#which is what teruhashi does especially initially

[transmasccofee]

the subway rats poem is teruhashi coded

[bomber-grl]

Shun Kaidou Dating hc! ❤︎₊ ⊹

Pairing(s): Shun Kaidou x Gn!Reader

The two of you got together after some quality time with the group

No not actually-

Knowing Kaidou he was probably obsessed with you when you go along with his dark reunion thing

Especially if you’re really good looking, then you’ve got him crushing all over for you

It was only when you got dragged along with the group (probably by teruhashi and her crush on Saiki) that Kaidou started paying more attention to you

And ofc along with that, his crush was so obvious

He’d be blushing up a storm if you were to smile or so much as look at him and speak to him

And if you brushed up against him? Explosion

I know I’m making him sound like some sort of incel whose never spoken to a women but let’s look back at how he reacted to teruhashi

Now you can’t rlly deny

Anyway, if you have a crush on him Kaidou is in denial

He’s so oblivious and unless someone else (probably Nendo and his direct ass or Saiki in an attempt to finally get you guys together) finally tells him then he’s denying it

But anyone can tell he really likes that they think you like him and is simultaneously blushing

So let’s get to the actual confession

Kaidou would NOT confess first

He’s too nervous and self aware to do that so you’d have to be the one

If anything the two of you were probably playing around with each other

Flirting but in a away that was indirect and not clear if you wanted something with him

It was until you were at that trip Okinawa

It was probably when you and the group decided to go see the fireworks before you all left

(Not included in anime obviously)

Well while the two of you are out there the rest of them happen to separate from you two and you’re left alone

You two are obviously confused and wander the streets until the fireworks set off

You’re so entranced by them and then you decide the it’s time for some strange reason

You try your best to yell it to him over the noise and once you’re beginning to think he didn’t hear you’re strongly corrected

His face is blushed to the nines and his face is shocked

He doesn’t know what to do but when you ask if he’d date you and does the stupid thing of asking if you were talking to him

🧍‍♀️he mentally cusses himself out but the moment isn’t lost when you bring his attention back to you and through immense humiliation manages to mutter out a yes to your proposal

From then on Kaidou and your relationship doesn’t change all that much in your eyes

But little things make it much more obvious

Things like when you walk to school

Usually Saiki would be bothered with Kaidou and Nendo on the way to school but when Kaidou sees you he immediately goes after you like a lost puppy

He immediately clings to you and when you see a stray dog or something he pretends to protect you with the power of jet black wings

Which might I add, Saiki with never understand but as long as you keep him away from him

Anyway, the two of you usually hold hands

Of course Kaidou has to face away from you or else he’d explode but it’s still nice

Plus he has to remove his hand from yours to clean it because of how sweaty it gets 😭

Eventually everyone knows you two as the sappy couple

I mean you practically dote on whatever Kaidou does and always gifting him stuff like he’s your bb girl

And what does he do? He acts all shy about it but lets you do it

Some people think your cute but you’re probably that one “weeb” couple in those middle schools 😭

Ok ok so eventually Kaidou brings you over to his house to see him mom

Unless you’ve got straight A’s, have plans for your future, and dress appropriately then you ain’t getting his moms approval 😭

And if you have all these things? She adores you

Really, she does

I mean she was initially scared you’d be a distraction for Kaidou but after she sees you two studying all the time (mostly study sessions disguised as dates) only then does she approve wholeheartedly

She’s always coming to Kaidous room with cookies or fruit or any snacks really

And Kaidou is constantly trying to whoosh her away and she strikes back with teasing words about your relationship

Whether you indulge or not is up to you, however if you do then just know Kaidou is absolutely crisped by the end of it and needs some time to recharge

The same can be said when you two first kiss

It’s probably sudden and out of nowhere

If anything it’s probs when you’re at his house or probably at a restaurant with the friend group

Either way the friend group goes to get something to order/eat for you all and you and Kaidou get into a more personal discussion

You’re teasing him and he’s pretty receptive and it’s only when you tease and mention kissing him does he freak out because he’s never kissed anyone

You lunge and ask if he wants to before actually doing it

Once he meekly nods his head you decide to do so

You don’t really remember what he was trying to say since he seems to be panickly motioning to the people who you call your friends that are returning

but you quickly pecked him on the mouth and backed up when the group finally came back to your table

Most affection shown to him is reciprocated

Albeit he’s stiff and awkward

But still pretty cute

I mean he’s not used to it but he shows his affection in small ways

Like by buying you things at the vending machines at school to stuff at the store

It’s his first relationship and yet he does better than most guys 🥱

The majority of your relationship is just cute Kaidou being shy and only ever not when he’s jet black wings

He swears he’s protecting you but really you can tell when he’s scared

Especially when y’all are out and he’s all jumpy 😭

Either way it’s nice being with Kaidou, he’s sweet

[alloarocharactershowdown]

Redemption Round 1 Eliminations

Vi have already selected four of the eight characters who will be returning for Round 3, leaving four more characters to be selected. Based off the submissions vi received, vi have narrowed down the options to 14 characters. Y'all will have the opportunity to vote on a Google Form to pick four of these characters to return for Round 3.

Below the cut are the names of all the characters included, plus what reasons people gave for nominations (both in Redemption Round and initial nominations) as well as any propaganda made for them.

At the very end of the post is a link to the Google Forms.

Katsuya Serizawa

"The others are more just so I don’t look like I only have two options and are people I would love back in as well."

"My blorbos"

"but i also chose a few others i can see as aroallo since we can pick more than 1. sorry it's obvious i only know the anime characters..."

"They great and they fuck"

Submitted propaganda - [link]

Dean Winchester

"I mean just look at them have you seen them? They deserve it."

"He's the character I think of when I think of aroallo characters. Ik it's not canon but he's accidently great rep"

Teruhashi Kokomi

"Technically the only one I feel strongly about is Noszaki and Teruhashi because I’m a huge fan of their respective shows and they fit it to a T."

"They great and they fuck"

"She is absolutely consumed by heteronormativity but deep down is a aromantic lesbian. She only likes saiki because he doesn’t like her and is doing exactly what I did and fooled myself into thinking I liked people because I felt like I should"

Jake English

"I feel bad bc he was an early aro headcanon of mine and meant a fair bit to me as a teen but also he went up against my specialest boy of all time miles straume so I couldn't vote for him. I think he deserves a second chance he is very aro coded from what I remember just not as much as miles was. and miles is like next level."

"Let’s start with Jake English. In Homestuck, a core point of his character is the desire to be recognized as more than an object of romantic desire. See, several characters over the course of the comic are attracted to him, romantically or otherwise; in fact, all 3 of his best friends were attracted to him at one point in time. He even gets together with one of his best friends - Dirk. The thing is, though, many people around him within the story don’t really see him as anything *outside* of the people who desire him, which is a point that causes him no small amount of grief. Uhh I’m not really sure where I was going with this. But yes, an important part of his arc is wanting to be recognized as somebody outside of how people romantically desire him."

"JUSTICE FOR JAKE ENGLISH THE OG ALLOARO!!!!"

"as an alloaro dude myself, i rel8 to him so very much. him fumbling his way into a rel8ionship with a close friend because "hey might as well i mean i guess i can be into him if i try" + convincing himself he was feeling romantic attraction heavily resembles how i went about things. also hes coded grey and green."

"He is canonically aromantic and heavily implied to be bisexual! He is physically attracted to women and at one point dated a man, but ended it because he realized he doesn't feel romantically for anyone -- never has and never will!"

Grog Strongjaw

"He fucks and he does not love. He fucks so much. He does not love (romantically. He loves his friends a whole lot.)"

"1) It would be REALLY entertaining for me personally, and 2) They're the characters that I know that fit the alloaro vibe well"

"I'm projecting onto characters from my fixations please"

"Canonically very interested in sex, but no romantic love interests. The player, Travis Willingham, specifically did not want to do any romance in this campaign. Grog still has very strong interpersonal connections, especially his friendship with the gnomes Scanlan and Pike."

"He canonically is very into sex but has never felt any sort of romantic attraction towards anyone in his entire life. That's pretty alloaro to me."

"He's also a himbo. I think he deserves extra points for that /j"

"He is never portrayed as wanting or needing a relationship and is shown as perfectly happy with the companionship of his friends but also recognizes that booty is nice"

"I love him so much"

Buffy Summers

"Come on did you SEE how close the Buffy vs Jeff matchup was she literally lost by 1% Just give her a chance and she could go soooooo far she's the character of all time and deserves to sweep every tournament she's in. Also I recently rewatched the episode I was made to love you and it really solidified my aro bi buffy trutherism she was giving off VIBES in that episode. It's not even just the obvious part where in this episode she has her revelation about how she can maybe be happy outside of a relationship having time with herself it's also her protagonist of a movie about a divorcee finding herself energy it's her being so fucking done with all the dudes in this episode obsessing over their unrequited crushes and it is, most importantly, her spending the whole episode identifying with a robot"

"For Buffy, Miles, and Mello I just think them being aro is fun and I wanna see them have another chance. But more importantly I want all of them to rejoin because Im Aro and So Are They Can’t You Feel It"

"Her aro bi swag <3 It's more Vibes than anything and in fact is often actively contradicted by the show but also there's Something there! SPOILERS FOR THE ENDING OF BTVS but I am thinking in particular about the show's finale in which Buffy decides that she doesn't want a relationship with any of the love interest characters and like the show presents it as her wanting to take time to figure out who she is which is cool and sexy and valid of her but also. could be the aromanticisms. It's especially pertinent that there's a running theme throughout the show of her believing there's something wrong with her because her relationships never work out and in the end her having this realisation that there's nothing wrong with her it's ok to have failed romances she's still working out who she is (AND WHAT'S SHE WORKING OUT? THAT SHE'S AROMANTIC??? HUH????) And tbh I'm not even tinhatting or making this a bigger thing than it's meant to be like they put buffy's speech about getting out of the vicious cycle she's been stuck in getting trapped in relationships that don't make her happy in the finale episode which is all about her changing the system that the show's entire premise has been based around and like. creating her own story. it means a lot to me!!! Also someone else pointed out that she had two different love interests who were convinced she didn't actually love them while they were together which I mean. sure that could just be those specific guys and their issues but WEIRD THAT IT HAPPENED TWICE HUH"

Alix Kubdel

Canonically alloaro

"All these characters are definitely aro and utilize their aro-ness in such a great way that it makes me feel glad to be aro (like Sonic being aro but still being incredibly devoted to his friends, Alix willing to hide in time for them, Agent 3 being a great leader of the Squidbeak Splatoon because they’re amicable but also, can do it alone because they trust their friends are there)"

"My blorbos"

"Word of god specifically aromantic and not asexual. Also an absolute badass and voice of reason."

Submitted propaganda - [link]

Jess (Loveless)

Canonically alloaro

"she’s canon aroallo and the jess nation is strong!"

"she’s canonically aroallo (and bi too - double win)!"

Submitted propaganda - [link]

Kaname Date

"I picked these characters because I love them and I am aroallo. However I’d like to put a special word in for Kaname Date, who, if I remember correctly, never shows any romantic interest in anyone but is so relentlessly horny that his reaction speed is three times better when looking at or thinking about porn. This is due to a near death experience with a snake as a child. He’s the guy ever and I love him."

"Alloaro swag so immense it puts me to shame"

"babygirl <3"

Umetarou Nozaki

"Technically the only one I feel strongly about is Noszaki and Teruhashi because I’m a huge fan of their respective shows and they fit it to a T."

"So aro, very good boys"

"They great and they fuck"

"He doesn’t understand romance in the slightest and I will die on the hill that he is aro"

"I’ve never even seen the show…. O.O"

Makoto Sunakawa

"my main pick is kou yamori and you already know why but i also chose a few others i can see as aroallo since we can pick more than 1. sorry it's obvious i only know the anime characters..."

"So aro, very good boys"

"He's the conventially attractive friend of the less conventionally attractive (and wholesome!!) protagonist in the story, but never accepts any girl's crush 'cause most of them have talked badly about the protag behind his back. The only time a girl confessed to him that didn't make fun of him, he turned her down anyway because he didn't like her in that way, but they were on good terms anyway."

"He's an excellent wingman to the protag and his girlfriend, but none of his advice is particularly romantic. It's all about caring for one another as people, and given how his friendship with the protag isn't deep, I see him as a loveless aro. He's not canonically aro or ace, but he has been my comfort aro-coded character so it would be nice to see him there even if he doesn't win~"

Kou Yamori

"my main pick is kou yamori and you already know why but i also chose a few others i can see as aroallo since we can pick more than 1. sorry it's obvious i only know the anime characters..."

"He’s basically canonically aroallo. By that i mean they didn’t use any label but he canonically has no romantic attraction and canonically has sexual attraction."

"His aroallo identity is also a big deal in the story since the premise is that he wants to become a vampire, but to become a vampire you have to be bitten by a vampire you are in love with. So that’s the conflict. He isn’t villanized for this identity nor is the moral/goal ever to “fix” him. Also they tackle amatonormativity and the value of platonic relationships :) incredibly refreshing and meaningful to me"

Submitted propaganda - [link]

Clover Martinez

Canonically alloaro

"clover is i think the first aroallo character i've ever read about in a book, and it's super cool to have an aro protagonist. i really love how her aromanticism was handled- the book is about other things but her aromanticism is still important and talked about"

"canonically aroallo (aromantic bisexual)"

"she's cool"

Anya Jenkins

"Anya - Listen if ONE character I've nominated today gets through to the redemption round let it be her please please please I'm begging. She has SUCH aroallo energy and beyond my own personal hc I do think that a lot of her character just adds up so much more if you take that view of her. Like she canonically uses romantic relationships as a way to give herself a sense of identity and to make herself feel like a normal person (she used to be a demon before being turned human so she has a Complex about that) and she makes multiple jokes about how sex is the only thing she actually likes about being in a relationship. let her in the redemption round the writers fucked her character arc so bad and she deserves a win"

"the aroallo character of all tiiiiiiime oh my god. she was a human who got turned into a demon and then back into a human again after a thousand years. she didn't understand the difference between sex and romance. 99% of her problems could have been solved if anyone had sat her down and explained the concept of friends with benefits. she spent most of the dates we saw her go on infodumping about her past murders. she became the love interest to one of the show's leads largely because she thought he was the most tolerable guy at their high school and felt like she needed to go to prom with Someone. she agreed to marry him because she thought it would give her the sense of identity she lacked and was desperate for. she sang a musical number about how she only wanted to get married for the sex money and sense of identity. she got left at the altar. she immediately went and fucked an amoral vampire after getting left at the altar. she was vaguely trans coded. she was even autistic <3"

Redemption Round 1 Eliminations - [link]

[httpsaiki]

Hello! I just saw your Saiki x male reader where they are on a date and his friends find them. Super cute! Could we get a continuation of it if you don’t mind where Saiki takes his bf to hang out with all his friends and maybe they all get to see how soft Saiki truly is for Y/n. Like they are all noticing little things he does like smiles more, is always somewhat touching his bf (ie hand on their hip, arm around their shoulder, holding hands, and my favorite holding pinkies), and all around they see how adorable they are together. If not totally great and I hope you are doing lovely.

Hey! Thank you so much, that means a lot! Let’s hope this is cute enough!! I’d like to apologize for how long this took me, I got hit with writers block and had no idea how to start it. If this isn’t quite what you wanted, please let me know and I am more than happy to redo or something like that. Thank you so much for this request!!

----

Reader is male! More fluffiness and all the cute!

WC: 1040

Italics are Saiki “speaking” telepathically.

Kusuo and his boyfriend get invited to lunch with the group of nuisances. 

—————————————————–

“Saiki!” Teruhashi greeted him one she walked up to his desk. “So, how’s Y/N?”

Kusuo almost let his face fall into a confused expression but stopped himself before it happened. “He’s doing well.”

“Oh, that’s good! Anyways, we were wondering if you wanted to bring him along for lunch one day?”

Huh. Who would’ve thought she’d ask that, Kusuo could assume they liked you more than he’d anticipated. He was well aware you already loved his friends as well. Despite him not wanting to mix his two very separate worlds, he knew how badly you wanted to meet them again after your initial run-in at the park. There was only a small chance this would be damaging, so why not?

“When are we going?”

Teruhashi couldn’t hide her excited smile. “Does tonight work?” Kusuo nodded. In reading her thoughts, Kusuo was able to determine it was a genuine want to see Y/N again. That was a relief at least. Maybe this wouldn’t go so poorly after all. He would just have to be careful not to let them see something they shouldn’t.

That afternoon, you received a text from Kusuo asking you to meet him at their restaurant of choice. He said his friends wanted to see you again so of course, you would accept! You found yourself walking in the door of the restaurant, searching for the familiar group of heads that you remembered from the park. It seemed Kusuo wasn't here yet, but you managed to find the rather… unique group. The enthusiasm at seeing Kusuo’s friends once again started to hit. Yeah, you’d only seen them once but they were clearly important to him and you wanted to encourage that. 

“Hey everyone!” You said as you made your way to their table after spotting them. Everyone else said hello in their own way. You chose a chair, making sure there would be a spot next to you for Kusuo to sit in. It had been a while since you two had done anything interesting together, you’d seen each other, sure, but it wasn’t the same as going out somewhere. You cherished all the time you spent with him, but doing things like this was a nice change of pace.

A short while later, Kusuo was the next person to walk in. And, he had to say, he felt his heart melt when he saw you. You were so animated while talking to his friend and in some ways it was intoxicating. So much for not letting them see things they aren’t supposed to. How was he supposed to stay composed when you’re so adorable? He’d have to try.

“Kusuo!” You greeted happily, patting the seat next to you. “Come sit!” So he sat down beside you, quietly deciding on what he’d be getting to eat. Without noticing, his knee moved over so that it was touching yours. Then one of his hands grabbed yours under the table. He subconsciously wanted to be close to you, but at the same time, he didn’t want anyone to see. Yet, he wanted to hide this fact from his friends the best he could. 

The food was ordered, and everyone was enjoying what they’d ordered. Kusuo was internally salty he had to let go of your hand so quickly but kept his knee pressed tightly against yours. Smiling softly as you ate your food, you allowed slightly teasing thoughts to take over your mind knowing Kusuo could hear them. You knew your teasing worked when he shot you a small glare, though you knew he was joking around. 

Nobody else seemed to notice, as they were all busy in their own conversation. It was nice, it felt like there was nobody else in the room but Kusuo. 

“I could say the same you know.”

You shot him a questioning look, what did he mean?

“You just stand out, in a good way.”

“You’re so cheesy.” You whispered to him, making sure nobody else could hear. 

“Shut up, you’re worse.” You smiled at him in reply and went back to eating. 

You joined the conversation with the rest of the group, everyone slowly but surely finishing up their lunches. Kusuo’s arm had not-so-subtly wrapped around your shoulder. He pulled you a tad closer (but it was never close enough). Everyone seemed distracted enough, so this probably wouldn't hurt. All around, it was fun, the table had such a joyful mood surrounding it and near-constant laughter filled the room because of it. 

Once finished, Teruhashi suggested walking around for a bit as it’s still early and rather nice outside. You all stood up from the table, paying and heading out onto the streets.  

Kusuo was quick to move his hand towards yours, opting to link his pinky finger with yours. It was intimate but subtle, which was perfect for him. Unfortunately, shortly after, Teruhashi looked back to say something to you. She noticed your pinkies locked together and giggled a little bit at it. It was cute, she had to admit. Realizing that his friends noticed your hands, Kusuo gave up trying to cover his affections. He pulled you in by your waist and walked beside you as close as he could comfortably manage. He much preferred it this way and there was no point in trying to suppress wanting to be near you, they already knew about your relationship and it was only hurting Kusuo. You let out a small laugh at this, which only melted his heart further. He could feel himself relaxing just by holding you close.

The walk around town was rather nice, especially with even Kusuo taking part in the conversation. You changed something in him, kept him calm and at ease. He suspected his good mood as a result of your presence. Being with the annoyances who call themselves his friends was made so much easier when you’re there. It was clear, even to them. They could sense the change in his attitude when you were around, both times they had seen you. They knew what you did to him, and even Kusuo had to acknowledge it in himself. You do good for him, and he does good for you. You’ve really captured his heart.

[aspoonofsugar]

Hi! How are you doing? Not sure if it's already been asked, but what are your top 10 favourite canon couples?

Hello!

I am doing fine, thank you! How are you doing?

It is alright, nobody has asked this before, so I can answer! That said, I am not really a hardcore shipper, so I am not sure I will come up with 10 pairs :’‘‘). I’ll do my best though! Also I have interpreted the term “canon” very freely.

As usual, here they are in no particular order:

1) Claire Stanfield and Chane Laforet (Baccano!):

I love their dynamic because they are fundamentally two almost opposite individuals who end up together in a surprising way. On one hand Claire thinks that he is the protagonist not only of his own story, but of the whole world. As a matter of fact he believes that the world is nothing more than a dream of his. Ironically, it is because of this selfish delusion that Claire is able to embrace the whole world:

“So what if I'd spare him? In my mind it's the certainty in myself that I possess which allows me to have that kind of mercy or compassion. There's no wavering on that point. It's fixed like the stars. The fact is I'm never gonna be killed! So remember this: mercy and compassion are virtues that only the strong are privileged to possess. And I am strong.”

On the other hand Chane has chosen to be nothing more than her father’s puppet. She is a satellite character in her own life and can’t absolutely think to live as a protagonist. If Claire’s world is too big, Chane’s too little because it has only her and her father in it. What is more, Chane has gone out of her way to make sure that it stays that way. For example, she asked her father to take her voice away and has not learnt alternative ways to communicate (like sign language).

Given this premise, it is interesting that a person so self-centered like Claire puts a person with such a frail sense of self like Chane at the centre of his world. Claire makes Chane, who is not even the lead of her own story, the heroine of his huge world. Claire instead plays a support role in Chane’s story. It is precisely because of this contradiction that their dynamic works. All in all Chane gets to get in contact with the world through Claire. Because of this, she is challenged to grow. This is another interesting difference between them. On one hand Claire is basically like Peter Pan and can’t really grow psychologically. On the other hand Chane is a character who has changed, but who is scared of this change. This is why she tries to actively regress, but she can’t really go back to who she was.

2) Komugi and Meruem (HxH):

I have explained here what I love about them. Their relationship conveys the themes of the chimera ants arc beautifully. I especially like it because it would have been easy to have Meruem grow fond of Komugi because of her kindness and goodness. However, this is not really what happens. The reason why Meruem is so attracted by Komugi is her prowess as a Gungi player. Komugi is not a character who coddles Meruem, but one who challenges him. As a result Meruem’s attraction for her is rooted in respect. Meruem brings out from Komugi her talent and stubborness, while Komugi brings out from him his caring and kind side. Meruem becomes interested in her because of the traits they share and grows to love what makes her different from him.

3) Ash Lynx and Eiji Okumura (Banana Fish):

I like their relationship, but I would have loved for it to be explored even more throughout the story. All in all, they are attracted to each other because they want something the other has. Eiji wants Ash’s initiative and daring personality, while Ash wants Eiji’s freedom and soothing personality. Eiji wants Ash’s ability to fight for himself, while Ash wants Eiji’s talent to heal others instead of hurting them.

Despite this, they are not fully able to grow as they could have because of the violence of the conflict they are in. Eiji makes some steps in the right direction, but the moment a wound incapacitates him he goes back to his more passive behaviour. When it comes to Ash, he is not able to take fligth like he would like because of self-hate. Their ending is tragic, but I wonder if it could have been different. For example, after a meaningful conflict the two of them decide to avoid fighting and to simply enjoy the time they spend together. This is a relatable choice, but a series of things are left unexpressed and because of this they are not really able to overcome their flaws. Maybe, if they had fought a little more and had called each other out more, things could have been different in the end.

4) Claire Nunez and Jim Lake Jr (Tales of Arcadia):

I have talked about them here. They are two very similar people to the point that they have basically the same flaw. They both feel responsible for bad things happening to them and to their friends. This is why they end up trying to fix everything by their own and fail spectacularly. It is nice to see them find help and support by their loved ones. And it is heart-warming that they keep being there for each other.

5) Chidi Anagonye and Eleanor Shellstrop (The Good Place):

Eleanor and Chidi are completely different people and this is why they are perfect to challenge each other. Chidi inspires Eleanor to be more selfless and to open up to others, while Eleanor inspires Chidi to be daring. This is obvious since season 1 and it is a constant throughout the series. Their relationship is a good example of a relationship which is conflictual, but enriching. In order to stay together they (other than escaping hell) must overcome their respective flaws. Eleanor must be vulnerable and let Chidi in her life, while Chidi must be decisive and actively choose Eleanor.

I also like that this is true even in those timelines where they do not develop a romantic relationship. The fact that their relationship is the same, but also slightly differs in each reboot makes it gain a very nice thematic meaning and enriches it. All in all, what Chidi and Eleanor represent for each other is always the same and what changes is the platonic/romantic aspect of the bond.

Finally I like the motif of them leaving messages to their future selves about the other. At the end of season 1, Eleanor writes to herself: “Find Chidi”, while at the end of season 3 Chidi writes  to himself: “Eleanor is the answer”. This is a very cool motif which conveys their respective growth thanks to the other. Eleanor who only trusts herself chooses to trust Chidi’s ability to help her. Chidi who has spent his whole life searching for answers and failing to write them down decides that Eleanor is all he needs to find meaning in his life.

6) Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye:

Their relationship is my favourite of the whole series. Their characters are beautifully intertwined to the point that they can barely function without the other. This aspect of their bond is not excessively romanticized, but it is presented as a dreadful consequence of the traumatic past they share. At the end of the day Roy and Riza are too highly idealistic people whose ideals were shattered before they could evolve in something more than childish dreams. Despite this, they were able to put the fragments of those great dreams back together and have chosen to sacrifice their personal happiness to realize them.

All in all, Riza and Roy want redemption for their crimes and they find comfort in each other while they try to obtain it. In order to make things better they are ready to sacrifice their own existences and they have given up on the chance of living normal lives as civilians. However, they still have each other.

Roy gives Riza someone to protect, so that she does not fall apart and remains functional, while Riza restrains Roy’s most negative instincts. They make each other better even if they can’t completely overcome the pain of their past. They can just share it with the other.

Finally I especially like the scene where Roy chooses not to transmute humans even if it means Riza will most likely die. As a matter of fact, despite it all, that act is not framed as a betrayal of Riza, but rather as the only thing he can do not to betray her. I love both relationships where a character fixated on an ideal lets go of it because of people and relationships which make a person realize the importance of an ideal. They are both beautiful when well written. Here we are in front of a bond where both aspects are present. On one hand Roy must let go of his desire of vengeance not to lose Riza. On the other hand Roy must let go of Riza not to betray the ideals they share.

In the end theirs is a very tragic and strict relationship, but also a very warm and human one.

7) Kokomi Teruhashi and Saiki Kusuo (Saiki Q):

They are not properly canon since they are not together by the end. However, I think there is enough in the series to support the ship. Anyway, it is still a ship I enjoy a lot (and it is one of the few I feel strongly for, so I am adding it to the list no matter what).

I love their dynamic because it is hilarious, but it could also be surprisingly deep if the narrative wanted to explore it more. Teruhashi is my favourite character of the series because she is a nice subversion of both the yamato nadeshiko trope and of the alpha bitch one. She presents herself as an incredibly beautiful and yet innocent girl, but she is actually very aware of her looks and of others’ reactions. Despite this, she comes along as likeable mostly because she often genuinelly means well despite her being self-centered. Saiki instead projects the image of an average person, but he is actually the most powerful being of the world. In short, Teruhashi and Saiki are both opposite and the same.

They are the same because they both wear a carefully crafted mask. They are opposite because the masks they were are opposite. On one hand Teruhashi’s mask of the perfect girl attracts attention. On the other hand Saiki’s mask of the average guy is meant to make him invisible.

The difference between their two personas is the reason why Saiki wants to avoid Teruhashi at all costs. He wants to be average, so he can’t stay close to a person who attracts so much attention. At the same time, it is clear that Saiki grows to admire Teruhashi specifically because of her ability to always keep her mask up. He knows how difficult it is to realize such a feat and he recognizes Teruhashi’s dedication. Basically Saiki is the only person who knows the real Teruhashi and appreciates her for who she is and not for who she pretends to be.

In short, the series could have done a lot with them if it had wanted to go deeper in their dynamic. Saiki ends up coming to the spotlight multiple times to help Teruhashi, while Teruhashi breaks up her image of perfect girl when close to Saiki.

Unluckily this is the end of the list :’‘‘) I tried to think of other canon couples I enjoy, but even if there are some, I would not call them proper faves. At the same time, there are some ships I enjoy, but they are not properly canon/confirmed to be romantic, so I am not adding them.

Thank you for the ask!