#i want to write about miri too

[cafesanscreme]

A Rei Refined.

I might be in the minority, but I found episode 8 rather refreshing. It was good to revisit some of my earlier musings around ‘affection’ and ‘love’ and ‘permanence’ with Rei as the guide. It was even better to see them settling into this period of ‘acceptance’ not just with themselves, but with what they have. What they have built together. 

I think a lot of the perception from some fans was that they weren’t close — if you’ve read either of my previous thesis statements on this, you might get the sense that I didn’t believe that to be the case, and I’m glad this episode acts as a bit of vindication and helps to do away with that rhetoric. In this era of oversharing, relationships like ‘KazuRei’ where both parties don’t know ‘all your business’ (as my mom would say) are interpreted as being ‘distant’. I even saw someone say ‘they are just acquaintances as far as I’m concerned’ — which sure, we’re all allowed our own interpretation, but for me that has never checked out. Even as someone who is not generally a “shipper” per se,  I’ve always thought to myself: 

‘Kazuki’s room…that’s a bit involved to simply be ‘crashing’ but ok….’  

And I think it all goes back to the concept of happiness and permanence and affection and love.  

Kazuki was forcing himself to remember the negatives which, in turn, forced him to ignore or repress the positives. He didn’t want to be happy in his new life and used an illogical matrix of guilt as punishment. Kazuki actively sabotaged himself and forced Yuzuko into the negative role of ‘happiness gatekeeper,’ he made it so that he was unable to be happy because of her. I noticed early on that a large part of Kazuki’s method for creating distance was telling himself (and Miri) that he was simply crashing at Rei’s. He couldn’t allow himself the happiness of calling it his home, despite the fact that he furnished it, he supplies it, he cares for it …that he’s been living there for at least two years… 

Rei is a bit different. My personal opinion is that Rei has always been the most comfortable of the two in acknowledgement of their ‘permanence’ — not to say that he readily accepted it, because he didn’t, but I personally believe that Rei, internally, folded a lot quicker than Kazuki did. I think his lack of expressiveness came from the fact that he simply never wanted to seem needy, which was fostered by his upbringing. 

At the same time, Rei  also uses his upbringing, his mechanical and emotionless delivery, and his closed off nature as a shield and an excuse. His behavior is often easily explained away by Kazuki, us as the audience, and even himself, as merely being a consequence of his upbringing. And while it is, Rei does have agency. He chooses to let Kazuki ‘take control’ of his daily care, cut his hair, feed him… and he liked it…likes it. He likes it to the point where Kazuki has been living with him nearly 3 years now… 

The logic might sound weird, but based on how Rei was raised, I think he’d actively chose to seem unappreciative rather than dependent. He isn’t supposed to live for his own higher purpose or his own pleasure. He’s supposed to live for, breathe for, sacrifice for, the organization. Taking pleasure and happiness in something else — seeming to need something else — is not acceptable. And so you get a Rei who is actually wholly appreciative of Kazuki, but at the same time, does not, and in some ways, feels like he can not express his appreciation verbally or outwardly because it would be acknowledging a vulnerability or weakness. 

But it’s very obvious especially after episode 7 that Rei has cared for quite some time now.  To quote Hannibal:  Abandonment requires expectation.  Rei immediately jumping to abandonment speaks loudly to his attachment to Kazuki. And it’s not just because Kazuki cooks and cleans. We see from episode 8 that Rei was fine to live off take-out and in filth. Rei was just missing him. Kazuki not being there, being gone for some reason that wasn’t an assignment, was not something Rei was able to comprehend or to accept in a mature manner. 

We see Kazuki also fears Rei leaving and going back home. A solemn curiosity about what would be a major disruption for Miri yes, but also for Kazuki.

Beyond that though, mutual respect and affection and yes, even love, come with respecting boundaries — accepting that people will share in their own time. But also understanding that a lack of sharing isn’t an indictment on how that person feels about you or how they see you.  Kazuki says he won’t ask and Rei says, he wouldn’t tell and they leave it at that. Kazuki doesn’t push and Rei doesn’t push and neither get offended by the lack of ‘interest’ the other has in their trauma. 

Love and affection are also knowing when it’s OK to ignore some of the more harmful self imposed boundaries like Kazuki did in episode 8 when Rei said he wanted to blow of some steam. Rei likely wouldn’t have gained anything from being alone and stewing in his own self-resentment. Kazuki showing he cares enough to bring Rei back home so they can celebrate his birthday before midnight was helpful in that while sure, it’s ‘overbearing’, it also proved to Rei once again, why he made the choices he made in the conversations with his dad to protect Kazuki. 

If no one, not even his own father cares…Kazuki does. Kazuki will. Rei needed that, in the moment. 

And maybe I am merely overthinking it, but I thought there was something very nice and almost sensual about Kazuki and Rei continuing the birthday celebration despite Miri falling asleep. Rei blowing out the candles with Kazuki as the sole audience and celebrating his 26th birthday with the person who has cared most about him (barring Miri) in his entire life after such an intense day. The whole thing felt..dare I say...romantic.

[rxttenfish]

you know, i think the thing about miranda that most make or breaks if any given writing for her is any good, is that you just can't tell if she's doing something on purpose or not.

she switches hard from cute, innocent, head full of fluff and so oblivious and kinda stupid that she matches scott, to having such expertise and cruelty in manipulation and being able to not only get her way but to get it with such violence that it takes everyone else aback — and there is NO way for any other character in the situation to tell if both really are true and equal aspects of her personality and who she is, or if she really is planning this all along and all the innocence was just a farce.

both are given equal weight by miranda, both seem equally likely, and both are roles that miranda inhabits so wholly that there's not really any flaws anyone can find in either one of them. you expect one, the other one catches you off guard. for someone who makes such a show of wearing her heart on her sleeve, it is incredibly hard to actually tell what's going through miranda's brain at any given moment.

[heatmiiiiser]

Ggrrr I wish disenchantment was better. I binged it all because I'm sick somebody talk to me about this.

[wyn-n-tonic]

That's a Real Fucking Legacy: The Marks You Saw

Pairing: Joel x f!reader (formerly Tommy x f!reader). Word Count: 2.1k+ Warning: Alcohol mention. Drugs mention. Emotional word vomit. Author's Note: And you can tell a friend to tell a friend...she's baaaaack. Not really but I have been dealing with some heavy stressors at work and in my personal life that has stunted my writing so it felt good to get something out that I'm actually proud of. I think? Anyway... no beta, we die like men.

“Do you ever see me?”

Leaning back, you assess the man across from you—the scar that’s nicked into his eyebrow, the freckles that are scattered like spray paint across his nose.

The deep brown, almost black, of his eyes that match his brother’s.

Your daughter’s.

“I'm looking at you right now,” you say and it’s immediately apparent that’s not what he meant.

But you knew that.

“No, sweetheart—“

“I asked you not to call me that,” you remind him. “That's not who we are to one another anymore, Tommy.”

A terse nod.

“And no, I do not see you when I’m with him.”

“Did you ever?”

Did you ever?

Did you?

It’s been so long.

Pushing out a breath, you suggest that maybe you did in the beginning. “I was devastated, Tommy,” you say. “I was imagining the worst things possible, I was having waking nightmares which”—you laugh—“says a lot given the state of our world today. Especially in the Zone.”

His eyes take on that glassy look, the one he gets when he thinks too hard or sits for too long. The same way his brother’s do.

Something you hope your daughter will never mirror.

“But never me? Never now?”

He’s so still, you wish he would move or stand—breathe. It’s still so weird to see him breathing, to see him talking. Instead he just sits there on the other side of the small living room where the only thing that seems to rise and fall is his gaze on every part of you not covered by the threadbare fabric of twenty year old clothes.

“Tommy, I saw you dead and then I saw white, hot blinding rage. But I didn’t go to your brother as a replacement for you, I went because you told me to. If you’re still holding a grudge, I suggest you find whatever’s left of a mirror and confront yourself about it because I didn’t do anything wrong and neither did he.”

“But—“

“Tommy,” you cut him off, “I will always love you but I will never again love you like I did.”

Another nod and he finally does move, readjusting himself slightly in the chair as if he’s uncomfortable. But this discomfort is his own fault. You tell him so as soon as he even dares to say it.

“At some point, Tommy, you have to find closure because we cannot keep having these conversations—“

“Because it’ll hurt my brother’s feelings?”

“Because it’s hurting you, it’s hurting me to hurt you like this over and over again. And, yes, it hurts Joel. If I had ran into your arms when you showed up out of nowhere, he would have stepped to the side and remained quiet and let you back into my life. He still would. He is still afraid that I will decide he is too far gone and too fucked up and he will wake up to an empty bed and an empty crib because I went back to you.”

“Because I’m so easy?” He asks. And, somehow, it’s the first time you smell the whiskey stuck so heavily to him.

At no point during the day have you seen him drinking. Not out in the gardens or the community center. He didn’t even smell like this when he showed up here and you didn’t think his presence was due to anything other than not wanting to be alone.

But that’s as far as memory can serve. Because your attention and all your senses have been occupied by other activities.

Like the smell of the stables when Miri wanted to see the horses.

Or the smell in the crook of her neck, the smell that lingers in her hair.

Pulling her sleeping form tight to your chest, you inhale it again—the soft baby smell that’s going away.

“You are far from easy, Thomas Miller,” you say. “An easy man wouldn’t torture himself like this. But that’s what you’ve always wanted, Tommy. You want to be some complicated soul who saves the day. You already did. Me, Joel, Miri… we’re all here.”

Tommy inhales, deep, and stands to his full height. “I should leave you,” he says, before laughing and pushing both hands through his hair. “I guess I already did that though, huh?”

“Tommy…”

Stopping at the door, he takes another deep breath, his broad back expanding and deflating just as fast as he says, “more and more, I see my brother wearing the same marks you used to give me but it’s different.” A hiccup escapes its way from deep within his chest and he turns until his back is to the door. “He is covered in you in every way I always thought I was.”

“Am I supposed to apologize?”

His head shakes. “No, I-I think I’m trying to apologize to you.”

Looking down again into Miriam’s fragile, sleeping face, you see all the parts of her father truly starting to take shape across her features. Golden skin with a smattering of freckles; a strong nose set against soft cheeks—perfect, gentle little girl who looks like such an imperfect but gentle man.

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” you say but when you look back for Tommy, he’s already slipped through the door to make the short walk back across the street to his own home.

Purple blooms beneath the golden skin just below his ear, in that spot that smells most like him. By now, it’s about as permanent as any tattoo ever was because you spend your days and nights putting it there.

But not just there.

He has marks along his collarbone, marks bitten into his chest and shoulders and the side of his hand.

Some happened as a byproduct of stifling your pleasure against his skin. Others because you didn’t catch the moans in time so he had to do it for you. But, if you’re being honest, all of them are a subtle way of saying back off.

Not just to the curious eyes of the horny, lonelier women in the compound but to the world, too.

After all, all these bruises sucked into his flesh are the same purple-red of the knotted scars that have risen like unwelcome mountains across his body.

Your way of saying lust-filled eyes can’t have him and neither can the earth.

Your way of saying mine.

He came home far too late with eyes way too tired. He showered, rubbed mint soap across his body and tried so hard to be quiet on his big, heavy feet. But you were already up, eyes open to stare at the wall while you waited for him to come to bed and the only thing that kept running through your mind is Tommy’s question.

“He asked me if I still saw him,” you whisper across the short distance between where you lay.

“You see him all the time,” Joel says lazily, one arm draped across your body. “Hell, you could go see him right now. Just open the window and throw a rock at his.”

“Joel, you know what he meant,” you say.

“I do,” he affirms. “And I think about the possibility enough already so I don’t need to commiserate it with the target of all my greatest fears.”

A beat passes and his breathing begins to even out and, when you ask him if Tommy is really his biggest fear, you hope he’s already asleep so he doesn’t have to answer it.

So you don’t have to hear it.

Instead, Joel pushes up onto his elbow, body coming to hover over yours as he flips you back into the mattress and says, “he is now.”

“Why?” You ask, circling the edge of one of those darker patches etched into his skin. “Why would Tommy be your biggest fear when you know what’s out there?”

He shrugs and the movement of his body slips your touch further down, over the ridge of the scar to shatter the illusion that it could’ve been just another one of yours. They all look the same in the dark.

In the dark, he was never hurt.

“My brother is always going to love you and he’s always going to think our daughter should be his,” he says. “He's always going to be the first one of us that you loved.”

“That Tommy is gone,” you say. You don’t know how many times you have to say it.

“I see the way he looks at you.”

“It should be the way I look at you that matters,” you tell him. “It should always only ever be the way that I look at you.”

Joel smiles, that lone dimple pocketing his left cheek, as he drops himself down across you and all of his weight from all of this world comes down with him as your arms wrap around his neck with fingers tangled into wild, unkempt curls that have gone so gray.

That’s when his breathing does even out, soft snores overtaking him as you keep lying there and looking at the ceiling.

In the dark, he was never hurt and it hits you then that the dark is the only place Tommy lets himself hurt.

Sunrises aren’t your thing but you’re already up and dressed by the time it comes around. Usually, by the time you wake, most of the compound is up and working—playing in the sun where you don’t like to be.

For so long, night hasn’t been safe. Not even back in Boston. But here? It’s safe for you. He was never hurt in the dark, your face was never gray and bloodshot in the dark. Miri never had to see her parents falling apart in the dark.

That’s where Tommy finds you. Sitting on the rickety old bench outside in his yard, watching your breath swirl through the air in the early morning light, your feet kicking like a little kid’s.

“You're up early,” he drawls. He sounds like shit.

“Couldn’t sleep,” you say.

“You want coffee?” He asks.

“That depends,” you say, “you still slipping Seth’s rust bucket”—your nose scrunches—“whatever he has the audacity to call that in there?”

Tommy smiles for the first time in a while. “It's alcohol,” he says.

“It's piss,” you retort. “And no, I don’t want that or the coffee it goes in. I just need to say something to you.”

He moves to sit before you stop him, pulling back further into the old, worn wood as you push your hand out. If he’s hurt about that, he doesn’t let it show.

“I’m giving you until the end of the day to toss every drop of everything you’re hoarding,” you tell him. “The pills, the booze. I find it incredibly disconcerting that we’ve made it this far in a world without everything that you’ve been able to find it.”

“Swee—“

“No,” you cut him off. “I let you do a whole lot of speaking last night, Tommy, and I let you hurt me. I have continued to let you hurt me and hurt my husband and I will not let you do that any longer. I don’t care that you’re a grown man, I don’t care that you blame me for this broken heart of yours, but I do care about you. Because, yeah, I put myself all over him. I dig my nails and my teeth and the heels of my feet into him every chance I get. But I do it because of you.”

“To make me jealous?” He asks, eyes narrowed.

Laughing, your head shakes. “Because I lost you,” you tell him. “All I had was a note that said you wanted better for me and all I thought about was how it really meant you wanted better than me. You pushed yourself out into this world without so much as a goodbye and you had no parts of me stuck to you reminding you to come home. I don’t make that mistake with Joel.”

“He's the better for you.” It’s not a question. Tommy Miller may be a lot of things but he is not a dumb man.

“Yeah,” you affirm, pushing off the bench to stand, “and I need you to get your shit together so you can find the better than me.”

He doesn’t speak, there’s no response even as you step back towards your own house across the street but it doesn’t matter and you won’t hear it.

Quietly, you push the door closed, toeing off your shoes at the entrance and pulling each layer from your body before crawling back into the bed you left an hour ago.

And if Joel noticed, if he woke up, it didn’t keep him that way. He doesn’t stir when you force your cold body back beneath his either. It’s enough to bring a very silent prayer forward from your lips to the same ceiling you stared at for so long last night.

The Tommy that could’ve been died in your heart a long time ago and it’s about time the one who scares Joel does, too.

[bsd-elle]

Thoughts on Buddy Daddies Episode 9

I have so many thoughts about this episode and it all stems from P.A works' fantastic SUBTLE writing choices.

This episode, on paper, sounds like a pretty cliche sports day episode, but they somehow managed to show us the character progression and the relationship progression between the characters.

The biggest progress we can blatantly see is Rei taking an effort to help Kazuki more.

And we can see that Kazuki reacts accordingly.

Kazuki is surprised by this development, and voices his concern.

Rei was genuinely impacted by the events in episode 7, realizing that he was pretty 'useless' when it came to raising Miri, and has taken the initiative to give a helping hand.

And what I love about that is, we know that Rei had absolutely no clue how to work a microwave or any basic cooking, so for him to automatically suggest and start making onigiri shows that either he had previously asked Kazuki how to make simple items, or two, he was more observant when Kazuki was cooking, because he wanted to be able to do more, do anything to make his little girl smile.

And it's so wonderful to see them actually bring up this plot point and continue it, rather than letting it be a one-off plot point.

They pick up on his interest to be more involved and we see him actually trying.

Knowing the unfortunate circumstances of his childhood, it's not that Rei doesn't want to help out or get into Miri's activities, but rather that he simply doesn't KNOW what to do. Doesn't know what's right.

His hesitance throughout the Episode is evidence of that, his hesitance to give Miri his riceballs.

He genuinely looks so sad, feeling like he can't compete with Kazuki's sheer talent with cooking.

His hesitance to even cheer for Miri.

Growing up in a family full of espionage and assassination, quietness and taking up little to no space must've been embedded into his system, into his psyche, and the fact that he's actively trying to be loud, to draw attention to himself, just shows the effort he's putting into taking care and raising Miri, something his father never attempted to try.

And both Kazuki and Miri appreciate his efforts.

They understand that he's trying and are so enthusiastic and receptive to his attempts.

Which is why he takes it to heart that Miri fell down because he was 'loud'.

I think, in that moment, he thought that he failed, that failure is never acceptable.

But, that final reassurance from Miri (in the cutest way possible), that he didn't fail, he didn't do anything wrong, and Miri considers them all to be a family, something he never had, something he's never known, that's all he needed to realize that, yes, maybe he'll fail, but at the end of the day, Miri is happy, and there's nothing else that matters.

The other one I wanted to talk about, which is definitely more subtle, but the progression of Kazuki and Rei's relationship is truly so beautiful.

Kazuki treasures the help Rei attempts and supports him in every way possible.

When Rei said that he wanted to make riceballs and was worried if Miri would like it, Kazuki instantly reassures him that Miri would love it.

In fact, he proudly proclaims to Miri that Rei would be making onigiri. And I'm sure that if he hadn't, there might be a chance that Miri wouldn't have been able to eat it, while Rei was clouded by his doubt.

When Miri says that she likes the onigiri and she thanks Rei, Kazuki immediately tells him, "hey, you did good, look our daughter agrees too. You're doing good and trying, and we both see that".

When Rei is drowning in his self-loathing about potentially causing Miri to lose the gold medal, Kazuki tries to reassure him and tell him that he didn't do anything wrong.

Finally, when they're walking back, Kazuki tells him that he's proud of him, that he worked hard, and you can tell that Rei really appreciated that, to know that his efforts were being accepted.

And that's why their relationship grows in such an organic manner, Rei puts in the effort, tries his best to help out to the best of his abilities, and Kazuki reassures him, let's him know about things that he would have no idea about, and vocally supports him.

And Miri, my sweet angel, with her bright personality and even brighter smile, constantly comforts both Kazuki and Rei, that she's happy, that they ARE a family.

The reason they are a family is because each one of them helps each other, is an equal part in the group.

And at the end of the day, they're just all trying their best, taking one step at a time, while the others, cheer them on.

(And this picture is the perfect symbolism of that sentiment, Rei awkwardly trying his best to smile, and Kazuki physically trying to bring him closer into the picture).

[mirensiart]

Woah people talk abt the pain sharing au so much here I feel kinda bad that what I had to say was about that too

Hey miry! First off I wanted to say that u adore your art, like the art style in general is just so mhgfdsh (this is a compliment)

I was scrolling through this au and I remembered a few fics I saw on ao3 (I don’t remember the authors, I couldn’t find the fics again) about how holding the master sword hurts wind a little bc he doesn’t have the heroes spirit, and I was wondering if the others would feel that too because Fi doesn’t like to hurt her masters

Sorry if you’ve explained something like this before, I haven’t seen anything like that

(That’s mainly what I came here to say, but halfway through scrolling through this tag I came up with the mental image of the chain just suddenly feeling like they fell down 3 flights of stairs and they don’t know why… and the next letter from Ravio is like ‘sorry Mr hero I fell down 3 flights of stairs’ and I wanted to share that mental image)

<3

Hsgshsjs we all love to hurt the boys, it’s ok, I encourage people to talk to me about the au lol

And aaah thank you 🥹💖 makes me happy to know that! seriously thank you 💖

And OOHHHH yes! I’ve read fics with that premise and it’s so good! It’s why he’s been my favorite link since I played the wind waker ages ago, like he’s so determined and stubborn and so loyal to his family he looked the gods in the face and made them choose him lol

If we go with the “fi hurts wind cause he doesn’t have the hero’s spirit” headcanon then I feel it would be awful news for her and the worst time ever for her too cause of the pain sharing curse lmao like wind accidentally grabs the master sword, he gets hurt cause no hero’s spirit, then everyone gets hurt too cause of the pain sharing curse and fi is like this inside the master sword after knowing she hurt sky & everyone else too

I personally like the headcanon that fi acknowledges wind anyway though, like she knows he doesn’t have the hero’s spirit but accepts him cause she feels his courage and it’s familiar to her regardless lol BUT to everyone who writes fics of him getting burned by fi: excellent content, I love the whump, I eat it up, keep going please

I really want to get to the ravio part of the curse in the mini comic I’m doing cause every single ravio incident is so funny to me, like I love how everyone helped me cook how to integrate ravio into the curse cause like, it’s my favorite thing hehe

[acourtofladydeath]

Eris Week 2024 Masterlist

D1~Bonds/Bargains: "A Wound So Deep"

🔪 An injured Eris finds his way to the place he needs most, but are some wounds too deep? (Azris)

D2~Childhood/Legacy: "Dreams Do Come True"

👶🏽 Chapter 4 of "And So Our Life Begins": 50 years after their bond snapped and 5 years after they started planning, Azriel and Eris expand their family with the help of Miri. (Azris)

D3~Healing/Betrayal: "And So We Danced"

💃🏽 Nesta and Eris find more than a superb dance partner in each other, and their mates, Cassian and Azriel, go on a wild goose chase to figure out why they’ve been secretly spending nights together. (Azris/Nessian)

D4~Traditions/Hounds: "A Walk In The Park"

🐶 Cassian makes a mistake and Eris gives him a choice on how he’d like to make it up to him - he almost instantly regrets his decision. (Casris)

D5~War/Adventure: "The Song of Azris"

🏛 An Ancient Greek Azris/Patrochilles AU using inspiration from The Iliad and The Song of Achilles, featuring Azriel as Patroclus and Eris as Achilles. Series launch including the Catalogue of Characters and Ode to the Muses.

D6~AU/Retellings: "TSOA Book 1: The Promise"

🏛 The epic begins: we learn of Azriel's past and the fateful day in Sparta that would once again bring these men together again in Troy. (Azris)

D7~Free Day: "The Clause"

🔥 Part 3 of the "To Become A Vanserra" Series: Azriel, Eris, Lucien, and Elain haven't been able to stop thinking about their initiations. What they experienced, and what they missed out on. Deep within the rules of the Vanserra initiation, there may just be a way to experience it all... (Erlain/Elucien/Azris/Luzriel)

I can't wait to share all of these works with you during @erisweekofficial!

Which piece are you most excited for? Let me know in the comments and tags!

Let me know if you want on or off the taglist! @pippsmcgee, @born-to-riot, @chunkypossum, @bubybubsters, @queercontrarian, @yanny-77, @fieldofdaisiies, @iftheshoef1tz, @secret-third-thing, @jules-writes-stories, @the-darkestminds

[drama--universe]

We have to "talk"

Requested by anonymous: Hi this is my first time ever requesting something, so I’m sorry if it’s a little awkward! Can I request Vincenzo x Reader? The reader was Vincenzo’s families hacker and then left because of personal issues and moved to Korea, but then they bump into Vincenzo and it’s a super cute reunion? I know you mainly write for Hanseok so if you don’t write for Vincenzo himself please ignore this :-)

Pairing: Vincenzo Cassano x reader

Word Count: 1.8k words

Warnings: small plot changes, fighting, blood

A/N Italics is Italian, normal is Korean

It was difficult to say goodbye to the people before you, all of them were practically your second family. They had partly raised you as their own, teaching you their ways as you grew while learning the craft of hacking. It was a slow process, but thanks to the years of practice you could proudly say that you were excellent in doing what needed to be done. Yet your family, your birth family, needed you. Your father had passed and your mother was unable to provide for herself due to an accident, so you had to go whether you wanted to or not.

"May you travel safe and if you ever need us, we're a call away." Fabio spoke, his voice was quick to soothe your worries as you nodded at the man that you called father. With a final smile to him, you turned around and walked to the car. Your hand paused on the door handle, so many thoughts were racing through your mind. The most frequent one was, where was Vincenzo? You and him had grown up together, bonding over the fact that you were similar in age and that both of you spoke Korean. So him not being here hurt you slightly and made you heart ache.

Wiping the thoughts from your mind, you pulled open the door and climbed in. Finding it too hot inside, you quickly lowered the window as the car started driving. The car sped up, passing by the gate and there Vincenzo stood. Lighter in one hand and a briefcase in the other, probably holding some important documents that he needed for blackmail or some shady deal. His eyes connected to yours, a look of confusion flashing on his face and disappearing just as quickly. He only bowed his head at you before both of you continued on your way.

For your own sake, you needed to forget about Vincenzo and your love for him.

"No, no, no. He's really good looking, definitely my type!" Miri was talking happily, although many wouldn't see it with her stoic expression, and you could only chuckle at the girl's antics. Although you should be rivals thanks to your hacker persona's, the two of you hit it off fairly easily due to your skills. You both learned from each other and soon learned that business and personal life were completely different. That was, of course, before she took a break from hacking. Now, it was only you that continued with such work while she somewhat protected her own. You found her story quite hilarious when you first heard it, the fact that she lived on top of gold was not something anyone could so casually say and yet she did.

"Then you should ask him out." You sipped your drink with another teasing smile, one that Miri could only roll her eyes at as she took a sip of her own coffee.

"Vincenzo Cassano is out of my league, I dare not to." Although her tone of speaking was meant to be joking, you couldn't laugh. Not with the name she just spoke, all be it a bit mispronounced. His voice awoke something in your mind, almost like a wave crashing over you and returning all memories that you so desperately tried to bury in your mind.

"Vincenzo?" You asked, just to be sure of what she said. When Miri nodded at you, you quickly rose to your feet and took ahold of her hand.

"He lives in your complex, right?" You asked and Miri uttered a yes, confusion written all over her face as you rushed off with your jacket and bag. You ignored the people in your way, dodging them as you ran through the streets to where Miri lived. You knew it well enough, you had visited her a few times before and the residents were always incredibly nice whenever you did visit. When you ran into Geumga Plaza, you were greeted with a particular sight. A man, hanging out of the window. He seemed in despair, but that was not what caught your attention. Rather, the man that held him was much more interesting. The man you once loved, maybe even still loved, was leaning on the windowsill with a smirk as he held up the other man.

Vincenzo Cassano.

He was teasing the man that he held, stretching one finger after another to scare his hostage. After some shouting, however, he pulled up the man. You stared at Vincenzo from down below, only moving again when you heard cursing from the people behind you. Then you raced upstairs.

Vincenzo was surrounded by the residents, praises falling from their lips. You didn't care much for that, instead you made your way closer until you stood close enough to hear them.

"Miss (Y/n)! Nice to see you again!" Toto was the first to spot and greet you, his usual smile on his face and you wanted to smile back. You really did, but it was impossible to do so as Vincenzo turned around to face you. It took him a few seconds, but when he realized his eyes widened slightly in shock. You took it as a hint, rushing forward and embracing him. Once he was in your arms, you didn't want to let him go anymore. Yet you had to, you wanted to see his face and ask him why he was here. When you pulled back, he was quick to guide you away from the group and to his apartment.

Once you two had entered, Vincenzo was quick to hug you again. You buried your face in his chest, tightly hugging the man as you tried to keep your emotions in check.

"I didn't think we'd meet again." His voice was soft, muffled due to the fact that his face was buried in your hair. You heard him, nonetheless, and pulled back again before taking ahold of his face. You inspected him closely, looking for any sign that he was injured in the years that you were away. When you found nothing, you let out a soft sigh before asking him why he was here.

"Nothing you should worry about, angela." He said, the nickname rolling from his tongue with ease. You remember well enough how the nickname came into existence, something that you always cringed at. Only because you sprouted the name 'Angelo' to him when you first met him and to tease you, he had called you the same ever since.

"When I see you I can not help but worry." You told him like it was a matter of fact, which it honestly was if you thought about it, and the man before you could only smile before cupping your face in his hands.

"I missed you dearly." He said and you almost smiled as he spoke in Italian, the accent coming through quite heavily. You returned the sentiment with a soft kiss on his cheek, giving him a small smile before detaching yourself from his arms. It was proven a bit more difficult than expected, the man was firm to not let you go. And one thing was certain, a determined Vincenzo was impossible to beat. Then again, you wouldn't be trying to get out if you didn't know a trick to win from him. So once you were successfully escaped, you only gave another smile before leaving the apartment.

"Please, you're in love with her!" Cha-Young cackled as she watched Vincenzo stare at you, clearly a bit annoyed as he watched you conversed with Han-Seo. The younger man was happily talking to you, after all you were the only one who wasn't hostile to him. Reason for that, you already knew everything about the boy after looking at (hacking into) his profile and thus you knew that the man wasn't any danger to you. Besides, he was cute as he gleamed every time you send a compliment his way.

"I'm not." "Oh, please! Even a blind man could see!" Cha-Young didn't give up, continuing her teasing with a bright smile. She turned in her chair, facing you before glancing back at Vincenzo.

"I thought you were a consigliere for the mafia. You act like a highschooler in love." She sighed loudly, to which Vincenzo only rolled his eyes. Then again, he couldn't refute her claims. Not when his heart was beating out of his chest everytime you laughed and his head was screaming at him to separate you from Han-Seo, his mind clouded with jealousy. Maybe it was obvious, because when your eyes connected with his you let out a short giggle before focusing back on your conversation.

"You're hopeless." Cha-Young had enough, getting up and walking out of the room while dragging Joo-Sung and Han-Seo with her so that you and Vincenzo would be alone. You shook your head, it was quite obvious what had happened just now. You glanced at Vincenzo before moving closer, sitting on his desk before turning to face him again. Now he basically sat in between your legs, but didn't seem uncomfortable by it at all. Although you could see some form of embarrassment thanks to the blush on his ears.

"I need to finish my work." "It can wait, we need to talk." You stated and Vincenzo made an annoyed face, but you knew well enough that it meant nothing. So instead you grabbed the sides of his chair and pulled him closer until he actually sat in between your legs. He looked up at you and you smiled at him before leaning down, softly kissing the tip of his nose with a big grin. A dark blush spread over Vincenzo's face and you giggled as you watched the consigliere.

"So, what were you and Cha-Young talking about?" You asked, but your voice gave away that you already knew the subject. So instead of answering, Vincenzo just rolled back before getting up and trapping you in between his arms as he leaned on the desk. You weren't fazed by it, you had seen his worst side already and you knew well enough that he wouldn't harm you.

"Might it have been about a certain crush." You teased as you threw your arms around his neck, pulling him down slightly to meet your own height. The blush on his face was slowly disappearing, but it quickly appeared again when you leaned closer until your noses touched.

"Then again, I'm the same way." You smiled one final time before you pushed your lips against his. Vincenzo froze in the spot, not reacting immediatley. Once out of his trance, he was quick to lean into the kiss as his arms lifted from the desk to wrap around your waist instead. He took the lead quite quickly, pushing against you while also pulling you closer to himself. Both of your minds were blank, only focused on each other until you couldn't breath anymore. He stared at you before smirking softly, leaning back and pulling you a bit closer again.

"We should talk more often."

[leoruby-draws]

I did a whole bunch of drawings for Jason's team two weeks back, so now its time to concentrate on Steph's team! Here we've got 4 new characters for her team, with a couple extra tomorrow as well. Lets go into to them, one by one.

First up is the lantern for the group, more specifically a Violet Lantern apprentice aka Miri Riam! Her reasons for coming to earth is unknown at the moment but they seem to have some connection to Carol Ferris. Carol's also a Violet Lantern and Hal's(Green Lantern) on-and-off girlfriend and occasional antagonist. Perhaps Miri was sent to become Carol's apprentice? I've got more info on whats happening there, but thats for later.

As for why Miri was chosen for the group, I knew I wanted some kind of Lantern for the team, but couldn't find a green lantern that was both in Steph's age group and have fun interactions with them. But then I thought, does it have to be a green lantern? I had a red lantern for Jason's group after all. I looked around and found Miri! I don't know her exact age but I knew she was a young adult, so I'm just gonna have her be around Steph's age group.

The Violet Lanterns Corps are very ...enthusiastic about the power of love and Miri's no exception. She wants everyone to know the joy of Love, she's honestly kinda annoying about it. I remember this one GL issue where she was destroying a city just to get Kyle and Soranik to resolve their love troubles. That pretty much became the basis for how I'm writing Miri's personality. Like I said above, I'll get more into Miri at a later time.

Next is Maxine Hunkel aka Cyclone, granddaughter of Ma Hunkel aka the golden age Red Tornado! I already posted a drawing of her a while back, I thought she'd make a fun fit for the team. She's has such high energy and so much enthusiasm I couldn't help but find her utterly endearing. I think at a later point she'll end up joining the JSA but for now she's just having fun with this team.

Btw I thought that maybe her grandmother, Ma Hunkel, could fit a similar role that the other Red Tornado did for Young Justice, helping out a young hero team. Just a way to emphasize how Steph and Tim's teams can serve as foils to each other.

Next up is the archer of the group, Mia Dearden aka Speedy II. Tho she should probably have a different name due to Roy still being Speedy atm. Maybe Speedette? Ehhh, gotta workshop that.

Anyways here's Mia and Steph meeting as civilians, with Mia showing off her bow. Mia seems to be in some sort of school uniform, perhaps Oliver is sponsoring her to go to a fancy academy? Her backstory is similar to canon, with Oliver saving her from bad people. I'm not sure if her story should be exactly the same as canon, since Mia is 10 but terrible things like that do happen in real life to young children. But I don't know if a goofy au like mine is the best place to show that. But for now lets just say Mia is currently trying to heal and become a hero like Green Arrow.

I imagine Steph and Mia get along really well, they just get each other in a lot of ways. Steph can see Mia might be hurting inside and wants to cheer her up, hopefully with all of Mia's new friends she can.

Last up is Jaime Reyes aka Blue Beetle III. Unfortunately I haven't drawn him all that much so no individual drawing for him, tho I do like him.

As for why Jaime, I remember liking him in the YJ cartoon and found him pretty likeable in the comics as well. But I've always like the spiderman hero archetype anyways, which Jaime fits really well (I mean, it was done on purpose). Static and Sideways also fit the archetype and are in the team as well. Arguably you can say add Steph to this too, probably more than Tim in my personal opinion.

Another reason I wanted to add Jaime is that he and Steph almost became teammates in canon, in a failed Young Justice project. What could have been huh. Third reason is more silly tho, if Barbara and Ted Kord start to date in this au, imagine how grossed out Steph and Jaime will be lmao.

So there's four new teammates for the team, but! I've got a couple extra for tomorrow! And later on I hope to finally post some more doodles of these characters (some of them are real old, more than a year old). Especially Miri, she turned out to be such a fun character, and I've always liked the all the lantern corps. Here's a bonus doodle of them btw (with bonus unmasked Sideways):

So many new members, well, hope you liked all that!

[lilyginnyblackv2]

Misaki and Kazuki - Miri’s Mother and Her New Papa - SPOILERS!

I really hope that we get to see Misaki (Miri’s Mom) and Kazuki interact again.

In the interaction that we got in Episode 3, both Misaki and Kazuki were making assumptions about each other and their connection and experience (or lack thereof) with childcare based solely on their genders. 

They both show room to grow as people. Kazuki as a caretaker of a child, since he is still fairly (though not completely) new to the concept of parenthood, and Misaki as a person who values herself, her dreams, and learning to nurture the small goodness that we see inside of her (like when she tells Kazuki to sit down so she can care for the cut she caused to his face).

Both of these characters have experienced trauma, and Misaki is stuck in a cycle of abuse. I don’t think Misaki is going to be a one-off character, not only because of this image from the OP, which is very likely her crying eye (the eye color, makeup, and eyelashes are all the same):

But also because of this tweet from her Japanese VA:

The English text reads:

I play the role of a character named Misaki Unasaka. Let me stop here for now.  I hope to see the story through with you all.

(Note, I really appreciate that her VA also wrote the message in English!)

To me, that indicates that she will be making an appearance again. Over on r/anime, I saw some thinking that Misaki would only show up again if she learns that Miri has inherited a lot of money or something. But, well...

I don’t think that is likely, since we don’t even know if that mafia boss was aware that Miri had been born/existed. Also, inheriting mafia money is probably a bit complicated, and I doubt his actual wife (if she survived, tbh, I can’t remember off hand) would allow that. But even more so than that, I feel like it would just be falling into stereotypes, and be too much of a black and white depiction of child-rearing (in a negative sense) that Buddy Daddies has largely avoided up until now.

They’ve done great stuff with the Red and Blue Oni Trope. Kazuki is the red oni, and he is more expressive and open, but he isn’t as impulsive, which is Rei, imo.

Rei is the blue one who is colder and more closed off, but he is also the more childish of the two. 

Miri’s associated color is pink (with orange being her secondary, and honestly more fitting color), but she doesn’t have a demure or stereotypical girlish personality (because goodness knows gender presentation starts that young). 

So, I don’t think they would just write Misaki’s character like that - leans too much into poor and easy writing. Also, it goes against the writers wanting to make the child-rearing experience feel realistic.

Personally, I would much rather that they meet up again (or even a few times) and we get to see Misaki learning to value herself and reach a better place mentally and emotionally - finally being able to leave her abuser behind (perhaps with the help of Kazuki and Rei). BUT, her “happy ending” WON’T be becoming Miri’s mother and caretaker again.

How refreshing would it be to see a woman’s story end like that? Realize that the best thing she could do for her daughter and herself is to not be her mother or caretaker. While the proper and best caretakers and parents for Miri are two men. That’s a message we need to see more - the ideas that not all men are bumbling idiots who can’t care for kids and that not all women are natural caretakers.

Misaki and Kazuki both claim these things to be true, in how they spoke and interacted with each other in this most recent episode, Ep. 3. So, let’s see the series and future interactions prove them wrong and have them learn and grow together - coming to an understanding that these preconceived stereotypes simply aren’t true.

[suzukiblu]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Huh?" Jon says, blinking at him.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And Clark . . .

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

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

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

[valeovalairs]

My new favorite game with books to play is what could be a TMA statement/experience and what could be a Leitner if it got messed up a little bit, and then ofc assigning it an entity.

So far for statements I’ve got, Our Wives Under the Sea (this could honestly be two statements, one from Leah if she got dragged out to give one somehow and one from Miri- and I thought it’d probably be from when Jon was going around just sucking the trauma out of people- I kind of want to write this is a fic tbh, once I buy my own copy) and it’d probably be the Vast/Buried from Leah’s perspective, and for what happens to her later… I’m honestly not too sure what that could be… I don’t think the Flesh or Spiral I thought about those but I’m not sure. Maybe the Stranger? Probably not, idk.

The other one is Natural Beauty and that’s the Flesh. Maybe some Corruption too, if I’m remembering the plot correctly.

And then for Leitners if they got messed around with a little bit, I Who Have Never Known Men, it could be the Lonely or Extinction (ofc it’d have to be one of Leitners modified versions of the book because on its own this book wouldn’t be a Leitner). And then 1984. Which for obvious reasons is the Eye.

[atti-rambles]

episode 9 broke me

like rei making more of an effort to help around the house and showing his care for miri and kazuki,, it's so beautiful. like kazuki thinking he's gone mad by wanting to make rice balls is so funny, he is so dramatic

and also kazuki is close to the daycare mamas!! he got into their group!!! pls tell me he's in the gc!!

also this, i love when they make these jokes

and then they joke about how kazuki is a comedian and kazuki is like "don't talk about that!" and they laugh at him saying how funny he is. he is an unfunny clown.

also miss anna is so great i love her every time she's on screen i love you

also soccer mom kazuki is a treat i like him being so passionate about his daughter like he really shows his love. and he gets so upset when she's with taiga it's so cute. and also this, rei being protective after episode 8's revelation that he wants to protect miri and kazuki hit me so hard okay.

rei's development is amazing, i rewatched the series thru the english dub (they did really great btw, i speak both languages so it was neat to see the changes and such), and gosh did rei change a TON. like he's allowing himself to be more emotive and present in kazuki and miri's lives,,, so sweet.

also rei put cereal and strawberry jam in rice balls, ngl that sounds good. like gummies in rice balls is a neat concept. and all the girls loved it too and he smiled,,,, we love to see it

and what i love is miri loses the race. i didn't except it to happen bc she trained so hard, but ya know it's a realistic outcome. BUT GOD rei cheering her on is so sweet,,, he's grown a lot

also seeing taiga's parents explains a lot on how he acts and i love how they look. like it's very cool to see someone with dyed hair in japan since it's frowned upon, you can tell they are close

also whenever miri says, "パパたち" i cry a little each time. that term is just to cute and personal gosh,,,,

and then the event where she needs to find something and bring it to the finish line, and she grabs rei. together the three win the gold. and then it's revealed what the note said, "family."

this,,, this is where i broke. it's so genuine and a perfect way to show how far this family has come, and that miri was able to win the gold with her papas,,, so perfect the writing is amazing for this show and has been consistent with it too. this is a special show in that regard.

and then they make a comment on how rei and kazuki have never had a picture together bc it can't be known they are associated with one another. which is really interesting, and it makes a ton of sense of course. it's a bad idea to take the photo together, but they do it for miri,, their soft spot.

kazuki telling how much he appreciates rei cheering on for miri is also very cute i like that detail.

and then yet again, they state their commitment to miri

both of them want to watch miri grow up.

and then they punch you in the gut reminding you how the last episode ended, thanks.

this episode was mostly fluff, and we all needed it after episode 8,, but god this domestic stuff hits me harder than the angst i gotta admit. bc even when all those bad things happen, they make an effort to make sure they can continue with their live with miri and let her have a normal childhood.

[seekers-who-are-lovers]

One thing I love about this series is that it infuses reality. The animators scatter things and places to make it believable like Easter eggs. It also resonates the sentiments of the characters to the audience.

1) Takahashiya Mall could be Takashimaya. The red emblem is the clue. It is a luxury store that can be likened to Selfridges where only branded items are sold. I assume they went to the Nihombashi Tokyo branch. Which gives us the impression that knowing Kazuki, this was his favorite place to buy his clothes, etc. Until Anna Hanyu told him of the wonders of the discount stores.

2) I can’t believe they put “smock” in quotations. And Rei meant it was a cookie. What a Schmuck. Understandable as the two of them didn’t have any experience with it. I wonder if they wanted us to search for the etymology of the word which is women’s undergarment.

What it is and what is it really

3) The list of items a child needs in the daycare center is not absurd actually including placing the child’s name on every item. I’ve heard this from acquaintances who are kindergarten pedagogues about the reason it is important to write your child’s name on their things. The number of items that are lost or taken unintentionally is an everyday occurrence in these institutions (kigas, schools, etc.) bc often a child doesn’t care especially if the pieces of clothing are not written with the owner’s name. They also discourage the parents not to dress up their children in branded clothes. The number of complaints they get when the children come back home with dirty clothes is far too many. Good for the Japanese childcare system for having a foresight.

Also, I realised that there are a couple of types of childcare institutions in Japan that even the natives get confused. In the series Kazuki claimed that yōchien (幼稚園) and hoikuen (保育園) are the same. (“It’s the same thing with a different name.”) They were talking about hoikuen the whole time. Not sure if it was the writer’s intention. Although Kazuki got the fish difference correctly.

Hoikuen are legally defined as a child welfare institution and are subordinate to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Affairs, MHLW for short. Their focus is on the care of children whose families cannot take care of them during the day. That's why they are also the first point of contact for families where both parents work. Hoikuen therefore have long opening hours and accept children under one year of age. If they fulfil the requirements of the Child Welfare Act, they will receive a state license.

…

So-called yōchien kindergartens, on the other hand, are defined as schools under Japanese law and resemble preschools. For this reason, they are also subordinate to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, MEXT for short. Yochien only accept children from the age of three. Since they usually only offer half-day care, they are favoured by families where one parent does not work or works part-time. ( x )

Another source…

First of all, let’s define the word “daycare.” You might call it daycare or nursery school, but daycare in Japan is hoikuen (保育園) and is reserved for babies 56 days old up to 6 years old.

This is not to be confused with kindergarten (幼稚園 | yōchien), which is exclusively for kids 3 years old until they enter first grade. ( x )

4) Kazuki’s attempt to fit in on Miri’s first day at the daycare was not so far from the truth really.

Somewhere is a Louis Vuitton shopping bag

Believe it or not, Japanese mothers put a lot of effort on their choice of clothing on the day of the kindergarten interview. Kazuki had probably searched for those things and encountered the webpages where mothers gave advices on what to wear on this occasion. Take a note from this social content creator who used to work as a kindergarten teacher in Japan and is also a mum.

There is an “unofficial” dress code for these events, which is one step up from a funeral and a few notches down from an entrance ceremony. Take a look at what parents (mainly moms) should wear! ( x )

Too bad they exaggerated it on Miri’s first day. I cannot entirely blame Kazuki though. Him being an orphan who had witnessed poverty and being ostracized because of it, I guess, his opinion on how the people are treated based on their outside appearance bears unpleasant memories that he strives away from. Though it was a bit unfair to point out Rei’s social standing when K is not entirely privy to his friend’s traumatic past.

5) If the forged document below contains a bit of some facts (very important for writing fan fiction): Kazuki was born on the 16th of May, 1994. A Taurus. Miri, on the other hand, was born in 2018 November 8. They live in Naka Ward, apartment 801, 2-chōme (city district) Natsuyoshi (<<— I don’t think that really exists) Yokohama Prefecture. That is if there were some truths in it.

[ladytanithia]

Writing WIP Wednesday (2/21)

I've been doing a lot of side projects this last week and getting to know a new friend and her OC, so I haven't written much. Therefore, I am afraid that all I have to offer is the rest of Miranja's letter from her mother. I'll try to have something better next week! The rest of the story so far can be found here.

Honestly, my brain is such an absolute tornado right now, I'm not even sure if anyone tagged me first, so I'm just tagging everyone I think might be remotely interested.

@dirty-bosmer @gwilin-stay-winnin @lillxart @mareenavee @skyrim-forever @thequeenofthewinter

Erik nodded silently and Miranja continued reading.

“I’m curious to know if Arch-Mage Aren is still in charge there. And dear Professor Tolfdir – is he still around? (They were both old when I attended there.) If they are, please give them my best when you meet them, would you?

"Don’t think that I’m not concerned about the World-Eater returning, but I think you would benefit from working on your destruction magic as much as possible before you try to take on that great evil dragon. Both your father and I hope your Faendal has been turning you into a good archer, too. You’ll need something that will reach an airborne dragon when magic will not, or if you use up all your magicka. Do you know someone who can teach you more about close combat and blocking? Your father says that’s mainly why he wants you to join the Legion, more so than putting down the rebellion there.

"We worry about you so much, but we also have faith that you are surrounding yourself with people who can strengthen you: your body, your mind, your spirit, and your character. If you truly intend to fulfill your role as Dragonborn, you must prepare yourself in every way you can.

“All right, Miri my heart, I can almost hear you sighing with impatience, so I’ll stop lecturing you. What else is there to talk about?

“Oh! I bumped into Arendor in the market last Turdas. Haven’t seen him since before you went to Skyrim. He said to tell you he misses you and wishes you well. I know how much you loved him, my dear, and he seems very well-mannered, but I just can’t help thinking he’s hiding something.”

Miranja giggled at that. What Mama didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her. Erik eyed her curiously for a moment, then returned to scanning the tundra for predators, dragons, and such.

Mama went on about the weather and the social gatherings, and Miranja skimmed over the minor things, planning to read more thoroughly when she wasn’t on the move. She refolded the letter and asked Erik to tuck it into her journal inside her backpack, so she wouldn’t have to take the pack off and put it back on again.

[mcclens]

Some things about Misaki that I always think about is

1. How she let her 4 y.o. child travel alone (by a train too?!) to find her biological dad that didn't want her and didn't want to pay for child support. You can only imagine the horrible things that could've happened to Miri, I mean she almost got shot by her bio dad. And Misaki didn't care that two random men took Miri in to take for her. She didn't care about that until she found out she's going to die soon and also SUDDENLY Miri is in danger because she's with Kazuki and Rei?! But she wasn't in danger before when she was left to travel around alone and stay in two random men's apartment for a year???

2. Because of that I'm convinced she pulled the "I know what type of work you do" card only because Kazuki and Rei clearly grew attached to Miri and didn't want to just let her go like that. If they did, Misaki would've never admitted she knew the truth. Miri was safe with them for a year, a whole year where she could've been who knows where doing who knows what with someone else if she ended up in wrong hands (human trafficking for example; Something her bio dad was involved with)

3. Which leads me to the next thing: Misaki knew she was going to die, so she wanted to spend time with her daughter -- fine. But what after? As far as the audience can tell, she's a single mother with nobody around, so once she dies what would happen to Miri? She'd end up in orphanage, probably. In the best case situation, a possible aunt or grandparents that maybe exist would take her in?

I wanna say Misaki's reasoning is selfish, but I also kinda empathise with her since she looked like she realized her faults, and that she actually loved Miri. (The anime showed that by making her try to be a better mom to Miri (like when she tried to cook, even though she clearly wasn't too experienced)).

But it still annoys me, writing wise. Because wtf, she did not have to die the way she did! She was already on her way to death! IMO the anime should've made her and KazuRei co-parent. She'd get to spend time with Miri, and once she passes away Miri wouldn't have been left alone since her dads would still be there lol. She could've dropped by and suggested the idea, Kazuki would be like hell no, Rei would be hesitant, Misaki would pull the mom card and "I'm gonna die soon" card, KazuRei would hesitate but feel empathetic enough to agree. Miri would be with her mom for sleepovers. She'd see her dads. They could've coparented while dealing with the organization. Cut the whole Ogino being after Misaki and Miri, or just make it so that Kazuki comes earlier and stops him, whatever, just put Misaki and Miri out of the trouble lol. And then in the timeskip its implied Misaki eventually passed away. It could've worked, while not separating any parent from Miri. MISAKI DID NOT DESERVE TO DIE THE WAY SHE DID!!!!

Sidenote. I saw people wonder what 15 y.o. Miri thinks about her mom, where is she, what happened?? Considering Misaki had cancer, KazuRei most likely used that excuse once Miri grew older or asked more seriously about her mom.