#the best girl dad boy failure

[maishi-kibby]

I’ve always adored this goober :3

[shrimpybbq]

rafe and high school gf's first mother's day

oh boy, where to begin

charlie was only a few months old when mother's day rolled around and high school gf was still in the adjustment stage with her little boy

she was crying a lot too, always sad and watching rafe stalk in and out of tannyhill, high and grumbling about things she couldn't understand

charlie wasn't sleeping through the night and it was all just too stressful for her - high school gf was definitely experiencing postpartum depression

she doesn't even realise that mother's day is coming up, never picking up on the hints and besides, she hadn't been going into town to see the cards and gifts out

it's sarah, rose, and wheezie who decide to do something for her. they know rafe won't do anything for her since he's off on a coke bender again, so they decide to cater in morning tea for the family and have a small celebration

high school gf woke up that morning to find wheezie insistent on playing with charlie, and so she lets her take him down to the living room

high school gf allows herself a well-earned shower, washing her hair and finally feeling somewhat normal. dressed, she gets ready to go downstairs only to have sarah knock at the door and accompany her downstairs

as the pair reach the living room, charlie and wheezie aren't in sight

"Wheezie took him outside, said the weather was nice," Sarah said.

the pair wandered outside only for high school gf to freeze at the decadent spread on the table, the balloons floating and the cake with the words 'happy mother's day' on it

"It's mother's day?" She asks quietly, voice wavering as her pent up emotions rose to the surface once more.

"Yeah! It's your first one so we wanted to do something special for you!" Wheezie exclaimed, running to hug the older girl.

the cameron's warily watch as high school gf's still for a moment, sarah beginning to panic as she notices the girl's lower lip begin to tremble

the family exchange wide-eyed glances as the new mother bursts into tears as she clings to wheezie, her sobs reverberating off the walls of tannyhill

they're all so confused until wheezie hears her mumble,

"Rafe isn't here,"

the young girl silently mouths 'rafe' to the other women, both realising what was making her so sad - rafe hadn't remembered the special day, and what's worse, he hadn't really acknowledged her much in the last month at all

high school gf was at her breaking point, so overwhelmed and sad, and the person who got her pregnant and put her in the situation in the first place hadn't even showed up

soon the cameron women surround her, bringing her to the table and comforting her as much as possible

it takes a while, but her tears stop and soon, the family eat pieces of the cake (the vibe is a little awkward, but sarah is doing her best to make high school gf laugh)

they've been outside in the sun for hours by the time ward returns back to the house, only to appear with a high rafe in tow. ward freezes at the sight of the group, taking in the words on the balloons. he can only sigh, balling up his fists at the realisation of the date

"Are you serious, Rafe?" Ward snipes, turning to face his son. He seethes, barely able to contain his anger at the continuous failures his son seems to bring upon him, "You can't even pull yourself together for one day."

Rafe looks at him hazily, his confusion clear. "Dad.. what are you talking about?"

Ward sighs once more, gripping his son's polo and dragging him towards the house. Before they pass through the door, he pauses and calls out to the sweet young girl watching, noticing her tears have begun to well up in her eyes again, "Happy Mother's Day, sweetheart."

Rafe's head turns to his girlfriend swiftly, eyes widening at the congratulations. He barely has a moment to process his mistake before his dad pulls him inside.

high school gf gives a sad smile to sarah and the younger girl immediately pulls her head down to rest on her shoulder, gently soothing her soft cries that have started up again. the whole table sits uncomfortably, wondering truly how someone so sweet and kind had ended up with rafe

they wish he would get clean for her and their son, but for now, all they can do is comfort her and try and make her day the best it can be (a rare moment that sarah and rose work together)

though her following mother's days were signficantly better and rafe actually remembered them, he always feels incredibly guilty at the memory of how he made her feel that day

@droppedyourhnd sorry this has taken so long to get out!

i've been taking a little break over xmas, but hoping to write a bit more now

[konigsblog]

What do you think König will act if he has a son? Would he be more rough or just as soft as he is with his daughter?

Well... Let's just say that he wouldn't be the best father to his little boy. If he had a son as well as a daughter, he would definitely have a favourite. It would be pretty clear and obvious who he favoured between the two. He's simply just not built for having a son. He's a girl dad through and through. He wants to see his daughter in pretty little dresses, walk her down the aisle when she's an adult and getting married. Of course, he can do this with his son too, but it'll never feel the same.

He tries not to make it obvious, attempting to treat them equally. The only noticeable difference is that he's a lot stricter with his son, punishing him for his disobedience and failure. His daughter got into a fight at school? Well, that's alright. She was always taught to protect herself, to always hit back. His son got into a fight at school? He should definitely know better, especially with his strength and the genes he inherited from his father. Summer school will become his punishment for misbehaving in school...

I think König would see himself in his son and that's why he favours his little girl. She's the light of his life, while his son reminds him of his teenage self in the worst way possible.

[tinyhrry]



Angst

untitled (@avatar-anna)

Grief Pt 2 (@avatar-anna)

The Maid of Honour & The Best Man (@musicforastylesrestaurant)

Why Dont U Love Me? Pt 2 (@alltheloveflowerh)

The Boxer Pt 2 (@ever-since-kiwi)

I wish you were the one who told me (@meetevieinthehallway)

Commitment Pt 2 (@harry-writings)

Friends before fans (@finelinevogue)

Take my money (@gucciharrywritings)

Destiny (@freedomfireflies)

Thick and Thin (@theonewiththefanfics)

Reconcile (@talesofstyles)

High (@harryisalrightig)

Champagne Problems (@allyouneedisbuck)

Love you goodbye (@atharryshouse)

Canyon moon (@gucciwins)

She can see we're lonely down here (@violetsandfluff)

A small phone call (@twohearts-hs)

Trust (@shroombloomm)

Pull me in (@hunflowers)

Just called to say I love u (@avatar-anna)

Better Man (@avatar-anna)

In sickness and in health (@talesofstyles)

Failure (@avatar-anna)

to love someone (@ineffablywriting)

Second (@missmielyhoran)

you are the love of my life (@finelinevogue)

worst daddy ever (@whitemancumslut)

future gf (@avatar-anna)

rivals (@avatar-anna)

interesting (@goldsainz)

Fluff

birthday boy (@finelinevogue)

drive my car (@mulledcherrywine)

No guarantee (@allofurlove)

Girl Gone Live (@avatar-anna)

When in Rome (@finelinevogue)

Drama Queen (@sunflowerkiwis)

Wardrobe Malfunction (@watchmegetobsessed)

Drunk on a wedding (@harryyskiwii)

Favorite Holiday (@tsumtsumrry)

Puppy Love (@watchmegetobsessed)

Highschool Lovers (@haaarry)

Class Buddies (@ever-since-kiwi)

Waiting for you (@watchmegetobsessed)

Chubby Cheeks (@jarofstyles)

Bo Peep (@haarrrys)

Anything for his girls (@flwrsforu)

Shoot ur shot (@finelinevogue)

Wouldn't it be nice (@ill-be-your-honey-bri)

Where the world takes you (@havethetimeofyourstyles)

Princess Jasmin (@harrysmimi

New York streets & dreams (@sweet-creature101)

What dreams are made of (@flwrsforu)

Sick on tour (@musicforastylesrestaurant)

At the brits (@hes-writer)

Times you were at Wembley with harry (@harrysfolklore)

Lots of loving (@daaydreamy)

Finally Free (@be-with-me-so-happily)

Before the show (@avatar-anna)

Home (@musicforastylesrestaurant)

Childhood Friends (@harryyskiwii)

In your rainbow paradise (@anabsolutetrainwreck)

Instagram Live (@astranva)

Good job (@daaydreamy)

Love at the coffee shop (@gucciwins)

Interesting enough? (@finelinevogue)

Brother's best friend (@watchmegetobsessed)

We're really funny (@mosh-4)

asking for her hand (@ameliaskdr)

GQ couples quiz (@glitteredrry)

worth the risk (@gucciwins)

Smut

No more games (@watchmegetobsessed)

Better now (@bopbopstyles)

Series

Pregnancy Series (@avatar-anna)

Our Story (@daisyblog)

Songs of hers (@chaoticloving)

Kiss me in the dark (@finelinevogue)

Young dad!harry (@avatar-anna)

[sleepygh0ulia]

. . . INTRODUCING MY HOGWARTS DR ! (heavily ib Lyrashifts)

About This dr takes place in 2024 (cs that medieval shit is for the birds) the wizarding world is a lot more modern, having cell phones, laptops, regular pencils and paper, etc etc.

🎀 [ABOUT ME ! ]

Name: Evangeline Eileen Prince

Nationality: American

Birthplace: Olney, Maryland

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Blood Status: Pureblood

House: Slytherin & Horned Serpent

Face claim:

🎀 [BACKSTORY ! ]

My biological parents are Severus and my bio mom Zariah, but when I was about 5 months old, they got a divorce. Severus moved back to the U.K, and me and my mom stayed in the U.S. When I was 3, she got remarried to my now step-dad Claude, and the year after that, they had my half-brother, Claude. (we call him jj) I lived in the states, 0 contact with Severus until I was 11. On my 11th birthday my mom told me that Severus always wanted to be in my life, and that she was the one pushing him away because she was afraid of me going to live with him. She gave me his phone number, and although it was awkward at first, I began to warm up to him more and more. He taught me a lot about potions and DADA, lowk he’s the only reason I passed my classes at Ivermourny. I started visiting him during breaks to make up for lost times. At the end of my 3rd year at Ivermourny, I asked my mom if I could go to Hogwarts, and live with Severus for the rest of my schooling, and visit her on holidays. She blew up at me and it was the longest we had gone without talking to each other, but after a month and a half of Claude trying to convince her, she finally gave in. She and Claude met with Severus in person, a month before term, and decided on ground rules and communication, and finally got everything settled. I stay with Severus the month before school starts to get robes and get accustomed to muggle and magical England.

🎀 [WARDROBE ! ]

I’ve kinda got a similar style to Momo from MHA, rich girl vibes, skirts and long sleeve shirts with mary jane’s, a nice bag, and cutesy leg warmers.

🎀 [LIFE AT HOGWARTS ! ]

Dorms: Students are 4 to a dorm, which includes a bed, a desk, a closet, 2 mini fridges, and 2 bathrooms. Once a student is assigned a dorm, the dorms decorate themselves to fit those students tastes. You and your dormmates also choose a password for your specific dorm room. Dorms are split in half, separated by gender, and in alphabetical order. All students are to be in a dorm by 11PM, and failure to do so will result in a 3 day detention at minimum. Girls and boys are allowed to be in each others dorms, but only with the permission of all students housed in said dorm room, a prefect, and the head of house. Different house sleepovers are also allowed but again with permission from both house heads, and same gender only.

Extracurriculars:

• Band

• Cheer team

• Student Council

• Art Club

• Gardening Club

• Care of Magical Creatures Club

• Astronomy Club

• Mythology Club

Events:

• An annual Christmas ball (except for the years we host the triwizard tourny)

• Bonfire to kick off the quidditch season

• Annual trips to another European country

• Halloween Masquerade ball

• The house elves put small buckets of candy in everyone’s dorm room on Halloween morning

🎀 [OTHER ! ]

Best friends: Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter, Roselynn Price, Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini, Luna Lovegood

S/O: Alejandro Garcia

Pets: My pookie pie Binx

Happy shifting and manifesting!!

[apollosgiftofprophecy]

FANFIC POLL TIME!

Descriptions (because i NEED to explain things haha-):

CHOOSE WISELY

Of Bridges Built & Burned: Based off this clowning between me and @moodyseal

BUCKLE UP THIS GETS WILD READ THE LINK ABOVE FOR A MORE DETAILED EXPLANATION

TD;LR- Commodus and Apollo get to both scream about their relationship (because it's usually only Commodus who does that), Commodus goes off to sulk/stew over it while Apollo completes his trials, then post-ToA they meet again and have a Much Needed Talk

...and *sobs* go separate ways... *ugly sobbing* DON'T MIND ME-

you know you love the ship when you write them breaking up in the most heart-wrenching scenario possible.

but shh...i have another idea to do with this but that's for another time😈

The Art of War: I've been DYING to do SOMETHING with Apollo (Favorite Son™) and Ares (Failure Son™) and I have 3 whole scenes in different points of time now!!!

First is when Apollo's young and new on Olympus. He's been shoved onto Ares for the time being because in Ancient Greece, boys were raised by their fathers and girls by their mothers, and when the father was unavailable, it was the eldest brother's job to watch his younger brothers.

Second scene is during/post Ares's kidnapping by the giants! Some Apollo angst, Zeus being the best dad ever (not), and Ares not having a good time.

Third and finally, is a little conversation post-ToA between them :3

The Sun's Rise: At last! Out of the vault! The moment we've been waiting for! Starring our boy Apollo, Prometheus being Prometheus, and a guest star you all should know by now :3

Hyapollo Multific: YEAH YOU HEARD IT. FIVE CHAPTERS OF HYAPOLLO, WITH SIDE DISHES OF APRICITY, HYARICITY, AND ONE-SIDED ZEPHYRUS PINNING FOR HYAPOLLO. COME GET UR FLUFF-DRAMA-ANGST FEST

@hyac1nthus i know you'd want to see this >:3

Koios ToA: What the hell was Koios doing during ToA? This fic will play like a snapshot of what our favorite titan was up too. Questions will be asked, answers will be found, and oh boy Phoebe and Koios are gonna have a bit o' long-overdue marital strife.

Drunk Twins: literally what is says on the label. the twins get drunk and the Hunt has to call in the mama wolf for backup lmao

The Conspiracy of Rachel Elizabeth Dare: based on this post by @hogoflight and expanded upon here by me! Rachel Dare is a conundrum to her friends, and they put their detective hats on to solve the case!

ToA BuzzFeed Unsolved: The Queer Capers of Lester Papadopoulos and Meg McCaffrey: BUZZFEED TIME! We need ToA buzzfeed fics so here I am making one :3

Apollo V Orion fight (with a side-dish of Jupiter & Commodus): Exactly what it says on the label lmao I had three oneshot ideas and then I went "COMBINE THEM!!" so here is a oneshot with three different things in it making a cohesive story :3

A Radiant Light: Did I make up an entire backstory for one background character? Yes. Is that character Phoebe the Hunter? Also yes.

how to get your daughter to divorce your brother and marry your nephew: a guide by demeter: funny fic about Demeter trying to get Meg, Nico, and Will to help her convince Persephone to divorce Hades and marry Apollo. Based off one of my headcanons haha

👀 lookin' forward to a lot of these, hehe!

Tag list: @txny-dragon @solahflare @fuzzystudios @apollosothertwin @peishathebookity @reuben-7991 @allylyrac @the-summersun

[sillysillygoofygoose]

Dad Toji Headcanons!

Dad Toji, who is honestly a terrible father. Down right horrendous, boy failure, bad father. But he's trying his absolute best.

Dad Toji, who feeds a barley-teethed Megumi medium rare steak and is shocked when his son freaks out at the chewy texture he's unable to break down with his small and few pearly whites. Toji, however, still sneaks him food like he's a dog after being scolded by you.

"Shh sh, eat eat eat. Good boy, don't let mommy see."

Dad Toji, who loves taking pictures of his little boy. Megumi in a new outfit, Megumi on the playground, Megumi holding onto your neck, his unamused expression contrasting your bright smile... all of it is "professionally" captured on his beaten up iPhone 11.

Dad Toji, who thinks his son's attitude is the funniest thing ever.

"Baby look, I'm tickling the damn kid and he's fucking pissed!"

"Toji, please don't say 'fucking' in front of Megumi."

"Fucking?"

"HAHAHAHAHAHA, that's my boy! Say it again, Gumi!"

"NO!"

Dad Toji, who does not support the neck. This man holds his kid, his own flesh and blood, like a stylish tote bag. Tucked under his arm horizontally, suspended in the air as Toji grips onto his collar, upside-down held onto by the ankle. It just seems to get worse and worse every time Toji picks him up. However, the little boy remains completely unbothered and unfazed by his father's careless antics.

Dad Toji, who kinda wanted a girl. He would learn how to do her hair (and would fail miserably, but it's the thought that counts), he would play tea party with her, and would definitely tell her first boyfriend the most embarrassing stories he can think of, right after giving the young man the nastiest death stare as he walked into the house. Oh well, you'll just have try again! Maybe it will be a girl this time.

Dad Toji, who gets so nervous when Megumi starts crying. Not necessarily because of the cries, but because he has no idea how to stop them. It's like an alarm clock with no snooze button.

"Stop. Gumi, stop it. C'mon why are you crying? Stop." Toji, the baby can't understand you. He tries patting his back, or even better, just staring at him. Eventually Megumi stops crying when Toji gathers him up in his arms, bouncing him up and down a little too aggressively.

Dad Toji, who forgets kids are kids.

"Dad, I drew this picture of you." Five year old Megumi waddles up to his dad, handing him a colorful and sloppy drawing of a skinny structure of a man.

"Hm very cool bud. Does this really look like daddy though?" Toji scratches his head, looking at the very endearing drawing.

Megumi looks at his father with a deadpan glare, small fists balled up at his sides.

"Yes."

"Oh okay, little man."

Yikes, that kid is kinda scary.

Dad Toji, who genuinely loves Megumi and spending time with him. He's excited to watch his son grow into a young man and has a feeling he'll be much more helpful to him when he gets older. Girls, cheap marijuana, rebellion... yeah, that's much more up Toji's alley than singing the ABC's and speaking in a saccharine baby voice.

Dad Toji, who's not a perfect father, not even a good one but he is a father. And he's trying his best.

[so-long-soldier-writes]

More Than Friends

kai parker x reader (80s!kai x witch!reader)

summary: your "more than friends" status with kai is revealed when you lose hold of a silencing spell. jo, of course, has a lot to say about it.

tags: jo's boyfriend, fluff, smut, choking, vaginal sex, pet names, overstimulation, loss of consciousness, spell failure, dysfunctional family, mentions of child abuse, siphoning

word count: 2.9k

“Do you hear that?” 

The smallest sound of a girl’s whine is heard over the movie playing. The boy watching the screen turns to his girlfriend to see if she caught it, too. 

“Jo?”

“Hm, what?”

“Did you hear that noise?”

Suddenly, on the tv, a woman cries out. The killer has slashed her throat.

“That one?”

“No, you goof, the one coming from upstairs. I thought we were home alone tonight.”

“We are. Aside from Kai, but Kai is Kai. He doesn’t leave his room.”

“Well could he be doing anything to be making that noise?”

“Jackson, I don’t even hear a noise. But no, he has strict orders from Dad and he knows the consequences if he breaks them.”

Jackson stills. Maybe he didn’t hear anything. In the back of his mind, he knows he did, but if Jo says it’s nothing, it’s nothing. Besides, if it is her brother, he figures it’s best to leave it alone. Jack’s never met Kai - Jo’s been adamant about that - but he does know the basics from her and her siblings. 

You can’t touch him, and you really shouldn’t talk to him. He can hurt people just by touching them, and will hurt people to get his way. 

Jo’s little sister, Clara, had said to him once: if Kai doesn’t wear his gloves, Daddy gets mad, because then he can hurt us. He did it to Sarah once and made her cry. 

That alone is enough to keep him away from the boy. And despite his curiosities, he refuses to pry, mostly out of fear of Jo’s dad. Even without the dangerous son, the man is scary. The first time he showed up on the doorstep to take Jo out on a date, he had nearly threatened him. Sure, that’s a typical dad thing, but something tells him that Joshua Parker wouldn’t hesitate to actually harm him if he thinks it’s necessary. Maybe that’s where Kai gets it…

An eerie chuckle from the TV snaps the boy out of his thoughts as Chucky approaches his next victim.

Jo curls into her boyfriend, sweating. “Maybe we should’ve watched “Children of the Corn” instead,” she mutters.

Oh, yeah, that’s another thing… 

Jackson’s mind flashes back to about an hour ago, when they were picking the movie.

“Not “Children of the Corn”,” Jo shudders, “that boy shares a name with my brother.”

Kai’s real name is Malachai. How creepy is that?!

“Eh, I think we’re better off with the killer doll,” he decides, also perturbed by the name. 

As Jo cuddles into him, he starts to forget the sounds he thought he heard upstairs. 

~~~~~

You’re breathing heavily, hardly. Kai’s hand is around your throat as he rocks his body into you. He pulls out nearly all the way before thrusting back in, and you swear his cock is reaching your stomach. His other hand holds onto your waist to keep you in place, probably leaving a bruise you’ll find in the morning. Every so often, he ducks his head to nip and lick at your breasts. Or, he’ll lock eyes with you, and you’ll feel your pussy fluttering, wetness pooling. 

“Kai,” you mutter, eyes fluttering. Between his grip and the pleasure, you’re having trouble forming words. 

And normally you wouldn’t care, but one thing’s wrong: the spell is breaking, you can feel it. You’re losing your concentration, and quite frankly, your consciousness. 

“Kai. Sl-slow d-, wait-” the last word turns into another moan, and you’re unable to get his attention.

You can feel the energy of the magic in the room as it weakens. Though as the spell fizzles out, your orgasm draws nearer. Harder, even, as if the magic is channeling itself into you instead of holding up your silencing spell. Kai repositions his fingers on your neck, but he doesn’t slow down. There’s no telling what Jo is probably hearing now. The thought of her telling on you two starts to fill you with fear. Sweat beads at your forehead and you fight to cry out your boyfriend’s name as he keeps pace.

“Cum for me, Princess,” he whispers into your neck. 

The pet name takes you out, quite literally. Forgetting all about Jo and the spell, your orgasm hits you. White spots take over your vision and your mouth becomes dry. Equal parts pain - from his grip on your neck - and pleasure - between your high and his, occurring at the same time - are felt throughout your body. He spills into you, filling you so much that it already starts to leak out. Your legs are shaking hard, and for a second, you black out. 

When your head slacks onto the pillow, Kai stops abruptly and removes his hand from your neck. “Princess, are you okay? Wake up, please, come on.” He gently taps the sides of your face to bring you back to consciousness. With no luck, panic starts to rise in his chest. “Y/N, please.” Grabbing the water bottle beside the bed, he puts the cool metal against your neck, hoping a temperature shock will do the trick. 

Immediately, your eyes open. You wake gasping, still feeling the effects of your high.

“Hey, gorgeous, you okay? Sit up, let me get you some water.” Kai fully pulls out of you, then comes to your side to tuck a few pillows under your head. He holds the bottle as you drink, playing with your hair gently at the same time. 

Finally, you’re stable enough to look at him. Before you can get a word out, he’s already talking. “Baby, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you. Are you okay? I think I choked you too hard, or maybe I should’ve slowed down. Fuck. I’m sorry.”

His concern melts your heart. “Shh, it’s okay,” you sit up to cradle his face, assuring him he didn’t hurt you. “I’m totally fine, and you didn’t do anything wrong. I enjoyed every minute of that, Kai.”

“You blacked out because of me.”

“Yeah, because you can fuck me that well, Kai. That’s something to be proud of.” 

He tries to smile, but you can see he’s still worried.

“I promise I’m okay.”

“Okay… can I at least take you downstairs to go get some orange juice? I don’t want you passing out again. Just in case.”

“Of course.” But as soon as you say it, you realize, “wait.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Part of the reason I think I blacked out was the spell.”

“What? What spell?” 

“Kai - the silencing spell.”

His blood runs cold, “oh fuck.”

“I lost it right before we came. I think I tried to warn you, but I was too lost in the feeling.”

“Oh fuck, Y/N, I’m sorry! You tried to stop me, this is my fault!”

“No, no, no, hey, baby, come here.” The boy avoids your eyes, so you hold his face to make him look at you. “It is not your fault. And even if it was, I don’t care. It’s not the end of the world if your innocent little sister hears us.”

“She’s my twin,” Kai misses the point. 

“Kai.”

“Hm?”

“She’ll live.”

“But if she tells Dad, we’re both screwed. He’ll ban you; he’ll do a stupid little spell that’ll keep us apart.”

“Then we’ll just have to bribe her. Chocolates?”

“Y/N, she’s daddy’s good little girl,” he mocks, “she’ll tell.”

You try to hide your anxiety. If Kai knows you’re worried, he’ll be ten times as worried. “Well, we can’t undo it. What’s done is done.”

“Maybe you didn’t lose the spell?”

Biting your lip, you answer, “no, I definitely did. But it’ll be okay, okay? Let’s just… go downstairs, like you said. Because to be honest, I am still a little out of it,” you try to refocus his anxiety onto your black out instead of his fear, “and if she brings it up, I’ll handle it.”

Thankfully, he nods. 

“I promise you, it’ll be fine, Kai.” You give him a kiss. “I love you.”

“I love you, too. I trust you.”

“I trust you, too, pumpkin.”

Minutes later when you’ve dressed, you and Kai head downstairs, hand-in-hand. He’s still adamant about getting you an orange juice, and has now suggested several snacks, too. Though the sound of the TV being on as you near the kitchen has him holding your hand more tightly. 

“It’s okay,” you whisper, “maybe it blocked us out.”

The way the Parker house is designed, anyone in the living room can clearly see anyone in the kitchen, and vice versa. The fridge door, however, blocks the person looking inside it. So the minute Kai opens the fridge, and you’re left standing by the sink, Josette’s and Jackson’s eyes turn to you. 

“Hey, guys. Are youuuuu-?” You drag out the last letter, pointing at the unfamiliar boy. 

“Jackson, Jo’s boyfriend.”

“Right.” You knew she had a boyfriend, but had never met him. Kai hadn’t, either.

“And who are you?” He shoots the question back at you. 

Jo, however, cuts you off before you can even start to speak, “Kai’s only friend, that apparently, is a little more than a friend.”

So they heard. Whoops. 

“Yeah, um, about that…”

“Dad gave you one rule when you started hanging out with my brother, and it was to not touch him. Do you not remember that?!”

“Oh but how could I not? His skin is so soft,” you whine. 

“Y/N!”

“Jo, how am I not going to touch him? He’s my best friend.” You notice her eyes harden as soon as you say that. “What am I supposed to do if he needs a hug? Or if we’re watching a movie and our shoulders touch slightly? Ooh,” you make a wide gesture with your hands, “scandalous!”

“Y/N, this isn’t you.”

“Oh, it isn’t?! I’m sorry, was I supposed to come here almost every day to see you and pretend I didn’t notice your brother being left out of things? Forced to wear those stupid gloves because your daddy thinks he’s trying to hurt you? Not even allowed to talk to people, not allowed to leave his room half the time, not allowed to go on these stupid family functions you always have? Even I got invited to one of those, and I’m not even a part of this family. Josette, it’s insane! No wonder you think he’s crazy, you don’t even know him! You’ve never even let boyfriend over here meet him. Whatcha gonna do if he marries in? Say, ‘oh that’s my twin brother, but you’re never even gonna make face-to-face contact with him’? That screams dysfunctional family, and that’s not Kai’s fault!”

This interaction wasn’t going as planned. You hadn’t meant to start a fight with your ex-best-friend, you wanted to convince her not to tell on you and her brother. Well now she definitely will. Yet, you can’t stop. 

“We are a dysfunctional family because of him, Y/N! He’s the reason we’re like this.”

“Why?! Because he was born different?! Because he doesn’t have ma-”

“Shut up, Y/N!” Her eyes widen as she scolds you. 

Jo never says anything remotely close to a bad word, nor does she raise her voice. Her reaction only means one thing: Jackson doesn’t know. He doesn’t know they’re witches. Holy shit. You look over to Kai, both of you wearing shocked expressions. 

The house goes quiet. Jo’s embarrassed by her own outburst, and everyone else is too speechless. 

Finally, she calms, “just stop. I’m sorry I yelled. I don’t want to fight with you, I just want to know why you’re with him,” her face has a look of disgust, “like that.”

You sigh, “I’m dating him, because I love him, Jo. Because I let him in, and got to know him, and fell in love with him. He’s not some rabid animal trying to hurt you for fun, and he’s certainly not the man in the house you should be fearing.”

“Wait, me?” Jackson asks, confused, and ruining the seriousness of the conversation. 

“No, idiot. Her dad.”

“Oh, yeah, he’s scary.”

Kai finally comes out from behind the fridge door. You knew he was hiding, but now it seems he’s gotten the courage to face his sister. Jackson stares at him, seeing him for the first time. Without glancing up at them, he hands you a glass of orange juice and a snack.

“Eat that.”

“What is it?”

“Cheese blocks. One sec, I have crackers, too.”

“So you’re Mala-”

“Don’t call him that,” you hear Jo mutter.

“-Kai.”

“Yep.”

“And you’re-”

“Y/N.”

“Soooo, best friends,” he points to you and Jo, “then curious about brother, but can’t be friends with both, so you chose brother, now you’re dating?”

“Yep,” you confirm with the same tone your boyfriend just used.

Kai then rises from the pantry floor, crackers in hand. “Eat this, too. Salt good for dizziness.”

“Why are you dizzy?”

Jeez, this boy is nosy. 

“You wanna take a guess?” You can’t help being sassy to him. 

“Oh.”

“Anyway… we’re going to go watch a movie now. Leave you to Chucky.”

As you turn to go, Jo stops you. “Wait, Y/N-”

“What?”

“I just… I’ve never felt comfortable with you two alone together, but now that you’re… doing that?”

“Jo, never in my life have I felt in danger around Kai.”

“Yeah, but one wrong,” with Jackson facing you, she makes the gesture of a siphon touch to your arm, “and you can,” she then makes one imitating someone being killed.

You take a deep breath. “Said it once, I’ll say it again. Kai’s not the man in here you should fear. That being said, you tell him you heard us, we’re all in deep shit. Including you, for having your boyfriend over when your parents aren’t home.”

“Dad loves Jack, he won’t care.”

“Believe what you want, but all I’m saying is that I snuck into Kai’s window the other night, and we both overheard Joey getting punished for just kissing a girl at school. You cuddling after what’s probably acceptable Daddy Parker hours, and us actually having sex, plus you not intervening with that? We’re all fucked.”

Her face goes blank at your words. “So you really did?”

“What’d you think we were doing? Hardcore cuddling? Nah, our first time was a loooonnngg time ago, Josette.” You pause, waiting to see if she’ll answer. Nothing; too shocked, apparently. “But yeah… don’t let your daddy find out his kids are growing up. I mean, I guess no dad likes to know their kids are doing that, but yours is particularly aggressive. I literally heard the slap to your brother’s face through the walls when he admitted he kissed some Clarissa girl he likes. I flinched. Kai didn’t. Wake up, Jo, your dad is a monster.”

And with your last word spoken, you take the snacks back upstairs, Kai close behind you.

The walk isn’t interrupted by a single voice, and it stays that way until you turn to your boyfriend. You’re on his bed while he’s just watching you.

“Come here, baby,” you make grabby hands towards him like a child, “let me cuddle you. I’m not gonna let him hurt you. Jo won’t tell; she knows I’m right.”

“She won’t change her opinion of him. She’s always going to be a suck up.” He caves and joins you on the bed, laying between your legs, head on your chest. It’s his comfort position whenever he feels scared: close to you, inhaling your scent, feeling your soft breasts on his cheek, hands intertwined. 

“Yes, but she won’t tell about us, because she can’t do that without spilling her own secrets. One of them being that Jackson doesn’t even know she’s a witch. Like, that’s insane alone.”

Kai doesn’t answer, but you feel his tension ease up slightly. 

“Hey, you need to relax a little more, okay? Take some,” you hold out your forearm for him to siphon, knowing your magic in his bloodstream usually calms him. 

“No. Can’t hurt you.”

“Baby, it never hurts.”

“Already hurt you once today.”

“That didn’t hurt, either. I loved that. And I love this.”

He doesn’t answer. 

“C’mon, Kai. You need it, and I need it. Makes me feel closer to you. Y’know, I can feel it, just a little, when my magic’s in you. It tingles my stomach. If I relish in it too much, makes me want you. Makes me wet,” you whisper, letting your breath hit his ear. “And I know you can feel it, too.”

Your words affect him, and soon, he becomes hungry for the need for your magic. The need to feel that same tingling effect, now amplified knowing you feel it, too. Slowly, he reaches a hand out, the one that’s not linked with yours, and grasps your forearm. As he focuses, the site glows orange, and the energy transfers between your bodies. You both moan lightly, and you cradle his head closer to you. 

“There you go, my angel.”

After a few moments, he breaks contact, but that’s all that’s needed to have you swirling around his bloodstream. The sensation is there, and it’s strong, but you can tell Kai is too tired to take advantage of the feeling. Sometimes, it’s so intimate it puts him to sleep. Like this time, where you can feel the heaviness in his eyes from your linked bodies. It starts to make you tired, too. 

“Take a nap, it’s okay.”

“I love you,” he mutters, almost inaudibly. You feel the words from his lips moving on your chest, though, and know what he’s said.

“I love you, too.”

[hestzhyen]

Already Waist-Deep

Hi internet void. Please allow me to kagura my bachi all over the place for a little bit. I've got a bad case of the brain worms about these boys that I haven't even had together for 20 chapters yet, so let me ramble a little bit about why they're already so compelling as not only a duo, but a ship.

First off, a caveat. Kagurabachi is a Weekly Shounen Jump (WSJ) action series. That means that if romance is ever addressed in the series itself, the protagonist is going to end up with a girl. Doesn't matter how underdeveloped or lackluster his relationship to her is, or how flat she is as a character. Invest lightly and come along for the ride without any expectations of m/m ships becoming canon. (That said, it might not be the worst thing in the world for our MC to end up with a girl in this case- more on that later.)

Second, I don't really ship that often. Not seriously at least. I need more than two guys being close with each other to start wanting them to be a pair, y'know? So I hope you understand the intensity of the material Hokazono-sensei has been giving us the past few chapters. I am on the brink of going all-in on HakuHiro/ChihiHaku in less than 20 chapters, it's that insane.

Third, I will be talking about current developments without marking potential spoilers. There are only 38 chapters out as of writing this, but there are at least two reveals that would be better appreciated going in blind. Spoilers for the oneshot Farewell! Cherry Boy are also a thing near the end.

Okay? Okay. Let's begin.

Who's Involved? First up is our protagonist Chihiro Rokuhira, an 18 year old boy and the son of a famous swordsmith. He was raised with genuine love and care by his father (no idea what happened to his mom yet), taking care of their day-to-day life while learning his father's trade. And from the very first chapter he is steeped in tragedy as he witnesses his father's murder and life's work being stolen. He then sets out on the long, fraught road of vengeance.

Sounds grim and not exactly compelling, right? Especially when this scene from the first chapter was making the rounds being memed to death:

But there's much more to Chihiro than meets the eye. Flashbacks to his time growing up show him being a natural caretaker to his dad and their fish- cooking meals, keeping his dad on task, and so on. We see glimpses of underlying tenderness when he meets and rescues Char, a sweet little girl with her own tragic past. And we get some insight that he might not be quite as resolute as he's projecting himself to be when he faces off against Sojo, a fan of his father who worships a much different version of the man than Chihiro knew. And now the Rakuzaichi arc has definitively shown us that Chihiro isn't as collected as he seems. One of his father's killers easily cracks the mask and shows us Chihiro is really just a desperate kid with a heaping helping of trauma, then Tenri's pointless sacrifice shakes him to his core. But despite it all he's still doing determinator things in the most badass way possible. Chihiro has layers, man. A lot of them. And the best way to understand our protagonist right now is through his foil: Hakuri Sazanami.

Who is Hakuri? A 17 year old boy with a special lineage, but he's a loser who needs to be saved from common thugs. A pathetic guy who latches on to Chihiro and doesn't take the hint when Chihiro literally runs away to ditch him. An utter failure to his family. A lost puppy looking for a samurai.

Hakuri Sazanami is one of the best goddamn foils I've seen in shounen manga yet.

Let me tell you all the ways I love the writing around this kid and Chihiro because MAN I can't even contain all these feels.

What's Going On? From the start, Hakuri looks like he's just another person for Chihiro to bail out. He witnesses Chihiro's awesomeness fighting Sojo in the streets and decides to imitate it by standing up for a little girl being kidnapped. Instead of winning out, though, he's captured and kicked around. Once he's coincidentally rescued by Chihiro he's immediately all-in on tagging along and keeping Chihiro in his life. Look at this pitiful guy:

Chihiro decides to hear him out due to his connection to the Sazanamis, the Big Bads of the arc. He's initially put off by Hakuri's intensity but brings him along anyway, as Hakuri's insider information regarding the Sazanami family makes him useful. Then, as Chihiro wavers under Hiyuki's assault, Hakuri is truly useful for the first time:

And it only gets better from here. We see Hakuri hanging off Chihiro's every word trying to be as useful as possible for his samurai, striving to do anything he can, though it ends up with him forcing Chihiro to give up his precious sword Enten in exchange for his life. (Yes, Chihiro "buys" Hakuri from Hakuri's own family.)

Later on during the invasion of the auction is where things go into overdrive though. We see their character arcs start to invert and shape each other's as the action unfolds and Hakuri's own tragic past comes to light, eventually awakening him to his special abilities. Chihiro's bravery and strength help him pull this off and finally defeat the older brother that tortured him in the name of "love". Hakuri ascends to being the strongest Sazanami since the progenitor that started their line centuries ago. He's the Special Boy!

All this to say that Hakuri Sazanami isn't just a deuteragonist or a foil…

He's the goddamn heroine.

Kagurabachi's Built Different What makes a shounen series heroine? Firstly, they support the main character without getting involved in most of the heavy fighting. A shounen heroine will usually at most have a fight against another girl while the Big Event is happening nearby, making sure the main character has the spotlight. Second, most of the value they bring to the protagonist's story is emotional. They encourage him, validate him, provide a bit of a refuge for him to safely let his guard down. They can get him to express softer emotions that he wouldn't normally show around others. Third… they're the love interest. Hinata, Orihime, Chichi, and now… Hakuri? Really?

We know the third one will not happen for HakuHiro in canon. But what about the first two? Well, let's recap what Hakuri has done for Chihiro so far.

Hakuri can defend himself now, but his most useful ability is access to an interdimensional storehouse. Given the way that his magic works -he needs to prioritize maintaining the storehouse or using Isou- he'll likely be the means of keeping the enchanted blades safe rather than a front-line fighter. Support-centric character that will still get some combat time against lesser opponents: check.

Hakuri's given Chihiro some much-needed direct emotional validation that he hasn't gotten from anyone else yet. ("You saved me." … "That katana suits you.") Hakuri's words fortify his resolve and Chihiro later pays it back by trading Enten, an incalculably precious sword and memento of his father, for Hakuri's life. He even uses the same phrase when asked why he'd do that for someone as worthless as Hakuri ("That guy… saved me."). He later reaffirms that Hakuri's encouragement gave him the courage to let go of Enten in the first place:

This is AFTER we see Chihiro open up to him for the first time just minutes after they met:

Chihiro's been a stoic good guy with buried trauma up until this point. But somehow Hakuri is the first person he outright admits his fears to- not Shiba, not Hinao, but the freaky kid he just rescued. Emotional support pillar: check.

"Well that's not enough!" you say. "That's just taking some moments and doing that thing you said you didn't do- smushing boys together just because they're close!" OK but look at how Hakuri thinks about Chihiro:

Chihiro has been his inspiration from the first time he saw him. It can be read as admiration and hero worship, but doesn't that feel like selling Hakuri's feelings short when remembering how devoted he's been since they first met?

And just look at Hakuri's face here, he's beaming when Chihiro busts in to save him just like he believed he would:

Mostly, though, Chihiro is the one who gives Hakuri strength in the moment. The Ice Woman broke him free of his family's mentality, and now Chihiro gives Hakuri what he needs most: hope. Something he never had before, which doomed his relationship to the Ice Woman; he couldn't prove to her that there was more to life than despair because that was all he knew… but that completely changed once he met his samurai.

And that's been their thing through this arc. Each one is giving the other the vital thing they needed to grow and keep going. When Hakuri was struggling at the start, Chihiro was his guiding light towards a better future. And when Chihiro struggled in the aftermath of Tenri's cruel death, Hakuri pulled him along so they could finish the job. They're in perfect sync now as they take down the Rakuzaichi. Don't just take my word for it, check out Hokazono-sensei's color page for the most recent chapter (38): https://twitter.com/KaguraShiba/status/1804898273859445181 From Hella (KaguraShiba): >Kagurabachi Ch 38 JP Color Page 「阿吽の呼吸で薙ぎ払え」 "Two people dancing to the same beat, mowing down enemies" >阿吽の呼吸/"Aun no Kokyuu" Synchronized breathing >Or when people are the most in tune with each other >阿吽の呼吸/"Aun no Kokyuu" Is a Buddhist expression in Japanese meaning something close to "harmonizing in sync together" >"Aun" is also used to indicate an "Aun relationship", indicating an inherently harmonious relationship or nonverbal communication Yeesh. But holy shit it's paying off. In chapter 38 these boys are already in harmony- Hakuri registers Chihiro into his storehouse (yes they both "own" each other now) and sends him in to fight his father. During the fight, Chihiro trusts Hakuri to interpret his intent and it works. Chihiro wordlessly tags a bunch of grenades with his spirit energy and Hakuri pulls them out into the real world to bomb the shit out of the Rakuzaichi audience. They didn't plan this beforehand- they had no idea Kyoura had fucking grenades laying around in there. But they're close enough to understand each other's thoughts already. Peak soulmate material right there!

What's got me most interested now, though, is how they will pull/push each other after this arc. Chihiro's going to be focused more than ever on tracking down his father's killer and the swords. But Hakuri, well… I think it would be very interesting if he starts to become a despair monster. A reflection of Chihiro's state at the very start of the manga where nothing mattered to him except exacting revenge. We're seeing shades of this in the most recent chapter (38) where he's slumped over and obviously depressed about how all this is turning out. He's going to end his family's cruel trade but at what cost to himself? Will Chihiro see some of himself in Hakuri and be able to help him out, or at least promise to find relief from the pain together? Obviously a Bad End where Hakuri takes himself out is in the cards given Hokazono-sensei's previous works but… on a meta level, I think his storehouse ability will keep him relevant. I mean yeah he could be used to slap Chihiro across the face by showing what a bad end for his revenge story could look like but I think (hope) that won't happen. [Note to future self: I give you permission to go batshit insane if Chihiro stops Hakuri from committing sudoku.]

And this is where my brain worms are coming from. In just under 20 chapters we have an extremely strong set up between them- so much room for them to teach each other; push to grow and pull back from the brink when tragedy strikes again.

But where's the real meat, you ask? The actual literary analysis in this gushing rant about how much I love these boys I barely know? Well, fine. Buckle up because it's time for some…

Daddy Issues The Rakuzaichi arc really digs into comparing Chihiro's affection for his dad to the Sazanami family structure. And I gotta talk about this because it's the key aspect that makes Hakuri such a brilliant foil.

First off, the similarities. Chihiro and the Sazanami kids are all intensely devoted to their fathers. All of them were raised with love while learning the intricacies of their family trade. We see the Sazanami kids getting praised for doing well, just like Chihiro. Hakuri and Tenri were even told they were special. During the arc, the Sazanami kids put their lives on the line to defend their dad and family legacy with zeal matched by Chihiro's intensity to avenge his dad. When he falls, Tenri's final words are apologizing to his father.

It's truly heartbreaking that Kyora never really loved them back.

You see, the Sazanamis are one of those families that put their lineage and craft over everything else. Every member of the family lives for ensuring the Rakuzaichi auction goes off without a hitch. One of the clan is chosen to inherit the storehouse, and the rest are trained to defend it to the death. Kyoura, the current patriarch, has no compunctions about letting his son Tenri die just to delay Chihiro and the gang for a few more minutes. He had his kids put their lives on the line to defend a storehouse door that he had already broken in secret- making it completely useless. And he's equally cold when it comes to children who can't perform to standards like Hakuri. Once Hakuri (apparently) fails to manifest an ability for sorcery, Kyoura turns a willfully blind eye to the abuse his kid starts to suffer. He knowingly lets Hakuri be tortured by his older brother for years and does nothing, then disowns him once some "merchandise" kills herself in front of him. There's no love for children who can't be useful to the family's traditions. And yet any love that does exist between father and child is manipulated as seen here:

What the fuck man.

So Hakuri is going into this arc firm in his conviction to end his family's evil ways. He's been abused physically and emotionally for at least five years straight; he knows his father doesn't love him. But even now when he's about to bring the whole place down with Chihiro, he's still yearning for his dad's praise. Hakuri's family is fucked up bad and he needs a hell of a lot of healing after all is said and done.

Meanwhile, every flashback with Chihiro shows us that he was truly loved and cared for like every kid deserves. His dad wasn't perfect but he was exactly what a parent should be- kind, understanding, and supportive. His goofy advice helps Chihiro to this day. Chihiro and his dad had a genuine father-son bond that was broken by tragedy and thus Chihiro's desire to do right by his father's memory is driven by grief, first and foremost. So when we see his expression after Tenri's death, we know why he's so badly shaken. They clashed out of love and duty for their fathers, supposedly prepared to pay the ultimate price. The Sazanami version of "love" is a very different, much less wholesome version than the kind Chihiro knows… yet no less effective in terms of motivation.

You can practically hear his heart breaking for Tenri. And his inner thoughts in the next chapter say it all: he was naive to think he could enact revenge while holding fast to the kindness he grew up with. Chihiro's kindness that he learned from his father is a liability to him in this situation. In contrast, Hakuri knew from the start that he had to finally give up the last of his familial affection. He hardened his heart and steeled his resolve to do whatever it took.

Both Chihiro and Hakuri knew what it was like to be loved. Hakuri's version might have been twisted, but it was still painful to have that bond suddenly broken. And now we've seen Edgy Revenge Man's inner softness hold him back while Silly Soft Guy has a heart colder than the arctic. I go absolutely feral comparing and contrasting their situation and how their positions have reversed. Yeah, Chihiro's going to be the action guy who saves the day but Hakuri's the reason he can do it. Hakuri's surprisingly strong core has pushed Chihiro to put his feelings aside to get things done. I can't fucking wait to see how this arc ends and where these boys end up. What will the the most important thing Chihiro takes away from Hakuri here? I hope it leads him to be a bit more openly compassionate and soft around his allies- Hakuri's situation being a lesson in not letting your family's bonds overtake everything else. For Hakuri, well… I think being around Chihiro, Char, and the rest will help him heal. But I hope it's Chihiro that keeps him stable as the person that can relate to him best.

Meta Ramblings Whew. Now then… Yo dumbass writing this, we're not even 40 chapters in yet. Don't you think it's a bit too soon to start getting hyped for a character that could be shelved as soon as the arc is done?

It's interesting to see the themes and characters Hokazono-sensei's reused in Kagurabachi. From the four one-shots available to read, it seems like he's is interested in writing about characters encountering tragedy through various kinds of love. I think it's intriguing that three out of the four end in despair, and the one that doesn't still involves a fair bit of sadness. It's a bit early to say about Hakuri's circumstances since this is only the second proper arc in the series, but given Hokazono-sensei's past works, I think Hakuri is here to stay. For one, Hokazono-sensei seems to love his color-coded foils (Chain, Enten, Roku no Meiyaku). Farewell! Cherry Boy also explores the circumstances of a blindly loyal boy who feels useless being given his first chance to prove himself… I think this is a theme that Hokazono-sensei is revisiting in a more in-depth fashion with Hakuri, so there's a good chance there's more planned.

And just for fun, if we want to look at his romance stories… Madogiwa de Amu is all about one person being the other's greatest hope, their reason to persevere in the face of hardship and seeing that reciprocated in turn. Complete with the weaker person becoming strong enough to protect the person who inspired them first. Hmm. (Hopefully it doesn't end the same way though 'cause man, I can see Hakuri doing something similar right now…) It's also not impossible for Kagurabachi to touch on love given we see Farewell! Cherry Boy incorporating love as the crux of the narrative, despite starting as a gangster story. The true MC is quite like Chihiro as well in terms of motivation and action plan.

I also think it's impossible to overstate how important it is for Chihiro to have a friendly peer to compare to, narratively speaking. Char is a woobie, Shiba's an uncle figure, and Hiyuki is set up to be the aggro rival/frenemy. Hinao could become more than a side character but it seems unlikely at this time. Chihiro needs someone his own age to just be himself with. And that, I am 99% sure, will be Hakuri. A guy who's suffered just as much as he has. Someone who knows what it's like to have a famous last name and lineage to protect. An equal who's unquestionably on his side, who will lift him up when he's down, yet will still need some protection and care. So yes I think Hakuri will be sticking around to be Chihiro's foil. He might take a back seat at times as heroines do, but he'll still be there to support our sad boi through thick and thin.

Anyway that's why I'm ready to jump feet-first into this ship. It's got all the hallmarks of a wonderfully strong bond and I hope we get to see these boys comforting each other for years to come. If you read all this… thank you? Maybe get yourself checked for brain worms? And tell everyone you know to read this amazing action-packed tragedy laced with BL crack cocaine.

[basu-shokikita]

Thinking about Toki's character arc in Metalocalypse...

Now that Metalocalypse is officially over, or so it seems, I wanted to go over what Army of the Doomstar means for Toki's growth.

Warnings for spoilers for, well, the entirety of Metalocalypse.

So, over the course of the show, we see Toki repeatedly trying (and failing) to form a meaningful bond with several living beings, people and animals included.

Analysis under the cut ⬇️

Season 1

It starts with a dying little girl called Juliette Sarmangsadandle in Dethkids (S1E16). Toki is upset over being misunderstood aka his public image being associated with kids and vehemently fights the idea by adopting an edgy personality.

When he watches Juliette's video, about being a child that longs for violence, it speaks to him and his childhood. Toki feels seen by this little girl and imagines his child self singing with her.

Sadly, when he goes out to meet her, she's already dead. Here goes Toki's first attempt at connection, utterly butchered.

In the following episode, we're introduced to Rockzo in Dethclown (S1E17). Toki brings his clown friend over and everyone pretty much almost instantly dislikes him. Not to mention Rockzo tries to betray Dethklok for drugs. Still, he sticks around for the remainder of the show as Toki's friend.

Though it's important to mention how much of that friendship involves Rockzo abusing Toki's kindness and generally being a shitty person. He's not exactly someone Toki can rely on.

It is not that significant but I'd also like to give a shout out to Dethwater (S1E02), where Toki is locked in an oxygen chamber and sings to the fishes and creatures in the sea. It's an early episode, but already portrays Toki's friendly nature and colorful life outlook.

Season 2

In season 2, we have Dethlessons (S2E02). After having a disagreement with Skwisgaar's teaching method, Toki meets Dimneld Selftcark. Though initially wanting him as guitar teacher, it's clear Toki doesn't actually intend to perfect his craft and more than anything appreciates his company. Toki even refers to him as 'a father friend'.

However, as luck would have it, Selftcark is ill and dies in Toki's arms after Toki gave his first recital.

Then there's Dethdad (S2E15), where Toki learns that his dad is dying of cancer. Toki is very much visibly affected by his parents' abuse towards him, though he still decides to pay his father a visit. When Toki finally gains the courage to see him and bond one last time, his father requests to see the cottage he was born at before dying.

Unfortunately, Toki steps and slips on his way there, dropping his father into the ice. Toki watches his father die and is unable to do anything about it.

This boy is really just collecting traumas all the way, huh?

Season 3

Dethhealth (S3E03) has Toki adopting a cat he found at a concert. Although he is not the best caretaker of the animal, Toki is very obviously fond of his new pet.

But, of course, the cat was dying, solving the mystery of who was the person dying within Dethklok. Toki is so devastated that he faints and then proceeds to have an elaborate dream sequence for closure.

Fertilityklok comes three episodes later (S3E06) and we find a Toki jaded with casual sex encounters. He decides he wants to meet a partner whom he can have children with. Though initially facing Dethklok's indignation, Toki goes forward with the idea and lands in a dating agency.

They find the perfect partner for Toki but nothing ever goes well with this guy and the lady in question disappoints Toki both in looks and personality. To make things worse, the agency wants to force him in a relationship with her and for Toki to impregnate her, even.

Toki manages to escape the whole charade and decides he's better off with sluts. This one is not so tragic as much as it's just another total failure at forming the connection Toki so desperately craves.

Season 4

Diversityklok (S4E04) and Bookklok (S4E05) feature Toki's interpersonal problems within the band so I figured they were mentioning as well.

In Diversityklok, Toki complains about feeling constantly left out by the band, so he forms a 'special persons invite club' to gain agency over his friends. He still ends up being forgotten by them at the end of the episode.

In Bookklok, Toki has a fallout with Skwisgaar after being denied a solo and writes a book denouncing his behavior towards him. In modern lingo, he essentially cancelled Skwisgaar. He fails to consistently maintain the fans' approval as he flunks the solo he so desperately wanted. His fight with Skwisgaar is not resolved (at least, not on screen).

Finally we get to Dethcamp (S4E07), where Toki's erratic behavior conflates with the mainline plot. In the search for friends, Toki goes to the Rock-a-Rooni Fantasy Camp, where he's almost killed by one of the campers. He's saved by Dethklok's former rhythm guitarist, Magnus Hammersmith and they subsequently become friends.

Good ending? No, Magnus stabs and kidnaps Toki over Roy Cornickleson's funeral, his fate being unknown as the season ends.

Doomstar Requiem

We finally learn how Toki joined the band. He showed up late to Dethklok's auditions and had a guitar duel with Skwisgaar, where he eventually lost. Defeated, he was abandoning the premises when Skwisgaar says that nobody made him play as well as Toki did, inviting him to join the band.

From then on, it's all rainbows and happiness for Toki as his life finally takes a turn for the better. He has found a family and a home. He loves his brothers and his life. Current Toki is on the brink of death and thinking about Dethklok is his only solace.

I might be biased in saying this but the sequence from 'I Believe' feels like the peak of the movie, and I don't think this is incidental.

While Toki is rescued at the end of the movie, we don't get to see a proper reunion.

Army of the Doomstar

Cut to 10 years later, Army of the Doomstar releases and while the plot is much about the end of the world, we get to see post-DSR Toki.

First of all, at the start of AOTD it is stated that Toki (as well as the rest of the band besides Nathan) has forgotten about what happened during Doomstar Requiem. However, his attitude towards the band is very loving, stating he's happy to be back with them.

He's especially fond towards Skwisgaar, attempting to hug him multiple times, worrying and being generally attentive of him. Toki shows both verbal and physical affection towards Skwisgaar over the course of the movie, finalizing in the bridal carry during the before last scene. Compared to the show, it's a huge contrast to their relationship, where Skwisgaar and Toki behaved as rivals, with Toki feeling simultaneously admiration and envy towards Skwisgaar.

But what are you trying to say with all of this, Basu? Well, essentially it's the following:

At some point, Toki started feeling neglected by the band and began seeking love from outside sources. The childhood companion he never had (Juliette), a father figure (Selftcark), his actual father, a pet, a girlfriend and finally...an actual friend he could rely on (Magnus). All of the aforementioned failed, eventually landing him in an even worst situation where he started.

However, being stuck there, wounded, malnourished and dying is what reminded him of the best time of his life. Of the people most important to him. And even if those memories were seemingly gone, the feeling prevailed.

Sure, Dethklok is massively flawed and there's lot of work they have to do with regards to interpersonal relationships, but they're his family and his life. Perhaps the lifestyle or his need for ego/power (Skwisgaar plays a big hand in this) made him forget about it for a second, but he knows it now. He doesn't need to look for love from strangers, he already has it in them. They're everything he's always wanted and he's going to cherish them for the rest of his life.

And if you're wondering why the special emphasis on Skwisgaar, my theory has to do with the age regressing that was confirmed in the movie. While it mostly happened over the Ishnifus funeral, I think Toki has generally gone back to the emotional state he was in when he joined Dethklok. A young, easily impressionable man happy to finally have found a family.

Which means he holds Skwisgaar in special regard, considering he is the guy that accepted him into the band. Not Nathan, Pickles or Murderface, it was Skwisgaar.

You could almost say that Toki might view Skwisgaar as his hero, given that he is the reason Toki has everything he has right now. So I think Toki's gratefulness is expressing in that almost overwhelming affection. Just like Toki's not going to let himself forget his feelings for the band, he's not going to let them forget about his feelings, either. It might not be easy, but Toki's priorities are clear now. His heart is with Dethklok.

In short, even if Army of the Doomstar didn't address Toki's issues the way we would've wanted, it's still a happy outcome for him and I fully believe he'll have more than enough to work on them. Metalocalypse is, at its core, a story about found family. This is specially true for Toki.

So, I really believe that Toki is eventually going to heal and be happy with the band. :)

[eikichi-supremacy]

ik ppl hate fictional deadbeat moms but im an avid enjoyer. my feminism knows no bounds truly/j

like i get it she did a bad job. but shit she still did a job that's for sure!! like. she did it do you understand. 14 year old girl is pregnant. it's disgraceful. a shameful stain on her family. yusuke doesn't seem to have grandparents or anything so besides yusuke's bio dad she's got no one. and then when yusuke is a toddler the father disappears and considering who he is and what he's like that's probably for the best. gonna go out a limb and say that yusuke was maybe 4 or 5 when his dad cleared out so. at 18 and entirely alone. atsuko looked down at this little thing. this baby because he's still a baby to her this is a baby who only has her. Not even 4 feet tall with the biggest brown eyes looking to her for everything because he quite literally has no one else.

he doesn't know she's a failure yet. he doesn't know people will look down on them just because he exists as he is. he doesn't know how hard this is going to be from now on. all he knows is he loves his momma

so she doesn't cry. she just meets his big innocent eyes and goes "it's just you and me kid" and yusuke doesn't know that that's a sad thing.

so she takes care of him the best she can and it still sucks but yusuke doesn't know what the standard she should be held to is yet. for a small time she is the greatest and best person in his world and he's the only one who thinks so

then he meets keiko and her parents and finds out that his normal is actually dysfunctional and that his mom actually isn't all that great. that living day to day in the bottom of a bottle isn't healthy. so she's no longer praiseworthy but this person he's responsible for. just like that the roles reverse. because while she was all yusuke had yusuke is also all atsuko has. he doesn't respect her but he still punched the motherfucker in the mouth that called her a tramp. she taught him how to do it.

atsuko comes to terms with the fact that Yusuke doesn't really need her anymore, probably never did so she doesn't bother to care when he skips school or beats whoever he wants to a pulp or gambles because at 14 she was expecting so what the fuck can she really say about him. he sneers at her as he makes her coffee. atsuko lights another cigarette

it feels like betrayal when her son dies. at 14 she had him so how can he die at a sorry age like that. i wasted my teenage years on you for what? so you can die and leave me here? you fucking brat. how can she recover from this? yusuke was all she had. he hadn't looked up at her with an admiring gaze since he was 7 and stopped hugging her goodbye soon after but still he was hers he was hers and then he was gone

but then he comes back. and she doesn't get much better as a mom or as a person really. she tries harder than before maybe (keeping him in school) but yusuke never expected her to. he's made up of her bad habits and uncaring attitude but he's so much better than her. became something good something strong despite how shitty of a job she did raising him.

she's not proud because she has no right to be but something like it tugs in her chest when she sees him feeding the people he cares about at his little ramen cart looking as happy as the first time she'd taken him out to park.

yusuke's dad suggests taking another crack at the whole family thing and she wants to laugh in his face. the only family she'll ever have is that little boy who's stronger and braver than she'll ever be.

she doesn't want to see him laying cold in a casket ever again. he's meant for life, a soul as bright and durable as his. atsuko hopes he lives to see the sun explode

[ethansluvbot]

hi maylee! could you do something based on this dialogue from euphoria where ethan unmasks and the reader says this and it's just super heart breaky?

love you! <3

RIGHT WHERE YOU LEFT ME | E. LANDRY

warnings: gf!ethan, MAJOR SPOILERS!!!, mentions of blood and knives.

an: hey, yes of course i will do this. i actually love this idea and would cry if this was ever in the scream movies. inspired by “right where you left me” because i’ve been listening to it on repeat. this is lowkey shitty so like yeah!

❛YOU LEFT ME NO CHOICE,

it was crazy to think that two hours ago you and ethan were hand and hand walking to your dorm. now, you couldn't find him anywhere. you began to worry about him greatly, even with sam, tara and chad reassuring you.

the images that were in your head didn't help one bit. it’s not that you didn’t trust ethan to protect himself, it’s just the ghost face now even more brutal. after what happened to anika you didn’t know what to believe anymore.

now you were standing there watching chad brutally be stabbed. blood gushed out of his mouth as he told you guys to go. you couldn’t believe this was happening to him it might’ve even happened to ethan already.

you felt a hand grab onto your arm as you stared blankly at chads body. hearing sam screaming snapped you back to reality as you smacked the ghost face with your bag. (yes we must keep this bag)

your legs quickly matched the pace of the two girls in front of you. since you were last it was pretty fair to believe that you were next. there’s a sudden stop causing you to collide into sam’s back.

“shit,” you look up to see a detective bailey. tarah was inches away from his chest as she let out a muffled scream.

“you have to help us! there almost here, please!”

to say you were terrified was a understatement. he motioned for you guys to get behind him, raising the gun the way they were running.

you were still worried for chad and ethan. yes, you saw chas had been stabbed multiple times, but he never died. you were only hoping that they both still lived, that you would live to see them again.

bailey stood up in front of the three of you with his gun aimed at their head. he began to lower his gun with a short laughter. he walked closer to then standing in the middle.

“great job both of you,” he chuckles pointing the gun in your face. closing your eyes you felt him still staring at you.

“look at me!”

you automatically flinched as you heard him yell at you. what did he want from you? you sure as hell didn’t want to die tonight, but if it was for your friends at least you would feel good about it.

“who are they?” you heard sam ask. bailey just cocked his head to the side waiting for one of them to unmask. you watched as one of them began to take their mask off.

“no don’t do this to me,” you feel a tear crawl down your face. it was ethan, he was the killer, he might’ve even killed your best friend. reaching up he wiped your tear. even after seeing you cry he was still smiling.

“mindy was right, it was really easy duking the roommate lottery, all i had to do to meet you was room with a conceited condescending alpha literally named chad. fuck, it felt good to kill him!the best part, my name’s not even ethan landry, isn’t that right dad?”

you couldn’t even recognize the “ethan” you were looking at right now. after months of dating this boy you would never expect him to behave like this. you almost felt like the whole thing was a big joke.

you look into his eyes to see nothing, he wasn’t the boy that you truly loved. no matter how much. you cared for him you didn’t want to talk to this monster.

“so that leaves one more…” you hear tara mutter.

“mindy?” sam ask, petrified that one of her best friends would ever do that. mindy was the one always trying to help the group. no one ever believed she could set us up for failure.

“hi roomies, didn’t see that coming did you?”

“yeah because you died,” you didn’t know quinn very well so seeing her there didn’t shock you much. the thing that shocked you was she never talked to ethan before.

“i kind of didn’t, needed to get myself off the suspect list, stabbing gale and mindy was kind of fun,” she giggled to herself jumping forward with the knife.

you flinched back in shock bumping into the two girls. after a while of them yelling at you, you began to zone out. you still couldn’t process that ethan would ever hurt you like this.

you could feel him staring at you almost like he felt bad. you felt a cold metal slide up your arm making you focus again. you knew better than to turn around and look at them.

you stared into ethan’s eyes with a great frown. there was still active tears forming and falling down your face. you feel the sharp object shove inside your stomach. 

screaming out in pain you fall to the floor. quinn pulls it out and shoves it back it, except this time she doesn’t pull it back out.

“quinn!” you hear ethan voice yell at her.

“you ruin all the fun.” she rolls her eyes at ethan, she always believed he was the weakest link. he was always the fool who got his heart broken, the one that didn’t want to hurt anymore, yet his dad still convinced him.

maybe he only did it because his dad forced him into it, but either way it was fucked up. killing people and lying about it was horrible. so why did you feel bad when you heard bailey talking about richie. you could see the tears forming in ethan’s eyes as he realized he wasn’t the priority.

you almost feel like they weren’t even there, most of the sound was drowned out and your eyes were blurry from crying. you watch as quinn, bailey and ethan all stand back together.

“go!” you yell to the two of them, if you died tonight you just wanted them to make it out alive. you watched as tara’s mascara smears around her eyes.

“i love you,” all she wants to think about is the group all surviving tonight, “we’ll come back for you!!”

you feel the knife stolen from your body as quinn runs after them, bailey runs the other way and ethan stands over you.

“i’m sorry.”

“no you’re not,” you couldn’t believe those words after you knew what he was capable of. he was a good liar you would give him that. you felt a year but your face but this time it wasn’t yours.

you felt a ripped piece of his cloth tie around your waist. you groaned in pain as he began to sit you up.

“get away from me you crazy bitch.”

he couldn’t lie and say those words didn’t hurt him. he deserved it and he knew that, but when he saw how terrified you were he couldn’t help but tear up.

“goodbye y/n,” you watch as he almost stands up, but you stop him. you play with the piece of glass in your hands, about to do something that ethan would’ve done.

“hey, ethan?”

he turns back at you, “yeah?”

“fuck you,” you lunge the piece of glass into his mouth. falling to the ground you watch as blood spills out of his mouth.

BUT TO STAY HERE FOREVER ❜



[spinji]

Do you have any idea why Nana continued to dehumanize Shigaraki after learning that her murderer groomed him to be evil?

I think what a lot of people don't get with the whole "you might have to kill Shigaraki" thing is that Nana (and Torino by extension) aren't removing his autonomy when they say that.

At a certain point, it doesn't matter who's fault it is for turning someone into a villian. The entire purpose of Deku's rematch with Muscular is to make it clear that some people aren't going to stop destroying things and hurting people by talking about their abusive dad or their dead mom or whatever tragic circumstances led them here.

Tomura has also reached a similar point, refusing to compromise on his goal to destroy the causes of his suffering. That includes both All for One and the society that left him to rot. AFO meticulously planned a lot of Tenko’s misfortune but he didn't manipulate the strangers that passed him on the street. He didn't create that feeling of abandonment, only pointed it in the wrong direction. Tomura not making this choice for himself because he was groomed genuinely doesn't matter anymore because these are his choices now. He's shown multiple times to understand that AFO is using him against All Might and for his own ends, but he doesn't try to get away and turn to the heroes; he tries to get away so he can be a villian on his own terms.

It's easy to forget, since he's the protagonist, but Izuku's optimism about saving the crying boy at the core of who Tomura is, is a massive outlier and his leaps in logic aren't always solid. Nana is very callous when she talks about it, my personal guess is it's because she's still not fully willing to face her sense of guilt that her attempt to save her son from AFO led to the creation and abuse of Tomura. But she is still correct, regardless of what pain lingers inside Tomura, it is too late to help him.

Even when Izuku reaches his hand to Tenko when he is at his absolute most vulnerable, he maintains his loyalty to the league. He's been cast from society for so long that there's nothing that can convince him to stop. He would rather die destorying than live in a world he couldn't change.

In fact most of the major deaths in the league maintain this theme. Twice would rather die fighting than let his friends get screwed over by his own shortcomings again. Toga would rather die a free girl that lived as she pleased than fall in line with society. The heroes didn't choose to kill any of them from the outset, they could have gone quietly at any time to save their own skin, but their cause was more important.

This is what Nana means when she maintains that Shigaraki dying is a possiblity that needs to stay on the table, because he won't allow anything that isn't victory or death. It's tragic but I think it helps convey the message that the ending wants to, that change in how we treat the strange and disparaged doesn't just need to happen, but it needs to happen sooner. You can't just wait until a villian tries to blow up the country to try and help them, you need to give that kindness to everyone before those villians can even exist.

Sorry this got off topic because I really hate how people simplify the ending as bad writing when to me it seems really obvious that Horikoshi was going for a bittersweet ending with the league. They did destroy society but didn't live long enough to see what it rebuit into because even trust in one person trying to save them isn't enough when you're this far gone.

Either way, Horikoshi's writing style leads to a lot of necessary intuiting about the characters to actually understand the motivations for how they act. I think Nana ends up being a particularly rough victim of this because her stoicism and blunt attitude is very obviously supposed to be a front.

She opened herself up to others and All for One killed her loved ones, so she guards her heart the best she can to avoid showing more weaknesses. She does feel like a failure to her legacy; she never fully believes she made the right choices regarding Kotaro or Tomura. But if she cracks then not only is she done but AFO will make it his duty to twist the knife and hurt the people she cried for too.

She's a contrast to Izuku serving as a cautionary what-if scenario if Izuku's big open heart just makes more people targets by association (which it does!). She's not entirely right when she calls Tomura a monster but she isn't being entirely honest with herself either.

[ericityyy]

I want tender fluffy Georgie + Reader but I’m aromantic is it okay if I’m able to ask for Georgie and a fem Reader of color taking care of baby CeeCee Cooper at the Laundromat while Mandy is working? Where they meet and she is able to help him when he is still adjusting to the new routine and they bond?

𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩?

𝙎𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙮: 𝘐𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘎𝘦𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘥𝘢𝘥.

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚: 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴

𝙏𝙮𝙥𝙚: 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘈𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘵, 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘍𝘭𝘶𝘧𝘧

𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩: 656

𝙒𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜: 𝘕𝘰𝘯𝘦

𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩

“Baby girl, can you please stop crying for Daddy?” Georgie looked at his daughter, begging for the crying and whining to stop. His long sighs and messy hair show how terrible everything is going. He tried to feed her, change her diaper, and sing her to sleep, but she still wouldn’t stop crying.

And it’s taking a toll on Georgie.

The sound of the door opening took his attention away from the child, finally noticing his guardian angel sent to him by God. Or that’s what he thinks after seeing Y/N’s figure and noticing her newly braided hair and golden brown skin that glowed under the sun. Georgie could swear that he could see a halo around her head.

“What in the world is going on here, Georgie?” Y/N took a few steps closer to the situation at hand. The girl looked at the boy and the child back and forth, trying to assess what to do but mainly judging the exhausted look on Georgie's face.

“I don’t know what to do; she’s been like this for like 20 minutes, and I don’t know what she wants. Mary has her work, and she trusted me to handle things responsibly, and now I’m failing everything all at once.” Georgie picked up CeeCee and tried to sway around while shushing her, but she still wouldn’t stop crying, “I’m a bad father.” He set down the baby before sitting down on a nearby chair, rubbing his face together, keeping his head down as he listened to the cries of his daughter.

Y/N slowly picked up CeeCee and gently swayed her while patting her back, humming softly. Georgie looked up when he heard the cries starting to soften into sniffles and hiccups.

“See? I can’t even make my own daughter stop crying.”

“That does not make you a failure of a dad, Georgie.” Y/N smiled at her friend. She knows that Georgie needs some reassurance at times when he finds himself trying to please those around him with his charms and his love for business. The girl gave CeeCee back to Georgie’s arms, who, although a bit reluctant, took his daughter back. He was afraid that she might start crying again.

“All of this is new to you and Mary. There’s no handbook on how to be the perfect parent for CeeCee. Just be as present as you can be in her life.” Y/N put her hand gently on Georgie’s cheek. “You’re a good person and a great father. No one said that this was going to be easy. Know that I will always be here to help you guys out.”

Georgie smiled for the first time that day. Y/N has always been the one to comfort him in his darkest days or when he needs a helping hand to climb up. “Thank you… so much for being here with me.” He then started to joke, “Y’know, you’d be a great mother one day.” It’s not really a joke; he knows that if the girl decides to have a child in the near future, she would be the best parent.

"Oh, please, I’d be an awesome parent.” Y/N then dramatically sighs, “Alas, I still don’t know if I want children for myself, though; I always knew that I’d be this rich, cool aunt who everyone loves and adores.”

“You are cool, and you are CeeCee’s aunt, so two steps closer to your dream. And people do love you, of course, including me.”

Y/N laughs wholeheartedly. Georgie knows that Y/N has experienced more than one heartbreak in her life. Mostly from those people that she meets who claim to “love” her, but once hearing her side, immediately turn against her. It was hard watching his best friend be hurt by those who did not understand her. So it was a good sight to see her so happy.

“I love you too, Georgie.”

𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑’𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄

i hope this is good, not entirely happy with this one tbh.

i tried to make the reader hint out about her being an aromantic and a person with color. please let me know if it needs some changes to improve the writing. i genuinely do not want to offend anyone with what i write so i make changes as soon as possible if ever it needs to be changed. (and please do so in a respectful way)

thank you.

𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓

@bellaisswagger

[daz4i]

@mike-queerler hi hi i didn't wanna derail casino's post so! other instances of transgenderism in bsd (the original tag was partially a joke but these are stuff that certainly makes you go Hm):

kouyou and kyouka being based on male authors, yet being depicted as. well. girls (p sure that's where the common hc that kouyou is trans came from)

q, and that one wan chapter i unfortunately don't know how to find rn. i can't remember who it is but there's someone questioning if q is actually a boy, but it ends with smth along the lines of "when i saw how cute his face looked when he's happy, i stopped caring about whether he's a boy or not"

gin's whole Thing. like presenting as generally androgynous (at work at least) and not correcting anyone when they refer to her as "he" or call her a guy

these are just the most obvious i can think of tbh, not even getting into other androgynous characters (sigma is most obvious, tho fyodor, nikolai, kenji, chuuya are all characters I've seen confuse readers about their gender too) or dazai using gender neutral language etc (bc that's more a homage to irl dazai's writing. still, not gonna stop me from being insane abt nb dazai) and other smaller things that are easier to brush off hehe

also, this one's I'm certain is accidental, but aya and her dad's thing about how she's a failure at being a woman is so. both transmasc and transfem pain. and that last chapter where she talks abt how she never wanted to be an ideal woman but wanted to be like him! is! while not great! even more of a transmasc thing imo

and ofc chuuya being a short guy who speaks in an excessively masculine manner, doesn't remember his childhood + that more angry once a month joke. and his story is all about questioning your own identity due to the people around you - your family especially, or at least people who claim to be your family and that they know what's best for you - insisting you are something that you're certain you aren't, and you have to stick with it and keep believing in it to make it through and truly be yourself, and generally coming to terms with your identity, can be very easily read as a trans allegory as well

tldr: transgenderism. fuck yeah 🔥 if asagiri did even one of these things on purpose then well. i think that'd be really cool 😌 but even on accident it's still p fun!

[pruneunfair]

Marry my husband: An analysis on both the series and it's antagonist Sumin.

It was shorter then others I've read but it felt so long at the same time given how predictable and boring it was. The characters weren't the worst but they never needed to grow, they were just stuck with whatever character archetype the author gave them. Jiwon was the nerdy girl who just had to let her hair down and take off her glasses to realize how beautiful she is, Jihyeok is the alpha rich man who's soft for Jiwon, Minhwan is the asshole loser of an ex etc, every character has a trope that never changes for the best or the worst, and the one who plays the trope of the evil white lotus is none other than the infamous Sumin Jeong

When you look at Sumin, you can probably already tell she's supposed to be a white lotus villain, she's drawn to look very babyish, an appearance she uses to her advantage to seduce other men to get what she wants, her lips are bigger and puffed up, her eyes are bigger to highlight a supposed innocence and she's far shorter than all the other characters, in the second image she disturbingly resembles a younger girl, out of context she looks 10-13 so we can say she performs age play which is further confirmed when she talks in 3rd person, calls older men Oppa to win them over and wears childish and light dresses in contrast to everyone else's classy buisness attire.

I didn't really expect much from Sumin to begin with, when it comes to other villainesses they are always portrayed as genius masterminds who the lead could never forsee being the cause of their misery but when the MC regresses back in time they are dumbed down and reduced to a whiny failure who is always bested by the hero, but Sumin never got that, we don't even get flashbacks in chapter 1, she's introduced as a baby talking fake friend who never knows when to stop so I already expected her to be a total dumb ass who hated her friend Jiwon with goal of taking everything Jiwon has for a really stupid reason.

Speaking of which, what's Sumins backstory? Why is she so determined to steal Jiwons happiness? Why is she so nasty to everyone she meets? Well we are only given bits and pieces of it, the basic idea is that Sumins dad left her mother for Jiwons mom, Sumins mom began to treat her daughter horribly as a result, Jiwon and Sumin become friends once Sumin thinks Jiwon is just as miserable as she is only to be angered when she learns of Jiwons happy relationship with her dad. This is because Sumin was taught by her mother that it was her fault that her dad left so it caused Sumin to think that if it's her fault that her dad left, then it must be Jiwons fault that her mother wreaked her home explaining why Sumin goes out of her way to ruin Jiwons life...

Yeah It's a really stupid and contrived backstory, but it's something at least. So now that we know why Sumin is the way she is, how does she execute her plans? Well, with basic mean girl cliches. Gossip, turning on the water works for sympathy, talking like a baby, stealing every chance Jiwon has with a boy etc, but since Sumin is the despicable villain who can't possibly win, Jiwon often puts her in her place by turning the tides and putting Sumin in her position in her past life. Sumin is also to comically evil it's hard to take her seriously when she says shit like "how dare you live a happy life!" And she somehow esculated from fake friend to a murderer just to protect a secret while she travels. It's so on the nose with how evil she "secretly" is I have to get a nose job to fix it.

I have to say she's the worst out of all the white lotus villains I have seen, not because she's basically evil for evil sake, that can work if it's written well, Sumin however isn't written well. She's just there to be the anti-sue to Jiwons mary-sue. The only time I can think of when she did something other than be a two face is when she called out Minhwans mother, other than that she just keeps doing evil things in very contrived situations to remind the reader not to like Sumin which feels like overkill at this point since it's been established she's not redeemable.

Although Marry my husband isn't a manhwa I'd want to read again, it's not terrible. There are 2 groups of terrible media, the media that supports abusive relationships, slavery, incest, and other problematic subjects which I talk about the most and the media that is trashy like meet the Kardashians, bad but at the end of the day it's just fast food to digest when your bored so it's not worth getting worked up over on the daily. That's the best way to describe Both Marry my husband and Sumin as a whole.

Awful, but there is so much worse out there.