#hes developed this persona of the Perfect Kid and everything but he literally admits hes become bored of it

[racmune]

and not to forget: killing as a reflection of the suppressed desire to be with another man, breaking down from the stress of forcing yourself to be "the perfect man", harming others being an easier fall from grace than becoming true to oneself whatever,

what im trying to say is gay sex wouldve fixed them

ohhhh the suppression of the desire to kill as a metaphor for the suppression of the desire to be with another man.... the desperate attempts to stop the need to commit to something 'wrong'. the slow break down of control and the deep seated guilt etc etc

[speuradair]

Dabi, Shigaraki With An Adorable S/O Who's Surprisingly Strong

Request:  “Dabi and Shigaraki (separate please ^^) with a s/o that looks adorable and stuff but can beat the living crap outta anybody? They’ve trained their quirk pretty well! “

This man tends to be a bit of an asshole, that’s not a secret

It’s just who he is

He’s going to mess with you and torment you, regardless of how he feels towards you

Honestly, if he does actually like you, he’s going to bother you even more than usual

Dabi just loves teasing you and getting a reaction from you

So when he meets you, and inevitably begins to like you, he absolutely cannot resist messing with you

You’re just so adorable

He definitely rests his arm on your head, pretends he can’t see you if you’re much shorter than him, calls you nicknames like like ‘kid’, and even squishes your face when he feeling particularly annoying 

But don’t let his condescending tendencies fool you

He’s absolutely head over heels for you

Dabi loves how adorable you are, and he particularly appreciates the contrast between you two

What can he say, he loves the aesthetic of being an angsty, looming villain with a super cuter lover on his arm

It’s the beauty and the beast dynamic, you know?

That all being said though, Dabi knows better than to underestimate you

He may baby you and tease you for your soft persona, but he knows full well that you’re stronger than you appear

He may seem uninterested, but he does pay a decent amount of attention to the people around him

Especially since you’re his s/o, he knows a surprising amount about you

That means he knows exactly what you and your quirk are capable of

He probably knew all about your quirk before you two were actually dating

Dabi just does a lot of research and examination before trusting someone, you know?

The fact that your personality and appearance contradict your quirk so much is one of the reasons he was initially attracted to you, honestly

Let’s be real, he thinks it’s so hot that you can kick ass like that

Like, look at his girl/boy go

Dabi likes being there to protect and defend his lover, but he also loves watching you protect and defend yourself

If anyone ever makes some creepy, unwanted advances towards you, he’s torn between wanting to make a point that you’re his s/o by beating them up himself, and letting you tear into them yourself

Because once again, he finds it so hot

Definitely the type to sit back and watch you absolutely destroy someone, before slinging his arm around your shoulder and leading you away before anyone else realizes what just happened

“Shit, doll,- here I was, thinking I was the hot bad-ass in this relationship-”

Somehow you manage to still be sweet and cute while beating up someone who messed with you?

That’s definitely one of his types

Loving and cute, but also willing to fight someone

You also get bonus points from him if you can manage to do so without really getting your hands dirty, so to speak

His quirk is extremely self destructive, so he’s super impressed if you can use such a strong quirk without ending up hurt or messy yourself

Dabi also appreciates the fact that he knows you’re more than able to back him up if things ever go south with a hero or even another villain

You two make an unstoppable team, and he absolutely lives for that

Tomura, however, did make the mistake of underestimating you

It’s just kind of what he does

He’s fairly judgmental, and doesn’t usually want to waste his time on people he doesn’t think will be able to help him achieve his goal of taking down the hero society

Even when he isn’t trying to evaluate a potential recruit for the league, he just has a habit of judging people’s strength based on what they look like

You aren’t technically a member of the league, so he isn’t testing you or anything, but he just automatically assumes your quirk must be something as soft and gentle as you seem to be

That doesn’t stop him from developing feelings for you

He can have a little love and affection... as a treat

He doesn’t want to admit how freaking adorable and attractive he finds you, okay, he’s supposed to be focused on evil deeds

But he can’t stop thinking about you or wanting to protect you from everything 

You’re just so adorable he can’t help it

Since he isn’t used to having someone love and care about him, he’s super protective

Tomura doesn’t even let you get a chance to prove what you’re actually capable of

Other than Kurogiri, no one gets within ten feet of you before he’s staring daggers at them and either shooing them away or moving you away

especially Dabi, he does not trust that man around his lover for a single second

So imagine his surprise the first time he sees you use your quirk for the first time

Somehow, you ended up in the middle of an attack from other opposing villains

While you were managing to avoid too much attention and stay hidden on the side lines, you immediately noticed when one of them was about to attack Shigaraki from behind

They didn’t get a chance to lay a single finger on him before you blocked their attack and, in turn, attacked back

Tomura turns just in time to see you do so

He actually freezes for a second

You just did that?

You? His precious little s/o who he’s been protecting this whole time, just protected him?

And so effortlessly?

The attacking villain is laying unconscious at your feet, and you didn’t even break a sweat

And it was so hot

He’s looking at you with absolute heart eyes rn

You’re even more perfect than he thought you were

If he wasn’t simping before, he definitely is now

He was already, but you get what I mean

This changes everything

Not only does he see you as his adorable player-two and lover, he now sees all of the potential for you to be his literal partner in crime

The league could absolutely use someone as strong and unassuming as you

Tomura still isn’t going to put you in any danger, but he definitely thinks of you as a strong potential villain, yourself, now too

He was already head over heels for you, but now he has an even stronger admiration for you

[bulletdove]

if u could change anything about aoaf what would u change?

AAAA this is such a good ask, thank you, i spent Way Too Fucking Long on this

(disclaimer: i don’t exactly support RPF, but i think it’s fine to consume it critically. it’s part of fandom, whether we like it or not. and fandom is an area of academic interest for me, so... you can’t understand something without researching it. yeehaw.) 

so here’s AOAF: the extended cut. ideally part of a critical edition, because i have academic aspirations.

AOAF stands on its own really well as original fiction, because it didn’t get into heavy speculation and based itself off of “what if”. but the plot was more emotionally loaded than the characters were, i think? (so as far as RPF goes, it’s not that scandalous or ethically dubious.). extended cut would be an Original Fiction type of deal, the same basis as the original one but taking the characters in a different direction and obviously renaming them

the ship plot was good, but that’s extremely Fic (which is a draw of the genre, but also seriously limits the development of non-romantic relationships) so that’d be changed. more family interactions in the present that aren’t for the sole purpose of advancing the ghostf*cking plot, flashbacks to frank and his mom and frank and ray and frank and dewees. other friends hanging out, getting to know mikey. (i need to do a reread, but ray and bob and co. weren’t really that memorable...)

higher stakes. the kidnapping scene fell flat because you knew nothing was going to happen, mikey couldn’t die because he’s mikey, all that stuff. higher stakes for the dead character, too - i need to do a reread, but plausible risk of permadeath would help intensify things.

mikey subplot is of utmost importance. barely anybody who writes RPF seems to know what to do with him as a “character” - since his public persona is/was awkward, super quiet, but still super well-liked? and nobody really wants to figure out the why and how for a minor character, since he always ends up being a minor character - but i’d like some in-depth exploration. bringing out the parallels and differences between him and frank, the dead kid and the maybe-dying kid (assuming heightened stakes), and having them hang out more, is something i’d really like.

i’d have mikey and frank be friends, but also butt heads a lot and rub each other the wrong way - mikey’s a kid and he’s terrified of dying, doesn’t want his mom and gerard and his friends back home to go on without him, wants to explore this freaky town that feels like it’s breathing down his neck [it’s creepy, but he has a good feeling about it], wants to get the chance to be a kid again but also doesn’t want to die before he has the chance to grow up, and keeps having these freaky dreams about a marching band dressed in black. frank has (mostly) made his peace with being dead, thinks his family and friends have moved on without him and been pretty okay, wanted to get the fuck out and grow up but not sell out (gay punk rights), and he knows everything about this shithole and hates that it kind of feels like home. he’s a perpetual kid who knows he can’t grow up until he leaves; mikey’s too grown up already but he’s younger and moodier and both more and less at peace with life and death. they have a lot in common, but they can seriously butt heads.

i’d give mikey a heightened awareness of the supernatural, more mobility (definitely an ill-advised wander through the woods or three), and have him and frank have weird effects on each other.

i liked the sense of weird-hazy-small town that exists out of time, and not wanting to be there but also not really being able to leave (in different ways - frank’s literally trapped, the ways are just waiting and don’t know how long they’ll be stuck there, and their estimates keep changing.) deliberately developing that by having the teenage characters thinking about college and stuff or mrs. way thinking about plans for when they move away again and finding that those plans don’t feel pressing, that they might end up there forever, and maybe that might be liveable? (there’s definitely something wrong with that town, and it’s not just frank) good shit, more emotional depth, frank freaks out but they don’t know he’s a ghost at that point and don’t get it, fuck yeah

a more complicated plotline. more subplots. i think bringing in a different mystery than frank would make it more of a traditionally Literary work, and bring out unexplored dimensions in the characters and the worldbuilding. this time maybe it’d be donna? things around town are pretty strange, the police department is definitely corrupt, her kids keep vanishing in and out of the woods and not telling her the whole truth, gothic etc etc. haven’t thought that part out very much, tbh.

more character depth and development for gerard - AOAF would be the perfect time for him, a depressed kid with a sick brother and dead ghostfriend, to get really fucked up about life and death and his relationship to them, and stop feeling like an early death is some kind of romantic inevitability and realize oh god he really doesn’t want to die, he doesn’t want mikey to die it’s not fair, frank being a ghost is cool on the surface but really it’s just awful, and is it really fair for him to be dreaming about his plans for after he graduates when frank is trapped here forever, and mikey might be too? (could bring this in in the kidnapping bit, idk. and some late-night chats with donna.)

more explanation of Why Frank Is The Way He Is. more flashbacks, more backstory, more insight into how he has seriously mixed feelings about his undeath and is trying to be okay with being trapped in the woods forever but really fucking isn’t but also feels like him and the water washing over his bones run at the same frequency - it’s part of him, but he wants more. more detail about that part.

ray and frank interactions. frank looking in on ray’s family, years later.

frank exploring more of the town than the woods - he has to have stood at the edge of the woods and stared as far as he could, he must have been curious, he must have wanted to know what was going on. he gets out of the woods, runs around town, is proud of it for changing and getting kinda-sorta-better? in parts? but hates it for moving on without him. 

better ghost mechanics - i really disliked how it felt so easy and handwaved. blegh. the tree-phone was cute tho...  (frank would gain mobility in degrees, not all at once, i think. and there would be side effects. more thought needed.)

the epilogue/sequel/whatever was cute, i wouldn’t change that except to make gerard’s eventual successful career a bit more ambiguous - and maybe mikey would die instead of your suggestion of gerard dying, i think that could work maybe. might be between the main plot and the epilogue, though.

showing more of frank’s unlife, and more of the other ghosts - absolute must. mikey spends a weekend at home, sneaks out, sees a dog in the woods that isn’t there, dreams about guitar lessons. 

i swear there was other stuff that i talked about with you but i don’t remember... i didn’t mean to make this a whole Manifesto but i’m trying to get everything in in detail sfdklkfsdl rip

slower development of the romance plot, slower realization that frank is a ghost (but less over-the-top oblivious gerard), more developed main and side characters, more side characters (this story was a dudefest! where are the girls.), making the ending feel less contrived (all of their friends are suddenly there, and everything is okay? it needed a more drawn-out conclusion)

this wasn’t supposed to be this long, or take this much time >.

[chainsawbettyloo]

Opinion on Goro?

oh gosh, I have so many 

Firstly, first and foremost, I love Akechi. He’s my favorite character from Persona 5 and I think he’s utterly fascinating 

Secondly, I think the game developers did an absolute shit job of handling his character. They had an absolutely fascinating character on their hands - someone who could have easily been an intriguing villain or dynamic shaky ally but wound up being neither of those things and instead ended up being used as fuel for a predictable, saw it coming from a million miles away twist 

Seriously, Akechi’s role in the game is so goddamn predictable that it’s nearly insulting. They literally did nothing to try to dissuade players from thinking Akechi was going to turn on them. I don’t know if that was intentional on their part or not but if it was, then that makes things even fucking worse because that gives no depth, no oomph to his story / character. If it wasn’t intentional then it just proves my point that the writers of Persona 5 were like sober for three days of the writing process, got some really good ideas and concepts out during those three days then got absolutely shitfaced and proceeded to fuck everything up 

Thirdly, Akechi would have been a more interesting main villain than Shido. I mean, a wet napkin would have been a more interesting villain than Shido but Akechi would have been vastly better than the stale piece of bread that is Shido. Come on, a villain with the motivation that he thinks he knows what’s best for the world and is going to create a perfect world where only those he deems necessary can live in it and he’s going to be the glorious ruler of that world? Yes, like that hasn’t been done fifty million times before. Meanwhile, Akechi, while his motivation isn’t entirely unique, still has a more creative motive for doing what he’s doing. Not to mention, he’s just, overall, a more interesting, engaging character than Shido. Shido is boring. Shido is about as interesting as watching paint dry. Akechi is flawed, multi-dimensional, capable of easily making himself appear harmless and friendly while hiding a goddamn hellfire of rage. Akechi is a teenager who is so goddamn sick of adults and yet, wants attentions, wants to be loved, wants to have a goddamn place in society. Akechi is someone obsessed with revenge, with his own rage, his own injustices 

Akechi has the same power as the wild card, Akechi is the only person who stands as pretty much even with Akira, Akechi is someone who Yabgkjshjfh handpicked out of everyone else in the whole goddamn world, Akechi is, essentially, at the starting point of becoming a corrupted adult so wouldn’t that dynamic have had been interesting, Akechi has a personal connection to the Phantom Thieves, Akechi has got the sympathetic factor going on, Akechi has so much more going for him than Shido does so it makes absolutely no goddamn sense that he was tossed aside in favor of Glasses McGee 

Fourth..ly, Akechi fucking deserved redemption. The entire game, the entire premise of Persona 5, is stealing people’s hearts to make them into better people. The entire message is that anyone, even the most despicable human being, can be changed so why. the. fuck. wasn’t. Akechi. afforded. the. same. chance? Why was a child, a fucking child, who had been mentally abused, neglected and turned into a killer by his own father not allowed the same chance for redemption? See, this is where the whole shortchanged comes into play because I don’t know what went wrong here, why the game developers suddenly decided that Akechi, for whatever reason, was going to be thrown away like yesterday’s leftovers because there was so much goddamn potential. He could have had redemption, he could have had this big scene where the theme of the entire goddamn game was solidified in Akechi, by having Akechi admit his crimes, work to take down his Father, to take down Yagjghjgf and then take responsibility for his actions, thus cementing the goddamn theme of redemption 

But no, we get a half ass “death” scene where we don’t even see what happens to Akechi. He’s not mentioned hardly at all (or not at all, I can’t remember) in the rest of the game. Basically, his character, which had so much going for it, was left behind, ignored, cast aside and it so pisses me off because he could have been so much more! There was so much they could have done with him! So many aspects, ideas of redemption, corruption, raising above your past or giving into it that they could have explored! But no, no, we get a stupid twist that isn’t even that good and is so goddamn predictable, a boss fight that crams pretty much all of Akechi’s motivations into a span of just a few minutes then a anti-climatic “death” scene. And for what? To prove the point that not everyone can be saved? That’s goddamn fucking bullshit. Don’t pull that kind of shit when it comes to kids, especially not abused kids. Pull that shit with shitty adults but not children. What kind of message is that sending? Definitely not one that’s congruent with the rest of the game so why the fuck even include it? Because you have this character on your hands that you don’t know what to do with so you decide to get rid of him in the least coherent way possible? 

Overall, my opinion of Akechi is that he suffers from what a lot of what Persona 5 itself suffers from: inconsistent, shitty writing. I don’t know what happened but there are some parts of Persona 5 that are just fucking spot on then the rest is just be an absolute dumpster fire. Akechi, unfortunately, gets stuck with the most of the terrible writing, which really fucking sucks because he could have, easily, been either one of the most interesting villains or anti-heroes of the entire Persona franchise if he had had a more competent writer at the helm but alas, what we have is just a mountain of wasted potential 

[mbtimemes]

brutally honest descriptions of the mbti types based off my experiences with them via a very sleep deprived infp

enfp:

-commitment issues? haha i’ve never heard of those :))))

-will literally punch a toddler in the throat if they say they support trump

-so i took the mbti test 7 times and i got infp twice and entp once?? i don’t really know, because i kind of fit into the infj sterotypes more, but if you really think about it i’m kind of an enfj? but i also really relate to isfps, but then again i think i’m too opinionated and logical to be a feeler, so entp isn’t out of the question, but i also feel like the entj cognitive functions really fit m

-genuinely love animals and it’s so pure

-hi sorry for not replying, i was in prison :3 also i moved to norway lol

-actually just the 2007 taco xd random aesthetic irl

-“i just came up with another book plot” texts approximately every 2.3 hours

isfp:

-hi i’m melissa i’m a 23 year old art school dropout and i abuse prescription pills but it’s okay because i have 200 followers on my grunge aesthetic instagram account. rent me an apartment?

-(talking about veganism to someone at a party) i just don’t understand how anyone could put all of that stuff in their body :/ *bends down to snort a line of cocaine*

-actually really artistically talented but much like the infp they refuse to give themselves any credit for it

-my dream man is someone who goes to coachella with me, helps me align my charkas, takes sad candid pictures of me, is willing to backpack around europe with me and my philosophy class during the summer,

-*googles* why do i share a type with literally every indie musician that has ever breathed lol

-probably fucked your girl in the back of a vape shop

infj:

-if you manage to find one never let them go they are some of the best people you’ll ever meet

-huge harry potter nerds

-can manage to get you to spill out your entire life story to them with a concerned glance

-please actually care for yourself for once and a while literally you do everything for everyone else just take some time for yourself god dammit you deserve it

-CATS™

-could be literally the most talented person in the world but would never come close to admitting it

-hi i’m actually just jesus christ irl! nice to meet you :-)

intj:

-they know everything

-like seriously everything it’s kind of scary like calm down karl

- allows themselves to recognize exactly one (1) human emotion per year

-can read for hours on end without getting bored and genuinely loves learning

-are generally dicks tbh especially to the people they love the most

-wikipedia articles™

-they actually aren’t actually the emotionless robots tumblr seems to display them as, they are actually extremely emotional in my experience and tend to get offended/upset easily and over small things

-sci-fi, cats, and machines > humans

-superiority complex™

-cute when they aren’t busy throwing tantrums/crushing the souls of their enemies

esfj:

-hi i’m martha, i’m 32 years young, i like long walks by the beach, yoga, and judging my neighbors for not mowing their lawn :-)  

-tend to be extra™ parents and their kids can either turn out complete emotional wreck assholes because they’ve never been disciplined or the happiest child you’ll ever meet, there is no in between

-they may be complete snakes and have never came up with an original idea in their entire life but boy can they make a killer chicken parmesan

-kind of comforting in a mother-like sense when they aren’t busy being judgmental dicks

-will clean your entire house for you on a whim

infp:

-wow i love being an infj :)) top 1% haha :))

-will literally develop a crush on someone because they say they know what tumblr is

-find purpose in writing/creating in general

-ending toxic relationships?? haha what’s that??? :))

-constantly switches between their “you can’t control me it isn’t a phase mom go away >:(( my chemical pilots at the disco saved me xd i will literally punch a baby fuck the system i’m 2cool4school” persona and their “i’m such a smol bean :3 save all the animals <333 i love pretty girls and dogs :))” persona

-“can i txt you back in like 15 mins i’m having an emotional breakdown lol”

-actually genuinely empathetic and creatively gifted but gives themself credit for none of it

-intelligent but fails classes because their teacher said something that went against their morals

-playing the victim? never heard of it! :))

-secretly just meme hoarders

-attention whores tbh i won’t even deny it

-o v e r d r a m a t i c

entp:

-hi it’s 6 fucking am and everyone just wants to go back to sleep or die or both but i’m gonna start an argument with the professor over the origin of tangerines for no apparent reason

-*googles* how to permanently get rid of my fe in 5 simple steps

-follow my meme page xd

-so what if i love my dog more than i do myself and my entire family?

-this conversation is boring me i’m gonna go chug a bottle of vodka and binge bill nye the science guy™ peace out

-have low self-esteems but compensate through obscure dark web conspiracy theories at 3 in the morning

-shirley i didn’t call you back because you’re a fake ass bitch not because i didn’t like your lasagna at the block party

estp:

-why do i keep physically abusing my crush lol

-and why do i keep yelling i can’t even stop at this point someone please send help

-they love food more than they do themselves

-fuckboys™

-hi welcome to my prank youtube channel :3

-the type of people to show up to school with 37 puppies and a knife

-i’m not gay but 20 bucks is 20 bucks

entj:

-sorry i didn’t show up to school because you’re fucking stupid

-awe infp is so cute <3 i’ll destroy them last

-*on the floor, drunk, talking to their dog* you’re the only motherfucker in this town who can handle me

-what do you mean other people’s opinions/beliefs besides my own are valid lol??

-lowkey have daddy kinks

-what do you mean it’s physically impossible for me to control every aspect of my life??

-i mean if you really think about it voldemort was the victim,

-the type of person who could tell their crush they like them without flinching. terrifying

istp:

-wears d.a.r.e shirts ironically

-1990’s grunge aesthetic

-would walk into a burning building for the meme

-playing the hero?? haha never heard of it :))

-ew what the fuck man get those feelings away from me lol

-fuck da police

-following the rules?? that seems excessive lmao no thanks

istj:

-i once had one (1) original idea back in the summer of ’67. it was terrifying. i’ll never do it again.

-your scary math teacher that wears black socks everyday expects friday. then they jazz it up a bit with stripes. will mark your grade up if you say you like the same sports team as they do.

-understanding concepts outside of your own experiences? lmao no thanks?

-will make quizlet sets organize your desk for you

-my dream in life is to narrate a crime documentary and complete my george washington memorabilia collection.

-remembers all of their colleagues birthdays. doesn’t say happy birthday.

enfj:

-fucking get over your ex already he wasn’t that attractive calm down allison

-*googles* why do i relate to regina george from mean girls so much?

-the type of person who tells your boyfriend you have a crush on him

-o v e r d r a m a t i c

-gets your shit together for you. judges you

intp:

-dead inside

-if you can manage to find one that actually tolerates you they are some of the most loyal and true people you’ll ever meet

-horrible social skills, compensates through meme hoarding

-sends you links to conspiracy theory videos when you’re sad

-extremely intelligent but they get lost in their own house

-whoops i just remember i haven’t showered in 3 weeks lol

-i would laugh at that joke but i’m 3 hours deep into an existential crisis and i’m 100% convinced you are actually a robot created by bill clinton so not today jeff

esfp:

-yes homo

-cries over cat videos in public

-facetimes you in a grasshopper fursuit at 3 in the morning

-probably an alcoholic

-has 87 different crushes at once

-you haven’t talked to them in 7 years but they’ll show up at your birthday party and give you dog

-also attention whores

-generally has the personality of someone who just did 10 lines of cocaine

isfj:

-one sec let me just gather up all of the fake empathy i can muster for this particular situation

-that one kid in class who always has perfect notes

-shudders at the thought of… a… creative… thought….

-falls in love with an estp approximately every 23 seconds

-hi i’m karen, i’m 34, i love my family, cupcake baking, helping people of course until it interferes with my own personal comfort haha, christmas decorations, room layouts,

-probably has a studyblr

estj:

-your angry boss

-probably cyberbullies children on the internet 

-has an emotional breakdown when they don’t win classroom jeopardy 

-*googles* who is bernie sanders and why do i want him dead

-organizes your shit for you, regrets it later

-dead inside

[oneshots-heaven]

“Need Your Saving“ - Part 2

When old wounds aren’t fully healed yet, to trust someone new—a complete stranger—isn’t easy. Nevertheless Tom tries his best to make her trust him, but maybe there are still too many things left unsaid. 

Warning: angsty content + cursing Bodyguard!Tom x Reader Part TWO of the ‘Need Your Saving’ Series

.

The water was starting to get freezing cold, yet she stayed in the bathtub, thinking about how Bryan was downstairs talking to this new guy and showing him around the house. It was better that he did it, instead of her. He knew her house better than she did, which was supposed to be the place she would  have eventually called ’home’ or at least feel like it was. Her new bodyguard would live here, so he should get to know the house with a bit more happiness than the way she’d present it.

She couldn’t wrap her head around it. This was a completely new peak in her life, in her career, her downfall, in literally everything she ever did. After the world got to know her name, she started to get used to the life of a beloved celebrity. Most famous people wouldn’t admit it, but once you’re in the spotlight, you don’t really want to leave.

She learned that it was somehow a responsibility to share as much of your private life as possible with every single person on this planet because they wanted to feel connected to their idol and being transparent to them meant that they’d end up loving you even more. This thought scared her. It scared her so much, but she wanted this too much to let such a small thing keep her from pursing her dreams.

On some nights, she laid in her bed and thought about how her life would have turned out if she had stopped herself from pursing this career and stopped following her actual dream. Would it be easier? Would it be as rewarding and amazing as now? She asked herself many questions in nights like that, but the most important one—the one she always ended up with—was if she would be happier than she was right now.

But she never quite knew the answer to that and laid awake until the sun went up.

All of this used to be her dream. When she was younger, she often got frustrated that all those other kids found a thing for themselves, something for what they developed a passion for and she was left with nothing. Nothing spoke to her, although she tried most of the things, until she tried out acting in her school theatre club. Her first little theatre play was in her eyes her most rewarding success to this day. It was the day she knew that acting was the one thing she wanted to purse in the near future.

She worked hard to earn her spot in Hollywood—harder than she imagined it to be. Competing with endless other girls, she always tried to improve herself and then prove it to new producers and new film companies because she knew that she had the talent to be successful and deliver what they were looking for.

Although it was a rough start with the chances of losing always being closer than the ones of winning, her career ended up booming. Over one night, millions of people learned her name and she became an icon of her generation. People praised her.

Bryan was one of the first people she got to know in Hollywood and he had supported, believed and been there for her since day one and ever since then he told her that success can be overwhelming, warning her that it eventually could turn someone into a person they’re not. He kept her on the ground and if it was going crazy, he cut her off from working and sent her back home to her friends and family. He never wanted to let the fame get over her head and perhaps she will forever be thankful for that. No matter how difficult it sometimes was between him and her, he was the best mentor and manager she could asked for.

At the beginning, she just wanted to act and auditioned for various roles, no matter how big or small it was. As time went by, people began to put meaning and worth to her words and persona and she realized that her voice had a certain power and she just couldn’t live this god damn glamorous Hollywood life without actually trying to make a difference. She took on more roles with meaning behind them, acted in dramas with serious topics.

Her latest project seemed to be just another one of those movies. Maybe critics would see it like that, but this project meant so much to hear. Reading the script, I felt related to character more than she did with any other she ever played. The story was close by heart, yet she hesitated to take on the role. She tried to tell herself that it would be therapeutic and help others, while Bryan believed it would only trigger her to fall into this deep, black emptiness again. He was done with that, he couldn’t handle it another time and he especially didn’t want her to go through that again.

However in the end, she was the one who made the choices. So she did the project and he was right.

It did rip open her wounds that she was so desperately trying to heal, however it felt like it was necessary. She knew that it would happen, but she filmed the movie anyway, telling herself over and over again that it needed to be heard. She tried to be confident in her decision, keeping herself protected from any harm in order to get better again and then all of the sudden, everything went down in a nasty disaster dragged out by the press.

Almost jerking her hands up too quickly, she wiped away the tears before she pushed herself out of the bathtub, quickly grabbing a towel to wrap around her trembling body. There was only one time during which she seriously hated her body and her overall appearance. It never had to do with the pressure in Hollywood. She ignored that as good as she was able to because there were so many other things in life that were more important than a beauty standard.

When she looked at herself in the long mirror now, she couldn’t stare at her reflection for more than five seconds. Five painful seconds that she immediately wanted to erase from her memory.

She didn’t glance in the mirror on this day. Instead she walked straight to her bedroom, changing into some comfortable clothes in which she could hide her body and looking absolutely not perfect at all. Her hand was reaching for her favorite washed out grey sweatpants when she suddenly held in. Downstairs was a man that she didn’t know at all but he would be around for a while. There was this small urge to grab some nicer clothes and walk back into the bathroom to look more put together before she would walk down to join Bryan and him.

In the same moment, she noticed how she was bullshitting herself again. There was no way in hell she was able to put on the most stressful act up 24/7 only because she didn’t want this man to see what was really going on. He probably already knew everything and might even judged her but there was nothing she could do about it. She had to face it and let him see all the ugly parts of her too. It was his job.

She grabbed the sweatpants and a soft sweater determined. She wouldn’t hide, not again.

* * * * * 

Usually, he was good at controlling his own temper and feelings to manage to keep a perfectly calm appearance to his clients. It was necessary to let them always know that he had everything completely under control, even if he didn’t. It was his job to make them feel safe, no matter what was actually happening.

He was good at it—right until now. Now he caught himself sitting on a big, comfy couch owned by a young woman that he didn’t know and he believed she rarely sat here and enjoyed the view over the hills. She wasn’t happy in this house, he realized that right when they had entered it. There was no spark in her eyes of relief that she was finally home, instead she looked lifeless.

The film company hired him, saying they were looking for one the best bodyguards they could find. His boss recommended him himself, telling them that he was known for doing a solid, professional job.

He never stayed long with people. Usually, people hired him when things were bad, in fact really bad, until everything was halfway alright again, then he would leave them and although they would be thankful for everything he might had done for them, it always left both parts with a weird feeling in their guts. He would see tabloids of the people he once protected. He would see photos of them being at the happiest point in their lives or back at a bad place again, but he always told himself that it wasn’t his business anymore, yet he was never able to look at those photos without exactly knowing what that person went through and how they really are.

Hollywood was a bad place. He’d even say it was the worst place on earth for a human to be truly happy and he had the strong belief that it always had been this way. This was a place filled with gold-digging, manipulative and disgusting people who wanted to make big money out of the film industry. There was no denying that there were great things about it too, but the bad things overweighted because they teared people apart and destroyed their lives until there was nothing left of it.

He couldn’t remember what drew him from opting up from his police training to professional bodyguard training in the first place. When he looked back on his career, he only ever realized that all those people needed him to protect them from this harsh world and he felt proud to be able to be there for them. He always told himself that it would be one person less that had a shitty life in this all seemingly glorious industry.

His thoughts are all over the place but they always returned to her, knowing that she was upstairs showering for almost an hour. Somehow he could understand it that she was so off when she met him. This was a new situation for her as her manager explained to him that she never had a bodyguard that stayed with her the entire time. He even warned him that she could be a little cold to him, but that he better not take it to heart.

When he walked into the office this early evening, he expected to see the same picture—a tired superstar that was wearing this perfect mask on their face looking absolutely polished. And then she sat there, looking so effortlessly without any obvious flaws that it hurt and almost disgusted him. He knew this sort of cover-up well enough and it was sickening. He may hadn’t read her file and the psychological writing but he wasn’t fucking blind. 

It was clear that the smile on her face was faked, it looked like she hadn’t genuinely smiled in the months. She resembled a corpus more than a breathing person and for whatever reason, this time it was driving him mad. He wanted to know more aside from the little he already knew from the obvious media. He wanted to hear the truth out of her mouth. He wanted to know every so little and fucked up details that turned her into the person that stood in front of him.

But for the first time during his job, he was scared.

He was scared of how he would react when she would tell him.

The footsteps were quiet, yet he heard them and turned to the open entrance of the living room, standing up and waiting for her to enter the room. When she appeared in the doorframe, he let a breath of relief. She was wearing a pair of comfy looking sweatpants paired with a sweater and with her wet hair framing her blank, make-up free face. This was her without any of her masks on.

He was not going to lie, it surprised him. Usually, his clients declined him seeing them without make-up or had a hard time getting used to him and tried to cover up her mental and physical condition by lying to his face or overdressing themselves but she seemed to try to get over it quickly. Almost as if she was ripping off an adhesive tape.

“Hello,“ came suddenly out of her mouth in a soft, quiet voice.

“Hello,“ he greeted her back with firm voice.

She pulled on the sleeves of her sweater to stretch it over her palms, starring everywhere but at him. Understandable, giving how awkward and slightly uncomfortable this helpless situation was for not only her but also for him. “Is Bryan gone?“ she then asked, still not glancing at him.

“Yes, he said his wife and kids await him for dinner, but he apologizes for not staying.“

She nodded, “Did he explained everything to you? Or do I need to explain anything else to you?“

“No, it’s fine. He told and showed me everything I needed to know.“

He saw her nodding a couple of times more, biting her lips while doing so and standing on the same spot as before. She was beyond uncomfortable with this situation. 

No wonder, he thought. And it would stay that way if he didn’t do anything against it, he needed to break the ice somehow, so he took his chance and tried to offer her something, “Are you hungry? I could cook us something if you would like to.“

Her head shot up, firstly letting his gaze meeting her surprised one. “Um,“ she stuttered lightly with wide eyes, “yes, that would be nice.“

“Okay great,“ he said as he turned around to walk to the kitchen. Luckily, it was fairly easy for him to remember the floor plan of the big house. She followed him from the living room to the equally big kitchen that was nearby. 

“Do you like cooking?“

“No,“ she replied short. “I can’t cook that well but I try my best.“

For a moment, she hesitated and he gave her the time she needed, before she asked, “Do you like cooking?“

“I do. My mum showed me many receipts,“ he explained. “Gordon Ramsay most definitely won’t praise me but I believed I’m skilled enough to cook something eatable. Will you help me find the things I need?“

“Uh-huh,“ she mumbled, taking a seat on one of the bar stools and watching every move he was making. It worked as a calm teamwork, he asked for certain things he needed after he took a glance into what the fridge had to offer and she explained where he could find it. 

By the next weeks, he’d know this kitchen by heart. She gave credit to Bryan and her maid for the filled fridge where he found everything he needed. He hesitated—he should have known that she didn’t simply go out and bought this food all by herself. He didn’t judge her for that because he knew that within seconds, people would recognize her and make even groceries shopping an impossible task. Instead he caught himself once again pitying her.

He pushed his thoughts aside and concentrated on not burning down her kitchen. Once in a while, he glanced over to her, seeing her either watching him or looking like she was somewhere else with her thoughts. It didn’t go unnoticed by him that her phone was laying faced downward on the kitchen counter. Not once she grabbed it, or even touched it. She probably hadn’t post on one of her social media accounts by herself for months. He knew that people like Bryan took care of such things.

Bryan Stevens seemed to be a good guy, not like the usual managers around Hollywood. He may was one of only hundred decent people in this industry as he appeared more like a stressed-out, non-stop caring stepdad of her rather than her manager and their relationship as far as he noticed it was built around this feeling.

“For how long have you been a bodyguard? Bryan said you are one of the best out there. That takes some years.“ she questioned, pulling him out of his thoughts back into reality. He looked up for the pan over to her. Once again, she had the sleeves pulled over the palms of her hands, looking stressed but her glance was clam, just as much as her breathing, although he could hear it clearly. She was in a calm, yet nervous state.

“You’re nervous,“ he said, concentrating on the chicken he was cooking in the pan, “because you’re not used to me being around, but it doesn’t quite scare you off. You’re brave, trying to face me, aren’t you?“

“Is that your analyze of me?“

“Yes,“ he replied. “And to answer your question, I never wanted to become a bodyguard. At least, I didn’t plan on. I did two years of police service in my hometown until a private personal security company wanted to give me a job and somehow along the way, I ended up protecting people, instead of making them follow the law.“

“Do you like it?“

Her question made him raise a brow, looking up one more time. “You mean protecting people?“

She nodded quietly.

His mouth twitched, not expecting such a simple question. Maybe because he had never been asked this before. Most people were only interested in asking about the people he had protected, asking for dirty secrets and more, but none ever quite showed interest in asking him if he even liked doing this job or not.

“Yes, I believe I do. I can sleep better at night when I know I protected my people.“

Now, his words made her mouth twitch slightly. Immediately, he pressed his teeth in his bottom lip to stop himself from smiling over his little success. She was warming up to him, at least a little. That was all he wanted to achieve—to have mutual trust. He was convinced that he would get there soon because of her brave willingness to work with him and then suddenly everything seemed to be ruined.

Her phone went off—it wasn’t the usual iPhone ringtone, instead a personalized one which made her jump. Within seconds, she had grabbed the phone and sprinted out of the kitchen. He heard her jogging up the stairs and without thinking too much about it, he turned down the stove and followed her calmly with distance.

Just as he reached the stairs, he stopped himself, holding onto the railing.

”Why do they not get that I want them to leave me alone? This is not what I wanted. I never wanted any of this. No one needs to know, no one deserves to know!“

His grip tightened around the railing as he heard her quiet sobs that she seemed to press down. “I… I hate this. I hate this so much, Bryan. I just want it to end.“ she whimpered, before her voice raised. “Why, why can’t they fucking leave me alone, Bryan? Why?“

He couldn’t hold himself back. Before he knew better, he was running up the stairs over to the bathroom, finding her sitting against the bathtub on the ground with her hand in her still damp hair. Her head shot up, with a confused mixed angry glance at him. Her reddened eyes simply starred.

This wasn’t the first time he saw a client like that, which led him to know exactly what to do in this situation. He stepped forward, kneeling in front of her and carefully taking the phone out of her hand, telling Bryan to please call him later, then hanging up and pushing the phone inside of the back pockets of his jeans.

For a second, she simply starred at him but he couldn’t care less. There will be times where she will be thankful for his doings, as much as there will be times where she will hate his guts. Although he wasn’t sure if he was ready for the last part, he was still okay with that. That was his job and he promised her to do his job well.

“How about I finish our dinner and you set the table?“ he asked while offering her his hand.

next chapter

[jemiroka]

An analysis of Tenn and Riku - Angel and Monster (SPOILERS)

With the latest story updates, I’ve been turning over everything we know about the Nanase twins thus far and letting Kujou’s assessment of the two boys sink in. As mad as I was that Kujou called Riku a monster, the more I thought about it, he’s right.

Kujou calls Riku a monster and Tenn an angel. On the surface, I originally thought to myself “he’s got this whole thing backwards.” And i’m not saying that Tenn is a monster either. But with how pure and energetic Riku is, it’s easier to relate Riku to an angel rather than Tenn since Tenn is very stoic and strict when he turns off his idol persona.

Now what changed my mind after giving it some thought? It’s their motives.

From what I’ve figured out, Tenn is very, very selfless. But sometimes this is hard to catch because of his personality. I say this for a couple of reasons.

Tenn cares very deeply for his fans. I thought his analogy of his fans being his lovers was really weird at first, but due to recent events it becomes very clear that this is not exactly an exaggeration for Tenn. When it was announced that TRIGGER would no longer be produced by Yaotome Productions and there was uncertainty if they would even continue as a group, Tenn’s first concern was the fan reaction. He cried during the street live that they had because they couldn’t give the fans what they wanted, which was more time. In the first chapter he pushed himself to perform on stage even though he was in the hospital only hours before and exhausted himself to the point that he became delirious. In short, Tenn would do anything for his fans and would never want to do anything to disappoint them no matter what the cost to himself. He just wants to make people happy.

Tenn left his family for Riku’s sake. I will admit, this is purely speculation because it hasn’t explicitly been said, but it has been implied throughout the story. According to Riku, the club that his family owned wasn’t doing well around the time that Kujou showed up and asked to adopt to Tenn to produce him as an idol. Tenn makes the decision to pursue his dream with Kujou and abandons his family in their time of need. While this is a very selfish act on the surface, it is easy to deduce Tenn’s motives behind this decision due to his concern over Riku’s health. Riku was in and out of the hospital often as a kid due to his illness and the earnings from the club was what was supporting the family. If the club wasn’t doing well and ended up shutting down, then the family wouldn’t have money. If Riku had another attack, they might not be able to pay off a hospital bill or any further treatment for him. Tenn probably knew this and basically sold himself to Kujou-san so they could keep the club afloat and, thus, support Riku’s health.

Developing upon that theory, Tenn probably didn’t tell his family this reason because they definitely would have stopped him from doing that. Which would mean they would still have no solution to their problem. This would explain why Riku is so hurt from Tenn’s decision, because he couldn’t see his logic at the time if Tenn didn’t explain anything.

On hindsight, Tenn did mention in the story that he didn’t agree with his parents on how they ran the club. He also mentioned that he respected Kujou-san which is why he decided to follow him. (He may or may not have explained more of this, but i’m still waiting on translations to make sure what I understood was correct).

Tenn wants people to be happy in spite of his morals. I only add this because I remembered what happened in the Natsu Shiyouze!!! incident. Tenn had suspected that the song was stolen from somewhere but didn’t speak up because Gaku and Ryunosuke were so happy and excited. He specifically says this when Gaku gets mad at him for not telling them his suspicions.

Tenn’s name literally means Heaven. This is just for fun. But the word for angel in Japanese is “TENshi.” The characters to Tenn and Shi mean heaven and person respectively. Heaven person = Angel. 

Now for Riku... As a disclaimer, this is probably going to sound like i’m hating on Riku, which i’m not. I love Riku Nanase and his pureness but bottom line is that he’s very prone to following his emotions. When compared to Tenn, his motives are more selfish which would associate with the monster analogy very well.

Riku pursued being an idol to follow Tenn. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this! Riku’s dream is to perform on the same stage as his big brother. Since they were kids, Tenn has always been a performer and would entertain Riku while he was in the hospital. Riku always idolized his big brother and wanted to catch up to him so his motives for becoming an idol are very clear. He wanted to be on the same level as Tenn. This is completely normal in my opinion because there’s nothing wrong with chasing your dream, and is only considered selfish when compared to Tenn’s reason for becoming an idol.

Riku follows his own emotions. While Tenn is working to make other’s happy, Riku is performing to make himself happy. This doesn’t mean that he doesn’t care about his fans, but his ultimate motive is not to please the fans but to be happy himself. This is probably why Kujou calls Riku a monster in comparison to Tenn and also why Riku is more like Zero. Zero ended up disappearing from his fans without a trace and without notice which upset a lot of people. It could be deduced that Zero left because he wasn’t happy with where he was at (because why else would he leave unless he had personal/family circumstances) even though his fans were always happy that he was around. While Riku is not tyring to seek the glory of the spot light, he just wants to have fun performing with Idolish7. He is performing more for himself and his band mates than anything else. Perhaps at this point it’s too harsh to say that Riku is selfish, but is instead self-focused. Kujou may think that, because of this, Riku has the same mentality as Zero. So when Riku is no longer happy being an idol, he’ll just up and leave like Zero. This is why Kujou didn’t pursue Riku even though he said that Riku is a closer comparison to Zero than Tenn. 

Riku’s response to Perfection Gimmick. This was the most obvious one to me. And I believe this is why a lot of people were a little annoyed with Riku in part 2. When Riku’s condition was worsening due to the stress of being the center of Idolish7, the position of center went to Iori instead. The fans began raving about how much better Idolish7 became after Iori took the spot as center. Riku, of course, took this to heart and basically developed something close to an inferiority complex. This affected his work, especially since he’s unit partners with Iori. While this is a normal human reaction, it can also be seen as the kid who pouts until he gets his way since Riku still wanted to be center even though the fans were saying they enjoyed Iori as center.

Riku’s appeal power. This is the actual reason why Kujou calls Riku a monster. Riku’s appeal skill is too high! Riku is basically so charming that the fans would do anything for him. This is the flip side of Tenn, who would do anything for the fans. As long as Riku is happy, the fans are happy and they’ll stop caring about anything else. In addition to that, it seems like the fans will actually mirror Riku’s feelings because when he starts crying at their anniversary live, Iori points out that the audience started crying even though they didn’t know what Riku was crying about. This runs the risk of things going out of control for Idolish7 if Riku suddenly becomes unstable.

In conclusion, Kujou’s assessment of the twins is decently accurate in more ways than the one he intended. I will admit that some of the reasons I listed for Riku being a monster are a stretch because honestly, Riku is just very human. I think his reactions to his situations would be how most people would react no matter how mature they want to be. But in comparison to Tenn (who is just super human) he is a monster (and so are all of us XD).

Author note: Please let me know if any facts are incorrect. And I’d love to know what you guys think :)

[ahiddenpath]

Regarding the stage of Digimon, in your opinion, what are the characters with better and worst development or characterization?

Hmm, good question!  As you say, I can only give my opinion- everyone’s interpretation of characters and their growth is subjective- but I will try my best below the cut :)  Spoilers for the digimon stage play below the cut!!!!

I would argue that most of the cast didn’t develop or change during the play, not really.  Mostly they acknowledged existing truths and fears that were already causing tension inside of them, partially because of that all-important anniversary, partially from exposure to the other Chosen and sensing that they’re all facing similar tensions, and partially because of... being literally held prisoner by their own desires.  But then, maybe opening your eyes to something you refused to acknowledge before is growth, even though the pieces were already in your hands!  I think the distinction is probably unimportant?

In a way, the pains of growing up showcased in the stage play are relatable to anyone who has gone through that difficult stage between childhood and adulthood.  During one of my writing classes as an undergrad, the students had to submit two stories each for peer review, and about 70% of them dealt specifically with the fear of facing a life beyond our schooling.  The difficulties the Chosen face in the play are painfully familiar.  But as Koushiro points out, it’s truly the weight of August first bowing their backs, and as Yamato admits, the fear of being unable to spend time with his digimon partner plays a huge role in his fear.

Basically, the Chosen are normal kids, but they’re also not.  Although the viewers know and love this about our babies, I think the stage play showcased this idea beautifully.  I’m not sure how to rank everyone’s growth by number, so let me try talking about them one-by-one and seeing where things land?

Taichi

As most of the Chosen point out in the first act, Taichi has been subdued since the events of Saikai.  Even so, he leaps on the idea of a camping reunion on August 1st, surprising Hikari and placing her on the alert.  His over-enthusiasm indicates that he’s eager to step back into his fearless leader role, if only for a few days, especially in a safe setting.  

Taichi spends most of the play pretending he’s fine (when he clearly isn’t), and it even seems that he considers remaining hostage in Etemon’s... ‘playing house’ scenario rather than start a fight.  He also offers himself as a sacrifice if the others are spared and begs for mercy, hoping to protect his friends by taking the fall for them.  Eventually, with prompting from Sora, Hikari, and Koushiro and help from Agumon, Taichi realizes that his new ability to consider consequences and ask questions before he fights is growth, not regression, and he regains the ability to fight, with the implication that his methods will be more effective than ever.

Taichi probably has the clearest ‘before and after’ picture from the stage play.

Yamato

It was really fun to see Yamato hang out with his band!  There’s a sense that his band mates simultaneously look up to him and take every opportunity to tease him, lol.  

Although he says little of consequence during the group campfire talk, Yamato opens up more when he’s alone with Taichi.  There’s a sense that he’s trying to draw information out of Taichi by offering some in turn, but it doesn’t really get anywhere.  He gets to the good stuff towards the end, when he admits to Jyou that his fears aren’t really based in becoming an adult, or even in growing apart from the Chosen.  His biggest fear is that, some day, he won’t be able to see Gabumon as much.  Part of me isn’t sure why he’s bringing that up now- my understanding is that the gates to the Digital World have been opening and closing beyond their control mostly all along, unrelated to Yamato growing up.  But his point still stands; Gabumon is his most precious friend, and it must often feel like Yamato’s ability to spend time with him is out of his control.  

I got the sense that Yamato mostly needed to speak his fears aloud, but Jyou also assured him that his fears were normal, and that the best thing to do is to make his time with Gabumon count and move forward with courage.  I’m not sure how much Yamato grew...  But I thought everything he said in his scene with Jyou was interesting and loving, and reflected that teddy bear nature hiding beneath his outer tundra. 

Sora

I’ll be honest, while the girls had nice moments, I was a little put out at how comparatively little they were showcased.  Like everyone but Jyou, Sora was not forthcoming at the campfire scene, and she “slept” through most of the “girl talk” scene.  The play gave the sense that Sora is worried about her fellow Chosen, especially Taichi, and communicated her protective and loving nature, but she wasn’t given much opportunity to shine until her final heart-to-heart with Mimi.  Mostly she talks about the self she’s always been- preferring quietly supporting others to thinking about her future and understanding herself.  After musing about herself a bit, she decides that it’s time to start tackling the issues of learning who she is and what she wants.

That’s a beautiful realization and decision for anyone!  i would have liked to see a lot more Sora, though.

Koushiro

Compared to the others, I don’t think Koushiro has a moment where he stands up and makes some kind of discovery unique to himself.  While he (awesomely) points out that all of the Chosen are stuck in this Digital World pocket because they don’t want to lose August 1st and everything it means to them, he doesn’t say much about himself and his individual struggles.  All he really says is that, while he likes computers, he’s not sure what he wants to do in the future, and he’s interested in attempting to explore the world around him without the help of computers.  (Although I guess you could argue that last bit IS a Big Deal).

I don’t mind, though, because his characterization was so great during the play.  He was sassy (“You’re the closest thing we have to a cave man, Taichi-san!”), an intelligent planner (sensing an initial problem, understanding the nature of their plight, and even uncovering the psychological component), supportive towards everyone (especially Taichi, something conspicuously absent in Tri), proactive, polite, sweet, and a bit socially clueless.  The things that I dislike about Tri!Koushiro are absent: perviness, fashion disasters, occasional uncomfortably weird behavior, a lack of proactiveness compared to Adventure, and a tendency to cut himself off from the group instead of working together with them.

I don’t know if he developed over the course of the play, but for what it’s worth, stage play Koushiro soothes my tormented soul, lol.  

Mimi

In the first act, she seems preoccupied with... making the camping trip harder than it should be.  We later learn that she wants to echo their circumstances during their adventures by leaving supplies behind (I think she actually brought supplies back then, though, which is kind of funny).  During the “girl talk” scene, Mimi seems to be pushing for light, stereotypical subject matter: crushes and ghost stories.  While the dialogue itself doesn’t contribute much, it does create a sense that Mimi’s trying to distract herself from her thoughts.

Mimi later says that the future is difficult for her to think about, because she wants to do so many things.  The more she grows, the more she questions her ability to explore her many interests; isn’t it more realistic to focus on one thing?  Palmon convinces her that she can do whatever she wants to do.  It’s a sweet and very Mimi-esque moment.  I enjoyed it a lot, and I thought Mimi’s actress did an incredible job, but Mimi’s initial pushy and actively unhelpful behavior combined with a comparatively short payoff scene pushes her characterization and arc towards the bottom of my personal ranking.

Jyou

Jyou didn’t ‘grow’ in the sense that he was the one Chosen who is calm about his future, but the fact that he’s in that position during the stage play is amazing to me.  You guys probably know I have a huuuuge soft spot for Jyou, but...  Just the fact that he went on the trip without an argument, even for one day, was a victory.  And he put so much effort into helping Taichi and Yamato, which is wonderful, too!  

I loved his scene with Yamato...  While Yamato did most of the talking and discovering, Jyou supported him and listened.  It’s kind of... like the opposite of what happened between them in the diner?  That isn’t a perfect metaphor, but this time, Jyou went out of his way to help Yamato, instead of vice versa.  Senpai is so grown up now ;__;   At the same time, he’s still strung too tight about his grades and achieving his goals, so he still feels like our beloved dork face.

Senpai, notice me *___*

Takeru

In my opinion, Takeru drew the short straw in the stage play.  He is upfront about his fears about everyone parting ways, and he seems willing to talk about his hope that he can write in the future without ending up hating it (although he tends to get cut off when he tries).  We glimpse his sweet and mischievous sides, but he spends most of the climax looking lost and near tears while Hikari remains calm and reassures him.  I finished the play without much of an impression from him.  I think he mentioned that he used to feel stronger and more single-minded, and now he often feels more frightened and unsure?  I don’t recall any closure for him, though.

Happily, I find Takeru’s Tri persona lovable and fun enough that I don’t really mind his comparative lack of presence here, but I do kind of wonder why he got left out like he did.

Hikari

Hikari was interesting in that her role as a concerned observer, and someone comparatively grounded in reality, was very visible in the play.  Although she mostly remained in the background, Hikari was vocal about her worries for Taichi, and she was the first to point out that something was wrong with Etemon’s ‘playing house’ situation.  But despite giving off a sense that she is calmer and more aware than the others, she wasn’t given much material to work with in the play.  I was happy to see her interacting with Taichi- in my opinion, Tri pushes her away from him and towards Takeru to a way that sometimes feels like a stretch- but I would have liked to see more from her in general.  Again, the “girl talk” scene featured the gals, but didn’t actually give them much meaningful material.  Did she talk about her hopes for the future, beyond affirming that she wants to teach kindergarten?  

I guess overall, it looks like Taichi was the main character of the stage play.  Yamato, Koushiro, and Jyou have roughly the most influence after that, followed by Sora, followed by Hikari, Mimi, and Takeru.  While I have complaints, I think the stage play did a great job portraying the characters.  Ultimately, though, I think they could have fit more material for some of the characters if they didn’t spend so much time on dialogue that hit dead ends over and over, and if the “girl talk” scene was less about... crushes and ghost stories and more about... the girls.

Thanks for the ask!