#shes not really tsundere i guess shes more... kuudere? is that the term?

[crowdsourcedloner]

7. Do they (or would they) pursue the other character’s affection, and if so, how? Do they tell the other character how they feel? Try to earn their admiration? Woo them with romantic gestures? Flirt with them, skillfully or otherwise?

Nailah pursues G'raha's affection in the most oblique ways possible, all for the sake of plausible deniability should he not return her affections. She'll try to spend time around him ("I have nowhere better to be" or "I think you'll like this place") or she'll get food for him ("I was hungry and bought more than I could eat") or she'll bring a neat trinket for him (she doesn't even try to justify it, she just leaves it with a little note on his desk saying its for him).

Words don't come easily to her, and even less so when she's trying to communicate her feelings. Whenever she's tried to tell him how much he means to her, even as a friend, the words get caught in her throat and refuse to come out. She's somewhat better at writing her thoughts into poetry, but her poor handwriting and habit of switching between hroth and common makes them difficult to read. She has recently discovered an interest in scoring music, though, and is trying to compose a song to give to him in the form of a small music box. She hopes it will, at the very least, show him how she sees him as a good friend and admires his character.

On G'raha's side, he tries to be as verbally open as possible with her without outright saying he loves her. He'll tell her about places he's recently read about to try and make conversation with her, which she usually obliges in her normal terse way. He'll shower her in compliments at the slightest provocation, nearly waxing poetic at her accomplishments, which she bashfully brushes off. His most successful attempts have been letters detailing what he's been up to since they last met, which he leaves in her room at the annex for her to find later. She cherishes each one she finds.

[vlads-yuka]

A few Ikepri suitor theories (hc?)

So just earlier (not really anymore, since this took me a few d a y s) I was talking on discord about who among the suitors would be which type (the mom, yandere, tsundere etc) and since I wrote such a long thing about Rio, I thought I could try to do the same for the others 👉👈

I base my assumptions on translations I found of canon content (as of June 7th) as well as my own understanding of Japanese (I might be wrong about things that I claim canon, so if I do please tell me).

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Leon

So it's pretty obvious that Leon is the Ore-sama type basic black haired first guy. I honestly don't have much to say about him, his animal is the Lion, often labeled as the king of animals (how funny haha) so he's going to be very proud and probably use MC just to do his thing and that's it. It's likely he treats MC unfairly and grants you a few misogynistic comments about how useless you are if not to allow him the throne. Eventually, he'll fall in love and become at first awkward af and then probably really sweet and somewhat protective (he has a goal to achieve and his pride won't allow him to let you be hurt in front of him). He'll have some kind of sexy scene when feelings are returned and single handedly resolve whatever drama happens while swearing to protect you and make you happy once everything is over.

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Yves

Yves is really awkward. He tries to act tough like he doesn't give a damn but that's to hide that he's too clumsy to say things honestly (unless it comes to Licht). Pretending to be a tsundere, maybe his lack of luck will also come with the fact that being a bitch to everyone draws them away from you, and he's probably scared of hurting the people he cares about with his harsh words, but that's his only way to hide his "weak" self. He actually doesn't feel comfortable with a lot of people so he doesn't bother opening up. He's dense as fuck and doesn't realize that Licht DOESN'T CARE. Once you try hard enough and keep on being nice to him even though he'd expect you to hate him by now, he'll be so thrown off guard that you'll get to see his adorable stuttering messy self. He'll probably threaten you to not spill what you know about this part of him. He'll gradually sweeten and allow himself to touch more MC and he probably has the cutest laugh once he fully opens up. He's not really clingy unless he's sleeping with MC (you're not getting out of the hug until he says so) and will act selfishly from time to time because suddenly he wants a hug but doesn't want to do it in front of everyone. Note that his earring will be an important part of his past and since there's only one of it, it's either that the other is somewhere else or it's originally not an earring and was something else belonging to someone dear to him. He might break/lose it at some point in his route (since he's unlucky). After MC help him trying to fix/find it for his sake he'll grow soft and tell her how she makes him happier than ever by being her lover and he doesn't need it anymore if he has you, thanking you to have let him love you (I'm thinking about that one adorable cg in the trailer where you can't see his earring and I can't tell if it's just hidden or not) and he'll find/have it fixed soon after. He'll probably tell you that being by your side makes him feel better because he's so lucky to have you that it's almost like his usual rotten luck is meaningless (or at least that's what he'll think if he's too embarrassed to say it). He probably needs to be praised (not exaggerated or he'll sulk thinking you're making fun of him) and he'll blush into an adorable mess.

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Licht

Licht is that one suitor who thinks he doesn't need anyone (and no one needs or wants him). He's super love deprived and will say mean stuff like he's too cool for you (it's canon he's a kuudere and misanthropist) and sincerely doesn't want to have to do anything with anyone. He's the definition of a lone wolf (funny innit) and will be cold, interested and mean with MC for a good part of the beginning of his route. Now this could go two ways. Either Nokto will reveal you about his/their past (because he's that bitch but he probably cares about him) which will allow you to somewhat find your way inside his shell and let you do something he likes, which would, for once, let him show his pure and cute smile, or something will happen causing him to have to protect you (it may be a real danger, but I'd rather think it would be something not necessarily dangerous but triggering to a trauma) and he'd drop his resting bitch face. I think his case could be similar to Kenshin's. He doesn't dislike people, he just hates that he can't/couldn't protect them. His animal being the wolf, I think Licht would become very protective once in a relationship. Him being the powerful male of you two, he'd act like the leader of a bundle of wolves and protect you as you and him. By that I mean he doesn't protect you especially, he protect what the both of you are, and it's like protecting himself at the same time. I think he'd be really quite but would love nuzzling in private. He's that one prince who's icy to everyone but warm to his lover in private. In the same logic as protecting, he'd make sure that you have everything you need and I can imagine Nokto working a bit behind the scenes too to make sure Licht can open himself in a good environment with MC. I don't think Licht hates Nokto, but I definitely think he'd be mad that Nokto is popular and can keep people around him (and in that way, somewhat protect them) so I can see Nokto understanding that and plotting things so MC can help his brother regain confidence. Licht would be the type to, like wolves, have his lover stick to him all the time, but it wouldn't feel obsessive, it'd feel more natural and protective (he's definitely not a yandere imo). In terms of displays of affection, he wouldn't be too vocal about his feelings (he doesn't know much about it yet, it's not really familiar to him to let himself feel so much) and wouldn't say much in general, he's more of an action person. In public, your hands would probably be GLUED but that's about it. In private he'd definitely hug a lot more than kissing and would be the big spoon most of the time when cuddling.

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Jin

I have a feeling Jin is one of those suitors who thinks MC is too pure for him and he shouldn't stain them with however disgusting he thinks he is. I expect him to be a fun mix between Shingen and Arthur and I'm pretty sure his route will be a RIDE. He's absolutely shameless and probably touchy (it's canon he's a boob man, Clavis said it so you better believe it), but I don't think he will with MC. Since he said in his profile he wants to watch MC chose a suitor rather than get involved in becoming king, I think it's going to start by him spending gradually less time with Clavis as he spies on you. Naturally, he'll fall in love (before MC does) and understand quite fast but might take some time to acknowledge it. Something will probably happen like MC randomly tripping or facing a dangerous situation for him to come out of the shadows to protect both her body and her pureness (the type of guy to fight while telling you to not open your eyes and remove your hands from your ears until he says so). Upon you thanking him, he'll go with a bitter smile because he knows he loves it but doesn't deserve it. MC will probably try to make it up to him and so he will spend more and more time being intoxicated with love while trying to push you away. Will come a moment where something bad happens and he realizes that the only way to protect what he wants to protect is with the throne. He'd probably say some cheesy line like "I didn't intend to become the king but I guess it wouldn't be too bad to have you as my wife" and will end up accepting. He'll be a king putting the well-being of the people before his and he'll keep on saying how proud he is of you. In terms of affection, he wouldn't go overboard in public but he'd definitely say some inappropriate stuff in your ear to make you blush in front of important guests. I think he would definitely keep PDA to a minimum because you're his woman and he doesn't want anyone else to see your pleasured face. But boy once you're together between 4 walls he has no self control and doesn't care a single bit if you want to work a little more before sleeping, because you're not going to be able to anyways with him in your bed. An eagle looks like it'd be free spirited and proud so I think this is where his personality will go.

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Chevalier

The information we have on him definitely makes him one of the hardest characters to guess for me, so I'm quite unsure and I'm sorry (I love him tho). For a start, I think a good comparison would be Nobunaga, since the first impression is pretty much the same. Now Chevalier certainly isn't as shameless as Nobu when it comes to touching women (in fact, I think that in the beginning of the route he'd be treating MC with respect but lots of distance). I'm pretty sure I caught him referring to himself as a monster several times, and he's convinced that his core is filth. However, the fact that he's a monster doesn't mean he can't do anything good. The fact that he's often drenched in blood means he fights a lot and this comforts him in his own thought that he's a monster (my best guess is that he's been called so by people in his childhood because he beat some brat up or something and he just decided to stick with it because it's just more convenient than trying to explain why he did), as well as the fact that he probably doesn't smack just anyone and does so it protect his ideals (in that way, he's quite like Mitsuhide). Again, I think that, like Mitsuhide, he overall doesn't bother supporting his acts with saying why he does them, and just does what he thinks is right. Rio mentioned that Chevalier is a late riser and Sariel added that tigers are nocturnal. During night, I think he secretly does some sort of charity stuff (secretly, because it's just laughable to have a monster do charity and he wants to keep acts of light away from his name, that's associated with filth) and probably also beats up some criminals here and there. I think that this would be uncovered a night where MC can't sleep and follows Chevalier out of the castle (maybe she's curious and wants to understand him more, maybe he dropped something) and finds about it. He's not stupid and MC probably is to some extent as usual so he'll notice and will start to tell her why he does this and why he doesn't want it to be known. Following this event MC will start to think that after all he's not just a monster and will stick with him when he goes doing charity at night because you can "Do whatever, it's not my business". While spending time there with you, you'll slowly creep up on his list of things he wants to protect even if he has to stain his hands. Of course, some kind of drama will lead him to have to do it, probably in front of a large number of people and I can see him leaving his sword aside and kneeling to the enemy to protect MC from danger. There, he'll show his sweet side and his desire to see you happy more than anything. Of course, you, who already loved him, will call him out on his bs and tell him you don't want him to be hurt either and you love his beautiful smile. He'll definitely be confused at first but then will take a new breathe and save you, who became a part of him. He'll obviously still think of himself as a monster, but he knows that doesn't mean you can't love him. He won't stop fighting for his ideals, but now that he has to protect himself to protect you, he'll stop being as reckless and definitely will be thankful that you helped him access the throne to pursue his dreams (even though at first everyone told you that you should stay away from him, but you loved seeing his eyes so full whenever he was doing something good). In terms of relationship, Chevalier will be reasonably protective and will trust you to not betray him because "Only you could love a monster like me, and I won't stop loving you either" or something like that. He'll definitely be quite of a tease in private when he wants things to get heated but most of the time it'll just be fluffy with small forehead kisses, hair combing and warm hugs (he's always the big spoon and he's soo warm).

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Clavis

You heard it, the court's number one problem child is romanceable (and this is so messy wtf I literally can't decypher him at all I feel like I wrote something so wrong for him ugh I'm so sorry). He loves to stir up drama and then sit back to watch and has no shame in doing so. Since MC will, as usual, be kinda dumb and innocent, Clavis will tease her A LOT, and use her to stir up even more shit. No one at the court really likes him (COUGH Sariel COUGH) but some somewhat tolerate him, like Chevalier (but if he goes overboard he'll end him). I mean I say no one important, because he sure has a lot of women swooning over him, but I can see him being all flirty and stuff but then not doing anything because he just doesn't really care, it's for fun (lol). When he mentioned Jin's preference, I think he said that he himself was more of an ass man (he said something like leg or something iirc but bruh we all know what that entails when the other option is boobs). Clavis will propose you to mess up the king election (more like drag you into it), but I'm pretty sure that it's because he knows that something fucked up is happening or bound to happen. It seems he will pull up a Mitsuhide except he drags you into it, probably to have you by his side when shit will go down so he can protect you (since you'll trust him, i guess ?). Everything will go according to plan, except for the fact that he's starting to be fond of you, so instead of just having you into the drama and protect you from afar, he'll start to actively stick with you, which will screw up his plans. I'm honestly not too sure about what will happen but basically he realizes he can't be as carefree as usual when something so big is going on and his love interest is in the middle of it because of him and decides to tell you what is happening so you can untrust yourself to him. I think from this point onwards, you both will somewhat have understood what you feel for each other, but nothing will have been said. Hand holding will be normal, and cuddling too if the situation forces you both to stick together outside and/or hide. He figures he'll just confess properly after everything will be over and he'll get to apologize for getting you into all of this. Once it is actually over, he'll turn into a big romantic (Chevalier but cringe) to start the relationship like it deserves to and then will proceed to tease the shit out of you. Overall he'll be a Mitsuhide or Leonardo type lover in my opinion. Now HEAR ME OUT, have you ever seen a leopard walking ? It's beautiful. He knows it. I can just see him walking while somehow seductively balancing his hips sjshid imagine him crawling on bed djdbjd MY MIND IS GOING DOWN THE GUTTER. He's such a flirty seductive ass but I swear he's loyal he just wants to see your cute pouting face. He's quite blunt when it comes to PDA (that's where the fact that he's an ass man comes in handy if you see me haha I can't help it he has a thot dot) and will not hesitate to straight up make out in public if he thinks it's needed (he's not dumb sjbsix he likes to stir up shit for fun but he wouldn't do something extreme if he knew it would end up bad when there are other ways).

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Nokto

Two words: skirt-chasing liar. The man painted his nails to have them black when he does the fox/kitsune hand symbol, he's totally trying to have people distrust him. It is mentioned that Nokto's behavior is a great contrast to his past heroic acts. Linking this to what I wrote of Licht, I think he might have been praised for whatever he did and he hated it because he didn't reach his goal (like nobunaga who unites Japan but hates the fact that there are victims nonetheless). What would be the most interesting would be if it was like I hypothesized of Licht, that he couldn't protect someone in particular. In that way, there would be a contrast between Licht feeling like he can't protect anything and Nokto who can protect everything but what he really cares about. Following this logic, his womanizer personality could be explained in the way that by chasing skirts left and right he can feel like he doesn't have anyone important and protect himself from the pain of loving someone too much and the pain of losing them. Now, either the two's traumas are totally different, or it might be the same event; if so, my best guess would be their mother's death. However, Nokto being a womanizer leads me to think that it was actually a love interest that he lost. Being a good liar and trickster (kitsune things), I assume he's good at reading people and is probably very observant of his brother. If his brother even confided in him, I'm pretty sure Nokto would hide his disappointment of not having been able to protect a few people for his brother's sake. I think his route (or at least the beginning of it) would be a mix of Mitsuhide and Arthur's, being some bold flirting at first as a warning because he wants to draw pure MC away from him. I think MC would then be drawn by his caring attitude toward Licht (almost like a big brother, even though he's the 7th prince and Licht is the 6th) and would make him notice how kind he is. Nokto would probably find a way to make her uncomfortable with heavy flirting mixed up with denying but if it repeats, he'll probably just say that he wants to protect the last person he dares to care about. MC would probably see pain and sadness in his gaze and choice of words and kind of like Arthur's route, she'd be drawn to this vulnerable caring side of him and understand the flirting is only a part of Nokto. Drama will happen, and Nokto will have a breakdown, because he got attached to MC and is convinced he won't be able to protect her. It's likely he tries to push you away even more to make you mad and break his own heart before he has to see you die before his eyes too. Due to this bring a heavy and very bottled up trauma, he will be looking very distressed and MC will rather try to soothe him. I do think Nokto might be crying at this moment (the other one I have in mind would be Yves) and both will realize their feelings at this very moment. However Nokto still won't think he can protect you, but maybe Licht would think something like "I can't protect anything by myself but I can help my brother protect what he cares for" and help him, which would easy Nokto into the idea of having to fight. It's also possible Clavis and Chevalier join in, but I'm not too sure about that. In terms of relationship, Nokto would be a super touchy fluffy lover, liking to feel your chest move in rythm with your breath against his chest while hugging you tightly reminds him that you're alive and that he could protect you and he always will no matter how many times he has to. Like Licht, he would be very protective, but he won't become too obsessive if you soothe him back enough and prove him that you won't break in his palm (the fact that he becomes king also helps since you can have personal royal guards). He's a bit more into PDA than his brother and won't mind resting his hand on your hip in public, but your cute facial expressions are for his own pleasure only~

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Luke

So Luke is the big brother one (but only for MC) and apparently he's lazy. Like a bear, he's huge but you can bet he would spoon you For his lazy traits, I think it might just be his personality, but I do think his doting comes from his past. A guess would be that he was very fond of his little sister but lost her to another man for arranged marriage. I don't know where or when Ikepri happens but arrange marriage can be planned very early, and this would explain his hate/disinterest for official affairs and his doting (it's like he would try to see his little sister in MC while treating her as such) and the fact that he tries to drag her out of official affairs as well. Like mentioned in his profile, his eyes sometimes look somewhat dark and dull, so I assume this could be when he thinks back about his past. I wouldn't go as far as saying he's a yandere, but he'll definitely try to drag her away from court life (not especially people, not especially violently, he'd just try to not lose her). It's sad, but you will probably get sis-zoned for a nice long time before he realizes that 1. he can't force you to do something you don't want to and 2. he doesn't just love you as a sister. Maybe this realization will make him want to become king with you to not lose you, or maybe he will be needing a little something else to be pushed to do so. In terms of relationship, he'll be doting and have remnants of big brother behavior but he'll finish his light scolding sessions with a big fluffy hug. Jokes on you if you wanted to spoon him. For PDA, I think he'd be pretty much just like hand holding and head pats/hair ruffling.

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Sariel

Sariel is known in the court as the "Devil". I would say his role is a mix of Giles (midcind) and Mitsuhide. As the profile says, his past, identify etc is quite of a mystery so I wouldn't get too much into this. Now Sariel expects MC in his profile to kind of suck up to him and do as he pleases while she finds a new king. Whether Sariel is loyal to the princess (you) and the crown or not will determine whether he's simply a shady suitor or the villain of most of the other routes if not all of them (William things hehe). He'll obviously be EXTREMELY shady and will make it very clear that it's best you stay away from what his job entails. However MC will find a way, consciously or not, to get involved way too much in Sariel's affairs (Mitsuhide things haha, he radiates the energy of other chaotic shady suitors only) and he will have to first of all scold her a ton shit and secondly a find a way to get her out of his business. They will probably struggle together their way out of an important job of his and MC will most likely have a good impact on the overall outcome but he'll mostly scold you for getting on the brink of death thanks to what he'll consider a foolish move. As a relationship, once king, I don't think Sariel would go any further than formal hand holding, arm holding and back of the hand kisses. I have a feeling that in private he wouldn't be the touchiest either (I mean he's busy with his shady stuff) but he would definitely pull you into his lap without asking and I could see him stroking your hair while your head rest on his shoulder until he finishes work before carrying you to bed, whether you're asleep or not.

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Rio

Rio IS the yandere and it's 100% canon I'm not accepting critiques on this (someone saying "Look only at me, you only have to think about me" screams yandere already, not to talk about my obsession consisting of comparing him with Toneri of Yuroma) and I honestly think it's soooo cool that the yandere is a butler I love it. ANYWAYS. Rio lost his memory 3 years ago (he was already your butler back then) which means his memories only consist of serving you. That said, you're literally his world, his only friend and his master. I think Rio would be scared not only to forget about everything again and see (I assume) you sad again and forget all your smiles he saw for 3 years (I definitely think he's one of those suitors that love you right off the batch but give you the liberty to be happy with whoever), but also lose you as easily as he lost him memories. If he lost you to someone else, either he'd be forced to watch you be happy with another man, or be left behind. As a loyal dog, he would totally hate the later. Now being your love interest's butler is extremely convenient as a yandere. If he doesn't want you to get out of your room he just has to give you some sort of somniferous stuff or lock you in saying you're sick and "My Lady does not wish to receive anyone in her quarters". Butlers not only attend to their master's wishes (he does say that granting your selfish wishes is also his job), but also are their first connection to the outer world. If your butler doesn't come with you outside, he'll at least be there to see you off and the first person waiting for your return. Now I don't know what entails the secret behind his memory loss at all so I'll leave it as it is. I don't think Rio will be as brutal as Toma from Amnesia or anything (Sariel is watching too) and will probably try to convince you that you need to stay in for a while and that he'll look out for you (bonus points if something bad actually happens). I'm actually not sure to what extent Rio would go. Would he harm others ? Just keep them away ? I don't know, but a dog sure knows how to bite to protect its owner. The route will probably follow the classic yandere schematic: everything is fine, he gets really obsessive, you try to push him away, he gets hurt, you explain him that you love him too but you can't stay locked in forever, he eventually chills. As a king, I think he'd take some time to stop being there for his Mistress' every needs but he definitely would in private, he just wouldn't want to embarrass you in public. For PDA, he would also not be too touchy, sticking to basic butler extent touchy, but he'd be extremely cuddly in private, trying to hook up as much time as possible from you. He'd give a lot of little pecks and smol kisses everywhere on your face and neck until you stop working so he can pull you on the bed in his arms for a slower making out session.

♦

THAT'S IT

That took me quite a while, phew ! Sorry if there typos and sorry for the huge length inconsistency !

If you have something to add, especially regarding the ones I didn't write as much, please do say so in comments or in my messages and if it adds something to the analysis (and if you're okay with it) I'll add it with credits !

I'm so excited for Ikepri I hope to be able to play soon but for now it's 3am haha

[mysteira6]

FukaFlower - Holding Your Left Hand

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Summary:

She wasn’t gonna let him feel bad for holding his left hand.

Setting: Fukase and Flower are in the same high school grade and are around 17 - 18 years old. Also, they’re already a couple in this one-shot. Read on for fluff, angst and a little sweet moment at the end. ^3^

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Autumn-coloured lamps decorated the streets, surrounding the many stalls by the pathway in a warm-coloured glow. Young adults in ankle-length yukatas and young children with bags of candy and treats in their hands littered the road before them, the small-talk between groups of teens and squeals of delight amongst children filling their ears. Stall owners left and right were hollering customers over, hoping to catch their attention to play their games or buy their fun-coloured snacks.

The white-haired teen blinked at the sight. “Wow,” She muttered. “I know Miku was warning us when she said this year’s carnival would be ‘packed as sardines’, but I wasn’t expecting it to be this… crowded…”

She heard a light-hearted chuckle from the young man standing beside her. “Welp, I guess that’s a lesson learnt,” He said jokingly.

“What lesson?”

As he turned to her, his scarlet right eye sparkled jovially. “That we should actually listen to the ‘popular diva’ instead of assuming that she only talks about rumours,” He noted, another laugh emerging from his mouth.

The thought of that made her narrow her eyes a little. “I’m not so sure about that, Fukase,” She murmured skeptically, shaking her head. “She talks more about gossip than anything remotely useful-”

“But if we had listened to her, then we wouldn’t be caught in this human traffic jam now, wouldn’t we?” The redhead replied, though soon after, he heaved a sigh and shrugged his shoulders sheepishly. “Oh well, we’re here anyway and the night is young, Flower! Hopefully, the crowd will thin out in a bit,”

Despite her initial disappointment of not having a peaceful stroll with him, the optimistic grin on his face was enough to wash her negativity away. Of course he would try to cheer her up like this. After all, this date was his idea, something that he came up with during their lunch hour when all the other students were talking about the upcoming summer festival and how carnivals were being set up in dozens of neighbourhoods. Given that they had just finished their school term, it seemed like a perfect time to start their summer break with a fun little getaway with just the two of them.

Flower puffed in mild annoyance. When Fukase asked her to go to the carnival in their neighbourhood together, she got giddy with excitement as she always was when it came to their dates. That was one of the strangest things about being with him; somehow, he had managed to break down her curt demeanor and unpack her sweet side that very few people saw. All it took was him being a cheerful jokester who not only tried his best to make everyone smile, but also possessed a kind heart to help anyone he could. Funny then, that he would be interested, and eventually fall in love with, a pessimistic girl who was essentially a stoic emotional wall.

Oh well. Life can be that weird sometimes. In fact, what was more weird was that as he talked to her everyday, cracking a joke here and there, Flower found herself becoming more conscious of how she presented herself in front of him. The little things that she barely cared about before gradually took priority in her appearance as he tried everyday to make her smile a little. Smoothing out her skirt and brushing her hair behind her ears were only two of the dozen things that crossed her mind as soon as she heard him talking to her.

Tonight was no exception to her new routine of fussing over her appearance; as soon as she got home, Flower immediately made a beeline for her preppy younger sister, Xin Hua, who was lounging on the sofa and scrolling through the feed on her phone as usual. However, after Flower explained her situation, the cobalt-haired teen quickly placed her phone aside and partook in the giddy excitement that her older sister was feeling. One trip to Sachiko’s yukata gallery and another to Mizki’s hair accessory treasury was enough for the aspiring fashionista to dress her sister up for her special summer date.

“Flower? Flower!” The sight of his bandaged hand waving front of her was enough to snap the short-haired teen back to reality, her violet eyes blinking a few times to readjust her field of vision. “Hey, are you okay?” Fukase asked her, a worried frown inscribed on his lips as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

“O-oh, sorry, I… I’m okay,” She stuttered in embarrassment, slightly ashamed that she spaced out in the middle of nowhere. Her instinctive reaction of looking down whenever she got awkward got her looking at the yukata that Xin Hua had picked for her. It was of a deep violet shade, accompanied by prints of lavender and white coloured cherry-blossoms and outlines of round lanterns scattered across her sleeves and skirt. She had a grape-purple obi tied around her waist to keep her outfit together and Ms Sachiko even gave her complimentary wooden sandals and a hickory-coloured basket for her necessities to complete the ensemble. ‘Cherish your youth’, she had said with a warm smile after Flower had told her the reason for her purchase.

Meanwhile, Fukase chuckled at her quiet response and quietly slid his right hand under her chin, gently lifting her gaze to look at him. There wasn’t an obvious height difference between them (except for a few centimeters that Flower had but Fukase didn’t) but even then, Flower felt rather small under the gaze of his right eye, his left one being concealed under his white eye patch. Having him stand close to her also allowed her to take in his outfit for the night; a muted red yukata with black lines resembling tree branches drawn on its cloth all held together by a thin bright red obi.

“You sure?” He smirked at her like a cheeky devil would, the jokester side of him showing. “You’re blushing, you know,”

His words rooted her to the spot. “No, I am not!”

“Sharp response. I thought you were a kuudere, not a tsundere,”

“I-Does that really matter right now?!”

Her flustered response was met with a fit of laughter from Fukase, his red curls dancing in the air as he shook his head jokingly. “I kid! I kid!” He sang out as he held his hands up as if surrendering. “Please spare me from your silent treatment, Hana-chan~”

She puffed her cheeks. “You’re only lucky that I decided to dress up for tonight and I don’t want to ruin our date,”

“Oh right, I was gonna say,” His expression lit up as he continued. “You look… as pretty as a flower tonight,”

He half-heartedly expected a startled response and was unsurprised when she only snarkily replied: “A pun-related flirt isn’t going to get to me, Fukase,” Of course she’d say something like that.

“Darnnit, that didn’t work as well as I had hoped,” He pretended to be upset for a moment before raising his right hand towards her, cueing the snow-haired girl to blink at him a few times.

“Well anyway,” He began, tilting his head at her cutely. “Now that we’ve been chatting here for a while, I believe it’s about time for us to head down there, yeah?”

She found herself beaming as she accepted his hand. “Yes, let’s,”

~*~*~*~*~

“Come and catch your own kingyo! Only 200 yen to bring one home!”

“Fresh shaved ice and candied apples for sale! Come and get them before they’re gone!”

As their evening continued, the crowd really did grow thinner as most of the younger children were brought home by their parents and some of the teenagers were heading home as well. Since the both of them were night owls on a daily basis, the moon climbing up the sky did not bother them. Fukase’s enthusiasm for them to visit every stall did not falter even as the night went on. Beside him, Flower held tightly to his right hand, a small smile on her face as she witnessed him bring her all around the carnival. She could tell that he was excited for it.

“Are you hungry? We should get some mochi here,”

“I think those pinwheel headbands would look cute on you,”

“Hey, this fruit tea tastes great! Try some!”

Perhaps it was a little selfish for her to say it, but Flower really liked the attention that he was giving her tonight. It wasn’t odd for Fukase to treat her so kindly (he was literally known for being the kindest person for a lot of people) but hearing him talk to her alone made her feel warm and fuzzy inside, a feeling that only he could generate. However, tonight it felt like Fukase’s gentlemanly nature was much more prominent than usual… Was it because they were wearing such fancy clothes?

Whatever the reason was, she didn’t really care about it. After all, who would turn down a kind, pampering boyfriend like him? Even though Flower was slow to understand social norms as a wallflower, she knew enough to recognise that Fukase was kind of spoiling her (not that she was complaining, mind you).

Her train of thought was interrupted when something at a shelf on her left managed to catch her attention, silently motioning her to get closer to the stall with multi-coloured stacks of cans lined up in pyramidal formation behind its counter. She couldn’t take her eyes off one of the prizes at the game stall; a small lavender rabbit with a translucent maroon ribbon wrapped around its neck and a top hat sewn onto its head. Its subtle resemblance to Fukase’s normal outfit was probably what caught her eye.

“Whatcha looking at?” The very person she was thinking about turned his head in the same direction as she was facing, his eyes scanning the game stall for whatever had caught her attention. “Do you see that little rabbit on the shelf?” Flower whispered to him while leaning close to his ear. “It’s kinda cute. I just thought that it looked like you in your coat, doesn’t it?”

The redhead has his eyes trained on the stuffed toy that had caught his girlfriend’s attention. It didn’t take him long to mutter a ‘let’s head over there’ as he brought them both over to the stall, his hand never letting go of her despite her initial surprise. After he forked out some coins for the stall owner, a basket with brightly coloured plastic balls was placed in front of him, the challenge of knocking over all the cans in three hits now laying before him.

“Fukase, you don’t have to do this for me,” The white-haired girl standing behind him said timidly, a bit uneasy that he decided to play this game just for her.

The redhead smiled at her. “But I want to,” He simply said, picking up the first ball from the basket. “Besides, you like that rabbit doll, right?”

“Well, yeah, but-”

“Then just sit tight and watch me win it for you!” He gleefully replied as he aimed for the base of one of the can pyramids before hurling his ball at them, nailing a hit on the cans at the bottom for his first throw. The coloured cans tumbled onto the table with loud clatters and clangs as the pyramid fell, knocking down all the obstacles quickly. He grinned at his victory.

“Wow, you got them all in one shot!” The stall owner commended, lightly clapping her hands to his success. “Congratulations! You’re welcomed to choose any prize you want for winning,”

“Any prize?” Fukase glanced over to her as the lady nodded, her satin pink hair bouncing up and down. He soon turned his eyes back to the little rabbit that Flower had been eyeing this whole time, the smile on his face widening. “Can I have the little rabbit over there? The one of that shelf, please,”

“Sure thing!” She replied as she gently lifted the rabbit doll off the shelf and handed it over to him. “Thank you for playing!” The store owner sang out as Fukase received the doll from her, turning back to his girlfriend. Holding out the lavender rabbit doll in his two hands, he smiled warmly at her. “Ta-da! Here you go, Flower,”

Her face shone as she held the doll in her hands, now able to marvel its cuteness up close. It really did look similar to Fukase in his fancy outfit. “Thank you,” She unknowingly broke into a wide smile as she petted the rabbit’s head the same way she did to Point, Fukase’s pet doll. “It’s really cute…” She giggled.

He grinned at her, a warm feeling washing over him at the sight of Flower’s smile. It never failed to make him smile back at her, or to make his cheeks feel a little warmer than usual. Deep down, he wished she did that all the time, but he also understood her take on it; it was better to let her slowly get into the habit of smiling instead of forcing it on her.

Instead, he raised his hand towards her again, hoping to continue their stroll through the carnival until he noticed which one he was holding up to her. In a hasty maneuver, Fukase swiftly relocated himself to be standing on her right side as he offered his hand to her again, disregarding the confused expression on her face. “Shall we go back to the path, milady?”

She giggled again at his formal demeanor. “You don’t have to be so formal,” She quickly packed her new rabbit doll into her basket as she accepted his hand again. Although she was already well aware of his odd behaviour from before, Flower knew better to not bring it up and make him embarrassed.

Unfortunately, the more she thought about it, the more it started to bug her. Especially when she started to realise how often such situations would occur multiple times that night. Upon closer inspection, there was one thing that they all had in common; the fact that Fukase had never let her hold his left hand.

As much as she didn’t want to sound like some prissy girl complaining on their date, the urge to ask him about it was stronger than those worries. “Hey, Fukase?” The white-haired teen began, tugging a little on their interlocked hands to get his attention. “Can I… ask you something?”

He eagerly turned to her. “What is it?”

“Can I hold your left hand?”

The question alone was enough to wash his bright smile away, replacing it with an astonished frown on his face and a startled expression in his eye. His footsteps immediately stopped in the middle of the pathway as his grip on her hand tightened a little. For a while, Flower started to regret asking that question; she would’ve not done so if it meant that she was going to be subjected to him staring at her, downright baffled at her words. Now, she felt as if she was riveted to the ground by his gaze, feeling her heart climbing up her throat as she gulped loudly.

Fortunately for her, he broke their staring contest by turning his head away from her for a bit, his left hand covered from top to bottom in bandages rising up to cover his face. In a low, apologetic tone, he muttered: “Uh, sorry about that,”

She was speechless. “Eh?”

“I know you don’t like it when people stare at you, so… sorry that I was doing that just now.” He hastily apologised before continuing. “A-anyway, why do you want to h-hold my left hand? I mean-! Is there a reason? N-not that you have to tell me, wait I mean-!”

As the redhead stumbled over his words, the gears in Flower’s head started turning. A line of stuttering dialogue from Fukase convinced her that her asking him about it was the right thing to do; in a normal everyday conversation, he would never ever trip over his own words. As far as she could remember, his confidence in speaking has never failed him, only faltering a little whenever Flower managed to sneak a sweet, unintentionally affectionate line of dialogue to him. So to hear him uncharacteristically stutter so much while talking to her normally… Flower quickly realised that something was up.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me, Fukase,” She tried to ameliorate the situation, hoping that he wasn’t too embarrassed. “I’m really sorry that I asked it so randomly-”

“It’s not that, it’s just…” He trailed off as his eyebrows furrowed, his gaze shifted to the sight of his left, bandaged, roughly-surfaced hand. A sigh left his lips; he was gonna have to tell her something eventually, so why wait?

“The truth is,” He started, hoping that he didn’t sound too nervous. “No one… has ever held my left hand before…”

“Why?” She blurted out as her curiosity overrode her politeness.

“I never offered it to them,” He explained slowly, gaining a bit more confidence as he confessed to her. “I mean, you know how my hand looks; it’s a mess. And even with these bandages, it’s still really… you know, coarse and rough,”

Flower found herself frowning at the mention of what his left hand really looked like. It called back a past memory of their time together, when Fukase had told her the events that caused him to look as he is now. That day, he even slowly, very gingerly, took off his bandages and eye patch to show her the scars he had hidden from everyone for so long, the damaged side of him that he refused to show in public in the fear that he would be met with disgust and disdain.

But on the contrary to his fear of Flower leaving him, Fukase was embraced by her love and adoration for him, the emotions in her that he managed to call out now being gifted to him instead as some form of mutual bond. In the same way that he helped her break down her emotional barriers, she had helped him overcome his trauma-induced obstacles. It was a relationship between them that nothing in the world could break.

And tonight was just another testament to it, Fukase realised as Flower quickly shook off his hold on her own hand, instead reaching for his left, roughly-surfaced one covered in white straps of cloth. Her fingers brushed across his as she matched them to line up with hers, a small yet ever-so-kind smile on her face encased in her lips. Fukase unknowingly gulped at the sight of his girlfriend looking at him with so much kindness and care, her beauty brought out even more tonight with her neatly combed tomboyish hair and lilac-coloured butterfly pin.

“Fukase,” She broke the silence between them as she whispered softly. “Does it feel any different when I hold your hand like this?”

He averted his eyes at her question. “Well, for me, it feels the same but for you-”

“It’s the same for me too, you know,” She interrupted him gently, shifting her right hand to the side a little as she interlocked their hands together. “I know you’re always worried about how your scars might change how I see you, but… You know that’s never gonna happen, right?”

As soon as she spotted the skepticism in his eyes, she took it as a sign to continue. “Whichever hand I’m holding doesn’t matter to me so long as it’s yours, Fukase. You don’t have to be worried about how you look when you’re with me; I don’t mind any of it at all,”

“ … Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. Besides,” She chuckled as she recalled another memory. “Didn’t I already tell you before that I liked your scars?”

“W-well yeah, but…” After baring out the truth to her, the red-haired boy felt unnaturally vulnerable, the somewhat playful tone in her voice making him blush. He still wasn’t used to her telling him that she liked the permanent markings on his skin. For a long time, he hated them and wished that they would just disappear, especially since they were a reminder of that dark side of him. And yet to listen to her words when she said that she liked them… it felt like letting go of a breath of air that he’d be holding for a long time. ‘Because they’re a part of you too’, Flower had told him back then. ‘That’s why I like them’

Meanwhile, the girl standing before him gently pulled their interlocked hands back down, her left hand holding tightly to her basket as she turned back to the path. “I really don’t mind holding your left hand, Fukase,” She reassured him again with a soft smile. “So… let’s keep this date going, okay?”

Flower hadn’t even taken one step forward before she was tugged back towards the red-haired boy, his uncalloused hand cupping her face as he pulled her closer to him. Just like the beginning of their date when he had commented on her blushing cheeks, the snow-haired teen found herself hypnotized by his armour-piercing gaze, his right red eye staring intently at her for a short while only to soften as he leaned his face close to her, closing his eyes and landing his lips onto hers. As her cheeks heated up like red-hot iron, she knew in absolute certainty that she was blushing now.

It seemed as if time stood still as Fukase kissed her, the action and noises in their surroundings seeming to pause as her eyelids slid shut in conjunction to his daring public display of affection, his head tilting slightly to deepen their kiss as Flower mimicked his actions. It felt like hours had slipped by them as they parted from their kiss, the commotion from the carnival returning to their field of vision and awareness.

Fukase’s face was almost as red as his hair as he chuckled lightly, his iconic bright smile back on his face. “Hana-chan, thank you,” His voice was teeming with gratitude as he thanked her. “You always seem to know exactly what to say,”

Flower was blushing equally as much, her wallflower shyness emerging from her. “I’m just being honest,” She humbly replied.

“How in the world did I get a girlfriend as amazing as you?”

“I could say the same for you, you know,”

“Me? What did I do?”

“I mean, how in the world did I get a boyfriend as sweet and funny as you?”

“Hey! Don’t copy my words!”

“But it’s true!”

The both of them laughed at each other’s antics, their hands interlocked with one another as they continued to stroll down the dirt-trodden path.

~*~*~*~*~

A/N: GAAAAAHHHH these two make me soft~ ;-;

[ladyautie]

get to know me more!

@funyasm​ tagged me and I’m bored after writing my chapter, so here it is!

✨ what do you prefer to be called name wise?

My name’s Sophie. My friends call me Spencou or Spence. We met on a Role-Playing game forum where I played a character named Spencer. We’re used to call each other by our characters’ names and nicknames, most of the time. My brother calls me Sis’.

✨ when is your birthday?

15th november 1993.

✨ where do you live?

Paris, France.

✨ three things you are doing right now?

I’m watching an episode of AT4W on youtube, scrolling on Tumblr and I’m drinking a coffee.

✨ four fandoms that have piqued your interest right now?

Definitely It and especially Eddie Kaspbrak and the ship Reddie. I’m kinda obsessed right now, writing fanfic, reading fanfic, daydreaming about it and all.

I just played the Last of Us 2 and I’m currently watching a let’s play from my favorite youtubers, Mari and Stacy from Geek Remix. I’ll probably read a few fics as well.

The tv show Barry (HBO) is a definite special interest for me. I’m probably going to watch it all once again real soon and I’m planning on writing a fanfic or two in the future. I’m dying for the third season to come.

Finally, I’m probably going to be super into The Umbrella Academy once again, when the second season will be released. I’m just really into Vanya, Klaus and Allison and I can’t wait to see more of them.

✨ how is the pandemic treating you?

None of the people I know have been contaminated, so I’m lucky about that. I’m not quarantined anymore, back to work, and the transition is not easy. 

I feel like I’m more openly autistic than I used to be and that I can’t stand the rest of the world for a long period of time. I’ve experienced multiple meltdowns and shutdowns and I have real difficulties to socialize with most people or to focus on my work.

I feel incredibly naked and vulnerable whenever I’m leaving my flat without my mask on, so I think that’s definitely something I’m gonna have to work on in the future.

Leaving Paris and meeting my folks for my mother’s wedding, I found myself surrounded by people who mostly didn’t care about the virus, kissing each other on the cheek in true french fashion to say hello, hugging, not wearing a mask, not respecting any kind of social distance. 

I was quickly overwhelmed by all of that, plus the noise, and I had to isolate myself in my parents’ car, sobbing hysterically and willing to suffer in a overheated car if it meant having a bit of peace.

There are definitely going to be long-term consequences. I can only hope that my physical health will remain okay, though.

✨ song you can’t stop listening right now?

Keep On by Sasha Sloan. I just really love the lyrics and the message.

✨ recommend a movie.

Whenever I have to think of a movie to recommend, Frank by Lenny Abrahamson is the first one that comes to my mind. This movie is an obsession for me since the first time I watched it and I often find myself watching it again and again. Despite its heavy subjects, it’s definitely a comfort movie for me.

Too often, movies featuring mentally ill characters will aim for the characters to “get better”, which doesn’t mean for them to find healthy ways to cope with their issues, but usually for them to look more “neurotypical-like”, if you know what I mean. Frank  doesn’t go that way at all. On the contrary, it pushes the viewer to empathize with the main characters and to understand their point of view, their way of being.

It’s so incredibly comforting to watch a movie featuring mental illness realistic and not romanticized and to have the movie say “you’re different and you have issues, but you’ll find your tribe someday and be able to find your own happiness, even if it’s unconventional by society’s standards”.

I don’t know, I just have so much feelings about this movie. Plus the music slaps, the humor is hilarious (kudos to the random French guy who can perfectly understand English but refuses to utter a single word if it’s not in French) and the actors are truly on point (I can only salute Domnhall Gleeson, among everyone else who is also worthy of praise, because he definitely managed to make me hate his character in a way I almost never hated a character before).

Watch it!

✨ how old are you?

I’m 26 years old.

✨ school, university, occupation, other?

I used to be a librarian, but I couldn’t find a stable job in this field, so I passed an entrance examination and I’m now working in the tax administration. Yeah, not really glamorous, but it pays the bills and I’m accommodated for my disability, so it helps. 

✨ do you prefer hot or cold?

Definitely cold. When I was a kid, I used to swim in mountain lakes, at temperatures close to 13° celsius, and I still take my showers mostly cold. I can’t stand heat, I get headaches very easily when it’s sunny and I’m getting confused easily whenever it’s too hot. I recently had a nosebleed at work so intense that I found myself spitting blood (it went better once I got a fan, making the temperature bearable).

✨ name one fact others may not know about you.

I used to be allergic to my own sweat when I was around 18, until my early twenties. Whenever I was doing a mild physical effort or getting stressed out, I would get hives and itchy skin rash all over my whole freaking body, which was so exhausting that I would fall asleep immediately as soon as the rash was gone. 

It disappeared as suddenly as it appeared, without me ever doing something about it. I still don’t know why I experienced that and if I’m going to experience that ever again. I hope not.

✨ are you shy?

My autism makes social interactions complicated, but I’d say I’m mostly impaired by my social anxiety and the various traumas I’m dealing with daily.

Traumas I got after having been bullied pretty badly by kids and teachers during my school years, my stepfather being borderline abusive and different traumatic experiences, including my childhood crush dying from a ski accident when I was 15 or so (and me never being able to tell him that I loved him) and people betraying me so many times that I can’t even recall every little thing.

As a result, I find myself doubting constantly that I’m worthy of love, affection and respect and I often wonder when I’ll do or say the “wrong” thing that will cause me to lose everyone I care about. I also have a hard time knowing who I am and, as a result, allowing everyone to know who I am as well. 

I often don’t know what to say and will find myself keeping my mouth shut, even on topics I’m knowledgeable about, because I’m scared of people shutting me down, among other things. My friends make it easier for me to talk about things I like and all, but I’m still heavily doubting myself.

I try to challenge myself regularly. I’ll force myself to take part in events that are taxing or that are forcing me to perform in front of people. That’s how I found myself taking part in the casting part of the french equivalent of “American Idol” (I merely met the pre-judges, but I did manage to sing my whole song in front of them). I needed to prove to myself that I could do it.

✨ do you have any preferred pronouns?

I’m using she/her, but I don’t mind people using they/them to talk about me if they don’t want to be gender-specific.

✨ any pet peeves?

I hate how people can freely and openly be homophobic, racist, ableist, transphobic, sexist and so on, but as soon as I open my mouth to let them know that what they said/did wasn’t appropriate, I’m labelled as one of those “hysterical feminists” or a “party pooper”. s/ Sorry if your antisemitic joke isn’t making me laugh, my “dear” colleague... /s I hate whenever people infantilize me, especially my mom. She’s still keeping an eye on my bank account, despite me telling her that I didn’t want her to do so again and again. I don’t dare to block her out, because I’m scared of her emotional reaction.  I hate the ugliest parts of fandom, notably the obsession with “who’s topping / who’s bottoming” whenever there’s a gay pairing or the racism / ableism / transphobia / homophobia I’ve witnessed again and again.

I don’t dare to engage in the Last of Us 2 fandom because of that and the way some people describe the character of Abby (a very muscular woman), focusing on her physical appearance and calling her awful names (being downright transphobic when they thought that she was the transgender character that Naughty Dog announced there would be in their game). 

✨ what’s your favorite “dere” type?

I had to google it, because aside from Yandere and Tsundere, I didn’t know a thing about it. I guess you could say I’m a Dandere (someone who is quiet and asocial. They are afraid to talk, fearing that what they say will get them in trouble.). 

My favorite type is Kuudere though, when it comes to anime in particular (someone who is calm and collected on the outside, and never panics. They show little emotion, and in extreme cases are completely emotionless, but may be hiding their true emotions. They tend to be leaders who are always in charge of a situation.). 

My favorite anime character, Kiyotaka Ayanokōji from the anime Classroom of the elite, is the most extreme case I can think about. He’s completely expressionless for most of the anime, talks with a very dull voice and it’s impossible to know what he’s thinking about at all times or what’s his overall plan. His hidden depth makes him all the more fascinating. He managed to keep me interested in a mostly meh anime.

✨ rate your life 1-10. 1 being really crappy and 10 being the best you could ever be.

It’s a bit hard, but somewhere around 5 or 6? I went through tons of crap in my life but I’m still here and able to live on my own, even if my quality of life isn’t all that good. I live with nearly daily suicidal thoughts since I was a teenager and have to compose with my meltdowns and anxiety attacks as well. I feel “other” most of the time and I can’t relate to most people I’m meeting and interacting with, which can sometimes feel very lonely.

On the other hand, I have wonderful friends who are willing to put up with my trauma crap and are overall amazing to talk to and be around. I have a cat I love dearly. They’re the reason why I’m still alive to this day, giving me a reason to say fuck off to my suicidal thoughts. 

✨ what’s your main blog?

My main blog is Ladyautie and is about autism. I have another blog, reddie-4-more, focusing on the It movies and Eddie Kaspbrak and Richie Tozier.

✨ is there anything you think people need to know about you before becoming friends with you?

So, uh, don’t be weirded out by the kind of things I can tell you about my past. Even if it seems a lot, all of it is definitely true. 

For example, I was almost kidnapped when I was around 8 or 9 by a random guy, while I was camping with my father. 

My father and my paternal grandmother actually kidnapped me and my brother when I was around two and I stayed with him until the social workers determined that my mother had to raise us again because our well-being and overall life were threatened. 

Lots of events of my life seem far-fetched or out of a movie / a book or something and I had people telling me that I must be lying or that I’m over-exaggerating, something that always hurts deeply.

I’m terribly awkward and more or less openly autistic, so you’re definitely going to notice something different about me. I can’t change for you and I’m not willing to hide my traits only to make you feel more comfortable about frequenting me, so if you can’t handle my socially anxious and disabled ass, then just leave.

I need people to actually tell me what they think or feel. I’m very “first degree” and I’m pretty bad at guessing what people are thinking about. Don’t be afraid to be frank.

Finally, never, and I mean never, infantilize me. I’m a 26 years old woman. I’m not a kid.I’m fine with my friends offering to help or making sure that I’m okay or so, but never assume that I don’t understand something and don’t force your help on me if I say that I’m okay.

That’s it, those who want to take part in this exercise, don’t hesitate!

[thatyanderecritic]

First Impressions: XOXO Blood Droplets

Hey there everyone, Kai here! As everyone knows, Julie and I are at the end of our rope when it comes to content for the blog. But just yesterday, a saw the download link for XOXO Blood Droplets demo being shared around. Normally, I much rather wait for the full game to be released instead of playing a demo; it’s just not a satisfying experience for me. But I decided to change my tune and give it a try. This is just my impression of the game so far and not a review, since the game isn’t even finished. That being said, here’s my opinion.

TL;DR

Well, I have a lot to say about the game since I’m an otome fan (I’m a picky highly opinionated girl). But I’m sure everyone here cares more if the guys are really yanderes or not based on the screenshots on the game that has been floating around. And my answer to that question is… I guess? Like I said, it’s way too early to give anything concrete. But from what I have seen, the guys are more… how to put it… they all give me this “psychopathic oresama” feel than a yandere feel. The way they all treat the MC rather cold or dickishly, just like an oresama or a kuudere (in Pran’s case). The only real exception to this behavior was from Shiloh, who was far better on the yandere scale since he’s more open with his affections with the MC. I guess we can think of them all as Yandere Hybrids… an oresama-yandere mix but they don’t feel particularly lovesick unless you forcibly trigger that side. They’re all in a 2-4 range on the yandere scale… Shiloh being obviously a 4 and Bae being the lowest with a 2. The MC is on the same boat in that she’s more of a “psychopathic oresama” or maybe a Yandere Hybrid. But unlike the guys, she’s like a flat out 1 on the yandere scale. Let’s just say… she’s not much of a fighter (What a surprise for an MC). But does this make her a bad MC? Nah, she’s actually pretty good and I really like her. She’s just not that great of a yandere herself.

For the story and otome game itself… eh, it’s alright. Besides the psychopathic/yandere gimmick it has, it’s pretty ordinary in terms of otome game. High school setting, check. Slice of life, check. Literally no plot besides trying to get with the guys (and the emotional baggage they come with), check. The most interaction is just the choices and figuring out where the guy hangs out, check. It’s just a solid 3/5 otome game. I’ll toss in half a point, making it a 3.5/5… I can appreciate the quirkiness of it.

Below the cut, I have a more detailed opinion piece that you can read.

Music

Normally, I don’t really mention something like music when it comes to media. It’s mostly a “meh” topic since music is subjective and isn’t something to mention unless there’s something remarkable about it. And the music in this game is pretty… bad. When you first hear the music playing in the background, it’s your generic otome music that you could easily zone out. But then there’s certain scenes where the story turns “twisted” and the music follows suit. Fucking yikes on the twisted music my dude. Shiloh’s twisted music is fine and there’s this second one that isn’t bad either. But there’s this particular song that’s on the tip of being almost ear r*pe. This twisted song is used way more than I would like. Like, headphone users be weary. How to describe the sound… it’s like that weird pitch a mic would do if you scream in a mic and your scream is so loud that it doesn’t even sound like a scream anymore… just pain. It’s that sound that comes up at random intervals of the song… it’s almost like the sound mixer realize it’s a bad idea to make the song completely ear r*pe. I had my computer at 5 volume and it still hurt my ear like a goddamn dog whistle for a dog. Either mute the sound or don’t use your headphone when playing the game.

Art

Again, like music, I don’t particularly like mentioning this since art is subjective. I’m just talking about it since this is an otome game, so I’m just going “why not toss in my opinion on it.” In general, it’s alright. At first, I didn’t particularly like it. But after playing the game, I started to dig it. It’s very cartoony… reminded me of the sort of art a kid would doodle when they’re bored in math class. And I find it rather cute. But I really like the expressions and the eyes… reminds me of twitch emotes for some reason.

Story

Story? What story?

Well, joking aside, there’s really no story here. Not like I was expecting anything. Practically all otome games are like this. Slice of life and the only “drama” would be the emotional baggage the guy you’re chasing after carries. But there’s two things that bother me about the general story. The first thing is that it’s very obvious that it’s trying to push you to play the original game. If no one knew, XOXO Blood Droplets is actually an AU spin off of their original game XOXO Droplets. In the original game, the gimmick there was that everyone and the MC are a bunch of assholes. Since Blood Droplets isn’t the original game, the story progresses as if you should already know the “overall story”, character background, and character family life. Everyone just drops information like it’s the most obvious thing and clearly we should know this shit; stupid players. Well… it’s not like I’m expecting much. Blood Droplets is an AU spin off after all.

The other thing about the story is the over the top/shock value scenes the story would have sometimes. This isn’t exactly a bad thing in my opinion. But some parts feel kinda forced for the whole “OoooOOoOo they’re crazy! They’re psychopaths!” It’s a comedy game and it is a bit funny. But sometimes it’s just cheesy. I think the one scene that got me to roll my eyes was the very first scene where all the guys were going “Sooooo, who do you want to kill the most~?” Context wise, it’s funny but it was made to be an abrupt cut to break the illusion that “everything is normal~” to the audience. We already know this game is supposed to be fucked up and crazy in a funny way, don’t pretend that we don’t already know that.

Love Interests

From all the otome games I played, the love interest cast here… aren’t my favorite. I prefer different casts than this one. Though no one should be surprised seeing how all these guys original counterparts were assholes. If you know me by now, y’all should realize I hate the asshole/oresama type in otome games. I don’t find them fun to chase after and go through the verbal abuse for. That being said, their asshole nature is reflected here… even if they’re “yanderes” now. It’s just not fun. And now, I shall break down each character and why they’re weak yanderes.

Pran Taylor- One word: Kuudere. Based on his looks, he should be my type. But that cold attitude isn’t something I was keen on. But personal taste aside, he was so cold to the point that he straight up just abandons the MC after Shiloh taunted Pran about his parents and the MC not needing him. Not very yandere of him to just ditch the MC once the going went tough. He’s also not particularly affectionate either. If we recall back to the Yandere Hybrid post, I mentioned Kuudere-Yandere mix. To handle them well, we need to really see how the character’s mind is working. But since we don’t see that, Pran just doesn’t seem lovesick. But I have to say: the scenes that he does act yandere was fun and rather cute. He’s probably the cutest with the yandere actions, second to Shiloh.

Jeremy King- What a weird character. He’s a bit of a tsundere besides being a misanthropic clean freak. Unlike Pran, Jeremy’s asshole side and yandere side are more balanced. But since he’s a bit of a tsundere, he doesn’t seem very affectionate. He’s pretty cold actually. Don’t have much evidence for him being a yandere but him overreacting about someone puking on the MC’s shoes and jumping to the solution in cutting off her feet isn’t very… smart? I can’t blame him too much since his quirk is that he’s a germaphobe.

Bae Pyoun- Now here’s the perfect oresama for you all. Probably my least favorite, imo. While Bae does have his moments in being slightly fond of the MC, he pretty much doesn’t care about her interacting with others or showing his ownership of the MC. Like there’s one scene where a side character tells Bae that he’ll take the MC out on a date. Bae just went “Okay then.” I get he’s confident that the MC won’t leave him, there wasn’t even a tinge of jealousy. Not very yandere like of him. While Bae isn’t social cold, he’s emotionally cold. He’s like the least affectionate of the bunch.

Shiloh Fields- I really like Shiloh, lol. He probably has the best yandere potential out of all of the guys. When the MC asked him to kill someone for her, he did. When people try to get in the way of their relationship, he kills them, threatens them, and manipulate people to doing his dirty work. He also stole the MC’s phone and he’s obviously a stalker. His affections for the MC is also very clear too. Really, the only thing that was bad on his part was that he killed the MC by pushing her to oncoming traffic.

Nate Lawson- Probably the next best yandere potential surprisingly. His affections for the MC is there and he’s shown to get jealousy, easily I might add. He’s a bit possessive of the MC too. And… that’s about it. There are a couple of scenes where Nate is clearly jealous and about to snap but that’s about it. He’s mostly a workaholic and cares more about his work than the MC. Wrong priority there for a yandere…

Everett Gray- Eh… I don’t know what to say about this one. Third most likely to have yandere potential. He’s clearly the “flirt” love interest otome games would have. He’s shown to be possessive of the MC and has affections for her. But he has the same problem as Nate in that he has a priority issue. Though his priority list was probably a joke in the game, there was some truth to it. Andddd, that’s about it. Everett wasn’t really remarkable.

MC

As everyone knows, here at ThatYandereCritic have our issues with MCs. Nine times out of ten, the MC usually sucks. But surprisingly, the MC here wasn’t that bad. She’s like a breath of fresh air for MCs. She is an asshole but she’s one of those charming asshole that are actually passible in media. The only issue is her “yandere” side. It ain’t that strong fam. Someone fucking with her man? Eh… let’s just simmer down here fellas. Someone threatening her and telling her to give up on her love interest? Lol you funny… anyways, have a nice day! :-/ I guess it’s just nice that she’s ride or die. Though, she does give up on Nate in one of the paths.

[13eyond13]

Not anon but dere means like tsundere or deredere there’s a list of personality types ending in dere

Yes thank you, someone messaged me to explain and I was like “ohhh right”! Ok well to answer the original anon, I glanced through the first list I found of “dere type girls” just now. I don’t know much about this stuff but here is the list, and here is what I think based on that:

WHAT KIND OF “-DERE” GIRL WOULD L LIKE BEST?:

https://goboiano.com/the-14-popular-dere-types-in-every-anime/

1. Tsundere (type A)- They switch between a tsun (harsh) state and dere (love struck) state.You’ll know if a character is tsundere if they keep saying “baka” or they try to cover up a good deed. The “tsun” state is their default personality. They tend to verbally and physically abuse their object of desire, get embarrassed when complimented, and use “baka” as every other word.

I’m sure L wouldn’t be too fazed by her verbally abusing him constantly and could probably dish it back just fine himself if he had to, but I also can’t imagine he would find it particularly charming, lol.

2. Tsundere (type B)- They switch between a tsun (harsh) state and dere (love struck) state.You’ll know if a character is tsundere if they keep saying “baka” or they try to cover up a good deed. The “dere” state is their default personality. They have a friendly public face and are usually generous. Their “tsun” state appears when their love interests does something to upset them (usually something perverted).

Well, L would probably definitely do something perverted eventually, and if she’s not a fan of that then I’m not sure how well it would go. But this sounds a little bit like his dynamic with Misa, and they had kind of funny chemistry, so ehh maybe it would go okay.

3. Yandere- Yandere characters are really sweet on the outside. They range from being cheerful and friends with others, or can be really shy. A bond with the main character will form quickly. However, their friendly nature masks a dark side. Yandere characters are very possessive and controlling. Most will kill the people around their love interest or will isolate them from society. They do not take rejection well (which has a 90% chance of happening).

Hahaha well I guess L would just arrest them or have Watari snipe them if they killed everyone around him, so I don’t think this is a match made in heaven.

4. Dandere- Quiet, shy, and harmless. Dandere characters typically wear glasses and are always buried in books. However, they can become talkative when around their love interest.

I think he would find that extremely boring tbh, he’s not extremely patient nor interested in coaxing mild-mannered persons into deep conversation

5. Kuudere- Emotionless, cold, and distant. On the rare occasional that a kuudere does speak, they tend to be very blunt and cynical. A blank face and a flat voice is a must. Despite their icy nature, kuudere characters are capable of caring and forming romantic bonds.

Haha well they could make blunt and cynical remarks together just fine, and maybe he would find their distant nature a little intriguing and challenging, so this one might be alright as long as they had something else of substance to keep his interest maintained.

6. Deredere- The most cheeful, hyper, and loving of the “-dere” archetypes. Deredere characters are constantly smothering their love interests with affection.

I think he would find that extremely irritating, if his reactions to Misa and Matsuda’s bubbly moments are any indication.

7. Himedere- This archetype is restricted to female characters. They want to be treated like a princess by everyone, even if they are not actual royalty. Himedere characters may act stuck up as a mask to hide insecurities. The classic “ohoho” laugh is their favorite weapon.

He might think it was funny to offend them and slyly knock them off their high horse, but I don’t think he’d have much long-term patience for an insecure, stuck-up princess type.

8. Oujidere- The male version of himedere. They want to be treated like a prince, even if they are not royalty. Usually they have sharp eyes and crazy awesome fashion.

Same as above, he’s not going to be interested in genuinely sucking up to anyone.

9. Kamidere- Arrogant, proud, and sporting a god complex. They believe everyone should treat them as divine beings, and will force their views on everyone.

Weeeelll I think we all know L is not a huge fan of this type of person, though they would definitely keep him on his toes if they were smart enough and criminal enough about it…

10. Undere- The undere combines the deredere, dandere, and a sprinkle of yandere. These character always say “yes” (un) to their loved ones as a way to stay close to them.

I think L likes to argue with people for fun somewhat, so even though he is extremely bossy he would probably also be bored by the constant “yes”-ing.

11. Mayadere- They are characters who begin the series as an antagonist. Mayadere will fall in love with the main character, but that does not mean they will switch sides and are willing the kill their love interest if they feel betrayed.

That might interest him a little more than the rest. At least there’s a challenge, and they’re probably a highly wanted criminal mastermind if they’re opposing him, so that’s an automatic intrigue for L

12. Bodere- The bodere combines the violent nature of the tsundere with the shyness of the dandere. Bodere characters are usually shy around the opposite sex and lash out to hide their embarrassment.

They sound super annoying, and I’m sure L would agree

13. Hinedere- Takes the icy nature of the kuudere and combines it with the arrogant attitude of the kamidere. Hinedere characters are very cynical and sarcastic, but will show their soft side when a character breaks through their shell.

I think L would have more in common with a cynical and sarcastic character than a cheerful bubbly one, so this one might work alright, though they could also easily just drag each other down with their mutual sniping

14. Sadodere- Sadistic characters that get off on toying with characters on an emotional and physical level. If they find a love interest, they better be a masochist who can take a beating.

L would either fight back or have them restrained, but I can’t see him enjoying that very much at all

SO IN CONCLUSION: Either the Kuudere or the Mayadere or the Hinedere, maybe? Lol but mostly he’s going to be very hard to charm

[krys-does-otome]

Week of Otome, Day 5: Favorite and Least Favorite Character Tropes

I haven’t gone wrong yet with a Kuudere character.

People might have heard of character tropes known as tsundere and yandere, but for me, if a game has a known kuudere, chances are that’s going to be my favorite character.

To define it, a kuudere character can come off as cold and standoffish at first. They tend to be the quieter and more serious type characters. In comparison to the first two, a tsundere will outwardly express their feelings, but often times feel embarrassed when expressing these feelings, so it more often than not comes off in a negative way. IE: “It’s not like I like you or anything, baka.” Meanwhile, the yandere typically loves their targets to the point of obsession. They likely know almost every subtle detail of their love interest and often insert themselves into the love interest’s lives in a way that pushes out any sort that could be considered ‘competing’ for love interest’s attention, anything from love rivals to even normal people in love interest’s life.

A kuudere won’t do this. They tend to stay on the edge of social circles, the quiet loner type that keep mostly to themselves and most seem to prefer it that way.

Not to be confused with the shy type that stutters and is flustered when confessing feelings (Dandere), a kuudere is more likely to assess the situation logically and tell you straight out if they like you or not.

Think of it being the difference between an introvert and being shy. An introvert tends to be (but not always) quieter, preferring their own company and quieter spaces to the company of others, because being around noisy people is mentally draining, yo. Someone who’s shy tends to stay away from others because of their fear of being rejected or being made fun of, but still wants to interact with others. This type is the dandere. A dandere wants to interact but can’t because of their fear. A kuudere can interact normally with others without that fear, they just find the interacting part exhausting.

Examples of kuuderes include: Hajime Saito from Hakuoki, Jieun from Dandelion, Kent from Amnesia: Memories, Aiji Yanagi from Collar x Malice, Yukiya Reizen from Wizardess Heart, Byron Wagner from Midnight Cinderella, and Mason from Hustle Cat.

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A special shoutout also goes to my second favorite type, The Obnoxious Flirt and/or the Womanizer.

Just like the kuudere, I’d prefer it in games if a potential love interest straight out tells me they like me instead of dancing around the issue with backhanded statements or mixed signals.

Guess what the Obnoxious Flirt does.

Makes it known, in no uncertain terms, that they wants to get in your pants. They always DTF.

Admittedly, this trope can go wrong in a lot of ways (can come off as creepy, especially if the love interest doesn’t take no for an answer), but when it’s done right, it can be a pretty magical route for me.

My Favorite Obnoxious Flirts include: Erik from Seduce Me the Otome, Yuri from Nameless, and Shingen Takeda from Ikemen Sengoku.  (Technicality points also go to Impey Barbicane from Code: Realize and Rumple from Cinderella Phenomenon as they are both obnoxious flirts, but they are also complete dorks, so they don’t have the coolness/smoothness factor of the previously mentioned baes.)

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My least favorite trope is actually a pretty common one. I believe the trope can be done well, but there haven’t been many instances where I’ve seen the trope in a good light.

I know that the yandere trope can be done well. The trope exists for a reason. There is something to gained from it, but more often than not, it’s done at the expense of a lot of characters.

The yandere trope has two commonalities within it that I see too often and it’s the two things that piss me off about the trope that makes it a general turn off for me: ‘Surprise Yandere’ and ‘The Yandere’s Thoughts and Feelings Superseding Their Love Interest’s Thoughts And Feelings.’

I’ll break these down.

1) The Surprise Yandere

A character that had previously given little to no indication that they were such a character, but all of that changes like the flip of a switch once the player/MC starts on this character’s path. A previously kind older brother type soon becomes a obsessed maniac that puts his love in a cage or gets violently aggressive towards other people in MC’s life when he literally has no reason to be this aggressively jealous. A new colleague that was previously mostly emotionally distant from others suddenly is holding MC hostage, holding her prisoner while making excuse after excuse to try and keep her there longer.   

It’s not like a surprise twist can’t be good or, well, a surprise. It can be done well, but not through a huge sticker that just suddenly appearing that says YANDERE that slaps you in the face.

From my experience, the best I’ve seen done with the Surprise Yandere trope was Saint Germain from Code: Realize.

Up until the official start of his route, he gave no indication of being the yandere of the group. He was the kind yet mysterious lord of the house, offering kind words and advice to Cardia and the others when prompted. He was funny, teased Impey quite frequently, and loved a quiet chat over tea. 

When his route officially started, however, the heel-turn he does when he’s truly alone with Cardia, away from the protection of Lupin and the others, luring her into a false sense of security with the intention of killing her, is so great. What followed after that was a back and forth of Saint G fighting between his duty to Idea and his love for Cardia. He knows that he has to kill the her because she’s a homonculus abomination created by a man trying to become God, but he’s come to care for the girl that was under his wing, a girl he watched grow from an emotionless doll into someone so independent and strong in her own way that the thought of hurting such a lovely creature hurts him beyond words. 

It’s not a traditionally yandere role, as he’s not obsessing over the MC in an overt way; he’s just upset that he has to destroy a person that has become dear to him because of what she is and not being thought of or acknowledged as the person she had become.

Saint G is also a special yandere to me because, unlike a lot of yanderes (and various other tropes), he also steers clear of the other reason that I don’t like yanderes, which is:

2) The Yandere’s Thoughts and Feelings Supersedes the Love Interest’s Thoughts and Feelings

If there’s something that pisses me off in otomes (and in RL in general), its when the MC loses control of the situation and is unwillingly forced to follow along with a bae’s wishes. This extends to all of the tropes, but the yandere trope has this the worst, in my opinion.

Note the ‘unwillingly’ mentioned above. If the MC was going to be treated fairly and competently, this wouldn’t be a problem. Always remember that consent in any situation is important. 

It’s when an MC isn’t treated fairly and competently is when things start to get a little dicey.

This can be anything from MC being forced into a cage, under house arrest to keep from being kidnapped, drugged, chained up, being repeatedly told that she can’t hang out with other guys because ‘it makes him jealous’ even after repeated reassurance that there was nothing romantic going on between her and the other guys, etc. All against everything that’s sensible and fair to the MC. 

It’s like the MC’s opinion stops mattering once the yandere is in control, and she can’t say ‘No,’ anymore. 

What makes this even worse is when the MC just... starts going along with this. That’s she’s suddenly now okay with having all of these things happen her, doesn’t question it, doesn’t try to talk to her bae about how she feels about this kind of behavior, she just kind of... gives up.

This is probably the scariest part of a yandere for me, that free will is taken away from the MC, and the player is expected to sit there too while terrible things happen. What’s even worse is if there is an option for the player to make the MC speak up or fight back, it usually results in a bad ending. Like, if you want to progress any further, you have to sit there and take this abuse until the end. 

It’s very, very much not cool.

I do have one glimmer of hope that this trend is starting to change.

Enter one Kenshin Uesugi of Ikemen Sengoku.

His official route barely released a month ago at the time of this posting, the Dragon of Echigo is quickly climbing up the ranks as one of my favorite characters (then again, all of the IkeSen guys are treasures, but that’s just me).

If there’s nothing more that Kenshin loves more, it’s a good fight. Given him even the slightest inch, and he will fight you to the death. He loves everything about it from highly technical battle tactics and strategy to light conversations about what a dictionary is and questioning if it can it be used as a weapon. 

Admittedly, I have not played his route as of this posting, nor is it looking to be done in the near future (Nobunaga’s Bae in Review needs to be written and I need to finish both of Hideyoshi’s endings, not to mention LITERALLY EVERYONE ELSE, AHHHHHH), but I have been mildly spoiled for the route, at least to get the basic gist without anything really major getting spoiled.

I’ll try to keep this as vague as I can so I can keep others from getting majorly spoiled.

From what I’ve seen, it does contain the inevitable kidnapping of the MC (because MC originally allied to the Enemy Oda Forces, and Kenshin is on the opposite side, so of course she needs to be kidnapped at some point).

But, the difference is what would normally happen in a yandere route... doesn’t happen.

Kenshin actually respects the MC. He never does anything to really mistreat her. While technically speaking she is a prisoner of war, the two had met before he knew she was with the Oda Forces, and he was intrigued by her. Rather than using her as a bargaining chip, however, he keeps her locked away so that he could protect her. Because she intrigues him.

Stay with me here. 

While this might be considered typical of a yandere route, and though Kenshin is dramatic in just about everything he does, he never intended to intentionally hurt her. If @otome-obsessed‘s tweets are anything to go by, Kenshin is willing to listen to the MC as she tries to help him figure out his feelings. To let him know when he’s doing something that’s very much not okay, to put a stop to the bad behavior and helps him to better himself for it. (And thank God that it didn’t turn into a Stockholm Syndrome situation as I’m sure I would have vomited. IkeSen MC is too powerful to be Stockholm Syndromed).

This, this is something I want to see more of, not just in yandere routes, but probably in otomes in general. In life in general, really. That you can take no for an answer and no one is upset by it, maybe even learn something from it. Because consent is sexy as hell, y’all. And that you can work through your problems in a healthy, adult manner, such as talking to each other. Everyone has their flaws, but a willingness to grow and change is a great thing to have.

/end soapbox rant