#the love interests that are not endgame are the best girls

[glisten-inthedark]

I’m watching a YT channel react to season 4 and it’s wild to me how people in the comments think that Will was “letting go” of Mike in the van scene and that this was the conclusion of his feelings for Mike because it’s “not meant to be.” Someone even called that interpretation of it “poignant.”

Like I’m sorry in what world is a gay boy sacrificing his feelings so the straight ship can be together “poignant” unless it’s not the conclusion of this arc and the real conclusion is his feelings actually being reciprocated????

And why even have him fall in love with Mike if that’s how they were gonna conclude it?? They could’ve just made him gay and allude to that by having him have a moment of tension with a boy at school in Lenora or maybe instead of Mike and him having weird awkward tension because of their mutual feelings for each other that only Will has come to terms with, have them be perfectly fine and have a boy Will’s crushing on be there too so he’s super distracted and self conscious or smth

And then instead of Will’s painting, if you want M*leven endgame and to not make it seem like Will’s in love with Mike, just have it so that El actually commissioned a painting from Will or some other gift that she didn’t have a chance to give him after Rink o Mania, and have Will still say that Mike makes him feel like he’s not a mistake but have it be clear it’s coming from Will because this Will isn’t in love with Mike and wouldn’t be afraid to say that and wouldn’t hide it behind pretense

Just!!! There is literally no reason to make Will be in love with Mike just to show the audience that Will is gay. Like, it can’t just function as that. It can’t just function as only that. Doing that is needlessly cruel to Will. And I hope no one in the GA tries to argue that it was so “Will had something to do this season“ because I will scream lmao

I think I’ve sent some variation of this statement before in an ask but giving Will some rando love interest last minute will never be nearly as cathartic as a Byler endgame, and Will Byers deserves so much catharsis and joy after everything he’s been through

I can’t wait for people who thought the van scene was the conclusion of his feelings for Mike to have the shock of their lives in season 5

Hello! How are you?

I find it interesting that people think that the scene was Will "letting go" because is not "meant to be".

So this will become a rant, be prepared lmao.

Firstly, what you said is very interesting because there's a clear difference between what is said to us by Will vs what the show itself says.

Will thinks Mike didn't call (the show tells us that he's been trying to call nonstop but never could).

Will thinks Mike loves El (the show is literally telling us he can't even say it).

Will thinks Mike won't care about the painting if it came from him (Mike fucking lights up like a Christmas tree when he sees it and thinks it came from him).

Will is scared of being honest with Mike because he assumes he'll lose his friendship because Mike is in love with El (Mike literally nods when Will suggests something about being afraid to be honest with someone in reference to El but Will doesn't see it).

So there's point number one here.

Point number 2 which is the one I keep coming back to over and over again.

I can't think of a function for the Will is in love with Mike plot. None.

It makes absolutely no difference from a narrative standard. Like, you said it yourself.

He could be gay and not have these very deep feelings for his best friend.

If they wanted to give him a lot interesting that wouldn't feel cheap they could've done it already. I mean, they introduced us Argyle, Eddie, Chrissy (rip girl) AND Jason and you're telling me they couldn't introduce someone else? Bullshit.

I want the writers to sit me down and tell me exactly how is Will being in love necessary, at all. Is like you said, if he's there to fix a relationship he could do without being in love, is just have El actually commissioning the painting. Is not complicated.

And the irony of the van scene is that Will assumes is the conclusion to the ordeal. While he was jealous of El at first, in the end, when he saw Mike hurting and talking himself down he couldn't stand and did what he thought he had to. Will already assumes (as the audience does) that this is the end for him.

He just wants Mike to be happy, which is already proof enough that he loves Mike from the bottom of his heart and that even if he isn't happy, Mike is which is all that matters to him. That's love.

So Will already thinks is over, but the thing is, the more you look at it the less over the whole thing feels. Like, what do you mean ia over but there's still a huge ass lie to think about?

How is it over when El isn't even talking to Mike by the end of the season even after she supposedly heard what she wanted it to heat?

How is it over when is clear that Mike told Will they'd be a team and that they'd best Vecna together?

[sabrinasopposite]

UR HONOR 🎤 these two are my girls

[laufire]

maybe we'd live in a different world if someone had sat the creative team of this is us down, held their hands and say. hey. hey. you know you don't have to write kevin and sophie together if you don't want to, right?

[deus-ex-mona]

anyways listen to c-kun if you haven’t already done so~~~~~

[wheelercore]

"Steve is going to die because he lost the stoncy love triangle" I am biting you I am biting you I am biting you I am biting you and ripping you apart rn

[colonelarr0w]

 Hiiii, I have a request. Imagine a highschool AU where reader has a massive crush on Sukuna but she thinks he has a thing with Uraume, but he actually likes her. Ok ok, so hear me out. Reader is childhood friends with Yuuji and Sukuna and she notices how Sukuna and Uraume have been hanging out a lot. So she asks Yuuji if Sukuna is going to prom and he says yes, and that he is probably going with Uraume. So reader is sad and doesn't want to go to prom anymore even after already buy her dress. Buttt, the day before prom, Sukuna and Reader end up talking and she mentions how he and Uraume are going together and he is confused.  Then they both confess and end up going together. Pleaseeeeee make this as angsty as possible, I love me some good angst😫

A/N - Ooh, you know I love me some angst. And considering that it's actually prom season right now, this makes this fic that much more personal to me (I don't have a date LMAO).

The Other Woman

Preview - "The fuck was so great about Uruame anyway? Maybe it was her intelligence, maybe it was her athleticism. Or maybe, just maybe, it was her ability to interact with Sukuna without stumbling over every other word."

Warning(s) - mature themes, foul language, mention of violence (Sukuna will be Sukuna)

Word Count - 4.3k

It was April now. 

The season where girls compared prom dresses and guys anxiously put together their extravagant plans to ask the girl of their dreams to prom. It was the season that also revealed who was romantically interested in who — the couples that were thought to have been endgame break up juust before prom season, and if luck was truly a real thing, two people that nobody thought were romantically interested in the other were suddenly sucking face in the hallway.  

And even though you had been saying since the beginning of the school year that you likely were not going to attend prom … 

 … you found yourself standing in a dress shop with Nobara and Maki, both of whom were dressing you in flashy colors and, quite frankly, expensive dresses. 

“You’re kidding! Of course you’re going to prom, we’re not going without you,” Nobara comments, her tone offended as if you had told her that her shirt didn’t match her pants. Maki crosses her arms over her chest, agreeing wholeheartedly with the brunette at her side.  

“Come on Nobara, it’s not like it’s gonna be worth it. You both have dates,” you point out, taking a sip from your water bottle and sending both of your friends knowing looks.  

“And? You can go with Yuuji, you’ve both been conjoined at the hip since grade school,” Maki retaliates with a raise of her eyebrow. Nobara nods in agreement.  

“First of all, I’m not taking my guy best friend to prom. I don’t want people to get the wrong idea,” you begin, holding up your hand and using your fingers as an imaginary list. “And second, I kind of want someone to ask me that is … y’know … romantically interested in me.” 

Nobara claps her hands together as the curtain of your dressing room is yanked to the side, her smile widening impossibly further as she silently commands you to spin. You comply, turning in a circle in the royal blue dress that she had forced you into.  

“I don’t know,” you say for the umpteenth time. Nobara deflates in her seat, turning her head to Maki in the hopes that maybe she would say something to convince you. But the green-haired girl doesn’t say anything, because in a way she understands.  

“Come on (Y/N). Help us out here,” Nobara all but begs you, standing from her chair and walking over to you. She turns you in the direction of the full-body mirror in front of you, her hands affectionately squeezing her shoulders. “What color do you want to wear? Let’s start there.” 

“I don’t even want to go Nobara,” you retaliate, meeting her gaze in the mirror’s reflection. She sighs again, dramatically letting go of you and sulking once she returns to her seat.  

Maki rolls her eyes, finally walking over to you and glancing at you through the mirror. “Here, instead of color, who do you want to go to prom with?” 

You freeze, already feeling your cheeks heat as your eyes flicker to momentarily meet Maki’s in the reflection.  

“D’you think Sukuna is actually going to prom?” you ask Yuuji, stealing a chip from the bag that he holds and grinning to yourself as he silently shifts to ensure that you won’t steal another. He lifts his legs, crossing his ankles over one another as he hums in thought.  

“I think he might’ve mentioned it. But you know him,” Yuuji pauses to eat another chip, “he’s not really one for those kinds of parties, y’know?” 

You nod, but at the same time you can feel your heart sinking. Was it really a secret that you had a crush on the older brother of your childhood best friend? Honestly … no. But everyone but Sukuna knew (obviously), and yet nobody had really tried anything to help push you together.  

Maybe that was because of his reputation, or maybe it was because your friends were trying to “protect” you from someone that you really didn’t need to be shielded from.  

“Actually, now that you mention it,” Yuuji turns to you, crumpling up the now empty chip bag and tossing it into the garbage bin just a few feet in front of the two of you. “I think he mentioned asking Uruame to prom.” 

You fall silent, nodding your head. “Mm … right.” 

“I don’t know,” you answer again, shrugging your shoulders and already moving back towards the dressing room. You rip open the curtain, stepping inside and sighing. You lift your hands, rubbing them over your face as Yuuji’s words replay like a broken record in your head.  

The fuck was so great about Uruame anyway? 

Maybe it was her intelligence, maybe it was her athleticism. Or maybe, just maybe, it was her ability to interact with Sukuna without stumbling over every other word.  

You glance upward at the small mirror in the dressing room, already reaching behind you to unzip the dress. You step out of it, returning it to its hanger before emerging again from the dressing room. Nobara and Maki glance up at you, having expected you to be wearing another dress. 

“I think I’m done for today, if anything, I’ll just wear an old dress,” you say nonchalantly, trying to hide the waver that had started to creep into your tone. Maki nods understandingly, but Nobara rises to her feet and promptly places both hands on her hips.  

“(Y/N),” she says sternly, stomping over to you and grabbing both of your hands into her own. “We are going to find you a perfect fucking dress, you are going to have a perfect fucking time at prom, and we are going to all go together because fuck men.” 

Maki sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose between her thumb and index finger. "Nobara-" she begins, but her words are quickly cut off by a dismissive wave of Nobara's hand.  

"Now come on," Nobara places her palms flat against the backs of your shoulders, pushing you back towards the dressing room and turning to get the attention of the consultant who had been helping the three of you. "We're finding you a dress, and it's gonna be perfect." 

< ... > 

"Here brat, got you those fuckin' chips that you won't shut up about," Sukuna rolls his eyes as he closes the front door. He turns towards the couch, promptly throwing a bag of chips at Yuuji's face. You bite back the chuckle that claws up your throat as Yuuji yells out in surprise, pressing his palms against his face.  

"The hell?! Uncalled for!" Yuuji whips his head around to send a glare to his older brother, the latter of whom only shrugs before turning his attention to you.  

"Here, got you somethin' too," he says gruffly, clearing his throat as he rummages through the white plastic bag that he's slung over his arm. From it he removes a bag of candy that you had mentioned liking, which he hands to you. 

"Oh, thanks Sukuna!" You turn to smile at him as you take it, fingers momentarily brushing against his own. The contact brings a gentle pink hue to your cheeks, though his face remains stoic as ever – completely unreadable. As he usually was.  

Sukuna only grunts in response to your thanks, then turning on his heel and promptly vanishing into his room. You return your attention to the movie that Yuuji had put on, noticing him staring at you out of the corner of your eye. 

"What?" 

"Do you … shit (Y/N) … do you like my brother?"  

You cough, Yuuji's question catching you completely off of your guard. You whip your head to face him, cheeks heating at the knowing smile that your best friend wears. He abandons his chips, already rising to his feet.  

Shit. 

You spring up from your place on the couch, already diving for Yuuji. Your arms lock around his waist, knocking both him and yourself to the ground. "Don't you fucking dare." 

The pink-haired boy merely laughs in response, opening his mouth to yell. You yelp, pressing both of your palms against his lips and pressing down hard. He winces, but his eyes are still crinkled in that bright little shit-eating grin that continues to remind you just how fucked you were.  

You stare down at him, eyes as cold as ice. "Say a word and I'll kill you." 

Yuuji only rolls his eyes, but that shit-eating grin never once fades from his face.  

< ... > 

"See! I told you that we would find the perfect dress!" Nobara says proudly, hands on her hips as she admires you from behind. Her eyes meet yours in the reflection of your bedroom's mirror, lips turned upward in a smile.  

You had to admit, the dress was absolutely gorgeous. It was (Y/F/C) with gentle highlights and trimmings that fit around both your chest and waist. The center of the dress was corseted, accentuating your figure; and the train of the dress was long enough to flow behind you, but not long enough that you would trip over it.  

You turn your body around in the mirror, admiring the lace-up back of the dress. For the first time in a very long time, you felt pretty.  

"Alright, alright, fine. I'll admit … it is very pretty." You bite back a chuckle as Nobara claps her hands together, giddily turning to Maki and waiting for the green-haired girl to verbally approve as well.  

"You do look amazing (Y/N)," Maki nods in agreement, her compliment bringing a gentle smile to your face. Nobara nods her head frantically, turning back to you and grinning again as her eyes rake up and down your figure.  

The three of you pause at the sound of your front door opening and closing, followed then by your mother happily greeting whoever it was that had turned up on your doorstep. Nobara shoots you a confused look, one that you respond to with a confused look of your own.  

"(Y/N)! Yuuji's here!"  

You sigh, lifting your fingers to your nose and pinching at the bridge of your nose. You had completely forgotten that you had agreed to go to the arcade with Yuuji, and now here you were, standing in a prom dress even after you had told him countless times that you simply weren't going.  

Nobara and Maki exchange glances, but neither of them say anything to you or each other.  

"Okay! You can let him upstairs!"  

The sound of foosteps approaching your door already has your blood running cold, but the expression that Yuuji wears when he opens your bedroom door makes it somehow colder.  

"Oh wow (Y/N)! You look great! But I thought you said that you weren't coming to prom?" Yuuji points out, tilting his head curiously at you as he angles himself to close the door behind him. He glances then at both Nobara and Maki, neither girl answering him, leaving it completely up to you.  

You clear your throat, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to another as you turn to face Yuuji completely. "Yeah … I know. Nobara kind of convinced me." 

"Well, that's good!" Yuuji smiles sweetly, already moving towards your desk chair and flopping down into it. "Are you going with anyone?" 

You remain silent – and that's when Nobara decides to step in, noticing the uncomfortable expression that you wear at Yuuji's question.  

"She's coming with me and Maki," she answers. You nod, clearing your throat as you turn to Yuuji, half-expecting him to furrow his eyebrows at you. But luckily, he smiles at Nobara's response, nodding his head and deciding not to breach the subject any further.  

< … > 

"There you are, where's the brat?" Sukuna asks as he approaches you, leaning against the locker beside your own. You chuckle lightly at him, tilting your head to glance up at him – oddly enough, he was already staring at you.  

"Yuuji? I think he's just finishing up with the Occult Club," you answer, removing your biology textbook from your locker before pushing the metal door shut. Sukuna hums, crossing his arms and tilting his head away from you.  

He looks like he wants to say something, but is conflicted on whether or not he should actually say it. You study him for a second, opening your mouth to say something.  

"There you both are! I'm ready to go home now," Yuuji says brightly, waving at both you and Sukuna from halfway down the hallway. He extends his hand to you, the both of you performing the handshake that you had perfected sometime during middle school. Sukuna rolls his eyes at the both of you, kicking off of the lockers and already swinging his keys on his index finger.  

"Took you long enough," Sukuna comments with a harsh roll of his eyes, though you don't fail to notice the small smirk that tugs at the corner of Sukuna's mouth. "C'mon, let's get out of here." 

Yuuji nods, linking his arm with your own and lightly tugging you towards the school's exit. He grins at you as you stumble on your feet, letting out a small "Yuuji!" at his antics. Sukuna only shakes his head, following behind the both of you – keeping his distance.  

"So, (Y/N), anyone asked you to prom yet?" Yuuji asks, his voice loud enough for Sukuna to hear behind him. You stand rigid in your best friend's hold, eyes flickering to his own. "Surely a girl like you got asked, right? With a big bouquet of flowers and--" 

"Yuuji, stop," you say harshly, voice venomous as you push yourself out of Yuuji's arms. He glances at you, eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. He opens his mouth to say something, but you hold a hand up, effectively cutting him off.  

"I'm not going to prom with anyone because the person I wanted to go with is interested in someone else, okay? Is that what you wanted to fucking hear?" You lift a hand to wipe at your suddenly teary eyes, sighing to yourself and shaking your head.  

"(Y/N), that's not what I--" 

"Forget it. I'm just gonna take the bus home," you murmur to yourself, turning and walking straight past Sukuna, not even turning to apologize when your shoulder knocks against his own. His eyes follow you, narrowed in both confusion and irritation. Even so, he makes no move to follow you … 

… even though he so desperately wants to. 

< … > 

"I-it was so humiliating Nobara! Just … just imagine how disgusted he must be with me right now!" You throw your hands up as you continue pacing, talking through your tears as best that you can. Though it proves to be a struggle, you manage to get your point across and speak for long enough before you dissolve into tears again.  

Nobara's eyes soften, gaze flickering momentarily to Maki, who only wears an expression similar to the former's. She stands, opening her arms to you. They lock around you as you all but fall into them, clawing at her back and pressing your face into her shoulder, crying quietly into the fabric of her shirt.  

"He's not disgusted with you," Nobara begins, but you're quick to cut her off, only crying more. Her hand smooths up and down the length of your spine, her gaze once again flickering to Maki in the hopes that maybe she would say something … anything … to comfort you.  

But just like Nobara, Maki is at a loss for words, sitting quietly on your bed and watching you promptly break down in the expanse of Nobara’s arms.  

“He is! He has to be, c’mon, I totally just — just left him there!” The grip you have over Nobara’s shoulders tighten, holding her impossibly tighter as you try to comfort yourself in her arms. The attempt is futile, and in reality, it only makes you feel worse.  

“I’m sure that he understands.” 

“It’s Sukuna, Maki!” You pry yourself from Nobara’s arms, swallowing the growing lump in your throat and angrily swiping at the tears that cling to your waterline. You sigh, allowing your head to fall into the palms of your hands, nails digging into the sides of your head.  

“Come on (Y/N),” Maki says gently, moving towards you and placing a hand on your shoulder. Her fingers squeeze at you comfortingly, a small smile curling her lips upward as you finally turn your head to make eye contact with her. “It’s a simple misunderstanding, I don’t think that Sukuna is going to automatically hate you because of it.”  

You sigh shakily, allowing her to gently guide you to the edge of your bed. She pushes onto your shoulders, then sitting down beside you while Nobara sits in your desk chair — which she had pulled up to the side of the bed so that she could sit directly in front of you.  

“Prom is tomorrow,” you murmur, sighing again a rubbing a hand down your face. Nobara and Maki exchange solemn looks, but neither of them say anything to one another. “And I just … maybe I shouldn’t go.” 

Nobara immediately shakes her head, nearly stumbling from her seat from the force at which she leans back. Maki instinctively reaches for her, hands ready to brace the brunette if she were to fall.  

“What?! After everything that we did? We got a dress, we went out and bought makeup, and we even rented a limo with everyone else!” Nobara says sharply, though her voice doesn’t hold any of the malice that you had expected it too. You knew what she was trying to do anyway, convince you by slightly guilting you into thinking that by you not being there, prom night would essentially be ruined.  

You sniffle, rubbing a hand against your tear-stained cheeks. Maki reaches out, rubbing a hand against your back. Of course, she wants you to go to prom as well, but unlike Nobara, she wouldn’t sit there and guilt trip you into going. If you didn’t want to go, then it was as simple as that, you didn’t want to go.  

“I-I know that, but Nobara—“ 

“Stop.” Nobara stands then, her hands on either side of your face and squishing your cheeks together. “We’re going to prom together, and that’s that. Got it?” 

You sigh, blinking back the last bits of tears that cling to your lashes. And against your better judgement, even though you so desperately want to stay home all day tomorrow and rot …  

 … you nod against the skin of Nobara’s palms.  

< … > 

"(Y/N)! Guys!" Yuuji waves wildly from the front entrance of the school's gymnasium, lips turned upward in a wide grin as you, Nobara, and Maki approach. Standing beside Yuuji is Sukuna – who looks as though the only thing he craves at that moment is going home and vanishing for the weekend. 

Uruame wasn't with him though … maybe she just hadn't arrived yet. 

Nobara smiles as you all approach Yuuji, accepting his fist-bump. You turn to him as well, extending your hand at the same moment he does, the both of you performing that oh-so-elaborate handshake.  

“You look nice,” Yuuji says to you, smiling. You return his smile, turning on your heel and marveling as your dress’ train lifts from the ground, creating a small circle around you as you turn. Yuuji turns then to Sukuna, whose eyes dart away as if he had been caught looking at something that he shouldn’t have been.  

“Yeah … nice,” Sukuna murmurs underneath his breath. His comment brings a gentle pink hue to your cheeks, and in thanks, you nod your head at him.  

“C’mon, let’s go inside!” Nobara says happily, her lips tuned upward in a smile as she reaches for your hands, tugging you towards the entrance of the gymnasium. You glance fleetingly at Sukuna, whose eyes are still fixed on anything but you — you wonder what color Uruame would wear. 

Would she match him? Or would she wear a different color that complimented the one he wore? 

You shake your head, bringing yourself back to reality as you allow Nobara to tug you towards the doors, her lips still turned upward in a delighted smile as she and Maki already begin nodding their heads in tune with the loud music that blares from inside of the gymnasium.  

“Hey, (Y/N).”  

You turn, eyebrows raised as you notice Sukuna looking at you, his body angled so that he faces you. His fingers twitch slightly, debating on whether or not they should reach out for you.  

“Yeah?” 

“Can I talk to you? Jus’ for a second,” Sukuna responds gruffly, clearing his throat and hoping that the dimly lit sky was enough to hide the pink color that dusted his cheeks.  

Nobara, Maki, and Yuuji all exchange knowing looks, their lips all turning upwards into Cheshire-cat-like smiles. None of them say a single word as they slip through the gymnasium’s open doors, leaving both you and Sukuna at the entrance.   

“Everything okay?” you ask, tilting your head at Sukuna. He swallows, shoulders tensing and hands curling into white-knuckled fists. His nails, which had always been long, are no doubt leaving behind crescent-shaped marks on the skin of his palm — what the hell had him so nervous? 

He hesitates, eyes flickering momentarily to you before they look away again. “Everything’s,” he clears his throat, “everything’s fine.” 

You furrow your eyebrows together, not quite believing him. You lift your arms to cross them over your chest, shifting on your foot before finally noticing a tuft of white hair in the distance. You open your mouth to comment, but something stops you.  

“So … where’s Uruame?” you settle for asking, glancing up at him and teasingly wiggling your eyebrows at him. He turns to you, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.  

“The fuck are you talking about?” 

“Uruame. You’re waiting out here for her aren’t you? Don’t tell me you’re gonna make her walk into prom all by herself,” you turn on your heel to chastise him, pointing a finger at his chest. The crease between his eyebrows only deepens as you continue — which you take as a sign to promptly shut up.  

The two of you stand in awkward silence for a moment, both of you turned away from the other in fear of what expression the other wore.  

“Uruame’s not comin’ to prom,” Sukuna murmurs with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders. “Said she wasn’t the biggest fan of parties, not that I blame ‘er.” 

“Oh.” 

Again, neither of you say anything to the other. You can feel your cheeks burning, and in the hopes that he wouldn’t say anything, you lift your hands to your face, covering it. He tilts his head, sighing with the smallest of smirks plastered onto his face.  

“Lemme guess,” he turns to you, regaining his confidence and bending just enough so that his nose is level with your own. Your eyes widen, the pink color on your cheeks deepening at the sudden closeness. “You thought I was takin’ Uruame to prom, didn’t you?” 

“N-no,” you reply quickly, your voice a high-pitched squeak. Sukuna chuckles, shifting back on his feet and crossing his arms over his chest, staring down his nose at you. “Okay, maybe.” 

The taller man turns, leaning against the wall of the gymnasium and glancing at you through the corner of his eye. You shuffle on your feet, not daring to look up at Sukuna.  

“That why you kept tellin’ Yuuji that you weren’t comin’ to prom?” he asks, grinning as he glances at you. “‘Cause you thought I was goin’ with Uruame?” 

You remain silent — now suddenly embarrassed over your childlike reaction. To be honest, it had been petty for you to potentially throw away the entirety of your prom night over something as trivial as not having a date. But at the same time, your friends had been asked to prom by the people that they were romantically interested in — hell, even Yuuji had managed to successfully ask Megumi to prom. And that was after he had smacked himself in the face in front of his bathroom mirror.  

Sukuna chuckles, leaning his head back and crossing his arms over his chest. His fingers drum against his clothed bicep, a delighted hum rumbling up somewhere in his throat as he relishes in your reactions. He clears his throat, catching your attention. 

“Stupid,” he murmurs, reaching a hand out and laying it over the top of your head. You huff at him, smoothing your hands over your hair, hoping that all of the styling that you had done wasn’t ruined by Sukuna’s comically large palm.  

“And that makes me stupid because?” you challenge, raising an eyebrow at Sukuna. He rolls his eyes, once again leaning down to be at eye-level with you again. This time, however, you challenge his stare with one of your own — pointed and cold, though not nearly as cold as the glare situated in front of you.  

“It makes you stupid because you actually thought I’d take someone other than you to prom.” 

His words make you positively flush from head to toe. You stand as still as stone in front of him, inhaling sharply as he adjusts himself again. He offers his arm to you, nodding in the direction of the opened gymnasium doors.  

“So then why didn’t you ask me sooner?”  

Sukuna rolls his eyes, sighing. “I’m not good at that kind of stuff, but trust me, you’re the only girl that I’d have ever even considered to take to this fuckin’ thing.” 

You chuckle, rolling your eyes as you slip your arm into Sukuna’s. His chest swells at the smile that you flash at him, and in a moment of bravery, he leans down to press his lips to your own.  

Thank God that you had decided to go to prom. 

[miwiheroes]

Byler + Closet Imagery

Just wanted to show just how much closet imagery and references there are in stranger things and how it's super obvious, that it's kind of insane that it goes over the GA's heads so much. It's mostly with Mike as well, funnily enough.

Closet imagery has been used in media over the years to show that a character might be gay but the audience/the other characters just don't know it yet.

For example, it was used here in Paper Girls (2022) for KJ who was not out as gay yet.

It was also used for Eyewitness (2016) with Lukas who also has internalised homophobia and we already know that Byler has had a parallel to Eyewitness before.

So, it's interesting that this closet imagery has been used for Mike and Byler ever since the show began in Season 1. Let's look at all the ways it has been used and how insane these are that some people deny them because UHHHH....

1. Mike hides El in his closet

Karen: "With all this that's been going on, with Will, I can't imagine what it's been like for you... i just-- want you to feel like you can talk to me. i never want you to feel like you have to hide anything from me. i'm here for you. okay?"

Mike: *is hiding El in the closet* *a noise comes from the closet after Karen says these things* *he lies about it* *Karen then hugs Mike later on when Will 'dies' HADGSJHDG*

2. Argues with El in a closet

I find it so funny how the framing here is El literally between Mike and some male dummy and then she grabs it from him LMAOO i love cinematography.

Mike: 'You are the most important thing to me in the worl-'

El: *interrupts him* 'What if [Hopper's] right?'

Mike: *feels attacked as she questions the legitimacy of their relationship while she holds a male dummy in the closet* "No, no no no. He's just some angry old man who hates joy."

Why are you questioning the sanity of someone instead of using actual arguments for your relationship?? Oh that's right, you're in the closet <3

3. Kisses El in front of a closet

Particularly, this is Will's closet as well.

El: "I love you too" *kisses Mike*

Mike: *makes disgusted/ confused face* *doesn't kiss back and has his eyes open* *has the light coming from the closet framed on his head as if he's realised something.*

El: *walks away smiling*

Mike: *looks to the side confused with an open closet next to him* *thinks What is wrong with me?/ What just happened here? (original script)*

Also the music is "The First I love You" which is the same music they use in a scene where Robin comes out of the closet.

4. Mike reads a letter from El in front of a lit up closet

Bro is reading a note with RAINBOWS ON IT and then the camera pans to him reading with a literal open closet which is lit up right next to him. How is this not blatant queer-coding??

Also Mike: *panics in front of a closet which has a ray of light shining on him* *has a one-way sign pointing into the closet which is revealed when he bends down*

I am going insane at this it's so funny

5. Argues with his bestie bro when a song called "In The Closet" plays

aka arguing with Will about how he sabotaged your day by ignoring you instead of your gf getting bullied x

Will: "Well we used to be best friends!"

Mike: *looks devastated as a song called "In The Closet (at Rink O' Mania)" plays when the camera goes back to him* "Well maybe you should've reached out more, I don't know. Why is this on me? Why am I the bad guy?"

El: *is hiding from Mike in a closet*

Why are you suddenly switching the blame Mike??? Oh girl you're a little too defensive

6. Mike and Will have a heart-to-heart in front of an open closet

Mike: "No, no you didn't deserve anything... Hawkins isn't the same without you... Maybe I was worrying too much about El... felt like I lost you or something... Friends, 🥺❤️ best friends."

All while Will is tearing up in front of a closet (also the picture here on the left literally has them framed on either side of an open closet WDYMMM)

Anyways,

Byler Endgame

[goldenivy0]

....

IN. THE. SAME. CHAPTER?? Oh God... tell me this is not our endgame...

Listen, I get it, Azriel is competitive. But this is a snowball battle we're talking about. I repeat, a snowball battle. In no way, shape or form would the result of this battle seriously affect his future/life and still he planned his victory for a whole YEAR. Azriel is a planner!

But now... when it comes to Elain, the girl he's so deeply in love with (as the other side claims) you're telling me he didn't spend a single second of his time planning their future together... Why? Like... he couldn't think of anything?? Except how her face would look like as he 'entered' her?? 🙄

Oh no no no... don't do this to me. Not when Elain's other love interest (who's also her mate, no biggie) has been nothing but respectful of her time, space and wishes. Has wanted nothing but the best for her, both physically and mentally. My heart simply can't accept the possibility of that man being the one who's rejected when he did nothing wrong.

If E/riel end up being endgame, my congratulations to their supporters but you can't honestly tell me that's fair... or even good writing considering everything SJM has given us so far.

[brookslostarm]

Regarding the dinostar hate recently, I don't really think Darius did anything wrong. I get why people might think his confession was unhealthy, but put urself in his shoes. He got stranded on an island full of dinos at 12 and had to become the leader of a group of people older than him, a few months after his dad's death. He saw his best friends- Brooklynn and Kenji, get together and was 100 percent fine with it, even happy for them. A few years later, they break up and Brooklynn comes to stay with him for a week or so. He's never had feelings for anyone at this point, but that was because on the island, he never had any time for romance- always focusing on protecting his friends, and even after getting off the island- focusing on his mental health and DPW. But now, his dealt with all that and is at a good place in his life, likely ready for a relationship and focusing more on people he's interested in. Coincidentally, his girl best friend recently became single and stayed at his place for 1 week. It isn't like living on nublar since it's just the two of them. Feelings are bound to develop.

Now, his confession, a lotta people r saying that Darius is putting Brook on a pedestal, because he said something about supporting Brooklynn's work no matter what, but I don't really think that's true. The reason some of the audience is mad is because we know the extent of Brooklynn's obsession with her work, and so does Kenji, but does Darius know? It's not very likely, since Brooklynn doesn't talk much about her work. Also, when u get a crush, that too for the first time, ur gonna wanna impress them- say nice things to them, support them, etc. and that's literally what Darius was doing. He loved her and felt comfortable around her enough to say those things without putting much thought into it.

Another thing I've noticed is people saying that the "if he loved you half as much as I do" line is invalid because he left Brooklynn when she got kidnapped. In my opinion, that's just not true, he didn't want to leave her, he was just following Brooklynn's directions, and knew that if he stayed, him and yaz would also get captured. Also, didn't Kenji betray and lock his friends, including Brooklynn, in a room? I get that it wasn't his fault as he was manipulated by his dad, but I don't think it should be glossed over if we're using the "Darius left Brooklynn, and Kenji went back for her" argument against Dinostar.

As for the "he's dating his best friend's ex!" Thing, I get it goes against bro-code, but Brooklynn isn't just his best friend's ex, Brooklynn is also one of his best friends. They've supported each other through thick and thin and had SO much chemistry in season 2,3 and 5 of cc. Also, Kenji seems to be okay with him having feelings for Brook, based on s2 of ct. He doesn't seem to have any anger or resentment towards Darius and jokes with him like he normally would, even after knowing Darius' feelings. Also, a large portion of the fandom seems to enjoy dinostar more than kenlynn, and dinostar wouldn't be introduced in the first place if it wasn't going to be endgame. I don't think it was introduced just for drama, because if it was, it's gonna make even plantonic dinostar extremely problematic and unlikable, in my opinion.

That being said, I'm honestly fine with whatever route they decide to go through, whether Brooklynn ends up with Kenji, Darius or single, though I would prefer she end up with Darius. To the people who don't agree, I don't mean to cause any drama or anything lol, this is just my opinion. Ig we're gonna have to wait till season 3 to find out what happens😭

Maybe Brooklynn x Soyona tho🤔 their enemies to lovers potential is 📈📈📈

[blorbocedes]

Love triangle where the two love interests get together instead

Lewis & Jenson both shooting their shot with Nico and failing miserably, endgame slagclaren

"He double booked us, didn't he?" Jenson susses out, seeing Lewis in the romantic candlelit high-end resturant dinner table he was supposed to have with Nico. Well, now he looks proper silly showing up with a bouquet of roses.

Lewis isn't better off; dressed up in a black suit and clean shaven face, buzzed hair. A not so inconspicuous jewellery box wrapped in satin bow sits on the table. At least they're both cliche. Clearly, Nico has a type.

"That fucking—" Lewis shakes his head. "You too?"

Jenson shrugs in half sympathy. He pulls the chair to sit. Maybe there's a misunderstanding. Maybe Nico will show up and choose one of them, like out of The Bachelor. In which case, Jenson was simply forward thinking by bringing roses.

Lewis tries calling Nico, but Jenson knows it'll go straight to voicemail. He takes out one of the breadsticks from the complimentary basket and burns the edge on the candle's flame, watching it darken, before taking a bite. He may look like one, but he's no gentleman.

"Nico and his games." The elusive blonde that taunts them both and loves his mindgames. And to think, Jenson used to respect the bro-code once upon a time.

Lewis hangs up, frustrated. He looks across the table at Jenson's expectant eyebrow. "Look, man. I get it, Nico's playing you and we're going through our shit but at the end of the day it's gonna be him and me. It's always been."

Jenson leans forward. The candlelight warmth casts the romantic cast on Lewis' features, and his neck tattoo peeks out from under the shirt collar. He's always been a good-looking lad. Jenson can admit that. "Remind me, whose lap is he crying on when you two break up again? And trust me, mate, that's not all he's doing there." Jenson smiles wolfishly.

Lewis scowls, scrunching his face. He opens his mouth, as if to propose to take it out in the back lot and fuck, wouldn't Jenson love that? There's nothing quite like the high of getting your nose punched in. Nico would probably love it, both of them literally fighting over him.

At that moment, the server interrupts them holding a bottle. "A vintage red for you gentlemen, courtesy of Mr. Rosberg."

Of course.

Both of them straighten up, schoolboys on their best behavior as she pours their glasses. Jenson scans the tables looking for golden hair, and meets Lewis' eyes doing the same. Without meaning to, they both end up laughing, caught.

Lewis takes a sip. "Fuck, man." He shakes his head. "He drives me crazy."

"Tell me about it." Jenson swirls his glass, letting it aerate. Lewis' lips are a deeper shade of pink because of the wine, and his tongue darts out across that bottom lip. Jenson thinks they both probably taste the same right now. The wine of Nico's choice. The thought goes to his groin.

"What if we don't give him what he wants?" Jenson proposes.

"What do you mean?"

Jenson gives a very obvious once over at Lewis, slowly trailing his eyes down over the exposed second shirt button and flash of chest. "We've had some good times together. We've shared a bird between us before." And if their swords crossed, they didn't talk about it after. Jenson doesn't take it up the ass, but head is head.

"There's no girl now." Lewis cocks his head, suspicious. One can imagine what being with Nico can do to a man. Suddenly, Jenson feels a lot more amenable to ending this night in a way that is mutually beneficial, over both of them getting put out.

"No. There isn't." Jenson takes out the hotel key card and places it in between them, letting Lewis decide for himself. He's a big boy.

Lewis finishes his glass, and pours himself another. And then he pockets the card.

Ending the night on his knees with Lewis' length in his mouth, and hands in his hair surprisingly gentle, Jenson has to wonder if this was the outcome Nico had planned all along.

[sadly-never-after]

I don’t have any real preferred endgame ships for Daring. I like Darabella more than the average tumblr EAH account and I love Dizzie but in a very different way than most shippers, I think.

Whenever I’m in my comfort place (my post canon extension based on Athena-xox’s amazing timeline (all time fave post. Truly an amazing accomplishment)) I like imagining that Daring will consciously decide to stay single and NOT mingle for a while, until he has come to terms with certain things. And I like imagining that Rosabella will be there for him, but rather as a friend with some unacted romantic chemistry. I want to believe that everything that happened since Legacy Day, culminating in his abrupt change of imagined destiny will trigger a more pensive side of him. And here’s when Lizzie comes. I want him to slowly become aware of how much he hurt her, even when it was never his intention.

I know this is a franchise made to sell dolls at tweens so it’s weird to get this dark about it, but let’s do this for the sake of my fantasies.

I feel like Daring has been hypersexualised and objectified through most of his life. His place as the most Charming of all the Charmings has turned him into a figure of lust and of status even before he was really aware of what those words meant.

The hypersexualisation can be seen through the recurrent jokes about girls fawning over him, following him, his dashing smile, and I honestly feel like Sparrow’s dare that lead to the entire thing with Lizzies was also based on that etc., etc., etc.,

When it comes to the objectification I think Duchess obsession with him is a good example. In NTV it becomes clear that she is not truly in love with him and when he scorns her she even daydreams about being the one able to reject him. Daring is not much of a real person to her. He is a symbol. He is the best of princes who saves his Princess and gets the two to live happily ever after. Everything that Duchess longs for and is denied.

To a lesser extent I also think that Ravens reaction to him (apparently) writing her a love poem could also be an example of this. Even if she has never been interested in Daring and has actually described her type as his opposite she still takes this as an accomplishment of some way.

Just to clarify: by no means do I blame neither Duchess nor Raven for this. They aren’t really at fault. This is more of a societal issue.

So, as he now realises all this things about his life, I want him to remember Lizzie. In my Sparchess heart the two are talking and Sparrow asks him about that one date Daring & Duchess had and after that a rush of unprocessed memories come at Daring and he can’t stop thinking about what he did to Lizzie for at least a week.

I want him to stay up away at night and cringe at himself wondering if an actual apology would be welcomed or not. It would make him feel better, sure, but is it Lizzie or his guilt conscience whom he wants to console? I want him to remember things about Lizzie that he otherwise didn’t think of very often. I want him to suddenly tell all of this to Rosabella only for her to feel disappointed and conflicted. I want Lizzie to catch him looking at her during lunch with a strangely contemplative expression and to turn away in apparent apathy only for her to be weirdly sad for the rest of the day and remember how isolated and betrayed she felt not only by Daring but also by Duchess.

[m1ckeyb3rry]

── PEREGRINE // FIVE

Series Synopsis: The ways that you and Seishiro Nagi fall together and fall apart over the years.

Chapter Synopsis: You, a new transfer to Hakuho High School, have a first day that is even worse than you had expected.

Series Masterlist

Pairing(s): Nagi x Reader, Kira x Reader

Chapter Word Count: 5.2k

Content Warnings: unhealthy relationships, cheating, non-linear narrative, probably ooc, angst, nagi is endgame, kira sucks, alternate universe, original characters

A/N: just a reminder that this is an AU so things will in fact be different from how they are in canon (i think this is mostly evident w reo?? he’s really something in this past arc LMAOAO like i love him but he is so…interesting…) also dw guys reo is NOT a love interest he’s just bored and has nothing better to do because he hasn’t discovered the joys of soccer and babysitting nagi yet

divider credits: @/benkeibear

The first time you had a crush on a boy, you made the mistake of telling the girl who you had, at the time, considered to be your best friend. That was what people did with their best friends, so you had pointed at him and squeaked out your feelings in hushed whispers. Now, of course, you couldn’t recall anything about him, not his face nor his name, so irrelevant he had been, but you could not say the same about the girl who had been your first lesson in betrayal. Her, you remembered everything about.

Even back then, she had been tall and slender, with beetle-bright eyes and hair like an oil spill, her small mouth the color of strawberries and her round face pale like the moon. If she had stood beside anyone but you, she would have been widely considered lovely, but unfortunately, Orie Watanabe would forever have to be content with second place — because when it came to looks, there wasn’t a girl in the entire town who could claim to be your equal.

You had thought that that didn’t matter. You had thought that Orie loved you as much as you loved her, that she brushed aside what others said with the same ease that you did, that the comparisons drawn between you two were made by halfwits and easily ignored.

You had thought wrong. Orie had narrowed her eyes at the boy you had told her about, and then she had smiled at you.

“He’s cute,” she had whispered. “You really like him? A lot?”

“I think so,” you had said.

“Like, you love him?” she had said. “My parents told me that love is when you want to marry someone and be with them forever. D’you love him?”

“I dunno. Guess I do,” you had said before returning to your coloring page, shading between the black lines. Abstract concepts such as love and marriage and eternity hadn’t even made sense to you at that point in your life, so how else could you have answered the question?

Because both you and Orie lived far from your elementary school, your parents and hers used to take turns dropping you both off and picking you up again. That afternoon, your mother had been the one who came to get you, her freshly-washed car shining in the afternoon sunlight, her dark sunglasses reflecting the world around her.

“Mrs. L/N,” Orie had said as your mother pulled out of the spot she had been waiting for you in. “Did you know that there’s a boy Y/N wants to marry?”

“Of course there is,” your mother had responded coolly. “Reo Mikage. We’ve told her since she was young that she will end up as his wife one day.”

“No, it’s someone in our class,” Orie had said, despite the way you had kicked her leg and shaken your head at her, pleading with her to stop.

“Orie,” you had pleaded under your breath. She had glanced at you out of the corner of her eye, and it had been such a baleful expression, so foreign on her demure features, that you had shrank back into your seat.

“She’s in love with him,” Orie had said. “She told me in class. She wants to marry him and be with him forever.”

“I see,” your mother had said. “Thank you for telling me, Orie.”

All of you had spent the rest of the car ride in silence. Orie hadn’t felt the need to speak again, so she had only murmured a farewell to your mother and gazed at you over her shoulder before darting into her house and leaving you alone. As for you, you had been too afraid to even move, let alone say anything.

You hadn’t understood it at the time, but you had known intrinsically that you had done something wrong. Those feelings, which you had shared with Orie in the hopes that she would keep them secret, were of the sort that had hurt your mother, hurt her to the point of anger.

“Y/N,” she had said when you had entered the house. You had peered up at her then, still needing to crane your neck to meet her eyes, and at the fearsome expression on her face, you had shied back before you could stop yourself. “Who taught you about such things as love?”

You had stammered, more out of apprehension than anything, your first instinct still to protect Orie, though she had not shown you the same consideration. “No — no one, mother.”

“It wasn’t us, so it must’ve been someone,” she had said, clicking her tongue before her eyes had flicked to the television. “Ah. Have you been watching those silly American movies again? Did you really think you’d get to be Cinderella? Those stories aren’t real. Love isn’t something you can believe in. Maybe other people can chase those kinds of ideals, but we’ve raised you to be better than that.”

“I’m sorry, mother,” you had said. She had sighed then, so aggravated, obviously not believing anything you were saying — and of course she had not. You yourself hadn’t known what it was that you were apologizing for, so how could she have accepted it?

“Love is a luxury that only the most hedonistic and privileged of ignoramuses can indulge in. When things grow difficult, when your existence is no longer assured, you’ll find that love is meaningless,” she had said, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Go to your room. There’s no need for you to have dinner tonight. We’ll talk in the morning.”

You had cried until you had fallen into an uneasy sleep, your stomach rumbling and sore, but neither your mother nor your father had budged. You hadn’t seen either of them again until the next day, when your mother had come up to wake you for school.

“Good morning,” she had said flatly. You had blinked at her, your head aching peculiarly, your neck cramped, and then you had scrambled to your feet, kicking the sheets aside so you could throw your arms around her legs.

“Good morning, mama,” you had said. “Can I have breakfast?”

Your mother had patted you on the head. “Do you still love that boy?”

You hadn’t even hesitated. “No.”

She had scoffed at that but motioned for you to follow after her. “There it is. See how easily love fades? In the face of hardship, it’s the first thing forsaken. If a man tells you that all he can give you is his love, then I want you to remember this day and run, Y/N. Run as fast as you can, because if he only has love to his name, then he has nothing at all.”

“Y/N L/N, your uniform is ready.”

You brushed past the amassed throng of parents, making your way to the counter where a woman with glasses was passing out the uniforms for the next school year. It was your first time at this store, but you did not dare let your face betray your nervousness, walking with your head held high and your shoulders squared, your nose lifted in the air as if you found every other person in the room to be beneath you.

“Here you go,” the woman said, sliding the clear packet over to you. “Are you new? I don’t remember ever seeing you before, but our records show you’re a third year.”

“Ah, yes, I just transferred,” you said. “I’ve been attending the girls’ academy until now, but for my final year of schooling, my parents thought it’d be prudent that I have some exposure to a blended environment.”

“Well, welcome to Hakuho High School. I’m sure you won’t regret your decision,” she said.

“I’m sure I won’t,” you said, bowing slightly at her, holding the packet with your uniform in it to your chest. “I’m very excited to be here.”

“We’re excited to have you, dear. Seishiro Nagi! Your uniform is ready,” she said. You smiled tightly and turned to leave, narrowly avoiding slamming into a comically tall, pale-haired boy as you wove through the crowd. Far too lost in your own thoughts, you waved off his mumbled apology, seeing no point in even responding in kind.

Of course, you had lied to that woman. Your parents didn’t really care whether or not you ever interacted with boys your own age. In fact, if they had their way, you would stay shut in your room for the rest of your life, a delicate flower preserved in a state of full bloom. There was only one thing that had convinced them to move you to Hakuho — the fact that Reo Mikage attended.

After all, he was their ultimate goal. If you could just marry someone like that, then you would never have to worry a day in your life. You would always be happy, always be safe, always be secure. He was the ideal of stability and success, and so, in their eyes, there was no one better for you to one day wed.

Unfortunately for your parents, you had long ago decided that Reo Mikage was a person you despised, though the two of you had never met. You had your own reasons for wanting to go to Hakuho High School, reasons which you could never tell them about for fear of losing your one chance at escaping for good.

For being as prestigious as it was, Hakuho High School was a relatively ordinary building. There was nothing special about the place — it didn’t sparkle, and no angels sang when you took your first step through the entrance, self-consciously adjusting your shirt collar and skirt, though you already knew that they were perfect.

This was your first impression on your classmates. The last thing you wanted was to come off across as some kind of an idiot or blundering dunce who could barely even put one foot in front of the other. You had experience being hated, but never had you been afforded the pity and derision of others, and you were not overly keen on earning them now.

Your first period was Physics, and according to the schedule you had on your phone, the classroom was located on the second floor of the high school. You climbed up the stairs carefully but quickly, ducking your head so that you blended in with the masses of students, not wanting to draw any attention to yourself.

It would be embarrassing to pull out the folded map you had tucked away in your back pocket, so you visualized it in your mind, tracing the routes you had gone over in colored markers last night and trying to apply them to the maze of hallways you were standing in. Despite your best efforts, though, you could not make sense of any of it, and as the minute hand of the clock drew closer and closer to when the bell would ring, an uneasiness brewed in your stomach. Were you seriously going to be late on the very first day of school?

Just then, a vaguely familiar looking boy ambled past. You couldn’t quite place where you recognized him from, but it was more than you could say about anyone else in the entire building, and you didn’t have many other options. Swallowing your pride, you chased after him, closing the gap between the two of you and tapping him on the shoulder.

He had a messy mop of cloud-like hair, and his large eyes were the color of turtle-doves. His soft face wore a drowsy expression, like he was not quite yet awake but was rather drifting through the school like a half-asleep ghost, and instead of the typical button-down shirt, he wore an oversized sweatshirt under his blazer. When he turned to face you, your hand still resting on his shoulder, his eyebrows drew together, and he cocked his head in a manner reminiscent of a lost puppy.

“Hello, I’m Y/N L/N! I just transferred here. Um, I think that I’ve seen you somewhere, so I hope you don’t mind me stopping you in particular,” you said. Wordlessly, he shook his head, though you were not sure which part he meant to refute. “Ah, or maybe not. I must’ve confused you for someone else; well, anyways, it hardly matters. I was just wondering if you knew where the room for the third year Physics class was? I have it with Mr. Tachibana, if that provides any necessary clarification.”

The boy stared at you for a moment before he slightly lifted his shoulders in what you could only assume was a shrug. You waited for him to elaborate, to say something or perhaps introduce himself, but he must’ve deemed the response satisfactory, as with that, he trudged off, rounding the corner and leaving you fuming.

What a rude, despicable person. It wasn’t like you wanted to be particularly friendly, either, but when the situation called for it, you could at least pretend like you cared about others. The bare minimum was answering someone’s questions with actual words, but this boy could not even muster up the energy to do that much.

“Psst,” a voice said. You turned to see a girl standing there, her face bright, her hair perfectly curled and held half-back with a clip, her makeup applied with an artful hand. “That’s Seishiro Nagi. Don’t bother with him. Come on, I’m going to Physics as well, so you can follow me.”

“What do you mean?” you said, grateful that not all of the Hakuho students were as standoffish as Nagi. The girl used her hand to cover her giggle.

“He’s cursed. We think he’s the child of the devil or something; only bad things happen to people who talk to him, so everyone avoids him,” she said.

“The child of the devil?” you said.

“Mhm, he’s a total weirdo. He doesn’t speak to anyone, and the only things anyone’s ever seen him do are play video games and sleep. He’s not in any clubs or activities or anything, and he has no friends, mostly because no one wants to go near him,” she said.

“Interesting,” you said. It was a shame, really, that such a slacker was taking up a space at Hakuho. He must’ve been at the bottom of the class, but then again, there had to be those people, too. Not everyone could be number one; there would always be those who came in last, whether due to a lack of aptitude or passion or both.

“I hope you’re okay, though,” the girl said. “You even touched him! That’s basically a guarantee that you’ll be jinxed.”

“He’s just another high schooler. I’m sure I’ll be fine,” you said. The girl shook her head rapidly.

“No, no, you don’t get it! One time, this girl I knew spoke to him, and the next day, her boyfriend dumped her! I really don’t want anything like that happening to you,” she said.

“I don’t think that Nagi had anything to do with that,” you said as you entered the classroom. “Things like curses aren’t actually real, you know. He’s just an abhorrently detached and self-involved layabout. It’s a shame to see, but there’s always going to be people like that, you know. They’re the worst sort, but the explanation isn’t supernatural.”

“Just you wait and see,” the girl said. “By the way, you’re super beautiful. What’s your name?”

“Y/N L/N,” you said. “Thank you. And what is yours?”

“Sonoko Ishioka!” she said. “You should sit with my friends and I at lunch today. I think that you’ll fit in perfectly with the rest of us.”

You didn’t have any great desire to acquaint yourself with Ishioka, but she was the first person who had offered, and after all, she had shown you the way to the classroom, so you hummed in agreement.

“Thank you,” you said, setting your things down in the seat beside her for the time being. Surely, your teacher would reassign your partners for the year once the period began, but until then, you supposed Ishioka was your best option.

“Welcome, class. I am Akihiro Tachibana, and I will be your Physics teacher. I would like to start the session with a warning to you all: this year will be of an unprecedented difficulty. You will be preparing for entrance examinations and completing applications to various universities, and at the same time, your classes will be more advanced than ever,” your teacher said as soon as the bell had finished ringing. He was a tall yet stocky man, his hair more silver than black, his eyes deep-set in his severe face. There was an aged sort of wisdom about him, as if his great knowledge was an accumulation of experiences instead of the result of extensive study.

“Mr. Tachibana is totally intense,” Ishioka whispered to you. “He’s super tough on his students. It sucks that we got stuck with him as our teacher instead of the other one. She’s apparently way nicer.”

“Hm,” you said.

“Since this is your first period of your first day, I will take the moment to remind you that this is your third year, which means that all of you are now in direct competition for the prestigious Hakuho Scholars award,” Mr. Tachibana continued. You straightened in your seat. “For those of you who forgot, the Hakuho Scholars are those two students who receive the highest and second-highest marks on their final exams. Every year, this select pair receives funding from the Hakuho Alumni Association in order to achieve their future goals, and as someone who has been teaching here for almost as long as all of you have been alive, let me be the one to tell you that the award granted is generous.”

“Sounds stressful,” Ishioka said, wrapping her arms around herself. “I bet Reo is going to get the top spot again, so there’s only one slot open. I’m not even going to try. What about you, L/N?”

“Of course, I’ll give it my best shot,” you said, the pleasantness of your voice just barely masquerading the greedy anxiousness simmering beneath the surface. You wouldn’t just give it your best shot — you had to be a Hakuho Scholar. That program was the only reason that you had even agreed to transferring in the first place.

“Now that that’s out of the way, let me read out the seating chart,” Mr. Tachibana said, his voice fading into a monotonous background noise as he listed off the partners that you would sit with for the rest of the class.

You waited for your name to be called, but it took a while. Ishioka was assigned before you, leaving you behind with a promise to meet you at lunch and an empty seat at your side, which you resolved to make your future partner occupy. You were hardly about to move, and anyways, most people were quick to oblige your demands, as you had this method of disguising them as sweet pleas instead of bratty commands.

“Y/N L/N and Reo Mikage,” Mr. Tachibana said.

Nagi had somehow jinxed you. You had thought Ishioka was full of drivel when she was going on and on about it, but she had actually been right, because now you were paired up with the one person you had wanted to avoid for the entire year. What sort of coincidence was this? How pleased would your parents be, that Reo Mikage had all but fallen into your lap before you could even do anything to get him there? And how furious were you, that you could not escape him even when you wanted to so desperately?

“Normally, people move to my table, but it’s nice to stretch my legs every once in a while. Thank you for that.” Even the way he spoke grated on your nerves. Reo Mikage. He talked like a prince, his words dripping with charm and grace, his movements elegant as he pulled out the chair Ishioka had sat in previously so that he could lower himself into it. His clear eyes were a shade of violet that shimmered like mountains in the mist, and his hair was the same color, hanging around his face in a neatly parted curtain. Unlike that accursed Nagi, who was the only other boy you had thus far encountered, Reo wore the expected shirt and tie, his blazer and pants impeccably pressed, his shoes shined to the point of reflection. “Are you Y/N L/N? I don’t recognize you, but neither do I recognize the name, so it makes sense. Are you new?”

“Just transferred,” you said shortly, taking out a notebook and busying yourself with your pencil case, though of course there was nothing in it that could really hold your interest for very long.

“I see,” he said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Uh-huh,” you said. “Look, here’s how it’s going to go: we’re going to get our assignments, and you’re going to let me do them, and then we’ll sign both of our names on the top and get full marks and be quite happy with ourselves.”

“Excuse me?” he said. You unscrewed the cap of your pen, labeling the top of the fresh page with the date and the material that you would cover in that class.

“I don’t have any interest in working with you, but I don’t trust you to do anything on your own, so if it means saving my grade, then I’ll take care of it,” you said. “I won’t complain or rat you out or anything. Not that anything would happen even if I did.”

“What are you talking about? Are you quite mad? I’ve been the top of our class for the past two years,” he said.

“You’re also the son of one of the wealthiest men in the entire world,” you said. “I am certain that those two things have no correlation whatsoever, of course. It’s just an observation I’m making.”

“You’re suggesting that I pay for my grades?” he said. There was a faint color to his cheeks now, but it wasn’t the rosy hue that your mother would’ve swooned at. It was an angry flush that made you snort as you copied down Mr. Tachibana’s slides, not even bothering to look at Reo when you spoke next.

“Pay for your grades, pay for your work, pay for shitty work so you can pay even more to get good grades regardless…there’s unlimited options available for a person with as much money as you, right? I’m not suggesting anything, naturally, so there shouldn’t be a need for you to be so upset, unless what I’m saying is close to the truth,” you said. “Though either way, it doesn’t matter to me. Look, I’m sure you’re used to people asking you to do their work for them, so how about you just act happy that I’m offering? It’ll save you money. Or time. Or whatever.”

“You’re presumptuous,” he said, but inquisitively, without a hint of the rage you had anticipated. “We’ve only just met, and yet you’re speaking aloud these horrible assumptions, which you have made not just about my integrity but also about my wits. I mean, what kind of a person would pay for terrible work just to spend more money on bribing their teachers into accepting it?”

“How could I begin to understand the lifestyle of the rich and famous?” you said. “Don’t bother explaining what it’s really like. As with everything related to you, I don’t much care.”

At that, he laughed. He did not yell or argue or have any other normal reaction. He laughed, throwing an arm around your shoulders and squeezing you to his side affectionately as the bell rang to signify the end of the period. Startled, you shoved him off of you, glaring at him as much because you were flustered as because you were vexed.

“Do you really hate me that much? I’ve never met a person who didn’t like me. It’s interesting. I think that I like you more for it,” he said.

“What?” you said. “No, you don’t. You are as apathetic about me as I am about you. Perhaps there is even exasperation at my impudence brewing deep within your consciousness, but certainly there are no fond feelings between the two of us.”

“Just you wait,” he said, lifting your bag before you even had the chance to reach for it, hefting it over his shoulder like some kind of gentleman. “I’ll make you change your mind. You’ll agree to be my friend one day.”

“Why would you do that? And give me my bag back!” you said.

“What’s your next class? I’ll walk you there,” he said.

“You will do no such—” you broke off in the middle of your staunch refusal. Technically, you didn’t know how to get to your next class yet, so if Reo was offering, then you’d be a fool to deny him, no matter how much you wanted to steer clear of his general presence. “—World History.”

“Aw, I have English,” Reo said. “But that’s in the same area of the school, so it’s not a problem.”

You rolled your eyes. “What a shame.”

“You’re being sarcastic, but soon enough, you’ll mean that,” Reo said.

“Honestly, I don’t get what the end goal is here,” you said. “I’d much prefer if you just left me alone, and you’d have an easier time of it, too. Don’t you already have plenty of friends? If not, then please find some that actually want to be around you. With your income level, it should be a breeze, but should you somehow be unable, then you can probably pay someone to keep you company. Someone who isn’t me, that is.”

“That’s just it,” Reo said. “At the moment, I can easily become friends with anyone in the entire school without any effort at all. The exception is you, which means that you’re the only one I want.”

No. No. No. Reo couldn’t want you, not in any way. Platonically, romantically, even as an unpaid intern…he absolutely could not want you. If your parents ever found out that he was saying such things about you, then you would never hear the end of it. And they would find out. Always, always, they found out.

“Y/N!” Ishioka squealed, bounding up to you and embracing you tightly. You weren’t sure where this sociability came from at first — the two of you were barely anything more than classmates, so she ought to refer to you as L/N. And since when had you allowed her to hug you? Was everyone at Hakuho this brand of touchy? But then you noticed that she had strategically maneuvered herself in between you and Reo, batting her eyelashes up at him, and it all made sense. “Are you still planning on coming to lunch with us?”

“No, she’s eating with me,” Reo said.

“Since when?” you hissed, though you were as much a part of the conversation as a cactus would’ve been, considering how neither of them paid any heed to you.

“You’re friends with Y/N? She and I are very close, so of course, she’ll want to spend time with me today. But you can come as well, Reo; we’d never say no to you,” she said.

“Er, it’s a lovely offer, but I think that I’ll have to pass,” Reo said. You took advantage of the moment to snatch your bag back from him, clutching it to your chest so that he could not take it again. He glanced over at you in confusion before returning his attention to figuring out a way to bow out of eating with you and Ishioka.

“Is it like that, then?” Ishioka said, her eyes darting between you and Reo. “Do the two of you want to eat alone?”

“No!” you said. “No, not in the slightest. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s the opposite of that. I don’t want to eat with him at all. I would much prefer having lunch with you and your friends.”

But Ishioka didn’t want to have lunch with you anymore. She hadn’t said it directly, but she didn’t need to; her expression was pinched and sour, a lemon-sucking sort of expression that you were all-too-familiar with.

“It’s fine,” she said. “On second thoughts, we don’t have any space left at our table.”

Your shoulders slumped. It was the same story again, and though Ishioka wasn’t anyone special nor important to you, just the reminder was enough to pinch at your heart. “Maybe next time.”

“Maybe,” Ishioka said, though most likely, she only did so because Reo still stood there, somehow managing to maintain a dignified air about him despite how out-of-place he was. “See you around, then, Reo, L/N.”

“Thank goodness,” Reo said as soon as she had left. “I really didn’t want to spend time with her. Her and her friends are a little odd.”

“Yeah, thanks a lot,” you snapped. “She was the first one to be nice to me, and now that I’ve made an enemy of her, I doubt anyone else will want to show me any kindness. If this is your attempt at befriending me, then it’s terrible. I hate you even more.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think of that,” Reo said. The apology didn’t feel feigned, which only made it worse — he really was sorry, and he really hadn’t thought of that outcome. Why would he? It wasn’t something he would’ve ever had to worry about.

“Just show me where my class is so I’m not late,” you said. “We’re already cutting it close as it is.”

He was well-mannered enough not to point out that it had been Ishioka’s interference that had delayed you, but then again, although Ishioka had used you as a pretense, her true goal had been Reo, so you were nothing but faultless in the matter of your possible tardiness.

“I’ll wait by this door for you once the period is over, so that we can take our lunch break together,” he said once you reached the entrance to your World History class.

“Do your ears need cleaning? I said I don’t want to eat with you, didn’t I?” you said.

“Who else would you eat with?” he said.

Right. Because stupid Reo Mikage had ensured that no one else would ever want to hang out with you, not after what you had inadvertently done to Ishioka came out — what a bitch, she went for her friend’s crush? And after Ishioka was so nice, too — leaving him as your only choice.

“I’ll eat by myself,” you said. “And you’ll agree to that if you ever want to have even a chance of me liking you, because if I have to look at you for one more minute, I believe that I will scream and then attack you in a most violent and vicious way.”

He grinned at you. “I’ll get to my own class before that, then. See you tomorrow.”

You stuck your tongue out at his receding back and prayed that he grew bored of this new game of his quickly, lest you be driven to insanity before the end of the month.

taglist (comment/send an ask to be added): @mariyumemi @naatggeo @prettyarsxnist @noble-17 @rinitoshisgirl @stuckindreamland06 @little-miss-chaoss

[devils-little-sista]

Let’s be honest here. Percabeth is the only canon couple that is actually going to last a life time.

Most of these types of couples in the YA genres wouldn’t last a year.

Solangelo wouldn’t even last 6 months (there are many reasons it won’t last any significant amount of time I could go on for years and years so I’ll skip that part. Theyll grow apart and never talk again and almost forget each other. Once in a blue moon Nico will think of Will and think if he was normal they might have lasted. Will occasionally thinks of Nico and wishes he could’ve understood Nico better. They are not endgame. They are not significant in any way.

Jasiper wouldn’t last a year. Piper gets some therapy and does some soul searching and realizes it was just Heras spell and comphet and she likes girls. She breaks up with Jason. Jason is confused and heartbroken cause he thought things were going so well. Piper explains and Jason totally understands and is supportive but still heartbroken because he really did fall in love with her after the war. They still love each other platonically. Always thinking about each other They may take a little time apart from each other after they breakup (a couple months) but I think they would grow back together as best friends after Jason’s heart heals. They’ll be friends well into their adult years. They might travel in different directions eventually but they still catch up every couple of years or so.

Frazel would last until their young adult years and then they realize they want to figure who they are outside of each other and maybe see other people cause they were both so young when they got together. They’re curious and want to try new things and see the world from an individuals point of view. But they stay best freinds forever through everything. Their platonic bond is one that could never be separated by space and could never be broken by time. Neither of them could picture their life without the other. Platonically codependency. They still go everywhere together. Just not as a couple. They’re still enjoying their individual lives and experiences. And then when they’re middle aged and thinking about retiring in a couple years they fall back in love with each other and get married and happily ever after.

Caleo wouldn’t last a year. And the worst part is they don’t even technically break up. Calypso just gets really busy with everything else in her life and looses interest in Leo and she feels bad about it. She’s doesn’t break up with him because she doesn’t want to hurt his feelings. So she just kinda strings him along for the second 6 months of their relationship. And of course Leo knows something is up and is upset and keeps trying to spend more time with her and talk things through but Calypso just brushes him off always saying she’s too busy maybe another time and eventually just drops off the face of the earth and moves on with her life. Leo always wondered where she went and who she’s hanging out with and what kind of adventures she’s going on without him. Leo really did love her. And she was just temporarily hyper fixated on him.

In cannon Percabeth is endgame in every sense of the word. (Fannon can make that and all of the above change and be different of course but I’m talking about all of this in a cannon sense)

[acourtofthought]

I'm sorry but "you're my mate" does not outweigh Elain's feelings on the matter.

The simple existence of a mating bond does not suddenly declare all Elriel moments null. It does not make them platonic just because Elain is Lucien's mate.

If the mating bond really were the end all be all -> we wouldn't have ANY existence of a pairing where the bond was wrong.

If the mating bond was the end all be all -> there would be NO Elriel moments for us to even be discussing.

After finding out that Cassian & Rhys were their mates, Feyre and Nesta did not entertain the idea of other men.

Elucien is the only instance in SJMverse where the bond snapped before Elain & Lucien even knew each other. And despite knowing her mate is right there - Elain chooses to pursue someone else.

Oh - aside from Rowan & Lyria ... but we all know how THAT turned out

"after finding out that Cassian & Rhys were their mates, Feyre and Nesta did not entertain the idea of other men"

Nesta on the moment she met Cassian:

Nesta displaying her feelings for Cassian during the war:

Nesta months later:

Feyre while UTM:

Feyre a few months later with Tamlin:

Just because the sisters bonds didn't immediately snap doesn't mean they didn't realize deep down that Cassian and Rhys were something to them.

Yet despite the tug to them, despite Nesta even being willing to die with Cassian, both sisters went on to fuck others. Hell, Nesta even imagined Cassian's best friend fucking her!

You should be glad Sarah included Elain having a bit of a hot girl summer moment because it's proves choosing Lucien is still a choice, it didn't turn her into a mindless robot who can only be attracted to one guy.

You know what Sarah has never written though?

An endgame couple where the MMC sits and stares at another female with heat in his eyes while his supposed love interest is in the room with them.

Feyre and Nesta absolutely were attracted to other men even after confessing they were drawn to their mates from the start though I don't recall the same for Cassian or Rhys when it came to other females.

Sarah has written scenarios of poorly matched bonds in characters we've never met. But you can bet we're not going to see Elain reject Lucien Mother Fucking Vanserra, future High Lord of Sunshine for Azriel the Torturer.

Also, Elain doesn't have feelings because she doesn't actually exist. So pardon but I'm pretty sure Sarah J Maas, multi millionaire Fated Mates author is going to write Elain wanting her mate because..... Mates. And it's Lucien. Who was inspired by Jamie Fraser. Who Sarah loves.

I promise you, Elain's feelings on the matter don't matter more than the story Sarah wants to tell especially when Sarah already told us Elain took both she and Lucien by surprise and when she's the one who retconned Lucien's father so he'd be the heir to Day, not Autumn, and proceeded to hammer home how much Elain likes sunshine.

Better luck next time! 😉

[dangermousie]

Loved the Hou x FFYY plot being all uncovered (and the fact that Jing didn't even need an explanation from XY - she tried and he was all 'I trust you, no need') and of course the man got off lighter. I loved FFYY learning she wasted her life on a psycho tho how she wasn't clued in that a man who tortured his brother to near death and insanity for years is probably not dreamboat material is beyond me.

Also, I love how he physically takes care of her in such practical, constant, little ways. AWWW

And her reaction on getting confirmation he's never had anything with FFYY.

I also love that when he asked for another chance, he first promised to not let anyone else or himself hurt her. AAAA!

In those eps we can see little glimpses of how easily happy they can be if the world lets them be.

I mean, even grandpa likes him:

Because he gets that it's Jing who can offer XY what she wants - a simple easy life of cottagecore and no great deeds. I mean, we see later them play chess and TSJ the chess genius just does not concentrate because he's busy making eyes at his girl - and grandpa likes it. Because chess is all ambition and war and Jing just doesn't care. He's got the brains for it and no drive. I am in love with the concept of the best love interest being the one with no cause, no ambition, no destiny. Just an offer of peace and normalcy and mundane moments - because clearly that is all XY wants.

And it reaches its peak when she opens a clinic and he gives her the sign he drew and there are firecrackers and the most amazingly peaceful yuppie life imaginable - as the servant says about them, she will treat people and Jing will collect the money. One of the reasons I really love LYF is that it gets that people love and want different things in life. The default epic/fantasy narrative is people with causes and destinies and quests and kingdoms to conquer and wrongs to avenge. But our protagonist wants only to escape the narrative - she does not want to be in an epic fantasy or a doomed romance - no Game of Thrones OR Throne of Glass is her desire - she wants to live in a xianxia version of PG Wodehouse's Blandings, where the biggest concerns are whose pig will win at the annual fair. And that is one of the reasons only Jing can be a truly happy endgame for her - only with him will her life resemble her ideal vision - neither of the other two men are capable of providing her with cottagecore (and GX is gegezoned also but...)

This is her dream life.

Btw, this will never not be funny. Look how smugly she's telling this about her dad to TSJ.

[exo-raskreia]

Imma rant about Ichigo and Orihime cuz your blog has waken a outrageous fire in me!! And rightfully so! I agree with literally everything you said(btw Karin and hitsugaya are endgame for me too🤭🤭)

Ichihime makes literal sense and it genuinely sucks as a ship and i don't get why the shippers are satisfied with the results. I asked my friend who he wanted to be endgame and answered Ichigo and Orihime cuz they are a better fit. LITERALLY HOW?!! I didn't go psycho on him cuz if Ichigo and Rukia ain't your cup of tea then fine. But why are people answers automatically always Ichihime?? Is it cuz they are canon??? Where the hell was the build-up for it then?! It is nothing compare to ichigo/rukia or orihime with tatsuki/uryu. Idk if Kubo was trying to punk us by pairing them up or not. I feel like he didn't plan our their relationship properly! People say it was obvious from the beginning that ichigo likes her back but i sure as hell didn't see it! Maybe i'm just salty and refused to see the signs cuz Ichiruki is the best ship( and i had a crush on ichigo since forever soooo... 😖😖) ?? I've always been a rukia and ichigo fan rather cuz they actually had the chemistry and insane connection. I'm so mad that they weren't endgame. My girl Rukia was elite why didn't Ichigo went for her and vice versa?? Don't get me started on the poems, the speechs, the way ichigo always and always thinks of rukia. Like the ingredients for the cake was perfect, why the hell would you put gasoline in there💀💀

Some people say that cuz the show is shounen and not a romance, i shouldn't be upset about ichihime ending up together and not be mad of lack of their romance. I'm not expecting ichigo and orihime to have some epic EPIC love story or anything just make it more sense for ME at least. If Ichihime was some side-ship then i wouldn't care as much, but this is the MC of the show i want to see something greater than what we received! If they were to have a love story(ya know a real one) then they should've played it out like in Fruits basket

Ichigo and orihime actually remind me alot of kyo and tohru from fruits basket. And they're all very similar to think about it! Ichigo and Kyo: the grumpy orange haired protecters that have a heart of gold. Orihime and Tohru: the loveable sunshine character that are super traumatized but still manage to keep smiling. The only difference is that Kyo and Tohru actually have the emotional moments and had the chemistry and ya know they actually TALKED and were ACTUAL FRIENDS(as in kyo didn't treat tohru like a acquaintance) before dating. But since Orihime is so much like Ichigo's dead mom, their relationship would've been like Yuki and Tohru. I know the comparison might be dumb to do cuz they are very different anime and different genre but still!! Excuse me for caring so much about that my fav ain't canon. Yes this is a shounen anime but they could've at least squeezed in a bit of the love story of the mc to show they actually care about it. The MC of the show has a better and stronger bond with his bestie than his own wife. Like how is my girl Orihime not bothered by it?! Should've end up Tatsuku i swear. I mean they're literally Nana and Hachi!! 🍓🐶✨

I feel like orihime just exist to be his love interest and that's it! Girl had the potential to be a great character that ain't always there to be the love interest. Her becoming a housewife was insulting cuz what do you mean she ain't a robot destroying a city (i can't remember that scene from the earlier seasons but something in between those lines🤣) I do like Orihime enough but not that much cuz it's Ichigo this and Ichigo that. Like girl i get it. I wanted(and still do) him too but don't settle for being the second choice) HOMEGIRL YOU HAVE OTHER LUCKY DUCKS THAT WANNA BE WITH YOU!!

And another thing: I read somewhere that: just cuz Uryu had a crush Orihime that, that doesn't mean that Orihime should be together with him.... Okay then why can't that also imply to Ichigo and Orihime?? Like why just cuz "She'll fall for him in every lifetime" doesn't mean that he has to do the same too!! Rukia is already the queen of his heart mind you

BUT ANYWAYS!! It's a shounen after all so i shouldn't be expecting the mc to have a well-written love story and not to have high hopes of the MC love interest to be something more than that. But whatever at the end of the day they're CANON and have a kid together so all i can do is cry about it and live in fanfiction.

Ahem, I'm done with my rant thank you 😌 (And yes anti-IchiRuki fans I'll still be salty in my 40s cuz of the ending and I will never shut up about it just cuz they have canonically have kids)

No worries, anon! You've come to the right place! Let it all out~

Not surprised your male friend would choose Ori. Typical. For dudes like him, her appearance, superficial crush on Ichigo, & the word "canon" being slapped on are enough for them, despite there not being any actual chemistry between IH. It is also a common trope in other manga/anime, so they convince themselves that it was meant to happen, but it doesn't mean it makes sense for every story, especially not in Bleach's case; it doesn't make narrative sense if they actually looked into it.

(Canon ≠ good. Just look up what went wrong in 'How I Met Your Mother' or even 'Game Of Thrones' S8).

(While on the subject, since Rukia is a much better written character than Ori, if she had a body like Ori's, & Ori like Rukia's, even less dudes would care about IH 🫢, since they never even have good arguments in favor of it that aren't the 3 things I mentioned already up top).

Ichigo & Rukia had the most chemistry in the entire manga/anime, & it baffles me when people didn't/don't (wanna) see it. I went into Bleach almost blind when I first started watching it & IR really stood out. Their bond is right in your face, playing along the border between platonic & romantic, making you wonder what exactly it is, but knowing they aren't just mere friends. In the manga, I was constantly awed & amused by how borderline romantic it came off as, despite having already watched the anime (which did not do the manga justice in many ways; and then antis claim IR was mostly anime-based, PLEASE 🙄). Kubo really wasn't playing when it came to these 2. What a freakin' troll.

Haven't watched Fruits Basket, but I can see what you mean. Grumpy & Sunshine is a fun trope, however, as you said, IH just didn't have what it takes. If Kubo had wanted to, he could have properly developed IH at some points in the manga, such as the Fullbring arc, & it wouldn't have to be anything big, as Bleach is not a romance. He could have opened the arc with those 2 already going out, like them holding hands as they head to school or something, maybe showing some flashbacks of them talking things out, comforting each other since HM to show how they got together. Instead, in those 17 months since Ichigo lost his powers & contact with Rukia, you're telling me Kubo couldn't make IH bond? Instead, Ori's still pathetically pining after him while Ichigo is still thinking of, longing for, Rukia! How am I supposed to believe IH was meant to be endgame?!

Orihime had more chemistry with other people than the man she ended up with 💀. I personally ship her with 2 other men (Ishida & Ulquiorra). She was different with them. One selflessly cared for her, had her at the forefront of his mind in her own rescue arc (unlike Ichigo), while the other challenged her, found her fascinating & wanted to learn more... Not to mention they both protected her from Ichigo a couple times in the HM arc.

She really did have potential to be a great character but it all kept going down the drain, never achieved her dreams nor goals. She kept regressing as the story went on, especially when it came to Ichigo. She was never able to encourage him nor fully support him & was usually a complete damsel in his presence (he even seemed annoyed by her during the Ywach fight, which mind u, she was only there cuz there was no one else left & Ichigo had no choice?). She was more interesting whenever she wasn't around him. All her best moments were when she wasn't thinking about him. Saving Tatsuki? Bonding with Ishida in SS, standing in front of him to protect him in the Fullbring arc? Bonding with Ulquiorra (the only good thing she did the whole HM arc)? She could've done more in HM but didn't. In TYBW, she didn't do anything special, couldn't even encourage Ichigo & was treated like a ragdoll by Ywach. This is how Kubo wanted us to remember her. She was mostly reduced to fanservice by the end (and she's still not as popular as Matsumoto or Yoruichi in that department 💀). I sometimes think he didn't like her all that much with how he treated her character...

While watching the anime, I seriously had been hoping she'd get over Ichigo in the SS arc when she wistfully said Rukia was a very special person to him who changed his world (oh, boy, was I in for disappointment). Right off the bat, there was nothing interesting/exciting about her interactions with Ichigo (I was shipping her with Ishida by this point). He was just so blasé with her, I almost felt bad for her & it only kept getting worse. I then hoped she'd finally get over him after the traumatic experience at the dome in HM, but her ongoing silly crush made my eyes roll & lose hope in it. LIKE GIRL, HE'S HUNG UP ON ANOTHER GIRL, & U SHOULD'VE STOPPED PUTTING HIM ON A PEDESTAL BY NOW; HE'S NO PRINCE CHARMING & ESPECIALLY NOT FOR U WHEN HE BARELY GAVE U A SECOND THOUGHT IN UR OWN RESCUE ARC & ALMOST GOT U KILLED LIKE 3 TIMES & U HAD TO GET SAVED BY ULQUIORRA & ISHIDA, LIKE-

Orihime doesn't have anything in common with Masaki other than maybe their appearance (which imo, Masaki looks more like short-haired Matsumoto anyway?). Besides the cheerful part, their personalities are very different. Masaki was more like Rukia: brave, strong, selfless, teasing & annoying Isshin/Ichigo, etc... IR has actual dynamic parallels with IsshiMasa in the narrative... Kubo just copied IR moments, especially considering he wrote as he went... So, don't be fooled by those morons who go by appearance alone & even those weird lines in one of the novels (Oedipus complex anyone?) instead of the legitimate parallels between IR & IM shown in the manga, such as these:

What was going thru Kubo's head if he supposedly "intended" for IH to happen? Ichigo & Ori had more chemistry with other characters than with each other. Kubo went about this all wrong. Bleach not being a romance is no excuse for shoddily pairing up characters in the end. In a few scenes scattered throughout the manga, he could've implied them. Every time they interacted, their relationship should've progressed somehow. And he actually did this with IchiRuki. (In regards to Naruto, for example, Kishimoto at least admitted he didn't put enough effort into his ships by saying romance was not his forte & he's not good at writing female characters, but at least most of the ships made sense & esp NaruHina had actual good moments scattered throughout the manga...).

Sigh, I've said this before, but why can't more battle shounens be like Fairy Tail when it comes to developing the ships throughout the story? There'd be less drama. Even Gintama did a better job at developing the main ships, lol, that if they became canon, hardly anyone would've been surprised (they were somewhat implied if u squint, tho 🤪).

There are theories Kubo wanted to spite Shounen Jump for their treatment over the years so he ended things this way (and maybe to spite the fans too, since his manga sales had been on the decline for years). Ever heard of the "choosing unhappiness" theories? Basically, remember that Ywach said he'd come back at Ichigo's happiest moment? Well, he didn't come back at Ichigo's wedding with Ori, not even at the birth of his son. He came back when Ichigo reunited with RUKIA after 10 years.

So what could this be telling us? That Ichigo chose to be unhappy by not getting with the one person who made him the happiest. Rukia gave him that push by choosing unhappiness first (since she knew Ichigo couldn't make the first attempt to) & married Renji, who in turn, also gave Ichigo that push to go for Ori. IR chose unhappiness to defeat Ywach. Could this actually be what Urahara meant when he said he'd leave everything to "Kurosaki-san & Kuchiki-san" after his defeat in TYBW?! (we deserved the IR tag-team we never got in the final fight, screw Kubo)

One could also say his friends chose unhappiness to help too? Ishida becoming a doctor he'd never expressed interest in & seeming isolated from the friend group (maybe not agreeing with the farce they're all in), Chad becoming a boxer instead of using his fists to protect, Ori marrying a man who doesn't love her & she knows never will, Renji marrying a woman who doesn't love him & never will (and whom I think he doesn't love either? My view on that here)... Isshin is nowhere in sight, could it be he also doesn't wanna be a part of this farce in which his own son chose to marry a woman he doesn't love?

Still, everything about this ending is so wrong, makes no sense, a bunch of retcons too. Heck, remember the rebuilding of Sokyoku Hill in SS? Made Ichigo destroying it meaningless 🙄.

Anyway, I didn't mean for this post to be too long. There's so much to rant about lol. There's also so much to make fun of 👀. As I said in this post, IH was never popular & never will be. Kubo himself can't bring himself to give them content & his affiliates (like Shounen Jump, Studio Pierrot, etc.) can't be bothered either, as IH doesn't sell. Canon for almost 10 years & still no official couple/family arts nor merch 😂. If they end up getting thrown a bone in the future, the fact it took them that long would still be laughable.

In the end, it's best to ignore canon, its fans, & engage with what you like. It also doesn't hurt to sometimes make fun of Bleach's failures~ Kubo has made it so easy, can you blame us? 🤷‍♀️

Also, glad u like HitsuKarin as well 🤭. Would you believe it's my #1 Bleach OTP? I had brainrot for it a few years ago, like I literally scoured almost every bit of content that I could find, & while it's died down, I just know that if Kubo &/or his affiliates were to feed us HK content now, I'd eat it up like a starving dog-

Sorry for the late reply, anon! 😓 Been having brainrot for a different fandom, if u can guess