#more platonic with romantic undertones

[fumifooms]

Don't really reblog or leave comments all that often, but I've been reading your Delicious in Dungeon deep analysis posts for a few days now and honestly I can't wait for that Kabru (& Mickbell) party rundown. They're a fine set of adventurers, if in dire need of people more capable of handling monsters.

Speaking of Mickbell's relationship with Kuro in particular – I think it does generally tend to be perceived from Mickbell's side, whether positively or negatively (which makes sense to some degree, since Kuro's perspective wasn't presented in full until the World Guide), as if Kuro isn't himself a maladjusted adult who spent an unspecified amount of time starving in a cage, his family situation unclear beyond "permanently out of contact", and is yet as overprotective of Mick as Mick is of him. I do recall a panel where he furrows his brows at the sight of Mick sitting on Inutade's shoulders, but other than that he is less aggressively isolating and self-insistent and more... coddling, I'd say, or overtly abiding. Kabru should have found Mickbell some books on kobold language tbh.

This is not intended as a criticism of the earlier webweaving post so I apologize if it does have shades of passive-aggressiveness – it's an incredibly on-point assessment of Mickbell's relationship with Kuro and his reasoning. Thank goodness Mickbell isn't a master magician, or else he'd make for a rather tasty dungeon lord (and Kuro would probably end up in a cage again, if not worse).

[context: ask sent on april 14th, soon after I posted my Canines web weaving]

Don’t worry, I loved getting your ask and didn’t read in any hostility! I didn’t want to reply before finishing my party masterpost-analysis (🤡 man it’s been too many months) but Kuro fans are begging for scraps and clamoring for Kuro meta and content everywhere I look including my askbox and man. Man yeah I should throw a bone you guys’ way at least in the meantime. The thing though you see is, one does not simply talk about Kuro without trying to cover every ground and every single piece of info we get. I’ll end up repeating myself a lot on this in my longer upcoming post but that’s just how analysis tends to be, so flash Kuro segment focusing on the Mickbell-Kuro dynamic

In a way I talk less about Kuro because compared to Mickbell his situation feels more straightforward to me somehow, the abused is usually the one who gets empathized with and liked more over the abuser so I don’t feel the same need to explore and explain. But… Kuro is not only generally hard to read but has so many layers. Kuro is both a self-effacing follower who’s communicative but polite & behaved and somewhat stoic, making it hard to gauge how much he’s voicing himself or even repressing, and functionally devoid of the ability to speak most of the time. He emotes in doglike ways but mostly because, lacking words universal body langue and cues like growling are the only way he can emote and communicate, not unlike how tone of voice is what’s important when talking to say, a pet dog. Kuro’s extra where he talks with Kabru is truly the Kuro bible, without it we’d have a much kess clear vision of how he lives his situation with Mickbell. And… It’s whiplash inducing and disconcerting when we see then that Kuro has everything rationalized, that Mickbell is still an angel in his mind and this is normal, just a guy who’s a little insecure that he must bend every which way for if needed.

Mickbell & Kuro’s relationship is fascinating because they each have a totally different view of the relationship. Mickbell thinks he holds the reigns, he’s the employer, the master, he’s manipulating Kuro consciously to some degree and withholds things like salary or permission to talk with others from him, and he thinks this is how he gets Kuro to not leave him. Kuro has seen through the matrix and pinpointed Mickbell’s insecurities and has decided he must do everything in his power to never make him anxious or upset and be his emotional support, EXCEPT that hilariously he seems to genuinely think Mickbell is a kid. He’s 22. Like, tallman equivalent of 27. Kuro is 18. Kuro has chosen to stay consciously and keeps choosing to stay because he wants to, because he’s chosen to devote himself to Mickbell’s wellbeing. In Kuro’s eyes, before being employer and employee, Kuro is the guardian and protector of this sensitive kid that he must follow and protect at all costs. What everyone is seeing as wage slavery doesn’t even register to Kuro because he’s never really thinking about the money, he dgaf. Kuro could choose to snap Mickbell in half with his jaw at any second and is more emotionally mature than Mickbell, but otherwise the power imbalance both financially and manipulation wise and using whatever he can to keep Kuro where he wants him is 100% tipping the scale towards Mickbell.

The amount of miscommunication they have for being each other’s most important person + person they spend most time with is insane, but tbh I think part of it is that Mickbell is terrified of what would happen when Kuro becomes fluent in common. Not only because Kuro would have the whole world of opportunities open up to him then (and in Mickbell’s mind, who would pick him over the world?), but because then the relationship would inevitably shift, Mickbell would lose some of that power imbalance, he would have to do more listening and both of them would have to learn to know each other better, and rectify wrong assumptions. It’d remind Mickbell that Kuro is truly his own person with a lot of thoughts and it’d make him feel less safe in being able to keep the relationship secure…

This all is why I’m less into mickuro in general, because unless Kuro puts his foot down one day for both their sakes, the status quo would just… Keep going, on and on. Canon supports this too, since Kuro’s profile in the complete adventurer’s bible in the post-canon blurb mentions very pointedly he’s still being worked for peanuts by Mickbell. Kuro being able to speak fully would make it a bit healthier I think like I talked, but Kuro would still be complacent to Mickbell’s unhealthy obsessive needs and man… Man……. Mickbell feels safe only when taking and Kuro wants nothing more than to give, if that makes sense, and that might be a shaky decent enough way to live for them but it also is far from healthy the way it is. I also don’t think getting that house he wants would fix Mickbell. Could even be a huge breakoff point if Kuro mentions his dreams is travelling around.

So yes I definitely agree with your assessment of Kuro being coddling and overly abiding. Both of them are very protective of each other like you said, the difference being that Kuro is selfless and even self-sacrificing with it meanwhile Mickbell is more selfish and possessive. (Although his overcontrolling nature does to some degree come from a protective place. Which would especially if he sees Kuro as helpless because of his language barrier or the way they met. But moments that go towards this is him being worried for Kuro after the chimera fight, after being stung by an aquatic monster in a monster tidbit, Mickbell often mentioning being worried the union or Kabru will steal Kuro away in a borderline trafficking undertone. Beyond just the care he shows him on the regular like washing and brushing him for hours ofc. Mickbell is not uncaring, his worrying and insecurities just bring his worst instincts out of him. Ehem Mickbell tangent over, my apologies.)

I know Kuro also being possessive is a common reading, but I don’t think I really agree 🤔 The support for this is the way he frowns at Mickbell being on Inutade’s shoulders, but I think that and the other hostile over Mickbell behavior he shows fall more in live with being protective. From Kuro’s perspective, Mickbell (the kid who must be protected who might fall and break his neck at any moment or something) is now on the shoulders of this very tall stranger he just witnessed pull off a sneak attack Laios’ party with ease, not something considered particularly honorable or trustworthy, and now she’s handling Kuro’s most precious thing in the world? Yeah better watch them like a hawk. Also remember, this is on top of his language barrier meaning he hasn’t had the same opportunity as others to converse with them and understand what they’ve been saying and thus form bonds outside of "my party trusts you for now so I’ll follow their lead." He also explicitely distrusts Izutsumi. I’ll also say though, I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say Kuro doesn’t know what to do with himself when he’s not looking after Mickbell, there’s the secret studies sure, but his whole life is always centered on him otherwise, so I can definitely imagine this being out of a restless feeling as well, though if that qualifies as possessiveness depends on the behavior it causes imo.

Other times where he growls or such is also defensive in nature. If anything, Kuro unlike Mickbell with him seems very alright with Mickbell making friends with the party and forming relationships outside of him. This does go in line with his "Mickbell is just a sensitive young lad I must do my best to protect until he feels safer and better, I want him to be happy and healthy" mentality. Near the end, we even see Kuro encouraging Mickbell to go towards other half-foots and implicitly join the half-foot union, the very same that Mickbell has told him would take Kuro away from Mickbell. So if it’s for Mickbell’s sake, even if Kuro might feel afraid of change or losing him to some degree (I don’t think he feels threatened bc he doesn’t think Mick would leave him), Kuro is even willing to endanger his situation/relationship/status quo with Mickbell.

Kuro is peak guardian angel……… 🥺😭

You’re also right Kuro is very maladjusted, with his past it feels very unsurprising Kuro would end up like this. Having a language barrier alone is extremely isolating: not being able to really communicate with others is his default with or without Mickbell, so it isn’t innately alarming or anormal to him, even when someone actively tries to make it harder for him. This is of course without mentioning the experience of being taken away from your homeland suddenly, and brougth against your will to a country you know nothing of and have no resources or knowledge to live in. Who knows how long he’s been in a cage— and as we see the living conditions were awful, similar to Izutsumi’s when she was part of a freak show. He was visibly starved and food was all the payment he could have wished for and that + following this guy who got him out of his chains were all the motivations he needed. And this makes sense for the overprotectiveness on both ends, Mickbell is all too aware of how particularly vulnerable kobolds are as targets and Kuro’s second interaction was mauling a guy who was trying to hurt Mickbell. Mickbell did "hire" Kuro as a bodyguard first and foremost, after all. Mickbell was scared of Kuro at first, echoing how he reminds Kuro during canon that his snarling is scary and not to do it. Even at first, the professional aspect to their relationship is a very shaky facade, it’s always been more like mutual aid that evolved into life partnership. Kuro was used to being alone, Kuro was used to having nothing and being starved and beaten, Kuro was used to having everyone dismiss him as a beast that’s not worth even trying to talk to, so of course Mickbell seems heavensent.

Man. The fandom has been so scary esp with the anime wave, Mickbell discourse is something I never expected would be so divisive 😭 Sometimes I hear things about Kuro like "he’s too smart to be abused" which is not only as a broad statement untrue but also harmful and vile. Abuse is complicated!!! You are bending over backwards to justify literal Mother Gothel behavior!!! No one is telling you you can’t sob over Mickbell and want mickbell & kuro fluff oh my god let’s just not normalize well known abuse tactics such as isolating them and controlling their finances and social circle.

Ok fun last ending note, it’s also interesting to note their dreams for the future and directly contridactory. When they have some money saved up, Mickbell wants to settle down with a house with Kuro, and Kuro wants to travel the world with Mickbell. Ohh to be a guy who’s been denied ressources all your life and has lived in constant danger who now wants nothing more than to have the ideal of a stable peaceful life, vs being a guy who’s been kidnapped and traded around and denied your freedom for so long who wants to see the world you’ve always been kept away from…. They’re each other’s world but they’re not a place they can live in, not sustainably not while thriving…….

Ahh, mickuro, mickuro, the ouroboros of codependence…

[and-you-found-me]

Anyway Lucajen and Athykiel are the superior WMMAP ships imo

[martwy-basen]

under every sadie and arthur edit on tiktok you'll see 2 kinds of comments:

a) people saying they are the best couple and should have ended up together

b) people who say they have the best siblings dynamic ever

it's so funny to me (and, hopefully, those few people who share my opinion), who sees them as platonic soulmates, but also, friends. not 'haha, siblings!' friends, but also not 'open to catching romantic feelings' friends, no. 'best of friends, partners in crime' friends type of beat

[ishikawayukis]

not everything needs to be a romance even if you think there are romantic undertones like please if you want a romance that badly go watch a romantic show

[liccalavender]

Ace Attorney does not get nearly enough credit for the fact that it consistently portrays relationships between men and women with absolutely no romantic or sexual undertones.

In any other game, it would be very common to make some sort of chemistry between the protagonist and their assistant. We play as an attractive man who's usually smart and charming. With a cute young girl as a quirky assistant. This would be a recipe for some sort of heterosexual romance in any other media.

However, this never happens. The dynamic between the lawyer and the assistant is always platonic. Or even familial. Phoenix and Maya act and treat each other as if they were siblings. Bickering and bullying each other, but still doing anything they can to help one another. Phoenix typically refers to Maya as a kid. Even when she is well into her 20s. While Edgeworth and Kay have a much more of a father daughter bond. Edgeworth constantly worried about her when she put herself in danger. Helping her in all sorts of ways. Even stepping into the shoes of her actual biological father to restore her memories in The Forgotten Turnabout. Of course, Apollo follows this trend as well. With Trucy being has actual biological half-sister. Neither know of this yet still act as if they grew up together. Teasing and poking fun throughout the game.

There's not a single moment for any of these duos that I can recall that scream romantic. With the exception of Phoenix and Maya. Mind you, this not them, actually acting in a romantic way. It is the way their relationship is perceived by a small young girl. Pearl is absolutely convinced that Phoenix and Maya are deeply in love and will be married soon. This is treated as something unfortunate. Phoenix was confused as to why she was thinking this way. Until Maya informed him that Pearl almost never sees a happy healthy relationship between a man and a woman. She has come to understand that if a man treats a woman nicely, then they must be in love. The attitude Phoenix and Maya have about this isn't one of lovers or secret pining. It's one of great sadness for little pearly.

There are characters in the story who do act disgustingly heterosexual whenever they can. Namely, Larry "if something smells" Butz. He's constantly in and out of relationships and always looking for more. He even hinted at jealousy for Phoenix and his friendship with Maya and Pearl. Which is pretty gross. He's shamed and scorned for this behavior most of the time. Signifying, he's the odd one out.

When it comes to fandom shipping, this is a similar story. While yes, of course, there are plenty of people who ship the lawyers with their assistants. It's not nearly as common as you'd think it was. Most people agree that these characters have no chemistry with each other. Most even have the maturity to understand that shipping a man in his mid twenties with a girl usually under eighteen is wrong. In both the Western and Jappanese fandom, I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of shipping for these characters.

I commend the writers for doing this. It is a breath of fresh air to finally have healthy friendships between men and women. Even when they do have more of a romantic undertone, with characters such as Mia and Diego, it is one of respect and admiration. Not one of simply physical attraction.

[dukeofdelirium]

I think it’s so funny how ppl still deny Byler being a thing. Like as if the show didn’t deliberately set up a love triangle between Mike, El and Will. And like.. it’s not even just the existence of the love triangle but the context. They set up a love triangle while within the same season confirm that Will is gay and in love with Mike (and has been the whole show) BUT wait there’s more. They ALSO confirm that Mike can’t tell his CANONICAL GIRLFRIEND he loves her … for some mysterious reason LMFAO

and then it gets even funnier when ppl are like “byler is just PLATONICCCC” because… first of all, anyone who passed highschool freshman English class can follow this narrative and realize that byler is going to be endgame, but second of all, if it really were platonic then why is there a blatant romantic undertone to literally every single byler scene 😂

And you can tell there’s a romantic undertone really easily. Just replace Will with Lucas or Dustin and it becomes super obvious. The show goes out of its way to show the audience that Mike and Will’s relationship is different from the friendships Mike shares with his two other guy friends. Why?

I mean seriously, how funny would this be?

🤨🏳️‍🌈🫵🏻📸

[apollogeticx]

✧˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳ SAY YES TO HEAVEN ♡·˚

— [♡] ; a love bloomed between shy smiles and whispered dreams ｡°. gojo satoru

tags: mutual attraction, afab!reader, really slow burn, fluff, platonic with romantic undertones, thoughtful gifts, shy reader, secret feelings, subtle romance.

wc. 4.2K

Valentine’s Day had crept into the corridors of Jujutsu High, its atmosphere hanging over the students like an unseen presence. You could feel it in the air: the quiet giggles, the exchanged glances, and the whispers of confessions planned and second-guessed. It was a day most people approached with either excitement or dread, and as for you? You weren't sure where you stood.

As you shuffled through the hallway, your gaze dropped to the small envelope in your hand. A simple thing, unassuming but painstakingly crafted. The edges were a bit uneven, showing the hours you'd spent folding and refolding until the paper threatened to tear. Inside was a note, brief and clumsy, but filled with the nervous affection you had been bottling up for so long.

You had never been one for grand gestures. In fact, your time at Jujutsu High had been mostly spent avoiding attention altogether. But something about this year, this day, felt different. Maybe it was the fact that you were nearing the end of your time as Gojo’s student. Maybe it was because, despite all his arrogance, Gojo Satoru had always been kind to you in his own strange way—lifting your spirits with teasing words, ruffling your hair when you were feeling down, or giving you that devastatingly bright smile that made you weak at the knees.

Even though you always kept your feelings hidden beneath layers of shyness, they had slowly grown into something you couldn’t ignore anymore. And so, you had decided to take a leap, a quiet leap—but a leap nonetheless.

The letter was short, with simple words.

Sensei,

I don’t know how to say this, but you’ve made these past years so much brighter. Even though you tease me relentlessly, you’ve also made me feel safe and valued. I look up to you—more than you know. I hope that you’ll continue being that blinding light in all our lives.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

P.S. Don’t make fun of me too much when you read this.

A flush of embarrassment flooded your cheeks as you reread the lines in your head. It wasn’t exactly a love letter, but it wasn’t not a love letter either. It was as close as you could bring yourself to confessing.

Now came the hard part. Slipping the letter into Gojo Satoru’s pile of Valentine’s gifts.

You weren’t naive. You knew he would receive dozens, maybe even hundreds of presents today. Gojo, with his ridiculous charm and his never-ending self-confidence, attracted attention like a magnet. Surely, your small envelope would go unnoticed in the sea of extravagant gifts, chocolates, and flowers that would line his desk. And yet… a part of you hoped, a small whisper in the back of your mind, that maybe—just maybe—he would notice.

You reached his classroom, hesitating at the door. Peeking inside, you could see it already—there was a mountain of gifts on Gojo’s desk. Boxes of chocolates, neatly wrapped bouquets, and cards that probably read far bolder words than yours ever would. You swallowed thickly, heart hammering in your chest.

It’s just a letter, you told yourself. Just leave it and go.

But that didn’t make it any easier.

Gathering what little courage you had left, you took a deep breath and hurried over to the pile. You slipped the letter between two larger boxes, making sure it was tucked safely out of view—small, but not invisible. Then, without looking back, you turned on your heel and fled from the classroom, your face burning with embarrassment.

The rest of the day passed in a haze. You attended your classes, avoided Gojo as much as possible, and tried not to think about the letter. But as the day drew to a close, you found yourself stealing glances at him during the last class.

Gojo Satoru, as usual, was sitting at the front of the room with his blindfold in place, looking as casual and relaxed as ever. He didn’t seem any different, no hint of having read your letter or even noticing your presence at all. Your stomach churned with a mixture of relief and disappointment.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the day, and you quickly gathered your things. Before you could escape, however, Gojo’s voice cut through the noise of the room.

“Hey, you.”

You froze in place, heart leaping to your throat as you turned slowly to face him. He was leaning back in his chair, blindfold still covering his eyes, but there was something in his posture, something in the way he tilted his head that made you think his eyes were sparkling beneath the fabric.

“I got something interesting today,” he said lazily, holding up a small envelope—your envelope.

Your breath caught in your throat as your eyes widened. He hadn’t just found it. He had noticed it.

Gojo's smile was unmistakable. "Did you really think I'd miss this?"

Your face burned as his words lingered in the air. He was waiting for you to respond, his teasing tone making your pulse race. What could you possibly say now? Your heart pounded loudly in your ears as you tried to find the words.

“I… I just thought—” you stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence.

Gojo let out a soft laugh, pushing himself up from his chair and strolling toward you. When he stopped in front of you, you barely had the nerve to look up, but you could feel his presence towering over you.

“It’s cute,” he said, holding the letter up. "And bold. I didn’t expect that from you.”

Your heart fluttered at his words, though his teasing tone still sent you into a panic. You were about to retreat into your usual shell, your shy nature ready to flee, when he leaned in just slightly, his voice dropping to a whisper.

“Happy Valentine’s Day to you too, kid."

With that, he ruffled your hair and walked past you, leaving you standing there in stunned silence, your heart still racing. You had no idea what to make of his response, but one thing was certain—you had taken a step. Maybe a small one, but still a step closer to Gojo Satoru.

A month had passed since Valentine's Day, and the quiet thrill of that day had faded into the background of your mind, leaving only a lingering warmth whenever you thought about the letter. Now, it was White Day—a day where those who received gifts or confessions on Valentine's Day returned the gesture. The tradition wasn't as loud at Jujutsu High, where battles with curses tended to overshadow romantic celebrations, but that didn't stop some students from participating.

You had tried not to think about it. After all, Gojo Satoru was the kind of person who attracted gifts like a magnet. You were certain that today, like Valentine’s Day, he’d be flooded with presents. As for you, you expected nothing in return—your letter, while meaningful to you, had been a small drop in the ocean of his admirers. You had already convinced yourself not to be disappointed if nothing came of it.

Still, a quiet hope flickered in your chest. White Day had a different kind of energy. It was a day for thoughtfulness, for genuine reciprocation.

When you entered the classroom, you quickly noticed Gojo sitting at his usual spot at the front, casually leaning against the desk. His blindfold was in place, but you could sense the mischief radiating off him. There was something different about the way he carried himself today—more relaxed, yet sharper, as if he was waiting for something.

Class passed in a blur, your mind too preoccupied with thoughts of whether he had even remembered your letter. Every now and then, you caught Gojo tilting his head toward you, as if he knew exactly what you were thinking.

Finally, as the last bell of the day rang and students began filing out, Gojo’s voice cut through the soft hum of chatter.

“Hey. Don’t run off just yet.”

You blinked, freezing in place. His voice was playful, but there was an unmistakable command behind it. The other students glanced curiously at you before heading out of the classroom, leaving you alone with Gojo.

He didn’t move from his spot but watched as you nervously approached him. Your heart was hammering in your chest, the same nervous energy you’d felt on Valentine’s Day now bubbling up once again. You kept your gaze low, trying to avoid showing how flustered you were.

“Do you know what today is?” he asked, voice as casual as ever.

“...White Day,” you murmured, glancing up at him cautiously. He had to be teasing. There was no way he—

Gojo gave a soft chuckle and stood up, making you feel butterflies all over your tummy as he walked closer. “Right. And on White Day, we’re supposed to return something to those who gave us gifts on Valentine’s, aren’t we?”

Your breath caught in your throat as he stopped just a few feet away from you, one hand reaching into his pocket. The lighthearted smile never left his face, but his voice softened, turning almost thoughtful.

“I got a letter from you. Remember?"

Your face immediately flushed as memories of your Valentine’s letter rushed back. The quiet confession you had agonized over, the shy hope you’d tried so hard to conceal—it all felt so raw now, standing here in front of him.

Before you could even think to respond, Gojo held out his hand, and in it was a small, delicate box. It was simple, wrapped in plain white with a faint silver ribbon tied around it.

“Here,” he said, his tone almost teasing as he extended it toward you. “Consider this my return gift.”

You stared at the box, your heart pounding wildly. He was giving you something. He had remembered. Tentatively, you reached out and took it from him, your fingers brushing against his for the briefest moment. Your hands shook slightly as you untied the ribbon and carefully opened the box.

Inside was a locket—small and intricately designed, a faint silver that gleamed softly in the light. It had a simple elegance, nothing too grand, yet the craftsmanship was stunning. The locket had a small opening where you could insert a tiny photo or a memento. However, when you opened it, your breath caught in your throat.

Inside, Gojo had already placed something: his own picture.

You blinked, unable to believe what you were seeing. A tiny, smiling photo of Gojo Satoru was tucked inside the locket. It was so unexpected, so… him.

"Thought it might be a good reminder,” Gojo said, his voice softer now, and for a moment, the teasing edge faded away. “In case you ever forget who your favorite teacher is.”

You stared at the locket, speechless. The thoughtfulness behind the gift wasn’t lost on you. He could have left the locket empty, could have let you choose what to place inside. But instead, he had made sure his presence was already there, tucked inside the small, intimate space of the locket.

Gojo reached out, gently lifting the locket from your hands, his fingers brushing yours as he clasped it around your neck. The weight of it rested against your skin, light but constant—a silent reminder of him.

“There,” he said, stepping back slightly to admire his work. “Looks good on you.”

You couldn’t find your voice. A thousand emotions swirled inside you—nervousness, excitement, disbelief, and something warmer, something you hadn’t expected to feel so strongly. The gesture, though lighthearted on the surface, carried an undeniable tenderness.

Gojo tilted his head, a knowing smile playing at his lips. “Don’t overthink it,” he added, his voice returning to its playful tone. “It’s just a little something, right?”

You nodded quickly, but the blush rising on your cheeks betrayed your composure. He knew exactly what he was doing, as always.

As he turned to leave, he paused at the door, casting one last glance over his shoulder. “Keep it safe for me, yeah?”

Then, with a small wave, he disappeared into the hallway, leaving you standing alone in the empty classroom, your hand gently clutching the locket.

A locket with his picture inside.

Gojo’s words had been teasing, his tone light—but there was something beneath it, something unsaid that lingered in the air. It was just a small gesture, just a locket. But you knew, deep down, that it meant more than that. It was a door, left ajar—a quiet invitation to something more.

The mission had been simple. At least, that’s what you were told when you were assigned to exorcise a Grade 4 curse. It was supposed to be straightforward—nothing out of the ordinary for a Grade 2 like you. You’d faced worse before, so there was no reason to expect anything would go wrong.

But as you walked through the eerily quiet alleyway, the air felt off. Heavy. Almost suffocating. The curse was nearby, but something was strange about its energy. You couldn’t shake the feeling that you were being watched, followed by something far stronger than what the report had indicated.

The shadows around you began to shift, and just as you turned the corner, you saw it—an ugly, grotesque creature lurking in the dark. Its eyes glowed with a malevolent hunger, but before you could react, the shadows beneath your feet rippled and surged upwards, swallowing you whole.

A sharp, disorienting tug pulled you into complete darkness, dragging you down. You barely had time to scream before the world around you twisted and distorted.

You landed with a thud in what could only be described as a shadow void. The world was pitch black, the air thick and heavy with cursed energy. Everything felt wrong, like you had been dragged into a dimension outside of reality. You tried to move, but your body felt sluggish, weighed down by the oppressive energy that surrounded you.

“Damn it…” you muttered, struggling to push yourself to your feet. Your breath was shallow, panic slowly creeping into your mind. This wasn’t supposed to happen. It was supposed to be a simple mission—a low-grade curse, nothing more.

As you looked around the dark void, you realized there was no clear way out. You couldn’t sense anything except the overwhelming presence of the curse that had pulled you in. Your cursed energy flickered, weak and strained under the weight of the void.

The shadows writhed around you, closing in, whispering unintelligible threats in your ears. Time seemed to blur. Minutes felt like hours. Exhaustion began to settle into your bones as your attempts to break free proved futile.

In a last, desperate attempt, you reached for the locket hanging around your neck. The one Gojo had given you on White Day. Your fingers clenched around it, and a wave of emotion washed over you—fear, hope, and the faintest sliver of comfort. Somehow, it grounded you. It reminded you that someone would come for you. He would come for you.

With a final burst of energy, you tried to send it out in a flare of cursed energy, hoping it would reach beyond the void. But just as the shadows closed in, everything went black.

At Jujutsu High, hours passed without any word from you. The school had expected you to report back long ago, but when you failed to return or send any communication, alarms were raised.

Gojo was the first to notice the unusual delay. His carefree attitude shifted the moment he sensed something was wrong. Your cursed energy, which he had always kept an eye on, had suddenly vanished. The absence of it was like a gnawing pit in his stomach.

“Where is she?” he asked, his voice unusually serious as he appeared in the principal’s office without warning.

Principal Yaga sighed, glancing at the report. “She hasn’t returned from her mission yet. It was supposed to be a simple exorcism. Grade 4.”

“Simple?” Gojo’s voice was sharp, a cold edge creeping into his usual nonchalance. “That’s not what I’m feeling. Her cursed energy’s completely gone.”

Yaga’s brows furrowed. “We’re dispatching someone to investigate. She could just be delayed—”

“I’ll go,” Gojo interrupted, his tone leaving no room for argument. He had been your teacher for years now, and while he kept up his usual teasing act, he had grown far too attached to ignore the nagging worry tightening in his chest.

Within minutes, Gojo was on-site, scanning the area where you were last seen. The alleyway looked normal enough, but the lingering cursed energy told him something much darker had happened here. His senses were sharp, hyper-focused as he followed the faint traces of where you had been.

It didn’t take long before he found what he had dreaded—nothing but a small silver glint on the ground. He knelt down, picking up the object, and his heart sank when he realized what it was.

Your locket.

His locket.

The same one he had gifted you on White Day, now lying abandoned in the middle of a dark alley, with no sign of you anywhere. His fingers tightened around it, his jaw clenching as he clicked it open.

Inside was the tiny picture of him he had carefully placed there—his teasing grin staring back at him.

“Damn it,” he muttered under his breath, the weight of your disappearance hitting him like a punch to the gut. His usual calm demeanor shattered for a moment, worry replacing the playful confidence he always displayed.

Without wasting another second, Gojo’s cursed energy flared to life, his Six Eyes scanning the area with intense focus. The faintest trail of cursed energy led him toward a void—a pocket of darkness that had swallowed you whole.

“Hang on,” he whispered, his voice filled with a quiet determination.

With a flick of his hand, he expanded his infinity, creating a barrier between him and the encroaching darkness. Stepping into the void, he could feel the twisted energy pulling at him, but he pushed through, determined to find you.

The shadows pressed in from every side, but Gojo moved with purpose. He was the strongest, after all, and he wouldn’t let something like this stop him. Not when you were out there, trapped in the void.

Minutes passed, each one more agonizing than the last, but finally, after what felt like an eternity, he saw you.

You were lying on the cold, shadowy ground, unconscious, but alive. Relief flooded through him, though it was quickly followed by anger at the curse that had dared to pull you into this.

Kneeling beside you, Gojo gently cradled your form in his arms, his expression softening as he looked down at your pale face. “You really know how to get yourself into trouble, don’t you?” he murmured, his voice a mix of affection and exasperation.

He held you close for a moment, letting his warmth seep into you before he carried you out of the void. The cursed technique had been shattered by his sheer presence alone, leaving nothing but the fading remnants of the shadows behind.

Gojo quickly took you back to the school - carefully placed you in the infirmary, his fingers brushing the locket that still rested in his hand. He opened it again, staring at his own picture before slipping it back in his back pocket.

“Next time, don’t let this be the only thing I find,” he whispered softly, his lips quirking into a faint smile, though the worry in his eyes hadn’t completely faded.

As he sat by your bedside, waiting for you to wake, one thought lingered in his mind: he would never let anything happen to you again. His gaze remained fixed on your still form, his heart heavy with the weight of the moment.

Suddenly, you gasped, shooting up from the bed as your breath caught in your throat. Your vision swam, struggling to adjust to the brightness of the infirmary lights after hours spent in oppressive darkness. The soft, sterile scent of the room filled your lungs, but it did little to calm the frantic beat of your heart. The last thing you remembered was being pulled into that shadowy void, your body lost to the cold embrace of cursed energy.

Your fingers instinctively flew to your neck, reaching for the one thing that had given you comfort in those terrifying moments—the locket Gojo had given you.

But it wasn’t there.

A pang of panic shot through you as your hand met bare skin. The familiar weight of the locket was gone. Had you lost it? In that void? Your breath quickened, your mind spiraling with the thought of it being lost forever.

You tried to sit up fully, but your body was weak, drained from the cursed technique that had trapped you. Before you could push further, a familiar voice cut through the haze of your panic.

“Looking for this?”

Your head whipped toward the source of the voice, and there, standing by the side of your bed, was Gojo. His figure, so tall and effortless, leaned against the wall with his usual grin, but there was something softer in his expression. Between his fingers, he dangled the silver locket, its surface catching the light just enough to sparkle.

You let out a shaky breath of relief, your heart calming down only slightly at the sight of it.

“I-I thought I lost it…” you murmured, your voice barely above a whisper.

Gojo pushed off the wall, walking closer to your bedside. His face softened, a rare sight that made your chest tighten. “I found it,” he said, his tone quieter than usual as he sat down next to you. “It was lying in the alley where you disappeared. Kinda lucky it didn’t get lost in all that mess.”

He held the locket between his fingers, studying it for a moment. Then, with a gentle motion, he reached forward and carefully clasped it back around your neck, the cool metal settling into place against your skin.

“There,” he said softly, his fingertips brushing the nape of your neck for a second longer than necessary. “Back where it belongs.”

Your fingers found the locket again, holding it tightly, as if afraid it might disappear if you didn’t. The warmth of his touch lingered, a stark contrast to the icy void you had been trapped in just hours earlier.

“I’m glad you kept it close,” Gojo continued, leaning back in his chair. “Especially with the picture I picked out for you.”

His teasing tone returned, though the affection behind it was unmistakable. You felt your cheeks heat up as you remembered the picture he had placed inside—the one of him smiling so casually, almost as if he knew exactly how much it affected you.

“It… it helped,” you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper. “In there… I felt like I wasn’t alone.”

Gojo’s expression shifted, his eyes softening in a way that made your heart skip a beat. His usual playful air was still there, but underneath it, something deeper stirred. Something protective, perhaps even possessive, lingered in the way his gaze lingered on you.

“I’m glad it did.” His voice was quieter now, more serious than you were used to. “You gave me a scare, you know? Finding just this locket and nothing else…” His hand reached out, lightly brushing the locket where it rested against your chest. “I thought I had lost you too.”

The sincerity in his words sent a shiver down your spine. For a moment, the weight of everything settled between you. The light teasing, the unspoken affection, and the bond you had developed over the years—all of it came to a head in this quiet room.

You swallowed hard, unsure of what to say. The line between teacher and student felt so thin now, almost nonexistent in the face of what you had been through. And yet, the warmth in Gojo’s eyes—the way he looked at you now—made you think that perhaps, in some small way, he felt the same shift too.

“Thank you… for coming for me,” you whispered, your voice fragile but sincere.

Gojo’s smile returned, this time softer, more genuine. He reached out, ruffling your hair in a way that was both affectionate and teasing. “Of course. I always will.”

His words were simple, but the underlying promise was clear. He would always find you, no matter what, no matter where.

As he stood to leave, his fingers brushed the locket one last time, and with a small grin, he added, “Next time, let’s make sure I don’t have to find this before I find you, okay?”

You smiled weakly, nodding as your heart fluttered in your chest. The locket, with his picture inside, was back where it belonged. But as Gojo left the room, you couldn’t help but wonder if, one day, this bond between you would evolve into something even more. The thought lingered, sweet and hopeful, like the promise of something waiting just beyond the horizon.

Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But someday.

©apollogeticx ⋆ all rights reserved.

[a-small-safe-place]

Then, Nothing.

Yandere Cullen family

A/N: Renesmee is a platonic yandere. The rest of the Cullens are romantic yanderes for you, but it is mostly centered on Bella and Edward right now.

You met Renesmee in a park. You were babysitting a child for a family, and she happened to approach you. This child looked too grown to be the age she said but also looked too young to be anything older, and something about her was off-putting in an uncanny valley way. However, something compelled you to engage with her. She said she did not want to play with any of the other children. Renesmee said they were too ingenuous. That seemed like too big of a word for such a little girl. She talked your ear off, though. She said she does not "talk" much at home, and that it is easier just to be not verbal. That worried you; was this child being abused and forced to stay silent at home? Who even were her parents?

As if on cue, a very beautiful man and woman approached. They looked too young to be the girl’s parents, but also too similar to her to not be her parents. They were also more inhuman in appearance than Renesemee. The mom, Bella, was more welcoming than Renesmee’s father, Edward, who chose to remain standoffish.

Bella smiled and told you, “Renesmee doesn’t usually talk to people besides her family; you must be special.” Her tone sounded as if she had been flirting with you. You chose to ignore it. Maybe just because she was so inhumanly beautiful made it seem like she was flirting. “I don’t know about how special I am, but your daughter is certainly unique; she seems so bright for her age.”

Edward finally spoke up, but in a flat and uninterested tone, “she is; we are very proud.” An awkward silence settled over the area. Thankfully, the child you had been babysitting came up ready to go home.

You began to see them more and more around town. It seemed as if Renesmee could sniff you out in a second if she happened to be in the same area as you. You were relieved that you did not live in the area and lived in a part of town that was in a much lower tax bracket. If you did live in the area, it would not be surprising if Bella, Renesemee, or even Edward showed up at your doorstep. Edward was the most normal out of the three. Bella’s behavior was nice, but something about it felt awkward with a sinister undertone. If she looked different, it would seem more sincere, but something about all three of them made you want to run away as fast as you could despite their beauty. A driver for the family that you babysat for had seen them when picking up you and the child and joked that Bella and Edward were probably related given that they looked similar. He loved to gossip and asked you a million questions about them. You shuddered at the idea. That could explain why their daughter was so peculiar, but wouldn’t incest result in more physical deformities and not just strange behavior from a child? Even if they were related, they did not seem to be that close, definitely not siblings. Everything about them seemed the same but also different.

You tried your best not to think too much about it, but it got to the point where you would see at least one of them anytime you were out on that side of town. You were fine trying to avoid them; each time your excuse was along the lines of “oh they need this kiddo back home!” or some other similar response. That is until you ended up getting fired. The mom refused to say why, and she reacted in disgust when she saw you. Before this, both of the parents enjoyed having you as their sitter. It was a harsh dismissal. You decided to stop by the grocery store before going home. You needed something, anything, to make you feel better about your loss of work, and with the influence your last family had in the community, it was clear you would not be babysitting for a while. Or so you thought.

“Hello,” Edward’s voice sounded from behind you. He did not seem happy to be there. “Sorry,” You mumbled, scooting out of the way, assuming you were in front of something he needed. “I have a job for you,” He said cryptically. You turned around to face him feeling confused. Edward continued to talk. “It will pay well. I know you take care of children, and I wanted to take Bella somewhere on a date, and we do not have a sitter for Renesmee, and she has warmed up to you.”

“You want me to babysit?” You asked somewhat dumbly causing him to smile a bit and chuckle. “Yes, she has warmed up to you, and Bella thinks you are trustworthy. The only catch is that you have to care for her at our home. You may not leave when you are watching her, even if you have an emergency.” You weren't a fan of that stipulation, but you figured they would allow you to call them to come back in a dire situation.

“Okay, fine. When do I need to be there, and is this going to be a regular thing?” You asked. He seemed a little irritated that you're asking these questions. “Tonight. You will start now. It will be a regular job. You can follow me out to our house.”

You arrived at his and Bella’s home. It looked like it was designed by the best architect. Renesmee greeted you outside. “You're here! We are going to have so much fun! Come one! Come meet my family.” As she is dragging you in, Edward is driving away. He did not even mention when they will be back or how much you were getting paid exactly. He was probably making sure you would not take the money and leave. There are people inside. Four people, two guys, and two girls sit on the couch and sofa. You hear a few people in the kitchen. “These are my aunts and uncles! That's Uncle Emmett and Aunt Rosalie; they are married, and then Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper; they are married too. My Grandma Esme and Grandpa Carlisle are in the kitchen. Grandma wanted to make dinner for you… I mean us.” Two of them smile at you, the two dark-haired ones. The two blondes look mad and somewhat disgusted. This is weird. You have never babysat with people around. Why could the family not watch Renesmee? She seemed to like them just as much as you. Renesmee pulls you into the kitchen. Her grip is surprising for a little girl. A blonde man and a woman with caramel-colored hair are cooking. They look far too young to be a grandma and grandpa. Something about all of these people seems so familiar. As if you have seen them before. Not just on the rich side of town but on the poor side of town too, in your neighborhood. They both introduce themselves and clearly know your name as they greet you. “Are you hungry?” Esme asks, handing you a plate of food. It smells divine, but this has to be a trap. Most families prefer you not to eat a bunch on the job.

Renesmee grabs a plate and begins to eat. “It's so good! Grandma worked hard on it! You have to try it!” It is impossible to say no to her for some reason. You take a plate and take a few bites. It tastes wrong. There are hints of good flavor, but it is heavily covered up by the taste of medicine. The gravity of the situation hits you. “I need to excuse myself; I need a bathroom break.” The shakiness in your voice is clear. You pretend to go to the restroom, but book it to the door when you're out of sight. You see your keys are missing; even your phone has disappeared from your pocket. You step outside only to see your car missing. Suddenly you're grabbed from behind. This person is very strong but knows how to hold someone down without injuring them. You're stuck with a needle. Your life does not flash before your eyes, but each time you've seen these freaks in public flashes in your mind as your vision spins. A wave of calm lays over you. It is unwelcome because it feels unnatural, but it is too comforting for you to care as your vision goes in and out. You see some flashes of memories that do not belong to you. They are from a lower angle, so it has to be from Renesmee's mind. It is Carlisle assuring her that you are going to be safe because they all love you as much as she does.

Then, nothing. You're out like a light.

[queermikewheelertruther]

TIREDDDD of anti-bylers claiming that bylers dont know how to differentiate platonic friendships from romantic ones but that’s simply not true. like the reason byler has SO many more fans than say henclair, is because they have CANON romantic undertones in their moments together.

you dont see people making hour long analysis videos on madwheeler or hopclair because there is no evidence to go off of. especially after s4, it IS true that there is proof of byler and implied romance between them, especially because of how big the byler fandom got after 2022.

[project-sekai-facts]

Wait An/Kohane have outright stated romantic interest?

poor wording on my end bc they never actually say "an and kohane like each other romantically" but the evidence it very much there and it is clearly depicted and phrased in other ways. for example: the shoujo sparkle effect that is used for An from Kohane's POV.

This effect is often used on Haruka in Minori's imagination, which, well, let's just say it doesn't disprove that Kohane is attracted to An. While the effect is also used to show a character being cute or having a strong "idol" aura without any attraction attached, it's prettly clear the intent was to show Kohane's attraction. Also she was blushing.

Bonus points to the fact the wedding event has a underlying message (they say it on screen) about how marriage should be equal regardless of the genders of the couple [because gay marriage currently isn't legal in Japan].

There's also literally everything in Buddy Funny Spend Time. While almost all of the interactions in that event can be read as platonic if you really want to, they're written so you can interpret it as romantic if you choose to. And considering the featured pairs in this event were Minori/Haruka, An/Kohane, and (briefly) Shizuku/Airi, it's not like that reading isn't supported by the writers lol. There's one part where Minori and Kohane get jealous of how close Haruka and An are as childhood friends and aren't sure if they can amount to that, but they want to try. Doesn't necessarily have to be romantic but can be if you choose to read it as such.

When Kohane is visibly attracted to Haruka, An gets slightly jealous and says that her singing should be the only thing that makes Kohane react that way.

Haruka also points out that although An has always been super friendly she's never been like this with anyone until Kohane came into her life, and still keeps this behaviour Kohane-exclusive. An says it's because they're partners, which, kinda friendzones them, but kinda doesn't.

The word for partner used in the story - "aibou" - means, to put it in incredibly basic terms, coworkers. It's like the cowboy or detective word for partner, though I believe it comes up in shounen every so often (the genre vbs story is based on). In itself, aibou has no romantic connotation. But 3 of the partnerships we see in VBS' story have lots of interactions that easily read as having romantic undertones, so basically in the context of VBS story the nature of said partnerships becomes a little more ambiguous. The word is still platonic and that doesn't change, but you get the idea. Oh and VBS has recurring romantic soulmate imagery more on that later.

continuing on BFST, yeah they went on a date. which is strongly suggested to be a romantic date unlike how it's sometimes used platonically. like the other characters say An is "seeing someone", at least in the English translation, which is very much associated with romantic interest. Also the original Japanese for the "do you know who she's going out with" line uses the phrase デートの相手 which is the Japanese equivalent for the word "date" (as in a person/your date), so it's not really any different. they go on another one in Kick it up a notch and An's card story for the event. their relationship is never labelled or anything (probably bc this genre avoids that sorta thing for fan-related reasons) but this very much was a thing that happened.

(also when ken says partner he says aibou. so not partner /r but anyway it does clarify that this date is to do with their relationship on a different level to partners /p. ie: an's going on a date with kohane because she's cute not because she's her partner. language is fun)

Lastly back on that thing I said I'd come back to. The Walk on and on costumes have romantic soulmate symbolism included on them. The wings on the backs of the outfits are based on the mythical hiyoku bird, a one-winged bird that could only fly after meeting its other half. Kohane's costume has pink accents, one of the variants has accents in An's image color and the wings on the backs of those variants match up to each other. The card illstrations themselves also feature crows, which mate for life. While the symbolism is mostly associated with Toya, the Whip the Wimp Girl! cards take place in the same location as the woao cards which is pretty neat, and makes sense given the themes of both events. I've put both their gacha logos above as well. Oh and An's card for wtwg was. Something.

And Kohane got the valentine event this year and it was about her entering a contest to win limited edition chocolates for An I forgot about that until just now.

Have fun with that.

[flowersintheimpala69]

Wincest subtext is so funny and if u rlly start looking u see it EVERYWHERE. Like wym each time they were separated they immediately find a romantic partner as if they’re replacing the other while they’re apart (dean with Lisa, Sam with ruby and Amelia)

The siren in season 4 where the siren is suppose to take form of what the victim most desires and for dean it takes form of basically Sam if he was more adoring of dean (which could be platonic but. Like all the other siren mirages were about sexual attraction)

The OBSESSION dean seems to have with Sam’s sex life in season 1. Like that’s not normal Dean. Why r u so obsessed with who ur bro is dicking down.

The way Dean left Lisa (the woman he loves and sorta built a life with) cuz Sam came back???

They’re semi-canonically/implied SOULMATES which could be platonic but like. cmon.

The finale isn’t even subtext like they share a heaven?? Their happy conclusion is being together cuz that’s what they want more than anything??? Dean’s final death scene where they press their heads to eachother. Like. Guys. Ur incest is showing.

^out of context the way dean looks at Sam here is so obviously charged with adoration that goes beyond brotherly.

This could all be seen as like a rlly strong platonic connection and I’m not saying u have to ship wincest but I just get a laugh out of the fact the writers inadvertently made strong incest undertones and then had an “incest wins” ending

[menuliso]

i actually think i have some sort of brain damage from chapter 403 because now ive taken my bkdk obsession to a whole new degree. like, i was insane before, but now i feel as if i should be genuinely put into an asylum.

ive gone through a full on awakening.

before this chapter i refused to believe that bkdk would become canon/hinted bc like its wishful thinking. but now? ive fallen into the fucking deep end. i am of full belief that bkdk will become canon or at least be hinted bc horikoshi is cooking something and im so glad im not the only one to see it.

there is no way that man doesnt know what hes doing. bkdks entire arc has been fucking perfect and this man just keeps BUILDING UP. like all this talk about feelings, and how bkdk have never really spoken about them to eachother before??? this is like, building up to a fucking love confession i swear, because katsuki DIED for izuku, and izuku cant control his heart when it comes to katsuki, and like… what other explaination is there? atp i consider it canon that theyre in love with each other.

and the other most likely ship that i thought was gonna be canon, izuocha, just is not feasible. its not like i dislike the ship, no hate to it at all, but making it canon would be so fucking harmful to izuku and ochakos characters and we dont talk about that enough. it would a dissapointing, flat conclusion with barely any build up and itd be the bland, predictable formula. like, ochako has already basically wrapped up her thing with izuku with that entire fight with toga. shes admitted herself that her crush on izuku was more admiration than anything of massive substance. and dont even get me started on izuku. barring some fluster and embarrassed blushing in the early seasons, this boy has NOT reciprocated AT ALL. its actually ridiculous. izuku has been focused on like, two things only: hero work, and kacchan. izuku does not show ANY romantic feeling to ochako whatsoever.

surely, surely if horikoshi were to make this canon, he’d put in a little more effort? add some more chemistry, more development, more than just ‘boy meets girl. blush and get shy. little crush. get married. the end’?

that is bad storytelling, and horikoshi is anything but a bad storyteller. this guy adds foreshadowing YEARS before the chapter. horikoshi is INSANE when it comes to character + relationship + plot development. if horikoshi throws all that out the way, and makes izuocha canon, id be extremely, extremely disappointed. not because i hate the ship, but because itd be out of nowhere, disregard practically ALL development, and be nauseatingly dissatisfying.

talking of which, for the entire day ive been thinking about the foreshadowing for bkdk.

there. is. so. fucking. much. it feels like everytime i read like a new section of the manga, their relationship is described in the most frutti tutti rainbow gay way. im sorry, shigafo, did you just say that katsuki is closer to izuku than ANYONE else? excuse me, aizawa, did you just describe them as pair, a pair that the class revolves around? dont even mention the shit that izuku and katsuki say referring to each other. i cant even choose one to add in here, but every out of context bkdk quote has like these SEVERE more-than-platonic undertones, especially when you consider their past and their development. i feel like horikoshi has been doing some fucking insane foreshadowing for something MORE.

yk, i keep on thinking about how in the double spread in 403, the words ‘the beginning’ are displayed right over bkdk, as they find each other. call me delusional, but that has to be on purpose. i also keep on thinking about izukus green and orange gloves in so many official arts, and the light in both their eyes when they see each other, and the way theyre both always observing the other, never speaking about how they feel directly.

their relationship is just so, so……. and i feel like the only next step is for them to talk. just. fucking. talk. its been hinted at for so long, and horikoshi is doing SOMETHING.

them simply being together would be the most satisfying, developed, beautiful ending.

if they arent canon, i will die. ill say it now. bkdk canon. there is too much proof. as a writer, i know for a fact that i write everything for a REASON. why would horikoshi write this, if he wasn’t going to do anything with it?

bkdk will be canon. i dont care if i sound insane, or get proved entirely wrong. i now fully believe that the last page of the manga will be bkdk at a theme park eating crepes.

thank you chapter 403 for driving me off the rails.

[lukolabrainrot]

Part 2. Explanation

In one of the interviews (don’t remember exactly, Vogue one perhaps) they are asked who is most likely to fall in love at first sight and they both point at L, and something similar is stated multiple times throughout the WT in various ways. Now N on the other hand always supports the friends to lovers being the best romantic trope and I think it’s not only because it is her character’s story arc. The way she is talking about a deep connection developing in the course of the friendship being the best way to go about it, implies that she is not someone who jumps into relationships easily. The way they are talking about their first meeting makes me think that it was indeed a love at first sight for L, and attraction at first sight for N. How he talks about this immediate feeling of warmth, the way he describes her dancing that first time, I think he was slowly on his way down. While her first reaction to him was “how tall he is?”(indirect quote), her facial expression makes me think it was not just his hight that captured her attention. Do you see the difference? For him it was a feeling, for her an appearance. And he is not a touchy fella, even with his BRT family cast as close and friendly as they are, usually it is not him who initiates contact, but not with N (who on the contrary is very touchy) even from the earlier moments of filming. “I don’t really do selfies but if you want one we’ll do that,” “l’m not really a hugger. Oh, you want a hug N, as many as you wish.”

Now as I said LOGICALLY, REALISTICALLY we cannot even truly speculate about events or conventions taken/ not taken, had/not had. For all we know they might have never even admitted to anything, to themselves or each other (doubtful but still). And their relationship are entirely platonic (that would make me question so many things about life but who knows). But from the audience point of view I would say biggest shift definitely happened during s3 filming. I want to make it clear that by no means do I wish to imply any kind of infidelity, quite the opposite I am one of those who believe that until WT their relationship never slipped into romance, beyond perhaps certain tension which I think is sipping into what we see on screens (cough* tongue slip *cough). By which point serious relationship were already over, though I truly think they started to unravel sooner, that it was not pretty, and that L was the driving force of it. Why? There was a little movement in adjacent’s SM life which sparked my memories, S posting “my world” giving of vibes of obvious overcompensation? Well during the filming drought of s3, when all Polin fans were feeding of crumbs, someone reposted J’s post of appreciation to L with those words and additional “don’t get to see him a lot this days” (or something of a kind). Undertone is kind of similar, no? And the way she completely wiped him out of her life? Does not really say parting ways amiably to me😬

Yet again we DO NOT KNOW why hbs happened, how 🐜 got in the picture or where their relationship ever stood. But I will only say this, in my eyes it was the public who gave her the label, and as a result importance, not L, not really. All of her little games only make me believe in this more. She was never given permission to imply anything serious from him, a hotel room, a T-shirt, a hand, easily plausible to not be related to him, but posting his face without his consent? Entirely different story. Now as to her traveling with him, again we don’t know the circumstances behind the scene, was she there as a part of a friends group, her and his sister seemed chummy perhaps in some moments it was on hers behalf, or as an easy travel companion, or perhaps they are insanely in love and we are just fools. We DON’T REALLY KNOW anything, we see only what they allow us to see.

And you know what I saw? L was 😍 from the start of WT, his body language pretty much consistent throughout the entire WT. N on the other hand while always affectionate wasn’t as open or obvious until the second half of WT, especially with her 😍, in some of the last interviews she literally has “check out from reality” moments from looking at him. I see their silence as being sooo loud, especially on L part. They themselves stated that denying or commenting is pretty much pointless when it comes to public’s opinion, N said reading certain things online she would have a moment of “this is hurtful, they don’t even know me. THEY DON’T EVEN KNOW ME!!!” WE DON’T EVEN KNOW THEM, and they know that we don’t even know them, and they are right people will always think what people wish to think. (I for one am glad that more and more famous people feel confident enough to stop bending backwards for fans satisfaction. Public’s entitlement to peoples’ privacy is truly outrageous.) And what I see is that the only people whose point of view in this situation should matter are the two people whom we wish happiness. N and L. Look at what they allow us to see and don’t give attention to background dancers that are trying to distract us with flashy costumes from their inability to be in rhythm. To me some watermarks they paint seem like a beginning of a beautiful painting, but we’ll see what comes of it only when they would wish us to. (Not even going to comment on N supposed adjacent, those who believe that side hug is an epitome of romance, and perceive some barely reliable SM based sleuthing as hard core evidence, to each its own)

Again, apologies for dumping this on you. Truly adorable your blog.

Thank you for the kind words Anon, and glad you are here! ❤️️

[justamakeshifttorch]

A few things I want from the Bear S3:

Sydney & Natalie

This is a pure sister bond waiting to happen. Sydney is the one who wanted Natalie to be the Bear's project manager. She asked Nat to be a part of their team (beyond being a cosigner/part owner on paper). I would love more moments of just them, like when Syd cooked for her. Give me Nat referring to her as Aunt Syd around her baby, them venting to each other in the office, etc.

Marcus/Luca

I desperately need this reunion! Do I want them as endgame? Duh. Will that actually happen? ....not likely. But at the very least I want scenes that on the surface comes across as platonic but with non-platonic undertones okay

Syd/Carmy

I want Carmy to see that Sydney has romantic OPTIONS. Let Carmy find out about Marcus asking Sydney out. Show him witness and obsessing over someone else asking her out, Luca flirting with her (or him interpreting it as flirting). SOMETHING. Of course they are endgame to me. But I want jealous Carmy. I want Sydney showcased as more than the (obviously brilliant) CDC with an obsessive crush on her EC. I will not stand for the whole "she desperately waits/pines for him as if she isn't a baddie with other viable options" trope. WILL. NOT. STAND. FOR. IT.

There are other things I'd love to see, but these are some of the primary plot points I'd love to see.

[nomazee]

enough to make me cry

blade is your only roommate, your only friend, and your only way home from this terrible party you found yourself in.

blade x gn reader — 3.3k — college & roommates au!, very americanized college experiences, frat parties, mentions of drinking & vomiting, could be read as platonic but there are definitely romantic undertones, feelings of inadequacy/being out of place, hurt/comfort, social anxiety, blade is probably ooc i'm gonna be so honest, mild kafka & reader friendship, erggg im probably missing something

notes: no i have to be so honest blade is probably completely out of character i have not played a single side quest with him in it but i just think he has reluctant roommate-to-best friend potential and i wanted to pour that into a fic,,, this is mostly unintelligible but i did proofread! love you all

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A warm hand rests on your shoulder, and the first thing that you think is Blade’s hands are supposed to be cold.

It’s really pathetic. You’re somewhere in a stupid frat house, the thrumming of music around you. There’s the flashing colors and sounds of Mario Kart on the TV, the smell of puke (probably yours) and corona lite, and a hand on your shoulders that you’ve discerned is not your roommate, Blade’s. 

Looking to the side, you follow the hand (painted, manicured nails, definitely still not Blade’s), and it leads up to an arm up to a shoulder up to a face, and—oh. 

“You’re—” you pause, getting your words in order before you puke them up, “you’re Blade’s pretty lady friend?” It’s supposed to come out as a statement, but leans more to a question. She looks down, a bit of a teasing grin on her face, but her eyes are a little soft so you trust her. 

“Is that what he calls me?” she jokes.

“No, I’m— I came up with that.” If you had any dignity left in you, you’d be embarrassed to admit that to her. Unfortunately, you’re pretty sure that Kafka (the pretty lady friend in question) just held your hair back and wiped your face as you puked into a frat-house toilet, flushing your dignity away with your dinner. Your eyes burn with tears and mortification, and you pray that only Kafka saw your embarrassing mishaps.

“I called him to pick you up,” she tells you, already looking away from you and scanning the room as if looking for something, or someone. “I would take you home myself, but I’ve got some things to take care of. And I’m assuming you didn't bring your keys with you?” 

A quick pat-down of your pockets confirms that, yes, you somehow managed to leave your keys at home, the one personal necessity that you were supposed to bring besides your phone. Which, thankfully, you do at least have.

“Umm, the…” you mutter, tongue tangling uselessly as you try to find a way out of here without facing the impending doom of Blade’s aggravated scolding and his I told you so’s. 

A week ago, you went to him with an invite to this frat party and begged him to come with you, saying something like You don’t go out much, this is your chance! He’d adamantly refused, calling it a bad idea and rolling his eyes whenever you brought it up. But you were stubborn, and you wanted to have a fun college experience, so you forced him to drive you to the party with the promise of paying for his next gas payment and getting your own ride back home at the end of the night. 

“I can go,” you finally tell Kafka, mind stringing along memories and thoughts and alarm bells of get your ass home before you have to sit in an awful car ride with Blade, “It’s, like, a fifteen minute walk, don’t call him.” 

“It’s a little too late for that, kid,” Kafka drawls, amusement in her words. She’s smiling down at you, and you’re reminded of how small you feel. “He’s already on the way.” 

“No!” you protest, a little too loudly, but not loud enough to be heard over the thumping of music and bodies and voices. “It’s— Kafka, please, just tell him to turn around, I really don’t want him to deal with me today.” 

If you knew her even less, you’d misinterpret the twitch in her expression as concern—but you’re not too dumb, so you read it as amusement. “Trust me, he’s not going to have a problem with that. You’ll be fine.” 

Whatever that means. Kafka’s too cryptic for your liking, but you won’t complain. She wiped up your vomit from the dirty bathroom tiles and stayed with you to make sure you didn't get trampled, and she didn't complain about any of that. In a week, when you have enough strength to face her again, you’ll treat her to a good, expensive, flaky pastry. She seems like the kind of person who would love those. 

Her phone buzzes with a text notification, and she clicks her tongue, standing up and pulling you with her. Her hand is still warm, seeping through the sleeve of your shirt as she takes you by the forearm, gentle but guiding. Your stomach churns at the thought of seeing Blade, the thought of him seeing you like this. Freshly-puked-out with a nasty stomachache all because of a party that he told you not to go to. 

You hold back your protests as Kafka leads you through the still-crowded frat house. What time is it? Has nobody gotten bored yet, seriously? At least you didn't kill the mood by running to the bathroom and weeping into the toilet. It seems like nobody noticed, except for Kafka, and you don’t know if that should make you feel comforted or just more upset. 

The cool air of the night hits you as you step through the front door, eyes tracking your feet as you walk down the concrete steps. You see the silhouette of Blade’s ugly blue car in your peripheral vision, but you don’t want to look up in fear of seeing the disappointment on his face so soon. He’s going to rip you a new one, and then call you a slob and kick you out of the apartment and say I can’t have a party fiend living with me even though this was your first party ever, honest. 

You barely register that you’ve reached the passenger side of Blade’s car, only coming back to awareness when Kafka opens the door for you and starts nudging you into the seat. A really pathetic part of you wants to grab onto her arm and cry hard enough that she just relents and lets you walk home, but you’re already half into the passenger seat, looking everywhere but Blade. 

“Take care of them, won’t you, Bladie?” Kafka commands lightly, her hand leaving your arm as you get situated and buckled up in the car. Blade lets out a little huff in response and your stomach sinks. He’s already annoyed. 

The car ride to your apartment is only five minutes at this time of night. You just have to survive five minutes in silence and pray that he doesn’t tear into you and scold you like a disappointed parent. A glance at the clock on the car’s console confirms that it’s half past midnight. What the fuck. What were you even doing at the party for that long, besides vomiting and crying? 

The car rumbles, exhaust sputtering a little bit as Blade pulls out from the side of the street and drives slowly, carefully, as if not to rattle you, and you really just want him to speed up and throttle the car around so you feel more guilty about waking him up in the middle of the night to come pick you up. Blade goes to bed at eleven, the latest. You can’t imagine why Kafka thought it would be a good idea to call him, of all people, but then you remember that you kind of don’t have any other friends on campus. Your chest tightens at the thought. 

Blade makes some kind of sniffling noise, his way of trying to initiate some kind of conversation. There’s not even any music playing, because he always drives in dead silence because he’s abnormal, and on any other day you’d tease him about it like you always do. You see him turn his head to you in the corner of your eye, but you refuse to acknowledge him. You wish he’d just start scolding you, yelling at you or something. 

Tears prickle behind your eyes, painfully so, but your hands tighten around each other in your lap as you will yourself to not cry like a baby in front of your roommate. He lets out another sigh, but it doesn’t sound angry, just tired, and somehow that makes you feel worse. 

“What were you guys even drinking?” is his question of voice, and it’s the one question you didn't want him to ask, and you can’t help it when the tears spill over and you bring your hand up to wipe them away frantically, hiccuping a little bit as your gut churns. 

“What—” Blade stutters, and he never stutters, and you see him whip his head around to look at you, crying into your hands over a simple question, and you just want to leave the car and walk home like you told Kafka you would do. He pulls over to the side of some residential street. There’s a dog barking in a yard and wind chimes clinking together, and you think of your handmade bottle cap wind chime hung in the balcony of yours and Blade’s apartment, and it just makes you cry more. 

The car comes to a full stop. Blade puts it in park and turns completely to you. You spare a quick glance at him through the gaps between your fingers, and there’s something like worry on his face, which you’ve never seen before. His face is pinched, lips parted as if wanting to say something, but he can’t. He’s waiting for you. 

“I didn't drink anything, Blade,” you sob, feeling miserable at the state of yourself, at how you went to a frat party with nobody you knew and just walked around like a lost child, too scared to drink or talk to anyone, too anxious to say a word. “Not even a shot, or a sip, nothing from the fridge. It was so stupid, you were right, okay? It was a stupid idea, and I shouldn’t have gone.” Your breath catches in your throat, and the car is dead quiet as Blade lets your words sink in. 

You try not to make so much noise when you cry, but you’re sniveling and wiping your face and wishing that he would just stop looking at you like that. You can still see the ruby-red of his eyes even when you can’t bear to look up at him, and it makes you so viscerally upset. 

Blade is beautiful, really, and it makes you so upset that he looks better than you right now despite him being dragged right out of bed by Kafka’s phone call with a request to pick you up just minutes ago. You, who spent hours selecting an outfit, just to feel inadequate and wholly ugly the minute you walked through the door. It felt like you were back in middle school, spending hours with your parents picking out an outfit to a school dance, looking through ties and pants and shoes, just to show up and feel both overdressed and underdressed, feel like a fool, feel like you just can’t look the way everyone else does. Like something is always a little wrong. 

“Kafka said that you got sick. You didn't drink anything? You’re sure?” 

“No,”  you confirm pitifully, wanting him to just drop the topic and drive the rest of the way home and never talk about this again. “I was just anxious, and I puked like an idiot. Kafka helped me, she was the only one that I knew at the party. I don’t know. I don’t remember anymore. I was just anxious.” 

He says your name, not unkindly, but with a prying tone that just makes a fresh wave of tears stream down your face in rivulets. “Why would you go if you didn't know anyone?” 

“I don't know!” you shout, heated with embarrassment. You’re acting like a child, throwing a tantrum and crying and shouting in Blade’s car. The seatbelt is too tight on you. You fiddle with it, pulling it from the juncture of your neck and shoulder and loosening it, scratching your bitten nails against the scratchy cloth and looking out of the car window so that you can avoid Blade’s awful, terrible, intrusive gaze. 

“I just wanted to be normal, or something. I don’t know anybody from any of my classes. I don’t talk to anyone from my major. And then I got the invite for the party somehow and I just thought it would be fun. I don’t know, Blade, I know I should’ve listened to you, I’m sorry.” 

“Stop,” he says firmly, fully turned to you now, as if he wants you to look back at him, to listen to whatever he’s going to say, and that’s the one thing you don’t want to do. You hate that he’s being kind. You wish he’d be sarcastic and mean and cruel, bite into you and feed off your self-pity. But he’s being nice, nice in the same way that he’s nice when he buys the right brand of milk for you (because the others make you sick, and the taste is different), or when he drives you places in his car when it’s raining so that you don’t have to take the buses everywhere, or when he comes home with your ridiculous coffee order that costs a hellacious amount of money with all of your substitutions and additions and flavorings. 

“There’s nothing to be sorry about,” he says resolutely, leaving no room for argument, “Just— I didn't know you were feeling like that. I would’ve gone with you if you told me you needed someone. I assumed you were going with a friend.” 

You don’t respond with I don’t have any friends, because you’re pretty sure that’s clear enough by now, and you don’t want to confirm what’s already been confirmed a million times over just from the way you act. The way you cling to yours and Blade’s apartment, the way you never spend a second longer than you need to in any of your classes, the way that sometimes, when Blade goes out for class or work, you sit on the couch in silence with your laptop out, doing your work for the week and checking the clock and taking naps so that you don’t have to feel so alone for so long. 

“You didn't want to go,” you say instead, “I wasn’t going to make you just because I’m— I don’t know.” 

“I would’ve gone for you,” he tells you, really tells you, with a force in his words, like he wants to drive the point into you with a stake, driven right through your heart. “I would do a lot of things if you asked. You just need to ask.” 

You don’t— you really don’t want to think about what that means. What he means. You rip your eyes away from the car window and turn to face him. He’s not too close. You almost wish he could be closer, but you would suffocate under the pressure in your stomach and behind your eyes. 

He shouldn’t say things like that, things like You just need to ask, because you’d ask for a lot if given the chance. You’d ask for him to come to parties with you, stay by your side, let you put a hand on his shoulder and guide him around another disgusting frat house as if you know what you’re doing. You’d ask him to sleep in the same bed as you some nights, just a foot away from each other, backs turned to each other but still close enough that you can feel the unnatural coldness that radiates off of Blade. 

You’d ask him to introduce you to Kafka and that other girl they hang out with, to say something stupid and funny like This is my abhorrent roommate, be nice to them, and that way you’d have more contacts in your phone that aren't just Blade and your parents and two old high school friends who you haven’t spoken to in a year. You’d ask him to be a lot more than just a plus-one to a party full of people you’ve never met. 

“I just want to go home,” you breathe out, a guilty confession burning your gums and leaving a sour taste in your mouth. “I’m sorry.” 

“Stop saying sorry,” he asserts for the second time tonight, making your lungs squeeze as you puff out a tired exhale. Blade turns back in his seat, taking the car out of park and heading back onto the road—driving slowly, yet again, avoiding cracks and potholes in the road. “You need to eat something. You’ll wake up with a hellish headache if you go to bed dehydrated.” 

“I don’t think that’s true.” 

“I said it, so it’s true,” he says petulantly, turning the car down into a road that’s definitely not in the direction of your apartment building. To your hidden delight, the glowing sign of a twenty-four-seven ice cream store comes into view, and you sit up just a little bit. Blade slows the car as he turns into the drive-thru, glancing at you with an eyebrow half-raised. 

“What do you want? I’ll order for you.” 

“I don’t have my wallet,” you admit, just a little bit embarrassed. “I didn't even bring my keys with me. Do you think they take Apple Pay?” 

A breathy laugh escapes him, and you catch sight of a dimple pressed into his cheek, and you want to press your thumb into it and look at his smile, just for a little longer. “Don’t be dumb. I’m paying,” he tells you, the same way he has every time he pays for your cafe drink, or when he comes home from work with your favorite, and says You’re broke enough without having to pay for these drinks, don’t pay me back in that snippy way he shows his care. 

You ask for a medium vanilla milkshake, with sprinkles, and he gets you a large instead, which you’re more than grateful for. He refuses to let you look at the receipt for the total cost, and hands you the milkshake with a comical severity that you often see in him. The sweet drink washes away any bitter taste left in your mouth, and you feel a little better, a little nicer in your haphazard party outfit and under Blade’s fleeting gaze. 

A deep sigh escapes you, one of relief, when the car finally parks at your apartment building. Blade puts a cold hand between your shoulder blades, unobtrusive and leading, and it’s a comforting contrast from the heat lingering on your skin from the party and the closed car. It feels right, more in-place than Kafka’s warm hands were when she wiped your face and kept you steady, though she was just as gentle. 

Blade all but tosses you onto the couch, claiming that it’s much too late for a shower and he’d rather not deal with you collapsing from exhaustion in the tub. You relent easily, the exhaustion of the night hitting you and soaking into your limbs. 

“I’ll let you sleep on the couch,” he says, and it’s a good and kind thing, because he knows that sometimes you hate your bedroom because it’s just too empty, and the constant sound filtering into the living room puts you at ease. He never lets you sleep on the couch, because it’s bad for your back, and he jokes about you developing adult onset scoliosis with the awful way you sleep. Letting you do it, just this once, is another one of his small mercies. 

The TV is on, humming at a low volume, and your legs are thrown across Blade’s lap. You’re shocked that he’s willing to fall asleep with you like this, but he’s kind, sarcastic and biting but kind all the same, as much as he loathes to admit it. It’s not too lonely, you decide, hearing the bottle cap wind chimes on your balcony clink together in dissonant harmonies. 

(There’s a missing text from a new contact on your phone when you wake up, coming from pretty lady friend, extending an invite to brunch in two days, and you kick your legs on the couch in giddy excitement, thinking about how you’ll rope Blade into coming with you, too.)

—°+..｡*ﾟ｡*ﾟ+.*.｡.—

taglist: @tragedy-of-commons

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[donut251155]

The "Yugi twins situation" is NOT incestuous

I'll just analyze stuff people used to "prove" the opposite of this, as someone with a close (PLATONIC!!!) relationship with a sibling

I'll just get straight to the point

This scene is NOT incestuous. They hadn't seen each other for DECADES, it makes sense that Tsukasa reached out to touch Amane - usually if you can't believe you're seeing someone you reach for their face, no? And he just moved his head up (+ the つ (translated as "rub" could just be his hand moving and could be a translation error. Like the "ah…" from Amane, he says "つー" (Tsu) which would've probably been him calling out for Tsukasa)

Also Amane was blushing because he WAS ABOUT TO FUCKING CRY??? IT'S NORMAL TO GET RED WHEN YOU CRY??? That's basic knowledge I fear

He'd seen his brother after AGES, AFTER HE KILLED HIM. I WOULD'VE HAVE CRIED TOO IF I WERE HIM Y'ALL HE'S CRUSHED BY GUILT, GRIEF AND IS HAPPY TO SEE HIS BROTHER AGAIN

I also think that if the scene was supposed to have some incestuous undertones, Tsukasa wouldn't have moved his thumb back.

Someone said this

I believe it doesn't have incestuous undertones for three reasons:

1. He had a dreamy and hopeful face in both cases. Usually, when characters dream of doing anything, even eating a cake or something like that, the artist adds blush to make the desire stronger. Tsukasa's desires were just having fun with his brother at a festival, something COMPLETELY PLATONIC, and knowing that his brother genuinely cares about him (another COMPLETELY PLATONIC thing driven by a sense of insecurity that he got because of how grumpy Amane was while sick. He wanted to hear his brother say "I love you" (PLATONICALLY) for the last time. It's less ambiguous in the Italian version because it's "Amane, tu mi vuoi bene?" which can only be seen as platonic (voler bene is platonic, amare romantic))

2. He looks cuter blushing. He's a child, children are supposed to be cute. He looks depressed without the blush in the first image 💀💀

See? He's cuter with the blush

3. He blushes for like 90% of the time. It makes him cuter, more childlike, he's FOUR YEARS OLD. The blush disappears when the drawing is too small for it to be added, when he's supposed to be confused, scary/creepy or serious.

This part fucking hell. Y'all do not know how four year olds think, do you?? Let me enlighten you

To the four year old Tsukasa, you either love or hate someone. No in between. He isn't talking about romantic love, he's talking about caring about someone, usually deeply. He means the platonic kind of love, it's all he knows. Nene reacted that way because she's 15, to her "love" is the romantic kind of love and she's in love with Hanako, same with Kou - they're teenagers who learnt that romantic and platonic love are different. Tsukasa doesn't know. He loves Amane in a platonic, brotherly way and thinks Nene loves his brother in the same exact way, like every other 4 year old would've assumed

(I reached the max of images :(( I meant the part where Tsukasa asks Nene if she loves Amane and says they're the same after she says she does, her mistaking it as romantic love and him taking it as platonic. Mb guys I'm new to Tumblr)

For the pose where the early manga showed us how Amane supposedly killed Tsukasa: it's not suggestive in any way. It just looks like Amane pushed Tsukasa down, stabbed him and that his knees gave out after he noticed he actually did what he did because of the wave of guilt and grief he felt (he even dropped the knife)

That's all I can think of atm :D

If you have any questions about this, ask ahead and I'll answer them!! I'm ready to answer

And sorry if I sounded a bit pissed off, but I am. I'm so sick of people misunderstanding sibling love lolol if you ship them go fuck yourself and do not talk to me, do not even breathe the same air as me I hate you and you're a disappointment to humanity