#goro can also confirm

[breezypunk]

there's somethin' about you that drives me crazy.

[alt255]

choosing to accept Maruki's reality on February 2nd right in front of Akechi's face is literally the worst possible insult and also the cruelest thing you could ever do to Goro Akechi. And the more I think about it the worse it gets.

because all of his fucking life goro akechi was hardly seen as a person. instead, he was an unwanted burden of a child, or a disposable assassin or tool, or some ideal teenage idol. he's been treated more as a doll or a puppet than as a human. and at the end of it all he justifiably decides he's sick of this shit! He wants to reclaim agency over his own life. He wants to be his own fucking person even if it means dying to it that way.

and it's so fucking important that he has so much fucking faith and trust in Joker / you to make the right decision in 3rd semester. He really believes Joker can and will at least respect his autonomy and personhood, unlike everyone else

But if you make the decision to take Maruki's offer, you're taking it all away from him. You break his trust (which he has given to SO FEW PEOPLE) and you take away his agency (in a life where he already had so little) and you essentially confirm to Goro Akechi's face that You don't see him as a person.

You confirm to him that you're exactly like everyone else in his life, in that you want to control him. And it can't even be justified by "I want you alive," because no, you don't want Goro Akechi as a person alive, you want some palatable, idealized version of him.

[akiology]

Akiren, Goro kissing headcanons

Note: i hope this is to your liking anon! <3

Akiren

He honestly does not care where he is, if you ask for a kiss, you are getting one! Although, of course, there are limits. He would not engage in a full-on make out session with you outside, but he would definitely indulge you in a kiss or two. There may be times where he gives the back of your hand kisses too, and if you turn to look at him he will give you a smile and a wink.

In private though, his kisses are gentle and reassuring, you will never want to leave his arms. This man is absolutely in love with you, completely taken by you, and he makes sure you feel the full extent of his feelings. Whenever you pull away, he will nuzzle your nose and whisper a soft, "I love you so much," against your lips. He likes giving you neck kisses too, especially if you're ticklish there. If you show any kind of reaction, he will kiss you there whenever he is in the mood to be playful. He is also the kind of person to give you a kiss, just cause. You're in the way and he needs to pass through? Gives you a quick kiss in your shoulder, and an "Excuse me, treasure."

His kisses are fun and passionate, another way of expressing his love and as a way to keep him grounded. Sometimes, as he kiss a ticklish spot and you giggle, he smiles to himself and thinks that everything is going to be okay, because he has you.

Goro

He is not really into PDA, especially considering he has a public image to uphold and he thinks it will put you in harm's way if the both of you ever try to publicize your relationship. So if you ever ask him to kiss outside, he will wave you off. But if you are in a semi-private place, somewhere you can probably hide for a few minutes, then he may give you a peck on the lips. That's all you're getting though, as he tells you, "Be patient, please."

Whenever you are behind closed doors though, there's a sense of urgency and need behind his kisses. As if he is trying to confirm for himself that you are really there with him, and that it is his only lifeline. If you keep indulging him, he may or may not get addicted. He also likes giving you forehead kisses, and you may find him giving you a lot of those when he is extra affectionate. He finds your kisses as a way to 'recharge', and so in the times you are tangled up in each other's embrace, he makes the most of it. "Are you okay?" you asked one night, and Goro nods while tucking a stray hair behind your ear and a kiss on your nose, "I am now."

His kisses are a way for him to express his feelings, because gods is he terrible at it sometimes. But he is trying, and he hopes that somehow, that reaches you. There are so many things he cannot tell you yet, and when he remembers that, his kisses turn desperate and needier than usual.

[saikolikes]

Aki’s P5R  fanfic recs! (part 2)

Hi and welcome to another one of my recs posts! As you can see, this is part two: part one of this post can be found HERE and includes fics I bookmarked between April 2019 and December 2020. This second post will deal with everything I bookmarked during 2021 and 2022 (... so yes, part 3 is bound to happen some times in the future)

Here a brief disclaimer:

Everything in here is spoiler for either P5 vanilla, Royal, or Strikers;

I won’t report the tags, as it would take too long, so if you’re interested in a fic, please open the link;

Fic recs obviously reflect my tastes and preferences. For example, I love suffering and I don’t like fluff or domestic works, so browse this list knowing that;

The stark majority of the works here is shuakeshu

If you want more recs you can find them in my bookmarks, most of them are public!

MY ONGOING RECS Again, I don't read a lot of ongoing works (although, admittedly more than in the past) and these are the ones I'm subscribed to that I'm adoring!

The Lovers, Reversed by salexectria, Terra5 (E) | Royalty a/b/o AU | akeshu | series in three parts, ongoing "A Thief is caught stealing from the Northern King, and is sentenced to death for his crimes. The Alpha Prince intervenes, but at what cost to them both?" What I love about this AU is the amount of politics and worldbuilding put into it, as well as the uniqueness of double povs who constantly switch from Akira to Goro creating one back and forth that acts literally like poking into their minds. Plus the slow burn and the pining are just on point.

never die when I'm dead by threerings (E) | Royal & post-Royal | akeshu | series in 2 parts, ongoing Two one shots featuring one of my absolute flavors of this ship: sad, intense and unhinged

IDC FOR UPDATES I resolved to defeat my abandoned-wip trauma one excellent fic at a time so here's a list of works that haven't been updated in a while or the author straight up confirmed they won't keep writing them, but they are so good you just have to read them and let them remodel you. Do it. Do it now.

the year of the knife by theexistentiallyqueer (M) | No powers AU | shuakeshu | 2 chapters "The plan for Akira's junior year of high school was to keep his head down and his nose clean, but he hadn't counted on his new high school having more trouble than it was worth--and he specifically didn't plan on Akechi Goro, the haughty, machiavellian vice president of Shujin Academy's student council, dragging him face-first into political scandal and a series of encounters that would change his life." Please let teq bring you through a journey of spot-on characterization and stunning prose that will rewire your brain chemistry completely. Their take on machiavellian Akechi is really good, and the snark Akira spits in this fic is really something I cherish.

kiss & cry by MajorGodComplex (T) | Figure skating AU | shuakeshu | 2 chapters "Goro’s first thought when he hits the ground is some combination of the words ‘shit fuck hell fucking bullshit bitch fuck motherfucking hell.’ His next thought is wondering whether Akira Kurusu, senior debut, constant thorn in Goro’s side, and the only person anyone this season seems to talk about, is also trying to land a quad axel at the moment." I don't know what to tell you, the prose of this one is so witty and funny you just have to read what's published of it as of now!

honeybrains by succubused (T) | Time loop | shuakeshu | 4 chapters "a chronicle of the twenty-fourth time akira kurusu lived through the month of january 2017" What can I say, I am really a sucker for time loops and this fic took me by the heart. Tagged as character study and with rights because the characterization here is very interesting!

in the snow globe by aminami (E) | Time travel | shuake | 1 chapter "It’s your heart,” Joker says like it’s the most obvious thing. “Your desires, your hopes, your fears. I’ll carry them with me always. My little snow globe." This fic will hurt you so badly but it will be so worth it, I swear. It's just so melancholic and tender and angsty and it carved a place in my heart.

my love has never lived indoors by rhodophytae (E) | a/b/o | shuake | 1 chapter "Ren Amamiya knows he's an alpha, and he's comfortable with that, but he's pretty sure that being an alpha is, well...different for him than it is for other people. He resigned himself a long time ago to the fact that he'd probably go his whole life without finding anyone else like him. And then he meets Goro Akechi." This fic has such an interesting take on omegaverse! Paired with a stellar characterization and delicious pining, it's no surprise it's a fic I will never forget.

GENERAL RECS The fics I’ve enjoyed the most and that I go back to reading sometimes.

how joker and crow survived the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 by shntlvs (T) | Royal | shuakeshu | series of 2 works "Escaping from Maruki's false reality gets interrupted by the Coronavirus pandemic." Could you have ever imagined reading a fic centered around the pandemic? Me neither, but this one and its sequel work so well and have very compelling bits of characterization for the boys. Unexpected premise, but I utterly loved it.

straw house, straw dog by caelam (T) | 3rd sem | gen | one shot "In the saccharine utopia of Maruki’s reality, Goro Akechi’s mother is still alive." I admittedly don't read too many fics with mamakechi so I won't claim to be an expert, but this one really left me impressed with how clear and tangible the tangle of feelings is.

Knight of Pentacles, King of Spades by Naometry (M) | Medieval AU | shuakeshu | 11 chapters "“Hifumi passed on your greetings,” Akira Kurusu says, fury simmering beneath his conversational tone. “And I’m polite enough to give you my own in person. So greetings, General Goro Akechi. I am the man who will kill you.”" I started reading this fic for the war captive trope but this story has so much more to it than just that. Nao's superb skill with writing violence and viciousness will have you thrust into a cruel world where two boys seem to be bound to kill each other... unless?

Ripples by Riona (T) | gen | canon compliant | one shot "Ten people know exactly who the news is talking about, and now they’re going to have to deal with that." A peek into the heads of 10 of Joker's confidants upon learning about his death. The fic I would never imagined myself reading, but I did because it was recced to me, and now I'm recc'ing it to you, too.

When Your Eyes Meet Mine by seths_dream (E) | no powers AU | shuake | one shot "The way the bellboy lingered on him made his heart jolt, made him think that maybe, maybe the bellboy was looking at Goro the same way Goro was looking at him." I've lost count of how many times I read this fic because the horny is just so juicy, it's unironically one of the fics I come back to when I need to remind myself how to write horny stuff. (the same author also wrote this delicious pegoryu that you have to read)

a study in what not to say by succubused (T) | 3rd sem | shuake | one shot "Akira has finally had enough of Akechi's bullshit; they resolve it the only ways they know how." If you like the boys being really nasty to each other, this fic is a must. It has excellent dialogue, dynamics, and a tad of homoerotic wound tending which can't hurt no one!

MY ALL-TIME FAVOURITES The fics that rewired my brain chemistry, took my heart out, slapped it, put it back, and left me a whole new person.

27 steps to seduce a crow by relationshipcrimes (G) | Royal | shuakeshu | one shot "A handy bullet-pointed list on how to flirt with, seduce, and keep your local Akechi Goro." Still to this day, I think of this fic in terms of Goro's characterization. If I have a thing for post-canon shuake chasing each other, it's probably due to this one.

The Brigverse by TzviaAriella (E but most works are M) | Pirates AU | akeshuake | series, ongoing I admittedly don't care that much about pirates but the og fic from this series (A Brig Too Far) was being passed on so much that I gave it a try and. Oh boy. Not only is the characterization impeccable, the story compelling, and the action thrilling, but at least one scene and/or line from each work in this series has altered my brain permanently. I am a new person after reading Brigverse.

wild and free by bangandawhimper (E) | a/b/o | shuakeshu | one shot "Akira Kurusu hasn’t always been an omega. But now everyone he meets in this city assumes he’s an omega. He’s treated like an omega. He feels like an omega. He knows he feels like an omega because he remembers what it was to be an alpha." This work might have my favourite take ever on shuakeshu omegaverse, it's so fitting for them, so thought out, and the characterization is so on point... my god. Read this fic now.

The Diamond Chest by kinneas (E) | post-Royal | shuakeshu | 3 chapters, complete "Who says you have to see Morgana speak in the Metaverse before you can hear him in the real world? Not the few hundred officers who arrested Ren in Sae’s Palace two years ago, that’s for sure." Honestly everything kinnes writes is gold but I'm shouting this fic out because I reread more than a few scenes from this fic more than once, and it's a 100k-words baby. I am a sucker for heist stories, I am a sucker for dealing with trauma in very tangible ways, and I'm a sucker for kinneas' characterization of the boys.

before midnight by specterthief (Not rated) | 3rd sem, canon compliant | gen | one shot "“I—” Swallowing past the lump in her throat, Sumire sets down her chopsticks and rubs her face with both hands. “Um—who told you I was going to training camp?” (On January 9th, Sumire goes home.)" This is the stellar Sumire characterization fic you're looking for. Read this. Read this right now.

I HOPE THIS DOESN'T AWAKEN SOMETHING IN ME (DELUSIONAL) I clicked on these fics solely due to my trust in the authors/the summary/one rec and now I find myself with a new kink. Thanks.

Containment Breach by salexectria (E) | Space pirates AU | akeshu | one shot Akira gets stranded on an abandoned spaceship seemingly infested by a terrifying creature. He finds the lonely survivor of the crew and they begrudgingly start to work together to contact help and survive. I am just going to say that I clicked for salex's name, I stayed for the stellar characterization, pining and top-tier bantering, and got overwhelmed by the tentacle sex. (/pos)

it takes two by lumensd (E) | 3rd sem | akeshu | two-shots By all means, this series has some things I usually am not interested in (phone sex, degradation) but Jay is so skilled and his akeshus are so fucked in the head that now I've signed up for the masochist Joker agenda. Hurray!

i dream of you draped in wires by rime (E) | 3rd sem | akeshu | one shot "Maruki's Shadows don't want to fight; they just want to collect data. Wait, are those cat ears?" You would think a work with the tag "catboy shibari gunplay fuckordie" can't be too serious. Wrong! Excellent character study attack 🔪🔪🔪 (from the same author there's also this P5 vanilla fic that is excellent)

Darken my doorway by EnlacingLines (E) | 3rd sem-post canon | akeshu | one shot ""I don’t need to test my theory. You should be thanking me, really. Opening this door for you.” “A door to what?” Akira says, exasperated by just how self congratulatory Goro still sounds.“ Submission.” Or: I am a firm switch shuake shipper, I don't vibe with too-extreme dynamics *proceeds to go ballistics over this fic regardless*, *awakens to the wonder of d/s a lil fucked up dynamics*

[fereldanwench]

👀 please share your thoughts on the emp threads and especially goro’s vanity I’d love to know more

Happy to oblige!!!

So for those who don't know, EMP threading in the Cyberpunk world is a type of cyberware that appeared towards the end of the Red Decades/Time of the Red, likely in the late 2040s. It was believed at the time that it could protect its wearer against electromagnetic interference from more intense cybernetics (like weapon augmentations and the like) and radiation. However, that was never scientifically confirmed, and in my opinion, it was probably some sci-fi woo-woo marketing bullshit.

It's cataloged as fashionware in the TTPRG, which means that it doesn't really increase the risk for cyberpsychosis and other negative side effects the way the real shit does. It's basically just about aesthetics and typically has little functional purpose.

I believe it was Goro's writer, Philip Weber, who confirmed on one Pawel's Twitch streams in fall 2021 that the markings on Goro's face are EMP threads and not "proper" cyberware. (I don't feel like tracking down the link right this second, but when I have a little more time I can verify and/or amend the exact source in the comments. I do know that Goro definitely has EMP threading.)

Goro's exact age has never been confirmed--We've just been told he's at least 45 years old in 2077, although I personally always felt like that was too young. My initial guess was early to mid-60s, and then I bumped my headcanon down to 55ish to find a happy medium between the two. Regardless, he's likely somewhere between his late teens to late 20s when EMP threading is gaining popularity, and I feel like this sort of new trendy cyberware probably has much greater appeal to young adults who are really finding their personal style and identity and whatnot.

So I've always had two different but not necessarily conflicting thoughts about Goro's EMP threading:

He got them for practical purposes, thinking they would enhance his abilities and make him an even better little super soldier for Arasaka-sama. Or maybe Arasaka even made their soldiers get them at one point, buying into the idea that they did have a functional purpose.

He got them because he just wanted to look cool. 😎 And I mean, he does still have them, even after presumably something traumatic damaged a part of the threading (that scar, to me, looks like it happened after the threading was implanted given how perfectly it lines up against the remaining thread), so I think there's some conscious fashion/style decision here. I don't see them as being something he'd have a hard time getting removed if he really wanted to.

And like I said: these don't even necessarily have to conflict. Maybe he got them on his own because he thought they'd be functional AND looked cool. 😎

As for Goro's youthful vanity--I really don't have any hard evidence or anything to back up this headcanon, it's just kind of one of those Vibes™️ type things based on the very little he shares about his life before Arasaka.

He does mention that he and his peers always made it a point to wash before the Arasaka transports would roll through Chiba, and I could see him really leaning in hard to having impeccable hygiene, which could also extend to style, to try to distance himself from his streetkid beginnings. Between the bullying we see with David in the Arasaka academy in Edgerunners and real-life stories my husband has shared from his time in a military academy, I imagine Goro was probably surrounded by some real fuckin' assholes who would love to take him down for anything they possibly could, so it would be not just a matter of pride, but self-preservation.

Goro also mentioned that he lacked discipline before Arasaka, and I think he was probably a fuckin' handful when he was younger. I just really love the idea of him being a vain, arrogant pain in the ass in his teens and early 20s and having a major humbling moment in the field, like losing fellow soldiers due to his over-confidence. (Side note: his time as a soldier is probably the era of his life I want to know the most about--He has that line about Saburo understanding what it was like, and I feel like if Goro can identify with someone who served in WWII that he's probably seen some shit.)

So yeah! There's probably other shit I left out, but this is basically the gist of my Goro's EMP Threading as a Symbol of Vanity thesis, lmao

[cuddles-edits]

Ambiguously Bisexual Characters

Happy Bisexual Day of Visibility. Here's another icon set of ambiguously bisexual characters.

No Discourse Please.

Zoé Lee from Miraculous Ladybug; she is revealed to have feelings for Marinette in the Season 5 episode Adoration, confirming that she is attracted to women. Her exact sexuality has not yet been stated.

Blue Moon from Cyberpunk 2077; during their final text conversation after successfully completing the Every Breath You Take side job, V can ask them out to dinner. Regardless of gender, she turns them down, not because she doesn't want to, but because she doesn't have time. Whether this is a hint that she's bi or an oversight by the developers is uncertain, but it's a valid interpretation nontheless.

Yang Xiao Long from RWBY; she is in a relationship with Blake Belladonna, who is canonically bi, as of Volume 9, but it is unclear if Yang is bi, pan or lesbian. Though it is worth noting that she displays attraction to men very early on in the series, though hasn't done since, so it could be interpreted either way.

Fang from Goodbye Volcano High; they are non-binary and can potentially enter a relationship with the female Naomi. Their exact orientation remains unsaid, however, and is left open to interpretation.

Naomi from Goodbye Volcano High; she is attracted to the non-binary Fang, and can potentially enter a relationship with them. Her exact orientation remains unsaid, however, and is left open for interpretation,

Reed from Goodbye Volcano High; he is shown to be attracted to men, but his exact orientation remains unsaid and open for interpretation.

Boscha from The Owl House; when asking Amity if she saw a ghost and if they're cute, Boscha refers to them with gender neutral pronouns. In addition, the way she is written in For The Future provides some possible subtext that she may have had feelings for Amity at some point. No statement on this has been given, so it's open to interpretation.

Goro Takemura from Cyberpunk 2077; following the mission Gimme Danger, V can ask Takemura in a very suggestive fashion if he'd like some company, which he does pick up on. Regardless of gender, he turns them down, but also says that he is "honoured", and indicates that if circumstances were different, he may have accepted. Again, whether this is developer oversight or a hint that Goro is bisexual is open to interpretation.

Edric Blight from The Owl House; in the episode Through the Looking Glass Ruins, he's said to have a date with someone, but they are only ever referred to with gender neutral pronouns. We never see this person, or hear anything else about this afterwards, so their gender and his sexuality remains open to interpretation.

[skania]

Aqua, Akane and their relationship during his "Freedom" period

I know a lot of people dismiss Aqua's words to Akane in Chapter 97 because he wasn't shown being all smiles during their time together, but I think those people forget that Aqua has a very complex, very difficult, very painful rapport with happiness.

He has lived his entire life, be it as Goro or as Aqua, feeling guilty. Goro quite literally felt guilty for existing: he couldn't forgive himself for living at the expense of his mother. This guilt is accompanied by a feeling of powerlessness: he beats himself up because he couldn't do more for Sarina, and as Aqua he blames himself because he couldn't save Ai.

He assigns no worth to his own life. He has panic attacks when he lets himself enjoy things. Even something as innocent as Ruby reminding him of Sarina makes him think that he is unforgivable because he doesn't deserve salvation.

After living this way for so long, it's only natural that he still struggles with allowing himself to be happy during his "Freedom" period.

To make matters worse, this newfound freedom was born from Aqua running away from the truth and from all his issues. Ichigo said so himself, there is no way Aqua didn't notice the loophole. Himekawa literally tells him what age he was when his dad died, some simple math would've automatically let Aqua realize that the timeline didn't add-up.

But Aqua didn't want to realize it. He blinded himself to the truth because Himekawa gave him the escape he has been desperately yearning for since (at least) the TB arc.

Since Aqua didn't actually solve any of his issues and traumas, it's to be expected that they keep weighting down on him throughout that year. After all, healing takes time.

We see this weight very clearly in his dynamic with Kana, since his Ai-related trauma is the biggest factor in him completely avoiding her.

We naturally also see it in his dynamic with Akane.

Three examples come to mind:

Akane tells him that she enjoys being with him. We know for a fact that Aqua is reluctant to part ways with Akane, which means he enjoys being with her too. But he isn't used to letting himself enjoy things. So, how does Aqua react?

His guilt flares up and he focuses on how undeserving he is of her, even trying to convince her (and himself) that their relationship is nothing but a lie.

Something very similar happens here:

Akane tells Aqua that she wants to see him, and Aqua looks torn before admitting that he wants to see her too. It'd be easy to interpret his expression as Aqua feeling guilty because he is about to lie to Akane, specially since this page is followed by a page of Kana crying over him. But I believe it's the opposite.

We see him that very chapter asking Akane about her schedule so they can see each other. This alone shows that Aqua does want to see Akane, and the fact that Akane later says that Aqua has been doing his best not to lie to her confirms Aqua is being truthful when he tells her that he wants to see her soon, too.

So, why does he make that sad face?

I believe it's his guilt flaring up again. Knowing him, I bet that thoughts like these ran through his mind:

Does someone like me really deserve to live a normal relationship like this? Would Akane want to see me if she knew that I'm the reincarnation of Goro Amamiya? It it okay for me to want to see Akane even though I know Kana is hurting because I've been avoiding her?

Still, it's important to notice that we can see the positive effect that time has had on Aqua. During that first example, Aqua tried to put up a wall between him and Akane by claiming that their relationship wasn't real; during the second, he hesitates but ultimately admits that he returns the feeling and wants to see her too.

This trend of Aqua becoming more open with time continues in the last example, which comes precisely from Chapter 97:

Akane confirms that she is glad that she is dating him, that he makes her happy, and Aqua looks utterly caught off-guard, as if the thought of being able to make Akane happy was shocking to him.

His most telling reaction happens right after, though:

Aqua's lips tremble. He looks near tears. Why?

Because to him, who felt like he was underserving of salvation, being with Akane has felt remarkably close to it.

I feel that this moment right here contextualizes all the examples I mentioned before: Akane does make him happy and he doesn't know what to do about it half the time, because he isn't sure if he deserves that happiness at all. But Akane makes him feel like he just might.

And the truth is that he doesn't want to give up on it—on her, because to him his relationship with Akane has become synonym to the happiness that has been eluding him all along.

So I personally can't dismiss his words to her during Chapter 97, because to me they are actually meant to reveal the way Aqua has been feeling all along.

[darydark]

I got possessed by spirit of drawing and did more of my RGG x TES crossover. I should make a tag for it. Again, some lore under the cut, now about Majima (Goro), Taiga and Makoto

This one is more lore heavy than the Kazuma and his siblings. I'm afraid all of this would seem like the actual RGG characters' backstories but with TES skin on it, but hey, I like their actual story and yeah maybe I lack originality so what, it's my crossover, I can keep any part of RGG cannon I want. Also I'm keeping the Taiga stuff more vague as I'm still playing Y4, where Taiga makes his first appearance and I'm not on his part of game yet, so I can still change stuff

Goro is an Ashlander from a small tribe that was wiped out by mainland dunmer. He was spared because the killers wanted to take him as a slave (Goro was a child when that happened). But then he was rescued (accidentally) by a strong and powerful orc. Goro wanted to follow that orc, but the orc just shoo'd him away, for now. Then Goro met Khajiit siblings, Taiga and Yasuko (who themselves were escaping being trafficked), and ever since travelled with them.

The boys were offering themselves as mercenaries in their teen years and did a lot of dirty jobs, until they met that same orc, who then accepted the boys into his outlaw group called The Dogs of Shimano. The orc is Shimano himself, of course.

While things were going alright for three of them, the boys wanted more and did stuff behind Shimano's back for additional cash. They had a plan to have enough money to live a normal life without crime. But, when they were ordered to do a hit on a group of people, it turned out it was a wrong move to make. Both of them were punished, Goro had his eye gouged out but Taiga was sent to Deadlands. The mage that sent him away mocked that only he knew where Taiga is at all time

Goro made a plea and was spared but basically became a slave to one of Shimano's friends (yes, Sagawa). If he ever wanted to save Taiga, unfortunately he had to endure everything and ask nicely later. So, Goro's master turned out to be a vampire. Goro had to put on a show, entertain other vampires and sometimes be fed on by his master. One day he was given a mission...

Makoto is half bosmer half dunmer (her mother is bosmer). Her parents were vampires and after having two children, the mother wanted to cure the whole family and live a normal life. The father disagreed. Anyway, the mother took the kids with her. Eventually she managed to cure herself and Makoto but the eldest child ran away, still a vampire. Even though Makoto is mortal, her blood is still powerful and would be beneficial for any vampire to drink. Makoto moved to Morrowind when she grew up. One day she was kidnapped. He took her to place with other people, where all of them were going to be sold. She was forced to drink something and then, after all the stress and the poison, she became blind.

She was rescued and lived relatively normally, until suddenly she became a target for vampires.

Goro was tasked to bring her to his master, so he would feast on her blood, but Goro just couldn't do it. They ran away with a whole big story to tell in which both Goro and Makoto ended up relatively fine. Goro was no longer a slave but returned working for Shimano (also Shimano confirmed that Taiga is still alive somewhere in Deadlands). Makoto was no longer chased by horde of vampires and regained her sight back, also got in touch with her brother again. Unfortunately, Goro and Makoto had to be apart and never meet each other (it relates to the plot I have in mind, which deviates a little bit from canon reason why these two can't see each other)

[pinkyjulien]

Okay now I'm gonna jump on the bandwagon of the prev ask about Valentin's and Mitch's first meeting 👀 how does his story continue with Takemura (if at all?) Does he track Valentin down, and how, or is what follows immediately after being saved and stable again also diverging from canon? (I just love the image of Goro showing up all dusty and exasperated at the nomad's camp like "There you are!! Fucking finally!" XD)

AAAAAHHH FHF Eating you UwU

They DO meet up properly eventually! 👀 (more old screenshots being used to illustrate here hfhf)

After getting his bullet extracted, Val stayed a couple of days at camp; he couldnt really do much in his state, plus the caldos wouldnt just simply let him go like that

Mitch and Scorp were keepin an eye on him, they were responsible of him after all; if Val turned out to be a danger to the clan, they would've finished the job, succeeding where Dex failed

Val eventually woke up, and he was asked a couple of basic, straight forward question by Mitch; his name, where he's from, and what happened. Val didnt lie, but he also didnt mention the whole -arasaka- thing. He might be a gonk, but he's not dumb; saying that his failed gig was an heist on Arasaka, when every radios and tv stations been blasting about Saburo's death for the path days wouldnt be a smart move fhksjgj

It was all over the news- and Dex probably left Night City too (< at that time he wasnt aware Takemura killed him yet. Dex took Goro to the dump, only to find it completly empty. He got popped before he could swear he left him here hfjd)

Infos and Rumors goes around extremely fast in NC, especially between fixers, so Dexter departure/disappearance and Saburos death wasnt a coincidence at all; so was Jackie's and Valentin's potential death. (Jackie being confirmed dead cause he sent his body to his fam, but people had no idea where Val was)

He had to get back to NC, to Viktor, Misty- his friends, the only people he had left over there

That night at camp, Valentin experienced the Johnny Night TM; of course, he freaked out, screaming and talking "to himself" - Ripper wasnt far, knew the screams where coming from the nursery and quickly gave injected him some tranquilizer

In the morning, not sure whatever happened was a dream or not, he asked Mitch and Scorp (not friends yet, but the only guys he knew around) if someone could drive him back to NC- Dakota was still around and since she had to go back to her Garage soon, he could tag along and she'd get one of her guy to drive him to Vik's

During the drive, he explained to Dakota what happened, from the heist, the relic, Jackie- ans the weird dreams he's been getting (she's like a mother figure to him, a trusted friend)

She didnt liked any of that and pressed him to get checked properly asap, hoping this might be a virus that can get easily wiped out

Once at Vik, everyone was happy and relieved to see him alive "and well", but it quickly changed when Viktor took a closer look, obviously

He also mentioned that a guy, kinda sus looking, came in looking for him the day before. Said he could help him if he ever show up. (Takemura is a resourceful guy, I'm pretty sure he could pin down V's main ripperdoc to ask questions- and Viktor, knowing that Jackie did die, would trust Takemura's story and information since it correlate with what Vik knows)

So they make contact and eventually meet up at Tom's Diner like the canon timeline 👁👄👁

Despite all the years its still a ROUGH MAP AND TIMELINE FHJSJF that I really need to properly put down 💀💀 BUT YEAH FHDJ

Thank you friendo for the ask!! 🤗🧡🧡

[lesbian-empress-nero]

“Fuuka! Good to see you again!”

Aki steps aside, a familiar face walking through the door.

Fuuka walks in, bearing gifts and a smile. “Hello, Akihiko. Hello Shinjiro! Where’s Ken?”

Shinji relieves her of her burden- seriously, that girl works way too hard to begin with-, setting the (meticulously wrapped) presents on the table. “Upstairs with Goro, I think. Give me a sec, I’ll call ‘em down.”

Before he can, however, Ken comes bounding downstairs, Goro close behind. “Fuuka! Fuuka, you’re here!”

Ken wraps his tiny arms around Fuuka’s waist, Goro lingering by Shinji’s side. Fuuka smiles and hugs him, ruffling his hair.

“Hello, Ken. I missed you! Is that your brother?” Ken steps away, nodding and grabbing Goro’s hand.

“Mhm! This is Goro! Goro, this is Fuuka. She was part of SEES with us.”

Goro raises a hand timidly, shrinking into himself. Fuuka gives a little half-bow, still smiling. “It’s lovely to meet you, Goro-kun,” she said. Goro wrinkles his nose.

“You don’t have to call me that....” He mumbles, and Fuuka turns a faint shade of pink.

“I’m sorry. An old habit, I’m afraid. Oh! By the way, Yukari and Mitsuru should be here soon. I saw them in the northern shopping district on my way here.”

Aki grins, giving a little nod. “I’m surprised Mitsu could make it, with how busy she seems to be lately. I hope Yuka is reminding her to take breaks.”

Shinji rolls his eyes, nudging Aki in the side. “Sounds familiar. Wonder why.”

Aki doesn’t rise to the bait- gives him a sidelong glance that Shinji knows far too well to mean ‘later’- and instead brings Fuuka into a hug of his own.

“How have you been holding up, by the way? It’s been a little while since we’ve talked,” he asks, resting his forehead on hers. A love language that’s entirely Aki’- forehead touches.

Fuuka smiles, and parts. Aki lets her. “I’ve been well. I made a friend with my neighbor! She has a son. His name is Ryuji- he’s right around Goro’s age, I think. He reminds me of you, Akihiko.”

Aki laughs, and his hand finds Shinji’s. They entwine their fingers, as they offen do nowadays. A constant reminder to each other. A promise.

There’s a knock on the door, and Yukari and Mitsuru walk in- also bearing gifts. Shinji can’t help but wonder if Junpei and the twins are going to bring gifts, too. It isn’t even Christmas.

“Hey, everyone!” Yukari says, ever cheerful and ever lacking in sophistication. Shinji finds it a bit endearing, though. “Hello, Yukari-chan!” Fuuka says brightly, her and Shinji both helping their friends with their burdens.

“Hello everyone,” says Mitsuru, calmer- though she’s definitely still excited. The smile on her face says it all to Shinji and Aki, who have known her since they were children.

“Mitsuru! Yukari! Hi!” Ken is practically bouncing off the walls with excitement as he greets the old members of SEES. Shinji has to smile. It’s been a while since he saw the kid this ecstatic.

“...Hello,” Goro murmurs, clinging to Aki’s shirt. Aki places a hand on his shoulder, squeezing once, twice, three times. I love you.

“Is this Goro?” Mitsuru asks, looking at him. Goro shrinks further under her gaze. “It is,” Shinji confirms, and sees Goro straighten up a bit, a look of determination on his face.

“It’s lovely to meet you, Goro,” she says, nodding her head. Goro mirrors her.

“...You as well, Mitsuru-san,” he replies, his voice tight. Ken rolls his eyes and hugs Goro close.

“You sound like me when I was in elementary school! Hey, Dad, can we open one of our presents? Please?”

Shinji pauses. Would it help calm Goro down?

“Yeah, why not? Throw the paper away when you’re done, though.”

Goro immediately seizes a box from the table labelled with his name, plopping down and working at it, trying to do as little damage to the wrapping as possible. Shinji recognizes the handwriting as Mitsu’s, and wonders what the hell she could possibly have gotten the kids.

Before he can wonder too much, though, there’s more knocking on the door- accompanied by a flurry of barking and laughing.

Yukari opens the door, and there’s more laughing as she and Kotone rush in, Makoto and Junpei coming in a moment after, Koromaru trotting in the back.

Ken immediately hugs everyone, and hands Koromaru a dog biscuit from a jar in the kitchen. Koro barks his appreciation, and Junpei laughs.

“What, he gets a gift but we don’t?” He jokes, bringing Ken into another hug. Ken laughs, squirming away when Junpei starts noogying him.

“Hey, guys. Glad you could make it,” Aki says, and Kotone nods, taking her brother’s hand.

“Of course! We wouldn’t miss a reunion for the world! Would we?”

Makoto squeezes his sister’s hand. “We’re not technically supposed to be here. We’re supposed to be at home resting, but... What the Takamakis don’t know won’t hurt them.”

Kotone rolls her eyes. “You make it sound like we lied to them!”

Makoto gives her a look that Ken once dubbed the Sibling Glance. “We did.”

Kotone just smiles, engages in conversation with Aki and Fuuka. Makoto meets Goro’s gaze, and Shinji knows enough about the two of them to sense mutual understanding. Makoto nods once, and Goro sits up a bit straighter. Shinji pretends not to notice.

Dinner and gifts pass by without a hitch. Movies are playing, and everyone is either squashed together on the couch, or piled on top of each other on the floor on the Nest.

The Nest is a mass of blankets and pillows from throughout the house that Shinji and Fuuka constructed together, and he thinks it might just be the comfiest damn thing he’s ever laid in.

Maybe it’s because he built it with a friend. Maybe it’s because he’s laying in it with friends.

Maybe it’s because no matter what, he’s alive and happy and loved.

And Shinji thinks this might just be one of the best damn nights he’s ever spent with his family- his entire family- in his life.

THEY'RE A BIG HAPPY FAMILY AND THEY'RE HAVING FUN!!! RYUJI AND ANN MENTIONED!!! AND MAKOTO AND KOTONE TWINS!!!!! akechi being timid around the others... im in love with timid akechi as a kid. i just imagine he's a completely different person as a kid than he is now. they're all just happy and living in peace as they deserve. dont get me wrong i love a good character death but its also nice to see that character live and be happy :)

[breezypunk]

Get to know me

Got tagged by @kdval, thank you!

Last Song: ozeanblau - ambyion (my special song ☼)

Favorite color: green!

Currently watching: house md (I am currently on season 5 now)

Last Movie/TV Show: house md, haha.

Spicy/Savory/Sweet: all three, but if I had to choose just one than it'd be spicy, and this is coming from someone who can hardly handle spice, but damn I love it so much. spicy ramen beloved.

Relationship Status: single bean, loving it.

Current Obsession: still cyberpunk 2077, that'll likely never fade, as it shouldn't. but also good omens, and right now house md since I'm binge watching it. my 4th or 5th time binging it, it's just so good.

Last Google Search: looking up the mission gimme danger so I could confirm some of the lines goro said during the mission, I should know these things by heart -.- but just to be sure xD

gonna tag @wraithsoutlaws @drunkchasind @ugh-my-back @wanderingaldecaldo @zyana-wyvern & @kharonion ♥︎

[samarecharm]

YOU. YOU UNDERSTAND!!

Personas having bonds with their users is SUCH a good concept I wish was explored more in canon and the moral ambiguous nature of the Phantom Thieves' personas just make it so much more interesting. Like the leader literally has SATAN as the incarnation of his soul has got to mean something. I could go on for HOURS about it. and loki isn't evil!! he's on the same level as any other persona (perhaps a bit more fucked up, but its part of his charm). He's not driving Akechi to kill people, because he is still Akechi!!

also I would like to remind everyone that Joker was 100% down to kill Kamoshida if Ann had chosen to do it. Joker can have a bit of moral ambiguity too, as a little treat.

Yes yes yes i think so much of the game skimmed over some very interesting mechanics! Thats unfortunately what happens w AAA titles; certain fun concepts are simply introduced, never explored. I wouldve loved to see Arsene talk to you, or have Akira consult him every once in a while. Thats HIS persona! The intro sequences for each of the Main personas is them reminding each thief of what they stand for! They are quite literally bonded and in this together ! One doesnt exist without the other, so i think it is safe to say that personas have their users best interests at heart (literally!)

And u are so right; the moral ambiguity of the thieves is almost NEVER addressed in a way that felt satisfying. The only person who called it like it was, was Goro! I dont think he had an issue with WHAT the thieves were doing; he was more upset with how they were framing it. Goro had no problem using his powers to fuck people up, but he also wasnt pretending he was doing people a favor by doing this. This wouldve been SO good to dig deep into! Akira clearly wants to Help people but he also wants criminals to get what they deserve; theres a pull between ‘just doing the right thing’ and ‘making sure bad people have bad things happen to them’. I dont think this is a negative trait at all tbh but its acknowledging that you can have an Akira who is Spiteful and motivated by vengeance….like goro…

Anyway i think that just adds some confirmation that Satanael is a bit more fitting for Akira than youd think. None of the thieves are goody two shoes (NONE of them!). The police have done nothing to make their lives better, and so they take justice into their own hands.

Ill leave this persons tags here too bc i thought it was relevant to ur thoughts 🤔🤔🤔

[vashtijoy]

Proof of Justice OVA also confirms Goro being a fan of Feathermen as well as him saying the FULL name of the show in the deleted outfit dialogue. Even Futaba said simply 'Feathermen" The last part is mostly IMHO but I think if you say the FULL name of something you definitely enjoyed/enjoy it

Oh yeah. :D Futaba and Akechi both say "Phoenix Ranger Neo Featherman", the first time they mention the series. Futaba says it when Yusuke RUINS HER FIGURES, and, well....

Akechi: Oh, Joker. That's from Phoenix Ranger Neo-Featherman, correct? Akechi: They're heroes admired by children, and despite its age, the show is still quite popular. Akechi: But, you might want to consider cutting back on cosplaying. You're not a child anymore.

It's ok, Goro, we believe you. Everyone manages an "I'm Phoenix Ranger Neo-Featherman X" for their own outfit, even Yoshizawa, who says she doesn't know the show at all (Ann and Makoto with some difficulty), but only Akechi is like AH YES IT'S THIS SHOW that I'm far too old and evil for.

What's the Featherman reference in Proof of Justice, though? I've heard people say the toy itself is a Featherman toy, but it doesn't appear to be (there's no mention of it in the text on the box that I can make out), and it isn't the gun Akechi later uses in Sae's palace, is it?

[fereldanwench]

I know folks are super jaded when it comes to hearing all the "Site ABC is dying! Join site XYZ instead!" suggestions, but I am gonna give Pillowfort a little love under the circumstances. If it's not for you, it's not for you, but I've been enjoying it since I started using it more over the past several months.

A few relevant highlights:

No AI bullshit! Not only are they not partnering with any goddamn AI companies to scrap our work, but they even have a policy prohibiting images created with generative AI! (You can read more on their staff blog.)

No inconsistently enforced and often arbitrary rules about NSFW content! It's all allowed, baby! (Again, I recommend reading this staff post for the deets.)

Has a lot of the actually good features Tumblr has... You can save drafts! You can queue posts! You can schedule posts! You can filter content!

... And good features Tumblr lacks! A robust commenting system! An improved reblogging system that prevents outdated versions of a post from circulating! Communities!

It also has an Xkit-esque extension to improve native features! I highly recommend checking out Tassel!

So what's the catch, right? It's definitely not perfect, and some things might be a deal-breaker for some folks:

It does not (currently) support audio or video posts. You can embed YouTube videos and the like, but you can't upload them directly to Pillowfort.

For free users, the image size limit is 2 MB, which might be a deterrent to GIF makers. (For $2.49/month, you can upgrade that to 6 MB.)

The design is pretty bare-bones and can be a little clunky in some areas. There's also no app, although my understanding is the website is pretty responsive on mobile devices. (Can't personally confirm or deny this as I don't use it on my phone.)

It does have more maintenance and downtime than Tumblr, although I haven't found it too disruptive.

It's also generally a slower experience, so if you're looking for a super fast-paced dash you can never reach the end of, you might find it lacking.

And I don't consider this a deal breaker, but it is worth mentioning that because there are no advertisers on Pillowfort, that means it's user-funded. It will likely never have the flashier features of Tumblr because of this, but if you chip in a few bucks a month, you can get some fun perks, like the increased image size and extra avatars (which I personally love.)

My fort is very NSFW (porn gifs my beloved) but is otherwise very similar to what I post here. I also have a whopping FIFTY (50) registration invites I can send out, if anyone is interested in getting on there ASAP.

And lastly, for my CP77 mutuals, especially my Goro babies, I did set up a little Goro community to share any and all Goro fanworks, ships, brainrot, etc. Most of the posts there right now are from me, and I'd love to see some more variety. :3 (Intro post with rules is here!)

[beantothemax]

“Fuuka! Good to see you again!”

Aki steps aside, a familiar face walking through the door.

Fuuka walks in, bearing gifts and a smile. “Hello, Akihiko. Hello Shinjiro! Where’s Ken?”

Shinji relieves her of her burden- seriously, that girl works way too hard to begin with-, setting the (meticulously wrapped) presents on the table. “Upstairs with Goro, I think. Give me a sec, I’ll call ‘em down.”

Before he can, however, Ken comes bounding downstairs, Goro close behind. “Fuuka! Fuuka, you’re here!”

Ken wraps his tiny arms around Fuuka’s waist, Goro lingering by Shinji’s side. Fuuka smiles and hugs him, ruffling his hair.

“Hello, Ken. I missed you! Is that your brother?” Ken steps away, nodding and grabbing Goro’s hand.

“Mhm! This is Goro! Goro, this is Fuuka. She was part of SEES with us.”

Goro raises a hand timidly, shrinking into himself. Fuuka gives a little half-bow, still smiling. “It’s lovely to meet you, Goro-kun,” she said. Goro wrinkles his nose.

“You don’t have to call me that....” He mumbles, and Fuuka turns a faint shade of pink.

“I’m sorry. An old habit, I’m afraid. Oh! By the way, Yukari and Mitsuru should be here soon. I saw them in the northern shopping district on my way here.”

Aki grins, giving a little nod. “I’m surprised Mitsu could make it, with how busy she seems to be lately. I hope Yuka is reminding her to take breaks.”

Shinji rolls his eyes, nudging Aki in the side. “Sounds familiar. Wonder why.”

Aki doesn’t rise to the bait- gives him a sidelong glance that Shinji knows far too well to mean ‘later’- and instead brings Fuuka into a hug of his own.

“How have you been holding up, by the way? It’s been a little while since we’ve talked,” he asks, resting his forehead on hers. A love language that’s entirely Aki’- forehead touches.

Fuuka smiles, and parts. Aki lets her. “I’ve been well. I made a friend with my neighbor! She has a son. His name is Ryuji- he’s right around Goro’s age, I think. He reminds me of you, Akihiko.”

Aki laughs, and his hand finds Shinji’s. They entwine their fingers, as they offen do nowadays. A constant reminder to each other. A promise.

There’s a knock on the door, and Yukari and Mitsuru walk in- also bearing gifts. Shinji can’t help but wonder if Junpei and the twins are going to bring gifts, too. It isn’t even Christmas.

“Hey, everyone!” Yukari says, ever cheerful and ever lacking in sophistication. Shinji finds it a bit endearing, though. “Hello, Yukari-chan!” Fuuka says brightly, her and Shinji both helping their friends with their burdens.

“Hello everyone,” says Mitsuru, calmer- though she’s definitely still excited. The smile on her face says it all to Shinji and Aki, who have known her since they were children.

“Mitsuru! Yukari! Hi!” Ken is practically bouncing off the walls with excitement as he greets the old members of SEES. Shinji has to smile. It’s been a while since he saw the kid this ecstatic.

“...Hello,” Goro murmurs, clinging to Aki’s shirt. Aki places a hand on his shoulder, squeezing once, twice, three times. I love you.

“Is this Goro?” Mitsuru asks, looking at him. Goro shrinks further under her gaze. “It is,” Shinji confirms, and sees Goro straighten up a bit, a look of determination on his face.

“It’s lovely to meet you, Goro,” she says, nodding her head. Goro mirrors her.

“...You as well, Mitsuru-san,” he replies, his voice tight. Ken rolls his eyes and hugs Goro close.

“You sound like me when I was in elementary school! Hey, Dad, can we open one of our presents? Please?”

Shinji pauses. Would it help calm Goro down?

“Yeah, why not? Throw the paper away when you’re done, though.”

Goro immediately seizes a box from the table labelled with his name, plopping down and working at it, trying to do as little damage to the wrapping as possible. Shinji recognizes the handwriting as Mitsu’s, and wonders what the hell she could possibly have gotten the kids.

Before he can wonder too much, though, there’s more knocking on the door- accompanied by a flurry of barking and laughing.

Yukari opens the door, and there’s more laughing as she and Kotone rush in, Makoto and Junpei coming in a moment after, Koromaru trotting in the back.

Ken immediately hugs everyone, and hands Koromaru a dog biscuit from a jar in the kitchen. Koro barks his appreciation, and Junpei laughs.

“What, he gets a gift but we don’t?” He jokes, bringing Ken into another hug. Ken laughs, squirming away when Junpei starts noogying him.

“Hey, guys. Glad you could make it,” Aki says, and Kotone nods, taking her brother’s hand.

“Of course! We wouldn’t miss a reunion for the world! Would we?”

Makoto squeezes his sister’s hand. “We’re not technically supposed to be here. We’re supposed to be at home resting, but... What the Takamakis don’t know won’t hurt them.”

Kotone rolls her eyes. “You make it sound like we lied to them!”

Makoto gives her a look that Ken once dubbed the Sibling Glance. “We did.”

Kotone just smiles, engages in conversation with Aki and Fuuka. Apparently, Aigis couldn’t make it due to a malfunction in her system. Shinji quells the rush of worry that threatens to choke him. Aigis is tough, he reminds himself. She can handle a few technical issues.

Makoto meets Goro’s gaze, and Shinji knows enough about the two of them to sense mutual understanding. Makoto nods once, and Goro sits up a bit straighter. Shinji pretends not to notice.

Dinner and gifts pass by without a hitch. Movies are playing, and everyone is either squashed together on the couch, or piled on top of each other on the floor on what Goro and Kotone dubbed the Nest.

The Nest is a mass of blankets and pillows from throughout the house that Shinji and Fuuka constructed together, and he thinks it might just be the comfiest damn thing he’s ever laid in.

Maybe it’s because he built it with a friend. Maybe it’s because he’s laying in it with friends.

Maybe it’s because no matter what, he’s alive and happy and loved.

And Shinji thinks this might just be one of the best damn nights he’s ever spent with his family- his family- in his life.

WIudevh??!,,?,?,?,?.?.?.? AUSHQUAGHAH?????? EHEEM??!!,?,,?,?.?,?.?.?.?. MAVERICKSVCBXBDBXBSHXHDBX A

WAIAUAGH

TH. FUCKEIGN REUNION. AUGH. WHAT IF I DIED RIGHT NOW

[skania]

hi! same anon asking about the bridge- the first one you mentioned. when aqua first broached the subject of breaking up but they didn’t reach a conclusion to that conversation

Hi anon, thanks for the reply!

hi! I really love your analyses on aquakane stuff, so ive been wondering- what do you think about the bridge scene? (past the stuff with aquas guilt- you know, because people elect to ignore it) a lot of fans point towards it to being why aqua and akane don’t work together/aren’t interested, but something feels off to me. wdyt?

I kind of have a lot of thoughts, so this will probably be a bit messy!

Things that stood out to me about this scene, in no particular order:

It confirms that Akane saw through Aqua and knew he wanted to use her for something. This is important because it shows that despite what Aqua may think, Akane didn't stay by his side because he "bind" her to him, but because she chose to. Even more important is the fact that what motivated Akane's choice is that she saw through him and into the kind person he actually is.

Right here Akane is telling him: I see you. I know that you can be manipulative and sly, but I also know that above all—you're kind. This is huge for someone like Aqua, who thinks so little of himself and who blows his own flaws out of proportion.

It's also kind of funny in a sad way, because by this point in the conversation, Aqua was expecting Akane to agree to break up with him. After all, he tried to convince her (and himself) that their relationship wasn't real, and Akane proceeded to list all the ways he was right. You can see in that bottom-right panel above that Aqua is closing himself off, expecting Akane to walk out of his life for good.

And then Akane turns the tables on him because to Aqua's surprise, she wants their relationship to be real. She knows the kind of person that he is, and she still wants to stay by his side.

The funniest thing about this scene though is that Akane, sweet, inexperienced summer child that she is, thinks that they can become a real couple if they're intimate with each other 😭

She knows that normal couples kiss and have sex, so she assumes that's where the problem lies. For her, Aqua wanting to "use" her is a non-issue because she's known and consented to it all along. This is why she looks so confused when Aqua says that he has been deceiving her:

Because as far as she's concerned, she's known Aqua's intentions from the get-go 😂 Little does she know that she isn't talking to your typical hormonal teenage boy, but to one who has the mind of an adult.

That said, I do think that the way Akane is fine being intimate with Aqua despite thinking that Aqua doesn't like her that way is an issue. Once again, this reflects what I mentioned before: Akane doesn't know her own worth! But again, this isn't a problem born out of Aqua and Akane as a dynamic, but an issue that Akane herself has.

Moving on, I think this is the first scene that shows that there's a difference in the amount of (romantic) experience that Akane and Aqua have. Usually, when Aqua and Akane have scenes, they're pretty much equals. You wouldn't say that one is mentally behind the other. In this case though, you can definitely see that Akane has an innocence to her that Aqua has already lost during his life as Goro, but that's to be expected. What's really important here though is that despite this difference, Aqua isn't any closer to understanding romantic love.

So in that regard, he and Akane are actually closer than one may expect.

Moving on, I think Aqua's and Akane's conversation there does give Aka an outing if he decides to go for platonic AquaKane. Ironically, this outing isn't there because of Aqua; at the contrary, Aqua's behavior there would help set up a romantic AquaKane ending.

First, we're shown that Aqua does want to keep Akane in his life, he just talks himself out of it because of his guilt complex.

We're even shown Aqua trying to convince himself (and Akane) that their relationship isn't real.

Now, this could all be perfectly platonic in nature, but we later have Aqua admitting that he has thought of being intimate with Akane.

So, Aqua wasn't trying to break up with Akane because of the way he felt for her, but because of his guilt and for Akane's sake.

Aqua thinks Akane doesn't have romantic feelings for him, and Akane herself doesn't seem to know if she does because he is her first boyfriend.

Of course, we know that Aqua and Akane find their answer during the trip and that they decide to date for real, which suggests that their feelings for each other are indeed romantic. However, nothing is stopping Aka from revisiting that and going: Actually, they thought they were/could be romantic, but they'd be perfectly fine being friends too. Specially because Akane wanting to save Aqua doesn't hinge on Akane being in love with him, and same goes for Aqua wanting to protect Akane.

The thing is, though: that doesn't mean that Aqua and Akane don't work well together. I feel that some people try to deny any romantic involvement between them not only to shoot them down as a ship, but to shoot their dynamic down all together. But that's a moot point because the series has made it very clear that Aqua and Akane love each other. Whether their feelings for each other are romantic or platonic is besides the point: there is love between them and it's sincere, and it won't be any less important if it turns out to be platonic in nature.

Case in point, the bridge scene is great because it shows their care for each other. Aqua tried to let Akane go for her own good, meanwhile Akane wants to stay by his side not only because of the way she may or may not feel for him, but because she sincerely wants to help him. She doesn't want Aqua to carry his burdens alone anymore.

Aqua appreciates this, and he opens up to her. She is the first person he shares his troubles with, and Akane lends him a listening ear and acknowledges how hard it must have been on Aqua. Aqua dealt with it on his own from the get-go and we never saw him complain, but it must have been hard on him and it's great to have someone acknowledge that even if he won't acknowledge it himself.

Everything he can tell Akane, he shares. From his findings, to his feelings.

And I think the panels above are the most important ones, because this is the moment when Akane starts to realize that Aqua has been lying to himself all along. He doesn't want to have revenge, he wants to be free. And in true Aqua fashion, now he is blinding himself to the very obvious loophole because he is that desperate to be free.

Akane gets this and she acts accordingly. Unlike Ichigo, who royally messes up by completely overlooking the fact that Aqua was desperately clinging to that loophole to break free.

Ichigo realizes it too late and he breaks Aqua. Akane wants to keep Aqua from breaking, so she plays along knowing that being free is what Aqua truly wants.

I'm stopping myself here because it feels like I've been rambling forever and I don't even know if this was half-way coherent or if it addressed what you wanted me to talk about anon, sorry about that! lol