#but at the same time it’s kind of a double-edged sword situation kind of thing as well

[rubywolf0201]

Ok I’ll put it out here cuz I’ll say it again: Disappointed as I am in Arajin to the point I want him to take a ‘Horny Begone’ medicine and just focus on the real situation, at the same time, Akutaro kinda of sensed Arajin’s horny behaviour and even manipulated him into joining his gang by offering the ladies of the NG Boys club to Arajin. (Don’t get me wrong, it was all of Arajin’s free will and whatnot but I’m sensing the possibility that Akutaro has an enhanced ability where he manipulated the user’s desire by enhancing it via Ichiya)

Not only that, but during the scene where Arajin unmasked the tape on Matakara’s mouth, Akutaro was nearby to make sure none of the main leads try anything on him. Yeah, that scene where Arajin denied his friendship with Matakara was tasteless, but when you put his flashback into full perspective, I do think that his reason for not wanting to associate with Matakara is a little understandable, even if the way he is doing it is hurting both him and Matakara.

But we do see a glimpse of his goodwill when Akutaro start having very disgusting fantasy of using Mahoro and even if it’s not his intentions, he did gave that dude a well-deserved punch in the face.

Maybe I’m getting random in all places but all I’m saying is that I’m seeing people dropped BUCCHIGIRI?! in just 5 episodes because of what happened and it kinda saddens me because this is exactly what happened with My Adventure with Superman last year and I hate to see a repeat of it this year.

Like yeah, it’s understandable that you don’t have to like Arajin or the way the writing is handled the series. But I’m begging people to just be paitent and just see what happens.

[stairain]

Double-Edged Sword

The only way Spencer is allowed to fuck you is to wear a strap-on.

Warnings: Sub Spencer, strap-on (he’s wearing it!), vibrator, riding, crying, slapping, erectile dysfunction, female orgasm, male orgasm, degradation, self-doubt. 

WC: 1.6K

The poor man was already in tears by the time you had buckled him into the harness. Weak pleads for you to show some semblance of mercy as you pull the dark leather tight against his trembling thighs. 

“Please, please ‘m sorry.” 

Spencer cries out as he shamefully looks down at the strap-on that’s replaced his own aching cock. He’d been bad, of course, but this was pure cruelty. 

Ignoring his pleads, you wrap your lips around the head of the fake cock, the cold silicone shining against the wet buds of your tongue.

His eyebrows furrow in envy, wishing to replace the toy instead of the vice versa he's found himself in. 

"Please, it's not fair.."

Spencer's voice trails off as you shamelessly stroke the dildo as if it were real. Using your circled fist, you wet the toy with a droplet of your spit and jerk it off.

And despite his envy, he wishes so desperately that he could get hard. You’d locked his poor cock in a wretched metal cage, the cold silver bars preventing him from reaching even half mast. 

His thighs tremble from around your head, and you coo pitifully at him, your hand still torturously wrapped around the strap. 

“Poor thing, sit down, will you?”

Your voice beckons to him, raising your chin a bit as you gently push him back until his legs hit the bed frame. 

With a frustrated huff, he sits down against the soft comforter as you climbs atop him. His eyes shine with tears and pleas for you to stop whatever this punishment is.

The pupils reading apologies and lines of ‘I learned my lesson’ that you had no interest in. 

Pulling your panties to the side, you rub the sensitive bud of your clit over the artificial head of the cock that was everything but him. 

“Can you feel how wet I am?”

You taunt, looking Spencer right in those sad eyes filled with betrayal and jealousy. With your lips parted in soft sighs, you reach past him to retrieve the box that had contained the strap-on.

Your hand rustles in the cardboard for a moment, before you pull out a small controller no larger than your palm. Spencer swallowed thickly and tried to reason with you one last time.

“I-I’m sorry I didn’t mean to.. Please just—“

A loud buzzing cuts him off, and his words plummet into a strained whine. Throwing his head back, a few tears run down his temples. 

As you grind your soaked folds against the tip, the double-sided toy was pressed right against the thin bars of his chastity cage. 

Spencer’s thighs squeezed together as the pain of not being able to get hard and the constant whirring of the vibrator quickly overwhelmed him. 

He lets out a slacked-jaw moan as the metal against his shaft shakes as frantically as his body. And you relish in the sight as you sink down onto thick, hard silicone.

You lean into the crook of his neck and press wet kisses against the sweaty skin, beginning to lift yourself up and down in his lap.

“You feel so good, Spence.”

You whisper in his ear, and he’s quick to turn his head away from you in the same kind of bratty manner that got him into this situation in the first place. 

He’s breathing heavily out of his nose, trying his hardest not to make any more noises. He didn’t want to give you the satisfaction of knowing how badly he wished it was him you were riding so fervently. 

You hadn’t fucked him like this in a while, his chest ached slightly at the thought. Your drenched cunt greedily swallowing the whole toy in ways that he couldn’t help but tear up in envy over.

He missed when it was his cock that was being coated in that slick layer of white that you so easily granted to a stupid toy. 

The brunet was snapped out of his jealous fantasy when you’re turning up the vibration on his toy. His eyes involuntarily roll into the back of his skull and his mouth can’t help but unhinge to let out a loud whimper. 

The fake cock was hitting that spongy spot inside of you that only Spencer was allowed to find, and you grin evilly as you grab his loose jaw and force him to look at you. 

You’re just as sweaty as he is, but your eyes aren’t filled with remorse like his are. 

“See what happens when you act out?”

You rhetorically ask before you slap him across his already red cheeks. His head quickly turns with the force, and he lets out a quiet gasp. 

Grabbing his jaw again, you’re quick to reprimand him once more.

“Thinking you can misbehave and still get what you want.”

You slap his face in the opposite direction and feel the tracks of tears that coat his face. 

As you circle your hips and ride the strap even faster, all it takes is one look and he knows you’re close. He shakes his head and tries to speak, but he just can’t.

He doesn’t want a toy to make you finish, that should be him. It should be his cock that you’re grinding so hard on, his length that you should be tightening around, and his tip that should be stamping into your spot. 

But instead, he’s forced to watch with a flaccid cock and heavy balls as you throw your head back and cum around slickened silicone.

Your release leaks around the dildo and onto his thighs, and that’s the only semblance of your pleasure he’s been allowed to feel. As your slick drips down his skin, tears stream down his face. 

And that stupid vibrator underneath his cock is unrelenting, he’s so turned on but can’t do a thing about it. 

With a heaving chest and lowered eyelids, you lift yourself up off his lap.

The toy bobs with the freedom from your cunt and dribbles with the pleasure of your orgasm. 

Spencer’s absolutely breathless as you lower yourself onto your knees in front of him. Strands of his hair stick to his face, and he can barely muster up the courage to look you in the eye.

Your face is a blur to him as you lick up your release from the fake cock, wrapping your wet lips around the shaft and swallowing your own slick. 

With a whimper, he closes his eyes and prays for this to be over. You’ve made your point, he’s easily replaceable, he needs to get his shit together.

But you’re not nearly done with him, not as you’re undoing the straps of leather as you suck off his replacement. 

You release the harness from his body and let it drop to the floor. The incessant buzzing from the toy still ringing in the air, taunting him.

The dual purpose toy had given everything to you, and he’d gotten nothing out of it. He was nothing without you, and you could have everything without him. 

Spencer’s head is clouded with sexual frustration and self disgust alike as you make quick work of fetching the key to his dear chastity cage. 

Twisting the small key into the lock, the cage becomes undone and you pull it off of him. 

But even as you discard the contraption, his soft cock lay before you in a pathetic display of uselessness. 

With gentle hands, you reach out to cup his small bulge. There’s a sick smile on your face as you pour up at him. 

“Look at you.. How could you have ever made me feel as good as that toy did?”

He huffs and tries his best to reason with you. He was certain he was better than that toy, he just couldn’t prove it. 

“I can.”

He says matter of factly, but as you nestle his lack of erection, he’s proven himself inferior. There’s an excuse dying on the tip of his tongue the moment he gets distracted by the soft caresses you deal to his flaccid length. 

It feels so good, but he simply couldn’t get hard. The cage had rendered him useless for your pleasures.

“It’s okay, Spence. We can just use the strap from now on..”

You softly murmur as you run your thumb against the soft head of his cock. The pathetic little thing leaks a drop of sticky precum, and you swirl it around as you can physically feel his refusal to your suggestion. 

“N-No. I’m better than that thing, please..”

He whines gently, having been broken down by whatever mind games you’ve played with him. 

Maybe the toy was better than him. At least it stayed hard, and at least it wasn’t about to cum from just a few soft touches. 

There’s a dull ache in the pit of his stomach, and a tingling in his pathetic little cock that he simply can’t ignore. 

Spencer tries his absolute hardest to hold out, but before you’ve even got a chance to rebuttal his pleads, a shaky moan forces its way from his throat as he spills over your thumb and pointer finger. 

As hot droplets of cum coat your fingers, you sigh almost disappointingly and watch as his release covers his soft length. 

“‘M sorry, I’m sorry.” 

He pitifully whispers as his entire body trembles with the aftershocks of a sorry excuse for an orgasm. 

The toy that resides the role of his rival mocks him. Vibrating gently against the wooden floors that his sticky ribbons drip onto. 

You stand up slowly and press a kiss against his tear stained cheek, knowing that he’d be on his best behavior from here on out.

[countdown-if]

"Countdown" is a slice-of-life inspired by "Gilmore Girls," and is rated 18+.

Three months ago, life took a sharp turn. Your mother found herself entangled in a situation so bad, she couldn't dig her way out of it, like usual. This time, the hole was way too deep. She needed help, and the only people capable of aiding her were the same ones she had vowed never to allow back into her life, let alone introduce to you and your younger sibling.

Who were they?

Your grandparents—a powerful and well-established duo.

In short, they did manage to help your mother back on her feet, but not without strings attached—never without strings.

Now, you're facing a senior year in a private school, fully funded by none other than grandma and grandpa, dearest. The only task at hand: do what your mother couldn't—graduate.

Form relationships, pursue your passions, burn bridges etc.,—the decision is entirely up to you.

🍁 Customise your MC (gender, style, personality etc...).

🍁 Choose 1 out of 3 part-time jobs (p.s. 'if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen' and pursue another in your new school!)

🍁 Choose your path. Are you aiming for a top Uni like Harvard next? Or maybe you'll step foot into the world of music? Rumour has it 'Crimson Haze' is looking for a new addition. What will it be?

🍁 Romance 1 out of 6 love interests.

🍁 A lot more in store!

Casey Decker (m/f) 🍁 [profile page]

Your friendship goes way back to the nappy days. With both of your mothers on the younger end of the spectrum, it’s no surprise you grew to be close too—'best friends' type of close.

Casey is a ray of sunshine, full of life, and quite possibly the jelly to your peanut butter. They’re sweet like that—they can be, at least. But best friends should be just that: best friends. Besides, as of recently, Casey is taken.

Appearance: Medium-length, straight, golden blond hair covers the nape of their neck. They have slightly tanned skin, a sprinkle of freckles across their nose and cheeks, and grey eyes.

Lake Aydin (m/f) 🍁 [profile page]

Lake has just started working at the grocery store nearby your house. High-school dropout, you assume. They don’t talk much…to you. Kind of a mystery, that one. Their social media confirms just that—there's not much to go by. 

Also, your first meeting wasn't the greatest or smoothest. But one thing's for sure: you'll be around there a lot, so you might as well get talking in the meantime, right?

Appearance: Dark brown eyes, pale skin, and short, straight black hair for m!L. For f!L, it's medium-length black hair. They wear glasses whenever they remember.

Harry/Hallie Johnson (m/f) 🍁 [profile page]

H doesn't actually go to your school, but events are often organised as a collaboration between a handful of private schools, both of yours included. So yeah, you might see them around.

H is good at all of that—the networking, the galas, the fundraising, and public speaking part. They know what they want, and they have a resume to show for it. H is CC—charismatic and confident. They're who parents wish their kids would bring home, so needless to say, they've got your grandparents' stamp of approval.

Appearance: Deep brown skin, short tightly curled black hair for m!H, and a little longer than shoulder-length, tightly curled black hair for f!H. They have light brown eyes.

Santiago/Samara Garcia (m/f) 🍁 [profile page]

S is an academic with tunnel vision for success. They're consistently at the top of the class, leading the ranks, and on a mission to become valedictorian.

What sets S apart from the majority, you might ask? They're one of the only two people who got into the private school solely based on merit. No mommy's or daddy's money, none of that. It's all about brains and drive.

And what about you? Are you a high achiever? If yes, expect a somewhat healthy rivalry. Heads up, though—S doesn't fail. If no, they'll look down on you, and they won't make any effort to hide that. It's a double-edged sword.

Appearance: They have wavy brunette, borderline black, nearly shoulder-length hair, tan skin, and hazel eyes. They also have three beauty marks: one above their left eyebrow, one right below the left corner of their lip, and one on the tip of their nose.

Riven/Raven Rodrigo (m/f) 🍁 [profile page]

R is destined to be a superstar. Three years ago, R and 3 of their friends formed a band called 'Crimson Haze,' and it seems like all their hard work has finally paid off this summer. They've had a couple of gigs overseas, and they've done really well. They're on their way to major stardom, but first, they need to figure out a few things. Something's missing—perhaps a fifth and final member?

R is a passionate musician, a reckless friend, and a nonchalant lover. Music is their life. However, their love life is...unsteady. They don't do distractions, aka relationships; only fun.

Appearance: They have dyed jet-black hair, short messy waves for m!R, and long messy waves for f!R. They also have amber eyes and olive skin.

Nolan/Naya Brown (m/f) 🍁 [profile page]

N is the star athlete and the school's pride and joy. They have a lot of eyes on them, watching and expecting big things to come. On the court, they're a beast, but in class? Not so much. Their grades are below average, and if they want to keep competing for that full-ride scholarship, they need to bring their grades all the way up.

N is a typical cool and popular kid—playful, funny, and well-liked around the school. Whether they remember it or not, you share a history. You used to know N. FYI, they've been in a committed relationship for the past two and a half years.

Appearance: They have light brown skin in the winter and medium-brown skin in the summer. Their hair is dark brown, with short and loosely curled hair for m!N, and long and loosely curled dark hair for f!N.

DEMO TBA | FORUM

[circeyoru]

The Cat On His Shoulders = Requested

[Alastor x Demonic Cat!Reader]

The Request

There were rumours that The Radio Demon fancies cat above all other creatures, even his own kind, that being deers, because of the black cat with red eyes that would always be around him no matter the situation. Be it a stroll through town, lunch at Cannibal Town, an Overlord meeting, a murder spree, and even to the tailor. There was always that black cat around him

Some demons thought it was Alastor’s soft spot, a weakness to exploit. The fools. You made your appearance and put those demons in their place. Turns out it was a demonic cat, one of the hellborns of Hell with the ability to shapeshift from animal to humanoid form. Your ability was even more unique, weak on your own but once paired with a sinner, you gain power and in turn boost your paired sinner’s abilities as well

Your meeting was funny to say the least. Alastor found your wounded cat form fighting for life and took you back with him to nurse you back to health, thinking you would make a good pet to pass the time. His mother and him have had a fondness for cats before and now that Alastor had the time, why not take care of one?

The moment the two of you stared at each other when you were in your humanoid form was mere silence. You immediately tried to flee since you were practically stealing from an Overlord, but Alastor was faster and got a hold of you with his shadows

“I’m sorry for hiding my identity from you, Sir Radio Demon.” You bowed your head in apology, your cat ears pinned to your head while your tail drooped lifeless. You had been acting as a cat would to avoid suspicion on you. You actually liked that Alastor was taking care of you and though treating you like a pet, he was kind. Kinder than other sinners that would take advantage of you

Alastor was quick to brush you off, nearly kicking you out the door if you were to be caught earlier on. But the two of you had spent time together for quite some time that affection was built up. You offered your ‘pairing’ ability to him. Explaining that while it was similar to a contract, it was exactly ownership of another, though others of your kind were treated as such

“My dear, how do you know I won’t treat you the same? Treat you like a slave and have you locked in a cage just to do your role as a power-up item?” Alastor’s aura darkened to seem threatening to you

“Because you were kind to me. I earn it for lying to you for so long…” Your answer was what led him to agree with your proposal, that and the fact that you weren’t lying about your ability. Just with you around, without the pairing, you boosted his powers as he did his battles while you watched from the sidelines. He noticed and kept you around most of the time. With a pairing, he’d be even more of a threat

In the beginning, you were treated as you were, albeit with the difference of your humanoid self roaming around his home. You knew his ‘thing’ with touches, so you’d avoid any direct contact with him. He was more comfortable with your cat form, but soon grew to like your humanoid form as well

Alastor loves rubbing your ears and patting your head. In turn, he actually lets you play with his ears and hair, only in private! To protect you better and make sure no one can just snatch you away, you’re in cat form and always on Alastor’s shoulders or in his arms. He loves your involuntary purring as well when you unconsciously nuzzle closer to him

You’re this close to him in public because if you die, your paired sinner would have their powers and abilities cut down to a mere 30%. While you can boost their powers at least 2 times depending on your closest and energy, you can cause just as much harm. The pairing thing is a double-edged sword

A skill the two of you found out about you was your ability to permit travels to other rings, only to your paired sinner. You once opened a portal to return to your home ring, Sloth, for a moment but then Alastor accidentally tripped and sent the two of you through the portal and both of you ended up in Sloth

It was a pleasant surprise, but Alastor couldn’t exactly do much else risk attaching too much attention to your abilities. While it was known that some abilities and powers manifest after pairing for your kind, never had you heard of this one. No wonder your friends were this wanted

You actually were there when Alastor and Husk made their bets. A mistake was Husk including you in the deal as well. With Alastor’s signal, you activated your ability to boost the odds in Alastor’s favour, Alastor needed luck and skill, you’ll give all that he needs

While you didn’t hold a grudge against Husk for including you in the deal, Alastor sure did. You watched from the sidelines how far Alastor bullied Husk into submission. You even told Alastor it was fine since you were used to it. His response was, “My darling, as long as you’re by my side, I will never let you be treated as a mere object to be used.”

You were already loyal before, but now you can say you fancy him. No surprise that Husk realized he actually had no chance against Alastor when you were near him. There were times when Husk tried to use you to threaten Alastor to break the deal, but you were no push-over, just because Alastor always protected you doesn’t mean you’re defenseless

There were times when Alastor was more protective and possessive of you, practically when you attracted other demons and sinners’ attention while being in humanoid form. He’d have his arm around your waist, pulling you closer to him or have his arm linked with yours. At first you’d have trouble walking from the closeness. But you knew Alastor was just being careful

Don’t ask why, but you never saw it coming when Alastor asked for you to be his. Not the pairing or the soul contracts. But as in a romantic relationship. You nearly fainted but managed a soft ‘yes’

Nothing much changed from his nicknames for you would go from ‘dear’ to ‘dearest’, ‘sweetheart’ to ‘sweetie’, and the most fatal one was ‘My love’, that would left you shifting back to your cat form to hide from pure embarrassment and shyness

You humanoid form was more of a special sight for him now since you’d take that form when you were behind closed doors with him. Alastor loves hugging you from behind, “My love, you look ravishing as usual. Will you accompany to the bed?”

You’d giggle back, knowing that he’d have you lay your head on his lap while he reads whatever he fancies aloud, indirectly lulling you to sleep. “You’re clingier today.”

“Only for you.”

Note: Haha, it's one of the older asks. You can probably tell I write and post whatever I have inspiration on

Circe Y.

Other Works: MASTERLIST

Taglist:

@aconfusedwonderland

@crowleysthings

@donustellaron

[enkvyu]

HIII I HEARD UR TAKING REQUESTS!!! (I think if not jus ignore this) bf headcanons with geto plzzzz :( hes just a silly lil guy (I LOVE HIM SO MUCH OH MY GOD) anwzzz have a gud day :33

getou as your bf headcannons

thanks for the request anon, i hope you have a good day too !! btw ure so real he is just a lil guy ☹️ he isn’t defined by his actions (what murder?) he’s just a babygirl ! i wrote this for teen getou but then i thought might as well do a few thoughts on adult getou. i hope this is okay!

teen getou

you confessed first and getou laughed it off, thinking you just wanted to copy his homework. but when he saw you slowly turn red, he realised that this was the real deal. super awkward confession and you tease him about it all the time, professing your love to him every time you need something from him just so he can recall the embarrassment he caused on that day

in the beginning of your relationship, he really wanted you to wear his clothes and have it be a causal thing. but because he's nervous, and because shoko and gojo are bad influences, he decides the only way for you to comfortably ask for his shirts and jumpers was to wear yours first. gojo assures him you'll find it funny and realise that boundaries such as "yours" and "mine" will be blurred this point forward. taking his friends' advice, getou shimmies into your jujutsu uniform and knocks on your dorm door, posing to make you laugh. it's only when he sees the disbelief on your face that he regains his senses

the type to be looking at you no matter what he’s doing. you’re telling him about your day and he’s drinking water? he’s looking at you over the rim of the glass. you get called in class to answer a question you weren't paying attention to? getou is already looking at you, mouthing the (incorrect) answer. you’re comparing hand sizes? look up and you’ll find him looking at you instead of your interlocked fingers. it’s natural that he’s the first to notice when things are wrong, and the first to tease you

the type to smile when he gets angry and make a face that says "what (kind of nonsense) are you talking about?" he deflects a lot in arguments and never yells, but his low voice is honestly scarier

no sense of personal space whatsoever (blame gojo) so if you want to make a move on him, you have to be very direct. it's a double-edged sword because he'll be teaching you boxing and cover your hand with his to reposition your posture, and only you will think something of it. but at the same time, you can simply wrap your arms around his neck, lean in, and he'll break out in a cold sweat and a blush. he's simple in that way

a girl's kind of guy. he'll hand you a cushion or a plushie if you sit down wearing a skirt or a dress and if there isn't any, he'll wordlessly take off his jacket and hand it to you. always has a spare hairband around his wrist but he doesn't tell you that he also uses it to close off open chip bags when he can't finish them in one sitting. sometimes you do wonder why it smells like salt and vinegar

will take something of yours just so you can ask him for help. if it's raining, he'll take your umbrella so the two of you can walk home under his. of course, he'll be the one walking on the outer edge of the path

getou's a gym rat. wakes up chugs a protein shake (doesn't use a blender, shaking it super hard is enough). usually focuses on arms and abdomen and loves to show off whether it's through boxing or doing push ups with you on his back. objectively, he's really fit but there's something about him walking around his dorm shirtless just to catch a glimpse of himself being Buff that's annoying

thinks he can charm his way out of any situation (he can). he was praised a lot as a kid for being pretty and kind which led him to slipping out of situations he didn't want to be in just by smiling. he thinks the same thing can work on you (usually it does)

late night missions means sleep deprivation for class the next morning, and you carry the bulk of it after three consecutive missions. the next morning, even yaga winces at the heavy bags under your eyes. of course, it’s your boyfriend who’s by your side first. he does most of the talking that day and doesn't say anything when you doze off mid-sentence. he even angles his body so your head can comfortably rest on his shoulder and doesn’t say (much) anything when he sees you drooling. you notice that throughout the day, his hand is always hovering your back

extra — adult getou:

has the habit of talking to you like you're a stray kitten sometimes. there's a benevolent smile on his face and his words are soft, coaxing you out gently as if you were buzzing to flee. it's something he developed after raising nanako and mimiko, but it works just as well on you, too

he still does the same "what the fuck?" smile when he gets angry, but there's a sinister edge to it now, like he's waiting to see how far you can push it before he does something about it

an absolutely terrible chef. perhaps it's because his tastebuds has been destroyed by his technique and cigarettes, but everything he makes is either too salty, too bland, too spicy or everything in between. his culinary skills are fine, and his presentation is frankly award winning but take one bite and you're rushed to the hospital. usually, the two of you just go out for dinner or order uber eats

likes the sensation of someone playing with his hair. whether it's getting you to dry his hair after he gets out of the shower, or allowing himself to be a mannequin to your sudden desire at being a hair stylist, he's satisfied

still likes walking around shirtless or in a shirt that is half open (just take it off at that point) but at least this time, you also get a view. his confidence in his body has skyrocketed, and now it's one of the main thing he uses to get a reaction out of you. if you call him out for it, he'll just :3 "what do you mean?"

[mageknight14]

I loved how NEO pulled the rug out with Rindo’s character. At first, he generally seems much more sociable and outwardly friendly compared to Neku and then the game quickly goes "yeah, nah, he’s a huge fucking mess too." He’s a good kid fundamentally at his core but he can also be whiny, hypocritical, passive-aggressive, and kind of insensitive at times. He has a tendency to be judgemental and harsh to the people around him while not acknowledging his own faults, like when he complains about Beat joining the team even though he saved their lives beforehand because he’s not Neku or when he gives Fret shit for fawning over Eiji Oji and Kanon while falling for Motoi’s BS. He’s so pessimistic about himself and others that not even a death game that heavily emphasizes the value of teamwork can get him to fully come out of his shell, which is where his time-travel powers come in AND EVEN THEN it’s a double-edged sword since on one hand, it forces him to actively step up to the plate and survey the situation to find the best possible solution, which leads to him slowly growing out of his shell, but on the other, it also leads to him becoming overly reliant on his time travel so that he can walk back from potentially life-changing decisions without having to worry about it since he has a magic reset button. Which ends up biting him in the ass. Hard.

He’s one of those types of people who is ultimately a thinker and planner instead of a do-er, but his being young and overly impressionable takes this personality quirk to such an extreme that he's foundationally useless to most groups. He’s the type of person who you have in a group project who sits around and does nothing, but then complains with the project does poorly because he couldn't be bothered to speak.

He's so unconfident and directionless that he uses effectively Instagram as a means to listen to someone who sounds like some 2deep4u philosopher post dumb flowery bullshit that effectively has all the meaning of "Drink water when you're thirsty." and he admits to finding such "deep" meaning in these posts that it supposedly helped him through life. Because he's 15 and doesn't know anything.

However, all of this makes him interesting as a character because he’s, again, still a fundamentally good kid at his core. While he’s shown to have a fuse, he is also the kind of person who has the ability to think his emotions through. That's what we ultimately see when he and Fret finally talk and drop their beef. The game depicting Rindo's capacity for self-awareness and emotional reflection is a positive revelation of his character strengths. He proves that he's capable of recognizing when he's in the wrong and knows how to apologize, a trait he shows quite a few times throughout the story, while also doing everything he can to set things right as well as be more understanding toward how his friends feels.

He’s kind of the guy who will drop everything to help a little kid out, even when there’s no tangible benefit to doing so and he and the others are shown to be on limited time, shows empathy to his friends/fallen enemies, and feels massive amounts of guilt for his actions, even if he didn’t know better at the time.

Hell, the entire endgame is fueled by his selfish yet understandable desire to save the people he cares about most from total erasure, to the point that he’s willing to risk thousands of lives to do so. But not only is he shown to be internally grappling with himself regarding his decision but he’s also willing to take responsibility and ensure that EVERYTHING goes right not just for himself and his friends but the people of Shibuya in general, in a parallel to Neku’s own selfish if understandable decision to put the bonds he formed in the original game (particularly with Joshua) over the actual city.

Characters aren't interesting simply by switching between 2 different character traits. They're interesting when all those traits are being expressed at the same time for reasons that are consistent within their internal logic. You gotta be a good writer to pull that off and you gotta know when to show off these dimensions during your story to achieve proper dramatic effect when the time calls for it and NEO I feel does this pretty damn well.

[another-lost-mc]

Thinking about it, in a world with an otaku!MC the brothers are kind of obligated to be nicer to Levi bc any insults towards him would be dragging MC down with him..

A/N: Oooooh. I wrote Player Two which is the brothers basically treating Levi and MC the same (as geeky weirdos) but MC doesn't really care because Levi's the best friend they've always wanted. Thinking about the reverse of that situation is interesting in its own way too.

LEVIATHAN x gn!Reader, 0.6k words, SFW.

Content warnings: some cursing and jealousy.

It started with a pack of candy. Beel picked it up at one of the Devildom shops known for importing human world sweets. You've talked about the brand and he thought he'd surprise you. He would've given it to you in private, but Levi was glued to your hip more often than not these days. He found both of you in your bedroom playing Super Smash Devils.

"Oh...you meant this was for both of us, right?" you asked, glancing between the pack of candy and Levi guiltily.

Beel fumbled through a lie to cover up his mistake and rushed from the room. He makes a note for next time so he remembers to buy three boxes instead of two (one for you, one for Levi, and one for himself).

After he left, you took a piece for yourself and handed Levi the box. You hummed happily around the coated end of your stick candy while you turned back to the screen to select your character for the new match.

Maybe you bought Beel's flimsy excuse earlier, but Levi didn't. Things have been strange with his family lately, but you seem ignorant about the changing family dynamics going on around you.

The other siblings don't tease Levi anymore when he talks about a game he bought or some random gacha toy he managed to get, because you're excited about it too. They don't want to hurt your feelings, so they try to keep their opinions to themselves.

Some of them, like Beel or Mammon, make an effort to surprise you with little gifts: capsules from a gacha machine in downtown Devildom, overpriced knock-off plushies of anime characters at the ghost carnival passing through. Satan surprises you with manga off your Akuzon wish list, and Asmo paints your nails while you watch anime together in your room.

From Levi's perspective, their sudden change of heart about his dorky hobbies is a double-edged sword.

He's happy that they're accepting of you now. When you first arrived, they initially treated you like a weird outcast—the way they used to treat him. You're not as introverted as he is, and they're making an effort to include you both in activities you might actually enjoy.

But on the other hand, part of him wishes they would just fuck off. You're perfect. He knows you've charmed them as much as you've charmed him, but he was your friend first. He thought he was going to be able to keep you all to himself. He knew from the first time you stepped into his room that you were the real-life Henry he's always wanted. He's the one that should be buying you gifts so he can hoard your praise for himself. You should be spending time in his room, or inviting him to yours, if you want to watch anime.

Why are you even giving them a chance? They don't deserve it. They were too stupid to realize how special you were. Don't you realize they're only tolerating the things you love so they can be close to you?

He tries to hide his growing jealousy, but it gets harder as time passes and his brothers keep finding new ways to insert themselves into your hobbies.

You notice Levi's foul mood sometimes when he can't contain the bitterness that laces his voice or the irritation in his glances. He gives you an excuse so you don't worry about him; he doesn't want to taint you with the bitter venom coursing through his veins.

You're finally happy living in the Devildom now that his family seems more accepting of you—of both of you.

He's furious that their acceptance means having to share you with anyone else.

[ddlcbrainrot]

i’m just saying more people should make use of the angst factory that is sayori’s and mc’s friendship

Imagine you have a childhood best friend that you’ve lost touch with, and suddenly you two start hanging out again. You two start spending a lot of time together again, and things are like nothing has changed between you. All that time apart was not enough to strain your friendship, and you think to yourself “ wow even after all this time she still is the same sweet girl i’ve always known”.

Only for you to find out that she’s actually been suffering for as long as you’ve known her. And you didn’t realise a single thing until it was too late.

All the mixed emotions of concern for your friend, guilt of your ignorance (you’ve known her for forever, how couldn’t you tell?) but also the realisation that the person you’ve thought you knew better than anyone was more or less a facade. Now, i’m not saying that Sayori’s cheery personality is all fake, but i imagine MC would have to question where the facade starts and where it ends (did he even know her at all?).

All this and i’ve still haven’t said anything about Sayori’s POV of their friendship, which is just as - if not more - angst inducing.

I think the key factor to understand Sayori’s POV is the word indirect. Because most of the hurt she experiences from MC’s actions is in fact indirect. Even in the game she talks about how his actions were not actively malicious, but they indirectly caused her pain. And yeah, it is because of her feelings for him, but even if we ignore that their friendship alone still caused her indirect pain.

I see a lot of people be like “MC is so mean to her in their base game” which honestly? have you ever been in a long term friendship? idk if it’s just me but the way they interacted seemed like how any childhood friends would. Because no matter how mean your childhood friend is to you, you know they don’t mean any actual malice. It’s basic logic that the person who has been with you since childhood doesn’t actually think of you as just some dumb clutz. But depression isn’t logical. And that’s exactly why Sayori is actually affected by what on any other circumstance would be playful teasing between lifelong friends. It’s actually an issue that, while complicated, could easily be addressed if Sayori communicated to MC her feelings on the matter. But since Sayori is so focused to keeping things the same, how they’ve always been so he doesn’t worry, she doesn’t voice this at all.

I’d like to add that even though Sayori goes out of her way to make sure MC doesn’t find out about her depression, there must also be a part of her that is hurt by his lack of knowledge on the matter. MC in act 1 repeatedly says he knows Sayori better than anyone. Imagine you are Sayori, your friend insists he knows you, fully knows you, and yet he can’t seem to notice this very vital part of you. Again, he is hurting her indirectly, and frankly because Sayori is herself keeping this part of her hidden. It’s a double edged sword, really.

When Sayori does tell MC about her depression however, MC quite frankly responds in a pretty bad way.

I don’t think i need to explain how his response isn’t at all what you should say, i think enough people have done so already. But i will say it makes sense for him to respond that way. I think a lot of people, especially people who are online, have seen so many post or videos about how to handle these kind of situations, so it’s easy to forget that not everyone is that well educated on the subject of mental health (and it makes even more sense for MC in particular to be so clueless on the subject, since men’s knowledge on mental health is literally non existent bc of society’s own view of men as emotionless, but that’s a rant for another time). I think he reacts as a normal teenage guy would tbh. And that is he says the wrong thing.

And as he finds Sayori in the end of act 1, since he doesn’t know of Monika’s influence, he thinks his ignorance costs his best friend’s life.

[xjulixred45x]

Arthur Pedragon/King of Chaos/Lancelot X Yui Komori! Reader

Genre: Headcannons

Reader: Female

WARNINGS: SENSITIVE SUBJECTS, IMPLICIT KIDNAPPING/PAST ABUSE, PTSD, Arthur alone is a warning, Lancelot is a bit bad with emotions and a bit OOC(hard for me to write his character), Fluff at the end.

Arthur Pedragon/King of Chaos

A bit of context as always:

You were the daughter of one of Arthur's knights, he had just joined his ranks in the hope of recovering you from the clutches of the beings that held you captive.

He didn't think much of it at first, actually, he honestly thought you were already dead (especially if the beings that kidnapped you were vampires or demons), but he was very supportive of your father's cause, he was a good knight, and his fervent anger was ... something very useful in fights, so he encouraged it.

Imagine his surprise when he found out that you were alive, even more so when he met you, an adorable young lady. How could someone who barely has magic power survive so long alone against members of other races? Your father kept you close to him long after He rescued you, so you gave him some curiosity.

At first he thought that the innocent appearance would be a clever facade, but he was even more surprised when he met you formally and saw that you were indeed someone very friendly and gentle, even after all you had been through.

Your magical power allowed those who will take your blood to increase their abilities, apart from the fact that it became addictive, that was what caused your kidnapping. Ironically, since it didn't fit your character at all, it was the first thing that came to Arthur's mind.

Since your father always told you good things about the king, you showed him a lot of respect and kindness, but not out of fear, but out of the pure desire to help, you aroused his interest thanks to that.

You practically settled into Camelot, fearing to return to the real world, which helped you both get to know each other more, you would follow your father like a lost puppy (so cute) until he had to leave and you would just do things to help out. the fortress where you stayed, cleaning, taking care of the vegetation, reading, cooking, etc. It's endearing.

When you'll eventually run out of things to do, you'll go to him to ask if there was anything he needed or wanted, sometimes he'd jokingly tell you that he wanted his enemies' hearts and seeing your perplexed expression, you're too cute for your own good.

He would have talks with you where more things about you would just emerge, your so innocent point of view of the world and how you see the good in everything, a part of him doesn't know if you are very good or very dumb, but at the same time you are too nice to let the opportunity pass.

Going full-on when you're together, Arthur watches you like a hawk, he doesn't miss a beat when it comes to you. Do you feel slightly uncomfortable around a specific gentleman? It will be removed immediately. A certain noble made an off-hand comment about your situation? You won't see him again, and so on.

He loves your personality, he hasn't had someone genuinely care for him in a long time (if you read the manga you know what I'm talking about) so having a cutie like you care for him like he's a normal person is really beautiful.

It's a double edged sword though

Since he's worried that you'll trust too much people you shouldn't, so he tries to teach you how to more easily identify those kinds of people or he scares them to death himself, whichever comes first.

I mentioned the food above, most likely the Knights love you because of it, you are like an angel(who cooks amazingly) Even IRONSIDE enjoy your desserts!

You no longer help as much as before in the matter of taking care of the palace, not because you don't want to but rather because they don't let you anymore😅 as Wife of the King you are no longer allowed to do "Service work", although Arthur allows you to make food for he and his highly trusted knights (as I said above, they love it).

He pampers you a lot, you already saw.

He just can't help it. He loves your reactions! The surprise, how you smile shyly when you accept them, you're going to kill him one day.

Now, getting more serious.

If the ones who hurt you are alive...they won't be for long, let's go from there.

Just the thought of you being hurt so badly, that you didn't even want to go back to your original realm, out of sheer fear, makes Arthur seethe with rage.

Of course, always willing to comfort you and give you whatever you need at that moment (except maybe alone time because 1, this man is clingy, and 2, he doesn't feel comfortable leaving you alone in such a vulnerable state).

If the ones who kidnapped you were humans, he'll send his knights to kill them without much thought, he wants their heads on spears, that's all that matters.

(And neither are the knights, they appreciate you so much that they are as out for blood as Arthur).

If they were of any other race, only valid in a certain way his extremist point, it may even contaminate you with it (if you did not have it before). In this particular case, he wants to be the one to kill them, in the slowest and most painful way possible.

He will always make sure to keep you safe, there are knights near you even if you don't see them to ensure your safety and that nothing bad happens to you. By itself Arthur orbits around you constantly, so the chances are minimal.

I already mentioned it in a previous scenario, but he tries to cover up the shady parts of the Eternal Kindom's plan to prevent you from developing fear towards him, that would definitely destroy him.

Luckily that doesn't look like it's going to happen any time soon :D

In the meantime, you only enjoy the good times and memories that you create with your family and your dear husband.

Lancelot

A bit of context as always:

He met you shortly before the events of the 4KotA story, in one of the many massacre battles in which he participated.

He thought that as usual there was no one left, but he quickly realized that it was not yes. He originally thought of just shooting an arrow at where you were (RIP you) but sensing that the presence was rather extremely weak, he decided to see if it was really worth it.

He wasn't exactly surprised when he saw you, all hurt and scared, the fight was pretty brutal. What DID surprise him a bit was that you will ask him if they left. On sheer impulse he said yes and was even more confused when you thanked him.

*insert surprised Pikachu face*

He could easily tell that you were sincere, but even so you left him half out of the loop, he didn't know what to do with you anymore. Should he risk that you divulge information about him?

He considers it for a moment but seeing that you had no bad intentions he simply told you threatened not to say anything about who ended up with your group. You just nodded and he started to leave, what WAS NOT EXPECTED was that you'll start following him.

Again, this left him confused, he saw your heart, you had no intention of killing him or anything, in fact you had a lot of gratitude for some reason, and now you were following him around like a lost puppy. He considered just knocking you out and leaving, but at the same time this made him very curious as to how it would end, so he thought he'd see how far this would go, maybe he'd find out why you're doing it.

Thus began a strange friendship. At first just because you were still in a certain state of shock, you didn't talk much, ironically Lancelot did a good part of the talking, it wasn't much but it was enough to know some basic things, like your name, your age, etc. Yes, he could have used mind reading for that, but he doesn't want to use it for something so basic.

Of course, when he asked you about the group you were with and you got tense, he took a little look, just to avoid bad moments. You weren't with the group by choice, but because you had been "sold" (after being kidnapped) due to your magical power, which was in your healing blood.

Lowkey was satisfied that they would not return.

And lowkey scared him a little bit he almost shot you with an arrow

Knowing this, Lancelot didn't ask any more questions about them and simply asked about more general things, like your family or things like that (if they weren't idiots of course).

The more time you spend together and the more you open up, he becomes more…relaxed around you, so to speak.

He still has some of his stoic demeanor, but brings out a calmer side and more "Sin" so to speak.

Yep, he has shown his Fox form, many times in fact. Especially if you were feeling especially bad about what happened with that group. See, he's not very good with emotions (at first) so he brings out Sin's form so you can pamper him and you can better bring out your emotions.

He honestly thinks you couldn't open up to him at first because of how intimidating he is (the fact that you saw him taking down assholes in a way has something to do with it).

Though you eventually realize this and prevent this from happening, that you want comfort from Lancelot, not Sin.

Again, he's a bit clumsy at first, but gets better with time (especially with physical affection, that's his greatest strength).

If the group you were with wasn't the one that originally sold you out or kidnapped you, he'll ask you directly if you want him to kill them, obviously you didn't want that, and while Lancelot seemed to accept it, he specified that you won't wait long if he ever ran into them, no one lives to count a confrontation against him after all.

Your personality definitely intrigues him. How can someone who lived through such cruel things still be so gentle and friendly? It's out of his understanding.

Yet he finds himself being more open with you, telling you things about himself to be fair and generally being more vulnerable.

If we go straight to when they are together, honestly it doesn't change too much, it's just a little more of everything, more open, more physical, more protective, etc.

Again, your personality is a double-edged sword here, but at least Lancelot is more direct and will tell you what it is, that you have to be careful and a little more suspicious, even if it's for your own good.

Don't get it wrong though, he definitely likes to see how friendly you are, you have a great personality, if there were more people like you, humanity wouldn't be so lost.

He's fine with your willingness to help as long as you don't put yourself in danger, otherwise he'll be the first to jump into the situation and stop you (like the "what an idiot--wait-THAT'S MY IDIOT!" meme).

Cook 👏 together 👏 I won't say more.

Again, his greatest love language is physical contact, he has gotten better at saying he loves you, but it is much more practical for him to be physical than verbal. Although he's more willing to be if you're having a PTSD crisis, he understands that physical contact there can be for worse than anything else, so he encourages you from afar so you can recover safely.

For the events of the manga, they're traveling together with Percy and his friends, it's nice for Lancelot to see the progress you've made (and him, in a way) and you finally allow yourself to surround yourself with people again.

Lowkey, he wants you to meet Jericho, Ban and Elaine, he's pretty sure their parents are going to love you right away. As for Jericho... he must first keep his promise before anything else (and he still has mixed feelings with her being a traitor).

This new adventure looks promising, even more so when the two of them are together. What does the future prepare? Only time will tell.

[gepardling]

what about a shy!reader confessing to gepard and him being so surprised he’s at a lost for words

unspoken heart w/ gepard.

desc. : dis is 1 day overdue bc i was 2 busy playing league w/ friends :(( aphelios has my whole heart... but here it is <3 i erm hope i did dis 1 some justice, my mind ran away w/ me when i started writing o.o i feel like every1 has their own perception of shyness, and as some1 who considers themselves pretty shy in a romantic aspect, i had 2 lay it bare... ( wc : 1.3k )

tags / cw : sfw, just fluff, gn!reader, reader is a shopkeeper, not proofread

The Captain of the Silvermane Guards wasn't one for frivolous pursuits. That being said, they never seemed to come his way either. It was a double-edged sword – And yes, it did hurt. To put it simply, Gepard wanted to have his cake and eat it too. Yet, as long as he never expressed genuine interest in a person (vice versa), he wouldn't budge.

There was, of course, one individual in particular who had grasped the attention of the Captain. It was nothing major, really, just another shopkeeper around Belobog. At most, he found himself stealing glances at you every now and again when he passed by your shop, whether on patrol or off duty. But staying 100% "cool" was something you couldn't quite manage.

The first few times it happened, you thought you were under investigation for tax evasion or something equally crazy. The moment you caught his eye, he would turn away and continue walking, and it was weird. Yeah, he was pretty weird. But he was also just... pretty. It was kind of embarrassing to think how easily you had fallen for the quiet silvermane guard. Each time those intrusive thoughts wandered into your mind, you had to savagely fight off the crimson blush that crept up your neck.

It only made matters worse when he started visiting your shop, actually entering and purchasing an item. You nearly jumped out of your skin when the little bell by the door chimed, revealing the looming silhouette of Captain Gepard himself. His aura was intimidating up close, his steeled gaze seemingly piercing straight through you. It made a lump rise to your throat each time you had to greet him...

Normally, you'd never have a problem working with customers. You would greet them, help them with their orders, take their payment, and thank them. You didn't really need to have any social skills for that; it was just standard workplace protocol. But for some reason, Gepard made it increasingly difficult for you to just be natural at work. You would stutter when you greeted him, almost drop the Shield he gave you as payment, and hide behind the counter for a quick moment to compose yourself every time he left.

It was frustrating, almost infuriating, how your emotions got the better of you whenever he was around. In fact, one day you were beyond embarrassed when he actually tried to have a conversation with you. It didn't help that midway through, he asked if you were feeling unwell because of how red your face was becoming, even encouraging you to go home and get well soon. He was none the wiser about your true feelings, of course, which made you feel both relieved and anxious.

Over time, you came to realize that you must be attracted to him, which didn't do your mental state any good. It completely shattered your resolve each time you saw him from that point onwards. Your hands would shake ever so slightly, and you could barely conceal the tremble in your voice whenever you spoke to him. Though you appreciated the lingering conversations that grew longer with time. It was safe to say that you had grown accustomed to seeing the Captain’s face every day.

Yet, while you were comfortable with the way things are now, people tend to stagnate if they keep doing the same things all the time. The worry that Gepard would grow distant again before you even had the guts to tell him how you felt gnawed at your heart, and the whole situation made you feel anxious, to say the least. The feeling only worsened when he started visiting less and less, and the confidence you'd somehow managed to build up in your comfort zone dissipated before you. 

The rollercoaster of emotions had you feeling a little silly about your seemingly one-sided infatuation with him, and your own reluctance to confront him with your feelings merely heightened your awkwardness. The harder you fell, the more absentminded you seemed to become as a coping mechanism for the crippling shyness that threatened to envelop your being. But your own absentmindedness was about to bite you on the arse the very next time you met with Gepard at the shopfront. 

While you were ringing up his goods, Gepard started a light conversation. It was nothing serious, just some basic how-are-you banter between acquaintances. He told you a bit about the situation on the frontlines and how busy it had gotten lately with a spike in fragmentum activity.

"You know," your voice trailed off, gaze fixated on the Shield you were counting in your palm. "You should take care of yourself out there, I miss seeing you here." As soon as the words left your mouth, you froze up entirely. The heat in your cheeks rose exponentially fast once you realized Gepard’s own wide-eyed expression. Overwhelmed by the accidental confession that slipped past your lips, you found yourself stumbling over your words, desperately trying to salvage the situation. Your cheeks burned with embarrassment, a torrent of thoughts racing through your mind. 

How could you have been so careless? The fear of rejection loomed over you, and you wished for nothing more than to disappear into thin air. Gepard's stunned expression mirrored your own internal turmoil. His usually composed demeanor faltered for a moment as he searched for a response. The silence hung heavy in the air, and the weight of your confession seemed to press down upon you, suffocating any semblance of composure you had left.

As you fumbled to correct yourself, the words tumbled out in a jumble of awkward phrases and incoherent ramblings. Your mind raced, desperately trying to find an escape from the overwhelming embarrassment that had engulfed you. But there was no way to take back what had been said, no way to erase the vulnerability you had just laid bare. Gepard's silence wasn't doing you any good either, and you were just about to excuse yourself before you melted into a puddle on the ground.

Gepard's eyes softened, a gentle smile tugging at the corners of his lips. His hand reached out, lightly brushing against yours as he accepted the change you had hastily pushed into his palm. The simple touch sent a jolt of electricity through your veins, momentarily distracting you from your own embarrassment.

"It's alright," he said, his voice a soothing balm to your frayed nerves. "I appreciate your concern, and I've missed seeing you too." His words were laced with a tenderness that sent your heart aflutter, a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos of the moment. You stood behind the counter, heart still racing as you attempted to come to terms with what just happened. You blinked several times, but Gepard remained standing in front of you, confirming that he was in fact not a hallucination.

"I- uhm… I mean- No, err… Thank you for supporting us!" you rambled on, "Our shop, I mean, not us like, people, that would be silly…" All the while your eyes desperately searched the room. Your nervous laughter chimed through the shop, and by this point you've caught quite a few people's attention. Gepard's chuckle joined yours, and the tension in the air slowly dissipated. His easy smile and the twinkle in his eyes reassured you that the momentary awkwardness was nothing more than a shared experience, a humorous twist.

"Don't worry, I understand what you meant," he said, his voice warm and gentle. "And I appreciate your gratitude." His gaze swept across the shop, and a wave of embarrassment washed over you, realizing that your accidental confession had not gone unnoticed by the other patrons. 

Blushing furiously, you offered a sheepish smile to those around you, feeling their curious gazes upon you. This truly was a spectacle to behold, and you were sure to answer some questions regarding your behavior later. Suffice to say, this sudden turn of events was enough to leave you red faced for days on end…

[aidenoconnell]

wrong place, sweetheart.

In the simplest of terms, the state of the clubhouse has been in a bit of a mess since the other night. The argument Ryan and August had only seems to progress to Ryan barely showing her face at the bar, or if she is there she's put up a front. Part of Aiden can't blame her but at the same time, August didn't make the rule. It's been a thing for a long time out of respect of members and especially President's of the club. It's kind of a double edged sword.

Everyone can kind of tell something happened but luckily it's a bit muddled. Probably for the best, besides August being moody. Again something Aiden can understand. He's not sure what advice he can offer because it's such a unique situation that talking seems to bleak. If August and Ryan have got something going for themselves it's that they're the only ones that seem to understand their chaotic shit.

Aiden waits in the meeting room with a coffee as he scrolls through his phone. He waits for August and Lenny as Lenny has some updates on his end. He scrolls through last night's texting threat with Luci which at first glance looks like nonsense but they were simultaneously having two conversations in the same go.

[sepublic]

            “You assume Belos’ goal comes from a genuine place. But that man doesn’t care about anything but his need to be the hero in his own delusion, and because of that, he fears what he can’t control.”

         I think of this line in the context of the previous episode being For the Future, and how the Titan’s description of Belos is meant to contrast with who Luz is as a person. Because in FtF’s climax, Camila has a breakthrough with Luz regarding her self-loathing for mistakes and things that frankly were out of her control, that Luz shouldn’t blame herself for; As Camila reminds her daughter, mistakes happen sometimes. That’s okay. And we try to prevent bad things from happening…

         But in Camila’s case especially, that attempt to control things to protect her daughter just alienated Luz, hurt her deeply. Likewise, Luz’s hero complex evolves over the course of the series… It becomes less openly glamorous and more ‘humble’, but in a way it still exists. When Luz blames herself for her friends being separated from their parents even though that wasn’t even her call, it’s because she thinks she’s the hero. When she blames herself for helping Philip, it’s because Luz is the hero. When Luz, a freaking teenager, can’t help Eda against this genocidal dictatorship, it’s because Luz is the hero and she’s failed.

         Luz still has this unhealthy expectation of herself; Where she’s supposed to actively repent for her past selfishness and mistakes by fixing everything. She’s supposed to be the friend who takes the burden for others, who doesn’t saddle them with her own issues. Luz is supposed to help Eda with her curse, and later with her family situation with Gwen. Luz is trying to direct her attention outwards, towards others, but there’s ultimately this unintentionally self-centered approach where if bad things happen, it’s a reflection on Luz as a person, and she is basically the only who can determine what happens, the input of others ignored.

         That leads to risky maneuvers, like when Luz attempts to take Hunter's place against Belos at the skull, or hides the truth to keep the others from worrying. It’s this misguided desire to be the self-sacrificial martyr, another kind of hero. It’s this need to feel like Luz is in control; That she CAN fix things on her own, that she CAN help, and she COULD have done something, meaning if things go wrong regardless, it’s Luz’s fault.

         It’s a double-edged sword of claiming autonomy, because it means Luz refuses to blame outside factors for her failures, it’s all on her. It’s comforting in its own way to think she could’ve done something better, because it means Luz can do better next time, right? It means Luz doesn’t have to worry about the uncertainty of the future if she just tries hard enough, correct?

         But Camila has to remind her daughter that you can try your best and still fail. You’re still human (for lack of a better term), just as Willow is when she isn’t able to keep everything going smoothly in that same episode. And that’s alright; You can take responsibility, but you can’t overcompensate and consider yourself the ‘hero’ in charge of everyone’s wellbeing. Which brings me back to that point about the Titan summarizing the differences between Luz and Belos, what makes one good and the other bad, so to speak;

         Belos fears what he can’t control, because he needs to be the hero who controls everything and can accomplish whatever he wants; Look how much he thrives on having control over people, manipulating them, adapting to a situation, it makes him feel clever and superior. But Luz, while she afraid for a bit… Thanks to her mother, she’s finally begun to accept that she can’t control things. Luz isn’t the perfect hero, she needs the help of others. She’ll make mistakes, or even make no mistakes and still lose! Luz can’t do everything to look after her mother or vice-versa, you have to let people do their own thing, and that also includes herself.

         Luz does legitimately care about others; She’ll consider other points of view, like she did when showing sympathy to Amity early in their interactions. Luz can reevaluate what she does because it’s about doing right, not being right, even if it might not be as glamorous. Contrast that with Belos, who refuses to admit that he could’ve made the wrong call about witches and his brother, because then he’s not the hero.

         And his need to be right matters more than helping people, which is why Belos sacrifices his own brother rather than letting go of that narrative of himself as the one saving humanity. If he were just misguided, he’d have eventually accepted there was nothing to worry about (Philip is very perceptive, he can tell), but Belos didn’t because that meant no longer being the hero, and he knew his priorities when pushed to choose only one. A classic case of bias distorting reasonable analysis.

         They both wanted to be the hero, and there’s nothing inherently wrong with that; After all, Eda specifies at the end of Witches before Wizards that you can still healthily engage with reality, while also working to achieve your dreams. That’s how Luz’s character arc ends, too; She gets to become the hero she wanted to be, while still engaging with the people and world around her and not becoming entitled or arrogant.

         There’s nothing wrong with Luz wanting things for herself, nothing wrong with Luz thinking about or prioritizing herself, despite what her self-loathing claims. Despite her decision to stay in the human world because choosing a place she’s happy is a mistake that hurt her mother. But you have to keep other people in mind… You have to critically examine and ask yourself; Is it really about helping others and making sure all is okay, or is it simply the satisfaction of being the savior who corrects these NPCs, and wants an evil to campaign against? Which will you prioritize? This is especially relevant in progressive circles, which fits given TOH’s politics.

         Likewise, you gotta remember yourself, too. You don’t have to be 100% pure and selfless in your motives when helping people, it’s okay to want to be loved in return. You don’t have to necessarily choose between others and yourself, and Luz doesn’t have to choose between both worlds, or what kind of magic she uses, her type of Palisman, etc.

[lets-try-some-writing]

Hi! So this isn’t exactly a request, more or less me just sharing thoughts/rambling. So it’s common knowledge that humans pack bond with damn near anything that they find cute, right? It’s human nature, to just look at a cute delivery robot and go “yeah, this is family now”. And I think this is a double edged sword because that’s what causes things attachment issues and the like.

How do you think team prime would react to something like this happening with the trouble trio? Like the kids eventually (inevitably) look at them and decide that these giant robots are their family and they will NOT let them go. Would the bots be confused? Or would they accept it and move on with minimal questioning. Personally I think that at first it would be awkward until the bots learn of how humans work, and then they realize that this is just how people work, and they accept it with time.

I think it has some really good potential for both fluff and angst.

Anyways I really love the blog! I’ve been reading a lot of your posts and all of them are very nice to go through and think about! :D -🦌 anon

OOooh! I really really like this thought. The human kiddos getting attached and the bots having to figure out how to manage that makes me happy. And thank you anon for your kind words! I am glad you like my posts!

Cybertronian Views on Relationships

Cybertronians are functionally immortal, they do not die from any sort of frame deterioration except in rare cases, and their sparks blaze on until forcefully extinguished. As such their views on some concepts are rather skewed to match up with their long lifespans. Time is one of those things, they simply do not see it the same way as humans. Days are fleeting moments, weeks are little more than a flash to them, years are but months in their view, and vorns are the closest they have to an actual measurement of time that matters. They see everything in a far longer view, planning for centuries into the future more often than not.

Despite the war forcing their views on time to match those of humans more closely, their ideas regarding friendship, family, and other bonds have not changed. Bonds are a sacred thing, they are not made in a day nor do they break easily. It takes years for a sparkling to bond to their Caretaker despite the Caretaker in question doing everything to love and care for them. While other species may find it strange, for Cybertronians it is completely normal since the sparkling does not have any actual relation to them prior to a bond forming. Not only that, but if the sparkling and Caretaker do not match it would be terrible for them to be stuck together when it clearly does not suit either party. They have eternity ahead of them, having a good family is more important than any benefits an immediate bond may bring. Unlike species who reproduce on their own and have an instinctual bond with their offspring for survival reasons, Cybertronians, while still feeling affection for their young counterparts, still need to put in effort to bond with their sparklings.

Friendships take even longer to form, anywhere from vorns to centuries. Cybertronians naturally tend to group together, its part of their code, a way to ensure they survive. And so they can easily be amicable with one another, but a proper friendship does not form until two bots can safely determine that the other is a good match for them. This can happen rather quickly if both save each other or prove through action that they are a suitable partner in a survival situation, forming a bond of necessity. This was common during the war and allowed the Autobots and Decepticons to form bonds fast enough to actually have a sense of comradery. But when not forced due to stress or other factors, friendships form through shared ideals, functions, or simply a harmonization of sparks. Take Ratchet and Optimus's relationship for example. Both were from wildly different castes and functions, neither having particularly close ideals outside of their wish for freedom for all, but with time they formed their bond.

Romantic relationships are not really a concept that Cybertronians are familiar with, at least not in the sense that organics are used to. They have no sexual drive since they do not reproduce through intercourse or other methods involving the union of two individuals. The closest thing Cybertronians have to a romantic relationship is an evolution of an Amica bond (the bond that forms between close friends), that being Conjunx Endura. Even then it isn't really a marriage, more like a shared habitation where both bots trust the other with their lives and to make decisions in their stead. They may be more affectionate with their Conjunx than with their Amica or other friends, but ultimately the bond is like the highest form of companionship instead of a marriage. Simply put, Cybertronians just have a different view on relationships as a whole.

As such when the children walked into their lives, it was rather awkward for a while due to the differing views of the bots when it comes to bonds. Especially with PDA and such not really being something Cybertronians do for various reasons.

The Children's Attachment

When the children became the Autobot's charges, they expected very little to change beyond the chaos that was guaranteed to come from human sparklings running about. At most they were prepared to have stress induced friendship bonds form between themselves and the children. Even though Optimus was near desperate to coddle the human sparklings he kept himself controlled as always and life went on as normal. That was until the children began getting all touchy feely, behaving in a manner around the bots that was reserved for Amica bonded or Caretakers and their sparklings on Cybertron.

It started with Miko. Her family life was less than stellar and so she quickly took a liking to Bulkhead who came to be an older brother/fatherly figure for her. She started hanging around him more than any of the other bots, and that was fine, in fact it was a normal starting point for any set of bots looking to possibly develop a friendship. Bulkhead didn't mind and the team didn't bat an optic, it made sense for Miko to begin attempting to bond with her guardian if only to make their time together more tolerable. But then she started getting all affectionate with Bulkhead, dragging him out to do things with her, giving him gifts, and even giving him the odd kiss on the cheek. And that baffled the entire team, not just Bulkhead who could only stand around in confusion and embarrassment from the mixed signals he was getting. Did Miko want an Amica bond? Was she trying to tell Bulkhead she wanted him as her Caretaker? Or was there some strange human nuances he was missing?

It was odd, but the team tried to chalk it up to Miko being Miko, that was until Rafael got in on it. He started purposefully checking in on Bumblebee, becoming a bit of a mother hen while also spending nearly all of his free time with the scout. This was once again seen as pretty normal for Cybertronians looking to bond, after all, it made sense for Rafael to want to spend time with Bee to see if he was a good match. But just like with Miko, he started getting more intimate, joking and playing around with Bee in a manner reserved for close friends or even Amica bonded. He carefully made stickers for Bumblebee to wear on his armor and went out of his way to try and find a way to fix Bumblebee's voice when nothing else was on the agenda. It was odd behavior and once again, sent very mixed signals. It certainly didn't help when Rafael began mimicking Ratchet and following him around, much like a sparkling would with a potential Caretaker.

Eventually even Jack started becoming far more affectionate than what the bots were used to and expecting. He worried for Arcee, fixing up her paint for her and playfully teasing her in fun banter. He gave her small gifts and took the time to teach her things about human society. This only served to drive home to the bots just how odd the human children were and made them begin to panic slightly due to the incredibly mixed signals. Arcee couldn't figure out what the heck Jack was trying to do with his interactions. Did he see her as a potential Caretaker? If so, why was he teaching her things? Did he want an Amica bond? But if that was the case, why was he allowing her to take care of him as she would a youngling? Not even Optimus was exempt from the children's confusing affection. All three of the children also made sure to offer him some love too, giving him little gifts in the form of small trinkets and constantly pestering him to play/assist them in something. It warmed his spark, but also left him just as confused as the rest of the team.

Of course it never occurred to the team to just ask what the children wanted outright because why would they? They were millennia old, they were pretty sure they understood what the children were asking of them with their actions. Hence began the team's very dysfunctional attempt to try and match whatever they believed the children wanted of them. It was awkward and felt rushed to most of the team, but they did try their best. And upon doing some additional research they came to understand somewhat the driving force behind the children's behavior. Apparently humans are pack type species and rapidly form and break bonds as a means to survive with their short lifespans. Hence their (not so sudden) sudden affection in the optics of the bots. So despite their own reservations and the blatant disregard for the normal order of things on the children's part, the team did their best to bond in whatever capacity the children seemed to want.

Bulkhead did his best to try and respond to Miko's affection with a more fatherly approach. He tested the waters carefully, doing his best to not pressure or overstep while still attempting to take on a parental role in her life. When he found no objection from Miko in response to his minor worrying and slightly more authoritative tone with her, he pushed things up a notch, feeling pretty confident in his choice to try and become her secondary Caretaker since her parents weren't available. When Wheeljack arrived and was met with similar levels of affection from Miko, he took one look at Bulkhead and followed his lead. In the end Miko did not realize it, but she gained two very very overprotective fathers. With Bulkhead being the more reasonable one, constantly checking on her to make sure she does her work and fuels properly and Wheeljack adding a little bit of chaos while also being the one to dole out punishments when needed. It has never been anything worse than having to stand in the corner or sit up in the rafters with no way down without help, but still Bulkhead frets.

Bumblebee took Rafael's concern and more understanding approach to mean that he was working toward trying to gain an Amica bond with him. It was surprising, and since he had never been presented with such a situation before, Bumblebee went to Optimus for advice on the subject. And so soon after Bumblebee took to doing what a good potential Amica should do according to Optimus, that being trying to understand and connect to his possible best friend. He took the time to listen, learn, and discover everything he could about Rafael without being a creep and digging through his files (that would break the rules, a good Amica doesn't do that). He spent as much time as possible with Rafael, having discussions and trying to bring them closer. And in the end, Rafael, much like Miko, had no idea when he gained himself a similarly very very overprotective brother and friend. No one touched Rafael without Bee being there to drive them into the ground before they could so much as lift a finger. Rafael was his friend, his potential Amica, no one was allowed to harm him so long as Bumblebee lived.

Ratchet saw Rafael's mimicry and overall interest in him as an obvious cry for a Caretaker, and so believing himself incapable of being incorrect on that front, did not even hesitate to begin the bonding process. When Rafael wasn't with Bumblebee, Ratchet took him and carried him around in one of his servos or on his shoulder, taking the time to answer all of his questions. Ratchet would check Rafael regularly and sing on a pitch too low for human ears but most certainly meant to calm a sparkling. He would also carefully listen to everything Rafael said to him, taking note of anything that could be bothering his little one. Anything at all that upset Rafael was tended to by Ratchet. A wound? Ratchet would tenderly put a band-aid on it and give Rafael a little treat he had June buy for him. Trouble at home? Ratchet was always there to listen and quietly coo at his small human sparkling, reminding him that he is loved. In the end Rafael got himself a highly devoted Caretaker, willing to do just about anything for him even if the medic in question refuses to acknowledge it.

Arcee took a lot longer than the rest of the team to figure out what the pit Jack wanted from her. He treated her like an equal, bantering and playing but still looked to her for care. And that confused her to the point of leading her to also go to Optimus for consultation. His advice was to try taking on a more motherly role and see how Jack felt about it. And so trusting her Prime, she did as advised, and surprise surprise, Jack didn't seem at all concerned if a little irritated at times. Seeing this Arcee rapidly took on the role of a secondary Caretaker for Jack. While he had his mother, he did not have a father, someone to protect him. So Arcee stepped up, becoming a more masculine parental figure for him, teaching him the things a father normally would have to the best of her ability. She even went so far as to look up things like how to tie a tie and how to change a car tire just for Jack since no one else was going to teach him any time soon. Of course she still mostly kept to a more feminine role when it came to Jack's care, but when required she took up the mantle his father left behind. And just like Miko and Rafael, he had no clue when he ultimately gained himself a doting parent ready to murder and hide the bodies of his enemies for him.

As for Optimus? He was perfectly content to take on the role his position as Prime offered him. On Cybertron, while sparkling had primary and secondary Caretakers to handle a majority of their needs and education, there was always a more communal effort involved. In small select groups like Optimus's team on earth, there was always a head to the clan that formed. There was always a protector and elder guide for all the young bots under their care. And in the team's case, that was Optimus, that with him being the Prime and old as dirt, being bested only by Ratchet in age. And so in light of this and his own desire to care for sparklings, human as they might be, Optimus took on the role of the clan guardian. He taught the children whenever there was time, teaching them important life lessons through simple tales and stories. He regurally sat them on his shoulders and sang to them songs of Cybertron and the history of all that his people held dear. He told them the history of the Cybertronian people, taking care to ensure the children learned well and grew up strong as a Prime should. And on top of that, he often made the children small gifts in return for their own, ranging from talismans to interesting objects he found on patrol.

In the end, the team bonded to the children, their attachment being far greater than anything the human children could have even conceived with the sacred status associated with bonds. As such, any and all attempts to touch the children by MECH, the Decepticons, or anyone else was met with immediate and sharp retribution, even being detrimental at times.

Bonds

Bonds are sacred, they mean everything to Cybertronians. When they form, they are often for life, never to be broken save for the most brutal of betrayals. The children did not understand this in large part due to the culture difference. As such when the bots began growing more aggressive and less content with things going on in the children's lives, they could not comprehend why.

Every single time Jack's bully turned up to harass him, Arcee had to struggle to keep herself from pommeling the brat. Jack was her boy, he was so kind and loving, he did not deserve to hear the slag coming out of the mouths of his peers. Bumblebee often found himself growing paranoid whenever Rafael was away from base for more than a day or two, wondering if something had happened to his potential Amica. He paced, concerned beyond words that something had happened, or worse yet, that Rafael had found him unsuitable for an Amica bond. And any time some kid tried to bother Rafael while Bumblebee was there waiting very nearly ended in bloodshed if not for the constant fear of discovery looming over his helm. Bulkhead and Wheeljack had many many profane words in store for Miko's foster and biological parents. How dare they leave the lovely girl alone! How dare they never give her any affection! Miko's quiet cries in the dead of night where she called out for her parents always tore Bulkhead and Wheeljack's sparks to shreds. They wanted nothing more than to comfort her, but instead all they could do was shower her in affection later as they knew interacting with her in that state would do no good.

Ratchet regularly contemplated just straight up kidnapping Rafael after he took a closer look at his home life and saw just how little his parents cared for him. Did they not know that sparklings were a rare and wonderful gift? Downright disgusting in his book. And when it came to a Con touching Rafael, Ratchet's normally calm demeanor went flying out the window, nearly leading him to kill a few Vehicons in rage. No one touched his sparkling. Optimus was not any better. If any of his little ones were touched, grown (Bumblebee) or otherwise (the children), he would not hesitate to destroy the perpetrator, primely duties be slagged. And much like Ratchet he tended to consider the possibility of up and adopting (stealing) the children, perhaps even finding a way to get them proper Cybertronian frames. His little ones needed to live long lives after all, Optimus would not stand for anything else.

Knowing all this, MECH really shouldn't have expected anything aside from an outright slaughter when they took the children. Even Autobots have breaking points..

[nobodies-png]

Destiny Trio - Love Languages

Headcanons and analysis on Sora, Kairi and Riku's love languages and the way they show their appreciation.

I started writing a draft with this very same prompt for the orgxiii but my god, i forgot how time consuming it is to write for 14 people all at once without repeating myself too much

so i'm taking a break from that by doing the exact same thing with less characters lmfao

Giving: Acts of Service, Physical Touch

Receiving: Gifts, Quality Time

[Acts of Service]

Sora is a bleeding heart through and through, so it makes sense to me that his first and foremost love language is acts of service - one way or another, he's always doing things for the sake of others, both big and small. Without a doubt, Sora is the type of person who would gladly give you the world and ask for nothing in return.

Because he's willing to help anyone, it's extremely easy to see Sora as gullible, naive and easy to take advantage of. And that might've been true when he was younger! However, those closest to him know about that stubborn streak of his: every day, Sora wakes up and actively chooses kindness over everything else.

This intense mindset is what drives him forward, it's also what makes Sora so reliable. No matter the situation, he'll always be there for those he cares about.

He'll be there if you need someone to help you with chores or to keep you company during sleepless nights, telling you all about his adventures until you fall asleep. He's the one staying behind on the island, looking for that good luck charm Kairi gave you, the one you lost while playing on the beach. The second he hears you're sick, or lonely, or feeling bad in general, he's at your doorstep calling out your name, so that you can tell him how to help. To him, the best feeling is knowing that his loved ones are cared for and safe, that they don't have to worry about anything.

And because he makes friends wherever he goes, it means he has many, many connections. If he can't help you out directly, then chances are he knows someone who absolutely can.

Out of the group, the one who gets carried away the most is Sora. So in this case, acts of service is a double-edged sword - he'll stop at nothing to help others or to do what he believes will soothe their pain, even if it means sacrificing himself for it.

One of my favorite portrayals of Sora is seeing how years of being "the chosen one" affected him while growing up, to the point where he doesn't see any alternatives to martyrdom because he's so used to carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. So whenever he wants to show someone that he cares, he does it through acts of service because - in his eyes - there's nothing else that he can offer other than being helpful and fixing what's wrong. Because he's supposed to being the one to save everything and everyone.

[Physical Touch]

This love language isn't as loaded as the previous one - Sora is just a naturally touchy-feely, clingy person!

He's usually leaning or touching his friends and loved ones in some manner, either by having an arm around their shoulders, holding their hand, linking arms, leaning on them, etc... You name it! Hell, this isn't even limited to people Sora knows or cares about, because he'll also be pretty friendly and casually affectionate with people he just met.

His welcoming aura, paired with the incredible hugs he gives, makes Sora an absolute machine when it comes to getting people to eventually drop their guard, no matter how hesitant they may be towards physical contact. The main example to this is Riku!

Of course, if confronted directly about boundaries and such, Sora would respect them to the best of his ability and make it an habit of asking for permission before doing anything.

Also I lied, there is a bittersweet tone to Sora's affections.

It might not seem like it, since he's extremely casual with physical touch, it means a lot to him. In a way, being able to reach out to people, know they're right there next to him, that he can actually hug them, helps ground Sora.

I imagine he becomes even clingier over the years, a side-effect to constantly losing his best friends and all the people he's befriended in his journeys. One would expect physical touch to be a love language he likes to receive instead of give, but it all ties back to Sora's inability to let himself be cared for.

Perhaps he re-contextualizes it as him letting others know that he'll always be there, that they're the ones who can reach out for him and he'll actually be there - as opposed to him needing their presence to feel whole and calm. Who knows!

Giving: Gifts, Words of Affirmation

Receiving: Acts of Service, Quality Time

[Gifts]

Kairi is also very openly affectionate with her loved ones, but she shows how much she cares about them through gifts.

Typically, she tries to get small, cute and useful things to her friends - perhaps erasers shaped like fun animals, hair clips to keep the hair out of your face or some scrunchies, sometimes it's things she knows you've been eyeing for awhile. Sometimes it's matching lunchboxes! Kairi is extremely attentive to her surroundings and those around her, so her gifts tend to come in at just the right moment. Like Sora, she likes to make the lives of her loved ones a bit easier and more colorful.

Her love for lucky charms and trinkets is known by almost everyone on the islands, but contrary to popular belief, Kairi only makes them for very special occasions - they're very meaningful gifts for her, after all! In her words, if she were to give everyone she knows one, they would lose all their magic.

Like the ones she gives to Sora, these charms are meant to represent a promise between her and her loved ones - that you'll come back safe and sound to her, that you'll never forget her. Because Kairi is used to being the one left behind, these charms are a way for her to be with all the people she has to say goodbye to, even if its just a very small part of her.

It also goes without saying that Kairi always gives the best gifts during any event that requires them, like Secret Santas, special holidays, birthdays and so on. Even if you don't know what type of gift you'd like, she'll figure it out. It's almost scary!

I also like to think that she's quite good at arts and crafts (and that's why Naminé is so artistic) as well as writing, so she'd include very heartfelt notes with her gifts.

[Words of Affirmation]

In KH2, we see that Kairi was very eager to start protecting Sora and Riku in return instead of staying by the sidelines, the culmination of all those themes about being left behind over and over - so I like to think that words of affirmation is Kairi's secondary love language because it's more of a skill she's had to develop over the years.

She was rarely allowed the chance to do anything for herself, but she knows that people will listen to her words, if that makes sense?

Like, let's be honest: as close as the Destiny Trio might be, growing up with two boys who will constantly fight for your attention is kind of tiring - the amount of mediating Kairi has had to do from a young age is amazing. So that awareness, paired with the fact that she was adopted by the mayor of the islands, made Kairi very aware of the effect her words would have on people, whether she liked it or not.

She's always been kind and considerate, but her words tend to be a little sweeter because of this whole thing. Whenever she sees someone in need of a listening ear, she'll be very gentle, allowing the other party to steer the conversation to whatever they're comfortable discussing with her.

Her advice is always solid, but it might feel a little distant to some, like she's specifically choosing to say the safest things for your situation.

This is something she outgrows as she becomes older, the current Kairi doesn't have to suppress her own stubbornness anymore, after all - she calls it how she sees it, and might tease you from time to time, but she always make sure that you feel heard, seen and cared for, passionately talking about how much you inspire her.

And this is also where her letters come into play! It's way easier for her to put thoughts and feelings into a letters or notes, because she does get flustered over rambling and gushing so much about her loved ones.

Giving: Acts of Service, Quality Time

Receiving: Words of Affirmation, Physical Touch

[Acts of Service]

Riku is a stark contrast to Sora and Kairi, he struggles with being as openly affectionate - both verbally and physically - as them, which leaves him with two love languages that don't necessarily focus on either of those two things.

He shares acts of service with Sora, but Riku helps those he cares about specifically to repay all the kindness and patience he's been shown. And in this aspect, he's more similar to Kairi - instead of grand gestures, both prefer to do little things to make others happy.

In fact, Riku doubles down on this. He's proud to know others rely on him, whenever someone might approach to ask him for help, but he greatly prefers helping from the shadows (less embarrassing and less chances to get flustered that way). He'll wake up early to make breakfast or make whatever necessary preparations for the day, just so that you can take a few extra minutes in bed. If you need to run errands, he's most likely taken care of half of them already so that you only have half of the work left.

To differentiate him more from Sora: Sora is on your doorstep the second he finds out you're sick, but Riku is most likely the reason you never got sick in the first place because he's probably been fussing about you wearing enough layers.

One thing I love to headcanon about Riku is that he's great at everything and anything - as long as he's doing it for someone else. He'll put in the extra effort if needed, but really he'll only succeed if his motivation is helping someone he cares about. And because he makes sure that no one sees his failures (if possible), it makes Riku come across as this perfect guy, which is most likely what fueled his rivalry with Sora when they were kids.

[Quality Time]

Because of the chaotic life he's led, Riku appreciates the quiet moments even more.

Whenever he feels restless, or whenever he sees his loved ones stressed and in need of a break, Riku won't hesitate to pull them away from their responsibilities into an impromptu date. You will hang out with him and you will relax or so help him.

Like every person native to Destiny Islands, his first instinct is to seek the nearest body of water (if the ocean isn't that easy to get to). An empty beach, river or lakeside on a sunny day is the perfect way to relax - whether you want to swim around, walk along the shore, or just dip your feet into the water and talk until the sun sets.

He's never been one for large crowds or huge outings with dozens of friends, so one-on-one time is perfect for someone like Riku. If you ever need someone to just sit with you in absolute silence, you can count on Riku to be there for you. If you need that to be a daily or weekly occurrence, he'll set up seven alarms to make sure he's never late.

You'll get to see Riku's most vulnerable side, when he trusts you enough to show that he genuinely wants to be closer to you - even if all you two do is talk about groceries, what you'd like to do next week or to show you the funny shit Kairi and Sora text him when half-asleep. He'll stumble over his words at times, apologize for the smallest of things that you never even noticed or thought were an issue, like getting a little sassy and regretting it instantly because what if you weren't as close as he thought you were, etc.

All in all, under all those layers of nonchalance and effortless perfection, Riku is one huge mess, but he trusts you enough to know that. And he'd be over the moon to know you also trusted him enough to lower your guard around him.

[valtsv]

online interactions are a double-edged sword 'cause yes, bad-faith interpreters are everywhere, but making assumptions about people's intentions when they're not quite clear can land you in equally hot water. it's a terrible balancing act sometimes, trying to toe the line of staying kind without being too vulnerable to assholes wanting to twist your words. i've only ever seen you err on the side of kindness, which is really hard to do and i applaud you for that. you're much better at handling things outwardly than almost anyone else i follow.

thank you so much. i agree, it's difficult sometimes to decide how best to act, and i know that it's possible to be too tolerant and nonconfrontational and let people hurt you or others. i've been guilty of that before, and it's something i'm trying to learn from and work on, because it's not kindness to let people hurt you or others because you don't want to stand up to them and have difficult conversations. it's cowardice.

but wherever possible, whenever possible, i try to approach things with kindness and patience. i find that most people respond better to a willingness to hear them out and try to reach a point of mutual understanding and agreement, which is what i always aim for if someone's intentions are misguided but not malicious (though i do my best not to compromise my own values, either, because it's important to stick up for what you believe is right). i only hope that people see how much better it feels to be given a chance to explain themselves and clarify things they might have unintentionally made unclear, and consider doing the same for others. i want people to feel as safe as possible around me, and that means they deserve to be safe to be wrong sometimes. if i have the patience and energy and time to explain that to them, then i'm willing to make the effort.

it's not easy, but it does get easier with practice - and it also gets easier to enforce boundaries and call people out when necessary if you're more confident that you're being the kindest, most patient person you can be in the given situation. being kind to other people also helps you be kinder and more patient with yourself - if you're constantly searching for flaws in others and unnecessarily critical of them, you'll be drawn to focus on those qualities in yourself, and treat yourself more harshly than you deserve. i became a lot happier and more self accepting when i started being kinder to myself - but also more self aware, and more willing to acknowledge my own flaws.

i'm really glad that it's something other people see and appreciate it, because it is something i work hard to maintain ^_^

[whispering-radiance]

I was preparing a question about the characters of Eiko and Nomi, but now I have a new one. Perhaps the concept of a male heir can be traced here, or Eiko expressed a desire to engage in exorcism from early childhood. But still, why do the characters of children have such serious differences? After all, they grew up in the same atmosphere (and, perhaps, only with their father and his friend). Besides, the mentality of the time couldn't allow Nomi to not be able to stand up for himself... could it? Okay, they basically grew up without a mother, which has left Eiko devoid of some sense of values, and on top of that, their father is almost always busy. That is, Eiko can be a courageous, independent, immodest and brave girl. But why isn't Nomi like that?

You may not be looking at the mentality that allows you freedom of action (I have my doubts about school, but that doesn't matter). Still, Eiko and Nomi spend a lot of time together, and they also have a cool father (it doesn’t matter whether others know about it or not - it doesn’t stop them from being proud of their father).

And something else. Does Nomi have a complex about his sister standing up for him? Or does he simply not yet know such dark feelings as envy (and, of course, loves Eiko)?

All this is important. I think this is the reason why Nomi disobeyed his father and put on the mask.

Oh this will be a long one, but RAAAAH I will answer. Now, I should probably add that not every little doodle should be analyzed under a careful eye, sometimes I just feel silly and make things because I want to.

| A golden star for parenting |

(I’m not quite sure when exactly Eiko and Nomi were born; but it might be close to defeating the sorcerer; rather than after)

Now that wasn’t fully thought out till last weekend — Amber was a part of the family for quite a bit. I never fully stated this, I just wrote “they’ve managed to start a family before she disappeared” — But oh, even though she was, she wasn’t ideal. If you’re familiar with how Slavic moms sometimes are, then you’ll have a good image of Amber’s character.

She probably left when Nomi and Eiko were old enough to remember her, but they were pretty much still young kids.

What I can say is that she ventured to stop an ancient evil from escaping the Shadow Realm, if it had managed to get out, it would have been game over for all — but obviously I can’t go on with details because I’m still polishing the story.

| Eiko and Nomi - Kids |

I’m not sure where should I start with— Hmm well, maybe I’ll start with Nomi, because I didn’t have a chance to fully explain his character.

Nomi is dangerously smart, he’s an observer and analyzer, but that doesn’t mean he’s weak or not able to stand up for himself. He knows how he should act in certain situations, and that violence is a double edged sword. Like if he stood up to bullies at school, that would just attract unwanted attention or it would have resulted in some kind of parental intervention; and he preferred not to have all eyes on him.

While Nomi sticks with his motto of “Think before you act”, Eiko acts before thinking — At least she when she was w child.

At that time, Eiko was a mess. She tried her best to fill the void their mother had left, but this turned out to be too much of a challenge for her.

She was impulsive and often ended up causing problems for herself.

They both depended heavily on each other — providing emotional support, encouragement, and trying to keep the other from getting into too much trouble. I don’t think they ever felt envy towards each other

| Are they different for each other? |

I don’t think so — What is different about them is the way of dealing with emotions and different situations. Nomi usually bottles up his feelings, prefers to stay quiet and tries to resolve everything by himself. Eiko on the other hand takes it out on the world, usually with anger.

| Exorcism |

Hmmmm— you gotta believe me on this one, but I will write a post that goes in depth on this whole concept — But the whole business with evil and good spirits was kind of an escapism for Eiko; and also a new possible path she could take in the future

| Nomi, his disobedience |

Now this event happened later in his life, we’re talking full adult, developed brain, probably near his 30s — At that time he was already a respected master.

Whatever went through his brain was a mix of an impulsive decision and childhood dreams of wanting to be a Ninja — After all, he worked incredibly hard to archive and learn the ninja knowledge — His father’s order felt like an insult. And so he wanted to prove that the right successor was there all along.

(And like I’ve mentioned in one answer— First Ninja wasn’t fully aware of the curse, but he knew something was fishy about the way the masked acted sometimes— So trusting his gut feelings he wanted it out of his clan — for safety reasons)