#recipro

[antikosm]

Aro/Ace Terms Masterlist

Please let me know if I forgot anything

NOTE: There is a distinct difference between someone's personal orientation versus how they feel about sexuality/romanticism as a whole. Someone who's sex/romance repulsed may be in favour of open sexual/romantic expression or even vice versa (shoutout to @sowearecleariamhere for informing me of this!)

Types of attraction

Sexual - I wanna have sex with that

Romantic - I want to date that

Sensual - I want to hug that

Platonic - I want to be friends with that

Platonic crushes do exist. They are called “squishes”. You go through the same process of having a romantic or sexual crush but instead of landing them in bed, you’re on the floor at 2am with pizza rolls, Shrek in the background, talking about eldritch monstrosities (or whatever your shared interest is)

Aesthetic - that looks so heckin’ cool/pretty I love it

Intellectual - the desire to engage with another in an intellectual manner, i.e. having a conversation, picking their brain, and finding out how they think

Terms describing degree of attraction

Aromantic - lack of romantic attraction

Asexual - lack of sexual attraction

Aplatonic - lack of platonic attraction

Aroace - lack of both sexual and romantic attraction

Demi - attraction only forms once a strong emotional bond has been formed

Grey/gray - rarely/seldom experiences attraction

Allosexual - someone who experiences sexual attraction

I think I’ve also heard/seen it referred to as ‘arosexual’ but that’s honestly a bit confusing

Alloromantic - someone who experiences romantic attraction

I personally shorten both of those to “allo” (pronounced ‘aloe’)

Apothiosexual - sex-repulsed

Apothioromantic - romance-repulsed

Apothiaroace - often shortened to just ‘apothi’. In addition to being aroace, apothis are repulsed by romantic/sexual scenes, items, displays, etc. to varying degrees

Sex-neutral and sex-positive/favourable aces exist as well

Not all of us have the same level of comfort with sexual and romantic activities so please check. I mean that applies to everyone anyway, but please check and don’t assume that just because someone is aro/ace, that doesn’t mean they are sex/romance repulsed

Queerplatonic - Queerplatonic typically refers to a relationship that bends the lines between a romantic relationship and a non-romantic relationship. A queerplatonic relationship (QPR) often goes beyond what is socially acceptable for a platonic relationship but does not fit the typical notion of a romantic relationship.

Alterous attraction - a type of emotional attraction to someone that isn’t entirely romantic or platonic.

Chastity - actively refraining from sexual activities. This is NOT part of the ace/aro spectrum, though it is a common assumption when someone says they are ace/aro. Thankfully we’re getting a bit more representation in media now so it’s not as common of an assumption as it used to be, but it’s still there, especially in those communities.

An absolute FANTASTIC addition by @heyftinally in case anyone doesn't see the repost

Gonna expand on sex favorable/neutral/repulsed, since this is a masterlist after all: - Sex favorable - regardless of your sexual orientation, you personally want to engage in sexual activity with someone (significant other, one night stand, friends with benefits, etc) - Sex neutral - if you're with someone who wants to engage in sexual activities then you may or may not, depending on a variety of factors, but you have no strong inclinations for or against engaging in sex itself as an activity. Basically it's "alright" Sex repulsed/averse - the idea of personally engaging in sexual activities makes you want to hurl/cry/claw your skin off/spontaneously combust. If someone suggested doing sexual activities together, you would probably vehemently say "No!" before they even finished the question. You would rather do anything else - Sex positive - refers to your attitudes about sex in general. Regardless of where you fall in the above three terms, you recognize that other people want to, and should have the freedom and right to, engage in consensual sexual activities, even if you personally don't like or want those activities. Essentially shorthand for "I respect the right of other adults to have gay sex, have gender-weird sex, have sex with multiple people in and out of monogamous relationships/marriages, and have weird, wild, freaky kinky sex, so long as all participants and consenting adults". You can still personally want zero sex for yourself or think a particular kink is weird/ick, but you can, in tumblr speak, be normal about consenting adults doing consenting adult stuff - Sex negative - conservative purity culture, basically. You think nobody should have sex ever, or at least not until marriage, and when they do it should only be the "right" or "good" kind, as arbitrarily decided by you/society/some collective. You think badly of, look down on, and may even treat badly anyone who doesn't have the "right" kind of sex in your opinion. You are not normal about consenting adults doing consenting adult activities (even though they don't involve you in any way)

A wonderful addition from @overlord-of-chaos Sex aversion is not the same thing as sex repulsed.

If you are sex adverse, you personally have no desire to partake in any of those actions but seeing or knowing other people partake in that doesn't bother you.

Sex repulsion is when you can't stand doing it yourself, seeing/hearing about/knowing that others partake in it, or even just the idea of it.

Microlabels/Terms describing flavour of attraction

Note: -sexual is used for many of these so we don't have to deal with duplicates confusing things. All of these prefixes can be used with -romantic, -sexual, -platonic, and I imagine -alterous as well

Abrosexual - orientation fluctuates between a variety of orientations

Aceflux - similar to abrosexual, but orientation is contained to asexual spectrum

Acespike - someone who is asexual but may experience intense, brief, and random bouts of sexual attraction

Aegosexual - disconnect between oneself and the target of arousal

Amicusromantic/sexual - only experiences romantic attraction to those who they have formed a platonic relationship with (subset of demi)

Angled aroace - the same as oriented, but for those who are demi, grey, flux, etc.

Anthrosexual - someone who is attracted to humans and alterhumans regardless of gender identity/expression

Bellussexual - has interest in the aesthetic/aspects/certain sexual actions, but does not experience sexual attraction or want a sexual relationship

Caedsexual - previously allo, but now ace due to past trauma

Cupiosexual - wanting a sexual relationship but not experiencing sexual attraction

Finsexual/gynesexual - attraction to femininity

Fraysexual - opposite of demi. Attraction dissipates once an emotional connection has been formed

Linsexual - attraction to androgyny

Lithosexual - experiencing sexual attraction but not wanting it to be reciprocated

Loveless Romantic/Lovelessromantic - those who cannot feel love or feel disconnected from love but can feel romantic attraction/don't feel disconnected from the concept of romance

Minsexual/androsexual - attraction to masculinity

Orchid - the opposite of cupio; experiences ____ attraction but has no desire for a relationship of that type

Placiosexual - not wanting to be on the receiving end of sexual activities but wishing to perform them on others

Quiosexual - unable to distinguish between sexual attraction and other forms of attraction

Qui(r)oromantic - inability to distinguish between platonic and romantic attraction

Reciprosexual - not experiencing sexual attraction towards someone until you discover they experience sexual attraction towards you

Requiessexual - similar to caedsexual, but rather than trauma, ace identity originates from a state of emotional exhaustion, usually from a past sexual experience

Oriented aroace -  an aromantic asexual (aroace) individual who experiences a form of tertiary attraction, that they feel is significant enough to warrant a place alongside their aroace orientation. (i.e. gay aroace, bi aroace)

Angled aroace - someone who is on the aroace spectrum (grey, demi, fray, etc) who experiences a type of attraction significant enough to stand alongside their aroace orientation

Examples of mixed orientations

Heteroromantic asexual biplatonic

Poly greyromantic pansexual

Apothi abroplatonic

Placiosexual aromantic finplatonic

Aroace cupioplatonic

Pan lithioromantic

Fraysexual biromantic aplatonic

You can get WAY more specific than what these cover, but just to give a general idea

Amatonormativity

Amatonormativity is the assumption that all human beings pursue love or romance, especially by means of a monogamous long-term relationship. The term was coined by Elizabeth Brake, in her book Minimizing Marriage: Marriage, Morality, and the Law (2011).

[gray-ace-space]

alright, let's do another survey thingie! this time, i want to know,

followers of this blog, what acespec labels do you identify with?

i got the list by going through this blog's common identity tags. there weren't enough options in the poll to fit everything, so i grouped together some of the more similar ones, but i apologize if it seems reductive.

couple things:

if multiple apply to you, choose either the one you feel the most attached to or the one that's more specific. you can elaborate in the tags or comments if u want to give me the full picture.

if you fall under the "other" category, elaborate in the tags or comments also.

if you're one of like 2 allos that follow, just scroll past, i couldn't afford to include that option lol

IF YOU DON'T FOLLOW THIS BLOG AT ALL SCROLL PAST

[areyouthisidentity-polls]

Are you...

Reciprosexual, also known as recipsexual is a sexual orientation on the asexual spectrum describing and individual who does not experience sexual attraction unless they know that the other individual is sexually attracted to them first. Reciprosexual may be a sexual orientation on its own or may be combined with other orientations.

[ijustwannamakeemojis]

[ID: Six pixel hearts of various flags in order being Pomoromantic, Pomosexual, Pomoaroace, Recipro, Recipromantic, and Reciprosexual. End ID]

[recipromantic-culture-is]

Feel free to delete if this doesnt count/is incorrect (am reciproflux)

Recipromantic culture is hating romantic attraction and crushes because crushes make you physically nausceous until you confess them and romantic attraction somehow shuts off all your logic

.

[eldorr]

Antau

Antau is an alternative term/name/flag for any folks who are uncomfortable with using Recipro (Reciprosexual, Recipromantic, etc.) due to it's association to a now deactivated transmed coiner. This isn't made to replace Recipro as a term, however has been coined as an alternative term for anyone who would want to use one. [Link to Source ig?]

In short Antau is an orientation term for anyone who only feels attraction when one knows someone is attracted to oneself first.

Unlike Recipro, Antau is made to also cover any sort of attraction pairing such as one's partner feeling romantic attraction to oneself, and one's attraction to one's partner is alterous. In that case one could use Antaualterous, even though the person in question's attraction isn't alterous.

This is a distinction made to be more inclusive of "Recipro" or conditional like attractions. The forms of attraction felt between beings doesn't have to be the same, such as Reciprosexual only referring to a sexual and sexual pair, Antau can be any pair of forms of attraction.

The name of this term comes from the root words "Ante" meaning before, and "Auto" meaning self. I'll be coining and posting Antausexual, Antauromantic, Antauaesthetic, Antaualterous, Antauexteramo, Antaufamilial, Antauplatonic, Antauqueerplatonic, Antausensual, Antauphysical, Antauemotional, and Antaudomestic.

The colors on the flag were somewhat inspired from other Aspec flags, black for lack of attraction, medium gray for conditional attraction, pastel melon red for attraction when it's felt, and beetle greenish cyan for any forms of attraction one feels. This is the general Antau flag, as a placeholder for any form of Antau attraction one may feel.

[warriors-pride]

Transfemmasc aphroflux cupioromantic reciprosexual dollgender intersex (not the yellow flag, the pink + blue flag please) cloudtail with warriorprojects art please!

[sawaiyo]

As a reciproromantic and an Office fan, I made this meme

I believe it sums up about how I feel

[astrangerthatlovesyou]

If I coined an AVPD specific recipro romantic/sexual/platonic (I’d coin all) would anyone be interested in using it?

[lgbtquiap-moodboards]

A Recipro-aroace (aka recipro both sexualy and romanticly) person who is a romantic?

I had fun with this, I hope you like it!

[[MORE]]

1 / 2 / 3

4 / 5

6 / 7 / 8

[fizzy-loves-cats]

RECIPRO INK BE UPON YE

[imoga-pride]

Hi, so I’m asexual and have been comfortable with it for like a year and a half. However, I keep changing my romantic labels. It always stays on the aromantic side though. I have been using greyromantic, but lately have been wondering if my “crushes” were actually just queer platonic or alterous.

So my question is, if you’re aroflux could that include feeling like you’re lithromantic one week and then greyromantic recipromantic the next? Or is there another term for feeling like your romantic orientation changes? Also, would this make sense for my not being able to tell if my “crushes” are actually crushes or just a combo of alterous, aesthetic, and sensual? And can my attraction towards the person change from me liking them romantically to not liking them, but then liking them again after xyz?

My last question, is aroflux technically under the greyromantic umbrella?

Sorry if any of this was confusing at all!

I believe aroflux includes all arospec identities, not just grey areas. It also means fluctuating in intensity of attraction. There's abroromantic, sometimes some distinguish the two as abroro includes alloromantic identities. But arospec terms don't exclude "alloromantic"/non-aromantic identities (e.g. demipanromantic). Aroflux can fluctuate to a black area/null state, dark grey and light gray. And for intensity, it can go to high (hyperro?/perissosro), low (hyporo?) and absolute (euromantic)/regular (alloro?/zedro?) attractions too.

Not sure if there's a fluitic/multi-attraction equivalent for crushes/squishes/etc.

[gray-ace-space]

Hi there! How would you define grayace (either personal to you or in general), I'm not exactly sure how to explain it to my friend who's asking about acespec labels and I want to learn more about it :)

hi!

gray ace is a label that's vague on purpose and covers a vast range of experiences. for me, the core of it is not fully belonging with either black stripe asexuals (non-gray aces) or allosexuals. most gray aces have a complicated relationship with sex and attraction, and can feel alienated from the larger ace community, while still not being able to relate to allosexuals.

here are some ways someone could be gray ace:

"i'm mostly ace, but not totally"

"i'm sometimes ace, but sometimes not"

"i only feel attraction under these specific circumstances"

"i only feel attraction to these specific people/characters"

"i only feel attraction if i perform this specific role"

"i feel attraction, but very faintly"

"i feel attraction, but unreliably"

"i am unsure if what i feel is attraction"

"i like sex, but i don't need it like allos do"

and here are a few more that corrrespond to other acespec identities, which can be considered to be under the gray ace umbrella:

"how ace i am fluctuates" (aceflux)

"i feel attraction only if i'm in love/close friends with the person" (demisexual)

"i feel attraction only to strangers" (fraysexual)

"i feel attraction only to fictional characters/concepts, not real people" (fictosexual)

"i feel attraction only if it's reciprocated" (reciprosexual)

"i feel attraction, but don't want it reciprocated" (lithosexual)

"i don't feel any attraction, but i want to have sex" (cupiosexual)

"i feel some attraction, but i don't want to have sex" (orchidsexual)

"i don't want to have sex, but i like thinking/reading about it" (aegosexual)

of course, these aren't even all the ways - if someone comes across this post and doesn't see their experience of gray asexuality represented, feel free to add on.

thank you for the ask!

[pride-hearts]

Reciproplatonic Hearts

[recipromantic-culture-is]

Reciproromantic culture is not feeling aro enough to use the label, but also not feeling allo enough to be one

you are aro enough to use the label! and if you still don't want to use it, that's okay too

[recipro-turbo]

the blood through your bandages

Rating: T Word Count: 2.1k Notes: Inspired by a thought Cardi had on the BNHA Twitter Refuge Discord. Originally posted to AO3 January 2023.

Tags and content warnings: blood/injury, implied/referenced self-harm, engine tune-up, dadzawa

Summary:

At his brother's suggestion, Tenya Iida undergoes the painful process of tuning up his engines―the act of ripping out his baby exhaust pipes to allow for new, stronger ones to grow in their place―on his own in the forest. Unfortunately, the aftercare isn't something he can properly tend to when he's loopy with blood loss.

It's a good thing Shota Aizawa catches him just as he's returning to the dorms.

Read on AO3

In a lot of ways, Tenya Iida takes after his older brother, Tensei. Most of these were good qualities to have, in Shota’s eyes―responsible, earnest, approachable―but the worst quality they shared was the masochistic lengths they’d go to better themselves.

Shota doesn’t make it a habit to get involved in his students’ personal lives. It isn’t rational to do so, and it only leads to unnecessary attachments. Of course, his concerns about attachment had been thrown out the window long ago for this batch of problem children, so maybe it was inevitable that he’d end up finding Iida limping back to the dorms just after he finished room checks.

He’s ready to go for his capture weapon when he finds Iida’s legs are bandaged. Poorly, at that. That’s Shota’s first indication that something is wrong. The next is how unsteady Iida seems to be on his feet, every step uncertain.

“I apologize for my tardiness, Aizawa-sensei,” Iida says, his usual energy gone. He doesn’t even chop at the air. “I will accept any manner of discipline you deem―”

“Are you all right?”

Iida blinks. “Oh! Yes, sensei, everything’s fine!”

Shota approaches Iida, eyes going to the bandages wrapped around his calves. When he sees the backs, he finds that they’re stained red.

“Are you aware you’re bleeding through your bandages?”

Iida jolts. Clearly, he was not. Shota sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. These kids were going to be the death of him. “Get inside. I’ll take a look at them.”

“Ah, there’s no need to trouble yours―”

“Tenya.”

“...Yes, sensei.”

Shota follows Iida into the silent dormitory, nudging him towards one of the sofas while he continues to the kitchen. He takes a can of orange juice from the fridge, returns to the common room and wordlessly hands it to Iida, who accepts it with a nod of gratitude.

The first aid kit Iida had been carrying with him sits open on the coffee table, still stocked with more than enough supplies for Shota to tend to his wounds. Starting with the right leg, he begins to unwind the bandages around Iida’s calf, expecting to see training-related injuries.

He does not expect to find six bloody holes where his class representative’s exhaust pipes should be. The skin just inside the ports is red and irritated, broken in places. Though most of the blood remaining on his skin is from wounds that have started to close up, the two holes near the bottom of his calf are sluggishly bleeding.

“Iida,” Shota asks, managing to keep his voice steady, “what happened?”

“I was tuning up my engines,” Iida answers, like it’s the most normal thing in the world. “Tensei told me it’s an Iida family secret. By removing my old exhaust pipes, stronger ones will grow in. It maximizes speed, minimizes fuel consumption, and should allow me to move at top speed for longer periods of time.”

Despite the way he slurs some of his words, Iida speaks with pride―Shota finds it hard not seeing the sweet, cheerful four-year-old he used to babysit when Tensei was called in last-minute for patrol or to respond to an emergency. Tenya’s admiration for his brother had only grown over the years, especially during the months following his involuntary retirement at the hands of the Hero Killer. It was touching and all, but that admiration lead to some incredibly idiotic decisions.

“And you chose to do this on your own in the forest,” Shota says, putting pressure on the ports still bleeding. “Why not approach me? Or Recovery Girl? She would’ve at least healed your wounds.”

Iida pauses, taking a swig of his orange juice. “I suppose some part of me assumed that you would get the wrong idea. That, ah… you might believe it was a form of self-harm.”

Shota knows he could probably make that argument. It wouldn’t be the first time Iida let himself needlessly suffer―the compression sleeve he still wears on his left arm from time to time is proof enough―but his class representative isn’t one to lie. He never has been, even when he was just a little kid.

“Tenya, I won’t say I wouldn’t have had any reservations about this,” Shota says, “but what if something went wrong? Doing this on your own could have caused unnecessary damage to your engines or to your legs. You may have already damaged something.”

Iida tenses up, tightening his grip on the can.

“You’re sixteen. Tensei didn’t tune up his engines until his third year. Why he told you now, I don’t know, but you were not ready―”

“With all due respect, Aizawa-sensei,” Iida says, “I disagree.”

Shota looks up from his work, an eyebrow raised. Iida’s expression is something stern, determined.

“Tensei’s class was not relentlessly targeted by villains. He was not put into a position where obtaining a provisional license and taking on a work study a year ahead of schedule was necessary to ensure his safety. Perhaps I did go about this the wrong way, and maybe it is too soon, but that’s no different than what we’ve already been through. What’s one more item on the agenda fast-tracked to ensure I’m equipped to keep my classmates safe?”

It’s a fair enough point. A rational argument. Shota can appreciate that. That still doesn’t change the fact that Iida has lost enough blood to make him unsteady on his feet. It was a miracle he even made it back to the dorms, even if he was late.

“First thing in the morning, I expect you to go to Recovery Girl,” Shota says, leaving no room for argument. “I can keep your wounds clean and bandaged, but I’m not the person who can tell you if you’ve caused yourself lasting harm.” He pauses for a moment before tacking on, “I also expect a written apology for not being back by lights out by tomorrow evening.”

“Yes, sensei. I apologize for causing such trouble.”

“Save it, problem child.” Despite his choice of words, Shota’s tone is fond, tinged with an affection reserved for someone he considers family. If Iida notices, he doesn’t mention it.

A comfortable silence settles over them as Shota cleans away the mess of blood. If Iida is in any pain, he makes no verbal indication of it. As he works, his mind goes to Tensei.

Shota knows that Tensei thinks highly of his little brother. He also knows that having his pro career ended far too soon had probably fucked him up a lot more than he was willing to acknowledge. Tensei wouldn’t knowingly force his own ambitions onto Tenya, but this doesn’t feel like information Ingenium would give to someone who hasn’t even completed his first year in the hero course. This feels like someone trying to live vicariously through someone too blinded by adoration and self-consciousness to see it.

He applies ointment and wraps fresh bandages around Iida’s right calf before moving to the left. The bandages are in a worse state than they were on the other leg, like they’d been wrapped by a preschooler. The bloodstains are larger, darker. Shota grimaces as he begins to unwind the bandages, wondering if he should give Recovery Girl a call after all.

The ports on Iida’s left calf are messier, but Shota is relieved to find that they don’t appear to be in any worse condition than those on the right. All six are still bleeding, but it appears that it’s slowed down to the point where he’s certain Iida isn’t in any real danger. He begins the process of cleaning the wounds, taking great care to not reopen any that appear to have just stopped bleeding.

By the time Iida’s left calf is wrapped in clean bandages and the first aid kit has been packed up, it’s roughly an hour past lights out. Shota gently eases Iida’s legs off of his lap, moving to stand up. “Alright, let’s get you to bed.”

Iida must be exhausted, because he doesn’t try to refuse Shota’s help when he guides him over to the elevator, a steadying hand on his shoulder. He all but collapses onto his bed when they reach Iida’s room, eyes sliding shut the moment his head hits the pillow. 

Shota feels the corners of his mouth quirk up into a fond smile as he pulls the blankets up over Iida. He gently pulls off his glasses, setting them down on his nightstand. Once he’s sure his student is settled, he heads for the door.

“Goodnight, Uncle Sho.” Tenya’s voice comes out soft, so quiet Shota thinks he might have imagined it. 

“Goodnight, Tenya,” Shota says, the door shutting behind him with a quiet click.

-x-

The moment Shota is in the privacy of his room in the teachers’ dormitory, he makes a phone call.

It’s late. Normal people might let it go to voicemail, but Tensei Iida answers on the second ring. “Iida speaking,” he says, very clearly still half asleep.

“You’re a goddamned idiot, Tensei.”

There’s a pause. “I’m not going to say you’re wrong, Shota, but do you mind giving a guy some context?”

“Tenya wasn’t back by lights out,” Shota says. “He came back just as I was heading out to track him down, and his calves were a mess.”

“Oh! So we have this tradition―”

“―where you rip out your exhaust pipes and let new ones grow in. I know, the kid explained it to me.” Shota sits down on his bed, kicking off his slippers. “He was bleeding a lot. I don’t even know how he managed to get back to the dormitory in the state he was in.”

“Is he okay?” Tensei asks, suddenly a lot more alert.

“He’s supposed to see the old lady tomorrow morning just in case, but as far as I can tell, Tenya’s fine. He’s sleeping it off now. I’m just hoping his ports look worse than they actually are.”

He hears a sigh on the other end of the line. “That’s good to hear.”

“Why’d you tell him about this, anyway?” Shota pinches the bridge of his nose. “Your parents made you wait until you were a third year before they allowed you to tune up your engines, and you didn’t do it on your own.”

“Hang on, he did what―”

“Tenya went out to the forest to pull his exhaust pipes. He told nobody. Not me, not Recovery Girl, not any of his classmates.”

He hears Tensei curse. “I told him to have someone there in case he passed out―”

“Did you think he would listen?”

“I… yeah, I assumed he would.”

Shota lets out a tired sigh, feeling some of his irritation towards Tensei melt away. “There’s a lot you missed, Tensei. I doubt Tenya has brought it up, since you had your own shit to sort through, but he and his classmates have gone through so much and we’re only part way through second semester.”

Shota knows that his friend has had a rough year. The one time he did manage to visit Tensei while he was in the hospital, he had been a shell of the man he was, trapped in a medicated haze while the doctors tried to save his legs. Nobody had told him about Tenya’s encounter with the Hero Killer until well after the fact, when he was recovered enough to handle the news. Tensei didn’t get to see the extent of his little brother’s grief and rage through the thick fog of painkillers, and with the dorm system in place, he doesn’t get to see how Tenya’s own trauma at Stain’s hand affects his actions even now.

“Tenya is a good kid,” Shota continues. “You’ve taught him so much. Your guidance has made him into a capable leader and has put him on the path to becoming a great hero. But I don’t think you understand just how much he looks up to you―he’s got it in his head that he has failed you, and his way of atoning is pulling shit like prying out his exhaust pipes in the middle of the forest without telling any of his teachers.”

Maybe it’s a lot to drop on someone, but Tensei needs to hear it. Thankfully, Tensei isn’t the type to get defensive―if he were, Ingenium wouldn’t have been known for being a team player.

“Shit… I’ll need to talk to him, then,” Tensei says. “Tomorrow, after he’s had some rest.”

“Please do. Tenya follows orders and takes lessons seriously, but when it comes to his mental health, you might be one of the few people in his life who can get through to him.” Shota absentmindedly rubs at his tired eyes. “I’ve got essays to grade. Have a good rest of your night, Tensei.”

“Yeah, you too, Shota. And thank you for looking after Tenya.”

Shota smiles. “I always look after my family.”