#shiro: ...so does this mean we're together again?

[discordiansamba]

Personally I think that Lance, Pidge, and Hunk all end up getting yeeted into space with the blue lion without Keith or Shiro in tow in the earthbound Krolia AU. Like, they know something has been going on at the Garrison these past few days that has everyone bustling. Pidge suspects it has something to do with the Kerberos mission, so she sneaks in to try and figure out what's going on, nearly gets caught and ends up hiding with Hunk and Lance...

...the latter of whom think it's a good idea to follow some Garrison officials to see what they're doing in the middle of desert. Turns out, they're checking out the blue lion!

...and now they're on the other side of a wormhole. Oops.

Keith sighs. Alright. Guess one of them is the blue lion's paladin. They're just going to have to go after them. This is fine. Also what was with that vision of Voltron that he saw?

Wait. Shiro saw that too?

Huh. Guess he'd better bring him with them.

[hyaciiintho]

SHIPPING INFO // ANSWER THE FOLLOWING FOR YOUR MUSES SO PEOPLE KNOW HOW SHIPPING WORKS ON YOUR BLOG

WHAT IS YOUR OTP FOR YOUR CHARACTER(S)?

🌸｡*ﾟ+. Oh goodness, welp-- I'll try to list one for each muse... as well as one for both Romantic AND Platonic/Familial!

Romantic Hero of Time ♡ Dark Link (specifically @tenebriism's-- I'm sorry, this romantic ship doesn't work for me with any other iteration LOL THE Ruby to Time's Sapphire~) 🌸 First hero ♡ Sky 🌸 Riku ♡ Sora 🌸 Thancred ♡ Urianger 🌸 Ryou ♡ TKB 🌸 Galo ♡ Lio 🌸 Sorey ♡ Mikleo 🌸 Hank ♡ Connor 🌸 Sherlock ♡ Jon 🌸 Carlo/P ♡ Romeo🌸 Romeo ♡ Carlo 🌸 Amicia ♡ ??? (I really don't see much romance for her honestly. Time may change that, and I'm open to it! But by default I'm really not like... INVESTED in any romance for her!) 🌸 Phoenix ♡ Miles 🌸 Nahyuta ♡ Ema 🌸 Simon ♡ Athena 🌸 Ryunosuke ♡ Kazuma (... & ♡ Barok... I like my OT3's)🌸 Lifeweaver ♡ Baptiste 🌸 Mercy ♡ Moira 🌸 Herlock ♡ Prof. Mikotoba 🌸 Makoto ♡ Aigis 🌸 Rue ♡ Mint 🌸 Keith ♡ Shiro 🌸 Chara ♡ Frisk 🌸 Dean ♡ Castiel

Platonic/Familial Hero of Time ♡ Dark Link 🌸 First hero ♡ Sky (Again--) 🌸 Riku ♡ Naminé 🌸 Thancred ♡ Ryne 🌸 Ryou ♡ Yugi 🌸 Galo ♡ Aina 🌸 Sorey ♡ Lailah 🌸 Hank ♡ Connor (Again--) 🌸 Sherlock ♡ Mycroft 🌸 Carlo/P ♡ Gemini 🌸 Romeo ♡ ??? (HMMM... I mean, maybe his subordinates, but I never gave this thought!) 🌸 Amicia ♡ Lucas 🌸 Phoenix ♡ Maya (Honorable mention-- TRUCY his BABY GIRL--) 🌸 Nahyuta ♡ Apollo 🌸 Simon ♡ Athena (AGAIN--) 🌸 Ryunosuke ♡ Susato 🌸 Lifeweaver ♡ Symmetra 🌸 Mercy ♡ Tracer 🌸 Herlock ♡ Iris 🌸 Makoto ♡ Aigis (AGAI--//SHOT)🌸 Rue ♡ Claire 🌸 Keith ♡ Pidge 🌸 Chara ♡ Asriel 🌸 Dean ♡ Sam

HOW LARGE DOES THE AGE GAP HAVE TO BE TO MAKE IT UNCOMFORTABLE?

🌸｡*ﾟ+. I think anything beyond 10 ?? Of course, there's situational stuff though... like... if one character is immortal, for example. Then there's the situation in which sure I don't mind shipping two characters who are 15 and 17 together... and I don't mind shipping characters who are 20 and 30. But I do mind shipping a 15 year old with a 25 year old... ya dig???? So long as both parties are legal and consenting adults, then we're cool!

ARE YOU SELECTIVE WHEN SHIPPING?

🌸｡*ﾟ+. Oh yeah... if our specific muses just don't vibe? Then I don't vibe with the ship. On the opposite end, if our muses are vibing hard and it's not a ship I would usually ship? I am so down for shipping together because our interactions just make it work~

WHO ARE OTHER CHARACTERS YOU SHIP YOUR CHARACTER WITH?

🌸｡*ﾟ+. I-- I can't make this list agAIN-- and honestly, I tend to usually feel out ships through interactions. I'm open to all sorts of ships, so long as it's not: p*dophilic or inc*st. Not my cuppa and it grosses me out as well as triggers me. Do not do it around me, please and thank you-- especially the p*dophilic shit. No. Just. No.

DOES ONE HAVE TO ASK TO SHIP WITH YOU?

🌸｡*ﾟ+. Not really! If our interactions eventually lead up into our muses being shipped, then cool !! I'm not gonna be mad about it :D The one thing I do mind is when people I just start writing with immediately autoship with me. It's one thing for a friend of mine to make a new muse and just. Smash our muses together, and another entirely when a stranger comes in and tries to do the same. Again, I need to see how we vibe beforehand!

ARE YOU SHIP-OBSESSED OR SHIP MORE-OR-LESS?

🌸｡*ﾟ+. I would be lying if I said I didn't dedicate the most energy to my interactions that involve muses I have established relationships with... Once you start shipping with me, I get invested ;; ;; I just love all the little lads ♡

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SHIP IN YOUR CURRENT FANDOM?

🌸｡*ﾟ+. Oh god, what is considered my CURRENT fandom-- Probably Ace Attorney, so I'd say... Wrightworth (Phoenix x Miles)? Though honestly I think Cykesquill (Simon x Athena) is a super close second ;; ;;

FINALLY, HOW DOES ONE SHIP WITH YOU?

🌸｡*ﾟ+. Just write with me! Let's feel it out! And if we feel like we're meshing well, I'll either say something in the tags along the lines of "Oh god I love them so much wait--" and that's your green light LOL Though honestly, if you feel like we would vibe even before writing together? Just shoot me a message and we'll give it a test run!

Tagged by: @fragmented-tales (Thank you bby!) Tagging: Anyone who wants to do it and hasn't yet, just say I tagged ya! I'm slow as molasses so everyone's probably already done this recently--

[iheihairu]

I love how many systems have alters from Tokyo Ghoul lmao (at least in our circles). We have Hinami Fueguchi, Sen Takatsuki (Eto's pen name), and Rei (Juuzou's birthname). We also know a system who has a Haise Sasaki, and some form of Kaneki.

And then there's y'all!

Speaking of, may i ask how the Kens differ? Like are they different forms of Kaneki? How do they differ from source in appearance or personality or whatever y'all would like to share?

We also have Tooru! He's my bestiepop!! I am saying hello to all of your TG fictives!!! I havent met many others, so it's been a pleasant surprise to get a couple in my inbox!

This again got long so! Under the cut with you!

They are! All different forms of Kaneki I mean!

This is how they look in our Simply Plural! Each one represents a time in his arc, so to speak. They do all have freckles, but otherwise they look very similar to their canonical counterparts. Of course, you can see Haise's "real" name here. He's a fictive of Kazuma from Noragami, but as I previously described, Haise is a huge ID for him!

I went into it a little in that longass post, but Kazuma/Haise is the Sensible one. The one that makes me eat or drink and nags me to take care of myself. The one that fusses and does our taxes and makes phone calls. You may be shocked to find he's dry humored and kinda serious! He has "tonal issues" he says, which is both true and a bit of an in-joke. While playful at times, he has a bad habit of talking politics and Me. We're both fictives from the same source - I won't get into it but his devotion is unwavering. He's often teased for having "one subject: Vana." He's also a huge perv :/ and believe it or not he's our biggest binge eater! He likes YA novels, dark romance, and nonfiction political books.

Kaneki is a lil brat, and is noticeably younger in how he acts. He's got that teenage disconnect to the things around him. He's also anxious and selectively mute though, and if he's not with me or in good company, the bratty melts away to shy, quiet, softspokenness. He likes thrillers, romance, and gore-horror manga like Junji Ito. He also has poor depth perception! And! Braces!

Ken is a mediator. He's very down to business and serious. It doesn't mean he's not lighthearted or cheerful, his brain is just Workin! He paces around a lot while he talks. He does not have his favorite books listed.

King is kind of goofy. He's relieved he's "not like the others" 💀 He's an ANP while most of the others are EPs and he takes that win for what it is. I've caught him in his pajamas before and they were these boujee silk, matching white pjs with a K on the breast?? I was like??? Ok goober HAHA! He likes action, mystery, and nonfiction books.

Kuu is extremely anxious and stressed. He often has nausea and cries when he fronts. He has a tendency to think towards self harm, but restrains himself because it's "my" body, not his, and he would hate to hurt "me." He struggles to eat. He likes fairytales and "how to" books. Biographies, books describing places and history, things like that.

Reaper is the stern and aloof one. Kind of mean. Blunt, dry, but with a sense of humor. Very monotone. Is Bossy but Bigger. His patience is short and he has no problems telling you. He was voted "most likely to fuck" in the Kenference and has worn that badge with pride. His blog is Wild. He likes horror/mystery books. Oh he's also built like a barn and for WHAT

Shiro is quiet, cold, and a bit snappy. He's least likely to interact, unless it's to complain (💀) he also struggles the most with craving flesh. We get him red meat and cook it some so he's safe and can kind of curb the hunger Sorta. He likes extreme gore and horror books.

EDIT : We also have The Kids. They stick together most times even if they get snappy with each other. They fight for attention but I can't have one without the other. They're a package deal, if only because neither wants the other to get more than him.

If you'd like to check out the ones with blogs, they're: @coffee-haze @specialclass and @halfmutehalfghoul @darakushita . 240 has one too but there's only one post and I think he's gonna use it as a diary.

[white--moon]

His very first thought is that Shuren could do some groveling, and he thinks it would send a nice message to have Ichigo do the manhandling. But he also isn't ready to look at Shuren again right now and he's positive it'll put him in a shit mood. This is a conflict that will happen, he's sure of it, but he doesn't think it needs to happen right here and now. Unless the asshole keeps being a creep, anyway.

He eyes that smirk, not sure he believes it at all. This feels an awful lot like a poorly concealed trap. The only thing that keeps him from worrying overly about it is that there's really no losing for Ichigo, so probably no losing for Shiro either. "Well if you can't pronounce it, then I definitely can't and we're both gonna look stupid." He's only partly kidding, but they'll match the dress code and he has cash, so they'll be fine. He snorts. "Good choice, it wasn't supposed to be insulting." He arches a brow, "Not with that attitude I'm not. Maybe I was gonna ask to borrow your fancy clothes. Do I look like a fancy person to you?" He wasn't, and Ichigo's been in his closet before, he's sure he'll put that together.

"Oh yeah. No demographic of people're more ready to throw down on a moment's notice than lesbians. Do you not know any? I mean besides your baby sister." He gives Ichigo a slightly confounded look. What does that even mean? "I didn't say they're the only people that can be angry." His brows go up, sort of impressed. "Ooh, official training, and from another girl- an angry lesbian no less. Good for them. They probably really can kick some ass." So deceiving. Yuzu did not look the type when he met her. It occurs to him that Ichigo's entire family knows how to fight, like for real fight. So weird and impressive. He's pretty sure that's not normal.

A smirk tugs at his mouth and he huffs a laugh, "Kinky." He doesn't feel threatened at all. "As you should. This is harmless fun." Ichigo goes right back to his book, more or less leaving Shiro to his own devices, so he does what he does best and gets a little bored and nosy. He has a few minutes of screwing around in between talking to Ichigo's sister and addressing his own phone when it goes off, and ends up scrolling through Ichigo's camera. He gets to the photo of Shuren and knows immediately that's Ichigo's apartment and stuff and the blanket Shiro bought. He squints at it for a moment, then just sort of shoved the phone with the picture still on it into Ichigo's book without a word.

That question really amuses him. There was a time not so long ago that Ichigo accused him of being a cult leader. That offer could be mistaken for Ichigo drinking the cool aide. “Uh, yeah, maybe. I’ll let you know. I’m sure that’ll come in handy one of these days.” The next question is a poorly masked trick question. He may not have a lot of dating experience, but he has plenty of experience with reading what people want. He doesn’t even have to play the game, though, because Ichigo answers it for him. Sort of. His brows go up a little. “Ok.” That feels like a big step for having just decided they’re together together, but he likes it. He likes a guy who knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to say as much. “You’re in school to be a professional reader. Is a menu item you can’t pronounce even possible?” That’s a lot of pressure, actually. Rather than take that challenge literally, he’s mentally running through a list of really expensive restaurants he knows of. “Ok, sure, so we’re both gonna have to change. You got nice clothes?”

He feels Ichigo start to relax against him and nods to himself a tiny bit. Good. Idiot. Thinking Shiro, the kid who doesn’t have parents, has already been to jail, and sells drugs for a living, gives two shits about parental approval or whatever getting along with Ichigo’s dad means.

He smirks and laughs lightly. “That’s not a surprise. Lesbians are always simmering with rage, ready to go off. Of course she can be scary too. Did you teach them how to beat people up?”

He snorts, looking over his shoulder at Ichigo briefly. “Not a chance, this thing’s hideous.” He turns back to the task of fucking with Ichigo’s phone when Ichigo slides him that look. “Who’s fault is that? You’re the one that handed it to me.” He’d turned the way he did purposely so Ichigo could see what he was or wasn’t doing, but Ichigo evidently doesn’t have anything too sensitive on his phone because he doesn’t seem like he could care less. Meanwhile, Shiro’s the exact oposite with his. His is almost always face down so no one chances a glance at something they shouldn’t see. It’d be just his luck that some dumbass first timer would text him something way too obvious, like ‘how much for X amount of coke’ or something, while he happened to be in public. And he would never just hand it over, it has way too much incriminating shit on it.

[erithel]

Not the other two anons from before, but just to give my 2c: it's more like whatever the other characters do, keith reaps the benefits. It's very main character/side character npc behavior, when they really should all be equal.

We can take hunk and keith working together to free Hunk's family in season 7 as an example. The take away and the character development we got from that ordeal was "keith has come a long way emotionally" instead of anything to do with Hunk. Hunk and his family was just the vehicle to deliver the +10 charisma to Keith. Because ultimately, Hunk didn't gain/learn anything from it and it's never mentioned again.

Or Keith getting to kill Sendak instead of Shiro. We're once again left with this "lesson" of "keith is the strongest fighter and will protect Shiro" instead of Shiro getting closure and tying up his own loose ends.

And we're not going to even get into Lance...

I don't think any of us are blaming Keith- but the writers weren't shy about setting up this divide between Main Character Hero Keith and those other guys who does things for Keith's growth.

It's also the common take away from new watchers of this show, people who went in without fandom bias or influence: Keith is the one character they come out saying had the best development and the best stories and they will have walls of text about his character. The other paladins are really just a "who? uh (generic platitude about them existing)" deal.

(I don't know if the below text is from the same person since you were both anonymous, so I'm just going to assume it was and add it on here:)

"Just to tack on that last ask. I ultimately blame the writers for the poor handling of...well everything. I love Keith too with all my heart. It's just not great seeing the writers act like parents with that one golden child and the rest like the step kids they feel obligated to raise."

As I said in a previous ask, I just don't see Keith this way.

I don't begrudge anyone who does, and I believe I can understand where you all are coming from with this viewpoint, but I just don't see it.

Of course it was clear in the later seasons that the other paladins/characters were pushed to the side (seriously was Coran even there?). That is just a fact.

But the way I see it, the only reason why anyone would think Keith got character development/better stories than the others in the later seasons was because he...did stuff.

It came across to me in a similar vein as when they wrote themselves into a corner - oh, look! All of a sudden Allura has the magic power to fix this! Woohoo!

I don't see this as Keith having any kind of character development. I see this as him just becoming the one who could suddenly do things.

"All your paladin equipment is being guarded? No worries, Keith can summon his bayard just by closing his eyes!"

"Need to add some drama? Let's separate Keith from the rest of the team. All the time. For...um...plot reasons."

However, this in no way equates to character development or stories. Because we were never told why he could do things. Or why he was continuously separated from the team.

It was all a just because.

And just because Keith was turned into the stereotype of a Main Character doesn't mean his character arc wasn't also forgotten. The only difference is that he did stuff. And things.

The later seasons weren't written to benefit any character imo. They were written to just get the show over with as quickly as possible. And the only reason I can think of that Keith was given stuff to do in those seasons was because the fandom collectively had the hots for him (seriously, he was shipped with literally everyone).

But, again, to be very clear - that has absolutely nothing to do with character development or even plot.

[mingjue]

character bingo… Seimei . i think his potential has been wasted but who hasn’t had their full potential erased in onmyoji LMAO

OK SO HES . . . DEFINITELY SOMEONE I ROTATE IN MY BRAIN . . . BUT MOSTLY IN RELATION TO SOMEONE ELSE.

1. Absolutely wasted potential. We still havent gotten a SINGLE clarification for turquoise seimei and it genuinely doesnt look like we're getting any any time soon. 😭. It like drives me up the wall bc unpopular opinion turquoise seimei is my FAVORITE seimei and i rlly wish we cld get him as a skin 😭😭😭

BUT a lot of my thoughts concerning him are in relation to Shuten, Arakawa (ofc), & Tamamo. The most i rlly think of him by himself are for like . . . My indulgent domestic onmyoji courtyard au where i develop seimei & co's living space LMFAO.

I think hes a bit cuntish. But i also think hes really sweet, and Aware of himself to the extent he Can be aware of himself. I honestly love him 2 death but i Mean 2 death in that i will beat him to death hes still an asshole (thank god)

But um. Like. Goign into the dynamics.

Him & shuten have unexplored shit. Imo. If im remembering timelines right, on top of if we actually still have documentation of all of their interactions 🥲. But i think smth a lot of ppl dont think about is What was seimei doing in the time of the initial purge on Mt Oe, on top of Why does ibaraki come to accept him, let alone shuten when he gets his memories back. Im like 90% sure turquoise seimei was still together during this time and i think this wldve been interesting for the three of them to go over. I dont have this fully thought out but it Is something i think abt esp for any possibilities that seimei at the time might have been some kind of aid. Bc again, he was both Shiro and Kuro-- i wldnt specifically put it past him, iirc he was aware of his kitsune heritage during this time period. Dont think it'd be possible bt food for thought

As for arakawa i literally have no basis for them i just think they should gay kiss on the mouth and seimei goes through a heavy depression spell when he dies and also kingyo calls them slurs. <3

BUT FOR FUCJING TAMAMO. Thats his uncle first of all bt SECOND OF ALL i dont think ill be able to get into everything but theres so so much to be explored with seimei and tamamo and i really wish this had been a prime focus for SP Tamamo, along with focus on Dodomeki and Yuki Doji in reconciling family. They did the family run for Sp Enma they couldve done it for sp tamamo!!!! But also like theres So much there w both of the seimeis to tamamo. And even turquoise seimei?!?!? What was going on then. What was tamamo thinking in that time period, esp if seimei really did participate in the purge on mt oe? But Seimei is so closely tied to one of THE most powerful spirits and it just feels like they dont do enough concerning it?? They barely even do enough for tamamo himself and it drives me fucking insane. I know tamamo has involvement in the minamotos(? I remember him disguising himself and dropping smth abt it in a cg to seimei?) But idk man . . . Tamamo needs more screentime with seimei. Esp with recent hints on kuzunoha and the like . . . . .

[nerdwaifuu-stories]

The Proposal

Happy (belated) Ninjago Oc Day! Ik I haven’t posted much on this account, but I figured it would be the perfect time to post something about my OCs.

Ig some basic info:

Word count: 4,966

Oc basics: the main two are Hisashi and Emon. Hisashi was a samurai/soldier who I have made Ronin’s (dead) uncle. Emon was a criminal who worked for Chen (although Hisashi doesn’t know about that. He just knows that Emon has previously done crime in his youth), but started to lose interest over time due to several factors. Another oc that’s mentioned is Lex. They are a friend of Hisashi and Emon’s, and they are actually an Oni.

Summary: Taking place roughly 25-30ish years before the Ninjago series, Hisashi is coming home from a mission. Since he and Emon have been together for some time, he figures it’s time to take it to the next step. He is one ring purchase and a ship and train ride away from trying to reach that next step.

If you want to know more about these characters, there’s some stuff on my art account @nerdwaifuu-art.

Hope you enjoy!

Cheers rang through the village as they saw the group in green armor entering the village. The soldiers marched through the middle, many with a look of victory on their faces contrasting the scuff, dirt, wounds, and exhaustion their bodies presented: all a worthy cost for a village's safety. Eventually their march and the cheering stopped as the chief approached the group.

"Oh great heroes, thank you! Thank you for saving us from those fiends! We will never forget what you have done for us! May the Creator bring you prosperity!" The chief cheered. Once he spoke his last word, the crowd of villagers' cheer erupted again, echoing the chief's message. From there, the chief and the captain went off to chat and the rest dispersed throughout the village. Some made their way back to the ship either to rest or prepare for the journey back to the city. Others remained in the village to chat or to explore. Amongst those exploring were two young men: a stout, short dark brown haired chatterbox and a long dark copper haired, silent listener. The two strolled through the village as one chatted away and the other listened while glancing at everything they passed.

"I wonder if the captain saw our hard work out there."

"Mhm."

"I mean we were kicking butt out there."

"Mhm."

"We should probably go to the medics to get our backs checked from how much carrying we were doing..."

"Mhm."

The stout man slowed his walk as he placed his hand on his friend's shoulder, "Hisashi, you good? You're quieter than usual, and it’s hard for you to be quieter than you already are..." He paused before he threw himself on track to a ramble, "Anyways, you just seem out of it."

"Yeah... Uh, yes, yes I'm fine, Shiro," Hisashi stumbled, "My mind's just on, uh, other things."

"Oh? Other things? What kind of other things?" Shiro questioned.

"You know... other things..." Hisashi kept scanning the surrounding stands and buildings.

"No, I don't know other things. How about you introduce me to them?" Shiro coaxed.

With a sigh, Hisashi stopped his mini search and said, "I'm just looking for some gifts..."

"Forrrr?"

Hisashi paused for a second, then said, "For my nephew-"

"Ah, why didn't you say so? No need to be so secretive with me," Shiro smirked, "C'mon, let's go find him something. One of these shops should have something he'll like" Shiro kept his hand on Hisashi's shoulder as he started to lead him. Hisashi resisted the push and said, "Actually, I know what shop I want to go to... I just need to find it again..." He looked around once more and then there it was: a small wooden stand run by a middle aged woman. The stand was covered with an assortment of items: jewelry, weapons, metal decorations, toys, metal sculptures, etc. He saw it the first time he arrived at the village and knew he had to stop by it.

"There it is," Hisashi took the lead and pulled Shiro with him as he approached the stand.

"Ah, hello boys~ Do you see anything you like?" The woman greeted them.

"My friend here is just looking, but I do see something I like," Shiro said, shooting a smoldering look towards the woman. The woman giggled and the two continued to chat (or Shiro commanded the conversation and continually bragged about himself). Meanwhile, Hisashi looked at the items. His eyes kept being pulled towards the actual reason that he wanted to come to the stand in the first place—a set of two matching rings sitting in a wooden ring box. Both were made up of a thick metal band that had a space cut in the middle where the gem was, making it appear as if the gem was floating. On the band, on either side of the gem, was a dragon carving colored gold. One ring had a black tinted band with a white gem while the other had a polished, silver finish and a black gem.

The woman noticed his interest in the rings and, once Shiro had taken a short pause, she shifted her focus, "I see that you've found something you like." She picked up the ring box and placed it in the middle of the table. Shiro shot a confused look at the woman and then at Hisashi.

"Oh, sorry, I was just looking at them. They're very beautiful," Hisashi admitted.

"Haha, no need to apologize for looking at what I'm selling, but thank you. My husband's... well, my late husband's father made them," the woman sighed, "Honestly the story is quite sweet. He came to this village and set up a blacksmith shop. A woman came into the shop one day and he fell deeply in love with her. He expanded his skills from weapon making to making small metal trinkets to give to her—" the woman glanced down at some of the other items at her stand before continuing, "She loved every single one and returned his love. Eventually, he decided it was time. He went into his workshop and began on his favorite project. The next time anyone saw him leave his shop, he went directly to the woman, took her somewhere nice, and proposed with these rings. She wore one and he wore the other..." A small smile formed on her face as she looked back at the rings, "Then they passed it down to my husband to use with me, and now here I am trying to sell them," she sighed, "I have no use for them now, and, even though I'm probably making some people roll in their graves, I need the money..."

"Awww, yeah that is really sweet. It's a shame you don't have a lady friend back at home, unless you and that Lexi girl have something~" Shiro teased Hisashi. Hisashi rolled his eyes. 'That Lexi girl' he referred to was Lex, but Hisashi only saw them as a friend. Instead, he had his eyes on someone else; someone else that he deeply cared about; someone else that he actually had something with.

"Plus we're here for your nephew. I don't think he'll have any use for these rings," Shiro reminded him.

"Um, right, of course..." Hisashi watched as the woman placed the rings back to their original spot.

"Oh, a nephew? Is he into metal work? Or I'm assuming he'll like the toys if he's young or the weapons perhaps?" The woman asked.

"Ah yes, a 5 year old who's into metal work-" Shiro quietly snickered. Hisashi shot a quick glare at him.

"Oh, he's quite young, scratch the weapons then," she chuckled.

Hisashi looked around the table some more and decided on one of the small metal figures and an old pocket watch.

"Ah, I'm sure he'll enjoy that," Shiro muttered sarcastically when he noticed the pocket watch was no longer ticking.

"He likes taking things apart and making new things, so yes, he'll probably enjoy this," Hisashi defended his choice.

"Is he trying to be an inventor?" the woman asked.

"I believe he does have an interest in becoming one. He's been fascinated with all the technological changes going on in the city. I don't understand it, but at least he's getting prepared for the future," Hisashi answered, starting to take out his money for his purchase.

"I forgot Ninjago City was going through all that. All the beautiful wood and clay buildings being replaced with tall metal buildings... It's insane."

"Yeah..." Hisashi and Shiro nodded along. While Hisashi searched for the right amount of money, he noticed that the remaining soldiers started to make their way back to the ship. He glanced back at the rings and turned to Shiro, "How about you head back to the ship while I finish up here?"

Shiro nodded, said his goodbye to the shop owner and left. As soon as he was out of earshot, Hisashi turned back to the stand and asked, "How much are the rings?"

The woman stated the price and said, "So you are interested in them after all?" Hisashi nodded as he took out the right amount of money for the rings, the figure, and the pocket watch.

"So is this for someone or just keeping it for yourself?" The woman wondered.

"I have someone at home waiting for me—"

The woman leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with interest. Before she could ask any questions, with a soft smile, Hisashi whispered, "I met h- uh, this person a while back and now we've been together for 5-6 years now... I figured I should do something special..."

"And decided it was time?" The woman asked at the same volume as him, with a large grin on her face. He nodded.

"Well, I hope the Creator blesses you both," she said, exchanging the items for Hisashi's money. He said his thanks and started to head off to the ship.

"Goodbye, may the Creator bring you prosperity and may the Great Serpent protect you on your journey!" The woman called out.

Hisashi turned around and asked "Great Serpent?"

"Oh, do people in the city not know this story?" Hisashi shook his head, so she explained, "According to some stories I've heard, there's a serpent that sleeps deep in the sea. She apparently used to rule the sea and was the reason for the waves and the storms, so people used to pray to her and give her offerings to keep her happy. Unfortunately that's all I know from the top of my head, and it's all probably just a story."

"Huh, sounds interesting. Thank you," Hisashi said before departing.

Laying his bed, Hisashi could feel the ship rock back and forth and hear his roommates chatting instead of sleeping, excited to be one step closer to home in the morning. But none of it blocked his focus on reading. His brain refused to let him sleep as the nerves have finally got to him. He had a ring in his possession, and he was hopefully going to give it away once he got to the city. To try to calm himself down in the safety of his bed, he took out some letters he got in the past few weeks. Each one started with "My Dearest Sai," and ended with "I can't wait to see you again. Love, Emon Sharma."

It was odd to think that these letters used to be closed off with a "Sincerely" or a simple "From," and "Love" was never a closing he had seen until 5 years ago. Even though it's been years, Hisashi's heart still flutters when he sees the word in Emon's handwriting. It still feels like such a new feeling, especially when he never acknowledged that such feelings could exist in him when he was growing up. Even when his brother tried to describe them when referring to himself and his now wife during high school, Hisashi never understood. Now he did.

After rereading each of the letters, he held the paper close to his chest. He tried picturing everything that Emon described. He tried remembering each random ramble that he sent him that Emon responded to. He silently laughed at the idea of him trying to make sense of everything Hisashi tried telling him. If he tried sending similar letters to anyone else he knows, they would just skim through everything and ask about how he is and how's work, avoiding to say "please tell me more about this random thing you learned ." Emon would be one of the only people who would say that.

The chatter in the room quieted down and the remaining lights started to disappear. With a sigh, Hisashi caught one more glimpse of the contents of the letters before it went completely dark.

"I can't wait to see you again. Love, Emon Sharma."

He softly smiled, folded the letters, and placed them under his pillow.

"I can't wait either..."

"Ah finally, land!" Shiro exclaimed once he and Hisashi got off the ship. Carrying their stuff (armor, weapons, supplies, letters, etc.), the two swerved their way through the crowds of people. Fellow soldiers were pouring out of the boat, being welcomed by their loved ones, going to a nearby inn or bar, or already beginning their ways home. Hisashi looked around at who was there, but he knew that his loved ones were in the city, which was a train ride away. He smiled at the thought of coming off the train to them, and clutched the ring box that hid in his pocket.

"Are you sure you don't want to stop for a drink? Or even for a snack?" Shiro asked, following his 6 foot friend to avoid getting lost.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Gotta make sure I catch the train," he said, glancing back to make sure Shiro wasn't too far behind.

"But the train's not going to leave for a bit," Shiro said, puzzled.

"I know, I just..." Hisashi trailed off and stopped in his tracks, leading to Shiro bumping into him.

"Oof- what's going on?" He asked, but got no answer. Shiro looked past Hisashi to see what was ahead, but it didn't click due to so many people being around. It wasn't until he saw two people: a short, medium tanned, black haired man with a scruffy beard and a towering, brown-skinned, short brown haired (hidden under a hat), female presenting person. The man noticed them and started to wave, then stopped and started approaching quickly while dragging his companion with him. Hisashi gripped the hidden ring box tighter as he started walking to lessen the distance. Once he was within a foot of the man, the man threw his arms around Hisashi and nearly lifted him off his feet within the first few seconds of the hug while saying, "It's so good to see you, Sai!"

"Woah, easy Emon. No need to break me," Hisashi chuckled, wiggling a bit to loosen Emon's grip and free his arms. Once they were free, Hisashi returned the hug and pulled Emon close while Emon buried his face into Hisashi's shoulder. Hisashi wished he could stay in this hug forever. He also wished he could just give Emon a big kiss, but he had to wait until they were in private; until they were in the city...

"Wait a minute—" Hisashi pushed Emon out in front of him, keeping his hands on Emon's shoulders—"What are you guys doing here?"

"Lex and I just figured that you deserved a welcome party as soon as you arrived," Emon confessed.

"And Emon really missed you and wanted to see you as soon as possible," Lex added.

"Yeah, that too," Emon chuckled, nervously rubbing the back of his neck. A smile stretched across Hisashi's face as he tried to hold in a laugh. His hand left Emon's shoulder and almost caressed his cheek, but he then remembered Shiro was watching from behind and they were surrounded by other people. He slowly pulled his hand back and hid it back in his pocket, trying to ignore the longing look in Emon's eyes. He then said, "Thank you, I missed you so much too. I couldn't wait to see you again..." Emon responded with a soft smile.

"Well, I missed you guys too," Shiro barged in, now standing next to Hisashi.

"Yes, it's good to see you, Shiro," Lex mumbled.

"I thought you would be much happier, Lexi," Shiro snickered. Lex's eyes were shooting daggers, but they tried to hide their gaze behind the brim of their hat as they said, "We best be going now. Don't want to miss the train." Before anyone could say anything, Lex had already turned around and started towards the train station.

"Ah what a shame. I wanted to talk with y'all more," Shiro sighed, "Well, see y'all back in the city tomorrow!" After an exchange of goodbyes, Shiro disappeared into the crowd.

"Well then, let's go," Emon said, linking his arm with Hisashi's. The two then followed behind Lex, trying to keep up.

"What was all the hurry about Lex?" Emon asked them.

Lex turned their head away from the train window and said, "Just didn't want to get stuck in one of his rambles. You get him talking and you'll probably end up hearing too much about what happened during the mission. I'm just not in the mood to hear how he 'sliced one man's head off' or whatever."

"That's fair," Hisashi said, also looking at the passing land outside the window. He was there when all of it happened, and he didn't need to hear about it again. He only wanted his mind on one thing and one thing only.

"Speaking of which, how was the mission?" Emon asked.

"Oh, just a typical mission. The thugs were playing hard to get for some time. Fortunately, we stopped them before anything too bad happened, and we didn't have many major injuries this time around. Just some scratches here and there," Hisashi answered quickly. He took one last look out of the window before sitting up and facing Lex and Emon on the other side of the table, saying, "But, despite the mission, the place we were at was very lovely." Emon leaned closer, interested to hear more.

"It was a small village by the ocean. Whenever we had a break, it was so calming to be on the white beach and just listen to the calm waves. And the village was really lovely too. It was filled with small shops and stands, and the people there seemed nice. They were very welcoming and always closed the conversations with something about 'the Creator' blessing you." Hisashi said. Lex perked up to full attention towards the end.

"The Creator? Like the creator of the town?" Emon asked.

"Or the Realm..." Lex muttered quietly, but, when they got confused looks from the two men, they said, "World. I mean world."

"Oh right, that makes more sense," Emon chuckled.

"Yeah, they often referenced them, but I guess they have plenty of other stories too. Before I was leaving, a nice woman at a shop said something about a Great Serpent—" Hisashi then recited what the woman had told him. Both Emon and Lex were leaning in close to hear every word. When Hisashi finished, Emon, with excitement in his eyes, and Lex, looking like they wanted to say something but decided against it, looked at each other, then back at Hisashi.

"Woah, that's so cool! Bet that was fun to hear about right before getting on a ship," Emon snickered.

"Yeah, but it's merely just a story," Lex uttered, leaning back against the seat, "Nothing to worry about."

"Have you ever heard of it?" Hisashi asked them. Lex hesitantly nodded, "All I know about it is the same as what the woman told you..." Hisashi could tell that they knew more, but he didn't want to force anything out of them. He could probably try finding a scroll or a book with more information.

"Anyways, overall the place was really nice. If we didn't have work and other stuff to deal with, I would say we should go there sometime," Hisashi said, mainly glancing over to Emon when talking. The idea of just leaving the city, getting on a ship, and sailing somewhere to explore sounded so pleasant, especially if it was with Emon and even Lex. He would even want to take his nephew once in a while. Just the 3 and sometimes 4 of them on a ship, seeing what the world offered. But their lives didn't allow for that. Hisashi had soldier duties to take care of while Emon and Lex had their own responsibilities, and there was just too much they would be leaving behind. Maybe one day in the future it could become a reality.

"Yeah, that would be nice," Emon said, smiling. Then the table went silent. Lex went back to looking out the window while the other two sat silently. Hisashi started to fidget with the ring box in his pocket, only bringing back the nerves. He looked up at Emon and could see he was shifting in his seat, shooting glances at both him and Lex. He wondered what Emon could be so nervous about.

Lex turned their head and sensed the nervousness sitting next to them and across from them. They shot a "say something and get it over with" look at both Hisashi and Emon.

"Sai—"

"Emon—"

They both paused and tried continuing, only further interrupting each other, "Sorry, go ahead—no you go ahead—no I didn't have anything to say—no please, I interrupted you—"

With a sigh, Lex barged in, "So, do you guys have any plans for today?" The two paused and looked at each other, waiting for the other to say something.

"I heard the weather is going to be super nice today. Maybe you guys can go to the park," Lex suggested.

"You are such a mind reader. That was what I was going to suggest," Emon said.

"I was actually going to recommend the same thing," Hisashi nervously laughed. He's so glad that he wrote Lex about what his plans were, or he would've just chickened out and waited to do it.

"Hah, perfect. Maybe we can get some lunch too. You're probably starving. I know I am," Emon said with a grin.

"Sounds good," Hisashi replied with a soft smile. He turned to Lex and mouthed the words "Thank you."

They smirked and mouthed back the words "You're welcome."

"Man, no matter how many times I come here, I always forget how good the food is," Emon exclaimed as he finished paying for the food. In defeat, Hisashi watched the check and the money leave. Him and Emon literally went back and forth about who would pay the bill only to find out that Hisashi had left his wallet at home due to him rushing to get ready and look nice for the day, so Emon came out victorious.

"I claim to pay the next check," Hisashi uttered while they got up and left the café.

"Haha, we'll see if you remember your wallet next time," Emon snickered, "Although it's not like you to forget it at all. Are you feeling well?"

"Yes yes, I'm fine," Hisashi chuckled, "Just adjusting to being home that's all..."

And just being a big ball of nerves, he thought to himself. At least he had the ring with him, or his whole plan would have gone down the drain because of one silly mistake.

"How about you though? You seemed nervous on the train," he asked Emon.

"Oh, uh, yeah. Um, yeah I'm good now. It was just being on a train. Y'know I don't really go on them," Emon said. Hisashi raised an eyebrow, but decided not to  further question him.

The two continued to chat as they walked towards and into the park. Circled by the new skyscrapers, the park sat at the center of the entire city. Full of green hills and growing trees, it was one of the few areas of nature in the city. It was still a work in progress as workers were busy with putting in new buildings, benches, and pathways, but it was still a nice place for a stroll and a proposal.

The two walked through the park, chatting and enjoying the scenery. While listening to Emon, Hisashi scanned the area, trying to find the best area. It needed to be a private area with no one around, but also needed to be a beautiful area.

All of a sudden, Emon grasped Hisashi's hand and said, "Come with me, I know a good place you need to see." He then started leading him up one of the hills, looked around, and then continued pulling him along. Down the hill, across some of the grass, and up a slightly taller hill. Once they reached the top, Emon stopped and tightened his hand around Hisashi's, looking out at the view of the entire park.

"Wow," Hisashi marveled at the view. It was beautiful... and there wasn't anyone else around... it was perfect.

"I know right. I came here all the time when I was younger. When I had no where else to go, I would just come here..." Emon's grip loosened, so Hisashi gently pulled his hand away and backed up slightly. He pulled the ring box out of his pocket and took a deep breath as he went down on a knee. This was it. It was time.

"It's crazy to think that I've come all this way," Emon continued, still looking at the view, "I used to come here as a young thief just trying to survive. That's all I thought my life would be until the day I died. But you've changed that..." Hisashi watched Emon go grab something from inside his jacket, but he couldn't see what. "...You've shown me that there's more to my life. Life is not just about trying to get by. It's about learning and experiencing new things. It's about love. It's about so much more than I know, So, I took you here in hopes that I can leave the lonely, barely living thief behind and enter a new chapter of our lives. Hisashi Arima, will y—" Emon turned around, about to kneel down, but he stopped halfway. In his hands was a long, wooden box with a black finish, kept shut with a golden latch. He quickly stood up and hid the box back in his jacket, his eyes not leaving Hisashi. He ran one of his hands through his hair as his face started to flush red. "Sai, I— oh my god..." was all he could say.

Hisashi sat there frozen, unsure what to do. He had planned this for weeks, but now everything just jumped out of his brain.

"Were you about to propose..."

Emon lips formed an embarrassed smile as he quickly nodded. Hisashi's mouth hung open and he looked down at the ring box, unsure what to say. Should he just try to stick to his plan or let Emon continue?

"Forget about me, go ahead," Emon whispered, gently pulling Hisashi's chin back up.

"Um, well," Hisashi cleared his throat and took a deep breath in, looking into Emon's eyes. They had a sort of calming aura about them now. Hisashi's lip curled up slightly as he gathered his words.

"I guess to play off what you've said, you have changed my life as well. Before I really got to know you, I probably seemed like a stone cold guy whose only purpose was to work until he no longer could. You have added more purpose to my life... so much more purpose. And, despite trying to understand everything, love was never one I could get a grasp of. Now I feel like I know at least a tiny bit about it from the past few years, and I'm willing to learn more with you. Emon, I love you so much. I will love you until the day I die. Even beyond death, I will always love you..." Hisashi took a pause, trying to catch his breath from speeding up towards the end without taking a moment to breathe. During the pause, he decided to open the ring box, resulting in a quiet gasp from Emon. He glanced up at him to see the reaction. His smile was bigger, but was being slightly hidden behind one of his hands. His calming eyes started to tear up as he looked up from the ring to Hisashi.

"Will you... would you... uh..." Hisashi started, but his mind was back to blanking out. Improvising clearly took all his brain power. It was his turn to blush red.

Emon chuckled, took Hisashi's one hand that wasn't holding the box, and asked "Will you marry me?" Hisashi couldn't help but laugh along as he quickly nodded. Emon then took the polished silver ring and slipped it onto one of Hisashi's fingers, and Hisashi put the other one on Emon.

"By the way, that was my line," Hisashi joked as he gave Emon his ring.

"Technically it was supposed to be mine," Emon said before pulling Hisashi up and into a kiss with his arms around his neck. Once they both pulled away, Emon held Hisashi close and rested his head against his shoulder.

"I love you so much Sai, and thank you for the ring. It's absolutely as beautiful as you are..." Emon said, then remembered his proposal gift. He let go of Hisashi, grabbed the box, went down on his knees, and held the box up.

"This is what I was going to give you... I hope you don't mind it not being a ring..."

Hisashi took the box from him and unlocked the latch. He lifted the lid to find a ornate dagger inside. It had a pale green jade hilt with silver sheath decorated with floral motifs and pale green and red gemstones. He gently picked up the dagger and unsheathed it to reveal a silver, double edged blade.

"This is beautiful," he said in awe, sheathing the blade and placing it carefully back into the box.

"I'm glad you think so. As soon as I saw it, I figured it would be a perfect gift," Emon said, smiling.

"It definitely is. Thank you," Hisashi said, giving Emon a quick peck on the lips.

"Well, should we get out of here and start the next chapter of our lives?" Hisashi asked.

Emon took a hold of Hisashi's hand and said, "I'm ready whenever you are."

They took one more look at the view, and Hisashi started to lead Emon.

"Let's go."

[kismetconstellations]

I hope I'm not troubling you by hopping onto this post and chiming in with my two cents. I have a lot of thoughts on Shiro and Adam and everything surrounding their relationship.

Something that really stands out to me is that in the first and only scene we get of the two of them together, their relationship is already in its end stages. They've clearly been, as insinuated by the dialogue, arguing over Shiro's condition for some time, now. Shiro is sick of being viewed as medically fragile and too "weak" to pursue a dream that means a great deal to him (piloting the mission to Kerberos, the farthest into deep space that humanity would have ever reached, at that point). And, Adam thinks Shiro is taking too many unnecessary risks and effectively gambling with his life.

Their body language and the way the scene is blocked is even more telling than the dialogue. There's still love there, Adam does turn to Shiro to ask him if he's okay when Shiro enters their apartment in a sullen state. But, the bulk of their conversation-turned-disagreement is had with Adam's back turned to Shiro.

In the only other glimpse we get of Adam preceding his death, he's a very straitlaced, no-nonsense combat pilot. He takes the orders he's given, no questions asked, like a good soldier, face steely with focus right up to the moment he watches one of his comrades be taken out right in front of him mere seconds before, he, too, is blown out of the sky.

The viewer has no frame of reference for what Adam was like when he was happy, relaxed, and not grappling with a high-stress situation, I.E., fighting for his life, or arguing with the man he loved when he believed the man he loved was taking unnecessary risks. We have no idea if he was an affectionate person and actually very tender and nurturing, as his seeming resolution to become full-time caregiver to his terminally ill life-partner would imply, or if he's always been relatively cold and Shiro's innate compassion and warmth were meant to counter Adam's frostiness and balance it out. We can only go off of what we're shown. And, in this tiny insight into a long-term relationship that was meant to be lifelong, as Lauren Montgomery and Joaquim Dos Santos confirmed that Shiro and Adam were headed toward marriage, Adam is very deliberately closed-off.

The only hint as to what his and Shiro's dynamic was prior to Shiro's illness and persistent desire to keep pushing himself in spite of it taking an emotional toll, is the picture of the two of them displayed with other mementos and memorabilia at the front of their apartment.

It's difficult to discern any exact details, due to the lack of focus and the image being so small, but Shiro's hands are by his sides, while Adam seems to be the one initiating physical contact.

This reading of their relationship, that Adam is/was the dominant partner, is affirmed for me by his behavior during his and Shiro's argument. Adam offers up the idea that Admiral Sanda and Commander Iverson were "right" about not wanting Shiro to pilot the Kerberos mission with his illness. That Shiro would "only be putting [him]self at risk". When Shiro stands his ground, asserting that the mission is important to him and "worth the risk", Adam slams the mug of presumably coffee that he had been holding down on its matching saucer.

Is this suggestive of a tendency toward physical shows of aggression on his part? Has Adam laid hands on Shiro, before? Threatened to? Or, is he simply someone who feels inclined to- childishly- take his anger out on inanimate objects? Either way, after shutting Shiro down, he attempts an emotional appeal ("Takashi, how important am I to you?").

With his back to Shiro the entire time.

Shiro seems to take a cue from Adam and likewise closes himself off, shutting his eyes and turning away as he says, "Don't start that, again, Adam."

Then, with a weariness audible in his voice and overwhelmingly evident in the way he slumps against the couch, he adds, "You don't need to protect me." (Emphasis mine.)

Shiro's "This is something I have to do for myself", inspires Adam to make another appeal, this time to rationality- "There's nothing left for you to prove. You've broken every record there is to break." And, then we get to the clincher, "I know I can't stop you, but I won't go through this, again."

This suggests that Shiro had a rather severe medical scare at some point prior to this argument, and perhaps even prior to his interest in the Kerberos mission. Now, considering that Adam has decided to commit himself to a long-term relationship with a man suffering from a degenerative disease, he has to be aware that medical scares are going to continue to be a thing as Shiro's condition worsens. They won't cease to exist simply because Shiro is no longer "putting [him]self at risk".

And, while one could argue that Shiro is being "selfish" and "irrational", here, much like Adam seems to believe, Shiro is dealing with the prospect of his body breaking down on him.

Many, many men, when faced with the various indignities of advanced sickness and old age, would prefer to go out in a blaze of glory on their own terms rather than agonizingly waste away before their loved ones' eyes. Going from completely independent and able-bodied to having to use a bed pan or even wear diapers because you can't get out of bed and make it to the bathroom unassisted, or at all, would be utterly humiliating for the vast majority of people. And, we're talking people in their late forties, fifties, sixties, and seventies.

Shiro has had to confront the reality that he'll be facing these indignities in his twenties. At absolute maximum, he's twenty-three, here, and he informs Keith that he'll only be able to maintain his "peak condition for a couple more years". Had he not gone on the mission, and stayed on Earth with Adam, he likely would have started to deteriorate before the age of twenty-seven. Who's to say, then, that there wouldn't be more scares as he lost the ability to walk, and even to stand? Falls, for one thing, would happen with increasing frequency until Shiro found himself confined to a wheelchair, and then, ultimately, his bed, and falls on hard floors can lead to all sorts of injury.

Cruel as it sounds, if Adam was emotionally incapable of handling his partner's condition taking a turn for the worst, he probably shouldn't have elected to stay in a relationship with a terminally ill man. And, perhaps, this infamous argument between him and Shiro was the first stage of him realizing that.

"If you do decide to go, don't expect me to be here when you get back."

After issuing out an ultimatum that the future of their relationship rests on, Adam, scowling, grabs his bag and exits the apartment, stating that he's "got a class to teach".

And, Shiro, left to ruminate on yet another argument, silently lets him go, allowing Adam to have the final word.

We know from Pidge's flashbacks in the Season Four episode, Reunion, that Keith was the only person who came to see Shiro off the day the Kerberos mission launched.

Meaning that Adam ended his and Shiro's relationship over Shiro's decision to defy Adam's wishes and pursue his dream to pilot what very well might have been his final mission into deep space before his body began to truly fail him.

I will extend Adam the grace that it's clear he did love Shiro (even though my inner weeaboo balks at him pronouncing Shiro's given name as the Americanized bastardization, "Takahshi", rather than the proper "Takashi"), and Shiro still very much held love for him.

"There isn't one of us here, today, who hasn't experienced the tragedy of losing someone close. It truly feels like a light has gone out, in our lives.

And, the sun, itself, couldn't reignite it."

Would that persisting love have been enough cause for reconciliation had Adam lived? Maybe, if Shiro and Adam attended Couples Counseling and were willing to cast aside a lot of anger, resentment, bitterness, guilt, and regret. Adam had four years to mourn both the end of his and Shiro's relationship, and Shiro, himself, when Shiro was believed to have perished after he, Matt, and Sam disappeared off of the Garrison's radar on Kerberos. For Shiro, that four year period was two years of almost nonstop Hell in the form of one trauma after another. As if the narrative, itself, was punishing him for choosing his dream over a comparatively safe, stable life on Earth.

All of this is to say, I have qualms with the way fanon tends to characterize Adam and his dynamic with Shiro (Adam and Shiro adopting/parenting/raising Keith, especially when Keith has more of a bond with Adam than Shiro, how I loathe thee), and how blame for the dissolution of their relationship is often, even jokingly, placed squarely on Shiro. Realistically, as nice as it would have been to see Shiro receive another hug after coming back from the dead, Heaven knows he deserves a surplus of them, I don't think there ever would have been a tearful reunion with Shiro and Adam practically diving into each other's arms and clinging to one another for dear life, pledging to get married the moment the war is over, if Adam survived the first wave of Sendak's invasion.

Shiro would need years of extensive therapy to help him work through everything he experienced out in space. And, Adam... Based solely off of what we're presented with in the show's canon, unless he's undergone some therapy of his own, is not up to the task of offering the comfort or support that Shiro requires to begin to heal. Whether he was always that way, or stress wore him down and made him into the person we see on our screens, he's just kind of an emotionally walled-off, passive-aggressive jerk.

And, Shiro, who quashes his own emotions

and severely downplays the very, undeniably horrible things he's been through (see him somehow standing upright and offering Pidge a pep talk after he was subjected to electro-shock torture,

and repeatedly assuring Keith that he's okay while he has a massive wound in his side

), can do and deserves so much better.

Rewatched Season 7 episode 1 for the sake of needing to write one line in one of my many documents, and Jesus Christmas, how many fights did Shiro and Adam get in?

The fact that it's phrased "... but I won't go through this again"... Again? Again?! The hell happened? How did Shiro fuck up? Was there an instance where his illness was getting to much for him, causing him to nearly be kicked off of another mission? Was Shiro being reckless again? There's so much to unpack in that quote alone.

[white--moon]

He wishes such a small comment didn’t work so well on him. But it turns out he likes Shiro’s compliments, even though that’s never really been their thing.

“Yeah. I mean, I don’t remember it, but yeah.” He studies Shiro a second and then puts his utensils down to pull out his phone and give it a quick search. He finds it right away and hands it over. “Cleithrophobia.” He slides out with the agreement, and takes Shiro’s place instead. Not bothering to worry about his plate when a different one is right in front of him. He glances over. “Does that seem right?”

He smirks a sheepish smile, but Shiro isn’t wrong. “Yeah, I guess so. But not as lucky as you.” He sighs and then elbows Shiro. Maybe not as hard as he could though. “Don’t say it like that. I knew what I wanted.”

He blinks, because he doesn’t have any decent comeback to that kink talk, and he’s worried Shiro is right. “You’re doing it right now.”

Ichigo eats and listens, and finally finishes off the plate Shiro had pretty much already cleared, so he sits back to finish his drink. He adds that information to what he remembers Shiro telling him and thinks maybe that was around the time he started dealing or possibly after. The exact timeline doesn’t matter as much to him as the details. But then he’s thinking of Shiro’s cleithrophobia and wondering if he was born with it or if it was some sort of trauma. “How did you end up in foster care?”

He leans in closer when Ichigo starts messing with his phone, curious. It's handed over, though, so he straightens again and reads through the description. It's a brief definition, but he supposes it's pretty self explanatory. The fear of being trapped; no further details needed. He slides out of the seat after Ichigo so they can switch places and hands the phone back over. "Yeah, seems right. Weird word for a weird phobia. Figures. Guess you know both a' my irrational fears now. I think that means you gotta share one of yours so we're even-ish."

He huffs a laugh; Ichigo is very right. "I just figure I had so much toxic shit in my system no lesser organisms could survive." That's probably not how it works, but the other explanation is sheer luck, like Ichigo said, and looking back at those few years it doesn't seem like he had much of that. When Ichigo elbows him, he nudges him right back. "I'm not complaining. I'm glad you decided what you did."

He pulls a bite from the plate in front of him. "Doin' what? The only thing I'm doin' is bein' supportive."

It seems a little odd that they needed to decide to be together before having this kind of an in depth, personal conversation. Pretty much right from the start, as soon as he realized Ichigo was curious, he said he could ask whatever he wanted and Ichigo never really took him up on it. The switch to his foster situation seems random. "Because I was, according to my foster mother, not well suited to a group setting and not reaching my full potential, so they started lookin' for a foster for me. But you don't mean that, you wanna know how I ended up not bein' with my birth mother." He eats while he talks, not in much of a hurry with either task. "I was real young. Like two or three. I was just an oopsy to a too young, single girl. I don't know the exact reason she gave me up, I didn't ask when I found her. We didn't talk long, I think I made her nervous. And my foster parents always just told me the reason didn't matter when I asked." He thinks that means they either didn't know, maybe didn't have access to that information, or they did know and there was a real reason and they didn't want him to know. "They were right, it doesn't matter."