The best home remedy for an tummy ache is a good tummy rub 🩷

Okay, so I was honestly wanting to write a story like this for a while but was incredibly shy about it... Because upset tummy rubs lowkey are another very small guilty pleasure of mine. When a person gets an upset stomach from either being sick or from overeating, I personally find it to be a very comforting, touching and even at times very intimate gesture. (I even remember trying it myself to help a friend of mine w gastritis in highschool)

Sadly, I felt very shy and even embarrassed to want to try and write something like this, let alone draw it out... Tummy rubs are unfortunately often seen as kinks or are fetishized by other people so it's often seen as weird to the public... So it made me feel nervous to even share this story and art. I did have lots of fun drawing it, but I'm saying it right now, I do NOT fetishize this okay? ><;

(not trying to kink shame, its just not my intention here is all ;w;)

In fact; abdominal massages (a.k.a tummy rubs) are actually a real medical procedure to recover the pressure in one's stomach.

The pose of this art was incredibly difficult to draw but I am fairly happy with the way it came out. Yuma looks either doting or affectionate towards Makoto and Makoto looks perfectly relaxed laying in his lap c: Yuma politely took his shoes off but Makoto is the type to leave his shoes on even when he’s laying on furniture (we saw it in ch4 twice lol) They're such cuties, I love them so much💕 (I even added a kitty to convince myself that its cute and not weird... ;w;)

Truth be told, this idea was actually semi-inspired by a little doodle that @cochidinh drew on X. It made me think that if Makoto received valentines from the people of Kanai Ward, would he eat all of them?

And thus this story was born c: (its meant to be silly so please try not to take it too seriously... ;w; They may seem OOC here, I did my best but this is my first time ever writing a story like this so I might be rusty... ;w;)

EXTRA BONUS: Kitty Makoto 🐱

Fun Fact: Did you know that cats only allow belly rubs from a person they trust? :3c I think Makoto is very cat-like tbh haha~

Anyway Happy Valentines Day🩷

Don't eat too much chocolate now! 💦

[brightstarblogs]

RainCode Honorifics!

First let me preface this by saying I'm not Japanese so there may be a few mistakes in this post.

I haven't seen anyone else make a post on this so I figured I'd do it myself. I've always found honorifics interesting in Japanese media and often include them in my fics. RainCode is a little different however because all characters go by their first names instead of surnames which most Japanese media typically use (since most surnames are westernized/wacky). This interested me so I wanted to do a little research!

But yeah, if you want to use honorifics in your own fics or just find Japanese linguistics interesting, I hope you enjoy this post! It has taken me 3-4 months to compile this list.

Spoilers ahead!

Yuma: Typically Yuma uses -san when referring to other characters. However there are a few exceptions to this. Yuma uses -chan to refer to Shinigami (because she asked him too) and with Kurumi. He also changes to using -kun for Desuhiko after they arrive at Aetheria Academy in chapter 2/Gum shoe gab 2 to show they're friends (but this could be to reciprocate the fact Desuhiko changed from using Rookie to My man). He does not use any honorifics for the peacekeepers (Yomi, Martina, etc) to show he doesn't respect them and Makoto (Although he will use -san when talking to Makoto). He also doesn't use honorifics on Aiko, Karen, Waruna, Yoshiko and Kurane, although he does use -san when speaking to other students in the investigation.

Shinigami: She tends to not use any honorifics and instead uses nicknames. Most notably Akuma-chan for Halara (Hellara in the dub). When she does use a character's name it is with no honorific. I did notice she uses -dono in the gum shoe gabs when saying Yuma's bond with a character has deepened. -dono is often used in writing letters/emails, but also is used in a lot of fantasy media/JRPGs. Shinigami does reference Dragon Quest in the dub so perhaps this is just her being a nerd (Special thanks too @/rararazaquato for pointing this out). If you want to know more about the nicknames she gives the NDA in Japanese, please look at this post!

Halara: They use no honorifics for any character. The only time I heard them use one was in their DLC when they use -san for their client (They do not use Tetra's name though. They say Ojo-san).

Desuhiko: He also doesn't tend use honorifics. Unlike Halara though he uses nicknames. He refers to Fubuki as Ojou, which translates as Young lady/princess. He uses -chan for Shinigami and Kurumi but also when referring to female characters like Guillaume and NPCs where he'll say neko-chan. He also calls Yuma Rookie until they arrive at Aetheria Academy, where he changes to My man for the rest of the game.

Fubuki: Uses -san for every character.

Vivia: Uses -kun for most characters. He doesn't use honorifics for Yomi or Makoto, and uses -chan for Kurumi

Yakou: Like Halara and Desuhiko, Yakou tends not to use honorifics but there are a few exceptions. He uses -chan for Fubuki and Kurumi. He also calls Seth -sensei when he was trying to deescalate the situation in chapter 1. He uses -san for Tetra, so I think he uses honorifics with clients. I don't know for certain but that's my theory.

Kurumi: Now, Kurumi tends to use -san for most characters. She used -san with Yuma when they first meet, but switches to -chan when he is in disguise in the school to help blend in. She then uses -kun from chapter 3 onwards (and once in chapter 2 when she's held by a peacekeeper, but Yuma doesn't hear her). She doesn't use honorifics with Akio, Karen, Waruna, Yoshiko, Kurane and Shachi.

Makoto: He uses a variety of honorifics. He tends not to use any for Yuma, but also does say -kun. He also uses -kun for both Yomi and Martina/Suwaro. He also uses -chan for Kurumi.

Now onto minor characters where it gets a little difficult due to screen time.

Pucci: Uses -san for Zange so maybe uses -san for other cast members.

Melami: I didn't hear her use any honorifics as she doesn't refer to others by name and tends to use nicknames.

Zange: He didn't call any character by their name so I have no idea unfortunately.

Aphex: Used nicknames so again, I am not sure.

Zilch(?)/Hitman: In chapter 1 he uses -kun for both Yuma and Aphex. He did not address the rest of the cast by name so I have no idea if he'd use -san or -kun for Pucci or Melami. Even then I don't know if that was an act as he is an imposter. He uses -sama however for Yomi in chapter 5 when you find him as a zombie.

Martina: Fun fact, she is actually called Suwaro/Swallow in the Japanese sub! I don't know why her name is changed but this was a fun surprise. She uses -sama for both Yomi and Makoto. She doesn't use names for the NDA.

Swank: He didn't use any names, but I included him because like Martina, his name was changed. Originally he was called Spank in the Japanese sub.

Yomi: Only ever called Martina by her name with no honorific.

Seth: Like most peacekeepers he calls Yomi by -sama.

Guillaume: She tends to refer to Dominic by just his name, along with Shachi. She however does use -sama for Yomi like the other peacekeepers.

Priest: Uses -san for the clock-maker

Teacher: Although this is Desuhiko, in disguise he calls Kurumi by -san.

Yoshiko: No honorifics

Kurane: No honorifics

Waruna: No honorifics

Shachi: No honorifics

Iruka: Uses -san for Yuma but no honorifics for Shachi.

Servan: Doesn't use honorifics for other resistant members, but uses -kun for Yuma

Icardi: No honorifics

Margulaw: No honorifics

Ramen man: Uses -chan for Kurumi. Not sure what he'd use for other characters.

Enyne: Before she reveals her identity she uses -san for Desuhiko

[kasunex]

I've noted in a few posts that there are some weird overlaps between the Yukari-Aigis situation in Persona 3 and Eupha-Gallica situation in Metaphor. I can only really theorize, but it makes sense if it comes down to the genesis of thinking in the development process.

With Persona 3, developer statements have lead me to think the evolution went someone like this:

Prototype Makoto and Yukari are created with the intention of making them a couple.

The decision is made to add dating sim elements. So as not to override player choice in the matter, Yukari's role is reimagined. They'll still tease them a bit, but it's now up to player choice if Makoto reciprocates Yukari's interest.

Meanwhile, enter Aigis. They want her arc to start with her focused on Makoto to create mystery and intrigue. If you make Aigis a tank or a man, this is more likely to creep people out. Make her a cute anime girl and the player will be presumably find her interest more palatable, even flattering.

Hashino wants to make the rooftop scene based on his experience with his wife, but it will be a ton of work and a ton of money to have every potential love interest in the game do it. So stick to one, and who else but Aigis? They've already decided to relegate Yukari as optional, so Aigis is the only other girl that would fit. She's a robot, too, so people aren't going to see her the same as other love interests.

Except, now we have a cute girl hyperfocused on the protagonist who is also going to be the only one with him when he dies. This is starting to sound like a canon love interest, but how would they turn back at this point?

If anything, they now have to dig in deeper, because if they want that final scene to really hit players even though it's not with their chosen girl, they have to justify it in the story.

The rest, is of course history. They started with a canon love interest, reneged, and then ultimately came full circle due to the practical needs of the story.

With Metaphor, I'm going even more out on a limb, but I suspect this is how it went down.

Eupha is imagined as a love interest to Will and spiritual successor to Aigis. However, the developers don't want this to be a love story, so her relationship with Will is downplayed, relegated to her follower link, and she herself is pushed to the back of the game.

Enter Gallica. They want a navigator mascot similar to Morgana in Persona 5, but they need to rethink a few details. Nobody is going to call Morgana as Ren's love interest, but players also had...mixed feelings on Morgana.

So, why not make the navigator a cute girl, right? They'll make her a fairy - that fits the fantasy setting. And hey, they'll also make her much more openly affectionate than Morgana or the infamous Navi from Zelda was. This will probably make her more popular among players.

Except, now, we're in the position that Will is spending 90% of his time affectionately tethered to a cute fairy girl...this is starting to sound like a love interest...

Well, luckily there's no need to define it definitively one way or another, so we'll just let the player go about it as they will.

Given this, it will be interesting to see how things develop further for Metaphor's likely inevitable spin-offs.

In Persona 3's case, the manga did try to reverse course, but they couldn't make Yukari work as the love interest without changing the story too much. Thus all future installments just pushed Aigis and Makoto to the point this eventually became accepted by the fandom.

Only time will tell if Metaphor will go down a similar path, maintain the status quo, or reverse expectations.

[beeben]

Majimako hawaii meeting but instead of blowing her off majima (obviously) knows hes been doing this to a lot of people lately and feels bad about it, assumes shes probably right and they probably went to school together or something. Makoto says no, tries dropping the subject. He asks if she's gonna be in the area for a while and she says yes (im imagining theyre at a beach or the pool or something) And majimas like ill think on it and let you know if anything cones up. Shes like aw alright thanks... Its probably nothing tho hahah... Goes back to her seat.

Noahs like sitting w majima playing like uno or something gambling w candy type thing and he keeps looking up and noticing makoto keeps staring at them.. hes like yo sir. That lady is freaking me out now can you go talk to her??? And majimas like damn ok. This must be serious.

And somewhere in his dumb dumb mind he goes "shes probably like my ex girlfriend or something 💀 thats probably why shes acting so weird she thinks im faking it so she'll leave me alone.. idk what happened she seems nice tho maybe ill give her a second chance" and he goes and talks to her again.

And hes like "oh sorry about earlier thanks for playing along it would've been really awkward if the kid found out what happened" (lie) "what have you been up to recently?" TRYING to act like he knows her and knows what happened and all that asking things in a way that she wouldn't instantly know hes trying to get the background of it.

But shes like. Also being vague. Because she doesn't just normally talk about that in public it's not an easy memory.. shes really confused now.. but he seems like he knows whats up.. and he seems like hes in the same situation where he cant really talk about it theres a little kid with him shes just gotta move past it for now.

Majima senses shes toeing around saying certain things he's thinking "wow this must've gotten pretty serious. I hope i didn't break her heart i feel so bad" and hes like borderline flirting with her cuz he doesnt realize shes married and shes all red in the face and doesnt know how to reciprocate it without totally sounding like a freak and the whole thing is just painful and radiates second hand embarrassment

Anyways put makoto in pirate game i miss her so bad

[theamityelf]

Imagine. A great bit multiversal meetup of various Nagitos. And it turns out there's at least one verse for every Nagito ship. They end up forming appreciation clubs upon finding fellow Nagitos who share their partner.

The Komahina Nagitos: Unsurprisingly it's the biggest club. Especially considering it overlaps with the Kamukoma club.

The Komaegi Nagitos: Constantly cooing about how wonderful their little Ultimate Hope is. And are maybe just a tiny bit boastful about how lucky they are to have won the heart of Makoto Naegi.

The Komanami Nagitos: Like to talk among each other about how very comfy Chiaki's hugs are, and how she'll wrap them in a warm blanket whenever they have a cold.

The Komazumi Nagitos: Constantly have dreamy looks on their faces as they think of red hair and freckles. Giggle among themselves about how weirdly endeared they are to the word "Geez", and hold a photo of her smiling face close by.

The Komamiki Nagitos: Have a bit of a rough reputation with some of the other "Mikan skeptical" Nagitos that are like "What do you see in her, dude?". Which only makes these Nagitos even more steadfast in their defense of their girlfriends.

The Matsukoma Nagitos: Consider themselves a cut above the other Nagitos, with the most esteemed taste in partners. Having pursued and won the love of God's gift to humanity, Yasuke Matsuda. To the frustration of the other Nagitos, they're not quite sure that they can argue with that logic.

This is fascinating, and right away I gotta say that every group/ship would be split three ways between the reasonably well-adjusted Nagitos in a two-sided relationship with the person, the way, way overzealous Nagitos who are still in a two-sided relationship with the person, and the unrequited Nagitos. (Two-sided, in this case, just means reciprocated; it does not eliminate polyamory as a possibility.)

(One qualifier for that: I don't think the Komamiki group has an unrequited subset. If I were speaking neutrally I would say it does, so everyone can imagine their own scenarios, but in my mind, I simply don't see a world where Nagito is like "Mikan tho" and Mikan is like "No thanks; I've got other stuff going on." I feel like even if Mikan wasn't into him before, she wouldn't turn down affection if she knew it was available. Even in a Mikan-gets-therapy or Mikan-dates-someone-else universe, I feel like if Nagito likes her and expresses that, they would have at least tried it out.)

I think the unrequited Komazumi's and the unrequited Matsukoma's are among the most stable of the unrequited Nagitos. At least, they're closer to base Nagito: pretty weird, highly problematic, but nice enough and generally un-swirly.

The unrequited Komanami group have some fairly normal-by-Nagito-standards ones, some slightly more quiet, slightly more passive-aggressive ones who are coming from a place of "I wasn't expecting her to like me anyway, but this reserve course student she's dating is so beneath her, in a way that messes with both my inferiority complex and my superiority complex," and some who watched Danganronpa 3 happen and are A Problem. Unless we're assuming no Tragedy, which...come on. 😏

In fact, a more productive way to divvy up the Komanami's is: the ones who saw Chiaki die and were in a relationship with her; the ones who didn't see her die and were in a relationship with her; the ones who saw her die and weren't in a relationship with her; and the ones who didn't see her die and weren't in a relationship with her. The ones who haven't seen her die are being warned by the ones who did. The ones who didn't see her die and weren't in a relationship with her now feel their life's purpose is to stop her from dying, even if it means dying in her place. The ones who didn't see her die and are in a relationship with her aren't much better in that regard; it makes sense of their place in the luck cycle. Honestly, thinking of it that way, that whole group would be a problem. Don't let them group together, lol.

Speaking generally, the pre-Tragedy unrequited Komaegi's would be fairly cute about it and the post-Tragedy unrequited Komaegi's conflate acts of love with his already-extremist hope agenda and take the lack of reciprocation as a given, so they'd be a handful to say the least.

I think another fun thing to consider about the Komaegi's is that there would be some of them going "DO YOU KNOW THAT HE'S THE ULTIMATE HOPE?" to the others. Like, the subset that are unrequited pre-Tragedy and just treating their crush as a regular crush could get radicalized so fast by the unrequited who either have post-Tragedy reasons to view Makoto as the Ultimate Hope or the pre-Tragedy who just have convinced themselves that he's the Ultimate Hope independently of any killing game stuff.

And I don't think the comparatively-well-adjusted Komaegi's who are in a stable relationship with him would do anything to mitigate that. Some of them might encourage the radical behavior, just like "I'm pretty normal now, but I agree that he deserves someone to be weird about him."

I think the controversial issues for the Komaegi group are just how they feel about Makoto's friends and sister. Like, I think there are ones who genuinely think Komaru is fairly cool and ones who will smile and say Komaru is disappointingly ordinary.

[osakaonryoif]

Oh my God. Have I asked you this before?? I don't think I have and it felt like my brain just broke when I realized that.

This is literally my fav question to ask authors. 😅

But I don't think I've asked you this which is such a sin.

Okay lemme get to my point. Okay so ROs reaction to MC being asked out in front of them..? (crushing stage vs. relationship stage)

I'm sorry for taking over a week to answer this, but life kinda got in the way. Plus, it took me a while to think how to answer this, cause it's not something I'd ever really thought about. But, I'll do my best to answer. I'm also assuming that crushing stage means the RO likes the MC, but the MC is not aware, and relationship stage means both of them have reciprocated feelings, but apologies if I got that wrong.

Makoto:

Crushing stage: Would be highly jealous, but only on the inside. Wouldn't outwardly show any indications of being affected. Might subconsciously start insulting the person who asked MC out in a similar way that Makoto does to Kit.

Relationship stage: Leaks their info on the dark web.

Kit:

Crushing stage: Kit likely doesn't realise what these feelings they are feeling for the MC are, so I wouldn't expect anything beyond normal Kit behaviour, if you can call it that.

Relationship stage: Kit heard you liked the Great Fire of London so much, that they made a sequel, the Great Fire of Osaka.

Ryoji/Ryuko:

Crushing stage: Is likely trying to deny their own feelings, but they would sit the person down in a shady bar, and have "a talk", under the guise of a concerned friend.

Relationship stage: Would physically separate MC from the person by standing between them, and would tell them to repeat themselves. If they did indeed repeat themselves, Sasaki would likely get violent.

Masa:

Crushing stage: Similar to Sasaki, but in a more polite way. Would try to have a talk with the person to gauge their intentions because he'd be second-guessing.

Relationship stage: Bluntly informs the person that the MC is taken. If they are persistent, then would try and get the MC to leave.

Midori:

Crushing stage: Midori would likely never have a "crushing" stage, she'd just say she liked the MC the minute she realised. So we'll skip straight to the relationship stage.

Relationship stage: Depending on her opinion of the other person, she would try and wiggle her way into a threesome.

Red string:

I won't say too much here, out of fear of spoiling, but let's just say, it involves murder...

Hope these answers are satisfying, and again, sorry for taking so long.

[ilovereadingandstuff]

Just finish season 2 of Free!: Eternal Summer and...there's something on my mind.

Spoilers ahead!

While I can say season 2 in just as magical as season 1 because it develops other themes that hadn't been touched in the previous season like the last year for 3rd years students, the pursuit for a dream and what to do in the future, it also introduces new characters and a more-in-detph of Rin and Haru's pasts...There something that still bothering me since finishing episode 13: Haru and Rin's relationship.

And with this, I'm not gonna lie: I ship them. Like, damn, sorry, but they're the typical 'rivals to lovers' and 'childhood friends' that I like to watch on series...but the thing is that I don't see it in canon.

Rin's whole thing is kinda simple: He chose as a dream to be an olimpic professional swimmer to achieve the dream that his dad never could. He had a past childhood with Sousuke but they separated paths due to their different philosophy. Then he started Elementary or Junior High at Iwatobi, made friends with Makoto, Nagisa and especially with Haruka...then he moved to Australia, quit swimming because of hopelessness, then moved to Iwatobi again and reignited his passion for swimming because of the meaninful friendships he made by it (enphasis on Haru, because even HE HIMSELF make emphasis on that).

While, Haru's whole thing is that he had a childhood with Makoto, Nagisa and Rin (by the short time they spend together)...and while the whole first season recides heavely on RinHaru's relationship because of Rin's sorrow...I felt that Rin's presence on Haru's point of view was half-baked. Then, with season 2, I feel like TRULY RInHaru's whole dynamic is based on that rivarly that Rin created and... it's sooo one-sided!! like there is no reciprocity!!

Like, from Rin's perspective, Haru is a truly important person to him, to the point that EVEN Sousuke makes a point of it and spells it out to Haru!! But, from Haru's perspective, I feel like Rin does not make that much of an impact the same way that Haru for Rin has!! Like, the thing that shocks me the most is that, even after going to Australia for 2 days, share a bed, Rin introduced him to his home-stay family (who, by the way, did not hesitated to embarrased Rin on saying that he talked a lot about Haru when he was a kid) and by Rin's efforts, Haru finally discovered what his dream truly was...at that last moments at the final relay, when was Haru's time to show what was that that specifically made him love to be there...Makoto, Nagisa and Rei show up as his friends and team. They are one of the reasons of why Haru swims in the first place...while Rin never make an appareance not even once on that moment.

That scene completely shut me down the idea of Haru's reciprocity of feelings for Rin the way Rin feels for him. Like, after all that, when he finally explains what is his dream, his motives to it...his friends appear at his side except for Rin...for who Haru supposedly said before that he wanted to swim against...for who Haru gets inspired or motivated...who created, in the first place, the situation to Haru to discover his dream!!

Like...maybe it's just me that wanted to RinHaru be more canonical that it truly is...maybe i'm just getting started to the series and I haven't seen the important stuff yet...But either way, if that's how I see it is from the very beggining...what Rin is feeling about Haru, Haru does not share the same for Rin...or at least is not that of a big deal yet.

Also, I may be to delulu and obssess over rivals to lovers, but let's ignore that for a little while.

[akechi-stole-my-heart]

Wondering if the reason people make the thieves out as uncaring after 11/20 is because the game itself moves on too quickly from it? Not saying I haven't kind of fallen into that take myself, though not like harshly, just felt they didn't act like they cared *enough* as in it should have been shown more. Because of the way the game's social sim works, you don't get the thieves checking in on/visiting Akira whilst he recovered like you might see in a fic and it can just go straight back into the confidant ranks of helping people with their problems, with no special dialogue or anything to ask how he's doing beforehand; so I feel like that contributes to the takes a lot, especially when one hasn't replayed in a while (sorry your post gave me thoughts on how people get to that take in the fandom, like I think the plan sucked for other reasons such as "Surely someone would notice the lack of a body?" but that's a bit besides the point)

Yeah I think you're absolutely right about that. The structure of the game doesn't let the Thieves care about Akira afterwards. There's also a bit of dialogue during the plan explanation when Akira says "I'm just glad I didn't die" and no one responds to it, which is...kind of baffling. But that doesn't mean the Thieves don't care about him, it means the writers at Atlus made a weird choice. And we know that because we see in that same scene that all of them were very worried for their leader's safety, and like I mentioned before, Makoto herself says she's glad he made it out safe.

The structure of the game kind of fucks over Akira and makes the Thieves look like worse friends in general, too. He helps them throughout the confidants, and then they "stop hanging out" after that, once they all say they want to start helping him out like he helped them. So we don't ever get to see their friendships become reciprocal. But like, that doesn't mean they actually stopped hanging out in-universe. It's a limitation of the play style.

That all said, I do think there is a valid interpretation you can come to which is that the Thieves don't know Akira was traumatized, or the extent of the danger, because he never talks about it. He's overly selfless and doesn't ever talk about his issues, so I could totally see that happening, and it's my personal interpretation. But that doesn't mean the Thieves are terrible friends for failing to read between the lines like that. It's on Akira for refusing to communicate.

And you can even say that they should have been more concerned for him afterwards, and that they put him on too high of a pedestal and think of him as utterly infallible, especially after he escapes with his life. They're kids, and Akira did just survive the impossible.

Or maybe they try not to bring it up on purpose because they don't want hurt him by talking about it, but letting it fester just hurts Akira more and makes him feel like they don't care.

Point is, there's lots of ways to take this strangeness in the game and make it into interesting fic content to explore. There's absolutely a discrepancy going on and exploring that is super valid and interesting. But turning it into "the Thieves are ambivalent and selfish and completely blind to their leader's suffering" takes that way too far. And like...why do people want to do that? Well, at least in the cases I've seen, the answer is twofold.

First of all, there's a section of the fan base that really hates Makoto. This is mostly common among Akechi fans from what I've seen. I think it's a combination of misogyny and the fact that Makoto can be obnoxious sometimes with her defense of the police, which is especially egregious in this situation. Like, the police beat up her best friend, and she still wants to join them. That can read as callous...if you don't understand her as a character, but I digress. (Someday I should write a Makoto defense post bc yeah. People are very stupid about her.) Point is these people like making up reasons to dislike her even more, which is where I think the whole "the plan was her idea and just an ego trip" thing comes from.

And the other reason is that there are a lot of shuake shippers who really, really want Akechi to be Akira's only "true" friend who "really" understands him. Which like...is true to a certain extent, they do have a special bond and Akechi is the only confidant that doesn't ask Akira to fix something for him, etc etc. But them having a special bond DOES NOT EQUAL all of Akira's other friends being terrible friends who suck and DON'T understand him. There's room for nuance here! You can like the toxic ship between rivals without making it less toxic because actually he's the only one who REALLY respects and loves Akira.

Like, he shot him in the head, guys. Let's not delude ourselves here.

But yeah. I'm pretty sure these two sections of the fanbase are specifically Akechi stans, and so they twist actual parts of the game to make Akechi look better and the Thieves worse. They almost like, take Akechi's perspective to a certain extent? Akechi doesn't like Makoto, and Akechi thinks the Thieves are bad friends (maybe, presumably, we don't really know, but he definitely doesn't really like them all that much and he definitely thinks they idolize Joker too much), and these Akechi stans agree with him. Which is baffling to me. Maybe he has half a point, sure, but Akechi is also REALLY stupid and frequently wrong.

And like, to be clear in case anyone who doesn't know me sees this, I say all this as an Akechi stan (look at my username) and shuake shipper.

In conclusion, I do think there is something to be said about how the confidants are written to be unequal, the Thieves don't check in on Akira enough, and the idolization they very much do have for their leader! These are real things that could make for really interesting conflict in fic. But it can happen without villainizing the Thieves or saying they just straight up don't care about their leader. Which is an obvious lie.

I think most people do agree with me nowadays, I've seen a pattern of recent fic and fandom people talking about how this villainization is stupid and going out of their way to make it clear the Thieves do care, so that's good. It was mostly a thing in early fandom that disliked how Akira was treated by canon (valid), wanted to give him conflict in fic (very valid, I love Akira angst), and wanted to make Akechi the "better friend" (???) who understands Akira better than the others (technically true, but it's complicated).

(As for the body thing, Sae said she made sure no one would check the morgue, so you're not supposed to think about it I guess. Makes me wonder about the people who would have taken his body to the morgue, though. Like, did they not report the missing body to anyone? Idk, maybe Sae paid them off too, lol.)

[akumanoken]

Nothing changes...

Flashback: The night before Sakura's announcement...

"W-what???" He... couldn't have heard it right. Sitting out in the gardens, away from everyone else, Kyouya simply... stared at his princess. Her... no... his... confession taking him completely by surprise. "W-what... do you mean you're..."

". . . I am sorry I only found the courage to tell you this now. Before I let everyone else in Makoto know my treachery..." He looked calm, but it was no secret when Sakura's fingers clutched each other like they were, it was to keep his hands from shaking. His nerves were palpable. "I... have lied to you, Kyouya. I have lied to everyone. At the behest of my father... I have lived this way knowing how disingenuous it is..."

Kyouya was just staring at the princess, shaking his head. His Sakura was... not a woman? There was no way of truly knowing without their say-so... even cleared of makeup the princess was lovely, delicate like a flower... "I... are you kidding? That sounds insane... why wou- no don't answer it I know why His Majesty would..." His ire started to grow, as well as his headache.

He was assigned to Sakura when the princess was 13 and already in the public eye. He remembered thinking how strange it was then, for the princess to be so young and yet already half-debuted as a public figure. He always thought the other looked so forlorn before they were brought together, how when they smiled, it was like a crack of sunlight through clouds. He wanted to see her do that more often.

What had first become a wish to see the princess smile more, became something so much deeper, and now things seemed to both fit into place, and yet seem completely off. "Your father--"

"Will be incensed after tomorrow... but I... I have to tell everyone. I cannot continue this any longer..." Sakura had not looked up at Kyouya at all, to afraid of whatever derision that would come from the knowledge... he just didn't want to see the disdain that he knew would come from him. "...I... cannot ask you to continue to protect me, much less--"

"What are you talking about?" Kyouya scowled then, grasping the princess' hands. "Do you think you're about to face this by yourself?"

"Ah... but Kyouya--"

"This changes nothing.... you're my princess... after tomorrow you'll need me more than ever. I'm not going anywhere..." To realize that there was such danger surrounding his princess for so long under his nose... the only thing keeping him from blazing a trail of fire to the Royal chambers were the delicate hands he held.

"...of course... I... I am glad you have decided to stay as my knight, Kyouya...." He had long resigned the fact that after this, the soft aura that surrounded them, the field of roses and thistle that surrounded them would wither and die. To have him as his knight still... to just have him by his side meant the world... even if it would kill him to be so close and yet so far away from this moment on.

"...tch."

He knew Sakura well by now, and knew words would do nothing in the spiral of his mind. Only actions. He kept them like that for some time, feeling the princess freeze up, then melt, then collapse in his desperate reciprocation. His silly, overthinking princess. He parted with a grin, thumbs rubbing their cheeks. "When I said it changes nothing, it changes nothing. You're my princess... after tomorrow you'll need me more than ever. I'm not going anywhere..." The same words... So much softer...

The princess panted, cheeks so flushed and red. "I... are you..." he stopped midway, shaking his head with a soft laugh. "R-right... of course..." was all he said afterward, melting into the other's chest, and curling up once he felt those strong arms around him. It was... an omen of encouragement. The man who meant the most to him saw his truths and decided it did not matter...

Perhaps others in Makoto would feel the same... he could only hope.

[apothecarywormcrud]

🥀 and ��?

🥀 Talk about some of your fictional crushes and why they aren’t your F/O!

p much all of these the reason is either there's not enough story for me to work with, said story is incomplete, or i just don't think about them very often. sometimes its also a vibes thing. idfk.

rammattra (overwatch) - big sexy robot! phenomenal fucking design! animations designed to Get My Ass! however, overwatch lore is garbage so i cannot be assed! this also applies to moira. i am not immune to evil butch scientist but bro there is nothing there. im stealing her and filling her with bloodworms. shes my oc now. billy (backlash) - hi. read backlash. look its right here go go go go. i love billy so fucking much she's charming she's smart she's funny she builds robots and loves anime and she can see ghosts and shuffle souls around into different bodies! i get heart palpitations when she smiles. trans lesbian queen of my heart. fucking look at her.

i do actually have a backlash insert but they're busy trying to kiss the world's most garbage man. they can probably do better. honestly i have crushes on most of the women in this comic. hot ghost grandma pls dm me. lady sorcia (thieves and kings) - ok this ones. kind of obscure. rlly good comic tho you should also read thieves and kings. she's a sorceress who gets a good chunk of her power from a magical cloak and swords that are basically extensions of a dark force that really, REALLY doesn't want her gain indipendence. sometimes she does murders about it. i was entranced by her as a kid (for reasons that would become obvious to me later) and i still think she's really cool and tbh maybe i SHOULD make myself an insert for thieves and kings. do i not deserve a funny little wizard. glados (portal) - one time i played a VR game where you try to fix a robot and then when you fail she gets up real close in your face and berates you and chucks you into a pit of lava or whatever. fundamentally altered my brain chemistry in. a way. makoto nanya (blazblue) - super buff squirrel girl fights evil with the power of friendship and incredible violence! shes cute shes smart she's ride-or-die for the people she cares about and i would let her princess carry me into the sunset. unfortunately i cant reciprocate because my arms are limp spaghetti noodles but i can dream.

💭 What’s your favorite uncommon headcanon about your F/O?

i saw a comic where law tattooed his back by temporarily removing his own skin w/ Room and just went at that shit at his desk w/ a tattoo gun and it lives rent-free in my brain. that shit fucking rules. also i think he's autistic and on the aroace spectrum. idk how uncommon these are bc i don't interact with fandom much but anyways hes JUST like me frfr.

[vgckwb]

P5R: Rebel Girl (A FeMC Story/P5R Rework) Chapter 230: Camisado

As Akechi was following Makoto on her way to her destination, he managed to keep a safe distance. This is my only chance. If things go belly up here, that bastard might be out of the game for good. As much as I loathe that man, I need him alive. He continued on.

As Makoto arrived at the courthouse, Akechi found a spot to keep hidden away as he looked over to see who The Phantom Thieves really were. Let’s see. Obviously, there’s Makoto. Ren’s there too, just as I suspected. Sumire’s there too. I guess it makes sense. They are dating. There’s that Yusuke fellow. And Jose’s there too. Hmmm. Haru Okumura is here. And there’s Futaba Sakura. There’s Ryuji, and Ann, and… He went pale. …Lena?

Akechi was stunned. Before he could collect himself and approach them, The Phantom Thieves disappeared into thin air. “Huh. That’s…new…” He walked over to where they were. He outstretched his hand at the point they disappeared. His arm was still there. “How peculiar.” He pondered this for a second before returning to his original thought. “So…Lena is a Phantom Thief, huh. What do I do?”

He started pondering the streets. “On the one hand, The Phantom Thieves are the only thing standing in the way of me and my revenge. On the other hand, I wanted Lena at my side as I ushered in this golden age of mine.” He smiled ever so slightly. “It will be glorious. But alas, things have just gotten even more complicated.”

As he kept walking, he overheard two cops having a conversation. “So, the idea is that we’re going to go to Director Ono’s house, find him dead, and arrest Sae Niijima for his murder?”

Akechi hid himself. Shido’s men!

“Yeah, that’s the gist,” the other officer said.

The first officer sighed. “Well, I’m just glad we don’t have to kill anyone this time.”

“Don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet now?” the other officer said.

“No no,” the first officer replied. “There’s just a lot to deal with when we have to make someone disappear. Pleading family members, snooping investigators, it’s just a headache.”

“Well we won’t have to deal with that for long,” the other officer said. “We gotta hold out till the election. And even then, the only person we’ll have to kill is that Akechi kid. Shido says he doesn’t have any family, and he’s so famous he doesn’t have much of a social life either.”

“Heh,” the first officer chuckled. “I can’t wait. That little upstart thinks he’s so much better than us. If I pay for dinner that night, will you let me do the honors?”

“Just one dinner?” the other officer said. “Don’t you think I’m chomping at the bit too?”

“Fine fine,” the first officer said. “I’ll pay for dinner for one week.”

“NOW you’re talkin’!” the other officer said.

As the officers continued on their way, Akechi stood there in stunned silence. He then cracked a smile. He started laughing. “Of course. Of course! Of COURSE he had a contingency for me! That fool doesn’t trust ANYONE who he can’t control! Well, like father, like son, I suppose. It’s actually kind of refreshing to know he’s worried about me. Ah HA HA! Hooo boy. Well, I guess this is what it means to be caught between a rock and a hard place.”

“Want an escape?” Eris said, appearing behind him.

“Gah!” Akechi said, turning to face her. He quickly became curious. “Who are you?”

“My name is Eris,” she said, introducing herself. “I have a habit of getting people out from between rocks and hard places.”

“Well, my name is Akechi,” he reciprocated.

“Oh, I’m aware,” Eris informed him. “I know all about you. I know you’ve been at odds with The Phantom Thieves for quite some time now. I know you’re out for revenge against your pathetic excuse for a father. And I know you’ve just been hit with some alarming revelations.”

Akechi was impressed. “Well, I’ve never liked small talk all that much anyways. So, what’s you’re ‘out’?”

Eris took out her apple. “I can give you the power to solve all your problems. The Phantom Thieves. That horrid man. All you have to do is take a bite.”

Akechi looked at the apple. “What’s in it for you?”

“Well, for starters, I don’t like Shido either. He’s just a dreadful person,” Eris informed him. “Giving you the power to fight him will be the easiest decision I’ve had to make yet. Besides, we’ve both got a bone to pick with The Phantom Thieves."

Akechi realized something. “By chance, are you the person who corrupts the other people that are mentioned in The Phantom Thieves’ calling cards?”

Eris giggled. “Do you know everything about me as well?”

Akechi shook his head. “That was just a deduction on my part.”

“Ah well,” Eris shrugged. “Does that mean you’re not interested? Because I don’t have to tell you, but there is no shortage of people who despise Shido, and thus people I could give this power to.”

“No no, I’m interested,” Akechi said. “But I don’t wish to kill him yet.”

“Oh don’t worry about that,” Eris said. “I’m just giving you the tools to claim victory over him and The Phantom Thieves. How you do it is up to you.”

Akechi was normally a cautious man. However, nothing about tonight was normal. He found out his girlfriend was lying to him, The Phantom Thieves possessed supernatural powers, and that he was on the precipice of getting backstabbed before he could backstab and exact his vengeance. His goal was in sight. He was so close he could almost taste it.

He grabbed the apple, and took a bite. Once he swallowed, his inhibitions were released, and he was ready to fight The Phantom Thieves and Shido for the sake of the future he wished to build. “I gotta say,” Akechi said, “I can understand why people buy into this.”

Eris chuckled. “Glad you like it. Well, I’d hate to keep you waiting.” She vanished.

Akechi smirked. He headed over to the Diet building. He knew Shido would still be in his office, so it was the perfect time to negotiate the terms of their contract. Once he reached the door to Shido’s office, the guard outside stopped him. “Woah woah! It’s WAY past Representative Shido’s open hours.”

“It’s alright,” Akechi assured him. “I have urgent news for him.”

The guard was skeptical. “He’s…having a rough night so far.”

Akechi was curious. What’s going on? Still, he tried bluffing. “It’s about that! I came as soon as I heard!”

“You know you could just call or text him,” the guard said.

“Well, this is so important,” Akechi reasoned. “I couldn’t risk this going over the phone.” The guard was still not convinced. He started reaching for his gun. However, Akechi drew his gun. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” The guard raised his hands in the air. “Hm. You know, it didn’t have to be like this. You could have just let me in. Speaking of, be a dear…” The guard opened the door. “Thank you.” Akechi walked in.

Shido was on the phone. “What do you MEAN you can’t find her?!”

“It’s just as I said,” the person on the other line said. “There seems to be no trace of her!”

“Keep LOOKING!” Shido demanded. “She couldn’t have gotten far!”

“Yes sir!” the person said. They hung up.

Shido sighed. Akechi approached his desk. Shido looked up. “I didn’t summon you here.”

“I came on my own volition,” Akechi informed him.

“I don’t need this,” Shido said. “That Niijima woman slipped through our grasp. I don’t need any more trouble.”

“Well too bad,” Akechi said. “Because trouble is what you’re GETTING!”

Shido was stunned by Akechi’s fervor. “I beg your pardon?”

“Hm hm hm,” Akechi chuckled. “I overheard two cops talking. You know what they said? They were discussing killing me after the election.” Shido grew alarmed. “As you can imagine, I’m not taking that well.”

Shido grimaced. “Those blabbermouths…”

“I have to say though,” Akechi said, “you were right to be weary. I was using you from the start.”

Shido was confused. “Why are you telling me this?”

“I just need you to know where you are at this moment,” Akechi said. “See, I don’t like you. I’ve hated you for as long as I’ve been alive. And right now, I’m getting my revenge.”

“What’s stopping me from killing you here and now?” Shido demanded.

“Hm. Nothing,” Akechi said. “Go ahead. Try.”

Shido knew something was up. “What is your angle?”

Akechi chuckled. “I knew you weren’t THAT stupid. Are you familiar with the concept of a dead man’s switch? See, I know a LOT of secrets you keep. And I have a message that goes out to some people that details EVERYTHING I know. It’s scheduled to go out every day, but I postpone it. And if you kill me, all of that becomes public.”

Shido sneered. “We’ll intercept it before it goes public! We control everything!”

“ALMOST everything,” Akechi said. “I don’t think anyone else knows who The Phantom Thieves are.”

Shido grew alarmed. “You KNOW who The Phantom Thieves are?!”

“Well, until tonight, it was just a guess, but yeah,” Akechi answered. “And if I hadn’t overheard those cops, I might have given you that information, but, well, here we are.”

“Hm,” Shido huffed. “What’s in it for you?”

“Quick on the uptake,” Akechi said. “I need you alive to exact my revenge. Once you get elected, it won’t be you making the decisions, but rather me. You know, unless you want me to go public with everything. Oh, and as for those Phantom Thieves? I’ll take care of them for you, you son of a bitch.”

“How dare you!” Shido protested. “My mother was killed!”

“Well guess what?!” Akechi said. He slammed his hand on Shido’s desk. “So was MINE! BY YOU!” After a tense staredown, Akechi let go of Shido’s desk. “Don’t invite me to your pity party, unless you like being upstaged.” He stretched. “Well, I guess this conversation is over. I’ll see you around, I suppose. Oh, and don’t forget, you’re my little puppet now.” Akechi walked out.

Shido flopped in his chair. He stared at the door Akechi just left through. “I’m not down and out yet. I just need to figure out how to deal with HIM on top of all of this.”

Meanwhile, The Phantom Thieves just finished up eating dinner. “Boy that was good!” Ryuji said.

“Thanks for the meal Boss!” Ann said.

“Delightful, as always,” Haru remarked.

“I must agree,” Yusuke said. “Tonight’s meal tasted even sweeter than before!”

“Yeah!” Futaba said. “You really knocked it out of the park this time, Sojiro!”

“It was really delicious!” Lena said. “I might want a copy of the recipe. But this is a business, so I doubt I can get it…”

“Maybe you could be a guest teacher for the cooking students at Kosei,” Jose remarked. “It was really good!”

“Hm hm,” Sumire giggled. “I’m used to fine cooking, but you really outdid yourself tonight Boss!”

“It was really good,” Makoto said. “But I think we should get going.”

“Wait,” Sae said. “Are…are you going to be OK?”

“Well, I’ll have Eiko,” Makoto said. “But it will feel different without you. But we can always come visit.”

Riko grew determined. “If you don’t mind,” she said, “I can stay over. You know, if it’ll put your mind at ease.”

Sae smiled. “Thanks Riko. I appreciate it.”

Riko giggled. “It’s the least I could do.”

Makoto nodded. “Well then, I guess we’ll be on our way. Goodnight!”

“Goodnight!” Sojiro called out. People started leaving.

Morgana walked up to Ren who picked him up. “Man, Sojiro knows how to pick his fancy tuna!”

Ren looked up. “Morgana loved his food as well.”

“What about you?” Sojiro asked.

“I have to agree,” Ren said. “The food was excellent.”

Sojiro smirked. “Well, I gotta clean up a little.”

“I…can take care of that,” Sae offered.

Sojiro was surprised. “Really?”

Sae nodded. “I mean, you’re letting me live here. I should pay you back somehow.”

“Eh, don’t worry about it,” Sojio said. “I can handle it.”

“Are you sure?” Sae said.

“Positive,” Sojiro replied.

“Very well,” Sae said. As she was about to head up, she remembered the envelope she had. “Oh, uh, Amamiya!” Ren looked back. Sae came over and gave it to her. “This was addressed to you. I found it taped to the bottom side of the counter.”

Ren took the envelope. “Huh. That’s weird.”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say it looks like Akechi’s handwriting,” Sae said.

“Could be,” Ren replied. “He comes here from time to time. Alright, I’ll check it out. Goodnight!”

“Goodnight!” Sae responded. Ren left. Sae turned around and headed upstairs. As she got up there, she looked at the room. It was small, rustic, and plain, but serviceable. “I guess I’m calling this home for a while.” She headed over to the bed, laid down, and went to sleep.”

Meanwhile, as Ren entered her room, she went to her desk and opened the envelope. Inside was a letter. When she read it, she was perplexed.

“Dear Ren, If you are reading this letter, I assume you’ve gotten my death text. At the time of writing this, I am only 85% certain you are a Phantom Thief, but even if you aren’t I’m sure you can get it to them. The reason I’m writing this letter is not just to reiterate that you guys should take on Shido, that should be self-explanatory. You have all of his misdeeds in my message, which should be more than enough. The reason I’m writing this is to say that even though I’m no longer here, I appreciated your friendship a lot. I don’t get many genuine people to cross my path, so honestly, it was nice talking to you about everything and nothing. I’ll honestly miss that until it’s your time to join me. But if you manage to take down Masayoshi Shido, then I can say I have lived without regrets. -Goro Akechi”

Ren was stunned. “What?"

[ochazos]

Guilt attacked his heart upon seeing her almost fall apart at his insensitive words. Old habits die hard. Makoto had not had anyone care about him in so long that he had forgotten how to behave. Before arriving here, only his parents had ever truly cared. All of his other guardians saw him as a burden or a problem. He had thought himself entirely unlovable. He still didn't quite understand it. Back then, it didn't even hurt to think that. Hurt, joy, sadness, anger... It was all swallowed by nothingness. By the hole left inside of him that night. Back then, he would have killed to feel even a scrap of the emotion he felt now, staring at her as she failed to cry but still was so clearly unhappy.

Why Aigis cared about him eluded him somewhat. She discovered why she had felt so strongly before. Yet it seemed as though that feeling of duty -- of monitoring Death -- had changed into something genuine. He was her friend. The affections he felt for her were reciprocated. But he had a hard time grasping it. Until it was too late. Until he had crossed a line.

"Sad...? Not really." He answered honestly. "I... Sorry. I misunderstood the situation." Between the two of them. Makoto had a rough time lying, even white lies. Maybe this was one of those times he should have kept his thoughts to himself.

"Aigis." His voice is soft but firm. "I'm not dying or anything. I promise I'll try not to let that happen." A pause. "I was being cruel just now, huh? Sorry."

His words brought no comfort or convincing to her. Less than comforting and convincing, actually. As much as Aigis wishes she could follow that directive from her leader, she doesn't believe she has the guts to do so. It would directly contradict her own desire and priority. She wants Makoto to just understand this and accept it, though they both know of her many weaknesses and failures already. The dogs, the shadows, both fights at that damned bridge; hell, she had already tried to convince him to end this and kill Ryoji, and he hadn't listened then either. Which may lead to a potentially good ending, but this certainly couldn't. Even after all this, he's not just her leader or someone she just thinks prioritizes anymore, it's her fault her friend is in this situation at all and she needs to atone.

Even as Makoto speaks, she longs to cut in, say something to stop him, but fails to do that, too. She's at a loss for words despite having so much to say. And it tears her up from the inside, figuratively speaking. She can't bring herself to look back at him, staring at her right hand with barely a whispered attempt to speak, "Please stop..."

'Sad'? She doesn't know. She wouldn't and couldn't know. She certainly couldn't show sadness with tears. A failure to have the proper reaction yet again. Her face scrunches up a bit, almost believable as a pained expression should there have been true tears unfortunately. If only she was as real and true as he seemed to think she was, her physical response may have been an answer obvious to even Makoto that she was sad, scared even, but alas she probably doesn't feel anything at all. "Does this not make you sad? Talking about yourself this way...its wrong... If you were to get hurt again or die, I...."

[azumasoroshi]

suzume no tojimari spoilers ! hi guys im Insane

literature analysis brain is going haywire so here’s a bunch of incoherent ramblings some themes motifs and symbolism i love in this movie because AAAAAAA

Love and Sacrifice.

Obviously, but like the different kinds of love and devotion and how they’re never perfect and sometimes self-destructive but they’re so powerful and just waughhh. It was so important to me how after exploding at her Tamaki (suzume’s aunt, ik im not the only one who forgets names) was like “you know I don’t feel that way all the time, right?” like not denying that yes, she has felt exhausted of taking care of Suzume and sometimes wished she didn’t have to take care of her, trying to be the parental figure she needs while also trying to not encroach on her sister’s memory. It means so much to me that she didn’t deny those feelings but instead told Suzume that it’s not how she always feels, because loving someone means sacrifice and ewughghgghfgfh im not putting this into words well but htrggfhgf.

and ALSO the reciprocation of kindness with daijin - as thanks for the taste of freedom at last, and wanting to be with someone whom you love but not really comprehending that what they want (that “suzume doesn’t love me” killed me) and how by the end daijin helped her pull souta out and sacrificed himself for suzume because he really loved her ggrgfggfhfnfnch

And just. everyday love. This is kind of a mix of themes and motifs but every time we flashed back to the memories of whatever abandoned place they were in - the simple “good morning”s and “be back soon” and “it’s so hot”s made me choke up. the mundane love of Chika and Suzume in their newly found friendship, Rumi’s kindness in picking Suzume up off the street and her love for her children, Serizawa’s platonic love for Souta letting him drive these two crazy women with crazy beef for 7 hours across Japan, there’s just so much expression of love and the hardships people go through because of it and rhgrjgrjhgdhgjhb

Mourning and Closure.

Makoto Shinkai himseld said that he wanted to write a story about “mourning deserted places” (at least according to Wikipedia) so this one is all but textual but like yeah. the motif of opening/closing/locking doors and locking the bike and things like that? AaAAaAaa

To close the gates, you need to imagine the emotions of people who once lived there - i can only imagine what Souta was thinking in the abandoned bathhouse area, but hrhggejghw the school and the amusement park and the shots we got of normal life in tokyo before the worm revealed itself in the climax, it just. really speaks to the beauty of everyday life. im a sucker for that kind of stuff as both a psychology major and just a weird person who thinks “man i wonder what happened to this person for the past 22 years of their life that led them to be here with me in this moment” whenever i pass someone in the grocery store. Hodaka could let japan be flooded in weathering with you because of his love for hina, but suzume’s whole arc was learning about the common people and living their lives and embracing all the kindness they had to offer to herself and others and it really hits that like. of course she can’t just let tokyo get destroyed to save Souta, every person in all of tokyo is just like Rumi and Chika and Serizawa and they’re all people who love and are loved. She finds herself in Souta’s place as one who stretches himself thin between being a gate closer and studying to be a teacher because he loves life as well, and-

oops i forgot i was talking about mourning and closure

anyway the doors keep getting reopened because the grief never fully goes away and the worm of “calamity” is letting yourself be consumed by the grief and destroying the people around you and not being able to move on, and it comes from the Ever-after becomes ever-after is a place where time doesn’t exist and you wish you could be there forever because it’s where you can relive the events of your past, it’s where you can live in denial that time moves forward and you have to move with it, it’s where Suzume goes after her mother dies because she wants people to stop giving her condolences and just give her her mom back. “Ever-after” in itself is a “happily ever after” - a place where mortals aren’t meant to go, no matter how beautiful it looks. Souta goes there too because he is the catalyst Suzume needs to go back and face Ever-after - and it’s no longer beautiful, but it’s torn apart by grief and everything is in flames. The idea of a keystone as well, locking the memories and hurt away, is one that Suzume removes to relive her memories and puts back in place when she’s ready to move on. htrhgfhgfghfghf. she won’t let souta be the keystone because she refuses to move on without him.

Also both Souta and his grandfather tell Suzume to just forget everything she’s seen, but it’s too late for that because connections aren’t so easily forgotten. Even when Tamaki couldn’t remember telling Suzume she’d be her new mother, that doesn’t change that she cared for her for the next 12 years anyway. Suzume visits Chika and Rumi by the end, and obviously she’s never forgotten her mother, both because her chair was still in her room by the start of the movie and because she looks like her by the end. Even though relationships change, they’re never forgotten in the movie, and I think that’s beautiful, really.

(also cool detail: 12 years ago is when the tsunami that killed suzume’s mother struck. the movie came out in 2023, and the touhoku earthquake/tsunami that inspired this film was in 2011. nice)

Reality vs Fantasy

The scenes where Suzume goes out into public again following stopping the worm from destroying Tokyo were especially poignant to me. This girl’s been going on a fantastical adventure with her talking chair and talking cat, meeting nice people and making friends, excited at the idea that she’s doing something important, but after Souta’s gone she shuts down. Her feet are bloodied, her clothes are destroyed, and people keep giving her strange looks and calling her homeless because she may have stopped the worm but even without being consumed by grief, it still isn’t pretty or picturesque. Standing out in Japanese society is discouraged, as most of us are well aware, but she’s been doing nothing but that with all the running around and talking to chairs and flying through the sky she’s been doing. Without a concrete goal in mind, without Souta as company, she’s alone in the world of adulthood and has no one to tell her what she should do, no Souta to guide her through Tokyo. And without that confidence or charm, people don’t come to her aid like they did before. It’s only once she finds her resolve to save Souta, quite literally walking in his shoes/footsteps, that the next helpful stranger (Serizawa) comes in.

She could imagine those abandoned places as alive, but the truth is that they were abandoned and will stay that way - none of them miraculously revived by the end, unless something happened in the credits that I couldn’t see through all my tears. Reality will not bring those places back, but what really matters is how we carry the memories of those places with us? I think. man maybe it’d be easier to write this post if i had actually seen the end credits

this post is really fucking long so im calling it here 😭 makoto shinkai has done it again. goddammit