#shipping has always ignored canon

[jesterwhoreknee]

Not me wanting to do a Chalastor/Radiobelle roleplay but being scared to death of being attacked or mocked in the roleplay community for it 💀

Don't get me wrong I love Vaggie and Charlie together and loved Vaggie's angel look alongside the backstory and how they met, but Vivzie isn't good at writting women and they don't have chemistry at all. Meanwhile I have always had a soft spot for Charastor and the dynamic/potential they had since the pilot came out. I know it will never be canon and don't intend in wanting it to be because I respect the characters sexualities/official pairings. BUT LEMME ENJOY MY FANON SHIP IN PEACEEEEE 😤😤😤

[smoshingatut]

I'm kinda tired of dungeon meshi fans blatantly misinterpreting Kabru's goals, motivations, and character so they can ship him with Laios...like obviously it's awesome if you enjoy Laikabu but can you nooot twist Kabru's intentions for involving himself with the guy who constantly triggers his monster trauma and pisses him off so bad he gets brain damage so that he turns into "the guy who wants to suck Laios's dick" as his entire character? I've even seen people cut off Kabru's words to make it seem like he is admiring Laios because it would disrupt that narrative

[4ce-of-2pades]

My headcanons:

[lovinggreeniehours]

,,,,,,,,,im sad about candledapple again,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[shy-sapphic-ace]

I JUST FINISHED CARDCAPTOR SAKURA WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH NY LIFE NOW 😭💕

[cakemoney]

finding out that kaito and shinichi have been revealed to be cousins is like finding out there was a huge earthquake in the country you used to live in

[adulthumanproblem]

Like babes. NONE of our ships (especially gay ships) EVER went canon back in the day. That's not the point of shipping?? Like, my otp just turned out to be cousins and all I'm doing is shrugging

TikTokers are such pussies when it comes to ships. “B-but they’re not canon 🥺🥺🥺😭😭😖😖” honey back in my day we shipped characters from entirely different medias uphill both ways in the snow

[stu-dyingstudent]

Sakura Haruno fic recs: romance-centric

I, like many others, definitely enjoy a good romance every so often. All of these recs are going to have the romantic development of the characters as the forefront of the story, so just because the fic includes a ship doesn't mean it will go on the list. That means, many of them might feel more on the slice of life side of the spectrum, but that's not the case for all!!

There is going to be a mix of ships here so if you're interested in one in specific then use the search feature!

Started: 2024.08.28

Last Updated: 2024.12.19

note: feel free to check out my master list which has a bunch of Sakura Haruno fic recs (all organized)!

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To Build a Home - RedPowder || ao3 || E || kakasaku || canon divergence || ongoing

Sakura and Kakashi are assigned a mission that will change the path of their lives forever.

Kakashi and Sakura are forced to marry on orders from the village and I know that description sounds dumb, but trust me when I say this fic is gold. I've always had a hard time with kakasaku fics because I feel the whole teacher/student thing gets swept under the rug too easily, but that's not the case here. Their past relationship from team 7 is a glaring shadow over their marriage and the guilt over the whole situation weighs heavy on Kakashi. This mission isn't easy for either of them and it takes a lot of pull and tug to ensure things don't completely blow up. To Build a Home is probably one of my favorite takes on this ship as the portrayal feels realistic and the character feel accurate to themselves. Just give it a go!

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Approaching Sun - ANerdInAllHerGlory || ffn || T || sasusaku || blank period || ongoing

After 2 years, Sasuke returns to the village where friends anxiously await him. Still troubled by the mysteries of Kaguya and his personal guilt, Sasuke is split between friends and his journey. Troubled by rising casualties and international dependence on her abilities, Sakura is torn between her love for Sasuke and her duty to her village.

Approaching Sun is probably one of the most realistic depictions of Sasuke and Sakura's relationship that I have read. This takes place during the blank period and references the novels, so it feels like an actual possibility of what went down. As much as I love them, I have a hard time believing that their relationship was smooth sailing and so I think this is an interesting take.

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The Fool - thekatthatbarks || ao3 || T || shikasaku || blank period || complete

Ino kicked at a pebble on the ground, her arms folded across her chest. “How long?” Shikamaru sighed and pulled the cigarette away from his lips. “The war." It was a lie somewhat. He’d liked her since they were kids but had simply ignored the budding crush expecting it to fade over time. It hadn’t and by the time the war came around, he accepted he would always carry it despite his increasing efforts to drop it. He’d tried drowning it in the river, burning it in a fire, covering it up with something else. But it was all to no avail. It stuck with him, always apart of him. “Have you ever told anyone? Chouji? Her?” "No."

I actually really like Shikamaru and Sakura as a pairing (or just working together in general); however, I haven't read much of them. The Fool was a great post-war read where with some meddling (curtesy of Ino) we get to watch the progression of their relationship into something more than friends.

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Nightmare in Red - Sariasprincy || ao3 || M || itasaku || non-massacre AU || complete

Haruno Sakura used to think the eyes were the windows to the soul, but after witnessing the horrors of the Sharingan firsthand, she's convinced they are the doors. It was pure chance that led Sakura to the discovery of the disease eating through Uchiha Itachi's lungs and now that she's aware, she knows she cannot just turn a blind eye. But how is she to treat the very man who tortured her while at the same time keep her nightmares from consuming her? That she doesn't know, but she knows she has to try, even if it nearly kills her in the end.

Itachi unintentionally captures Sakura in his mangekyou after being rolled into the hospital for her to heal. While Sakura tries to work through the impacts of the genjutsu she continues to work with him in an effort to cure him of the disease infecting his body. I actually really liked how the whole thing played out. Itachi's sickness was sort of a mystery in the original series and so I found it rather interesting to see what was done in regards to it. Anyway, I love their interactions and Shisui is (like always) a great character as well.

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Blind - ObsidianSickle || ffn || sasusaku || T || canon divergent || complete

It was almost time, Orochimaru was going to take his body as a vessel. He hated being used...he refused to be used. With that thought, he took the kunai in his hand and slashed across his eyes.

I won't lie, Sakura is pretty weak in Blind and the whole thing is super cheesy, but it's still an enjoyable read.

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Ghosts - ElegiesforShiva || ffn || sausaku || M || blank period || incomplete

In love and loss, it often comes back to family, and Team 7 had always been fated, hadn't they? Deny it as she may, Sakura finds her heart strung to them with an uncanny reverence and the weight of their ghosts. Sakura-centric. Heavy, heavy angst. Slow burn Sasusaku. Canon pairings. Lots of friendship feels. Eventual (consensual) lemon.

Ghosts is a pretty dark read where basically everyone is suffering. Sasuke and Sakura in specific have an especially hard time coping with their individual struggles yet they find comfort in each other. Check TWs before going in

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Home is Where the Heart is - DeepPoeticGirl || ffn || sasusaku || T || blank period || complete

And with every moment together, they get just a little closer, a little more comfortable with each other. Fall a little more in love. Post-war. Pre-epilogue.

This fic is actually adorable! Taking place during the black period we get to see how Sasuke and Sakura's relationship slowly progresses. If you've always wondered what their travels were like then definitely check this one out.

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In Times of Peace - SouthSideStory || ffn || sasusaku || M || blank period || canon divergent || complete

The war is over, and like Konoha, Team 7 has rebuilt itself from the ground up. Everything has changed, but Sasuke and Sakura remain much the same. Eleven years, she thinks, is a long time to be in love.

Sakura and Sasuke have like a secret relationship going on. Also, Sakura as a jonin sensei is so good!! I really wish that someone from the original cast actually went down that route, but whatever.

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Labyrinthine - FM_White || ao3 || itasaku || M || canon divergence || complete

ItaSaku (Post Uchiha Massacre) AU: Some things are destined to be. It just takes a couple of tries to get there.ItaSaku. Light KakaSaku.

I actually really liked how this was done as team 7 is still a family, Sasuke didn't lose his mind, Itachi picked a much more respectable path imo, and the characters are all adults.

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Only a Crush by Gingersoup || ao3 || kakasaku || M || canon divergent || complete

It was supposed to be an easy, fun night out. She never intended to wake up in her sensei's bed, half-naked and with no memory of what happened the night before! As she tries to unravel the mystery of that night, something sinister is growing beyond the walls of the Leaf Village... and what was only a crush spirals wildly out of control.

Sakura is unwillingly thrust into the world of illegal drugs, trafficking, and sex all while coming to terms with her new feelings regarding her former sensei. I typically don't like kakasaku, but I think this work is done tastefully well. The characters are both adults and the immorality of the relationship is not ignored, so be prepared for a lot of "we can't," "this is wrong," etc.. Anyway, Sakura is an absolute powerhouse and I thoroughly enjoyed the relationship between all of the different characters and villages!

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Dreaming's End - thepiedsniper || ao3 || T || kakasaku || canon divergence || complete

Sakura didn't avoid the Infinite Tsukuyomi with the others, and all the events that happened afterward were simply the product of her dream-state. When Sakura finally wakes up from years spent in her personal "paradise," she must to learn how to start again. Kakashi is there to help her. ~*~ (TWs for genjutsu-related unreality)

Basically, imagine the entirety of Boruto was Sakura's dream in Infinite Tsukuyomi. When Sakura manages to breakout during the war she's left to deal with serious ramifications of the life she just lived. She finds herself constantly questioning what's real and Kakashi tries to help her through it.

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Mamihlapinatapai - FM_White || ao3 || E || itasaku || canon divergence || ongoing

Mamihlapinatapai・Yagan. (n.) a look shared by two people, each wishing that the other would initiate something they both desire, but which neither wants to begin In which Sakura tries her hardest to raise one hell of a rambunctious baby by herself, Sasuke is searching for something unknown, and Itachi is the uncle.

In another life where Itachi doesn't end up dying and instead tries his best to help Sakura raise his niece in Sasuke's absence. It's my head canon that everyone came together to help with Sarada just like they did for Kuranai, and so Mamihlapinatapi satisfies that thought for me. I like how Sasuke was criticized in this since as much as I understand the necessity of what he's doing, I also find it completely unfair to his wife and daughter. Itachi and Sakura form a great bond and it's all very domestic and just super fluffy all around, which I love.

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Louder than Words - SouthSideStory || ao3 || T || sasusaku || non-massacre AU || complete

Sakura hasn’t uttered a single word since the day her family died, but Sasuke is determined to hear her, one way or another. (No Uchiha massacre AU.)

Sakura gets taken in by the Uchiha family after Fugaku finds her on a mission. She's been mute ever since, but that doesn't stop her and Sasuke from forming a close bond.

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Snake Bound - shefalls || ao3 || E || sasusaku || canon divergence || complete

"You... took me with you." "That's what I said." "To Orochimaru. You took me with you, to Orochimaru." Sasuke nodded curtly and shoved the medical kit a little more insistently into her hands. Sakura accepted, and prayed to every known god that Orochimaru would ignore her existence. She should've known the gods don't listen. Now only on AO3. Sequel up.

What if Sasuke took Sakura with him like she asked? Snake Bound explores that idea and it's honestly a very uncomfortable read. Their relationship is based off of the isolation and dependency their new situation puts them in. All they really have is each other and the new bond that brings is not a healthy one.

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Armour-Sleeved Single Hit - thatdamnuchiha || ao3 || T || madasaku || time travel AU || one-shot complete

Sasuke always told Sakura she was weak. Even after she trained with Tsunade for years he only had eyes for Naruto whom he considered strong. She would forever be invisible to him no matter how many mountains she toppled.Being a member of Team Seven despite Sasuke’s refusal to acknowledge her meant she got herself into her fair share of sticky situations. Getting stuck a hundred odd years in the past had to take the cake though.But she was just a weak little girl and compared to the shinobi of old she’d be ridiculously pathetic. Sasuke had said she was weak to him – a modern day shinobi who hadn’t been forced into battle after battle like they did in the Warring Clans Era. Obviously she’d be nothing more than a spec of dirt in the eyes of the Founders.

Sakura manages to find herself in founding-era Konoha! While trying to prove that medical ninja are capable fighters she unknowingly gains the affection of Madara Uchiha. After all, the Uchiha find beauty in strength. Super cute read!

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Always You - alex-halcyon || ffn || T || kakasaku || age swap AU || complete

[AU. Age-swap] Kakashi x Sakura. From academy days to the third shinobi war and beyond, Kakashi and Sakura grow up and fall in love.

Basically, Sakura takes Rin's place on the old team 7. The progression between the character is quite interesting as it definitely isn't smooth sailing for Kakashi and Sakura. However, even through everything they find themselves drifting towards each other. Pretty cute imo.

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interim - stannide || ao3 || T || sasusaku || blank period || one-shot complete

Sasuke lives with Sakura in the weeks after the war.

Interim is such a wholesome read where Sasuke and Sakura rekindle their former relationship. Super fluffy

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Hit Me With Your Best Shot - Tozette || ao3 || T || sasusaku || blank period || one-shot complete

Sasuke is actually eighteen the first time he looks at Sakura and realises abruptly that he wants her.

I think we all know by now that Sasuke has always been attracted to strength, power, so why not when it comes to romance? Essentially, one day on a mission, Sasuke discovers he has a strength kink. Watching him continuously get flustered throughout the fic because of his admiration towards Sakura's strength is so entertaining. Really fun read

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the problem with how time works - MurderMittens || ao3 || E || kakasaku || generation swap AU || complete

"I don't remember you being this uncomfortable when Kakashi was nine and had a crush on you," Ino pointed out neutrally. "You thought it was flattering before." She moved to pour more wine into their glasses as Sakura exhaled sharply out of her nostrils. "Obviously! It was fucking cute when he was a kid! But now he's..." she trailed off, gesticulating feebly. Ino, taking pity on her, finished the sentence: "Now he's a stone cold hottie who looks and sounds like he'd murder the ever-loving shit out of your vagina."

Sakura and Kakashi's generations swap place and boy is it entertaining. With Naruto as his sensei, of course Kakashi has met Sakura. Now that she's back in the village after years, Kakashi decides to try his best to win her over.

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on still water - summersirius || ao3 || T || shisaku || canon divergence || complete

and sometimes, there are days without rain. —shisui/sakura

I'm actually devastated that the author decided to not pursue the plot line after about chapter 15 (it was so good too), but On Still Water is great nonetheless. Some really cute Shisui x Sakura moments

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never let 'em know your next move - MirrorImage003 || ao3 || T || itasaku || non-massacre AU || one-shot complete

six times itachi is surprised by sakura, and the one time he's surprised by his mother.

Sort of drabble style moments between Itachi and Sakura and it's honestly adorable.

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Hatsukoi - sparklyfaerie || ao3 || sasusaku || gen || non-massacre AU || complete

Sasuke leans away as the girl turns to him, and his mother doesn't need to be any closer to guess as to the expression on his face. The girl's body language changes in an instant, and Mikoto recognizes the posture of a little girl in love. It's kind of adorable.

Probably one of the cutest sasusaku fics I have read as Hatsukoi follows them from genin to marriage! It's told in multiple perspectives and it's full of tooth rotting fluff. You get to watch the slow progression of their relationship over time and how they grow even closer in Naruto's absence. Definitely read is you want something light!

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(oh, you'll probably go to heaven) please don't hang your head & cry - SafelyCapricious || ao3 || T || itasaku || time travel AU || one-shot complete

There’s no such thing as a good death. But Sakura faces her death without any regrets. Her dying is keeping her precious people safe — and that’s all she can ask for. So she dies with a smile, taking thousands of enemies with her. She wakes up and falls off the branch she’s laying on.

More of a pre-ship than anything actually romantic, so maybe this isn't the best for this list lmao.

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Ghost - twilightdazzle || ffn || M || sasusaku || canon divergence || complete

Sakura is officially declared missing on a Wednesday morning. Wednesday, what a stupid day to go missing. Of course, Sakura is the only person he knows that is annoying enough to interrupt the middle of the week like this.

Sakura goes missing and this fic is basically Sasuke slowly losing his mind over it. Ghost is honestly pretty darn touching and feels true to Sasuke's character. Everyone is concerned for Sakura and that doesn't exclude him despite how nonchalant he makes himself seem.

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Send me some recs if you have any to share! I'm generally fine with any ship as long as the story is good :)

[lemotmo]

Okay 911 fandom...

I feel like I've been very nice about this before and I always figured it would all just disappear after a while, but this insane Ryan Guzman hatred is getting out of hand. And frankly? It is pissing me off!

So, let's get something very clear here:

This whole concept some people have in their head that Ryan is the reason why Buddie won't ever go canon? IT IS WRONG!

The man has screamed Buddie from the beginning. He came up with the name for Christ's sake. Just because some of you only joined the fandom after 7x04, doesn't mean you get to shit on this guy. You don't know the lore or the history. So shut up!

This idea that Ryan is a bad actor and he is botching up his scenes with Oliver, because Oliver clearly plays Buck as in love with Eddie?

Again... WROOOONG!

Buck is sooo much further on the Buddie path than Eddie is. All he has time for right now is his son! Ryan is NOT going to play Eddie smitten with Buck, because he isn't there yet in the narrative. He obviously cares deeply for Buck though and we see it in everything Ryan puts into his acting. He is obviously a talented actor and artist. So again... SHUT UP!

If I see any of you threaten the man over a fucking fictional ship on a TV-show? I will report you on whichever platform you are on and I'll make sure that everyone knows who you are so they can block you accordingly. Are you insane?! You cannot threaten people for doing their job.

And NO! Nobody is going to recast Eddie because you have it in your stupid little ignorant dumb minds that the man is a misogynist, a sexist, a racist, a terrible father (ARE YOU CRAZY! YOU CANNOT CALL A MAN YOU DO NOT KNOW A BAD FATHER! WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN SMOKING!?) and a whole other slew of things that are simply made up in your own head!

He made one single mistake a loooong time ago. He admitted that he was in a very dark place around that time. He even talked about trying to take his own life at a certain point. How much more honesty do you need?

After that mistake he apologised and he has obviously worked really hard to become a better guy. We can hear that in every interview he does. Stop spreading the narrative that people can't be forgiven after they apologise. What age are you? Four??? Of course people can be forgiven. It's called growth. This insane cancel-culture that has been growing rampant for the last couple of years has gone to all of your heads. Wake up and SHUT UP!

Stop these ridiculous claims and please do everyone a favour! Move on to another fandom where miserable people like you are welcome.

For years now this fandom has been a great place to be in. I love it here! But I've had it with the insane hate-campaigns against a guy just doing his job.

I won't even go into the insane Eddie hate I have seen lately.

This has got to stop!

I am still not a Ryan stan, but I am a decent human being and admirer of his work. So whatever has been going on lately? It is NOT right and we should all shout that from the top of our lungs.

If anyone is reading this and recognises themselves in what I have written here? Please step outside, touch grass, look at the sky and if you are following me? Kindly unfollow me. Thank you.

If anyone is reading this and feels the same way? Feel free to follow. I promise that I don't often make posts like this. I try to spread the fandom positivity as much as I can. So expect lots of that here.

Can we now just go back to enjoying what is really important here? Buddie is about to go canon. Let's celebrate and have fun! We've been waiting years for this. This is our time.

[konoharfts]

I’m here to spread my wlw SasuSaku agenda >:) Take these quick lil doodles! (closeups and yapping under the cut)

I don’t even ship regular SasuSaku that much, but toxic wlw SasuSaku? Absolutely.

Like, imagine they had the same homosexual tension that Sasuke has with Naruto. As an example, the second image there is my own take on that one shippuden scene where they see Sasuke again for the first time and he and Naruto have a *moment* but what if it was sakura getting her highly homoerotic moment?

Like I’m thinking from the start the dynamic is COMPLETELY different. Sakura would be socialized to see Sasuke (the most conventionally attractive according to canon) as competition, but then she’d see the darkness in her and get the urge to take care of her like a lost kitten and UGHHHH

And Sasuke would be locked in with revenge she would just see Sakura as an immature annoyance. She doesn’t engage with the “rivalry” she fully believes she’s better. But she’s also secretly insanely jealous because Sakura is everything that was taken from Sasuke (bright, innocent, like a spring breeze, has friends and parents…) so she tries to fully ignore her. Like, will NOT acknowledge her existence. And Sakura whenever she tries to extend the olive branch will get lethal cold shoulder, so she just stops trying and gets even pettier.

All the while they’re developing feelings for each other. Sakura wonders why it hurst so much to see her #1 op walking into the the abandoned compound alone.. Sasuke wonders why her heart squeezes when Sakura laughs, she thinks it must be due to hatred but no bb girl you’re just gay.

(Cue loathing from Wicked)

When they get put on a team together Sasuke can’t avoid Sakura anymore so she switches it up and becomes bratty. LOVES getting a rise out of her (totally not because she finds it cute when she gets all red up and her cheeks puff up nonono) and Sakura takes the bait EVERY. TIME.

Sakura struggles to get along with Sasuke the whole time. Sasuke constantly teases her about being a “deadweight” paper ninja (never calls her weak tho) and it really gets to Sakura. They used to be evenly matched at the academy (in terms of academics) but now she’s suddenly so far behind. She sees Sasuke kicking ass and she burns. To her, Sasuke is everything she is not, and can never be.

But like every time plot would happen they’d always have each other’s backs. They both trust each other and rely on each other and they know so so much about one another from CONSTANTLY watching each other (Sakura seeing Sasuke as her goal, Sasuke seeing Sakura as the ghost of what could have been :( )

They eventually do become friends. Sakura still wants save Sasuke from herself and Sasuke almost wants to let her.

And when Sasuke leaves Sakura is DEVESTATED. Sees it as a personal failing that she wasn’t strong enough to get her back. (Cue training montage)

And in shippuden Sasuke would still tease Sakura and they would fall back into their banter and UGHH

They are NOT good together and it IS a disaster but that’s what makes it so fun <3

I love SakuIno as well, but they already resolved their issues. I need girlfriends that TRY TO KILL EACHOTHER in a gay way <33

I just think they want to tear each other apart <3

Sorry for yapping but DO YOU SEE THE VISION????

Anyway if anyone read all of that I love you <<333

Okay thanks for witnessing my mental illness byee~~~

[relicsongmel]

Iris, Miles, and their mutual "secret"

The Ace Attorney fandom is no stranger to discussions of homoerotic subtext in the game's script—pretty much everyone who's spent more than five seconds here will be able to tell you that. Screenshots of lines that imply romantic tension between same-gender characters are all over the place, to the point that many fans are drawn to the series purely by its reputation as "the gay lawyer game." Some scenes are more well-known than others, but one I find brought up fairly regularly is this conversation between Miles and Iris:

This is optional dialogue that can be triggered by presenting incorrect evidence on Iris' Psyche-Lock during the Investigation portion of Bridge to the Turnabout. The argument here is that the "secret" Iris is referring to is the same as her own: that being, a romantic interest in Phoenix Wright. Which is definitely hilarious when you consider that Iris has known Miles for less than a day and she's already reading him for filth (granted, she could have been clued in by the similarly infamous "indispensable friend" line, and she's also exceptionally good at reading people despite Miles thinking otherwise). As a Narumitsu shipper myself I am not immune to enjoying that interpretation; however, I feel like there's a lot of nuance in this scene that isn't often addressed by the fandom at large. Which is unfortunate because watering it down to just Iris calling out Miles for being the gayass he is (to be fair. she's not wrong) does a MASSIVE disservice to both of their characters, and I'll explain why.

My bone to pick with the usual analysis of this scene is mostly centered around the larger conversation to be had regarding the treatment of female characters in fandom spaces. All too often they tend to play second fiddle to the male characters, and a similar principle holds true for ships with their canonical male love interests: mostly ignored in favor of the the more popular M/M ship(s). At best these women are sidelined, at worse they are flattened into wingmen for the boys (as is frequently the case with many AA girls and Narumitsu, Iris included), and at the absolute worst they are demonized for their perceived "competition" with whatever gay ship is most popular and therefore the Only Valid One for the male characters involved (as exemplified by some very "passionate" fans that I generally try to avoid interacting with). Whenever this scene gets brought up, the focus is almost always exclusively on Miles and what the interaction says about his relationship with Phoenix; Iris is only relevant insofar as she's the one initiating Miles' Homosexual Moment™—you could replace her with almost any other character and there'd be a similar level of neglect for their role in the interaction. Only very rarely will you see attention given to what Iris' question about Miles' secret means when she is the one asking it, and what it can tell us about her relationship with Miles/what she thinks of him, and vice versa (absolutely wild how even Miles himself is often flanderized despite being the fandom's golden child). It's all too characteristic of the systemic misogyny that has plagued fandom since its inception, which is deeply frustrating to me as someone who adores Iris as much as I do (if that wasn't obvious by now). So that said, let's dive deeper into what I think the missing link is here: namely, the Iris-Miles dynamic as it pertains to their relation to Phoenix.

Iris and Miles is one of my favorite relationships to explore in the whole series—but as I've described above, unfortunately a lot of people get it wrong in my opinion. Discussion about the two is frequently centered around Narumitsu Love Drama—which is a conversation worth having, don't get me wrong—but the elements at play there aren't always represented the way I envision them, which again, is frustrating. Take the idea of potential jealousy, for instance: it's pretty standard love triangle fare that can be (and often is) quickly turned into demonization when it's used in a shipping context, character assassination be damned (re: Narumitsu fanfic authors that project their personal dislike of Feenris onto Miles via his jealousy of Iris and/or how they tend to portray Iris unfavorably). However, it's not inherently a bad thing to explore: personally, I do believe that there is mutual jealousy between the two of them. Miles might not have the full context of Iris' history when this conversation takes place, but he's emotionally intelligent enough to pick up on what Iris means to Phoenix, and vice versa. And him being a jealous hoe about it isn't out of the question when you consider that he's a bit of a loner by nature and doesn't have many close friends or outlets for socialization outside of his job. The crucial element that's sometimes missed, though, is that Miles not only lacks the self-awareness to realize he's a jealous hoe...he's also a self-sabotaging jealous hoe.

And the same can be said for Iris, who is similarly introverted and doesn't often leave her home at Hazakura Temple.

The whole reason Miles is peering into Iris' heart in the first place can be found in this exchange, after he breaks her Psyche-Lock:

Miles uses the Magatama in order to gain the answers he needs to bring the truth to light and get Iris acquitted, and he does so for the express purpose of reuniting her with Phoenix so they can find closure—in fact, he reiterates this to her multiple times. He obviously recognizes how Phoenix is suffering from what happened between them (I'd argue he sympathizes with Iris' plight as well) and has resolved to do what he can to help him heal, but there's no reason for him to be so insistent that she rectify things with Phoenix when it does nothing but harm his own chances with him. Unless, of course...that's the whole point.

To convince Iris to reveal her secret so he doesn't have to face his own, because he thinks himself undeserving.

And Iris, noticing this because she empathizes with that feeling of unworthiness, calls him out on it in an almost uncharacteristically forward manner when she asks him what he's hiding.

Takes one to know one, indeed.

Iris highly respects Miles for taking on her defense despite the risk to his job as a prosecutor. She's willing to trust him after hearing he's a friend of Phoenix, hearing him out and letting him reason with her. She still keeps her cards close to her chest in some regards, but she's more honest with him than she's been with anyone else in her life apart from her sister. She sees his commitment to the truth and how it starkly contrasts with how she's lived her life to this point, and thinks that this is the type of partner Phoenix deserves—not someone like her, who only knows how to survive using lies and deception. She sees so much strength in him but still recognizes the insecurity lurking beneath his tenacity, which is why when he falters in his logic, she takes a leap of faith and gives him one last chance to examine his reasons for pushing the burden of his unspoken affections onto her, as if to say: "Look in the mirror. Is this really for me? Or is it for you? Do you really seek the truth for its own sake, or do you merely hope to find one truth so you might run from another?"

Her question to Miles is a gamble—a coin flip of self-sacrifice. If she loses and he presses on, she has to face the secret within her heart she's been suppressing for five years. But if she wins and he gives in to the truth in his, she has to live the rest of her life watching it unfold and knowing she threw away her chance to finally stop living in fear of her own love.

Either way, there's no escaping heartache for her anymore.

Miles and Iris both want what's best for Phoenix and prioritize their vision of his feelings over their own. However, they are also both deeply emotionally repressed people who find difficulty in being direct with their feelings, and are predisposed to self-sabotage due to childhood trauma. These tendencies may manifest in different ways for both of them, but the fact remains that such people would likely not compete for a person's affection in the traditional sense, which is exactly what we see with how Iris and Miles deflect their feelings for Phoenix. These selfless, lovestruck idiots toss that man around like a game of hot-potato because their mutual self-hatred for the ways they've harmed him has rendered them terrified of the reality of what he means to them, and desperate to find a way out of admitting to it. It's the most compelling explanation I can think of for why the usually unassuming Iris makes such a bold judgment about what Miles might be keeping locked away, and why Miles goes to such lengths to make sure she talks to Phoenix and tells him the truth—his agreement to defend her was conditional on that exact promise. They go through this whole song-and-dance of playing wingman to ignore their own feelings while still trying to bring Phoenix the happiness they think he deserves—and then they wonder why seeing Phoenix give the other one attention burns them up inside.

Because they’re dumb. And I love them.

TL;DR the Iris Psyche-Lock scene in BttT is so much more than just "haha Miles gay" and I wish people talked about it more. Also Iris and Miles are way more similar than they appear at first glance and if I think about it for too long it makes me physically ill thank you for coming to my TED talk

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Do you think twst has any chance to make at least one fan ship canon? Like for example they hint on someone from nrc main cast is dating, or even something deeper with yuu. Or absolutely nothing of that happens because it's a disney game at the end?

No way, absolutely not 😂 They'll always tease it, but never actually commit to it. That's why Ace has an ex and not a current girlfriend (the other part of it is just him being an asshole). That's why Eliza/the Ghost Bride doesn't actually marry Idia; only expresses an interest in him but ultimately settles for someone else. That's why Vil has several adoring fans but those fans are not depicted as gunning for him as their boyfriend/husband (when the most crazed of fans irl would). That's why Lilia confessed to Maleanor but she chose someone else and later died (while the other person Lilia "loves", Raverne, went missing), thus "freeing" Lilia up. That's why Cater always talks about cute girls (and even fellow peers) but doesn't go out of his way to act on those flirtations. This has less to be with "oh, it's Disney" and more to do with the genre of the game (joseimuke). If anything, I feel like people might expect there to be canonized romance because it's Disney--a company closely associated with happily ever afters and fairy tales--not expect no canonized romance. However, a joseimuke game often presents characters in a platonic or questionably platonic light so the players can project whatever relationships with the characters they wish, whether that’s between the character and themselves, between the character and an OC, or between character and character. To canonize a "love interest" for a character hampers the self-insert appeal for fans of that character. There have been multiple instances of gacha fanbases becoming upset when the games try to introduce a "canon" or even a “rival” love interest for a beloved waifu, husbando, etc. because it makes fans of the now "taken" character feel ignored, rejected, or generally (for lack of a better term) "cheated on". That goes for shipping between the player or an OC and the character as well as shipping the characters with one another. This would also potentially upset the fans who headcanon the characters as a certain sexuality and/or with a certain dynamic in mind. I'd imagine Twst would want to avoid this at all costs, as it causes drama in the fandom and could eat into their profit margins.

I'm also very much against the idea that one character will be the romantic "end game" for Yuu. I often see one particular character (who shall not be named, as I do not want to stoke unnecessary discourse) being hawked as "the canon love interest", but if I'm being honest those kinds of claims make me uncomfortable. In stating one character is "the canon love interest" (even as a joke), it unintentionally invalidates those who don't wish to be forced to "be" with that character, and especially if they have a preference for someone else. This would be even worse if ever canonized; fans of that ship will rejoice but everyone else would be dissatisfied. Again, it just hinders the self-insert design of joseimuke games and is extremely counterintuitive in that regard.

[catcatb0y]

I ran out of tag... (It's mostly like two things that end up becoming annoyingly intertwined the more the series goes on). He was only powerful when it was convenient to the power scaling, which led to him being constantly put in otherwise intensely traumatizing victim situations solely to spur the main character into saving him no matter the cost. Which normally would have only furthered his unrealistic inferiority complex (and also his fear of weakness as well as distaste for weak people given how many people VICTIM BLAMED HIM, which you'd think would only confirm his fucking bias??) which OOPS was made into a... realistic inferiority complex?? Somehow solely to show that the MC somehow managed to grow past the underdog he never fucking was, and since the fans adored this, that became his only character! Yeah, somehow THAT was his big character growth...

He went from a complex, morally grey character to UwU empty ship fodder, and the fans of the series ate it up SO much that one of the main villains (one of the only people who genuinely acknowledged the strength and horrible treatment of my silly guy) telling him 'You're useless actually, I just want to kill you to make that other kid sad lol-' is seen as his PEAK. That. That's his peak. That's the "good ol days" the shipdom romantacizes. A villain poking at his weakness and deepest insecurity is somehow the canonizing moment of the ship (and it doesn't even happen, MC gets mad at his best friend's death for three seconds and then effortlessly kicks the villain's ass, as like the shittiest cherry on top) < it only gets worse from there!

I was also a shipper back in the day, and, in hindsight, I really should have seen the whole shitshow coming, but unfortunately I went on to dedicate six years to this hyperfixation that continues to haunt me three years after I attempted to quit the fandom cold turkey. It didn't even work.

reblog this with one canon thing you dislike / think is flawed about your blorbo and/or the way they were written

[ladyfocalors]

To Drown or to Breathe

(Inspired by The Little Mermaid and this prompt)

summary: You are a merperson who yearn for the human world and to trade your tail for legs, but you aren't a strong mage, so you seek the help of one of your acquaintance, Azul Ashengrotto. The octamer strikes a deal with you, but the price is steep: you have to lose your voice when you are a human, turn back to a merperson once the sun sets and to stay as a human forever you have to make a human fall in love with you in a month. While you are trying your best to woo a fisherman, you and Azul grow closer.

pairing: azul ashengrotto x gn! reader

warnings: not canon compliant, slightly detailed about body transformation, reader's mer counterpart is not mentioned except they have a tail.

word count: 4.7k

okayyy so this one is bit of a doozy imo. it could have been better, could've been worse. lot of angst opportunity that i gave up on, i am trying to embody the disney spirit of happy endings here. i want this out of my drafts so i am throwing this at you and running away.

The sea remembers everything. It tucks stories into the folds of its waves, hides secrets in the shadows of its reefs. It cradles forgotten wishes like pearls inside oysters, waiting for the right hands to pry them open.

You have always been a creature of longing. The tide carries your dreams like driftwood, washing them ashore where they do not belong. You press your hands against the rocks and watch the world above. You have a dream.

You want to trade the sea for the shore.

It is a foolish dream. A dangerous dream. A dream fit for a child spinning fantasies in the coral reefs, not a merperson who has outgrown such naive longing. But still, the desire festers like a wound that will not heal. You watch ships cut across the horizon and wonder what it would feel like to stand upon one, to feel the wooden planks beneath your feet instead of the gentle tug of the tide. To listen to sailors laughing on the docks and wonder what it would be like to speak their tongue, to laugh with them, to be one of them.

But wishes alone do not reshape flesh.

And you are not a strong mage. If you were, perhaps this would have been simpler. Your magic is weak, and you know you cannot do this alone.

And so, you seek him.

Azul Ashengrotto.

He isn't difficult to find. His parents own a restaurant, a fine establishment that draws in customers of every kind. The place is always bustling with merfolk seeking fine food and some finer deals. You are, of course, here for the latter.

Somewhere in the back, laughter erupts—loud, unrestrained, the kind that makes your fins bristle. You know who it is.

Floyd. And if Floyd is here, then Jade is likely nearby, and where Floyd and Jade is, Azul is likely to be nearby.

And you are correct.

When you arrive, Azul smiles at you. "Ah, what a rare guest. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

You hesitate before you speak.

"I need a deal."

Jade tilts his head, curiosity gleaming in his mismatched eyes. "How intriguing," he muses. "You must want something terribly if you’re coming to us."

Floyd swims towards you, grin lazy and sharp. "Ooooh, what’s it gonna be? Love? A curse? Maybe you wanna get rid of someone?" He laughs, teeth flashing. "I hope it’s that one. Those are the most fun."

You shake your head. "I want legs. I want to be a human."

There is a beat of silence. Then, Azul chuckles. "Inspired by the Princess, aren't you?" He says. "But you should know that transformations are no simple matter. The body is stubborn. It does not like to change."

"I know," you say.

Azul exhales. "And what are you willing to offer in return?"

Floyd’s grin widens. "Ne, Azul, let’s make them do something fun."

Azul ignores him. He regards you carefully.

"My voice." you say.

His eyes gleam.

"How poetic, just like the Princess," he muses. "A merperson like you without their song. But I suppose that is fitting, isn't it? If you wish to walk among humans, you must learn to live without the things that make you what you are."

He moves back, contemplative. "There will be conditions, of course. You will shed your tail at sunrise, but when the sun sets, you will return to the sea. And if you want to remain human forever, well," His smile sharpens. "Love is a powerful kind of magic, don’t you think? Within a month, you must make a human fall in love with you. Only then will you be free."

The words settle into you, but you don't back away. The price is steep, but you expected no less from him. This was Azul, after all.

"And if I fail?" you ask.

"Then you return to the sea," he says simply. "As you are. As you were meant to be."

The words echo in your head. You think of the shore, of the laughter you have only ever heard from a distance, and the thought of steady land beneath your feet.

"I accept." you say.

The three merfolk grin at your words, and soon your name is on one of Azul's contracts.

Becoming human is not gentle. The transformation is agony.

It is drowning in reverse, a pressure that crushes and pulls, bones shifting, flesh reshaping. You fall, or maybe you rise; water and air blur together, indistinguishable in your pain. The sea roars in your ears, but it is not the familiar call of home; it is something distant now, something you cannot hold onto.

And then, you are gasping for air.

The first breath of air is like swallowing the sun. It burns. It sears down your throat, filling your lungs in a way the sea never did. It takes you a moment to adjust.

When you finally open your eyes, the first thing you see is the sky.

You are lying on the shore, the tide lapping at your ankles, and when you move, the weight of your body feels strange. Your legs tremble with each movement. It takes you longer than you’d like to stand.

You stumble when you take a step. And when you try to cry out, nothing escapes your lips.

But you do not have time to grieve what you have lost. You knew what you were doing when you signed the contract.

You take a step forward, hopefully towards your forever. You have one month to make it true.

You are not alone for long. A fisherman finds you on the beach.

His eyes are kind, he is gentle as he helps you stand. He has hands rough from years of working with nets, a voice like the low rumble of a tide, and eyes the colour of driftwood. He asks questions you cannot answer, speaks words you cannot repeat. You point to your throat, shaking your head, and he understands.

He assumes you are lost.

You cannot tell him the truth, so you let him believe what he wants—that you are a human from another place, shipwrecked and silent from the shock of it all.

He offers you a place to stay. He does not ask for anything in return.

He lives in a small house by the shore, a modest thing with salt-stained windows and nets hanging from the walls. The scent of fish and seaweed clings to the wooden planks. He gives you blankets, food, a warm place to rest. He does not pry.

You try to smile in gratitude, but it feels strange on your lips. You are used to baring your teeth in the water, not softening your expression on land.

Still, he smiles back.

At dusk, he yawns and stretches, rubbing the back of his neck. "Long day," he murmurs. "I should rest. You should too."

Then he retreats to his room, leaving you alone in the dim candlelight.

You wait.

You wait for the sun to slip beneath the horizon. And when the last light dies, you go back to the shore.

It is just as painful the second time.

Bones crunch, reshape; your legs collapse beneath you as the transformation takes hold. Your skin shimmers, scales blooming like stars across your flesh. The moment your tail fully forms, you drag yourself into the sea, where the water welcomes you like a mother greeting a long-lost child. The pain lingers, but the relief of the familiar dulls it.

You do not linger. You do not weep into the waves for the loss of voice. The first night, you are determined.

For the first seven days, you spend your seven nights alone.

You swim through the reefs, tracing old paths, but the world slowly seems different. The tides do not carry the same comfort. The water talks to you, but you do not respond back.

It is on the eighth night that you seek Azul out.

You hesitate at the entrance, but only for a moment. Then, you push forward.

Jade sees you first. His gaze flickers towards you with sharp, knowing amusement.

"My, my," he muses. "How unexpected."

Floyd is lounging at a table nearby, upside down in his seat, one arm dangling lazily in the water. At the sound of his brother’s voice, he twists his head toward you, a slow grin spreading across his face.

"Ne, did you mess up already? Need another deal?"

You shake your head.

The truth is, you don’t know why you’re here. Or maybe you do. Maybe the loneliness is getting to you. Maybe you are tired of waiting for something to bloom between you and the fisherman while knowing you cannot even ask his name.

Maybe you are here because you miss your own kind.

Azul emerges from a side room, flipping through pages of a ledger. "What is all this noise about–?" His sentence cuts short when he sees you.

There is a flicker of something in his gaze—surprise, perhaps, or curiosity. Then it smooths into his usual smile.

"Well," he says, snapping his book shut. "I did not expect to see you again so soon."

You lift your hands, trying to explain. You gesture to the sea, to the shore, to yourself.

Jade hums. "Ah. You’re lonely."

Floyd laughs. "That’s kinda sad! You gave up everything to be a human, and now you wanna hang out with us instead?"

Azul tsks. "Don’t tease," he chides, though his own amusement is evident. He studies you, tapping his fingers against his arm. "I had a feeling you would come back. What brings you here? Surely not second thoughts?"

You shake your head. You are not here to break your deal. Absolutely not.

Jade studies you for a moment, and then with polite curiosity, asks, "And how is your fisherman?"

You blink at him, startled.

The twins laugh at your reaction, Floyd’s voice bright and unrestrained, Jade’s more measured but no less amused. Azul only sighs.

"Really now, did you think we wouldn’t check in on you?" Azul says, a smile on his face. "I am a businessman. I like to ensure my clients are following through with their agreements."

You frown, crossing your arms. But your shoulders relax, though your lips press into a thin line. Of course, they know. Azul never makes deals without keeping an eye on his clients.

Floyd swims closer, and grins at you. "Sooo? Is he in love with you yet?"

You glare at him.

Azul, sighs and comes closer to you. "It has been a week, hasn’t it? Progress takes time, of course, but I do hope you haven’t wasted too much of it."

You glance away. Seven days, and the fisherman has been nothing but nice to you. But it is not love. You do not know how to bridge that distance.

You shake your head.

Azul exhales. "Then I suppose you have your work cut out for you."

You nod, but you do not leave.

And perhaps Azul notices, because after a moment, he gestures toward an empty seat. "Stay, then," he says, like an afterthought. "If you wish."

You take his words, and you are back again the very next night. The Leech twins aren't around when you arrive.

"You look troubled," Azul points out.

You sigh, tipping your head back. How could you explain that this was harder than you expected? That love was not something you could pluck from the air like a starfish from the reef? That you, who had traded your voice for the chance to belong, felt more out of place than ever?

Azul, sharp as ever, seems to understand your expression. "Making a human fall in love with you is not as simple as fluttering your lashes and looking forlorn, you know." He says. "Especially when you cannot speak to them."

You shoot him a glare. Does he take you for a little child who doesn't even know that?

He ignores your offended look. "Well," he says, thoughtful. "If nothing else, I suppose I can offer some… assistance."

You blink at him, tilting your head.

Azul exhales, as if exasperated with himself. "I merely mean that if you’re struggling, it may be wise to refine your approach. You cannot speak, true, but communication is more than words." He taps his fingers against the table. "There is body language, expression, action. All of these can be just as effective, if not more so."

You sigh. This is silly, you think.

You are a merperson trying to woo a fisherman, a man whose hands are calloused from pulling creatures like you from the water. You are breaking yourself to fit into his world, folding the edges of your existence just to slip into the spaces where he might notice you.

And here you are near Azul, seeking comfort from him of all people.

A breath of laughter escapes you in form of bubbles which is enough for Azul to look up. His brow furrows slightly. "What?"

You shake your head, pressing your lips together.

You can not tell him. You only gesture that you don't require his assistance. Besides, who knows what sort of debts you will be in if you agree to take the help of the octamer that is responsible for putting you in your current predicament.

When the sun rises, it paints everything in soft gold, filtering through the open window. You try your best to sneak back in to your bed to not raise any suspicion.

You lay under the blankets until you hear a kettle whistling over the fire, the scent of steeped herbs curling through the air. The fisherman's voice is gentle when he speaks.

"Sleep well?" He asks. You nod, and he doesn’t press for more when he notices your damp hair.

Breakfast is quiet. He hums as he eats, an old tune that fills in the silence. You listen, hands curled around a clay cup of warm broth, the heat seeping into your fingers. He slides a spare coat over your shoulders when the wind picks up and points out toward the docks.

"Thought you might like to see the sea from above."

You follow, the rough wooden planks of the pier sturdy beneath your feet, the water below impossibly blue and glistening. Everything looks beautiful. You only hope that you can succeed to remain as a human at that moment.

At night, Azul hands you a notebook.

You blink at him. He sighs. "You cannot speak," he says, as if this is news to either of you. "But you can write."

You glance down at the book. Back at him and then at the twins.

He lifts a brow. "You can write, can’t you?"

You exhale sharply, bubbles rising in the water. You throw him the most offended look ever.

Azul huffs, unimpressed. "I’ll take that as a yes."

You scrawl out large words across the page while looms over your shoulder.

I am not an idiot!

Azul smiles in amusement. "I never said you were."

You narrow your eyes. Then, slowly, you flip the page and write, What else can you offer me?

Floyd grins, and without missing a beat, he says, "A kiss, probably."

Azul nearly chokes on his own breath. "Absolutely not!"

Your face warms as Floyd snickers, the water around him rippling with his amusement. Jade decides that he too will loom over your shoulder like his brother.

You tap your fingers against the page, pretending to consider it. Then, carefully you write, A kiss would be easier.

Azul looks bewildered. "Why do I even bother with you?"

You only grin, feeling proud of yourself for making him flustered.

The fisherman does not ask where you go at night.

He is not unobservant—you have seen the way his eyes flicker toward the door when he notices damp footprints on the wooden floorboards in the morning, the way his brow furrows when your hair still smells faintly of salt despite the dryness of the air. But he says nothing, only placing a towel nearby with quiet understanding.

When you hear the man talking to himself, you decide you will communicate, so you reach for a pen and page. The fisherman eyes you curiously when you write, Do you always speak this much?

The fisherman raises an eyebrow, reading over your shoulder. Then he grins. "Someone’s feeling bold today."

You tap the page expectantly.

He hums, sitting back on his heels. "Maybe I do," he admits. "You’re so quiet, I feel like I have to fill the space."

You pause, fingers hovering over the page.

He chuckles. "I don’t mind, though. Sometimes, it’s nice to just have someone around."

You give a pleased look at his words, then you write, What do you do when you aren’t fishing?

The fisherman blinks, then grins, clearly pleased. "Finally curious about me, huh?" He wipes his hands on his shirt, thinking. "Well, when I’m not fishing, I mend nets, fix boats, cook. Sometimes I go into town, sell what I’ve caught." He tilts his head. "Why? You interested in fishing?"

You wrinkle your nose.

He laughs. "Yeah, figured."

But you are interested, just not in the fish. You are interested in what other human activities he does.

To satiate your curiosity, he teaches you how to mend a net later in the day. The fibres are rough beneath your fingertips, the pattern feels intricate but methodical. He works beside you, hands moving with the kind of practiced ease that only comes with time.

"There’s a rhythm to it," he says. "Once you get used to it, it’s like breathing."

You listen, your hands move carefully, mimicking his motions. You think he is proud when you finally get it right.

You were excited to share about your new experience with Azul.

You did not notice that things have changed between you and Azul.

You lingered longer than necessary, looming over his shoulder to look at his work or mindlessly float around his space and brushing your tail against him to enjoy the look of irritation on him while he worked.

You hardly noticed that you naturally moved closer to him. But the twins did.

"How cute," Jade muttered, watching you. "Like a little fish who have found a reef to settle in."

The teasing started when the twins found you, more than once, dozing near Azul’s side.

The first time, you had curled up in a corner, exhaustion dragging you under. When you woke, Azul was a short distance away, busy pretending not to notice the way you stretched languidly.

The second time, you had drifted too close, your head nearly resting against his body. You were half-asleep when you heard Floyd’s delighted cackle.

"Aww, look at this! They really trust you, Azul!"

You startled awake, eyes blinking blearily at Azul’s flustered expression. His tentacles dragged his body away from you.

Azul shot a withering glare. "Don’t be ridiculous," he snapped, his voice sharp but lacking true bite. "They’re just tired. It’s hardly noteworthy."

"Maybe they’re looking to court ya, Azul~" Floyd singsonged, spinning lazily through the water before stopping right in front of you. "Hey, you wanna be our boss’s little guppy? He’s all soft on ya already!"

You ignored everything else and decided you will focus on the fact that he ruined your nap time. You huffed, rubbing the sleep from your eyes while Azul turned a different shade, his tentacles coiling as if physically repelling the thought.

"Don’t say such absurd things," he snapped, but his voice held no weight. The twins, of course, latched onto his reaction immediately.

But before anyone could say more, you flicked your tail to send a ripple of water towards Floyd. Then, Floyd decided to tackle you, and that's where the topic ended.

The days slip by.

The fisherman sometimes leaves before dawn, returns after sunset. You wave at him from the dock, watch as he vanishes into the more dense human population.

Soon you find yourself at the docks, gazing out into the distance as you contemplate why you aren't satisfied. Are you an ungrateful merperson?

You sit in your human form, dreaming of your life back under the sea, thinking of what the octamer must be doing now. You did not think human life would be so dull. You no longer know what the Princess saw in trading her tail for legs back in the day.

Now, you really feel like an ungrateful merperson.

On the twenty-ninth night, you do not seek Azul.

You sit alone by the rockier shore instead, watching the moonlight high over the sky. The waves sigh against the rocks, rhythmic and ceaseless, yet your thoughts crash far more violently.

You should be with the fisherman—he is kind, steady, human. He is the future you wanted. But your heart is fickle and uncooperative, betrays you. A glance held too long, a touch you wished had lingered. The warmth of Azul’s voice, the way you wish he only kept looking at you.

You feel foolish. Azul is cunning, he stole your voice. Yet, when you think of him, you think of comfort.

You like Azul. And you do not know what to do.

You do not want to be a human, either.

"You look miserable." A familiar voice cuts through the silence.

Jade perches on one of the rocks, his smile all sharp edges and quiet amusement. Floyd, circles around, bored.

"You should’ve let me teach you how to woo someone," Floyd drawls. "This fisherman of yours sounds boring."

You glare at them both.

Floyd pouts. "Aw, don’t be like that~" He leans in, swimming closer to you. "You know, you could always ask us for help. I bet we could be real useful."

You now glare into the distance, arms wrapped around yourself as the twins circle around the rock you're on like predators circling their prey.

Jade hums, propping his chin against his palm. "Or perhaps," he says, "you already know what you want, and that is why you look so distraught."

You stiffen.

Floyd's grin widens, sharp teeth glinting in the moonlight. "Ohh, is that it?" He asks. "Then why don’tcha just take it?"

You bite the side of your cheek and say nothing. You will do nothing for now and just think.

You have one day left. Tonight you will just think of what to do.

The sun is golden and warm. The fisherman is outside while you sit on the floor and write down everything you think is necessary onto a piece of paper.

He has been good to you. Gentle and patient. You owe him this much.

You write the truth. That you are not what he thought you were—not a lost soul, not a shipwrecked wanderer, not someone meant to stay. That you are something else entirely. That when night falls, you will return to the sea, as you always have.

"I was simply curious," you explain in careful script. "I wanted to know what it was like, to be human. And you showed me kindness when I had no voice to ask for it. Thank you."

You hesitate to add the last part, but you still write it. You speak of an offering of sorts—an hour after sunset, if he wishes, you will return once more. You will bring him something from the sea, a token of gratitude.

A shadow moves near the doorway. You snap the parchment close, pressing it to your chest as the fisherman steps forward. His eyes glance toward the letter.

He doesn’t ask. But the curiosity is there. You offer him a wavering smile and shake your head. Not yet.

He exhales softly, ruffling your hair like one might a younger sibling. "Alright, alright," he murmurs, letting it go, though his eyes linger a little longer than usual.

That night, after he has retired, you slip the letter near his hands and leave without looking back.

The waves then welcome you with open arms. The water rushes up to greet you, swirling around your tail as the last remnants of human skin fade into scales. The spell is broken.

"Hello?" you test out your voice, to check if what you had lost have returned. But you don't celebrate just yet, you have something else to do.

Azul.

It took you thirty days to learn that you cannot force someone to fall in love with you, nor can you force yourself to love them. But, now, you do love someone, and you won't let this slip past you.

You drift deeper, thoughts spinning. You could find him and say it outright, but it won't feel right. So you will give him an offer, not unlike the one he gave you.

The thought of it sends a thrill through your veins, a boldness that you did not have when you first signed your contract. You are quick to go home.

Throughout the years you have collected many things that caught your eye—pearls, shells, sea glass and shiny objects from shipwrecks. Last night was spent rummaging through your treasures and finding what was best.

All these were objects provided by the sea. The last was a parchment with something only you could offer.

A proposition.

It reads:

Azul,

You are a businessman, are you not? Then allow me to propose a deal.

If you wish to see me, meet me at the shipwreck near your parent's restaurant. If you do not, then leave my gifts where they lie, and I will not trouble you again.

But should you come, then perhaps we can discuss something important.

You do not sign your name. If he does not know who it is by now, then he does not deserve the answer.

You have Azul's routine memorised, so it's easy for you to sneak in and arrange your treasures carefully when he is away.

You then retreat and go to the shipwreck to wait.

And you wait. The minutes stretch, water shifting in quiet currents. You don't know how long you wait before you feel a movement. You immediately move and see Azul with your proposition in his hands.

"An intriguing proposition," he says, a smile on his face. "And what, pray tell, do you intend to offer me?"

You smile. The first time you had come to him, you had given up your voice. This time, you offer something else entirely.

Your honesty.

"I love you."

The words are free, without any hesitation. No conditions. No negotiations.

You take delight in the way he becomes flustered by your words. His mouth opens, then closes, as if his usual silver tongue has failed him. He looks a shade darker.

"That is quite the bold declaration. Rather unlike you, I must say." he says after a long moment of silence.

"You barely hear me talk. But, do you disapprove?"

Azul huffs, attempting to regain his composure. "I never said that. But, what do you expect in return?"

You shake your head. "Nothing. There is no price. Just a choice."

Love is not a transaction. Love is the fisherman’s quiet patience for his craft, the Leech twins’ unruly devotion, the way the sea cradles you even after you left it behind.

And love, you realize, is also this: waiting in the dim glow of a shipwreck while Azul processes the words you have laid bare before him.

"You have made quite the gamble," he murmurs.

You tilt your head. "And?"

"You’re a fool," he tells you, his voice fond.

But before you can respond, he closes the space between you. His hand, careful and slow, takes yours.

"You’ve made your offer," he says. "Allow me to make mine."

Your pulse stirs and your heart beats louder. "And what might that be?"

"Well," he echoes, with a fond smile on his face, "if you are offering your honesty, I suppose it is only fair that I offer you my devotion."

Your breath catches and Azul leans forward, leaving just enough space for you to close the distance if you so choose.

You do.

The ocean hums around you as your lips meet his. The shipwreck, the sea, the night itself fade into the background, leaving only the coolness of his touch, the curl of his fingers against your jaw, the soft exhale of breath between you.

And when you separate, you know you are content.

© ladyfocalors

[faggotbeloved]

Cold Metal Biting Soft Flesh | Yandere Curly x Captain!M!Reader

Prologue: Decay (~2k words)

CW: Canon typical gore and violence, yandere themes, named original characters. Vomiting, blood and decay, no beta we die like Anya

This work can be skipped, since it's just a prologue.

This work does not contain smut but is 18+. Minors and fem-aligned people, please do not interact. AN at the end.

└───────────────────────┘

As the captain of the Astraeus, a colonization ship in which you take crew back and forth to barren rocks with no life save some algae that's a few million years from walking, you'd seen some shit. The only constants in your life were your ship, your base crew of just six, your nephew, and your title as captain.

Your life was good enough; you picked up around sixty colonists with various skills, dropped them off on a moon or a planet with the things they needed to flourish, then flew back to do it again. You had your late sibling's kid dropped in your lap recently, but he was a good kid and a promising pilot. You hardly spoke to the passengers below deck, but your little gaggle of crewmates were good friends, usually.

You thought you'd seen all that the vast, empty space had to offer until an unidentified object entered your flight path. The red flashing lights warned you that this clearly wasn't an asteroid, but in a meeting your resident doctor claimed that, regardless of its identity, it was in your best interest to ignore it and simply hop over it. When he suggested this to your crew, they were much less than happy to hear it.

"Are you kidding? Whoever it is, their SOS light is on, it's objectively immoral to ignore them. They'll die, if they haven't already!" Sascha protested. Sascha, with her spiky and colorful hair, was always the loudest and most abrasive, so it was no surprise she was vocal in her opinion against it.

"I understand that, but it'll add days to the trip. The passengers will be outraged, we could miss a supply drop—" he defended earnestly, but shut off once you raised a hand to silence him.

"Rhodes. She's right, and it's in our scientific interest," you emphasized, "that we dock at an undocumented craft. If there's living people, it is our responsibility to save them. If there's samples, we should get those, too, since there's no telling what the craft has."

Rhodes sighed and sat back, relinquishing the argument to your wise opinion.

"I motion to investigate the craft," you announced.

"I second the damn motion," Sascha growled.

"All opposed, raise your hand," you instructed. Nobody raised a hand, so you adjourned the meeting and prepared a team to investigate. The passengers didn't really care, not after you explained the cruciality of it all, so you and gathered your selected team.

You were a given; your nephew was in charge in the event that something happened on the Astraeus. Rhodes, with his medical expertise, was forced to come along. Harbor, the resident cook and communications leader, wanted to volunteer, but was overrode by Sascha. Finally, Lucille, who was just about the only person who specialized in combat, came with.

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With that, you donned your suits and ventured into the ship. Once you got inside and depressurized, you were immediately greeted with the thick air of rot. Fuck.

There was no oxygen in the ship and the lights flickered dully as the automatic doors showered with sparks once you left the airlock. You and Lucille forced the door open whilst Sascha and Rhodes bickered over whether or not anyone could still be alive. Sascha was optimistic, and Rhodes was less than.

"Hey, this is a Pony Express freighter," Sascha suddenly realized. "That... uh, fuck, what was her name? The pony mascot, Polle! Yeah, her face is all over the place. What were they hauling?"

Once the broken door opened with a uncomfortable screech, Lucille spoke slowly. "...Mouthwash."

You were stunned. That must have been a million empty bottles in here, all strewn about or in piles. "They ran out of food," Rhodes said softly. "No shit, dumbass. You think they drank it for fun?" Sascha huffed.

"You two, quit," you spoke up. "Pair up and focus. If anyone's alive after this long, it's not going to be pretty. Lou, get your gun."

"Will do, Captain," replied Lucille, waiting for your go-ahead to continue on. You ventured left and met with a wall of insulation foam. Ugh. Of course Pony Express would use insulation instead of spray metal; why wouldn't they cut corners with the cheapest material possible? Makes you glad that they went under a couple decades ago.

"We need to find a new route. These old kinds of ships have a central kitchen, a few other rooms, and a downstairs cargo bay," Sascha informed.

"Get with your pair. Lucille, go with Rhodes. Sascha, you get Lucille's extra gun, come with me. You two, take the right fork and we'll take middle. Keep your mics on."

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As you and Sascha went forward, you found long abandoned bedrooms belonging to a couple crew members. One door, the one without a lock and the only one open, held a woman's ID card, which prompted you to collect the IDs of all members.

"Huh, she's cute. This generation ship had cryopods, maybe she's a popsicle," Sascha joked.

"Be on the lookout for... four crew members and a captain. Young Anglo female named Anya, teenage East Asian male named Daisuke, middle aged Anglo male named Swansea, and a young Anglo male named Jimmy," you announced. "Looks like cabin's cut off from the rest of the ship. They probably had to sleep in the kitchen or medbay."

"Hm. Found the utility, but the door's jammed. I'll circle back," Rhodes said over the mic, passing by the room. "I'm in the medbay. It has traces of blood and vomit on the floor and—fuck, that bed is soaked in dried blood. Empty pill bottles; Captain, I think someone overdosed. It'd be easy, these painkillers are only a little less strong than what we have."

Rhodes observed the room while you and Sascha ventured back and followed their path to meet up.

"There's a gun case. Gun and bullets are missing. Be prepared to see either a crazy, gun wielding bastard or a whole lot of brains on the wall," Lucille said bitterly as you entered.

Sascha had been abnormally quiet since the Medbay news was delivered. "I'm a little nervous to check further now. But I guess we have to, huh?" she muttered.

Emeto and Gore warning.

You pressed on, and in the cockpit was a mess of foam and some dried blood. Nothing too damning just yet, though. You and Sascha lingered back to check out the control panels and determined that the ship steered directly into an asteroid, something virtually impossible with how simple the instructions were. "This was a purposeful crash, gu—" you began, but was cut off by a gag and the sound of vomit hitting a helmet.

"Lucille? Lucille!" You shouted, springing up to rush into the central room.

Ho-ly Fuck.

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Three people of the four you'd seen earlier were slumped across a table, party hats either hanging from their neck or somehow still on their head. You'd never wished to throw up more than in this moment. Lucille, since she'd already thrown up once, had to deal with the vomit coating her helmet, which only prompted her to go again.

The girl, Anya, had bloody saliva and puke dried onto her lips and decay around the her face, while her eyes were bloodshot and her body exhibited every symptom of opioid overdose. She slumped backwards, her position hardly mattering to whoever set this disgusting sight up. Fuck.

The boy, Daisuke, was unrecognizable with his face caved in. He was gruesomely propped up with his head on his hands, which had blood dripping down the forearms. His lips were twisted into a mockery of a smile, and the party hat had stayed on throughout the years of stationary movement. His bowels were nearly spilling out, clearly having been cut by a large sharp object before having been killed by the blow to his face.

The man, Swansea, had a clean bullet hole through the head and had both arms on the table like he was waiting to eat. His head fell backwards and the crust of regurgitated blood caked his lips and chin. Furthermore, his eyeball hung loosely around his chin and he'd been clearly beaten up before hand.

Five steaks lined the plates, and the barely-started decay made the sight worse. Five steaks... in a ship that had no real meat.

Not only were the crew in space with no decomposing lifeforms to feed off of them, they were in a room cold enough to freeze their bodies now that the heater power failed, so decomposition ceased entirely. They were stuck like they had just been killed days ago, their skin bloating and their organs slush inside them. With every poke and prod you made, Lucille gagged and only worsened her condition as she attempted to lift her helmet, since she suddenly had no oxygen but was hit with the smell of rot.

"Look away," you said firmly, motioning for Rhodes to bring Lucille to the side.

"Sealegs, this is your Captain speaking. Do you copy?" You spoke into your microphone, radioing back to the ship.

"Captain, this is Sealegs! I copy!" A young boy's voice chirped out eagerly.

"Sealegs, I want you to talk over the intercom—the big, red button I tell you not to touch—and tell the passengers to send up anyone with 'for-en-sic' or medical expertise. They need suits and tell them that it's a 'Rated R' sight. Three 'ca-da-vers' so far, and to bring barf bags," you said carefully, using words he was unfamiliar with to try not to traumatize your nephew.

You spring into Captain mode, reassigning roles to fit the crew's comfortability and capability. "Sascha, lead the passengers up and make sure they bring actual supplies. A gurney or something in case one of us passes out. Lucille, hand Rhodes your gun. You're dismissed; go shower and clean the vomit from your helmet. You don't need to see this."

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A full inspection of the ship, including the storage, determined that two crew members were missing—Jimmy, and the captain, whose name you hadn't yet found. Unfortunately, both of the captain's ID cards were destroyed beyond repair in a manner that seemed on purpose. The only room not observed yet was the utility room, which was seemingly blocked by a fire axe and multiple furniture items. In the spirit of a full check, you and about a half-dozen passengers broke through and gasped as you finally saw the inside.

The Util room itself was fine, but the final crew member, Jimmy had shot himself in the chest.

It didn't kill him immediately.

He crawled to beside a cryo pod and used his hand to make a handprint on the handle, as if begging someone else to open it.

"Check all of the other pods. I want someone to get that gun, too," you organized, then followed the handprint and lifted open the hatch. Oh. Oh, fuck.

"Shit! I need medical, now! Gurney, respirator, and morphine!" you shouted as a man—the former Captain, you were sure, fell out of the pod in the fetal position, shivering, choking, and staring at you with a wide, terrified eye.

You picked him up, wincing as you felt his raw skin squish under his weight, and removed your helmet to set it over his head for a gasp of real air. God knows how long he'd been without fresh air. You may have been suffocating, but you had good lungs. In less than a minute, the team brought a respirator and oxygen tank with a gurney.

You set him down and placed the mask over yourself, gasping and gagging at the rotting stench in the air, then rasped out to the man, "It'll be okay. We've got you."

You took back your helmet and put the mask over his lipless mouth, then sprinted back to the ship. Once you looked back down at him, you saw a tear escaping his eye and piercing blue irises set upon you.

┌───────────────────────┐

Yay... first post on this blog! This is obviously not the only part, I have plans, but this is essentially a skippable cutscene, since you could probably just ignore this part and head to the next once I make it. I just wanted to set the tone and setting, try my hand at gore, and voice my post-judgement headcannons. Anyways, I really hope my writing wasn't bad and it made sense! No Curly just yet, but just wait lol.

[homicidal-lingonberry]

a thought about kabru and mithrun and their time in the dungeon. (I love kabumisu but this is more about their canon relationship)

I have seen several people say that they dont think that kabru really cared about or liked mithrun. that he was just doing things cause he had to, etc. but I feel like this ignores something pretty cool about kabru. Kabru always has an inner monologue going on, one that we get to see.

several times when we see kabru doing nice things we can see that his inner monologue doesnt actually match. we see him kindly doing things that actively distress him several times. we as an audience are made very aware when kabru is doing something he doesnt really like.

so what kind of an inner monologue does kabru have when he performs caring tasks for mithrun? does he think about the advantages of having mithrun or the canaries on his side? does he think bitterly of mithrun? does he think about how much he hates this? the worst he thinks is "to think I'd get roped into this for the sake of that lot." and "this isnt seeing to his needs, this is nursing!" pretty early on in their journey together. this is while he is still digesting the full picture of mithruns condition and all the things hes going to need to do, the full weight of the situation now apparent.

after this, all we see is compassion. him thinking he would like to make mithrun something nice to eat, even if it wouldnt matter to him. him empathizing and reflecting on how not having desires would be really rough. him coming to understand where some of mithruns quirks, like his sense of direction, come from.

by the end, he has trusted mithrun enough to tell him about laios, and mithrun has given him all the information he has been searching for for YEARS.

and this is just the dungeon. kabru continues to involve himself with mithrun when its not his problem anymore. when really, he should be doing anything but. and after everything is done, if he truly did not care about mithrun, he has NO reason to do anything he does in chapter 94.

they are FRIENDS okay??? Kabru cares about him. it isnt just obligation. ty.

as far as mithrun goes, he gives kabru information, he asks him what he wants to do with that little smile (doesnt wait for his squad), slaps him out of his panic attack, and then kabru is the person he eventually confides his true desire to.

theyre FRIENDS and Im tired of people acting like they dont even like each other just bc they dont like the ship. you dont have to ship it, but if you think these 2 didnt drastically change each others lives in a positive way and that they dont care about each other...you maybe need to read again.

and also I think a lot of these takes veer on dehumanizing mithrun. like how could kabru even like him or see him as a friend when hes like that. like do yall forget mithrun was busy keeping kabrus ass from getting killed. or the way he perceptively sees straight through kabrus bs every single time until kabru finally tells the truth? I know kabrus confession to laios is a lot more emotionally intense, but laios isnt the only character that forces kabru to be honest.