#purpose through another person

[geospiral]

Moran doodle. Shout out to girls who are constantly contemplating their own mortality

[caligvlasaqvarivm]

I used to despise Eridan and think he was the absolute worst character (barring Cronus ig) but you have shown me the light and completely turned my opinion around and now I think he is such an endearing little freak <3 I read your whole blog already but if you've got any more thoughts on eri or anyone else then I hope you post them bc I'd love to hear more abt it!

i have sooo many controversial opinions about the dancestors you have noooooo idea

[oneluckydragon]

Thinking about how these two met. Get adopted, idiot.

More human!Echo.

[necrotic-nephilim]

jaybrusteph. steph and bruce fuck on jason's grave, jason and bruce fuck on stephanie's grave, steph and jason fucking on bruce's grave. threesome where stephanie gets 2 cocks up her ass. they keeo her tied up in a secret part of the cave fir a week with a vibrator on her clit at low vibration and a fuck machine pounding her ass. they share her for another week straight and by the end of it she's mentally checked out and her face id smeared with mascara and cum. maybe they bring cass over once, and all of steph's holes are occupied at the same time. i want her to keep cumming so hard she walks with a limp for a month. she goes on patrol with a butt plug holding in both of their loads. remote controlled vibrators. just the kinkiest shit possible with these 3. any time bruce and jason fight, they take it out on steph. they both try to fuck her mouth and she chips a tooth and dislocates her jaw but they keep going

i've been thinking about this for *days*. bc idk how you intended this anon, but to me it reads as *delightful* non-con and *super* fucked up with grooming vibes. like in my head, i picture it as Bruce dealt with enough problems when Jason came back from death and he *really* doesn't feel like doing a repeat. so when Steph comes back, even if Babs gives her blessing for Steph to be Batgirl, Bruce doesn't trust it and he definitely doesn't like the idea of Steph wearing a Bat. he's been down this road before and this time, he's not making the same mistakes.

so he tells her she's allowed to be Batgirl but this time, there are more Rules. maybe he had a thing with her when she was Robin but Bruce feels like he obviously wasn't strict enough so, he sets new rules this time around. and Steph has no choice but to agree bc she wants to be Batgirl, she feels like she needs to prove herself again.

i love the idea of the mindbreak the first few weeks, too. esp if there are aphrodisiacs or some kind of drugs involved to keep her in a haze where it's all she can think about until she rlly just. breaks. and is okay with it and has no concept how fucked up it is. Bruce invites Jason just because he'll try anything to pacify Jason at this point, and maybe he had a fucked up thing with Jason already and they needed a sub as a buffer.

i also think it's fun if patrolling and missions are the one place Steph has an escape from all the sexual control. so she really leans into being Batgirl bc it's all she has so when they start making her wear plugs and vibrators out it breaks her a little bit. even as Batgirl, her life will revolve around pleasing Jason and Bruce. and Bruce is telling her that she has no idea how much she's helping with this, he's showing her numbers about how Red Hood has been much less lethal since this all started to really get in her head about how this is a duty and it's a favor that she's doing for Bruce and he's so thankful for it, he almost convinces her that she agreed to this somewhere along the way. so she agrees and is submissive when Jason is getting rougher and rougher with her until joints are dislocating and she's crying and doesn't even have the words to ask for it to stop so she can get a breather.

also like the idea of Bruce and Jason arguing while Steph is on a patrol and it's Jason who finds Steph first and without any sort of warning forces some kind of aphrodisiac drug into her mouth and makes her swallow, calmly telling her she has about an hour before it'll kick in so she better wrap up whatever she's doing and hope she gets to Jason's base so he doesn't have to find her and fuck her wherever she ends up when it kicks in-

and all the bruises and injuries she gets from the sex are explained away by vigilante work. i'm also really into the idea of like, gradual body modification without her awareness or consent. constantly having her on muscle relaxers so it's easier to fuck her without prep. adjusting parts of her body with supplements to their likings until she realizes she doesn't really recognize herself in the mirror. her nose has been broken by sex so many times it stoped healing right. her hips are a different size and she has to wear a plug most of the time bc she's usually so loose. just like. Complete Bodily Control over her, yk? and by the time she realizes how fucked up it is, she's in way too deep.

and pulling Cass into it is *really* fun bc Cass is someone she trusts. so if Cass is okay with this, leaning into it and fucking her mouth with a strap while stroking her hair, then it must be okay. bc it's Cass. and maybe Cass is also fucked up, maybe Cass is just trying to provide Steph comfort in a situation she can't get Steph out of. both are good options esp if Steph doesn't know which it is. she never knows if ppl just don't care enough to notice what she's going through or if Bruce and Jason are doing such a good job of hiding it all that they can't see it. and she gets so Stolkholm'd by the end of it there's no escape she even wants. bc it's not like she can go back to normal. it's not like she could come from regular sex that doesn't hurt to the point she cries anymore. so she just. accepts it.

but yk that's just my hurt/no comfort braincell being evil. bc i am evil and i love the psychology of being sexually broken as much as i love the sexual aspect of it. i think it makes it so much crunchier and realistic if there's this haunting acceptance that isn't necessarily a "oh she loves it now" but more of a "she knows escaping will make her feel worse" sort of thing. like she sees Bruce and Jason arguing and just starts to brace for it instead of trying to break them up. it's good food.

[mrbluesummers]

Any time I post content relating to baby Knives and his corruption, there's inevitably people who make a comment about how the difference between Vash and Knives is that Knives didn't get a moment with Rem like Vash did, but Knives didn't need one. He knew she loved them already. That's why he never lashed out at her.

Knives is open and honest with Rem until the end. He doesn't pretend like he isn't hurt. When she addresses how he's "forcing [himself] to carry it all alone" he's completely honest with her:

Rem: Are… you… trying to bear this all by yourself? Tesla's story must have been a shock to you. I'm sorry, but I just feel like… you're forcing yourself to carry this alone, shutting everything away inside. Knives: Yeah. I am. It was a shock. It really was, but… we have to go on. That's what you said, right? There's so much we have to do… to make sure it never happens again.

While he doesn't straight up just say "hey I'm going to kill all humans", he is otherwise open with her that he's decided to carry the weight of protecting them from humans. Maybe if Rem was better equipped to handle a traumatized child, she would have been able to better address Knives' trauma, but the issue was never her or her love.

You can see it in the way he still cries and finds comfort in her embrace, and thanks her, and the montage of them living happily together. Knives never withdrew from Rem like Vash initially did. He was purely afraid of other humans and what they might do to his family, Rem included. All of his hate for her came after the Fall.

[ttngummybear]

Is it true that most people can literally just... CHOOSE not to hear sounds???

I literally can't believe that. Genuinely.

If I'm hearing something that bothers me, I have to physically get away from it to not hear it. My whole family thinks I'm choosing to listen to it and just not tuning it out "like everyone else"???????

If I could just choose not to hear every fucking particle of someone's food crunching and squishing through their mouth, I would gladly do that! I literally would give so much to be able to just shut off sounds that bother me!

[ninjagirlstar5]

You've seen me ramble about the problems with Kanade and Chapter 3, so you know how I feel. It really does feel like LINUJ went for pure shock value instead of anything narratively satisfying. I like your take on the idea, where instead of just the shock and horror, there's actual purpose and character behind it.

The twins do really seem like they would be a great cautionary tale of mutual toxicity and obsession, and I like the idea of them reuniting only because there were people in need during The Tragedy.

And I admit I'm biased, but I'm always happy to see more stories where Hibiki actually survives ^^

OH yeah, I have. I've read most (if not all) of those asks on the ASOOT blog as they were coming out and it made me realize how bad SDRA2's Chapter 3 is. And when I actually sat down to play the game myself with my friend, I went from knowing that Chapter 3 is bad to actually experiencing how bad it was for myself. Like, it went from, "Oh, it's kinda okay so far, but I know the shoe is gonna drop at some point-" to "OH WOW, it really IS that bad, dear lord." Like, Jesus Christ, this chapter was...a lot and yet full of nothing at the same time beyond just shock value. It's not as if the whole serial killer thing couldn't have worked, the problem is that all the people that's closely connected to the case gets axed all in one go, and it's kinda just...never brought up again. Like, come on. If you're going to go THAT far, at least give it SOME kind of importance to a character connected to this shitshow, like Hibiki. Who got killed off alongside Kanade. Like, thanks, I hate it. There's so many things wrong with Chapter 3 and how Kanade was handled that the best thing to do for both is to just rewrite it all from the ground up. So when my brain started giving me ideas on how it could be rewritten, I decided I needed to get it out of my system and tried to approach it in a more human and complicated way than something as twistedly evil to the point of shock value. Kanade is at least more pitiable here since you can actually understand her on SOME level but never excuse her actions as she's still toxic in her right towards Hibiki (who's also toxic to her in return). She's just not being a serial killer about it.

AND YEAH, that's pretty much what I was going for for them. I wanted to keep the nuances of their relationship on how they're mutually toxic to one another since that's very interesting to see. There's no such thing as a "perfect" victim, as there are many that have done messed up things in response to what they've been put through but still desperately needing help or even an intervention from a reasonable authority figure, and Hibiki and Kanade could've been great examples of that. But one actively chooses to change while the other doesn't...at least in one of the interpretations of how their rewritten relationship could end as would be revealed in the Chapter 6 version of this. Ngl, I wasn't sure which interpretation I liked more as I can see both versions happening, with Kanade and Hibiki coming back together through the Tragedy as some events are able to give people an opportunity to bond and mend what's broken back together again, while other times not even a world-wide disaster will get someone to change and things remain broken due to one side having an unwillingness to hold themselves accountable for their own actions. Both are feasible in this rewritten version and I decided to let this be something for other people to decide for themselves on whether or not Kanade and Hibiki can mend their relationship after being separated for so long and if the Tragedy can bring them back together through their charity events. After all, some people have their limits and Kanade still did a lot of horrible things to other people, so it really depends on whether or not you'd believe it'd possible for them to repair their relationship, even after so many years of not talking to one another. A possible rebuilt of their relationship that unfortunately gets nipped in the bud thanks to Mikado's killing game reverting them back to a state where their old toxic behavior was at it's peak, and one of them ending up killing and getting executed because of it. Either way, we could've had doomed siblings instead of...whatever the fuck canon is.

And trust me, me and my friend are right with you on that. We really wished Hibiki had survived and complain about it every now and then whenever we bring up Kanade and Chapter 3. It's just...such a waste to kill her off like that. My girl deserved better.

[unproduciblesmackdown]

further thoughts re: [idea behind mitb] & [winston billions]

that ofc the specific situation of mitb of even being so thrown into a seismic shift in perspective in this moment, brought on by like whoa what if actually being alone / rejected by the person who was always on my side, like winston in canon can't ever be in that position lmao like even with the continual [people turn on him] moments, nobody was ever actually on his side in the first place & people only Turn from [less of negative attention upon him] to [more]

But then pointing to like wait, one thing, the very ending: all you know about me is my name / awesome party, i'm so glad i came [cha cha cha] like assign that to winston's departure from straightforward in-office employee with the fun details of: • we don't even know his name, rare No Last Name Ever Bothered With for any recurring character, much less one who's been around for seasons. just quant things • probably only any party b/c he arranged it for himself (what arrogance, as opposed to being pointedly ignored / denied baseline acknowledgments as deserved) & • nonzero people pointedly refusing to attend b/c they hate him more than anything, as opposed to the people who do attend to express hostility & contempt as per the I'm The Ultra Cool Guy Normal Person(tm) ideal of "if i interact with / observe someone & consider them such a Lesser / Other to me & issue whatever disparaging cues, any third parties would totally recognize my superiority" uhh nnnyeThis guy, umm ohh kayyy lol. scoff sneer etc. Extremely epic yes

also shoutout to billions for both Needing to show us that "uh lol winston can't just Get to Leave" expression of contempt / vicarious power trip But also that's not enough lmfao like he really can't get to leave, casting its yugioh card of "essence of [most dangerous time in an abusive relationship? trying to leave it]" like again, You Don't Get To, then Uh Oh winston in leaving is not only acting without permission but in doing so is denying us our property! time for some assaulting & stalking & killing :) figuratively we swear but who would know what nonexistent mitb happens :)) wheee haha Hell yeah so affirmed & fulfilled in our power & superiority. wretchedly like why is this also what happens with wendy & axe at the end of s5 as axe resents wendy not acting like his property / without his permission & gets vindictive & aggressive & it's like okay well with the stalking & surveilling in the mix i'm sure wendy will now finally get to be Done. wrong! reveling in romance (dragged over glass) as wendy is sooo special that she can still just Understand & Choose Loyalty even as unideal as axe was, truly, she's powerful enough to handle axe :) unlike other bitches who'd get all hysterical & give up. selfish

also speaking of the "you have to pay attention & listen to how this guy feels for 5 minutes" like with pointed [my personal perspective & considering Just Like Real Life] i don't like, especially with canon, really have that for winston in terms of like that even if people Had to listen, which would be the only way they did b/c winston Does express how he feels at all & it gets pointedly ignored / suppressed / punished, like they wouldn't change their perspective lol. when i consider "well winston could hope they would, think they might, want & try for this" like i don't consider that it would work lol, definitely not based on canon dynamics, where Just Like The Perspective Of The Show Itself like winston can seize some opportunity & express himself "perfectly" but it wouldn't work b/c everyone's already decided to think of him as inferior & not a person & will continue choosing to do so / choosing to play into the idea of their superiority rather than letting it be threatened, much less embracing that & questioning themselves / that concept. Oops Same Essence once again when like all that's questioned about Power is that only Meritous, Truly benevolent godlike individuals ought to have it :) no problems detected when wendy is really exactly the same as prince b/c of course she'd have to be when it's just "nothing wrong with seeing people as inferior, in fact it's inevitable & necessary & good & we love it, just so long as Really superior people are correctly arranged in the hierarchy over Really inferior 'people' who i'm not really hurting or wronging or using when they bring it upon themselves & are wrong in their lesserness"

so like shoutout again to "billions is like, the song 'be more chill' in be more chill, seeing the squip as the protagonist like yes wheee yay tell jeremy everyone's right to treat him as they do & he brings it upon himself & should be dead & twist his arm however you want to get this" only i think in bmc you can interpret that the squip really does want to "redeem" jeremy by forcing him to become a different person & all & just conform to the norm & play & win the game....billions might Supposedly want that, framing wendy using & toying with other people's lives & feelings as she sees fit as Necessary, Correct, & Magnanimous, but really like oh no wendy doesn't even really "fix" people b/c welp there's still the hierarchy of ranking on everyone's Inherent unequal personhood & we can't all be the most special best person in the world like wendy but she can Redeem us a little bit if we're not the lost causes too inferior to recognize & defer to Her superiority. plus she's busy with the enrichingly complicated & important cases of: enabling someone like axe :) like billions is just into the power trip really of like "wow yeah you're correct in judging that person as inferior & bringing it upon themself" & "really" fixing someone by killing them & replacing them with an allistic person e.g. isn't actually of that much interest b/c then the power trip would, theoretically, be done with. no thanks

meanwhile perhaps some restraint for this last point brought on by Oops already verbalizing a lot but the one thing i did only just think of was like, obviously winston comparable to jeremy & the material surrounding jeremy But i was like oh hey i kind of think of the winston & tuk dynamic as glimpsed in canon & extrapolated upon thusly as respectively michael & jeremy esque & sure never framed it that way to myself lol. this duo of like the ultimate losers around but who can kind of obviously also bond / deliberately unionize over this; winston as the "well they'll treat me like this either way so i may as well do my own thing fully at least" more confident one while tuk is similar enough & it's like oh i can be not just myself but More myself with this person than maybe i even am Alone alone & we like each other & have fun & i'm encouraged &c & so on, being a bit more "ah jeez :( i do kind of try to see if i can manage to play by the rules better & maybe be killed less," & even sure have thought about the conflicts that could arise as like "yeah it's good if winston being around me can kind of insulate me & involve encouragement But Then Also downsides like, can it feel overbearing if just feeling eclipsed by winston's personality, if feeling like yeah following winston's lead helps me but what if that defines me too much / what about getting by outside that, can encouragement from that Confident Vivacious personality feel pushy?" all very much like that conflict jeremy & michael have of jeremy wanting to change things up & figure out his relationship with himself & what he can do through that a little bit more, hardly able to express that to himself much less michael, michael who doesn't know quite what's going on & but of course is also affected by how people treat him, as we did know but yknow impossible to have real serious feelings & act vivacious & cheerful, & feels supported by his relationship / dynamic w/jeremy too....wouldn't be the same b/c there's no high school scifi plot & also like, no [um frivolous teen problems are for teens only. adults don't do the bullying & popularity & insecurity &c] as has been said lol like it doesn't just Stop, but that like they Are older so probably could have an at all easier & more successful time talking through things & understanding their own feelings, but always fun to imagine some drama & conflict sure lol like even just a period of some Confusion / Mixed Feelings like ah new good friends with tuk but maybe tuk withdraws / avoids winston a bit then to try to take a breath & get perspective from a step back, maybe it can seem to winston like we're having a good time what a promising new relationship but then sudden/confusing irritation with me / some apparent rejection, an easy issue is just like as seems to be canon lol like well nobody's known winston for eons here, just met, winston's Already got the independently big personality / doing his own things mode, could be hard to warm up to that / even Understand it, especially in [hierarchy play the game kill each other it's them or you] bullying world anyway. however also tuk has ben who is also sort of relatively on the Less outwardly bold seeming side who is also there to buffer or insulate or intervene, But that can also just be [same issue parallel to jeremy/michael] lmao like does it mitigate it or exacerbate it or bit of both / varyingly, depending. do we all kiss at the same time

[goblin-enjoyer]

*draws something for the first time in a while. “Man I suck at drawing! Maybe go back to being good at it if I draw more!”

*doesn’t draw

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*doesn’t draw

*doesn’t draw

*doesn’t draw

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*doesn’t draw

“Oh I got a neat idea for a drawing! Surely I have gotten better by now!” Loop post

[thenewgothicromance]

Depression is so crazy because it’s like, I am doing battle with my demons. I am mustering all of my strength and will. I am summoning the coldest and most ruthless part of me to drag the rest of me, which is screaming and crying and throwing up, to do what Must Be Done. On the most successful of days this means I got up to go the gym. More often it just means I ate breakfast, or finally took a shower. God truly gives his toughest and stupidest battles to his saddest little soldiers

[divinekangaroo]

Thoughts from a sidelong chat: fiction / shows that tell stories in a way that make the audience realise how impossible certain power fantasies are tend to lose a large part of their audience along the way.

[oathkeeperoxas]

I love it when I enter a new fandom and everyone there is so so so much smarter than me and has already written the fic I would write so I 1) can simply Enjoy it and 2) don't have the learn jack shit about how the us army works

[theres-whump-in-that-nebula]

There always seems to be one kid who just screams like a tornado siren, all day long, at any given opportunity. Like, kid, I love you, you are precious and deserve all the happiness in the world; but please for the love of god shut up. There are people trying to learn here and you’re not helping them or yourself.

[dezwade]

started thinking about Marcus too hard again. 50 dead, 100 injured

[ninjagirlstar5]

(my memory is awful so sorry if i sent this already but) I was curious how Rei and Tsurugi feel about IRL Mikado and Teruya being a couple and by extension their thoughts on the kiddos in your little Terukado Au (6.5 cast thiughts would be cool too but idk if any of them would care much about that?)

Fun fact: my power went out while I was answering this ask. Don't worry, it only lasted for, like, a couple of minutes. I'm just annoyed that I lost what I already written down. </3

(Also, mood on the bad memory thing, I forget stuff all the time. But I never got another ask about this, so I think you're good.)

Anyways, back to the question:

Rei Mekaru

Tbh, Rei and Tsurugi were completely oblivious to Teruya and IRLkado's relationship for the most part. Not because they wouldn't be able to put two and two together. In fact, they'd be on their ass the moment they get any kind of context clue about what's going on between them. But because they're too busy with their own problems to deal with (usually work), they don't realize the romantic subplot happening in the background, and frankly, Teruya and IRLKado had been trying to keep their relationship a secret in the first place. They knew they'd get into a whole lot of trouble if someone catches them in the act due to IRLkado being a(n ex-)criminal and Teruya working for the Kisaragi Foundation as Head of the Treasury Division, so they kept it on the downlow unless they were home alone and had some privacy. It wouldn't be professional for them to do any PDA during work anyways, so they're able to slip under their radar without much issue.

(Plus I think it'd be funny that the two smartest people in this survivor trio literally just suck at recognizing a romantic relationship. They may be book smart but when it comes to the matters of the heart, they tend to flop pretty badly in their own ways.)

Rei is getting better, though, through her friendship with Teruya. Over the years, he's been able to bring out a more softer side of Rei through his kindness and his own hardwork in his respective field, so he ends up getting her respect for his skills as a merchant. Which helps break down her walls a bit and allows herself to get close to him, especially when he accepts her flaws and cares for her. She cares for Teruya and starts paying a little more attention to him...which is when she starts seeing the signs of Teruya getting a little too attached to IRLkado. She warns him to not get close to him at risk of getting betrayed, but while Teruya acknowledges her warnings, even saying that he tries to remind himself of his criminal record to make sure he doesn't have any rose-tinted glasses to their friendship, it's obvious that he's still showing a bit of affection to IRLkado against his better judgment.

This eventually culminates into Rei visiting Teruya while they were at home and the two of them desperately trying to keep their relationship on the downlow. At first, things were fine and Rei and IRLkado are decently amicable, if only for Teruya's sake and keeping the peace in general. But when she comes back from a bathroom break, she walks in on Teruya and IRLkado sneaking a few kisses in the kitchen. And then the pieces of why they seem strangely close to each other over the last few years click in place. To say Rei was livid would be an understatement.

Teruya, knowing full well that he is in the wrong for going behind their backs to be in a secret relationship with IRLkado, their very enemy that they're forced to work with thanks to Kinjo's philosophy of using evil to destroy evil, begs Rei not to tell anyone. If anyone knows about this, if Tsurugi knows about this, he'd toss IRLkado back into his cell and he doesn't want that for him. But Rei tells Teruya that he's being a goddamn idiot for allowing this to happen, only setting himself up to get hurt by opening his heart to a dangerous and manipulative criminal like IRLkado. When Teruya tries to tell her that he's being a better person now, Rei does NOT believe him and turns her ire onto IRLkado, questioning if he even cares about Teruya's feelings, let alone reciprocate them the same way he does, or if he's just using Teruya. IRLkado, who had been quiet up to this point as he's processing the possible consequences this reveal would have in the near future, fumbles as he tries to explain how he feels about Teruya. That he's been really kind to him even when they were enemies, patient with him when he's at his worse, and comforting when he needed it. That he's just so...grateful to him that he has given him the opportunity to be better and gave him the experiences through their work and missions to realize...a lot of shit he needed to unpack about himself and the damage he's done to everyone he's ever met and wronged. He won't pretend that he didn't fully understand what Teruya meant when he accidentally confessed to him that day, but he chose to give this relationship a shot to understand his own feelings for Teruya as he kept feeling warm and fuzzy around him. It was sweet, it was tough, and there have been plenty of rough patches they've been put through together as they tried to navigate their relationship. But it helped him realize that he, well...he felt the same way about Teruya. Even when he's still trying to figure out the kind of future he wants to pursue, he's...trying. He trying really hard to understand himself better, and therapy has been one hell of an eye-opener to say the least. By the end, IRLkado just quietly begs her to not separate them, to not put him back in his cell. If not for him then for Teruya.

Rei...is actually stunned to see IRLkado act this way. While he has been cooperative for their missions, especially when it turned out that AIkado has betrayed and tried to kill him, he has never really showed remorse for his past actions. He's aware that what he did was wrong but he always had this look in his eyes that he wouldn't go back and fix things. That he's content with his actions so long as he gets what he wants in the end (finding/reviving Utsuro). That he would never change his ways. But looking at him now, with how worried and meek he was at the thought of losing what he has with Teruya, she's...conflicted. Conflicted on how genuine he seems, even when she fully knows that he could be faking it all and trying to manipulate the both of them. She goes to accuse him of such, but that's when Teruya steps in and pulls her away for a more one-on-one conversation between them. He apologizes for going behind her back again as he knew the risks of dating someone like IRLkado, but also admits that he's been really happy with him and has seen IRLkado improve himself over the course of their relationship. Not just for Teruya, but for himself, too. All he asks is for her to keep quiet about their relationship since things are..."fragile" for IRLkado, and if he loses the chance to be a better person through punishment, he might double down on his behavior and never become the person he should be. Rei says that if he's going to double down, that would only prove that he was never going to be a good person, but Teruya pushes back, saying that that's what he meant by "fragile." IRLkado is still processing what to do with himself and who he wants to be, staring through what could be his future beyond the door if he chooses redemption. And if they slam the door on his face just when he decides to step through it, it'll only strengthen his worldview on give or take. That the only way to survive is to use others until there's nothing left and then discard them once they've outlived their usefulness. That's the kind of place IRLkado is in right now, that his sense of self and beliefs are too wishy-washy for him to have the resolve to be good no matter what. He needs a chance to be better and have the time to gather the strength to be good, and if Teruya is the only one that's willing to give it to him, then so be it. He just...He just wants Rei to give him the chance to help IRLkado. Even if she doesn't trust him, she trusts Teruya to do the right thing...right? Rei pauses, quietly thinking it over.

"...And if this backfires?" She asks, genuine as she looks at Mikado waiting in the kitchen. Their eyes nearly meet, but he looks away like he wants to shrink under her gaze. Teruya takes his time to come up with a response.

"...Then I take full responsibility for whatever happens next."

Rei pinches the bridge of her nose, knowing full well that this is a horrible idea that can have dire consequences. But she's become soft, too soft, around Teruya and simply says that she needs to think about this before leaving. It takes days of thinking, of keeping an eye on IRLkado's progress and his therapy sessions (which she's not allowed to look into for obvious privacy reasons but it drives her crazy that IRLkado is actually going to therapy), and trying to understand Teruya's POV that she finally relents and calls him. She tells Teruya very clearly that she does NOT agree with his thoughts on IRLkado as it can be a pretty dangerous way of thinking when that person has already proven themselves to be a threat, but she does trust him and will keep quiet for the time being. Teruya, who has been a nervous-wreck ever since that day, ecstatically thanks her and says that he'll do his best to help IRLkado reform! Rei just tells him to be careful and to not let his relationship cloud his judgment, which he reassures her that he'll keep that in mind as their conversation shifts into something more casual and friendlier. When the call ends, Rei just sits there, wondering if she made the right decision.

Spoiler alert: she did, as by the time the Utsuroshima Killing Game happens, IRLkado has gotten his shit together and fully intends to stop AIkado for good. He still wants revenge, but his motivations have shifted to one that leans more towards justice and to prevent even more harm coming to fruition from his own actions. Sadly, they weren't able to stop the game from starting and Teruya gets stuck in there before getting killed by AIkado, which just breaks BOTH of their hearts in the process. To make matters worse, not only did it turn out that Kinjo fucking lied to them and used them as bait, he also hired the same fucking guy that nearly killed IRLkado as a double agent. To say both of them are PISSED would be an understatement and they kind just gang up on Kinjo until IRLkado is forced away from him by Keisuke. Meanwhile, Syobai is baffled that he actually missed a spot check when he tried to kill IRLkado, and Sora (through her out-of-body experience) is confused as fuck to see Mikado(???) with the Kisaragi Foundation, alongside the rest of the survivors. Chapter 6 happens, yadda yadda yadda, IRLkado does his backup plan of reuploading backups of the avatars into everyone's bodies with a bit of luck (thanks Sora and Yuki), and everyone survives! Hooray! Just one condition: everyone is still in a coma, but the fact that their brains are active means that they'll wake up with a bit of time. So the Kisaragi Foundation transfers everyone back to base while Yuki disappears as he does not trust Kinjo period (and I don't blame him tbh). After this, IRLkado keeps doing his best to do good, even without Teruya around to keep him "in check," and does his part to help. Both he and Rei actually end up spending a lot of time together due to her promise to get Sora out of whatever remains of the Neo World Program, working together to gather data and the means to transfer her out without getting AIkado and AI!Utsuro in the mix. She's surprised to find out that IRLkado doesn't really want Utsuro back anymore but he tells her that he no longer wants his life to revolve around him, not after everything he (and thus, AIkado) has done to reach that point. It's...It's not worth it, not anymore. Not when it hurt the ones closest to him. He can't take back what he's already done, but if he can right his wrongs, then all the more reason for him to help than to double down on what he's done.

This makes Rei realize that, despite everything that's happened, Teruya has been proven right. That IRLkado can change and do better, now that he had made that choice for himself and has the resolve to stick to it. And Rei sighs, wondering how they ever landed themselves a wonderful friend like him. IRLkado just shrugs, saying that it's less about fate, and more about luck, really. After that, they spend a lot of time bonding as they work and just keeping each other in check due to the trauma of the Utsuroshima Killing game: IRLkado keeping Rei from abusing her alcoholism, and Rei keeping him from, uh, hurting himself, among other things. Listen, coming face to face with an AI version of yourself that is more or less "you" and that you can see yourself taking the very actions "he's" done would fuck up your self-esteem now that you're committing yourself to a redemption arc. They also just bond over their mutual hatred over Kinjo.

By the time Teruya awakens and they have their scripted falling out with Kinjo, Rei and Teruya just hang out together as he recovers from...well, everything that happened from the Utsuroshima Killing game. They're bonding over the shit Kinjo has put them through over the years and Teruya laments the many times he's given him a second chance and how he proceeded to push and break them every single time. Rei just lets him do most of the venting as it's become clear to her that he's been bottling up most of his frustrations over the years and is kinda kicking herself for not giving him more support when he's been nothing but supportive of her all this time. She apologizes for not being a better friend to him, and Teruya almost brushes it away before pausing and decided to forgive her for it. He knows that unlike Kinjo, she's trying, and while she may not always catch herself making mistakes or struggle to show support due to her own inexperience in friendships, he appreciates the effort whenever she meets him halfway. Rei still wants to be better for him, and tells him that she'll show more support and care from now on...especially since he's found himself a partner he can rely on. This surprises Teruya as he didn't expect her to change her opinion on IRLkado, but she simply says that she had a lot of one-on-one time with him and decided that he is a better person, and has fully come around to Teruya's relationship with him. Doesn't stop her from giving him a jab about how he can do so much better than Mikado Sannoji, but she knows he won't change his mind at this point since they've clearly reaffirmed their love for one another. Teruya smacks her arm, and just like that, they've become closer than ever.

This is basically her feelings on IRL Sannotori/IRL Terukado: initially angry but reluctant before coming around to accepting and even taking jabs about it to them. Rei gets to be Teruya's Maid of Honor during their wedding, and gets to meet their first son, Shinra. Rei's not that good with kids in general but she usually shows her softer side around them, although she's definitely the stricter kind of role model to them. Shinra grows to like Rei and likes to learn a lot from her, and Rei, in turn, likes Shinra for how good of a student he is. Of course, when his gremlin side becomes more apparent, he starts being a little shit and likes to mess with her, much to her annoyance. She cares for him but he also drives her insane sometimes, which Teruya and IRLkado are both apologetic for as they try to keep Shinra in line. Eiki isn't that good with school so he tends to bud heads with Rei as she hunts him down whenever Teruya asks her to help tutor him, which results in Eiki trying to avoid Auntie Rei every chance he gets. Hisano is pretty much the golden student since she stays out of trouble and is good at learning, but she's clearly a lot more lost on what to do with her future unlike the rest of her siblings (minus Moriko, who is still a child). Rei is trying to help her find something to do as she claims it's easier to have a set goal in your life, but it's obvious that her advice isn't really sticking with her. Ryo, on the other hand, is a full-on delinquent that has a lot of issues with her birth parents, something that Rei relates to a lot but finds it frustrating that she's risking her own future by neglecting her studies. And unfortunately, since Rei is very no-nonsense and still pretty mean and Ryo is a hot-head that hates authority, they tend to clash so much that Teruya has to intervene and keep them from fighting each other. Moriko is a literal child, so Rei is naturally softer around her and she's often asked to tutor her as she's willing to adapt her teaching to help Moriko learn at her own pace due to her autism. She's more suited to older students like in a university setting but the fact that she tries to help Moriko learn the material shows that she cares about her, which helps Ryo understand her a bit better since she's closest with Moriko. Rei cares about all these kids, and is glad to see them grow up healthy under Teruya and IRLkado's care. She was initially concerned about IRLkado and how well he'd be a parent, but over the years her concerns wane as it becomes clear that he loves them very deeply and would do anything to make sure they're happy.

Tsurugi Kinjo

As mentioned before, Kinjo would be completely in the dark about Teruya and IRLkado's relationship. And unlike Rei, who eventually finds out about it, he doesn't know until minutes before his falling out with Teruya. He found out about what he did, using Rei and Teruya as bait to hide his double agent, the very same man that had helped AIkado in trying to revive Utsuro through the killing game. And he is FURIOUS for being betrayed by someone he considers to be his best friend, which results in the two of them arguing in his office. Since everyone lives this time, I think Kinjo would be less remorseful about it and doubles down on his justifications, saying that it all worked out in the end and that it was the only way to stop AIkado. But Teruya isn't having any of it, which tips Kinjo off that something has shifted in their usual dynamic as he starts to tear into him. Teruya goes on about the times he would use their trust in him against them over and over again, about the times he would give them a plan but keep them in the dark about certain details that put them in danger, the times he would abandon them to the criminals and Despairs that threatened their lives and only surviving by the skins of their teeth. And this was no different: Kinjo used Teruya and Rei (and IRLkado) as bait which they took hook, line, and sinker cause they trusted the plan they gave him (not necessarily IRLkado but he didn't have much say in the matter), when they lost contact with Setsuka, instead of sending a search party for clues or even a message she could've left behind, he stops all attempts to find her and essentially abandoned her to Void, all because he made contact with the same hitman that caught her and made a deal with him in secret behind everyone's backs?! Teruya chose to keep quiet about the goddamn money that was taken from their accounts because he trusted him when he said that it was just a backup plan, but it wasn't even that, was it? Sacrificing him and Rei and IRLkado and even Setsuka was always part of the plan, wasn't it? All because he trusted Syobai Hashimoto more than he trusted his own friends. The same hitman that helped set up the killing game, the same hitman that kidnapped all the victims and allowed them get killed, the same hitman that nearly killed his boyfriend because his AI paid him to!

"...Boyfriend?" Did he hear that correctly? Surely, he couldn't have. Teruya would never do that. He would never date their own enemy behind their backs like this. He trusted him that much.

But the way his eyes widen, the grimace on his face...it told him all he had to know. And Rei, who had been witnessing this moment without lifting a single finger, winces like she had known as well.

Teruya Otori...was dating that criminal? And Rei knew?

And he was...narrowing his eyes, his grimace strengthening into a scowl.

"Yes. My boyfriend." Teruya said, doubling down. "My boyfriend, who's waiting for me at home. That boyfriend."

Kinjo grips the arms of his wheelchair.

"You...This is ridiculous, Teruya!" Kinjo yells. And yet, Teruya just stares down at him, clutching his crutches so tightly that they shook. "He's a criminal! He's hurt civilians! He killed you-!"

"Killed?" Teruya...laughs. He had the audacity to laugh at him. And just as quickly as it had come out, he snaps his mouth shut until he bared his teeth at him. "You're right! I was killed! I was killed because Rei didn't have the time to make another escape code for me. I was killed because you chose to use me as bait which put me in that position in the first place. I was killed because Mikado - that Alter Ego - took advantage of my vulnerable state and input a firewall in my avatar, something that had to be destroyed to help the survivors escape that damned killing game, which meant that I had to let myself get murdered by him to give everyone a chance to survive."

"Teruya." Kinjo starts, a warning in his tone. But he could feel the clench in his throat. "Try to understand. Mikado Sannoji is dangerous and probably doesn't care about your feelings! He has the record to prove it! But while I may have chosen to sacrifice you, it was for the greater good. It was to prevent the most casualties-!"

"Greater good? Preventing casualties?" Teruya's crutches pound against the floor as he moves closer to the desk, almost like he was stomping. "Tell me, Kinjo, when Alter Ego came back online and threatened to blow up the island, when Sora lost her ability to make choices on her own, when Yuki pressed that button, what was your plan? To be stuck in those fantasies for the rest of your life as Alter Ego wrecks havoc onto the real world? Cause if that was your plan after sacrificing so many lives, then you sure as hell knew how to make it all worth it."

Silence.

Just pure, stunned silence.

A silence that Kinjo struggled to break. To come up with a rebuttal as his friend glares at him with an anger he hasn't seen in years.

A silence that he was eventually able to break.

"...that's not fair." Kinjo had never sounded so quiet before, so weak, not even to himself. "It's not fair to pin it all on me just because my plan didn't work out."

"...You're right. It isn't." The bright red rage on Teruya's face has simmered down. But the piercing resentment in his eyes never left. "Maybe, just maybe, if you had made different decisions, if you never went behind our backs and used us as bait, if Rei had more time for another code, if I hadn't panicked upon seeing her 'dead body' and tried to escape, then maybe things would have been different. Maybe we would have succeeded. Maybe we would have still failed. Maybe I still would have died for our mission. But you know what?" Teruya leans forward, glowering at him. "'What ifs' mean nothing here. This is the plan you came up with, and this is the result: almost everyone would have died or have been stuck in a fantasy and Alter Ego would have escaped and won. He would have won, if he hadn't made the mistake in believing that Akane Taira's brain dead body had nothing to do with the Divine Luck. The Divine Luck she inherited beyond death and Sora's connection to her brain allowing her to use it when she needed it most. He only lost because Sora was there, not because of you. And you wanna know the funniest thing in this shitshow?"

Kinjo didn't answer.

Teruya answered anyways.

"Mikado Sannoji was the one who killed me."

"But Mikado Sannoji was the one who saved me."

"Not. You."

And with those two final words, Teruya turned around. He moved in his haste, nearly tripping on his way out but managing to right himself before Rei could step in and help. He slams the door, leaving Kinjo to stare at where he once was.

"...He took the words right out of my mouth." Rei said the first words that comes out of her mouth since the start of this whole fight, and Kinjo snapped his head towards her.

"Rei. You can't be serious."

"I am." Rei scowled at him. "And just so you know, you're not taking any of the credit for what Mikado has done for the victims' survival. He may have set off the domino effect with the creation of his Alter Ego, but he's the one that prevented the victims' deaths from being irreversible. So as far as I'm concerned, he's already amending his crimes."

"Rei-"

"Don't talk to me." Rei turns on her heel. "You've proven yourself to be the most unreliable, incompetent, and untrustworthy fool I have ever met in my life. So you're no longer worth my time and effort. And if Teruya keeps his common sense intact, he'd be on the same page as me."

"Rei-!"

She slams the door.

And Tsurugi Kinjo...was left all alone.

...So with that impromptu mini-fic out of the way, Kinjo is left steaming over the fallout. He's still trying to justify his actions to himself, saying that they'll come back after they calm down and talk to him for work. So he waits. He waits for them call, to text him, to send a little note through their work if he has time to spare for a "personal" meeting.

But nothing.

No calls. No texts. Not even a note.

They were still working, Kinjo can see the documents they send over to him for daily check-ins. They're too professional to be petty and outright ignore him when it comes to work. But otherwise, they never reached out to him. Never talked to him. Even when Keisuke awkwardly tells him that they're still hanging out, they're hanging out without him. Like he wasn't...their friend anymore.

But that can't be right. They're his friends. His only friends left. And they promised to stick together. So why...?

Should...he apologize? Apologize for doing his job? Teruya always knew he struggled with difficult decisions in the past and while he always bud heads with her, Rei understood whenever he had to be pragmatic and even agree with him in certain scenarios. So maybe if he just apologized, they'll at least start talking to him again.

But even when he tried to send those texts, they remained untouched. Well, Teruya left him on read, but he leaves no reply. Fine then, he'll just talk to them during the meeting. But when he tries to arrive early, Rei and Teruya weren't there to catch up in person like usual. And when they finally arrived together, there were too many people he was comfortable with to try and apologize so he just started the meeting with the awkward air between them. By the time it finishes, he tries to call out for Rei and Teruya to wait. Rei rolls her eyes while Teruya asked him if there was something wrong with their work. When he says no, though, he turns his back on him and says not to bother him unless it was work-related and leaves with Rei. He watches them go, his confusion slowly turning into realization. It couldn't be. It...couldn't be. Right?

Right?

And yet, when that judge gave it's final verdict for Void, for Mikado Sannoji that had proven himself to be "reformed" through the very work and missions Kinjo has forced upon him, he's left reeling as the very laws he believed would bring justice let him go with such a light sentence. All because he's changed? All because AIkado's crimes were his own and not IRLkado's? All because...he could help so many people under the Foundation's work with his skills?

Tsurugi calls out to Teruya. To understand what was happening before his very eyes. And Teruya...links his arm with IRLkado's and walks right past him, Rei following after him, and Setsuka giving him a condescending wave.

Tsurugi Kinjo...was alone.

He was all alone...because he has destroyed whatever love and trust his friends had in him.

And that's when Tsurugi has his mental breakdown like in that Omake I have yet to read but I have seen those CGs and wow, he is doing horribly, huh.

As for Tsurugi's feelings on the kids...uh, tbh with you, he has never met them. Why? Well, remember when I mentioned that funeral in Shinra's profile? Yeah, that was Tsurugi's. His health has pretty much declined after realizing the ramifications of his own actions and just leaving the Kisaragi Foundation, and with how the blessings of Divine Luck works, Tsurugi's Fortune has pretty much faded to nothing at this point so he would've ended up here sooner or later unless Yuki blessed him again (but I don't think he would've done that considering how he instantly left the scene after he was free, which I think says a lot on how he feels about Tsurugi and the Kisaragi Foundation as a whole). Rei had told Teruya about Tsurugi's declining health from a message she received from Keisuke, and he decides to go visit him while IRLkado stayed home cause haha, ain't no way in hell he's going to see him willingly. But Teruya at least wanted to see him one last time, even if it doesn't go well, and Rei takes him to where he has hidden himself away from the world, which is also where Keisuke is since he had offered to stay with Tsurugi and take care of him. While Rei is making herself at home, she refuses to go see Tsurugi as she has made it clear what her stance on him was last time and is going to stick to that. She's only here for Teruya since this news made him want to see Tsurugi, nothing more. Respecting her wishes, Teruya enters Tsurugi's room and he sits by his bed, where his ex-friend remains. When he talks, he doesn't apologize, not really. But he clearly regrets everything he's done, for he just couldn't see any better options. Teruya figured he hadn't changed too much, even when death is hovering over him. And yet, he still chooses to stay, cause he believes no one deserves to die alone. That's the only kindness he's willing to give him now. Tsurugi doesn't say anything else, silently crying as he knew he didn't really deserve it.

("For what it's worth, I'll miss what could've been. I'll miss what remained of our friendship.")

So, yeah, Tsurugi never got to meet Teruya and IRLkado's kids. But if we bring the Afterlife Theater in this, he's probably sulking in his seat as he watches Teruya and IRLkado happily raise their kids together.

Ryutaro Maki

Since you asked about the 6.5 cast as well, here ya go! We'll go through them in character order, starting with our protag, Ryutaro. The interesting thing about Ryutaro in 6.5 is that he's, like, your average teenage little brother: annoying, but caring and a bit rebellious. And from what little we see of him in SDRA2, he clearly doesn't really agree with Kinjo's attitude but he also doesn't like those that hurt others. And when Keisuke nearly takes the shot at the risk of hitting Midori in the epilogue, Ryutaro is frustrated that Keisuke nearly did that with barely a pause until Midori calms him down by pointing out that there was no right or wrong decision in that moment, he was just trying to do what he thought was right. And it's not like Midori didn't tell him to take the shot anyways. I imagine Ryutaro was still upset about it but he calms down and is clearly confused on what he believes is right and wrong. Especially when two of his closest friends (and one being his crush) are being affected by the split that has happened in the Kisaragi Foundation. He has yet to choose a side between "Hawks," "Doves," and "Neutrals," according to LINUJ and the wiki, but to me, he leans more towards Doves due to his disgust at Kinjo and Keisuke's choices.

With this in mind, I think Ryutaro's feelings on IRLkado would be...confusion and curiosity, mostly. He gets that they have to work with him and is at least willing to give him a chance on that alone, but he still wouldn't trust him as far as he could throw him. And yet, Teruya seems weirdly close to him? Like, they're almost never seen without each other but he kinda just chalks it up to IRLkado not being allowed to be alone without a guard. And since a few idiot guards apparently hurt him while he was under the Director's care, it's no wonder Teruya is wary of leaving him alone if it means putting him at risk with some Foundation members that tend to abuse their power. But it's none of his business and he allows IRLkado to hang out with them during the mission, even when Keisuke would rather he be anywhere else but here. And somehow this leads to them??? Forging a bond???? Like, Ryutaro kinda just asks some questions about IRLkado's hobbies and stuff and IRLkado is like, "?? What hobbies?" And Ryutaro is like, "What do you mean you don't have hobbies? I'm getting you a hobby." And introduces him to Smash Bros. and the rest is history.

That being said, don't leave them alone for very long. Turns out that they both lack any sort of restraint together and do some pretty dumb stuff.

Teruya: "What did you do?!"

Mikado, sweating: "In my defense, I was left unsupervised."

Keisuke: "That's why we left Ryutaro with you?!!"

Ryutaro, also sweating: "In my defense, I was also left unsupervised-"

As for how Ryutaro found out about their relationship, he probably suspected it from the start but didn't want to say anything in case he was wrong. He didn't want to cause any trouble for them. And for all he knew, it could've been a really strong friendship, you know? But eventually he accidentally walks in on them kissing after a mission and realized, "OH, they really are dating," and just walks away. Even going as far as to steer Keisuke away cause he knows he would NOT keep this a secret from Kinjo. As long as they were happy and IRLkado isn't going to backstab them, this ain't any of his business. And, as time goes on, it became pretty clear to him that IRLkado has started regretted his past actions and crimes and is working his way to redemption. A goal he respects and supports alongside Teruya.

He just wishes he's not stuck as the third wheel so often.

As for his feelings on the kids, he's either this cool uncle that likes to spoil them whenever he visits, or he prefers not to hang out with them. Not because he doesn't like them but more because kids aren't really his thing? He'd rather hang out with someone his age. Still, if Teruya and IRLkado need a babysitter, Ryutaro is an option. Let's just hope he doesn't burn the house down in his poor attempts at cooking, though. He finds Shinra cool as hell, Eiki talks so much that he struggles to keep up, Hisano is a bit too quiet for his liking, he encourages Ryo's teenage rebellion, and Moriko gives him scary kid vibes like in those horror movies...until she pulls up a normal kids' movie and he realizes she's just Like That.

Midori Yamaguchi

According to LINUJ (a.k.a. the wiki), Midori belongs in the Neutral group, someone who doesn't think either side is right or wrong and would want everyone to try and understand each other's POVs. Or at least keep their wits about each other as they work together. So Midori is probably one of the few people that are actually pretty chill with IRLkado's introduction into the Kisaragi Foundation, although she wouldn't go out of her way to hang out with him since she knows he's still a dangerous criminal. Not until she does some pet sitting for Teruya and IRLkado since they can't always be home to take care of their cat, alongside Minako. (Btw, they have a cat, her name is Hina and she's an American Curl with only three legs due to one of them needing to be amputated due to an infected injury, and these cats have the best ears ever, look at them.) After that, they kind of just have small talk or just vibe whenever they hang out with Ryutaro. They play games, Midori teaches IRLkado how to do braids and such, and they kinda just...chill together. It's a friendship that mostly just develops in the background since they don't really hold much conflict with each other? Midori still holds him accountable for what he's done, but otherwise, she doesn't hold much judgment for him while they hang out and it's very...refreshing for IRLkado amongst a sea of people that would be more than okay if he were to kick the bucket due to his criminal status.

As for Teruya and IRLkado's relationship, again, she's pretty chill about it when she's told. Although she may be a bit of a shipper on deck for them. She's ultimately supportive but would probably set them up on a few dates if she could. She also loves their kids and probably played with them a few times. Depending on her illness and whether or not it's curable, I don't know how long she'd live to see them grow, but I like to think that she at least gets to meet them all once. Or was she just prone to constant sickness? Either way, she helps Shinra relax around doctors, lets Eiki talk to her about his interests, reads with Hisano, tries to steer Ryo away from rebellion (stop it, Ryutaro, stop), and tries to help Moriko with her sewing projects (they don't turn out well, but she's happy with it nonetheless).

Keisuke Iranami

Oh, he's definitely THE MOST against IRLkado being a part of the Kisaragi Foundation, simply because he's in the most agreement with Kinjo's orders as seen in SDRA2. He's supposedly a part of the "Hawks," too, which is the group that sides with Kinjo the most. So I think he'd hate criminals in general and feels pretty bound to the law and the orders he receives. So Keisuke does not trust him in the slightest and wished that Kinjo didn't allow him to work with them. But for the sake of the missions, he tries his best to keep opinions to himself and be amicable for the most part. But IRLkado can definitely tell that he doesn't like him, and frankly, neither does he, and the two of them just have this underlying beef with each other that just grows over time. Teruya is trying his best to mediate between them while Ryutaro is just standing there like, "Wow, this is the most I've ever seen you angry, Keisuke-" Cause IRLkado just brings out a different side to him that the cool-headed and sweet big brother Keisuke Iranami usually doesn't show around others simply because they are people he likes. But around someone he doesn't like? He can be quite cold! Which kinda alienates him from his own friends when sees that the rest of the 6.5 cast + Teruya (and eventually Rei) starts hanging out with IRLkado more and treats him like he's a friend, something he just...doesn't agree with. Especially since he had burned down an orphanage and hurt so many people, all to meet this one guy that was responsible for killing most of the 79th class, including his sister. He just...doesn't like him. Doesn't trust him at all.

And then it's revealed that Teruya and IRLkado have been dating this whole time. It...shocks him, to say the least. He doesn't lash out at Teruya like Kinjo and Rei do at the start, but he does put distance between them because he's struggling to wrap his head around the fact that the same kid that he's grown to see as a little brother, someone that was close to his sister, would fall in love and willingly enter a relationship with someone that had worshipped the very guy that killed Satsuki and traumatized them. So he just...stops talking to Teruya for a long time, following after Kinjo after he has his mental breakdown and taking care of him while he's in hiding as Dr. Ando makes it very clear that he can't be left alone as he is now. Spending those long months helping him and keeping him company gave him a lot to think about, and when Kinjo passes with only Teruya by his side, mostly out of pity for what little remained of their friendship, Keisuke...kinda realizes how much being a "Hawk" has distanced himself from his friends. They haven't really talked all that much lately and the more he spends time with other fellow "Hawks," the more he realized that their ideals seem quite...extreme to the point that he's usually left uncomfortable around them. He still agrees with them for the most part, but...is it really worth it if it means he'll alienate his friends from himself? If it means he'll be unhappy with himself in the long run if he continues to be stubborn? If he'll die (almost) all alone, like Kinjo? These thoughts scares him to the point that he ends up asking Rei for advice, feeling bad that an older brother like him is asking someone that's pretty much the same age as Satsuki. Rei frowns but tells it to him straight: sometimes there's an obvious right and wrong answer, but more often than not, the choices you're given aren't always right. Sometimes it's about choosing which one you consider to be the lesser evils and not everyone is going to agree on that. Even when two humans have similar beliefs, they may make different decisions depending on certain factors they considered. So it's natural to bud heads with other people. The problem comes when you refuse to hold yourself accountable for your own actions and the consequences that come with it. Tsurugi was constantly brushing off their criticisms and repeating his toxic behavior until it blew up in his face and they no longer gave him any more chances. That's why he ended up dying almost all alone: he kept testing his loved one's trust in him until it finally broke and drove them all away. Keisuke hasn't done anything to completely break his friends' trust in him yet (and the one time he risked it was when Yuki intervened so the worse case scenario never played out) and as long as he's willing to listen and talk to them about any kind of issues, he'll probably be fine in the long run. This advice helps Keisuke with his concerns and he thanks her before making some calls to Ryutaro and the others. Frankly, they were more upset that he rarely kept in touch with them while he was away, but they're glad to hear from him again. Relieved that he still has his friends, they all have a long discussion about where they stand and how things have been going on their end.

By the time the wedding happens, Keisuke is there as Ryutaro is probably IRLkado's Best Man (since he's one of his few friends in that support group and God help him with all those responsibilities) and he was invited by him. Things are! Very awkward! Between Keisuke and IRLkado as they barely got along when they were working together. But Keisuke just swallows down his wariness and apologizes for how he treated IRLkado back then, admitting that he didn't trust him, hell he still doesn't, but he's been way too harsh to him in the past among other things. IRLkado also apologizes, but carefully, saying that he understood why he acted the way he did, he was a criminal, after all. It just made it harder for him to be a better person when he was constantly on his case for every little thing. The two end their conversation on a truce, never truly becoming friends due to their different beliefs and history together, but ultimately burying the hatchet for a bit peace between them and the friends they share. As for the kids, Keisuke probably only interacts with them through Teruya and he tries his best to act like a cool uncle as he doesn't want to hurt them just because they're the kids of someone he had past beef with. He's constantly scolding Shinra for his pranks (which only encourages him to do it even more), sharing jokes with Eiki, trying to bond with Hisano but failing due to her interests being the opposite of his (fun and sweet VS horror and terror), keeping Ryo in line, and playing with Moriko as he shows her how to do acrobatics.

Minako Tomori

Minako's feelings on IRLkado were wary but otherwise indifferent. She knew he was a criminal, everyone does, and doesn't go out of her way to greet him. However, she also kinda doesn't care about what he's up to so long as he's not plotting anything that can hurt others, which means that she's a little bit more willing to have a conversation with him if it strikes her. It isn't until after she becomes a pet sitter that she extends an olive branch to him and the two of them start being friendly with one another. She's not sure how it happened, but IRLkado kinda starts approaching her for advice every now and then like she's someone to be looked up to, which she would laugh about cause her? A decent role model? That's hilarious, hahahaha, oh wait, he's serious. Minako needs a moment to process that cause while she has been working on herself on becoming a better person, she's still, well, herself. She doesn't really consider herself role model material after all the fuck ups she's done. But IRLkado actually sees her as a role model because she messed up. She messed up a lot, to herself and the people she loved. But she still took responsibility and broke away from her toxic behavior, choosing to work on herself and be better rather than to remain who she is. IRLkado goes to her for advice because she's probably the closest person who could understand his attempts at being a better person than anyone else, even though she never committed any crimes like he did. This gets her to soften up just a little bit, although she tells him not to follow her example to a T since she's still working on being better and her advice may not always be sound as her experiences in life were pretty shit, so that would cloud her judgment. IRLkado just says that he'll at least consider her advice and the two of them continue to hang out like usual.

As for Teruya and IRLkado's relationship? Ooooooh, she was on that shit since the beginning. Like, she was 90% sure they were dating, she doesn't know when, but she sure as hell knows that it's happening! The gossip over how close they are to each other and the possibility of their relationship doesn't slip by her either as she is a gossiper through and through, and Minako is just WAITING for the other shoe to drop. So when Teruya came to her for help and came clean about his relationship with IRLkado under the promise she'd keep it a secret, she immediately puts her hands up in the air and goes, "I FUCKING KNEW IT!!"

"Wha - You knew?!"

"I mean, I had my suspicions, but now that I know, Ryutaro owes me over three-thousand yen."*

"YOU WERE MAKING BETS?!"

(*About 20 US dollars.)

Minako doesn't tell anyone, she promised after all and she's not the kind of person to spread that around since it would get them into lots of trouble (and would technically out them). But she does take every opportunity to tease them whenever they hang out, much to both of their embarrassment. As for her reactions to the kids, she probably spoils them and treats them like any wine aunt would, although the kids probably see her more like a grandma than an aunt. She thinks Shinra is a lot of fun when he's not being a little shit towards her, Eiki annoys her sometimes with how lazy he can be, she tries to give advice to Hisano but she's constantly tuning her out due to their different views on appearances, Ryo is highly wary of her due to her past behavior even though Minako is genuinely trying to be better, and she dotes on Moriko every chance she gets.

Dr. Hikaru Ando

Fun Fact #2: the reason why IRLkado survived his encounter with Syobai is because his luck came in and Dr. Ando just so happened to cross paths with the same alleyway that he was dying in. So when he found him still breathing and barely clinging to life, Dr. Ando dropped everything he was doing to try and prolong his life until help arrived, which is how IRLkado ended up at the Kisaragi Foundation. If he wasn't there, IRLkado would have died and it's a miracle that he had pulled through to the very end. The thing is, though, Mikado Sannoji has been on the Kisaragi Foundation's radar for a while now due to the security breach in the data logs that allowed him to find out what happened to Utsuro. They didn't exactly know what he was plotting but the fact that he broke into their security in the first place was already a crime so they looked into him. Rei, of course, figures out that Mikado is a criminal that specializes in hacking, but has also done many other crimes under different identities, including murder, violence, and thievery (kidnapping is under AIkado's crimes). So he immediately became wanted under the Kisaragi Foundation's rule. Problem is, Dr. Ando did not realize who IRLkado was until AFTER he brought him into the Kisaragi Foundation for treatment. Oops. He still would've saved his life as he prioritizes his patients health and safety above all else, regardless of their background (the way Kanata interacted with the yakuza as she tries to treat them says a lot about what she learned from Dr. Ando), but he probably would've set up a lot more security measures if he knew right from the start. When he realizes who IRLkado is, he gives Kinjo a heads up and discusses what to do with him. He wants him to recover from his injuries first before they decide his sentence, but Kinjo insists on getting rid of him now since he won't be able to escape as he is now. Just as they start clashing over their beliefs, another piece of information is dropped into Kinjo's lap...and it turns out there's a second Mikado Sannoji running around which immediately confuses everyone in the room. Realizing that there's more to the situation than meets the eye, Kinjo relents in letting IRLkado live and Dr. Ando is relieved to know that his patient will live another day. He tries to keep things peaceful as IRLkado recovers and remains kind to him, but while he's grateful that he's alive and that Dr. Ando saved him, he doesn't trust him cause haha, this is the Kisaragi Foundation, which means he's in enemy territory now. By the time Dr. Ando gives the greenlight to allow IRLkado to rest up on his own without requiring a doctor's surveillance in the medical ward, that's when Kinjo intervenes and officially arrests IRLkado for his crimes, but also to interrogate him on what he knows about this second Mikado Sannoji. Dr. Ando isn't happy about this as IRLkado is still recovering, but he also knows that IRLkado has a lot to answer for in his past crimes, so he backs down under the belief that Kinjo will be careful with him.

He...ends up regretting this decision when Teruya comes back with IRLkado for a diagnosis and it became pretty clear that he hasn't been treated well in his cell ever since he was removed from his care. IRLkado was his patient, and, in a way, he failed him by allowing harm to come to him when he was still recovering. At least, that's how he sees things. Dr. Ando is very remorseful about this, and tries to make up for his oversight by caring for IRLkado every chance he gets and helps him with any medical problems he needs. IRLkado is obviously upset over Dr. Ando's role in the situation but is also conflicted cause he's both the one that saved him but also the one that indirectly got him arrested in the first place. They do eventually clear the air between them, though, with Dr. Ando apologizing for not doing more for him and IRLkado coming to an understanding as to why he allowed the arrest to happen in the first place even though his recovery wasn't fully completed after a bit of introspection and therapy. He was a criminal and had done horrible things in his pursuit of Utsuro, so he knew he didn't really have the right to be TOO upset about this. But awareness of his crimes wasn't the same as regretting them, and now that he's on the path of redemption, he realized that his grudge on the arrest wasn't really justified since his motivations were entirely selfish and hurt many people. So after unpacking all of that, he says it's okay and that Dr. Ando doesn't need to apologize since his role in the matter was small in the long run and he still did everything he could to help him with his health. After that, their relationship has become pretty amicable, comfortable even.

So when Teruya and IRLkado come out about their relationship to him, Dr. Ando is pretty chill about it. He even says that he thought something was going on between them, he just wasn't sure what. Which kinda kills Teruya on the inside cause that means a lot more people have noticed their behavior around each other than he realized. Dr. Ando has met all of their kids at least once as he gives medical advice to them, with Shinra being scared of him due to being a doctor and his trauma from being a lab rat which makes him kinda sad, Eiki telling him a bunch of fun facts about rocks during his visits to help him relax, Dr. Ando giving Hisano books on medicine to encourage her hobby, doing his best to be patient with Ryo (which is actually pretty easy since doctors are one of the few authority figures she's willing to openly respect), and Moriko gives him sewn lil duck figures every time she sees him. He puts them on his shelf for all to see. :]

And that's everyone, yahoooooo. *lays down for I spent at least a day working on this*

[alilaro]

im genuinely glad to be alive still :-)